Choices

Chapter 8
Cephera had spoken to Loki over breakfast and even though she was going home early in the morning he wanted her to meet him in his current training room after his lessons with Amora. She was excited. She was more than excited she was elated and having trouble not dancing on her toes.
Her sister was wryly looking at her though her less than excited eyes. "I don't like him," She said. "He's cold, arrogant, sometimes borderline rude, selfish." Seraphina was trying to find new things to describe the younger prince. "He reminds me of misery waiting to happen." She finished.
"Well I think it's absolutely wonderful of him to take time out to show me magic." Cephera defended him. "That's not selfish at all."
"He's not doing it for you. He's doing it to shut up his father. You'd do well to remember that. He's not your friend sister. He's a conniving misfit." Seraphina replied.
"I'm training with him and that's final," Cephera finally said sternly.
"Whatever. It's your decision, but don't forget what I said. He's not doing it to help you, but to help himself." Seraphina shrugged and watched as Cephera waved goodbye. Cephera tried her very best to not let anything bring her down. She tried living life to the most she could get and that meant very little brooding and being open minded about the things around her and the people.
She made her way to the rooms she knew to be the ones where Loki practiced with the sorceress Amora. She hadn't met Amora. She had seen glimpses of her. She was very beautiful with her golden hair and tall lithe body. Cephera couldn't help but look when she saw her throughout the week.
She stopped at the doorway to the room and peered in giving a soft knock to the exterior of the door to alert the two people inside of her presence. Amora was standing with Loki speaking with him and when she turned her beautiful bright blue eyes scanned her from head to toe. Loki had mentioned today would be talking only and so she was wearing an elaborate dress of golden lace and blue silks.
Amora approached her with an appreciative smile and an elegant sway. "So you are the Princess Cephera," Amora said her smile changing to a coy almost flirty one. She extended a hand for a shake. Cephera took it and gasped in shock as Amora pulled her forward and kissed her on the lips. The kiss was brief, but she noticed the look she gave Loki after she'd done it. "You taste as sweet as you look." Amora told her making her blush as Amora licked her lips. "It was nice meeting you at last." Amora waved as she left the room. Cephera remained speechless not even able to greet the woman properly.
"My apologies. She enjoys men and woman." Loki told Cephera; his tone had changed. He was aroused by Amora's actions.
"I'm afraid I do not return the sentiment," Cephera said awkwardly.
"I'll let her know so that it doesn't happen again." He assured her. "Shall we get started." He made a gesture to the table where he laid out some books. Cephera sat down her face still flushed. "I've decided to start very basic." He explained. "You are going back to your realm tomorrow for a while and I want you to take this journal I composed for you last night and learn how to read these tomes." Cephera felt flattered that he had gone through such lengths for her. "Today I will spend teaching you how to read some basic stuff." She nodded and he joined her across the way.
They spent a couple of hours going over some basic placing of words. He was patient with her and she slowly found herself able to actually make out stuff on the pages quicker. The time with him was well spent. He wasn't at all how she thought he might be. She expected him to maybe raise his voice at her if she took too long getting the hang of some things, but he hadn't at any point done that. He drew his fingers over the page elegantly to point out all the stuff she'd need to get the hand of reading the language.
"You're a fast learner." He commented sounding relieved. "I thought so from our first lesson on the hillside." He added. "When you return it will be very fruitful I think. Your training should prove interesting."
"Thank you for the opportunity, no matter your reasons for them." She replied remembering what her sister had said. Loki raised an eyebrow from across the way.
"What do you mean?" He inquired.
"My sister insists you only do this for yourself. To quiet your fathers tongue and make yourself look good for the deed." Cephera admitted. Had her sister been there she would have easily told Loki it on her own.
"And what do you think?" He asked leaning his elbows on the table.
"I think she's right ..." Loki grinned. "But I think over time you'll see that we could be friends." Loki seemed a little taken back by this.
"Do not get your hopes up. Even those I call friends I am not truly close too." He admitted to her waving his hand at her. "I've no need for anymore friends. Your sister is correct. Does this make you any less eager to learn?" He asked keeping his eyes steadily on her.
"No. I want to learn." She insisted.
"Good." He grinned. "You've picked up a enough today. Study that book the rest of the day and take those with you as well. When you return we will begin to preform some lesser spells and gage your strengths and weaknesses." Cephera nodded.
"You won't regret this." She assured him smiling wide.
"I certainly hope not. I hate having my time wasted." His words were made in a harsh tone, but she didn't let it get to her. He was a cold and harsh kind of guy, but he held other tones too. She was confident that someday they would be friends.
(Loki)
Loki lay in his bed his arms causally behind his head. By daylight the twin princess's would be gone. She hadn't said how long she would be gone for, but at least he had some relaxing time though he actually looked forward to training her. He expected her to squirm, whimper and beg for lenience from him, but he would not give it. Something about having someone of his same station begging him to take it easy on her was exciting.
She was attractive, but what he said to Amora was true. She was but a simpering child that he had no want or need to bed, but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy hearing her beg for something. She didn't seem the type to take kindly to pain or harsh training no matter how much she thought she could handle. He was interested to see just how far he could push her before she got close to breaking. He couldn't break her, he'd look bad, but he could push her to her ultimate limits.
Loki smiled in the darkness. Not many people saw his darkest side. The side that enjoyed watching people squirm and suffer. He didn't do truly bad things, but his mischief sometime borderlined malicious. He couldn't help it. Those who pissed him off paid the price and those who he saw as challenging also put themselves in a difficult spot with him. She wasn't a challenge nor had she pissed him off to a large degree, but she was something new. Like a horse needed breaking in. If she stuck with it he saw potential in her to become a great magic user and yes a part of him would love to see that and claim her as his creation. As a master of magic that taught such a meek girl how to be powerful.
Loki rolled over at last as he finally began to get tired. He ran over the list of spells he would teach her first when she returned and he fell asleep still thinking about them.
XxX
Both himself and Thor saw the two princess's off at the Byfrost accompanied by the warriors three and Sif. Cephera promised to return in a week and her sister also announced her pending return which Loki thought odd as she didn't seem to like it there, but he didn't question it. He didn't care. They were gone directly after the send off and by midday Loki was sitting out in the grass doing as he always did, reading.
"Loki," Thor said announcing his presence. Loki looked up and watched as Thor sat beside him. "Beautiful day," Thor said smiling. Loki cocked an eyebrow at his brother. Why did Thor care about the weather?
"Yes lovely. You did not come here to just talk about the weather," Loki said to Thor knowingly.
"You're right. I wanted to talk to you about Cephera." Thor admitted chuckling.
"What about?" Loki asked turning his face toward the sky.
"I wanted to commend you for your offer to her. That was nice of you." Thor told him slapping a hand to Loki's back as he did often.
"Do not think me so charitable. The girl has no idea what's in store for her. I offer it to keep father off my back and to give me something to do, I don't do it for her." Loki replied scoffing at Thor's idiocy.
"No matter your reasons Loki it surely has made her happier than when she first arrived and so it still counts toward doing something for her." Loki didn't like that train of reasoning. He didn't just do things without a reason. He didn't give without getting in return, it just wasn't how he worked.
"See it as you like brother." Loki responded after a second. "The real test will be how long before she runs from this training." Loki smirked as a silly image of such an occurrence danced through his thoughts.
"Now Loki, take it easy on her. She's a small fragile thing." Thor chided him. Loki scowled.
"I will not. If she cannot enter this training seriously and ready for whatever I have for her then she is a waste of my good time." Loki stood. "She will receive my training with no special treatment." Loki added and left Thor where he was. He trudged across the grass insulted that Thor would think Loki should give her special treatment because she is a fragile princess from another realm. It was preposterous for Loki to even fathom. No one learns properly by being babied. He'd warned her of the pain he would cause her. Warned her he would not go easy on her and she accepted that. Should she ask for mercy he would remind her of her own words.
It wouldn't start off painful anyhow, but as she grew into the harder spells it would. Especially the combat spells. There was only one way to practice combat spells and that was to have an opponent. Loki would be that opponent and she would be forced to face his wraith or suffer. He guessed that this was why Amora herself didn't challenge Loki on his combat magic as she didn't want to fight him and she was a smart woman for it. The princess had no idea what she was getting herself into, but for as long as she agrees she will be his student and if she survives she will become his first and finest protégé.
Loki made it to his room where he buried himself in his books. Documenting spells he had yet to master and others he had not even yet tried. He hoped Cephera was studying back home. He hated to have to teach her everything when she got back. He didn't like to be held back and he hated not being listened to. If she was to be his student she would have to learn to do everything he expected of her. He hoped she was a fast leaner. That would make things go by much more quickly. So far she seemed to be. It suddenly occurred to Loki that the task he had set out for himself would take years of devotion on both their parts as there was so many different kinds of magic and so many spells to be learned. Even at his current age of 455 he hadn't even scratched the surface. Could he dedicate his time for centuries to train this girl? Loki felt a grin beam across his face. Of course he could. He had patience enough for it and as he thought before it was a good way for him to stay sharp on his magic and learn new things.

Notes

For those not following me through Facebook, tumblr or other means my novel is coming along wonderfully and is almost completed for its rough draft. Cannot wait to get into the editing! Thanks for all the continued support. You guys are my rocks and my motivation to continue writing!!! I would have never made it so far without all of you.