Inside the palace of Asgard, Loki was pacing back and forth restlessly in the royal garden, his every step filled with anxiety. The passing handmaidens couldn't help but glance his way, whispering to each other.
What's gotten into the Second Prince? Who dared to upset him?
None of them could have imagined that Loki wasn't angry at all—he was downright scared.
Just moments ago, Carol had contacted him through magical communication and told him that Josh had found out about their secret relationship.
Loki was panicking.
He was truly afraid that Josh might show up in Asgard and kill him on the spot.
The horrible disaster on Xandar a few years ago was still fresh in his mind.
And as for whether Josh could even enter Asgard? Loki didn't doubt it for a second.
What do I do? What do I do?
In his eyes, Josh wasn't just scary—he was the kind of man who would absolutely kill him if provoked.
"Child, what's wrong?"
A warm, kind voice spoke from behind him.
"Ah, Mother! Nothing's wrong. I was just a little bored, so I thought I'd take a walk through the garden," Loki instantly changed his expression the moment he heard the voice. The anxiety vanished from his face, replaced by a polite, friendly smile.
The person who spoke was none other than Frigga, Queen of Asgard and mother to both Thor and Loki.
Even though Loki had already learned from Josh that he was a frost giant adopted by Odin, he still genuinely respected and loved Frigga—the woman who had raised and cared for him for over fifteen hundred years.
Still, he had no intention of telling her about Josh or Carol, so he chose to hide the truth.
"You know, my child," Frigga smiled gently as she pulled out a handkerchief and began wiping the sweat from Loki's forehead, "lying to the most powerful sorceress in Asgard is really… not a great idea. And I don't believe for one second that just strolling in the garden would make my son sweat like this."
Loki had no words.
Frigga had always seen through his lies and mischief, but she had never so directly called him out like this before.
"Let me guess… it's about that young human queen from Earth?" Frigga teased, clearly enjoying the rare sight of her normally calm and collected son flustered like this. She'd only ever seen Thor get this awkward.
"How did you know?!" Loki blurted out in panic. "Damn it… it must've been that idiot Thor!"
"Don't blame your brother," Frigga said, adjusting Loki's collar with a smile. "He was only trying to help. Now tell me, what's going on that has you so worked up?"
Help my ass. That oaf is going to get me killed one day…
"Mother, don't listen to Thor's nonsense. It's nothing!" Loki tried to deny it, his expression stiff.
"What did I say, child? Don't lie in front of a powerful witch," Frigga said calmly. "And really, you're not that young anymore. Falling in love is normal. Honestly, sometimes I've wondered whether something was wrong with you and your brother—neither of you ever seemed interested in girls. At least now you've finally come to your senses. Unlike your brother, who's full of gossip but still single as a rock."
Frigga comforted Loki with a soft smile, while also throwing shade at Thor in the same breath.
Sif's feelings for Thor were obvious to everyone—only a fool would miss it. But after all these centuries, Thor still acted like a clueless idiot, completely ignoring her.
No one could tell if he was really that dense, or just pretending to be.
Loki tugged at the corner of his mouth as he listened to Frigga's words, unsure of how to respond.
"So tell me, child—what are you afraid of? Are you worried your father won't approve of your relationship?" Frigga gently cupped Loki's cheek and smiled. "You really don't need to worry about that. Your father holds that Midgardian in high regard, and his daughter is more than worthy of you. If he knew you two were together, he would only give you his blessing. What you should really ask yourself is: do you truly love each other?"
Do we truly love each other?
Frigga's question made Loki freeze for a moment.
If someone had asked him that back when he first met Carol, he would've firmly said no.
When he first found out that she was Josh's daughter—the daughter of that terrifying "Demon King"—all he wanted was to win her favor, impress her, and get on Josh's good side.
Later, when he noticed Carol growing more and more attached to him, his first instinct was to pull away—to avoid provoking Josh's wrath.
But over time, Loki realized something had changed.
Somewhere along the way, Carol's bright and beautiful smile had etched itself into his heart.
But Josh's looming presence had kept him from ever facing those feelings honestly.
Frigga's words, though, had finally made things clear to him.
Still, a bitter smile formed on Loki's lips as he spoke the truth. "Mother… have you ever thought that the problem might not be with my father, but with hers?"
His question made Frigga pause in surprise.
She truly hadn't thought of that.
As Asgard's queen—high above all as ruler of the Nine Realms—for thousands of years, all she'd ever known was people bending over backward to gain Asgard's favor. She never imagined someone would actually look down on it.
So in her mind, Loki wanting to marry a human girl shouldn't be a problem. She never considered the other side might not approve.
"So you mean… her father—that Midgardian—doesn't agree with your relationship?" Frigga asked, frowning.
"…That seems to be the case…" Loki nodded helplessly.
"Don't worry, child. Be more confident in yourself. You're a prince of Asgard, one of the most outstanding young men in the whole universe. As for the rest… leave it to your father and me," Frigga said after a moment of thought.
"Leave it to you? What do you plan to do?" Loki's expression shifted slightly.
"What's this? You're already worrying about your future father-in-law before you've even married his daughter?" Frigga laughed, clearly enjoying the moment. "Relax—we're not going to offend your dear future father-in-law."
Ah, children growing up. What a wonderful thing to see.
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