(Originally published in "The Many Adventures of the Avengers and Friends")
"No, no, you're missing the point. There is no throne. There is no version of this where you come out on top." - Tony Stark, "The Avengers"
Or is there?
Multiverses have the...
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°2020°
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At the end of the day, it didn't matter where they were, what power they had, or what atrocities they had committed, Loki and Olivia always ended up in the same spot. Laying together in bed as Olivia wore one of Loki's nightshirts while he had an arm around her as he read her to sleep. It was sort of like how their lives had been on Asgard before everything changed. Away from the public eye, you could swear they were almost a normal couple.
When they woke up, it was usually the same as well. Loki had Olivia wrapped in a tight embrace as if he were afraid something could happen to her. A safe, protective position. He was always worried that some form of harm would come to her, even with guards outside in the halls. Two guards at the elevator entrance, at least eight patrolling their hall all night long, and enchanted locks on all the doors and windows. Still, the irrational fear that something could happen to Olivia always plagued Loki.
It was a constant cycle. Waking up, preparing for the day whilst being attended to by servants and handmaidens, do whatever duties they needed to do, occasionally act as judge, jury, and executioner to traitors and rebels, enjoy a lovely dinner together, get prepared for bed, read a little, sleep, then repeat. That was mostly it, with the exception of a few specific and special days.
Like today, for example.
They were supposed to host a sort of Winter Formal for the higher up staff and "nobles" (really, "nobles" were just the people who used to lead their various countries before it all came crashing down around them). Which of course meant extra preparations and spending all day getting the palace ready. For obvious reasons, Loki and Olivia took winter very seriously and they wanted the formal to be perfect.
Loki was off observing the decoration of the banquet hall as Olivia was busy getting ready with her handmaidens attending to her. She sat in a comfortable chair in a dressing gown with a cold smile on her face. Jane was gently brushing out her hair (begrudgingly, admittedly), another cleaning up her hands and nails, a third girl was cleaning her feet in a basin, and a fourth held out a bowl of cherries for her to eat while she got ready.
Olivia didn't have a care in the world as she reached into the bowl full of cherries for another one to eat. She stuck it in her mouth only to be rudely interrupted by something odd in the cherry. She bit down on something hard before spitting whatever it was out into her palm.
"What am I holding?" She asked rhetorically to the girl with the bowl, showing her the small object in her hand.
"A cherry pit, milady." The girl said, barely above a whisper.
"Correct. And what day is this?"
"The day of the Winter Formal."
"Yes, it is. So please, tell me why on the most important day of the year you've decided to leave a pit in my cherry?" Olivia asked in a sharp tone, flicking the pit at the poor girl's scared face.
"It wasn't a decision, it was just a small mistake." The girl meekly defended.
"Small? Do you realize what could have happened if I hadn't sensed the pit in time?"
"I suppose you could have choked?"
"Yes, so you understand the severity of your crime?"
"I understand, milady. Please, forgive me." The girl said, gulping. If she wasn't forgiven, she very well could be killed for her careless actions, no matter how nominal.
"Oh, I suppose as it's a special day, I will show mercy." Olivia conceded, waving her hand carelessly. "You are banished. Leave the palace immediately."
The girl looked horrified, but figured it was a better alternative to death. She bowed briefly before hurrying out the door.
"What are you all looking at? I have two feet that need scrubbing. And make sure you get between the toes, I won't have this year's formal be marred by poor foot hygiene." Olivia snapped at the three remaining handmaidens. Jane merely rolled her eyes (she was behind Olivia so she couldn't see Jane) as she kept brushing.
***
"Mom, do we have to go?" Maya whined. She looked at the envelope with the deep blue wax seal torn in half at the edge of the paper. "You said so yourself, we shouldn't go back-"
"Unless summoned, which we were." Maya's mother replied, pointing to a specific line on the paper saying 'Michael Adams and the rest of the family.' Maya sighed, realizing her mother was right.
"We don't own any fancy dresses, though. I mean, Dad has some collared button downs that he and Daniel can wear, but what do you, me, and Arianna have? You could barely afford my Shakespeare book." Maya asked, holding up the thick volume bound by faux black leather to prove her point.
"That's a fair point. I might have something to wear leftover from your aunt's wedding. You and your sister are a different story, though."
"It's a Winter Formal, Mom. You wore a cocktail dress to the wedding. And, besides, I feel like we should step up our game because..."
"Because we're in the presence of otherworldly royalty?"
"Yeah, that's it."
"Also a valid point... Well, I can maybe dig around for some extra fabric and extend the skirt on mine... You and Arianna still need dresses, though. And soon, it's tonight."
"Tonight??" Maya squaked. Her mother wordlessly pointed to the date at the top. Sure enough, it was today's date. Maya paled and bit her lip. "Okay... Well, I haven't used all of that extra money yet. Maybe I can use some of it to buy stuff for Arianna and I."
"That's very sweet of you, honey, but you were told to spend it on you." Maya's mother said.
"The letter said the money was 'just for me.' It never said I couldn't spend it on other people. Besides, what choice do we have?"
Maya's mother bit her lip and sighed.
"Alright. Go get your sister so we can go to the dress shop." She consented.
