"I am Maridell, Maid of Light, Vanquisher of Darkness and Protector of these Nine Realms, stand down, or i'll be forced to take action"

I woke up in a cold sweat, what the hell was that? I wasn't one to dream, I spent my nights in a blank limbo but now I was having flashes of unnerving scenes. I wasn't prepared for such fictitious nonsense, it distracted me, and I didn't not do well with too many distractions.

These days life was boring, class was everyday except the seventh and we weren't doing any practicum at this point in our studies it was so dry I could barely stay awake in class. Thor visited me on occasion, much to the jealousy of other girls, I still would spar with them sometimes but I didn't have any sort of break to my routine as often as I would like. Even though I wasn't very popular with any of my classmates I enjoyed my time here, besides I had Via to talk non-stop and gush over the fact that Thor was in love with me and that we were going to get married and I'd be a princess. I would roll my eyes at her, but, I mean, who wouldn't wanted to be part of the royal family, but I don't think I have it in me to marry Thor, he was my friend.

It was the night before our day off, and the moon had been in the sky for a long while now, many of my classmates were coming back from there evening out at the drinking establishments and dances that were hosted in the square. I hadn't gone out that night, no I was waiting for something, I smiled to myself as I thought of it, I had set up a sort of trick on the prince of tricks himself.

Thor had suggested I do something because he was no good at practical jokes and he wanted to get Loki back for all the times he had gotten him, and I could never turn down the request of prince Thor.

I hummed to myself, closing to my eyes and putting my book down, I had only been relaxing a couple minutes when I felt an uncomfortable chill invade the room, I frowned and opened my eyes.

I gasped and started backwards, I was now staring directly into the green eyes of the God of Mischief himself. There he was, staring me down not saying a word, just glaring, unrelenting. I held my hand over my heart trying to settle my breathing.

"Loki" I breathed "What are you doing here"

"You know what I'm doing here" he seethed, I failed at suppressing a smirk

"Trouble sleeping" I asked as the corners of my lips were pulled upwards.

He clenched his teeth and immediately grabbed my wrist and jarred me from my bed and for a moment I was flying and then I hit solid ground again and I was in a room I had been in just few hours prior.

Loki's room.

"You really like green" I commented looking around.

"Enough of your games girl, fix this!" he demanded gesturing to his room.

The lights were off but each of the rooms walls were glowing so brightly it was as if the sun was shining right next to the bed. They glowed with such vivacity I almost had to squint to see everything in the room clearly. Wow, I was good.

"Fix what exactly Loki?" I asked feigning innocence.

"You know what! No one could sleep in this light!" he said annoyed

"I can"

"Well, you're insane!"

"No, I'm just good at what I do"

"Fix it!"

"Ask nicely?" I smiled smugly.

"Never"

"Then you can fix it yourself if you're so powerful!"

"You know damned well that you put a spell lock on it that can be only unlocked by the caster!"

"Oh did I do that?" I couldn't contain my smile now, it was plastered across my face.

"Maridell!" he said angrily

"Loki!" I said in the same tone as him.

He glared at me for a moment before his gaze suddenly softened.

"Wait" he stopped to think for a moment "Thor put you up to this didn't he?"

Damn

"No" I said immediately, maybe a bit too quickly, he nodded in realization.

"Of course he did! He wanted to-" Loki stopped himself "Well, never mind now"

"He said he wanted to get you back" I explained slowly

"Yes, he did, in a way" murmured Loki no longer looking at me

"Aren't you angry anymore?" I asked him slightly disappointed.

"At you? No" he said.

Dammit, I was having such fun, I sat down on his bed dejected, sitting on the bed reminded me of how tired I was, I almost wanted to lie down but the thought of how inappropriate that was was hit my in the face and I almost wanted to stand up again but was too exhausted.

Loki paced for a few moments before heading to his door, what the hell? Was he just going to leave now?

"Where are you going?" I asked confused.

"To see Thor, I'll be back, you can fix this light issue in my absence"

Like hell I would.

Once he left instead of doing what he asked I let my exhaustion take over and laid my head down on the unbelievably soft bed and fell asleep.

...

"Maridell" I heard a voice in the distance of my mind

No, go away I'm too tired for this

"Maridell" the voice rang again, what a lovely voice

"Wake up Maridell"

Finally I opened my eyes and above me stood Loki, in shock I sat up quickly smacking my forehead into his.

"Oh hell" I swore, he said something worse.

"Maridell, why?"

"You scared me!"

"This is my bed!"

"I was sleeping" I said quietly, he sighed, we sat in silence for a couple minutes before he spoke.

"Can you please fix these walls?" asked Loki, did he actually say please?

"Of course Loki, first I have one thing to ask of you" I said carefully, he huffed and sat down next to me.

"What?"

"I, um" I started embarrassed "I mean, would you, um, I'm sort of behind...in my studies...and I..."

"You want me to tutor you?" he asked bewildered.

"I'm fine with the practical stuff, it's all the theoretical things, all the writing and reading, I'll fail if I don't fix it, will you please help me?" I pleaded.

He stood up and moved so he was in front of me, he leaned down to be eye level with me, he looked so menacing, I had to consciously remind myself not to lean away from him.

"It will be on my terms, my way, you will not argue, defy or question my methods understood?" I nodded quickly "First session is tomorrow, at the break of dawn"

"Of course, no problem" I smiled

"Now, fix these damn walls!"

With a wave of my hands the light in the walls faded until it left both Loki and I in darkness.

"Loki?" I asked unsure of where he was and suddenly he grabbed my wrist and I yelped out loud.

"Oh hush"

And with that we were transported back to my room, much to the surprise and distress of Via whom screamed out loud when we appeared out of no where.

"Via, calm down" I rolled my eyes, she took a step backwards away from us still not over the suddenness of our appearance. Loki turned to my roommate smiling charmingly.

"My apologies Lady Via" he kissed her hand "Please forgive our rudeness"

"No, its fine your highness" she said breathlessly, I made an annoyed sound which did not go unnoticed by the dear prince of Asgard.

"Well, I'd best be on my way, I am in fact quite tired, Maridell I shall see you tomorrow, at sunrise" and with those words he was gone.

I sighed to myself and sat on the bed, I was grateful for the moment of silence before Via took off once again.

"My dear Maridell! I don't even know you, first Thor and now Loki, pick one prince and let us others have a chance" she teased bobbing me on my nose, I shooed her off

"Oh it's not like that Via, Thor is my friend, and Loki is...infuriating" I explained.

"Infuriating?" she questioned "Then why are you seeing him tomorrow, seems like a fairly consensual meeting"

"He's helping me with my magic" I waved her off "Oh, I'm going to have to be up early tomorrow but I don't feel I can sleep, I'm so energetic"

I began to pace but suddenly I felt a very strange calm wash over me, my energy left me and I felt a heavy sleepiness consume my body. I looked towards Vitalia whom attempted to look innocent and stare at anything but my face.

"Don't do that" I told her dressing myself in my nightwear and lying down on my bed "But thank you" and I closed my eyes.

...

The morning came far too soon for my liking, the sun seemed to have betrayed me as it rose into the sky. Oh, my lesson with Loki, perhaps this wasn't the best idea. Nervousness invaded my thoughts as I dressed myself in a simple yellow day dress, I brushed my hair through and began my walk to the palace.

The town was almost empty except for the bakers bringing out their bread and the occasional child whom decided that the streets were their playground in the early morning. The sun was almost completely in the sky, I was already late, but I didn't have to walk, Loki was just going to have to deal with it. I don't have his fancy teleporting magic. The guards let me pass, clearly they had been informed of my arrival, I slowed my walk as I travelled through the entrance hall, it was so beautiful, art and colours blended together to make a masterpiece of a building.

"You're late" a voice echoed from down the corridor, I looked to see Loki standing there dressed in his classic green, black and gold.

"The sun has barely risen" I replied.

"But you admit it has, which means your late" he said again.

I rolled my eyes "Oh please, it's nothing, don't be so-" he appeared directly in front of me.

"Are you questioning me?" he asked raising an eyebrow, I narrowed my eyes, why did I ask for this again?

"No, of course not" I gritted my teeth.

"You have quite the temper my dear" he smiled leading me to a different part of the castle.

"Don't call me that" I told him irritated.

"What? My dear?"

"Yes, my dear, don't. I am not your dear" I clenched my firsts, maybe I did have an anger problem, I certainly had a hard time putting up with Via but anyone would. I shook off my anger.

Loki took me to the back of castle, through the door and to the courtyard and the garden. Every flower ever thought of was present, to say it was breathtaking would be a gross understatement. I gasped at the beauty of it and smiled as the scents of the different plants seemed to surround me. It was incredible how I could feel so content in a place I had just arrived in.

"Wow" I said.

"Yes, it's where I come to read and...think" said Loki vacantly looking around.

"Think about what?" I asked him.

"Trying to get in my mind Maridell?" he asked smiling down at me, I almost blushed because of the way he was looking at me.

"Of course not" I said "Now are you going to help me?"

"Yes, do you have your books?"

I nodded pulling them out of my bag and handing them to him, he quickly scanned the titles.

"Standard books, easily understood" he commented offhandedly, I huffed in annoyance.

"No to me"

"Well let me see if I can put it in more basic terms so you can understand..." he trailed off flipping through the pages one of my books, while he did this I stood up off the bench we were on and climbed on top of a rock so I could see over the hedge and to the rest of the garden. I drank up every last drop of the beautiful sight.

"Maridell, you don't seem very focused" he commented as I struggled to keep my balance jumping to a different rock about a metre away.

"Well have you seen this place!" I gestured around me at the beautiful garden "Who could focus in a place like this"

"I can"

"Well you're not normal" I told him, holding my arms out to keep me from falling off the rocks.

"I'm not?" he questioned.

It was then that I lost my footing and fell off the rock, I was expecting to hit the ground but instead I felt something strong and study catch me, I looked up at a very surprised Loki whom now had his arms around me. His eyes were much prettier when they weren't glaring at me...why was I so focused on his eyes? He looked at me for probably a longer time than was necessary to help me back to my feet but I wasn't exactly focused on that.

"Thank you Loki" I said quietly, he cleared his throat.

"No problem, just try to be more careful" he told me releasing me from his arms.

"So, we gonna get started?" I asked changing the topic.

"Yes of course"

For the next few hours he attempted to explain the entire first volume of introduction to the theory of magic to me, it took a lot of patience on his part and a lot of yelling on mine for me to finally understand the basic concepts that he was trying to explain to me, in my opinion it was all very useless and boring, I could already use magic why did I need to read about it? Though it was nice to see Loki so expressive, he was always so quiet and reserved with anyone but his brother. It was nice to see him talk about something that he is so passionate about.

"Can we stop now?" I asked, lying on the grass watching the clouds pass by.

"You're the one who asked for help"

"We've been at it for hours, I'll never be able to retain anymore information today, I can even read magical theory in the clouds, don't worry, you've drilled it into me"

"If you say so"

I packed up all my books and prepared for the walk back to my room.

"Thank you Loki, for the help" I replied, he nodded curtly.

"I'll see you in seven days" he added, I smiled and turned to leave the garden "Oh and Maridell" I turned around "I expect no sleepless nights ever again"

I smiled to myself.

A/N: Hey, so here is another chapter, let me know what you think. I really like dialogue heavy scenes but let me know if you think more description is necessary or if dialogue heavy is good. Thanks.