Loyalty to the Unseen

“Now close your eyes and imagine the apple in my hand…think about it slowly disappearing, focus only on that…now imagine it completely gone…now open your eyes.”

Caladhiel did as he commanded and when she opened her eyes she couldn’t help but give a very large smirk in Prince Loki’s direction.

“That was very good, though I think turning my hand invisible was a bit over the top,” he said giving her a playful look.

“Yes, well, it was all just a bit of fun,” she said.

“Kind of tingly feeling isn’t it, do you always feel that?” he asked shaking his hand after placing the apple back in the basket.

“Yes, all over, but you get use to it,” she said smiling as he stretched and closed his hand.

“Well my power isn’t invisibility so I wouldn’t know now would I?” he asked placing his hand on his knee just like the other one was.

“I thought you could go invisible, I thought you could do pretty much everything.”

“I can, but I don’t do it often, and I can’t do everything.”

“So, what all can you do?”

“You’ll have to find out,” he said smirking.

“How would I do that?”

Loki paused for a moment, mulling things over in his head before a large grin graced his lips and he reached a hand over and tapped her shoulder. “Tag, you’re it,” he said before going invisible and she heard his footsteps leading away from their picnic blanket and off towards the outskirts of the forest next to them.

“Loki you trickster,” she said rolling her eyes despite the smile on her face before getting up and trying to find where he had gone. As she got closer she could feel his presence but was stopped in her tracks as a snake crawled up her bare foot and slowly began up her skirts. She stood where she was not enjoying the tickling feeling and when she felt it go above her knee she knew enough was enough and she reached under and pulled the snake away only to have it explode into a puff of green smoke in her hand.

“I already knew that one, you do that to the guards all the time,” she yelled while looking around her knowing he moved spots.

“It’s a classic,” he shouted back. She used that to her advantage and tried to find him from where his voice came from. She made her way in that direction but couldn’t see him anywhere. She started blindly feeling around in hopes to make contact with something but that didn’t work either. Finally she turned around to look somewhere else but she jumped as she came face to face with Loki who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Found you,” she said.

“Ah but we were playing tag not hide and seek,” he said.

“Why are we playing silly Midgardian games anyhow?” she asked.

“Why not?” he replied back. She sighed before reaching out to tag him ‘it’ but to her surprise her hand fell right through his shoulder and she shook her head.

“At least I didn’t fall through you trying to tackle you like Thor does all the time,” she said. He nodded before that doppelganger vanished. She moved and stepped into a clearing when she found herself in the middle of a circle of eight different Loki’s.

“Hello Princess,” said one.

“One of us-“

“-is the real Loki.”

“If you can guess-“

“-Which one-“

“-you will get-“

“-a surprise.”

“So guess.”

She looked at each one before moving back into the circle and turning around. She then stepped up close to one but continued on through the circle before she came to one and smiled gently at him.

“Hello my prince,” she said before reaching up and putting her hands on his firm shoulders. All the other Loki’s disappeared leaving just the one standing before looking at her quite impressed.

“And how did you know it was me?”

“Your scent. Only a real living Loki, not a copy, could have your scent,” she said. He nodded and took her hands from his shoulders and led her back to their picnic.

“So what is my surprise?” she asked as they settled down back on top of the blanket.

“This,” said Loki pulling his hand from behind his back and held the object in front of Caladhiel’s face. She looked at it and smiled.

“An apple. Surely that would have been included in the picnic already, but thank you,” she said while carefully taking the apple from his hand and holding it gently in hers and looked it over for scars or bruises, but as she suspected, it was perfect.

“Ah, but it is no ordinary apple. It comes from the Goddess Idunn, and her apples provide youth and beauty to the Gods of Asgard,” he then leaned forward a bit lowered his voice to a whisper, “how else do you think Thor stays looking that way he does?” Caladheil laughed and Loki leaned back with a large grin.

“Are you saying I need some help in maintaining my youth and beauty, my prince?”

“Not in the slightest, you are the epitome of youth a beauty, more so than that old lady Idunn; I just knew you liked apples, and besides, you aren’t a goddess so I don’t know what affect it will have on you, if any.”

“Well let’s find out shall we,” she said pulling out a knife from the basket and carefully cutting into the apple. Loki watched her delicate fingers are they worked the blade into the apple and pulled out a wedge. She placed the piece delicately between her lips and took a bite. She chewed but one time before falling over onto the blanket, the apple and knife leaving her hand. Her eyes were closed and it looked like her breath was laboured.

There was a pause as Loki glanced at her before looking up at the sky.

“Have you forgotten what I am the god of, my dear princess?” he asked bored. She sighed before opening her eyes and looking up at him.

“Just testing you,” she said with a smile and Loki couldn’t resist to respond with one as well, “anyway it was quite delicious, although I don’t feel anything, not youth nor beauty…or dead.”

Loki chuckled at the last part, “it is as I said, you are the epitome of youth and beauty.”

“Right,” she said only a small smile gracing her lips now as she turned to lay on her back and she closed her eyes to let the sun soak in. The rays of light bounced off her pearl hair that Loki always loved to watch. Her hair was different from all other hair that he had ever seen; yes other light elves had the same coloured hair but there was something about hers that just had life to it. He sighed and laid down on his back as well.

The two laid there for a while, mostly in silence only commenting on a cloud of two overheard before they realized they were missing from the palace for long enough and woefully packed up their picnic and walked back.

They parted ways, Loki heading off towards his room, and Caladhiel was headed towards her own home, only to run into none other than Thor.

“Ah, my princess!” he said as jolly as ever with his bow.

“My prince,” she said in return with a curtsy.

“And where might you be off to now?”

“Home. I wish to change clothes for dinner tonight, and to finish reading my book.”

“Well, then allow me to escort you,” said Thor as he offered his arm to her. She smiled at the gesture and wrapped her arm around his before they walked towards her home.

“I daresay I noticed that you were absent from the palace all day, as well as my brother, Loki, any connection?”

“Yes, we were taking a walk, he was showing me more of Asgard, when we were attacked by some large beast. Sadly I do not remember what it was called for there are just too many large beasts in this realm to keep up with,” she lied smoothly.

“Is it still out there? Were you hurt? What did it look like?”

“It is all okay, Thor, Loki took care of it before any harm could be done, but we did get a bit turned around.”

“My brother got turned around, this is shocking.”

“He didn’t, but I did, but if he lead me back then it would defeat the purpose to him teaching me of the land.” It was Loki’s idea that in order to hide that he was teaching her magic he said to tell those who asked that he was teaching her about the land, except her parents were in the dark about the whole thing since they did not approve of the dark prince.

“Ah yes, of course, your lessons. But you’ve been at those for a while, surely you know your way around now. You did practically grow up here.”

“I know, but I don’t do as well with the land as you gods do.”

“If you insist.”

“Thank you for accompanying me home. Now you must go and get ready for the banquet tonight as well.”

“Yes I must, have to look good do I not?” said Thor rubbing his beard.

“But you always look good,” she said, “so tonight you must look great.” Thor let out his trademark hefty laugh before bowing to her.

“As always, Caladhiel, it has been an honour to be in your presence,” he said as he stood up straight.

“And I in yours,” she said smiling, “I shall see you tonight.” He nodded before she retreated into her families quarters.

*~*~*~*

The banquet was in full gala and everyone that was important was sitting around the large table in the golden hall enjoying the feast. Food was laid out across the table everywhere you turned your head covering dishes both classic and exotic, Volstagg didn’t know where to begin so he ended up eating two of his favourite things as once and discovered that they really didn’t go together. Everyone was talking and a small band was playing music off to the side somewhere.

King Odin was at the head of the table talking very adamantly about the harvest to those that would listen, Thor was on a tale of one of his many adventures with the warriors three whose mouths weren’t currently occupied and Sif was nearby to correct Thor’s story. Loki was somewhere in the middle of the table, near his brother but far enough that he didn’t have to join in with the conversation which he was thankful for because he much rather listen to Caladhiel debate over a book with Balder. He watched as she came in, her parents going to sit in their usual seats near Odin and she just filled in where the was an empty seat, this was how it always was. About halfway through dinner did someone finally engage her in conversation and that was because they wanted her opinion on a book.

Loki shook his head at how little attention the others gave her; he figured they were just jealous, but he couldn’t be for sure. He also would blame it on her independence and never really spending time with anyone, other than himself of course. She also had a unique beauty that he felt positive other women in Asgard were jealous of, if he were a woman he would be. Suddenly, the prince’s thoughts were pulled to the attention of someone saying his name. He perked up and listened in.

“So Caladhiel, I’ve seen you spending a lot of time with Prince Loki,” said one goddess in a cheeky voice who’s name had no importance.

“Yes, I have,” she replied sipping her wine before placing it on the table. She also wasn’t a very strong conversationalist when she didn’t want to be. She could tell where this conversation was going and Loki hid a smirk at her discomfort.

“Is there something going on between you two?” asked the same goddess.

“Besides him teaching you of the land,” added in another god. Caladhiel glanced at her parents making sure they did could not hear, luckily it was far too noisy and they were too far away to hear.

“He is only teaching me the land,” she said as she worked on cutting a vegetable similar to a potato.

“I knew it, no one could actually like you like that could they, not even the dark prince,” said another goddess.

“They are just too much in their own worlds,” said the god involved in the conversation.

“They are just so boring,” said the first goddess. They three snickered to themselves and returned to their food. It was only a few seconds before the first goddess jumped out of her seat and let out a slight shriek as she dropped her knife, which was now in the shape of a golden snake. It slithered over to the other goddess and god before moving over to Caladhiel, she ignored it and it wrapped around her wrist and stared at her as she glanced over at Loki who nodded at her.

“That is a dirty trick, Loki,” said the god looking at the prince as well.

“I still say they are together,” said the first goddess as she settled down into her chair once more. Caladhiel sighed and dabbed her mouth with her napkin, snake still on her wrist, and was about to reply when a guard came it and rushed over to Thor. The talking died down to hear the announcement and in the silence the snake turned back into a knife that was not wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet.

“My prince, bilge snipe are attacking the outer boarders and can’t be held off,” said the guard urgently.

“Well then, we must go at once. Brother, Lady Sif, Warriors Three, let’s head out,” said Thor standing. Those listed stood as well and followed the light prince. Caladhiel tried to catch Loki’s eye to indicate the knife bracelet she now wore, but he purposefully kept his back to her and they left the room.

“Loki,” she growled to herself as she glared at the gold around her wrist.