IMAGINE: Being in an arranged marriage with Thor and realizing you chose the wrong brother

      You're brushing your hair, staring at yourself in the vanity, when you hear a knock on your door. "Lady Y/N, your parents request your presence in the throne room." A male servant says. You frown and set your brush down. You stand up. "Oh. Thank you." You breathe. You hurry past the servant and all but run to the throne room, everyone gaping at you, the crown princess, blazing down the hall. Lately, your parents have been talking about marrying you off to a prince. You know, you just know that this is what they want to talk to you about. You're nervous, but excited. The list of eligible princes race through your mind. Right before the throne room, you slow down. You clear your throat and walk gracefully to the doors. "You may want to calm your breathing, my lady. You sound like you've been held under water for far too long." The one door guard grins. You laugh softly. "Right." You breathe. You take a minute to catch your breath and then nod. The guards open the doors for you and you walk inside. “Mother, Father. You wanted to see me? " You smile. Your parents smile back at you. "Yes, dear. We-" Your mother glances at your father and then back at you. "We have some news." “About my arranged marriage?" You raise your eyebrows. She nods. "We found a royal family. They have two sons–two eligible sons. We believe either of them would be a suitable match." You clench and unclench your fists nervously. "And?" You ask nervously, nearly bouncing on your toes.      "Odinsons. Have you heard of them?" Your father asks. Your eyes bulge out of your head. "Have I?! They're like gods. I mean, they are gods. Everyone knows the Odinsons! Which brother do I get?" You blurt out. “Honey, since we put you in an arranged marriage, we wanted to give you the freedom of choosing which brother. We feel like it's the least we could do." Your mother says. “So which brother, Y/N? Which brother will you ch—" Your father starts. “Thor. Definitely Thor." You cut him off. Your mother's eyebrows raise. "Are you sure? What about Loki? You didn't even hear the second option." "Mother, I don't even need to hear the second option. I want to marry Thor." You state adamantly, smiling. "Wow, well that was easy." Your mother smiles. “When do I go to Asgard to meet Thor?" “You leave tomorrow." Your father answers. ———      Two days later, you walk the grounds of Asgard with Thor, your now betrothed. Odin absolutely loves you and gladly gave Thor as your intended. "It's lovely here." You muse, smiling. Thor looks at you. "You think? Could you imagine living here?" “I could." You breathe. “Well get used to it, Y/N. In no time, this will be your view every morning." “Are you happy about it? Us? This arranged marriage?" You ask suddenly. "I really can't complain. You could be a lot uglier." He grins. “Oh, thanks." You laugh sarcastically. “I'm kidding." He nudges you, winking. "I'm glad you chose me instead of my brother Loki." Your eyes glance to a statue of Loki, Thor's younger brother. "Where's your brother Loki?" “Oh, he's been out of town for a couple of weeks. He'll be back for dinner tonight and you'll get to meet him then." “Great.” You smile. ——— Midway through dinner that night, a servant enters the expansive dining hall. "Loki, son of Odin, has arrived." He announces. You sit a little straighter and all heads turn towards the door. The servant steps aside. Loki walks in, booming confidence, and your heart melts into a puddle at your feet. You feel like someone has stolen your breath. You weren't expecting him to be so good looking. “Brother!" Thor exclaims, standing up from beside you. He walks over to Loki and clasps his shoulder. "It's so good to see you again. It has been too long." He says, grinning. “A lot has happened since I was last home, I hear." Loki smiles knowingly.  “Ah, yes, of course! You must mean Y/N!” Thor exclaims, stepping aside from Loki so he could get a look at you. Loki’s eyes look over the table until he lands on you. His eyes go big and his mouth slips open. For a couple of long moments, Loki and you do nothing but stare at each other, totally mesmerized. “Loki?” Thor asks, staring between his brother and you. He clasps Loki’s shoulder and Loki literally jumps a little. “Yes? What? Sorry.” Loki mutters, looking away from you to Thor. Thor shakes his head, smiling. “Okay, well, Loki, meet Y/N, my betrothed. Y/N, meet Loki, my little brother.” Thor introduces. You stand up and shake Loki’s hand, his green eyes staring deeply into yours. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Loki. I’ve heard so much about you.” You smile. “Good or bad?” Loki smirks. “A little mix of both perhaps.” You laugh, shrugging sheepishly. “Y/N, don’t believe a word Thor says. He’s only trying to make himself seem better than he already is.” Loki grins. “Knock it off.” Thor laughs, punching Loki in the arm. You chuckle, watching them goof off. “Come on, let’s go eat. I’m starved.” Loki says, starting to walk towards the table. He stops and looks at you, a small smile on his lips. “After you, Y/N.” He says softly. Your stomach flips nervously and you duck your head to hide the mysterious blush crawling into your face. You don’t know why this is happening. You aren’t this way around Thor, but you are with his mysterious, mischievous younger brother? “Keep your head in the game, Y/N.” You whisper to yourself, as you look at Thor, trying to refocus yourself. Towards the end of dinner that night, a guard bursts through the door, causing the dinner noises to stop. Everyone stares at him. “My lord, we’re having an issue with a prisoner. He’s being...” He glances at the women. “Difficult.” He add politely. “Not again.” Odin grunts. Thor stands. “I’ll go, Father. Let me deal with this.” He looks at you and then Loki. “Loki, when you’re all finished with dinner, could you please escort Y/N to her room for me? Or show her around?” Loki smiles and nods. “You can count on me.” He vows. Everyone watches Thor hurry out of the room with the guard and then goes back to conversing. “Do you know what’s going on with the prisoner?” You ask Loki, who’s sitting to the right of you. He turns to you. “Occasionally...well, more often than not, we get prisoners who can be very...” “Difficult?” You smile. Loki grins and lets out a laugh. “Yes, exactly. Anyway, they boast about how strong their are. They demand to see my father or my brother. They’re showoffs. A lot of the times, my father and brother refuse to go, but once the prisoners threaten their inmates in their cell, then they do have to step in.” “Sounds dangerous.” You frown. “Which is why I’m glad I’m never called upon.” He smiles. Your eyes widen in mock surprise. “The god of mischievous is scared of a little danger?” You gasp in mock horror, nudging him with your elbow. “Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha.” Loki crosses his arms. ——— “Care to take a stroll around Asgard before I take you to your room?” Loki asks once dinner is finished. For some reason his question makes you flush. You nod and take his outstretched hand. You leave the dining hall with him. Your heart is beating rapidly. You put your hand on your chest and you can feel your heartbeat. You swallow and fumble for something to say. “How is it? Having Thor for a brother?” You ask, leading towards a safe topic. “Uhhhh, it’s interesting.” Loki grins. “How so?” You laugh. “I don’t know. It’s just...I don’t know. Thor is loved by everyone. He’s so highly esteemed. Everyone puts him on this pedestal. Ever since he was little, he had people literally falling at his feet. And then when my mother and father had me...” Loki trails off. He lets out a bitter laugh. “I must have been some disappointment.” He finishes. You frown and put a hand on his arm. He looks at you in surprise. You quickly draw your hand back. “Loki, that’s not true. You’re not a disappointment to your parents. They love you just as much as they love Thor.” He smiles sadly at you. “If only that were true. The mighty Thor can do no wrong. And me? I’m the problem child. The mischievous Loki.” He murmurs. You put your hand on his shoulder and this time, you don’t draw it away. “No one ever said mischievousness was a bad thing. Your mischievousness makes you who you are. It’s what makes you special and loved. I wouldn’t change that about you for anything.” You say softly. Loki smiles at you, his green eyes softening. You clear your throat and pull your hand away. “Let’s take that walk, shall we?” You say, walking ahead of him. ——— The next day you're walking around Asgard, trying to find Thor. You had breakfast together and the next minute, he was gone without telling you where he was off to. You peer down the halls. "Y/N, are you missing something?" Loki asks from behind you. You jump slightly, not having heard him come up. He stands next to you. "My betrothed quite actually. Do you happen to know where Thor is by any chance?" You raise an eyebrow. Loki's dark eyebrows draw. "He didn't tell you?" He asks in surprise. You stiffen. "No, he did not." You frown. Loki sighs and shakes his head. "I'm going to warn you about that, Y/N. Thor is impulsive sometimes. He's not used to telling people where he's going. He's going to have to get used to that now that you're to be his bride.” “Well, where did he go?" “I haven't the slightest clue. He may be off transporting prisoners. He may be on another planet. I have no idea." Loki admits. You sigh, your shoulders dropping. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, it's okay." He says, putting a hand on your shoulder. "We'll do something together, Y/N. You and I. We don't have to sit here idle and wait for Thor to get back. We can do things without him." You lift your head and brighten. "Yeah." You smile. “Has Thor taken you through the streets?" He asks curiously. You shake your head. "Then that is what we shall do. You're practically a celebrity there. Everyone is talking about you." “Okay." You laugh. “Come on." He smiles at you, his eyes shining. ——— Loki and you walk through the streets of Asgard. True to his word, the Asgardians flock around you like you're a celebrity. It's exhilarating. As you're meeting people, you realize that Loki has slipped his hand into yours. Though you know he's only holding your hand because doesn't want to lose you through the crowd, you feel faint hearted. Why doesn't this happen when Thor holds your hand? “Have you ever had Asgardian ale?" Loki practically shouts at you to be heard over the crowd. “No, I've never had any!" You yell back. He squeezes your hand, grinning. "I'll be right back, okay?" He says. "I'm just going to be over there." He points over to a small building. “Okay." You nod. Loki releases your hand and steps into the crowd, quickly disappearing. The crowd starts pressing around you and you feel your anxiety levels sky rocket. "Excuse me, excuse me." You mumble, moving through the crowd. You need to go to a place that isn't crowded. In a couple of minutes, you break through the crowd and move down an empty street. You put your hand against a wall, breathing hard with relief. You squeeze your eyes shut and shudder. You don't do well in crowds. You felt as if you were suffocating back there. “You-you must be Y/N, Thor's betrothed." A man smiles as he moves a cart of food along the road. “Yes, I am." You smile back at him. "Oh, we've all heard so much about you. You're practically famous." He laughs, setting the cart down and looking at you. “Is it usually so busy here or is just because of me?" “Just because of you. Usually you can actually get down the street without drowning in the crowd." You laugh. "Wow." You breathe. He walks near you. "Are you happy? Happy about marrying Thor?" He asks suspiciously. You frown, hesitating for but a second, Loki's image popping into your mind. "Yes, yes, of course, I am." You rush to answer. “Do you think he loves you?" He asks, narrowing his eyes at you. Something inside of you sparks warning and you start to back away. “I-I-I don't know, we've only just met." You stammer, bumping into a crate. The man smiles at you. "Well, it's too bad you'll never find out, will you?" He asks sweetly. Your eyes widen in horror and you turn on your heel, about to run in the opposite direction. For a man his age, he's agile. He jumps on your back, taking you to the ground. He roughly turns you onto your back. You start clawing at his face, trying to get him off of you. "Help!" You scream before his hand clasps around your mouth, silencing you. “I wonder what Thor is going to do when he finds his betrothed strangled in a lone city street. No witness, no evidence. No nothing. Just a broken proposal and, if he loves you, a broken heart." He whispers, leaning over you, his other hand clasping around your throat. Your eyes widen and you let out a muffled cry, struggling against him—punching him, kicking him, trying anything to release his hold on you. "Get your hands off of Y/N now and you'll maybe live with your head still intact." A voice hisses menacingly. Loki. The man looks up and pales. He quickly releases you and jumps to his feet. “Guards!" Loki demands. They come running and take the man down, securing him in cuffs. They kick his feet out from underneath him, bringing him to his knees. You sit up, coughing, rubbing your throat. "Y/N!" Loki breathes, rushing to your side. "Are you okay?" He asks worriedly, helping you stand up. You nod as he wraps an arm around your waist. Loki looks at your attacker. "You're getting thrown into prisoner. My father and Thor will decide what to do with you. You'll be lucky if you get a life sentence in prison." He states coldly. The man whimpers as the guards drag him away. “Oh, Loki." You whisper, tears in your eyes, as you stare up at him. He gazes at you for a second, makes sure the coast is clear, and then pulls you into his arms tightly. You hug him back, shivering in his embrace. “I was so worried. When I came to where I left you, you were gone. I sent guards searching everywhere. I knew something had happened to you." He whispers, stroking your hair. “I-I had to get away from the crowd. Once I came to this street, that man came up and started asking me these very personal questions. Then he jumped me." You explain, your voice shaking. Loki pulls back and cups your face. "I'll never let anyone hurt you again, Y/N. I promise." He vows. You smile. "Thank you." You whisper. You stare at each other for a long moment and then hear people coming your way. You both quickly break away. ——— Three months later, it's the night before Thor and yours wedding. You're sitting out in the garden, needing to clear your muddled thoughts. Most brides before their weddings are ecastic and excited. You? You're troubled. Deeply troubled. Though you don't want to admit it, you know you have to. In the three months that you've been in Asgard, you haven't fallen in love with Thor. Instead, you've managed to fall in love with Loki. You don't know what happened. One minute, everything was going fine with Thor and you, and the next minute sparks were exploding between Loki and you. There is just so much more chemistry between Loki and you than Thor and you. “Penny for your thoughts?" A soft voice asks from behind you. You jump up from the stone bench and whirl around. "Loki." You breathe, seeing him, just barely a shadow, walk around the back of the garden. “You seemed very deep in thought, Y/N." He says, walking towards you. He steps into the moonlight. Your stomach hits your feet and your heart flutters. "That's because I was." You smile. “Thinking about tomorrow?" He asks slowly, almost regretfully. "Something like that." Your smile fades. “What are we doing, Y/N?" Loki breathes. You stare up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" You ask. He steps up to you and grabs your shoulders. "I am so in love with you and I know you're in love with me too." He states desperately. You let out a soft gasp and shake your head, starting to pull away from him. He holds you firm. "No, Loki, no, I don't love you. " You lie. Loki practically rolls his eyes. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you do not love me." He demands. You swallow and glare up at him defiantly. "I-I..." You falter. You sigh, your shoulders dropping. “I knew it." Loki slowly smiles. He leans his head down, about to kiss you. It takes everything in your body to pull away from him, but not before you see the hurt in his eyes. “Loki, we can't! This-" You gesture between him and you, “wasn't supposed to happen! We weren't supposed to happen. We weren't supposed to fall in love with each other!" You exclaim, tears in your eyes. Loki steps towards you and grabs your hand. "Yes, but it has! We have fallen in love with each other. It was destiny, Y/N. I know it is. Who are we to ignore destiny?" You stare at him. "I am to marry your brother tomorrow." You whisper. "We'll run off together tonight!" He exclaims. “Loki, I can't do that!" You protest. He gathers you in his arms. "Y/N, look at me. You mean everything to me. If I can't have you, then my life is nothing. If I can’t spend my life loving you, then it's not worth living." He whispers desperately. Tears slide down your cheeks and he gently wipes them away. “I wish I never agreed to marry Thor before I even met you." You cry in a whisper. "I can't even bear the thought of marrying him when I'm really in love with you." You whisper. “Then don't marry him, Y/N." Loki insists. “I can't do that, Loki. Your brother's honor...it will be destroyed. He'll be so embarrassed and humiliated." You groan, pulling away from him. “Y/N-" Loki starts. “I have to go." You mutter, walking away. “Y/N, wait!" He exclaims. You glance at him over your shoulder, your chin quivering. "Goodbye, Loki." You choke out. Right before you're about to walk out of the garden, Loki's words stop you cold. "Are you really going to risk your eternal happiness–our eternal happiness–all for the sake of sparing my brother from humiliation for a little bit of time?" You swallow and then keep on walking, quietly weeping. ——— The words of the wedding drone on and on. You're not even paying attention. You feel like you're in a complete daze. You've cried seven times that day–and not because you're happy. Loki, who's standing next to Thor, refuses to look at you. He's more pale than usual and you see the tears in his eyes. It's killing you. You look at Thor who's politely smiling at you. Loki's words haunted you all of last night and you still can't get them out of your head. "What am I doing?" You whisper lowly to yourself. “What?" Thor mouths in confusion. The chaplain falters, looking between you both. “I'm sorry, I can't do this." You admit, releasing Thor's hands and stepping away from him. Murmurs start through the crowd. “Y/N?" Thor questions in confusion. Loki finally looks at you in surprise. "What is the meaning of this?" Odin asks, standing up. You swallow and take a deep breath. You look at him. "I'm sorry, my lord, but I am in love with your son." “Yes, yes, I know, which is why there's a wedding today." Odin says slowly as if you're stupid. “I'm not in love with Thor, my lord. I'm in love with your other son." You claim. The audience audibly gasps and Loki finally smiles at you. “You're what?!" Odin exclaims. “I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I really don't." You shrug. “I thought I wanted to marry Thor. But then when I met Loki, we just connected so much better. There is chemistry between us. We're more alike than Thor and I will ever be alike." Odin looks at Loki. "Is this true?" “Every word. I love Y/N with all of my heart." Loki whispers. You smile, tears coming to your eyes. "And I love Loki with all of my heart." “Oh, thank goodness." Thor mutters. Everyone stares at him. "Y/N, I like you, I do. But you're more of a friend or a sister to me than anything. I knew you would better suited with Loki. I can't say I'm not relieved. I didn't want to go through with this marriage, but I also didn't want to ruin your prospects or reputation with any other suitors." “Oh, Thor, thank you. Thank you." You nearly cry with relief. Everyone turns to look at Odin expectantly. "Well...I guess there's nothing wrong with breaking off the engagement or the wedding, considering both sides are more than happy to agree and no one's prospects are damaged." He looks between Thor and you. "Y/N and Thor, I break your betrothment. You're free to marry who you wish." He announces. Loki confidently stalks over to you and then kneels before you. "Y/N, I know this isn't the best place to propose marriage but I want to do it before any one else gets the chance." He says, grabbing your hands. "Will you marry me?" He asks, smiling up at you. “Yes! Yes, of course!" You laugh, pulling him up to his feet and throwing your arms around him. The hall erupts with cheers as Loki hugs you back, sweeping you off your feet and spinning you around. When Loki kisses you passionately, the cheers, if possible, get even louder. You can hear Thor laughing and clapping, cheering along with everyone else. “Well, if you two are so eager to be wed, why waste today's wedding?" Odin asks. Loki pulls his head back and looks at you. "Do you want to get married today, Y/N?" “Do you?" You answer. “I've wanted to marry you from the moment I met you." He smiles. You grin and cup his face. "Then, yes, I want to marry you today." You whisper. He smiles even wider and kisses you again. [THE END] I hope you liked it!