And so it was. Kari didn't know how to feel about Loki, he seemed kind, and she had enjoyed his company, however, in the weeks following she didn't see him at all. She would sit in the forest with her book and any berries she found on the few occasions a week that she did manage to sneak into the forest but she never saw him.
But she wasn't upset, he was a Prince and she was one of the many orphans in the realm and he would surely have many, more suitable friends. He also wasn't the first friend she had met and barely saw again. Some families of Asgard didn't take well to an orphan playing with their children. Loki was just another.
It wasn't until a morning of rain that meant that Kari couldn't go to the forest, that she saw him again. So she decided to follow some of her carers and several other children to take a sheltered walk around the town center, she snuck into the bookshop and had finished one chapter of a story book when she had been caught and evicted from the store into the waiting form of her carer who had noticed her absence and assumed her location. For the first time, she had regretted going into the bookstore.
In the new years Queen Frigga visits the new grades of classes at the orphanage. Meeting Queen Frigga was a privilege bestowed on only the most well behaved children but all the children, including Kari, loved the Queen. She is beautiful, kind and she truly enjoyed her time spent with the children.
The occasional battles of the Asgardians against the rebels of the other realms sometimes left children without their parents. Queen Frigga would often visit to read to the young children, and even the toddlers were enraptured by the Queen.
Kari sat on her bed watching the children outside, watching and waiting for the Queen to pass them and enter the orphanage. Kari wished she had a better view but from her view inside her room, she couldn't see much though the bushes outside her window. Her grounding ended when her majesty left as long as she stayed in her room.
As the time past the children crowded though the hallway outside her room, passing by on the way to the dining hall. The children moved quickly and orderly and quietly a sign of how much they respected the Queen wanting to look their best. The crowd thinned and the orphanage workers, Karis carers began to stroll past which she could only guess was a sign that the Head Mistress would soon pass with the Queen in tow.
Kari backed away from the doorway, back to her bed waiting for them to pass, if she was seen by her door that would surely mean trouble. She was, however, correct. The Queen and the Head Mistress past her door shortly, deep in concentration. Queen Frigga was tall, her hair, beautiful, blonde, long and even seemed to shine inside. The one that caught Karis attention though was the small boy holding her hand looking very bored. Kari gasped, and in the same moment Loki looked up and met her gaze, perhaps she should have smiled, or waved but she just stared at him for the short moment that it took them to pass her room.
Loki was here. Kari regretted her disobedience again, she would have loved to spend the day not only with the rest of the children and the Queen, but him.
Other than the few last people who past though the hall, she didn't see anyone, instead she sat on her bed and re-read her book. Awaiting the moment the young Prince would pass her room again.
Kari was quite enraptured in her book, studying a new chapter of fruits, one in particular that looked familiar, Kari was sure that she had seen the vine on a large old tree on the inner junction of the forest. So much so that she didn't bother looking up when she heard footsteps in the hallway, and didn't register when they stopped outside her door.
"Why are you not with the other children reading with my mother?" a familiar young voice asked and Kari looked up quickly to see Loki standing against her door frame, leaning in much the same way as he had the day they met.
"I am being punished." Kari replied meekly, "I was caught in the book store again." He nodded moving forward to sit on her bed next to her looking at the book. It was a different one to the one she had in the forest. "Why aren't you with your Mother?"
"I was sent to follow someone to the chamber room but I wanted to see you." he admired the book, not looking up at her. "You should come with me to the dining hall?" he said in between a request and a statement.
"I'm not allowed to leave my dormitory while you and your mother are here." Kari said watching him.
"Tell them I was lost, that I was wandering around and you assisted me. Mother will stop them if they try to send you back to your room." he promised standing up from his seat on her bed.
"Why did you come with the Queen this year? You didn't come last year?"
"I am also being punished." he smiled, "I wouldn't have minded had I knew I would get to see you."
Kari smiled, "What did you do?"
"I pranked the chef. They've been cleaning cake batter from the ceiling for a week."
Kari laughed, "Did you keep the berries I gave you?"
"Yes, thank you, I gave them to Mother and she gave them to chef and he made a cake." he said bouncing on the heels of his boots, waiting for her.
"I'm glad you liked them, I just picked too many that day." she said standing up and letting Loki lead her to the hall. She hesitated momentarily at her door but stepped out following the young Prince.