Loyalty to the Unseen

A soft breeze shifted through the flowers in the palace gardens. The sun was shining brightly and it was the perfect day to just sit outside and read a book and that was exactly what Caladhiel was doing.

She tucked a strand of her long white hair behind her ear as it blew in her face, blocking the words from view. She had considered tying her hair back that day, but after her morning lesson with her tutour she only wanted to escape to the gardens and return to her current favourite book. Once more a breeze came and moved her hair into her face another time. Pushing her hair to the side, she saw a ribbon being in front of her.

“You might want this if you with to continue to read out here.” Caladhiel smiled and took the ribbon from Prince Loki’s hand.

“Must you always have an answer for everything?” she asked as she attempted to father her long hair as yet another breeze graced its way through the garden.

“Of course,” he said simply as he watched her struggle, “here, allow me.” He reached out and easily gathered her hair. He nimbly ran his long fingers through the pearl-like strands, untangling a few knots along the way, before he separated the lot into several strands and proceeded to braid it.

Caladhiel sat there with a smile enjoying the calming affect his presence always brought combined with the swift work of his fingers in her hair. As he came to the end of her hair, he silently plucked the ribbon from her fingers and tied off the braid.

“That should make reading much easier,” he said.

“But if I cannot see then I would not be reading, now would I?”

“No, I suppose not, but now you can return to the your task of reading.”

“Yes I can, and I have you to thank,” she said and turned her complete attention to her novel.

“And what is the fair princess reading today?” he asked not liking the attention change and gently lifting her book up to see the title. She held it up and continued to read as he glanced at the title. “The History of the Light Elves? If I do recall, you read this only a few months ago.”

“It is fascinating. Plus it is the best I can get to Alfheimr since I left when I was five and do not remember much of it,” she said putting her book down, seeing how the prince was not going to let her read in peace.

“Ah, I see,” he said nodding before relaxing a bit and looking around the garden with a calm expression on his face.

“My prince, do you not have something scheduled for right now?” she asked closing her book and placing it on her lap.

“But of course I do, life of a prince and all, but currently,” he leaned forward and motioned for Caladhiel to do the same and her reduced his voice to a whisper, “I am hiding from Thor. He wants to spar.” Caladhiel hid a laugh as she sat up fully once more.

“Do you not win a lot of the sparring matches, though?” she asked, a large grin still on her face.

“Yes, and it is getting terribly mundane. Some times I wish he would have magical powers of his own instead of just muscle,” he said leaning back on the bench.

“Well maybe you should change things up,” she suggested. He cocked his head at her.

“How?”

“I have an idea,” she said, her smile getting wider as footsteps approached form behind Loki.

“Brother, there you are. I should have known you would be hiding with the lovely Caladhiel. How are you this day?” he asked as he approached and gave a slight bow to her. She often asked him to stop but he insisted.

“I am perfectly well, and you, Prince Thor?” she asked.

“Splendid,” he said before turning to his brother, “now, brother, enough of your hiding. The Warriors and Sif await us at the arena.”

“My princes, might I make a suggestion to make your spar more interesting?” asked Caladhiel and they both looked at her.

“What might that be?” asked Thor and Loki narrowed his eyes not liking where this was going.

“I say, you can add a new rule to your spar. Just to make things different, how about ‘no magical abilities allowed’?” she said keeping a calm face but Loki noticed the slight upturn of a smile on her pale pink lips.

“What a great rule. You were always saying how spars were too easy, brother,” said Thor grinning brightly and clapping Loki on the back. Loki wasn’t expecting it and was shoved forward somewhat. Thor let out a chuckle, “come brother, let’s try out the fair Caladhiel’s new rule.” Loki stood and wiped his pants off.

“Well, princess, it was always nice to see you again. Perhaps now you can get back to your reading,” said Loki with a smirk on his face.

“And thank you for the new rule, princess. I’m sure it will make things in the arena much more entertaining,” said Thor before giving his little bow once more.

“Yes, the new rule ‘no magic’, correct?” asked Loki still with his little smirk.

“I believe that was it,” said Caladhiel not trusting Loki’s facial expression in the least.

“Well, so it shall be,” said Loki as he turned and started to walk away with his brother before flicking his hand and the ribbon at the end of her braid disappeared and a breeze came and blew the braid apart, “so long, and happy reading.” He said before they, too, disappeared.

Caladhiel just shook her head and smiled at the dark prince’s tactics. She tucked her hair behind her ear once more and opened her book in an attempt to read it.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Caladhiel was sitting in her favourite chair in the library, trying to find another book to read. After this afternoon, she was able to finish her book and was now on the hunt for another. Closing another boring sounding book about beasts in Asgard, she sighed in defeat at not being able to find another decent book to read. With her face in her hands, rubbing her forehead, she sat up when she felt something bump into her hand. She looked up and there floating in front of her was a paper plane made out of a golden paper. She grabbed it and saw a green snake stamped on the wing, so with a smile she quickly opened it and saw a shot little note.

‘Come and meet me. You know where and how. –Y.P.’

Her fingers ran over the signature ‘Y.P.’: your prince. She then touched the snake stamp and the plane burst into a cloud of gold and a smoky green snake fell to the floor and slithered over to the fireplace where the flames turned green for a second before all was normal again. Caladhiel replaced the books where she found them, then took a glance around her before closing her eyes and letting the tingly feeling engulf her and turn her invisible.

Silently and carefully, she walked down the familiar hallway till she came to the giant golden door. She put her hand on it and soon it opened and she slipped in and closed it behind her before turning visible once more.

“Oh my, did my new rule at least make things interesting for you?” she asked as she saw Loki sitting in his lounge chair in front of his fair with a pack of ice on his eye.

“Oh yes, very interesting,” he said as she walked over and sat on the armrest next to him to see his purple eye. “After being knocked on my back, tossed over his shoulder, and ending it with a gracious punch in the eye.”

“I am so sorry,” she said gently replacing the ice pack, “why don’t you just heal it though?”

“I wanted you to see what your new rule has done.”

“I see, well, perhaps things should go back to the mundane. Or…you could just get better at sparring without magic.”

“Why? It’s not like I won’t have magic. Also, you should not be talking because ever since you mastered your invisibility, you’ve used it often enough.”

“If you have it, why not use it?”
“Exactly, my point.”

“Fine, my prince. Now heal yourself up so I can return to my book hunt at the library.” He sighed and placed the ice pack down before walking over to his large mirror and staring intently at his eye. The purple mark then began to shrink until there was nothing left of it.

“Much better,” said Caladhiel walking over and smiling at him.

“Now, what is this about book hunting?” he asked turning to her.

“Well, I finished my other book this afternoon-“

“Again,” he added.

“Yes, again. And I was in the library looking for something else to read when I was interrupted by this golden paper plane.” Loki nodded before walking over to his own library and pulling a book out and handing it to her.

“Try this,” he said as she took it and read the cover.

“Magical Species of the Nine Realms?”

“Yes, it is very interesting. It is because of this book that I knew light elves held magical qualities and was able to help you unlock yours,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, “now it is late, so I think I shall return home.”

“Good night, and no more new rules.”

“Good night,” she said with a smile before turning invisible once more and leaving the prince’s quarters.

Once home, Caladhiel turned visible once more before walking through the door. She noticed her parents were in the living room looking over a map but turned their heads up to look at their daughter when she entered.

“Were you at the library?” asked her father as she walked over to them.

“Yes, looking for a new book to read,” she said.

“Haven’t you already read that entire library? What book did you find?” asked her mum holding her hand out. Caladhiel hesitated but placed the book in her mother’s hand. She read the title and nodded before she opened it up and there on the inside cover was the same green snake stamp that was on the plane earlier that evening.

“This book is not from the library, though,” said her father disappointed.

“We’ve told you about that prince. There is something off about him, I can feel it,” said her mother. Her magical power was being able to sense auras, once she knew more about people she was able to see their auras.

“I know mother, but he was in the library and I told him I was searching for new reading material and he gave me this, I did not know it was from his personal collection,” she lied. Spending lots of time with the God of Lies, she was very good at it herself now.

“This book does sound promising, so you can read it, but when you return the book be sure to inform him that you do not wish to read anymore books from his collection. Stick to books in the library,” said her father sternly as he handed the book back to her.

“Yes, father,” she said nodding to them before turning around and heading off to her own room.