I Do(n't) **LOKI**

Chapter 19

Ida's POV-

By the time we finished helping the driver unload all of the food, the sun was almost completely set. On the main street, I could already hear music and chattering echoing and see the glow of the firelight.

I remembered how we used to participate for perhaps 30 minutes before I would be brought back into the cottage and put to bed, although when my parents had gone to sleep, I had sat at my window gazing out at the drunken community. Every time, I had longed to go join them, but without a doubt, someone would have told my father or mother. For hours I would gaze over at them, and once it became the wee hours of the morning, I would fall asleep to the haunting sounds of the stringed instruments and drums as they respected Baldr.

Eager to be able to experience an entirety of the festival for the first time, I dragged Fandral and Thor down to street where the celebration always took place.

Almost immediately, I spotted Ossar sitting on the grass beside jugs of alcohol.

"Can I take one?" I asked, plopping down next to him.

His eyes met mine only briefly before shifting to Thor and Fandral as they both sunk down beside me.

"Have all you want" his voice hitched.

He started to stand up, but I took his wrist. "What is wrong?"

He shrugged, letting me loosely pull him back down. "I do not know"

"You were one of my best friends here" I lowered my voice so that it would be difficult for the other two to eavesdrop. "and yet you are acting a stranger"

"I do not know how I am supposed to act" he shook his head. "One day you are one of us, and the next you are a princess. Am I supposed to bow when I see you? Am I supposed to address you as 'princess'? Am I even aloud to talk to you?"

"You do not have to bow or call me a princess" I smiled softly at him. "And of course you are permitted to speak to me. I am the same person as I was before I left."

"The castle is very mysterious" he took a swig from the jug he had. "It always feels like it is somewhere of happiness and richness, but the inside seems to hold dark secrets"

"Everyone harbors dark secrets" I pointed out. "Even myself"

"What dark secret do you hold?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Prince Loki is responsible for the murder of my father" I reluctantly whispered.

His mouth fell open.

"You must not spread that around" I warned.

"I won't" he promised.

I took the jug from him and threw some of the burning liquid back into my throat. Whiskey.

"How do you even live with that?" he asked slowly.

"It is hard to" I admitted. "I am still trying to learn how, to be perfectly honest"

"I would never be able to forgive someone if they had done that"

"It has been quite difficult to figure out how" I looked at him. "Although, he was young and his intentions were pure"

"Still, I would not have married the guy"

"Did I have a choice?" I paused. "And either way I did not discover this until after our vows had been made"

"That is tough"

"Tell me about it" I took another swig before handing back the jug.

"I am going to go mingle" Thor leaned over to me.