lost loves, found loves

1926

"Loki, Loki! Wait for me!"

I'm running through the palace, struggling to keep up with Loki. The boy is a few feet ahead of me and won't stop even when I repeatedly shout his name. His laugh echoes through the hall and fills my ears, my heart racing and the blood rushing through my veins.

"Loki, wait for me!" Then suddenly, I trip over my own feet, stumble and fall, crying out.

The black-haired boy finally stops and turns around to see what happened. When he spots me sitting on the floor, holding my leg, he comes running back and kneels down beside me. "Are you alright?" he asks with a soft voice.

I nod, but my ankle hurts and feels like it's swelling up. Loki helps me up, but I can barely step on my foot, so he puls my arm around his shoulders and helps me walk.

"Loki, what have you two done again?"

The two of us turn around to find one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my young life. Frigga, Loki's mother, makes her way towards us, her body moving majestically. The queen of Asgard comes closer with fast steps and puts her hands on Loki's and my shoulders. "Come, you two, I will take you to your room."

So we follow her silently, only snickering a lkttle when our eyes meet. My room is small - not as huge as Loki's, of course, because Loki is the prince and I am not. I am not even part of the family, but merely the daughter of another Asgardian working for the king. Odin, the king and Loki's father, has been kind enough to let me stay in the palace since my father died and my mother is spending her days working. Also, his two sons seem to enjoy my presence, and it is them I have to thank.

"Loki, you should let her sleep. She needs her rest. You two can run around the castle tomorrow for as long as you want to," Frigga says with her lovey voice and smiles, "That is if your ankle is feeling better."

I nod solemnly and smile back. Loki is hovering by my bed for a moment before bidding me a good night and following his mother out of the room. I stare at the dark ceiling for a moment before turning to the side. From my room, I have a beautiful view over Asgard, though it was not as beautiful as the view was from Thor's room. I furrowe my brow and wondered where Thor is - I haven't seen him all day. Maybe he is out with his friends again. Who kows?

----

"You shouldn't run with him like that," Thor lectures me the next morning. "Someday I will be king, you know?" Of course I know. "And I can't run through the castle like that, but Loki doesn't have that type of responsibility."

"But Loki still is a prince," I argue, crossing my arms in front of my chest, "Right?"

Thor chuckles. He isn't much older than me but he sometimes behaves like it and I don't appreciate it. He might not be older than me but taller he is. So much taller that when I stand in front of him, he could prop his chin up on my head without standing on his tiptoes. As much as he is taller than me, he isn't much taller than Loki. Loki has always been my best friend, but Thor is the one I loved. Actually, I think I love both of them, but maybe I am too young to know what love really is. After all, I could barely spell the word, let alone understand the feeling.

Thor takes me riding on his beautiful white horse. He tells me to hold on tight so I won't fall off, so I do as I'm told. I sit in front of him, and he has his chest pressed against my back, his already strong arms reaching around my tiny body. When we get back to the palace, I spot Loki sitting with his mother on a bench, practicing magic. I love watching Loki practice magic without him knowing. He looks so happy and concentrated, but Frigga always seems to feel that I am watching, so her eyes often met mine, and I quickly leave.

"When I'm king, I will be just like father," Thor says to me when we get to his room. "I will be just as strong as him."

"Then you don't have a very long way ahead of you," I reply with a wide grin, pointing at Thor's arms. It is curious how he could already be so strong at such a young age while Loki and I are still skinny and weak. But I guess Loki's strength is in other things than the materialistic.

"You should soon go to bed," Thor says. "Tomorrow, I will teach you how to ride a horse on your own. Then maybe we can go riding together with Father. Loki can stay here and do his tricks with Mother."

I chuckle, but don't tell Thor that I think what Loki is doing is amazing. I know that Thor and Loki don't get along very well, but I also know that they are too young to truly hate each other.

Back in my bed, I'm sitting in the dark, a single candle illuminating my room. I flinch when Loki appears out of thin air. "I told you not to do that!" I snap. "Knock like others do!"

Loki only grins and sits down next to me. "Well, forgive me, m'lady," he says charmingly. "I forget how frightened you get."

I roll my eyes. "I do not get frightened, I merely don't like it when you appear like that. But your mother taught you well, that I have to say."

"I could not be the God of Mischief without being a little mischievous," Loki replies.

I envy him. Loki and Thor have their whole lives already laid out for them in front of their eyes. Thor is going to be the king of Asgard, and he is going to be a great one. Loki is going to make the universe unsafe with his magic and his tricks. And I am sitting here in my room, not knowing what I am ever going to do.

"Let us go and scare Sif," Loki says, pulling me to my feet. "It is going to be great fun!"