Loki's Obsession

Loki's Obsession - Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

            The healer came and went clearing Deirdre for magic training. She seemed very reluctant to answer Deirdre's questions. Deirdre tried to probe the woman in mauve for any sort of answers she could get but the woman hardly said a word to her.

            Deirdre's maid who had healed her back and helped ready her for the wedding brought her lunch. Deirdre sat at the little table in her chamber. The maid brought a tray of food and silently placed it in front of her. There was some sort of brownish grey meat, a large blue fruit, and a goblet of some sort of blood red liquid. Deirdre had been here for weeks and had never seen food like this. 

            She had suspected that Loki was ensuring that she'd be given food she would eat. Deirdre had always been very picky with what she ate. However, this food looked like a punishment because it was thoroughly unappetizing by its appearance. The maid was about to bow out until Deirdre said, "Wait. Can you please stay with me for a little while? I'm so alone here and I just would like some company."

            The maid nodded and stood silently. She had yet to say a word and Deirdre wondered why. Had Loki said or done something to her to keep her from speaking? Or was she just not in the mood to speak.

            "You can sit down with me. I'd love to hear about how your healer's training is going. You told me you were in training a few days ago."

            The maid sat down and smiled, and let out a slight sigh of relief. "I've never been invited to sit with royalty. And I'm surprised that you even remembered me." 

            "Why wouldn't I remember you? You healed my back. And two days ago you had no problem speaking with me." 

            "But you were not royalty then, milady," said the maid. 

            "I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around that as well. Before I came here I was about as far flung from royalty as you could get. Not even kidding, my entire bedroom back where I'm from could have fit into that bathroom at least three times. And I was so broke that I was struggling to figure out where my next meal came from. I guess that's one good thing Loki did for me. By the way, I don't think I ever asked you your name."

            "I am Verdandi. I think you are the first person here to care enough to ask me my name, milady." 

            "You can just call me Deirdre, or Dee, my friends sometimes called me Dee and one of them called me Dré because she thought it was funny. Honestly, I'm no one special." Deirdre paused. "Also what is with this food? What is this stuff?"

            Verdandi smiled at Deirdre. She was surprised at how humble Deirdre was. Verdandi had been given strict rules by King Loki about what she could and couldn't tell Deirdre and as long as she abided by those rules she would remain as Deirdre's personal maid, which would allow her to continue her healer training as Loki took care of the majority of Deirdre's needs himself. If Verdandi lost this position as Deirdre's personal maid she might be assigned to a duty that would not allow her to continue her healer training.

            So Verdandi would have to be careful. After Deirdre's healing session Loki had sent word to the kitchen that his wife would be on a strict diet for the next twelve months. Verdandi was aware of the nature of the diet, but she was told not to tell Deirdre.

            "The meat is a type of infant boar that is rapidly cooked on the outside but remains rarer on this inside. The fruit is something called a frostbury. I was told it tastes similar to your Midgardian fruit called a Pineapple, but it is grown in very cold climates. And the beverage is a fruit drink called Svartlecider and it is very high in vitamins. The food is all very good for you."