After a few more hours of partying and playing music for the people, everyone started dispersing to their guest chambers. By the time I retired to mine, most of the crowd was gone. I pulled out the sheet that had the directions to get to my room out of my small handbag, hoping that it would give me some sort of an idea as to where I was.
"Tarah!"
I heard my name being called behind me, so I whipped around quickly. Loki was approaching me with his long stride, he had the smallest sign of a smile on his face. When he came to a stop in front of me his eyes looked more determined than before, but they still looked like they were asking for a challenge.
"Are you lost, Miss Tarah?" His hands were behind his back and he stood so tall compared to my stature.
"Ah, well yes actually. I do not know where my chambers are. These directions are not very clear. Thor wrote them for me." I felt my brow furrow as I stared at the ineligible handwriting.
Loki reached out towards me and took them from my hand, then skimmed the paper, his mouth curving into a hairpin smile.
"I know exactly where that is at. Would you like me to escort you to your room?"
"Yes, please. That would be wonderful." I sighed with relief and he took a few steps towards me, heading down the corridor.
We walked in silence for a few minutes, just the sound of our shoes tapping against the beautifully colored floors echoed around us. I was so busy looking at all of the amazing things they had in their home, compared to our small kingdom way to the west. From where we stood we had an amazing view of the Bifrost and the beautiful cosmos overhead. The silence was then broken by Loki clearing his throat.
"I couldn't help but notice that the room you're staying in is a single chamber. There is no connecting rooms. Could your father not make the trip?" He glanced at me sideways, and I returned the look. He walked with his hands held behind his back, almost as if he were in handcuffs, and his stride was very long, but I he kept it slow to walk along with me.
"Actually," I started. "I traveled alone this year because my father has fallen into Odinsleep. I am the only child of my father and mother, so my mother had sent me, along with some chamber maids, to take care of the very thing that put my father into his condition."
Loki's face twisted with concern, his eyes looked sad and deep for a moment before he spoke.
"What, pray tell, did that?"
"My father is trying to make a treaty with one of the other worlds in our realm, but Odin does not want that. From what I understand, if my father makes this treaty with the other world, our treaty with Asgard becomes void, and war will erupt. That, or we get removed from the Bifrost and become a world unconnected to any other."
I shook my head at all this trouble. My father had become so distressed over the whole situation that he fell into Odinsleep before he could come here to explain himself. I got sent instead, since my mother chose to stay in our home to watch over him. I noticed midstride that Loki had stopped walking and was looking at me, almost as if he were looking through me instead.
"If you get removed from the Bifrost," he started. "That means that your world is in exile, and Asgard can come and destroy it." His face twisted with thought and a brief look of pain passed through his eyes.
I sighed and looked at my hands. "I am in charge of fixing that at the meeting on the last day of the festival. I only have a few days to find a solution, since my father fell ill before he could tell me his plans."
Loki and I continued walking again in silence, but this time he stood not as tall, not as confident. His mischievous eyes were now clouded with thought and wonder. I fear now that the idea of war through his family will cause distress on him as well.
We reached a large golden door, just like the rest of the ones down the corridor, only this one had my family crest on it.
"The Pressley chamber," he said, his smile returning to his face.
"Yes, thank you for helping me find it. As well as listening to my problems."
"Oh, no need, Miss Tarah." He smiled and softly lifted my hand.
"Good evening, My Lord," I said with a curtsy.
"Loki, my dear." He kissed my knuckles softly, continuing to look me in the eye. "Good evening."
