Can you save me?

Part 9

Loki was unable to reject the invitation. He had planned to ride through Asgard without a single stop until he found me but now all he wanted was to sleep. He needed some sleep and he felt more and more exhausted and sleepy every second. How come he became so? He hadn't slept for days but it had never caused him any problems. There was a tiny thought at the back of his mind that perhaps it was some kind of magic, fulfilled by Syf, but she was looking so innocent that he pushed the idea away.

The hut was small but its interior looked so much bigger with a lovely living room inside, decorated with wild flowers, thousands of books and dozens of candles. Near the fireplace, there was a large bed with two pillows and some blankets, neatly folded. Loki went there, without looking around.

He lied down on the comfortable bed, pulled a thin blanket over his body and he fell asleep immediately.

Suddenly Loki woke up.

When he opened his eyes, he couldn't believe them: I was sitting next to him, smiling at him tenderly. When I saw that he was awake, I leaned closer and caressed his face with my fingertips, enjoying his cold silky skin under my touch.

- Prince Loki, His Majesty, my emperor... - I spoke so breathless, with my heart jumping all over inside my chest.

Loki looked so surprised, his glowing blue eyes were so huge, filled with so many questions. He couldn't move but I saw that he still didn't believe it was me.

- Sjöfn! Are you here? Are you really here?

- Yeah, you have found me, my Prince Loki. You are finally with me now.. - I was watching him with my eyes sparkling with passion and Loki couldn't resist anymore.

He put his arms around my waist and suddenly pulled me so close to his chest until our lips met in a passionate deep kiss. Our lips, our tongues intertwined deeply while I was holding him as close as possible, wrapping my arms around his neck. I loved the feeling of his silky hair on my skin, his body's wild reaction to my body gluing to his own, our hearts beating as one.

Suddenly Loki woke up.

For his surprise, he had to realise that he had been dreaming only. He was completely alone in the living room, Syf wasn't seen or heard anywhere. How come that dream had seemed to be so real?! He had felt my touch, my kiss, my scent! He had felt the excitement in his body and it was still there! And now there he was, shivering under the blanket, alone.

He became so angry that he could have exploded. He slammed his fist on the wall and heard it crack.

Syf appeared from nowhere, with a worried look in her eyes.

- What's wrong, Prince of Asgard? Did you have a nightmare?

Loki cast a furious look at her.

- Yeah, I did.

He was watching the old woman suspiciously.

I was a shapeshifter, his mother said. What if I had turned myself into this old woman? He was wondering while bringing me and my behaviour back from his memories. I was extremely shy and I could hardly look at him when there was a chance of our eyes meeting, he remembered clearly. I was too shy while the old woman was watching him on a fairly brave way. She couldn't be embarrassed or hurt, she was watching him as he were a simple person and not a god or a prince. He also remembered all those times when we happened to meet anywhere in the palace, in the dining room, on the corridor or at the dances and he clearly remembered me blushing and looking away or watching him only from the corner of my eye. We couldn't be the same person, he decided.

- You know, you and your granddaughter seem to have nothing in common.

Syf nodded.

- That is right. But she didn't take after any of her parents. Sometimes I wondered if some fairies had brought her to us.

Loki didn't react to her words, he just continued his train of thought.

- You are not afraid of me but she was so scared even to look at me. When we met, she watched the ground in order to avoid my eyes. However, I always saw when she stole some glimpses on me. - he grinned naughtily.

So I was totally wrong. Loki had been watching me all the time when I thought he was simply ignoring me. He did pay attention to me while I thought he didn't care about me at all. I never slipped his notice. It gave me so much happiness that I could have been all over myself but at the same time I felt a little deceived.

- What a little coward she was. - Loki said suddenly smirking, with a nasty sound in his voice.

- Coward? Why? Because she wasn't staring at you infatuated like all those girls at your brother? - Syf laughed cheerfully - I would have never thought that you are so self-conceited, Prince of Asgard.

Loki's eyes darkened with anger but he managed to keep his patience. He felt that the old woman was trying to play with him.

- She never had the courage to show or talk about her emotions to me. - he replied laconically.

- As far as I remember she did it when she defended you during the dinner and she confessed her love for you. - Syf looked at him closely, while striking back without thinking. - Anyway, have you come to me to hurt my granddaughter's memory?

It was Loki again who felt embarrassed.

- I am sorry, I didn't mean to. - he decided to change the subject quickly. - Could you please talk about her and her family?

Syf looked confused. She didn't understand how Loki's brain worked and what he wanted from her.

- Well, her mother, my daughter, Sylla was a witch, a really talented one, I must say. She taught Syffa all the magic she knew and they spent most of their time together. She was the only child and she was brought up as a happy, sensitive girl who cared about every living being. Her father was a warrior, fighting for your father all the time, so he didn't see his daughter very often. He died during the war against the Threrachurians, two years ago. Three days later Sylla followed him. Losing her beloved husband broke her heart. I wanted to take Syffa with me, but Queen Frigga was so generous and lovely and she offered to take her and bring her up as her own goddaughter.

Loki looked surprised.

- Did you give up on her? How could you? - his voice was full of blame.

Syf shrugged a little, with sorrowful eyes.

- Well, I wanted the best for Syffa. I knew that she would get everything from your mother, love, care, support, a comfortable and exciting life, and she could even continue her studies. And Queen Frigga fulfilled all my expectations.

Loki shook his head in disbelief.

- I still can't understand how could you just give her up and send her to strangers.

Syf smiled tenderly.

- You know, Prince of Asgard, sometimes love makes you do things that are uncomfortable for you but you still do them for the sake of the person whom you love the most.