I Do(n't) **LOKI**

Chapter 8

Ida's POV-

"How was the game?" Loki asked me bitterly as he briskly walked down the hall.

I struggled to keep up with his stride. It was clear the more upset he was, the faster his steps would be.

"It was fun" I tried to remain positive and unbothered. "Fandral and Thor have been really nice to me"

"And I haven't?"

I gave him a sideways glance, wondering if he was joking, or not. Oddly enough, he did not appear to be.

"There's room for improvement for everyone" I shrugged.

"You don't deserve this treatment" he continued to grumble. "You have yet to learn your place. That is why you have to meet with Sif"

"Shouldn't you be happy to see her?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No" he spat. "Must I remind you again that we have never been a thing?"

"Okay, fine then. I believe you"

I was tired of him always being flat to me. I had been here for but a short time, and somehow even when we were in front of his father, he still managed to make me feel like complete dirt.

"What is she going to teach me?" I asked, trying to steer away from the virulence.

"Manners, first of all" he waved his free hand at me-the one not holding the book. "You clearly have none. And how you must present yourself in front of certain people"

Now at the stairwell, he offered me his hand, which I hesitantly accepted. Lightly, his fingers closed around mine, guiding me down each step.

"You grew up in the village" he went on as we descended. "I do not expect you to act like you know what you're doing, but you could at least try."

"I have been trying" I replied. "I thought I was doing quite well. Besides, my mother taught me manners growing up. It is not like I am an uncivilized girl"

"The etiquette here and the etiquette from the village are quite different, Pet" he shook his head.

"How so? And I told you not to call me that..."

"You will see" he let go of my hand, now that we were at the bottom of the steps. "She will show you everything. And you must pay attention because having to teach people what they should already know is not going to happen more than once"

"Understood"

"Good"

He didn't say anything after that, but instead quickened his pace-his arms crossed behind his back. Loyally, I followed him until we got to a room which I hadn't been to before. It was like the ballroom, but smaller. I would say it was more of a parlor area. In the corner was a gorgeous, grand piano, and against the wall was a table with very fine dishes with things to make tea.

Sif was sitting at that table, a cup in front of her. When she saw us, she daintily set it down and rose to her feet.

"Ida" she said sort of frostily, yet a smile was on her face.

"Sif" I mimicked her tone.

Loki rolled his eyes, walking over to an ottoman and sinking down. He opened the book he had brought, and began reading.

"There are a lot of things about you that need to be...fixed" she eyed me up and down.

"Like what?" I challenged.

"Your posture and the way you speak for starters. Also, you obviously do not know how to dance, which is a major thing around here. It was such an embarrassment on your...wedding day, the way you monkied around. You are a joke to the royal society"