Into the Unknown

I'll Hold Onto You

The next morning I wake up to the smell of meat and freshly baked bread. I yawn and stretch and sit up to see Kari setting a tray down on the table in the room.

"Good morning, My Lady." She says softly.

I give her a small lazy smile before yawning again. I get up out of bed and walk over to the delicious smelling food. Kari curtsies and leaves and I sit down. The tray has a plate of what looks like some kind of sausages, some fruits, and freshly baked warm bread. I pick up the fork and use it to pick up a sausage and take a bite.

It is juicy and hot. A small moan escapes me as I eat the rest of it. Then I look at the fruit. It is definitely not like any fruit we have on Earth. But it is juicy and sweet. The next fruit is tart. The cup has the same juice from the other day in the healing ward and the bread is nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

When I finish I lean back in the chair with a smile on my face. Kari enters a few minutes later with a dress draped over her arms. She sets it down on the bed.

"I'll get a bath drawn for you."

"Ok." I say.

She enters the bathroom and I clean up my mess on the table. Kari helps me undress and I enter the bath. Nice and hot. I frown as I wash my body and hand that Loki had kissed the night before.

Stupid! He's a prince. That's just something they do I tell myself. I dry myself off and Kari helps me get dressed.

"What are your plans for the day, My Lady?" Kari asks as she fixes my hair.

"Umm I'm not sure. I think Loki said he'd give me a tour then asked if I had ever ridden a horse." I reply.

Kari's eyes widen then she looks around even though we're the only ones in the room. She bends down and speaks lowly.

"He's still forbidden from leaving the palace, but he gave me this to give to you." She hands me a parchment from a hidden pocket in her dress.

I take it from her. It is rolled up with a wax seal on it. A green wax seal with an L with a snake coiling around it. I break it open and read the letter.

Meet me at the stables, Pet.

-Loki

"Oh how romantic." Kari breathes.

My face flushes.

"Oh I don't know about that. I mean, he doesn't even know me really."

Kari resumes fixing my hair. "But still, he wasted no time in coming to your rescue."

"But...that's...I mean... he's a god. I'm just a plain human." I stammer.

"Isn't Prince Thor in love with a human?" She asks. "You humans are not as plain as you think if you can get two gods to notice you."

I can't think of anything else to say. Loki is just being nice. He doesn't like me. When Kari is satisfied with my hair I stand up.

"I'll take you to the stables." She says.

I nod and follow her down the hall and out of the palace. She stops and points to the stables.

"There they are, My Lady."

"Thank you, Kari. For everything." I tell her.

She blushes and curtsies then leaves. I turn back to face the stables and I can see Loki leaning against the frame of it. My heart is pounding as I walk towards him. He looks up as I approach him.

"Don't say anything. You're the only one that can see me."

I nod and follow him into the stable.

"Say you're here to ride Hulda." Loki says to me.

I repeat the order to the nearest Stableboy. He looks at me in surprise for a second before shrugging and going back to get the horse. He brings back a beautiful brown horse.

"Oh she's beautiful!" I exclaim. I hold out my arm and let her sniff it. She does and snorts.

"She likes you." Loki says as he rubs the horse's nose. I guess he let her see him as well.

"Do you need help getting up Ma'am?" The stableboy asks.

I shake my head. "No, thank you though." I walk over to the side and swing myself up onto the saddle.

And that is where the extent of my knowledge of how to ride a horse ends. I don't have time to really think about what I'm supposed to do next as Loki gets onto the saddle behind me.

"Take the reins." He says.

Somehow I do even though I feel like I can't move my body. My body suddenly feels very heavy and slow. I swallow to try and calm down but Loki puts his hands over mine and flicks the reins to get the horse to start walking. His hands are a lot bigger than mine. They are also very warm, or is it me that's warm? I don't know. My eyes are focused on his over mine.

Also his chest is against my back. God it feels hard. I think I may die.

"I thought you said that you had ridden a horse before." He teases.

"I've never done it with two people in the saddle." I bite back.

Loki lets out a laugh and flicks the reins again making the horse go into a trot. We clear the gate.

"Hold on tight." He says.

"What..." Is all I can get out before he makes Hulda go into a full run.

I yelp lean back into his chest more. My heart is racing though whether it's from the horse running or from my situation, I can't say. All I know is that I have definitely died, and this is heaven.