Burning Dahlia | A Loki Story

Chapter Ten ~ Warm Welcomes

Dahlia watched Lady Byron begin to walk again, perplexed at the very sudden and very commanding presence. In her perplexity she'd stayed rooted to the ground, prompting the older woman to turn back and gesture slightly. "Well, are you coming?"

The warrior only had a moment to nod before quickly trotting up to match the woman's stride.

"You said your name is Lhyra?" she asked, looking down at her companion who kept her eyes forward.

"Yes, dear. I was Loki's nanny for many years. Now I attend to the more maternal needs of the royals," Lady Byron answered as if predicticting Dahlia's next question.

The Asgardian pondered for a moment, nearly bumping into the smaller woman in her distraction. Lady Byron adjusted the tray in her hands, nearly dropping it before Dahlia gingerly lifted it out of her grip and held it herself. The older woman smiled up at her, giving Dahlia the confidence to ask her next question.

"You wouldn't happen to be Lhyra Pallikson would you? I've a friend, once from my childhood, who's mother's name is Lhyra."

Lady Byron turned with a delighted expression. "Oh! So you're that Dahlila too! My son Luca has been talking about you for years. You're every bit as beautiful as he's said." The woman gave Dahlia a genuine smile but all she could do was blush crimson and flap her mouth like a fish out of water. She choked on her own spit for a moment before she cleared her throat and chuckled nervously.

"Well, uh, thank you ma'am." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, carefully balancing the tray on her other hand.

"We're here," Lady Byron exclaimed, throwing open a set of heavy doors to reveal what Dahlia perceived to be the servants commons. The room was packed, servants parted into smaller groups chattering over drinks. The room went quiet as the two entered, Dahlia's eyes going wide while the older Asgardian next to her just smiled confidently.

"Everyone!" she called, all eyes that hadn't already been on them moving to peer at the pair. If Dahlia could get any redder she'd have been a tomato. "This is Dahlia."

The room was quiet for a moment, the air growing stale before the temperature seemed to suddenly grow warmer and gentle smiles were greeting her nervous eyes. Dahlia let out a breath she'd been holding as servants began to come up and greet her with surprising hospitality and warmth.

Before she knew it she was four tankards deep recounting the time she'd punched a council member's f'saki during a dinner party. "I'd been sent to silence a server there for some two thousand credits. So here I was, dressed up and painted like some Contraxia Love Bot, covered head to toe in glitter and makeup, when this council member walks up to me~" She was cut off by a burst of giggles before she could continue. "And then, and then," she blubbered, trying to compose herself. "Then this woman, starts to interrogate me while her unleashed f'saki scurries around my ankles. This thing bites me, so I do what anybody does, I kick it!"

The group takes a moment to chuckle. "So this woman picks up her beast and begins to threaten me with security and next thing I know, I've punched this f'saki, this council member is screaming bloody murder, and I'm rushing to find this stupid fucking servant." The group bursts into laughter again, settling as a man much larger than her pipes up.

" Did you kill them then?" he asks.

Dahlia takes a heavy swig of her ale while she looks at the man's rugged but handsome features. She nods slowly as a smirk curls onto her features. "Yes. I threw him off a balcony and then went down with him with council security running up my ass. Thank god to remote ship control."

Dahlia lock eyes with the man who asked the question while the rest of the circle laughs. He gives her a sly smile and nods to the empty space in the center of the room. "You know how to dance?"

She raises an eyebrow, following the way he nodded. She bobs her head. "Yup. If my mother didn't do a well enough job, then the Vanir pubs did. Why, did you want to try and show off your skill?" The man nods, taking a gulp of his own drink.

"Do you know any good songs to dance too?"

The assassin only smirks, nodding to the floor before hopping off her seat and over to a group of men holding makeshift instruments. "Do you know 'The Whale of Bowhead Peak?'" she asks and one of them nods, starting the tune which the others pick up quickly.

Dahlia quickly finds the man in the center of the floor and grabs his right hand with hers and grabs his waist with another. He mirrors her actions and flashes her a mischievous smile. "My name is Pylard, by the way," he croons, his smile widening when she begins to sing.

"There once was a ship that put to sea, the name of the ship was the Billy of Tea. The winds blew up, her bow dipped down. Oh blow, my bully boys, blow," she began, at least half of the room joining in quickly. Soon they're skipping about the floor with a few other pairs while they all sing in a sloppy unison.

By the time she comes back to the second verse she'd grown dizzy, her head spinning quick enough to make her stumble. Thankfully, Pylard snatches her by her waist and the pair laugh in genuine enjoyment. And then the whole room goes quiet.

Dahlia quickly looked around, searching for the source of the silence. She'd only caught the prince's gaze for a moment before Pylard's grip faltered and she fell to the floor, her tailbone bouncing painfully on the hard floor. She scowled discontentedly at Loki for a moment before standing and dusting herself off. By the time she'd stood Pylard was beginning to back away, giving Dahlia an apologetic look that she returned; she understood the panic.

When the room was finally clear and all the servants had vacated of their own distrust of the royal, the pair were left alone. Loki began to say something, Dahlia cutting him off as she pushed past.

"Thank's, your majesty, I was just beginning to enjoy my stay," she scoffed as she opening the large doors that led into the halls. She scowled down at Loki's hand when he snatched up her forearm. Her eyes flickered up to his face as she spoke.

"You're not to be in here again," he rasped, searching her eyes only to find a disgust that made his gut twist.

Dahlia grabbed his wrist and the prince gasped, visions flashing behind his eyes of the many rejections he'd received from friends and family alike. When she let go Loki immediately retracted his grip and met her eyes.

"With all due respect, your majesty, go fuck yourself."

With that, Dahlia left, letting the doors slam behind her loudly.