(A/N: This is my version of the classic mythology story of Andromeda. Let me know if this story interest you or if I should just scrap the idea.)
Little Princess Andromeda looked out excitedly over her kingdom as she was carried through the plains by her family's servants. Her brunette hair was braided, sitting atop her head in a bun with her crown placed in front of it. The princess had on an elegant white gown with gold trimmings, white sandals on her little feet.
She plucked a grape from a bowl and plopped it in her mouth, savoring the sweet taste of the fruit. Her handlers, Ares and Cosima, trailed after her at a leisurely place, talking amongst themselves.
It was noon, the perfect time for a stroll. The sun was shining brightly over Aethiopia, and as always the air was toasty. The fresh smell of grass wafted in the air and Andromeda took a long whiff, sighing in content.
"Let me down!" Her little voice demanded suddenly, "I would like to walk."
"Princess Andromeda, you know your father says you may not-" Ares started but the little bronze girl puffed.
"Ares! I want to walk!" Andromeda exclaimed, "Let me down this instant!"
The servants quickly obeyed the young princess and lowered the chariot, allowing the eight year old to step down.
Ares quickly hurried to the princess, his brown eyes staring hardly into her fiery ambers. "You musn't Princess, your father would have my head if I let you-"
"Oh Ares," Cosima's voice chimed as the albino woman walked up to them, "She will be fine, let her walk."
"Yes Ares," Andromeda mocked, as she touched the high grass. "Let me walk!" Her gold bangles clanged together as she broke into a run. The small princess laughed with glee as she trotted through the grass, picking flowers and putting them in her braid. She picked up her dress in her small bronze hands and ran once more before spinning around in circles.
"My kingdom is so pretty," She sang, "All for me, me, me! Princess Andy~"
"Andromeda!" Ares called, "Do not run too far!"
Andromeda chubby face stretched in a grin. "I cannot hear you Ares! Did you say run?" She yelled in reply then took off once again. The little girl cackled teasingly, distancing herself from the group. She didn't stop until she reached a flower bed, where tall sunflowers grew almost as tall as her. Giggling she walked through the stalks, the only thing visible from outside the field was the top of her gold-beaded braided bun.
"They won't find me here!" The bronze girl laughed in delight, as she neared the end of the flower bed. Pushing the stems aside, she gasped as she saw an animal lying on the ground unmoving.
The fearless eight year old ran up to the animal, just to see it wasn't an animal at all. But a man with the palest skin she had ever seen.
The man was dressed in green and black robes with gold trimming, similar to the trim on Andromeda's gown, and black boots. He had inky black long hair, which was a texture that Andromeda had only seen on the visiting Greeks.
He must have been a Greek! But he had such strange clothing…
Andromeda fell to her knees beside the man, her tiny fingers tracing his features. She traced his eyebrows, his nose and his thin lips. He looked odd to her, she had never seen a person that looked like him and it intrigued her.
Suddenly, a pale hand reached out and grabbed hers, making her yelp. Green eyes stared at her in curiosity.
"Where am I?" The man's voice, a deep melodic thing, asked the princess.
"You are in Aethiopia." Her little voice answered him, "And I am Princess Andromeda, daughter of King Cephus and Queen Cassiopeia." She listed, remembering her lessons. "What is your name, sir?"
The stranger let go of her hand and slightly sat up, now taller than the princess. "I am Prince Loki, of Asgard."
Andromeda furrowed her brows. She had never heard of this 'Asgard' before. "Where is that?" The little girl asked.
Prince Loki stared at the girl in amusement. He pointed to the heavens, "It's in the sky." He simply answered, a smirk on his face when the girl looked up.
"The sky?" Andromeda gasped, her bronze hands over her mouth. "With the gods?"
Loki raised an eyebrow. "Yes."
Andromeda gasped again, looking at the man with stars in her eyes. "You are a god? Do you know Zeus?"
"Zeus?" He inquired, before quickly deducing that he was on Midgard. "Yes." The pale man lied slyly, grinning.
Andromeda squealed in delight. "That's amazing!"
Loki chuckled at the child, before wincing and holding his stomach. "Princess… Andromeda, was it?" The child nodded eagerly. "Is your palace far from here?"
"No." She shook her head, the beads in her bun ringing. "It is just beyond the plain."
"Will you take me there Princess?"
Andromeda grinned and nodded, getting off her knees. She wiped the dirt of her white dress and went back through the flower patch.
"Ares!" She called out, "Cosima!"
"Princess?" Ares ran through the field and found the little girl, kneeling down before her. "Where have you been!"
Cosima found them shortly after and knelt down with Ares. "Princess Andromeda! You've ruined your gown!"
"Cosima there is a man on the other side of the flower patch!" Andromeda exclaimed and Cosima furrowed her brows.
"That is not funny Princess!"
"I'm serious! Ares please look!" The princess said, before taking off running.
Ares and Cosima ran after her, calling her name but Andromeda didn't stop until she was in front of Loki again.
Ares gasped once he saw the man lying on the ground. He knelt down next to Loki and felt his pulse. "Servants!" He called, and they came scurrying out the field. "Help this man to the palace."
Andromeda smugly smiled as Cosima attempted to straighten her dress. "I told you I wasn't lying!"
"Oh hush!" Cosima chided, yanking a braid from the princess' head.
The servants carried Loki all the way back to the palace, while Andromeda happily walked beside them. When they arrived at the palace, Loki was carried away from the princess' view and she pouted, sad to lose her new friend.
"Andromeda!" Her mother's voice called. The queen seemed to float toward her daughter, her beautiful white gown flowing after her. She was adorned in gold jewelry and her long curly hair was braided to the side. Her gold crown sat high on her head as she approached her daughter with a grin. "My beautiful daughter, how was your stroll?"
Andromeda wrapped her short arms around her mother, beaming up at her. "It was wonderful Mommy, I even met a friend!"
"Oh my!" Queen Cassiopeia exclaimed, not really listening. She cupped her hands around her daughter's cheeks. "How beautiful you are my child, with skin smooth as marble." She cooed and Andromeda giggled. "Eyes as bright as fire, how beautiful my child is!"
Ares walked up to the two royals then. The tall man bowed his head, "My apologies my Queen. Your presence is requested by the King in the healing room."
Not looking away from her daughter's face, the queen nodded in acknowledgment. With one last doting glance, Queen Cassiopeia followed after Ares.
"Come on little Princess." Cosmia grabbed Andromeda's bronze hand in hers. "We must get you ready for your lessons."
Andromeda pouted at her handler, "But I do not want to go to my lessons!"
Cosmia giggled, leading the child to her room. "You have had enough excitement for the day my little Princess."
Cosmia opened the door and urged Andromeda in, closing the door behind them. "Maids!" She called and two women stood side by side. "Change the princess into a new dress and fix her hair."
"Right away Miss." The women bowed and took little Andromeda by her hand. They changed her into a new beige gown, a gold belt around her waist. They took her bun down and combed through her curls, making the young girl pout.
"That hurts!" Andromeda exclaimed, her head being yanked back by the maid.
"Sorry Princess." The maid muttered, taking care not to pull the young girl's hair. She finished up and braided it down her back before wrapping the braid around her head.
"Alright, Princess." Cosmia clapped her hands, "Time for your lessons!"
Andromeda groaned and pouted, but followed Cosmia out her room.
Much to Andromeda's disappointment, she did not see her new friend for the rest of the day. Not even at dinner where they had her favorite meal of goat and rice. She pouted through dinner, to which her mother chided at her, 'You'll get frown lines, my dear, do not pout.'
When the princess was put to bed, she waited until she didn't hear anyone in the hall before getting out her bed. She slipped on her slippers and wrapped her small robe around her and tip-toed out of her room.
She took extra care not to make noise as she made her way to the healing room in the palace. Once she reached her destination, she walked in the room, looking around for her new friend.
Andromeda spotted him and she smiled brightly running up to his bedside. "Prince Loki," She whispered, and his green eyes shot open.
The prince looked at her boredly. "Princess Andromeda."
"Do you feel better Prince Loki?" The girl with the big amber eyes asked, before sitting on the bed next to him.
"Ow!" The prince exclaimed and Andromeda shot up in worry. Loki laughed at the little girl and shook his head. "I am fine, little princess."
Andromeda pouted and sat down once more. "That is not kind of you to do, Prince Loki."
"Can't take a joke, little princess?" The green eyed man quipped, now sitting up.
"I can too, take a joke!" The eight year old glared, fire in her eyes. "You are just not funny." She crossed her arms. "You are odd, and you look like a statue." The little girl said, matter-a-factly.
Loki raised his eyebrows at the child, before turning his head away from her in faux sadness. "Princess Andromeda you scar me." He put his hand over his heart, "And here I thought we were friends."
Andromeda uncrossed her arms as she looked at Loki sympathetically. The little girl leaned over him, "I am sorry Prince Loki, I did not mean to hurt your feelings." She insisted, but Loki kept his head turned away from her. "You are not odd and you are very handsome."
Prince Loki turned to her with a smirk then, ruffling the her curls. "I accept your apology little princess."
Andromeda beamed at him. "We are friends?" She asked and Loki nodded before taking her hands in his.
"Do you want to see a magic trick?" Loki smirked at her, a glint in his green eyes. Andromeda nodded eagerly and Loki cupped his hands under hers. Whispering a quick enchantment, green fire sprang from their hands.
Andromeda gasped, grinning excitedly. "Wow…" She whispered, staring at the fire.
Loki smiled and took his hands away from hers, the fire still blazing from her little hands.
"Prince Loki! Look! I'm doing it!" The child exclaimed, holding the fire close to her face to examine it.
Loki chuckled, "I see, little princess. Watch this." He put his hands over hers and the fire turned into a green dove, twirling around the princess' head before disappearing.
Andromeda turned back to Loki with a grin, practically bouncing with excitement. "Are you a witch?"
Loki let out a boisterous laugh and shook his head. "No I am not."
"Princess Andromeda?" Ares voice rang through the room and the little girl's amber eyes widened. The handler walked into the room to see the princess at Loki's bedside. "You are supposed to be asleep, princess!"
Andromeda pouted and slid off the bed, walking over to Ares with her head down in shame. "I am sorry Ares, please do not tell momma!"
Ares stared at the young girl pointedly. "I will think about it. Now go to bed."
Andromeda nodded, sniffling. She turned back to her new friend, "Good night Prince Loki."
"Good night little princess." Loki smiled at her, before motioning to his pocket.
The little girl reached into her robe and found a small doll. Grinning at the prince, she proceeded to skip the rest of the way to her room, where she fell asleep with a smile on her face.