Chapter 3.
She limped along on her crutch next to him, Loki keeping a deliberate and slow pace to allow her to move with him. The Maids had returned earlier to help her bathe and dress again, this time she wore a soft blue and white cotton day dress. She put one of the shoes on, the other foot far too swollen still to wear the other. She disliked the shoe however, her feet never knowing the pinch of shoes for the Seven hundred fourty-six years she lived. Loki insisted she wear one, and she was afraid to be seen as ungrateful and earn his anger. He only wanted her to protect her feet from the rocks that could be on the path, nothing more.
"You will grow used to shoes, I imagine this is the first pair you had ever owned?" Loki asked, and she nodded at him silently. She still said little, and he found her that morning trying to make her own bed, leaning on the crutch as she worked and struggled not to make too much noise. Her silence obviously a forced trait from her previous Master, beaten into her cruelly. The Maids came and changed the sheets however, and she tried to do the work for them. Loki having to intervene and guide her to the breakfast tray, having her sit and eat before she made herself upset.
"The Garden is in full bloom." He said and she limped on, her good foot growing tired and sore from the flat slipper she wore of blue leather. She pushed on though, trying her best not to fall as they walked on.
"Is it far?" She asked him, being bold and he regarded her for a moment. She looked down, stopping and lifting an arm in fear of he being angry and to protect her face. He waited for her, shaking his head with a smile and beckoning her to follow again.
"Not much, you must be getting tired from only having one good foot. You may also slip your shoe off and sit on a bench if it pains you too much." He said and she nodded, catching up to him and limping on.
They came to the Garden, and Floria's eyes widened at the colors arpund her. The air carrying the scent of their perfume, and butterflies danced on the gentle breeze. He motioned her to a stone bench, and she sat down in the shade of the tree. They sat, and he noticed she was wiggling her foot out of the shoe, finding it amusing for a moment. She looked around as she freed her toes, her eyes everywhere and Loki watched her lips part in shock. A bird landed above them and twittered a song as they watched it, flying away at the end of its song.
"Tell me what you think Floria, you will not be punished." Loki said, and she looked away shily. Her cheeks coloring with a blush and she shook her head gently. Loki sat quietly, letting her enjoy the colors and the sun danced off her hair.
Her eyes darted about, and he thought of something to say and she stood quietly. She limped barefoot through the grass to the blushing pink roses, touching the flower and cradling the bloom in her good hand. She smelled the flower, inhaling the perfume and he watched her as she limped to the lavender bed and smelled the fragrant blossoms. Her hand danced over the dhalias, and the large firework blooms in riots of colors attracted her. But the fragrant jasmine and lilac blossoms, made her pause and take a deep breath to inhale their perfume again.
Loki joined her, picking a peach rose and picking the thorns off the stem to give her. He put it in her hair, tucking the strands around it and she smiled at him softly. She hid her face, and he laughed.
"There is no reason to hide your face, would you like to see the Stables? I hear there are new foals and a litter of kittens ready and playing about." Loki said and she nodded, he watched her collect her shoe and he walked to her.
"It is far, and I don't want you to injure yourself further. May I carry you?" He asked and she stepped back, her fingers closed nervously over the top of the crutch and she thought for a long time.
"Is it proper My Prince?" She asked, her voice very small and he laughed.
"I would not be a gentleman if I made you limp all that way. It would be awful of me, to be honest." He said and she hopped on her foot toward him. He put one of her hands on his shoulder, picking up the painfully light girl and carrying her along as she held her crutch to her chest.
He walked over the field, walking past the pasture and she felt strangely safe in his arms. Some part of her mind telling her that Loki held no malace toward her, and that she would be safe form anything that meant her harm. She tried not to let herself become too attached however, fearing that his kindness would turn toward anger and pain for her. He was however, still patient and good to her.
"We are almost there, I am glad you are light." Loki said, and she looked at the horses in the pasture. They trotted happily, pausing to graze in the afternoon sun. That is Buttercup and her mate Excelesior, it is a hope that they will breed soon. Astrid is the one that just birthed a foal, and they are resting. I believe you met my horse in the woods, Neverwhere." He said and she craned her neck over his shoulder to see the horses, she relaxed back down and let him take her to the stables.
They walked into the cool, shadowy building and he set her down carefully. In one stall, a beautiful, golden mare lay with her foal. Both laying on the straw and resting, the baby nuzzling his mother. He had golden patches among his mother's golden brown fur, and a half moon shape on his muzzle in brown. Floria smiled at them, carefully undoing the latch and entering the stall. She sat on the straw, holding her hands out for the mare to smell.
"Her name is Astrid, and they called the foal Lune." Loki said, watching her pet the horse. The foal stood on wobbly legs, walking to her and nuzzling at her hair.
"They are most pretty Sir." Floria said, and looked back at him. "Prettier than Master's horses."
"Did you see them often?" He asked, crouching down next to her and she nodded. She looked afraid for a moment, and he showed her his empty hands. She hid her face, not wanting to remember what she endured but spoke anyway.
"I lived in the barn. And cleaned their stalls alone, they were my inly friends." She said and he looked sad for her, his emerald eyes closing.
"I am sorry for what was done to you." Loki said and stood, he left her to pet the horses clenching his fists in anger. To his left, a white kitten trotted by and explored. An orange tabby following, the Stable Master and two boys chasing after them.
"Father! There is a girl in here!" One boy shouted and took his brown, felt hat off out of courtsey.
"She is hurt Papa!" The other boy said. And the white kitten walked between their feet and into the stall. Loki hurried back, and the Stable Master Shref looked in.
"Baron, Rollo! She is a guest of the Prince, I saw him bring her. She is doing no harm, now let her be." Shref said and he looked from the next stall in on her. "Hello Lady, I see the kitten has found you. The boys call that one Crystal."
"A fine little kitten." Loki said and scratched the fluffy white baby between the ears.
"Aye My Prince. The rest are over in the end stall. If the Lady wants one, she may take it." Shref said and Loki nodded, feeling that something to take care of would be good for his charge.
"She is pretty." Rollo said, and his brother stopped him and drug him away.
"We will go take care of the pasture." Baron said and pulled his brother away, Shref laufhed at his sons and shook his head.
"Noticing girls, and pretty ones especially. I worry now that they will find one that will marry them." Shref said, tipping his hat to Floria. "Lady, go on and pick a kitten. There are five others."
She petted the one curling in her lap and purring away, Loki chuckled and nodded at them. Floria tried to stand while picking up Crystal, but had a hard time of it. He stepped into the stall, and held his hand out to her and helped her up. Together, they walked to the last one and saw the kittens playing in a box with their mother nearby.
"Go ahead and pick one Floria, it will be good for you to have a little friend." He said and she took the white kitten from his hand. She cradled it in her arms, and the kitten purred loudly. She smiled at it, and nodded.
"I like this one Sir." She said, and he laughed a bit. "She chose me."
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That night, Loki watched Floria play with the kitten with a bit of ribbon. She giggled, making the little creature dance in circles to catch the end of the toy and closed the book in his hands. Something crossed his mind, and it made him frown as she sat on the rug and dangled the toy again for her pet. Something about how the boy looked at her, the longing in his eyes and how he removed his hat. She was attractive, if you looked past the bruises and would truly be a light for a man. He would loose her to such a thing, and possibly never see her again. He ignored his thoughts, returning to her at play with the kitten.
The kitten tumbled over on the rug, correcting herself and jumping into the air to reach for the string. She laughed again, and Loki realized that it was the first time he heard such a sound come form her. He mentally cursed the cruelty she had endured, and did his best to keep his features neutral. One small thought nagged at his mind then, a rumor he had heard about a measure to keep the Vanir Slaves from rising up. Denying them an education, and keeping them illiterate was a common practice among their Masters. Or so he had heard.
"Floria? Can you read?" He asked her and she stopped, her hands folding and she looked down at them. She shook her head, worried about the conquences of what she confessed and shivered.
"Can you write your name?" He asked her and for the same response.
"Would you like me to teach you these things?" Loki asked her and she looked up at him in suprise. She looked at the book in his hands, her thoughts her own and the kitten nudged at her hands with her nose. She blinked, looking around her and thinking.
"What if I cannot learn?" She asked him, and he laughed. She looked back at him, and shook her head.
"You can, it will take time however and patience." He said and she scratched at the kitten's belly. her fingers soothed the small ball of fur, Crystal purring loudly at the touch.
"Think on It, and I will be very willing to teach you." He said and she nodded.
"Please Sir, I do want to learn." She said and he smiled.
"Tomorrow we may start, I will teach you how to write the letters and then read a basic book for children." He said and she smiled, he returned to his book and she played more with her kitten and he found he enjoyed the sound of her laughter.