Loki X Reader || Girl With The Gold Earring

3 | Housekeeping

Y/N had dropped the drawing of the deer on the dresser by the door, remembering to do so only at the last second.

As she hurried across The Palace to the servant's quarters, she wondered if she should tell Alfdis about what had happened in The Prince's quarters. 

The head housemaid would want to know why Y/N had been let-go so suddenly, and so soon after a promotion, as well.

She reached the conclusion that---if Alfdis didn't find out through some other means, Y/N would take her mistakes to the grave. At least that way she stood a small chance of leaving this job with a recommendation.

But Y/N hadn't been fired, not yet anyway. 

The prince had never explicitly said that she was let-go. Probably because Y/N hadn't hung around long enough to give him a chance to fire her, she realised with a sensation as though someone was looping a noose around her neck.

Several people inquired as to her listlessness that evening at dinner, others skirted around her, keeping a safe distance, having assumed she was sick and not wanting to catch anything.

When Y/N caught sight of Alfdis---well, the top of her head---navigating the mess hall, any remaining colour in Y/N's cheeks drained instantly.

The little woman eventually tracked Y/N down, Y/N not helping with this at all (she actually edged to the corner of the room, prolonging the inevitable so she could at least finish her meal before she'd thrown out onto the streets in disgrace). As soon as the head housekeeper's moon-like face was close enough for Y/N to see the intricate lines of her expression she tried to judge what was to come. 

Would Y/N hear anger in Alfdis' voice for the first time in all her years of service? 

Or would she just shake her head in disapproval (which would be much worse) as she pointed Y/N to the door?

"Y/N? This was in my---dear child, whatever is the matter with you? Are you coming down with something? You know the rule---go straight to bed if you feel ill, let someone else take over so we don't all get sick."

Y/N moistened her lips and tried to pull them into a smile as she did a good impression of nonchalantly waving off the older woman's concerns. 

If this was Alfdis terminating Y/N's employment maybe it wouldn't be as bad as Y/N feared, collecting up the few things she owned and doing the walk of shame. 

"I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night." Not a very convincing lie, but Alfdis nodded sympathetically all the same.

"You and me both; Her Majesty and the Allfather's anniversary is coming up and it's down to me to plan the feast, but our regular butcher doesn't think he can get enough meat in time so I've had to enlist the help of another one but I'm not so sure---"

"Alfdis," Y/N interrupted as politely as she could, sliding the word into her rant like a roadblock.

Her old greying eyes blinked a few times. "Oh, yes, sorry, dear, got carried away." She tucked a few strands of cobweb-coloured hair behind her ears like a bird smoothing its feathers. "This was left on my desk for you."

Y/N was the one to blink this time, her eyes following one of Alfdis' bony hands as it drew an envelope from her bodice pocket. Y/N took it, hoping she didn't look like she was about to pass out, and Alfdis wavered---as if hoping Y/N would open the envelope in her presence. 

Thousands of years old and still curious.

Feeling bad for keeping things from the kindly woman, Y/N stood---to the best of her ability. She wanted to read whatever lay inside the delicate parchment clutched in her fist in the safety of her own quarters.