Chapter 62.
"Wake up Loki!" Floria said, shaking him and he opened an eye at her and laughed. She stood over him in her shift, her hair shone in the sun as it fell over her shoulders and he grinned at her. He reached up, pulling her onto the bed and rolled with her onto his side and held her close to him. She wiggled in his arms, trying to get free and giggled at him. He smelled her hair, revealing in how perfumed it was and in the year since their daughter was born he loved her all the more.
"No, I think we shall stay like this today and just enjoy the quiet." He said, feeling her shake him again as he closed his eyes.
"But you promised to take me to the Fair today, I honestly want to go and see all the things. There will be art, and music, and dancing, and races. Please, wake up and take me." She said and he laughed at her a moment before sitting up. She sat next to him, her eyes filled with light and he laughed at her.
"Very well. But, only if you wear the yellow dress. It looks so beautiful on you." He said and she laughed, her brown waves shaking as she shook her head and she leaned close to him.
"If My Prince wishes it." She said and kissed his cheek. He watched her crawl off the bed, running to the Bathing Chambers to get ready for the day and lay back on the bed and sighed in contentment. He crossed his arms behind his head, looking up at the patterns of clouds and sky painted on the ceiling and thought about the last Fair he attended.
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Nine Hundred Years Ago:
Thor ran ahead of them, Loki walking with his Mother politely and she smiled at her sons. The day was warm, and he was excited to see the paintings with Frigga but he had to compromise to let Thor watch the wrestlers in the arena. They both walked past a group of women, all of them giving their Queen a curtsey as they passed.
"He is so quiet, but always polite." One woman whispered about Loki.
"See how he walks with his Mother and minds her? So well behaved, a perfect gentleman." Another answered. Loki felt his neck turn red at their praise and he stopped his Mother before she stepped into a mud puddle and ruined her shoes. He removed his cloak, laying it over the filth, and the women smiled in approval as he allowed The Queen to step over the garment. Thor stopped, seeing the display and felt jealous at the praise he heard from the people who saw how Loki acted.
"A true gentleman." One man said and applauded the dark haired Prince as Loki picked up the soiled cloak and cleaned it using magic. "Watch that my Son and learn, you treat a lady that way, and you will never want for anything."
"Come on! The matches are about to start!" Thor shouted, crossing his arms and Loki sighed at his louder brother. Frigga smiled patiently at her son, taking his hand and leaning close to him.
"We will see them, dont fret. It gets you nowhere to be loud and rude." Frigga corrected him, her tone even and patient as people smiled. Thor groaned, and crossed his arms at his Mother, glaring at Loki for being the center of attention.
"And I suppose you and Loki will take your time in the galleries, and I will only get to see two matches." Thor sighed, already earning a few looks of shock.
"Mother is more than fair Thor." Loki said and sighed. "We will see your interests, then ours."
"Don't tease me! It is not your place to speak so to me as if you are my better!" Thor shouted, closing his fists and storming toward the Arena. Frigga patted the top of his head, her smile gentle and she looked down at her more sensitive son. Her eyes were filled with sympathy, and she shook her head softly.
"Don't you worry now, he will see his fights and we will see our art. Why don't you get us some apples from that vendor for us to eat while we watch the games?" She asked him, handing his three coins and he nodded to his Mother. He bowed to her, and smiled at the responsibility he was given, planning a rather mean prank for Thor for his being rude to their Mother.
"Yes Mother. I will choose the sweetest and freshest apple for you." Loki said and walked to the vendor. The plump woman watched the young Prince as he selected three apples carefully, and accepted his money. Loki then made his way through the crowd, entering the Arena and pausing to take and apple and waved a hand over it to add an extra surprise for when his rude Brother took a bite of it. Grinning, he walked up the seating and found both Thor and Frigga watching the first match and presented his mother with her apple. Thor took his, standing to cheer at the winner of this match and he nearly threw his apple in his excitement. Loki sat, sighing at the boorish display and took a bite of his as Frigga ate some of hers.
"Did you know, that there is a way to cover apples in caramel to make the sweeter? I think I would like to try that." Loki told his Mother and she laughed.
"That does sound very good. Perhaps we will find a vendor that sells them, and share one?" She suggested and Loki grinned as he thought about the sweet treat. She tapped the end of his boyish nose, and he wiggled it at her in the way that made her laugh. On the other side of Frigga, he noticed Thor taking a bite of his apple and grinned.
"DISGHUSTING!" Thor said and spit out the piece of apple in his mouth. He looked down at the fruit, eyes widening in horror and gagged as he saw the nest of worms in the center of the apple. The blonde Prince ran from his seat, covering his mouth and turning green.
"Thor!" Frigga shouted, her mouth falling open at the sight of the apple and she chased after her son. Loki followed, finding Thor throwing up at the edge of a clearing and laughed as he walked over.
"You should have seen your face." Loki laughed, clapping his hands and Thor glared at his brother and wiped his chin. "Serves you right, you were acting like a spoiled..."
"You and your stupid magic! When are you going to learn that real warriors do not fight that way! You fight like a girl, and act like one too! Always clinging to Mother's skirts like the daughter she never had, no one will ever marry you!" Thor shouted, stalking toward Loki and he poked his finger into his chest. "I hope the Frost Giants take you to freeze and die!"
Loki stood in silence, looking at Thor and his mouth fell open in shock. They had quarreled in the past, but never had Thor wished him dead. Loki stood mutely, trying to think of something to counteract the string of insults but nothing came. Thor turned away from him, stalking toward the calls of their Mother and did not look back.
"I fight as well as anyone." Loki said to himself, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his tunic. He did not realize he had been crying, and sniffed to collect himself before joining his family and they walked back to the Castle. That night, he asked Frigga to find him a swordsman to teach him how to fence. From that day on, he spent hours devoting his studies to magic and fencing. By the time he came of age, he was a master sorceror and swordsman. But no girl showed him any attention, he spoke with many of the Ladies around Frigga and never caught any eyes except for one. But she was drawn to Thor in the end.
But he always remembered how people viewed his talents, and felt less a man because of them.
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He sighed, remembering growing up as the slender magician against the muscular bulk of Thor and heard the chamber doors open. Sari and Thor entered, the small blonde holding her stomach. He raised and eyebrow, and waved a hand. Fandral took to making sure his old friend was not taken advantage of, but now he wondered if someone had bedded the fallen Princess. He laughed to himself, remembering the reaction of Fandrsl and Volstagg being howling laughter. Leaving Thor friendless, and suffering with only other women to talk to.
"Are you unwell?" Loki asked the suffering Blonde, Sari vanishing to assist her Mistress with her dressing. Thor shook her head, looking pale and Sari poked her head into the room.
"She has her cycle again, and it is giving her awful pains this time." She said and closed the Bathing Chambers door. Loki opened his wardrobe, selecting a light, emerald tunic and a pair of leather trousers in brown. He heard Thor whimper in pain, and pulled the shirt over his head. He walked to his portions, looking through them and pulled down a vial he kept for Floria and took it to Thor.
"It tastes awful, but two drops under your tongue should help the pains. You should be restored soon." He said and Thor took the potion. She groaned at the taste, but swallowed the two drops and gave it back to him.
"I do not know how women suffer through this every month. It is hel, and I cannot take this much longer. I am a man... not a weak and small woman." Thor said, Loki laughing to himself and changed his pants. He sat down in a chair, watching Thor change the sheets and sighed.
"You brought it onto yourself, have you ever thought that your arrogance and bravado would take you down a bad path?" Loki said and saw a bright red spot on Thors dress, doing his best not to laugh. "You tried to force yourself on a woman as she slept, you turned away your Wife, and acted like a petulant child. You are lucky Hogun does not emasculate you after your punishment is over."
"I dont need a lecture Loki. Least of all from you." She said and threw the sheets into the basket and planted her hands on her hips. "I hate this body, and everything about it."
"You are about to hate it even more. You have blood on your skirts." Loki said and Thor turned to see herself in the mirror. Her eyes opened in horror and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing as she knelt on the floor.
"Now I see why they were laughing at me. All the Guards as I walked by, they know what is going on with this body. I will be laughed at for this, they will never forget!" She wailed and Loki felt a bit of pity for her. He waved his hand, making the blood vanish and sighed.
"I cleaned it away, you can stop weeping. Have you ever thought that apologizing for once, taking responsibility for your actions would help Odin decide to restore you earlier than ten years?" Loki asked and he handed Thor a piece of chocolate cake from the breakfast tray.
"I am sorry for what I did, I just don't know if Floria will believe me." Thor said and looked at his lap. "I also... I like Sera very much."
"You like her? Well that is a step in the right direction."
"Shut up. She helped me this morning with this... condition. She also resisted making jokes about it, unlike you." Thor snapped, making the bed and glared back at him. Loki shrugged, shaking his head and walked over to her.
"You may find that an apology does go a long way. Try it, and Floria can put in a word for you with Odin." Loki said and sighed. "It would also help you to not be arrogant when you do."
The Bathing Chambers Doors opened and Floria walked out and smiled, she looked stunning in the yellow dress with the small blue, embroidered flowers. Loki beaming at her and she turned for him to admire her, he opened his arms and she walked to his embrace. She blushed as he kissed the top of her head, taking her hands suddenly and dancing around the room with her.
"You said I should wear this one." Floria said and he smiled at his Wife.
"I did, only because you make it so very beautiful." Loki replied and kissed her cheeks. "What do you wish to see first today? The Sports, Livestock?"
"May we start with the Gallery?" She asked and he beamed at her. He pinched her chin, kissing the end of her nose and laughing.
"If that is what you want, we shall do it. I would like to see the sculptures as well, I hear they are most extraordinary this year." Loki said, taking her hand and leading her to the doors.