Chapter 16.
Lorien stood silently next the Frigga as the Princess entered the Great Hall, her fiery head of curls pinned up in an elegant style and her pale skin a sign of good breeding. She glared at the black haired girl in the blue dress, her own gown of emerald, flamboyant and gaudy with all the gold embroidery and extra skirts. Loki looked nauseated at the sight, as if he were looking on the most hideous cake he had ever seen and he sighed to himself in prayer that this woman would loose and he would not be cursed with her for eternity. Her Handmaidens flanked her, the procession stopping as Lorien curtsied to the Princess politely and Varaka dismissed her with a simple wave.
"No need for courtesy, seeing as how you have already stolen my Bethroved. I cannot believe he would be drawn in by such a simple, low born... Slave." Varaka said, holding her head high and Lorien looked at her feet. "A piece of furniture, nothing more."
"I... I... Did not know... Princess." Lorien replied softly, her voice a great contrast to the slightly nasally tone of her competition. Lorien fidgeted with her hands, everyone in the Hall starting to take pity on the girl. Many casting curses in their minds at the Princess, praying her presence would be short lived in the Halls of Asgard.
"You still did not think to ask, King Odin will do good to strike your head from your body." Varaka said, waving her Maids to follow her with a single finger and she left the fretting girl standing in her wake. She walked toward Loki, her smile widening and she curtsied to him. Her perfume, heavy with musk, choked him and he blinked his watering eyes. He stared at her barely covered breasts, thinking how Lorien filled her dresses out better and he let out a long sigh of resignation.
"Princess Varaka, welcome to Asgard." He said, the woman lifting her hand for him to kiss but her did not take it. Instead he gave her a formal bow, showing that he had no favor for either girl and he took a step back.
"No kiss for you or future Wife?" She asked, pretending to be hurt and she blinked back crocodile tears. "I came, despite my humiliation to take you as a husband, and I recieved a cold bow. I am so dishonored by this charade, and put back into my humiliation. I bear a great love for you, and this is my reward."
"I am choosing to not show favor for either Lady in this, that way it cannot be said that I prefer one over the other." Loki said, remaining calm as her voice rose in pitch and he hated her even more for just speaking.
"I am so wounded, but am sure of my victory. I have something very special planned for out Wedding Night as well, I am sure you will like it." She said, his eyes going wide at her insinuation that she would be in his bed by the end of the ten days. He looked at Lorien, her head down and he sighed as she stared at the floor in shame. He knew the girl still loved him and Varaka could not take victory over her, it was an impossibility he ensured himself. Odin tapped his staff, commanding all to look at him and he motioned both girls forward. Lorien took tentative, shy steps and Varaka took bold ones and both girls curtsied to their King. He cleared his throat, amd Lorien looked at him to hear what her fate was.
Her heart beat against her ribs, and she nearly trembled with fear as she stood silently. Her eyes fixed on the King, and he looked back at the girl with pity.
"Tomorrow, these seven tests will begin, and one of you will be chosen victor over the other to take Loki as your Groom. At the culmination of these tests, a PROPER wedding will occur to bind the maiden chosen with Prince Loki..." Odin said, Varaka smiling and blushing.
"That will certainly be me King Odin." Varaka interrupted, earning a stern glare from the old man. Loki heard Thor chuckle next to him, the blonde Prince leaning toward him and she carrying on about how she will be a gentle and obedient wife.
"She is loosing already, and that horror of a gown. Does she not know that women are a bit more modest here?" Thor asked, his voice laced in laughter and amusement. "I so pray she does not win, she is so loud when she speaks. I also heard that she does not have all her senses, due to an accident with a horse as a child."
"If that is true Thor, she may be a proper bride for you then." Loki replied in jest, a sly grin on his face as the girl carried on. He even noticed Lorien looking weary of her speech, and Thor laughed back softly.
"No such luck Brother, I prefer them quiet." Thor chuckled, and Odin waved a hand to silence the Princess.
"Princess Varaka, I am sure you will be a good Wife but there is much to say yet and you are getting ahead of yourself." Odin said, stopping the fiery haired girls platitudes cold. She blushed, blinking in shock at the King amd she smiled a bit to show that she was sorry. "As I was saying, these Tests of Seven are meant to set example for the compatibility of the Bride to the Intended Groom. They are set by the intended, laying out all the wishes that Prince Loki has for his Wife and each one will be demonstrated by each of you in a fair arena. The first test, which will in the morning, will be one of..."
"Magic? I have had the best tutors my while life, I am quite adept My King. I do so hope it is dancing, I was also taught by the best Dance Masters in all of the realms..." Princess Varaka interrupted, Loki pinching the bridge of his nose and groaning to himself. He could never be married to this woman, she would be the end of him, and his sanity.
"If the first test was to not interrupt, I believe Lorien is ahead already." Thor jested, Loki laughing at his brother's comment and smirking. Odin sighed, gesturing to the Princess that he was sure of her abilities and she held her head higher and smirked at Lorien.
"Be ready to loose... Slave." She whispered to Lorien, and the girl let out a slow breath to calm her nerves. Odin waited for the gathered persons to calm down, and he continued.
"Before I am interrupted again, I will announce the first test." Odin said, his eye on the Princess and she smiled in excitement. "Loki requires a Wife who can sing their children to their slumber, and calm the most dangerous of beasts to sleep with a song. Practice tonight, and be ready in the morning to sing a Bilgesnipe to slumber."
Velora blanched, her face going even more pale and Lorien blinked in shock at the task. She looked at Loki, her emerald eyes on him and he waved his fingers to show her that he would be giving her and edge to her attempt but she missed the gesture. Odin waved both girls off to practice, and Lorien left as the Princess and her entourage shoved her aside. She ran to the stables, not knowing where else to go and threw herself into the straw and began to weep. Her eyes burned with the tears she shed, and her heart broke as she remembered how the Vanir Princess treated her. She would loose, and she would die for her heart being so true.
"Poor Lady, why do you weep?" A soft voice behind her said and she sat up and wiped at her face in shock. She smoothed her dress, an old man with a felt cap on his head smiling at her and holding a handkerchief. "Oh, I see, you are the pretty Wife of Prince Loki."
"Thank you Sir." She said, accepting the cloth and he sat next to her on the hay. "I assume you heard that I face my death, and the loss of the man I love most."
"Why would you say that Young Miss? Surely the odds of those tests are tipped in your favor, what is so terrible that you fear it to weep in the stables?" He asked her and Lorien led out a shuddering breath.
"I must sing a Bilgesnipe to sleep." She said, her heart breaking and the old man laughed. She looked at him in suprise and he chuckled harder, his eyes filling with tears.
"Is that all?" He laughed. "Be glad you were not challenged to kill the beast, they do have tough hides, and a terrible disposition."
"I do not see how that is encouraging, how does one bespell such an angry and stubborn beast with a song? I know no magic, nor is my voice that sweet and gentle." She said, a violent kick to a stall door causing her to jump. The old man stood up, taking her hand and leading her to the stall that housed Odin's steed Slephinir. Her horse kicked his stall again, and the man let out a long sigh.
"You obviously have never met this creature here. He is the most stubborn and wrathful horse here, and only answers to his Master." The old man said, and smiled at her. "Why don't you use this cranky fellow for practice then?"
"Sing a horse to sleep? Do you think that I can?" She asked and the old man laughed at her demeanor.
"You do not know until you try Madam. Go on, see if you can lull this beast into a nap before he kicks his door down." He replied, gesturing for her to make an attempt to calm the horse. Lorien folded her hands neatly, clearing her throat and she slowly began singing a soft lullaby. The horse kicked his stall again, slowly calming his anger as she continued to sing on. Slephinir slowly turned a circle, sinking to the soft hay and resting his muzzle on his forelegs as they curled beneath him and Lorien kept the song going. She sang it a second time, her heart swelling in pride at how the horse was reacting as the deep brown eyes of the stallion closed and the horse drifted into a peaceful slumber. Lorien stood in shock, her eyes on the resting horse and she blinked it the beast.
"I... I made him fall asleep." She said, her attention returning to the old man and he smiled at her.
"I knew you could, all you had to do was have faith in yourself." He said and Lorien covered her smile with her hands. She laughed a bit, shaking her head and she blushed.
"I am so surprised that it worked, it is amazing." She laughed, the sleeping horse snorting his irritation at the noise and drifted back into his rest. She laughed, the old man chuckling to himself and he waved her to return to the Castle.
"Be surprised, and rest that voice of yours. You may put a few more spectators to sleep, wouldn't that be amusing?" The old man said and she nodded, her smile growing and she turned to leave.
"Thank you Sir. I pray that the horse gives you rest tonight." She said, waving as she ran back to the Castle. She passed through the golden gates, halting at the shrieking sounds coming from the Guest Chambers and she cringed at them. A Guard looked pained, and she tore small strips from the handkerchief and gave them to the suffering man. He tucked the tears into his ears, and he nodded to her for the kindness with a smile.
"It sounds as if a cat is being tortured in that room." Fandral said, cringing as her passed with Thor at his side. The Prince laughed, Loki walking through the gates she just had and cringing at the sounds. Lorien tore more strips of her handkerchief and gave them to the tortured men, all of them pressing them into their ears and Lorien making herself some plugs against the sounds. A particularly high note caused her to make the most awful noise, and a vase shattered from the sound on a hall table.
"Please win Lorien, I will go deaf if I have to listen to that for eternity." Loki groaned, waving his hand as he walked on, the vase restoring and Lorien found a bit of straw hanging off the back of his coat tail. She blinked at it, wondering if he had gone to see if she was practicing her singing. She wondered then if he had seen her performance, and if he was impressed with how she calmed the horse into a gentle sleep. Her eyes fell on some more straw that he had tracked in, and she blinked at it silently as another shrieking note made her clap her hands over her ears and cringe. She grinned to herself, knowing that she would win this round and she would be ahead as she walked to the Chambers she shared with her sister.