After breakfast Loki showed me around the Palace. The wind blew through the open patio that we were walking through, ruffling the bottom of my dress.
Why did you wear this dress?
"So, you don't like dresses?" Loki said smirking at me.
"Did you just read my mind?" I raised an eyebrow and pretended to be mad.
"No. I didn't. I just-," He stuttered out, his face growing red.
And it was incredibly cute.
"You just what?" I asked turning around and looking up into his face. His shocking green eyes, shone in the light of the sun, and it took everything I had to not brush away the small cluster of raven colored hair that had fallen into his face.
"I meant to say, you look nice in green." He muttered looking down at the ground.
I felt a blush creep into my cheeks. I reached out and placed my index finger under his chin, lifting his face to look at me.
"You don't look too bad in green either." I breathed, smiling widely at him.
His face turned an even brighter red, and I loved it.
I withdrew my hand slowly from his chin, but as I did he grasped it in his own hand holding it softly like it was something precious.
He pulled me forward through the open hallways of the palace, never letting go of my hand, and I never wanted him to let go.
"Loki!" I heard a voice shout and turned to look to the left. There was a training space, big and open, swords, shields, spears, and other weapons laid in shelves on the edges. In the middle of the semi circle a muscular guy with long blond hair stood, a huge hammer held tightly in his hand. He smiled widely at Loki, but then focused on the opponent in front of him. His opponent was at least twice his size, and height, but the blond didn't seem fazed at all.
"Who is that?" I asked Loki, not letting go of his hand.
"That is Thor." Loki said through pursed lips. It was like his entire mood had changed, he wasn't smiling at all or blushing. He was just watching Thor coldly.
Thor dropped his hammer into the sand of the arena and faced off against his opponent, amazingly lithe for someone so muscular. His opponent threw a punch catching Thor in the jaw, cracking open the skin. He staggered back a steps and put one of his hands to his face and touched the cut, pulling back his hand to look at the small trace of blood on it. He laughed loudly and punched his huge opponent. Thor's punch sent his opponent hurtling through the air, and into the large columns surrounding the perimeter.
"I told you that no one can defeat me, Volstagg not even you!" Thor bellowed happily. He turned focusing his attention on Loki and me, walking smoothly over to us.
"You must be Cadence. My father told me that we had a visitor from Midgard. It is wonderful to meet you, and I am sorry about your loss." Thor said taking my hand and kissing it.
I felt Loki stiffen next to me.
"Thank you, and I actually prefer Cade." I replied smiling, as I removed my hand from Thor's grasp slowly.
"Did you enjoy the show?" He said smiling, motioning behind him at Volstagg who was rising from the pillar slowly, his red hair billowing out on the dirt around him.
I shrugged casually. "It honestly wasn't much of a show"
Loki chuckled under his breath. Thor's grin widened.
"And what would be a show to you?" He challenged, a mysterious glint in his eyes.
"Oh you'll find out." I teased him, smiling.
The wind seemed to pick up in the clearing, lifting my dress a few inches.
"Don't do this Cade." I heard Loki's voice whisper in my head.
I smiled at him, and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I know what I'm doing, don't worry." I thought back to him. Another dark look crossed his face.
I let go of Loki's hand reluctantly, and took a step past Thor into the sand in the arena. I turned to face Thor and let Obsidian shift into a axe in my hand.
"Care to join me?" I taunted him, letting a smirk cross my face.
Thor's threw back his head and let laughter roar out of his mouth. "You're going to fight me in a dress, Cadence?" He scoffed, refusing to use my nickname.
"Absolutely. You don't have a problem with that do you, Goldilocks?" I asked him casually.
He only laughed in response and moved into the sand opposite me.
I glanced over at Loki. He was leaning against one of the concrete pillars, watching us intently. I took a voluntary step forward, and realized how ridiculous I was being.
I held up my hand. "Give me one second," I said to Thor, dropping Obsidian to my knees and cutting through the silk of the dress. The ends hung in tatters against my knees, so I probably didn't look my best.
Oh well, at least I can move.
"Let's do this." I said confidently, staring up into the face of Thor. He was at least two heads taller than me, I had never been the tallest person in the world, but I liked it. I liked to let my opponents underestimate me.
His hammer flew into his hand, electricity crackled in the air.
"Are you sure you want to do this little one?" He asked me, a large smile splitting his face.
"Absolutely." I replied calmly, not letting the smile leave my face.
"You know what? I'll let you use the sword, but I'll put Mjolnir away." The wind picked up once more, ruffling his hair enough to let it catch the light, making it turn the color of wheat. He dropped his hammer into the sand, where it sat with the handle sticking upright in the air.
I looked back to the edge of the arena and in the shadows, a woman about my age with dark brown hair stood, frowning. If looks could kill I would be dead, she had a sword in her hand, the edge of it rested on the sidewalk, but every once in a while the light would catch it, sending a flash of sunlight into my eyes. She was obviously jealous, I chuckled under my breath and turned my attention back to Thor. He was waiting for me to make the first move.
"Oh are you waiting on me? What a gentleman." I exclaimed letting a bit of sarcasm into my voice. I dropped Obsidian into the sand next to me, the blade slicing deep into the earth under our feet.
"I don't need a axe to beat you Thor." I said bending my knees and raising my hands in front of me.
He chuckled low under his breath, his blue eyes turning a stormy grey.
His attack came swiftly from the right, but I ducked under his arm and twisted so that I was standing behind him. I threw a kick at his exposed back, and I made contact with it, pushing him onto the sand. He rolled over on his back, and kicked himself back up, so that he was facing me once again.
"Not too bad." He mused, shifting from foot to foot.
"Eh, I do okay." I muttered, not taking my eyes off of him.
He tossed a look at the girl in he shadows, and shrugged. His eyes came back to mine, and he flashed another confident smile.
He still wasn't worried, that's cute.
I flashed forward, my right hand outstretched, Thor raised his hand to catch my fist, but at the last minute I pulled back and ducked towards his muscular chest, my fist slamming into his abdomen. The force of my punch propelled him backward into the cement pillars behind him. A nasty crack rang through the open arena as he smacked into the pillar. I could see the crack of the pillar running down the side, like a spine. Thor wasn't moving, and for a split second I thought he was dead, but then he groaned loudly.
Volstagg threw his head back and laughed loudly. "You are the first one to ever best Thor in combat!" He boomed, as he slapped his hand on my back. I jolted forward a few steps, but smiled nonetheless.
Thor got to his feet steadily, a sheepish smile on his face. "You may be little, but you pack the punch of a thousand men." He said laughing. He turned to face the girl in the shadows. "She might be a better warrior than you Sif!"
A dark look crossed over her face, and she stomped away towards the city, grumbling under her breath.
'I wonder why she is so upset." Thor mumbled, as he stared after her.
"She is probably just jealous that Cade beat you when Sif has been trying for the past 100 years." Volstagg said happliy. "But let's go celebrate, drinks on my friend." He bellowed, patting Thor on the back.
"Fine. I guess I deserve that." He grumbled, but let a smile work it's way across his face. He called Mjolnir to his hand and began to walk towards the palace with Volstagg close behind him.
I made eye contact with Loki, who winked and gave me an encouraging smile.
I felt something in my stomach flip flop, and I suddenly wasn't worried about staying here. I pulled Obsidian from the earth, it became like water wrapping around my hand, and up my arm forming an intricate circlet around my head.
"Well, that was impressive." Loki's voice washed through my head like silver.
"I was trained by the best."I replied modestly, walking over to the pillar he was leaning against.
"That much is obvious." He muttered, taking my hand in his. Warmth spread through my body when our hands touched.
"Cadence, Loki, come on let's go!" Thor bellowed from a good waze down the hallway.
Loki sighed.
"We don't have to go if you don't want to." I whispered to him, my hand finding his cheek.
"No. It's okay. I just don't like crowds that much." He mumbled, his eyes glancing towards where Thor had gone.
"I promise that I will hold your hand the entire night if I have to." I replied confidently, making him blush.
"Promise?" He whispered moving his face closer to mine.
His breath washed over my face, and I looked at his lips, which were only an inch away from mine.
I raised my eyes to his eyes that had turned a dark emerald color, and before I could stop myself I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his softly.
I pulled back suddenly embarrassed by what I had done. We had only met today and maybe this was a bad idea to make someone who was obviously my friend something more. But before I could open my mouth to apologize, his lips were against mine once again, pulling me into a searing kiss that made the world disappear around me.
And that was the beginning of the end.