Loki was walking somewhat victoriously beside his older brother about ten minutes after Tilaria had left the courtyard with Odin. Eirill had cut their lesson short for the day, and told all the children to scatter before leaving in search of some mead to nurse his new headache with. Thor glanced at Loki as they walked, but this time he was glad for Loki's mischief.
The brothers were walking to the steps that led to their father's throne room when they saw Tilaria starting to walk down them. She stopped walking when she saw them approaching and gave them a curious look. A gentle autumn breeze tugged at her dark blue cloak and made the lower hem ripple. Thor waved brightly to her and ran over to the stairs while Loki followed at a slower pace.
"I thought you were going to be training for several hours yet," Tilaria called to them as she glided down the stairs with elfin grace.
"We were, but…" Thor turned and looked at Loki. "There was a change of plans."
Loki forced himself to continue to walk calmly and shrugged.
"I see," Tilaria smiled and gave Loki an amused look.
"Are you really staying?" Thor asked her as she walked down to him and stepped off the stairs.
Tilaria nodded, "Odin's approved the plan. He said I could pick out a room in the Ambassadorial wing, and that you two could show me around the palace grounds."
Thor nodded exuberantly. "We can do that."
"How about we go to our rooms and drop off our sparring gear first?" Loki interrupted. "We can show Tilaria our rooms, and then take her to Ambassador's wing so she can take a look at the rooms there."
Thor thought about it and then nodded again, agreeing with his plan. He waved Loki to hurry up and then started to lead Tilaria back inside the palace. Loki caught up to him, and walked behind Tilaria and Thor. While Thor started to talk about a dozen different subjects, Loki followed quietly, pleased. Tilaria's visit a month ago had ended in blood when Arlen had attacked, but hopefully things would be better this time.
"There are a lot of empty quarters in the Ambassador's Wing," Thor was currently saying. "You could take your pick. Some of the quarters there are almost as good as mother and fathers."
"Thor," Tilaria interrupted him gently.
"Hmm?" Thor asked innocently and blinked his wide blue eyes.
"Odin has agreed to my staying here, but there are still dozens of details to work out," Tilaria warned. "Quarters are just the start. It's going to take several weeks for things to settle down. I am a member of another realm's royal family."
Thor pouted and quieted, hating the fact that he had just gotten scolded but understanding.
"Do you mean like with Hogun?" Loki inputted. "He's Vanaheim's prince."
"Yes," Tilaria agreed. "That's a perfect example. Inheritance for Vanir's is passed down the paternal line, so even though Hogun is the only male heir, he's actually last in line for the throne. Like with me, Hogun is not the crown heir of his realm and that's why it's okay for him to be on Asgard instead of back home. Thor, do you remember when Hogun first came here, what it was like?"
"Yeah," Thor relented. "It was hectic until everything settled down and he got used to life here."
"It'll be the same for me," Tilaria nodded.
Thor understood, but with Hogun it was different. He hadn't even known Hogun existed until Odin told him that Vanaheim's prince was going to be staying on Asgard. It had taken time for him to warm up to Hogun stoic and silent demeanor, whereas he already knew Tilaria from her last visit a month ago.
Loki quickened his pace to walk beside Tilaria. "I read something about Eladrin a few weeks ago. It said that the correct title for female heirs to the throne is Heiress, not Princess like the other races say. Is that true?"
"It's just a habit the Eladrin got into," Tilaria shrugged like it wasn't important. "My correct title is Heiress though. Calling me Princess would be slurring the title like how the Ljósálfr are sometimes called Light Elves."
Loki understood, but he'd never thought of calling the Ljósálfr Light Elves was a disrespectful slur. The two of them had fallen behind Thor a little, and Loki nodded in Thor's direction before giving her a mischievous look. Tilaria looked at him curiously, and Loki caught up to his brother.
"Hey Thor," Loki said lightly.
Thor turned his head at him curiously, wondering what Loki was going to say now.
"It may take a few weeks but at least then things won't be so boring around here," Loki promised him.
"Boring?" Thor stopped walking, and gave Loki a disbelieving look. "Things are not boring around here, especially not with you around."
"Yes," Loki said with a fake smile meant only to put Thor at ease. "I do seem to be saving your life every other day from some crazy adventure you try and go on."
As he spoke the laces on Thor's shoes came united and started moving like snakes without him noticing.
"What do you want me to do? Say thank you? You know I'm glad you help me, little brother." Thor continued.
"No, I don't need you to say thanks." Loki continued.
"Then what?" Thor asked curiously.
Loki didn't answer, just smiled – it was a smile as sharp as a blade and bespoke a certain degree of danger for Thor. Thor noticed and took a step back, or tried rather. His shoes got caught and he ended up on his back with an oof. He winced and sat up, staring at his boots. The laces had tied themselves into a nice big bow.
"Loki!" He sputtered and shouted.
"See brother?" Loki purred, "I don't need thanks, the look on your face was plenty sufficient."
Tilaria couldn't help it and started laughing at Loki's mischief. Loki bowed to her as if her laughter had been his goal all along, but Thor scowled at being made a fool of in front of Tilaria.
His little brother had never had an interest in girls before, so why did he have to start being interested in this one? Tilaria tugged her cloak closer to her shyly when the princes looked at her and stopped laughing. Even with her cloak half-hiding her figure it was hard for Thor not to look at her.
Unlike the Æsir woman who wore long-sleeve dresses that came to the floor, Tilaria was dressed in the Ljósálfr style. With their realm in an eternal summer, the Ljósálfr wore very little. Like her kin, she wore a miniskirt, a pair of cloth arm bracers, and a sleeveless tunic cut to show her midriff with a high collar that came to her neck. This was a lot more skin then the Æsir were used to seeing from their females and Tilaria had a very nice figure.
"Loki," Thor repeated sharply, frustrated, "fix my boots!"
"Why?" Loki asked with an innocent tilt of his head.
"Loki…" Thor warned.
Tilaria started laughing again, and Thor decided that he would cut Loki some slack just this one time. A chilly breeze drifted into the hallway rom the open doors, and it pulled at Tilaria's cloak. The sun clasp scratched her neck as if punishing her for daring to wear the Ljósálfr's sun. She pulled it closer anyway.
"Don't like the cold?" Loki asked when he saw her tug the cloak to her.
Beside him, Thor had tugged his boots off of his feet so he could work on the knot easier. His fingers couldn't seem to untangle it, and the pads of Thor's fingers tingled as he touched the laces. Thor's sensitivity to magic allowed him to detect that Loki had hexed his laces. There was no way someone without magic like Thor could undo the knot. Loki would have to release the hex first.
"We elves used our magic to place our realm in an eternal summer," Tilaria reminded Loki, "so we're not used to feeling cold. Although we have night and day, there is no winter there. There is one here though, correct?"
"Yes," Loki agreed while ignoring Thor's struggle with his boots. "It's autumn now, and will be winter in a few weeks."
"It's gets colder?" Tilaria asked in surprise.
Loki nodded almost apologetically, aware that elves had practically no immunity to the cold.
"Hey Thor!" Someone shouted, interrupting what Loki was going to say next.
Thor looked up from struggling with his boots to see Fandral approaching. He still had his training gear on.
Fandral gave Thor a boyish grin, "Why are you sitting down?"
Thor held up his boots, displaying the knotted bow. Tilaria turned behind him and the movement caught Fandral's eye, revealing her presence. Fandral hadn't noticed her before, but he did so now and he smiled.
"Milady," he addressed Tilaria and gave her a sweeping bow. "Forgive me for not greeting you earlier. I believe you are more beautiful than your last visit."
Tilaria ducked her head away with a blush. Ljósálfr didn't have any idea of flattery, so she had no idea what to make of Fandral's charming words. Thor scowled again at Fandral, aware that he was really not having any luck with Tilaria.
"Loki, fix my boots!" He demanded again.
They were inside, but the people outside could see dark clouds starting to gather as Thor became more upset. If his temper didn't calm down then it would soon be storming. Loki looked away from him however, eyes focusing on something out of sight.
"Loki!" Thor repeated.
"Shush," Loki shushed him with a snap.
Thor instantly shushed when Loki took that tone. Loki's magic let him sense things Thor couldn't, and when Loki got like that it was usually because of his magic. He sighed and rolled his eyes.
"There are Star Guard coming, but I think they're drunk." Loki sighed, amazed by that since it was barely mid-morning.
"Are your warriors always drunk?" Tilaria asked.
The tone of her voice made all three of the Æsir near her wince. From the group's location, the children could now hear slurred voices and unsteady footsteps. Two Star Guard came into sight.
"Hey, you kids!" One of them shouted.
"Scatter!" Loki ordered loudly and swept an arm.
Thor wisely agreed with his brother's plan, and he grabbed his boots to run down the hall in his socks. Loki turned to Tilaria, but Fandral already grabbed her hand. Asgard's younger prince hesitated for a brief moment as Fandral and Tilaria started down the hall but then teleported away in a swirl of emerald sparks.
With Thor run off and Loki teleported away, the Star Guard were left with Fandral and Tilaria. Fandral took Tilaria down the hall and back outside to the front of the palace with the Star Guard in pursuit. The light brightened and the temperature dropped as the two were back outside. Tilaria could just teleport both of them away, but Fandral didn't give her a chance to make the suggestion and in all honesty she wasn't worried about a few Star Guard.
"This way," Fandral told her and tugged Tilaria around the front entrance and into another hallway.
The two of them hesitated inside, hidden behind the doors. Their pursers came to a quick stop they looked around, unable to find them. After a few minutes, the Star Guard gave up and wandered back into the halls walking more sideways then forward.
"Do you do that often?" Tilaria asked while Fandral looked around the corner.
Fandral smiled without turning around, "it depends on the day. Normally they don't cause trouble until the sun sets and it gets worse the closer to the weekend it gets. Where were the Princes taking you?"
"Just around mostly," Tilaria shrugged, deciding that looking at possible rooms could wait.
"So you are staying?" Fandral asked brightly.
"Until I come to age or something changes I believe I will," Tilaria nodded agreement.
Fandral grinned happily. "Since the Princes are no longer here, may I now have the honor of being your escort?"
Tilaria looked down to see that Fandral was still holding her hand. When Fandral noticed her gaze he raised her hand and kissed the back of it like a gentleman. Then he let go. Tilaria's hand stayed in the air, and she looked very surprised.
Her hand was warm and Fandral's smile was soft. Tilaria slowly smiled back, silently agreeing with his idea to guide her.
While Loki was silently standing on the railing of his balcony looking over the golden city, Thor was stalking down the hall inside. He was still in his socks, and he was not happy. Thor stopped walking when he caught sight of his mother, and her magic alerted her that her son was near.
"Thor," Frigga greeted Thor with a smile. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be showing Tilaria around?"
Thor tightened his grip on the laces of his shoes he was holding. "I was. I hate magic."
"Is that why you aren't wearing your shoes?" Frigga asked, and put a hand over her mouth to smother her laughter as she imagined the situation that had occurred.
Thor held up his boots, and showed that the laces were knotted together into a bow. "Loki did this to me while we were talking, and then some drunk Star Guard showed up. Loki teleported off and Fandral took Tilaria and went off in a direction, but I don't' know where."
"Ah," Frigga said, realizing that she had been correct and she held out her hand to him.
Thor obediently handed over his boots, and crossed his arms. It was a simple hex Loki had used, but the knot couldn't' be undone until the hex faded in a few hours. She whispered the countercharm and Thor's laces fell apart. Her son brightened as she handed them back and sat down to put them on.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you where the other children ran off to," Frigga apologized to her son. "I haven't seen them and it would take some time to track them magically."
Thor knotted the laces of the boots with a frustrated look and stood up. "I suppose I can start looking for Loki in the library."
"You wanted to show her around, didn't you?" Frigga asked gently at Thor's frustration.
Thor stood and stared at his boots, "She's beautiful mother."
"So she is," Frigga agreed, "but looks are not everything. I have a feeling there is more to Tilaria then meets the eye."
She could tell that her warning went past Thor unnoticed. He would have to learn about girls the hard way, but that didn't surprise her. It was how most boys Thor's age were.
"So, where would you like to go first?" Fandral asked as he walked with Tilaria, the two of them having successfully lost their chasers.
Tilaria shook her head. She had never been shy before but his smile was so disarming, and she didn't quite know how to react to it.
She tilted her head up as a being came close, and her telepathy alerted her that two Asgardians were coming down the hallway. Although the scan was not deep enough to detect thoughts she knew she was correct when two female Æsir about her age walked around a corner ahead of them.
The two girls wore long dresses with sleeves that came to their wrists. Their hair was combed and twisted up into delicate designs, and the one walking in front wore so much makeup and jewelry that it was hard to tell what she looked like. Her companion trailed a few steps behind her, and she had significantly less makeup on so Tilaria was able to easily see her appearance. She had bright crimson hair and twilight blue eyes with neon yellow bangs framing her face. There was something familiar about her appearance.
"Hello, milady Jonelle." Fandral interrupted Tilaria and the one with the makeup stopped walking and looked at him, "and Sefa."
He added the last part as if an afterthought, and the plainer girl with the twilight eyes tipped her head.
"This is Princess Tilaria," Fandral motioned to her.
Tilaria drew herself from her thoughts and she bowed slightly in respect. Heiress, Tilaria thought although she knew it didn't matter, her correct title was Heiress.
The girl named Jonelle smiled and curtsied. "Princess, I am Jonelle Akirdottir. Will you be remaining long?"
"Yes," Tilaria agreed. "I am being fostered here."
Jonelle's blue eyes lit up. "I am pleased. Would you like to come to my home? I would find your company pleasurable."
Tilaria looked at her eyes and hesitated in my answer. They were like Hallien's – a beautiful blue but cold. Because she was telepathic she had been trained to contain her abilities and avoid scanning someone's mind by accident, but there is something in those eyes that bothered her. She slowly reached out with her senses.
Jonelle's smile was bright, but the emotions in her mind were disdainful and very cold. They were searching for power and to make friends in high places to further that end. As one of Alfheim's royal family, Jonelle was interested in becoming her friend.
Tilaria rethought her answer. "I am afraid not, I'm supposed to speak to Queen Frigga."
She spoke evenly, but let her telepathy drift across Jonelle's mind. There was a flash of annoyance when Tilaria refused Jonelle's offer, and Tilaria had a feeling Jonelle had just insulted her. If she had sensed it correctly then it had something to do with her clothes, or lack of them. Jonelle silently curtsied again and walked by her with Sefa following like a second shadow.
Fandral shook his head slightly when he court girls had left, and warned Tilaria. "Jonelle is beautiful but she can be a real bitch to girls she doesn't like."
Tilaria wasn't used to his wording, but understood his meaning. "I can survive a duel with Arlen, I can handle one Æsir. She didn't even have a blade."
"Only warriors carry blades." Fandral responded and started walking again. "She is a girl."
Tilaria stopped and touched the dagger at her side. "I am a girl."
Fandral paused and realized that although his comment would have been accepted by an Æsir, they were the wrong thing to say to an elf. "Yes, but I suppose you are an Elf. I only meant Æsir woman milady."
'Fighting is a man's job' his thoughts whispered.
"What?" Tilaria's ears twitched as her telepathy accidentally went too deep and she heard his actual thoughts rather than bare emotions.
"I suppose female elves are trained in combat," Fandral said quietly.
Tilaria sighed, realizing she had upset Fandral by accident. Females were treated as equals among the elves, yet here on Asgard they were secondary.
"I am glad that I was or else Arlen would have killed me, and I doubt I would have been able to survive the fight against Daris last month," Tilaria said quietly.
Technically speaking, she hadn't survived the civil war but he didn't need to know that. That would only complicate things.
"Pardon me," Tilaria said apologetically, "but I should speak to Frigga."
Fandral hesitated when Tilaria tipped her head to him and stood there like a moron as she walked back the way they had come. He sighed, realizing that although he knew how to get an Asgardian girl to smile he knew nothing about an elfin one. This would take some time.
Tilaria came back the way they had come and stood outside, overlooking the front lawn of Gladsheimr and the people crossing it in several directions as she thought about Asgard's environment. So far the Asgardians were living up to the reputation she had been raised with, but here at least the Asgardian soldiers weren't a threat to her.
After all, Arlen had dispatched eleven Star Guard by himself. They hadn't been in armor, but even then it had been far too easy. Arlen was stronger than she was, but the Asgard's troops obviously weren't well trained enough to challenge an elf.
Her telepathy whispered that there was another lifesign approaching, and Tilaria suspected it was Fandral as she lazily glanced over her shoulder. Tilaria hissed when she realized it was the queen, and the Allmother waved at her to approach. With a quiet sigh, she walked over silently, cloak rustling lightly in the crisp breeze.
"Milady Frigga," Tilaria bowed slightly.
Frigga smiled at her kindly and nodded as well. "I am surprised to see that Asgard's newest resident is all by herself. Do you wish to speak to my sons? Thor is with Hogun and Volstagg in the dining hall. Are you alright, child?"
Tilaria looked down at the grass that was beginning to turn brown, and gently grazed Frigga's thoughts. Frigga felt Tilaria touch her mind but gave no sign that she had felt it. The Heiress was only sensing emotions, not prying for her thoughts so she let her be. She was surprised to sense that Frigga's note of concern in her voice was genuine.
"I'm fine," She fibbed and brushing her hair behind her pointed ears.
Frigga decided to let her be. "Or if you rather, I believe Loki is in the library."
She added the note on Loki as an afterthought, and was surprised when Loki's name made Tilaria look up. Oh no, Frigga thought to herself in a smile. When the boys realized this things would get more interesting.
"Perhaps," Tilaria said evenly as if she had not responded to Loki. "Thank you, my Queen."
Tilaria bowed again, and Frigga nodded a dismissal.
As Tilaria began to walk away Frigga spoke up again, "One more thing Tilaria."
Tilaria stopped walking and turned to face her curiously.
"After you are settled, perhaps you could see me," Frigga offered. "You are a strong telepath, but you obviously do not know how to cloak your scan. As it is, any mage can sense your presence when you scan them."
Tilaria realized that her scan had been detected and bit her lip, color starting to rise to her cheeks and the tips of her ears.
"That is all," Frigga dismissed again.
Tilaria nearly bolted.
Poor Tilaria got caught red-handed, and she isn't off to the best start in more ways then one. How would you feel if you got put into an environment like Tilaria has since on Asgard woman are expected to be good housewives and mothers, and nothing more?
I'm not sure if you've met Jonelle before, but she shows up on and off as a minor antagonist like Jaro. He's in my other stories, but you might now know him either... You'll get to meet him, rest assured. Yeah, there's something of a love triangle going on over Tilaria, but she's an elfin princess. Can you blame them?
What do you think of Tilaria so far? Please comment in the review. She is an OC i want to be really good, so i would like your help with that.