A/N: Don't own don't sue
Lyrics at the beginning are from 'If I Knew by Bruno Mars
If I Knew
Chapter Two
I was a city boy
Right into danger's where I'd always run a boy who had his fun
But I wouldn't've done
All the things that I have done
If I knew one day you'd come
I know it breaks your heart
To picture the only one you wanna love
In someone else's arms
But I wouldn't have done
All the things that I have done
If I knew one day you'd come
Oh, baby, please
Let's leave the past behind us, behind us
So that we can go where love will find us
Yeah, will find us
I know most girls would leave me
But I know that you believe me
Baby, I, I wish we were seventeen
So I could give you all the innocence
That you give to me
No, I wouldn't have done
All the things that I've done
If I knew one day you'd come
It had been a month since Loki had been imprisoned. The Queen had not mentioned him again and Eira had not spoken of him at all. Yet he lurked at the back of her thoughts, that blink of wicked blue had played across her mind more than once. It unnerved her. The Queen had decided to take a walk in the gardens this morning she sweetly informed Eira as she pinned her golden hair into place with jewelled pins. Eira shrugged agreeably, why not take a turn in the gardens? There was little else to do at court. The usual bowing and scraping greeted them as they made their brisk way through the palace and out into the grounds.
They strolled in amicable silence amongst the stunning blooms and towering trees, picking their way arm in arm along the little pathways and drifting by the lazy stream where the air was slightly cooler.
"Eira." The Queen said quietly, as they wandered under a huge tree shining with brilliant crimson leaves.
Eira waited, feeling her shoulders tense as the Queen fixed her with that powerful royal gaze.
"I have a kindness to ask of you." She was murmuring so faintly Eira could barely hear her and anyone trying to eavesdrop wouldn't stand a chance.
"Your Grace?" Eira prompted, following the Queen's gaze back towards the palace.
"I am prohibited from seeing my son." Her mouth twisted in a bleak smile. "That is well known. Yet I can't bear to think of him alone, trapped with his thoughts." Frigga shook her head. "I cannot go to him, but you can."
Eira started on the spot, taking an involuntary step back.
"Your Grace I've never even met the Prince--"
Frigga tilted her head slightly, the scarlet leaves casting coloured shadows across her face.
"You need not spend time with him, if you do not wish it." Frigga looked slightly disappointed but she smiled kindly nonetheless. "I would only ask that you deliver him my gifts."
Eira lifted her eyebrows. Everyone knew the Queen could not visit the dungeon but no one had mentioned anything about gifts being forbidden. Now what would a mother give her son, when he was confined to a dungeon for the rest of eternity? Curiosity got the better of her and she found herself nodding. Frigga's face lit up and her eyes twinkled knowingly. Of course they both knew that the Queen could order her to do this as easily as she was requesting it. Yet she seemed pleased that Eira had agreed to do it of her own volition.
LOKIEIRALOKIEIRALOKIEIRA
It was another week before Frigga made Eira keep her promise. The Queen was bathing in her huge golden tub, hot scented steaming water swirling around her collarbones. Eira was singing to her, humming nonsense as she rubbed rose scented lotion into her long golden tresses.
"Little songbird." Frigga said suddenly. "Will you go? Tonight?"
Eira broke off mid-verse, the golden comb in her hand halting halfway through Frigga's locks. She had been looking forward to putting the Queen to bed and retreating to her own with one of the guards, a sweet boy who blushed whenever she so much as looked at him.
"Tonight, Your Grace?"
Frigga gestured at a table sitting beside the door that led back to her bedroom. A thick book was waiting there. Books. Would books be enough to stave off the loneliness that would eventually lead to madness? Frigga swirled the water with her hands idly, watching Eira's reflection in the huge looking glass. The steam had caused her thick red hair to curl damply against her slender neck and pinked cheeks and her silver dress was clinging to her in the muggy heat of the bathroom. She really was stunning. Asgardians aged very very well but Frigga was starting to feel the years weighing on her.
"Go now. I think I can manage to put myself to bed." Her lips tweaked in amusement and Eira couldn't help but smile in return.
Eira slipped her feet out of the tub and pulled on her slippers. The silk stuck to her bare feet unpleasantly but she crossed the room, grabbing the book on her way out. At least she could drop these off and return with more than enough time to make that cute little soldier boy blush again. She made her way rapidly through the palace, still humming with activity even at this late hour. As a favourite of the Queen she was allowed to roam freely and she passed unmolested through the lower levels of the palace until she reached the entrance to the dungeons. Huge mirrored doors barred the locked gates to the dungeon, designed to reflect the only hallway that led to the dungeons so anyone approaching could always see what was creeping up behind them. Eira was furious. From her enlarged reflection she could clearly see her hair was a frazzled mess from the steam, curling wildly in all directions and her face was bright red from the heat in the bathroom and her long trek through the palace. She was no more vain than any other Asgardian but she took a certain pride in her beauty, it was her most useful tool in this palace.
Feeling somewhat less than charitable, she passed through the mirrored doors and ordered the guards to unlock the gates sharply. They eyed her coldly but did as she bid them. Visitors were permitted into the dungeons in theory, with some minor restrictions, but it was a rare occurrence. Clearly her name was not on the list of those forbidden access and they grudgingly allowed her through. The sudden switch from dim hallway to almost complete blackness was startling and Eira blinked rapidly, trying to adjust her eyes. It was chilly down here, the complete absence of all the gold and finery draped around the palace almost shocking. Her steps seemed to echo as she followed the long hallway, her feet in their thin slippers already freezing. There were no guards down here, just glimmering windows of light as she passed each cell. She ignored the occupants as they leered at her, making obscene gestures and in some cases charging at the magic barrier that held them inside their cells.
Eira knew they couldn't break free of the magic restraining them so she dismissed their threats easily, continuing on her path. She finally reached the Prince's cell. He was standing in the centre of his cell, staring directly at her as if he was expecting a visitor. Eira almost lost her footing in her surprise. She stared at him curiously. She had heard many things from the Queen about her youngest son, the good and the bad but, saving the brief glimpse of him in the hallway; she had never seen him for herself. She was almost taken aback at how attractive he was. When he was spoken of around the palace he was described as a skinny runty usurper who plotted because he didn't have the strength of his brother to overpower a kingdom by hand. From what she could see through the magic of the golden barrier, he was tall, broad-shouldered and handsome. Well… this task her Queen had set her may not be the total waste of time she'd first assumed.
Loki saw her smiling and he lifted an imperious eyebrow. She didn't seem afraid of him. In fact she seemed almost bored. She took a step forwards, climbing the small steps to his cell. Loki cocked his head as he watched her. She was about to get a very nasty shock once she touched that barrier. To his surprise, she paused for a split second and then stepped right through the barrier. Jolted out of his apathy he reached out but the barrier remained firmly in place.
"An illusion?" He surmised, flicking a disdainful glance over her. "If this is the best my mother could do--"
Eira felt herself flush from her head to her toes but she just managed to keep her face expressionless.
"Not quite, Prince." She snapped, tossing the book at him with a little more force than was necessary.
Loki grunted as the heavy book slammed into his chest and bounced onto the floor of his cell.
"A gift from your mother."
Loki had been about to snap her insolent neck when her words gave him pause. Eira saw the anger in him halt suddenly, the brilliant blue eyes widen and then narrow thoughtfully.
"My mother?" Something like a smile crept over his face and Eira felt a prickle of unease at the base of her spine. "You speak as if you know her as more than just a Queen."
It was not a question and Eira did not treat it as such, furious with herself for slipping already.
"Did my mother merely send me books as her gift, I wonder." Loki mused, stepping towards her faster than she could blink.
To her credit, she didn't flinch or whimper at his sudden appearance in her personal space. She lifted her chin defiantly and gave him a long challenging stare. It certainly seemed as if she were daring him to do something.
"I hate to disappoint you, Prince, but your mother only sent you the book." She realised too late that she had not referred to Frigga as the Queen again and she smiled to cover the slip. "You'll have to gain your satisfaction from that."
Loki's lips curled into a smirk. Who was this girl? She took a step back, refusing to turn her back on him. His grin only widened. Clever little thing, indeed. She offered him a rather insulting curtsey and slipped back through the barrier. Loki watched her departing back; the wild scarlet hair glimmering in the dim torchlight, the subtle shift of her hips as she strode confidently along in the darkness.
"Well well, Mother. What in the world have you sent me to play with?"
LOKIEIRALOKIEIRALOKIEIRA
Eira emerged from the darkness of the dungeons and took a deep breath. The air down there felt close and stuffy but she hadn't realised until she'd returned to the palace. It was like surfacing from the depths of the ocean. The guards must have changed while she was down there as the one standing guard now looked a lot kinder. He saw her trembling and he took her hand and led her to a gilded chair almost lost behind an elaborate statue. Eira let him lead her, aware he had assumed she was affected by the dark dungeons. She was just a frail Lady after all. Eira ignored him frantically fluttering around her. She was affected, but not by the dungeons. Her heart was fluttering rapidly in her chest and she let out a little laugh. The guard frowned at her worriedly. She gave him a sweet smile and instantly he relaxed. A pretty Lady in waiting smiling at him and thanking him for his aid was the highlight of his week. Eira politely refused his offer to call someone to walk her back to her chambers and thanked him for his assistance as sweetly as she could. A guard besotted with her was always a useful tool.
She mulled over her encounter with Loki as she made her way towards her chambers through the deserted palace halls. She had been surprised to find him so attractive, surprised and curious. She felt odd, as if she had been in the path of a raging stallion and had been whipped from under his murderous hooves, missing death by a whisker. It was too late now to report back to the Queen so she slipped into her chambers. She felt a presence in her bedchamber and she froze. She had completely forgotten about her liaison with her guard.
"Lady Eira." He stammered, dropping to one knee before her.
She smiled, brushing the soft fair curls from his forehead idly.
"There's no need to bow before me."
The inevitable blush sprang up his neck and she laughed softly. She gestured for him to rise and he did so in an awkward tangle of long limbs. In truth she found his innocence attractive and of course, a woman has needs of her own. As she reclined on her bed, watching as the fumbling guard stripped himself of his armour, she forced the mocking Prince's leer from her mind.
The guard was gone before sunrise and Eira stretched lazily in her rumpled sheets. The guard had been as inexperienced as she had expected but he had done well enough. She was just contemplating what gown to wear to the feast tonight when her door flew open and she bolted upright. The Queen bustled in fully dressed, pushing the door closed behind her and stalking straight towards her. Eira tugged the sheets more firmly around her naked body and stared as Frigga perched on the side of her bed.
"Your… Your Grace?" Eira said weakly, unsure what was happening. The Queen had never visited her chambers before.
"My apologies for barging into your bedchamber in such an uncivilised manner." The Queen said rapidly, reaching for Eira's hand resting on the feather mattress before clearly thinking better of it and pulling it back into her lap. "Your visit?"
Eira let out a sigh of relief. She had briefly wondered if the Queen was about to dismiss her for fraternising with the guards.
"I delivered the book, Your Grace." Eira confirmed awkwardly.
"The Prince?" Frigga glanced across at the door, as if she expected the King himself to be standing there. "My son?"
"He seemed… well." Eira said slowly, the image of Loki's smirk flickering briefly into her mind.
Frigga studied her in silence for a long moment, the look in her eyes unfathomable. Then she smiled and nodded.
"I am glad." She rose to her feet, a Queen once more. "I'll allow you to dress, little songbird." She paused with her hand on the doorknob and turned back towards the bed. "Thank you, Eira. There are not many who would risk the wrath of their King to keep a weary mother happy."
Eira couldn't bring herself to reply. She had agreed to visit Loki in Frigga's place to satisfy her own curiosity despite the affection that lay between the two women. It wouldn't be right to accept Frigga's sincerity. She also felt too guilty to meet Frigga's gaze, because she had already decided that she would continue to visit Loki, but it would have nothing to do with the Queen's request.
LOKIEIRALOKIEIRALOKIEIRA
Eira took extra care preparing for the feast that night. She had a new backless dress of emerald velvet that matched her eyes and clashed brilliantly with her hair, piled on top of her head and glittering with gems. Her arms were bare bar a set of matching intricate silver rings on each upper arm. She accompanied the Queen for the first half of the feast, enjoying the food, the gossip and the flirting as servants kept her goblet full of wine. The second half of the feast was dancing and music. As the daughter of a noble family, Eira was a talented dancer and she did not want for partners in her backless gown.
Once the crowd was fully engaged in their feasting and rousting, Eira took the opportunity to slip out of the Grand Ballroom. She had taken the next book from Frigga's personal library earlier and had hidden it in a small nook near the hallway that led to the dungeons. She retrieved it now and headed for the mirrored doors. Her appearance was a much more satisfying sight tonight. Her silver heels added six inches to her height, the velvet of her dress emphasised the curve of her hips and the narrowness of her waist. Most Asgardian Ladies favoured fluttering sleeves and whispy pieces of fabric flapping around but she preferred tight sleeves or none at all. Her bare arms shone in the torchlight as did her naked slender neck. Unlike most of the Ladies she disregarded most jewels and opted for simplicity. She had chosen a slender silver chain so delicate you could only see it glimmer when she moved, that circled her throat and trailed down her bare back, ending in a teardrop shaped jewel. Her hair glittered with every step. Yes she was very pleased with her appearance for this visit.
The guard on duty goggled at her as she breezed past him, her heels clicking as she descended the stone steps.
Loki heard the tapping footsteps of a pair of heels on the stone of the dungeon floor. He was sitting against the barrier leafing idly through the tome his mother had sent him. It was not one of his favourites and it had been doing little to keep him occupied. A flash of red and green confirmed his suspicions and he smirked. It was simple work to throw up an illusion of himself and he retreated to the velvet chair to wait for his visitor.
Once again she stepped straight through the magic barrier without uttering a word or making any gestures that would indicate magic. His mother's work clearly. She looked a good deal more appetizing this time around. The dress was like a second skin rather than the billowing sheets many of the Ladies wore at court, cut dangerously low at the back and emphasising the mesmerising sway of her hips and the graceful arch of her naked back. Her fiery red hair was a tangle of curls and jewels on top of her head, reflecting the harsh lights of the cell and directing attention to her lovely slender neck. Realising that his appreciation of her was carrying through to his illusion, he hurriedly wiped the expression from both of his faces. She placed the new book onto the table, the faint scent of her perfume emanating from her hair as she passed him.
"A feast?" He surmised, using the illusion to speak for him.
She waved a careless hand.
"The usual fare." She shrugged derisively.
"One of the blessings of internal imprisonment. None of those events." Loki's illusion agreed cheerfully.
Loki saw the muscles in her bare back tightening. She was suspicious but she didn't know what of yet. Interesting. His illusion climbed to its feet, taking a rather menacing step towards her. She automatically stepped back. The illusion advanced again, forcing her to move backwards. It only took a few steps before she was right before the real him, sitting patiently in the velvet chair. For a moment he contemplated letting her fall right into his lap, then he dismissed it. Why create an aversion to his proximity so soon.
Eira felt his long elegant fingers wrap around her bare arms, his thumbs just brushing the silver bands. His mocking laughter stirred her hair and caressed the back of her neck. She could feel his body behind her, warm and solid. She froze, staring at him in front of her smiling wickedly with his hands clasped behind his back.
"What--"
She turned her head. There was no hand on her arm, no shadow behind her blocking the blinding glare of the cell wall. She was frightened now, he could smell it. Fear rolled off her in waves and her body trembled against him. Deciding he didn't quite want to break her just yet, the illusion dissipated with a crackle of green light. She started when the illusion vanished, immediately checking her arm again. This time she could see his pale graceful hands resting on her bare skin, not quite tightly enough to hold her in place. Now that his illusion had vanished, her trembling stopped. He leaned his head over her shoulder, his lips barely a millimetre from her ear.
"I didn't mean to scare you, love."
She shifted her head slightly and the diamond she wore in her ear tickled his chin.
"Yes you did, Prince."
Loki was certain she could actually feel his smile against the delicate skin of her throat.
"Of course I did." He chuckled. "Are you still afraid?"
"No." She laughed. "Not now I understand."
She seemed to be telling the truth and yet her heart was thumping rapidly.
"What a fascinating trick to have up your sleeve. The possibilities for its uses are… endless." She breathed in a soft laughing voice, tilting her face even closer towards his.
Oh she was full of surprises. Where in the universe had his mother found this wily little creature? Loki reluctantly relinquished his grip on her arms and stepped away from her. She waited for a long moment, just long enough to prove that his proximity didn't scare her, and then she moved back towards the barrier.
"Leaving so soon?"
She barely bothered to glance over her shoulder at him and he felt a flicker of irritation in his chest. He hated being ignored.
"Sorry, Prince. My dance card is full, I can't keep the Lords waiting now, can I?"