The Queen of Jotunheim

Chapter 13: The Ladies' Tea Party

Chapter 13:
A Formal Invitation to
The Ladies' Tea Party

It seemed Queen Ivory had not been joking about the tea and gossip as Nix had been officially invited to a tea party with the other noble ladies. It was not really that surprising as the noble ladies loved their tea party, the Light Elves in particular, but what was surprising was that Loki was holding an invitation addressed to him.

"Mother is this right?" He asked, looking up at his mother who was currently making the tea hall ready. It was not used often as the Asgardian ladies often preferred wild parties over tea parties, but it was not abandoned, just a little dusty.

Frigga glanced over at him, currently showing the servants how she wanted the flowers arranged and smiled warmly. "If you are referring to your invitation, then yes, it is indeed correct." She puffed up the lavenders in the bowl in front of her before nodding to herself.

Loki frowned slightly, looking at the invitation again. "Mother, you know I do enjoy the tea times we have together, but this is entirely different." He sighed, shaking his head. "Is the Tea Party not normally for the noble LADIES?"

"Well yes, but when did you start caring about rules like that?" Frigga asked, chuckling as she walked over to her son, stroking his cheek. "Loki, you won't be the only male there, and I thought it might comfort Queen Nix to have you nearby."

Loki blinked, confused at that. "Pardon?" He asked, following after her mother as she walked around the room, checking up on things. "What do you mean by that?"

"Which part?" Frigga asked, her voice still amused as she checked some of the porcelain that rarely saw use. "The 'not the only male' part, or the part about Queen Nix clearly being smitten by you?"

That only made Loki more confused, and blushing from shock and surely nothing else. "WHAT?! Mother, you can't just say stuff like that?!" He fidgeted with his hands, a habit he picked up from her, as he ran after her. "What do you mean by her being smitten with me?!"

Frigga chuckled and shook her head. "Men." She started walking out, waving the servants trying to follow her away, telling them to go back to preparing the tea party, leaving her and Loki alone. "I see the way she looks at you Loki," Frigga said, smiling warmly up at Loki, "it's a look any woman would recognize."

"I..." Loki felt dizzy, he didn't seem to be able to feel the ground under him and feared the room might start spinning. But at the same time, he felt like he was flying like he was floating down the hall beside his mother, not able to keep the big grin from his face. "Really?!" He asked her, grinning but also feeling ill like his stomach was suddenly filled with a million butterflies, both lifting and ticketing, but also making him feel nauseated and squirmish.

"Really," Frigga said, smiling warmly up at her son and stroking his arm, "and I see the way you look at her too, Loki."

Loki felt the heat of his own blush and pulled up a hand to his mouth in an attempt to hide it. "What look? I am merely observing her to act like a good host," he claimed, not being able to meet his mother's gaze, "nothing more than that."

"Aha," his mother said in a tone that clearly didn't believe him, "and what have you observed so far?"

"Well she is clearly a worthy Queen," Loki said, just stating the truth and trying to keep the facts, "a powerful sorcerer, not only respecting magic but also commanding it with ease." He coughed slightly, still not looking at his mother. "She is also elegant, clearly not a savage as the stories would lead one to believe all Jotuns were."

"She loves her people and respects others who deserve it." He could feel himself smiling, remembering her hanging out with her people like they were all close friends, which he had no doubt they were. "She has shown more kindness and forgiveness than I have ever seen before." He was still shocked that she knew what he had done and forgiven him.