Mischievous

Prologue

        "Then I guess I won't ask you for a dance as I had planned to," she teased, turning to walk away.

        He was shocked, though he only showed it for a moment. The only person who had ever asked him for a dance was his mother in an attempt to make him not feel left out, but it never worked. So when this mysterious lady offered some of her time for him, he didn't know how to respond. Coming back to his senses, he placed his hand on her shoulder, and she looked back.

        "I'd be honored too," Loki told her, and they made their way to the center of the room.

        "I apologize in advance for any broken toes caused by my poor dancing," she joked.

        A light waltz came on, and Loki wrapped one arm around her back, using his left to hold her right hand. She placed her left on his shoulder, and they began.

⚬ ⚬ ⚬

        Frigga gasped when she looked up to see her son dancing with someone other than her. Gracefully traveling across the floor was Loki along with a girl she had never seen before, she didn't live close to the palace, or Frigga would have known who she was. It was one of her greatest prides knowing the names of the citizens that entered and exited her halls.

        She tapped Odin lightly on his knee, pointing over in the pair's direction. A smile graced Odin's lips, and he rose from his throne. His subjects bowed to him as he walked to his least favorite son. With a wave of his hands, the band began to end the song.

        "Loki, my son," Odin bellowed, grabbing the attention of everyone around them. "I don't believe you've introduced me to this young lady before."

        Loki tensed up at the sight of his father, and Eira removed her hand from Loki's shoulders curtsying to the King of Asgard. He looked at Eira realizing he didn't honestly know who she was.

        "I'm afraid I'm just as unaware as you are, father. I fear I never asked her for her name," he said.

        "Eira, Eira Raulsdóttir," she answered, knowing that a happy king meant a happy people.

        "A peasant then," Odin asked, looking over her.

        "Correct, my liege," Eira stammered.

        The night had been going along so perfectly, just for Odin to ruin it. Eira had managed to make Loki smile, not smirk, a difficult feat. She knew no prince was going to want a woman that came from nothing. Loki glanced at her, a sad look in his eyes. He knew his father was relentless, no matter how much he had enjoyed her company that night, Odin wouldn't care.

        "No matter, Raulsdóttir," said Odin. "It would be rude for me not to thank the lady that helped my son be happy if only for a night."

        His response was astonishing; it was expected for a king to desire the best woman for his son, even if the general public didn't like him.

        "I hope you'll accept my invitation for your family to stay in the palace for the rest of the week," he continued.

        "Of course. Thank you! I'll alert my parents right away," Eira exclaimed, and almost ran out of the ballroom until she remembered what was proper.

        "I wish you both a wonderful night," she said and curtsied once again this time to Odin and Loki, and then took off to find her parents.

⚬ ⚬ ⚬

        Due to the success of that night, Eira and Loki had the chance to become better 'friends'. Near the end of the week, he decided he would officially court her, and their relationship took off. Within a year he proposed, and within another, they would have been wed if the unexpected didn't occur. Eira had become pregnant, and all of the respect she had gained in her time in the palace disappeared. Asgardians didn't take lightly to kids before vows. They believed that if a couple had kids before they were married, then the relationship didn't mean anything.

        Loki was the only one there to comfort her on nights that used to be spent with friends, friends that didn't exist anymore. Time went by, and instead of drifting apart as expected, the two grew closer together. A few months in, Eira was offered the ability to know if her child would be a boy or girl, she passed deciding that she'd rather be surprised.

        When she finally went into labor, it was a chilly night, December 21st, 2001 in Midgard to be exact. Eir, Asgardian's well-known healer, along with Loki stayed beside her and helped give birth to the child. Loki only saw black hair and green eyes when his father Odin appeared out of nowhere and took the kid from him, leaving him and Eira childless.

        Odin headed towards Heimdall's post; the baby swaddled in emerald in his hands.

        "Heimdall!" He yelled, "Open the Bifrost to Midgard!"

⚬ ⚬ ⚬

        Eira was enraged and locked herself in her room, grabbing her dress from the night she first met Loki. If Odin wouldn't let her live her life, then she wouldn't give him one to mess with. She walked over to one of the golden posts of her bed just as she heard someone pounding on her door.

        "Eira," Loki called, "Let me in, I didn't know Odin would do this. I'm just as upset as you are, if not more."

        But, by the time he managed to open the door, she was already lost, hung by the dress he had first met her in. That's when all hope was truly lost for him. There was no going back to the happiness he had felt during his time with her, and it was all his father's fault. His anger towards Odin grew when he discovered that he had been lied to about his heritage all his life. Loki was broken and only had one way to show it, rage.