At First Sight

Odin had just made the announcement that in six months time, Thor would be crowned the next ruler of Asgard, and Loki was beside himself with jealousy and rage. Why Thor, why couldn't Loki be deemed worthy of the throne of Asgard? Had Odin not said that they were both born to be kings? Had Loki not proven himself time and time again? What more needed to happen for Odin to divert his gaze to the other son standing in Thor's shadow?

After breakfast, Loki quickly ducked out of the banquet hall before Frigga could stop him. His mother could read him like an open book, and he didn't want to burden her with his anger when she should be nothing but happy for her other son, Thor. He shrouded his appearance as one of the Crimson Hawks so he could walk the halls without raising any red flags. Once outside the castle, he changed his appearance to blend in, and made his way to the forests on the outskirts of Asgard. The only thing on his mind was getting as far away as possible from the castle.

Once he knew he was far enough into the woods that nobody would hear him, he started ranting to himself, letting out the anger that he usually buried beneath his cool composure. Nobody ever came out to these parts of Asgard, so when he stepped into a clearing of wildflowers, he didn't expect to see anyone, least of all a young maiden laying in the center of the meadow reading a book with a startled look on her face. At the sight of her, Loki stopped mid-sentence and froze in his tracks. They locked eyes, and for the first time in his life, he was speechless and mesmerized.

Her hair was platinum blonde and sparkled like a million tiny diamonds in the sun, her eyes as blue as the clearest river, lips full and pink as the flowers that surrounded her. He caught his breath as she broke the silence between them.

"Pardon my intrusion, my prince," she said, timidly averting her gaze away as she scrambled to her feet, "but might I inquire as to whether you've lost your way, so far from the castle?"

He regained his bearing and peered at the book at her feet, which she quickly tried to hide behind her. "Stop!" He ordered, and she jumped at his voice. "I apologize, I didn't intend to startle you, but I recognize the book. Are you hiding out here trying to learn magic by yourself?"

"I, um..." she stammered as she looked down and lightly bit her bottom lip. Loki quietly approached her, his new-found curiosity overpowering his forgotten anger. He knelt down and handed her the book, never once taking his eyes off of her face. "I'm sorry," she finally choked out, "I...I should go."

"Please," he said softly, grabbing her wrist gently, "don't go on my account. If you're serious about wanting to learn magic, there truly is no better tutor in all of Asgard than I. What is your name, little one?" He asked, taking notice of how much shorter she was than him, or any other Asgardian for that matter.

"Little one?!" She huffed. "My name certainly isn't 'little one' and I don't much appreciate having my flaws pointed out, so if it's all the same to you, I must be getting back to my father's forge." She immediately regretted her choice of words. The dark prince made her as nervous as he made her curious.

"Forge...Iwaldi is your father?" She stopped in her tracks. "If you're truly taking your leave, allow me to at least walk with you till you're safely out of the woods. I find your presence strangely...soothing," he admitted.

She knew that if he was to accompany her, they'd surely be seen together, and if the news made it to her father that she had been alone in the woods with the trickster prince, she'd never be allowed to leave the house alone again. She sighed as she turned back towards Loki, asking him, "Say I were to take you up on your offer to tutor me, what might be in it for you? I don't have much to offer, and if you're anything like your brother, Thor, then let me assure you now, I'm not quite as...easy as my sisters are."

Loki cringed when she said Thor's name. "I'm not my brother," he gritted through his teeth, "and I'm not after your virtue. I find you intriguing, and I'd simply enjoy your company, fully clothed, I assure you. If you'd truly like to learn magic, there are things I can teach you better than some dusty old tome. Now please," he smiled and held out his hand to her, "might I learn your name, beautiful daughter of Iwaldi?"