Chapter One: Lady Quanda
The lady in question was not an actual full-grown lady, but rather a very young girl the approximate age of an eight-year-old in Earth's standard. (She was really about eight hundred years old, but what of it?) Her name was Quanda, and she had long, shiny black hair and warm brown eyes. Today, Quanda was playing with all the children of the noblemen and women, waiting for the feast to begin in the palace. Everyone was celebrating, because King Odin had come back from a battle victorious. It was early evening, and Quanda was exhausted already as she played with the other children. That is whys didn't see the pothole, nor the puddle of mud that lay just beyond it. She tripped into the puddle promptly, splashing mud all over her nice dress.
The boys all laughed at her, and so did some of the girls, though most felt sorry for their young playmate and tried to make the other shut up.
Quanda was near to tears. Not because of the mud or the taunting. She was just so tired, and worried what her mother would say.
"Do you need a hand?" asked a calm, soothing voice.
Quanda looked up to find a boy not much older than herself holding a hand towards her. He had black hair and the greenest eyes she had ever seen. After studying the face, she decided she could trust its owner. The boy helped her up and then handed her his handkerchief.
"You have mud on your nose," he said quiet frankly.
"Thank you," said Quanda, wiping her nose with he square of cotton.
"Come on, Loki!" called an older boy with blonde hair and blue eyes.
The green-eyed boy turned. "I'm coming."
"Wait!" called Quanda, holding out the now muddy handkerchief.
The green-eyed boy smirked a bit guiltily. "Keep it. You need it more than I do."
He ran off, leaving Quanda standing next to the mud puddle. Or what was left of it.
Loki, she thought. I've heard that name before.
"Mummy," said Quanda to her mother during the feast, "Who is that boy with black hair and green eyes?"
Her mother, who had light, curly blonde hair and blue eyes, glanced in his direction. "That is Prince Loki, the youngest son of Odin."
"I like him," Quanda said. "He's the one who gave me his handkerchief."
Quanda's mother, Lady Glena, raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Did he?"
"Yes," Quanda answered. She glanced at Loki. "I think he's handsome."
Lady Glena laughed, and launched into a lecture about mud puddles, clumsiness, and handsome princes.
But her daughter was busy watching the prince, who was sitting next to the blonde boy who could only be his brother, Thor. Much to her surprise, Loki caught her looking, and after holding her gaze for a moment, gave her a sweet smile, which lit up his face. Quanda smiled back, blushing, and then hid her face behind her mother.