The Myriad Misadventures of a Midgardian Queen-In-Training || Loki x Reader

Chapter 32

"I never knew Irina could dance like that," Sapphire murmurs. You nod, eyes wide. Who knew that, in addition to being a gifted equestrian, Irina was also a gifted ballerina? "Apparently she went to a really prestigious dance school when she was a kid, but horseback riding messed up her hips or something, so she had to pick."

Rosa rolls her eyes. "Her hips look fine to me." It comes out snarky, but you know she means it as a compliment. Maybe. Maybe not. The animosity between the two of you hasn't lessened - if anything, the fact that the contestant pool has shrunk has only made her come at you harder. But she's like that with everyone, so you've been doing your best not to take it personally.

Irina dips into a deep curtsy as the music winds to a close, and you applaud her along with the rest of the crowd. There are less people here than the last ball, but that only makes you more nervous - it feels too intimate. And with the other girls giving legitimate performances, you're all but terrified at the thought of what you're about to get up and do.

"Thank you for that lovely performance, Lady Irina. Another round of applause!" The emcee checks the note card in his gloved hand. "Next up, we will hear the comedic musical stylings of Lady (Y/N)! Let's give her a hand!"

Picking up the ukulele and piece of paper, walk onstage with the best pageant-style smile you can muster. You place the sheet of paper on the music stand that the emcee helpfully preset just a few moments ago, take a deep breath, and begin to play.

"It would seem we've been here for over a year,

And before I begin, I just want to make clear

That I love all these girls, they're like family to me

But there are lots of other parts of them that you don't see"

The crowd murmurs, shifting slightly. You muster up a quick smile before continuing.

"Rosa...oh Rosa, what can I say?

We've been butting heads since the very first day

I'll admit, I'm kinda jealous of your looks and your sass

And I think we all agree you have a really great ass...piration-to-use-the-skills-learned-at-the-palace-to-create-better-foreign-relation-policies-both-on-a-global-and-interplanetary scale."

You gasp for air after spitting out that last part as quickly as possible, and are pleased to hear more than a few people chuckle at the joke. Feeling substantially less nervous, you go on, both gently making fun of and complimenting the other girls with each stanza. The laughter from the crowd grows, and you find your confidence increasing as the song goes on, and you reach the last bit.

"And then we have the last of all,

She can't walk down the stairs without a trip and a fall,

She isn't even old enough to drink alcohol,

And wrote the lyrics to this song an hour before the ball..."

That line gets an especially big laugh. You give the audience a sheepish grin before continuing.

"But she's happy to be here today with you

And with these wonderful women, to tell you the truth

Without them, I wouldn't be the girl I am now

And with that, the song is over - time to take a bow."

You lower the ukulele with a shaky breath, and smile one last time. "Thank you," you say into the microphone. To your surprise, the crowd goes nuts. Not more so than they did for any of the other girls, of course, but not any less , either - which is to say, they didn't hate it. They liked it. They really liked it. You walk offstage to rejoin the other girls, none of whom look offended - just amused.

"They really loved it!" squeals Sapphire, ever a ray of sunshine. "You okay, (Y/N)"

"Yeah, yeah, just...whew." You shake your head. "Was that okay? I definitely should have warned you guys before hand, but it was all in good fun - "

"Can it, (Y/N)," Rosa snaps. Ah, geez. But when you look over at her, to your surprise, she's wearing a barely-concealed smile - and not a mean one, either. "It was...clever. And you complimented us all in the end, didn't you?"

Relief washes over you. "You think it was clever?"

She rolls her eyes. "I said it was, didn't I?"

"Oh. Um, thanks." You take that as a cue to back off, and you turn back to Sapphy instead. "So, that's it, huh? We're all done?"

"Indeed."

There is a general clamor of "Your majesty!" as the rest of the girls collectively curtsy. You trail behind - it's been so long since you've been this close to him in a group setting, the formalities seem inconsequential.

He smiles. "Well done, ladies. You may return to your rooms to change out of costume, or, if you would like, head straight to join the rest of the guests." You all nod, and disperse.

On your way out of the backstage area, you glance back and see a guard, the one with the short-trimmed hair and the cruel eyes - what was his name, again? - come up behind him and tap him on the shoulder. "Yes?"

Walden whispers into his ear. You know you shouldn't be spying, but something about that guy just gives you the creeps, and now Loki's face has dropped from affable to stone cold.

Aaaaand that's probably a sign that I should book it. You turn around, ready to exit the backstage area as quickly-yet-inconspicuously as possible.

"Wait!" You ignore him, pursing your lips as you pick up the pace ever-so-slightly. Please don't be talking to me, please don't be talking to me, please don't... "(Y/N)!"

Damn . You spin back to face him. Walden, you're relieved, is nowhere to be seen. "Yes?"

"Lady Sapphire. Do you know where she is?"

"Um...I'm assuming in her room? You told us to go change, remember?" You take a slight step back. You've seen him look startled, scared, stern, but this anger is new. He isn't yelling, isn't doing anything but wear that same stark expression, but in spite of that - in spite of the fact that, as far as you can tell, he doesn't seem to be mad at you - you are suddenly very, very afraid. "What's the matter?"

"I see. Go down and join the party. I will return shortly." He starts off towards the dormitory wing of the castle, and you hike up your skirts to chase after him. His height and pace mean you have to jog a few steps for every one of his strides.

"Is she okay? What happened?" He continues wordlessly forward, until, in a moment of sudden frustration, you grab his sleeve to stop him. "Hey! Can you hear me? What's wrong?"

He yanks his arm from your grasp. "What is wrong is that Lady Sapphire has been discovered committing treason, and I am currently headed to have her arrested and dismissed from the competition. Now, if you please, out of my way."

With a wave of his hand, you are enveloped in an unexpected cloud of green, which dissolves to reveal he has teleported you - and only you - back to the ball. You are approached by a few polite partygoers who give you vague compliments on your performance, and you switch into autopilot: greeting people, signing autographs, making small talk, trying not to spill any food or drink on your dress. But all the while, you're fixating on what he just told you. Sapphire? Treason?

What the hell could have happened?