Frozen Mind Games

2

Last time:
"I appreciate your kindness towards me, Loki. No one has been this kind to me besides my village seer. Everyone else calls me a freak for not being like them." My gaze lowers, and I feel a hand resting on my shoulder.

"I understand how you feel. I am treated differently from my brother, and made fun of because I chose to study magic rather than be a warrior." I turned to look at him, his green eyes sparkling in the last rays of sunlight shining through the trees. I reached up and held his hand, his pale skin cold to the touch much like my own.

"You aren't afraid of us, are you? I understand you come from a small village and you were confined to that small area, correct?"

"No, I am not afraid, and yes, I was basically a prisoner of my people because I was different." I turned to Loki, his eyes begging me to elaborate.

"I may tell you in time, Loki, but not now. Allow me to get accustomed to life here a bit more, and then I shall reveal to you my secrets."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loki and I remained in the garden for a while longer, him telling me stories of Asgard and the adventures he's had up until this point.

"Recently, I had journeyed to Jotunheim. It was an innocent adventure on my own, and I had found that their way of life is the complete opposite of our own here." Loki described the social hierarchy of the Frost Giants, and I started to see that they are similar to the Fire Giants in the hierarchy. We had a king, and no one opposed him or they would be executed, but unlike Jotunheim, my world had the small villages and we had a little more freedom.

"That sounds quite similar to Muspellheim"

Loki's eyes widened at my statement.

"You hail from the realm of the Fire Giants? How have you not melted or burned to a crisp?" Loki looked me over once again, inspecting for something he missed earlier.

"Hm, I see now. Father placed an enchantment on you when you arrived here to help you fit in." Loki looked into my eyes, holding out his hand. "May I see your true face?"

I can tell that Loki shares a similar secret to my own, so maybe if I share my true form with him, he will show me his.

"If I show you myself, which I don't know how to do that now, you have to reveal your secret."

Loki looked at me shocked. "I don't have a truer form than this that I know of, milady. If I discover I have one, I will gladly show you in exchange."

Agreeing to his terms, I brought Loki to my new chambers. I assume he knows how to reveal my true form.

"Odin put a simple concealment charm on you, so I should be able to lift it and return it whenever you so choose."

"Alright."

Loki stepped closer to me, a smile spreading on his features. "Magnificent."

I didn't understand what he meant until I looked down and saw myself normal again. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary to do this, so he must be a master magician of sorts.

"Why thank you for the compliment. Forgive me for intruding on your thoughts, but that thought was a little loud."

My face heated from embarrassment, and my flames wavered a tiny bit.

"Forgive me. I should try to keep my thoughts to myself and not burden you with them."

"It's quite alright. I hear everyone's thoughts; I just tune them out mostly now."

I remain in my true form whenever I'm around Loki. I feel like I can trust him with my heritage and my appearance. 

"I'll conceal your true form whenever anyone else lays an eye on you since you only wish for me to see your true self. I've placed a charm of sorts that even surpasses Odin's magic to where not even he can see you."

"Thank you, Loki. I do not trust many here yet and I do not wish to cause alarm or any harm to myself in revealing my secret to others."

Near dinnertime, Loki and I left my room and walked down the halls towards the dining hall. Along the way, Loki played pranks on several people, including Fandral. He had disguised himself as the lady Sif and caused the poor man to become confused and run off to his room searching for something Loki told him was broken.

"I put a charm on his door so that when he opens it, his skin will turn purple." Loki and I struggled to contain our laughter as we entered the mess hall. Loki had not told me that he had pulled pranks on Sif and Thor earlier this morning and now the results were showing. Sif had a white streak in her hair and her armor had been bleached, while Thor's hair was cut and his cape was missing.

"It's a good thing father will not be joining us for dinner tonight, else he would be furious with my antics."

"I don't see the wrong with having fun. It's not permanent."

"Yes, I know this, but the others do not until the effects wear off and they find their belongings."

"Brother, what have you done to Fandral? He has not ever been late to dinner before." Thor called him out on his more recent prank.

"I may have turned his skin purple."

Thor stared for a few seconds, obviously trying to keep a straight face before giving in.

"Bahahahahah! That's your best prank yet, brother!" Thor slung an arm around Loki, giving him a pat on the back, then returned to his seat next to Sif.

"Thor seems to like your pranks."

"Yes, he sees the fun in most of them, but his hair was one I had to convince him will grow back."

Dinner wasn't the same without Fandral, but we managed with Thor acting a fool and Loki keeping me company for most of it. Sometimes, he would sneak me some cake from the kitchens and help me finish eating it before anyone noticed. It was hard to contain my laughter with Loki's pranks, but they were worth it.