Dancing with a Monster

Chapter 6

Loki and Daenerys silently got back to their respective chambers, the vision of what they saw earlier still hanging in the back of their heads. The young princess stayed at her desk, twirling a quill between her fingers. 

-My lady, is everything okay? 

Doreha's voice snapped Daenerys out of her thoughts and she put down the quill before taking a deep breath.

-Yes, I'm fine. 

The black haired woman approached her princess carefully before sitting on the chair next to her. A small smile pulled at her lips when Daenerys looked up to her.

-How was the walk with the lord Odinson? 

Daenerys felt her heart tightening, not because of her brother but because of her own words. 

-I think I might have ruined all my chances to be happy. she let out in a sob.

A genuine concerned frown appeared on Doreha's face as she leaned closer to the princess. The silver woman hid her face in her palms, trying and swallowed the lump in her throat. 

-I said horrible things. I told him I didn't want to marry him, that my brother forced me. 

The maid gently wrapped her arms around Daenerys's shoulders, and the princess gladly gave her embrace back, holding on tight. 

-Is it true? Is this how you feel? Doreha whispered.

-I... I don't know. He's cold and distant. But at the same time, I think he's trying to be nice, with the dress and the walk and everything but...

-You don't think he's sincere. Doreha finished as she detached herself from Daenerys. 

The light eyed princess shook her head, weirdly hesitating to tell her friend about Loki's actual coldness. How his fingertips gave her goosebumps and his icy breath sent shivers down her spine. Was she supposed to tell her that? No, definitely not. So she kept her mouth shut and got up of the chair. 

-I uh... I'll just visit the castle a little bit. She said in almost a whisper.

Daenerys left her room, letting herself drift in the hallways, not daring to open any door, scared that she would enter someone's room or a bathroom and not a library or any other public place. So she kept walking, looking around at the perfectly cleaned marble floor and some paintings on the walls, when one caught her attention. In a golden frame, Odin was sitting on a elegant armchair, her wife behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder. They were much younger when the painting was made, the Lord had a few black strands of hair flowing between his grey ones and Frigga didn't have those wrinkles at the corner of her eyes. But that's not what held Daenerys's attention. No, what caught her eyes was a small child, with blond locks sitting on his father's laps, a real happy smile on his face as another child was holding his mother's hand, almost hidden behind the skirt of  her dress. His black slick hair were falling on his forehead and his eyes seemed captivated by something out of the painting's frame. 

-My sweet lady, we were looking everywhere for you! 

Daenerys jumped at the voice and turned around to see a smiling Frigga in front of her. 

-Sorry... I-

-Do you like the painting? she asked softly.

The princess was at first startled by the question but quickly regained composure.

-I do. I think it's very representative. she said a bit to fast. 

The older lady raised an eyebrow, a challenging smile on her lips. 

-Really? 

Daenerys tried to find a good answer, shaking her head slightly as doing so. This painting did seemed pretty representative. The Lord of Asgard, sitting firmly on his position, his wife strongly standing behind him. And as for the sons, Thor always seemed on the spolight as his brother stayed in the shadows. Did Loki have a good childhood? Did his father take care of him as he did for Thor? 

-Well, your husband seems very confident, always having you to support him, very fond and proud of his son.

-Son? Frigga repeated. 

The princess took a deep breath, trying her best not to upset her soon to be mother-in-law.

-Well, Loki seems... different. You're holding his hand, but his father doesn't seem to even know he's here... she said soflty.

-Walk with me. Firgga ordered. 

Daenerys obliged, following the straw-blond haired woman in the halls of  the golden castle. 

-You must know my dear, that Loki is different from his brother in any ways possible. You must have heard rumors about him, am I right? 

-Someone once told me he stabbed his brother, for no reason in particular. Daenerys blured out. 

A small chuckle escaped Frigga's lips, causing Daenerys to frown. If it was true, she wouldn't be laughing, would she?

-It did happen. But you must know that the boys were training, Thor and Loki fortunatly were wearing armors. And as for his coldness, it's not because he doesn't like you. He just...

The woman stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before facing the princess, taking her hands in hers.

-He just suffered so much, he doesn't want to feel any more pain, my dear. He will try to be nice to you, but he'll also try to push you away. I know it's unfair to ask you this, princess, but please, could you try to just... talk to him? I know your heart is pure and you wouldn't hurt him on purpose. 

Daenerys felt her stomach twist and her heart tighten when she noticed a tear rolling on Frigga's cheeks. The Gods know how badly the princess would have wanted a mother like her, truly caring for her children. 

-I just... I would give anything to see him smile again. Anything. He was such a sweet boy...

Frigga's voice got lost in her sobs and the silver haired woman held her hand tighter. The lady in front of her was a gift to her in these foreign lands, and if she wasn't going to talk to Loki for herself, she would do it for Frigga. 

-I'll talk to him. I promise.