The Lady of Midgard [Book 1]

Chapter 11

You woke up that morning to a shivering child as he tried to snuggle under the blankets and into your side to keep warm.

"Come here Dan," you told him sleepily rolling onto your side and cuddling Áedán closer, wrapping the blankets back over you both.

You now believed Sif when she told you winter wasn't even here yet. Why you thought Asgard's weather was constant summer you would never know...maybe because it was the realm of what you thought of as the gods; but it was just an alien planet like Earth.

Like home.

Ignoring the feeling growing in the pit of your stomach at the thought of home you squeezed your eyes shut hoping to drown it out and fall back asleep. You'd only just dozed back off when your door opened and Stiorra came in with breakfast.

"You're still in bed?!"

You only groaned in response to Stiorra's comment, your bed was warm and you didn't want to leave it.

"Honestly you are worse than the Princes when they were youths," Stiorra chided. "Up. Now." She clapped and tore the blanket off you both.

"Fine, fine. I'm up," you groaned, sitting up in bed.

"I think we need to start doing something about your hair."

"Is it that bad?" you asked, a hand going to mess that was your now long hair.

"A rat's nest is putting it nicely," she giggled.

"Can't I just cut it?!" you groaned, flopping back onto the mattress.

Hair finally tamed and dressed, you turned up to training to find out Hogun had been sent away on business for the Allfather, apparently he was in Vanaheim and wouldn't be back till the Ball.

"Ball?" Was all you could say before Thor launched into a spiel explaining that Asgard was hosting the King of Vanaheim this year and it was going to be THE event.

But that meant working out who was going to train Áedán. Thor suggested he and Volstagg would take it in turns before a deep voice spoke up behind you, making you jump.

"I'll train him."

"Really?" Turning around to face Loki. "You sure? He can be quite a handful."

"I'm sure no more than his mother." Pinning you down with a look. "Your hair is looking lovely today," he said with a slight teasing lilt.

"Thanks, Stiorra helped me tame it." You blushed in embarrassment and ran a hand over the braid on the top of your head. It was no secret that as your hair grew the longer you were here the worse it became. The recent weather not helping with the frizziness. "Not looking so bad yourself." Giving him a smile, Loki visibly preened at your words.

"So what do you say?"

"Go ahead Mischief." You winked, walking off to find Sif.

Thor looked at his brother. "Care to tell me what's going on between you both?" He knew you were both getting along better, but this was new.

"Nothing at all," Loki replied innocently, watching you walk away.

"Uh huh. Loki, you have a little something," Thor teased, pointing at his chin.

"What? Where?" Loki exclaimed in embarrassment at being caught.

"When you pick your jaw up off the floor you might want to wipe away the bit of drool you have there." Fandral joined in the teasing.

— — — —

Clearly word had gotten out about the Ball as any of the conversations you overheard at dinner and throughout the palace as you made your way around since Thor told you was who was going to be wearing what. It took everything in you not to constantly roll your eyes.