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In the palace, in one of the great halls, stands Hjuki Eyvindrson in his noble regalia of silverblue and midnight. His curls are tamed neatly, his beard trimmed. Such a winsome Elf. There have been ladies of the court glancing his way, chatting him up. There's a woman even now flirting with him, twisting her hair around a fingertip as they speak, and Kai, ever kind and friendly, indulges her politely. The Elf keeps an eye out, though. This lady isn't who he's hoping to run into.
There certainly is a lot of vise to resist in Asgard. Loyalty, in general, seems a little more flexible, and particularly in the palace, where the royal family and its extensions tend to quietly have their fun. Loki, the shape shifter, in his youth, at the center of it, then later…not so much, living cautiously in the land of plots and lies. No doubt that Kai has been regarded with respect in this regard, to have transfixed the mercurial prince away from old sins. And…Kai is also no doubt viewed as quite the catch, so he has had no shortage of people similar to the lady, trying to tempt him away for an evening.
Loki makes a show of NOT being possessive, and /yet/, he does seem to often show up during such flirtations. He may be keeping a subtle, closer eye on Kai than he wants others to know about. Almost /predictably/ does the frosty one arrive, seeming casual, though his walk is like sex, all clad in leather, with a swishing green cape. No horns at the moment. "Ahhhh, Kai…and…is it," he looks the woman up and down, "Brani?" Its not.
Kai perks up visibly, standing a little taller, his smile broad and dimpled as he turns toward Loki. It is as if the sun has finally come peeking out from behind the clouds when his love appears. "Loki," he says with affection, holding out a hand to the Prince. Not even the fairest of maids or strappingest of lads have turned his eye.
The woman bows, paying courtesy to the Prince. "Lira, Your Highness. I was just telling Master Eyvindrson about the expansive gardens in the courtyard." There's guilt upon her features, though. She knows her intentions toward the Elf.
Loki reaches out to place his hand behind Kai's back, sliding it down to the small of it, slowly and possessively. His other hand, he reaches out to touch the middle knuckle of his first finger under her chin, a superior and condescending gesture, "Lira…many thanks for the brief entertainment of my guest. You are lovely, but no longer needed."
Kai leans into the touch and turns his head toward Loki, gaze lowered demurely. All those little flirtations Lira has been trying to coax out of the Elf show up for Loki, the flutter of lashes, that small, inviting smile. Lira drops her gaze, looking chagrined briefly, but then she smiles and says, "It is my pleasure, "Prince Loki." Then she inclines her head to Kai and makes her way out of the great hall.
Kai watches her go, then admits to Loki in a low tone, "She wasn't particularly subtle, but still, it's flattering. How does the day find you, my love?"
"It finds me eager to show you the extensive gardens. That sounds like a marvelous idea." Loki chuckles and grins slyly. "I am well enough. Better, now. So, shall we? And, I am glad you get to experience it, here, where such things are more formal, instead of so crass, as on Midgard."
Kai gestures toward the gardens and says, "Let's." Now that he's stopped worrying about what people will think seeing them together, he wants to go out where they might be seen. His gait is elegant, proving he can be quite formal when called upon. Quite the noble little Elf. "I have to admit, I like it a lot better than the last time I was here. I was here for the trial, then sent to Alfheim. I didn't get much time to appreciate its beauty." He gazes at Loki as he says that bit, about Asgard's beauty. "Doctor Strange put in a good word with your mum about me. I hope she likes me."
"Doc-tor-Strange, yesssss…he is a tricky one to figure out, entirely. I am torn between liking him and despising him, on principle. Still, I know you are rather fond." Loki starts leading the way, the two of them showing each other off to everyone else. It IS pretty formal around here. The idea that the two of them are walking as more than friends is the most anyone would normally see in public…when not at a party, that is. The daytime is tame. The daytime also shows off the garden beautifully. There is a section of it that has a few plants from Alfheim, and a few from Midgard as well. Vanaheim also has a section. Those left out are the extreme realms, whose plants are ferociously adapted to only their own environment. Some orchid-like blooms dangle from structures similar to lenai, and oppulence surrounds giant statues that constantly remind others of Odin, Tyr, Heimdall and the rest. Somewhere, no doubt, are Thor and Loki, but in some newer part. This old section is magnificently tangled together, such that the new growth of plants is actually helping hold together some of the stone constructions, whilst destroying others.
"It's true, he's a good friend to me," Kai says. "We have tea often." Of course they do, because Kai makes friends everywhere. He follows Loki's lead, barely noticing the palace around them, for all the attention he pays to the Prince. That's not entirely true. He does cast a sidelong glance here and there to see that they're being watched. He perks up though when he notices the plants from Alfheim, delicate blooms and lacy silvery leaves.
"He's a good ally to have," Kai mentions. "Powerful friends are better than powerful enemies. I hope that's a lesson my parents can learn. It looks like they may get their release if I return what they took. My mum is remorseful. I'm not sure my da knows the meaning of the word."
"Yes..that's true. Powerful friends rather than powerful enemies. And since you are agreeable with him, its not too likely we will come into conflict. But, he's juuust the sort of orderly person that would conflict with my chaos." Loki winks and then stops near a statue of a woman…his mother. Sort of mother. "This is my favorite spot here. There are a lot of memories." Its so cluttered with aging plants that it almost seems cavelike, here, but Kai can feel it…the residue of magic in the vines, centuries of magic infused in the branches. The blooms are odd here, mutated and freeform.
Kai smiles at tilts his head toward Loki, touching brow to brow just lightly. "I know, he is the noon to your midnight." He looks up at the statue of his (sort of) mother-in-law. His expression is one of tentative fondness. He admires her, even if he's not sure just yet what she thinks of him. "This place feels like you," he tells Loki. He bends to examine one of the freeform blooms. "No one can tame these," he muses. "For as much as they might want to." The glance he casts back at Loki is affection with no tentativeness to it. "This is my favorite place yet and I've been to several pubs already."
Loki smiles broadly and leans in to kiss the Kai. "It feels like me…because I was here a lot, growing up. But it feels like her, and before her, the old gods…its all here in the trees. I like the feel of it. Its not so imposing as Yggdrasil. Have you been beneath those branches? Its…a powerful feeling. I always walk away feeling infinitely small."
Kai returns the kiss rather sweetly, uncaring if anyone sees, maybe secretly hoping someone does. He's getting bolder. "I've never had the opportunity," he admits. "I can only imagine the enormity of it." He looks up at the statue again, then around at all the deep foliage. "I can sense there's power here," he says. He takes Loki's hand in his, fingers interlaced. "And I can imagine you here as a youngster. I bet your brothers have never even been here."
"Not really. Its not /interesting/ enough for them. And…magic is still considered a female pursuit, though of course, Odin, knows it. I can get away with it an dnot be called womanly, because I am a Prince." Loki squeezes Kai's hand, watching him for a lingering moment. "On Alfheim, I suspect you had your own special grove like this. Hmmm?"
Kai lowers his gaze, like he does when emotion threatens to overwhelm him. "Yes," he says. "I'll show you when we go there." Then he steps closer, kisses Loki tenderly, and adds, "I'll show you every place I can remember. I had so many hiding spots." There's a lilt in his tone, implying that showing them off isn't the only thing he's got in mind.