Chapter 83.

Floria woke on her bed, the blanket over her and she alone in the room. She turned to her side, sitting up and wondered where Loki had gone. Her eyes found the window, and the wall of white outside it told her another storm had come and that they were fully stuck in the house until it passed. She sighed, praying that they would not go stir crazy in having only eachother for company and end up arguing and falling apart again.

She stretched her back, walking to the mirror and combing her hair so it did not look frightful and replaced the gold hairband on her head. She started missing her children, and thought about them as the window behind her shook with a wail of wind. The lonely sound made her shiver, and she heard Dell and Till talking in the hall to one another.

"They keep this up, there will be another baby in her by Yule." She said, her voice exasperated by the state they left the sheets in Loki's Chambers.

"Is that not what the King is hoping for?" Till laughed in response, and he could hear his wife groan. Floria stifled a giggle, remembering how they were and she stayed out of sight as they walked past with the dirty linens.

"Does she want that? That is the true question Husband, it is no easy task to carry a child." She chided, and Floria pressed her palm against her mouth as she turned red, her eyes narrowing at their argument and she giggled.

She counted ten, and composed herself, walking down the stairs silently. She saw Loki reading a book by the fire in the front Sitting Room, and decided not to disturb him. She was curious about the rest of the house, and she walked down the hall toward the far end of the grand manor they were in. She opened a door midway down the hall and found a lovely Sun Room, the furniture comfortable and the glass walls covering in snow. She sat on a cushioned bench, watching the flakes fall and remembered the first time she had ever seen snow. What a wonder it was, and how it seemed as if it were a blanket that covered all the sins of the Realm in pure white. Her eyes transfixed on the flakes, she did not hear the man enter behind her as she sat with her hands on her lap.

"I forgot about this room." The voice behind her said, she turning to see Finn standing against the doorframe. His hair was tied back, and his muscular arms were crossed over his chest as he looked in at her. She stood, swallowing at him and admired his face for a moment. He was slightly tanned from work, and he kept his beard neatly trimmed. He had a thicker waist than Loki, and his thighs were built more like Thor's, and he had a pleasant smile that was open and friendly.

"It is a lovely room, and strangely warm for being so open to the outside." She said and he nodded, he walked to a grate and pointed to it.

"We have a fire in the basement, the air circulates through pipes and it adds warmth to the entire house. It also warms the water in the cistern down there, making it easier to have a warm bath when you want one." Finn replied, and she marveled at the ingenuity of the system.

"That is quite clever, I would like to see how something like that works." She replied and he laughed, his whole frame shaking with it. He extended his hand, and she blinked at it in surprise. She was used to people waiting for her to offer her hand first as Princess and now Queen, and she extended her hand politely and shook his.

"I would like to show it to you then, but another time. Mother has me bringing in wood for the fires, and she can be harsh if the work is ignored. I am Finn by the way, I never properly introduced myself." He said and she smiled easily at the man, his offer of friendship well recieved by Floria.

"I am..."

"Queen Floria, Mother is so excited to have you here. She had us all scrubbing the house top to bottom for your arrival, Norns forgive us if she found a single speck of dust." He laughed and she returned it in kind, shaking her head and he released her hand.

"I am sorry that we caused you such pains then, and I hope her scolding was not too harsh." She laughed, and he shrugged.

"No more than usual." He quipped and she smiled at him. "I had better get that wood, she will be after me if I don't get it done soon."

"I will not keep you then. Do be careful out there, this storm looks terrible."

"Thank you My Queen, I will be sure to show nothing but care." He said and left her standing in the room, her smile fading as she continued her explorations.

She closed the door behind her, walking on and opened another door to find a small library. The shelves stood on all the walls from floor to ceiling, and comfortable chairs sat in front of the large windows to let the person read by the natural light. In the center of the room was a table with a chess set on it, the pieces laid out as if two persons were to play a game and she smiled at it as she picked up a black knight and looked at it before replacing it. She explored the shelves, reading the spines of the books when a shadow fell across her and she jumped. She turned, looking behind her and saw no one else in the room. She stilled her heart, and turned again to read the titles and she could not shake the feeling of being watched. Her hair moved slightly then, and she jumped again with a start and decided that she would explore the room with company later.

She returned to the hall, turning on and found herself in another room that was open and brightly lit. To her amazement, it was nearly taken up with a mechanical model of the Universe. The globes and models of the stars moving around her as she watched them, their orbits about far suns astounding to the eyes. She carefully stepped onto a stone platform in the shallow pool of water that surrounded the model and watched the marvelous contraption work. Golden globes representing suns and silver moons revolved around the metal planets, her hands reaching up to touch one as it glided by and her mouth fell open. She stepped to another platform and she saw the flat planet that was Asgard, the sun moving around it and she studied it carefully and smiled. The entire universe was spread before her, and she watched as another world drifted past with its smaller four moons orbiting it. She turned, and stared for a long time and a swinging arm of one part that supported a galaxy made her duck low to avoiding being hit by it.

She lifted her skirts, carefully moving across the stones to study the machine from different angles. Each one showing a different view of the space that surrounded them, all of them a wonder to her. The craftsmanship alone was unique, and she had to give it all the awe it was due. She stepped to another stone, and then to the solid floor as she backed from the machine and stared at it. Every star was in perfect alignment, and every planet in its proper place.

"I wonder if Loki has seen this." She said out loud, and she backed again to see how the machine resembled a tree in a way, the branches supporting each shining galaxy and she blinked at it in silent wonder. She left the room, and closed the door behind her, making her way down the hall to the last room in that wing of the bottom floor and opened it.

It was a room filled with a strange assortment of taxidermied animals, all of them posed and looking like they were ready to strike. She looked at a large insect looking creature, shivering at the collection in the room and made her way around it. She did not like this room as much as the last ones, but some of the beasts in it were fascinating as she walked past them. She studied a strange crab like creature with small hands and two longer legs for a moment and turned to jump at a large bear behind her. She laughed at herself, covering her chest with a hand and the high collar of her dress scraped her neck slightly. She winced at it, and felt the cloth, finding a stray hairpin on it and tucked it into her pocket. She continued to look at the animals, and heard people walking the hall her way. She was not sure if se was allowed to be in this room, and she suddenly froze to see Dell and Till walk by. The woman paused, closing the door and Floria decided she had enough exploring and wanted to show Loki the machine in the last room. She knew he would be fascinated by it and she reached for the handle, her breath catching in her throat as she found it locked.

"Oh dear. Dell!" She shouted, knocking on the wood. "Till! I am stuck in here!"

She knocked again, and heard nothing on the other side and she tried the handle again. The latch did not budge and she knocked harder, trying to get the attention of anyone on the other side and groaned to herself.

"Hello! I am in here, please unlock the door! Dell! Loki?" She shouted and she continued knocking. A shadow fell across the door and she turned, a shout of fear in her throat and she pressed her back to the door. She saw it was caused by the swaying tree outside the window, and calmed herself when she heard a soft shift somewhere in the fading light.

"Hello?" She asked, the room quiet and still and she turned again to knock some more. She saw the shadow again, and prayed it was not a trick of the light and she began pounding on the door harder with her fists.

"Let me out! I am in here!" She shouted, her heart pounding and something in the room shifted and hit the floor, making her scream in terror. Her knuckles became raw soon and she renewed her knocking, too afraid to turn around and she shouted as loudly as she could.

"Please! I am stuck in here! Help me!" She screamed, and the door opened and she screamed in shock as she looked in Till's face.

"My Queen, we did not know. This door sticks..." he said and she grabbed his arm, turning back to the room and she pointed in it.

"There was someone in her with me! I heard them!" She said, and he walked in to investigate. His eyes searched the room, and she shook his head at her.

"Lady, you were alone in here." He said and he looked at her hands. "By the Nine! You have scraped your hands raw, let us go see Dell to tend them."

"I heard someone in here, they knocked something to the ground." She said and he shook his head. He pressed his lips together, and he gave her a sad look.

"Lady, you were the only occupant in this room. Perhaps the sound echoed from another part of the house, which does happen but you were alone." He said and gestured for her to follow him to see Dell. She walked into the hall, watching him close the door and he sighed. "I will be sure to fix this door so you don't get stuck again. It can be a bit frightening in there with all those trophies, they almost seem alive."

"Yes." She said, nodding and she followed him, walking to the kitchens and finding Dell at the stove.

"Darling, the Queen had a bit of a fright and needs to soak her hands. She got stuck in the Trophy Room, and she could not get out." He said, and Dell turned and looked in shock at Floria's hands. She wiped hers on her apron, walking forward and taking the raw knuckled fingers in hers.

"Oh Your Majesty, I am so sorry. I did not know you were in there, forgive me." She gasped and took her to a chair near the island counter in the center of the room. Floria sat in it, and the woman poured warm water in a basin with some soothing herbs. "Just soak them Lady, they should heal in no time. Till will tell your Husband where you are, don't worry yourself any."

"I will be well, there was no true harm done." She replied and shook her head. "I let my imagination run a bit, and I had a bit of a fright. I must seem so very foolish to let such things bother me."

"That room scares me a bit too. I have Finn dust in there, he is braver than myself." She said and Floria smiled at the woman in understanding, she shook her head and let her hands soak. The herbs soothed them, and she saw the skin closing and she felt a bit embarrassed that she let herself feel that frightened by shadows.

Till returned with Loki, his eyes wide at the pink tinged basin in front of her and he walked over and picked up one of her hands. He frowned at it, letting her return it to the basin and she looked at her lap.

"Nine Hels Floria! What in the name of Valhalla happened?" He asked and she sighed.

"I was exploring one wing of the house, and I was accidentally trapped in the Trophy Room. I will recover, I just felt a bit frightened by all the taxidermied animals." She said and he pressed his lips together and rubbed his face.

"How did she get locked in?" He demanded, looking at Dell and she stepped back. Till walked to him, nervous and he tried to calm his King.

"The door is old, I will fix the latch myself to ensure it does not happen again My King." He said and Floria became annoyed with Loki.

"I am fine, it was a minor mishap that we can all learn from." Floria insisted, everyone looking at her. "It is a few barked knuckles and a silly story to laugh about later, may we all calm down please?"

"I agree with The Queen." Finn said, shaking snow off his cloak as he entered the kitchen with a load of firewood. "Mother knows the right herbs to use, and her hands will be smooth and beautiful again shortly."

"Finn, help your Father repair the door. And check the rest, so this does not repeat itself." Dell said, returning to her cooking. Loki looked down at Floria, she offering a hopeful smile and he sighed.

"Very well. Please be more careful in the future, perhaps you shouldn't explore alone." The younger man suggested and she nodded, agreeing that it would be best. The house was large, and if another door got stuck, it would be beneficial to have a stronger person there.

"I can agree to that." She said and Finn cleared his throat as he warmed his hands near the stove.

"The storm is getting worse, I think we may have to shutter some of the unused rooms to keep it warm in here." He said and Till nodded.

"We will get on that soon, is there plenty of wood in the cellar?" Till asked and the man nodded, grinning at everyone.

"Aye, more than plenty." He said and looked at Floria. "Don't fret over it My Queen, we get these often. They blow over us, then we get a bit of a thaw in time for the next one. The larder is overflowing, and we will all be fine through this. Just be careful of tricky doors."

"I will remember that Mr. Finn." Floria laughed back and Loki felt a pang of jealousy at the man as he turned back to continue warming his hands. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.

"Are you sure you are not hurt worse?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"No, I am fine. Just a few scrapes and frayed nerves, nothing more." She said and shivered with the memory of the shadows she saw. "May I join you again tonight? To keep myself warm in the cold?"

"Of course Nightengale, you are always welcome." He replied and she smiled, Dell carefully lifting her hands and drying them with a clean cloth. She nodded at the healed skin, proud of herself and Floria stood.

"All better, just be careful from now on My Queen." She said and Floria smiled and nodded.

"I shall take my leave then, if I am not needed here further. I have a bit of a chill and think I will put on a heavier dress." She said, the men in the room bowing politely as she left. Loki's eyes followed her as she walked, his attention returning to the Caretaker and his son.

"Please check the doors, I truly don't want that happening again." He said and the men nodded as he left the room, returning to his seat by the fire to continue reading his book. His mind troubled by the young caretaker, amd his thought turning toward keeping him away from Floria.

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He stood in the room with her, watching the mechanical planets move in harmony and his mouth fell open at it. He moved from stone to stone, studying the movements and shook his head as a solar system passed him. Floria thought he would at least exclaim about the device, but he remained silent, which concerned her more.

"Facinating." He said, stepping around to take another view of it and he studied the movement of the machine again. "Most fascinating. You found this by accident?"

"Yes. I thought you would be most astonished as I was by it." She said, folding her hands and they both ducked under a sweeping arm as they watched it pass. She looked at her hands, biting her lip and he nodded to himself as he watched the rotation of the machine.

"I am, this is most interesting." He said and she blinked at him, he motioning her to him and she lifted her skirts to step over to his flat stone. He snaked an arm around her waist, pointing up at it and she blinked at him.

"I have heard of these, but never seen one in front of me. This is a very rare discovery, amd I will have to study this more." He said, watching it move and she shook her head.

"But. What is it?" She asked and he laughed, kissing her cheek.

"It is an Astrolabe. People inclined toward Prophecy use them to aid their predictions, they watch the position of the planets and stars on certain days and use it to make their estimate of events. It is not an exact science, but greatly fascinating to a Mage's mind." He said and she followed him as he walked back to the floor. They stood, watching the Astrolabe rotate and he smiled at her.

"I am glad I found it then, even if it was on accident." She said and he frowned at her, folding his hands behind his back.

"Something frightened you, when you were trapped in that room. I could see that you were shaken, and it was not because I was upset over your hands." He said and Floria looked at the floor. She trembled at the memory, and she nodded silently.

"I thought I saw shadows, and when the door stuck, I could swear that I heard someone moving in the room with me. I think it was my silly imagination, getting the better of me." She replied and he put his arms around her, holding her to him and he kissed her forehead. "I fear that I also carry too much guilt for the loss of the child, and it may have come into play."

"You do carry too much, but I hope you will forgive yourself. It was never your fault Nightengale, the child was unwell and would never have survived." He said and she nodded into his chest, her eyes filled with tears and he held her tighter to him. "You will be happy again, I promise you my Heart."

"I wish I had your confidence." She replied and he looked at her, his hands rubbing her back as they stood under the procession of the spheres.