A Bang and a Whimper

8

When Loki is healed enough to walk a little on his own with the help of a sturdy staff (mostly at Thor's insistance), he is moved from the infirmary to his own rooms. He has not inhabited them for many years and Thor has ordered them cleaned and aired in advance. He is still under strict orders to rest most of the day, but he is happy to settle onto his own soft bed, the sheets crisp and sun dried. The king's quarters were far more miltary, harsher, and colder. He sleeps immediately and when Thor and Jenna enter with a cart full of books, they do not disturb him, instead slipping them onto the tables around his bed as silently as possible before leaving. He never stirs during their delivery, the bed far too comfortable to wake from.

When he does rise, it is dark and he is frustrated that he has slept so long and is now going to be up all night. He mopes for a while and then notices the books piled around his bed. This calms him and he selects one of the Gaiman books- "Trigger Warning"- there is a short story in it that Jenna has been begging him to read, one about vengeance, or perhaps justice, found in a cave. And he is intrigued that she loves it so when she says it is absolutely horrifying. After their first meeting, he had tried to imagine all the things the princess would like and, he has discovered, most of his suppositions were wrong. She does like to dress up fancy, but she prefers climbing trees and reading her mother's novels to handcrafts and social graces. She is blunt, she is curious, and she likes him, which is something he was certain was not going to happen.

He is surprised when there is a knock on his door, "Enter."

"Good evening, Brother."

"Ah. Thor. I should have guessed. Who else would seek me this late in the evening?"

"Only one who knows you have been sleeping all day."

"Fair point."

"Jenna was excited to deliver both your books and Jane's books. She asks that I remind you that the Gaiman will be returing to her shelves once you have read it all and while you are free to ask to borrow it, it lives with her."

"She certainly is fond of this author."

"Yes, she is. She has two copies of 'Good Omens', as her mother would not let her take the signed copy up in the trees."

"Signed?"

"By the authors. Jane met Sir Pratchett late in his life and not long after, Mr Gaiman. She adored them. That book was one of her most prized posessions."

"I assume Jenna has not lent me that copy."

"Correct. That copy rests beside her on the nightstand. I doubt it will leave it for quite some time."

Loki hesitates to ask, but his curiosity gets the better of him, "Did Jane pass peacefully?"

"Yes. At the end of a very long life for her people. There was no violence, no harm, just a slipping away. And she was happy." Thor tries to smile, but he has not talked about Jane to anyone except his daughter and it is still difficult to say out loud that she is gone. He clears his throat, "Well. I have supper in the gardens for you if you care to join me."

"Supper sounds delightful. As do the gardens at night. I love how the fragrances linger on the cool air."

They walk slowly. Loki feels he is ready to return to some sort of normal pace and routine. He humours Thor, though, knowing that he will be lightly chastised if he tries to move more quickly. Then he would become impatient with Thor's doting and would snip and ruin the evening with his harsh reaction. So instead, he stays slow, and uses the staff Thor has given him.

When they arrive in the garden, there are twinkling lights suspended in the air above them and smaller sparkles amongst the flowering shrubs. Loki has seen it this way only a few times before, and always with his mother. He sits as Thor pulls out his seat and Thor settles in across from him.