Shut Up And Kiss Me (Loki x Darcy)

Epilogue: Part Two

One Year Later

Darcy stood leaning idly against the doorframe, the late afternoon sunlight caressing her skin.

The air was cool, fresh, crisp and smelled  of salt, a scent that was now reassuring and comfortingly familiar to her.

It smelled like home.

Above, gulls circled, cawing their usual chorus as they made their way inland, heading for the cliffs that lay just beyond the quaint fishing village of New Asgard, the coastal community that was now home to the Sakaaran gladiators and Asgardian refugees.

This settlement in Norway, was set in a flat, sweeping valley surrounded by steep mountains which gave the place an extraordinary, desolated kind of beauty. The small town, which was made up of charming little houses, also bordered a sandy bay.
For six months of the year, sparkling snow covered the dramatic rocky landscape, and in the evenings the aurora borealis painted the sky like a magical, enchanting canopy.

But unlike any other relatively small township, New Asgard was also a veritable kingdom. A kingdom prospering under a fair government, and of course, their newly appointed ruler.

Following the battle against Thanos and the Black Order, Thor had made the somewhat shocking decision to step down, and even though as the rightful heir he still held the official position of King, his adoptive brother now reigned on his behalf as 'Prince Regent'.

Initially, Darcy had had some difficulty understanding the title, but Loki was more than happy to enlighten her.

"The definition of a Prince Regent is a prince who rules a monarchy due to the sovereign being either incapacitated or absent."

"And the sovereign is the King, right?" She'd asked, just be sure they were both on the same page.

"That is correct. And at some point in the not-so-distant future, Thor will be an absent King, seeing as he wishes to devote his time to travelling the world with our future sister-in-law."

He had said this in a way which suggested he found Thor's reasoning mystifying, tiresome, and even downright idiotic.

Though Darcy had her own theories. Secretly she suspected that Thor had happily given the kingdom to Loki as repayment for his bravery during the battle, and quite possibly by way of rewarding him for his loyalty, for not having double-crossed Team Earth.
And then Jane had told her that Thor was more than just a bit disenchanted with the entire concept of being tied to his magisterial duties. He had absolutely no intention of taking up his position or interfering, as long as Loki behaved himself and didn't neglect the subjects of New Asgard.

Loki was determined to prove even the most harshest of his critics wrong. Intent on embodying the role of the people's saviour, he was content to rule peacefully and relatively quietly, basking contentedly in the power and glory that his newfound status afforded him. And Darcy could not have been more proud of him.

His first act as Prince Regent had been to use his sorcery to enchant the pips from the golden apples of Idun's orchard, in order to speed-up the growth of the saplings the Nature Goddess had planted. Fortunately for the Asgardian Natives, who relied on the magic of the apples to maintain a youthful appearance during their longevity, Idun had had the forethought to salvage some of the previous harvest before Hela had begun her vengeful quest.

The part Loki had played in providing the necessary help for the new orchard to flourish, undoubtedly helped him gain favour with his subjects.
And when he had given one of the apples to Darcy, presenting it to her as a wedding gift, she had been deeply touched by the significance of his gesture. For not only would the apple keep her young, it would also prolong her life.