Chapter 76.
Floria woke from her dream and felt a familiar warmth on her back, the arm around her waist comforting and she sighed to herself as she closed her eyes again. She drifted softly, her thoughts and worries fading away on the morning rays of sun and she felt a sense of peace and calm take her. She thought about her Father's words, how Loki praised her to the Council and she smiled to herself and hummed her contentment. The sun warmed her as well as Loki so close to her and she felt a soft kiss on her shoulder, laying still with her eyes closed, she waited to see what he would do next.
She felt another kiss, this time on her bare shoulder and she realized that her shift had come untied and slipped over her a bit. His arm slowly moving up her belly and caressing her breast through the fabric and she shifted as she pretended to be asleep. His fingers kneaded at her body, and her breathing increased as she started to feel her heart pound.
"I know you are awake, if you don't open those beautiful and beguiling eyes, I shall have to see if I can open them with my lips on your skin." He said, and she turned to look at him with a smile. She kissed him back, their lips meeting and she shifted her body to face him.
"I never could pretend with you." She said and he chuckled, his lips kissing her bare shoulder and she blushed.
"I do find it endearing when you try." He said, and moved some of her hair out of her face with two fingers. "What are you thinking Nightengale?"
"I am thinking about how happy I am, and how much I love when you hold me as we sleep." She said and he smiled down at her, he slipped her other shoulder out of her shift. His hand caressing her skin and she let out a deep breath, her heart trembling in excitement.
"I will hold you close to me every night then, just to ensure you stay this happy." He replied, his fingers tracing circles on her skin and slowly traveling down to her breasts. She looked into his eyes, and he leaned over her and kissed her close to her ear and she gasped.
"I am very happy to have you this close to me as well." He whispered and his hand caressed her softly, her back arching slightly and he met her with another soft brush of his fingers. They kissed, their bed becoming warmer when a knock interrupted them and the door opened to admit Lady Sofia. She blushed, pretending to look shocked as she held the breakfast tray in her hands and looked away.
"My apologies My King and Queen, I thought you both still slept. I have your Morning Meal, it is warm." She said and Loki neay growled at the girl in his frustration. Floria pulled her shift over her shoulders, and she sat up to tie the lacings shut.
"It is fine Lady, leave it on the table and fetch my robe. We will eat before I bathe and dress for the day." Floria said, combing her hair with her fingers. "Where are the rest?"
"Outside, they are in the hall and waiting to make the bed and to assist you." She said, looking at the now frustrated Loki as she brought her Mistresse's robe to her and she helped her put it on. She looked at Loki with a sly grin, her eyes falling on his groin and licking her lips as she blushed. He covered his lap with the quilts, waving the girl off and he let out a huff.
"If the other Ladies are waiting in the hall, then what told you that you could just enter?" He asked her and she curtsied to him, her eyes on the floor.
"A meal that is warm takes priority over other matters My King. We are taught that when we are trained to serve Her Majesty." She said, Floria walking over to the table and sitting down. He stood up, stretching and joined his wife, his eyes filled with irritation with the Maid and she passed him a small folded bit of paper. He kissed his Wife and walked to the Bathing Chamber, closing the door and unfolding it to find a pencil sketch of Lady Sofia in the nude. He rolled his eyes, balling it up and using magic to burn it as he relieved himself.
"Stupid girl." He groaned, hearing the rest of the Maids enter and he found his robe and put it on before joining Floria for breakfast.
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"Lord Brand!" The older man heard as he walked down the halls toward the Library. He turned, seeing his King walk toward him and he bowed to him and smiled.
"My King, what may I do for you?" He asked, looking up at the taller man and he saw that Loki was frustrated by something.
"Your Daughter has it in her mind to make herself a Flirt toward me. It would do you very well to remind her that I am married to Queen Floria, and that my Wife is my only Mistress. She shall also remain that way." Loki said, raising a finger in warning. "I would hate to remove her from the Queen's service for her actions with a scandal over her head."
"I see and understand My King, she is a bit headstrong but will remind her of her place. I take it the Queen is not knowledgable of these flirtations? We would not want her upset by them, given her past." The old man replied, Loki pressing his lips together. There was so much in his closing statement, and he knew that it would be more difficult to sort this problem out than he previously thought.
"Just see that she understands that she is walking a fine line. She will need to make a smart match soon, and would be very unfortunate to take any rumor of her current actions into it." Loki spat, his irritation showing and he turned on his heel to walk away. Lord Brand watched him leave, smiling to himself and he continued walking toward his destination. He thought of how to reward Sofia for her efforts, and knew that she was starting to either irritate the Queen, or tempt the King.
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Loki dreamed that night of chasing after Lady Sofia, her long, golden hair cascading down her back as she giggled and teased him. Her gown vanished, leaving her body exposed to him and he followed her as she tempted him on with a bend of her fingers.
"Seduce me." She begged, his hands finding her waist and she turned in his arms. "Ravish me with your body and words."
He felt his lips meet hers, and she giggled as she ran to his bed and he stopped as the doors closed in front of him. He walked forward, his clothes becoming black as midnight and he entered to see a woman laying in stasis. Her eyes closed as the sheer veil of black lay over her, her hands folded over her stomach and his breath caught in his chest. He walked forward, the crown he placed on her head still there as he stood over Floria's body and her eyes opened to white orbs.
"I will die for her to have my place as your Wife." She said and he looked down at her. "She is my death if you let her tempt you into her embrace."
Loki turned from the body, unable to look at it and he nearly screamed at the sight in front of him. Floria hung from a noose, her neck bent at a terrible angle and at her feet was his throne. She swung back and forth, her dead fingers curling and he screamed, shaking his head. Her eyes opened and her swollen lips opened and the voice that came from her was strangled and choked, behind him Sofia walked up and she turned him to look at her naked form.
"You... you killed... us." Floria said, and Sofia laughed as she looked up at him.
"Queens die so that others may rise." Sofia said and their lips met, and he screamed against them.
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Loki sat up in bed, his stomach churning at what he saw and Floria looked at him. He felt her hands on his shoulder, her voice far away as he tried to calm himself. She was worried, and he looked at her as she cradled his cheek gently.
"Loki... what is wrong? You are trembling in fear." She said and he put a hand on his cheek, he leaned into her and he cried into her neck. His hands gripping her shift, and she embraced him back.
"I had a terrible dream Nightengale. It shook my soul to experience it, and I pray it never comes true." He said as he calmed and he kissed her softly. She smiled at him, her hands on his cheeks and she took his hands in hers.
"It is over, and you are fine my love." She said and he smiled at her, two of his fingers found the ribbon for her shift and she blushed as he tugged it.
"I know, because you are here and I woke to see something beautiful." He said and he kissed her softly before opening her shift and caressing her breast under it. She returned the affection, her lips so very soft and he slipped his other hand into her clothes as they slipped down her shoulders. She lay back, his lips working slowly over her chin and neck when the doors opened again with a knock and they separated to admit Lady Sofia with a tray of food for the morning. Floria turned on her side to hide that she was closing her shift, and Loki wanted to throw the wretch out.
"Good Morning your Majesties, your meal is here." She said politely, giving a curtsy and Floria sighed softly as the girl brought her robe over.
"Thank you Lady Sofia, I will wear my lavender dress today." Floria said, clearing her throat and looking back at Loki in sympathy. She made a mental note to talk to her Father and Loki stood, looking at Sofia and he walked past her to dress for the day without a word.
"My, you would think he woke in a poor mood today." She said and Floria nodded, her eyes on the now closed door to the Bathing Chambers.
"Ladies, I am going to visit with my children today. Perhaps take them for a walk in the gardens to play." Floria said, pressing her lips together and wanting desperately to have her husband happy.