Proposition

Varian Lokison

My head spun and pain shot through my temples as I opened my eyes, feeling sick and groggy as if I had the biggest hangover from a wild night on the town.

Voices surrounded me as I swam out of the depths of my haziness, there were small, lit up screens to either of my sides but the room lights were dimmed.

I could see the silhouette of someone rushing out before another stepped forward and leaned over me, not threateningly but daunting all the same.

"My princess," a soft voice spoke cautiously, "are you with us?"

My mouth felt like it was filled with cotton, making speaking difficult.

I attempted to shape a few words but only found garbled sounds coming from me, so instead I slowly, very slowly, nodded my head.

"Wonderful, we have just sent for the prince."

I swallowed to try and get rid of the dryness in my mouth, hoping to start the salivating process as I took everything in.

Everything was still fuzzy but it was gradually piecing together and with it the stiffness and the dull, lingering pain made its presence known.

I had been led in bed with Loki, resting my head on his shoulder while he read to me and I tried to breathe through the contractions that had been washing over me in increasing intervals, something Loki was noting down for the healers.

"When they become more regular, and I am talking minutes apart, please return."

Although we were cuddled in bed, I wanted to do something that used up this sudden bout of energy that had sprung up from nowhere, but Loki insisted on me taking it easy and I reluctantly saw his arguments upon further discussion, though we had both taken the healer's advice and gone on short walks around the halls.

Not that I could go far with how big I was.

Eventually, a couple of hours in, the contractions were starting to become more frequent and it was time to make our way to the infirmary.

After shifting me into my chair, Loki, who was still in his own night clothes, padded down the hall barefoot, pushing my chair while trying to keep me calm.

"I can't believe this is happening," he said, sounding almost breathless, "I'm going to be a father."

"You are," I smile, caressing my bump while trying to take deep breaths, "and what an amazing one you'll be."

"You really think so?"

"Undeniably, he'll be spoilt rotten between you and Frigga."

He laughed and then fell silent.

I didn't think much of it, just focused on the breathing exercises, which had thankfully become considerably easier to do just two weeks prior.

Finally, as we turned into another hall, he spoke again.

"You know that we're going to have to talk about it."

His voice was so soft and yet somehow it still seemed to bounce off of the walls.

"Talk about what?"

"What he is, what I am," the solemn tone made me shudder and frown, "my heritage."

"Loki," I sighed, looking over my shoulder, "that isn't important right now, let's focus on meeting him and we can discuss that should it need to be discussed later, okay?"

He didn't respond, so I assumed that he nodded.

It was something that had obviously been niggling in the back of his mind throughout this entire pregnancy and I knew that it would eventually come up, but I wasn't sure what I could tell him.