For once, Odin was kind enough to put Maisy and Loki on a royal duty together. They were meant to visit the orphanage in town and bring them extra blankets from the palace. Apparently, it was a tradition that Frigga used to make the two princes join her in every few years. The gesture was more symbolic than anything nowadays, Loki informed Maisy, because they brought plenty of blankets to the children and blankets don't necessarily wear out in the time until the next batch was brought.
"If we bring the blankets and there are too many for the orphans to use, then they send the ones they don't need to the orphanage in Vanaheim," Loki explained as they carried heaps of warm blankets through the streets of Asgard.
Maisy was only half listening, as she was spellbound by the way the snow piled up in the shimmering town. It had taken the beautiful sunny, golden place and coated it with a blanket of coziness. Where Asgard always looked sharp and ready for battle before, with the plops of white all over everything and the guards walking around wearing woolen mittens, the whole area had gone from a fantasy battle world to something out of a holiday movie.
Maisy looked down at her own mitten covered hands and grinned. The green yarn was threaded with flecks of gold and matched the mittens Loki was wearing. Loki with mittens on was, in itself, hilarious and adorable. He didn't need them, obviously, but he said he liked to keep up the illusion that he was Asgardian so the people wouldn't turn on him. Maisy thought he could use a scarf too, but didn't mention it.
She was bundled up in a black dress lined with some fuzzy material. The dress had been made by Madame Veru, the palace seamstress. The old woman and Maisy did not get along, but now that Maisy had been moved up from questionable princely companion to full on princess, it was impossible for the seamstress to disrespect her any more. Maisy actually felt bad that angry, old Madame Veru was bowing humbly where before she sneered. It just didn't seem right.
Still, the dress was beautiful and warm and it was nice that the busy princess didn't have to make all of her own clothing anymore. Loki hadn't been too pleased when Maisy turned one of his old, over-large shirts into a dress.
Linn, who walked just ahead of Maisy, shuffling her booted feet in the snow happily, was also dressed warmly. Rather than the laundry lavenders that had made up her uniform for a laundry maid, now she was told what to wear by Lady Fulla. Fulla had rather traditional opinions about what a lady's maid should and should not wear. Linn was dressed in a stiff, fleece (it probably wasn't really fleece, but that's the only word Maisy could think of to describe it) lined, grey dress and her fingers were covered in dull grey gloves.
Behind the royal couple, two guards followed them. One was unknown to Maisy, but the other was Bjorn. Apparently the captain of the guard had figured out that Bjorn and Linn were dating and he kept arranging it so that the young guardsman had shifts protecting Loki and Maisy since Linn was usually with them. It sounded as if the captain was just as relentless at promoting love as Linn.
"Bjorn?" Maisy said, watching Linn kick a large heap of snow with glee, "Why don't you keep up with her? I'm sure, uh, sorry what was your name other guard guy?"
"Folkner, Your Highness."
"I bet Folkner can watch our backs just fine and you can, uh, guard our fronts. And make sure Linn is safe, of course."
"Respectfully, princess," Bjorn's eyes watched Linn longingly, "It would be breaking protocol. The town guards might assume something was wrong."
"Darn," Maisy sighed and a puff of cloudy air came from her mouth, "Well, I've got a back up plan. Hey Linn!"
"Yes, Yer Royal Majestic Higness Princess Lady?" Linn called and a pile of snow from a roof fell off and landed on the girl's head.
"Why don't you come walk with Bjorn?"
"Huh?" Linn shook the white from her hair and looked at her boyfriend hopefully, "You want me to walk wif you, babe - err - Bjorn?"
"You don't have to," Bjorn was blushing and Linn bolted over to him and kissed his cheek, "Oh!"
"Oooh, Bjorn, falling in love with the maids, eh?" Folkner laughed.
"Watch it, Folksy," Linn snapped, linking her arm with Bjorn's, "I may not work in the laundry room anymore, but I told Ola where I put me stash of itching powder!"
"Is that you that makes the uniforms so damn uncomfortable?!" Folkner gasped and Maisy giggled.
"Only when you misbehave or piss me off," Linn stuck her tongue out him.
"And all this time I thought it was… uh. Erm," Folkner straightened up with a nervous glance at Loki and Maisy. Loki didn't look back, but Maisy wondered what the guard could be talking about.
"Sometimes it is me," Loki replied calmly and Maisy saw him grinning, looking straight ahead, "Watch yourself."
"Yes, sir."
"Ha!" Linn let go of Bjorn's arm and lightly punched Loki's bicep, "Great mind fink alike, eh?"
"Indeed," Loki nodded and his hand wrapped around Maisy's as they walked, "Great minds."
They continued to walk, Maisy and Loki silently enjoying each other's company, Folkner trying not to get on anyone's bad side, and Linn telling Bjorn all of her in depth thoughts on snow and how wondrous it looked.
"You know what else looks wondrous?" Bjorn said quietly and Maisy thought her heart was going to melt with delight.
"What else looks wondrous?" Linn smiled and before her boyfriend could answer she thought of a few things herself, "Sunsets! Sunrises! A hot meal on a cold day! Oooh! I know! The color turquoise!"
"Well, yes, but also-"
"You look pretty wondrous in your shiny armor too, ya know," Linn winked at him and he blushed again.
"You look amazing," he said, "I wanted to tell you earlier that your hair looks really nice today."
"Aw! Babe!" Linn ducked her head and Maisy laughed and then turned back to Loki, who was rolling his eyes good naturedly.
"Your hair looks pretty great too," she told him.
"I know," he replied with a wink, "It always does."
"Diva."
"You know it," he finally stopped staring straight ahead and stooped to kiss her cheek, "Not only does your hair look lovely today, so does the rest of you."
"Nobody ever tells me that I have nice hair," Folkner muttered.
"You're wearing a helmet," Maisy commented.
"He's bald under dat anyway!" Linn said, "Unfortunate incident when he left a pen in his pocket and ruined a whole load of laundry."
"And that lead to him being bald how?"
"The guards of Asgard are some of the toughest men in the realms," Folkner said proudly, "But the most feared people in all the realms and planets ought to be the laundry maids of Asgard. Never mess up a load of laundry."
"Or we'll getcha!" Linn smiled sinisterly.
The arrived at the front yard of the orphanage not long after their conversation about hair and not messing with laundresses. As they stepped through the gate Maisy was engaged in pleasant conversation with her husband and she didn't see the attack coming until it was too late.
Suddenly, half her face was hit and then it was freezing and raw and the cold dropped down onto her neck and a drip ran down her spine.
"Gah!" She yelped and her mitten flew to her face. It did nothing to stop the second assault from pummeling her forehead and knocking her backward. Bjorn caught her before she could land in the snow and Folkner pulled his sword in a flash.
Loki's daggers were in his hands and he'd dropped into a defensive position.
"Who dares attack my wife?!" He snarled loudly.
Maisy shook her head to clear it of the snow on her face and looked around. Giggling sounded lightly from behind some crates in the orphanage yard. The crates were pushed near the wall of the building and just above there was a drift of snow on the eves of the roof.
"Loki, put those away," Maisy whispered to him and then pointed at the drift of snow and the crates, "I know a better defense."
"But-"
"No one is trying to assassinate me," she told him quietly and then grinned, pointing at the snow drift again, "Hit that with a blast of magic, eh?"
"Ah," he smirked and shot a green glimmer across the yard. The snow fell from the roof and landed just behind the crates. Shrieks and laughter erupted and suddenly children were running out into the open.
"Little brats!" Linn exclaimed and quickly bent to make a snowball, "I'll get you for getting me princess!"
"I'd like to see you old farts try!" The tallest of the children, a boy with blond hair stuck out his tongue.
"Ew, he reminds me of Thor," Loki bent and made a snowball of his own, "You shall pay dearly for attacking a prince of Asgard!"
"You ain't the prince!" The kid called, "The prince is Thor. You don't look like Thor!"
"No, I'm worse than that, I am Loki."
"Blast!" All of the children shrieked and started taking cover behind various toys left in the yard and a few boxes and barrels.
"Hang on!" Maisy called and then took all of the blankets they'd been bringing into her arms. She ran up to the front door of the orphanage, opened the door, tossed the blankets in, and closed the door again, "Okay! This means war!"
"Princesses like you can't go to war!" The blond boy hollered from behind a tipped over wagon, "You'll muss your fancy dress!"
"Watch me!"
The snowball war that ensued was probably the most thrilling non deadly event Maisy had ever participated in. It was the adults from the palace versus the children from the orphanage and the children had a definite home court advantage.
Twenty minutes into the fierce battle the door to the orphanage flew open and none other than Lady Fulla burst out, looking fit to be tied. She blew a whistle and the children stopped in the middle of whatever they were doing and jumped to attention. Linn also dropped her snowballs and stood up straight.
"Children!" The woman growled, "You would treat your royal guests that way?! Making them play in the snow while they surely have more important things to do?!"
"It's okay, we were having fun," Maisy spoke up.
"Your Highnesses," Fulla continued as if she hadn't heard, "I apologize profusely for their insolence."
"But we were having fun."
"Lady Fulla," Loki dusted his mittens off on his pants, "I didn't realize you ran the orphanage."
"I do not. My sister does. She is out of town for the week, however."
"Oh, how kind of you," Loki walked closer to the woman and then turned her toward the orphanage once more, "It must be rather exhausting to care for the children and try to teach Linnea the proper way to behave and perform all of your other duties as well!"
"I know what you are trying to do-"
"As your prince, I order you to sit inside and relax while Princess Maisy, Lady Linnea, these two guards, and myself look after the children."
"Loki-"
"It's an order."
"Yes, Your Highness," Lady Fulla narrowed her eyes and went inside.
"The Wicked Witch is dead!" Linn cheered, "Time for the Munchie-kids to play!"
"Munchkins," Maisy corrected.
"Whatever!"
After half an hour of the Great Snowball Battle raging across the orphanage yard, the children fell over in exhaustion and began to make snow angels lazily. Maisy grinned, grabbed Loki's hand and pulled him to the ground with her.
"What are you doing?" He asked, "Why are we lying on the ground?"
"To make snow angels!" She started sweeping her arms and legs back and forth and Loki watched her curiously and finally laid his head down on the ground as well. He slowly made a snow angel of his own and then stood up to look at his handiwork. Maisy had forgotten that she was wearing a dress and that dresses were not ideal for snow angel making. Despite the fact that she was wearing leggings under the dress, her legs were still freezing.
"Brrr!" She gasped, flailing her arms a little as she tried to sit up. Loki grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, "Aaah! Snow went up my skirt and got in my leggings! Aaaah!"
"Me too!" Linn shrieked, running around the yard trying to get the snow to melt or shaking out of her undergarments, "Dis was a terrible idea!"
"Perhaps it is time that we went inside," Loki commented, wrapping Maisy in his arms. He didn't provide much warmth, but Maisy snuggled into him anyway.
"We need hot cocoa, I think."
"What's that?"
"You don't have hot chocolate on Asgard?!" She gaped up at him.
"We have chocolate. We can melt it if that's what you want-"
"No, no, no! Well, sort of, but not really!" Maisy shook her head, "This is horrible. I'm not sure I can stay in Asgard if there isn't hot cocoa!"
"Stop being dramatic."
"Does anyone here know what hot cocoa is?" Maisy called across the yard.
"Nope."
"Nuh uh."
"What?"
"Cocoa is nasty isn't it?"
"No."
"Sorry."
"Oooh! Me mum used to talk about that!" Linn said. She'd run over to Bjorn and was trying to get warm by hugging him, but his armor prevented that from happening.
"Do you know any good recipes?" Maisy asked.
"Yes! Uh, no, actually," Linn shrugged, "I don't know."
"If you are looking for a warm drink to chase away the cold," Loki said, "I know just the thing."
"Oh?"
"Children, how do you feel about a brief field trip?"
"Yay!" They all roared with excitement and climbed out of the snow angels they'd made. All but one child, a little girl who was probably only four or five - or would have been had she been human. This little girl crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue.
"No."
"Hilda!" An older child groaned, "You have to! Otherwise you have to stay with Lady Fulla-herself."
"Lady Fulla-herself," Linn snorted, "Dat's a good one."
"Thought of that one already," Loki commented, walking over to Hilda and crouching down next to her, "As well as Fulla-snot, Fulla-bad-ideas, and Fully Stupid."
"I don't care. I like Lady Fulla," Hilda said, glaring, "I like her face."
"You and no one else," Loki commented, "You sure you don't want to go on a special trip with the prince of Asgard?"
"Don't wanna."
"How about with the princess?" Loki pointed at Maisy.
"Don't wanna."
"Is there anyone you would go with - apart from Lady Fulla?"
Hilda scanned the yard and then pointed at Linn.
"Her. She's silly."
"I am not!" Linn exclaimed and then ran up to the little girl and scooped her up, placing her on her shoulders, "I am completely serious all of the time and I never laugh!"
"Wee!" Hilda exclaimed, clutching to Linn's hair.
"I want a turn!" Another child ran after Linn, "It's not fair that Hilda gets to ride but I don't!"
"Me too!"
"And me!"
"Big kids walk," one old child scoffed.
"How many of you want rides?" Loki asked, straightening up and looking over the children, "Show your hands."
Five children raised their hands.
"Very well. Bjorn, Folkner, you each take one," Loki gestured to the guards and two children attacked them, "Maisy?"
"Gotcha covered!" Maisy picked up a small child and put her on her back.
"And I shall take you two," Loki grabbed the remaining children and put one on each shoulder, holding their legs tightly to make sure they didn't fall off, "No one else wants a ride?"
No one responded and so they left the yard in an orderly fashion. Maisy was struggling with her wiggling child, but they all managed to make it to the destination Loki had in mind without dropping kids.
"Here we can find the finest apple cider in all the realms!" Loki announced as they pulled into the marketplace. He went straight toward where Maisy remembered Idunn setting up shop before and, sure enough, the woman was standing there. Bundled up almost beyond recognition, Idunn was serving steaming cups of cider to her customers and Maisy grinned in anticipation of trying some of it.
"Prince Loki!"
"Idunn," Loki smiled and set down the children he was carrying, "Would you mind terribly if I were to purchase a cup of cider for each of these brats?"
"Charge it to the palace, I suppose?" Idunn winked, "Let my good friend, Odin, pay the bill?"
"He does so love to help the orphans."
"Alright tikes!" Idunn hollered at the children, "Line up nicely and wait your turn and you can all have some cider."
The kids did as they were asked and Maisy, Linn, Bjorn, Folkner, and Loki got at the back of the line and waited with them. Once everyone had a warm cup of cider, they thanked Idunn and found an area of the marketplace with stone benches in it surrounding a fountain that wasn't functioning in the cold.
Exclamations of "this is good" and "I burnt my tongue" filled the area as they all enjoyed their treat. When the cups were empty they returned them to Idunn and made their way back toward the orphanage. Halfway through the trek the kids began to complain that they were tired and tried to jump onto the adults' backs or cling to their legs.
"Stop that!" Loki snapped at them, "You want to be carried? Fine!"
A green cloud enveloped the children and lifted them off the ground. They floated like screaming, giggling kites above Loki's head and he magically towed them all back to the yard. When he set them down they all groaned in disappointment.
"One more time!"
"Again!"
"C'mon, Prince!"
"Please?"
"No, I do believe Lady Fulla-herself is chomping at the bit to get out here and scold us all. I do not wish to be around for that, thank you," Loki pointed at the orphanage door, "Now all of you go change into something warm before you catch your death out here."
"But-"
"Go! I command you."
"Fine."
"Spoil sport."
"You, sir, are a poopy head."
"Loser!"
"Meanie!"
"Bye, thanks for the cider!"
"Don't thank him, he's being mean."
"But he gave us cider and played with us."
"He's a poopy head!"
"I like him."
"You're dumb."
"You're dumb."
"No you are!"
The children waved and filed into their home. Maisy could already hear Fulla scolding them for playing outside too long. Was there anything the lady found to be acceptable behavior? It was doubtful.
After the children left, the royal entourage began to make their way back to the palace, with Linn bouncing along happily in the lead, Maisy and Loki following her, and the guardsmen following them.
"That was fun."
"You and the children got on well," Loki commented as they held hands.
"I used to babysit a lot. Anything to get out of the house while Ima and my brothers were home, you know? Kids are great."
"Hmm."
"What?"
"I know that we are still… exploring the feelings between us," he said carefully and Maisy wondered what he was going to drop on her, "But, would you agree that we are certainly more of a 'traditional' married couple now?"
"Meaning?"
"Meaning we aren't necessarily courting. We have each other for keeps. We won't be severing ties without a truly magnificent reason."
"Yeah, I'd say we're 'for real' married now," Maisy smiled up at him.
"And, you know," he cleared his throat and blushed a bit which made her giggle, "You know, something that married people do is, ah, have childr-"
"Hold on!" She cut in, "Hold on just a second!"
"What?"
"Are you saying you want kids?"
"I am… inquiring the same of you."
"Yeah, but you brought it up. What do you want?"
"I suppose I do not know at the moment," he admitted.
"I don't really know either," Maisy leaned her head against his arm, "So maybe if we aren't sure, we shouldn't think about it right now. And if our feelings change about it, then we talk again?"
"That sounds," he kissed the top of her head, "Logical."
"And we really don't want to be privy to this conversation," Folkner piped up.
"No offense meant, but I'm with him," Bjorn nodded.
"Bjorn," Loki commented, sly smile creeping onto his face, "You don't wish to hear about marriage and children and a life together? Is that not what you are planning for yourself and Linn? Are you trying to tell me you are planning on leaving her before that could occur?"
"Uh…"
"Hey!" Linn turned around from where she walked a few yards away, "I can't hear you, Loki, but I can tell you are embarrassing me! Leave me boyfriend alone!"
"I was just having a bit of fun with him!"
"Dat orphan kid was right!" Linn stuck out her tongue briefly, "You are a poopy head!"
A note from the author: Right, so, um, this chapter had no point really, but I don't care. I got excited when you guys got excited that I was going to do wintery chapters and then I realized that I forgot to include a chapter with typical winter fun stuff and I wrote it up yesterday, but I didn't have time to edit it and... basically I'm sorry if it is a mess, but I wanted to share it. I had fun with it and I hope you did too. :)
As per usual, a huge shout out thank you to my reviewers:
xlokiswolfx: Hope this delivers, lol. You and Ninja Squirrel really got me thinking about snow stuff and then I frantically wrote this chapter to include more winter wonderfulness. :) Don't worry, there is more wintery stuff to come!
ferbette: A trampoline might work. But what about a ball pit? ;) It would have to be a very deep ball pit. Lots of pillows too.
Ceres Friggadottir: Pssh, of course! Magic is always in the air with these two lovebirds!
It Me: Cool, cool. :)
Alyson: Not sure if you're caught up yet or not since you posted on Chapter 1, but if you are, thanks for the review! :D
Ninja Squirrel: Your review and xlokiswolfx's review inspired this chapter so I hope you liked it! You just wrote too many happy fluffy things and then I wanted to write happy fluffy things and children and so... we have this chapter. And in regards to Loki drinking coffee... he prefers tea I bet, but if forced to drink coffee it's one of those really complicated sugary drinks that no longer tastes like coffee. He probably orders it really rapidly too and the barista probably has to ask him to repeat it, but he says it even faster the second time and the barista just goes pale and asks for a name. Of course, Loki probably replies "King of Asgard" or something. And Maisy just rolls her eyes and orders hot chocolate with sprinkles and apologizes for her husband. XD
darkangelynn5: Nice to see you around the reviews again, but no worries if you don't review! Dragons can be quite persuasive. ;)
yellowroseofthenw: I'm kinda thinking I might have done too much fluff... I think the next three chapters are full of it, or four? Possibly? Let's just say there is going to be a lot of fluff for the next while.
Thanks so much for reading everyone! You are the best!
TTFN!