3 – Snow
The next day, Loki accompanies Phaedra to the outskirts of the mansion. The road is harsh and long, and it is bumpy and uncomfortable. He closes his eyes and wishes he is back at the mansion at the library. The library is so warm and so full of books, and the scent…?
They are wonderful…
A little like lilies, and a little like honey as well. Sweet, musky…
Like Phaedra…
He blinked his eyes. Phaedra?
He shakes his head, getting her out of his mind.
They soon arrive at the said destination, and Phaedra is escorted out of the car by William. She surveys the scene in front of her, and pulls up her bright red hood to cover her hair.
"Come, Loki," she said to him and smiles graciously at him. "Let's go find some children…"
They walked for a long while with William the butler following behind them. For a long while, they search for any orphans or any beggar child by the roadsides.
And soon, they found another one. And another one. And another one.
They huddled together in the cold snow, and rub their small legs and arms. They are barefooted.
"My," Loki said to her. "There are quite the numbers of children here…"
Phaedra smiles sadly. "The war has just finished. It is harsh, and many were left homeless. I wanted to save the children. They are our future hope of ever salvaging another generation's worth of diplomacy and governing the kingdom. I would send them to the Academy, and they would study there. They would become our next generation."
She walks on, and she sighs sadly. "As you've known, I am starlight. I can live forever, possibly, well, I don't know and am not sure about this since none of my ancestors live past 2000 years old…" she shrugged her shoulders and continued. "The rest of the kingdom's residence is mixed. There are Night Walkers, in another version, its vampires. Witches, Vampire Hunters, Spirits, Ghouls, Goblins, Fae and Faeries… even elves…"
"This world is connected to what you would know as the present real world. New York, London, Paris. This world is another world that you could enter through portals scattered all over the present world. Once, an evil witch has a travelling mirror. A gallant knight fought with her, and he won. In the process, he destroys her mirror, and that mirror pieces is thrown all over the world-" she said to him, and raises her arms into the air and swipes her hand into the air magnificently with an excited expression on her face. "-and it created the portal. Humans come and go as they please once they found out of the portal. They can choose to stay with us with a special visa, and they can choose to go back via the same portal. We cannot remove or close the portal, because it requires dark magic beyond our imagination, and the evil witch, now dead, is the only dark witch powerful enough to control a mirror as big as that…"
"The Kingdom will not be standing still if I have not been gathering children for the past 300 years…" she said to him, and walks to the children standing in a small group, huddling together to get some warmth. "I am starlight, and I will keep the kingdom going on if it is all it takes for me to do anything, and anything at all…"
She took out a brown paper bag of buns for the children, and the children swarmed around the food.
"Slowly, slowly, everyone has one, alright?" she said to the three children. Two of them are twins, while the other one looks as if he had been thoroughly hit and bruised. He sported a black eye mark and a dried bleeding nose, and also a split lips that is swollen to such degree that it looked a little like hotdog.
"Whatever in the world happened to you boy?" she said to the young boy that looked no older than 8. The other twin boys look as if they are 4 years old. She grasped the boy's chin gently and turns his head side to side, and found that his ears have a laceration wound to it. It is bleeding and oozing pus, and he would scratch at his ears occasionally.
"… We…" the boy started, and looked at his twin brothers. The little twin brothers bit their lips, and continue to stuff the buns into their little mouth.
"... We are beggars…" the boy said to her, tears falling down his face. "… The people don't like us… and they used to kick us or punch us whenever they liked…"
The little boy bawled while he ate his buns. Phaedra patted the boy's back soothingly. The boy sobbed and ate his buns in relish.
"Thank you, kind lady. Thank you… for giving us food… thank you…" the three children said to her, and bow to her for her kindness. Phaedra smiles and asks them to stand up.
"Do you want to come home with me?" she said to them, and their eyes bulged wide open.
"I have a huge mansion with me. There are many empty rooms. I will send you to the academy, which is known as the Stardust Academy. It is the finest academy in the whole wide world, and I am the Grand Head Director of that Academy. You will come and stay with me in the Pearl Garden, which is the most beautiful mansion in the whole world, even more beautiful than the King's Golden Palace…"
The boys follow her and they walked to her sleek limousine, where William is already waiting with the doors open. Loki follows her as well, and trudges behind the boys. The boy's legs are so short. They had to run and walk to catch up to Phaedra. They would stumble a little, and they would run again to Phaedra. And he chuckles.
For once, he thought that they are adorable.
"I am Phaedra Sterling. I am the Ambassador of the great Kingdom of Avice, and Duchess of Memphis. I watch and write over the Histories of the world, and I will bring you home with me. You will go to the Stardust Academy as new transfer students, and you will never go hungry again," she said to them, and held on the hands of the twins. The twins bawled, and so does the older child.
They were ushered into the car by William, and they drove back to the Pearl Garden. There, they are showered and bathed by Sebastian, and given food and a bedroom. The older boy's wounds are cleaned and thoroughly bandaged, and he no longer scratches at his ear. The three children joined Michael and two of Phaedra's younger twin brothers, Peter and Edward in the dining room, and there, they introduces themselves.
"M-my name is Noah…" the older boy said to her, his short brown locks now silky smooth compared to their previous messy locks of bird nest. His eyes are a peculiar shade of purple, and Phaedra knew he is not a human child.
"I'm Arthur…" the older twin said. He had longer blonde hair, and his eyes are bright green.
"And I'm James…" the younger twin said to her in a high pitched child voice. He had shorter blonde hair, and his eyes are a marine blue.
"What are you?" Phaedra asks them gently. They looked at each other and rubbed their small feet against their other feet.
"Noah's a Nymph, Your Grace…" James said to her in a small voice. "Arthur and I are Night Walkers…"
"Are you going to throw us out, Your Grace?" Noah said to her with his eyes wide open. "Please don't throw us out… please… we have no home…"
Phaedra laughs heartily. It was a nice sound, and Loki seems to like to hear it.
And he bit his lips again when he thought of just how nice her laughter sounded.
It was like the bells that one hears during morning, and like honey, and like a wind chime, and like the first autumn's wind that blew soothingly over the land.
She is everything.
"No, sillies," she said to them and patted their heads softly. "Why ever would I want to throw you out?"
"B-because…" Noah said to her. "They said that Nymphs are thieves… and they steal food from the villagers…"
Phaedra smiles gently at them. "The world is harsh, child. Nymphs would steal food would have meant that the world is going down, and that food is scarce. They would never steal if the food in their habitat is ample. They are prideful creatures, and they would do anything to survive, and still retain their pride, so don't worry much and just be happy children here in my Pearl Garden, alright?"
That day, Phaedra orders the tailor to come by. She also orders the shoemaker to come by her Pearl Garden. Both of the makers took the boy's measurements, and in the same time, they also took Phaedra's twin brother's measurements. They are growing up fast, and their clothes barely fit them anymore.
Loki, too, receives new clothes. She had prepared for him earlier, seeing as he is an average adult and that his clothes could be bought anywhere. Most of his clothes are high quality sheep's fleece, and cotton and silk. He loves his new clothes.
New shoes and clothes are made in the shortest amount of time. Boxes of them are delivered to the Duchess's home, and the boys are overjoyed with the new items. The twin brothers of Phaedra ran and disturb William who helped carry the towering number of boxes in both of his arms, and he spins comically and fell down with the boxes all over him. The twin's giggles much, and it prodded the rest of the shy children to laugh as well.
They tried on the clothes, and Phaedra smiles at them.
"Alright, I'll leave you boys here to try on your new clothes. I will be downstairs working, alright? We'll see each other during dinner time…" she said to them, and departs from their room. The children bow to her and said their thanks to her, and continue to try on their new clothes.
"Can you help me with some paperwork, Loki?" she asks him while they walk down the stairs. He smiles at her and gave her a bow.
"Of course. What is it to be?"
Phaedra stopped walking. She stares at him with a strange sort of expression, and Loki is stunned.
"What is it?" he asks her.
"You speaks in such strange language sometimes…" she said to him. "What are you…?"
Loki bit his lips. He couldn't possibly tell her that he is the Loki the God of Mischief? How on earth he is going to explain to her?
"I… am…" he started, and his voice is stuck in his throat. "I'm… I'm…"
Phaedra held out a hand to stop him.
"It's alright if you can't say it. Maybe someday you'll tell me when you are ready. I am in no rush to know of your true identity…" she said to him, and walks into the library. Loki follows her, and held his throat with his hand.
Phaedra shows him her lifework, and he begun to work wonders to her papers. He shows her how things works, and imparts some of his knowledge on her. She is amazed with his vast knowledge in accountancy, magic, spells, and other things. He even knew the strategies to protect a kingdom from harm, and where to put the soldiers where the palace and the kingdom are most vulnerable.
With his bits of magic, he wrapped a paper plane and imbues some of his magic on it. The paper floated up, and it flew all over the place in the library. Phaedra is amused, and clapped her hands happily.
"Oh, it flew! It flew! This is amazing!" she said to him, and clapped her hands excitedly. Loki smiles at the sight of her bouncing in her seat in happiness at the sight of the flying paper plane, and he made it burst in the air.
Phaedra gasped, and the paper plane burst into snowflakes.
"Oh, it's so beautiful!" she said to him, and begun to dance underneath the snow.
Her long braided hair and her pearls that are braided into her hair flows around her following her body movement. She spins around happily underneath the snow, and Loki stares at her.
She is so beautiful, so beautiful.
And so kind.
In his darkest moment, she came to him. She saved him, no questions asked, and gave him food and clothes. He is grateful for her, grateful for her being there to save him. And he smiles.
He wanted her.
Hell, that thought just zooms into his head, but he wanted her alright. She is so beautiful, so kind, so pure, and so…
So…
So Starlight.
So like a star, he thought to himself. She is so like a star…
That night, the rest of her children and brothers came back from the Academy in their adorable uniform. It is dark blue in color for the younger ones, and green for the older ones. Phaedra's brothers are the same ages with the twins, while the older child, Noah, is dressed in dark green color with a red ribbon on his white collar. They ran to her and hugged her.
"Phaedra!" they screamed at her. The other adopted children also start to call her Phaedra following the twin brothers, and she is fine with it. She did not like them calling her 'Your Grace' either.
"Brothers, children," she hugged them, and they giggles happily. "Done with your classes I see?"
They nodded their head at her. She smiles.
"Go take your dinner then. I will come by soon enough…" she said to them, and they ran into the dining room and giggles happily.
"They've settled down, I see…" Loki said to her, coming by to stand by her side. She is so very short, and coming only up to his shoulders. Her body stature is slim and her breast is two huge orbs, almost overflowing out from her dress. There is the nice cleavage in the middle of her breast, and he salivated at the sight of them.
Her hair is donned up yet in another elegant French braided bun that rests softly at the nape of her neck. Strings of pearls are braided into her hair. Today, it is lilac colored pearls. Lilac colored pearls are so very rare in the world. It is very valuable, as far as he knew about it. There is another string of it that ran across her forehead, and braided deep into her hair, disappearing into the bun in braids after braids.
She is wearing another lace dress today. It is golden yellow in color, and the laces covers part of her shoulders, chest, and trails down to her arms. The dress shimmers whenever she moves and twirls, and she is beautiful.
So beautiful.
"Yes," she said to him with a smile. "They've settled down…"
"And how are you with their presence here in the Garden?" he asks her, and she turns around to look at him.
Phaedra admires Loki in great ways. He is good looking, charming, and very cheeky. He would have a grin on his face whenever he teases her, and she would smile at him sweetly. She often caught him staring at her with his mouth gaping slightly, and she would smile to herself.
Loki is a very handsome man, and so very charming with the boys and her as well. He is brilliant in everything he does, and she couldn't help but to admire the man for his wisdom.
"I am fine with them. They are my children, and two of them are my blood brothers. I love them…" she said to him with a small smile, and Loki felt in his heart that she is telling the truth.
She truly loves them… she loves them with all her heart…
But what about him?
He, too, came with the boys… what about him? What does she feels about him and his presence here in the Pearl Garden?
Loki's hand stretched forward with a mind of their own and brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. He froze when he found out just what he had done, and stares at her large silvery eyes staring at him openly.
"T-there is a stray strand of hair… blocking your eyes…" he said to her, and withdrew his hand awkwardly. She smiles at him graciously.
"Thank you," she said to him. "Come, let's go and have dinner with the children…"
