The Fallen Prince - Loki fanfiction ✓

23. The ball - part 1

"If you keep on squeezing like that, I'm gonna lose function in my fingers," Loki jested softly.

"Oh, sorry." Mirilya loosened the grip on his hand, but she kept fidgeting. She wore an emerald green dress that was made especially for her. It hugged her upper body thight, but flowed down freely from just below her breasts. The chest was decorated in an intricate beading pattern, with a stylised outline of his horned helmet in the middle. That had been a suggestion from Mirilya herself. There were several new dresses made for her, to update her wardrobe, and by Loki's request they were all quite simple. She didn't need elaborate dresses to look beautiful, the way she carried herself made everything she wore elegant.

Loki made her turn to him and took both of her hands in his. "Love, you don't have to be nervous. You look beautiful and everyone is going to love you."

She seemed to doubt that, so he held up her hands to his face and kissed her fingers one by one. "You are my love, the mother of my unborn child and you're soon to be my queen. Now, relax, it's a party. There's food and drinks, there's dancing, and people are coming here to have a good time."

"I know," Mirilya said. "I just wish I didn't have to walk in with everyone watching me."

The door opened and Lady Loriana and Lord Hergund came in, followed by Lady Frigga and queen Aylina.

"See? There's more people to share the attention with," Loki said, and inclined his head to their new company in the back room to the great hall where the ball was being held. "People will stare at you for maybe five minutes and then they'll return to drinking and partying."

Loriana walked up to Mirilya and hugged her friend. "Nervous?" asked the Alfheim princess. She was wearing a light blue gown with a small train. The colour of her dress came back in the details of Lord Hergunds cream coloured attire.

Mirilya nodded, swallowing visibly. "Yes. Very nervous."

"Don't worry, my dear," said queen Aylina, smiling at the two young women. "The scary part is over before you know it."

Mirilya grimaced until Loki kissed her frown away, not caring that he was doing it in front of everyone.

The Allmother coughed politely. "Let's not keep our guests waiting, my dear."

Loki held out a hand to each of the two highest ranking women in his company. One of the Einherjar knocked on the door to alert the herald to the King's entrance, so he could address the guests in the throne room to announce the King, his mother and the queen of Alfheim. Loki led his two ladies to the base of the steps to the throne, leaving them on each side, while he himself went to stand a couple of steps up.

The herald then announced the entrance of Lady Loriana, Lord Hergund and Lady Mirilya. The Alfheim royal couple had recently bestowed her with a title to help her advancement among the Asgardian nobility.

Loki stepped down to the floor to receive the three Lightelves with all the egards he could give them. A soft murmur went through the throne room when he greeted Lady Loriana and Lord Hergund as a couple, placing his hand over their joined hands shortly. This act was an official support of their union, a last confirmation of a fact that the people of Asgard had slowly been getting used to in the past weeks. The rumours about the couple had dwindled down, making room for more rumours about the king and his paramour. Well, those rumours were about to be crushed too. 

Loki extended his hand to Mirilya, giving her a loving smile. When she took his hand, he walked back with her to the steps to the throne. Loki didn't go all the way up, just a few steps to put himself in the highest position in the room, literally and figuratively. Mirilya went with him and stopped just one step below him. They turned to the room and Loki waited a few seconds before speaking, letting the meaning of their positions sink in with his audience. A murmur ran across the room, bouncing back and forth. Most people just looked astonished, some of them remained neutral, but a couple of people looked angry. One of them was Lady Sif, which was no surprise to Loki. She probably did not have a problem with Mirilya personally, she was just mad at Loki for not terminating Thor's banishment.