Utter Devotion

Hidden Gardens

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SMUT WARNING ⚠️😳🌶

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Ciannait was sitting on a bench just outside the ball room, watching the party inside, voices and laughter floating down to her, as she sat moroseily on her own considering the papers she had signed.

Njord hadn't considered the effect just reading the words would have on her.

She could already feel the strands of a new bond forming, binding her and Loki, no doubt if she let Loki discover it, he would try to use it to his advantage, or Njord would try to force her to use the bond to bend Loki to his will.

She began rubbing her temples and contemplated what if she just went to bed, Njord hadn't even announced their engagement yet, and that would most definitely earn her a reprimand at his hand.

"Do you not like parties?"

She could have groaned, Loki sauntered over to her and crowded his way on to the bench next to her.

"I find solace in solitude."

Loki could respect that, he too found crowds to be overwhelming at times.

He actually felt trepidation sitting here with Ciannait, encased her armor he felt a need to be harsh with her, a desire to crack her open to get her down to her most base self, to use her for his own goals, but the woman in front of him was a different woman entirely, she had a quiet vulnerability about her as she sat and picked at her nail beds, she made him feel off footed.

Even now as she looked at him, her warm brown eyes scrunched up with worry, all he wanted to do was reach out and smooth the worry lines on her forehead.

"I want you to know I will not treat you badly. I understand neither one of us wanted this."

His words surprised her, and she did not trust them, she knew he was well known as a trickster and a liar even with as earnest as he sounded.

"That is... very kind of you."

"I would ask one thing of you, I would ask you to release my brother from what ever curse you placed."

She already knew he was going to ask, and she knew she couldn't give him want he wanted.

"Its no curse and it won't hurt him. I can't remove it now even if I wanted to."

"Why? Because your father won't allow it? Can you not see that this is wrong? To take away someone's free will?!"

He started out quietly, but by the end his tone was harsh and biting, his anger getting the best of him, the images of Thor blindly surrendering flashing before him, he didn't catch the haunted look in Ciannait's eyes.

"Do you think I want to do this?"

"I think you enjoy it," he hissed at her.

Her hand flew up to smack his cheek, he caught her hand, instead of letting her go he placed her hand on his thigh.

"Now is that anyway to treat to your fiancé?"

The dark purr of his voice, made her go weak at the knees, she was very thankful she was already seated or else she might have ended up on the ground, the rapid change in his mood making her nervous.

"We both know this is a farce so why pretend."

"It doesn't have to be."

Her eyes went wide, her natural desire to defy Njord, he hadn't specifically told her she couldn't so she still held her freewill and she would be lying to herself if she wasn't already squirming at the very idea.