Silver and Scales

Chapter Four: A Bit of Fun

It was a little past mid-afternoon.

The feast, the gala, the entire montage that was suppose to take place had been canceled; and only a few people understood why. Vyperia, having been given no explanation as of late, awaited in the empty chamber hall where once all of Asgard had anticipated the new king. Instead, it was a silent barrier. The food upon the endless row of tables was untouched, candles still lit; ribbon, silk, and silver décor icicles still hung from the ceiling and clung to the golden pillars. It was a party that had been mildly interrupted.

All that Vyperia knew was that a few Jotuns had managed to find a way into the palace—into Asgard—unseen, untapped, hidden from view. It was a rare thing to happen. Heimdall, the gatekeeper, was a guardian of all realms; he could see trouble before it happened. It passed his sights so easily.

Vyperia's body twitched when she felt the familiar padding of light footsteps behind her. She turned to see Loki; he was only a few feet behind her, and he had gotten as close to her undetected. Loki had abandoned his regal wear, drawn back into his casual clothes, save for a green cloak that wrapped around his collarbone.

Her face eased in relief to see that no harm had come to him.

"You're all right," she breathed.

The hitch in her chest that she had been holding for a while let go. She kissed him briefly on his lips, immense gratification evident in her greeting. Loki's hand passed the apple of her right cheek, an evident indication of mutual relief. A smile broke on his lips when she pulled away.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Frost giants managed to breach through security," he reported, unconcerned, despite the severity of the news. "They assaulted two of our guards and tried to grab the Casket of Ancient Winters."

"'Tried'?"

"The Destroyer killed them before they stood a chance. The guards were killed before it stepped in. It's sad, but what's done is done."

"If everything is all right, why did your father cancel the gala?" asked Vyperia curiously.

"You know my brother," retorted Loki, to which Vyperia was already knowingly nodding. "He always wants to have an answer; unfortunately, the All-Father and Thor argued, and he's...well, he's not in the greatest of moods."

Vyperia observed him...carefully.

"You...You don't seem too concerned about the Frost Giants breaking into the armory."

"Three came through and died. Technically, nothing happened."

"Loki," Vyperia chuckled, though amusement was absent, "they broke the truce with Asgard."

"That's what Thor said, but Father believes that they were strays who were 'doomed to fail'. Father doubts that Thor will be ready to govern Asgard if he reacts in a manner of a warrior, not a king. It makes sense; but if I know my brother—and I do—he'll try to break ground."

"Maybe," she suggested lightly, "it might be prudent to go to him."

"Because Thor is a temperamental barbarian? He's supposed to be king."

"He's a child who likes to hit people and ask questions later." Vyperia reworded firmly, though without any offense. "You and I know that he's a brute. His brawn over brain is his fatal flaw. Asgard needs guidance from a king," she continued, "not vengeance from a warrior."

Loki looked at her in consideration.

She blinked once.

A slow smile etched across his face.

"Vyperia, would you like to know something?"

"Always."

"It's a sensitive matter."

"Oh, a secret," she assumed easily.

"Actually, it's a little bit more than that."

Interest replaced her coy expression. When he said nothing further, she cocked her head to the side. Her curiosity was peaked, and now she simply had to know what he was thinking. They said nothing for a moment, as if he was making certain that she could be trusted with such a thing.

"Tell me." Vyperia instructed, gesturing for the information to come forth with her hand.

A mischievous smirk appeared on his face. He leaned forward and his voice sent shivers down her spine,

"I did it."

She chuckled, believing that she misunderstood him. She pulled back to look at him, as if he had told an amusing joke. While Loki still beheld that mischievous smile, he didn't break into laughter like she had expected. Vyperia's eyes manifested from light cheerfulness to one that hardened to seriousness.

"You let them in?" she whispered softly. "Why?"

"Why shouldn't I have? It's just a little fun," he passed her judgment dismissively.

"Darling, I know that you like mischief, but this—"

Loki shook her head, passing off her warning as light prattle. He stopped her by grabbing both her hands in his, not worried that she would run to tell somebody...if anyone would believe her. Not that she would tell anyone. Vyperia's warning trailed off when she noticed the confidence in his face as he turned to her, smirking.

"Three of them go into Asgard with full intentions of bringing back their stolen relic—of course they would have failed. It's a guarded prison. The Tesseract is safe; it's heavily guarded...especially now since the All-Father has seen them come in."

"And your secret is safe with me," Vyperia promised, "but how are you supposed to keep this hidden from Heimdall?"

"I think that you underestimate me," said Loki confidently. "Heimdall hasn't been listening to our conversations for a while now, Vyperia." He released her hands to indicate the establishment that surrounded them. "I have blocked off his sight around us. That's not the only magic trick, Darling. These people are under the impression that our walls were breached; and that no one in the country is a traitor. Life's greatest illusion, Vyperia!"

She stared at him, puzzled but awe-struck.

"Innocence," he said, smiling, "is life's greatest illusion; and I don't have to cast it."

"It would have been better for me if you told me that you had planned it," said Vyperia. "It had me worried that we all were in imminent danger."

"If we were," Loki explained, "I would have told you to come with me rather than to wait."

"Why?" Vyperia snorted, entertained by his smooth line. "Because that is what our friendship is built upon: danger running its course?"

"I say we make an excellent team, wouldn't you?" he replied casually. "Well, wouldn't you?"

"Loki, you little shit..." she dismissed him, pushing him in the shoulder playfully; she stepped away from him, shaking her head.

He strode forward and grabbed her hand.

"I do have to talk to Thor, though," he continued lazily.

As he took her hand, he pulled her to him and embraced her around the waist. His fingers clung to her blue robes significantly; his other hand wound around her fingers. She grinned as he swayed.

He was dancing with her in the middle of the ballroom. She cupped the back of his neck with the palm of her free hand, meeting his eyes enthusiastically.

"You know, you can be a real romantic when you want to," she told him.

He uttered a soft chuckle as he pulled her across the dance floor. There was no music in the hall, though they twirled and swayed to what might have been a beautiful love opera; long strides, intimate circling, and sweeping moments muted the regal couple as Loki drew her into his circle—he had no reason to continue his seduction on his old friend. However, Loki—while mischief, cunning, and a bit conniving in his own right—endured a personality trait of chivalry: always the gentleman in these generous situations. He would cast aside his arrogance for the time being to look upon the shining face of Vyperia and know that despite his growing jealousy of Thor, her loyalty was to him—no matter who sat upon the throne of Asgard.

Vyperia followed the slow twirl: she turned in front of him; his arms crossed in front of her, Vyperia's back to his chest. It was romantic, by far the most romantic thing that he had done in the last thousand years. While she always craved the danger that he could unleash upon the world—one instance being the fact that he had allowed Frost Giants to enter Asgard—she enjoyed the smallest of sweet nothings that he did. He would never come out and say "I love you", but his honeyed words and actions made certain that he never would have to say it.

In Midgard, "I love you" was wasted on those who used it for savage purposes: trafficking, meaningless rendezvous in the back seats of their cars...it was disgusting. Here upon Asgard, it was something more than beautiful.

Vyperia smiled and leaned the back of her head against his chest, eyes closed. Loki sighed softly against the meeting of her neck and collarbone, a sweet spot for his lips to lightly touch.

His voice was upon her ear, deep like rolling thunder from his lips.

"You know that there is nothing that I wouldn't do for you. Do you know that?"

"Yes." Vyperia answered.

"Your heart belongs to me."

"Heart and body," she reinforced gently.

"Your loyalty as well..."

"Always," she said.

His voice caressed her mind as he spoke. He had a strong affect on her. Even if his hands would not touch her—if they hadn't been dancing so intimately—his deep voice against the shell of her ear had the equal arousal effect as his touch did upon her body.

He made love to her mind with his silver tongue.

It was obvious in his smirk that he knew of this little detail.

"You would stay by my side."

"I would never leave."

"If I should leave Asgard," he said carefully, "would you search for me?"

"Endlessly," answered Vyperia quietly.

He already knew her answers. He wanted her to hear them. He didn't need to know that she was his. He knew that her loyalty could never be undone. Rather, he enjoyed the sound of her voice as she pledged her allegiance to him as a servant would to a master. In their own right, that was what she was to him; and she had no objections.

His hands interlocked with hers, both of which had gone slightly limp from hearing his dulcet tones so close to her ear.

"Who taught you to dance, Loki?" asked Vyperia, numbingly lost in the moment.

"My mother did," answered Loki softly. "While Father precariously instructed my brother in the ways of war, Mother thought it was more prudent to learn how to become a gentleman than to pick up brute strength."

"She's a wise woman."

"Yes," Loki said with a smile. "She is."

Vyperia grinned to herself. She admired the way he spoke about Frigga.

"Do you remember," said Loki casually, "the first time that you and I first developed from friends to what we are now?"

"Remember, my dear prince? How could I forget?" Vyperia replied incredulously. "It's nothing like the Warriors Three put it. Falling in love over a battlefield..."

"That much is true for you, isn't it?"

Vyperia uttered a bashful chuckle.

"It's embarrassing to admit that the reason why I ever wanted a romantic relationship with was because—"

"Embarrassing? There's nothing to be shameful about it."

Vyperia opened her eyes to turn her head to look upon him.

"I have to deny everything that you say from this point on."

She walked out of his circle, laughing uncomfortably. Loki's smirk remained planted on his face as she stepped away from him.

"Oh, admit it, Darling. Even Thor could tell that it struck you like lightning. The skirmish in Nornheim...the clamor of battle. To you, it was practically intoxicating!" Loki walked after her.

She wasn't offended by the topic. Vyperia was yet bashful at admitting that blood lust was the first time that she had ever felt a spark for the youngest prince of Asgard. The evidence was clear on her crimson-red face when she turned to face him, a weak smile upon her flushed cheeks.

"It's a terrible thing to tell the children," she chuckled, mortified.

Loki approached her slowly.

"I remember," he laughed handsomely, "that you were nearly dead upon the battlefield, scorched, bleeding, nearly paralyzed. And just when you were about to be attacked, I saved your life."

"You bludgeoned the man alive, dear." Vyperia clarified.

"Ah, yes," he pointed at her deviously, "but if I recall, it was you who liked it."

"Blood lust is a different form of—" she said defensively, but he shook his head, forestalling her.

"A form of what, Vyperia? In Nornheim, it was very evident that if I hadn't saved your life, you would have been split in half. It was a beautiful sight to see. You like power, unlimited power."

He stood directly in front of her, towering over her. Her eyes glanced up into his face.

"You caught a glimpse of it for a few seconds," he told her, his voice dripping with apparent seduction. "Then it was all that was ever on your mind. Then you looked at me from across the battlefield with the same look that you're gazing at me right now...glazed and overpowered."

She smiled at him, recognizing the racing beats in her chest as he stood ever so close, describing to her what had taken place on that day. He was right about it all.

"Real power," said Loki lightly, "is what I have. It is what I am."

He raised her hand to underside of her chin. Her hands were limp at her side, going numb. Vyperia was heavily stimulated by his presence, lost in his words. She held a lucid smile upon her face of a love-sick fan girl whose favorite celebrity stood in front of her, complimenting her and lavishing her with his attention.

It was absolutely intoxicating.

Loki's lips met hers with the faintest of his touch. He beckoned a very light, but ever audible moan from her mouth. When he pulled away, she smiled at him.

"And I like it," she remarked, smirking. "So...just a bit of fun?"

"And I like it," he answered.