A/N: Beta'd by Confusedrambler 29.09.2014
xxx
The closer she got to the prison, the more Eir questioned the wisdom of coming at all. She slowed, thinking. She'd agreed to visit the God of Mischief… just to clean and bring him books, but still. She'd agreed to spend part of her life in a prison cell.
Well, it couldn't be helped. Knowledge had its price.
Before she knew it, she stood at the entrance to Loki's cell, guards waiting expectantly.
"Umm… Queen Frigga sent me with books for Prince Loki," she stammered, showing them the three thick volumes. "And I'm supposed to do some cleaning inside."
One of guards nodded, moving a bit to the left so that she could pass.
"We'll be here, Miss. Just call if we're needed," said the other as she passed.
She didn't bother responding. Call them… As if she couldn't handle one prisoner by herself.
Eir pushed open the door and surveyed the room. Queen Frigga was right; the room was not very large. The only furnishings were a table with two chairs, a bookshelf, a small closet, and a bed. Her eyes flicked to the person standing in the left corner of the room, his hands resting on the back of a chair. He inspected her in turn, a cool smile twisting his lips. His emerald eyes were icy, his complexion overly pale. Eir nodded to him, unable to make herself bow properly.
"The Queen asked me to bring you some books, Prince," she said, closing the door behind her. She couldn't help being startled when the lock clicked shut, and Loki's smile widened, cold amusement crinkling his eyes. He didn't speak, instead choosing to watch her with head bowed slightly. He looked…dangerous.
Eir took a deep breath and set the books on the table next to his untouched breakfast. She hesitated for a few seconds, looking at the book covers, trying to gather her thoughts. Without turning to meet his eyes, she said "I'll be cleaning your chamber as well, Prince."
Still no response. It wasn't that she wanted to have a conversation with him. It just felt strange talking without anyone talking back. She glanced around the room again and decided to start with the bookshelf. There were already a few tomes there, probably sent by Queen Frigga, but they were covered with dust. Eir stood on her tiptoes and started moving the heavy volumes from the shelf to the floor.
She sensed Loki the moment he moved away from the chair. He hadn't made any noise to signal his movement, but he wasn't the only one with magic either. Eir wasn't as gifted as he, but even novices could sense other magic users.
She knew that he wanted to scare her, so she didn't react at all, instead reaching for another volume and laying it next to her feet. A hand touched her shoulder, surprising her even though she didn't show it. She'd had her senses trained on him since she walked into the cell, and she'd been expecting something like this, so she wasn't frightened.
She turned to eye him quizzically, a book titled "Wisest Sorcerers of Asgard" cradled in her arms. He stood so close to her that if she'd been any taller, she could have felt his breath on her face.
"So Mother still refuses to visit?" Loki murmured, his grin now a cutting smirk.
Eir found herself caught in his gaze—cold as a serpent sporting a hyena's sense of humor—and clutched the book to her chest, as if it were a shield.
"Queen Frigga tasked me with cleaning this chamber and bringing new reading materials. That's all I know, Prince."
She privately celebrated the fact that her voice hadn't trembled at all. She could sense his immense power all too clearly; he could kill her in the space of a blink. Somehow, it fascinated her… no, it repelled her. No…fascinated.
Loki chuckled.
"As you say, woman."
Eir nodded and turned back to the bookshelf, not realizing that she still clutched a tome to her chest. Blood heated her cheeks. She was supposed to finish her work as quickly as possible and retreat to the library. It was… irritating that she'd been so distracted by the Prince. She snorted quietly, setting aside the volume with a bang and dusting the bare shelf thoroughly.
"Do you wish to keep these or shall I return them to the library, Prince?"
Loki shrugged, lounging on his bed as if he hadn't a care in the worlds.
"Do as you like."
Eir pressed her lips together and prompted him further.
"The Queen will send more books tomorrow or perhaps the day after. If you've read these already, Prince, I will take them away."
Loki scoffed.
"Of course. Why should Mother come when she can send you instead?"
"I… It's not my place to say, Prince Loki. But I'm sure you may ask to see your family whenever you wish."
Before she could blink, he'd seized her by the arm, near seething with rage.
"They are not— my—family!" he hissed, crushing her wrist with the strength of his grasp. She yanked her arm away with all her might, but the Prince scarcely noticed, a predatory grin cutting across his face.
"What's this? Are you actually trying to fight back, woman?"
"Let go!"
His expression shifted back into the shrewd half-smile he'd worn for the majority of her time in the cell and he released her arm.
"Tell me, girl. Are you learning to use your magic?"
Eir didn't respond, focused on quelling her shaking limbs. She couldn't name the true cause of her trembling- anger, fear, exhaustion- but she knew she must complete her duties. She swallowed convulsively and stumbled back to the table, praying that her legs would not fail her.
With clenched teeth, she gathered the new books up and tottered back to the shelf where Loki was standing just as she'd left him. Now that the time came to put the books away, she realized just how high the shelf was… and how weak her arms felt.
She resigned herself to the humiliation of putting the tomes away one at a time and set to work. But even limiting herself to a single volume didn't help. Her hands trembled and her face heated with indignation, but, somehow, she managed to shelve the first book.
Loki watched her contemplate the thicker second volume for a moment before snapping at her.
"Give me that."
He snatched the second book from the floor and slid it onto the shelf with ease, but Eir grabbed the third while he was occupied and stood on her tiptoes to thrust it onto the shelf, careful not to meet the Prince's eyes. Loki shook his head in amusement.
"Thank you, Prince," she said stiffly. Before he could respond, Eir was across the room straightening his sheets with sharp movements. When the bed was to her liking, she scanned the room for anything else out of place, holding back a sigh of relief when she realized her work was done.
"Do you need anything else, Prince?" she asked crisply, praying for him to say no. He shook his head, still wearing that irritating smirk.
"Then good day, Prince Loki." She bowed and darted to the door without looking back. It was finally over.
Without a word, she nodded to guards and hurried to the library, eager to push the insufferable man out of her thoughts with herbology.
xxx
"How was my son yesterday?"
Eir paused, distracted from filling the washing basin with clean water. She smiled ruefully to herself as the memories of yesterday's… adventure played across her mind.
"Well…," she started thoughtfully, rearranging flowers in a vase. "He was—He-"
"I take it that things didn't go well." Frigga smiled gently, her eyes filled with regret. "I apologize on his behalf. He's hurting, I know it. He probably found it amusing, to be cruel to you."
"No, not cruel!" Eir interjected, "He… He just wasn't nice."
Frigga laughed quietly and began washing her face in the half-filled basin.
"And if I ask you to go to him today?"
"I will go with pleasure, my Queen!" The words left her mouth too quickly to be true, but Queen Frigga let Eir have that small lie, the hint of a smile dancing around her lips.
"I have nothing for him today. Simply ask after his needs and, if possible, fulfill them. But how do your studies go? I sense that you're weary, so I suppose they go well. I have heard that the healers are pleased with your powers and enjoy your presence. Well, truly the All-Father said they talked of a girl, but I must assume they meant you, Eir."
"As you say, my Queen." Eir flushed with delight and beamed at the praise.
"Then we're done, child. Attend to your other duties."
Eir bowed graciously and left the Queen's chambers, full to bursting with pride and happiness. She was in such a good mood, that she stopped by a vendor and bought a cluster of dark grapes on a whim. She would give them to Loki. Perhaps the fruit would be enough to sweeten even his sour grapes. The very thought made her laugh.