Hardest of Hearts (Thor/Avengers: Loki/OC )

Chapter 3

For an entire week, Althea spent her days in the library with the prince, and he was still quiet but did speak more to her after each day. He helped her study more thoroughly the book he'd asked her to read, as well as adding things he had discovered all on his own. That, she was most grateful for, a more personalized teaching worked better, and taught her more than a book ever could. She was thankful her father had hired private tutor's for Sif and herself, or else she doubted she would have even finished her schooling.

But Althea realized she could have been able to meet the prince much earlier in her life when she watched Sif train with Thor and some others. However, Loki had never been there to train with them. The realization saddened her because then they could have met much earlier and she wouldn't have felt so... alone. That was, after all, how she became friends with Thor, and called him by his name, how could she not after those few years spending days around him. But still, Thor had hardly anything in common with her like he did Sif. And magic was looked down upon by most Asgardians as something evil and malicious. The only ones who were really tolerated and accepted were the healers, but they only used their magic strictly for healing purposes. And it took more than one of them to use it on a patient as it was not very strong alone, which somehow made it acceptable.

How everyone came to look down on those with magic and be wary of them, she didn't know. And she had never been taught the answer by her tutors. She thought the prince might know, but was too shy to ask, and didn't want to seem stupid. She was also curious as to why he never trained with his brother, but knew she had no right to ask. They weren't friends after all, and the thought saddened her.

But now Althea sat across from Loki in the grass of the palace gardens alone, as it didn't seem many people came to them.

"Picture it in your mind," Loki instructed her, then after waiting a few moments spoke again, "Do you have it?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," Althea replied in a whisper, not chancing speaking louder in fear she'd break her concentration.

"Good," Loki replied nodding, "Now, remember how I taught you, feel the magic within you, draw on it and then imagine that bird on the grass in front of us."

Althea took a deep breath and did as he instructed, imagining a beautiful white bird in the grass in front of her, but a part of her doubted she would be able to do this. They'd tried all day yesterday, and nothing came of it, so why would today be any different?

"Do not doubt yourself," The prince's voice soothed her, "If you don't believe you can do it, then you can't."

She slowly nodded, she could do this, he was right, just like she did whenever she used her magic to calm Sif down. She imagined herself searching through her mind, her soul, her very essence, and found a bright golden light floating there. Gently, she reached out a metaphorical hand and felt it flow into her, and then the image of a dove that was inside her mind.

She was afraid to open her eyes to see her failure, but a soft 'chirp' had her opening her eyes anyways.

She couldn't help but smile, as the exact dove she was picturing in her mind was standing on the grass looking at her. Reaching out to touch it, Althea was shocked when her hand went right through, shimmering gold until returning to normal as she quickly pulled her hand away.

"You can't touch it, that's the only downside," The prince's voice informed her, "It's not really there you see, it's just an illusion."

"I understand," Althea told him while staring at the bird, she'd really done it. She had actually created that creature in front of her after so many failed attempts.

Without even thinking she threw her arms around the prince, "Oh thank you Loki! Thank you for teaching me!" She said hugging him tightly.

"You called me Loki," Was his only reply.