Coffee and Books 1

Chapter 14

The same evening I get a call. It's Lady Eir, asking if I can join her the next day for a dress fitting. Flabbergasted, I agree to meet her after my morning shift.

A dark Mercedes with tinted windows stops in front of the coffee shop. In the back is Lady Eir, who invites me to take the seat next to her. "Loki told me you will accompany him to the gala. Him and Thor are the guests of honor, so we have to dress you accordingly."
I suck in my breath, I had not realised that going with Loki would put me in the center of the attention.
"Don't worry, my dear," Lady Eir comforts me. "You just have to look pretty and enjoy yourself."

The chauffeur stops the car in front of a big apartment block in Queens. We leave the car and walk through a gate, entering the yard. It looks like the Garden of Eden in here and I stop in awe.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Lady Eir says. "Stark Industries really put in an effort to make us feel at home."

"The people of Asgard live here?"

"They do indeed. And I'm taking you to see Brunnhyld, she was lady Frigga's seamstress and is very talented. She is making me my dress and she will do the same for you."

Brunnhyld turns out to be a woman with long dark hair, who looks like she's my mothers age. But I'm sure she's older, being from Asgard and all. Brunnhyld has the help of two young women, who introduce themselves as Tova and Astera. They don't speak English, but the seamstress does.
While Tova takes my measurements, Brunnhyld and Astera help Lady Eir to put on her new dress. It's a beautiful ruby red gown with a sheer satin top layer. The fabric wraps around her waist and upper torso, goes up over one shoulder and then trails down her back. The skirt is big and wavy. It really looks good on the healer. Brunnhyld puts in some pins for adjustments and announces the dress will be done the next day.

"And now to you, my lady," she says to me. "What kind of dress would you like?"

"Uh... I don't really know," I admit shyly.

The seamstress smiles at me. "Is this how you usually dress?" she asks, walking around me to take in my outfit.

"This is one of my favorite dresses. But I often wear jeans too," I answer. I'm wearing my green A line dress with blue flowers today. I was a little nervous, so I picked something that felt safe.

"The collar frames you nicely," Brunnhyld remarks. She says something to Tova and Astera, who hurry off to another room. They return with some rolls of fabric and a notepad. Brunnhyld takes the notepad and a pencil and makes a quick sketch. "What do you think?" she asks, giving me the notepad.

The sketch shows a long dress with cap sleeves. The neckline is a deep V, the edges standing up around the neck. It's a figure hugging dress that runs down in a little train. It shows of your curves without showing a lot of skin.
"I love it!"

Brunnhyld gives me a satisfied nod. "And now for the color. As you will attend the gala with prince Loki, I think it's only fitting you wear his colors."

"Black and green?" I guess.

"Yes, and gold."
Brunnhyld takes a strand of my hair between her fingers. "I think green would be a good choice."
The seamstress pulls out a roll of forest green fabric. It's smooth, soft and incredibly supple. I let my fingers trace the fabric.
"We don't have a lot of time, the gala being held next week," Brunnhyld says, "but I'll make sure your dress is ready. I can make some last adjustments on the spot."

When we are done we all go outside, to sit in the yard. I still think it looks like the Garden of Eden, with fruit trees, bushes blooming with flowers in various colors and green grass that just screams for a picnic.

Tova has brought some drinks and we enjoy the sun. After a while a door on the other side of the yard opens and some children pile out, running after each other.  "Oh, I didn't know you also have children here," I tell Brunnhyld.

"We do. It looks like they have just finished school for the day."

We talk some time about the differences of schools on Asgard and here on Earth, however, because our frame of reference is so different, the talk turns out rather confusing. We talk in English, so Tova and Astera can't really join the conversation. But they do not seem to mind, chatting happily with each other.

Turning to Lady Eir I ask her if our practice of medicine is very different from what she did on Asgard.
"It is," she admits. "Stark Industries arranged for me to work in a large hospital here in the city. I work with a team of talented doctors, investigating the biggest differences in our practices. We can learn a lot from each other, it's fascinating."

"It seems to me one of the biggest differences is the use of magic. Here on Earth we don't believe in magic, at least, most of us don't. Medicine is science," I say to her.

"True, we know more about magic and its possibilities, " she agrees. "But there is magic on Earth too. The people just don't know it. Or they don't recognise it when they see it."

"Hmm... maybe..." I answer, letting the thought sink in.

When it's time to go home, we say our goodbyes to Brunnhyld, Tova and Astera. The seamstress and the girls will come to Stark Tower on the day of the gala, to make some last modifications to my dress and to help us prepare for the event. I thank them all thoroughly. I've never had clothes designed and made for me and I think it's pretty special.

On the ride back I ask Lady Eir who will be attending the gala. She explains most of the guest will be businessmen, politicians and diplomats. "There will also be royal guests from other countries, like the king and queen from Norway and the Swedish crown princess," she says. "There are talks with several parties for an Asgardian settlement in their country. So basically this gala is just another way of getting to know each other, to socialise."
"Another thing," she says, changing the topic. "I'm glad you agreed to help us with Loki. You have a very good influence on him."

"You make it sound like I'm his nanny," I protest.

"Forgive me, I think you misunderstood my meaning. Maybe it got lost in translation," Lady Eir says, putting her hand on my arm. "But Loki does need some caring for, no matter how you put it. He has been incarcerated in some way or another for a large part of the last decade. Lady Frigga visited him when she could, but most of the time Loki was alone. Isolated. That has influenced him," she explains to me.

"I can imagine," I nod. "When you only got yourself to talk to, there is no-one to tell you wether you are right or wrong."

"That's true. Imprisonment affects the body and mind, especially when the person is detained for a longer period of time." She pauses for a second. "The loss of his mother, lady Frigga, really hit him hard. She loved him unconditionally, no matter what he did. And then he lost that."
Lady Eir gives me a little squeeze. "Heimdall has seen you with Loki. It's like you're opposites of each other: light and dark. But after all, darkness is just the absence of light."

"I think I understand what you are getting at," I answer, "but it all sounds a bit vague, I'm sorry."

"Then let me put it this way," Lady Eir says. "Loki is unhappy and that brings out the worst in him. We've seen the good in him too and we would very much like to preserve that. And that's where you come in."

I lean back in the seat of the car, we are almost back in Manhattan. "I'm sure there are more ways to keep Loki happy. I saw pictures of him at the exhibition, I believe there was plenty of entertainment," I say a little sourly.

Lady Eir chuckles. "I believe you are referring to the blonde lady who approached him. I think she slapped him in the face at some point."

Author's note:
Searching for a gala dress I found the pretty number in the picture on Pinterest. I thought it would be perfect for Ylva. Not too girly, but still feminine. And you can buy it! Link: https://www.suzannah.com/dresses/evening-dresses/long-designer-dress-boulder-gown-green.aspx