Mischief On Earth ✔

Of Dresses And Dungeons

Soft silks beneath caressed her skin. Somewhere light streamed in, but its glare was muted to a warm glow. Kyra yawned sleepily, and stretched. Her hands hit plush pillows and her legs were tucked under thick, lush blankets.

Mmm. This is very nice. Nice big double bed. Not like mine at home -

Not hers. This bed was not hers.

Her eyes flew open. Directly opposite her was a large mahogany wardrobe, and a window letting in natural light. Curtains made of some sort of a sheer material had been drawn half across. She sat up quickly.

A dull bolt of pain lanced through her right temple. She winced, and put a hand up, touching a square piece of material. What's this? There was a full length mirror near the wardrobe, and she got out of bed and moved to it. A patch of gauze stuck to her temple, and when she touched it it hurt. Must have hit my head when I fell. There was a bruise on her jaw too, that was already beginning to turn purple. Someone had put a dark blue robe of wool over her.

Kyra looked around automatically for her glasses, before remembering that they had been reduced to shards of glass and plastic. She cringed. Through fuzzy vision she swept her gaze over the bedroom.

Whoa. This is one large bedroom.

No expenses had been spared in its furnishings either. A rosewood chest-of-drawers served as a bedside table, on which an antique oil lamp sat. The bed she had slept in was a four-poster bed, and even if she extended both her arms while lying down, she could not touch the sides. The colours all around her were all of rich royal shades. It reminded her of a palace bedroom.

Where am I? Even as she asked that question, another more pressing one popped up in her head. Where is Loki?

She turned away from the mirror and padded across the bedroom toward the door, her feet sinking soundlessly into the luxurious carpet. She was about to press down on the doorknob when she heard shoes click-clacking down the hallway outside.

She let out a strangled yelp and ran back across the bedroom, before diving straight onto her bed. Thump! she landed, face pressed to the blankets, four limbs splayed. She closed her eyes and feigned sleep, mimicking deep breathing, her actions done not a second too soon, for the door opened.

Someone walked in, the footsteps light. A pause.

"I can tell that you aren't asleep dear." It was a woman's voice, and Kyra could hear her smile.

She bit her lip, feeling the flush creeping up her cheeks. Sheepishly she got up, running her fingers through her hair.

The woman that stood before Kyra was regal and elegant in her posture. Her golden curls were tied up in a low ponytail, slung over her left shoulder. She had on a stunning long-sleeved gown, sequinned in places with silver beads.

With a benevolent smile she sat at the edge of the bed. She was looking so immaculate that Kyra had the desire to duck into the bathroom and maybe spend half an hour on her appearance before she could finally deem herself worthy of talking to her.

"You must be the Midgard mortal that has been taking care of Loki for these four days. Thank you very much for that."

Kyra smiled, an awkward one.

"You must have so many questions. Well, ask away. I'll try my best to answer."

There was one question that was at the very forefront of Kyra's mind, and she asked that.

"Where's Loki?" And then she realized that wasn't enough, so she followed it up with - "Is he okay? Is he hurt? He......wasn't himself."

A little smile tugged at the corners of the woman's lips. "What a coincidence," she murmured under her breath. "That was the first question he asked too......."