Providence Of Divinity || Loki X Reader

Chapter 15

You watched from atop a building of stone, staring down at the brutish, uniformed palace guards as they cleared a path for the palanquin bearers. Inside the beautiful, ornate box you felt sure resided the queen, no doubt reclining on silken pillows in a dress that exposed most of her body to it's best advantages. 

You resisted the urge to snort. Really, a palanquin? I suppose the vanity of highborns isn't just a feature of middle-aged earth, you thought with an eye-roll. Loki covered the back of your hand with his own, subconsciously endeavoring to cool your indignation. His skin was cold. You looked over at him. He glanced sideways, and only noticed what he'd done when he saw your skeptically-raised eyebrow. He took his hand back and coughed awkwardly, returning his attention to Irina's knightly entourage.

"Where do you think they're going?" you whispered, unnecessarily. You were too high up for anyone on the streets below to hear you.

 "Where do you suppose they're coming from?" Loki responded ponderously. 

"If you were a queen with a tenuous claim to the throne, in possession of one pricelessly valuable book that (supposedly) teaches of an ancient power that would guarantee your rule, where would you keep said book?"

"Well," Loki muttered, "hard to say. I'm not a princess with an old book that promised mythical power, and a sloppy claim to my throne."

"Of the two of us, you are the closest thing to any of those except maybe the book part. Now think, princess. Where would you keep it?"

Loki chewed the inside of his cheek, resisting the urge to snap at you. You could feel this urge prominently. That was very odd, considering that he was barely two feet from you. Finally, he shrugged. "I would keep it as close as possible. If there really is a book, and it's as valuable as we guess, then I would want it under my own constant surveillance." 

"And this is why you would lose your book. Good thing no one entrusted you with any ancient texts lately."

"And where would you put it, Lady Fulfiller?" He snapped, wincing. I really need to stop letting her get a rise out of me, Loki thought regretfully.

"Sorry," you signed, looking on as Irina's palanquin drew farther away. "I'm hungry. I imagine she is dining daintily on nuts right now. And about the book, I wouldn't keep it near me. How would I be able to make sure someone close to me doesn't steal it?"

"She said something that had to do with king's blood," Loki muttered. He felt as though the answer to the riddle was right in front of his face, and he was missing it. "Come on. We want to know where she's going."

"You want to know where she's going. I want breakfast."

"I dropped the fish when everyone in the vicinity started yelling and running for the main streets."

You narrowed your eyes, glancing over at him suspiciously. "So you were standing in the midst of a crowd, were you? And how did you manage that? You agreed that your magic hidey spell wouldn't work outside in the city."

Loki didn't look at you, but you felt his stirring discomfort. "They're going to leave us in the dust if we dally here and talk about nothing. Let's go."

You couldn't argue because he proceeded to dash away, moving quickly down the side of the building, back into the alley from which he had climbed up. His strangely powerful legs made him capable of jumping high enough to grab the ledge of the low building, and his equally powerful arms had had no trouble pulling himself up. They subsequently had no trouble pulling you up after him.  

You clamored to the edge, jumping down into his awaiting arms. He caught you easily around the waist and deposited you onto your feet.  You were getting used to him touching you.