Unforeseen

An Overture for an Overture

I rolled my eyes at my fiancé. He knew full well that I wasn't going to make him any sort of promise about that, especially when his mischievous eyes were glinting like that. I was more than happy to agree to marry the trickster, but I wasn't about to make a deal with his devilish grin. Not deigning to offer him any further answer, I started walking towards the edge of the stage, intending to leave the auditorium and join Loki up in the king's box when the good-natured voice of Lord Baldur came ringing from the chamber's grand doorway as they were flung open, "Ah, Lady Penelope, I see you've found your way onto the stage! It's a lovely view from there isn't it?"

"Stunning!" The word burst from me as flinched in shock at the lords' sudden entrance into the auditorium. My gaze flicked quickly up to see that Loki's illusion disguise of Odin was back in place, making sure that his true identity was not discovered. Relieved by that I turned my attention back to Lords Baldur and Bragi as I waved behind me at the rest of the stage, "I feel like a Primadonna standing up here."

"You look like one, a true lady of the stage!" Bragi commented as his expression became appraising. After a second or two of being lost in his thoughts, he asked, "Does the lady sing?"

My brows flew up my forehead in momentary surprise and I shook my head a little, "I wouldn't say-"

"She does and she sings well." Odin-Loki called from his perch in the king's box. It was the lords' turn to jump a little as the king's voice unexpectedly spoke from above, startling them. The Allfather seemed to ignore the start he'd given his lords as he continued to speak looking directly at me instead, "She has been so kind as to oblige me and sing to me a time or two. Her voice is like that of a nightingale."

Gosh darn it, Loki! I'd just managed to get my blushing under control! "Allfather, your compliment is far too generous!"

Baldur got over his surprise first, beaming up at the king, "There you are Allfather!"

Lord Bragi nodded respectfully up to the king to acknowledge him and his statement before his gauging gaze returned to me quickly as he asked, "Do you preform?"

"Not really-" I started to answer as I hurriedly descended the stage's steps.

The Allfather cut in again. "But she should."

I swiveled my gaze up to him as I approached the lords, my face clearly asking, 'what the heck?' What was he doing? His compliments were kind, but I didn't want Lord Bragi to think I was some kind of Christine Da'ae or anything!

Beside shooting me an almost imperceptible rascally look, Odin-Loki ignored my questioning gaze, leaning over the box's railing as he continued speaking to Bragi, "Her renditions of Midgardian music are delightful. Perhaps you could entreat her to perform a song for you one day."

To my own surprise, Lord Bragi seemed intrigued, "I am unfamiliar with the music of Midgard..."

"It is rather different than the music of the rest of the realms. The Midgardians have much variation in their musical tastes and Lady Penelope's collection is a good sampling amalgamation of the different kinds." The king went on to say, continuing to somewhat subtly talk me up.

Seriously, what was he up to?

Lord Bragi turned to me again, raising one hand to stroke thoughtfully at his beard, the wheels in his mind turning, "Actually, Lady Penelope, if you have a voice, would you consider singing a song from Midgard in the opening night's performance?"

I blinked at him, stunned, "What?"

"That is quite an honor, Lord Bragi." The Allfather's voice, for just a second, sounded almost as surprised as I felt.