4. Bound by Blood

While the blonde prince crouched down by the glistening body of water, a twinkle of an idea crossed his mind. Thor swung his muscular arm up from the water and splashed Loki, effectively drenching him. Cerys' eyes widened as she gasped loudly.

"Oooh, you will surely be repaid for that!" The young princess remarked from her seated position at the edge of the waterfront. The siblings, along with Volstagg, were lounging their free time away at a sparkling pond in the remote woodlands of Asgard. Loki's slender hand raised up to wipe his face, clearly displaying a scowl of resentment.

"Is that so? Well, I look forward to it. Until then, here." Thor boasted playfully as he proceeded to splash Cerys—again and again. She squealed and quickly jumped to her feet. Thor laughed heartily, much to the dark prince's vexation.

"Thor! Stop!" Cerys cried and held up her hands in defense. Once the blonde man stopped his assault, she turned to face the group. Her hair was no longer bouncy and perfectly curled—it was now stringy and wet. Her lovely silver dress was a shade darker in splotches. Loki blinked at her, then back at Thor, knowing she was embarrassed. However, the eldest brother was laughing hysterically.

"Sister, look at you, you have changed from a swan to an ugly duckling in seconds!" Thor bellowed as he pointed at her mockingly. Cerys' face began to turn red as Volstagg also started to laugh. The emerald-eyed prince turned his nose up in disapproval of the other men's behavior, but when his gaze met his sister's, she took his expression as disapproval in her.

"You fool! How can you be so careless, Thor?!" Loki snapped at his brother, though it did not seem to bother him. He heard an angry grunt, followed by heavy footfalls. "Cerys, where are you going?" he asked of the soaked maiden. She did not answer him as she stormed away. "She's upset. You made a spectacle of her… are you not going to rectify this?" Loki turned to the others.

"Oh, come now, she will be fine. It was only water!" Thor, still grinning, dismissed his younger brother's concern. Loki rolled his eyes at him before sweeping his hand out wide. An invisible force bluntly crashed into the two men before him and flung them backwards—into the pond. As Loki took off after Cerys, he heard muffled protests and threats behind him.

Several yards away, the ashen-haired princess was stomping through the thicket of the woodland. Cerys was offended by the rude comment more than her ruffled appearance. Nonetheless, she was beginning to question herself on why she was being so emotional. The brutish older brother often made jokes at her expense, much like Loki did at Thor's. However, something about the dark prince's disapproving look unsettled her.

"Cerys, are you alright?" Loki asked when he was finally walking by her side. She ignored him.

"Cerys…" he pleaded, yet she did not even look at him. "Please, talk to me. I handled our brother, for he is mingling with the inhabitants of the pond as we speak." He said while smirking at her, trying to make her laugh, or at least smile. She just continued walking in silence. Now frustrated, the dark prince seized her arm and forced her to stop.

"Brother! I do not want to speak with you." Cerys spat, keeping her eyes away from his.

"Me? What have I done?" He asked with the look of surprise on his features.

"You have not done anything, I just would appreciate some space, if you do not mind." Said the princess with an air of forced politeness. He raised his brow at her.

"I do mind." Loki snapped in reply.

"Loki, do not be daft, that is Thor's duty. Now, step aside, please. I must return home to change for dinner." Cerys' voice was clearly tense, indicating that she was beginning to lose patience. Though he never enjoyed seeing his sister upset, he did enjoy an argument with her from time to time. His own offensive streak was rising, and it was simply too tempting to resist.

"No, I want to discuss this matter right now." The God of Mischief held a straight face as his amusement grew with Cerys' narrowed eyes on him. She was quite beautiful, even when she was furious.

"You test me…" Cerys hissed. "Step aside, Loki."

"Care to make me?" He said, unable to hide a wicked grin.

"Why must you be so trifling?" She nearly shouted.

"You are simply far too irresistible to leave be." Loki said with a velvety voice. His sister's light blue eyes became bigger with surprise. Even he suddenly appeared alarmed by what he had just said. He slowly removed his hand on her arm, for an awkward tension lingered between them.

"Why is that?" Cerys asked hesitantly, though it was rather apparent in his tone that he was flirting with her. Dumbfounded, Cerys immediately tried to decipher his reaction. As he opened his mouth to speak, the God of Mischief's sheepish mannerism proved to be rather adorable, and she smirked.

"I…" The silver-tongued prince began, though unsure of how to explain himself.

"There they are!" Volstagg announced loudly from behind. As the siblings turned to look at their friend, Thor was charging for them—completely sopping wet.

"Um, run." Loki gracefully took off and sprinted in the opposite direction. His little sister snickered as she ran alongside him back to the palace.

Skidding around a sharp corner in the palace halls, Loki came to an abrupt stop while holding out his arm in front of his sister. She nearly tumbled as her momentum ceased before he pulled her into a small space behind a marble column. Thor and Volstagg were stampeding in the distance as their footsteps echoed down the hall. Upon their approach, Loki pressed his finger to his own lips, indicating that she remain silent. When the two men rounded the corner, they continued passed the hiding place without any suspicion. The dark prince smiled wide as Cerys covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

After the bumbling young men were out of sight, both Loki and Cerys relaxed their postures a bit. In doing so, their attention was immediately on the fact that they were pressing into one another in the tiny crevice. He cleared his throat and shimmied out, then politely extended his hand to her. She did not look up at him as she accepted the gesture. When he led her out of the space, she smoothed out her hair, which was nearly dry now.

"Well, that was a close one." Loki spoke, hoping to alleviate the odd tension. Cerys' high laugh conveyed her nervousness.

"Indeed, they looked rather vengeful. You pushed them into the water, correct?" The princess replied, finally meeting his gaze. She felt her heart flutter slightly as she noted his emerald eyes were blazing with excitement.

"Yes, I did it for your honor. They had it coming." He answered curtly, seeming as though his interest was elsewhere. He took in the sight of her—messy, ashen hair, rosy lips, the look of anticipation on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" Cerys prompted, stirring Loki from his fixation. Shy, crooked smiles formed on both of their expressions before he could speak.

"You…" Loki murmured. His pulse quickened, for his conscience made feeble attempts to reign his impulses back in.

"What about me?" Her voice was more subdued now, which further encouraged him to speak.

"So much… too much." His was reply was cryptic, though he did not intend it to be. There were a great deal of thoughts in his head at the moment. "And what is on your mind, my little star?"

"Well, I—um, no, never mind." Cerys quickly dismissed and began to walk slowly, waiting for him to join her before getting too far.

"Go on. Please, tell me." Loki probed as he stared at her intently. Cerys' cheeks turned pink at the notion of even voicing her thoughts.

"It is silly, really. You just perplex me to no end, brother. I find it both entertaining and frustrating." She stated with confidence. His brows furrowed a little in confusion.

"How do I perplex you, exactly?" The raven-haired man asked, sounding offended.

"Well, as I said, it is silly of me. I am certain that my ability to perceive things are not as sharp as I would like to believe. Forget any mention of it, would you?" Cerys sighed while shaking her head. However, her focus was stolen when Loki took her by the hand.

"Your perception is one of your greatest strengths. Do not doubt your abilities." He said in a gentle tone and squeezed her hand. She smiled softly at him, suddenly finding the courage to speak her mind.

"Do you flirt with me?" Cerys blurted, forcing him to be still. The look in his eyes was not of surprise, but of multiple emotions. Relief, stress, and sincerity all displayed on his face at once. "You must be honest with me…" she implored.

"It is who I am—does it offend you?" He worded his answer carefully and waited to see if she would bury the truth in polite answers. Instead of witnessing any of the expected reactions, he panicked internally as she shot him a saddened, disapproving look.

"I see. No, it does offend me. I was only curious." She muttered and continued to stroll down the hall. Given that he was prepared to handle a variety of answers, Loki felt his heart sink into his stomach at her short statement. He would have to be more candid with her if he wanted to satisfy her.

"I assume you ask because, as we grow older, I have spoken to you in a manner that is less of a brother, but more of a… companion. You would be right, and though I do not mean to cause further frustration, I have to say that it has never been my conscious attempt. Rather, it seems to happen in moments when I am not actively censoring myself." Loki said smoothly, effectively controlling feeling ill. He worried that he had said too much. Without the bravery to look at her, he kept his eyes on the swirled, marble floor. When the sound of her sigh reached his ears, he bit his own tongue so violently that he tasted hints of iron and salt.

"Sometimes, I wish we were not royalty, forced to live under a microscope. I wish we lived in a world where happiness was not so difficult to obtain." Cerys began, squeezing his hand slightly. "Unfortunately, we pay the price of being an Asgardian, and must fulfill our duty to the Nine Realms." She admonished before glancing at him. He could not determine whether she truly understood what he was saying, or if she was speaking vaguely of their roles in general. He waited for her to finish her thoughts before speaking.

"I believe in three types of love. The first, is the love of Asgard, our role as the protection of balance. The second is the love of family. And the third is the love of soul mates. I am extremely lucky, for the gods have allowed me to experience all three already in my short years." The young princess' voice was clear, yet strained with sadness. She could tell that Loki was fighting with himself on what she was meaning.

Then, he saw it in her watery eyes—he was certain. With her body turned to face him, she lifted onto her tiptoes and in the next instant, pressed a tender kiss to his lips. Ever-so-slightly more than a peck, though it did not linger for more than a second. It was the most intimate gesture either one of them had ever experienced.

"Cerys…" He breathed in a whisper, his heart racing in his chest, threatening to explode. She merely stared at him with an intensity that he could not place. The silence was broken when they heard a guard approach from down the hall. Loki raised his hand to her chin and held it delicately. He could not find the words to express how he felt—time was needed to process the magnitude of her actions.

"Prince Loki, Princess Cerys, the King and Queen request your audience in the Throne Room at once." The approaching guard stated with a bow. Loki dropped his hand and nodded.

"Thank you. We shall be there momentarily." He replied sharply, and began to follow the armored man with Cerys. A comforting warmth surged through both of them—perhaps it was relief, for they felt less alone now. However, little did the two know, what awaited them would extinguish that newfound comfort.

"To Alfheim?! But why so soon?" Cerys exclaimed with a raised voice at her parents. Frigga and Odin appeared wary as they sat atop the throne in their respective seats. The queen could not look Loki in the eyes, as she knew he would surely be shooting darts at her. Odin, however, glanced back and forth between his two children with authority.

"Your mother and I have decided that the sooner you go, the sooner you will properly assimilate into the culture. You ought to be excited, my dear, for this is a spectacular opportunity for you. It is a privilege to be formally educated in the best institutions the Nine Realms has to offer." Odin said firmly, trying to convince Cerys that she should welcome spending several years in the world of the Light Elves.

"If anyone needs an opportunity at a formal education, it is Thor. Perhaps you ought to send him instead." Loki spat under his breath, rage flowing through his veins. He knew exactly why they were sending his sister away—to keep them apart. The fact that they were portraying it to be some grand chance of a lifetime was only making him furious.

"Silence, you should not speak so ill of your brother. When the time comes for one of you to ascend the throne, you will need one another for support." Odin wisely countered his vexed son.

"Although I am grateful for the offer, I do not wish to leave Asgard for such a long period of time. Can I not simply go over the summer months?" Cerys pleaded with her parents. Frigga shook her head slowly.

"My child, this is not simply a learning period, but a mentorship, as well. You will be completely engrossed in the culture and language—Elven is the hardest of the old languages to master, which requires many years of dedicated study. One day, you will be the one to negotiate the treaties between Asgard and our allies on Alfheim." Frigga spoke with the grace and reason that convinced Cerys enough to relent her protest. Loki, on the other hand, was less easily swayed.

"Forgive me mother, but when was the last royal Asgardian required to learn the language of Alfheim? Oh, that's right, never. Here is a lesson from history, Cerys—the elves have always spoken multiple languages and communicate with nobles of every realm. They have the ability to learn quicker than any being, therefore, making it completely unnecessary to learn their native tongue." Loki argued curtly, visibly upsetting his parents. He glared at them while Cerys grew more confused.

"That is enough, Loki. You are dismissed." Odin nearly growled.

"Why don't you simply tell her why you are sending her away? After all, the days of pure bloodlines are long in the past." Loki mocked his father with a spiteful tone. Odin stood up from his seat, prompting Frigga to hold his arm back out of fear he would strike Loki with his power.

"I said enough! This is not a debate, the decision has been made and is final! Do I make myself clear, Loki?" Odin roared at the young prince and princess. Cerys trembled where she stood, desperately wanting to hold Loki's hand. He eased his glare, though his jaw remained tight and his hands balled into fists. Loki slammed his arm over his chest and bowed his head slightly before turning on his heels. Cerys watched her infuriated brother storm out of the room, slamming the large door behind him.

Frigga flinched at the sound, but returned her sad eyes to Odin. He sighed angrily and shrugged before speaking.

"Cerys, go prepare your belongings. You leave tonight."

*Hope you enjoyed this! I am sorry the update was so long overdue. Leave me your thoughts, thank you!*