Chapter 17.
Both women stood in the Arena, Princess Vraka's gown even more gaudy than the last. Lorien thought it looked like a pink cake, the drapes of fabric covering her in long swags and gathered with silk flowers and she waving and fighting the bodice to keep from exposing herself to the crowd. Lorien wore a yellow dress, tiny lavender flowers embroidered along the collar and cuffs and she was dwarfed by the Princess in many ways. Not only was she a former Slave, but now she was trapped in a contest of wills against a Nonlewoman.
"I hope you are ready to loose Slave Bitch. I heard that you have no talents whatsoever, other than laying on your back in the beds of other women. You will soon find your neck stretched across the axe man's block." Vraka hissed at her, she pushing Lorien to the side and she smiled and blew a kiss to Loki. Lorien saw him hide his emotions at the affection, but Thor looked horrified at what was about to happen in front of all the Noble Families of Asgard.
A great hissing and bellowing filled the area, Lorien looking around her nervously as a cage with a Bilgesnipe was raised into place from a vault under the sandy pit. It roared at Princess Vraka, the razor sharp fangs dripping drool and the heavy tusks and horns appearing gore flecked. This creature was far different from a cross horse, and Lorien repressed a shudder at the thought of it getting her. It extended one paw, the claws unsheathing and it scraped at its cage and Odin waved for the Princess to begin. She curtsied, her bodice slipping and Loki shuddered at the view he almost got as she pulled it back up.
The Vanir Princess began, the melody of the song getting lost over how truly awful she sang. The screeching high notes, amd the forced low notes agitating the beast and it roared at her. If it was to end the serenade, or to make her stop, no one was sure. A few Noblewomen cringed at the sounds the Princess was making, their husbands plugging their ears and trying not to laugh at the amazing failure the girl was. The beast thrashed and slammed his massive body into the cage, trying to get free to eat the two women as they stood in the Arena and the Princess halted her singing. She stamped a foot into the ground, glaring at the Bilgesnipe and crossed her arms.
"Go to sleep you brute, and stop making me look bad! That song was quite sweet, and you are very rude!" The woman shouted, her voice carrying and the audience erupted into laughter. Lorien saw the creature roar at the Princess and two Maids took her to sit and she glared back at the pale girl who was next.
Lorien took small steps forward, hanging her head and she folded her hands silently. The beast growled at her in his throat, flexing his claws and she let out a trembling breath. She slowly began, low and soft as the animal in the cage calmed, the audience staring in mute shock at the sweet singing of the girl and Loki grinned to himself at what was happening.
"It is laying down!" A woman said, unable to believe her eyes as the Bilgesnipe lay onto its side and gave a yawn. Lorien continued her song, and Loki waved his hand subtly to send the creature the rest of the way to sleep as he did with the horse in the stable. The song ended, and the entire Arena sat in shocked silence at what they had witnessed. Princess Vraka stood, her mouth open and she shook her head.
"I was not supposed to loose! I was supposed to win, Commoner trash is not meant for a Prince!" She said, her Maids agreeing with her as Odin stood and commanded silence from the muttering audience. He held his hand out, and Lorien smiled behind her hair as she stood silently with her head down.
"We have the victor of this round, Lady Lorien has managed to fulfill the task with grace and a sweet voice." Odin said, the Princess clenching her fists and wanting to beat the girl as she stood silently. She relaxed herself then, looking up at Loki amd smiling at him. She blew him a kiss, her giggles filling the air and she plotted to win the next task.
"The next test is one of patience and silent reflection. Loki has stated that he needs a wife who can find her own means of gratification while he studies his texts, reading and expanding his mind without disturbance. Both of you will perform a task worthy of a Wife who bears his light, and is able to remain silent as she does so." Odin finished, the audience applauding happily and Lorien bit her lip in wonder of what the test would be. Princess Varka walked past her, her maids shoving her to the side and she nearly fell into the dust as they walked on. She looked up, Loki seeing the exchange and growing at it as he gazed down at her.
"Are you hurt?" He asked her and she shook her head, her fingers folding neatly and she blinked back tears.
"No Sir, I was only a bit shocked by the gesture." She replied, her hands taking her skirts and she gave him a curtsy. He held his hand out to her, and she placed hers in it. He bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly, his eyes on hers as he did so.
"I am glad then, and I am proud that you passed this task." He said, and she smiled softly at him. She frowned a moment, her thoughts turning to the Marriage and she let out a breath.
"May I be bold Sir?"
"You may." He replied and she bit her lip and carefully phraised her question. Her eyes on him and she swallowed, her throat feeling thick.
"Did you marry me because you were truly in love with me, or did you use this union to avoid the one you found distasteful? For a marriage of that nature is not a union of hearts at all." She asked him and his eyes fell, she stared back and she blinked at his hesitation and took her hand from his.
"I married you for love." He replied, and she let out a long breath at his words. She wanted to desperately believe them, for this to be true love as she read about in stories and books, but her heart called her a fool. She nodded, Loki seeing that she did not believe him, and he blamed his hesitation for her concerns.
"I see." Was the reply from her before she turned to return to her chambers. "Thank you. I wish you a good day, My Prince."
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She sat alone in her Chambers, her heart breaking at the thought of not truly being loved by the man she married. She did her best to blink back tears, but they wanted so desperately to fall. Her eyes fixed on the fire, and she wanting to find any way of failing the task the next day and those after to let the Princess have the man she wanted. Inge would be spared watching her die, she knew that to be true and she blinked again as she let out a resounding sigh.
"How has my life come to this? How could I be such a fool?" She asked, tightening the robe over her shift and she dreaded what other revelation would strike her down. She was saddened that she may have given her innocence and heart to a man who used her, and she would never have either back. She let a tear fall, her eyes closing and she prayed that she did not carry his child. The only sound to grab her attention was the scrape of a letter being slipped under the door, followed by footsteps walking away at a brisk pace. She stood, walking to the folded parchment and she blinked at it. She was not sure of the sender, nor was she sure that she should open it at all.
She knelt slowly, picking up the page and turning it over in her hands and bit her lip. She slipped her finger under the edge, breaking the simple wax seal on it, and finding nothing of interest about the golden seal. Her shaking hands unfolded the page, and she blinked at the drawing of her on it. She was wearing the blue dress she wore the first day in the Castle, her hair neat and her eyes filled with sadness and fear. Whoever had drawn it had not signed the image, and she turned the exact likeness of herself over in her hands looking for some clue as to who sent it and found nothing at all. She looked at it under the lights of a lamp, and saw the detail that the artist had put into her.
Each line carefully planned, as if she were studied and made to come alive under his pastels. She felt her heart pound in her chest as she stared down at herself, clutching the robe shut and she folded the drawing again. She paced, her thoughts on who her admirer could be and she stared at the door in hopes that it would open and reveal the person or persons behind the sketch. They did not sadly, and she placed the page under her clothes at the bottom of her trunk and shut it firmly. Her hands rested a moment on the lid, and she wondered if this person could save her from the cage she found herself in.
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In another room, not far from the Black Haired Lady, fingers carefully blended colors together over another drawing. The graceful, long digits blending shadows and light to create another sketch of a sleeping girl on a bed of emerald and gold silk. Her hands curled close to her chest, and her eyelashes resting on her cheeks. Slowly, a shift came into existence, and it covered the girl as she seemed to breathe on the page and the man blended a soft bit of blue to create more shadow to accent her breast. Her sweet smile carefully added next in blushing rose, and her toes added in flesh and gray.
The Artist, unable to sleep, remembered how he saw her in the Arena. Her eyes filling with sorrow at the revelation she had, and the way the Prince stood over her and could not answer her question. He did not deserve such a graceful creature, such a delicate girl, and he would capture her beauty in every color that he could.
Down the hall, he heard the Vanir Princess throw another tantrum at her loss. His lips curling into a smirk, as he turned his head and looked at the door over his shoulder. A crash echoed through the halls, something being thrown in another room and he chuckled to himself. Her keening and shouting amusing him, and he thought about how the pale girl hid her face after her victory in humility. Moonlight bathed the rest of the room, and he returned to his sketch, using his fingertips to blend more colors to create his masterpiece.
He would show her, where words failed, she would see him and love him. She would know his feelings, his desires for her and she would leave all options she had behind. This would show her how he saw her beauty, her grace and charms were to be her only jewels and she would not doubt his actions, for they spoke louder than words ever could.
He did love her, and he could not let her go ever again.