Servant of Jotunheim

Worry

With the celebration now over, I walk back with Princess Milea and remain in her chambers for a while, aware that the King will be busy bidding farewell to the few remaining guests.

It fills me with concern not knowing where King Naris is staying within the palace this evening, but it may be my only opportunity to get the answers I need.

Me: "So there was no beautiful noble woman that caught your eye this evening?"

Milea: "Not a noble woman, but there was this servant girl" she replies coyly.

Me: "Which servant?"

Milea: "I believe her name was Kiara? My father was nearby unfortunately, so I did not get the opportunity to speak with her properly" she sighs.

Me: "What if I were to ask the King to make her your personal servant while you are here?"

Milea: "You would do that for me?"

Me: "What are friends for? That way you can get to know her better without anyone becoming suspicious".

There is a gentle knocking at her chamber door that I believe to be the King, so I run over and eagerly answer. To my surprise it is none other than Kiara herself.

Kiara: "I did not mean to interrupt you both, but I believe you may have dropped this, Princess Milea".

She holds out her hand to show Milea one of the small golden earrings that she had been wearing earlier that evening.

Milea: "My goodness, I hadn't even noticed it was missing".

Me: "Princess, you should invite this kind young lady in for a drink. Perhaps as a gesture of gratitude for returning your lost earring so promptly?" I wink.

Milea: "Well yes....yes of course! How rude of me not to have offered initially" she giggles nervously.

Me: "Please, come in. I was about to leave and Princess Milea could use the company".

I leave them alone quickly, and skip through the palace positively buzzing with excitement over the possible love match I had instigated moments earlier.

Loki: "Valanya, what are you doing out here alone at this late hour? I was on my way to collect you".

Me: "There was an unforeseen circumstance, my love".

Loki: "Come now, it is rather late".

Once we are back at his chambers, I sit on the bed and tiredly kick of my heels while the King changes.

Perhaps it is the wine coursing through my veins, but seeing him standing there without his shirt on with his tall, lean, muscular body on display causes me to tingle all over.

Loki: "You should get dressed for bed".

Me: "I though you desired to tear this dress from my body at the end of the evening?"

Loki: "You wish for me to ruin such a beautiful garment?"

Me: "Have it your way. If you do not wish to undress me, then I shall simply be forced to undress myself".

I grow impatient and walk over to the wardrobe to find something to wear.

Loki: "I worry about you, Valanya".

Me: "Worry about what?"

Loki: "Agnarr could have easily recognised that you were of Alfheim descent".

Me: "Yet he did not, so stop fearing that the worst will always happen" I tell him before I unbraid my hair and remove my mask.

Loki: "Is it so wrong for me to care about the woman I love?"

Me: "Perhaps it is when it keeps you from desiring her?"

Loki: "This is a discussion best saved for tomorrow. We are both tired and it has been a long day".

Me: "And it will be an even longer evening. I am returning to the guest chambers. Have a restful evening here alone, Loki".

I walk to my previous chambers which were fortunately still vacant. While sitting on the edge of the bed, I contemplate going back. I am far too annoyed with him right now to think rationally and he was correct, it was a conversation best had tomorrow.

I step out onto the balcony for some air and gaze out onto the moonlit kingdom. Somehow the view still takes my breath away, even now.

Naris: "Good evening, princess" his voice comes from the balcony next to mine.

Me: "King Naris! I was unaware you were still here" I lie after he startles me.

Naris: "The Allfather has important trade matters he wishes to discuss with me, so I may be here another day".

Me: "Well it is nice to have someone here to share this magnificent view with".

Naris: "Asgard is indeed beautiful. However it has far more beauty within than the Allfather seems to realise".

Me: "How so?"

Naris: "I witnessed firsthand how he so coldly dismissed you this evening for that other princess".

Me: "You saw that?"

Naris: "Yes I did. I thought about checking on you afterwards, but King Agnarr beat me to it".

Me: "It was kind of you to think of me. The Allfather had promised me the first dance of the evening, but he had clearly forgotten".

I decide go ahead with the plan, despite the current change of circumstances and location.

Naris: "Where did you disappear to all those years ago? You both seemed so happy and then you simply vanished without any explanation".

Me: "We were happy. Unfortunately we had a disagreement on the night of the ball, so I decided it best to leave".

Naris: "May I ask what this disagreement was about?"

Me: "I expressed my wishes to travel before settling down into a courtship. The King did not appreciate my sudden need for adventure back then".

Naris: "And what about now?"

Me: "Now I am ready. When the Queen Mother sent for me, I did not hesitate to return to Asgard. Although I must admit that I was rather disheartened to learn that he already had a new princess by his side".

Naris: "Yet you chose to stay?"

Me: "I did. A part of my wishes that it were just the two of us again".

Naris: "A young, beautiful woman such as yourself deserves every ounce of a King's attention, not half" he tells me while passing a glass of wine across the balcony.