Chapter 5. Dinner for Two
Loki woke up to the sun already high in the sky. He guessed it was around noon. He was about to get up when he noticed Assi was still fast asleep in his arms. He smiled at her. She was beautiful. He wondered if she was warm enough, she seemed to be. He didn't move because he didn't want to wake her. Loki looked over where the horses were standing, they were eating grass with Sleipnir. "Mm." Assi mumbled starting to wake up. She opened her eyes. "Good morning." Loki said smiling. "Morning." Assi said. He let go of her, he could tell she was uncomfortable. They stood up, brushed the grass off themselves, got on their horses and returned to the Asgardian stables.
"Thank you for the ride. It was-" Assi started to thank Loki. "Brother!" Thor's loud voice appeared in the stables. Loki turned to him. "What is it?" he asked. "Mother was wondering where you were. And Fandral is freaking out because he can't find you." Thor said patting Sleipnir then noticed Assi standing next to Loki, patting their mother's horse. "Oh, you were here with Assi…though I never thought that the stables would be a romantic place. But then again, I am not the one who had-" "Don't you dare bring that up!" Loki said covering Thor's mouth with his hand. Thor moved his brother's hand. "What does it matter brother? Everyone in Asgard knows." "Yes. But Assi isn't an Asgardian . . . I don't want her to know yet. Although I think she already does." Loki whispered. Thor wondered how Assi could know that Loki mothered a colt if he didn't tell her. Then it hit him. "The story that the mortals wrote about our wall . . . what was its name again?" Thor asked. Assi looked at the two. "The wall of Asgard." She said. Luckily, she hadn't heard the first part of the men's conversation. "It's my favorite story from Norse Mythology." She added. Loki blushed a bit. He couldn't believe that Assi's favorite story is the one when he accidentally got pregnant with a horse. Thor laughed when he saw his brother's bright red face. Loki left the stables. "Good morning your highness." Skugre greeted as Loki walked past him. Skugre had to work in the stables because no one trusted him to do anything else. His only restriction was not being allowed to go near Sleipnir. Assi looked up at Thor, whose 6'6" stature towered over her. "Is he alright?" she asked. Thor chuckled. "Yes. He's just embarrassed. Why don't you go talk to him?" Assi nodded then left to go after Loki.
Loki went to the gardens where roses were in bloom. He kneeled in the flower bed and smelled them. Even though they were beautiful, their beauty was nowhere near that of Assi's. Loki shook his head. "No, no stop it, she's just a mortal . . . I don't love her." He told himself over and over again. But the more he thought about her, the happier he got and the more he wanted to keep her safe, and the harder it got to deny his true feelings. "Loki?" Assi asked from behind him. He picked two roses in front of him, then stood up. "Here these are for you." he turned around and handed her the flowers. Assi smiled. "Thank you." "You're welcome . . . oh wait, you like lilies better." Loki said waving his hand over the roses. One changed into a red-ish lily and the other changed into a pink one. She looked down at the flowers. She knew that red lilies stood for love and passion and that pink lilies are usually gifted to someone you admire or have an attraction to. This got her thinking: "Could Loki be trying to show me that he has feelings towards me? Or does he just think the colors are pretty?" Assi asked herself, keeping her eyes on the lilies. "Do you like them?" Loki asked. Assi looked up. "Yes. They're beautiful." She smiled. Loki smiled back. "How did you change them from roses to lilies?" she asked. "Magic." He replied. "You have magic?" she asked in disbelief, because magic wasn't real, but then again how else could he have changed the roses to lilies? If not with some kind of magical ability, and she saw the flowers change so it was a bit difficult to deny it. He nodded
Then suddenly someone's arms were around his waist. "Sire!" Fandral said behind the prince. "Thank Odin! You're alright!" Loki sighed. "Assi and I went for a ride last night. And we fell asleep." He told his friend. Fandral leaned closer to Loki and tighten his grip around Loki's waist. "I'm glad that you were not in anymore boxes." Fandral said with a small chuckle. "Fandral, I was only away from the palace for a night." Loki rolled his eyes. Assi laughed. "You were really in a box for 3 months?" she asked remembering reading that once in another story from Norse Mythology. Loki nodded. "Can you let go of me now that you know that I'm alright?" Loki asked. "Of course, Sire." Fandral said letting go of him, "Get out of the flower bed!" Freyr called coming up behind Assi, Fandral moved away out of the bed of roses. "Easy Lord of Flowers, wouldn't want your flower crown to fall off." He smirked; Peaceful God glared angrily at him. Loki laughed at his friends, while Assi stood there confused.
That evening Frigg thought it would be a good idea for Loki and Assi to have dinner together, just the two of them. Assi was in one of the bedrooms getting ready for her date with Loki when there was a light knock on the door. "Come in." The door opened and Loki came in. He was wearing his normal clothes: his armor, including his helmet. "You look like a Goddess." He complemented. Assi blushed. She was wearing a purple dress and the silver necklace Loki had given her, and her hair braided down the back. "Th-thank you…uh you look very handsome." She responded shyly. Loki smiled and held out his hand for her. She took it and he led her to the dining room. The table was already set, and the food already served, along with the two lilies Loki had given her earlier which were in a vase in the middle of the table. Assi sat at the table and Loki sat across from her. She was surprised by Loki's un-princely eating habits. He looked at her. "What?" "It's just . . . you don't eat like a prince." Assi said. Loki wiped his mouth with his arm "Does it bother you?" he asked. She shook her head. "Not at all because I'm not very fancy when it comes to eating either." She smiled and Loki smiled back. He threw his mug on the floor. "Another!" he ordered the servant in the room. Then looked at Assi who was holding her mug up. "Could I have another please?" Assi asked. The servant refilled her mug. "That's an odd way to ask for another drink." Loki said. Assi laughed a bit. "Says the guy who just threw his mug on the floor." He laughed too. "I guess Midgardians are very different from Asgardians." "Guess so." She smiled. Then a thought came to her. "Is your magic how you gave me the rose?" she asked. "Yes, it is." Loki replied.
Loki carried Assi back to her room because she was wasted, her arms were wrapped around his neck. She was giggling, but she stopped and stared at Loki's lips. There were scars on them. "Your lips are cut." She pointed out. "Yes. I'll explain it to you later." He said. She smiled at him. "And they look so soft." Loki blushed, as he walked quietly down the hallway. "Höd MY DUDE!" Assi called loudly to the Blind God, her voice echoed through the palace. It was so loud that Heimdall had to cover his ears. Höd jumped and turned quickly to where the voice came from, because he couldn't tell who it was, at first. "Hello. Brother, it's Loki and Assi, she's a little drunk." "Hello Lady Assi." He greeted, she waved at him with the biggest smile on her face. "Assi, he can't see that you're waving and smiling." Loki reminded. "OH! I forgot he's blind!" she said. "I'm SO SORRY!" Höd laughed. "It's all right."
When they got to Assi's room, she was resting her head on his shoulder. he put her on her bed. Then started to leave when she grabbed his hand. "Don't go." She pleaded. He got onto her bed. She snuggled up against him and he pulled her close. He really liked the feeling of her near him. "You're so warm." No one had ever told him that before. "What are you doing?" he asked turning red when Assi moved from his side to in front of him. "Kiss me." She said, leaning in forwards. Loki kissed her. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, she had never kissed anyone before. But this was not Loki's first kiss. Assi really loved the way Loki's lips felt on hers, but she pulled away. "Undress me." She said lying next to Loki. "I don't think that is a good idea." He replied knowing that he should have said no to their kiss, but it was only a kiss, and he knew that he didn't force her into it, but he still felt bad for not saying no. Assi closed her eyes, annoyed with his response. She quickly fell asleep. Loki stood up, covered her with his cloak before leaving the room. "Sleep well Assi." He whispered, walking out of the room closing the door quietly behind him.
