Silver and Scales

Chapter Thirteen: The Queen of Asgard

Loki and Vyperia were seen an hour later after Loki's appointment in the garden, the same beautiful nature's palace that had accompanied their high-strung encounter before Thor's coronation. It had become a reoccurring place where either regal being would be found; Loki knew that Vyperia was swayed by the beauty of the mystic veil that the willow tree forest gave her—Vyperia knew that Loki's location always wandered to the basin's sparkling waters. Those who looked upon the garden could see the pair walking side by side along the flower-strewn, cobble-stoned steps, quiet and lost in whatever deep thought that drove them to silence.

Vyperia's arm was threaded through his, which clung to Gungnir; his fingers tapped playfully along the spear's body, relishing the gained power in his hand. A self-evident smirk was on his lips, and it hadn't faded since the master guard had handed it to him in Odin's chambers. It was something that he had not wanted in the long-term; but now the power was within his clutches, and it was delicious, finally within his reach. With his brother in exile, this was a strain of beautiful triumph in Loki's eyes.

Loki was on the throne; his mother praised him for his responsible pull upon the succession. His brother was in Midgard, exiled unto deemed worthy—but Thor was temperamental, arrogant, and aggressive; so his possibility of befriending a mere mortal was well-below probable. Asgard was under the rule of a king. Yet, as Loki pondered the matter with a confident grin, he realized that without a queen, he was a mere dictator on the throne.

Odin's rule was not bargained with Frigga, it was not shared. Yet those who looked upon Odin also looked up to Frigga. She was the second piece to a ruler well-deserved.

Loki's gaze slowly turned to Vyperia. She walked with him in similar silence. Her head lay upon his shoulder as they strode through the garden. She was well-content with being in his presence, proud and ever-loving. Vyperia was one who was extraordinary; although he didn't need to compare her to other women to realize that her powers and abilities were not Asgardian.

Vyperia was always assumed to be related to the beasts of snakes, creatures that slithered in and out of nests only on their convenience; conniving, slippery vipers that lurked in the shadowy places waiting for prey to simply fall into their constrictive grasps.

Vyperia was named after a viper. The snake had always resembled poison, medicine, and venomous associations such as alchemy and murder. Yet, unless provoked, Vyperia was warm, gentle, kind, and very compassionate. Those who looked upon her face saw only her crude abilities, not what she stood for or who she was.

"Vyperia," said Loki quietly. He slowly came to halt mid-walk.

"Hmm?" she uttered.

She was taken from her trance to look upon Loki, whose smug expression had faded.

"There aren't any women like you," began Loki.

"There are no men like you," she returned, smiling.

He held up a hand to stop her from speaking. She didn't argue with him, merely silenced. Her cheeky smile that she had teased him with slowly vanished, replaced with concern and curiosity.

"What—?"

"Shh," he set a finger upon her lips to emphasis his request.

When she would say nothing more in rebuttal, Loki motioned for her to follow him. She was confused by his stunned silence. He took her hand and pulled her along. They came to an open body of water—though not like the basin that Loki had been sitting beside during their first encounter of yesterday. It was like a beautiful lake. Asgard's gardens stretched for miles—scenery beyond scenery of lush grass, flowers, and famous marble statues lined the evergreen trees and cherry blossoms. (Credit was given where credit was due: the Asgardians were an architectural bunch.)

Loki knelt down along the waters edge and placed the spear beside him. Vyperia wordlessly lowered herself to his level, though her curious expression never left her beautiful face.

"What is a king without a queen?" he said to her for an opening statement.

She looked at him.

"Is this one of your riddles, Loki?"

"I play tricks, not riddles," he told her, breaking his formal questionnaire with a sarcastic tone.

"Your tricks are wordless riddles; and so exist," Vyperia returned.

He cocked his head to the side, examining her for a minute. Then a smirk spread across her face. He uttered a sound of amusement.

Ah, yes. She was fucking with him.

"Vyperia, listen to me," he said. "There is still an issue at hand, and I must resolve it. The throne tarries not—"

"Loki, you don't have to ask me," she said, taking his hands into hers.

"It's a formality. I already know that you will say 'yes'."

"What makes you so sure that my answer will be 'yes'?"

"My darling, I can read you like a picture book." Loki said blankly. "The color in your eyes and the dilation of your pupils will never fool a master of tricks and trades." He smiled charmingly when the coy smirk on her lips flickered as she realized that her poker face was not so vague as she had expected.

"You know me to an uncomfortable extent, my lord," Vyperia said with a chuckle. "I'm not so sure that I like that. A king who sees a formidable lie is a king who deserves the throne, but doesn't necessarily want it. You will make your parents proud, as you have made me so."

"I could rule this kingdom alone," Loki told her honestly. "It would be nothing hard for me. I am choosing to give this privilege to you because you have, by far, been the only one to guess which card is not in the deck."

She looked at him curiously as he withdrew his hands from hers. He closed his hands together with significant purpose. Vyperia's confused gaze brought about Loki to smirk at her knowingly.

"What suits the king is not all too common to what suits the queen," said Loki. "I am given one of the greatest honors in Asgard to rule over it as its king. And now..."

His hands passed with a circling motion; from one hand there was nothing. Then as his fingers left the center of his palm, something bright and shiny gleamed from the resting place upon the tip of his fingers. Vyperia grinned, exhilarated, to see a shimmering tiara manifest onto his hand.

"Vyperia, please, will you marry me?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Yes, yes. A millions times, yes!"

Loki took the tiara in both hands, a handsome smile on his face. His long fingers slowly steadied the tiara atop of Vyperia's silky, blonde locks. Her light green eyes were bright in overwhelming happiness and excitement. She was unsteady beneath his hands and he lowered it to her head. Pulling away from her, his hand dipped behind her ear and carried through its path to the tip of her chin.

And he drew her into a kiss.

Vyperia abandoned formalities. Loki gave a startled cry as she threw her arms around his neck and pushed him into the ground; her carried excitement landed them beside the water's edge. Their clothes were soaked. Vyperia and Loki gasped as the cold water dampened their robes.

"Oh, my god, that's freezing!" Vyperia cried out, crawling out of the lake in shock.

She held her crown upon her head with a shivering hand.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Loki, who was still lying in the shallow bend. He was shaking, but it wasn't from the cold.

He was laughing.

Vyperia looked at him.

"Aren't you freezing right now?" she said incredulously.

Loki straightened. His hair matted to his forehead as water dripped from his chin. As he rose to his feet, unabashed by the temperature of the lake, the water streamed off his armor effortlessly. He shook his head.

"Frost Giants aren't bothered by cold temperatures, my dear."

Vyperia stared as if somehow she had offended him. Loki didn't mean any offense by it; he merely grasped her hand to pull her off the wet grass. He smiled as she shivered in front of him.

"Come with me," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I may live through this, but you'll catch a sickness that even Hogun won't be able to mend."