first chapter guys, here we go!
chapter 1: Unexpected encounters
Lira traced her finger down the book's spine, relishing in the texture of the hard cover book. The golden words emblazoned on its cover left little dents, more apparent if one ran their hands over its cover. She plucked it deftly from its space in the wall and held it to her chest. The cool surface calmed her and helped slow the thoughts spinning erratically in her mind. Perhaps if she read a little she'd forget how horrid her day had been.
It had all started as usual; she'd awoken, gotten dressed and headed out of the palace walls, making her way to the servant's dining room. Breakfast had been rushed, and then she'd made her way here, preparing herself for a hard day of dusting the palace's pretty much untouched library shelves, stacking unread books and cleaning whitewashed walls until they shone. But she'd quickly been pulled away from her usual routine by Hera. The elderly librarian had wanted to go to market and buy some herbs for her poultices. Of course Lira hadn't any choice but to pack away her tools and follow Hera out of the palace grounds.
Lira had never liked the market. There was far too much bustle and activity, not to mention the noise that surrounded her like an invisible shroud. No, Lira didn't like the market one bit. It was only because Hera had asked that she'd even considered it, for any other person, she'd have gracefully declined. She hadn't the heart to reject Hera, who'd been the only person anything like a mother to her.
Everything had gone well, Hera had her ingredients, however much they had cost, and Lira was content with the work they had managed to finish, though itching to return to the palace and carry on with her usual work, then settle down to read a little. It was on the return home that sent shivers up her spine to recall. Just before the market there was a density of forest stretching almost three kilometres in length and a mile in width. All in all, it wasn't a large expanse of forest, and to those that had been through the well worn path more than once would have easily crossed through without as much as a shiver.
Lira herself had never feared the forest. In fact, it was where she spent most of her spare time, making her way down to the secluded area clutching a book she'd borrowed from the library. No one missed them anyhow; the library was hardly touched by cleaners let alone royalty.
But that day alone with Hera had sent fear straight into the depths of her soul. What she'd seen had never been witnessed by anyone but themselves (according to Hera). A beast, easily over 10 feet tall, with glowing red eyes had shown itself amidst the green foliage. It looked so out of place in the forest that Lira wondered how she'd never noticed it before they crossed paths. It was the colour of ice, a deep unearthly blue that seemed to pulsate within the beast. Its hand was clenched into a frozen dagger, shards protruding at odd angles, but sharp nonetheless. The Frost Giant's sunken eyes had glowed red with hatred, the colour of blood as Lira had looked up in shock. Hera had howled in fear as her mind registered the monstrosity before them, pushing Lira ahead and yelling,
"Go to the palace, get help from the Allfather! QUICKLY!"
So Lira had run, with all the strength she contained in her slim body (which was a surprisingly large amount – Lira was known for her speed) to the palace gates, bursting through the doors in less than a few seconds. She'd looked around wildly, eyes wide in fear.
"I need the Allfather!" she'd panted at the nearest guard, who'd looked at her queerly before pointing down the corridor.
Lira had never been in the royal hall before today. She'd never had any reason too; she was naught but a servant in a world full of servants, dedicating her life to working for the king. It was not much but it was a life.
Her heart had raced in fear as she'd burst into the hall, flinging the doors open unceremoniously. Swivelling her head around wildly she looked for the king, or someone who was related to the king. Her frantic eyes had fallen on the youngest prince, Loki and without so much as a coherent thought before moving, she'd ran over to him.
Lowering her eyes respectfully she'd recounted the events, her words running into each other in her hurry to get them out.
"Hera – frost giant, help – the forest, need – help – "
"Now now, slow down girl!" she'd stopped immediately as his silky voice cascaded onto her. She'd never seen the youngest prince before, though she'd heard a lot of him; and the thought crossed her mind that she may have been reckless and rude, barging into his private hallway like this, without so much as a bow. Am I utterly crazy? She'd felt her face get hot as she dropped to the floor like a rag doll, shivering violently from adrenaline and embarrassment.
"Pray tell, what are you doing grovelling like that on the floor?"
His voice washed over her, and she nearly forgot why she'd barged in. That voice…sure, he was a prince of mischief, lies and deceit (yes she'd been told that), but nobody had ever mentioned how irresistible his voice sounded, how the light on his prominent cheekbones made him look godly, how his emerald eyes were so…green. With a jolt of self consciousness she'd realised that she'd been staring at him, and he'd caught her watching! She almost expected him to yell at her disrespect, but instead he gently set down the monster of a book he'd been reading and tilted her chin up.
"Now, what's wrong?"
The feel of his fingers on her chin had sent a course of erratic pleasure through her and her eyes glazed over as she met his emerald ones. Why on earth was he so attractive? Wasn't the God of Mischief supposed to be wicked and – and …
"Are you going to answer me or just sit there? Not a moment ago you were fighting to slow the words pouring out of you, now you are as silent as a kitten."
The feel of his fingers had lingered on her skin even as he drew his hand away, sighing with one eyebrow raised, awaiting her answer. She'd shaken her head, trying to clear the fog that had threatened to veil all rational thought. She took a deep breath and let it out before beginning.
"Hera and I were returning from the market, and we were just crossing the forest – "
"Hera is another of your fellow servants is she not?" Loki interrupted.
What? Why do the details matter? My friend is going to become Frost Giant food if we don't hurry up! "Yes, um – there was this Frost Giant and he attacked us. Please, I need help – she'll die."
She'd snuck a glance up at his pale face, and then quickly looked down again as his piercing eyes cut through her. He seemed to be deliberating whether Hera was worth saving, because after what seemed like hours he rose from his chair and walked towards the door, telling her to follow over his shoulder.
She'd risen shakily from the wooden floor and followed the trail his billowing cape made, trying not to let her mind wander to how his raven hair would feel through her fingers. Finally they made it into the throne room, where the Allfather had risen abruptly from his chair.
"Father this servant girl has brought some story about a Frost Giant."
Lira had felt her cheeks flush angrily at his remark. Did he think her so desperate for attention that she would make up something like this?
She curtsied as the Allfather rose from his golden throne and descended the stairs. "Is this true?"
"Yes – please, sir, if – if I may, she's in grave danger sir, and so is the whole of Asgard – please, can we go?"
She'd flushed angrily at herself, why would she say that? Of course he'd want to know the details. As much as Hera meant to her, Lira had known that the great Odin would not make haste to rush to some servant girl's story. To her surprise the Allfather nodded, as if he understood her feelings.
"Alert the warriors, Loki. Asgard is under peril – a Frost Giant in our midst is not something that should be let off lightly. We will capture it and then force a reason out of the creature as to why it is in our realm."
Loki nodded once and had set off towards the exit, his ivory cape billowing out behind him.
All had worked out well, and Lira had been once again reunited with the slightly flustered Hera. All she knew of the Frost Giant was that it had been taken to some prison deep underground, and that numerous guards had been positioned outside the prison. Hera had thanked her gratefully, offering to help her clean the library, but Lira had refused. She preferred to be alone with her thoughts.
As for the wonderful Loki, she hadn't seen him since his departure from the throne room, and rather figured if she ever saw him again, he would not remember her.