Part 14: Half Asgardian

no P.OV

Loki sat on his throne, biting his nail, Ake had been called away because of news and he had been gone for a while now, which meant it was important. When Ake eventually returned he looked uneasy, unsure whether Loki would like the news "what is it?"

"A message from Vanaheim sir" he said as he showed the king respect as all who approached him must.

Loki stood "Vanaheim? What's the message?"

"They request marriage, to you or... another" he wasn't sure how to say it, or how Loki would react to the subject.

Loki seemed shocked for a moment "marriage?" he rubbed his chin and then furrowed his brows "to whom?"

"They said to their princess, they wish to form a stronger alliance to Asgard, after the war they still do not think that Vanir and Aesir are seeing eye to eye, they feel that a marriage between the two realms will... bond us"

"And who is this other? There are no other royals in Asgard, unless they believe Thor is still resident here" he stepped down a step.

"A lost prince of Vanaheim, he ran away just years ago, when you took power"

"Do we know who this prince is?"

Ake shifted "no sir"

"This plan of theirs, it doesn't work, only if she married me would it work, if this princess were to marry this lost prince, it would be a Vanir to Vanir marriage and the alliance would falter. Have they thought this through?... Unless there's something else"

"Sir I wouldn't know, all we can do is accept their proposal, meet this princess, hear them out and take it from there"

"And this is why you are my advisor" he came down to the same level as Ake and patted him on the shoulder.

"I just wish... She could see where I am now, she believed I was better than a patrolmen, she believed in me" he swallowed and shifted, he was thinking of Eerika, he had never forgotten her as Eerika had worried.

"She had to go, I couldn't have distractions"

"But did you have to banish her?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"No sir"

"Good, tell the messenger we accept Vanaheims request, but I agree to nothing yet"

"Very good sir" Loki turned and walked up to the throne, then he turned to sit but saw Ake still standing there, he was never completely comfortable with Loki banishing Eerika, but Loki had been upfront about it and when he was offered the job of royal advisor it was hard to turn it down. Loki leant forward and looked directly into his eyes, it was an intimidation technique that always worked, a way of saying bugger off, Ake showed respect and then turned and left.

Back to Eerika's P.O.V

We received word that Loki accepted our request, but that he wasn't agreeing to the marriage yet, I was going to meet with Loki and then there would be a couple of days for an investigation (so to speak) to find the lost prince, who could be anyone, a simple man in the market or a guard or he could have left Asgard, we weren't certain.

I was growing increasingly worried about this whole plan, a marriage with the lost prince would be a long shot and wasn't well thought out if you ask me, it seemed Loki would be the only suitable match for a suitable alliance, which needless to say didn't sit well with me.

I detested Loki with every fibre of my being, marriage to him would be the end of my sanity, but there was a certain enjoyable irony to it, he banished me because he didn't want me around to distract him and he didn't want to be with me, but now I was coming back as a princess and he would be tied to me for the rest of his life, and I would be there to call him on it, and make him realise that poetic irony, this would be all the payback I needed.

It came to the day that we were leaving for Asgard, we weren't sure that Sif and the warriors three should come with me, but Sif would be there to guide me and help find the prince, and the warriors three, well the warriors two as Fandral is now prince, were the people I trusted most to be my 'bodyguards'

I stood in front of a long mirror, holding a pink garment in front of me "do I really have to wear this?"

Sif got off the bed and joined me at the mirror "no" she pointed to the dressing table "you have to wear these too" I jabbed her in the side and then looked in the mirror again "it's good to look your best when being presented to a king" her attempt at reassuring me was failing. I got dressed and then came back into my chambers where Sif was waiting, she had a look of awe and I felt myself blush under it.

I was wearing a pink garment which had an armoured bodice, which was the only part about it that I liked, it was strapless and it didn't cover a large portion of my back, it covered more at the front, then the skirt was a long pink silk and had an overlay of pink sheer fabric, why did it have to be pink? Of all the colours, why pink? I hated pink "I hate it"

"Why you look lovely" once I saw myself in the mirror I softened to it a little, it was the nicest thing I had ever worn.

That didn't mean I liked the colour any more "but does it have to be pink"? I groaned.

"I think it compliments your hair" I smiled and then she grabbed my shoulders and directed me to the dressing table, sitting me in the chair "speaking of your hair, you still have a little more of that outfit to put on" she held up a flowery headdress, which was quite beautiful, and some bracelets for the upper arms. As she put the headdress in place she looked curiously at the hair she was fixing it to "have you ever wondered about your hair?"

"No... Why would I?" I looked at her in the mirror.

First she shrugged her shoulders "well most, actually all, Asgardians are fair haired"

"You're not"

"I used to be" I turned in my chair and looked at her curiously.

She had a faint smile "really? So how come..."

"Loki cut all my hair off and then gave me new hair which ultimately turned black when the sun went down" she smiled again.

"Whoa, so thats why he's the god of mischief" we laughed and then she turned my head back to the mirror.

She shook her head "that I can't take credit for" I could tell the subject saddened her but that she had since gotten over it.

Her hands came away from my head and she looked pleased with herself, I looked in the mirror at my headdress and actually liked it to my own surprise, though I was dreading the coming events. If only I could really enjoy getting dressed up, but under the circumstances you can see why I wasn't "so why would my hair be different from everyone else's?"

"Well... There could be a number of reasons, were your parents Asgardian?"

I thought about everything Cathleen had told me about my parents and even anything about Cathleen, I remember Cathleen saying that she was named after a Midgardian my grandmother had met when she was a girl but I saw nothing there, Cathleen was most definitely Asgardian so my mother must have been too "I wouldn't know, I never met them and my aunt never really spoke about them"

"Well one of them could have been from another realm" she said as she placed the bracelets on my upper arm.

"Really? Do you think so? So I might not be Asgardian?" the thought actually saddened me, I was proud to be born Asgardian even if I was now a Vanir princess.

She shook her head again "I suppose, but you could be half Asgardian, thats a possibility" I wanted to find out more about this, and who else would know than our queen? She had been ruling for as long as Odin had and she might know something. So me and Sif went to find her before we left for Asgard "my queen" we both bowed to her "we might ask you something?" the queen nodded and Sif went to continue, but the queen somehow knew the question wasn't about Sif and put her palm up to stop Sif from speaking.

She then turned to me and nodded "I wondered if you know anything about my parents?"

"Why would I know?"

"You have been queen for many millennia, I hoped you might know something, Sif thinks that one of them was not Asgardian" my eyes were wide with hope.

"As luck should have it, I do know" her words were like silk and her smile was graceful, I hoped to be like her. I stared in anticipation and swallowed hard "your father was of Vanaheim"

I was slightly taken aback by this "what?"

"He fell for your mother and married her, I admit I advised against this but he did it anyway, and as you stand before me now I regret having told him to leave your mother, Odin to my surprise granted him citizenship and he joined the warriors, which lead to his death" I staggered backwards, how could Cathleen not tell me? "I realise this information comes as a shock to you, but don't you have somewhere to be?" I nodded and thanked her, leaving the room with Sif.

Sif and I, accompanied by the warriors three and a few other guards, came to a cliff edge where Sif shouted to the sky for someone to open the bifrost. We didn't wait for long, the colourful beam came down from the sky and took us from the ground, so it turns out I was going to be able to test the theory after all, and it was right, the second trip is easier. Now it was like I was floating, just hovering on air, then our surroundings changed to the bifrost.

Memories of when I was last here shrouded my mind, but I had to conceal it. However, there was a bigger shock, I saw the new gatekeeper, Endre, of all the people in Asgard to give Heimdal's gifts to, Loki chose Endre? He was as thick as the rocks he could now see a thousand worlds away. He didn't seem shocked to see me, he knew I was coming, but had he told Loki? If he had it would be an awful shame, then I wouldn't get to surprise Loki and see that look on his face.

A guard was there to escort us to the palace and the closer we got to it the sicker I felt, I had this sinking feeling, but Sif placed a comforting hand on mine and I smiled sweetly, the grief was still present though. When we came to the main doors, the very doors I ran the other direction from, the same direction I would like to have run in as the guard pushed the doors open, 'This is it'

(A/N I do love you guys, sorry for what I did, I'm trying to update quickly so you wont be upset with me for sending Eerika away to Vanaheim, but I'm making up for that I hope, and Serenityellie I'm very sorry for making Loki mean ;P this chapters for you)