Your Majesty - Loki x OC

16: Welcome to Midgard

"When is Eira briefing us?" I asked Sigurd as I approached the cafeteria.

The boy thought for a moment. "I think she said three hours from breakfast."

"Three hours to do what exactly?" Loki implored, quickening his pace to keep up with Sigurd and I.

At his question, Sigurd's face lit up. "We can all go to Freyja's clearing!"

Loki and I both groaned at once, knowing fully well that whatever peace and tranquility may be found in the forest would be immediately broken by the energetic young Asgardian. However, it was my last day here for who knows how long and I couldn't find it in me to deny Sigurd this one thing.

"Fine." I relented. "But first breakfast for you two."

"And yourself?" Loki implored with a curious expression. His eyes said it all. He was beginning to notice my... lack of appetite.

I did my best to seem nonchalant. "I'll eat when we get to Midgard." Apparently that was a good enough excuse for him, because he let the subject drop.

After breakfast, I allowed Sigurd to take my hand and lead me out of The Mountain Hold. Through the woods we went, with Loki trailing glumly along behind us.

"Have the dandelions started blooming yet?" Sigurd asked with idle merriment as he kicked a stone down the path. "Spring has already begun. Although it's still pretty cold..."

I tried to tune out most of the young boy's aimless chatter, drowning his ramblings with my thoughts. At some point, I fell into step beside Loki. My steps matched his, although I could make out just the slight differences between our footfalls. His every step was heavier than mine, and where years of staying hidden and stealthy taught me to pick my feet up, he dragged the toe of his boot on the ground ever so slightly before picking it up again.

"Deep in thought?" He asked, hands clasped behind his back and eyes trained ahead. Loki didn't drop his gaze to me, nor did I look up at him.

I let out a thoughtful hum as we entered the clearing and the warm glow of the sunlight streamed through the canopy. "I am. I have a lot to think about."

Sigurd cried in delight as he skipped through the clearing. "The dandelions are blooming!"

Sure enough, when I peered closer at the forest floor, all around me small dots of yellow mixed with the green. They must have come up since the last time I was here, with Loki. I chuckled. "I'm sure you're simply delighted."

"I CAN MAKE CROWNS!" He exclaimed, clearly overjoyed by the very notion.

Loki had to do a double take of that statement. "I beg your pardon?"

"You're going to be king!" Sigurd raced around, plucking flowers from the ground. "How do you not know what a crown is?"

"I know what a crown is, child." Loki sighed, collapsing in the grass. "However I don't see how you intend to make one out of plants."

"Watch and see!" Sigurd invited, sitting a short distance away from him. With quick, nimble fingers he wove the slender green stems together in a looping pattern. Loki and I watched in partial fascination as he slowly turned the individual flowers into a long strip of dandelions.

Loki opened his mouth to protest as Sigurd wrapped the yellow and green tapestry around his head. "I need to see if it's big enough." The young boy explained. Whatever the prince was going to say died on his lips.

I stretched out in the grass a few feet away from Loki. Propped up on my elbows, I tried to take in everything about this moment. The sun, the grass, the early spring chill warded off by the sunlight, Sigurd, even Loki who wasn't brooding for a pleasant change of pace. It was perfect.