Book One: Worlds Apart (Loki)

Chapter Four

998: Loki lingers watching Katri and Niklaus together, she's treating a cut on his cheek, both of them hardly look happy. She's a shell of the woman she was when she left Loki's company mere hours ago, whatever has happened, it seems to have upset them both. He can't believe he's known this girl for four years now. She's 19 now and growing into a fine young woman. Beautiful, graceful, slender. All the boys still looked at her, but none approached her any more, Loki saw to that years ago, they know now. That she is his and his alone. Though they have technically been....courting for two years now, they have never pushed into the physical realm of their relationship, he didn't want to rush her, so he'll wait for her to let him know she wants him that way. Niklaus cringes as Katri touches his face with a damp patch of fabric. Loki walks towards them.

"Ah sister, be gentle" Niklaus complains leaning away from her finger.

"Nik" she scolds pulling his face back. "You must let me clean it" she scolds. "Or you will get sick" he sighs and lets her pulls his face back to her.

"Why does he hate me?" Niklaus asks her.

"I do not know, Nik" she whispers cleaning his cheek.

"Niklaus" Loki greets reaching them. "Katri"

"Loki" Niklaus greets back.

"Loki" She greets softly. "I know we have plans....but do you mind waiting a moment?" Loki shakes his head and leans against the post by his side.

"What happened?" Loki asks, Niklaus looks to him and then to Katri.

"Our father has a bit of a temper" Katri admits. "And Niklaus seems to bare the brunt of it. Hold still" she scolds Niklaus who squirms.

"You are so heavy handed, sister" he teases back slightly and looks to Loki. "I feel sorry for you, having to deal with her" Katri is a little rougher on Niklaus' cut then she should be. "Ow!" Niklaus scolds, Katri smirks and looks to Loki who smiles at her, she smiles warmly back at him.

"Does he do it often?" Loki asks, Niklaus looks to him.

"Tis just how he is" Niklaus offers. Loki glances to Katri, he raises an eyebrow at her, silently asking if it's her too. She shakes her head at him, reassuring him, Loki nods a little.

"There" Katri offers pulling away from her brother. "Try not to get dirt in it" Niklaus turns and kisses her head before standing.

"Thank you" he whispers and then walks away, Katri sighs and sets the bloody cloth in the bowl of water at her feet, Loki moves to sit at her side.

"You never said" he scolds slightly. "That Mikael....."

"He scares us, but tis only Nik he has ever been violent with" she tells him. "I did not wish for you to worry" he presses his forehead to hers.

"I will always worry about you" he argues softer, she smiles a little looking down, brushing her fingers over her dress. "I got you something" he admits reaching into his belt bag to pull out a small pouch. "From Asgard" he takes her wrist and turns her hand palm up before setting the pouch into it, she opens the pouch and pulls out the gold cuff bangle, she smiles at it and then at him. "Kat" he whispers softly. "I am going to talk with your parents" she snaps her eyes up at him.

"About what?" she asks him. He smiles.

"Marriage"

"Loki" she sighs. "In what world would I ever be allowed to marry a god?" she asks him. "A Prince of Asgard" she shakes her head. "And why would you want to marry me? I am...."

"Perfect" he interrupts. "And mine" she lifts her eyes to his, he takes the cuff and her wrist. "How ever long I get with you, whether it is a fifty, a hundred, a thousand......five thousand years, it will never be long enough" he sets the cuff on her wrist. "And I would rather have fifty perfect years with you...then none at all" he leans closer and kisses her. She sniffles a little and he nods pulling back. "And if they say no" he whispers. "I will steal you away and marry you anyway" he promises with a smirk. "We could run to Asgard, mother likes you, she would help us"

"You would do that for me?" she asks him.

"I would give you all the nine realms if it were in my power to do so" he tells her gently taking her chin between his fingers. "Someone as bright, pure, loving, gifted and beautiful as you, deserves it" she cups his cheek and smiles lovingly at him, he smiles back and kisses her softly. "Now...do you wish to walk with me?" he asks.

"Where would we go?" she counters.

"I was thinking the stream, there is nest of kingfishers that are starting to sing" he holds out his hand to her, she smiles and takes it.

..................

Loki sits reading by candle light in the cabin, it's a lot more homely since he moved in, some pleasures from Asgard, but not enough to draw attention. He has his books. His alchemy equipment. His clothes. His bedding. His inks and charcoals and his parchments. It even smells like home. The door opens and Katri slips in pulling her cloak off, setting it on the peg next to the door before removing her boots and then moving towards him.

"What did they say?" she asks sitting next to him and curling into his side, he wraps an arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer to him.

"That they would only consider it if Niklaus was to be wed too" he answers stroking her arm. "Tis alright though, love, your brother has his merits, he'll be matched soon enough" she settles herself into his side, he kisses her softly and goes back to his book. "It is not a no either" he adds.

"Not a yes though, is it?" she argues back, he plays with her hair as she sighs. She knew her parents would never allow her to marry.

"We will marry" Loki assures her closing his book, he lifts her chin to see unshed tears. "Oh, Love, I promise. I told you if it comes to it, we shall go to Asgard...." he raises an eyebrow in question at her and she nods.