"Loki!" The small girl whisper yelled. She peered around the corner of the long hallway. The royal chambers. She knew this was off limits to her. She slowly made her way down the corridor. She was looking for him behind every vase and curtain. She didn't dare open the doors. "This isn't fair!"
When she turned to leave the corridor she slammed her body into a much taller figure. Her eyes widened when she met the gaze of the man before her. She dropped to her knee, arm across her chest, head down as she had seen the warriors do. "All Father." She addressed him.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head to see Odin crouched in front of her. He was smiling at her. "Up child. There is no need for that here." He told her. She rose back to her feet, he still crouched before her unlike she had ever seen him. "You must be looking for my son."
She nodded. She was afraid to speak. She often wondered how Loki had such ease talking to his father.
He nodded. "I believe I saw him run into his mother's sitting room." He rose to his full height before her. His hand extended to her. "I'll take you."
"I'm not allowed." She whispered again. Her eyes solely on his hand.
"I will not tell if you do not." He quipped.
She smiled then, her hand flying into his. Together they walked up the stairs that lead to the Queen's rooms. Odin knocked once, an immediate response coming from beyond the door allowing him entrance.
He opened the door and stood tall. She beamed at him, the wonders of inside the Queen's sitting room unknown to her. He cleared his throat. "The young Lady Astra." He said.
Loki came running forth then, catching her attention. He grabbed her free hand and pulled her from his father's side taking her to the table where his mother was. She glanced back at Odin who nodded at her before making his full entrance to the room and taking rest on a near by couch.
"Show me again mother." He pushed. "You have to see this. It's magnificent." He said to Astra, his hand holding tightly to hers.
Frigga smiled at the children before her. She opened her hand and sparks of colors flew up mere inches from her palm before dissipating. She watched as the both held their small hands out in front of them.
"How can we do that, mother? Please show us!" Loki had always been excited by magic. It was something he and Frigga shared, something no one else had. He wanted to share it with Astra too.
"It takes much patience my darlings. It is a skill that can be grown over time. Should you wish for me to teach you, I shall." She took each of their hands in one of hers. "However, it should not be taken lightly. To wield the magic of Asgard is special. You should be sure it is what you seek before we do so."
Loki looked to Astra, she seemed solemn. He looked back to his mother. "Not today, mother. Astra and I have an important matter to attend in the gardens. I have made a promise, you see."
Frigga smiled at her son, and nodded. "I see. Well I would not keep you from attending your important matter. But do consider it my son." She removed her hand from Astrs and lifted her chin with a gentle finger, "And you, Lady Astra. I would be proud to bestow my knowledge on to you as well." She repeated the title Odin had called her earlier, for she felt that he would continue to address her as such.
Astra smiled at the Queen. Her eyes wide and full of wonder. "Once more, Your Majesty, before we go?" She pleaded.
Frigga closed her eyes and nodded, "Stretch out your arms and place your hands palm side up." They did as she instructed. Placing her hand palm up in theirs. She conjured the colors once more. The children were intrigued. She closed her hands, the colors vanishing, "Alright. You made a promise, remember?" She smiled at her son.
Loki nodded to her and grabbed Astra's hand, together they ran from the room and down the corridor of doors that seemed much bigger than they were. He lead her to the garden, the one on the other side of the palace where no one visited.
She let go of his hand as they approached. Before her was a massive picnic. "Loki! Where did you get all of this." She smiled brightly at him.
"I am a prince." He said proud. "I just ask for things and they give them to me." He sat and motioned for her to do the same. She sat across from him. "See why I told you not to eat this morning?"
She nodded, eying all that lay before her. "Why are you so nice to me?" Her head down.
He was confused. She had been alone in the shop when he and Frigga came to buy ingredients for her potions. He begged his mother to speak with hers and allow them to play together. She had come to the palace everyday since then. "You are lonely. So am I. I thought we could be lonely together."
She smiled at him. "I do not think we are lonely, Loki. We have each other."
He nodded in agreement, "Can we eat or do you have more silly questions?" He looked at her for a moment awaiting her response.
"Do you think your mother would really teach me magic?" She grabbed a grape from the bowl and threw it at him.
He caught it and popped it into his mouth, "Of course. She loves to teach magic. She tried to teach Thor, but he didn't want to learn. He only wanted to go play with Sif."
She smiled wide at him. She was grateful to have him as a playmate. She liked being in the palace. And though she had few interactions with her, Queen Frigga was always so kind to her. Thor and Sif would often pick on she and Loki, but she would not let that bother her. It never seemed to bother him.
"Astra!" She heard someone call. She and Loki were laying next to the food now, bellies full and tiredness setting in. They lay head to head, his body going one way, hers going the other. She shot up. "Astra!" She heard again.
"Your mother calls." Loki stated, unmoving.
"I know." She sighed. "I will see you later." She stood just as her mother's figure turned the corner keeping them hidden from the rest of the court yard. "Coming mother!" She called to her, haulting her mother's movements. She ran from the area in which they lay. She noticed her mother's eyes lingering on Loki before finally turning to her.
"You were supposed to help me in the shop today, or did you forget?" Her mother scolded. Loki could hear them. He didn't like the way her mother talked to her. He wished that his own mother would find the sense to take Astra away from her. "I have asked you not to spend so much time here. The Queen will only have so much generosity toward you child."
She lowered her head. "I am sorry, mother." Her mother grabbed her hand and began pulling her away. She turned to glance at Loki once more unsure of when her mother would permit her to see him again.
They walked down to the market district in silence. Once they reached their shop her mother closed the door behind her and crouched down to be eye level with her. It was a moment before she spoke. 'Forgive me for being so harsh." She sighed. "We... You are not like them. They will be nice to you for a while, but when you are older..." She couldn't find the words to make what she had to say. "They are royalty and we are their subjects. They will be nice to you because they have a duty to their people. Those niceties run thin when you are there as often as you are."
Tears began to prickle behind her eyes. She couldn't imagine a time when Loki would not be nice to her. When Queen Frigga would turn her away. Even the All Father could not in her mind. No matter how old she got. "He is my best friend." She could not hold the tears back any longer.
Her mother pulled her close, wrapping her arms around her. She hadn't wished to break her daughter's spirit, but truth lie in what she said. She knew her place and it was time for Astra to learn hers.
That night Astra went to bed early. She would not eat. Not because she wasn't hungry, but because she was too sad to eat. She wanted Loki. He would tell her that she was being silly and they would be friends forever. That he would never tire of her or turn her away because of who she was or how her family lived.
She slipped from her covers long after she had heard her mother go to bed. She had never wandered through Asgard in the dark before but she knew only that she wished to see Loki. To tell him of the ridiculous things her mother had said. She made her way to the palace. Luckily through all their exploring she and Loki had located a secret entrance. It would put her just outside the library, from there she would only have to climb two sets of stairs, travel four more corridors and avoid all the Einherjar that patrolled the palace at night.
Her heart was beating fast. She had only seen his chambers once. He took her there to play. An Einherjar came to summon Loki to Queen Frigga and had informed her that the Royal Chambers were off limits to her. She feared that Einherjar would stand watch outside their doors. If they did, there would be no way for her to get past them and then her mother would know, and the Queen and All Father would know. She would never be allowed to come back. She stopped.
She jumped at the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. Much smaller than the earlier hand. "What are you doing here?" She turned and looked straight into Thor's eyes. She didn't speak. Of all the people, Thor was sure to tell on her.
"Please don't tell." She pleaded quietly. Tears brimmed her eyes. She had done a bad thing indeed.
He looked at her for another moment, a lifetime in her eyes. He smiled then, "I will not tell on you. Is it Loki you are going to?" He asked as though the question needed answering. He and Sif would so regularly tease them for being old and married though they were yet so young. They would just ignore their jests until they went away. He would often wonder why Loki wanted to be friends with a Shopkeeper's child. He couldn't see that they would truly have anything in common. They had not grown up the same. Loki was always trying to surprise her with things she would not normally have. As though he was trying to barter for her affections.
"Yes. I should not be here, I know." She lowered her head.
He found himself thinking. He should turn her away, make her go home, where she belonged. But he could not understand why the need to take her straight to Loki was so strong. If his father found out, he would have been in most serious trouble. He would not risk himself for her. He sighed. "I will take you to him. My father has requested a late meeting with the Einherjar. They will down there at least another hour, but I will not get you out. That you must do for yourself."
She snapped her head up, eyes wide. She smiled at him harder than she had ever smiled before. "You are most gracious, Prince Thor. I am in your debt."
He shook his head at her words and made his way to her side. He grabbed her hand and pulled her. "You owe me nothing." Another turn and they were standing in the hallway she had been in earlier. Up the stairs at the end she knew sat the Queens sitting room. Thor dropped her hand and pointed to a door in the middle of the hall on the left. "He should be in there."
"Thank you again." She smiled at him once more. She was unsure how to feel about him helping her. She never thought he would have before. After all of the things he and Sif would say. She knew that part of him did not like her because of her class. He could not understand her. She was surprised that Loki did and that was something that she did not understand about him. She slid silently to the door before knocking lowly. She waited, however she knew she would not wait long. She did not want to give the Einherjar time to return before she could make her leave. She had no way of knowing whether Thor had been telling the truth about their meeting and she would not risk that being a lie.
At last the door opened a crack. A sleepy eyed boy looked out, rubbing one eye. "Astra?" Perhaps he thought he was dreaming. After a moment, he realized she was real and opened the door wider for her to slip in. At the end of the hall he saw Thor. He had to admit that he was a little confused. Once she was inside and he closed the door he turned to her, but not really to her, his bed. Once he had crawled in, he lifted his blankets for her to get in too. She did so with haste.
"My mother said that you would grow tired of me when I am older. She said that your parents will, one day, no longer allow me here." She laid on her side facing him. His eyes were closed, almost fully asleep. He held his arms open to her and she slid closer to him, his arms wrapping around her.
"I may grow tired of you." He said lazily. She pulled her head away from his chest to look at him. He did not look at her. He only smiled slightly, "I am not tired of you now, but I am tired. Go to sleep. It will be better in the morning."