Loki: Game of Thrones

Chapter 40 - Sansa's Companion

Sansa stared at the pool before her. She was wearing a shift that she had taken, and cut off about mid-thigh to make it more comfortable for her, and easier to move. She climbed into the shallow side, and slowly slid along the wall, towards the deeper end. Sansa finally moved away from the wall, and she began to move her legs and arms the way she had seen Loki doing it. He said it was called treading water. At first, she almost sunk several times, and picked up speed. But this tired her out. Sansa finally had enough practicing for one day, she quickly dog paddled her way to the wall. Hauling herself out, she went to the wash room, and gave herself a hot bath. Sansa scrubbed herself over with scented oils, and washed her own hair. Sansa recalled being concerned about not being able to do anything because she was so used to having servants do it for her. However, everything had proven easier than she had expected, and she rather liked it. Sansa guessed that Loki did not to bring anybody else in with them, for fear of damaging some kind of delicate balance. Whatever his reasons, Sansa was able to handle herself throughout the day. Meals were always magically prepared for her, and the dishes were cleared whenever she stepped away from the table.

After spending about a half an hour in the bath, Sansa got out, dried off, and returned to her chamber to get dressed. Rummaging through the gowns Loki had so kindly given her, Sansa found a green one. It had rather a low cut neckline, but that was easily remedied by a climbing collar of black lace, with golden vines in it. The hem of the dress also had golden thorns going throughout. The sleeves had the diamond points at the end, with little loops for Sansa's middle fingers to go through. Sansa loosed the laces in the back, and put the dress on. By magic, the ties tightened to just the right breadth for her to move freely. Sansa tied her hair up into a high bun, and placed a decorative golden pin through it. Sansa did not know why she was dressing up. It was not like it something so special when Loki came home every night. But, Sansa did like seeing his look of approval, no matter what she was wearing. Sansa smirked at her reflection, before she took a seat by the window. Taking out the book about the Nine Realms, she began to read it again. She was slowly teaching herself everything about his world, hoping to impress him with her knowledge. Sansa read about the two princes of Asgard: Thor, the first prince; and Loki, the second prince. She saw how Thor was praised for everything he did, while Loki was looked down upon for his practice in magic and trickery.

Sansa flipped through the pages, learning about how Loki was a warrior for Asgard, just not the warrior they had wanted. Loki used his magic to gain the upper hand in a fight, and to pull the wool over the eyes of his enemies. Sansa remembered her father talking about men like him during the war. They were opportunists, and vultures; picking on the carcasses of fallen families. Sansa closed the book, thinking about Loki's motives at that moment. Trying to place the rightful ruler of Westeros on the throne, and reconnect Westeros to the other realms. Was that being a vulture? Sansa guessed that he wanted to get home, back to his world, and that was what was driving him. What was so underhanded about that? Sansa went back to reading, and she went over the Nine Realms. She liked the sound of Alfheim the best. In the chapter about Alfheim, there were a few notations made in the margins, and she recognized Loki's hand writing. Of course, it was in runic, and Sansa could not read it, but the description of the Light Elf realm was very pleasing. Sansa saw a painting of green woods surrounding a lagoon, where the water was every color of the rainbow. Sansa continued reading, and discovered that Loki had actually been engaged to marry a princess of Alfheim. The book said her name was Verita, and that she had died in an attack from the Frost Giants. Needless to say, Loki was not engaged to anybody for a long time. Sansa closed the book. She started chewing on her fingernail as she contemplated Loki's reasons for doing what he did.

The world he had come from had not been kind to him. Passed a certain age, he had been treated cruelly by the Asgardian warriors, and nobles. Simply because he was different. Sansa did not understand human nature half as well as he did, but Sansa knew that Loki's personality and his desire to control everything stemmed from being out of control of his own life for so long. He was over reacting in order to compensate for what had been taken from him. Sansa wondered how she could help him. Teach him that life was not just about control and manipulation. She sighed and continued reading for several more hours, before her eyes started to close. It was not the sound of the front door closing that woke Sansa up. It was the warmth and weight of a live creature in her lap, that made her open her eyes. Meow! She was greeted by a black furred, green eyed kitten, sitting on her thighs, and looking up at her. Sansa gasped, putting the book aside and taking the kitten into her arms. Nuzzling it, she looked up at Loki as he entered her chamber. His cloak was draped over his arm, and he was smiling at her. "Like him?" Loki asked.

"It's a he?" Sansa asked, tickling it under the chin.

"Yes. I hand picked him from a rich litter. Sorry I could not find you another direwolf," Loki told her, waving his hand, and making his cloak disappear. Sansa shook her head, and stood up, holding the kitten to her bosom.

"He'll suit me fine. A little company throughout the day is all I wanted," Sansa responded. Loki smirked and stood beside her, right next to her window seat. Sansa looked up at him, and saw that he was staring down at the book of the Nine Realms she had resting on the cushions.

"You enjoying it?" he queried. Sansa nodded and kissed the top of the kitten's head. "What are you going to call him?" Sansa looked down at the kitten, and it looked back at her. Its green eyes sparkled and it licked its nose with its tongue.

"Alfheim," she said. Loki raised his eyebrow at this, and his lips puckered a little. Sansa blushed slightly. "I can call him Alfie for short." Loki snickered at this, and he put his hands behind his back.

"Alfheim/Alfie... I think we can work with that," Loki said. He bent down, and his fingers lingered over the binding of the book.

"Is it true?" Sansa asked. Loki looked at her, and his expression was neutral. "That you had your lips sewn shut for fifty years?" Loki's mouth formed the 'ah', and he straightened up. Leaning forward so that she might have a better look, he pointed to little white marks in the corners of his mouth. They were above and below his lips.

"All for making a deal," Loki said. Sansa did not know what possessed her to reach out, but she did. Her delicate fingers lightly touched the almost invisible scars. Loki's lips quivered at her touch, and Sansa once again felt the coolness of his skin against her own. Sansa's fingers lingered, and Loki's tongue came out against his own will. It touched her fingertip, and she pulled her hand away. "Sorry. I will leave you and Alfie alone." Loki bowed to her, and he slid out of the room. Sansa just stood there, her hand still out in the air. She was staring at her finger, the one Loki had accidentally licked. Sansa finally drew it back, and she put it in her mouth. Her eyes fluttered closed briefly.