Chapter 3
I felt arms wrap around me, lifting me from the ground, but I was too tired to respond. Half-awake, I barely registered being placed back in bed, the covers pulled over me. I was so very cold, shivering heavily.
A gentle hand rested on my shoulder, and a pleasant warmth spread through my body. I tried to open my eyes, but all I saw was a blurry image of black hair and green clothing. With the warmth now seeping through me, I drifted back into sleep.
I don’t know how long I slept, but when I awoke, it was dark. A small glowing ball of light hovered above the nightstand. Looking further into the room, I saw Loki sitting near the little orb, a book in his hands. His eyes floated over the pages, his fingers absently playing with the corner of a page.
I took a moment to really look at him. He looked young—somewhere between twenty-three and twenty-seven years old. His black hair was slicked back, long enough to reach past his ears but stopping just above his jaw line. The contrast between his dark hair and pale skin was even more striking in the light of the orb.
He sat with his legs spread wide, one hand holding the book while the other toyed with the page’s edge. Every so often, his eyebrows scrunched together, as if he were reading something difficult. His blue eyes roamed the pages at an impressive pace—he must be a fast reader.
A strange sensation settled over me as I watched him. Despite his youthful appearance, his eyes looked old, like an ancient soul was trapped behind them. He was mesmerizing to look at. But soon, my gaze drifted back to the soft glow of the little ball. My thoughts returned to everything that had happened today.
What I had been told—it was impossible. Magic... It couldn’t be real. And yet, the floating ball of light before me was proof in itself. Even though their words seemed too absurd to be true, I had a sinking feeling they weren’t lying. I didn’t know how, but in the pit of my stomach, I just knew. They weren’t trying to trick me.
This realization was enough to make me gasp. Loki looked up from his book.
“If you want me to leave you alone, just say the word.” He began to rise from his chair.
I tried to smile, but I probably failed miserably, the shock still running through me.
“No, it’s fine. You can stay,” I said softly. “It’s just… this whole ordeal is freaking me out. I really don’t know what to make of all this.”
Loki sank back into his chair, his full attention now on me. His gaze was softer than it had been earlier that day.
“It’s just a bit much,” I admitted. “And I really don’t know what to do.”
I pulled myself into a sitting position, propping a few pillows behind me so I could lean comfortably against the headboard.
“It’s not just scary not knowing my past,” I continued. “But also being told I’m on another planet. Don’t even get me started on what you said about me being centuries in the past. And then there’s magic…”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as the emotions from earlier bubbled up again.
“I don’t know if I’m going crazy and this is all in my head, or if this is somehow real. And truth be told, I don’t know which of those two options scares me more.”
By now, my hands were shaking, and I could feel tears burning behind my eyes. I inhaled deeply, trying to get my emotions under control.
Loki shifted in his seat.
“I do not presume to know what this must be like for you,” he said gently. “But I hope you do know that you have nothing to fear from us. We will try to help you as much as we can. You may stay here at the palace for as long as you need. We have already prepared sleeping quarters for you, so you don’t have to remain in the healing ward.”
He hesitated for a moment before adding, “I could show you if you’d like. But if you’re not up for it, you’re welcome to spend the night here, and I’ll show you in the morning.”
I looked up at him. His expression was sincere, matching the kindness in his words.
I thought it over for a moment. After spending most of the day either stressed, crying, or sleeping, I was feeling a bit restless.
“I wouldn’t mind walking a bit,” I admitted, feeling shy as his blue eyes met mine. I focused on getting out of bed instead, pulling the warm covers from my legs and placing my feet on the cold floor. A shiver instantly ran through me.
Loki’s gaze flickered to my bare feet, and with a flick of his wrist, a pair of slippers appeared beside them. They were gold, with a slight heel.
I stared at the shoes, then back at Loki.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” I muttered, more to myself than to him.
A small smile formed on his lips.
I slipped my feet into the slippers—they fit perfectly.
“So… I presume you just used magic to make those appear?” I asked.
Loki nodded.
Silence settled between us. But with questions swarming in my mind, I couldn’t help but break it.
“Is it part of the magic that they fit perfectly, or is that something you calculated?” I asked, motioning toward the shoes.
Loki looked slightly surprised by my question.
“Is there a reason this interests you?” he asked, offering me a hand as I got out of bed.
“Well,” I said, accepting his hand, “if it was magic, then it was simply the result of a spell. If it was a calculation, then that means you’re very observant.”
I glanced up at him. “Since I’m trying to gather as much information as I can about my situation and the people around me, I’m curious.”
Loki studied me for a moment. This time, a real smile appeared on his face.
“Ah, I see,” he said as he released my hand and motioned for me to walk with him.
We took a few steps, but I couldn’t help myself—I had more questions.
“So… was my question improper? You didn’t answer it.” I hesitated. “I’m sorry if it was. This is all very new to me, and, to be honest, I never thought magic was real. I guess I’m just… curious.”
Loki let out a small chuckle.
“It seems you’re not easily distracted from getting answers,” he remarked. “But no, it wasn’t improper. It’s just something I don’t get asked often. Most people are more interested in the result of a spell rather than its inner workings.”
He gave me a small grin before finally answering. “The size was due to a calculation, not the spell.”
He led me through a set of double doors, revealing a large room with several beds. From there, he guided me to another set of grand doors, which opened into an enormous corridor.
I couldn’t help but gape at its vastness. I had known I was in a palace—both Frigga and Loki had mentioned it—but only now did I grasp the sheer scale of the place.
“Loki, how many people live in this palace?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
He looked at me with amusement, shaking his head.
“You ask the strangest questions, you know that?” He smiled, but he still answered.
“If you include all the residents, visitors, and staff, there are well over several thousand people living here at any given moment.”
The enormity of this place nearly blew me away. I had thought it to be a small palace or castle with only a few hundred people living here. But it was more like a giant city where everyone lived under the same roof. I followed Loki as he walked down the long corridors, making twists and turns, some hallways busier than others. Groups of finely dressed people strolled along, while others in plainer clothes moved about more purposefully. I guessed these were the palace staff, as they curtsied and bowed whenever the finely dressed individuals acknowledged them.
After a short walk, several corridors, and a few staircases, Loki stopped at a large door at the end of a long hallway.
"These will be your quarters during your stay with us. I hope they will be to your liking," he said as he opened the door and stepped aside so I could enter.
If I had thought the healing ward was grand, it was nothing compared to the sight before me. The sheer beauty of the room took my breath away. It was enormous, tastefully decorated, and elegant beyond anything I had ever seen. My eyes were immediately drawn to a large fireplace, with ornately carved chairs placed before it. Double doors at the far end of the room led to what appeared to be a balcony. In one corner stood a desk and chair, while another featured a small dining table with matching chairs.
An additional door lined the side of the room, and Loki pointed it out. 'That door leads to your bedroom.
I couldn't help myself—I had to see the bedroom. As I opened the door, I was stunned once more. In the center of the room stood a beautiful four-poster bed with blue curtains drawn back and fastened around each of the posts. At the foot of the bed rested a large wooden trunk, while against the wall stood an ornate dresser and a wardrobe. Next to the door, an elegant vanity table with a cushioned chair completed the room's luxurious feel.
When I returned to the main room, Loki was still standing there, looking slightly awkward in the center of the space.
"I hope the room is to your liking?" he asked again.
"To my liking? It's beautiful! I feel like a princess inside a fairytale castle!" I couldn't help but giggle. "Are you sure this is my room? It looks like it belongs to royalty."
Loki chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction. I suddenly felt as if I were missing something.
"What’s so funny?" I asked, confused, though his laughter was contagious, and I found myself smiling along with him.
Loki walked over to one of the chairs near the fireplace and motioned for me to sit with him. I obliged, still glancing around the room in awe.
"Like I said before," he said with a smirk, "you ask the strangest questions. But don’t worry—you are in the right room. Just so you know, the royal family’s private chambers are much grander than this. If that helps ease your mind."
Hearing about the royal family instantly piqued my interest. "So there’s a royal family living here? Like a real king and queen?"
Loki nodded. "Yes, Asgard is ruled by the Allfather. He has a queen and two sons."
I decided to joke to mask the nervousness creeping into my stomach. "Well, I just hope I don’t have to meet them. They might decide I’m a burden and throw me into the dungeons. You and Frigga have been very kind to me—I’d hate to get you into trouble."
This made Loki chuckle again. "I’m sorry to say, but avoiding the royal family is impossible."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "But I don’t even know how to address them or what to do." My nerves bubbled up again. The walk with Loki had calmed me earlier, giving me something else to focus on, but now the stress of my situation returned in full force.
"I think you have been doing just fine so far," Loki said with an amused glint in his eyes.
"I’ve been doing fine?" I stammered. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Loki’s mischievous smile grew.
"Our royal family consists of the Allfather and the Allmother—King Odin and Queen Frigga. Their eldest son, Prince Thor, is the god of thunder. And their youngest son—" he paused slightly for effect "—is Prince Loki, god of mischief and lies."
As his words sank in, I saw his eyes scan my face, watching for my reaction. All I could do was stare back at him, blinking like an owl. My mouth opened, but no words came out. After a few moments, my thoughts began to form again, and I found my voice.
"Queen Frigga and her son, Prince Loki?" I said hesitantly, feeling heat creep up my cheeks. "Are those names common in Asgard?" I could only hope he would say yes, but his growing grin told me otherwise.
"No, they are not common. In fact, it is forbidden to name a child after a living member of the royal family."
I groaned, dropping my face into my hands. "Ugh, please shoot me now."
Loki laughed outright at my reaction.
"So how many laws did I break today while talking to you and your mother? I think I recall screaming at both of you, yelling, and even pushing you during my… not-so-little mental breakdown."
"Quite a few, actually," he snickered, making me groan even louder into my hands.
"So I’m definitely going to see the inside of the dungeons," I muttered.
Embarrassment and nerves made it hard to breathe. I was grateful to be sitting; otherwise, I might have fallen over. I wanted nothing more than for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. A moment later, I heard him rise from his chair. Then, I felt his hands gently cover mine, pulling them away from my face. He knelt before me, his height still nearly equal to mine. His hands enclosed mine in a reassuring grip.
"Don’t worry, Aurora," he said, giving my hands a small squeeze. "My mother and I took no offense, and you need not fear. You are my personal guest in the castle, and I will ensure that you never end up in the dungeon. Tomorrow, my mother and I will help you with the basic etiquette required within the palace. If you have any questions, feel free to ask either of us. And I hope you will not treat me any differently now that you know I am a prince. To be honest, I find your candor quite amusing, so please—do not change."
His words sounded so sincere that I decided to trust him. I nodded, feeling my nerves settle as I relaxed. He gently released my hands and returned to his seat.
"So… did I hear you correctly when you said you are not only a prince but also a god? The god of mischief and lies?"
This earned me another chuckle from him.
“For a long time, the people on Earth—or Midgard, as we call it—have worshipped the Æsir. They consider the people of Asgard deities, hence our title as gods. While not all Æsir possess gifts, some have a power or talent worthy enough to be granted a title by the Allfather. On rare occasions, individuals have even been granted special powers as a reward for their deeds. My brother, for instance, was granted the hammer Mjolnir, which gifts him with control over thunder—hence his full title.”
I took all of this in but remained curious about the explanation behind Loki’s own title. I knew he had skirted my question. While he had provided plenty of information, he had used his brother’s title as a distraction rather than explaining his own.
“While I now understand the titles,” I said, narrowing my eyes slightly, “I would still like to know why you are the god of mischief and lies. Don't think I didn’t notice you steering the conversation toward your brother’s title instead of your own.”
This earned me a full, hearty laugh from him.
“It seems that you are far too smart, Aurora. There is simply no fooling you,” he said with a big smile.
And I couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“My title was earned in twofold. The title of ‘god of mischief’ was granted at a very young age. Let’s just say I had—and still have—a tendency to cause a bit of chaos and mayhem around the palace, much to the dismay of the entire castle and its inhabitants.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I saw the mischievous glint in his eyes. I could just picture Loki as a little boy, pranking the whole castle and everyone in it.
“The second title is not what it may seem.” His smile wavered slightly, and his features grew tense. “By Midgardian folklore, I am a pathological liar—a teller of untruths.”
I waited for him to go on, noticing how his eyes drifted to the fireplace. Something told me this part of his title was something he didn’t like as much as the mischief part. I gave him a few moments to continue, but he remained silent.
“I kind of find that hard to believe,” I said finally.
His gaze snapped back to me, one eyebrow raised inquisitive.
“I know I don’t know you very well—or for very long—but if your behavior toward me is any indication, I find that hard to believe,” I continued, holding his gaze as he studied my face.
“You think you would be able to tell the difference if I were lying to you?” he asked, his voice suddenly carrying a menacing undertone.
I could almost feel the carefree atmosphere drain from the room. I wasn’t sure why the shift was so stark or why I was picking up on it so strongly, but I could sense that this was a sore subject for him. His face was neutral—too neutral—but the tension in his body was palpable.
“I don’t know if I could tell,” I admitted honestly. “It’s just that talking with you has been nice. I’d like to think that if this were all one big lie or deception, I wouldn’t feel as at ease as I do in your presence.”
The words left my mouth before I could rethink them, and I felt heat creep up my face. It was the truth—there was nothing wrong with what I had said—but it was strange how comfortable I felt around him after such a short time.
He kept looking at me, and I could feel the tension gradually fade, the room easing back into its previous atmosphere. Still, the blush remained on my face, and I silently hoped he would change the subject.
“While I am very capable of deception and the telling of lies, that is not the true meaning of my title,” he finally said. His gaze drifted back to the fire. “Being the god of lies means I can tell when other people are lying.”
His words, combined with the slightly pained expression on his face, took a moment to sink in.
“That must be a hard and lonely gift to have,” I said softly.
From the corner of my eye, I saw him turn his head toward me. I could feel his gaze scanning my face, but I kept my eyes on the fire as I continued.
“I can imagine there are times when the hard truth is infinitely more painful than a well-crafted lie. If you have a gift for knowing when people lie, I can only imagine the things you’ve caught them lying about. Sometimes, it’s easier to believe the lie. Not only that, but I’d guess that people who do lie also don’t take kindly to someone who can expose them.”
I contemplated my own words for a moment before shifting my gaze back to him.
The look in his eyes nearly stole my breath. There he was—this young, handsome man—but the depth in his eyes told a different story. It was the look of someone who had endured more than I could possibly imagine. Pain and wisdom far beyond his years flickered in those deep blue depths.
And then, in the span of a microsecond, his expression shifted into a blank mask. But I had seen it. I had felt it.
He let out a soft sigh.
“It seems I must revise my previous statement about you being smart,” he said.
Before I could react, he added, “Aurora, it seems you are not just smart—you are also very wise for someone your age.”
His words only solidified the growing realization that Loki was not as young and carefree as he initially appeared.
For a moment, we simply sat in silence, watching the flames flicker in the fireplace. The warmth, the exhaustion of the day, and the weight of emotions made my eyelids grow heavy.
“I can see you’re getting tired,” he said, rising from his chair.
I gave him a small smile. “You’d think that after being asleep for more than two years, I’d be able to stay awake for more than a few hours,” I joked.
“Your body is still adjusting, so I think you should listen to it and do as it needs for now. In your bedroom, you’ll find sleeping garments in the wardrobe. Tomorrow, my mother will assist you in choosing a chambermaid, but if you need any assistance getting ready for bed tonight, I can send for a servant.”
I looked at him for a moment before realizing that having servants must be entirely normal for a prince. While I didn’t think I needed help dressing and undressing, I decided to take the matter up with Frigga in the morning.
“I think I can manage on my own for tonight,” I said with a small smile as we walked toward the door.
He opened it and stepped into the hallway before turning back to me. “Goodnight, my lady. I hope you sleep well.”
The way he said it made everything suddenly feel very real—I was standing in a palace, speaking to a prince, in another realm.
“Goodnight, my prince,” I said with a teasing smile, adding a small curtsey.
I saw a smile form on his lips as well. Slowly, he turned and walked away, disappearing down the long corridor.
Tired as I was, I closed my door and entered the bedroom. In the wardrobe, I found a long, beautiful light blue nightgown. I changed into it, draped my green dress over the chair beside the bed, and climbed into the large four-poster bed.
As I lay down, I couldn’t help but think about the sheer absurdity of everything that had happened today. But thinking of Loki made me smile again.
It wasn’t long before my eyes fell shut, and I was out like a light.