Chapter 2: Enter the Intruder

Young Loki didn't know how when or what exactly happened. All he knew was that one moment he was coming back from the library, eyes drowsy, ready to sleep and the other a lady falls from his window, into his chamber breaking his bed night table and scaring the living lights out of his soul.

"Ugh"- He hears her grown and his eyes narrow in recognition.

That was no lady! That was the obnoxious red-head from the market!

The girl stumbled as she reincorporate on her own two feet, but was given no chance to run when a runt boy pinned her against the wall.

"What are you doing here!?"- At first she freak out, thinking she had stumble into the bedroom of someone of power, but her panic was vanished, when she saw it was just the short-height prince from the market

"Oh it's just you"- She commented visibly relaxing much to boy´s annoyance. Just him? It was Loki Odison, prince of Asgard excuse her very much! And she had just intrude his chamber! She was supposed to be scared at the very least.

Loki tighten his grasp on her shoulder in an attempt to fix her lack of respect, but was proven useless now that they were standing head to head and height difference became noticeable. She was at least 5 inches taller. Not much but enough for her to find him unthreatening.

"I asked, what you are doing here."- He questioned more firmly, but the redhead, brush him off and move aside. She instead start to walk around his very spacey and royal chamber, letting a whistle of approval

"Well they weren't lying when they said you were the prince"- She grinned turning to look at him. He gave her a glare.

"Of course I am! How could you not recognize one of Odin´s sons?"- He demanded walking towards her.

"We don't talk very much about you where I come from"-She sneered.

"And where is that exactly?"- He demands following her around with angry footsteps.

"Noneofya"-

"Noneoya?"

"None of ya business!-"-The red-head laughs obnoxiously loud at her own unfunny joke. Loki huffs deciding the girl lack the intelligence needed to a hold a serious conversation. With the choice already made the prince walks calmly towards the door. The girl soon stops her laughing.-"Hey! Where are you going?"

"I am calling the guards I had enough of you"- He shrugs and a smirk appears in his thin mouth. The redhead´s smug face is quickly replace with one of panic. He wouldn´t, she thought. With determination the girl sprints across the room. Loki narrows his eyes. She wouldn't dare, he thought before being proven wrong and getting tackled to the floor.

It took him by surprise, but he fought back and rolled to have her pinned down. She didn´t gave up and fought to push him off. In those moments the girl reminded him of a wild beast, one that seek survival and would do anything to avoid getting caught. She was tough but the boy´s pride was not to be put down by some barbarian most likely burglar girl. So both kids rolled around, kicking and pushing against each other, struggling on a match no one was supposed to witness.

"Guards!"- He shouts but his mouth gets covered with a pair of grimy hands. He gags at the taste.

"Silence"- He spits at them and the girl recoils. She feels grossed out, she wants to remove her hands and brush off the slimy saliva but chooses not to. She had him pinned down now, she had the upper hand. Then they both here metal clad steps from outside the door.

"Prince Loki is everything okay?!"- Asmund´s voice is heard behind the door. Ereida panics and presses her hands harder against the prince. Loki lets out muffled protests.-"Prince Loki? What is going on?"

"If they get inside you can forget about getting those necromancy scrolls"- The prince´s eyes widen at the promising threat. He stares at the girl´s freckled face to search for any indication of an empty promise. He can see the silence panic behind her eyes, however she still gives him a winning smile and slowly removes her hands from his face.

"Prince, we are going inside"- Another guard announces but Loki is quick to speak up.

"No, please do not. I was just having a nightmare. Do not disturb me I am trying to go back to sleep."- He lies. There is an audible exasperate sigh coming from the other side of the door, one Loki assumes is from a very annoyed Asmund.

His guards insist just one more time before they are dismissed again. After that they give their apologies and leave. Ones the steps are far gone, Ereida lets out a heartfelt laughed.

"Well done Prince Loki"- She praises, making a mocking emphasis in his royal tittle. The Prince glares at her, still from beneath her. He realize the position both were and quickly pushes her off him. Ereida laughs again. Loki scoffs as he eyes the scrawny girl and wonders how was she able to tackle him with such week looking physic. Well it was not like he was much different. Thor always teases him about his much less robust figure, and his stature… and his height.

Stupid blonde buffoon, Loki thought and always feeling confident that by next winter or so he was going to be the taller of the two.

"Get off there!"- Loki scolds as he comes back to reality and catches the messy girl setting in his bed.

"Jeesh, calm down"- She steps up immediately not wanting to make the short tempered brat change his mind. He walks to her and crosses his arms.

"You did not answer my question. What are you doing in my chambers? How did you get in?"

"That's two questions"

"Do not test my patience!"- The redhead rolls her eyes and crosses her arms too. Loki takes a look at them feels shame over being overpowered by some sticks with skin. However, when that is quickly overcome when he notices some purple bruises he didn't catch before on her forearms and wrists.

"I made some people angry and ran away"- she shrugs. The prince´s eyes narrow at the bruises, and then recall the awful woman from the market. Had she done those?-" But they were no match for my quick feet"

"And you decide to hide in my chambers?"

"Hey I wasn't expecting to come here, I manage to escape them, but then I ended up here, and your nosey guards started searching around the garden"

Loki was a little impressed, the height to get to his window was quite high, maybe not the highest but enough to impose a challenge. He could only imagine what type of live the girl had had. However, she was still an intruder, and he want to go back to sleep.

"Well then, accidents happen. You are forgiven. Now give me the scroll and leave, before I call the guards"- She gives him an accusatory look like he had said the most offensive thing in his life.

"Hold on, boy"- She rises her hands and walks to him.-"First we need to speak about what I get in exchange. Unbelievable. The prince stares at her in disbelief. One thing is to be daring enough hide in his bedroom but to demand something in exchange.

"What do you get in exchange? How about me not ordering the guards to arrest you? That should be more than enough"

"True"- She admits. She walks closer to him, and Loki mentally gulps when she pokes his chest.-"But if you do that, you wouldn´t have the scroll"

"I could just tell my father, someone is hoarding necromancy scrolls"

"And you think he will hand them to you"- She cocks an eyebrow.-"He would burn them before you got your hands on them"

Loki grits his teeth. She had a point. He could simply accuse her but his father very strict about magic involving the dead. Scrolls, books, anything that could hoard the knowledge about those hidden arts was burned or kept hidden from even higher rank mages. He feels hesitant but his decision was already made from the moment he decided to play with her in her stupid game. He looks at her.

"Fine, what do you want?"- Ereida crosses her arms feeling triumphant.

"Well, taking in consideration your visit to the market, caused a ruckus and I may or may not have made Vada angry when I punched her. It will be a little difficult to get closer to her now"

"So?"

"So it's only fair enough, you let me stay here in your room until the end of winter"- Loki stare at her like she just said the most audacious idea in all realms. And it was! The nerve, the nerve this homeless burglar girl had to demand a place to stay in his royal chambers after she trespassed them! It was crazy, it was insane, a bad idea bound to go wrong.

And yet…

"What do you say"- She asks with her freckled hand stretched towards him, expecting to be shaken. A part of him felt compelled to reach for it, but he was a smart boy and smart boys always think before acting.

"No of course not. Not in a million lives. Not in a million Ragnaroks."- Loki answers and she lets out a frustrated groan.

"Listen, you majesty"- She starts.-"Is super cold, and Lady Vada will not let me stay with her!"

"That's your problem"- The prince says coldly.

"But I don't have nowhere else to go…" – Loki gulps at the vulnerable choice of words. If she couldn't win him over with her charm she would have to appeal to his forgiven side. "Would you really let me out on my own on this frigid weather?"

Loki turned to look at her. Her thin complexion and the state of her dressing did not made him feel any better. He didn't know anything about this homeless girl, but it didn't take a genius to figure out she had not have an easy time.

"Isn´t a prince supposed to care for his people?!- The words of his mother ring in his head at the same time as the girl´s. They weight in his conscience. If he wants to be good king when he grows up, he has to understand his people and help them. This could be a test to put his benevolence in trial. What mayhem could one month of letting a helpless girl have shelter cause? She had the physic of a twig, and had much more to lose than him. There was no downside to this plan. Loki thought. He proves his a worthy king and gets forbidden knowledge.

"Fine!"- He quickly agrees before he can regret it.-"You can only stay at night! During the day I want you out. I don't want you wandering around the palace, someone finds you? It will be your problem.

"Good enough"-Ereida crosses her arms, satisfied with the deal.

"No one must see you."- The prince´s accusatory finger points at her, but Ereida is unfazed by the commanding words.

"I will be invisible"- She promises although the sarcasm is difficult to hide.

"And you better not say who let you in!"

"Who would believe me anyway?" – Ereida makes a point and Loki seems to be satisfied with the reasoning. He smiles but she rolls her eyes. She lets out a wide yawn and walks towards the bed.-"Well I guess we should go to sleep now"

"No!"- Loki rushes and puts himself infront of the bed, stretching his arms and blocking the homeless girl from reaching the blanket.-"You can´t sleep in the bed?"

"Why not!?"- She whines trying to reach for the blankets again but Loki removes her hands.

"You are a girl I am a boy it would be very inappropriate!"-His whines make Ereida confused, she puts her hands on her hips and give him a questioning look.

"Why? Have you never share your bed with a sister or a cousin?"

"Only with my brother"-

"Than what's the difference?!"- Ereida questions.

"He was a boy!"- Loki exclaims getting frustrated with the girl´s attempts to get in the bed.

"Well pretend I am boy!"

"You are obviously not!"-He finally admits, blushing at the rise of his voice.- "You are a girl and your smell is awful!"

He receives a smack on his chest. He is startle to see Ereida´s eyes obviously hurt by his comment.

"Well sorry I can't take a luxurious bath everyday! I thought princes were supposed to be nice! You are such a spoiled brat! Fine then. I will sleep in the floor!- Ereida grabs one of the pillows and walks angrily to the spot close to the fireplace. Loki gulps a lump of guilt. He didn't want to upset a girl. His stomach turned when he heard a whimper. He could not see her face but he could hear the audible sniffs.

Oh no

"Are you crying?"

"No!"-Answered an angry and cracked voice. Loki rushed in his feet. No wanting her get any more upset.

"Sorry that was very rude. You can sleep beside me! Don't cry"- She stopped the sniffing and turn to face him. Her face was dry with no tears but a smug smile.

"Thank you! I can´t believe it takes for me to cry for you to act right"- Ereida walks passed him and easily makes her way to his bed. A sudden feeling of foolishness washes over him. How could he be so dumb to fall for that!

"Forget it! You can sleep in the floor!"- Loki protests as he makes his way to his already used bed.

"Too late!"- She sings.-"I won´t move."

"Fine! But only this one time!"- Loki accepts and climbs his bed. He grabs his long pillows and puts them in the middle of the bed, making a sort of barrier between the annoying red-head and him.

"This is your side, and this is mine!"

"Fine!"

"Stay in your side!"

"And you stay in yours!

"If you cross it, I will call the guards!"

"Fine!"

"Fine"

Both children face the opposite's sides, wanting to stay as further away as possible between each other. Loki huffed in his sleep, not believing he let himself be drag to this mess. The necromancy texts better be legit, or else Loki would surely end up losing his mind. He set his eyes on the dancing flames of the fireplace and little by little he starts to relax until his eyes get drowsy.

"Ereida"- He calls not expecting and answer.

"Yeah?"- She replies surprised he remember her name. She calmer now, the whole situation sinking in. How did she even let herself get involved in this? How could the prince even agree to any of this? Would he take her words and allow her to stay or would she wake next morning in a cell?

"Where are you from?"- Loki asks out of curiosity. Ereida takes a moment before answering.

"Vallheim"- She said simply. The prince is taken by surprise and is tempt to turn around and ask, but the idea of sharing bed with a strange girl was uncomfortable enough, and facing her would only make him feel awkward again so he decides against it.

"How did you ended up here?"- He asks

"I ran away from the orphanage"

"Why?"

"It was boring. I didn't like it"

Loki feels that there was more to that story but out of discretion he decided to pry for a longer answer. There would be time to hear the complete story. After all she was going to stay for a whole month…

Loki internally groans at the idea, but it was too late to say no. So he closed his eyes and let himself sink in sleep. Maybe in the morning it would all be proven it was a dream

"Hey prince"

"Yeah?"- Loki was almost halfway to dreamland.

"Thank you for letting me stay"- The sincerity of the voice makes him smile. Maybe she wasn't that bad.

And then her snoring began and Loki started to question his decisions again.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. I want to continue this story. Child Loki gives me life and after all Infinity War I need to cope by writing him alive and wholesome