Our Secret Garden (Loki X Reader)

Night Nine

I awoke after only a few peaceful hours of sleep, the memory of the night before hitting my mind as I tried to pull myself from the bed. I didn't know where to go from here. The man I had been meeting was none other then a Prince of Asgard, and while I was considered to be from a well off family, it was no where near high enough to be allowed amongst the court, let alone be in a relationship with a member of one. And, as I always tried to forget, I was spoken for.

I had no idea what I was to do now. It was obvious, as shown by the actions we had taken last night, that we were attracted to one another. That there was a connection. That we had begun to understand each other, to find comfort in the arms of one another in our secret garden.

It was strange, the garden. When I was there, I felt as if I were in another place entirely. I was able to forget about the troubles that would await me the next morning when I rose to find maid after maid asking me what color I preferred for the wedding, what way I wanted to style my hair, what direction I wanted the fabric to flow, which undergarments would I wish to pack for the night of the wedding.

I rose, awaiting the first of the maids to creep through the the door to my right to start that very same way of questioning. I pushed my hands through my hair, pulling down any unruly strands as I did so, and waited.

The first to come was a short woman who was profoundly round. She held samples of dessert for me to try, asking which I would like placed at the table for myself and future husband. My mind wandered to which of the options Loki would have wanted, and I absentmindedly chose the one with the gold flakes and swirls atop a deep colored chocolate frosting. It reminded me of his horns that he had worn one night, saying they were his helmet.

The next was a tall, mean looking woman, her eyes piercing my own. She held an assortment of fabrics and laid them upon the bed in front of me. They were to be the colors of the table fabric. I sorted through them, quite unsure of what color I was looking for. What would go well with Loki's choice of color scheme? I chose two colors, a gold and a light green. It wasn't quite the color of his emerald green that he always insisted on wearing and instead the color of his eyes. His beautiful gem colored eyes that I could stare into for hours, speaking of whatever book we had currently sitting upon his lap.

The next one to come in was a man and an elderly woman who stood a good two heads shorter than him at his side. They held sheets of paper, all with musical notes upon them. I skimmed the pages and almost instantly landed upon a sheet that had fallen to the side. I read over the notes, the familiar lullaby filling my ears, the soft sound of Loki's humming filling my head. It was the song that he frequently began to gently hum when he got to lost in his book. I longed to be back in the garden with him, the sound of his voice playing lightly over the popping of the fire.

I handed the page to the man and woman, along with a few others, making a point to show them that this one in particular was the only one that I cared about having, it was a must.

A break in the flow of planners allowed for me to rise from the soft cushion of the bed and get ready for the day. A quick routine and I was ready for the next round of women to walk through those doors. I sat down at the desk and thought back briefly on the decisions I had just made about the wedding.

The wedding to Ulf.

Not Loki.

I had been thinking of him the whole time. Planning everything as if it was to match him and I. Planning everything as if it were the wedding I had dreamed of since I was a child.

A wedding filled with love. That love that I so desperately craved.

The love that Loki seemed to be giving me.

The love that I would have to soon give up and lose forever.

I was pulled from my thoughts as the door opened again and swarms of people began to fly through the room again, leaving me to think only of the clock that ticked slowly, ever so slowly counting the seconds until I was to retire for the evening and I would be free to climb down the tree outside my window and run free towards that now so familiar break in the trees.

———

My eyes wandered around the clearing, aimlessly looking for any sign of life. Loki hadn't been here when I arrived as he usually was, but that did not trouble me. There had been nights where he hadn't shown up and I had been able to enjoy the garden alone.

I had taken those hours to trim flowers and pull weeds from around the beds. The place that had been more of an abandoned field now looked more like a garden that was loved and taken care of. A secret paradise. I had wanted to murder the man who frequented the clearing with me after he had finally shown up again after all of my hard work.

He had looked at the pile of weeds and dead flowers that I had put together in order to dispose of them with a smug look on his face.

"You know I could have down all of that with the snap of my fingers, right?" He had said to me, still smiling, as he indeed sent all the scraps away in a wave of green light.

"Show off," I had responded, unable to hide the smile that crept onto my face even as I tried to remain mad at him.

But now I missed him, I had wanted him to be here and I no longer enjoyed the silence that was left without his presence.

My eyes began to grow heavy and I knew that I was on the verge of falling asleep when the familiar tingle of Loki's magic coursed through me and a small wave of green appeared before my eyes. A small paper floated down gently into my hands, a neat note written in beautiful hand.

Princely duties keep me away tonight darling, continue to miss me until I see you again tomorrow.

"Arrogant as always, thinking I miss him." I smiled down at the paper. "Too bad he's right."

Before I could stop it, the words I had spoken out loud appeared on the paper in the same hand and a wave of green light that looked eerily similar to a certain god of mischiefs hand snatched the paper back. A laugh escaped my lips as one last wave of green let the paper fall back gently into my hands a moment later.

I know I am.