seven
"it's a fraud!"

It had been two days since the feast and Lusine had not come out of her room once. She'd have Cloris fetch whatever she desired, the maid being her only form company for two days straight. The sweet little girl was actually beginning to grow on her, despite her former belief that she was far too beneath her for such a friendship to begin to blossom.

"Cloris, fetch my dress for the Winter Ball, will you?" She barks, rolling over on her side in the comfort of her bed, shaven legs brushing against the silk sheets. "It's tonight and I'm not ready."

"Emotionally? Or just not presentably?" Cloris sasses, pushing herself off the bed she'd been invited to lounge upon with Lusine and walking to the wardrobe where the dress had been hanging ever since they'd gotten to Asgard.

Lately, Cloris had come out of her shell a lot more. Her true colours had begun to shine through brightly and Lusine could not deny the fact that this maid was someone she was glad to have around her. For the hours when darkness crept in, having an individual around with more optimism than anyone she'd ever met had its perks.

"Don't even go there," She warns, pushing a hand through her hair as she rolls back over to watch Cloris as she works. "Will you be attending the ball, Cloris?" She stands from the bed with nothing but a thin, white nightgown that brushes against her thighs. Cloris pulls the large emerald gown from the wardrobe, gasping when she turns around to see Lusine so close to her, having slunk from the bed silently.

"No, I- I don't think I am allowed to attend," Cloris splutters, folding the dress over her arms. Lusine steps forward, placing her hands upon Cloris' shoulders, the coldness of her palms sinking into her bones, though no magic follows at the heels.

"You're coming to the ball. I'll make sure you can get in." The Volkov drops her hands from Cloris and smiles. "Now get me in that damn dress so that we can find one for you. I'm sure one of mine will fit you, even if we have to pin the bottom hem a little."

"Thank you, Lusine," Cloris breathes out not quite believing that she would attend the Winter Ball. after years of dreaming of the balls and feasts and courts, she was finally stepping into it herself, in nothing less than Lusine Volkov's shoes.

"Don't thank me, thank my influence," She says, that warmth of doing something so simple for someone and witnessing the effect it had on their happiness. For once, Lusine's mind was clear of clouds and the radiance shone through.

Her lands had not seen the sun's wrath in years, but now it shone and, even if it was only for a day, it was truly glorious.

-

"You look stunning, Cloris," Lusine says, smiling brightly at the girl in the sapphire ball gown. The skirt ripples around her legs, pinches her in at the waist, but allows for her curvaceous figure to be displayed as if she were the lifetime work of a dying artist. "If you don't get a dance tonight, I'll dance with you myself."

"I believe you'll be too caught up with Loki to have time to dance with me," Cloris says laughing as she soothes down the elegantly flowing skirts of her gown, which she was still in a state of disbelief at being hung upon her maid's body.

A servant's body dolled up in clothes fit for a princess. Any moment, she knows she'll wake up back in her tiny, itchy bed back in the servant's quarters ready to begin yet another day of washing, cleaning and tending. And yet, no matter how many times she pinches herself, she isn't waking up.

This is real.

This is a dream come true.

Lusine strides forward, grabs Cloris' rough and worn hand, and tugs her toward the door.

"I know I'm usually late, but I don't want to miss the majority." She runs a finger on the back of Cloris' hand, hoping to sooth whatever rush of emotions had overcome her expression in the final moments before their departure. "So, come on!" Lusine exclaims, rolling her eyes at her new-found friend in an attempt for humour.

"Alright, alright!" Cloris giggles, following Lusine out of the door and beaming brightly all the way, cheeks flushed and attention flickering all over the place as excitement hung around her neck.

"Can you dance, Cloris?" She asks, glancing briefly down at their hands intertwined with a flicker of a smile on her lips. She lifts up her head, holding it high with pride as she looks over Cloris' face, adoring the purity that lay there as innocently as a lotus flower basking upon the still surface of the pond, teeming with life.

"Yes, I was taught when I was very young," She responds as she remembers fondly the memories of her dance tutor. "My tutor was a wonderful woman. Peculiar, but an amazing woman nonetheless."

"Oh, of course, you know how to dance! Why should I expect any less?" Lusine chuckles as they approach the door. She takes both of Cloris' hands in hers. "You remind me so distinctly of someone I knew once upon a time. You have the same nature as her; bold and yet as dainty as a flower." She smiles, looking down at the maid's hands in remembrance. "I want you to know that."

"Cheer up, Lusine!" Cloris exclaims, seeing the sudden cloud above Lusine rolling in, the thunder clapping in the distance. "Let's go get a drink, all your chatter has made me thirsty." She squeezes Lusine's hands caringly as she sees the saddened look on her face, but her words seem to at least brush the clouds away for a moment.

Cloris' hair bounces as they stride into the hall, Lusine watches it, admires it.

Looking around the hall was not something she wanted to do. Those staring eyes, those whispering lips and judgemental minds were not things she wanted to think about right now. Since her threatening exit from the feast hall she hadn't shown her face and, now that she'd resurfaced at last, all the eyes watching her in her emerald dress, which did not help her with blending in, made her skin crawl.

Lusine barely noticed when Cloris shoved a glass of wine in her hand and told her to smile once again.

Cloris' pep made Lusine throw up inside her mouth sometimes. She could not comprehend how one woman could contain so much joy inside her small body, but she was grateful for the uplift, even if she wasn't used to showing such gratitude.

Between the slow flow of small talk between the maid and her princess, Lusine sipped at her wine. She felt as if she were in the way. A feared blockade for the man on the other side of the room who kept on glancing at Cloris.

Sighing heavily Lusine slams her glass down on the table and turns to Cloris, tired of the flirtation through stolen glances.

"Look, go and dance with that man already. He's been staring at you for a good twenty minutes now and don't think you can pretend you haven't been gazing back at him," Lusine tells her, excusing the maid from her presence, which she hadn't even been confined to in the first place, but it seemed although Cloris didn't want to risk being scolded.

"Thank you, again, Lusine," Cloris gushes, pressing a kiss to Lusine's cheek quickly before moving away, placing her glass on the table. "One thing, you're really not as bad as everyone says you are," She says, turning without any explanation to her words and hurrying across the room in a flash of blue to the man she was destined to dance with.

-

Lusine had been left alone for too long.

Leaving her by herself only meant that Loki would find her and begin spinning silver around her, trapping her in his web. Though, it was unclear whether Lusine would voluntarily submit to this confinement or not.

As he notices her from across the room he shoves his glass into the hands of a stranger without even looking or thanking her for her cooperation. He didn't have to. She seems more than happy to drink the rest of his wine anyway.

Feeling someone's eyes on him he looks to his right. Lycus' eyes burn into him with what seemed like a warning to stay away from his sister, his twin, his former partner in crime. Loki flashed a heart-breaking grin at the Volkov Prince and carried on stalking across the room, with confidence burning hot like the flames of a Winter's fire, towards Lusine.

From behind he wraps his arms around her waist and spins her to face him, the movement one sure to enrapture her, to preserve himself in her attention for the eve.

She greets him with a grin that matched his own heartbreaker of a smile. She was smart; she knew exactly what he was doing and made no protests.

"You," He says, smoothing his thumbs over her hips. "Promised me a dance."

Lusine lifts her arms up and wraps them around his neck, her fingertips tracing lines upon his nape. He was certain, in that moment, that she knew what she was doing and even went to far as to conclude that she'd definitely done this before.

"Indeed, I did," She looks over his shoulder to Lycus who stares at her with obvious anger. She sends him a quizzical look before turning back to Loki. "Let's dance. I don't have all night."

They had been dancing for what seemed like eternity to Lusine, but she didn't mind one bit. Loki turned out to be quite the charmer. He knows exactly where to put his hands to have his desired effect on her while the other guests remain clueless to the increasing pulses, he knows exactly what to whisper to her with that silver tongue of his, and, most importantly, he knows how to dance.

Before coming to Asgard, Lusine had imagined that Thor would be the one who would attempt to charm her. However, she was not disappointed with the actual outcome. Loki was far from a disappointment. In her books, he was everything she'd ever hoped to come across in her lifetime of sin and destruction. Someone to match her pace and, on occasion, even outdo her.

"You do like to stare, don't you?" He asks, laughing down at her with the slight crinkles at the corners of his eyes and his perfect teeth showing.

"I've never met someone as alike to myself," She responds, running her tongue along her bottom lip as she lets her lips curl up into a smile. "I think that's why my brother doesn't like you."

"Lycus Volkov doesn't like anyone but his family and his lover," Loki scoffs.

Lusine smacks the back of his head. "That's my brother you're talking about. He may be annoying, but he and I used to cause havoc together when we were younger. I think he's the only person I would die without." She glances to where her brother dances with Pelia. "And now that undeserving pilot has stolen him from me."

"You can get him back you know? It's simple. There's two ways; force yourself back into his life," Loki says, his fingers sprawling out over the small of Lusine's back. He leans his lips to her ear as he whispers the second option, "Or, kill her."

Lusine looks sideways into his eyes, her smile growing wider and her cheeks glowing with ambition. Her hands snake their way up the back of his neck and into his hair as she asks, "And would a certain God of Mischief be willing to help me in my quest?"

"Of course," He responds and, without the slightest hint of hesitation, presses his lips to Lusine's in the most passionate way he has ever encountered.

Never before had he kissed someone like he currently kisses the chaotic woman, but she matches him move for move. Her eyes flutter closed as she leans into Loki; her breathing slowing as she moved her lips with his in a symphony that could not and would not ever be forgotten; not even when she died and found her spirit released into Valhalla, or, more likely, Hell.

-

1399 words
feb 2016

so, they're becoming partners in crime (kinda) and also he is so into her it's unreal like she doesn't even realise bless her. I have how this is going to end so perfectly but idk whether it's going to run over into a second book or not. toxicates pm me about it and anyone else who has any ideas for what I could do.

I hope everyone's year was fantastic and I hope that 2016 will be better!

love from deathlies, your boo

edited: 9.8.18
new word count: 2081