Mischief's Wings (Sequel to "By Name Only")

Chapter 15)

    "Always hanging on to the visual
    I wanna be invisible..."

    (Tenshi's POV)

    The ride back to the palace is a quiet one. Loki had helped me onto the horse first and then sat behind me. His arms cage me in as his nimble, sure fingers expertly control the reins with practiced confidence. He sits straight, tall and firm, making me feel safe. There is no way that I could fall off.

    As we arrive at the back entrance to the palace, a hostler comes to collect the horse. The stallion nudges Loki, who gives him a sugar cube before offering his arm to me. I accept Loki's arm, resting my hand on his forearm, just before the crook of his elbow. He leads me inside, escorting me as though I am some delicate court lady rather than a trained warrior who has sassed the Allfather himself.

    The formality and care with which Loki treats me makes quite a lot of sense when I look at it logically. Among a court of people who wag their tongues at the slightest hint of impropriety -- "'Good gods, she's wearing feathers in her hair?! Doesn't she know that birds are last season?!'" -- and a royal pain in the backside on the throne and ruling them all, one must be careful. A single rumor here can ruin a person's reputation faster than they can say 'framed.' The answer is clear.

    To avoid embarrassing Loki again, I will have to play the part of the perfect courtier and by earning Odin's approval, help Loki achieve his goal.

    That means, I need to revert back to my old H.Y.D.R.A stoicism.

    I shouldn't be surprised. My time with the Avengers has made me soft. Being able to express my emotions without being seen as weak has made me loose. That won't work here.

    With that in mind, I relax and let Loki lead me to our hallway. He looks down at me, but I simply smile in return. I quickly realize that I am also going to have to act in front of Loki, as he would encourage me to simply be myself and I already know how that worked out. That's not going to be easy, considering that he is the Trickster of Nordic legend. He knows when something is being kept from him.

    We eventually reach our hall and Loki escorts me to my door. He takes my hand in his and lifts it to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. Even after all the time I've spent with Loki, the gesture never fails to dust my cheeks with pink. He smirks as he straightens again.

    "Goodnight, love," he tells me fondly. I curtsey gracefully and rise.

    "Sleep well, my Prince," I reply warmly. May as well do the thing properly. He nods and sees me safely in my room before he goes aross the hall and closes his door. I close my own door and remove the beautiful dress and shoes before thaking my hair down and preparing for bed.

    The covers are already turned down as I slip between the sheets, my gauzy white nightgown pooling around me. I pull the duvet over myself and lie back on the overly fluffy pillows to sleep. It doesn't come easily, as my mind won't turn away from its plots to help Loki.

    I know Odin -- whoops, the Allfather -- doesn't like me already because of what I admitted at dinner last night. So, I'm going to have to work that out by being as sweet as possible. The only downside is, I can't sass him. That really sucks because he's always asking to be sassed. Gah!

    Another hurdle is going to be acting like a court lady. H.Y.D.R.A taught me a lot, but all that pertains to taking someone down as efficiently as possible in a number of ways, not table manners and gossip. Fashion trends are an utter bore, and reliance on a lady's maid or a man for literally everything is a definite no. And I suck at flirting. Not that it matters, because I'm taken by Loki, but I don't know how to send that subtle signal for someone to back off, without actually saying it.

    It doesn't help, either, that rumors spread like the plague in social settings. If I make one little mistake, the entire court is going to know about it. Those whispers would eventually reach Loki's ears and boom! Everything he's worked so hard for, gone because of me. Yeah, no.

    I'm not going to let that happen.

    But I need serious help to do it. After a few hours of trying and failing to fall asleep, I finally get out of bed and shrug on my dressing gown. There's only one person in this court that I know will help me willingly: Queen Frigga. Putting on my slippers because I don't really care how I look at the moment, I find my way to the Queen's room, hoping that she's still up and willing to take a late-night visitor.

   
    (Frigga's POV)

    I sit in my blue dressing gown in a plush chair by the fireplace, embroidering a satin handkerchief that my careless husband has somehow ripped. Again. The flower pattern covers the stitching over the tear, reminding me of the way people cover their true intentions with pretty words and delicate mannerisms. All it takes, however, is a practiced eye to see the stitches underneath.

    A knock sounds on the heavy wooden door, the cadence soft enough to be female. However, no card was sent to announce a visitor, and no one of the court would visit at night in the first place. My lady's maid has already gone to bed, so I get up and answer the door myself. On the other side stands Tenshi in her own nightclothes. She curtsies deeply.

    "Your Majesty," she greets me politely. I nod in response, gently pulling her up from the curtsey.

    "There's no need for that, dear," I reply warmly. "What can I do for you?"

    "I'm sorry to bother you, your Majesty, but I need your help," Tenshi says, looking up at me. She's bold, I'll give her that.

    "Come sit by the fire, darling," I tell her. She nods and takes the chair opposite mine.

    "Now then. What do you need help with?" I ask curiously.

    "I need to learn how to be a court lady," she answers. Straight to the point. I like that. But why this particular request?

    "Why do you need to become a court lady?" I ask her. "You're fine the way you are." The angel nods.

    "Maybe, your Majesty. But the Allfather dislikes me, and I'm afraid that if he keeps it up, it'll lower Loki's chances of proving himself equal to Prince Thor. I want Loki to be able to achieve that dream, because he's been working for the Allfather's approval his entire life, and he's not going to let that go easily. But to help Loki, I need to learn the court manners and avoid embarrassing him so he can keep his reputation. If the court approves of him, maybe the Allfather will at least pay more attention to what Loki can do," Tenshi replies.

    My brows rise. She's clearly thought this through and her strategy makes sense. I nod. "Very well," I agree after some consideration. "Come to me tomorrow and we'll start lessons. But for now, get some sleep. You're going to need to be at your best for what is to come."