Oh, how I wish I could have come up with a better chapter title than this.
Disclaimer: I only own the original characters, and the rest belongs to Marvel.
Chapter 3 – Dinner
Kiera was startled out of her thoughts by a sharp rapping at the door. She hopped off the bed and opened the door. A young servant girl stood in the doorway holding a small pile of fabrics.
"Clothing from Lady Sif," the girl said, bowing her head slightly.
Kiera took the clothing. "Thank you."
"Dinner will be served soon. Once you have changed, you may make your way to the dining hall." The servant gave another small bow of her head and walked briskly away.
Kiera stood with the clothes in her arms for a moment before calling after the servant, "Wait! Where is the dining hall?" But the servant had already gone.
Kiera draped the clothing on her bed, laying out all of the pieces. She was curious what Asgardian adolescents wore. So far, all she had seen were the tunics the princes were wearing in the corridor. The servant had brought four ensembles. The first was a pair of black trousers with padding on the thighs and a slightly more feminine looking maroon tunic. The second was a medium-length gray skirt with a beaded belt and black shirt that resembled a sort of fancy tank top. The third was a long, elegant silver dress with one shoulder and a slit that Kiera thought might be a bit scandalous, and the fourth was a plain white nightgown. She had also acquired a pair of black leather boots that she knew some of the girls at her high school would kill to own.
Kiera considered the outfits for a minute before choosing the gray skirt and black shirt combination, having no inkling what people wore to dinners at the Asgardian palace. That and the silver dress had so many buttons and fastenings that she did not know if she would ever figure out how to put it on, and the slit seemed inappropriate for a family dinner, royal or not. She slipped off her jeans and t-shirt and quickly changed into the new, foreign clothing. It was light and comfortable. She tried on the boots, which were a bit too big, deciding that her converse shoes would look ridiculous with these fancy new garments. She wondered if she would ever meet this Sif and be able to thank her in person.
Kiera stepped over to an ornate mirror behind the door. She gazed at her reflection and hardly recognized herself in her new clothes. Glancing down at her feet, she kicked off the boots and changed back into her shoes, not really caring that they were too casual for her new wardrobe. They were much more her.
Now if she could only find the dining hall…
Kiera opened the door, hoping to find someone who would direct her to the dining hall, but there seemed to be no one around. On a whim, she decided to turn left and began walking. The halls were silent, aside from the sudden bursts of grumbling coming from Kiera's stomach. Suddenly, she became aware of just how hungry she was. When was the last time she ate anything? She did not know what the people of Asgard ate for dinner, but at this point, anything would probably taste good. And she couldn't imagine anything less than a wonderful meal for the royal family. Her mouth watered.
Turning the corner, she spotted a figure exiting a room. As she got closer, she recognized Niva, her new mentor. Relieved, she approached the woman who was carrying Thor's helmet, newly retrieved from the study.
Niva turned and saw Kiera. "Oh, honey! Are you not supposed to be heading to the dining hall?"
"Um," Kiera stammered, "well, nobody told me how to - "
"Oh, dear, you do not have any idea how the palace is laid out, you poor thing. I will take you there. I have to return Thor's helmet anyway. Loki's magic is getting stronger, it took me ages to open that door. I had to find Jadef and…well, you probably do not care much for my mutterings. You will see how difficult the princes are in time. Of course I do not mean to frighten you, they aren't so bad. They just like to get themselves in trouble…Oh, look at me; I'm getting ahead of myself again. Come, this way, dear." Niva led Kiera down the corridor back the way she came from, all the way chatting about the young princes.
"But of course you will meet them at dinner. They are rambunctious and always manage to get themselves into loads of trouble, but they are kindhearted. Well, Thor is kindhearted – arrogant, but kindhearted. I am not so sure about Loki. He mostly keeps to himself unless he is causing trouble, which seems to be his favorite pastime when he is not studying magic. But I am certain you will get along quite amiably with them."
"Actually, I already met them," Kiera said. "Sort of. I kind of…ran into them in the hallway."
"Oh, did you now?" Niva replied.
"Yeah. They seemed…" Kiera searched for a good word.
"Competitive? Rowdy? Impossible?"
"Fun."
Kiera thought back to the altercation in the corridor. The brothers had spent the entire time arguing, messing around, and acting like…brothers. Kiera, who had never had brothers, found herself slightly jealous of them, having someone so close in age, someone to be a friend and partner in crime. She had never had a sibling, and had never had anything close to that relationship with any of her foster siblings. She was always jealous of the other kids in her foster homes, most of whom seemed to get along fairly well with their foster siblings.
"Well," Niva continued, "as part of your job, you will need to help me keep them out of mischief. You are about their age, so I think you could be a very good influence on their behavior."
Kiera seriously doubted that, but did not say so as she and Niva made another turn.
"Welcome to the palace dining hall," Niva said, scooting to the side so Kiera could enter. The room was enormous, with a long table of polished wood stretching the entire expanse. Masses of food, some familiar some not, were piled on the table in heaps. Banners hung from the ceiling, and the vast Asgardian sky was visible outside the large windows lining the hall, stars twinkling.
A quick glance at the people seated at the far end of the table told her she was the only one of servant status at this gathering. Panic struck her. Was she supposed to serve the food? Attend to the royal family as they ate? Sensing her discomfort, Niva entered the hall.
"Miss Kiera has arrived for dinner, as you requested, your highness," she said.
Frigga stood. "We are so glad you could join us, Kiera. Please take a seat." She motioned to an open seat on the left side of the long table, next to a girl with long, jet black hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail. Kiera felt awkward and exposed as she crossed the room. Taking her seat, she looked around at the people seated at the table with her. To Frigga's right sat a regal man with a golden eyepatch who Kiera assumed could only be Odin, the king. To Frigga's left and across the table from Kiera sat the Thor and Loki, and next to them was a larger boy with a valliant attempt at a beard, staring hungrily at the food in front of him. Beside the girl with the black hair sat two other boys, one with black hair and the other blonde with a sword strapped to his back.
Niva crossed to the other side of the table and quietly handed Thor his helmet, shooting a disapproving look toward Loki. Loki stifled a laugh as his brother proudly placed his helmet upon his head.
"Prat," Kiera thought she heard Loki mutter.
"Now that we are all here," Odin said, "we can begin eating."
Without warning, the larger boy across from Kiera all but attacked the food, piling it on his plate and scarfing it down in one swift motion. It was both amazing and revolting at the same time. Loki shuffled a little closer to Thor, looking disgustedly at the boy and trying to avoid being showered with stray bits of meat.
Odin placed a roll on his plate. "You are Kiera, I presume?"
"Yes sir," Kiera replied shyly.
"I am Odin, Allfather." Odin said, bowing his head. "I have been told you have already met Frigga and my sons?"
"Yes sir," Kiera said, scooping what looked like some kind of vegetable onto her plate.
"Well, then, you only have Fandral, Hogun, Sif, and Volstagg left to meet." He pointed to each of them who in turn gave a slight nod of recognition. "They take their lessons and training with Thor and Loki."
So the girl sitting next to Kiera was Sif. It was slightly awkward sitting next to the girl knowing Kiera was wearing her clothes. Especially considering that Sif did not seem at all in the mood to engage Kiera in conversation. The boys all nodded in acknowledgement.
Everyone at the table sat eating in silence for a moment. Everyone that is except Volstagg, who apparently wished to fill the silence with the sound of his loud chewing. Loki was practically sitting on top of Thor now, wiping a small chunk of fruit from his cheek and casting an annoyed glare at Volstagg.
"Father, Hildorr thinks I might be ready to try Mjolnir," Thor announced proudly, shoving another bite of meat into his mouth.
"Excellent, my son," Odin replied. "It is a fitting weapon."
"I cannot wait to try it against the Jotuns," Thor continued, elbowing Loki hard in the chin as he reached for more fruit. Loki glanced back and forth between Thor and Volstagg, contemplating which was the lesser of two evils.
"Thor, we are at peace with Jotunheim," said Odin.
"Yes, but how long before they come knocking at our door seeking revenge?" said Thor, his mouth full of food.
"We have already discussed the matter. Laufey has agreed to a truce. He is in no position to break the peace treaty with Asgard."
"But Father, what if - "
"Sif, how is your training coming?" Frigga interrupted, promptly changing the subject.
The conversation quickly shifted as the warriors in training told grand tales of their lessons, most of them involving decapitating fighting dummies. It seemed that everyone was exuberant about their lessons except Loki who continued to look as though he would rather be anywhere except the dining hall.
Odin laughed as Hogun finished a story about a near miss of his during a duel with Fandral. "And Loki, what is becoming of your training?"
All eyes turned to Loki, who looked like he wanted to disappear on the spot.
"Loki is upset because he accidentally sent one of his flying daggers into Jadef's…rear end today, Father," Thor said, earning a resounding chorus of laughter from the other warriors.
"Only because you stumbled into me while I was aiming at the target, you buffoon," Loki grumbled.
"I am sure Jadef will be fine, Thor, so stop laughing at your brother's expense," said Frigga.
"Oh, it is all in jest, right, Brother?" said Thor, gripping Loki in a headlock. Loki, the smaller of the two, struggled to wrench his head from his brother's grasp, all the while shouting for Thor to let go. This prompted yet another round of laughter from the rest of the table, and Loki's face turned progressively deeper shades of red.
"Thor, that is quite enough now," said Odin after a minute of watching the scene unfold. Thor ruffled his brother's hair before allowing Loki out of his grasp. Disheveled and humiliated, Loki tossed his napkin onto his plate and stomped out of the room, the other warriors still howling after his retreating form. Kiera could not help but feel a little sorry for him.
"So, Kiera, are you really from Midgard?" Fandral asked. Kiera looked up, startled that someone was actually talking to her.
"Yeah," Kiera replied, not knowing what else to say. "Although we just call it 'Earth.' "
"That is fascinating," said Fandral. "Are there other beautiful ladies in Midgard besides yourself?"
"Trust you to flirt with a girl after only dining with her for a quarter hour," Sif interjected. "Pay him no mind, Kiera. He knows not when he is being rude."
"I am merely attempting to engage the newcomer in conversation," Fandral replied, feigning insult.
"You are doing no such thing. You would flirt with a Bilgesnipe given the chance," Sif retorted, earning a snort of laughter from Thor.
"Kiera will be beginning lessons in magic," Frigga interrupted.
"What kind of magic do you possess?" Hogun asked.
"Um, I can make fire," Kiera said, wincing at how lame that sounded.
"A fire conjurer?" said Volstagg, his mouth still full of food. He served himself a third helping.
"Yeah, but I can't control it at all. I don't even know how I start fires. It just happens, I guess."
"Well, rest assured that with a little help from Jadef, you will learn to harness your power in no time at all," Frigga said, smiling. "He is one of the finest sorcerers Asgard has ever seen."
"You could train with us," said Thor. "With a fire conjurer on our side, we would be unstoppable against Jotunheim."
"Nothing has been stated about Kiera training to become a warrior," Frigga said. "Right now, it is only vital that she learn to control her power. She will not be using it against anyone in the foreseeable future."
Kiera breathed a sigh of relief. She did not relish the idea of going into battle.
"I hope you don't mind my asking, but what is 'Jotunheim'?" Kiera inquired.
For the rest of dinner, the king, queen, and warriors in training answered Kiera's questions about Asgard and its history, even the silly ones. Kiera was less than happy when she discovered that she had been eating some type of animal's tongue for the majority of dinner, and everybody laughed when she choked on a bite of it. It was a very pleasant evening, and Kiera could not remember another time when she had felt this happy.
"As amiable as this meal was," Odin said, standing, "your evening studies will resume shortly and I have business to attend to." The warriors in training stood, Volstagg shoving one more bite of food in his mouth as he went. Laughing and chatting, they left the dining hall. Kiera began to follow them.
"Just a moment, dear," Frigga called after her. "I wish to speak to you for a moment."
Kiera turned to face the queen. Odin bent to kiss her on the cheek before leaving Frigga and Kiera alone to talk.
"I hope that experience was not too overwhelming for you," Frigga said apologetically.
"I mean, it was at first, but everyone seemed really cool."
"I thought it was quite warm in here, myself."
"Oh, sorry," said Kiera, feeling stupid. "It's Midgardian slang. My bad – I mean, my…apologies."
"I am afraid your being here will take some adjustment," the queen said kindly. "Usually the servants eat separately, but I wanted to acquaint you with the family since you will be residing in the palace and working closely with Thor and Loki. It was beneficial for you, I thought, to also meet their friends. Beginning tomorrow I think it would be appropriate for you to dine with your fellow servants, but if at any time you wish to join us for dinner, we would be more than happy to have you. It might be nice to dine with people of your own age on occasion."
"Thank you, ma'am." She stopped before adding, "Ma'am, are the princes always like that?"
Frigga shook her head and smiled to herself. "They are young and competitive, as any brothers are. Thor is older and bigger so he likes to exert power over his brother. However if Loki's magic continues to improve the way it has, I think he could give Thor some hearty competition. But they do care for one another."
"Sorry, I guess I just wanted to know so when I'm working with Niva I know what to expect."
The queen smiled. "Thor was showing off for his friends today. He and Loki usually get on much better than what you witnessed just now. They like to get themselves into mischief, but I am sure they will not be too much trouble for you." She paused for a moment before continuing. "I will inform Jadef that your lessons will begin next week after you have settled in. Practical lessons begin in the morning after breakfast and academics occur in the afternoon. Thor, Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, and Sif are training in fighting techniques, while Loki deals mostly in magical studies. He too is learning to control his magic, so it will be beneficial for you to study along with him."
"But, ma'am, how are these lessons going to work, since I don't even know how my…gift works? Don't you have to know how to create magic before you can control it?"
"I myself am not an expert on magic, but tomorrow Jadef will be able to answer all of your questions on the subject. Can you find your way back to your quarters?"
"Um," Kiera stammered.
Frigga smiled. "That is alright. I will have one of the servants accompany you."
Kiera had not even noticed the servants standing in intervals around the dining hall. She supposed it was one of the requirements of serving the royal family that one blend in as much as possible. She wondered how easy that would be for her, what with her being from Midgard and randomly setting things on fire.
This servant, very unlike Niva, did not speak at all while walking Kiera back to her room. When they finally reached her quarters, the servant gave a slight bow and walked briskly back down the corridor. Kiera changed into Sif's nightdress and flopped down on the bed, exhausted. However, she avoided sleep, worried she would wake up to find this had all been a wonderful dream. Foreign as Asgard was, she had never felt so happy. It seemed that people liked her here, maybe even loved her. She settled herself under the covers of her new bed and closed her eyes.
Spontaneously, flames exploded somewhere to her left. Kiera sat up straight, worried she had set the palace on fire on her first day. What kind of thanks would that be for the welcome she had received? She turned her head, only to discover that the fire was contained completely within the fireplace on the far wall of her room, flames crackling pleasantly.
Kiera smiled and lay back down on the bed. Maybe there was hope for her after all.
2013 EDIT: Still can't think of a better title. Ugh. Titles are hard.