Thor excused himself to inform them of the great luck that they had achieved with the impending challenge. Sif was over the moon excited most of all, she smiled proudly and went to prepare for the battle. Loki leaned against a shadowy pillar admiring the work he had done when he was startled by the sound of a voice. "So it is true as they said, you indeed do have a silver tongue." Loki turned to the sound of the voice to see Sekhmet staring at him amused.
"I don't know what you mean?" he replied lying looking impassive.
"Oh, I indeed think you do?" she said as she walked nearer to him "You will be making a terrible mistake, but I suppose you will need to learn a lesson?"
"Lesson?" Loki asked amused "I was the one trying to stop all this remember?"
"Were you? Or were you provoking them all with that oh so slippery silver tongue? Surely the Asgardian God of Mischief and Lies is playing a game?"
"Why would I play a game with you Princess?" he asked smirking realizing that she was far too clever to fool, and he admired her greatly for it.
"Oh no, not with me." she smirked back "You are using me as a pawn in your game, but I will wholeheartedly allow it to continue."
"Then if you found my game out so easily... Why allow it continue?" Loki asked with a raised eyebrow to match his devilish smirk. Sekhmet walked closer to him and motioned to him with her index finger to bend low to her level. She grabbed him by the collar pulling him down towards her hard and fast, shocking him. She then whispered in his ear in a dark dangerous tone which made him shiver in fear. "Because, great God of Mischief, I too enjoy playing games especially when I know I will win no mater what the cost will be." she pushed him back up with a smile playing on the corner of her lips as her eyes narrowed making her look dangerous, "You do not know what I am capable of."
"No my Ntrt, I do not."
"You call me our name for Goddess, see you are clever Za (Son of) Odin." Sekhmet replied amused patting him on the arm "I believe you know more than you would like to divulge?"
"Perhaps? You are not only uncommonly beautiful, but frighteningly intelligent." Loki replied extraordinarily impressed with her. She looked at him confused and slightly confounded "You think I am uncommonly beautiful? I have never been called such, most males are too terrified of me to speak of such silly things." Loki shifted uncomfortably realizing what he had said to her, and avoided eye contact with her as they stood next to each other in an awkward silently for sometime. He looked down at her slightly nervous then as though his brain, and mouth suddenly conspired against each other he spat out before he could stop himself, "Would you care to dance with me? They will be playing music soon."
"I do not dance." she replied flatly, Loki caught her arm as she moved to walk away gently turning her to face him. However she pulled out of his grasp and went to walk away again, Loki using his powers split himself into four illusions of himself trapping her.
"Is it because you do not know how?" they all asked as they disappeared and Loki appeared in front of her once again blocking her.
"Yes, I do not know how." she replied annoyed looking up at him with narrowed eyes.
"If you would do me the honor I could teach you?" he said with his arms held up and out to his sides as a sign of peace between them.
"No" she said as she moved aside from him.
"But its so easy!" he said as he grasped her right hand in his left, and placed his free arm around her tiny waist leading her in a circle looking down at her smiling with amused eyes. He wondered if she never had indeed danced before, or if she had been lying to him. "See simple?" he spun her around then pulled her back to him, and once more took her hand in his own, he tightened his grip on her waist pulling her closer still, looking down at her "You learn quite quickly" he stated. Sekhmet pushed him away from her then stormed off. Loki watched slightly hurt that he failed to amuse her, he watched as she walked away to go and sit back next to her father. He once again rested his back against the shadowy pillar watching her, and the rest of the room. As he had said they began to play music one by one the Asgardian Lords came to ask Sekhmet to dance and one by one she turned them all down. "Zat.j (My daughter) I had just seen you dance with the young Prince Loki, you would not dance with anyone at all? You are young and beautiful I ask you nay, command you to dance. Look at your sisters, they all dance." he said pointing them out to her.
"I did not want to dance with him, he forced me to." she replied folding her arms.
"Sekhmet you are uncommonly stubborn." he stated looking at her shaking his head.
"Uncommonly stubborn? I will take that over uncommonly beautiful."
"Loki said that to you?" he asked with a curiously expression, then looked at Loki.
"Yes."
"Take the compliment my child. He spoke the truth." he replied looking back at her.
"I know, and I can not. He makes me feel things." she said softly looking at him concerned.
"I understand, however those feelings are normal and should be enjoyed." he placed his hand on her arm and squeezed it tenderly.
"Enjoyed? Father...Shhhh, he is coming back."
Loki sat back down at the table no longer amused by his mischievous plans, except now his thoughts turned to annoyance. "Za Odin." Ra spoke clearly, and Loki turned to face the King "Will you not dance with my daughter, as you did before? It gladdened my heart to see her dance, though she is too stubborn to admit it I thought I saw a smile forming in the corner of her mouth when she danced with you." Sekhmet looked at her father outraged then stubbornly folded her arms over her chest again glaring at him.
"I would, however she turned me down." Loki replied smiling lightly amused by the Kings words, and his daughters expression "I had even said that I would teach her more, but she still refused."
"Sekhmet, I wish for you to dance with the young Prince. My heart will be gladdened by it. For you are a young, and I wish to see doing things which the young should do."
"As your heart so commands it, I shall go." she sighed in defeat then looked at Loki who smiled at her triumphantly, who then stood up and walked towards her holding out his hand stretching his long fingers to reach her, "Will you again do me the honor Zat Ra by dancing with me?" he asked still smiling over this win, she obligingly took his hand and walked off with him.
"Look, Loki has asked to dance with your rival Sif." Fandral said as he sipped from his goblet of wine.
"He never dances unless Father forces him." Thor replied curiously wondering what his baby brother was up to, he smirked just before he drank a large swig of wine. "Perhaps he will use that silver tongue to good use, and learn something that would be useful for you Sif?"
"I do not need any help from Loki, or anyone else." Sif replied happily "I will destroy that bejeweled little thing." She turned her head to watch Loki and the Princess.
