The Brightest Star

Chapter 8 - The Library

(Kára's POV):
I chose not to have a guard escort me back to my room and instead decided to explore the west wing of the palace a bit more. After a few minutes of exploring, I found myself in the library that Frigga had informed me of. I had to admit it was far more impressive than I had expected coming in, with so many shelves that I feared I would get lost in this room alone.

I sat down at a table located in the corner of the room and breathed in the rustic smell of books the surrounded me. If meals were to be delivered to me here I knew that I could live my entire life without once stepping outside of this library, it was like a dream come true. Then again, I suppose merely living in the palace was a dream in the first place.

After a moment of enjoying my surroundings, I grabbed a piece of the blank parchment at the table and decided that I should write my report of Loki's behavior of the day for Frigga. Typically I would have made sure to do so in the private of my room, but I had no desire to leave this slice of Valhalla on Asgard.

Queen Frigga -
Prince Loki has continued to treat me with cold indifference and tries hiding behind an air of superiority. But I have discovered a skill that I have which he has not developed as far so I shall work with him on that and perhaps he will start to accept me as his tutor. If you hear that I brought him back to his room early, please do not be alarmed, he was working on quite advanced magic today and it seems to have taken quite a bit out of him. Regardless, as I write this he is resting and he should be fully recovered by dinner, at the very latest. I hope that we will continue to work on this skill and, perhaps, with his acceptance of me as a teacher, he will begin to open up to me as you wished. I must admit, I glimpsed a side of him today that seemed to indicate to me that perhaps there is a heart beneath that icy facade he hides behind. If a kind person truly hides within him I fear that I pity his inability to open up to others and hope that I will become his confidante so that he may know that he is not alone. I shall continue to keep you updated and hopefully he will show more progress as the days progress.
Kára

Letting the ink dry, I decided to take advantage of the absurdly large library and looked through the shelves for a book that would peak my interest. The novels were written in a multitude of languages spoken across the nine realms, limiting the selections that I could choose from. However, I decided on a play written by the Midguardian playwright by the name of William Shakespeare.

First Citizen: Before we proceed any further, hear me speak.

All: Speak, speak.

First Citizen: You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?

All: Resolved. resolved.

First Citizen: First, you know Caius Marcius is chief enemy to the people.

I continued reading the play, enraptured by writing style and depth of the story, although I sensed that the play would not end well for the main character. However, the exhaustion from the lesson began to catch up to me and I was unable to finish it, soon finding myself drifting off into a deep sleep.

(Loki's POV):
I awoke atop a soft mattress, discovering that I must have fallen asleep after Kára had given me the energy to return to my chambers. I still felt slightly weary from the expulsion of energy, but I could now sit up without feeling as though I were to pass out. I glanced at the table beside my bed, noticing a cup of golden liquid with a note resting against it.

The note merely said Drink Me, written in a handwriting that I did not recognize. However the drink did have a magic footprint that I immediately recognized as Kára's, especially after just having had her magic inside of me. It tasted like cold tea, which was certainly not the most appealing, however I could feel the affects on my body immediately. My strength was returning to me, the liquid seeming to have properties that could restore my energy.

With my energy restored, I tossed the empty cup aside and stood up from my bed, running my fingers through my hair and deciding to visit the library, as it was one of the few places that I was still allowed to visit. The two guards stationed outside of my room followed me down the hallway, no doubt signaling to the other guards that they needed replacements in case I chose to return to my room by magic.

"Wait here," I commanded of the two guards following me. "I promise I will not try to escape and even if I did, mother would immediately be notified of my use of magic so you need not worry."

The guards did as I requested and I entered the library, closing the door behind me. I walked down the towering bookcases, searching for any book that I had yet to read. As I removed a book that fit that that description, I got a glimpse of one of the tables through the crack it left. I tilted my head in confusion when I realized there was someone hunched over the table, quickly recognizing the blonde hair as belonging to Kára.

Curious as to what she was up to, I walked over to the table and found her asleep over a copy of Coriolanus. I could not help but smile as I looked down upon her sleeping body, her face had melted into a youthful innocence that I could not help but admire. Even in the few days she had been at the palace, she no longer carried that malnourished look and she became radiant, to the point where she would easily outshine any guest at a palace feast.

My thoughts were interrupted when I noticed the handwritten note that sat beside her, the same handwriting as had graced the note left in my room. Curious as to what she had been inscribing, I picked up the piece of parchment and began ready what appeared to be a report to my mother regarding how I was adjusting to my new company. I returned the note back to its original spot as I began to wonder what else she had told my mother. So as to not get caught, I chose not to investigate immediately but decided that I would learn her routine and discover a time I could search her room for the previous reports.

-

(A/N): So fun and random fact (that I am sure nobody cares about) I absolutely love Shakespeare, but because of school haven't had much time to read all of his plays so when I had the opportunity to watch the National Theatre Live production of Coriolanus I absolutely fell in love with it. It has such a depth, more so than many of Shakespeare's other plays, and is still wildly relevant hundreds of years later and its absolutely incredible and it is absurd that it is not more well-known.

So yeah, that was why I chose that play. Also because Tom has been in it so there's that little connection.