A Whole Bunch of Loki's

The Unloved - Part Four

Things changed around the palace and it made her head spin.

Loki had decided to take it upon himself to visit her more often, getting more and more charming with each encounter.

At first it was a little awkward, she wasn't entirely sure how to act around royalty and found herself fumbling over words and struggling to get sentences out, but over the weeks and multiple visits she found herself easing more and more into being in his company.

Every so often he would drop into her room and offer her a treat, something sweet as a 'get well soon' gesture.

He would sit around and talk with her when off duty, sometimes they would read together or one would read to the other before having discussions about the book in question.

Loki loved every minute that he got to treat her like she deserved.

To see her smile as the bruises and scrapes healed was unlike anything he had ever felt.

Once her leg had healed, he relished in showing her around areas of the palace she wouldn't have typically seen, his particular favourite moments were when they would slowly walk deeper and deeper into his mother's ever-expansive garden.

He loved the way that she reveled at the various flowers that were blooming, some glittering, some glowing and some with colours so unique that they were simply breathtaking to behold.

"They're beautiful," she gasped at one particular, teal coloured flower.

"From Vanaheim," Loki said with a fond smile, "gifted to my mother with particular instructions, you can pluck these flowers and they won't wilt for months."

"That's astounding."

It was always a pleasure to wander with her and tell her facts or stories about where the plants came from and stories behind them, each one had a meaning to Frigga and she had regaled Loki with the tales of them as they walked together, much as he did.

Overtime, Loki started to surprise her with gifts.

It started with small things, little trinkets or ornaments he found in the market that he thought she would like and gradually they grew into larger, more significant presents, such as jewelry, new clothes and her own planting pots with seeds for flowers as magical as his mother's.

At first she wanted to deny them, saying that it would be unseemly for a prince to be gifting a peasant, but Loki would always find a way to make sure she received them anyway, whether it be by sheer persistence or planting them in her room when she slept.

The man was determined, there was no doubting that.

It took him two months after her leg had healed before he felt ready to make the final move.

After a lengthy discussion with Frigga, he decided that it was best to set the plan into motion and face the consequences of any rejection he could possibly experience, even if by this point, he felt more than confident that she would say yes.

Although he already felt like what they had been doing was courting, he wasn't entirely sure where he stood in her mind.

Despite his act of confidence, Loki found himself succumbing to his hidden insecurities and found that he didn't have the gall to ask her face to face.

To try and save face, he made a flourished gesture of sending her a letter, asking her to dinner at a specific time on a specific date and would claim that it had meant to be a grand romantic plan.

He wasn't sure what was more nerve-wracking to him, sending the letter or waiting on the evening to see if she would turn up.

He'd asked for the room to be set up in a specific way, helping the maids decorate the hall he'd chosen in his colours and picking only the best foods that he knew she would enjoy.

Loki had decided that this would also be the perfect opportunity for the new serving girl to learn her place, the thought of the retribution that would occur making him smirk and all the while his date would never know.

As the time ticked closer, he sat at the head of the table and stared towards the door, his leg bouncing as his nerves began to sky rocket and his doubts convinced him that she wasn't going to come.

His heart raced uncomfortably and he felt his palms starting to get clammy, it was all very unusual to him.

Two minutes before the hour, the door clicked open and she stepped inside, wearing the dress he had gifted to her for this specific occasion and he had to admit that she wore it better than he ever would have thought.

She gave him a shy smile and moved towards the table hesitantly, almost as if she was unsure of herself.

Loki stood up and moved around the table, pulling a chair out for her, he invited her to sit down with a warm smile.

"You look stunning."

"Thank you," she smiled, tucking in her skirts so that she could sit down, "you look rather handsome yourself."

"I do try to look my best."

He helped her tuck her chair closer to the table and then moved back to his own seat.

"I am grateful that you decided to come."

"I would be foolish not to, I almost died when I read the letter."

"That would have been useful to no one."

She laughed and gave a nod, continuing to smile radiantly at him.

Loki smiled back and snapped his fingers, calling for the new serving girl, who entered the room with a look of utter disdain.

They carried themselves with no grace and he was surprised that the drink he had ordered hadn't spilled from the jug by the way they stomped into the room.

He was going to have to have a word about that later.

Loki watched carefully as the girl served their drinks, his eyes narrowed the entire time as if he was waiting for them to mess up.

Once glasses were filled and the serving girl was dismissed, Loki raised his glass and held it towards the middle of the table, prompting her to do the same.

"Here is to a wonderful evening and the beginning of our future.