Mischievous

Chapter Five

        I rose at dawn, but not because I wanted to wake up early. It wasn't even because I had forgotten to close the silk curtains when I'd gone to sleep the night before. No, the reason for my abrupt awakening was due to the sheer glimmer of gold radiating off of the Asgardian castle. My eyes had never felt so much pain. It was as though someone had taken a flashlight, quadrupled the light, and shone it directly in my face. I was lucky it hadn't rendered me blind. There would be no way to return to my peaceful slumber with that glow. God, why did I care for these immortals again?

        Everything they did was overly fancy, which, I had to admit, I did enjoy. It was fun being treated like a princess, even when that was probably just how they handled the Earth trash they thought I was. Or, should I say Midgard, they don't use our human names. I flung the purple blankets off, embracing the chill that enshrouded me. The cold was always welcoming to me, there was no denying it.

        Pulling the curtains back, my eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the palace. The place was gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but they had to realize just how sparkly it was. I mean, they did realize that, right? I took a step out onto the balcony, my nightgown fluttering around my ankles. Was it possible to love and hate a place at the same time? There was no doubt in my mind that I'd rather stay here forever than return to my faux parents. They were nothing compared to the world I'd uncovered. But I didn't fit in. At least, not yet.

        I supposed they expected me to be able to figure out how to spend my time here as no one had come to assist me when I'd gotten up. With their fangly-dangly technology, there was no reason they shouldn't be able to know that I was up and about. Though, it appeared as though I'd be on my own for the time being. A dangerous thing, leaving me to my own devices. These Asgardians had a lot to learn about my behavior. Funny, seeing as they seemed to know who I was, or at least the All-Father did. He wouldn't have any other reason for bringing me here.

        So, what trouble would I cause today? Would the servants fall into disarray? Perhaps an incident would occur at the inn I'd noticed last night? No, I couldn't see myself doing that; Not on the first true day I would be here. I suppose I should thank Summer for keeping me civilized and not bringing too much attention to myself, no matter how much fun that might be.

        I strode toward the wardrobe. It had to be at least five times my size. If I wanted to, I could set up camp in there instead of smothering myself in the bed that took up a good third of the room. My body would never let me do that, knowing the comfort it found itself in last night. There was no denying the fact that from here on out, I'd be in the lap of luxury. My hands passed from fabric to fabric, trying to decide what outfit I would wear today. I had to look presentable, there was no way I was going to get laughed at by the lords and ladies of Asgard.

        A sea of purples, greens, blacks, and golds waved before me. There were too many options to choose from; I didn't recall trying that much stuff on. Why had Frigga, as generous as she was, deciding to overwhelm me with clothes of all things? I longed for just a bit of simplicity. Aha. I landed on a set I had picked out, an emerald blouse paired with onyx slacks. It was still fancier and definitely more expensive than anything I'd have worn on Midgard, but it would have to do.

        I paired gold hoops, barely large enough to circle around my ear, along with a matching necklace. There was no way I could step outside the double doors that separated me from the rest of the gods without having my own sparkle. I had to wonder what the Queen was wearing this morning. She could probably look beautiful without even trying; I, on the other hand, had some work to do.

        An ornate brush helped tame the tangles that riddled my hair, making my head look more like a bird's nest than anything else. A bit of rouge on my cheeks and a quick swipe of gloss over my lips left me feeling more confident than I had been fooling the God of Trickery the day prior. Now I just had to go out there and prove my worth, perhaps eat something first. My stomach growled in agreement.