Novels2Search
TITANIA: Goddess of War
Odinsleep and family secret

Odinsleep and family secret

Sif, Loki and Warriors Three were healing their injuries in the healing room. Hogun was using a glowing powder to seal Fandral's gaping stab wound. Volstagg was doing so too using it for his arm, where the Frost Giant touched him with his necrotizing touch. As Neilrosa entered all head turned to her. She could feel the heavy atmosphere in the room, as they were judging her for what she did.

"We should never have let him go," Volstagg sighed. She then realized that they aren't angry at her, but at themselves for letting Thor go to Jotunheim.

"There was no stopping him," she said and sat beside Fandral, checking on him.

"At least he's only banished, not dead. Which is what we'd all be if that guard hadn't told Odin where we'd gone." Fandral tried to sit but groaned from the pain. Nielrosa hang her head down and sighed heavily.

"I told him," she said softly, just above a whisper.

"What?" Fandral turned to her.

"I went to Odin when I sensed that something went wrong."

"You told him?"

"She saved our lives! And Thor's," Loki jumped and defended her.

"I had no idea the Allfather would banish him for what he did," she whispered and her eyes started to get watery.

"Loki, Neilrosa, you're the only ones who can help Thor now. You must go to the Allfather and convince him to change his mind." Sif turned to both of them.

"And if we do, then what? I love Thor more dearly than any of you, but you know what he is. He's arrogant. He's reckless. He's dangerous. You saw how he was today Is that what Asgard needs from its King?" Loki looked around the room when his eyes stopped at Neilrosa and when he said that, he walked out of the room.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He headed to the Vaults and saw the Casket sitting on its original spot on the stand. Loki picked it up in his hands as the Destroyer did. The blueness started to spread from his hands up, across his body. The lattice started to open, revealing the Destroyer prepared to eliminate the intruder, but Loki didn't pay attention to him, he was focused on the spreading blueness of his skin.

"Stop!" Odin's voice echoed from the walls of the Vault.

Loki turned, seeing Allfather run into the room and the Destroyer went back, lattice closing behind him.

"Am I cursed?" Loki asked, turning away from Odin. He didn't want him to see how vulnerable he is.

"No. Put the casket down." He quietly put it back to its place, his skin gaining its original colour again. He turned back to stare at his father.

"What am I?" he asked.

"You are my son." clarified Odin, coming closer to Loki.

"What more than that?" Loki raised his voice, knowing there's more. Odin suddenly started to look somehow burdened and Loki realized the truth.

"The Casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?" Loki started to approach Odin who was on the stairs from the Vault.

"No." Odin could deny it any longer.

"In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the Temple, and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring - abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son." Loki couldn't believe his ear, he didn't want to.

"Laufey's son..." he breathed.

"Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?" He tried to make sense out of it and looked into Odin's eyes.

"You were an innocent child," Odin said.

"You took me for a purpose, what was it? Tell me!" he screamed when Odin didn't answer.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace... through you. But those plans no longer matter." Odin revealed.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"So I'm no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me." Loki chuckled, his mind clouded and his eyes watery.

"Why do you twist my words?" there was an authority in Odin's voice.

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?" Loki confronted him.

"You are my son. My blood. I wanted only to protect you from the truth." Odin's voice was getting weaker and weaker, his son's words had a huge impact on him.

"Because I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night?" Loki's voice was so full of venom.

"Don't..." Odin said softly.

"It all makes sense now. Why you favored Thor all these years."

"Listen..."

"Because no matter how much you claim to "love" me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the Throne of Asgard!" Loki was screaming those words right into Odin's face. Odin started to shake, his hand was leaving a trail of gold when he moved it, the effect of Odinsleep approaching.

"Listen to me!" he exclaimed, but Loki went by him to the door.

"Loki!" Odin called after him. The enormous mental, physical and emotional strain took its toll. Odin fell back against the wall, his body leaving trails of gold as it moved, his face holding in a scream. Loki looked back, ready to snap again when he saw him. He rushed to his side, taking Allfather's head in his hand and screamed.

"Guards!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We exchange glances, torn and with the knowledge that Loki has a point.

"He may speak about the good of Asgard, but he's always been jealous of Thor." Sif was looking at the door where Loki left.

"True, but we should be grateful to our little princess here. She did save our lives," Volstagg laughed and hugged Neilrosa's shoulders. The atmosphere got a bit better as she gave them small smile.

"Laufey said there were traitors in the House of Odin," they turned to Hogun, who most of the time was quiet.

"Why is it every time you choose to speak, it has to be something dark and ominous?" Fandral shook his head.

"A master of magic could easily bring three Jotuns into Asgard," that was like a knife to the heart. All of them knew what he means.

"No! Surely not!" exclaimed Volstagg.

"Loki's always been one for mischief, but you're talking about something else entirely." Fandral gave Hogun untrustworthy look.

"Who else could elude Heimdall's gaze with tricks of light and shadow?" reasoned Sif. All this time Neilrosa was lost in her own thoughts, judging every possibility that what Hogun and Sif are saying is true.

"The ceremony was interrupter just before Thor was named King," she said, holding her chin with her hand and staring to the distance.

"We should go to the Allfather." she lifted her gaze to look at others.

"And tell him what? "Oh, by the way, we think your son just betrayed the throne. And do us a favour. Bring back, Thor. There's a good fellow!" Fandral didn't forget the sarcasm in his voice.

"It's our duty. If any of our suspicions are right, then all of Asgard is in danger." Sif said.

"I need some air," with that Neilrosa walked out of the room. She was walking through the corridors, not knowing where she's going just to clear her head and maybe cure the headache which started to take place. She stopped just before the throne and glanced at it. Battle for the throne, is it really something Loki wanted? Even though he was her childhood friend, she didn't know everything about him. But to be able to commit treason?

"Guards!" a scream erupted from the Vaults. Neilrosa didn't wait and ran there with a few guards. As they burst in, they found Odin unconscious on the floor and Loki desperately training to wake him up.

"What has happened?" she asked him and touched his shoulder, to gain attention as guards were taking Odin to his chamber.

"I- I don't know... We were talking and started screaming a bit and then he-" Loki was in shock, tears streaming down his face. Neilrosa took his hand and helped him get up. He was shaking slightly but remain his posture as a prince.

Guards put Odin on his bed, which covered him with a golden dome, the Odinsleep. Frigga came rushing in a shortly after, her face full of worry. She took place beside his bed, cupping his hand in hers. Loki sat across from her and Neilrosa excused herself from the room.

"No, stay," Frigga smiled at the goddess and gestured to place beside her.

"I asked him to be honest with you form the beginning. There should be no secrets in a family," she said as she knew what happened and looked both at Neilrosa and Loki.

"So why did he lie?" Loki asked.

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are in every way our son, Loki, and we are your family. You must know that." She didn't know what they were talking about but she didn't want to ask. Loki took Frigga's words in and stared at Odin.

"You can speak to him. He can see and hear us, even now."

"How long will it last?" Neilrosa asked her.

"I don't know. This time is different. We were unprepared." she sighed and shook her head.

"I never get used to seeing him like this. The most powerful being in the Nine realms lying helpless until his body is restored."

"But he's put it off for so long now, I fear..." Frigga's eyes got watery and they both took her hand. She was grateful and wiped those tears away.

"You are a good son," they both said simultaneously with Frigga to him.

"We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us. And your brother," she added and smiled softly.

"What hope is there for Thor?" Neilrosa wondered.

"There's always a purpose to everything Odin does. Thor may yet find a way home."

Loki raised and headed for the exit when a guard entered, blocking his way out. Loki looked startled and tense.

"Thor is banished. The line of succession falls to you. Until he awakens, Asgard is yours." Frigga said as another guard entered carrying Gungnir and kneel before Loki, giving it to him.

"Make your father proud." He took it into his hand, eyes running up and down, observing it.

"And you will be by his side, as his fiance, helping him," she smiled at the young goddess and nudged her to Loki. They turned to each other, examining their faces. That would be the first time when Neilrosa would do anything with Loki publicly as his fiance. He offered her a hand and took them to the throne room.