Part 17: Confrontations and disagreements

"That wasn't fair, I wasn't ready" I clambered to my feet and brushed myself off. Loki had decided that we should exercise my powers, much to Sif's dismay, but I think she was more envious than angry toward me. Being princesses we aren't to participate in such activities, we are in words 'too dainty' Women of our stature are supposed to smile brightly and curtsey, but both of us missed the swing of a sword and only I was allowed to indulge myself without being frowned upon by the others, if Sif were to practice her craft without a persuading enough reason, then she wouldn't be a princess fit for her title.

But, Loki decided it was a good idea and therefore it was a good idea, no need to say more "you said that last time, and the time before that, and the time bef..."

"Ok, ok I get it"

"Then learn to protect yourself, in a true scenario your attacker won't give you a countdown to when he fires, he won't wait until you are ready" I asked him to be honest, I wanted feedback not baby talk, and I suppose I got what I asked for.

I got back into position, then stood normally with one hand on my hip as I had a sudden thought "I read about Vanir magic, and none of it is offence, it's all nature and growth"

I was being an irritating student which was evident in Loki's expression as he stood up straight "I told you, because your magic is mixed with Aesir qualities, the magic has been modified"

"Yes but, is that actually a thing?"

"Apparently so" My life had become one big farfetched mystery, which I was solving one day at a time while finding more mystery. It's funny when you're a child, you don't particularly think much of yourself, you don't picture a good future for yourself, but as it happens and things become a blur, you miss those days of bliss ignorance and innocence.

Loki got back into position but was interrupted by a voice behind him, his jaw tensed and his eyes hardened, this was going to be a very long day "my king, might I have words?" Sif stood behind him wearing an expression that was just as equally hard as Loki's, she was angry. Loki nodded with a slight pause, he did not favour these constant interruptions "in private perhaps..." her eyes darted to me and then darted away just as quickly, she was signalling that the conversation wasn't for my ears, yet subtlety was not her strong suit.

He huffed "whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of her"

Sif bit her lip and tilted her head a little "very well... I don't feel this training is appropriate, and neither is your relationship"

His head turned swiftly to her "know your place Sif!"

"My place is to look after the princess, she is not to indulge in fighting. As for your relationship, at the very least it is improper at this time, she has yet to choose a husband should we find the lost prince, which by the way is still an ongoing search..."

"Our relationship is of no concerns of yours Sif, so I advise you not to whine further on the subject, as far as her training goes, she must learn to control her abilities"

"I respect that but I think it would be wise to exercise the more... Vanir qualities in her powers, and not the Asgardian, after all she is of Vanaheim royalty now" Loki's eyes tightened around her face like he was squeezing it until it was crushed, there was such an atmosphere of hate between them, often they would try not to acknowledge it, but it was always present whenever they spoke.

"And what do you know about this subject? Sif" he spat her name with such spite, I wondered if he cut the inside of his cheek with that sharp tongue.

She bit her lip again "I don't need to know how to make three of myself to know that a princess shouldn't be doing this" it was hard for her to say, she loved fighting more than any of us.

"Alright, lets say we stop training, and one day she gets angry, lets say she really hurts someone, but she can't stop it, and lets say, hypothetically, that it's your fault, because you don't think it's 'proper'"

She gritted her teeth and went to argue "I'm sorry but don't I have a say in what I do with my magic?" both of their eyes darted to me and it felt like I was holding Asgard on my shoulders "why don't I just practice both?"

"It's quite a jump from blowing things up to growing flowers" said Loki in a mocking tone.

"It's better than standing here and watching you two fight over what I do with my magic, I want to practice both" they both seemed on edge, but if I didn't step in then they would have been fighting for another hour.

Sif turned to me "we only want whats best for you..."

"I know but you're both wrong, you both want different things, so why not do both"

"Very well, I will teach you whatever you ask of me" Sif's face screwed up for she had lost the battle, I smiled warmly to Loki as Sif turned on her heel and left the training grounds.

"So, where were we?"

He pretended to think "you were falling over"

I jabbed him in the side and he wrapped his arms around my stomach, pulling my back against him "hey!" I giggled as he started to lift me from the ground, I pretended to try and wriggle out of his grip, but truth be told I wanted him to hold me for the rest of my life.

Then as I began to laugh unconrollably, Ake came on to the feild, Loki began to lower me and I heard him whisper under his breath "great" I felt the same though I didn't say it, we had just had a confrontation with Sif and we didn't particularly want another with Ake, he was going to be sensible and sound like an angry father.

As my feet touched the ground, Loki's arms detacthed from me as I pushed stray hair from my face, why can't we ever share a moment without someone butting in? "Ake, what are you doing here? I thought I was meeting you later"

"I just saw Sif, she almost chopped my head off when I said hello"

"Oh that's just fantastic" Loki said irritatedly.

"So..."

I'm not sure he knew why he was there "well I didn't even know you had powers"

I furrowed my eyebrows "how could you not know? You were there when I woke up... I assumed you knew" I can understand his anger, he was my best friend and he didn't even know that I found undiscovered magic "why didn't he know?" I turned to Loki who's irritated expression hadn't gone yet.

"It must have slipped my mind" I raised an eyebrow "besides it wasn't my place to tell him, how was I to know whether you wanted to keep it a secret or not"

I turned from Loki to Ake "well ok then" Ake shook his head "what?"

"Nothing, I'll see you later" he went to leave but I called him back "look I have to go, I'll see you later, I promise"

I turned to Loki, I wanted to go after him but I didn't want to leave Loki high and dry "go, I've got things to do, perks of being a king" there was a slightly saddened look in his eye but I felt compeled to go after Ake, I took Loki's hand and shook it a little as I looked into his eyes, then I turned and ran after Ake, I felt guilty about leaving Loki but I had to know what was going on with Ake, you know what I'm like.

When I caught up to him I grabbed his arm to stop his from walking "hey, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about"

He rolled his eyes "I just... I don't think he's being completely honest with you that's all, I mean after everything he's done how can you just... Forget?"

"How did you? You're the one who wasn't happy with him being king and now you're his adviser, and what do you mean not honest? He didn't think it was his place okay"

He knew I was right and completely ignored my first question "I don't know obviously, I don't know whats going on in his head do I? Thank goodness"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"He's a psychopath Eerika! Why can't you see that! Sure he's only lied about this one small thing but soon he'll be lying to you about catasrophic things, maybe he'll kill me, maybe he'll slaughter half of Asgard and blame it on bildgsnipe, maybe he'll go back to Midgard and finish what he started, and maybe he'll hurt you!" my eyes were welling up with tears and I didn't even feel my hand lift and slap him with the back of my hand.

He seemed shocked at first, then his hand came to touch his face and he twisted his head back to face me "Ake I'm... I'm so sorry... I..."

"Or maybe you'll just turn into him" he said quietly and then left.

"Ake! I'm sorry! Ake!" he just kept walking, but I didn't go after him, I just stood there as tears trickled down my cheeks, I was lucky that I hadn't done something worse, I could have really hurt him, maybe worse than I did to Loki, I couldn't live with myself if I had done worse to Loki, or if I did anything to Ake.

I ran straight to Loki, I couldn't go to Sif, she'd only rub my face in it, and Fandrall and the others... Well I couldn't really talk to them, but it was Loki who I thought of first anyway. I found him in the throne room talking to someone, I didn't want to intrude so I went to turn and leave but then I heard Loki call me back "Eerika? Are you alright?" I turned back to him as he dismissed whoever he was talking to and then beckoned me over "what happened? What did Ake say to you?" I could see the fury in his face so I shook my head.

"I hurt him"

Loki seemed slightly taken aback "this is why we have to practice..."

"No! Not with my magic, I, hurt him, I, hit him, right accross the face"

"Why?"

"He was saying all these horrible things, he called you a psychopath and said that you would hurt me and the people of Asgard, he said you lied to me and I just couldn't listen to it anymore... I just can't belive I hit him, my best friend"

He placed a hand on each of my shoulders and began to rub them "listen to me, he was out of line"

"But I shouldn't have hit him, that wasn't the right way to handle it..."

He stepped a little closer to me and looked straight into my eyes "I'm sure he'll get over it, just be thankful nothing worse happened" I nodded and he pulled me into him, stroking my hair softly, then after a moment he leaned back a little "what does he think I lied to you about?"

"He thinks you weren't telling me the whole truth about why you didn't tell him I have powers"

Loki sighed deeply and I pulled away so that I could look at him "he was right, I didn't" I looked at him confused "tell you the whole truth I mean" my expression didn't change "I didn't know if you wanted to keep it a secret or not that was true, what I didn't say is that I also didn't say anything because in my own, maybe perverted way I wanted to have you all to myself, I thought he might try and interfere"

My heart melted into his eyes and tiptoed to his level so that I could kiss him, it wasn't often that we could share anykind of moment, so I kissed him like I may never get the chance to again, when we pulled away he used his thumb to wipe the tears from my cheeks and then kissed me on the forehead. I didn't know if the relationship would work out, our lives were both filled with conflict, but we could share in that, I had hope it could work.