When Andromeda woke up the next day, the Asgardian sunlight was streaming through her windows. As the princess' eyes adjusted to the light, her suite seemed to glow and she was reminded of home.
The princess rose from her bed and stretched her arms over her head, a yawn emitting from her plump lips. She did not feel like waiting for Ragna and Sylvi to dress her, so she picked out a dress for herself. It was a plain light pink gown that reminded her of Aethiopia, for it flowed around her body instead of cinching at her waist. She put the dress on and stared at herself in the mirror, liking how the neckline of the dress sat just below her collarbone. The princess combed through her hair, before tying it into a high ponytail with a white ribbon. She slipped on her shoes and headed out into the hallway.
Andromeda found her way to the dining hall and took an apple like fruit from the table, not really feeling like eating. She then wandered around the palace grounds smiling at everyone she came across.
Walking outside, Andromeda heard grunts and commotion coming from a few feet away from her. She followed the noise, discarding the core of her fruit, and watched curiously as she came to the training grounds.
Thor was sparring with a burly red-headed man. The prince seemed to have the upper hand, grunting deeply as he landed a blow on the other man. The sound of swords clashing thrilled Andromeda as she watched the sparring match.
"Hello." The princess jumped when a feminine voice greeted her.
Andromeda turned to her side and saw a pale woman with long black hair in a style similar to hers. The woman had fierce grey eyes, and she was dressed in armor similar to a man's, though she had an indecently short skirt on.
"Hello." Andromeda greeted the woman before turning back to the battle.
"I am Lady Sif." The woman introduced herself. "You must be Princess Andromeda." The princess nodded, not looking away from the sparring session. "Do you fight?" Sif asked the princess.
Andromeda shook her head with a laugh. "My mother would never let me. She nearly had a heart palpitation when I beat up my male cousin when I was seven."
"You should learn, it is a powerful skill to have." The brunette warrior remarked, crossing her arms.
Andromeda nodded her head, "Maybe some day…" She trailed, flinching when Thor almost fell to the ground.
Sif watched her action and shook her head, frowning deeply. The princess was everything she wasn't and she could see why Thor would not stop raving about her. Princess Andromeda was beautiful, even in Asgardian standards, and she was the picture of femininity.
The bearded man was on his last leg and the prince was smiling triumphantly. As Thor was about to cast a final blow to the man, he caught a glimpse of Andromeda watching him. A smug look took over his face as he took extra care to flex the muscle in his arm. The red-headed man watched as Thor was distracted and took the chance to sweep the prince off his feet. Thor fell with a groan and the man stood over him with his sword pointed at the prince's neck.
Sif rolled her eyes and looked to Andromeda, expecting the princess to be worried over the golden-haired prince. The princess had a hand over her mouth and her amber eyes were wide, and Sif scowled at the girl. The warrior's scowl was replaced by a surprised look when she heard the tell-tale sign of a snicker.
Andromeda tried her hardest to hold in her laugh, pressing a hand against her mouth, but her snickers started to turn to giggles. As Thor was helped off the ground, a laugh rang through the training ground. The princess' boom of a laugh caused Sif to start snickering with her and the two girls leaned on each other as they cackled.
Thor's cheeks were tinted pink as he walked up to the women. "Morning Princess." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.
Andromeda covered her mouth to hide her smirk and nodded to the prince. "Good morning, Prince Thor. I decided to take you up on your offer to watch you sparring. Maybe I came on the wrong day…"
Sif snorted out a laugh at the princess' statement, quickly silencing herself when Thor threw her an annoyed look.
"The sun was in my eyes." Thor muttered the excuse to Andromeda and the bearded man the prince was fighting came up to the three of them, dropping a heavy hand on Thor's shoulder.
"That's what you think of her?" The redhead gestured to the princess. "The sun?" Thor sputtered and babble trying to defend himself as Andromeda laughed.
"I am Princess Andromeda." The princess introduced herself holding a hand out to the bearded man.
"Volstagg of the Warriors Three." Volstagg said, brushing his lips across the princess' knuckles. "Your beauty must have distracted our crowned prince."
"Or," Andromeda casted a teasing glance to Thor, "He isn't as good as he thinks he is."
Sif raises her eyebrows and looked between Thor and a smirking Andromeda, waiting to see how the Prince would react.
"Oh?" Thor said, raising his eyebrows.
"A beautiful maiden could have been on the battlefield and you would have been killed. Living is much more important than boasting." Andromeda explained, daring the prince to disagree with her eyes.
The prince crossed his arms, a pensive look spreading on his face. Sif and Volstagg waited for the prideful prince's reaction with baited breath. "I suppose," Thor started, stroking his bearded chin. "You are correct, though it would be most surprising to find a maiden as fair as you, Princess."
Andromeda tilted her head slightly to the side and quirked up an eyebrow, smirking at the prince. "Though that may be true, you should be prepared for anything, am I correct in my presumption?"
Thor nodded grinning at the princess. "You are correct, once again." The prince paused and took Andromeda's hand in his own, looking deeply into her eyes, "The next time you watch me I will be triumphant, you have my word."
The princess slipped her hand from his and nodded, walking away from the grounds. "If I find the time." She quipped, swaying away.
Thor watched her with a grin and Sif just shook her head.
Andromeda walk back into the palace and down the hallway towards the library. She opened the heavy door and slipped in, walking through the aisles one more. While she opened a book a voice sounded from behind her.
"My brother's a buffon."
Andromeda grinned, then replied without looking up from the book. "He was just trying to impress me."
"By making an ass of himself?"
"He means well." The princess excused, furrowing her brows at the text of the book.
"I am surprised you can read, Princess."
Andromeda finally turned around and glared at the smirking prince. "I can read." She snapped, slamming the book shut. She shoved it towards the prince and rolled her eyes, "I just cannot understand the tongue these are written in."
"Would you like to learn?" He asked, placing his hand on the bookshelf behind her and leaning towards her.
Andromeda's back was against the bookshelf as she studied the prince's green eyes. "How long would it take?" She replied, her height making her have to tilt her head up to look at the prince.
Loki raised a brow, "With your Midgardian mind it might take longer to-"
With a roll of her eyes, Andromeda clicked her tongue, ducking under the prince's arm and walking away from him. "No thank you," She retorted, before her pretty face twisted into a sneer. "I'm sure me and my 'tiny' mind will do just fine on our own!"
Loki chuckled carelessly as he followed the bronze beauty down the aisle. "Oh little Princess," He cooed, "Can't you take a joke?"
Andromeda turned around fully, her dress fluttering around her and looked up at the prince wide, doe eyes. She placed a petite hand on his chest as her pinks lips pouted. "Oh Prince," She purred, Loki's eyes on her saplings. "You're just not funny." The princess finished in a dry tone, pushing herself away from him and swaying away with her head high.
Loki chuckled as he smoothly followed her out of the library. "You used to think I was funny, little Andromeda." He retorted, smiling at the short woman. The princess huffed and continued to walk, not looking at him. "Has my novelty worn off already?"
Andromeda twirled her pendant in between her fingers as she scoffed. "Your novelty wore off a decade ago."
"On Asgard, a decade ago you were not alive." Loki smartly replied, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Well a decade ago on 'Midgard' you left." Andromeda snapped before calming herself. "And you did not come back."
The prince raised a dark brow and answered calmly, "I never said I would return."
"You did!" The princess insisted loudly, a frown set on her face. She lowered her voice as she repeated herself, "You did."
"No," Loki shook his head, "I did not."
By now the couple had stopped at a tall door, one that Andromeda had never seen before but the princess was too irritated to notice. Loki opened the door for Andromeda and the short woman glared as she walked into the suite.
The room was huge and covered in emerald, gold, and black. A sitting room with leather couches and a large bookshelf was the first thing one saw when they walked in. On the floor were black, fur rugs covering most of the room. Most of the furniture in the room was blackened wood, while the drapery was green.
Andromeda sat on the leather couch and folded her hands in her lap, while Loki sat in an arm chair.
"It is not appropriate for me to be in your chambers, Prince Loki." Andromeda muttered as she looked around the dark room.
"Andromeda," He addressed informally, a sly smile on his lips. "We are passed those formalities, are we not?"
"We are not." The princess dismissed stubbornly, averting her amber eyes.
Loki rolled his eyes, "Are you that angry with me Andromeda?"
"Princess." She snapped, "Princess Andromeda!"
The prince raised his eyebrows at her tone. "Well Princess, since we are not being familiar with each other," He practically spat, "Maybe you have forgotten your place, or you bumped your pretty little head against the linoleum but you are only a guest." He paused with a cruel smile, "A mortal guest at that. You may be a princess on Midgard but do not forget that I am a Prince of Asgard and Son of Odin. You'd do well to watch your tongue."
At the end of the prince's rant, Andromeda was breathing heavily, her eyes wide and watery. She thickly swallowed and blinked her tears away, rising from her seat. "I apologize for my candor, Prince Loki." Her sapling eyes were downcast, "Excuse me." She rushed out of the room and closed the door behind her, gathering her dress in her hands. The princess ran to her suite and locked herself inside, finally allowing her tears to fall.
The way he looked at her… Like she was the scum beneath his feet. The romanticized version of the Prince was now gone from her mind, and the reality began to set in and she did not like it. Andromeda's fingers fingered the necklace on her neck and she yanked it away, flinging it across the room.
The princess frowned deeply before running her hand through her hair. What was she doing? She was a princess! Daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia! The crown jewel of Aethiopia! She was not the one to sit and cry over a man! Men wept over her beauty! Men wept over her dismal of them!
Andromeda's sadness turned to anger as she glared at nothing at all. How foolish she was, crying over a Prince in a foreign land. She had loved him since she was a child, but with a flurry of words the image of him waned.
The princess felt stupid.
A knock sounded at her door and the princess wiped her eyes before answering.
"Hello Princess!" Ragna greeted as she and Sylvi were let in the suite. "We must get you ready for your welcoming feast!"
Sylvi looked at the young woman with a frown. "Are you alright, Princess?"
Andromeda nodded, looking away from the servants, who in turn stayed quiet. They led her to the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water before stripping the princess of her gown.
Andromeda sat on the tub as she was cleaned, her tears now dry. Her eyes were closed as Ragna thick fingers massaged her scalp. Sylvi had put some sort of elixir in the water and it smelled heavenly, the scent settling on her golden brown skin.
As the servants dried her body off, Andromeda's mind and face as blank. Ragna looked to Sylvi with a frown as they led her back into the bedroom. The blonde nodded to the youngest brunette, and Sylvi walked to the door and opened it, picking up two boxes from the floor.
Ragna put a silk robe on the princess and sat her down at the vanity. "To avoid stains, miss." She explained to the princess, who barely nodded. Two hands worked through the princess curls, combing out the knots. They then used a piece of white ribbon to roll her hair into a chignon, that wrapped around half of her head. Sylvi walked over to the bed and opened the box as Ragna began to apply face paint to the princess.
Upon Andromeda's request, Ragna had been supplied with metallic, golden bronzer for her cheeks and golden powder for her eyes. The blonde-haired woman brushed the powder on the princess' face expertly, her brows furrowed in concentration. "Close your eyes please." Ragna muttered, brushing the powdered gold on her lids. She then traced a black line across each lid to a little past the corner of her eye. Ragna then took a small brush, dipped it in black ink, and brushed it through the princess' lashes, making them longer and fuller than she was already blessed with. Finally, the servant dabbed a light pink gloss on Andromeda's lips.
Not feeling movement on her face, Andromeda opened her eyes, only to widen them at her reflection in the mirror. Her face seemed to glow and she looked like a bronzed statue of a goddess from Greece. Her sad sapling eyes seemed to burn like embers with the help of the golden eyeshadow. She wanted to cry in happiness, but she didn't want to ruin her makeup.
"Oh Ragna." Andromeda smiled softly at the golden-haired woman. "You've made me beautiful."
Ragna chuckled and waved her hand. "You had a wonderful canvas to start with, Princess." The golden-haired woman helped the princess up from the vanity seat and took off her robe. Sylvi held a dress from the long white box with a grin and Andromeda gasped.
It was a long white gown with one shoulder that shimmered in the light of the room. A sheer, shimmery cloth tied across the clothed shoulder and draped to the bust of the dress, hanging loosely. The white material of the dressed cinched at the waist, and hung loosely to the knees where it cinched once again. White crystals covered the skirt of the gown, shining brightly in the light and Andromeda shook her head at it's beauty.
"It's a gift," Sylvi smiled before adding, "From the Queen."
"It's beautiful." Andromeda shook her head, "I've never seen anything like it." Ragna and Sylvi smiled at each other, as they helped the princess put the gown on.
Ragna grinned before turning Andromeda away from the mirror. "Now close your eyes, Princess." Andromeda obeyed with a smile, and Ragna nodded to Sylvi, who inturn opened the smaller white box and took out a crown. Ragna placed the crown in the princess' hair, before turning her towards the mirror. "Alright…" Ragna said as Sylvi bit her lip in anticipation.
Andromeda opened her eyes let out a shuddery breath, her hand covering her mouth. "My gods…" The princess tilted her head from side to side in the mirror, inspecting the crown. It was a simple, thin, golden band wrapped around her head and sitting in her sculpted curls. The dress brought the whole look together and it almost made her cry for the third time that day. Andromeda turned around and wrapped her arms around the two servants, shocking them. "Thank you both so much."
Ragna and Sylvi looked to one another with wide smiles, and Andromeda grinned prettily as she pulled away from them. The princess giggled gleefully as she ran her hands along her dress, taking in the shimmer, the natural light of happiness had returned to her aura.
"Wait until they get a glance of me!" Andromeda smirked playfully, her eyebrow quirked up. Her hands trailed along her collarbone as she gazed at her reflection, only for her to pause when she did not feel her pendant.
Sylvi rushed into to action, opening a drawer in the vanity and taking out a necklace with a crystal pendant. Andromeda smiled gratefully as the brunette woman fastened it around her neck. "Thank you, Sylvi." The princess grinned as the pendant shimmered against the column of her throat.
An insistent knock sounded at the door and Ragna rushed to answer it. Andromeda paid it no mind, instead vainly continuing to examine herself in the mirror. As she looked up, eyes stared hardly into hers and she looked away bashfully.
"Enchanting."