Loki and Ingrid 35--if anyone still cares about this series

Missing You

It happens in slow motion as Lyd throws the punch. But Loki is ready for her, a shielding charm out before she can react. She’s on the floor of the ship in seconds.

          “Guys! Stop!” shouts Sif, attempting to fly a spaceship as my stomach churns.

          I feel frozen, as Lyd struggles to her feet.

          “What do you think you’re doing?”

          “Loki, this is your fault.”

          “I thought it was my fault for not turning him over to you!” I shout.

          “I’m confused!” chimes in Sif, narrowly dodging a stray asteroid.

          “Great,” I sigh.

          “Who do you think you are?” snaps Lyd, trying to get past the shield that Loki has set up.

          “What did he do?” Sif sounds thoroughly worked up, and judging by her lack of flying skills I can’t blame her.

          Loki remains silent, his face twitching in concentration as he keeps the shield against Lyd so she doesn’t try anything.

          “Lyd,” I whisper, “Please don’t hurt him.”

          “That’s your problem isn’t it?! You’re too SOFT!” She struggles as I grab both of her hands behind her back. “What are you DOING?”

          I manage to keep a grip on her, much to my own surprise. “Hold on, we have a lot of explaining. I’ve got her for now, let the shield down. Then we can—talk!”

          Lyd fights my grip again as Loki lowers his shield, “Don’t try anything, or I may be inclined to kill you.”

          “Not now,” I sigh, “No killing anyone,” although I feel like Lyd might actually do it with all the pent-up rage and aggression after seeing her on that ship. Only problem is, he wouldn’t let her do it in a million years, she’d be dead in an instant with his sorcery. This is a very lethal situation.

          Lyd screams as she breaks free of my hands and tries to rush Loki again, who has his dagger out in no time. Lyd pulls a smaller gun than the one she used to blow the door out of her jeans somewhere.

          “Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!” Sif, making the smart decision to use autopilot has whirled around in her chair. “No sibling rivalry on this ship!”

          Loki freezes, seemingly having enough respect, or at least fear of Sif, to back off. Lyd doesn’t look so easily swayed, as she starts shooting, but her gun is out of ammo.

          “Shit! Why didn’t I restock?”

          “Maybe since you were busy flying? Or helping my hand—” I’m trying to be charitable.

          Something seems to click, and everyone freezes. After an awkward silence, Loki addresses me for the first time since his illusion on Quill’s ship. “Ingrid, how’s your hand?”

          Yeah, that. I realize that I tore my bandages off in my attempt to restrain Lyd, and it’s bleeding again. But what do I care.

          “It’s fine.” Everything feels stiff and awkward since the incident, not to mention Lyd’s outburst.

          “Liar.”

          “Can we not talk about this right now?”

          “I’m not.”

          “Fine,” I sigh, “Lyd, I need you to—” she’s still angrily firing an empty gun.

          “Lyd?” I whisper, “You can stop now.”

          She screams inaudibly as she throws the gun on the ground, admitting defeat on the floor. She has fled for the corner of the ship. As I try to approach her she screams, “Get away from me!”

          I sigh. I can’t win, no matter what I do.

          “What’s wrong with her?” asks Sif, still perplexed.

          “I don’t know.” I lied. I know a lot. But I want Lyd and Loki to talk about it, not me. But of course, we sit in silence for the rest of the ride home.

          “Lyd,” I whisper, “Lyd, you need to get off the ship.” She doesn’t move. “We’re back on Asgard, Lyd. You can come with us, or I can get an attendant to see you to your ship. It’s your choice. Loki and Sif are busy at assembly. You know, kingdom stuff. If you want to go back to Jotunheim, or Zephenare, or somewhere else, you need to let me know.”

          “Why would I do that?” she suddenly says, still sitting in the corner. “Those places have only brought me pain. Asgard is as good  place as any.”

          “Then you need to come with me.”

          Lyd shakes her head.

          “Loki and Sif have a lot of work to do, what with being gone. He’s even going to do the Odin charade today! Do you want to see?”

          Lyd shakes her head again.

          “Okay. Well, they’re going to be busy for the rest of the day, so you don’t have to worry about running into them. I can get an attendant to see you to your room?”

          Lyd remains silent.

          “You can’t stay in Sif’s ship forever. You need to go somewhere.”

          “I don’t want to.”

          “You have to. You can go to your own ship and mope there, but get out of Sif’s ship…”

          “Fine, I’ll just go to another system or something.”

          I’m beginning to lose patience. “Well, see you around then, get out!”

          “NO!” Lyd jumps up and starts running towards the forest.

          “Hey! Wait!”

          She doesn’t listen to me. I reluctantly head to the palace, even though I have no obligation to be there anymore. I could live in some house on Asgard. I could leave the planet and it wouldn’t matter. Loki will never want me, and I shouldn’t care. We’ll just announce it later, that we’re not married.

***

“Queen Ingrid!”

          “Ingrid!”

          “Can you look over this document?”

          “What about the law regarding farming and rations?”

          “I’m not Queen,” I tell them, exhausted, “We never got married, technically, and—”

          “Don’t be silly, Ingrid!”

          “Let Loki and Sif handle it,” I shrug as I head to the palace wing. That’s when I start getting dirty looks. That’s when I realize. They love me. They don’t trust Loki, or Sif. But they saw me stand up, they saw me try, they saw me speak. I have to do something.

***

“With the legally binding marital contract--!” I try shouting over the crowd, who seems to be split on this whole thing. Loki left the talking to me, the official announcement in ink, after we got a binding contract written up with the help of a scribe, and my youngest brother Colby, who is specializing in marriage and law. I mean, it was binding anyway, that night with the book as far as Loki was concerned, and I don’t know what to think but the kingdom needs me.

          Applause, shouts, boos, and silence. “HEY! LISTEN! I’M SPEAKING!” I shout over the crowd.

          “Silence!” The crowd backs up then. They don’t want Loki, or his magic. Funny thing is, I did a spell once, to break into his cell. Anyone can learn magic if they try. Magic. Or science. All the same.

          “As I was saying!—” I hear some murmurings in the crowd again. “AS I WAS SAYING, I, AS THE NEW, OFFICAL QUEEN OF ASGARD, INGRID ASMONDSDOTTIR APPOINTS LADY SIF AS MY NUMBER ONE ADVISOR AND DEPUTY QUEEN!”

          “Thank you,” says Sif. Great, they listen to her. “You may know, that I am a great lady, and female warrior, but I have a lot of experience outside of Asgard as well, including advanced technologies—.

          My introverted side takes over, and I know that I have done what needed to be done, legally. It’s getting dark. Sif and Loki could carry on a party all night getting wasted, and I’m not up for that. I take the time to slip out, as I slip out. Loki’s room first, then mine, across the hall. I appointed two guards to the hallway, and Calder seems a bit pissed that it wasn’t him, but I know his true intentions. I walk in, to see the knife is still wedged into the wall. I take it out, polish it on my cloak, and pocket it. It won’t matter, as with the dagger, Loki will always have a lethal weapon. I can only hope. I smooth out the spot on the wall, trying to cover the it with the bureau. I begin picking up stray books and alphabetizing them. I pick up the debris and throw it on the junk pile.  I deny the help of two servants.  I like doing the dirty work. It feels good. Therapeutic. I can’t replace the door, unfortunately, so I leave it be. We’ll figure out the bedroom situation later. Everyone will expect us to share, but I’ve green room in the wing for as long as I can remember and I don’t want to let it go. Right, my room. Maybe as Queen I can choose where to sleep.

          My room is still a disaster, covered in glass. I begin cleaning it with my hands, not concerned about making cuts, even though they hurt like hell. I sweep, scrub, and dust the room spotless. I start singing an old song my mother taught me. I’m so busy that I don’t notice the quiet knock at the door.

          “I see my door is seemingly irreparable.”

          “Loki?”

          “I’m not wasted, so you can stop.”

          “Is Sif still enjoying the party?”

          “I hope. I thought of the best stunt for whenever Thor gets back.”

          “Okay, but we need to talk.”

          “That’s exactly what Midgardians say when their marriage isn’t going as planned.”

          “Stop it. I’m just saying—”

          “That you like this room? I do too.”

          “I got it cleaned.”

          “I’m sorry about the vase. You could have gotten a servant!”

          “No, I wanted to clean it. Feels good.”

          “It was my fault, I should have cleaned it.”

          “Well, it’s my room.”

          “Not anymore.” I look up at the illusion for a second to see that the real Loki has materialized with a large stack of books. “Let me in, Ingrid.”

***

I wake up in a cold sweat. I was dreaming about—something, I’m not sure what. Something was chasing me…and I couldn’t escape it. Chasing me into the forest. Lyd. I let her run off to the forest, and I didn’t check on her. I panic. That forest is enchanted, anything could have happened to her. I get up, quietly, since it seems like Loki is getting a good sleep for once. We were up for hours, catching up on trivial things, like books and school and brothers, just like the old times. But I have other things to worry about. As I slip out of the room in just slippers and my nightgown and head for the forest.

***

“Lyd? Lyd!” I’m so glad I found you!”

          She’s sitting by a small stream, her eyes looking at me expressionlessly, still in her disguise from earlier. She seems to have taken a liking to her blue haired Asgardian form. I’ve honestly never been so happy to see her in my life. The moon is bright, and I can’t help thinking about that garden night with Loki. It feels so long ago, but like it was yesterday.

          The night air is whispering to me, “Enjoy what you have now, Ingrid. There will always be extraordinary people who are gone too soon. Make every moment count.”

          I breathe deeply as I stand, waiting for Lyd to respond. “Do you want to come back to the palace? Try to talk to Loki in the morning? No killings?”

          Lyd nods. Perspective shifts are a wonderful thing. “I can try.”