Midgardian princess

Chapter 4

Loki guides you through the corridors, you recognize the views from the arches and the patterns on the floor, you know that this is the way to your chambers.

"Did you enjoy the evening?" Loki asks you.

"They are all wonderful, very different from the people I used to know... but I could get used to it," you smile.

"I'm glad to hear that," he says, but with a hint of sadness, "You'll make a wonderful queen, you have everyone's support."

"Is it so?" you stop and make him turn towards you, "In the end it doesn't matter what they say. Do I have your support? You don't have to answer right now, but it does matter to me and I'll try to be worthy."

Loki looks at you, you can't understand what he might be thinking about, the look on his face confuses you. There is a bit of confusion, a bit of happiness, a hint of sadness... it is a mix of almost every emotion and at that moment you'd give anything to see into his head.

To break up the awkward situation you turn away your gaze and step away from him, you keep walking in the direction you know your chambers to be, keeping your gaze on the floor. He comes after you, but doesn't stand as close to you as before. In silence you find your door, there you stop. You turn to Loki to say good night, but he gestures to the door. You're afraid that you had offended him so you just push the door open, but the sight took you at a surprise. This is the door to your room, but what you see is a great big hall with a lit fireplace in the middle witch is surrounded by golden seats. The opposite wall to you is missing, the ceiling is held up by decorated pillars. You can see the city lights and even the sea and observatory in the distance. The floor is a golden mirror with floral ornaments etched into it. You have never been here before.

"What? How... I thought this was my room... I'm utterly confused..." you say as you step inside.

"Just a trick, an illusion," you hear Loki smile, "You wanted to know how I earned my title... well, I have many more tricks up my sleeve."

You turn and face him with amazement. He closes the door behind him and you see that it isn't the door to your room, it is huge and covered in golden flowers.

"This is one of my favorite places to come to, I hope you aren't too tired to sit with me for a moment longer," Loki says and comes closer, he has a mischievous smirk.

"What are you up to?" you too smile a clever smile at him and tilt your head a little.

"I'm showing you just some of the tricks I know," you hear a whisper in your ear and turn your head to see Loki's face so close to yours, you look back at the figure in front of you and it disappears into green glow. Quickly you turn around and instead of Loki there stands Thor, but you had just left the feast, you know Thor is still there and in too good of a mood to stand this straight so it has to be an illusion. You stretch out your hand to touch him, but your fingers go straight through him and the figure bursts into hundreds of little birds that fly out into the night sky and turn into burning ambers.

You look around in the room and try to find the man, but he's nowhere to be found. Guessing that he's behind a pillar you walk towards the open wall, excitement filling your body you take the silks of your dress and lift them up so you wouldn't trip while you almost jog towards the pillars, looking around, you still can't find the man. You carefully walk towards the edge, almost expecting to see him somewhere out there, but instead you hear a silent step behind you so you quickly turn around and see him. Loki comes closer and you take a step back, you smile when you feel the balcony panel against you. With a wide smile he comes even closer until he towers over you and you feel yourself pressed between him and the panel.

"So you are full of mischief," you smile.

His hands hold onto the panel either side of you and he looks very pleased with himself. Instead of giving in, you breathe out and make yourself thin and slide down and escape by slipping through from between his legs. You take the silks of your skirts and run across the room, you turn around and smile at him.

"Guess I'm not the only one," he says and jogs towards you. You let out a laugh and run around the fireplace with him behind you until he appears in front. You couldn't stop in time so you run into him, he wraps his arms around you before you could hit the floor.

He decides to show you another one of his tricks, he can't see into your head or read your memories, but he finds one from your childhood, a happy memory and triggers it so you go limp and he carries you onto one of the couches.

You run on the sidewalk by the house and jump into every puddle you came across. Your little yellow rain boots keep your feet dry as you do so. Your raincoat drips water and you can feel some of the rain finding its way under it, you feel your shirt getting wet, but you don't really care about it. You are so full of joy, you love the summer rains as they are warm and often bring rainbows with them.

"Darling, come inside or you'll catch a cold!" you hear your mother.

You walk towards her, looking at her a little angrily as you do so. Frigga, or as you know her at that moment - Maria, looks at you, smiling. This is your first summer with a mother, no longer are you an orphan and it fills your little heart with happiness so you go to your mother and hug her as tight as you can

You blink fast as you come back to your senses, you're disoriented and confused as you push yourself up from the seat so you can sit. The joy you had felt back then has turned into sorrow in your heart, still confused you feel your eyes getting wet.

"What was that?" you ask silently and try to hide your gaze.

"I'm so sorry, I've made you sad, it wasn't my intention," Loki says and kneels in front of you. He places his warm hands on your cheeks and turns your head.

"I thought it was a happy memory, I... I'm truly sorry," he looks at you concerned.

"It was... It is, but..." you wrap your hands around yourself, "Was that all an illusion too?"

Loki lets go of your face and sits next to you and wraps his arms around you, pulling you against him.

"She couldn't have been away from Asgard for all those years she raised me, could she? So it all had to be an illusion, a trick," you still feel disoriented and confused, "I was raised on a lie, a lie of freedom and free will. What else was a lie?"

Loki brushes away the tears from your cheeks. He hates to see you like this knowing it is his doing, but there's nothing he can say that would make any of it better so he just holds you till you've gathered yourself.

You pull away and dry the last of your escaping tears, with a slight blush you apologize to Loki that you had lost yourself like that.

"It's fine, it's my fault so let's just forget this ever happened," he says.

"Yes, but... is it true? Was it all an illusion that Frigga pulled on me?" you ask him in a serious tone.

"Thor and I didn't know about you until she brought you here, we never noticed her leave so it was either you or us, but she did fool someone," he says after a moment of silence. And you just nod.

You sit side by side not saying anything. You look into the fire and how the light dances on the golden surfaces, the silence is comfortable, you don't feel like you should say something. Every now and then a gust of wind makes its way through the open wall and you can feel its cold contrast compared to the fire on your bare skin. You look at the man next to you and see the thick fabric of his cape, you feel it before pulling it from under him. Loki looks at you, confused yet amused and lifts himself so you have it easier.

"What are you doing?" he smiles as he sits back down.

Without saying anything you push off your heels and wrap the cape around yourself before curling up against him. Loki hesitates for a moment before putting one arm around you.