Eirlys had barely returned to her chambers when she finally allowed herself to breathe. Everything had changed in a matter of hours, and she was only beginning to understand how much of her life had been decided without her. She removed the engagement ring from her finger, still in disbelief, placing it carefully on the table beside her belongings. She was staring at it when the doors opened, she turned her head back to find Loki, about had walked in as though the chamber belonged to him. She stared at him for a moment, then at the open doors behind him. Of course, he did not even bother announcing himself. Such a jerk.
Loki closed the doors and looked toward her, his expression carrying the faintest hint of amusement. There was something almost irritatingly comfortable about the way he entered, as though he had every right to appear in her chambers whenever he pleased. He stopped a few steps away, studying her carefully. His gaze dropped to the ring on her vanity before returning to her face. Eirlys watched Loki long after the door had closed behind him.
Eirlys folded her arms. She knew that look. "Why are you here at this hour?"
Loki wanted to know what she had been discussing with Sif. Naturally, he would not ask directly. Instead, he approached slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, wearing that polished expression that made it impossible to tell whether he was being sincere or preparing another manipulation. Eirlys watched him without moving. She was not going to make things easy for him. Loki seemed to realize it too. A faint smile touched his lips. Whatever conversation he had come here expecting, he had discovered that his future wife was no longer the same woman he had manipulated hours earlier. And judging by the amusement in his eyes, he was already curious to discover what had changed.
Loki cleared his throat, almost theatrically, before giving her a faintly amused smile. "Oh, can't I come here to see my pretty bride?"
Eirlys nearly rolled her eyes at him, but somehow stopped herself. "You mean, bride-to-be."
The correction made Loki pause. He weighed the words carefully, his expression remaining composed even as his mind began turning over every possibility. Bride-to-be and not bride. Had something happened while she had been with Sif? Had Sif told her everything and made her reconsider the engagement? Was Eirlys already preparing to call the entire arrangement off? He studied her face, searching for some indication, but she gave him nothing. He could not tell what she was thinking, and that unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
It was late enough that his presence in her chambers was already questionable. Even in a palace where everyone knew about their engagement, there were boundaries that could not simply be ignored. If someone saw Loki leaving Eirlys's chambers at this hour, whispers would begin before morning. Servants would talk and nobles would sure notice. By sunrise, an innocent conversation could become an entirely different story. Eirlys seemed perfectly aware of that, judging by the way she kept glancing toward the doors. Loki, however, appeared entirely unconcerned. He had entered with the confidence of a man who believed himself entitled to be there, though even he knew that staying too long would invite exactly the sort of gossip Eirlys wanted to avoid.
Eirlys finally spoke up. "Whatever it is, save it for the morning. I'm tired of you men deciding everything for me. Leave, it's not appropriate for you to be here. What if someone sees?"
Loki wanted precisely that, someone to see, or to be more accurate, he wanted Thor to see. His expression remained perfectly innocent as he moved toward the door, but the truth was that he had chosen his route carefully before ever stepping into Eirlys's chambers. He had taken the corridor that passed directly by Thor's chambers, knowing his brother was still awake. He had even slowed his steps outside, allowing enough time for Thor to notice where he was going and he had no intention of explaining that decision to anyone, least of all Eirlys.
He wanted Thor to know that he had been here. He wanted him to imagine why. The possibilities were far more useful than anything Loki could have said aloud. Thor's temper was predictable, and his feelings for Eirlys were no longer a secret to Loki. If Thor saw his brother entering the chambers of the woman he had wanted, he would fill in the rest himself. So Loki lingered just long enough. He waited for the slightest sign that Thor had noticed him, then finally turned back toward Eirlys with an almost unbearably innocent expression. He could leave now. The damage, he hoped for, had already begun.
Loki had almost reached the door when Eirlys's voice stopped him. "So now you're leaving without saying anything? That's very unlike you. Anyway, good to know that you know how to behave."
There was a faint edge of amusement in her voice, enough to make Loki glance back over his shoulder. Eirlys was watching him with an expression that was almost smug. Almost. She had expected an argument, a clever remark, or perhaps another attempt to irritate her until she gave him the reaction he wanted. His silence was unexpected enough to make her suspicious.
Loki's mouth curved slightly, but he said nothing. That only made her more determined. Eirlys crossed the chamber toward him, her footsteps quiet against the floor. She stopped close enough that she had to tilt her chin slightly to meet his eyes. Loki looked down at her, his expression becoming more attentive as she held his gaze without the slightest hesitation.
She wanted him to understand something: She was not afraid of him, his title, reputation, the sharp tongue or even the calculating mind that everyone in Asgard seemed to fear. And certainly not of the fact that he was now her intended husband. Eirlys had known Loki since they were children. She had watched him hide behind Thor when they were young, had seen him become quieter as everyone else grew louder, had watched him learn to turn every feeling into something clever enough that no one could touch it.
She knew the boy beneath the prince and maybe that was why she refused to let the man intimidate her. Her expression softened only slightly as she looked into his eyes, but her voice remained firm. She reminded him, without needing to raise her voice, that whatever happened between them, he would not frighten her into obedience. He could manipulate kingdoms if he wished. He could deceive gods and princes and make everyone else question what was real. But he would not do that to her, Loki listened and weirdly for someone as good as him with words, had was no immediate retort. He simply looked at her, almost fascinated by the confidence in her face.
Eirlys did not notice the shadow beyond the doors, Thor had stopped in the corridor. He had not intended to listen. At least, that was what he told himself. But he had recognized Loki's voice and then Eirlys's, and his feet had carried him toward them before reason could intervene. The doors were closed, leaving only the warm light beneath them. From where he stood, Thor could see their shadows moving across the floor. Eirlys stood close to Loki. Far too close.
Her silhouette tilted upward toward his, while Loki's taller figure remained directly before her. Thor's stomach twisted. He could not hear every word through the heavy doors. He caught only fragments, soft enough to be meaningless and yet somehow painful. He watched Eirlys move even closer as bis hands curled into fists. Inside the chamber, Eirlys was still holding Loki's gaze, completely unaware that the very sight of them together was becoming another wound for Thor. She finished what she had to say and stepped back, satisfied that she had made herself clear. Loki watched her retreat with a quiet, unreadable expression.
He turned toward her again, his expression suddenly thoughtful. "Well, before I leave, I must…"
He let the sentence trail away as he stepped closer making Eirlys frown. Loki continued until there was barely any space between them, then leaned toward her just enough for their shadows to merge beneath the light spilling through the doorway. From the corridor, it would look intimate. Deliberately so.
Eirlys stared at him in confusion. "What are you trying to d—?"
Before she could finish the question, Loki lifted his palm gently but firmly over her mouth. Her eyes widened as he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for her. "Be still. My dear brother is watching."
Something about the way he had spoken to her had changed. His words had been smooth, almost playful, but there had been an edge beneath them, something carefully concealed beneath that familiar, infuriating smile. She was beginning to understand that Loki rarely said anything without a reason. Eirlys froze and for one stunned second, she could only stare at him. Loki kept his hand where it was, his eyes holding hers with an almost maddening calmness. There was no amusement in his expression now, only that calculating look she had come to recognize far too well.
"You knew Thor was outside," she said quietly.
Loki stopped and for the briefest moment, his expression betrayed him. Then he turned, one eyebrow lifting. "Did I?"
"You did."
A soft laugh escaped him. "And what makes you so certain?"
"Because you kept looking toward the doorway before you came near me. And because you knew exactly how close you needed to stand for anyone watching to misunderstand."
The amusement disappeared from Loki's face.
Eirlys folded her arms. "You wanted him to think something happened."
Outside, Thor finally turned away. He did not wait to hear anything more. He had seen enough to let his imagination do the rest. Loki knew Thor was still outside. He had known it from the moment the faint shadow appeared beneath the doors, and the knowledge brought a quiet satisfaction he carefully concealed. Eirlys, however, remained completely unaware.