HAVING INDEPENDENT STUDIES this week, Evanora situated herself with several books on the battles of the Valkyrie to go through in her spare time before joining her mother for lunch. Taking gentle care to each page and staring in awe over the woman in battle the library around her remained silent. Considering the large nature of the room it wasn't a surprise to find its confines empty or only filled with few patrons.
Currently she was only one of the persons here along with the keeper currently taking inventory on the opposite side of the room. Reading her book she was distracted enough to not notice something gliding past her feet. Lifting her legs to look down towards the ground she didn't notice anything and continued on. Between the pages of her book, however, came the culprit of the touch.
Adjusting to the darkness Evanora looked at the snake coming towards her wide-eyed and let out a shriek in surprise. The sound echoed in the quiet hall until the snake's formed shifted into the princeling covering her mouth to stop her from making anymore noise. Looking to him in frustration he lifted his hand off her mouth to grin down to her amused.
Picking up one of the books Loki sat himself on the table to skim through the title. "Should finish one book before reading another." He waved the text in his hand to continue his jest. "Should try to pay attention more to what's around you also, don't you think?"
"Come to test me again?"
"I was only playing a game; didn't know you could put up such a fright," Loki cooed as Evanora did her best to ignore him in front of her. Realizing her doing this he tilted the book down for her to cast her eyes back up to him. "The Valkyrie?"
"It's for leisure. I'm passing time before meeting my mother and my friend is busy herself." She gave a smug grin back to him. "I have, apparently, better means of using my time than to test the patience of everyone I meet."
Loki laughed over her attempt at an insult as they placed the book back down. "Oh you give me too much credit, mi'lady." Evanora let out a huff over the title as he continued to speak. "Must be nice to be so blissfully unaware. How do you do it?"
Knitting her brows together but not wanting to give him anymore pleasure than he had with speaking with her she pressed further. "What do you mean?"
"Your friend for example was not born in status. You go with your friends in the court entertaining in art and music and games—"
"So, you are judging me for my activities?"
"I'm just speaking on the fact that you don't understand any of it," Loki pressed on, "You read about these societies and sit in this library learning nothing."
Evanora had given in and slammed the book down to have a better look when speaking with him. "I do not wish to be belittled by you, a prince, on the matter of the difference in my status between my friend and others around me. You certainly are not the type of person to speak on the matter and I do not understand why you feel the need to do so now."
Feeding into this energy, Loki went on without any means of stopping as they leaned further into her. "Had you looked away you would have understood? I am fully aware of my difference between you, Lena, my brother." At the mention of her friend's name Evanora faltered in her anger. Her main confidant, a sister to her, had secrets of her own which she didn't enjoy hearing from the prince in front of her. "The worst of it is it has made you naïve to your parentage. The jewel of the family as they call you."
"Have you finished yet?"
"Have I struck a nerve?" At this, Evanora pushed her seat out to begin grabbing her things. Loki mused at this fact and adjusted himself in his seat. "I take that as a yes?"
Pressing both her hands on the table she leaned over to the prince in front of her angered and unable to contain the feeling much longer. "Your title forces me to give you respect; for everyone to give you respect."
"I did not ask for it."
"You also do not ignore it," Evanora told him as she straightened her posture again, "If you'll excuse me."
Picking up the first of her stack she left in the direction to put them away. Having expected for Loki to drop off their argument at her leaving him there, she was instead accompanied by him carrying the rest of her texts for her. "I don't see why this is such an issue, it's something you need to be aware of." Ignoring him she placed the texts away carefully from she grabbed them as he stood there beside her. Seeing that she was not interested in indulging him any longer he chuckled at the disdain she showed for him. "Lena paints you in too good of a light. You are just—"
"What exactly? Besides what you've already described me as of course." Putting away the last of her stack Evanora was able to focus the rest of her attention on drilling him as he did with her. "You come and you go as you please because you're hiding in your brother's shadow. Playing tricks, you do this to stand out in some way outside of what your sibling is already excelling in. The lonely princeling, always the last to be picked."
Looking directly into her eyes as she said this Loki only grinned, which allowed Evanora to still see she had bothered at least a small part of him. "You're the pathetic student, desperate for everyone's attention." Bowing his head she didn't return the gesture as he lifted the books in his hands. "Had lunch with the court didn't you. Shouldn't bother your time with these activities with so many better things to do."
Evanora took his word and gave a short bow to him. "Spend some time out of the shadows for once— if that's possible." Picking her dress she shifted herself away from him in a quickened pace to leave the encounter as soon as she could.
Several things came to mind over Loki's discussions. The bigger of those being the fact she didn't understand his involvement with Lena nor was she able to make much sense of it. She didn't think herself to be naïve or to seek out the approval of her parents. At this she paused, knowing that when she made her parents proud Evanora was able to feel some pride in herself. Perhaps he was warning her, though the warning felt misguided coming from the prince who couldn't seek the advice for himself.
