The next day Ava woke and dressed. She was getting ready to sneak out to go and see Loki, when there was a knock on her door. "Come in." She called.
Her door opened and her father walked in the room. "Good morning, Sweetheart." Odin greeted her.
"Morning." Ava replied, her tone cold.
"I see you are still angry with me." He observed.
"Angry doesn't even begin to cover it." Ava answered. "Furious is more like it."
"Ava, if you will only give young Vinius a chance…"
"No." Ava said, glaring at her father angrily. "I am sure he is a perfectly nice young man, but I should be given the chance to choose, Father. I should be given the same treatment as Thor, but will you have it that way? No. I am nothing more than a tool for you. Something to help you gain more political power."
"Ava, it is your duty as a princess of this realm to do whatever is best for the kingdom." Odin told her.
"We are already allied with Alfheim." Ava pointed out. "There are other realms that have a potential for us to unite with upon my marriage, but this arranged marriage prevents them from having a chance."
"I have already made this decision." Odin said. "Now, you will be joining Vinius for breakfast and spending the day getting to know him. You will give him a chance."
"I already had my own plans." Ava replied defiantly.
"Ava, you will do as I command. Your plans can wait." He then grabbed Ava by the arm and drug her out of her chambers. He escorted her to the dining hall, where Vinius was already waiting.
Vinius stood as Ava was pretty much shoved into the room. "Good morning, Princess." He greeted her, with a smile. He then walked over to her and took her right hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.
"Good morning, Lord Vinius." Ava replied, doing her best to be polite.
"Please, allow me to escort you to your seat?" Vinius asked, offering Ava his arm.
She accepted his offered arm and allowed him to walk her over to her chair. He pulled it out for her and then pushed it in once she was seated. He then walked around to take his seat back. "Thank you." Ava said.
A meal was set before them and they began to eat in an awkward silence. Vinius cleared his throat and looked at Ava. "You look beautiful today."
"Thank you." Ava replied as she absently picked at the poached egg in front of her.
"I know that an arranged marriage isn't ideal…but I am not all that bad of a man." Vinius said, being brave enough to broach the subject of their impending nuptiuals.
Ava looked at him. "I have no objections to you personally…I am sure you are a very nice person." She replied. "However, I do not agree to an arranged marriage. My brother will be able to choose his bride, but my husband is chosen for me. I do not find that fair. All I would like is the chance to choose for myself. To fall in love with someone I choose instead of someone who is chosen for me."
"But you know that this is not how our society works." Vinius replied. "It is up to us to make the best of it."
Ava held in a sigh. She then got an idea. "How about we go for a ride?" She suggested. "We have a beautiful horse that would be perfect for you to ride."
"That sounds like fun." Vinius agreed.
They finished up in the dining hall and headed out to the stables. Thor and his friends were in the stables getting ready to go for a ride. "Are you two going to be joining us?" Thor asked his sister.
"If that is alright." Ava replied.
"Of course." Thor answered.
"Who is this?" Fandrall asked, gesturing to the light elf in the room.
"This is Lord Vinius of Alfheim." Ava answered. "My fiancé."
Fandrall's jaw dropped. "Your what?"
"It is an arranged marriage to help strengthen the alliance between our two worlds." Vinius explained. "And you are?"
"Fandrall, one of the warriors three. Also a man who has known the princess since she was a baby." Fandrall replied, as if he were staking some kind of claim on Ava.
Ava looked at her brother. "Before we go, can I speak to you in private, Brother?"
Thor nodded and then escorted Ava outside of the stables and to a spot where they could speak freely. "What is it?" He asked, once they were alone.
"Do you think you and the others could keep Vinius distracted? I was supposed to spend the day with Loki…but well Father interrupted my plans."
"Ava…this isn't good." Thor replied.
Ava looked up at her big brother, her green eyes pleading for him to help her. "Please?"
Thor looked at her. "He does have your heart…Loki I mean."
Ava nodded. "Yes…I have to see him, Brother. Please say you'll help me?"
Thor sighed. "You should just tell Father and Mother that your heart belongs to him. It's better than this sneaking around."
"Thor, it's not that simple."
"I know, it's complicated…but I don't see how it can be." Thor replied. "Unless you explain it to me."
"Maybe one day I'll be able to." Ava replied. "But for now, will you please just trust me and help me?" She widened her eyes and jutted her lower lip out slightly.
Thor sighed once again. "Alright…but I still think you should tell Father and Mother."
"I will…when the time is right."
Thor wrapped an arm around his little sister and pulled her close. He kissed her forehead. "You're lucky I love you, Ava."
"You're the best big brother in the history of big brothers."
"You don't have to butter me up like a piece of bread, I've already agreed to help you."
"Yes…but this probably won't be the last time I ask you to help me." Ava replied.
Thor chuckled and shook his head. "Let's go."
They headed back to the stables. The group mounted their horses and began to ride out of the palace grounds and out towards the forest. "You know, we should travel up to the mountains. There is a great view from the top." Thor said.
The group agreed and started following one of the paths up the side of the mountain. Ava lagged behind everyone else. She waited for the perfect moment and quietly turned her horse a different direction and headed to the spot where Loki would be waiting for her. Thor and the others had made it about half way up the mountain before Vinius noticed that she was gone.
"Where is Ava?" He asked.
"She probably stopped to see some baby deer or something." Thor answered. "She'll join us later I am sure."
"Should we go look for her?" Vinius asked.
"No. She'll be fine." Thor answered. "She goes off on her own quite often."
"Something you'll have to get used to, if you're going to marry her." Fandrall added.
Loki…
Loki sat in the forest of Asgard, leaning against a tree reading. He was waiting for Ava. He looked up as he heard the approach of hooves. Ava came riding up on her black mare. Loki closed his book and rose as Ava dismounted and tied the creature to a tree. Once she was finished, she walked over to him and threw her arms around his neck.
Loki wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped his head to meet her lips in a tender kiss. He broke the kiss after a few moments. "Where have you been?" He asked.
"Trying to get away from my fiancé." Ava answered, sneering the word. "Father dragged me to breakfast this morning and has forced me to spend time getting to know him…Thor is keeping him distracted so that I could see you."
"So your brother knows?" Loki asked.
"He only knows that my heart belongs to you, if that is what you are asking." Ava answered.
Loki lifted his hand to brush away a strand of Ava's hair with his fingertips. "Just as my heart is yours."
They stood there for a moment, just gazing into each other's eyes and holding each other. After a few moments, they began to take a walk to the nearby river. Loki kept his arm wrapped around Ava's waist the entire time. They sat down on the bank of the river and cuddled up together. "This is the worst thing my father could have done." Ava said, on the verge of tears.
Loki put his fingers under Ava's chin and coaxed her face up to look at him. "I know that it is…but please do not cry? I hate seeing you cry and so upset. I only ever wish to see you smile." He told her. "I promise we will find a way out of this and we will be together…for today…this moment, let's just enjoy it. Enjoy holding each other…and being with each other."
Ava smiled. "I like the way you put things." She replied. "There's one thing that I believe you forgot to mention that we should enjoy."
Loki grinned. "And what would that be, my love?"
"Kissing each other." Ava answered leaning closer and pressing her lips to his.
Loki smiled into the kiss. He moved his hand to the side of Ava's neck and rested it there, holding her close. He relished the feel of her warm lips against his cool ones. It was a feeling he never wanted to end. He wished that he could just freeze that moment and keep Ava in his arms forever. They broke the kiss after a small eternity and Ava rested her head on his shoulder.
"I wish we could just stay like this forever." She said, nuzzling into the side of his neck.
Loki ran his fingers through her hair. "I wish the same." He agreed.
They stayed like that for a while longer before getting up and forcing themselves apart. Loki had to return to the Jotunheim and Ava had to return to her brother and the others. "If I can sneak away again, I shall see you tomorrow." Ava promised Loki.
"If you can't I shall come to see you." Loki replied. "I can't be without you."
"But how…if…" Ava began, but Loki silenced her with a kiss.
"Just trust that if you cannot come to me, I will find my way to you." He promised once he had broken the kiss.
"Alright." Ava agreed, stretching up for one last kiss.
Loki obliged her before they parted and went their separate ways.