A Royal Arrangement

Chapter 23

- Loki's Pov -

It had taken me a few weeks, but Heimdall finally told me. I was delighted, finally after 21 days of worrying, I would see her again. Vesper was staying in a cottage on the East side of her Alfhiem hometown. I was busy packing a bag when Thor arrived. It was strange not seeing him with the others.
"Brother, are you sure about this?" Thor asked me as I backed a bag.
"Yes, I need to see Vesper," I ran around my room. Grabbing anything that I thought was worth taking with me. It had been a while since I last visited Alfhiem "I need to make sure that I have done everything I can to make my marriage work,"
"Then I shall accompany you," Thor spoke as he threw his bag next to mine. It was already packed. I looked at it "Don't even argue with me. Who would you rather tag along, me or Baldur?"
"You have a point," I was slightly grateful that Thor was coming with me. Baldur can be such a bore sometimes.

We left early the next day and it was sometime in the afternoon that we arrived at the house via the Bifrost dropping us off an hour away. The cottage was larger than I had expected but nevertheless, It looked cosy with its white walls and blue shutters.
"I hope she wants to see me as much as I want to see her," I mumbled. Thor patted me on the shoulder. For once, he didn't say a word. I knocked on the door with a thundering heart, but no one answered. Gulping loudly, I looked inside and concluded that no one was home.
"What do you want to do?" Thor ask. I hadn't counted on this. But something in me was telling me to go for a stroll around the area.
"Thor, take a walk to the Inn. Secure us two rooms just in case this is the last time that I see Vesper. I may need to drown my sorrows," I nodded to town. Thor dropped his bag on the floor.
"Good luck, brother," Thor nodded and walked off. He was leaving his bag by the front door.

It was a beautiful spring day so I walked for a bit. The scenery was beautiful, the green of the meadow, those colourful flowers adorning the path on either side. The path ended in a row of trees, beginning with a reasonably large forest, as far as the eye could see. I felt as if the trees were guiding me. I followed my heart and that's when I saw her. Just coming out of the forest in a stunning deep green dress and with her hair loose around her shoulders. She stood as if petrified at first, her mouth fell open and her eyes got big and basically just looked at me.
"Vesper..." I whispered as I walked towards her, very carefully as I didn't want to spook her. But when I got too close, she stepped back.
"What are you doing here?"
"I just want to talk to you," I said almost pleadingly and with remorse dripped from every word.
"As I said before there's nothing to talk about. Like I said before, it's over between us," she said sternly. She started walking towards the house.
"You don't mean that Vesper,"
"Oh, but I do," Vesper picked up her pace.
"Will you stop walking away from me please?" I said but she didn't. This annoyed me but I had to be understanding. I just want to hold her. She walked on firmly. I clicked my tongue as I implemented another tactic. I teleported in front of her and stood in front of her, effectively barring her attempts to walk away.
"Get out of my way!" she hissed at me.
"No. Not until you listen to me," I replied to her in a determined manner.
"I said let me pass," Vesper tried to push me away "I'm serious Loki, if you don't let me pass, I'm going to scream really loud so that the farmers who live further down the road will hear me and come running to the sound," I didn't want to make a scene but her warning seemed convincing, so I stepped out of her way. But instead of surrendering, I walked beside her and that irritated her immensely "You shouldn't have come," she remarked coolly after a little pause.
"I want to talk to you,"
"How did you find me?" she inquired.
"I may or may not have pestered Heimdall for three weeks straight," I admitted. I also nagged my siblings, my parents and Skurge, (He watched the Bifrost when Heimdal went to sleep. Which wasn't often)
"I should have realised he would cave in eventually," Vesper sighed.
"Only when Mother asked him," I smiled.

The two of us remained silent again for a while, walking down a hill. I feel like Vesper had deliberately chosen a long route, a detour, probably to hide the location of the cottage. (Even though I knew where it was) I didn't mind. It worked in my favour because now I had more time to spend with her.
"It's incredibly beautiful here. Do you come here often?" I asked out of genuine interest.
"I grew up around here as a child," she replied as she looked ahead "We will probably stay here until we go back to Asgard as my father has unfinished business in Asgard and then we will be moving here permanently,"
"What do you mean back and what do you mean by 'we'?" I asked, suddenly stopping in my tracks, and staring at her in confusion. Vesper stopped a little in front of me.
"My family. We are moving back to Allfheim," she said and then walked on but I caught up with her again.
"I think you are forgetting that you are still married to me and not going anywhere for the time being," I crossed my arms behind my back.
"You do not get to decide that! Once we are separated I will -"
"we're not getting divorced I can assure you that, you can wait a very long time for that to occur,"
"No, you see, I don't have to wait long for it at all. I'll see to it that you get the papers sent to you soon," She snapped at me as she walked away I grabbed her wrist and made her stop walking.
"You are not listening carefully I believe. So, I will explain this to you again. You and I are not splitting up. Is that clear?" I said, my gaze soon softened as I looked at her, taking her in. God how beautiful she was with her greenish brown eyes, inviting full lips, so inviting that I leaned down. I thought Vesper was about to kiss me back but then she slapped me. How does one so little hit with such force? I recoiled, grabbing my cheek. The sound of the slap echoed through the forest.
"Don't you dare do that again!" she said angrily "I want you to leave now and stop coming to see me. It's over between us."
"No, I'm not leaving until you go back with me or we talk this out," Suddenly, I heard a whistle and then an arrow appeared in the tree next to me. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lord Hawthorne coming up the hill, holding a bow in his hand.
"Father?" Vesper spoke. Lord Hawthorne walked over to his daughter and smiled.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Vesper nodded then he turned to me with a look that could kill "Prince Loki, Funny running into you here? How are you?" he asked politely.
"Good. thank you. And how are you?" I replied. Suddenly very cautious of the bow in his hand.
"Splendid, thank you but currently feeling slightly frustrated. You see I was hunting for a rabbit, but it escaped me. Did you see one?" he asked innocently, knowing that there hadn't been a rabbit to be found in the far distance.
"Apologies but no, I have not,"
"Pity but maybe I'll have more luck tomorrow. It is getting dark and a bit chilly to be out at this hour. I think we should return to the cottage... What do you say, Vesper?"
"We should, Father and I think it would be best for Loki to return to the village before the sun falls below the land. It is not safe to travel at night," she said as he looked to the ground. I went to speak but Lord Hawthorne blocked my view of her.
"You heard her, Loki. Better if you leave now. Come on, I'll walk with you and make sure you get to the Inn. I do recommend trying the apple pie," he put an arm around me, pushing me forward. Vesper took off in the opposite direction. I kept my gaze on her as she disappeared into the tree line.