"I do not know why I need to learn about the nine realms," the bored voice complained as she lounged back in the seat which she was sat in, the book held firmly in her hands but her eyes looking on to the woman who was stood in front of her by the tapestry, her hand outstretched and pointing onto the planets. She pushed her lips firmly together and arched a brow at the smaller figure.

"You are a Princess of Asgard," she replied back, her chin held high as she dropped her hand to her side before lacing her fingers together and resting her hands in front of her flat stomach. "A Princess should be knowledgeable above all else."

"She should also learn how to dance and dine with the etiquette required of her," the blonde girl finished her mother's sentence and she stood up, closing the book and resting it on the small table which sat to the side of the plush chaise longue. "I do not see how this is fair. I have been learning for years on end. I often wonder if I shall ever stop."

"You shall stop when you marry," she promised her with a small smile, walking towards her daughter and resting her hand onto her back in a soothing manner. "There is more to life than simply reading and dancing. I promise you."

"It seems like there is not," she replied, turning her head to the side and looking up to her mother who slowly placed her lips on top of her head in an encouraging manner. "I often cannot see myself married, mother. I have yet to meet anyone who I long to spend the rest of my life with. Did you know father was your love when you first met him?"

"Oh, my love," her mother smiled, removing her hand from her daughter's back and chuckling. She continued to walk forwards towards the balcony which looked over the great Asgard, her eyes scanning the glorious city as the sun slowly set in the distance and night overtook once again. "Love is something which you shall only know when it happens."

She frowned at hearing her mother and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at what she had just said. So she had no way to tell her when she would feel love. She hadn't even answered the question which had sat on her lips.

"Maybe I will never love and I shall have to stay here for the rest of my days," the young girl sighed haughtily and her mother laughed once again, turning around to look at her as her gown flew behind her in an elegant manner.

"Oh, I imagine your father may have something to say about that," she said and moved through the grand library, looking onto the books on either sides of the walls and the desks which sat in the gaps between them. "Now, finish reading the book I set you, Ella. Dinner shall be shortly."

"Must I?" she complained in a childish voice and her mother looked at her with a stare she did not dare challenge. Ella sighed and picked the book back up and lay down on the chaise longue, complaining under her breath as she did so. Once she had settled down she moved her arms above her head, holding the book there and reading the words with haste. The quicker she read then the sooner she finished. She did not particularly want to spend her time sat and reading a book which held no interest to her.

Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the words but her mind wandered, as per usual. She finally rested the book back onto the ground of the library and closed her eyes, one arm resting over her stomach and the other beneath her head, her fingers moving into the blonde curls she had inherited from her mother.

"I would hardly class this as studying."

Ella didn't even need to open her eyes to know who was speaking to her. She remained silent for a moment, thinking about what to say back to the voice which had entered the library without being noted. He was very good at sneaking up on her and she knew he revelled in seeing her scare and she revelled in scolding him afterwards.

"Do you intend to tell mother?" Ella called out, her brows rising on her forehead as she peeled one eye open and looked from side to side, wondering where he was. She could hear his light footsteps along with the deep chuckle before he grabbed onto a book and flicked through it, wondering how many people had bothered with the knowledge which was contained inside of the library. If he had his way then he would read for most of the day instead of train to fight. He sometimes found words to be much more powerful than actions.

"You know that I could never tell mother of your disobedience," he informed her and she snorted in a unlikely fashion but moved her arms to the side, propping her body up and resting on her elbows. "Besides, I do not wish to ruin dinner with your tedious arguments."

"Tedious?" Ella repeated the word and moved from the seating, standing up and seeing him stood by the far wall, his long fingers skimming over the spines of the books and his eyes focused on them with interest, but the smirk never left his face. "The arguments are hardly tedious to me, Loki. You are not the one required to spend that majority of your day in here and learning how to be a dutiful wife."

"I hardly think you will ever be dutiful," he teased her and she remained silent, the look on her face condescending and bringing his dark eyes onto her bright blue ones. "Come along, Ella. I simply tease you."

"You tease me all the time," she replied to him, pushing her blonde hair behind her shoulder. "I consider myself immune to your tones."

"Do you now?" he wondered, his voice still one of amusement. "Anyway, I would prefer to swap places with you."

"Would you?" Ella checked. "You would prefer to learn how to become a dutiful-"

"-Not that part," he interrupted her, shaking his head and he shrugged, looking around the library and outstretching his arms. "You get to spend the majority of your time in here and reading through knowledge which has been preserved for many years. Meanwhile I spend my day outside with Thor and his brutish attitude."

"That is no way to speak of our brother, Loki," Ella scolded him, moving around the library and placing the books back which she had taken from their shelves. She supposed that there would be a maid to do the job but she didn't mind. If anything it wasted time and stopped her from listening to her grumbling stomach. She gathered the books into her arms, walking through the library and gently placing them back. Loki came to stand beside her, pulling the top book from the pile and reaching up to place it back into its resting place.

"You know I simply speak the truth, sister," he told her innocently and followed her through the room. "Thor has become cocky and we both know the Odinsleep nears."

"We do not know when father shall rest," Ella shook her head and looked to Loki who held his arms out for her to deposit the books into. He held onto them, shocked at how heavy they actually were as she took the top one and tucked it under her arm. "He has gone a great period without needing to sleep."

"Which surely means that the time is dawning upon him. Come now, Ella. We both know Thor shall take control of Asgard soon."

"Well..." Ella trailed off, unsure of what to say to Loki as she moved to the ladder and began to slowly climb the wood, moving to the top of the steps and searching for the gap. "We cannot presume anything just yet. It is far too early."

Loki grunted something incoherently and watched to make sure Ella didn't fall from the top step. The deep blue gown she wore was so long on her legs that he feared she would trip over it on her way back down.

"Besides, if I did not know any better then I would say that jealousy has become of you," she taunted him further. She heard the loud laugh come from the floor and smiled softly herself, placing the book back into the spot and then making her way back down the ladder as Loki spoke back to her.

"Jealousy is not an emotion which I am familiar with. Regardless, being jealous of Thor is not something which anyone needs worry about. The throne does not interest me."

"Then why are you so concerned over Thor taking the crown when the time comes?" Ella asked her brother, stopping on the floor and turning around to face him. Leaning against the bookshelf she continued to stare at him and Loki shrugged nonchalantly at her.

"I worry over the safety of Asgard with Thor in control," Loki assured her and she shook her head, stepping forwards and hitting him on the arm lightly. The free flowing sleeves moved down her arms as she made the motion, revealing the lack of strength in her pale arms.

"Do not speak like that," she warned him. "Loki, we are here to support Thor. We cannot think anything different. Besides, mother shall be with him and you know what they say."

"And what do they say?" Loki asked her and she took another book from his arms and moved around the library.

"Behind every great man there is an even greater woman," she concluded and Loki shook his head at her.

"I have heard that quote before and I believe you have it wrong. There is no mention of a greater woman, simply a great woman," he told her and Ella moved her shoulders up and down, turning her head round to look at him. "You are simply making women seem more superior."

"Impossible," Ella assured him. "Have you seen the Lady Sif? I would say she is as superior as all of you warriors."

"I can hardly escape the Lady Sif," Loki simply grunted back to his sister who placed the final book away. "She seems to have an opinion on all that I do. Time spent with the Warriors Three and her is time which I shall never be able to recover."

"Loki," Ella scolded him once again. "Must you say such things?"

"When you spend most of your days in their presence then I implore you not to feel the same," Loki urged her and she simply shook her head at hearing him.

"Honestly, the life of royalty is supposed to be one of ease. You make it seem like such a hardship," she informed him and moved onto the balcony, glancing onto Asgard as the sun set. Loki watched her for a moment, the way her blonde hair swayed gently in the breeze and the light blue gown rippled around her feet. He placed his hands behind his back and moved to stand beside her.

"Do not pretend that the life of royalty is one which amuses you," he whispered, his voice soft and soothing as Ella looked up to him and she shrugged, resting her hands on the stone of the railing, leaning forwards and resting her elbows there, her hands holding onto her chin.

"I cannot say that it enthrals me," she admitted. "Mother made me read of the nine realms today and I wondered what the point was. I shall never visit any of them. I shall never leave Asgard. What is there to learn?"

"There is much to learn," Loki assured her. "There is much more to life than sitting in the library and reading."

"Oh yes," she said sarcastically. "There is time in the great hall with mother informing me of how to be a perfect host to royal visitors."

Loki chuckled at hearing her and turned around, resting his upper legs against the stone, his gaze looking down onto her as she remained focused on the city before her. Folding his arms across his chest, he wondered what she was thinking about and what she truly wanted. Speaking with Ella normally came with guaranteed sarcasm or a defeatist attitude.

"I assure you that one day you will be allowed beyond the palace walls," he told her and she scoffed.

"Do not speak in such a daft manner," she pleaded him. "Mother and Father would only permit me to leave when marriage arises and I doubt that shall happen."

"Well, you have turned away every suitor which they have sent you. The men of Asgard must be feeling rather defeated."

"I did not like any of them. You saw the choices, Loki. They were either too pompous or too dull."

"As so many are," Loki drawled. "We should head towards the hall. Dinner shall be soon and Thor is rather excited to tell you of the day he spent."

"And what intriguing things has my elder brother done today?" Ella enquired, standing up tall again and fixing the simple band which sat in her hair, holding the blonde curls from her face whilst Loki smirked lightly.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to ruin the fun," he told her in a small whisper and she smiled back to him as he offered her his arm. Ella wrapped her arm into his, her hand resting just on top of his wrist as she walked by his side.

"Shall we be dining with mother and father?" she asked him and Loki shook his head.

"Father shall not be present. He has business which needs attending with his advisors. I think it may be regarding the coronation of Thor."

"I hope not," Ella moaned. "I hardly think I can endure another dress fitting and being stabbed with pins soon after the annual Ball."

Loki laughed heartedly at hearing his sister and he shook his head.

He had an idea as to what could make the coronation more interesting. A very good idea, indeed.

...

A/N: Completely new to the realm of Thor and of exploring Loki and Thor but I'm looking forward to it. This idea just popped into my head so I hope it isn't too bad for a first chapter! More Thor to come in the second chapter anyway but please do let me know what you think, it will mean a lot to me!