❀ Beauty and the Beast ↠

❀10❀

I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in the sheets. There was something keeping me awake but I had no clue what. I sighed and made a start for the balcony, looking out over the silent gardens. The stars shined like diamonds in the sky above but it was still cold. A small light caught my eye coming from the stables. It was only a small glow, probably from a single candle. I had nothing better to do and I definitely wasn't sleeping so I decided to investigate. The stable was like a large shed made of weathered oak planks and large stones with a sloping thatch roof that made the room even cooler so much so that I shivered under my nightdress and shawl. The damp smell of ammonia, deep golden hue of old straw, half empty hay net hangs limply in the corner, almost empty metal bucket of water, stable door with top half pinned back by a rusted iron hook, door hinges creaked as I entered. Wind whipped around the stable and reached through the gaps in the stone like icy fingers caressing my skin. There was one empty stall where there would normally be a horse. There was another that stood out from the rest as it had eight legs! Odin's horse, Sleipnir. The old horse was far from its glory days and slept soundly. The only horse in the whole stable that was awake was a small yet proud little thing. She had soft eyes that you could stare into forever, falling, but at the same time so still, they reflected your soul. A heart made of love, slender profile, and a gorgeous snowy coat. I reached out my hand and caressed the horses cheek. There was no need for a saddle, I had ridden many times before without one. I mounted the horse and carefully trotted into the forest. Even though it was dark, the forest hummed with life all around me. I looked about, gazing up at the canopy, searching for the birds that slept soundly. The moonlight breakings through the cracks, lighting up the dirt path ahead of me, decorated with outgrown roots, wildflowers and fallen leaves that crunched beneath the hooves. I picked up speed, taking in the fragrance of minty grass and the damp earth. Each breathe was like water, fresh and cleansing, flowing freely into my lungs. I yelled out in bliss. It was amazing to be riding a horse without leading the animal into battle however, I silenced when I saw another horse in a small clearing. I slowed the horse and soothed it, slowly and cautiously trotting into the clearing. It seemed empty other than the horse. It's coat was so black and glossy that it almost blended into the night sky itself. I dismounted my own horse and approached it. However, just before I was about to touch it's mane... "A young woman like yourself should not be out alone at night," A calm voice told me. I whipped around to see the prince laying on the ground against a tree with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. I relaxed as soon as I saw him. I assured him that I was no ordinary woman. He stood and dusted himself off "Even so," He left it at that, nothing more. Loki began to walk closer and was clearly surprised that I hadn't backed away. He raised an eyebrow as he took the horses mane under his hand. "You're not afraid?" I cocked my eyebrow and asked him if I should be but he didn't answer directly as he continued to stroke the horse. "Most are," he told me but I felt like it was more to himself than anything. "You know," I began as I started to stroke the horse too. "Before the celebration, I had no idea about your parentage," I told him which was a big risk. Loki's temper was well known in the nine realms and this was surely a sweet spot to trigger it but he didn't snap. He looked more emotional than angry. He asked me if it was true and I nodded assuring. "The news didn't reach the war camp," I explained which seemed to shock him greatly but once he had composed himself he turned to give some attention to my horse. He looked rather strange standing beside such a majestic, angelic creature when he was dressed in such dark colours himself. "So you know that I'm a monster?" He asked. I was in shock. Was that really how he saw himself? I had seen nothing in him that would warrant such a title. I tried to argue with him that he wasn't but he just chuckled to himself and ignored me. "There are things that you haven't seen. That no one has seen," He turned to look me in the eye darkly. "And if you saw, you would cry out for help," He growled as he leaned down closer to my face but I wasn't afraid. I told him that I was never one for playing the damsel in distress which seemed to shake him up a little. We remained like this for quite a while until he growled once again and took a few steps away. "Why are you so interested in my affairs?" He asked. "You could have the attention of any other man on Asgard yet you find yourself gravitated to me," I already had my answer. The other men were boring. Loud, pompous, irritating whereas the younger prince was far more intelligent and contempt with the simple things. He had no answer. "What are you doing here anyway?" He asked defiantly as I took a seat on the grass after tying down my horse. I told him honestly that I couldn't sleep. He turned and looked down at me but didn't speak. I shifted awkwardly on the ground. I began again, telling him that I was enjoying the book which caught his attention once more. After a moment, he looked down at me and rolled his eyes. "You're freezing," he dismissed. He wasn't wrong. The cold licked at my face and crept under my thin dress, spreading across my skin like the lacy tide on a frigid winter beach. With trembling lips tinged with blue and gently chattering teeth I wrapped my thin shawl around me tighter. Not just from the cold but also the fact that I was stood before the prince of Asgard in nothing but a nightdress. He rolled his eyes again and removed his outer cape, placing it around my shoulders, averting his eyes as he did so. I was about to ask if he was not cold but I held my tongue before it was too late. To my shock, Loki sat down beside me and looked up at the sky. "Frigga gave me the book when I found out about my parentage," He was actually opening up to me. "She thought that a story about a man trapped inside of a monster finding love would make me feel better about it," I was honestly touched that he felt comfortable enough around me to tell me all of this. I smiled up at him."You're not a monster," I told him. He looked down to me and raised his eyebrow sceptically like he did so often but then he just scoffed asking me why I was so sure. "You would have done something to me by now," He watched me in shock as I settled down onto the grass. It took a few seconds before he decided to lay down a couple of feet from me. We lay under the stars, which were like a beautiful, surreal blanket above our heads. I could hear his heartbeat mingling with the sounds of the night, and could hear the soft breaths of him by my side.