Eyra sat on the edge of her bed and stared down at her hands, feeling her stomach twist and her face burn at the events of the previous evening. She was engaged to Thor, and yet she had made it pretty clear to Loki that it was toward him her feelings leaned. 'He must think me a complete hussy,' she thought miserably. 'Maybe that is what I am...still, what in the nine realms possessed me to bear my soul to him like that? He couldn't possibly care about my pitiful woes.'
With a groan of self-loathing, she forced herself to stand up and trudge to her bathroom. She had woken up early and had a few hours before Thor would arrive to escort her to breakfast, and a long, soothing bath was exactly what she needed to clear her head. Lowering herself into the water, she let out a sigh as she felt her muscles instantly begin to relax. With a smile, she gathered the energy around her and focused it in her hands, heating the water to exactly the right temperature. Satisfied with her work, she allowed her eyes to close and her mind to wander to the happiest thoughts and memories she could come up with.
When Thor and Eyra arrived at breakfast a few hours later, Loki was already seated at the table. Their eyes met for a brief moment, but this time it was not only Eyra who flushed and looked away. She approached her seat, and Thor pulled it out for her, allowing her to sit down comfortably before doing so himself. As soon as they had both dished themselves some food, he cleared his throat and looked at her apologetically.
"I am afraid I am leaving with my father this afternoon." Eyra and Loki both looked up in surprise at his words. "There is a council on Vanaheim which we must both attend as the Allfather and heir to the crown. We will be gone for around a fortnight. I regret having to leave you for so long, but I trust Loki will not be opposed to keeping you company. I am sure Mother would not protest at the thought of getting to know you better either."
Eyra's eyes darted directly across the table toward Loki for the smallest of seconds before she cleared her throat and forced an understanding smile. "There is no need to apologize. You have many responsibilities, and it would not be fit for me to come before the needs of the entire realm. I am sure I can convince Prince Loki to offer me his presence at least once or twice."
Thor chuckled, and Eyra could have sworn she saw the corner of Loki's mouth twitch. It could very well have been a figment of her imagination, however. The Allfather was absent from the table that morning, but Queen Frigga smiled warmly at Eyra.
"My son is correct, Astrid. I would delight greatly in having tea with you every day. It is only fitting that I should become better acquainted with the girl to whom my son's heart belongs." Frigga's eyes flickered toward Loki as she mentioned her son, and Eyra's stomach lurched as the queen, once again, gazed upon her with knowing eyes.
'She knows,' Eyra thought, panicked. 'What am I to do?'
Despite the war raging in her head, Eyra managed to look at Frigga gratefully. "I would most appreciate that, Your Highness. Thank you very much."
She turned her gaze toward Loki again, only to find his eyes already on her. When he realized he had her attention, he quirked an eyebrow. Eyra attempted to mirror his expression, unsure of how to act toward him anymore and deciding that any behavior he displayed toward her would be acceptable. However, she immediately regretted that assumption when the prince's face turned red. He was obviously struggling to maintain his composure.
'Oh dear, I've made him even more angry!' Eyra's mind wailed hysterically. Then, when Loki bit his lip and looked away from her, turning back with a barely suppressed grin, she realized he was laughing at her. She gave him an affronted look and, with a 'hmph' of indignation, turned her focus once more to the food on her plate. The prince was having none of that, however, and, when casually clearing his throat did nothing to regain her attention, Eyra soon felt something tapping her foot under the table. With a frown, she realized it was Loki's own foot. This display, of course, only made her even more determined to deny him what he was seeking, and she still refused to look up from her food. She could not, though, help the widening of her eyes when his foot began to slowly creep up her leg. Gritting her teeth and clutching her skirt tightly with her free hand, she managed to ignore him until his foot had found its way a good three inches along her inner thigh. At that point, she gave in and shot him a withering glare. From above the table, he appeared the picture of innocence, casually chewing his food and not even looking at her. When he did not stop his ascent up her leg, she offered him a swift kick to the shin. He at once retreated and looked at her with laughter dancing in his eyes.
Thor was, fortunately, too engrossed in his own breakfast to notice the childish game his brother had started. Frigga, on the other hand, was keenly aware of the flirting between the two. She hid a smile and at once resolved that this relationship would end happily for Loki, whatever she had to do to ensure it.
That afternoon, Eyra, Frigga, and Loki stood by and bid Odin and Thor farewell. Thor stooped to give Eyra a fleeting kiss on the cheek, and she couldn't help but giggle slightly as his whiskers tickled her skin. He offered her a tender smile before mounting his horse and following his father through the gate.
Frigga clapped her hands together. "Well, I have many things to attend to. I trust that the two of you will find one another's company to be sufficient for the time being. I fear I may not even be able to make it down to supper this evening, so I hope that you will excuse my absence."
Loki smiled at his mother and kissed her cheek fondly. "Of course, Mother. Lady Astrid and I will be just fine on our own." He turned to Eyra and offered her a crooked arm. "Shall we? I believe you might enjoy the library."
Eyra's eyes lit up with excitement, and she took his proffered arm readily, delighted that any awkwardness between the two of them had been resolved over breakfast. Loki escorted her gracefully back into the palace and to a huge pair of double doors. When he opened them, Eyra sucked in a sharp breath at the sight before her. Rows upon rows of shelves upon shelves of every type of book she could possibly imagine lined the room. Loki smiled as he watched her walk slowly up and down the aisles, eyes wide with glee.
"You are welcome to any of them," he told her. She looked up at him with the most awestruck look on her face.
"Oh, Loki," she breathed. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."
A low chuckle resounded from his chest. "I could have few of my personal favorites sent up to your room, if you like. Just to get you started."
"Would you?" She beamed at him. "That would be wonderful! Oh!" She pointed to a book before pulling it from its place. Loki followed her as she sat down with it, skimming its pages with a far away look in her eyes. "'Pride and Prejudice.' Have you read it?" He confessed that he had not. Eyra smiled at the book fondly. "It is a midgardian tale. My father used to read it to me as a child. He would tell me that he believed I would grow up to be the perfect combination of Jane and Elizabeth Bennett and that my story would end just as happily as theirs."
Loki seated himself next to her. "Tell me about your father," he requested softly. Eyra looked up at him, eyes swimming with the happy memories of her childhood.
"Oh, he was absolutely wonderful. I adored him with all my heart. He loved to be outdoors, and the two of us spent all the time we could hiking, fishing, swimming, and anything else that allowed us to be outside. It was he who first brought me to the clearing where we met." Understanding dawned on Loki's face as she continued. "For so many years, it was our spot that no one else knew about. He always believed I was destined for great things. He used to say to me, 'Eyra, you are the prettiest girl I have ever seen, and so talented, but do you know what is even more amazing?' And I would reply, 'What, Papa?' even though I knew exactly what he was going to say. He would smile at me and say these exact words: 'You are kind. You are strong. You are good. And that is more powerful than anything.' I never once doubted that I was his absolute pride and joy, and that he would be proud of me no matter what, as long as I did what made me happy."
"He sounds wonderful," Loki expressed sincerely. "At the very least, he raised a most charming, incredible daughter, and considering most other maidens with whom I've come in contact, that appears to be no easy feat."
Eyra gave him a teasing grin, cursing the blush she could feel adorning her cheeks. "Flattering words are a devil's trick, Your Highness."
"Ah, but it is not flattery if it is true, my lady," Loki returned with a smirk. She giggled, unable to think of a retort, and bumped her shoulder against his. He grinned and elbowed her in the ribs, causing her to let out an involuntary squeak of protest. Loki slowly turned to look at her, eyes gleaming mischievously.
"Don't you dare," she warned him, guessing correctly at his intentions. "Not in this library - So help me, Loki!" She screeched as he moved closer to her. The librarian shot her a disapproving glance, but said nothing given that she was with the prince.
"Well, well, well," Loki's voice was delightfully raspy, causing Eyra to shiver as his breath caressed her ear. "Little Eyra is ticklish, is she?" He backed away, smirking at her and taking pleasure in the effect he obviously had on her. "I'll have to make a note of that, although," he grinned at her wickedly. "There are much more pleasurable ways of getting you to scream my name."
Eyra's mouth fell open, and she gaped at him in shock, feeling the heat once again rise to her cheeks. Loki winked at her and grabbed her book, casually flipping through the pages. It took several minutes for her to regain the gift of speech at which point she snatched it back from him.
"Loki Odinson!" she hissed, swiping at his head. He barely managed to dodge her blow, letting out an indignant yelp in the process. A throat cleared behind them, and they turned sheepishly to see the displeased face of the librarian.
"Prince Loki," she was obviously fighting to remain respectful, despite her annoyance with him. "I am sorry, but there are other people in here looking for peace and quiet. If you are going to continue to disrupt that, I am afraid I am going to have ask you to leave."
Eyra watched in fascination as Loki's light expression quickly hardened into what she recognized to be the cold charade he created for others. Before he could give the woman a biting retort, Eyra interjected.
"I apologize, ma'am. We meant no disrespect. We were just about to leave anyway." She gave Loki a pointed look. "Come, it's a shame to waste such a beautiful day as this indoors." Loki shot the librarian one last scathing look before reluctantly following Eyra out. When they were out of earshot, however, he gave her a sidelong glance.
"You do realize it's raining, right?" She could hear the smirk in his voice.
"So?" She blushed. "What of it? I, for one, love to be outside in the rain." It was true, though she really hadn't known it to be raining when she mentioned the beauty of the weather.
"Is that so?" Loki chuckled. "Then, by all means, let us head outside."
A smile split across Eyra's face, and she grabbed his hand, dragging him along with her as she dashed out the nearest exit. As soon as the first drops of water hit her skin, she let out a shout of exhilaration, throwing her arms out and spinning around in circles. Loki blinked in surprise at this sudden display of gaiety. There was no one outside other than the two of them, though he suspected that if all of Asgard had been gathered at that spot, it wouldn't have stopped her from frolicking in the same manner. He, however, elected to stay within the shelter offered by the overhang on the roof, perfectly content to observe her antics.
It took only a few moments for Eyra to decide that Loki's behavior simply was not acceptable. Already dripping wet, she skipped over to him and grabbed his hand once more, eyes glittering merrily. "Come on, you killjoy! Dance with me!"
Loki shook his head at her, amused. "I would prefer to remain dry, actually, if you don't mind."
"Loki," she whined, a pretty pout forming on her lips. "I told you that you'd become a stick in the mud!"
He froze at that, raising his eyebrows at her. "A stick in the mud? Is that really what you think?"
"Well, I..." Eyra trailed off nervously.
A grin spread across his face, and he grabbed her waist, drawing her back out into the rain with him. "Well, we can't have that, can we?"
A taken aback Eyra could do nothing but gape at him for a moment as he spun her around. Then, a peal of laughter burst from her lips. Her hands flew to his shoulders, and they bounded across the courtyard in some sort of ridiculously spontaneous dance. It wasn't long before they were both soaked to the skin, but neither showed any desire to bring an end to their little cavort. Loki easily lifted his partner into the air before bringing her back down slowly, her body sliding against his own. They gazed at one another for a moment. Bright smiles adorned both of their faces, and their chests heaved as they regained their breath.
Then, Loki drew Eyra close to him and began to sing softly, swaying gently. Eyra recognized the tune and joined him, adding sweet harmonies as they waltzed. Their voices blended together beautifully, and, when they did come to a stop, she smiled up at him.
"I didn't know you could sing." Her hands had found their way to the back of his neck, and her fingers were now tangled in his hair.
"One of my many talents," Loki replied cockily.
Eyra giggled and stepped away from him, peeling her skirt away from her legs and stooping into a low curtsy. "I thank you for the dance, my lord."
He laughed and bowed in return. "It is I who should be thanking you, dear lady. However, I am afraid if we remain out here much longer, one of us is going to catch ill. What do you say to finding ourselves some dry clothes, some hot chocolate, and a warm fire?"
"I suppose that would be considered acceptable," Eyra agreed, and, as they made their way back to the palace arm in arm, she thought with a smile that she would be able to bear this fortnight with only Loki for real company quite easily.
A/N: Definitely a pretty lighthearted chapter, and I sure hope you guys don't mind the fluffiness! Things are going to get pretty angsty in the next little while though, so I would enjoy it while it lasts, if I were you! ;) Anyway, I just wanted to send out a huge thank you to each and every one of you for showing so much support for this story! It means so much to me! Please review if you have any ideas as far as what you would like to see in it as well as any constructive criticism! I welcome all! :)
Dappledwing: Done! I am glad you are finding this all to be cute! That is rather the point, so woohoo! Mission accomplished! Thank you so much for your continued support!