Mora was at Vilvi's door bright and early that morning with a brand new dress sent by Queen Frigga. Apparently everyone in the palace had been buzzing with the gossip of Vilvi's lunch in the garden with Thor and the entire atmosphere was just sheer excitement. Well, except for Vilvi of course. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, un-amused, as she watched her handmaidens fix her hair and makeup.
There was a knock at Vilvi's door, and Mora answered it. Vilvi didn't look to see who it was, but she heard Sif's voice before Mora cut her off, "Sorry, but Princess Vilvi isn't seeing any visitor's, she's far too busy getti-"
"Mora!" Vilvi shouted, standing from her seat at her vanity table and waving away her hand maidens. "You will not speak so rudely to Lady Sif." Vilvi insisted as she moved to see Sif in the doorway of her chamber. "I will see her, and you may go." Vilvi order as she also dismissed her handmaidens.
As all the handmaidens left swiftly, Mora remained still, staring at Vilvi with shock and disbelief in her eyes. Never had Vilvi shouted like that at Mora, Vilvi had always taken Mora's orders never had Vilvi been the one giving the orders. Sif awkwardly slipped past Mora in the doorway and finally after a bit of a glare from Vilvi, Mora left the room.
"You look lovely." Sif insisted as Vilvi gestured for her to sit on the edge of her bed.
"I don't know why Frigga insists on sending me all these gowns. Does she not think I have my own clothes?" Vilvi tried to joke as she sat next to Sif.
"Vilvi," Sif began, "I wanted to apologize for the way I acted last night at the feast. I admit I avoided coming to your table to congratulate Thor because all I could think about was…"
"That I'd be marrying him." Vilvi finished her sentence as she looked at her hands, folded simply in her lap. "Lady Sif," Vilvi began with a soft sigh, "You have to know that if I had a choice-"
"I know." Sif finished. "I know, which is why I'm so sorry, because I know you don't have a choice, and to be so rude to you because of that would be wrong of me. I just wanted you to know that I don't blame you at all, and I enjoy your company Vilvi and hope we can become wonderful friends despite this. Besides, you will make a great queen."
"I'm glad you think so."
Sif went on her way from there while Vilvi made hers to the garden. There was a large pavilion set up over the outside dining table, which was decorated with vases of flowers. She noticed a familiar styled box set on the table, wooden with similar carvings to those she had seen in old Veanarian books. The closer she looked she more she recognized the carvings to the be the crest of Nikia, a Veanarian Divine spirit of love and life. In Veanari, boxes with the crest of Nikia were used to hold a wife's charms; women in Veanari, upon marriage, often wore bracelets with different colored gems to symbolize certain milestones in their marriages.
"Princess Vilvi," Thor called to her as he walked upon a path that met with hers. "You look radiant." He complimented her as he took her arm and lead her the rest of the way to the table. "Isn't it lovely?" He asked as he gestured to the table.
"Stunning." She tried to sound excited the best she could, but knew she fell short of that goal.
Thor pulled out her chair for her and took his own seat and servants brought them wine. "Before we have lunch," Thor began without much hesitation, "I feel as if there's something we need to talk about." He cleared his throat and leaned forward just a bit in his seat, smiling softly at Vilvi. "I know we are to marry, and you are to become my wife." Vilvi felt a knot in her stomach the moment he brought it up, as if she thought she could actually go the whole afternoon without having to acknowledge that fact. "But I've never been fond of the idea of an arranged marriage Princess." He picked up the box with the Nikia crest and handed it to her. Vilvi took it and glanced down at it for a moment before turning her eyes back to Thor. "So, I'm asking you, Vilvi, would you marry me?" she watched his eyes as he looked down at the box, and as if he instructed her to do so, Vilvi then opened it to see a small silver chain with a single pink gemstone; the gem of proposal.
She looked at him, smiling with a false sense of excitement as she whispered a forced, "Yes."
Thor, now beaming with exhilaration took the box from Vilvi's hands and proceeded to take out the bracelet and fit it around her wrist. "I did my research," He informed her as he clasped the bracelet on her, "I hope you like it."
"Of course I do, it's beautiful." That part wasn't a lie; she did find it beautiful in such a simple way. She had always thought about the day she'd receive her first wife's charm, but this wasn't exactly how she had always assumed it to be.
"You're beautiful." Thor insisted as he caught Vilvi's eyes with a stare of strange admiration. He took her hand in his own, and with his other brought it to touch against her face as he had the night before. Except this time when he leaned towards her, it wasn't to kiss her forehead. This time he actually kissed her.
Her first kiss, and as awkward as it made her feel, she felt obligated to return the kiss. She never thought her first kiss would feel so forced, and so emotionless. That was when she felt it, a sense of being trapped. Trapped in a life she couldn't escape. She imagined it'd be a feeling she'd sooner or later get used to.