Unexpected

Roses in Bloom

We walked through a long line of stone trellises that had become overgrown with bright green ivy and tiny, delicate white flowers, the training grounds fading in the distance. The scent of the blooms sweetened the air. After a few minutes the trellises opened up into a large green space of small cobblestone pathways that wound through large, willow-like trees with low hanging branches. Vines of flowers and bushes of buds of every color and shape grew out in a huge garden. The early afternoon sunlight seeped through the tree branches, dappling the earth in swaying shadows as a light breeze wafted the smell of each exotic bloom to me. My mouth dropped and I halted, just staring at the majesty of it all. I'd never seen most of these plants. Off into the garden I noticed a gazebo of gold and pale wood and a pond that was speckled with lily pads with yellow and white blooms floating on top of the clear water. It was like we were stepping into some kind of fantasy garden.

Loki must've heard my footsteps stop, because he turned around with a questioning look on his face, "Penelope?"

"I'm sorry, it's just... wow." 'Wow' couldn't even begin to describe the beauty surrounding me.

"These are the palace gardens. Once you are an official lady of the court you will have free reign of the palace and grounds. You'll be able to visits and wander around here as much as you like." Loki gestured with one arm to the garden as he meandered back to my side, gazing over the flowering grounds, "My mother spent quite some time in here. She liked how peaceful it was and gathered plants and flowers from all over Asgard as well as the other realms to grow here. As a child I was taught many of my magic tricks while sitting with her in this garden."

"It's gorgeous." I breathed.

"I'll let you a little-known secret." Loki leaned down so that he could whisper in my ear, his breath brushing against the shell of my ear, "Many of these plants are actually poisonous."

I blinked in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Queen Frigga believed in beauty that could hold its own and practicality that was mixed with elegance. She was a kind, yet cunning woman, and was very much like most of these blooms, lovely and sweet and yet not to be taken lightly."

I felt a newfound respect for the late-queen, internally bemoaning once again that I would never get to meet the woman that had raised Loki. The more that I learned about her, the more I was intrigued by and respected her. Finally regaining my control over my feet I started wandering around the space, looking over each species of plant we passed, appreciating their beauty and trying to see if I recognized any. I'd spent many a spring and summer helping my grandmother plant flowers in from of her home, so I knew at least a handful of flowers. I wondered if the late queen had collected any species from Midgard.

A small bush of pinkish, speckled bell-shaped blooms caught my attention, "I recognize these ones... Foxgloves right?"

"Yes, I believe that is what Frigga called them. She taught me many of their names. I'll admit that, at the time, I did not care much, but now that she is gone... I cling to each word and lesson she had given me. I remember that these purple ones are larkspur and, over here, these pink ones are oleander. Deadly when consumed and yet beautiful to behold." Loki led me under another stone trellis, this one covered in climbing red roses as we turned at a marble fountain decorated with what looked to be women in armor flying on what looked to be pegasi. I wondered if this was supposed to be a depiction of Valkyries. The trickling of the water faded behind us as I looked up into Loki's thoughtful face as we strolled deeper into the garden as he spoke, "This garden holds poisons and yet there are plants here that are used in medicines, and some are purely here for their loveliness."