Warnings: suggestive themes, vague mentions of cheating, threat, choking, blood
"I swear, if you so much as think it, I'll take Mjolnir and bash your head in," you warned Thor, cringing as you collapsed into the large chair by his window. You swung your legs over the arm and just lay across it for a moment, hoping to alleviate some of the force on your ribs. Pushing your hair from your face, you turned towards the smirking prince and groaned, "I'd rather wear nothing than this... this... medieval Midgardian torture device! It's like a permanent vice around my chest! I can barely breathe! And then with everyone staring and saying... things..."
Leaning against the wall, laughing out loud when you ungracefully rolled off the chair and crawled across to the room towards his bed, Thor asked, "I take it that certain members of the court have been less than discrete in their opinions of your new attire?"
"Oh, your bed is so comfy," you sighed, stretching out your limbs as far as you could but still not reaching the edges. It moulded to the shape of your body, distorted as it was by the horribly constricting corset, and relieved a little of the crushing pressure on your chest. Shuffling up the length and resting your head amid the mountain of pillows, you looked over to the prince and said, "No, seriously. I'm not moving."
"You are welcome to share my bed any time, Y/N."
You caught sight of his overly suggestive grin as he moved to join you on the enormous bed, shuffling over to make space for him by your side. "Don't you start. I told you that I've already had enough of that sort of suggestion already today. Although most were considerably less polite in their offer. Nobles can be so crude."
"Indeed but, whether you like it or not, you are difficult to ignore in such a beautiful dress. Of course, I would never dream of stealing you away from my brother, lest I incur his eternal wrath. I'd pity any man or woman who dreamed of laying hands on what is his."
"I've managed to avoid Loki so far today," you said, ignoring Thor's comment about your relationship with the younger prince. Since you were unable to be public about it, Thor was the only other person on Asgard that knew of your feelings for one another. Around others he held his tongue but when you two were alone he made no attempts to censor his thoughts. "And I'm not his. I am no object to own."
"I meant no offence, Y/N. You know that I see you as more than just an object."
"I know."
Exchanging smiles, Thor patted your arm and asked, "Why are you hiding from my brother, anyway? Surely, if you wanted anyone's attention in this gown, it would be his? I would be surprised if Loki could form so much a single coherent thought in your presence."
"That's exactly why I am avoiding him. It's one thing to be ogled by strangers but if Loki saw me in this ridiculous thing, I have no idea what he'll do. I'd rather not make a fool of myself that way."
"Trust me, Y/N, if either of you is to be acting the fool, it will Loki. When he sees you in this..." Thor raised his eyebrows suggestively, leaving the rest to your imagination. After a little more teasing, the prince's demeanour instantly changed the second you heard a knock on the door. He was still relaxed but the playfulness had been replaced by a dogged determination. Calling in his guests, you hopped off the bed the moment you realised who they were - the warriors three and lady Sif, in the flesh - and tried (heavily restricted by that damned corset) to bow down to them.
Thor threw his arm around you and pulled you back to your feet, laughing. "You needn't bow to these fools. My friends, I assume you know of lady Y/N."
"Indeed! I've heard many tales of your bravery," Fandral said, flashing that ridiculous smile of his before reaching for your hand and bringing it to his lips. "You are something of a legend among the household, my lady."
"You can flirt later, Fandral. We have work to do," lady Sif said, rolling her eyes at how the men could barely take their eyes off of you. As much as you wanted to say you hated it, you couldn't. Unlike the rest of Asgard's upper class, the warriors eyed you with great respect and friendly interest rather than seeing you simply as a beautiful woman to charm to their beds. That felt pretty great. It was no wonder that Thor held them in such high regard.
"Come, my friends. Sit." Thor gestured towards the large table and everyone took their seats, the atmosphere in the room suddenly a lot heavier. To the warriors, the prince asked, "Have you learnt anything more of Cinderella's origins?"
Although you'd hardly been expecting a breakthrough, your heart dropped in your chest upon confirmation that they indeed had nothing new to report. Thor immediately clocked your dejection and said, "Do not worry, Y/N. Whatever her intentions here, we will make sure that no harm comes to you."
"It's not me I'm worried about," you mumbled under your breath.
"Very noble of you indeed," Fandral said, earning him another eye roll from lady Sif. "What? Honour and valour in a woman are by far the most attractive traits. You can hardly blame a man for..."
"I have seen her in the palace grounds talking to a few of the guards," you said, cutting that line of discussion off before it went any further. Still, you couldn't help but smile at Fandral's flattery and you knew he'd seen you blushing when he winked in your direction.
Much to everyone's amusement, it was Thor that winked back and when you'd finally collected your wits you explained, "Every day for the past week, Cinderella has left her room in the middle of the afternoon to wander the gardens. She always goes alone but there's a window in the servant's corridor that overlooks a usually hidden part of the grounds. Those parts of the gardens are supposed to be closed off, though. I don't know how she's getting out there without arousing suspicion."
The warriors nodded along, very interested to hear about your secret vantage point. "The whole southward facing side of the palace is servant's quarters. Most of the windows were shattered and boarded up after the attack but there are a few that are still intact."
"Would you recognise the men you saw her with?" Hogun asked, speaking for the first time.
You shook your head, apologising. While you'd been able to recognise the uniform of the guards, seeing them all the time around the palace, they had been too far away to notice any details about them. The only reason you knew for sure that it had even been Cinderella there was because of how distinctive her dresses were around the court - after all no one, not even Frigga, wore such audacious shades.
Despite Thor's reassurances that you had nothing to apologise for, you still felt bad that there was nothing more you could add to the discussion. Especially when it moved away from Cinderella and the warriors began to focus on the unrest in the outer villages. Your attention drifted, the defence plans of the kingdom feeling like something you really shouldn't be privy to.
"Oh!" you exclaimed, pushing your chair from the table with such speed that the warriors actually drew their weapons to fight of the invisible foe. Waving you hands in the air to calm them, you said, "I'm sorry, I've got somewhere else I need to be. I didn't realise the hour."
You bid farewell to the warriors and allowed Thor to escort you to the door, whereupon he whispered, "Do not do anything rash to anger Cinderella, Y/N. Until we can say otherwise, we should treat her intentions here as hostile. You must stay safe. Leave this to myself and the warriors. If she doesn't know you suspect anything, you will be far safer. Now, go and enjoy your evening with my brother."
Smiling as he closed the door, you felt it drop the moment you were alone. Thor was right; Cinderella was almost certainly dangerous. However, if her intention was to cause harm to Asgard - or more specifically a certain prince of Asgard - then you would do everything in your power to find out the truth about her and stop anyone from getting hurt. Your own safety be damned.
Those were thoughts for another time, though. Now, you had somewhere else to be.
Practically skidding around the corner and into the library, your chest was heaving after having raced around the palace, desperately trying not to be seen entering what was well known as Loki's favourite part of the library. It was hard enough to sneak around the halls on a normal day but doing so whilst in a corset and the kind of dress that was impossible to ignore made it all the much more difficult. Bending over the little you could as you tried to catch your breath, resting against the back door, you said, "I'm sorry I'm late, Loki. I was talking to your brother."
Loki looked up from his book and his eyes darkened. "My brother?"
"And the warriors," you added quickly, half wishing that the floor would open beneath your feet and swallow you up with the way that he was looking at you. His gaze bore in to you, sending a heat surging through your body.
"You went to visit my brother and his friends in this?" Loki asked, his book long forgotten as he strode across the library. Stopping less than a foot away, his hands immediately found your waist, pulling you towards him and closing the distance between you. He seemed mesmerised by the way that the beautiful flowing fabric of your dress clung to your body, highlighting and accentuating each and every glorious curve.
Finally tearing his attention away from the incredible fit of the gown, Loki met your gaze and that heat you were feeling flared up like a fire inside you. Cupping your face in his hand, the prince breathed, "Y/N, you look..."
"Ridiculous, I know," you whispered, not quite sure that you'd be able to restrain yourself if he persisted in calling you beautiful with that almost hungry look in his eyes. Loki's expression was so intense that you wanted to run and hide from it, but at the same time felt the desire to meet him head on and take what you both clearly wanted. Consequences be damned.
"Resplendent," he corrected, brushing his thumb slowly over your bottom lip, your nerves sparking at the touch. The hand on your waist was gradually snaking lower, not that you were going to protest as Loki pulled you even closer until your chests were touching. Placing a deep kiss on your lips, the kind that both promised and inspired passion, Loki said, "Darling, my love, you look a queen. A goddess, even. Deserving of worship."
"I'm nothing of the kind," you said, although your further arguments were swallowed up by another deep kiss. When Loki pulled away you opened you mouth to protest but the words died on your lips as the prince sunk to his knees before you.
It was almost funny to see him kneeling for you, battling with the many layers of your skirt as he slid his hands reverentially up and down your legs, as if it were the greatest honour to touch you. The humour you felt soon shifted to something far more primal when Loki began peppering kisses across your sensitive skin. Nipping tiny bruises with his teeth, you gasped sharply as he moved up and sucked a bruise on your inner thigh.
"Loki," you moaned, tugging on his hair in a way that actually only seemed to encourage him. That not being what you intended, but certainly something to remember for a later date, you pulled back and said, "I think I heard someone outside."
Moments later, the door to the library clicked open and you immediately shoved Loki away, pushing so hard that he practically flew back and hit his head on a nearby bookshelf. You tried to send Loki an apologetic look, although it probably came across as something more akin to panic or regret. You certainly didn't regret what had almost happened between you but in that moment were more concerned with self preservation than hurting the prince's feelings. If anyone had seen you in that sort of position... Suddenly the consequences that you'd so easily ignored earlier seemed much more tangible.
Of course, as if it weren't bad enough to be walked in on already, when you saw the face in the doorway you knew the universe had it in for you.
"My lady," you said, not so subtly tugging the fabric of your skirt straight as you curtseyed. Your eyes flicking between Cinderella and Loki, who was just hidden from view behind the bookshelf you'd pushed him towards, you asked, "Can I do something for you? Only, it is my day off..."
Cinderella crossed over the threshold of the door and into the library, and you immediately matched her steps to prevent her from getting close enough to see Loki. A sickly sweet smile on her face, she said, "I was hoping to speak to you about a few alterations on your dresses. I heard from the other ladies in court that you were struggling to breathe a little in them. You should have told me, Y/N. I would just hate for you to suffer on my account."
You narrowed your eyes at her, both of you recalling the multiple times you had indeed told her that what you thought of the corsets. "We could discuss this in the morning, my lady."
"Of course, how silly of me. It was just that I heard you were still around the palace and thought I'd try and catch you. Perhaps you'd join me on the walk back to my room on your way out." It was fairly clear that you had no choice but to accept her request. Her gaze drifted to the bookshelf where you assumed Loki was still hiding - although you wouldn't have been surprised if he'd snuck away a long time ago - and she smirked, "Unless you have something else keeping you here?"
She knew.
You gave a brief nod and followed her out the library, forcing yourself not to look back over your shoulder. Maintaining your few steps behind her, you walked in silence until you reached Cinderella's room. If you weren't worried before, you certainly were when she held the door open for you.
"My lady, I can explain," you said, scuffling away from Cinderella until your back hit the far wall. She stalked slowly towards you like a hunter closing in on their prey, a dangerous glare in her eyes. "Loki... The prince and I..."
"Oh, please. As if I actually care about that," Cinderella scoffed, waving her hand dismissively as she closed the space between you. Poking at your chest, she smirked, "You are nothing to me. Just look at you. You are pathetic, weak and boring. Loki will tire of you soon enough when the thrill of sneaking around is gone and then I will still be here, faithfully awaiting his return."
"Faithfully?" you asked incredulously. "I've seen you in the gardens with those other men."
She rolled her eyes, clearly not taking you seriously. "And so what if I've been enjoying the gardens with company other than my husband to be? No one will believe your word over that of a lady. How can you have dedicated your life to the palace and not realise that you are worth no more than the dirt on the guards' boots? You are but an insignificant nuisance, Y/N. The sooner you realise that no one will ever love you, the easier your life will be."
Anger flowing through your veins, finally no longer able to contain your disdain for the woman that had made your life a misery for the past three months, you hissed, "Loki loves me."
Cinderella let out a harsh laugh, the kind that felt like sandpaper on your skin. She grabbed you by the neck, squeezing tightly as she pressed you hard against the cold wall. Her perfectly manicured nails dug into your skin so hard that they may well have drawn blood. Complete undeterred, she said, "You are delusional. Loki loves no one but himself. He is playing with you like a child with a toy. If you don't believe me, ask him where he was the night of the ball. Ask him why he didn't come to see you in the infirmary straight away. Loki doesn't care about you at all. You are a nothing more than a challenge; a conquest he has yet to claim."
Struggling to breathe as her grip tightened even more, her sharp nails now certainly drawing blood, you croaked, "You're lying."
"Why would I? It's not me that has everything to lose should it come out that he's been sneaking around the palace to see you. I'm his future wife. It will be me that gets the sympathy of the court, not you. My position here is safe. Yours is not."
She finally released her hold, stepping away and brushing her hands together as you crashed to the ground. Cinderella let out a sigh as she crouched down beside you. Her hand fell on your shoulder, in what anyone watching would believe to be a comforting gesture, when in fact it was just another way of applying pressure to keep you down. "He is the master of lies, Y/N. I thought you were intelligent but if you've ever actually believed a word he's said then perhaps I was wrong after all."
Cinderella turned to leave the room, pausing at the door. An uncharacteristically soft expression on her face, she said, "It may not seem like it, Y/N, but I have your best interests at heart. Don't allow yourself to be blindsided by his charm. There are bigger callings out there in the universe than love or lust. It is a fool's game and if you try to play I can say with certainty that you will lose."
"And do you answer those greater callings?" you asked, collecting the tattered shreds of your dignity and rising to your feet. You stayed backed against the wall, the solid mass behind you helping you to keep your nerve. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To fulfil some grand purpose? Not because you want to marry Loki."
Much to your surprise, a smile graced the edges of Cinderella's lips, almost - not quite, but almost - impressed. It was also somehow filled with a gentle fondness, a sharp contrast against the tension that oozed from the rest of her body. Stepping back into her room, leaning on the door to stop from being interrupted by any unwelcome intruders, she said, "I knew you were smarter than you looked. What do you know?"
You kept your lips firmly shut, realising too late that you should probably have kept quiet and not told the woman you were trying to expose as a fraud that you knew of her lies. However, as Cinderella stalked towards you once again, you decided silence would not be your friend here. Clutching your neck and grimacing as you felt the warm, sticky blood on your throat cover your fingers, you knew you would be in for a far worse injury if you didn't answer her questions. "You aren't of Vanaheim."
"I knew you'd realised that when you asked about the corsets - that was hardly subtle, by the way. What else do you think you know about me?" Cinderella asked, perching on the edge of her mattress and resting her hands in her lap. It was a interesting pose to strike, you thought, suited more to the diplomacy of the King's council meetings than anything else.
But you suddenly realised that, in fact, this was not so dissimilar a situation. You were two opposing forces, trading information in the name of maintaining what was at best a non violent truce between the parties, neither of you were quite ready to kill the other until you had what you needed. Civility to the end. If that wasn't universal politics, you weren't sure what was.
Taking a bit of a punt, you said, "You're a spy."
"Well, that depends on your definition of spying. Yes, I am keeping an eye on the political manoeuvring of the court but my purpose here isn't to steal Odin's super secret war plans or something equally mundane." Cinderella ran her eyes over you, eyes lingering on the way you were trying not to fiddle with your hands, and hardly bothered to hide the smirk on her face. She leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and said, "That's all you've got, isn't it?"
Biting down on your bottom lip, scared to allow your gaze to wander or even to blink for fear that she'd whip out her blade and attack, you wrapped your hand around the handle of your own knife. Feeling the cool metal dagger against your skin instantly released some of the tension stored in your muscles.
Cinderella seemed to notice that change too, although it only made her roll her eyes. Waving her arms clearly in the air to prove she had no weapon to hand, she said, "Step away from this before you or someone you truly love gets hurt, Y/N. The house of Odin is unstable and doomed to fall. If you truly are as intelligent as I think you might be, get away from it all because associating with them will end up costing your life."
"Is that a threat?"
A pause, then, "Consider it more of a friendly warning. It's the only one you're likely to get."