❀ Beauty and the Beast ↠

↞14↠

Music was tiresome after you had been to a million of these parties however, there was one thing that was different this time around, Freya was there. Contrary to my usual activities of disappearing out to the balcony to read, I had stayed put in the ballroom observing the guests. My eyes caught her when she reached one of the tables with drinks. She forcefully took a glass and gulped the whole thing. I chuckled to myself a little, the oaf had been following her around like a lost cat all evening, she looked relieved to see that he had been distracted by Sif. I was so distracted that I hadn't noticed mother appear beside me. "If you want to speak to her then go," She hissed with an energetic smile. I looked around, nearly choking on my own drink and hushed her demanding to know how she knew about it. "I know everything," mother assured me which I could not deny, she always did. 

"That obvious?" I asked her, looking back to Freya who was keeping a sharp eye out for my brother no doubt. I shook my head and placed my empty glass down on a table behind me. "It never worked in the past no matter how hard you tried to force it," I told her with a huff. "What makes you think this time will not be the same?" Mother sighed, I could feel her eyes flickering between me and Freya before she sighed, placing a warm hand on my arm. 

"Because she's different," She told me before glancing back at Freya who had been spotted by Thor. "And frankly, I think Thor's attempts terrify her," She said with a laugh causing me to look back at her as I noticed Thor beginning to approach from the other side of the room. I had around 30 seconds to pluck up the courage to go over there and catch her before Thor did. Mother sighed as I made my choice slowly. "If not for you then for her!" She laughed "Go! Before your brother gets to her," Shoving me along a little which earned her a stiff glare. Well I'd started now and couldn't go back so I strode across the room to catch Freya by the arm and pull her lightly. She asked me with a chuckle what I was doing. 

"Rescuing you," I told her firmly as she looked to see Thor approaching. She nodded and went along with my lead willingly. I lead her out onto the balcony where Thor would never dear tread during a social event. "You're welcome," I told her after we had reached the edge. She smiled and huffed a deep breath, smiling at me as she thanked me. Freya shuffled a little before opening with a bold statement. She said that she thought she had figured out why I liked that Midgardian book so much. My whole body tensed. I knew that she was correct and that she had worked it out, I may as well tell her myself. "It made me feel better," I told her refusing eye contact and just continuing to look out towards the gardens. "When the people around you all see you as some kind of monster it gives me hope to read about someone who could look past the beast," I turned when I felt a cold hand on my arm to see Freya smiling up at me. 

"There's nothing to look past, you're a good man," I smiled at her for the first time where I actually believed her for a second, then all the nerves came flooding back. Freya seemed distracted for a moment before laughing. "The queen is staring at us," She told me, I looked in mother's direction and knew exactly what she was after. With a sigh, I raised my hand to my forehead and shook my head. I told her that she wanted us to dance. I knew exactly what the woman was playing at and I wasn't thrilled about it. She rolled her eyes. "I haven't danced since before I went to the war - we didn't have much time for dancing unlike you two," She scolded to which I laughed and began to play along with her little game. 

"Really? Well I bet it's been so long you can't even remember how!" She looked offended but in a sarcastic sense before assuring me that she was rather a good dancer all things considered. A moment of silence passed between us before I decided to hold out my hand to her. She smiled up at me before taking it without hesitation! Every eye in the room was on us, not only was I dancing which was a sight practically never seen at these things, but I was partnered with the most beautiful woman at the event. I hadn't felt like this before, obviously I had danced with women before but mostly the women who Odin had selected that were petrified of me but Freya never flinched at all even after I had injured her so badly before! Once the song was over, that was quite enough for me and clearly Freya as she yawned already. I laughed and lead her down the halls away from the guests so that she could have a quiet moment, she seemed to like silent company much like myself. Eventually, we ended up reaching my chamber where the door had been left open. I rushed in, followed by Freya as I searched and searched to see if anything had been taken but thankfully nothing had. "I must have just left the door slightly ajar," I sighed turned around to see Freya sat on the bed and looking around. "You won't find anything of interest," I told her with a smile but she just shrugged before laying back onto the bed. "Freya," I called but no sooner had her head hit the sheets she was gone. I rolled my eyes, walking over and covering her with another sheet before laying down on the tiny fraction of bed that she hadn't taken up when she fell into place, placing my hands behind my head and attempting to also get some sleep for once.