Chapter Twenty Nine
Lienna
Loki was up early. Unfortunately for a late sleeper such as me, he was loud getting ready for his day, coming in and out of my bedroom.
"In the name of Odin, Loki, be quiet!" I complained, tossing a pillow at him.
"A pillow, Lienna?" he asked, suppressing a laugh. "You could try something else. Besides, you need to get up too. I didn't go all the way to the seamstress to get this dress custom made for you just to have you not wear it."
I pulled the covers away from my tired eyes. The room was cold, but that didn't seem to faze Loki, who was just barely putting on a shirt. The sight made me blush slightly. He was the second man I had seen shirtless, and, to be honest, the sight was shocking. Loki was lean but muscular, and I couldn't help but stare.
I looked away as soon as he saw me but not soon enough, to my embarrassment.
He grinned. "Lienna, we're engaged."
"I know, I know, but it's still a new concept to me."
"You've been engaged more than I have," Loki replied, pulling on his shirt, and then ceremonial armor. Strange. He almost never wore his ceremonial armor.
He was right. "That's not the point- oh, never mind. Where's the dress?" I asked, growing more and more embarrassed by the minute.
Loki leaned into the closet and pulled out a a magnificent forest green gown. He smiled at my stunned reaction and handed it to me. I slipped into the bathroom to put it on.
As soon as I put it on, I was in love with it. The sleeves went down to my wrists and the skirt went down to the floor. It flowed nicely, complimenting my figure nicely. My favorite part was the sheer, shimmering black cape that cascaded from my collarbones all around me.
I pulled my hair up into an intricate braided bun and brushed some silver powder onto my eyelids, and some blush onto my cheeks. A dress this fancy implied a very special occasion and warranted at least a small amount of makeup.
My eyes looked piercing; I felt amazing and powerful, like the deafening calm before a storm.
I loved it.
I strode into the room confidently, the cape billowing out from behind me.
"It's perfect..." He stared at me, enthralled at the sight of me, and he stared for so long I started to blush. "You're perfect."
"My goal is to turn heads wherever I go," I replied with a laugh. "Of course, I don't know where we're going."
Loki took my hand. "We have ambassadors visiting from all over the Nine Realms, and later, royals will be arriving. Since you and I are a royal couple, we have to greet guests," he informed me. "We won't be the only ones greeting. Frigga and Odin will be, too. However, I'm not too sure about..." He went quiet.
He meant Thor.
"You can say his name, it's not cursed," I remarked, a bit too harsh for my liking.
"It's a touchy subject for the both of us, Lienna. I'm not oblivious to his life." Loki lead me out of the room.
I nodded, a bit embarrassed. Loki and Thor may not have been brothers by birth, but they were brothers by their actions. Somehow, that seemed more of an impenetrable bond.
As we found our way to the throne room, I noticed that people stared at Loki and I, their eyes judgmental. I tightened my grasp on Loki's cool hand. Why did they stare as though we were monsters?
Then it hit me. Loki is a monster, at least in their eyes. It must shock them to see him with a partner. Loki might seem like a lady's man, but I couldn't remember hearing of one occasion where he had an official relationship. I was his first. The thought brought me curiosity, and, admittedly, some pride.
Loki turned back and smirked at me, the corner of his mouth curling in an especially mischievious way. I can hear you. Then he turned back to greet the guests, never letting go of my hand.
I blushed. I had forgotten about that. Then I smiled. The God of Mischief never misses an opportunity.
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Sorry this is late! I've been really busy. As always, 20 votes for a new update!