Midnight in the garden of mischief & mayhem

Chapter 11

I awoke the next morning and dressed in a light day dress that had been hung inside the wardrobe on the far side of the room. I was just running a brush through my hair when a light knock came at the door connecting my room to Loki's. "Come in," I called, turning to face the door.

A brilliant smile lit Loki's face when his eyes connected with mine. I couldn't help but beam back. It still felt like a dream, being with him. The fact that I was now at least a semi-permanent resident in the palace of Asgard didn't really help the feeling of this all being a bit too unrealistic. From what I had experienced of life, you simply weren't allowed this much happiness without something to soil it. The worries were pushed from my thoughts as Loki broke the short silence between us. "You look beautiful."

I smiled and blushed at the compliment, turning my eyes toward the floor. "No one has ever called me that before." 

In a second Loki was right in front of me, so close that I could feel the warmth radiating from his skin. "That is a travesty, the worst sort of fallacy." He tilted my chin up with one long finger so that my eyes met his. "I swear to never let a day go by when I don't remind you. Allyra, you are beautiful."

The flush in my cheeks deepened and he pulled me into a tight embrace. His arms held me close; I could feel his heartbeat through the thin cotton of his shirt and I could smell the natural scent of him: eucalyptus and spice. After a few moments, he took my hand in his and led me out to breakfast.

As we walked, I again noticed how empty the halls were of servants and other people. "Loki, where is everyone?"

He laughed, "Oh they don't usually come to this side of the palace."

I looked at him questioningly, "Why were they here last night?"

"There was a warriors' celebration in the east hall. The servants were preparing for things, but generally everyone stays in the immediate vicinity of the throne room. The rooms on this side of the palace are for visiting royals and the like. The occasional guard is sent here to fetch me if I am late for something, but other than that I'm left mostly to myself. Besides, this is the room with the best view of the gardens." He blushed slightly at the last comment. 

I smiled at him. Seeing these little glimpses of his home life added a new dimension to the Loki I knew. The prince who had strolled with me through the gardens for 3 years had been thoughtful, caring, and compassionate. After seeing this new side of him, I was able to add a few more attributes to my list. My heart clenched when I realized that the first thing I thought of was...lonely. He lived alone here on this side of the palace, removed from the rest of his family. What was exceptionally odd about it though, was that Loki seemed to prefer it that way. In his isolation he found safety.

We walked on through the silent corridors. Even though I knew that there were other people in the palace, the place felt deserted. As a child I had always pictured lavishly dressed ambassadors from far-away realms walking these halls amongst servants hurrying to their next chore. Our footsteps echoed off the high ceilings and smooth gold walls, emphasizing the emptiness of the enormous halls even more.

When we finally arrived at the set of doors leading into the main dining hall, I was proud to say that it was familiar. I was starting to learn the layout of the palace, although Loki promised to take me on a full tour later on this afternoon. 

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***Loki's POV***

When I got up this morning, it felt surreal to think that she was just in the other room, only a wall away. Still, the distance felt like far too much. The previous night, feeling her body curled into mine, I felt more content than I had ever felt in my life. 

As we ate, I watched my family. Mother was happy. Everytime I so much as looked at Allyra, I could see her satisfaction. I knew she had always worried over me. It bothered her that I didn't ever have friends.

Thor was happy too. It seemed perfect.

Until I looked at Father. The other night I had noticed him being a little brusk with Allyra, but I put it up to a bad day ruling Asgard. Now I wasn't so sure. The way he looked at her was almost...searching. Like he was looking for some sort of flaw. It made me want to lash out at him, yell and scream and question why he was looking at her like that. But I stayed silent. It was, after all, him who taught me that a good prince should keep his mouth shut. 

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***Allyra's POV***

The Allfather's gaze still held that scutiny that made me feel like I was under a microscope even more than I already did. It was uncomfortable, and I felt myself fidgeting. I tried to ignore it, but made a mental note to confront him about it later. 

When we finished, everyone stood and the Queen turned her attention to me. "What will you two be doing today?" 

"Loki is going to show me around the palace a bit."

"Well," she said, clasping her hands together, "That will be lovely!" Everyone turned to leave, but the Queen caught my arm lightly when we were out of earshot of the others. "Please come find me after you have completed your tour. I've been meaning to speak to you."

She smiled, reassuring me that it was nothing serious, and sent me on my way. 

I found Loki waiting for me around the corner. "What was that all about?"

"Nothing, your mother just wanted to speak with me."

 "Oh." Loki held out his arm. "Shall we get on with our tour then?"