ephemeral ━━ 𝘓. 𝘓𝘈𝘜𝘍𝘌𝘠𝘚𝘖𝘕 ✔

■ apology

MORNING / 6:30 am

Then a voice interrupted her, making her breath hitch from her throat. She stopped and stood abruptly, her knees hitting the chair. She could hear Loki scoff.

"I'm sorry, I---I, the piano is just um, beautiful. It's yours right? My, I didn't think of you as a musician. Is it brand new? I think it's new, I mean, look at how polished it is, and the strings sound enchanting. Don't you, uh, don't you think?"

He raised a brow. "What is wrong with you?"

"Oh," she stammered and briskly wiped the tears from her face. She went towards the window to cut the moment, but she felt his cold stare linger on her back.

"Your breakfast is there, ready," she said, not looking at him, and dragged the curtains away exposing the sun's bright glow. She grinned as she heard Loki groan at the sudden flash of light.

He sat in front of the table and read the note she made.

Loraine proceeded on making his bed, but from the corners of her eyes, she kept eyeing him, looking at what his reply would be.

He crumpled the paper and threw it in mid-air. Without thinking, another Crown formed, setting the paper on fire before it hit the ground. Ashes fell and the Crown vanished.

"Seems like it didn't work," she shrugged

"Perhaps, you should try better than that," he insisted.

"Now that you say that. I think I will."

He looked up at her for awhile and she smiled in return.

Loki held her gaze.

"Well, I'm sorry about last night. The trouble---" she began.

"Lots of trouble," he interjected.

"Right. I'm not expecting you to apologize as well but," she dropped her gaze. "But I guess I'll have to be the better person." There was a bitterness to her tone that Loki didn't thought of much.

"Ah, really? Would you now?"

Her eyebrow ticked. "Yeah. Whatever," she said under her breath.

"But why should you? I do not need a better person here in my midst." Slowly, like a prying predator, he walked towards her and leaned. "But the hidden children of Freya? Now that's remarkable." He was staring at her eyes. "I thought Odin had vanished you all."

"We were kept by Freya," she replied.

"Why?"

Loraine hesitated. "To be protectors," she whispered, not entirely sure about that knowing that they had failed to do their purpose since the battle in New York.

"Oh?" Loki grinned. "I never saw your race at my battle. Why is that?"

"The Elders did not approve."

"And I suppose, Freya had a bargain because your race had come to disappoint her?" Loki asked casually. "What's the bargain?"

She held his gaze. How could he have deduced so much in so little time?

***

AFTERNOON / 11:30 am

Loraine went down the hallway. Her arms not piled with a tray, but with Loki's royal clothes. It was already fifteen more minutes for his lunch.Sighing in relief, she saw his chamber zooming in. She shot the guards a smile and quickly touched the door. It opened itself freely and from there, she saw Loki sitting on the couch beneath his window. He was reading the book again.

Thank goodness he finished taking a bath, she thought.

She drew nearer but Loki still paid no attention. 

"Here," she exclaimed and thrusted his suit.

Loki's dull gaze found hers. He stared at the suit, then back to her again and then to the suit. 

"What in Valhalla would I do with that?" He asked, marked the book and closed it shut.

"We are going out in the gardens," she replied and tried for a smile.

"No." He answered fast like a bullet.

"Alright then," she scoffed and dumped them beside him finally. "If you are not going to wear that, then you will suffer," she said, crossing her arms.

He scoffed, almost like he was laughing. "Suffer? And by what means?"

"You will starve. Simple as that prince," she smirked.

He sneered at the word prince. "Oh and you?"

"I won't," she said.

"And why wouldn't you be?"

"I have your powers," she replied so fast she never had the chance to think about how those words might affect him.

He remained silent for awhile but his fingers tapped the book to Loraine's loud heart beats. God, how could she even say that? Bringing it up just like that. What if his madness would fuel her own madness again? And the next thing she knew, this room would turn into another freak show.

She cannot have that. What's the point of trying to reconcile with him?

He raised his gaze to her. "I see. It is, isn't it?"

She was expecting for a tantrum or anger bursting out from him, but no, he was looking so calm it was terrifying.

She nodded.

He looked out at the window and watched the horizon impassively. Sitting, he crossed his legs and raked his raven hair. For a second as he did that, she could not help but stare. This immortal embodied such finesse that she wanted to take it away from him as well. Rip out his powers, rip out his beauty, then there'll be nothing charming for her to stare at. It felt wrong to look at him and think he was beautiful because indeed he was.

She shook her head and threw away her thoughts.

"You've been growing paler," he mumbled. His gaze afixed outside.

"Mhm, so." Not minding his words, she asked, "What's it gonna be then? The suit or hunger?"

He looked at her and leaned his head to the side. "Are you challenging me," he rose and towered over her. "Lady Loraine?"

She replied with the same boldness, raised her chin and whispered, "why yes, prince."