You slept longer than expected, but when the sun came up it found you already musing on the visions of your dreams. Few people knew of your magic, and even fewer were truly aware of its reach.
Yet, this time, it refused to give you answers. The future had never been a mystery to you, at least not when you asked for a revelation, but this time you could not see past the fog in your brain .
Dreams of broken crowns and storms, tempestuous oceans, thunder and lightning, ice cold monsters . You knew it in your heart; you could see it clear as day. Something terrible was coming, but you refused to believe it.
You needed answers, and you needed them now. Your body felt heavy still, but you forced it to stand up from the comfortable bed.
Your feet dragged you to the closet, where you picked a dress- Black, long sleeves with golden embroidery, elegant and simple- fitting for the day to come
Your thoughts were interrupted by the knocks on your door, three firm ones and then two soft ones. You knew who it was: Ragna, your dearest sister.
It had been your secret signal for years, ever since you were kids and wandered about the castle at night, when all the troubles of the world were far beyond the safety of its walls .
She was a couple years younger than you, Ragna was caring and pure; a little too much for this particular family, but she always a kind word on her lips .
You went to answer the door immediately and before you could even utter a word, she already had you tangled in a suffocating embrace, her golden locks tickling your face .
"Why have you not come see me? I have been waiting for you."
she spoke with haste, in murmurs, reluctantly letting go of you, and closing the door behind her as if she was afraid she was being followed, finally taking a sit on the bed .
"I'm sorry sister, but I found myself exhausted yesterday…"
The air was heavy with the questions in your mind, so you began –"...I do wonder, do you know why are we hosts to such important guests ?" You tried to sound casual but your tone betrayed you, and no one could read you like Ragna.
A shadow grew in her face, and she didn't try to hide what was on her mind.
"I do not know for certain, sister, but I have my theories. And I suspect that you have them as well. The king isn't very discreet" there was pity in her big brown eyes, pity for you, a feeling you had always hated, and it only kindled the wrath inside your veins .
You sighed -"I do have them… Though I tried not to believe it Ragna, and I didn't quite until I heard you say it now. He's marrying me to one of them, isn't he? …I should have known better. That rotten bastard" your words got stuck on your teeth, fists clenched until your fingernails almost broke the skin of your palms .
Ragna turned away from you and her eyes became crystalline "Oh, but it is me who's the bastard, remember?" She chuckled, but a hint of sadness seeped in her voice.
You went to sit next to her, and putting your arm around her, you assured her-"You are my sister, wholly, and without a doubt"
"Lest he disowns me. And everyone will know. And even you won't be able to help me then. Or worse, I'll be left at Leif's mercy when he comes back, and we all know how well that will fare"
Leif… your youngest sibling was always a bit of a wild card. He was unpredictable to say the least.
"I will never let him do that…Wait, where is Leif?"
"Father sent him away to Nidavellir, a few days before the princes arrival. Supposedly for a weapon, like your axe, so he could forge it himself. But I suspect the king was trying to avoid a scene, if our brother's temperament is anything to go by."
"Yeas, that makes sense – of course it did- but worry not, I will not let father disown you."
"You doubt he would?"
"Has he told you anything?"
She shook her head- "Not in so many words. But it's not hard to read between the lines" her gaze lowered, as if the floor contained answers
All the years, all the things you'd sacrificed, all for nothing…Finally you mustered-"I won't let him do this to me. To us…" You stood up, ready to march over to the king and confront him.
"Wait… don't. Don't do it " She grabbed your arm, urging you to stay… "You can't defy him…"
"And why shouldn't I?"
Outrage filled your insides, and she must have felt it, cause her nails dug deeper in your arms and the plea in her stare leaked into her soft murmur
"Because I can't lose you too. You're all the family I have left…"- she looked so small, even though she was not much younger- "…There are worse fates than marrying a prince, you know ?" She was talking about herself, and the thought broke your heart.
"Yes… But this wasn't supposed to be ours."
She let go of your arm, and you shot her a concerned stare before leaving her behind in the empty room.
Autumn winds raged outside the palace as you walked the golden halls that lead to the throne room, but not nearly as tempestuous as the fire inside you .
You had waged war against armies, but this was by far your greatest enemy, lurking within these walls, inside your own blood .
You had seen it in your dreams, and like so many victories, impending doom had been presented now. You walked ahead nonetheless, the fight already in your heart.
A familiar tall figure rested against the pillar on the last corner before your destination, wrapped in green and black leathers .
His stance was relaxed , yet it felt powerful, and you could feel his eyes fixed on you with a peculiar intensity. You didn't know why Loki irked you so much, and you weren't sure you wanted to find out.
-"Much better your highness" His words carried across in the echo of the hall, and lingered, like heavy smoke.
He approached you in a slow motion, as a lion stalking his prey, his hands behind his back
"Now you actually look like a princess. But who are you mourning? I suppose one's dead dreams are a mournful thing. Black indeed suits you…could it be? You must know by now, certainly … Hate cannot be silenced in your eyes princess… What a shame, for all this passion to be fated to perish inside a golden castle…"
His nearness made you uneasy but it didn't intimidated you. His eyes were hard to read and you didn't like that. You couldn't even tell if they were green or blue, let alone figure what hid behind them.
Still, there was something pleasurable about his voice, mesmerizing, although his words stung like needles in your chest .
"I don't presume to know the dealings of the likes of you, silvertongue… So say your piece and let me be on my way"
Your retort came slow and calm, but your heart was racing. You prayed that he couldn't tell.
Instead, he cornered you against the nearest pillar, his green eyes glowing like emeralds in the dimming lights . He was close, so close that you could feel his heart beat.
"You'd do better to speak to me with respect princess. Specially if I am to call you sister soon… You are fighting for a lost cause. You have for a while now."
Yes you knew it in your heart, but he couldn't know that it raged inside you, that he had pulled the right strings.
Your feet acted on their own as they lifted you until your lips were grazing his cheek-"Should I start calling you brother, then ?"
you purred the words in his ear, clueless as to where they had come from.
His stare lost a bit of its edge, and you could see the smile in his eyes, even though it didn't reached his mouth-"Now if you excuse me, my prince , I have places to be ." You said, scurrying beneath his towering figure before he could have the last word.
He watched you walk away, thinking that maybe, just maybe, you'd make for a great adversary
The throne room was empty, save for the king, and you realized that you didn't have any plan.
You thought words would come once you needed them, as they had before, but they failed you this time. You could feel the pressure of the needles stirring in your heart.
The king spoke first -"I was expecting you sooner, dearest daughter. I'm surprised you haven't left a path of corpses on your way here…"
You wanted a quick retort, even a threat, but all that came out was a half-hearted plea "You made a promise. You can still honor it. I'm begging you"
"You wanted to be queen, did you not? So you will"
His voice was unaffected , casual, and it made you want to scream and cry. You did neither, and the needles dug deeper in your chest, until every breath was poison in your lungs.
"I wanted to be queen of my own kingdom, not to be sold off to a prince as a breeding mare" Your voice came out hollow and brittle, breaking like glass in your tongue .
"You wanted to be queen of Vanaheim. But you can't."
You tried to remain calm, but the words that were fighting for space in your throat failed to drown out the rage they contained, and they came out spilling, like guts on the ground
"I have earned it! I've fought for you! I gave you everything I had and more, I was promised a prize and I will have it!" The pressure left your chest as the words flew out of your mouth and into his face. Unbidden tears fell, instigated more by rage than sorrow.
The king turned bright red, and bulging eyes met yours- "You didn't fight for me!" –He screamed, his fist finding the nearest table and sending its contents –fruit and a glass- flying down the marble floor .
He stopped for a second, trying to compose himself. His hand went to his forehead and he finally let out in a defeated sigh -"you fought for yourself"
Only now it dawned on you how old he had become, even in spirit, and how little empathy he inspired in you.
"Then set me free. Let my sister be queen, banish me if you must. My freedom is all I ask"
"You're a fool if you think I would let that bastard become anything other than a useless nobility title. Don't mistake my tolerance for affection; she is no daughter of mine. When I pass, if ever, your brother will be king"
"You've poisoned him, he's weak and volatile. He can't rule a kingdom"
"True as that might be, better him than the bastard"
"So marry my sister then, marry her to Thor and see her off to asgard where she'll never be a nuisance to you" You tried, desperate for a way out
"Child, it seems you forgot your brains today. I am not about to give her the most powerful kingdom in the nine..." his beady eyes sparkled, and his crooked lips curled up in a smile
"...you see, this alliance has been planned for a long time, and the Allfather won't have a bastard marrying his son. It has to be you, it was always meant to be you"- He spoke matter-of-factly-"You think I hate you, but you might be the only of my children who has brought me some pride . I see so much of me in you. Your victories, all of them, are mine. I made you what you are. Diamonds are forged under the weight of the mountains, not grown in the blossoms of the trees. You may not see it now, but I am giving you the greatest gift"
You advanced to him, the color draining from his face when your hands grabbed his collar, pushing him into his precious throne .
You were aware that he feared you, it was plastered in his pained expression
"So what's to stop me from killing you right now and taking what's rightfully mine?" Your voice came out vicious, poisoned with rage.
"I'm beginning to doubt you have any wits left child…"
A flame ignited in his eyes
"…how disappointing… Did you think I would not know you would respond this way? I know you better than you know yourself, and I know the only thing you are good at is murder. Try as you might, my dear… but I have placed things in motion. Things that could result in your sister's downfall, or even her death, should anything happen to me. Should you refuse to do what you have to do"
You could practically taste the malice of his words
"You wouldn't dare"
"Do you care to prove your theory?"
His spiteful grin disgusted you, and you cursed the half of yourself that belonged to him. He knew he had defeated you.
You turned your back, advancing in sluggish steps to the doors.
With one last look back, you asked -"So why now? Why not before? Why not later?"
"You've conquered everything there is to conquer for me. He is to be made king soon. And I did promise you a kingdom."
You walked to the gardens, and then even farther away, into the immense woods that covered the grounds behind the castle, all the way into the mountains .
It was the only quiet place, since no one dared to venture too deep. Some people claimed dark things lived in the trees, but you only found the occasional squirrel and most of all: peace .
There was a small clearing with a lake, waters so clear that it was entrancing to stare at in the summer. But you thought it most beautiful now, by the end of autumn, shimmering like liquid silver under the amber sunlight .
You made your way to the shore, where a familiar tree welcomed you.
You stood there, your back rested on its familiar spot on the trunk, wishing to be somewhere else… to be someone else.
Silent tears rolled down your cheeks, making the world blurry. Yes, there were worse things, and Thor seemed like a nice enough man.
You were just so tired of being a piece in everyone else's game, and looking back, you couldn't really tell If there had been a time when you weren't .
A quiet presence invaded the clearing. It was invisible but present everywhere, even in your thoughts.
You couldn't see him, and you didn't know how, but you knew it had to be him, his strange magic filling everything. You were starting to realize just how full of tricks he really was.
You wiped your eyes with your sleeve, hoping against hope that he hadn't noticed the tears. Then you claimed to the void- "Am I to understand, your highness, I am so completely irresistible that you absolutely must follow me everywhere ? I should remind you I am already taken, and by your dearest brother, no less"
Loki materialized from behind a tree, a little shocked that he was caught . Fortunately , he didn't appear to notice your emotional outburst from a minute ago.
He wore green and black as usual, and he ambled smoothly to were you stood.
Even though he wasn't the heir to the throne of asgard, he was the vivid image of how you imagined a prince should look, and it surprised you that you hadn't noticed it before .
"I'm only protective of my soon-to-be sister…"
His voice was breathy and honeyed, and the way he said sister made it sound everything but brother-like . Somehow it didn't bother you that much.
" Perhaps that's a job for my soon to be husband, don't you think? Besides, what evil could possibly befall me on my very own castle? Other than your constant presence, that is"
Once again, the retorts came to your mouth faster than you could rationalize them. That seemed to be a common occurrence when it came to your encounters with Loki.
"Oh, the evils of this castle are far greater than me, princess. But I think you're well versed on that subject" He said as he paced in front of you, hands in his back, and a small smile on his face.
His silver voice was somewhere between irresistible and unsettling. It enveloped all it touched, filling you with a strange sensation, making you wish he was closer, or maybe that he was not here at all…
You swallowed the lump in your throat, trying not to get carried away by the sound of his voice. By how he was staring at you with his -blue…? Yes they were blue…- eyes, in ways no one else dared to.
He was defiant but not threatening; mischievous-"Indeed, you seem to know a great deal about this place for someone that has been inside its walls for such a short time"
"I have my methods… -he pursed his mouth in a self- satisfied smirk- "…you see, the walls here like to talk, for whoever is willing to listen . And you, your highness, seem to have lost a battle for the first time in that throne room today"
You sighed. He was right, and it didn't even surprise you that he knew
"Battles are lost every day. I am yet to lose a war." -Your words were hesitant; you weren't sure you believed them yourself, and you were sure he didn't believe them at all.
"There's a first time for everything..." -He said ever so casually , before closing the distance between you and leaning slightly in your ear . He was close enough for you to feel the warmth of his breath dancing on your neck-
"...my idiot brother wouldn't even begin to know what to do with you"
Before you could come up with a response, he walked away and disappeared into the thick forest behind you.
Those last words had filled your chest with a sudden heat, and you weren't sure if you liked it or not, but it wasn't completely unpleasant, as evidenced by the rising color of your cheeks .
