Loki was walking through the halls. He had decided to explore the palace instead of reading in his gloomy room all day. Sorrow had insisted that it was healthier for him. She was trailing behind him as he walked through the halls, everyone giving him odd looks. Most people were wondering what had wrought this sudden change, but Loki denied anything by saying that he had grown bored of sitting around.
When it got warm enough, maybe he would start training outside. He trained with daggers and magic when he was alone in his room, conjuring targets. He had managed to stay in shape over the last ten years of sitting around, reading. Some people had thought he was dead because he never came out. Now that he was out and about, he was happier. It wasn't as bad as he had thought. He hadn't run into any of his "family", so he was content. That thought was forgotten as he saw his mother walking towards him.
"Loki! You have decided to come out of your room. I have been hearing from various servants and maids that my youngest son had finally decided to leave his cave, but I didn't believe them until now." Frigga said with a warm smile.
Loki sighed. "Hello mother."
His mother turned towards Sorrow. "And who is this lovely young lady?"
Loki turned to look at Sorrow as well. She was staring at the ground, refusing to meet the gaze of her superior. "This is Sorrow." Loki said for her. Sorrow gave him a look of appreciation for speaking for her. Loki knew she didn't like speaking to people.
"Sorrow? What a lovely name… It sounds familiar though. What is your last name dear?"
Loki couldn't answer this one. He didn't know her surname. Sorrow spoke before he could. "I do not know the name of my father, but my mother was Elysa Cedricsdottir."
"Elysa Cedricsdottir? No wonder you looked so familiar. Lady Elysa is coming to the palace tomorrow. You look just like her. You'll have to join us when we have tea in four nights to come. I have to go, but it was wonderful meeting you."
Loki watched Sorrow as she paled. She looked so pale and nervous. She had a concerned look on her face. Loki was about to defend her when she spoke up before he could, again. "I would love to, my lady." She said. Loki stared at Sorrow in shock. Did she remember nothing of her past? What her mother had done to her?
"Good. Have a good day, son." Frigga stepped forward and gave Loki a small hug. Loki hoped nobody was watching.
After she was gone, Sorrow spoke. "I wish I had a family who loves me as much as yours loves you." She nearly whispered.
"My family doesn't love me. Maybe my mother does, but no one else cares." Loki said as calmly as he could.
"Then you must be blind, my prince, because Thor has come to me several times to see how you have been doing, a glow radiates of your mother when she sees you, and I know your father loves you."
These words made Loki angry, despite himself. "And what do you know about love?! How would you know Odin loves me?! Ever since I could remember he has pushed me away, been disappointed in me!"
"I see that they love you, because if they didn't, they would treat you like my mother treated me."
Loki's anger fled. "Why did you agree to see your mother? Even after all that she's done to you?" Loki asked.
Sorrow's eyes filled with sadness. "I know my mother hated me, but only because I was a reminder of how she had been disgraced. Whenever she saw me, I could see the pain and shame in her eyes before she looked away. I want to see her again. I want to see how she has changed. Maybe I can talk to her. It has been eighteen years since it happened, so maybe her heart has softened." Sorrow said quietly.
Loki didn't know how she could give others a second chance. Once his good opinion lost, it was lost forever. "I will never understand how you can forgive others so easily." Loki said.
"I don't think I've forgiven her yet. But I will someday, whether she accepts me or not."
Loki and Sorrow continued walking down the hall in silence. Loki thought about how she wanted to give her mother a second chance. Maybe, if he told her what he had done and what he was, she would give him a chance too. What was he thinking though? She was a slave girl. She was probably only talking to him because he had told her to. She called him by name because he told her to. She showed up every day at his door because she had to. She had played in the snow with him because he had. They were now in the library and Loki sighed. He had to know.
"Sorrow?"
She looked up at him. "Yes, Loki?"
"Tell me the truth. Do you enjoy my company?"
Sorrow was silent for a moment. Loki's heart sank. What if she didn't? Maybe he shouldn't have asked. He would rather remain oblivious than to be rejected again. "Yes. I do enjoy your company." She said. Loki stared at her, his eyes narrowing, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. He was trying to see if she was lying. She wasn't showing any signs of lying, but then again, it was Sorrow. He wouldn't be able to tell if she was happy or sad if his life depended on it.
Sorrow was already among the gigantic shelves of books. She was searching for a book, and he knew which one it was. He had left it in his room, but he didn't want to disappoint her. He used his magic and in a flash, the book was in his hand. He hadn't gotten very far into the book. Maybe about a third of the way. He snuck up behind her and whispered into her ear. "Is this the one you are looking for?" He asked.
She jumped slightly and quickly turned around to see him. Loki was suddenly aware of how close they were. His pulse quickened slightly and he became aware of everything that was Sorrow. He had never noticed the faint freckles that littered her nose and under her eyes. Her deep, vibrant blue eyes shone, putting sapphires to shame. Her pale skin made her eyes stand out, almost enchanting him. Her thin, red lips were currently pulled into a tiny smile, so small it was invisible unless close enough. Her light brown hair was loose, and it fell to her shoulders with a slight wave. She smelled of winter, like fresh snow on the ground. He felt a sudden temptation to kiss her. He quickly pulled away, a blush rising to her cheeks, and he could feel his own heat up as well.
He held out the book to her. "Oh… thank you. I forgot you had it." She said, a smile growing on her face. This was only the second time he had ever seen her fully smile, and she was stunning. She gently pulled the book from his hands, still staring into his eyes. They were pulled out of their trance when a loud snore coming from the ancient librarian who was never awake. Sorrow turned away from him, walking over to one of the chairs that surrounded a table. Loki stared at her.
He wanted to scold himself for being such an idiot, but he couldn't. His mind had gotten scrambled when he had seen her smile. He would never tire of seeing her smile. He remembered his plan, but over the past few months, it seemed its importance had been fading. Sorrow was right, his mother and Thor loved him (though he still had doubts about Odin), and if he were to destroy Asgard, they would die.
What was Sorrow doing to him?
Sorrow could have sworn Loki was going to kiss her when he was handing her the book, but he hadn't. She had probably mistaken it as something else. When Loki had asked her if she enjoyed his company, she had wanted to embrace him and tell him that he was stupid for thinking otherwise, but she couldn't. Her mind wouldn't let her. It would have been very un-Sorrow like, probably making things awkward. She sighed as she sat down and opened the book, bringing her mind back from "Lala Land".
"King Obsidian was furious that the twelve princesses had found a way to escape his wrath. He could not turn them back from stone, for the stars themselves had shone upon them. Eleven of the princesses had been dancing for him and his sons, when they had disappeared in a flash of light.
King Obsidian had sent his eldest son, Thunderson, to find Princess Rosa, for she was the one that had been missing. His son had returned, saying the princesses had be turned to stone by the stars. King Obsidian cursed the stars. They had interfered with his plans far too often. He would have to get rid of them, for they would never release the twelve dancing princesses unless they were gone. But he had no way of doing that.
With all of the power he had, he could not compete with the stars, for the stars were love, beauty, and hope. Foolish mortals wished on the stars, believing the selfish jewels in the sky would even listen to them. Only rarely had the stars ever granted a mortal's wish, for a mortal passed away in the blink of an eye compared to their lifetimes. But the stars loved the princesses just as they had the Queen.
The stars were drawn to anything beautiful, and as selfish as they were, often didn't like to let go. Turning the princesses into stone would preserve the princess' beauty for centuries to come. While King Obsidian was almost immortal, he was not fully immortal. He fed off of the strength of others. As the princesses danced, their strength was slowly siphoned from them. Their energy would be used for better purposes than for their lives.
The King suddenly remembered the lover of Princess Rosa, the prettiest and eldest of all the sisters. The lover had foolishly entered his realm, trying to defeat him, but he had stolen the young gardener's soul which he now kept. The stars, as much as they loved beauty, could not deny the power of true love. If the gardener were to be seen grieving for his love, the stars would be forced to releases the princesses. And because the princesses had missed the Midnight Ball for the last few months, they had broken the contract he had made with the Queen. The princesses would be his, and soon, his sons would wed.
He summoned the gardener's soul."
Sorrow closed the book. She hated King Obsidian. He was a monster. She stood up and placed the book in its spot on the bookshelf. Loki was nowhere to be seen, so she grew a little worried that he had left her. "Loki?" She asked the silence. She saw Loki's head peek around the corner of a shelf.
"Yes?"
Sorrow frowned. "Sorry… I didn't see you. I thought you had left."
Loki was now walking towards her, a book about yarn in hand. "Why would I have left?" He too wore a frown.
"I don't know. I can't always predict what you're going to do." She said shyly.
"I can't always predict you either, but you would stay with me wherever I went. I don't think it would be fair to leave you alone without knowing where I was. I will never leave you. Understand?" Sorrow nodded. She was trying hard not to blush. "Good. Now, come. I would like to do something else." Sorrow followed Loki out the door.
Winter began to get rougher and colder, but Sorrow and Loki still walked in the garden at least every other day. Sorrow was grateful for the winter things Loki had given her. The coat helped enormously. She had managed to keep them hidden from Eirrah and Sadine, so she was safe. Today, there was at least two feet of snow on either sides of the path they were walking on. The path had been shoveled, so the snow didn't cover it as deeply. There were still some spots with very slippery ice. The sun shone brightly today, casting an uncomfortable light over the snow, making it melt. The sky was clear, except for the clouds in the distance. A storm was heading towards them, but it would most likely not arrive until nightfall.
Today, Sorrow walked alone. Loki had told her to go ahead of because he had to get something, so she was strolling through the garden. She got to the end of the shoveled path, two feet of snow covering the rest. Some shovels were by the side of the path, as if some people had just left to take a break. Sorrow decided this would be a good place to wait for Loki to catch up.
Something hit her from behind and she fell into the snow, her face getting covered in the freezing substance. At first she thought Loki had started another snowball fight, but it was too hard to be a snowball. Her head spun and she heard ringing in her ears. She looked back to see Eirrah and Sadine standing over her, holding a shovel.
"Maybe she can help us finish our chore!" Sadine said.
"She looks too warm to me. Look how wet her face is." Eirrah said, eyeing her with fake concern.
Sorrow tried to get away from them, but she couldn't. Sadine tore her scarf off, throwing it to the side of the path. Eirrah grabbed the gloves off her hands. Sorrow was freezing already. The bitter cold air stung her recently warm hands and neck. Both Eirrah and Sadine pulled her coat off of her, but instead of throwing it aside, Eirrah held it up to herself, comparing sizes. "I think I'll keep this. Thank you for the gift." Eirrah said with a mean smirk. She swung it around her shoulders, and the bullies admired the coat together.
"Where did you get these things anyways?" Sadine asked. "You must have stolen them."
"They were given to me!" Sorrow defended herself. "Give it back!" She was now shivering hard. She could feel the snow soaking her dress. She stood up the best she could. It must have been only ten degrees out.
Eirrah and Sadine looked at each other, then burst out laughing. "The little rat thinks she can tell us what to do. Let's teach her a lesson." Eirrah said.
Sadine grabbed her arm and twisted it painfully behind her back. Sadine forced Sorrow onto her knees and shoved her face into the snow, completely. The cold stung Sorrow's face to the point where it felt she was on fire. Just like if you held something too cold for too long and your fingers would start to hurt. This was a million times worse. Her eyes stung from the cold, making her want to scream. She choked on the snow and water, trying to breath, but breathing in snow, making her cough. Sadine let go of her, and she was shoved roughly into the snow.
Sorrow quickly got her head out of the snow, coughing so hard it felt like her lungs were on fire. She had been held under the snow for almost a full minute, but since it wasn't completely water she had still been able to breathe a little, but her lungs still hurt. She couldn't feel her head at all, or her hands. Her eyes stung fiercely from the cold burn, so she could barely make out her tormentors' laughter.
She was shivering so hard it must have looked like she was having a seizure. Then, she saw Sadine and Eirrah run away. She felt Loki's hand on the side of her face. He picked her up out of the snow and laid her on the path that had been shoveled. Both his hands cupped her face, and warmth started to spread through her head and neck again. A soft green glow was emanating from his hands, his magic healing her until she could feel her face again.
"Sorrow?! Are you alright?" Loki asked urgently as he helped her sit up.
"Yeah…" She was slightly disoriented, but Loki's magic had rejuvenated her.
"Who are those slaves that keep doing this to you?!" Loki asked angrily.
"Eirrah and Sadine." Sorrow replied shakily.
Loki draped her coat over her shoulders and slid her hands into the gloves. He finished by wrapping the scarf gently around her neck. Loki helped her stand up, his arm around her waist to support her. "We should go inside." Loki said.
"Okay." Sorrow didn't argue. She was still cold. Loki helped her walk back to the servant's quarters. She took off her wet winter stuff and put it in a pile by her bed. She sat on her bed and wrapped herself up in the blanket. Loki sat next to her, constantly asking if she was alright.
"I'm going to kill them!" Loki spat.
Sorrow reached an arm out of her blanket and touched Loki's shoulder. His pale blue eyes snapped to meet hers. "It's fine… really. I'm okay. They don't deserve to be punished." She said softly. She had warmed up significantly, the blanket keep her a perfect warm.
"What do you mean? I bet they're the fault for have the punishments you've received!"
"Let's just say they weren't the best treated slaves in Asgard. When I first met them, the day I was given to the slavers, they were in terrible shape. They had been beaten to the point where I couldn't even see their faces. They were scared and angry. They only had each other, and they only act the way they do because that's how they were treated. Don't punish them. Please." Sorrow said.
Loki studied her face. "I won't punish them if they don't hurt you. You are mine. Do you understand that?"
Sorrow only thought he meant that she was his because she was a slave, but she nodded her head.
Loki finally seemed to calm down. He conjured something and hung it in front of her face. It took her a second to realize it was a necklace. It was a tiny clear bottle that was outlined with silver, only the size of her thumb nail. A sapphire and emerald were inside the tiny bottle. The sapphire was the color of her eyes. A deep, vibrant blue. The emerald was the color of Loki's green. A deep, rich green. Sorrow was confused as to why he had it. He was a man, and this was clearly not his. She was surprised when he clasped it around her neck. She looked down at it with wide eyes and then looked back at Loki. "Who's is this?" She asked.
"Yours." Loki said with a playful smirk.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because. You are mine." Loki said.
"They will think I stole this. Slaves aren't allowed to wear such things." She said reluctantly. She loved the necklace. It was stunning. She didn't want to give it up.
"And who would argue with me when I have given you permission?" Loki asked.
Sorrow couldn't help it. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. This was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. Ever. She had never received a gift of this value. She felt Loki's hands rest on her back as he pulled her closer in the embrace. After a moment, she pulled away, a tiny smile on her face.
Silence passed, and Loki broke it. "Is your bed made of bricks?" He asked.
"I don't know. Maybe." Sorrow replied.
Loki conjured another blanket. "Here. It's thick, so at least it will feel like something soft on top of a brick." Loki handed her the blanket. It looked just like her first, but it was twice as thick. Sorrow's head was spinning. Why was he giving her so many gifts?! He had given her winter stuff, two blankets, and a necklace.
"Thank you." Was all she could say.
I hope that wasn't too cheesy... You can tell me if it was and I'll make the next chapters less cheesy. I am SUPER glad you peoples are liking my stories! A few of you have started reading my other one, which I am super happy about! I love Terezah. Still working on finishing her story. Thanks for the support! Don't forget to comment :) I'll probably post my next chapter later today, I just need to work out a few bugs in it.
