Mischief's Wings (Sequel to "By Name Only")

Chapter 14)

    "Always had a fear of being typical,
    Looking at my body feeling miserable..."

    (Tenshi's POV)

    I gently take Loki's arm and let him lead me inside, feeling apprehensive at the huge and clearly refined restaurant. His cape flows behind him as he walks, making a soft snapping noise in the night air. My skirts rustle around my feet, and I notice that Loki has slowed his pace for my much shorter legs. I am glad for this, because in a skirt this long, I could trip at any moment and embarrass both of us again. I don't want that.

    Like the inside of the palace, the walls of the restaurant are gold, reflecting the light of the braziers and the enormous chandelier dangling from the ceiling. It's made of crystal, throwing bits of refracted light everywhere and reminding me of the multicolored Bi-frost. I suddenly feel much smaller on Loki's arm as I look around at the splendid surroundings and see the other patrons in their formal finery as well. Bright fabrics and jewels sparkle as Asgard's elite society dines at the silk-clad tables on foods that I can't even hope to name. Loki, apparently feeling my apprehension, looks down at me.

    "Relax, Songbird. I intend to treat you as a princess tonight, just as I should have from the first."

    "A princess? But I'm just a Midgardian," I remind him nervously.

    "You are my Midgardian, and I am proud to have you on my arm." He tells me firmly. "You are with a Prince, and so deserve to be treated like a princess."

    I shut up after that, and let him talk to the host, who found a table reserved under 'Odinson' and led us to it. Loki thanked the man and pulled out my chair for me.

    "Thank you." I murmur as I sit down. He pushes in the chair and takes the seat beside me.

    "You are welcome."

    A waiter comes by to take our drink orders. Loki orders mead for himself and a fruit tea for me before the waiter leaves to get the drinks. It isn't long before he comes back, setting a clear tumbler of amber liquid before Loki and a glass of a dark pink liquid in front of me. Loki patiently explains the menu items and gives some recommendations to ease off the confusion. With Loki's help, I place my order and go a step further by doing so in Asgardian, shocking him. I giggle at the look of shock on his face.

    "The book you found me reading in the library was an Asgardian-to-English dictionary."

    He grins at me.

    "I must say, Darling. That was impressive," he compliments me smoothly. My cheeks heat a little.

    "Wasn't that impressive," I mumble. He places a single long finger under my chin and raises my head to make me look up at him.

    "It is impressive, because most races do not bother learning Asgardian when we have Allspeak. The fact that you are even bothering to learn our language is a rarity, and the way you spoke to the waiter as though you had been speaking Asgardian your entire life? Do not dare to say that was not impressive."

    I nod and he releases my chin before wrapping an arm around me and pulling me close to his side. I let him do so, glad for the extra bit of comfort in the resplendent new place. Soon after, the waiter comes back with our food. Loki gets a lamb chop with a fragrant seasoning and small tubers that resembled potatoes. In front of me is a seafood dish that makes my mouth water. We thank the waiter and dig in.

    I hum in delight at the taste of the seafood. Loki smiles at my reaction and tells me about the sea creatures that Asgardians use for food and other purposes, answering my incessant questions with a chuckle. Once in a while, the waiter comes by to refill our drinks and we both eat until we cannot hold another bite. Loki presses a kiss to my hair after we finish and pays the bill, leaving a massive tip for the waiter before we leave. He leads me outside to a quiet corner and takes my hands.

    "I want to apologize for the way I treated you last night and this morning," he says gently. "It was wrong of me to say the things that I did, and to antagonize you in front of everyone about something over which you had no control."

    "It was my fault for embarrassing you and running away like a coward," I reply, carefully taking my hands from him to wrap my arms around myself.

    "No, Darling," Loki says. "You did not embarrass me and you are not a coward. It was my fault for not defending you from Father. Running out was the most sensible thing you could do, because the person you trusted most stood aside and allowed you to be hurt."

    "I can understand why, though. You couldn't defend me without losing your chance for your Father's favor, the thing you had worked so hard for. I don't want you to choose between me and your dream, Loki. When it comes down to it, go after your dream. I can wait."

    (Loki's POV)

    My face falls. Tenshi thinks that she is not as important as my goal of becoming equal to Thor. Yes, I want to be Thor's equal and come out of my brother's shadow, but I don't want to lose Tenshi, either. She was the only Midgardian in that team of idiots who would accept me for myself, despite my being a monster. I pull my angel into my arms, cradling her head to my chest.

    "No Darling, no. You are just as important to me as Father is. I am not going to leave you behind." I tell her.

    She relaxes against my chest, burying her head against my armor. I tighten my grip around her and hear a soft sniffle. Oh Norns, she's crying!

    I gently coax up her chin and use my thumbs to wipe away her tears. "It's alright, Darling. I won't leave you behind."

    "Can you promise that?" she asked, sadness and hurt in her green eyes. I nod.

    "I promise, love."