Loki X Reader : Forged Anew - CH 48 - Pt I

Author's Note: Hope you're ready, my dear readers.  You're about to marry the God of Mischief.

    He had only one task for the morning: keep Loki occupied and away from [Y/n].  Thor was fairly certain it was going to kill him.  Or Loki.  Or both.  For the hundredth time since breakfast he wondered if locking him in the palace dungeon would make things easier.  Certainly easier than trying to keep all that restless energy contained by brute force alone.  And talking to him?  No chance.  Words were even less effective.  Thor tried, anyway.
    “Brother, I swear you are going to drive me mad.  Can you not stop pacing for one minute?”
    No answer.  Doubtful he heard a word.  Loki’s latest circuit of the room brought him past the open window, hardly registering the commotion of the crowds below.  From across the room, Thor could hear it plainly.  The same as it had been for days now.  Asgardians from all over had been thronging through the capital ever since the official announcement had been made two weeks ago.  All of them here to witness the union of Loki Laufeyson and [Y/n] [y/l/n].
    Thank the gods it’s taking place today.  I’m not sure any of us could have survived another day like this.
    “Loki,” he tried again, still no success.  Gods, he’d never seen the man act like a complete basket case.  Finally at the end of his patience, Thor reached out to lay a restraining hand on his shoulder.  “Loki.”
    His brother snapped his attention to Thor and glared.  Finally, a reaction.
    “What?”
    “You’re going to wear a hole right through Asgard if you keep that up, and it sure as Hel isn’t going to pass the hours any faster.”
    The glare dissolved into a rueful grin, and Loki raked his fingers through his sable hair distractedly.
    “I know, Brother, but this wait…it’s unbearable.  I never should have agreed to let Mother push this off an extra week.”
    “I think you’d be just as damned fidgety even if you’d had your way.”
    “You’re some help.”
    “I already suggested a number of ideas that would help fill the morning hours, and if I recalled correctly, you cited all of them as ‘ridiculous’.”
    “And they were.  You suggested sparring with the warriors in the training yard.  Suppose I lost concentration- which is a fair possibility today- and got myself injured?”
    “Okay, I’ll admit that particular idea wasn’t the best I could have come up with.  But some of the others were perfectly acceptable.”
    “Name one.”
    “The garden- go for a walk and get out of this room.”
    “Have you seen the multitudes outside?  The second I go out there, it’s an unending litany of well-wishers and curious busy-bodies.  I really don’t want to start off my wedding day with a murder.”
    “You’re impossible,” Thor replied, throwing up his hands in exasperation.  “Why in the nine realms did Mother leave this task up to me?”
    “Likely because she’s with [Y/n] and Odin is busy meeting with the various Lords and Ladies inundating the palace as we speak.  So you, Brother, drew the short straw and must deal with me.”
    Loki leaned against the windowsill, staring out over Asgard with a faraway expression.  He sighed, resting a curled fist at shoulder height on the stone arch.  For a long time, Thor waited for him to say something.  But when well over ten minutes passed without anything to break the silence, he steeled himself to speak.  Maybe risk suggesting another idea- even an argument about why it was also ‘ridiculous’ would be better than this.  Before he put that plan into action, Loki finally spoke.
    “It wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t forbidden from seeing her.  Three days, Thor.  Do you have any idea how long that is when I’d gotten so accustomed to seeing her every day?”
    “No, I don’t.  But it’s tradition.”
    “Definitely not one of my favorites at the moment,” Loki muttered darkly.  “And quite frankly-”
    Oh no, not another long speech.  I can’t listen to another one.  In an attempt to distract his brother, he interrupted him with a question.
    “Did you ever think it’d turn out this way?”
    Loki shot him a curious glance from the corner of his eye.  “What would?”
    “Anything.  Everything.  That one day you’d be standing here, hours away from getting married.”
    After a few moments’ thought, he replied, “Married?  Yes, I foresaw that eventuality.  This particular wedding, however…is not what I had envisioned.”
    “What does that even mean?”
    A shake of his head and a sigh.  Loki focused on the view beyond the window again.  Thor waited a reasonable time for an answer, but when it didn’t come, he prodded.
    “Brother?”
    “I always assumed I was destined for a woman who would trade her loyalty for the power I intended to claim.  From my perspective, just a means of securing an heir.  Nothing more.”  After a moment of silence, Loki let out a dry laugh.  “Depressing, I know.”
    “But…why?”
    “You sound so surprised, Brother.  You shouldn’t be.  Do you not remember those early years, once everyone learned what I truly was?  How different everyone saw me?”
    Thor remembered all too well the day everything changed, and guilt nipped at him that he’d been no better than the others for the longest time.  He may not have been openly hurtful- as others had been- but he’d let the discovery of Loki’s true parentage color his understanding of the man he’d called ‘Brother’ for those early years.  He’d let it change the bond between them, wanting to distance himself from the enmity aimed at Loki and left his brother to stand alone.
    If I hadn’t- if I’d chosen to stand with him then, could any of the events that followed have been prevented?  Would [Y/n] have been spared her fate with Danethar?  Questions that he could never answer, and ones he suspected might haunt him for some time to come.  Especially in moments like these.  Loki continued, not having noticed Thor’s lack of response.
    “How could I have concluded anything else in the face of all that?  Until I met [Y/n], I never expected anyone- women especially- to truly understand me.  And even if one did, that she might actually love me.  No, Thor, I never thought I’d ever have a chance for a future like this.”
    “I…” Thor hesitated.  “I don’t think I ever realized how miserable things were for you.”
    “It’s the past,” Loki replied with a shrug.  “Leave it there.”
    “I feel I owe…”
    “Don’t apologize for the brother you weren’t back then; I don’t intend to apologize for having made a bad situation worse.”
    Now he fell silent, thinking.  Recalling the conversation he’d had with [Y/n] that one time in the library.  Hadn’t she said almost the same thing?  Thor folded his arms and shrugged in return.
    “It’s funny, [Y/n] told me months ago that she saw no point in trying to make up for what did or didn’t happen in the past, and preferred to start over with the present.”
    Slowly, Loki’s melancholy mood lifted and he managed a smile.
    “Who are we, then, to contradict the Lady?”
    Thor laughed and joined his brother at the window.  They stood side by side for a long time, neither of them saying a word.
    “You know how lucky you are, right?”
    “The luckiest man in Asgard.”

    “If I sit still any longer, I’ll be forever stuck to the seat of this chair.”
    “You’re over exaggerating, dear,” Frigga assured me, unfazed by my pique.  “We’ll be done in just a little while.”
    I sighed in frustrated capitulation and counted to ten in my head.  Servants had knocked on my door at dawn this morning.  I’d answered it blearily, expecting some reminder about yet another meeting I’d forgotten, only to be ushered without preamble to Frigga’s suite.  Hel, I hadn’t even been given the opportunity to change out of my pajamas.  From there, hour after hour of preparation.  Or at least it sure seemed that long.  I honestly had no idea of the present time.  Whenever I asked Frigga, she found some way to change the subject and never answered the question.  So my only frame of reference came when the servants had allowed Sif, Birgitta and the others inside.  That had been well over an hour ago.
    A far different experience than my last wedding day.
    Different in so many ways.  So many terrifyingly exciting ways.  In a few hours, I’d agree to spend the rest of my life with a man who’d made me think.  Made me smile.  Laugh.  Cry.  Love.  I was his world, he’d said.  And God of Lies he was, but he’d meant every word.
    “I still can’t imagine how difficult it was to arrange all this so quickly,” I heard Birgitta exclaim.  “Two weeks?  My own wedding to Timar took at least four to plan.  Even then, we still had a few mishaps the day of the ceremony.”
    “It would have been less than that if Loki had his way.”
    “Gee, I can’t imagine why he’d be so impatient,” Sif joked as her eyes met mine in the mirror.  “I’m surprised you could talk him out of it.”
    “I believe ‘threaten’ is the better definition,” I answered.  “But eventually, Frigga was able to make him see reason.”
    And thank the gods for that.  When we announced at dinner our intended betrothal, I had assumed Loki meant for a wedding the following summer- after the campaign with the Dark Elves.  But then he’d immediately suggested timing it to coincide with the harvest celebration.  Definitely a shock to me, but the reactions from everyone else at the table had been far more interesting.  I remembered each one in vivid detail, even now.   Enthusiasm and congratulations from Thor; Frigga’s combination of maternal delight and Queenly dread at the magnitude of the preparations; the lack of surprise in Odin’s expression.  
    Perhaps most interesting of all, when Frigga had tried to dissuade such a plan, the Allfather had been one of Loki’s allies in changing her mind.  Thor, too.  I can guess just how serious this conflict with the Dark Elves might be.  If it were as straightforward as Loki tried to make it sound to me, they wouldn’t be so adamant to do this now.  But this could be a war coming, and even the Allfather wasn’t sure how long the battles may rage in the coming year.  Celebrate now, because who knew what might become of us all once it began.  Not one of them said it, but I’d heard that unspoken message none-the-less.  Frigga had, too.  So she’d relented, arguing them into giving her two weeks and no less.
    How we managed to do it, I honestly didn’t know.  Every day I found myself in meetings that carved out almost every waking hour.  Florists, dressmakers, printers, artisans of all kinds.  I carried with me a journal to take notes or I would have forgotten it all in a blur of endless decisions.  They kept me so busy I had little time for books or music or my garden.  Or even Loki, for that matter.  We’d snatch a half-hour here and there, but we were so hurried that I wasn’t sure we could truly enjoy those moments.
    Then three days ago, Frigga told me that evening would be the last I would see of my love until the ceremony.  Loki and I evaded all of our remaining appointments for the night and devoted those final hours to making the best use of that time.  We found a secluded corner of the library where no one would find us and did not leave until nearly dawn.  We talked sometimes; others, we just sat in companionable silence.  Once or twice, lost track of an hour to ardent kisses that left us both breathless.  But with the arrival of the sun’s first light, we reluctantly parted ways.  I hadn’t seen even a passing glimpse of him since then.  
    Just a few more hours, I reminded myself fiercely.  I can wait just a few more hours.
    “I saw the great hall on our way up here, My Queen,” Lady Kendry praised, drawing my attention back to the conversation around me.  “It’s lovely.”
    “I don’t take all the credit.  [Y/n] designed most of the floral pieces herself- potted arrangements instead of cut flowers, so they’ll continue growing after they’re transplanted to the gardens.”
    “Marvelous.  But however did you find the time?”
    “I’m not quite sure, Birgitta.  Then again, I haven’t been playing my cello of late.  So it’s a good thing I won’t be called upon to perform today.”
    “At least not on a musical stage,” Sif added with a conspiratorial grin.  “But I’m sure you’ll be getting plenty of attention.”
    “All of Asgard will be downstairs.”
    “I highly doubt it, Jorra.”
    “You’d better believe it.  They all want to see the woman who captured the elusive heart of the God of Mischief.  Not to mention the woman crazy enough to want it.”
    “I resent the word ‘crazy’.”
    “Then what would you call it?”
    I smiled to myself before replying, “Ladies, if I could explain it, I’d be wiser than even the Allfather himself.”
    “You actually love him, though?” Marie questioned.  “I mean, he’s…” She trailed off, glancing nervously at Frigga, as if afraid to offend the Queen.  “And you’re not…intimidated?”
    “[Y/n]…intimidated?”  Sif burst out laughing, unable to contain herself.  “Not a chance.  She’s got more than enough grit to be a match for that Jotun.  You watch- he’ll be the one kept on his toes.”
    Amusement twinkled in Frigga’s eyes as she pinned one last delicate braid in place and then turned away.
    “I don’t doubt you’re right, Sif.  Lady Birgitta- can you bring over that basket?  I think I’m ready to add the flowers.”
    “Then I expect the only thing left is the gown.”
    “What dressmaker did you select to make it, [Y/n]?”
    “The same one as I patronized for the gown I wore to the concert.  A Lady by the name of Eira.”
    Fortunately she’d had the capacity to craft the gown in time.  Since that evening, her business had indeed grown in popularity.  I’d seen a new sign over her door and renovations in the shop, all thanks to the boost in revenue from recent commission work.  A number of highborn Ladies had already approached her about gowns for the occasion, but Eira had been more than pleased to prioritize my request.  She’d said it was the least she could do to repay me for the chance I’d given her when no one else would.  In truth, I suspected she’d been playing around with ideas for a wedding gown even before the announcement had been made.  The dressmaker hadn’t taken long at all to produce a design that pleased the both of us.
    And if I don’t miss my guess, will render Loki even more speechless than the last one.

    The great hall teemed with guests of all ranks and occupations- hardly room to spare.  They chattered to one another excitedly as they waited for the ceremony.  The noise was deafening.  Or would have been if Loki had been paying any attention to it; he was lost in his own thoughts and hardly noticed any of the activity around him.  After what had seemed like interminable hours of waiting, the hour had finally come.
    He and Thor stood on one side of the dais.  The other remained vacant, awaiting [Y/n]’s arrival.  Meanwhile, Odin and Frigga presided from their respective thrones.  Loki spared them a glance, trying to gauge when the former might give the signal to begin.  Nothing there to help him whatsoever, though his mother did smile reassuringly.  Perhaps he smiled back- honestly, he didn’t know.  Didn’t care.  From behind him, Loki heard his brother whisper an observation of his own.
    “Strange…I wonder where Heimdall is.”
    “What?”
    “Heimdall.  I don’t see him in the crowd anywhere.  Sif is near the front, so I would have expected to see him with her.”
    “I suppose he could be watching from the Bifrost,” Loki suggested in a low voice.  “Ever thinking of his duty to watch over Asgard.”
    “Maybe,” Thor agreed dubiously.  “But I could have sworn he said he’d be here.”
    Loki said nothing, leaving his brother to puzzle about Heimdall’s mysterious absence for himself.  Aside from [Y/n] and maybe his family, he really didn’t care if anyone else were here.  He’d agreed to this public spectacle for his mother’s sake, not for his own.  If he’d had his choice, the ceremony would have been held a week ago- very privately- in [Y/n]’s garden.
    Who would have ever guessed I’d be complaining about receiving the recognition and attention due a Prince of Asgard.  I suppose now that I’ve gotten what I wanted, I best learn to get used to it.
    The cacophony of voices ceased suddenly, and Loki’s gaze darted back to the Allfather.  Sure enough, he’d called the assembled guests to silence.  Odin then nodded to the priestess, who crossed the dais to stand in front of the long aisle that split the hall down its middle.  From somewhere, musicians began to play.  Every head turned towards the doors to the back of the room, straining to catch sight of…
    “[Y/n],” Loki finished in an awed whisper.
    She stepped onto the burgundy aisle-runner, a vision of perfection in what had to be the most beautiful dress he’d ever seen.  It had been made just for her.  From the tantalizing, strapless bodice that mastered her fluid curves, to the yards of white silk and lace trailing gracefully behind her as she walked.  As [Y/n] drew closer, he noticed even more detail.  An intricate pattern of seed pearls and diamonds caught the light filtering in through the open windows.  Thousands of them.  Accented by a woven design of delicate, forest green ribbons.  Lady Eira had outdone herself.
    Loki’s eyes drifted up, and smiled to see the emerald earrings and pendant.  They matched the circlet she wore upon the crown of her head.  Silver filigree set with diamonds and emeralds.  Loki’s attention was drawn to the dozens of purple blossoms worked into her hair.  Distar.  He should have expected it, but a wave of surprise caught him off-guard.  So perfect.  [Y/n] was truly everything he could have ever hoped for.
    And very soon, she’ll be all mine.
    Not until [Y/n] had taken the final steps to join him on the dais did he notice the man standing next to her.  Not on the Bifrost, after all, it would seem.   Loki supposed of anyone here, Heimdall would be the natural choice to stand in as her father.  Over this past summer, he’d certainly looked after her as befitting that role.  Not to mention if not for him, Loki doubted either of them would be standing here today.
    [Y/n]’s matchmaker jest from a few weeks ago hit him suddenly, and for one horrifying moment a fit of uncontrollable laughter threatened to overcome him.  Gods help him; he couldn’t laugh now.  Heimdall saved him- saved all of them, really- as he leaned in close to issue a warning for Loki alone.
    “You treat her well, Jotun, because I’ll be watching.  And if you cause any harm to [Y/n], I’ll hold you answerable for it.  Mark my words.”
    He didn’t wait for a reply, and stepped back again.  [Y/n] glanced at both of them, bemused by the exchange.  Just then, the priestess reclaimed everyone’s attention, giving her no opportunity to satisfy her curiosity as the ceremony began.  The woman’s voice carried effortlessly over the crowd, reaching even the remote corners of the room.  She invoked the familiar rituals by memory.  Words of tradition, honor, respect.  And as Loki stood facing his beloved, he committed himself to living up to those ideals.
    At long last, they came to the end.  The final three steps before [Y/n] would be his: rings, vows and blessings.  The priestess called for the first, and Loki withdrew the ring he’d commissioned for [Y/n] the day after he’d returned from Midgard.  The dwarves had only just finished it yesterday.  With good reason.  Its white gold band gleamed from the skill of their fine work, but the cut and setting of its gems surpassed even that.  As the centerpiece, a diamond that caught sunlight and transformed it into a dazzling starburst.  On either side, the rarest emeralds in Asgard; deep green with a sapphire glow.  Loki placed it on her ring finger and spoke the words that would not only bind himself to her for a lifetime, but echoed everything he felt for her.
    “[Y/n], you’re the answer to everything I’ve ever searched for and the partner I never thought I’d find in this world or the next.  You’re my beloved, friend and soulmate.  I pledge to you my companionship, fidelity and love for the rest of my days.”
    The priestess turned to [Y/n] and she produced the ring she’d had made for him.  Loki was not disappointed.  Yellow gold, embellished with fine etching.  Inlaid into the band, diamonds and emeralds.  When he looked closely, the latter flared sapphire.  [Y/n] must have gone to the dwarves as well, for no jeweler in the city could have obtained gems such as these.  She slid the gold band on his finger and offered her own vows.
    “Loki, you are the unexpected gift I couldn’t have imagined and the one person I can’t imagine living without.  You’re the smile in my heart and the laughter in my soul.  The first thought I have in the morning and the last before I fall asleep.  I pledge to you my companionship, fidelity and love for the rest of my days.”
    “By the blessings of the gods, the two of you shall be joined from this day and forever as husband and wife.”
    The words were no sooner said than Loki folded his arms around [Y/n] and swept her into a fervent kiss.  The exuberant cheers around them seemed miles away when compared to his joy at knowing she would be part of his tomorrows- all of them to the end of time.  That he would be a part of hers.  A nudge to his shoulder brought him back to the present.
    “If you’re about done, Brother,” Thor mused drily.  “There’s a feast awaiting us in the next room.”

    Frigga sighed contentedly as she watched Loki and [Y/n] dance.  The hectic scramble to plan this wedding had all been worth it to see them so happy together.
    “Six,” Thor remarked smugly.
    “Six what?”
    “That’s six times you’ve sighed in the past half hour. And twice as many ‘praise the gods’.”
    “I’m just admiring the couple in their newfound bliss.  Can’t I be happy for my son on his wedding day?”
    “Come now, Mother, I was only teasing.”
    “I’d be cautious,” she warned good-naturedly.  “Or I might be tempted to do the same to you.”
    “How would you plan to do that?”
    Frigga turned to Thor and beamed at him knowingly; he fought the urge to squirm like a five year old boy.  Seeing him so uncomfortable was nearly enough, but she went ahead and teased him, anyway.
    “I could start by suggesting that you would do well to find a Lady who might make you so happy.”
    He groaned and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes.
    “Not this again.”
    “It’s just a suggestion.  But you can’t deny your brother is well contented.  Or that [Y/n] has had much to do with that fact.”
    “Just because he’s happy doesn’t mean I’d be happy.  Wasn’t that something Loki always harped on- that he and I were different and shouldn’t be treated the same?”
    That was a sharper argument than she’d anticipated.  Far more clever than his response during their last discussion on the subject.  Frigga suspected Thor’s extra hours in Loki’s company lately made all the difference.  He thought more these days before reacting simply on instinct.  She wondered if he even noticed the effect his brother had on him now that they truly listened to one another.  For now, though, she was somewhat thwarted.  Unless she came at the subject from another angle…
    “If you think of it as…”
    “No, Mother.  If I’m meant to find a wife, I’ll find her in my own time and in my own way.”  He rose from his chair to depart.  “In the meantime, I’m going to wish Loki and [Y/n] well.”
    He stalked away, having won their argument.  Not to mention closed the subject against future discussions.  Frigga couldn’t argue against his reasons, but she did wish he would look a little harder.  As she watched him weave through the crowd, she noticed a few female heads turn and follow him with wistful expressions.  Thor saw not one of them.
    “My Queen, you are incorrigible at times,” Odin rebuked softly.  “You must let him be.  The time will come soon enough.”
    “I know, Husband, but at times like this I feel compelled to try.  With the right woman, I think he would be very happy.”
    “And one day, Thor will find her.”
    “Mhmm,” Frigga answered absently as Thor stopped his journey to talk with Sif.
    “Even if he doesn’t, that’s his choice and not ours, my love.”
    “Of course,” she murmured, eyes still fixed on the scene before her.
    The two traded words for a few minutes.  Sif must have made a joke because Thor laughed.  And then just as it began, their conversation ended. Thor was on his way to the edge of the dance floor while Sif shook her head and smile.  Frigga thought for one fraction of a second that she might have seen that same wistful look cross her face as had the other ladies.
    Is that possible?  Could Sif be interested in Thor?  They’d always had a bond since childhood, friends who shared an interest in weaponry and battle.  But perhaps something more lay beneath that friendship.  She considered how she might ferret out whether her theories held any merit.
    “Frigga, dear, have you even heard a word I’ve said?”
    “I’m sorry, what?” she answered somewhat sheepishly.
    Odin sighed.  “Never mind.  Just try for all our sakes not to push him on the subject.  He’ll have enough on his mind these next months.”
    Now if anything could shake Frigga’s cheerful mood, mention of the coming war with the Dark Elves would be the surest.  Since Odin had revealed to her the purpose of his mysterious meeting, she’d often wished he had kept her unaware for a while longer.  The skirmishes this past spring still haunted her; she didn’t want to envision what devastation a full-scale war would bring to Asgard.  Her gaze fell on the happy newlyweds on the dance floor.
    Or what devastation it might bring to our family.
    She hadn’t fully understood that day why Loki had been so adamant to marry [Y/n] at the harvest feast.  And she’d been even more baffled that Odin and Thor would be so quick to support the idea.  But as they’d argued, she’d become acutely aware of some underlying reason for their sense of urgency.  She’d seen it on [Y/n]’s face, too.  So she’d agreed in the end.  Only later did she press Odin for an answer; his explanation had been brief and terrifying.
    My son, how I worry for you.  Asgard needs you to do this dangerous thing, but we need you here, too.  Now more than ever.  And my heart would not be the only one to break if you did not come back safely.
    “What if he’s captured,” she worried aloud.
    “Frigga, I’m so sorry,” Odin apologized in a tone that bespoke remorse.  “I shouldn’t have troubled you with such things today of all days.  Think no more on it and enjoy the celebration.”
    “What if he is, though?  What if they find him out for the spy he is and hold him ransom?  Or worse yet- what if they kill him?”
    “We’re planning for that.  For anything that might go wrong.  Please do not worry.”
    “Have you?  What kind of plans?”
    “They’re not finished yet, but I promise you I won’t let any harm come to our son.”  Odin sighed and muttered, “Hel knows what she’ll do if I fail to present a plan before he leaves.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “[Y/n].  She’s…adamant…that Loki’s safety is protected as best as possible.  And given how alarmed he was when conveying that demand…I don’t wish to consider what the consequences might be should that protection not be assured.”
    Frigga wasn’t surprised that [Y/n] had made her opinion known.  In truth, she was more surprised that Loki had mentioned any of his intended activities regarding Svartalfheim to her so soon.  But what would the young woman do that might frighten her son so terribly?  Odin assumed she meant to unleash some dire punishment on Asgard- or upon him personally.  Frigga wasn’t convinced that’s what she had in mind.  Nor would that give Loki much worry.  What would he truly fear?
    “Oh gods,” she exclaimed once she realized just what [Y/n] planned to do.  “She’d go to Svartalfheim to free him herself.”
    “You think so?”
    “She would.  The second she suspected he was captured, [Y/n] would create a gate to that realm and fetch him back.”
    “But she couldn’t hope to find him.  They’d capture her first.”
    “Exactly, my love.  Why do you think Loki’s so worried?”
    Odin paused to stare at the two of them, expression thoughtful.  After several minutes, he nodded.
    “I believe you’re right, my Queen.  I also believe I’ve been unintentionally blind to a powerful weapon in our arsenal.”
    Frigga darted a look to [Y/n], and then back.
    “Husband, you don’t mean to use [Y/n] in this?  She’s not a warrior.”
    “But she has a talent that might save a good many of them from certain death.  Would you condemn them by not at least exploring the idea?”
    “Noooo, but…” she gazed at the dance floor once more, troubled.  “I beg you not to risk too much.  Like Loki, I fear she will agree to do more than she can handle just to prove herself.  I couldn’t bear to see either of them break under that kind of pressure.”
    “If I promise to heed your concerns, will you enjoy the celebration and speak no more of this today?”
    “Yes.  So long as you promise.”