39 Chapter 39 Eternally In Your Debt

In seconds, the Bifrost opens and we are surrounded in bright light before being pulled into space through the portal. We travel quickly and it makes me smile when I see Loki behind me, still being held by his brother and Volstagg. I am so happy that I found him and we are all going home. So relieved he is alive and I can't believe for a moment, I nearly lost him. But he will be ok and we will be together. Thank god I got him back.

I'm still struggling to comprehend it all as we arrive at the Bifrost and Heimdell is there, smiling at us all. But we don't stop to chat and instead leave and go over to the horses waiting for us. The warriors get on and begin riding off, all of them pleased and smiling. I go with Volstagg, Thor and Loki over to the two horses which have a stretcher attached between them. They help Loki onto it, laying him down before getting on either horse while I get on the one I rode on earlier. Before we all begin riding to the palace as fast as we can so we can get him to the healers.

We go through the town quickly, people cheering that Loki has returned but we reach the palace quickly much to my relief. We get off outside the palace, servants taking our horses away as the warriors go inside while Thor and Volstagg detach the stretcher. I go with them to the healers, Loki barely awake on the stretcher as they carry him there. He keeps looking at me, smiling slightly and I smile back. To think I nearly lost him… what if I hadn't found him? He would have died down there. It makes me frown but I push those disturbing thoughts aside as we reach the healers and go inside.

We go over to the bed that I was on earlier, freshly clean and Andrea comes over with some healers. They help lift Loki onto the bed before they begin attending to him as I take a seat beside his bed while Volstagg goes to get Odin and Frigga. Thor stands beside me as we watch them attend to him, cleaning him up and giving him some drugs which put him straight to sleep. He is resting, healing and it makes me smile. At least he is ok, he is ok.

"Katrina," I look at Thor, "Thank you. Thank you for finding my brother."

I smile, "It's ok. I wanted to find him as much as you did."

He shakes his head, "If you hadn't off come with us, we would have never found him and he would have died down there. But you found him, healed him and saved him. Thank you, thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

He hugs me and I hug him back, "I can't wait for you to join my family."

This make me smile and then he pulls away before he leaves to go and sort himself out. While I let my wings out of my back, much preferring them out as it feels better. I force myself to relax in the seat, waiting for Loki to wake up as the healers leave to attend to the other warriors. I don't really want to leave him after I nearly lost him and end up memorizing his face as he sleeps. He looks so peaceful, the pain gone from his face and he has relaxed. I am relieved that he is no longer in pain and that he is ok.

Thor's thank you enters my mind as I watch him sleep and he is right. He is right. They might have not found him without me and he would have died. He would have really died, stuck down there and unable to escape. Chained up and stuck there forever. It makes my face go pale, the idea of him dying down there and it makes me cringe. I nearly lost him in the battle and then again down in that labyrinth. Thank god I found him when I did or he would have died. He would have died for real. That scares me more than anything.

I think a part of me would have died if he were really gone, if he had really died. The sheer thought of him dying when he said goodbye to me, when I saw him get hit, hurt me so much that I collapsed. It was just too much for me to cope with. The idea he was dead and it was my fault, him dying to save me. It just hurt. It hurt too much that he was dead and I had lost him forever… forever. I was so scared, not sure how I could live without him and the pain was horrible. Worse than being tortured by Damian and he hurt me badly. And even though I found him in such a bad state, I was just so relieved and happy to see him alive. I don't think I could have coped if he had really died for me. The guilt would have killed me and I would have lost him forever. The love of my life.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I haven't even realised how late it has got until I see the sun has gone down and my belly rumbles. I'm tempted to go and get food but I see Loki sleeping peacefully and I don't want to leave him. I have just decided to stay when the doors to the healers open and Odin and Frigga rush in and sign in relief when they see Loki.

They come over and I smile as I rise to greet them. Both of them seem shocked but relieved to see Loki and look at me. Frigga hugs me, hugging me tightly and I notice she is shaking. Clearly she was very worried about Loki and is relieved I found him. I hug her back before she pulls away, pulling herself together and then much to my surprise, Odin does the same. He has never hugged me before, ever.

He pulls away, looking so relieved, "Princess Katrina, I owe you thanks. You saved my son from certain death and I am eternally grateful."

I smile, "There is no need. I wanted him back as much as you did."

He looks at me, shaking his head, "But I do. Thor, Volstagg and Lady Sif told me how you found him and the state my son was in. Chained up, tortured, his lips sewn shut, left to die." We all cringe, "And you saved him, healed him, brought him home. If you hadn't had gone to find him, there is a strong possibility my son would have died down there and we would have never known. Not until it was too late."

This makes me frown as I remember what Thor said, "Yes Thor said that too."

"You saved my son Katrina." He says, surprising me since he hasn't called me by my title, "And I believe, we all believe he would have died. So thank you, thank you. We are eternally in your debt and I am honoured that you will be joining our family."

I'm speechless and I force myself to respond, "Then you're welcome but I would do anything for him, like he would do anything for me."

He smiles so brightly, a tear in his eye, "Katrina, you are amazing young woman. My son is incredibly lucky to have you. Thank you."

All the compliments and his words are overwhelming and I am not really sure what to say. I just smile and Frigga hugs me again, giving me the same compliments. All I was doing was saving Loki like he saved me. Maybe I was a bit stubborn and yes if I didn't go, it was possible he would have died but I didn't expect such praise. It warms my heart and I can't wait to be a part of their family. To be with Loki forever as his wife, his love and maybe one day his Queen. It's so much but right now, I just want him to recover and wake up.

Frigga pulls away again, having hugged me for the third time and she looks at me, "Katrina as well as coming to see our son, we came to check on you. We've noticed you've not eaten."

I shake my head, "I didn't want to leave until he wakes."

She nods, "Well Thor will be here soon to watch over him and I insist that you go. Have some food and get some rest."

"I don't want to." I whisper, "I can't leave him."

She smiles, taking my hands, "You have been through quite an ordeal yourself Katrina. You were tortured, got your wings, saw my son nearly die and then left to go and find him. You too must rest and recover like he did. Don't neglect yourself."

Odin nods in agreement, "Don't worry, we will tell Thor and the healers to come and get you when he wakes up. But my wife is right, you need to eat and rest."

I nod, "Alright."

They smile at me, both hugging me again before I kiss Loki on the cheek and reluctantly leave the healers and go the feast. It's quite late so a lot of people are drunk already or finished eating. But when I go over to my table, catching everyone's attention, they all gape at me because of my wings and then start cheering my name.

I'm surprised and Sif pulls me over to the table where my friends and people I don't even know thank me for saving Loki. It's shocking and overwhelming and a bit embarrassing. Some even asking how I found him and I just say I used my magic. Not wanting to go into a massive story and just eat. But they keep asking, especially about my wings and it's just… overwhelming and I'm not even sure what to think.

I eat quickly with my friends, having a few drinks be given to me by everyone and Thor even gets me a drink and a cake for dessert. It's lovely but surprising. I didn't expect this and even though it's nice, the praise and all. I kind of didn't want to be thanked considering Loki has saved me so many times and in a way, I was just repaying the favour. We save and protect each other, that was it. So it's strange and honestly I wished I stayed with Loki or went to our room. I didn't want to have this much attention on me.

So after Thor left to go and stay with Loki for the night, I slipped out of the feasting hall and went back to our room as quick as I could. I wanted to go with Thor but he insisted I went to bed and he would tell me when Loki woke up. Unfortunately, he was right so instead I fled to our room so I could relax and get out the public eye.

Once inside our room, I feel relieved to be home and be back in our room. And yet it feels wrong to be in here without Loki. Ever since I came here, we have been in this room together even though Odin did give me a room right next door. I always stayed in here with him so it feels strange that he isn't here. He isn't here with me and it makes me frown. Apart of me wants to run out of here and go to Loki but I need to rest. But I don't think I can fall sleep yet. Maybe I should bathe.

I go into the bathroom, run a bath before putting my wings back into my back as I add bubble bath and some salts. The moment I'm in, I feel my body relax and I let myself soak. But as I relax, all I can think about is Loki and I pray that he is ok. I pray that he wakes up soon and that he is well. But even though he is hurt and in the healers, a part of me is just relieved that he is alive. The pain of nearly losing him makes a tear roll down my cheek. Thank god he is alive.