Of Secrets an Lovers

[BlossomStars]

A smile made it's way across my face as I walked out into the heat of summer, a warm breeze caressing the pale skin of my face while ruffling my hair, sending wisps of brown up into the air, flying about in various directions. I giggled a little as the gust died down, settling my hair back into place and straightening out the jade skirts of my dress. It was noting really fancy, but it was a favourite of mine. With a vibrant green matching my eyes, accented by spots of gold trim, I liked to think it fit me well. I wore this dress when I wanted to look my best without dressing up too much, an attitude of which fit the day perfectly. I would be seeing Thor today. Though that was not the reason I headed towards the palace, he would be there, and I wanted him to notice me.

Smiling at people and offering pleasantries and greetings, nods or waves, I made my way towards the entry to Asgard. It was the beginning of summer, and the hot breezes blew in more than just sunny weather. This was also the only time of year when I was able to meet with my long-time friend, Odessa. We had made friends in our early childhood, and it had grown into a lasting friendship. Though it was mostly without any heavy issues, there was the slight matter of her bring engaged to the man I had fallen in love with. However, I knew that wasn't her fault, nor her doing; she also didn't know of my feelings. I tried to ignore that to the best of my ability, pushing the thought to the edge of my mind as I always did.

Finally, I arrived to the spot where Odessa would be arriving through, hands clasped together and a big smile on my face. Despite everything, I was excited to see her, and to catch up with everything that had been going in our lives. Well... most everything, anyways.

~~~~

'Today's the day', Loki thought to himself as he looked himself over in the mirror. He wore his most iconic outfit, as it was both regal and looked rather well on him, if he did say so himself. Straightening it and making sure all was in order, Loki gave himself one more look-over before exiting the room. Of course, he would be assured to look his best even if he hadn't prepared himself as he had, servants and the like there to do whatever fixing up was needed. Being the royals of Asgard, they always needed to look their best, especially during public events such as this one. It would likely be the talk of the town, Odessa's latest visit. This close to the long-awaited wedding, interest was swarming about the proclaimed 'happy couple', there would surely be much interest around them.

Loki almost chuckled at the oblivion of the public. It was pathetic, in it's own way; at the same time however, neither him nor Odessa were stupid enough to let their secret slide. Such a scandal would be troublesome, to say the least. Though their secret relationship had been stable thus far, Loki was going to have to think of something else, and soon, if he didn't want to see Odessa married off to his oafish brother - and he most certainly didn't. That, however, he set aside for the mean time. He would worry about it at a more convenient time. For now, he would simply focus on all the events of today.

Joining his family as they readied to head out, all going to greet the woman who was set to become their newest addition. They reached the eleboate entry to Asgard fairly quickly, all standing in waiting of their honored guest. Exchanging a brief, but knowing glance with his mother, Loki smirked and stood still, patiently waiting for Odessa's arrival. She would be there any moment now.

 

[Opossum My Possum]

Odessa was woken up by the bright white light from the snowy scene outside her windows.
Someone had opened the thick velvet curtains that she usually kept closed to keep out the light-
obviously someone wanted her to wake up.
And no wonder- after all, today was the day she'd be going to Asgard and staying there.
In three days time, she would be married to Thor, and then she would become Queen of Asgard, once his own parents passed away.
Sighing, Odessa stood and stretched, calling for her maids to run a bath for her.

The hot water felt good against Odessa's cold skin, and was scented with rose oil to make her smell good.
She took her time washing her body and hair, and then sat in the hot water for a while.
Her home was terribly cold most of the time, so she loved baths.
They also had a hot spring a bit away from the palace, but Odessa hated walking to and from it.
Whenever she went outside she had to wear thick furs.

Once she'd finished with her bath, she dried off and dressed quickly.
Today she wore the dress that Thor had sent her- it was a dark purple, made of silk, and had short sleeves and a plunging neckline that made her breasts quite on display.
This was just Asgardian fashion- unlike Morgul, where they covered up from the cold, Asgard was warm, so there was no need to bundle up.

Sighing as she looked around her room once more, she grabbed her bags and put on her coat, and then left, a bit sad that she might never see her room again.
In the entrance way, her mother was waiting, a smile on her face.
"Oh, my Odessa.. You're getting married soon!" She said, hugging her tightly.
A ship was waiting nearby to take her to Asgard and her mother had come to say goodbye.
"I'll see you in three days, darling. I love you."
Odessa hugged her mother again and boarded the ship.

--

Only a few hours later, Odessa arrived on Asgard. Her bags were taken by the guards, who assured her they would be put in her room, and then she was walked to the large doors that led to the Throne Room.
The guards opened them for her, and she entered, smiling when she saw the whole Royal family inside, waiting.
"Hello again, everyone! I'm so glad to be back." She said, grinning at them all.
Her grin widened when she saw Loki though- after all, he was her favorite person to see on Asgard.


--------------------------------------

Thor hadn't slept well last night, knowing that Odessa would be on Asgard the next day.
In three days, they would be husband and wife, and the thought made him excited.
After trying to sleep for a few hours, he got up and took a long bath, deciding he wanted to look amazing when he greeted Odessa.
When he'd finally stumbled to the dining room to eat, his father had told him that they needed to deal with some business later in the day, and Thor agreed, even if he didn't want to.

After eating, he wandered around Asgard for a while, trying to keep his excitement at bay.
Everyone smiled and waved at him, knowing what was happening today.
All the people in town were just as excited as he was, and it made him grin like a fool all day.

Finally when the time came to gather in the Throne Room, Thor stood next to Odin and waited, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently.

When Odessa arrived and came through the doors, Thor greeted her with a kiss on the hand.
"My love! I'm so glad you're finally here." He said to her, studying her lovely face for a moment.

Odin cleared his throat and Thor turned, watching his father.
"Thor, we have business to attend to. Please come with me. I'm sure Odessa will be fine."
Thor gave Odessa one more kiss on the hand, and then followed his father, knowing he'd see her in a little while.

 

[BlossomStars]

Lenora was quickly swallowed up by the crowd as they arrived to get a glimpse of Thor's bride to be, buzzing with excitement over their future queen. Still, despite the growing group of Asgardians surrounding the area, Lenora managed to keep her place in the front of the crowd. There was much to do and set up the next few days, and as bitter as Lenora was beginning to feel about it, she understood. She wouldn't be able to see her foreign friend a lot this visit, especially upon her arrival, as she had to settle in first. Still, Lenora wanted to at least see her. And so, she waited patiently. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to wait for too long. As Odessa made her way towards the palace, Lenora smiled at her friend, dressed up in Asgardian attire. When Lenora managed to catch Odeassa's eye she offered a small wave, though nothing more. Lenora did not leave until Odessa was out of sight, pausing before finally turning around and heading off to attent to other business. Hopefully her friend would be able to make some time for her in these busy days ahead, though Lenora knew that that may not be possible.

Pushing aside a bitter thought of soon being able to see Odessa much more often, marriage to Thor resulting in her residence on Asgard, Lenora turned to find something to do. With no obligations or responsibilities requiring urgent attention, the green-eyed Asgardian decided to try and find someone with whom she could spend the afternoon with. Hoping to take her mind off of things and hoping to pass the afternoon by with enjoyable camaraderie, Lenora set out to find Sif. Though she would be seeing her friend again at the welcoming banquet at the palace this evening, it never hurt to visit. Thinking first to see if the lady warrior was getting in some extra training, Lenore headed off to the place where Sif usually went to practice.

~~~~~~

Loki couldn't help but grin when Odessa walked into the throne room, beautiful as always in rich purple Asgardian-styled attire. When Odessa's eyes fell upon him his grin turned a little more mischievous, and almost a little smug. Hew knew from just her look alone that she favoured him, and he couldn't help but be a bit proud of that fact. Despite her engagement to his brother, Loki had been the one to win her over. For once, he was getting something instead of his idiot brother. In a way, anyways. Thor had her hand, at least for the mean time, but Loki had won her heart, which was arguably more important.

Bright green eyes meeting the same hued optics of his lover across the room, communication without words, Loki simply listened to her and the others around the room. Of course, with much to be done, Odessa's welcome was brief, and before long Odin and Thor had gone, leaving only Odessa, Loki, and his mother in the room. Now it would be time for Odessa to get settled in. Having been visiting Asgard for years now, she knew where everything was; the guest room she stayed in -which, was really more considered her room by this point. It was reserved for her visits, and just about never used by anyone else- or anything else she would have needed. Still, as was customary and polite, she would be seen to her room, or wherever it was that she wanted to go. Hopefully, with Thor busy with whatever it was that Odin needed him for, Loki would be able to take that opportunity to spend some time with her. This close to the wedding, with so little finished, time shared would be scarce, or would have to be stolen. The two would have to be sure to take the opportunities handed to them, because there wouldn't be many.

 

[Opossum My Possum]

Odessa was left alone with Loki and his mother, and she felt a bit awkward.
Frigga always seemed to know.. Well, something about them, and she wasn't sure how that made her feel.
She'd seen Lenora earlier, and had waved at her briefly, and now she wanted to see her again, but she knew she wouldn't have time, not if she wanted to spend time with Loki before Thor got back.
So, smiling at Frigga, she turned to Loki and cleared her throat. "Would you care to show me to my room?" She asked him, smiling.
She knew he would, of course, as he always did.

Maybe she would see Lenora later, after some time with Loki. No doubt Thor wouldn't be back for several hours.
His meetings always took at least half the day. When they were children, Thor didn't have the meetings he had now, so they spent a lot of time together.
By the time they were fifteen, she knew she didn't have romantic feelings for Thor. Of course she cared about him- he was one of her best friends- but there was no romance.
She found that she had feelings for Loki, and since then, the two of them had grown closer, eventually entering their own relationship, secretly of course.

Odessa felt bad about it, but she knew that in order to pretend to be happy in her marriage to Thor, she needed someone around that she actually cared for.
And that person was Loki.

----

Thor's meeting was boring as usual, and no one seemed to notice he was there. But he knew that if he left and went to spend time with Odessa, everyone would find out and be angry with him.
So he needed to do something that wouldn't be considered wasting time- and the perfect thing was to train.
Often, he liked to go to the training yard and spend hours with his hammer, even though he rarely got into battles as of late.
His mother had told him he needed to stay out of battles now that he was getting married.
Odessa needed him.

Quietly, he slipped away and smiled once he realized no one had seen him go- they were all too interested in a debate they were having.
Once he was outside of the room, he took a deep breath and grinned, making his way to the training yard.
It was familiar to him, and he found comfort in going there.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find that it wasn't empty. Lenora was there, alone.
Thor smiled and walked up to her, wondering why she wasn't with Odessa.
"Lenora, what are you doing here?" He asked, watching her.
Odessa and Lenora had been friends as long as he could remember Odessa visiting.
If she wasn't with Odessa right now, then that meant that Loki was with her.. Alone.

The thought brought a scowl to his face- he knew Loki fancied Odessa, and it made him angry.
Of course, that didn't mean Odessa would do anything, though..

 

[BlossomStars]

Lenora walked into the training hall almost timidly, leaning her head in and letting her green-hued optics rove the area. She saw no one, and decided to step in further, hoping that perhaps Sif was off in a corner that was outside the vision of her timid glance inside. So, stepping into the large, but empty room, Lenora began to look around. At first, she saw no one, which brought a frown to her face. But as Lenora's gaze swept back the other way again, she spotted someone standing at the opposite side of the area, much to her surprise. It took the brunette a moment to realize exactly who it was, but once she had identified the muscular figure who stood there, she could not stop the smile that began to spread across her face.

"Oh, I was looking for lady Sif. I hoped that she might let me spend the afternoon with her, though she doesn't seem to be here." Lenora spoke simply, smiling up at the blonde before her. She had decided against mentioning Odessa, either mentioning that she was waiting for her to settle in before dragging her off to do whatever Lenora could think of to keep them entertained, or ask how she seemed to be doing. As much as she cared for her friend, Lenora couldn't bare to see Thor talk about her. The way his eyes lit up in almost child-like glee, his whole posture changing, absolutely broke the Asgardian girl's heart.

"What brings you here, Thor?" Lenora continued. It seemed a strange time for him to be out training. Lenora figured that he would normally be with Odessa this soon after her arrival, unless he had other urgent matters to attend to, such as a meeting. However, Lenora had ruled that out, thinking that if the prince had a meeting, he would likely be there, rather than out here, apparently looking to train.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"But of course." Loki returned Osessa's smile with a grin of his own, stepping down from the elevated platform where the throne was perched, and walking over to to where Odessa stood. Extending an arm to her, bent at the elbow and stiffened in that position, Loki waited for her to take it before he began to walk, leading her off towards her temporary quarters. It was a polite gesture, one that would not be too over thought, especially to those unaware of their true relationship. The two, as always, had to be constantly careful, and would have to be even more cautious in the days to come, with so much attention being put on the wedding, and the 'picture perfect' couple.

As the two neared the room that Odessa would be staying in, Loki suddenly paused. Turning his head to look down the hall the jutted out to the left and finding it clear, Loki suddenly turned. They had neared the back of the palace by now, and the exit that weaved through here was seldom used, and led out to an area of the palaces' yard to which few ever ventured. The only people who would usually be found there were the servants who tended to the gardens, and they wouldn't be there now. As Loki had reminded himself earlier, moments with Odessa would have to be sneaky and stolen, even more than usual. With Odin and Thor in a meeting for the next little while, Odin distracted and Thor unable to follow Odessa around like a lost puppy, now seemed like a perfect time. After all, neither of the two had any idea how many opportunities akin to this one they may have.

"I hope you don't mind taking a little detour." Loki turned, glancing down at his lover for a moment with a bit of a smirk, commenting on the change of direction before she could. After all, she would have noticed. Odessa knew her way around this palace as well as she needed to, and likely better. She had been coming here for years, and Loki had given her more than one tour, looking for excuses to spend time with her.

 

[Opossum My Possum]

Loki offered his arm to Odessa, and she took it, smiling at him with a slight blush on her cheeks.
She already knew where her room was, but she wanted to spend some time with him, even if it was just the short walk to her room.
They had to be careful now, because most eyes were on her, and of course, Thor. They were the perfect couple, and everyone watched them wherever they went- there was no privacy.
Luckily she and Loki both knew a few places that were typically deserted, perfect for their secret meetings.
Odessa followed Loki, heart beating fast in excitement and anticipation.

He'd led her to an empty part of the palace yard, and she knew she'd been here before.
When they were young, Loki would give her tours of the palace and grounds, pretending he just wanted to help.
Odessa knew that he really just wanted to spend time with her though- and she didn't mind.
Of course, Thor would often follow, or pout, and that took away from the fun.


"No, I don't mind at all." She replied, smirking up at him, glad he felt the same way she did.
She knew that Thor really loved her, and she would be breaking his heart, but she couldn't stop her feelings.
Loki was everything she'd ever dreamed of.

----

Thor smiled at Lenora, nodding. He should have been in the meeting, of course, but he pushed the thought away.
Most likely, they wouldn't notice he was gone for at least another hour or so.
And he'd been meaning to train for a while, since he never wanted to be weak, just in case anything should happen, he needed to be trained perfectly.
And now that Lenora was here, he had someone to train with.

"I believe she's in a meeting as well."
He grinned at her, knowing she knew where he should be- which wasn't here.
Stretching and yawning, he shrugged.
"I was bored. Those meetings don't really include me right now, and they never notice I'm gone."
He'd left them a few times before, actually.

"And since we're both here, would you like to help me train, Lenora?" He asked her, smiling.
If she said no, it was no big deal, he'd trained alone a lot anyway.
And if she said yes, then he'd have a training partner.