Chapter 74.
Floria woke first, a strong arm around her and a smooth chest under her cheek. She savored the closeness, Loki breathing softly and his heart beating in a steady rythm. He shifted slightly, and she traced her fingers over his stomach. He stirred, looking down at the playful woman and he smiled.
"You are tickling me." He said, and she giggled as her hand stilled. "Be careful that you do not stir my desires."
"If you do not want them stirred, I shall stop." She said, remembering how she dreamed of the beautiful garden and she pressed her lips together. His hand caressed her back through her shift, and she looked at his black, linen sleep pants. Her mind wandering back to Sofia and her flirtations, and she shifted to look at him.
"I did not say I did not want them stirred I only wanted to have a chance to love you properly.." He said and she blushed and he sat up on his hip, his hand rubbing her belly.
"I misunderstood you, I am sorry." She said and he kissed her softly, she giggled as his hand guided hers to his body. He held it over him, closing his eyes and she slipped her hand under his waistband.
"Gods Floria, you are an amazing woman." He said and he tugged the lacing on her shift. "I could never look at another woman, not when I have so much desire in me for you."
He kissed her, sliding her shift off and over her head. Her hands worked his pants off and she moved closer to him. His fingers trailed down her stomach, finding her aroused and she gasped as he caressed her gently. Her head arched back and she moaned, his fingers working her up and she held to his arms. He settled himself between her legs, she welcoming him and she kissed him.
"My beautiful Nightengale, how you sing." He purred and kissed her lips gently, her arms clinging to him and never wanting to let go.
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Sofia helped change the sheets as her Mistress and King ate, her eyes falling on the telltale signs of love having been made and she frowned. It was a failure on her part, and it could not happen again. She had to separate them, and try harder to put herself in the bed before her. She heard Floria laugh, and she stood in her goldenrod gown. She watched them dance together, and she felt her hands tighten into fists.
"I love this color on you." He said and the other Maids giggled as they worked, one girl handing her another gift from the Jotun Court and Loki stopped her before she could open the box. Floria looked at him and he ope ed his hands and she gave it to him, his hands closing over it and he concentrating. She sat with him on the couch in the sitting room, her eyes worried and she bit her lip.
"I am only making sure it is safe, there are still some hostilities between our realms. I will be sure to teach you all about them, for your safety." He said and she smiled at him, her heart pounding with joy at the gesture. She leaned forward, kissing his cheek and he caressed hers in affection.
"He is so gentle and loving with her." Melian said to Sari and they both giggled, both girls trying to hide their faces from the livers as they overheard the conversation. Floria laughed and Loki kissed her nose softly, showing off a bit and the girls went back to their work and giggled.
"May I open the box now?" She asked him, her hands open and he placed it into them.
"Yes. It is quite safe, and I am curious what they have sent you." He replied and she opened the wooden case. Turning it to show him a golden bracelet, set with Amber and diamonds.
"It is so beautiful, and will compliment my dress. Don't you agree Husband?" She asked and he nodded, taking it from the box and fixing it around her wrist. "I will thank their Ambassador personally, to show that we do wish peace."
"Very wise, and I believe that it will go far to show them that we wish no open hostilities between our realms." He said and Sofia carried the dirty sheets away, she felt sick at the open signs of affection between them and needed away from her charge.
"I only want you to guide me if you feel I may make a mistake, I am so very new to this station." She replied and he put and arm around her, his lips on her neck and she blushed as her hands found his.
"Willingly, but we had better stop acting like new lovers, I want you to come with me to Council. I want them to see us both for the first days of our Reign, that way they will never mistake how strong we are together." He said and gave her a book, her hands turning it and she opened the cover and marveled at what she saw.
"Your Poems! You published them!" She said and he nodded, turning the page and she saw the dedication. "To My Queen, may all see her beauty and grace."
"And I pray they do." He said, helping her to stand and she wrapped her arms around Loki, her eyes shining.
"I cannot ask for a kinder gift, thank you so much." She said, and he held her back. The Maids giggled, running toward the book and reading the first poem and sighing, their sighs of longing filling the room as one swooned. Floria blushed, Loki grinning at them and she laughed at him.
"Shall we go? I believe that the Ladies will be well occupied in your absence." He said and offered her his elbow, she took it and they left as another chorus of giggles filled the room behind them.
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Loki walked back toward his chambers, Lady Sofia walking toward him and she gave him a low curtsy. Her arms were filled with fresh towels, and she nearly dropped them. He paused, looking at her and her cheeks flushed.
"Lady Sofia, has my Wife returned to our chambers safely?" He asked her, praying mentally that she would not use this as a chance to flirt.
"She had my King. She was embroidering in peace when I left to fetch fresher towels and linens for you, the last had a stale odor to them that was most unseemly." She said and stood, her low gown presenting him with her decolletage. He averted his eyes, her soft giggles filling his ears and she blushed again.
"Your poems are so passionate, if I am allowed to pay you such a bold compliment. They are so stirring, and so well thought out." She said then, and he looked at her as she stood proudly. She did have a certain grace to her, and she was free with compliments as she spoke.
"You may say so, I am most pleased that you found them so Lady Sofia. Please, don't let me keep you from your duties." He said and a door down the hall opened and closed, footsteps approaching them. She giggled, and looked at him again with her wide blue eyes.
"I am always pleased to praise such a good man and King." She said, a sudden stop in the steps making them look up. Floria stood in the hall, her smile sweet as he stepped back from the Maid and opened his hand to her.
"Floria, I was coming to see you. Your Lady is diligent in ensuring that we have fresh linens that do not smell stale." He said and she walked forward to take his hand, she smiled at Sofia and nodded her head.
"Yes, I ran short of blue threads and was going to see if the seamstresses had any more." She replied and he kissed her cheek softly. He lingered, not letting anyone see anything but their affections for eachother. He especially wanted Sofia to see, his eyes on Floria the entire time.
"May I walk with you? I am weary from having to pass judgment on a terrible murderer." He said and she nodded and smiled. "Perhaps, we could take a brief shortcut through the gardens as we walk. I need to see something beautiful, and the flowers as well."
"If it pleases you, I cannot deny that I crave your company at times." She said and he laughed at her sweet words. Lady Sofia gave them a curtsy, her smile hiding her curses of Floria and she returned to her task.
"I crave yours as well, it is my only relief from these awful tasks." He said and she smiled at him shily. She took his elbow, allowing him to escort her and she walked. She worried about Sofia, wondering if she should be afraid of him taking a Mistress and leaving her alone as the silent Queen in waiting. The girl was younger and very beautiful, her hair always gleaming in golden waves and so graceful from years of being taught poise and confidence. Floria felt her stomach tighten and she swallowed her fears, afraid to voice them.
"Such a beautiful vision." Loki said suddenly, and she jerked from her thoughts. Her eyes on him, and she frowned in fear that he was going to say it was Sofia.
"What do you mean? The gardens are always so beautiful, Queen Frigga has such talent with the plants." She replied, being a bit coy and he laughed as he pulled her behind a hedge for privacy. He caressed her cheek, his lips on her neck and she gasped.
"I meant you." He whispered and she blushed. She kissed him, his hands lifting her off the ground and crushing her to him.
"We shouldn't be like this in public, it would be a scandal." She said in a whispered panic and he laughed, his lips under her chin and he growled a bit.
"Then I will take you into the woods on a ride, then we can be as scandalous as we want and no one would see." He said and she laughed, her hand on his shoulder and the other behind his neck. He kissed along her kneck again, her breath growing ragged and she gasped as his hand lifted her skirts over her legs.
"Loki." She whispered, and she felt his hand grip her leg just above her stocking and he kissed her lips. "Someone would see, please."
"They will not, I have us hidden. Trust in me, I will never let them see you as I do." He replied and she gasped as he pushed into her. He smiled up at her, their lips meeting and she clung to him with her legs and arms. "I cannot resist you Floria, your beauty is that great. You are my Queen, and I desire none other."
"I love you." She whispered and a soft hum escaped her lips. He kissed her, her back to the hedge and they hidden from view. His hand caressed her breast through the layers of fabrics and she whimpered as her back arched, her toes pointed and her shoe fell to the ground behind him as her eyes went wide and he stilled suddenly.
"Gods and men Floria, I love you and swear it now." He said and he held her, their passion cooling after a hot fire. She trembled in his arms, holding tight to him as he adjusted his clothes to close the lacings on his pants. He smoothed her skirts down, both of them falling to lay in the grass and allow themselves time to recover.
"I love you." She said and snuggled into his arms, her heart still pounding as she breathed softly.
"And I worship you." He said laughing and shifting to removing something under his hip. He pulled her shoe out from behind him, handing it to her and she blushed. "I believe this is yours."
"It is. I am so thankful I am not too much of a mess, the tounges would never stop wagging." She laughed, trying to put the shoe back on and he laughed at her. He kissed her, and they lay together quietly and watched the clouds.
"I suppose you still need your thread." He said and she nodded, blushing at what she forgot and he wiggled his fingers to make more appear in his hand. She smiled, taking the skein from him and she laughed.
"It is the perfect shade, and now we have our alibi." She said and he grinned at her, leaning up on his elbow and he walked his fingers over her bodice. His eyes sparkled in michief, and she watched them as they made ther way up to the open neckline.
"It seems, that I have found the perfect partner in crime. And she is more than willing to play that role, perfectly." He said and stopped her before she could protest, his fingers over her lips and she giggled.
"Then punish me as you will for being wicked." She said and he laughed at her, kissing her shoulder and his fingers dipped down between her breasts to remove a piece of paper he magicked there. He handed it to her and she unfolded it, reading the poem and blushing.
"This one is rather scandalous, please tell me it was not published with the rest." She said and he nodded. He kissed her cheek and she smiled, neither of them seeing the Councilmen approach.
"It is for your eyes only." He said and she kissed him and she lay in the cool grass. A cough made them look at the two men, and worry crossed one man's face.
"My King, is the Queen ill?" He asked and Loki laughed, looking down at her and he shook his head.
"No. She was fetching thread for her embroidery, and she... she suddenly felt overcome by the warm day and wished to rest." He said and Floria blushed at his words. "She is quite fine, we are just relaxing in the garden before we dine for the evening. The grass is quite soft here, and cool on our backs."
"I did get my thread." She said, holding up the skein and she burst into giggles. She rolled toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist and he laughed back.
"That is very good My Queen. I have heard of you talent at embroidery, and look forward to seeing your finished project. The King tells us often how he adores the exquisite shirts you make for him, and is speaking highly of the tapestry you are working on." The old man replied with a bow. Floria laughed again, sitting up and she flushed at the look on his face.
"Thank you Sir, I shall be sure to share it with you. I hope to finish it as a gift to my husband for Yule." She said and he bowed to take his leave, she laying back and both of them laughing.
"I doubt they know the truth, don't fret." He said, and she nodded up at him. He savored her smile, staring at her and his eyes shone as he watched her. "Every time I look at you, you are more and more beautiful. I want to weep at the thought of you running away, and it pains me to see you fret over anything."
"Then don't think about it." She said and brushed a tear from his eye with her thumb. "I am here, and feel so safe and happy with you. You are my home, and I will never leave you."
"Floria, I am a beast. A Jotun half breed..." he started, she stopping him by kissing him and she cradled his cheek in her hand. She let her lips linger, and she sat back slowly and he looked at her.
"You are my Husband, and I care not about your origins. You have always been so very good to me, I am a fool to think you any less a man than you are now." She said and he kissed her back, and he felt her arms around him and he vowed to always keep her safe.