Stars Across the Pantheons
Part two! Hope you guys don’t hate me for the end of this part ;)
Thor ended up dragging you and his brother around the palace, showing you as much as he could before he ended in one of his favorite places; the training grounds. You smiled as kindly as you could. If he wished to fight you, you really were out of your league. Despite having Ares as an older brother, you didn’t enjoy fighting. You were much better suited studying with Athena, planting with Demeter, gossiping good-naturedly with Aphrodite. Maybe you were the wrong child of Zeus to come to Asgard with your father. Surely, one of your siblings would have been better suited for this, right?
However, he did not wish to fight you, rather, he wanted to show you how well the warriors of Asgard were and to ask you about the warriors and champions of Greece. That you could do easily.
“Many people believe Heracles to be the best hero we have had, but, if you ask for my humble opinion,” you cracked a smile, placing your hand overly delicately against your chest, “I believe that Achilles was the bravest. He took on so many enemies just to avenge someone he cared deeply about.”
“Did he?” questioned the blond, head tilted slightly with a cheesy smile. “You seem well versed in your land’s history.”
You shrugged. “It is...a hidden joy of mine, you could say.”
Throughout your abrupt and slightly chaotic tour, you had been watching Loki from the corner of your eye. As you said that, you saw him perk up slightly, looking at you curiously.
Thor’s eyes twinkled with what you could only think of as a bit of mischief at that time, however, you had no basis to confirm nor deny it. It did make you pause, though, and guard yourself against what he might be possibly thinking about. Loki didn’t seem too bothered.
The god of thunder’s hands clamped down on your shoulder and his brother’s, his grip tight but not nearly the uncomfortable weight that your father’s usually was. Instead, when he leaned in slightly between the two of you with a smile, you managed a smile back. He oddly reminded you of a few of your kinder siblings, teasing and playful and nice. Even despite his love for fighting, he was nowhere near the amount of war-crazy as Ares was.
“Unfortunately, I have training I must do today. I humbly apologize, Princess, I must take my leave of you.” He paused there, face falling into seriousness. “If Father asks, tell him that one of his warriors dragged me away and I had no choice.”
You stifled a giggle as he left, starting off by walking before bursting into a jog barely ten seconds after. You were now left with the dark-haired prince who had only been quiet, adding his two cents in whenever he felt like. Friendly wasn’t a word that you would use to describe him, but, perhaps, he would surprise you.
Your hands clasped in front of you as you waited for him to say anything, even rocking your weight back and forth from your heel to the balls of your feet. He remained stoic and still, nearly glaring at the floor in concentration. It was slightly unnerving, to say the least. Still, you waited. And waited and waited and wait-
“If you want to leave, just do it,” he snapped suddenly, his head now up to look at you coldly.
That was surprising. You assumed the way you had been fidgeting next to him was the cause of his annoyance and assumption that you wanted to leave. While Thor had been talkative and nice, his brother had stayed tucked behind a shell he’d created himself, not talking to you or engaging you in any way at all. You wanted to get to know him better and now was a chance to.
Unless he didn’t want to get to know you.
That was understandable. Who would want to get to know the person your parents had stuck you with, like a built-in babysitter?
“I am sorry if I bother you, Prince Loki.” You placed your closed hand against your chest and bowed at your waist. “If you wish, I will find my father and be out of your sight.”
He hesitated. Truthfully, you didn’t bother him, but you had to be here only because Thor had left and you felt obligated to stay. After all, you didn’t know your way around the palace and he did. That look on your face when you said you’d go back to your father, though...it made him wonder if Zeus happened to be worse than Odin. Somehow.
“Well,” his foot shuffled, scuffing at the polished floor. You only noticed because you were staring at the ground. “My brother failed to show every room in the palace...I could show you the library, if you would like.”
Lifting your head, you gave him a smile. “I would like that, my prince.”
Turning on his heel and you following at his side, Loki lead the way towards the rather gigantic library room in the Asgardian palace. You were used to Athena’s library. Seeing the ceiling high bookcases lined with numerous books of all sizes and with bindings of all covers, it was nearly overwhelming. You were sure your older sister would be fainting from the sheer amount of knowledge in the many languages that the Nine Realms held.
“I...I do not read these languages,” you said sheepishly, rubbing your bare arms as you stood in the doorway.
Loki turned, brows raised slightly as he watched your nervous behavior. “Well, that is a problem, is it not?”
There was a brief, awkward moment of silence before his eyes narrowed, confusion written over his face.
“You do know I could teach you if you wanted. But you do need to step inside the room.”
Quickly, cheeks flushed with embarrassment and nerves, you stepped into the room and shut the heavy doors behind you, following him again. He carefully and meticulously picked through a few of the books, fingers dragging over the leather bindings as he read the different titles. He was looking for a specific book, one that Frigga had read to him when he was just learning to read Norse. It shouldn’t be too hard to teach you to read from that one.
Once he found the book, he gestured for you to sit into a wooden chair that had an ornate pillow to sit on. It wasn’t quite what you were used to, but you weren’t going to say anything about it. It was actually very interesting to see what was different from Greece.
“This is a book my mother used to teach me to read Norse. If it gets too hard, just tell me, alright?”
You nodded, looking him in the eye for the first time since you met on the bridge. He seemed pleased enough by that, settling into a chair beside you and opening the book. It was actually simple, you found out, with him telling you and reminding you of the odd letters and what sound they made. He only lets you practice a couple pages, saying that it would be better to start slowly and accumulate your knowledge and learning of the language over time. You could possibly review it more and, therefore, would remember more.
As he placed the book away, Thor burst into the room, hair desheveled and looking nervous. You wouldn’t have said scared per se, but...he had definitely been talking to one or both of the king gods.
“Princess...your father and mine has asked for use to go see them.”
“Oh…,” you murmured, scrunching your nose up. “Do you know why?”
He shook his head, standing up straight outside the doors. “May we go? I do not think we want them to be angry with us.”
You nodded, standing up and smoothing out your toga. “Thank you, Prince Loki, I hope you may find the time so we may continue our study of your language.”
He nodded his head, an awkward aura settling around him before you left with his brother.
Your footsteps echoed as you followed quickly beside the god of thunder. His hand rested on your elbow to guide you, dropping it when you entered the throne room where his parents and your father stood waiting.
The smile on your father’s face only made you uncomfortable as you stopped where Thor did, waiting to see what these powerful gods might have to say to you.
You were not ready for what was said.
“Wonderful, I am so glad you are here so quickly,” Odin said, sitting up more in his throne. “What we have to discuss is very sensitive and of the most importance.”
“What is it?” Your voice was meek as you asked cautiously, not certain you wanted to know.
“We wish to discuss your future. More importantly, the future for the both of you.”
You and the blond god exchanged a worried glance towards each other before your father continued.
“I am so very pleased to share that toth of you will be betrothed, thereby uniting our pantheons!”
At that moment, you wondered if your jaw could truly hit the floor from the force that it fell.
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