King Loki

Chapter 29
"I need you to understand that as far as I know I was conceived human. Whatever happened to me while growing within my mother's womb, I don't know." Cephera began. It had been a long time since she'd brought up such old memories.
"We grew up in the time of ancient Scandinavia. Back when they worshipped the Norse gods," she laughed lightly. It hadn't really crossed her mind the oddity that was the two of them. How many times in her childhood had Loki's name been uttered in the darkness? The God of mischief was well known for his tricks.
After Cephera had been subjected to a world of magic and aliens, she hadn't thought much to her original beliefs. She'd spent the last 800 years learning a while new way to live and think.
"Yes, humans tend to worship those they could not see. Believing we actually cared about them." Loki mocked. He certainly didn't hold back to how silly he thought humans to be with regards to their religions.
"Everyone has a right to believe in something. For some people, it's what gives them the strength to move on." Cephera nudged him with her elbow. "Anyway, we had no idea at the time that my sister and I did not share the same father. As it turns out her father was a King of a foreign world."
"Mechanova," Loki nodded his understanding.
"Yes. I can't say I had a unhappy home, but it wasn't always pleasant. Our mother didn't seem too keen to be a mother at all actually. I've no idea what happened to my father, he took off and never returned, maybe died in some battle somewhere. Either way, when we were 18 years old my sister's father came back to Earth. He was ready to take Seraphina to his home." The memories flooded Cephera and gave her that familiar punch to her gut.
"My mother begged King Yorin to take me as well. She wanted us both gone from her life." To this day she wondered why her mother had been so eager to get rid of them. The hurt still followed Cephera around. "The King refused at first, but then my sister refused to go. Clearly he eventually gave in, but made it clear it was not permanent."
"When we arrived in his world, months later, we were greeted kindly. He gave us a week to become more acquainted with their world before he dropped his offer." Cephera's belly rumbled with unease. To this day, even the King wished he hadn't made her that offer. Back then he saw it as helping his people and keeping his daughter happy, but he hadn't known how attached he'd become to Cephera.
"To come back to Earth where my sister would be allowed to visit me for one week, every 6 months, or become a mate for any number of people in Mechanova in hopes to conceive a child." Cephera fidgeted.
"You clearly chose the latter." Loki noted.
In a sense King Yorin hadn't really given her a choice at all. The twins had made it clear they would not leave each other's side. If Cephera had declined his offer, she'd have been forced to leave.
"I did. The thought of seeing my sister only that one week, every six months made me sad and lonely. I was human, we were so sure of it at the time. I hadn't a long life to live and I couldn't fathom it without her. So I agreed to attempt conception." Cephera frowned. "Seraphina wasn't pleased. She knew it wasn't the kind of person I was. Even though monogamy was not widely practiced back in my younger years, for me it held a sweet significance. The Mechanovians don't practice that trait and those who do were few and far between."
She paused. The story bringing up thoughts she tried not to dwell. "I was given a decent amount of time to make a choice of who. I was never officially forced. I could change my mind at anytime, but of course the other option was not what I wanted. It took only a week before Krystoff approached me. Soft spoken, handsome, considerate."
She felt Loki tense ever so slightly. "He was kind. He gave me time to get to know him, to become comfortable around him. He made me feel like his eyes only beheld me and that alone was enough to sway my decision. It wasn't the best decision." Cephera shuddered.
"He was not who he appeared." Loki seemed to know all too well that fact.
"He was not. It did take some time though before his true colors began to surface. By the time they had we'd come to realize that I wasn't completely human as we'd thought. I hadn't aged and I had discovered my ability to use magic." Cephera smiled. She could remember being very excited for the revelation.
"It seemed as though it was then he changed. He would make me feel bad for spending time researching my magic. Telling me that I was not focusing on my true purpose. He claimed that he felt his love was being wasted. He began blaming the failed conceptions on me not being in the right mindset. Saying that I didn't care, and didn't seem to want a family." Cephera looked up at Loki, his jaw was clenched but he remained silent.
"In between these bouts of anger, he would become soft and understanding. On and off for years this went on. I felt trapped and it didn't help that I had never truly fallen in love with him. I cared for him, certainly, but love..., never. I settled for the one man who seemed to be willing to offer me the terms I'd been yearning for. It was wrong." Cephera felt ashamed of her decision.
"I tried to pull away from him several times. Even King Yorin, having taken me in as his own daughter at this point, had told me to tell him to..., 'Piss off'. In the end they couldn't make that choice for me, and over and over again I allowed Krystoff to reel me back in." Loki's arm grasped her harder, making Cephera gasp.
"He never deserved you." Loki told her.
"If he had stayed that man I'd first chosen he might have had a chance to keep me forever." She admitted. "But after seeing who he really was, I knew my heart would never truly be his." Cephera turned and cupped Loki's face between her palms. "Krystoff is a man who really did want me. He meant well, I know he did. He feared losing me. He doesn't know how to let go, but know that he never hit me or forced himself upon me. Please do not create a war between the two of you that is unnecessary. There is enough bad blood between you already."
Cephera desperately wanted to keep the peace. Eventually, Krystoff would see reason, but until then she didn't need the two of them at each other's throats. "I know now I don't ever want to be with Krystoff. As long as he's here you've no worries that he may sweet talk me back. That part of my life is over, and I see a different future now." Cephera placed a kiss to Loki's lips, softly at first before he relaxed and pulled her closer to kiss her harder.
"I will keep the peace, for your sake." Loki told her, letting her go. "But if he does attempt to lay his hands upon you in any manner that you do not want, I will have him through out the highest Spire window." Cephera would have liked to laugh as if Loki were joking, but she knew he wasn't.
"That will not be a problem." She assured him, trying to bring his focus back on her face. She suddenly wondered if telling him was the right idea after all.

Notes