Kenna slid to a stop in front of the gate, grinning widely. She looked around, searching for Rowan. Her smile died away as she waited alone for twenty minutes. Pacing back and forth, she lifted her head and smiled again at the sound of every set of approaching footsteps. But it wasn't him.
Disappointment colored by a bitter anger - you should have known better, she thought - Kenna turned to go inside.
"Kenna?" A small voice said.
She whipped around and found him standing behind her, hands in his pockets and his eyes hidden behind his hair. She grinned and motioned for the gates to be opened. He stepped in, looking around him in awe.
"Wow." He whispered. "I've never been in the gates."
"Would you like a tour?" He nodded vigorously and she led him inside. "It's just a lot of empty hallways and windows and such. Odin might let you see the throne room if he's not busy. This way."
Odin was too busy to give Rowan an overview of his grand room but he allowed Kenna to briefly walk her guest around it. They left as quietly as they could so as not to annoy him.
The council rooms were in use and they stopped briefly to say hello to her mother. Ebony looked up from her notes to see them peeking into the doorway. Smiling, she waved.
Kenna took him to the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" She asked. Rowan nodded. Smiling slightly, she motioned for him to follow her. Peeking into the windows at the top of the doors, she saw Cook hustle her assistants and bustle towards the great pantry. Kenna nudged the door just enough to slide through. Ducking quickly, she crawled behind the large counter in the center of the room. Rowan followed, giving her a quizzical frown.
Holding a finger to her lips, Kenna pointed to the plate of sweets just above them.
"Oh." Rowan whispered.
Lifting herself and turning, Kenna watched Cook move towards an oven. A kitchenmaid looked up. She grinned at the sight of two small heads peeking up from behind the counter. Kenna met her eyes. Assured that there would be no trouble, she slid the plate from the counter and into her lap. Rowan held the hem of his shirt out so she could pour some of the cookies and chocolates into the makeshift pocket. A cloth that was covered in flour floated down to them. Kenna looked up to see the kitchenmaid focused intently on kneading dough.
Kenna wrapped the rest of the cookies in the cloth. She nodded towards the door. As they crawled back, with Rowan moving awkwardly on one hand to hold his shirt with the other, they smiled to each other. It was just a few more feet.
"Oi!" A voice boomed.
"Run!" Kenna leapt to her feet and sprinted through the doors. She looked back to see Rowan just behind her, grinning wildly. Cookies fell haphazardly from his shirt. "This way!" She slid around the corner.
They ran even after Cook's thundering steps and shouts faded away. Kenna slid to a stop outside the worn and heavy wooden doors. She leaned against the wall, panting heavily and laughing hysterically.
"Won't we get in trouble?" Rowan asked. He was panting and smiling, inspecting a cookie before shoving it into his mouth.
Kenna waved the thought away. "My dad used to make me sneak in to practice my invisibility. I stole a whole cake once. I haven't gotten to sneak up on Heimdall yet. He's too good. C'mon! This is the library. You'll love it."
She leaned on the massive door until there was enough space for them to slip through. It closed with a dull boom that seemed to echo for miles into the cavernous stone interior. Lined with books along every wall and pillar and nook, the Asgardian Royal Library was one of the largest centers of information, second only to the great cavern walls of Vanaheim that overflowed with books and ancient scrolls.
The Midgardian Library of Alexandria, lost to flames and time, was rumored to have been a meager fourth of the size of Vanaheim's treasure.
Kenna related this to Rowan as they walked the length of an endless corridor. "But there's stories of a library even bigger and older. No one knows what it's called but the people were older than Asgard and they knew everything. They even built the original Bifrost for us."
"How do you know that?"
"There's stories and rumors in a lot of history books." Kenna's fingertips bounced along beloved spines. "I wish we knew about them. But they say the race died all at once. No one knows anything about them. They had a weird nickname. Something or other."
There were twelve staggering floors with ladders that stretched to each ceiling. They ran up the steps to look over the first banister.
"I wish I could live here." Rowan sighed. "H-have you read them all yet?"
She shook her head and traveled up the next staircase. Stopping at an unmarked section, she climbed the ladder and pulled a book down, as if she had memorized its position. "I bet my dad has."
Rowan pulled on a spine curiously, studying the heavy tome on marine life in Alfheim. "I'm not such a good, a good reader." He mumbled.
"It's okay. I'll help if you need it. How old are you anyway?"
"Seven."
"Me too!" She grinned.
He looked up at her. "You're tall!"
She laughed. People often said she was tall for her age and mature enough for to fool anyone into believing she was at least twelve.
"Do you have anything, anything easier?" He asked. "I don't know what this says." He pointed to a word. She leaned over to study it.
"Acclimated. It's like to get used to something. You'll like these." She led him to a section of easier books but he stopped midway and stared. She smiled. "Do you like maps?"
"I'm really good at... Ge-gee-oh..." He frowned.
"Geography?" He nodded and pulled down a scroll. Satisfied with this choice, he followed her back to a dim little alcove on the third floor. They say cross-legged from each other
A door opened below them. Feeling her father searching mentally for her, she waited patiently for him to climb the stairs to them. Loki stepped up and peeked into the little alcove. Rowan looked up, surprised and nervous. He started to stand. Loki held a hand up and shook his head.
"Good morning." He murmured. "I was only checking on you. I hear you bothered Cook today."
"Only a little." Kenna smiled sheepishly. She unfolded the cloth and handed over a few cookies.
Loki chuckled, taking them. "Good girl." He patted her affectionately before moving on.
Kenna turned back to find Rowan frowning at her. "He feels weird." He whispered.
"What?"
"You don't feel it? Like, like something's rolling off him that you can't see..."
"Magic?"
He shook his head. "No 'cause I don't feel it on you."
"I'm not as strong as he is."
He looked closely at her and then nodded and turned back to his scroll. Kenna did the same. They stayed like that for hours, rarely talking. Even when they did, Rowan would simply say something softly and she would reply. He would pause and then nod, going back to his book. Loki came to check on them once more and then left the library. Ebony came some time later.
"Come out. You have to eat." They both squinted up at her, their eyes refocusing slowly. They climbed out and tucked their books under their arms, following her to the dining room. Stopping by the doors, Rowan turned to Kenna.
"Am I allowed in?"
Kenna nodded and he looked nervous. She took his hand and led him in. "Come on. We can eat really fast and then go read in the garden with Sleipnir. Okay? They won't find us there." He nodded and let her lead him to a seat. He heaved the chair out for her, remembering his manners. She thanked him and climbed up. He followed suit and looked over the table at the people there.
Loki caught Ebony's attention and gave her a look, having seen this little display of etiquette. She smiled and turned back to her conversation.
Rowan nudged Kenna. "What do I do?"
She smiled. "Eat! You don't have to talk to them. If we finish our food, Daddy will tell us we can go early."
He nodded and dragged some food onto his plate. Volstagg's voice rang out from down the table.
"Lady Kenna! Will you not introduce your friend to us?"
Rowan cringed and brushed his hair over his eyes, hiding as he chewed quietly. Kenna looked at him and saw the panic in his eyes. She looked up at Volstagg. "His name is Rowan."
"And does Rowan speak?" Volstagg teased.
Kenna shook her head. "I made him a mute 'cause he was afraid he'd say something too smart for Fandral. We didn't wanna hurt his feelings."
Rowan snorted but quickly hid his laughter in his hand. Loki chuckled from the other side of the table.
"Kenna, be nice."
"But you said I don't have to be nice to Fandral because he's got a monkey brain!"
Forgetting not to encourage them, Ebony laughed. "Oh sorry. Ahem. Both of you behave."
Fandral looked between the troublemakers with narrowed eyes. "Loki, I believe I can still defeat you in any contest."
"You mean contests of strength?" Loki raised his brow. "Because Kenna outsmarted you when she was three so that should say wonders about your mind."
"Or lack thereof." Kenna chimed. "All looks and no brains. Reminds me of a peacock."
Sif coughed loudly. "Mm apologies, my food didn't agree with me."
Ebony rolled her eyes. "All of you leave him alone."
"Thank you, Lady Ebony!" Fandral sighed. "Tell them how wrong they are; they'll listen to you."
"Sorry, I'm working on being more honest." She shrugged. Turning to an expectant looking Kenna, Ebony waved them off. "Go on. I guess you have better things to do than eat."
They jumped down from their chairs, grabbing bread and cheese before running for the doors. Ebony called after them.
"Be back for dinner!"
"Okay!" Kenna shouted back.
"I-Is Sleipnir the horse?" Rowan asked as they approached the stables.
"He's my half brother. He's really nice. We can let him out in the gardens and read there." She waved to a stable hand and went to Sleipnir's stall. "Hi!"
Sleipnir snorted and lowered his head over the door. She reached up and rubbed his neck before unlatching the door. He stepped out and looked down at Rowan. The boy stared at his eight legs. Finally, he turned his eyes up to Sleipnir's. "Hi." He said quietly.
Kenna climbed up on a stool and struggled onto Sleipnir's back. Rowan followed suit, sitting behind her. Their legs hung loosely by his belly. "Wanna go to the gardens?" Kenna asked her brother. With a huff of agreement, he started walking. A stable hand closed the doors behind them and Sleipnir trotted into the gardens, leading them far into the maze to a hidden courtyard. They slid down and went to the middle of the courtyard, sitting in the grass.
Sleipnir grazed in the corner, glad to be out. Kenna sat across from Rowan and they returned to their books. Eventually, after the occasional shifts in position and shuffling over to show each other something, they found themselves reading back to back. Sleipnir was following the haphazard path of a butterfly. Kenna looked up, snapping out of the world in her book. She looked around and checked the time before turning to look at Rowan.
"Rowan?"
"Hmm?"
"Are we friends?"
He looked up. "I think so."
She turned back to her book. "I've never had a real friend."
He smiled and nudged her with his back. "Well, then I'll be your best friend. I've never had one of, of those." She grinned and nodded.
"Okay."