Excelsior: Loki

Chapter 7

"Do you think her being the Goddess of Love could have anything to do with it?" Katja asked, unaware that his mother was capable of such things, for she knew very little about his family. 

"No. I have never loved anyone and I never will." Although Loki was standing next to her while she was sitting, he felt much farther away, a distant look on his face. "Not even myself."

It started to snow outside. It was the middle of summer, yet it snowed. 

"I mean, why else do you think I was condemned to this castle? Because I enjoy it? Odin threw me in here, trapped in this form when I found out who I was. I did not receive an explanation until a month after I arrived. My mother said that I was found in a casket. That I was not..." He grew distant again, his eyes were lost as they just stared at the snow outside. 

"-a part of the family. You're an outcast, sent away because you're too painful to look at. Because when they look at you, they see something they would rather forget." Katja finished for him, knowing he wouldn't say it out loud. She knew exactly how he felt, she wasn't adopted, but she did painfully remind her father of her mother too much at times. 

Katja shivered from the change in weather and knew Loki had something to do with it, but she was still cold since her halter dress was designed for the summer. Loki hadn't made a noise since Katja had spoken and had only turned to hide from her. When she felt his heavy coat around her shoulder, she looked up, but he was already gone. 

The coat was huge and engulfed Katja, her hands in the sleeves and the coat itself was so long it was almost dragging on the ground. The lining was deep green silk, the exterior was black leather embossed with gold. The collar was velvet, the same shade as the lining. Katja buttoned it around her as she made her way back down the stairs. It smelled like Loki, minty and light, helping her to relax. 

Once she finally reached Loki's bedroom again, she paused, not wanting to leave, worried that her hands may freeze again. She yawned, quite tired and laid down on his bed, that also smelled faintly of him, not needing the covers since Loki's jacket was already so warm. 

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Katja awoke sprawled all over the mattress, her hair a mess, and some drool on the side of her face. After stretching, she found a small note left on the bed. "Breakfast will be served at 9 o'clock".

Too bad it was already 10 in the morning. Katja blushed, realizing that the only person who would have known that she was in here was Loki, the handwriting on the note too perfect and extravagant to be anyone else. She prayed to Valhalla that he didn't see how she looked while sleeping, but he probably did. 

She tidied up his bed, folded up his coat, whose warmth she dearly missed, and tried to find her room. She ran into Dagrun in the halls, who helped Katja find her room since the maid wanted to talk to Ingenbjorn. 

Katja stood in the doorway as Dagrun and Ingenbjorn spoke, but soon felt out of place, the two lost in their own world. Katja was relieved that Ingenbjorn found someone else to confide in, but she also missed the private time she got with her sister and the fact that she used to be the only person to know Ingenbjorn so closely. 

After tucking into her own room and changing into her own clothes that she brought with her, Katja wanted to be outside. She used to spend hours alone in the woods, hunting for food, and after being cooped up in a castle for long, she was aching for sunlight. 

Her breath was caught in her throat as she threw open the glass doors that led out to the garden. Roses of every colour were full bloom and wisteria climbed the overhead archway and as the wind blew, Katja's hair became purple from the petals. Large hedges created a maze with topiary statues that barely stuck out over their height. Katja entered the labyrinth, testing her sense of direction and was enjoying the sun on her face when she tripped over something.