Loki and the Witchling

Chapter 44

 When you and Loki finally came down to breakfast the next morning, you were greeted with cheers from Thor's table with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. You thought they were just insinuating something that had very much not happened the previous night, but they waved you over to join them. You and Loki were equally wary, but were too polite to turn down the invitation and joined them at their table.

The second you were seated, you had a cup of Loki's healing tea in front of you. You smiled at him and took his hand, kissing the back of it. "What is it going to take to get you to eat something?" he asked you, his tone loving exasperation. "And chocolate cake cannot be the answer. I do not believe Mother when she insisted that you ate something besides cake yesterday,"

You thought about that a moment. "I'll trade you a kiss for eggs and toast. A good kiss, mind," you teased.

He considered your offer. "Eggs, toast, and three of those sausages," he countered, gesturing to the sausages on the table.

You huffed and grumbled. "Two sausages,"

"Deal." He leaned down and gave you a breathtaking lingering kiss. The Warriors Three cheered at first, but then groaned and made retching noises when your adorableness got to be too much for them. When Loki broke the kiss, you were pleasantly dazed and the plate of eggs, sausage, and toast was sitting in front of you. Loki took the seat next to you while the Warriors and Sif teased him about your relationship and how vomit-inducingly-cute you were. Loki seemed pleased by the attention, even if they were teasing him.

"What were you guys cheering about?" you asked them while you ate. You had made a bargain with Loki and couldn't go back on it, just because food was unappealing right now.

"Your conquest over the thugs yesterday. Thor was telling us the tale," Sif explained.

You looked over at Thor. "What tales are you telling this time?" you asked him warily. He'd told tales about you and Loki already that you hadn't wanted told.

"I only told them how you defeated those brutes in the dungeons on your own. The gates of Hel are filled with the screams of your victims," he boomed jovially.

"I didn't kill them, Thor, just beat the shit out of them a little," you replied, embarrassed by how he was embellishing. Silly Thor was going to get you in trouble when he made claims you couldn't back up.

"Such a modest healer," Loki teased and kissed your hair. Great, he wasn't helping. They were both going to get you killed for boasting about physical prowess you didn't have.

"You weren't even there, and haven't left my side long enough to see my handiwork," you grumbled at him, playing with your food instead of eating it.

"Clones and illusions, love. I sent one down to check out your handiwork last night," he explained patiently. You looked over at him and raised an eyebrow, wondering why he'd bother doing that. He shrugged. "I had to make sure you had punished them enough. It was sufficient, until the guards are through with them,"

"That is high praise indeed coming from Loki," Fandral commented jovially. "Are you sure Lady Sigyn is a healer?"

"Quite sure, but I still suggest you do not anger her," Loki replied with a grin. You stuck your tongue out at him, but returned to eating your breakfast. "My lady wounds me with her wicked tongue," Loki mocked.

You spent the rest of breakfast listening to Thor boast about how you had taken out two trained warriors on your own without your powers. He was quite proud of your accomplishment. You were still tempted to pick up Mjolnir and bash him obside the head with it for continuing to boast.

*

After breakfast, Loki took you to the markets. He watched your fascination at all of the wares that were being sold on market day as you bounced from stall to stall. He followed you, amused, but his expression and demeanor for all the world were of the stoic prince indulging his tiny whirlwind of a lady. You got him to lighten some when you grabbed his hand to drag him to a weapons vendor. He huffed and looked put-upon, but you saw the people see his expression crack, his stoicism falter in your presence.

"My Prince," a merchant spoke up as you neared his shop. Loki turned politely to the merchant, gripping your hand more firmly. You turned too, stepping seamlessly closer to Loki's side, making it look like a polite gesture to listen to what the merchant wanted, instead of reassuring Loki that you were close enough to guard properly, which is what you were actually doing. "We have received a new shipment of texts. I set aside some of the more rare ones and those I thought you might be interested in for your perusal,"

Loki inclined his head regally toward the merchant. You could see the glint of interest in his eyes as he turned to address you. "Do you mind if we pause to inspect this fine gentleman's wares, my lady?" he asked formally. He still didn't like losing his formal demeanor around outsiders, even here on his home world.

"Not at all, my prince," you replied equally formally. You could play the game for his sake and comfort. He offered you a small smile and kissed your knuckles.

"Thank you for your indulgence," he replied fondly and led the way into the bookseller's shop. He was in heaven, as you knew he would be. He looked over the books that had been set aside for him and asked the merchant to have them sent to the palace for him. He glanced at you before he asked the merchant. "Do you perchance have a copy of Astrid the Shield Maiden?"

"Astrid the Shield Maiden, my prince? That is but a children's tale for young maidens," the merchant was confused by Loki's strange request, but walked directly to a beautiful leather bound book and presented it to Loki when he returned. Loki looked over the volume and gave the merchant a rare smile, at least the smile was rare to outsiders.

"Thank you, Einar," Loki must have frequented this merchant's shop to actually know his name. "My lady enjoys tales as well and has not yet read this one, as she did not grow up on Asgard," he explained to the confused merchant, who instantly lost his confusion. Loki turned and presented the book to you. "It's but a humble offering, my darling, but I hope you will enjoy the gift," he told you as you took the book from him and looked over how beautiful it was.

"I will cherish it, love," you replied, slightly less formally than you should. He smiled when you stood up on your toes to kiss his cheek. That was as close to a kiss that he would be comfortable with out here. You turned to the merchant. "Thank you as well, good Einar," you told him kindly with your open smile and obvious pleasure. He looked surprised at how different you were publicly than Loki, but there was no need for you to be stoic too. Healers were expected to be open and friendly anyway. He was also probably surprised that you had remembered his name from just one mention of it by Loki. Loki vanished the book to your suite for you and you continued your whirlwind exploration of the market with him. The merchants knew how to deal with Loki, the stoic formal prince. They weren't sure what to make of you, the open friendly whirlwind of a tiny healer. The two of you together confused them even more. They all seemed to agree that it was a pleasant experience, no matter how strange.