Loki has been meditating again, his magic staying the light green ever since he had gotten the news that Avalin was pregnant. He opened his eyes slowly when Magnus cane to his cell and stood up, his magic dissipating into thin air. “It was fine.” He replied, arching an eyebrow when he saw something the pod. He flicked his gaze to the guard and walked over, seeing that it was a cloak with a note resting on top. He read it over silently to himself before looking up at Magnus once more in surprise. He took a moment to think it over, shaking the thought that his brother had finally come to his senses and actually allowed him to see his wife. If so then why all the secrecy? He set the note down on the bed and pulled on the cloak as well as changing his appearance so he looked like a member of the guard. He looked to Magnus and nodded, ready to get out of the cell.
Magnus nodded back, pressing his thumb to a button outside of the cell and watching as the barrier between Loki and him disappeared. "Don't do anything stupid, please," The guard said, waiting until he was out of the cell before putting the barrier back up and walking alongside Loki as they headed out of the cells, "Avalin is putting everything on the line to talk to you, as well as my job, so if you could, please don't try to leave the castle. It'll earn all three of us solitary for the next century." His words were quiet and rushed, making it clear just how much was on the line. The pair walked the halls, and for once Magnus was happy that the servant's quarters weren't terribly far from the prison.
Avalin waited patiently, quietly sitting on the edge of her bed and trying not to pace around the room. Every time she heard footsteps in the hallway she wished it was Loki and Magnus, though four different times it hadn't been them. She sighed and fiddled with the edge of her cleanest (But still not clean) dress, well aware that worrying about how she looked was just something to keep her mind occupied while she waited.
He pulled the hood up as the yellow-is barrier disappeared from view. he had known only the tint of yellow for months now. Seeing Magnus in the colors of royal guard instead of yellow washed version was comforting to Loki. Stepping down from the cell he smirked and shook his head, following Magnus through the halls of the dungeon. "Since when do you know my actions to be anything else than calculating and precise?" He turned forwards and adjusted his appearance slightly to better much with Magnus, the only giveaway would have been his eyes, now a serene emerald green. His heart skipped a beat when Magnus mentioned Avalin and a chance to see her again as well as the potential danger this could put all of them in. "Thank you Magnus, for everything you've done for both me and Avalin. I know you've risk your position here as a guard countless times just speaking to me, but know it is very much appreciated and I do hope the best for you in the long run." He nodded his head in respect to guard as they entered the Servant's quarter, his eyes darting around in hopes of spotting his dearly missed wife
"I did it for Avalin's sake more than anything, but you're welcome. I'll be outside the door and I'll knock twice if anyone is coming. You have around an hour at the best I would guess." Magnus gave Loki a tight smile, opening the door to the servant's quarters and waiting until he was inside before closing the door behind him. Now they just had to hope that Thor stayed at his party as long as he normally did.
Avalin's head snapped up when she heard the door finally open and she met eyes with Loki instantly. Even though he was disguised as a guard, she knew his eyes on sight and a relieved smile broke over her face. "Loki," She whispered, standing slowly and making her way towards him. Unlike herself, he looked perfectly fine, even as a guard, where she looked exhausted. There were faint circles under her eyes and her hair was tied up in a hasty bun, her dress was dirty and to top it all off she was clearly close to four months pregnant.
He nodded in thanks once again and looked around the halls once more before entering the servants quarter, shutting the door behind his quietly. He dropped the façade and quickly walked over to Avalin, carefully scooping her up in a hug and hugging her close, burying his face in her hair. he pulled away gently and pressed a sweet kiss to her lip. "My Queen." he whispered softly, scooping her up entirely in his arms and walking over to where she was sitting, holding her in his lap. " I promised you this would never happen again, yet I've managed to break that promise, as I do with many. I'm sorry my love." he sighed softly and pressed his lips to her head. He glanced down at her slightly swollen belly and smiled faintly, his eyes filling with adoration and love for both the baby and his wife. "And I can see that this little one has been keeping you busy, is that right?" he cooed gently, resting a gentle hand on her stomach.
He smiled at avalin and kissed her once again "my precious Queen," he murmured with a smile "is it too much to ask that you stop working for a bit, if not to take care of yourself first. You're exhausted, especially with this one taking half your energy. Have you ask Thor for a leave, even just for a few days?"
She looped her arms around him as soon as he hugged her, not letting go even as he picked her up and sat down where she had been sitting moments ago. It had been too long since she had been able to be with her husband and she didn't want to waste any moment that they were together. "It's alright my love, you don't try to break your promises, and this was out of your control," Avalin replied with a soft smile, "And yes, this one has been trying their hardest to keep me busy." Her own hand moved to rest gently on top of his and she returned his kiss.
A tiny frown appeared on her face at his questions but her smile appeared seconds later, "My love, you know why I won't stop working, and I'm taking care of myself as much as I can. I won't deny that I'm exhausted, but that's not a good reason for me to stop working. Your brother has made it clear that any days I take leave for are more days you're stuck in your cell, and I hate knowing that while I'm resting, you're stuck in that terrible place." She rested her head on his shoulder as she talked, gently tracing whorls over his hand as it rested on her stomach.
He sighed and shook his head, lacing their hands together and pressing a kiss to hers. "And how do you think I feel, staying in that cell all day while you spend your days and nights working. I'll be fine if I have to spend a few more days in there, knowing that you took those days to rest and take care of yourself." He pressed a kiss to her head and hugged her close. "I'm sure Thor would understand the reason for your leave. He's strict but so much to let you work yourself to the point of near collapse, especially with a child on the way." He reasoned gently, pressing kisses to her brow. He pressed his hand to her stomach once again and shook his head "Maybe you can convince her, hm?" he smiled, the loving look in his eyes never leaving, even when he tried reasoning with Avalin. "have you come up with any names for the young prince or princess?" he asked, looking at his Queen once more.
(i keep forgetting that they won't have a child…this is getting sad!!)
(lol I knowwwwww… I gotta keep myself from getting too attached….I really want them to eventually have a kid tho)
"I've been trying my best to not have to speak to your brother," She admitted softly, a half-smile on her face, "But if it gets to the point where I'm close to collapsing from work, I promise you I'll take a day off and rest even if it means I have to break my silent treatment. As much as I don't like it, I feel like I'll have to take more days off as our child grows." As she talked, she gently pressed kisses to his jaw, only stopping when he mentioned names. "I only have a few names that I've thought about, and I don't want to decide on any without you having a say in the matter." Her eyes held the same loving look as his as she glanced at her stomach, "Do you think they'll be a boy or girl?"
(same!!! they need a child!!!)
he chuckled softly when Avalin mentioned giving his brother the silent treatment. "I would never have guessed you to be the one to hold a grudge my love. I'm proud." he nuzzled her temple and beamed down at her "Thank you though, for willing to ask. I'm sure you will need that time off, you deserve it, my dear." he hummed softly and held her closely and tilted his head "what did you have in mind?"he asked, resting his hand on her stomach and smiling "I can check if you want, though that would spoil the surprise."
(Definitely! :D)
Avalin laughed lightly and shrugged, hugging him tighter for a moment, "Well, I learned from you, my King." She looked up at him and gently reached a hand up, running it through his hair with a smile, "I would love to know if they're a boy or a girl, if you want to check. Then I can stick to the names that will fit them, saving you from listening to me rattle off all the names I've been dying to tell you." Before he could respond, she pressed a light kiss to his lips, then settled back against him with her head on his shoulder.
He leaned into her touch and adjusted his position so than she was sitting between his legs, her body resting against his chest. "I'd love nothing more than to listen to you talk of our child for hours on end my deafest one." he said with a smile, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss, seemingly never able to get enough of her. "tell me what you have in mind while I check." he reasoned, resting his hand on the center of her belly and shutting his eyes. In less than a few moment's his hand started to glow slightly with a goldfish tint.
She settled against him, letting her own eyes close as she started to talk softly. "If it's a boy, I liked Arvid or Frey, Leif, maybe Liam." Slowly, she shrugged, fiddling with the fabric of her dress as she smiled, "Something like Alaric also crossed my mind… or Noah. I'm not sure with boy names. I feel like I would know what to choose when I see our child in person if they're a boy. For girl names…I really liked Brenna or maybe Freja, like your mother. Iona and Tatiana sounded pretty too." Again she paused, tipping her head back to look up at him, "What about you? Any names you liked?"
He smiled, loving all the names she had said so far, though more drawn to others. "I'm liking Alaric and leif for the boy names though all of them are wonderful. As for the girl names, I'm honored that you'd consider a name close to our Mother's." he pressed a kiss to her brow. "They all sound great my love, truly." he paused for a moment before smiling softly "ready to find out what they are?"
Avalin nodded eagerly, resting her own hand against her stomach as she looked up at him, "I'm ready whenever you want to tell me." She couldn't wait to hear if they were a girl or a boy, and whichever one it was, she hoped that Loki would be happy. Finding out would just make it easier to find a name that both of them liked.
He leaned down close to her ear "no matter what I tell you, know that if it were the other gender, i would still have loved it all the exact same." he pressed a kiss to her head. He smiled softly, gazing down at his beloved wife and soon to be child and took a deep breath "I am glad to personally announce that the kingdom will be receiving a beautiful, baby Prince." his smile widened, seemingly saying the words, only made it more real. "we're going to have a boy." he hugged avalin close, pressing kisses to anywhere he could reach.
For a minute, Avalin didn't say anything, just looked up at Loki with the happiest look on her face. "It's a boy," She repeated, the look on her face even brighter than before as she hugged her husband as tightly as she could, "A little boy that's going to be as amazing and brilliant as you, my King." Slowly she loosened her hug and pressed a kiss to his cheek, then to his lips, clearly happy to finally hear what gender their child was.
He laughed happily and hugged her back “and as lovely and kind-hearted as you, my Queen.” He replied, kissing her back with as much love and joy. He didn’t care what happened now, only that his son and his wife were safe and happy, nothing meant more than this.
(Should I have Thor come in soon?)
She hummed happily, finally breaking the kiss and just studying his face. It seemed like nothing could ruin this moment, she was back in the arms of her love after months of not seeing him, and to add to the moment, she was pregnant with their child.
As if her thoughts were Karma though, there was a rushed knock on the door, clearly from Magnus. Why it was hasty though wasn't something she could figure out as she glanced between the door and Loki with a slight confused face.
Loki glanced up in surprise and carefully de-tangled himself from her. He pressed a finger to his lips and waved a hand to changing his appearance back to the guard. He pulled off the cloak and draped it over his arms. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze before stepping off to the side as he had seen many a times before from other guards, giving a higher standing individual space.
Avalin hastily detangled from him, even as much as she hated to. It only took her a few more seconds before she was sitting on the bed, putting on her best face of uncomfortable pain as she rested a hand on her stomach. She didn't even look over at Loki, hoping that it was just some random servant looking for something.
Instead, the one person she didn't want to talk to walked in, accompanied by a slightly worried but stone-faced Magnus. "Avalin, why aren't you working in the kitchen?" Thor asked, looking around the empty servant's quarter and glancing at Loki in his guard appearance, "Why is there a guard in here."
As quickly as she could, she thought up an excuse, even though it meant she had to break her silent treatment, "I was working, but I felt really sick and your guard just helped me walk down the hall here. He was just making sure I was alright."
Loki kept his gaze down, reluctantly bowing in respect, hoping he could keep up the act just a bit longer. He kept down a retort, Thor knowing full well that Avalin was pregnant yet still insisted on keeping her working. He managed to keep his temper at bay, hoping what showed would only be taken as concern for Avalin.
"She seems to be doing alright for now. If you'll excuse us, we have a patrol to head out to." He pulled the cloak over him and nodded to Magnus, urging him to the door,not wanting to test his brother's temporary ignorance towards his altered appearance. "I do hope you the best, Lady Avalin." he said over his shoulder, only looking to her and not to Thor. "My lord," he nodded his head to THor, though the enthusiasm had dropped a significant amount
Avalin nodded in return, giving him a thankful smile that she was known to give anyone that helped her, "Thank you, Sir." Internally she was relieved that Loki and Magnus seemed to be safe for now, though as Thor spoke next, she knew there would be trouble.
"Wait. You two stay. I'll send someone else out on patrol," Thor said, turning his head to glance at the pair of them before spinning back to Avalin. "I know you've been pleading me to have a chance to see Loki since he's been locked away. Well, I've thought over the idea, taking into account your pregnancy, and…I would allow you to see him now. Maybe seeing him can help you feel better. These two can accompany us to the prisons." The king had a small, hesitant smile on his face, like he was hoping she would take him up on the offer and forget how many times he had said no.
She was silent for a minute, caught between two bad choices. If she chose to go with Thor, he would find out that Loki wasn't in his cell, getting them in trouble. But if she stayed back, he would get suspicious, knowing how much she had wanted to see him earlier. Softly, and with a small smile, she tried to choose the better option, wishing on Vahalla that Magnus and Loki would figure out something to help her out. "I would love to see him. Would I be allowed to actually touch him, or just see him through the barrier?"
He cursed silently, glancing towards Magnus before paying attention to Thor. If thor would stay back, then he could easily conjure an illusion of himself in the cell. If he decided to come with, then it would be much harder to convince him that he didn't escape. "My lord, forgive me but this patrol is of urgent matters, perhaps even concerning your attention, surely the visit can wait until later today?" he suggested, hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.
Thor turned back to face the two of them, his words clearly final, "Someone else can take your spot, I'll have a servant notify the rest of your team. If it was urgent enough to call my attention, someone would have gotten me from the party sooner." He didn't seem overly mad at his persistence, just annoyed that he had asked multiple times. With that, he turned back to Avalin and motioned for her to stand.
Slowly, Avalin stood, glancing at Loki and Magnus hastily as she walked over to Thor and then past him towards the door, "Let's get going then. I want to have as much time with my love as I can."
Loki fell silent after that, knowing he said more, he’d risk all their safety more “of course my lord, forgive me.” He bowed and stepped aside to let them out of the room. He pulled Magnus aside when Thor and Avalin had gone a few feet in front of them “is there an alternate path to the cells?” He asked in a hasty whisper
"Only one, and it's much longer than this way," Magnus replied in the same hushed whisper, clearly worried and trying to think up a plan, "We just need to distract Thor long enough for you to get there. Can you make a copy of yourself stay here with me? I'll get something figured out."
Avalin walked alongside Thor silently, one hand resting on her stomach and a soft smile on her face. "So, why did you choose to finally let me see him today?" She asked, very well aware that Loki and Magnus had fallen behind to hopefully come up with a plan.
He nodded and shut his eye for a moment, conjuring another replica of himself. He slipped into an alcove on the side, watching as the four of them walked onbefore he changed back to normal and stared to look around for the passage way that led to the dungeon's hopefully close to his cell.
Loki's replica remained silent as it was magically ordered to (i don't know how his replicas actually work so imma go with Loki can manipulate them or give them a set of instructions to follow) staying beside Magnus at all times and keeping a controlled expression
Thor shrugged, glancing back at Magnus and the replica, "I just had a feeling that you wouldn't stop until you were allowed to see him."
Avalin hoped that Magnus and Loki had figured out a plan, but to be safe, she slowed her pace, smiling and nodding, "Well, you were right." Her slowed pace would let them have more time and easily could be seen as she still wasn't feeling the best, even as she still felt perfectly fine, "I just hope that he's happy to see me. I mean, it's been months, and I don't look my best by any means."
