I own nothing

"Touch. It is touch that is the deadliest enemy of chastity, loyalty, monogamy, gentility with its codes and conventions and restraints. By touch we are betrayed and betray others ... an accidental brushing of shoulders or touching of hands ... hands laid on shoulders in a gesture of comfort that lies like a thief, that takes, not gives, that wants, not offers, that awakes, not pacifies. When one flesh is waiting, there is electricity in the merest contact."
― Wallace Stegner, Angle of Repose

The garden was a beautiful maze of foreign flowers

I didn't really notice though because I was to enthralled by watching my soon to be husband.

I was skeptical at first that we would ever have any sort of relationship, even friendship. I had heard many rumors about the first born prince, plenty about his swoon worthy masculineness varying in success at making my cheeks burst into flames. Almost as many on his combat skills with his hammer Mjollnir but I had also heard rather scathing comments on his lack of intelligence.

I had expected him to immediately direct the conversation towards battle but I was pleasantly surprised.

"I hope you slept well" he offered after a few minutes of silence

"yes very well"

awkward silence reigned.

"you know my brother and I used to hide in these bushes and play tricks on the people who passed by when we were young."

This perked my interest "really" I arched an inquisitive eyebrow.

He grinned obviously pleased at my interest, "yes I remember this one younger girl who was particularly nasty and one day while she was walking with a suitor."

He gestured at us "almost like we are now, she looked down and suddenly found that her dress had suddenly become a collage of various rotten fruits and dead animals."

I gaped at him as he chuckled at my astonishment "of course it was just an illusion my brother had manipulated but she still fainted, and then when she got up she was convinced she was mad, but then started squalling about how the dirt had ruined her dress."

I shook my head as peals of genuine laughter escaped my mouth. "I most defiantly can picture that" I giggled "was she particurlarly pretty?"

He pulled a face "in a forest of flowers she was the ivy to your rose."

He then went to ridiculous lenghs to make me smile calling it "the single most beautiful thing in the world" making me smile even more.

I couldn't help but be surprised by how charismatic and genuine he was it was almost surreal.

then of course we were interrupted.

"Ahhh my friend I would have come if I knew you were courting a beautiful lady" Fandral a third of the famous Warriors Three came bounding up, giving me a flirty wink.

I gave him a small smile shaking my head he reminded me more of a hyper child than a womanizer and more like a overgrown puppy than a warrior but he had a fierce reputation for both.

"however I must insist that you join us in our practice" he announced extravagantly "and you must bring the lovely lady of course". he added smirking

Thor obviously wanted to go but as he opened his mouth to presumably turn down the offer for my sake I cut in.

"I would love to see" I beamed them down "lead the way"

It was actually very entertaining to watch them mock battle, even though I winced every time they swung their weapons.

This went on for quiet some time, them losing to Thor every time, and me clapping politely.

before

"Lady Ever would you like to show off your weapons prowess?" Sif said giving me a evil smirk that made my blood boil

what was she playing at?

I eyed the bow and arrow while Thor brushed her off "a lady of her status doesn't need to learn to use a weapon" he said pompously before adding "especially with myself being her betrothed".

I could feel the rage bubbling up in my gut, Gods I knew he was to good to be true.

I stormed down the step brushing past Thor to pick up the Longbow stringing it up with nimble fingers.

as I weighed the royal arrows in an experienced hand my mind drifted to Terio, he taught me everything I know about archery and we were fast friends it hand my heart ache for my adopted family.

I cast that out of my mind as I took my place about 60m from the target and brought the bow to full draw.

I took deep breathes letting the rest of my body relax, I blocked out the whispered bets between Volstagg and Fandral, and tried to ignore the weight of drilling gaze from a distant figure on the Castle balcony that made me shiver.

I took one last breathe listening to my blood thrumming in my ears before letting the entire quiver of arrows fly in rapid succession.

I let out the huge breathe I hadn't even known I had been holding as I surveyed the target.

the majority of the arrows were clustered in the center with one or two arrows that were still impressively close to the center.

I felt the grin blossoming across my face but I contained it, limiting myself to a small smirk.

I wasn't a master archer by any means, the was Terio's job but I could defiantly hold my own.

I turned relishing there looks of various degrees of shock, and placed my bow and quiver on their stands retrieving the arrows methodically and returning them to the quiver.

By this time everybody had come alive, Sif was half glowering half grinning like an idiot and Volstagg gave me a conspiratorial wink as he collected his money from a sheepish Fandral. I brushed past them all not even paying Thor a bit of attention, but by the time I was going up the steps I couldn't contain my grin any more as I heard Volstagg say with a smirk in his voice.

"you've really got your work cut out for you with this one lad"

I spent a good chunk of my day wandering the hall before somehow I inevitably end up in the Royal Library.

The room is cavernous with huge windows and even bigger bookshelves that span entire walls.

I was pretty damn happy.

about an hour into my browsing I was surprised by someone, or more accurately somebody's voice.

"Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee, Whether the summer clothe the general earth"

I whirled to the left towards his voice but there was no one there.

"With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch"

I his voice suddenly appeared to my right, echoing in my ears.

"Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall"

I close my eyes as his velvet voice sends shivers down my spin and raises goose bumps on my skin.

"Heard only in the trances of the blast, Or if the secret ministry of frost"

I could feel it, the weight of his gaze so familiar.

"Shall hang them up in silent icicles, Quietly shining to the quiet Moon."

His warm breathe caressed the cool skin of my neck as he finished the last lines of the poem.

"Frost at Midnight by Samuel Taylor Coleridge"

my voice sounded weak and horse even to my own ears

"so you do know Midgardian Poetry" I feel something in the air shift as he turns mocking "a trait I'm sure my brother will appreciate... along with your skills in archery"

I turn abruptly nose to nose with his handsome face, I say nothing just study him. my insides heating up with lust as I take in his features one more time, and breathe in his scent, something completely his own. At mixture of pine and leather with winter and ice that is rich and warm but chills the back of your throat.

He leans in his lips tickling my ear as my insides melt to absolute mush.

"you look brilliant in my color"

and then he's gone with nothing more then pine, leather, and ice to prove he was ever here

Yay! take that writers block!

sooo Thor and Ever or Loki and Ever it can go either way and It mostly depends on what you readers think sooooo comment!