A soft, emerald light pulsed from Loki’s hand, casting a warm glow across the orchard. Nearby, Shade watched in stunned silence. A low, rhythmic buzzing filled the air as dozens of honeybees swarmed over his palm. They drifted through the leaves, entirely at peace.
Shade stepped forward, her eyes darting between the insects and Loki's skin. "Loki, I don’t understand what you’re doing," she said, her voice laced with worry. "Isn't that dangerous?"
As a powerhouse 7th Circle Mage, a few simple insects could never pose a threat to her. Yet, her focus wasn’t on her own safety. It was entirely on his.
Loki offered her a reassuring smile. He turned his hand slightly, letting the bees crawl over his fingers. "Shade, everyone knows the Life element improves vitality and speeds up plant growth, right?"
"Of course," she answered flatly. She kept close behind him, ready to pull him away if the swarm turned hostile. "Plant mages, life mages, and healers focus on growth and mending. What of it?"
Loki gestured toward the heavy apple trees around them, then to the bees, and finally back to her. "Life doesn't stop with plants," he said softly, adopting the tone of an old scholar. "It starts there. The plants feed the insects, the insects sustain the animals, and those animals feed people like you.
Life isn't just about making things grow or patching up wounds. It is the entire cycle. It includes the predators, the prey, and everything in between. If it concerns living, the Life element touches it."
He nodded to himself, playing the part of a wise sage. Privately, he knew his grand philosophy had less to do with ancient scrolls and more to do with the video games, movies, and novels from his past life.
Shade stared at him. She looked at the buzzing bees, the fruit-laden trees, and remembered the sweet apples and honey they had shared. The realization hit her all at once: Loki was truly unique. Her dull blue eyes dilated as she gazed up at him, her expression softening into pure adoration.
The sheer intensity of her gaze caught Loki off guard. Standing so close, he could feel the warmth of her breath. To break the sudden tension, he gave a nervous laugh. "Shade, if you keep looking at me like that, I might just kiss you."
The bold words shattered her daze. Her eyes constricted, and her mind seemed to grind to a halt. Then, slowly, her eyelids fluttered shut. Her lips parted ever so slightly, puckering in an invitation so subtle it was almost invisible.
Loki froze. Does she actually want me to kiss her?
Ten long seconds stretched between them. Neither moved. When her eyelashes began to twitch in confusion, Loki threw caution to the wind. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against hers.
His heart hammered against his ribs. The softness of her lips sent a jolt through his chest, leaving him utterly breathless. He had kissed a girl named Amaya Kaida in his dreams before, but this reality felt entirely different. It was real, warm, and grounding.
He wanted to cup her cheek, but a glance at his hands reminded him they were still covered in happy bees. The absurdity of the moment made him want to chuckle. Reluctantly, as the sun dipped below the horizon and the bees began to scatter, he pulled back.
He looked down at the stunned woman. "When I was eight years old, my love for you was pure and platonic," Loki said, his voice steadying. "But things have changed. I want to love you the way a man loves a woman. Shade Winter, will you marry me for real?"
Shade’s 7th Circle senses caught every syllable. Her expression softened into a gentle smile. "I only want to love you until the day we die in each other's arms," she whispered. "Preferably at the very end of our lifespans. I will be your wife, Loki. I will follow your lead."
As the last rays of sunlight faded, the bees returned to their hives, leaving the evening birds to watch over the orchard. Shade wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
Loki held her tight under the shadow of the apple trees. He knew he had to be honest about his past, even if he chose to leave his brother Thorin out of it for now. "Before we take this step, there is something I must confess," he said quietly. "I am... unusual. I have vivid dreams of another world."
Shade didn't pull away. She kept her ear pressed to his chest, listening in silence as he recounted his memories of a place called Earth, and how those strange dreams had shaped the person he was today.
Half an hour passed by the time Loki finished his tale. Shade remained still, her cheek resting against his chest. Loki lowered his head, catching the faint scent of apple perfume on her neck, anxiously waiting for her rejection.
Instead, her grip tightened around his waist. It wasn't tight enough to hurt, but it left no room for escape. She tilted her head up, meeting his green eyes.
"Thank you for trusting me with that," she said softly. "I believe you. And I still want to marry you, Loki Sky."
She closed her eyes again, lifting her chin to invite him in. Loki didn't hesitate. He leaned down and kissed her again under the darkening sky, his heart entirely devoted to the woman who accepted every single one of his flaws.
One month later, the setting shifted to the grand library of the Duchess’s estate.
Late in the evening, Loki sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Silvia Sky. The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by a few flickering candles. Silvia leaned in close, pointing her finger at a passage in a heavy book on regional nobility.
"You won't have to worry about the first and second Knight Princes," Silvia explained, her voice low. "They have been removed from the royal court and sent to govern their own principalities. But these two are the ones you must watch, Loki."
She pointed to the portraits of Prince Vali Balder and Princess Lana Balder. The third prince had sleek grey hair and cold eyes, giving him the look of a calculating snake. The first princess, however, possessed a striking blend of innocence and allure. Yet beneath her golden hair and sympathetic blue eyes, Loki saw a sharp, dangerous intellect.
"Sylvia, you're implying she's going to target my brother, Thorin, aren't you?" Loki asked.
Over the past month, his relationship with Shade had blossomed, but the romance had blinded him to another change. He had grown so comfortable around the Duchess that he was speaking to her like an old, close friend.
"My spies in the royal court confirm she is highly interested in capturing your brother's loyalty," Silvia said, leaning her weight onto his shoulder. "Try to protect him from falling into her trap. And be careful yourself, Loki. You are a bit too straightforward. You could easily be tricked by a clever woman."
Loki scoffed, dismissive of the idea. His heart belonged to Shade; no other woman could sway him.
Silvia’s gaze drifted down to Prince Vali’s portrait, and her tone dropped to a hushed whisper. "He is using the King's authority to force me into a political marriage."
Loki blinked, stunned. She had never spoken about her personal life before. When he turned to look at her, he saw a rare glint of moisture in her eyes.
She silently slipped a royal parchment letter into his hand.
In the dim light, Loki had momentarily forgotten that the woman beside him wasn't just a friend. She was a powerful 9th Circle Mage and the ruler of a massive territory—essentially the president of her own nation. He opened the letter and scanned the contents.
As his eyes moved across the elegant script, Loki's fingers tightened, crumpling the edges of the paper. A wave of irritation washed over him, though he couldn't quite tell if he was angry for Silvia's sake or his own. He had told himself that Shade was the only one he cared for, but deep down, his heart chafed at the thought of the Duchess belonging to another man.
Seeing his jaw tighten, a faint warmth spread through Silvia's chest. She could see the protective instinct swelling within him.
"Loki... would you be willing to protect me from Vali and the royal family?" she asked softly. "I cannot bear the thought of marrying anyone else."
Loki missed the deeper implication of her words and shook his head in confusion. "Protect you? How am I supposed to do that?"
Silvia shifted closer, her fingers sliding over his forearm. "If you become my husband, you will serve as my shield. A prior commitment means the King and Prince cannot legally force a political match. It would release me from their grasp and save the Northern Sky Duchy from a needless war."
Loki’s heart skipped a beat, a cold spike of panic hitting his chest. "I love Shade," he blurted out. "I can't... What about my brother? Couldn't he do it?"
The moment he suggested Thorin as a substitute, a pang of regret hit him. Silvia’s grip on his arm loosened, her expression falling into deep disappointment. Sensing he was about to lose something vital, Loki panicked.
"No! You can't marry him either!" he corrected quickly, his voice rising. "Ah, what am I even saying? I don't want you marrying anyone at all!"
With her enhanced senses, Silvia could hear the rapid, chaotic thumping of his heart. A small smile returned to her face, comforted by his jealousy.
Before his rejection could sting, she leaned in to soothe his worries.
"Loki, I don't wish to marry another man either, but you are different. I trust you," she whispered. "I want you to marry Shade, the woman you love.
Our arrangement can be one of mutual benefit. We can be husband and wife to the world, but remain friends behind closed doors."
She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Do not view this as a betrayal of Shade. Look at it as saving me from a miserable fate. We don't have to be intimate. We can keep things exactly as they are right now, and I will never force you into anything uncomfortable."
She took a slow breath, laying out the terms. "If you make me your primary wife on paper, I will ensure your parents are treated with the highest royal respect. You will also gain immediate entry into the nobility as a recognized Mage, a Knight, or both. Loki Sky, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband and protecting me?"
The sudden weight of the proposal left Loki completely breathless. His mind spun, slipping into a daze as he tried to process the sheer scale of what she was asking.
The distant, continuous murmuring of Silvia’s voice finally snapped him back to reality.
As his mind cleared, he realized with a jolt of horror exactly what his mouth had spoken while he was daydreaming. His subconscious had betrayed him.
"If... if Shade says it's fine... then alright," he muttered.
Silvia didn't waste a single second. Keeping a firm grip on his right hand, she signaled a nearby maid to fetch Shade from the military barracks immediately. A bright flash of teleportation magic illuminated the study, and a breathless, flustered Shade appeared in the center of the room.
Shade took one look at Silvia’s triumphant smile, their linked hands, and Loki’s utterly guilty expression. She instantly understood what the Duchess had pulled off.
"Good, you're finally here, Shade," Silvia said smoothly. "Let me bring you up to speed."
Ten minutes later, the dynamic in the room had shifted. Shade stood protectively in front of Loki, shielding him with her arm while holding Prince Vali’s letter in her other hand. Her brow was furrowed in clear irritation.
"If Loki doesn't want this, you cannot force him," Shade said sharply to her ruler. "And even if he agrees, he belongs to me. I will not share him—especially not on our wedding night."
Loki looked at Shade with a deadpan expression, mildly offended that her main concern was their wedding night rather than his freedom, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Silvia, ever the veteran politician, nodded with graceful poise, conceding the point for the time being. "I agree to those terms. I will hold the title of first wife on paper to satisfy the court, but behind closed doors, you will hold the true authority. I will defer to you. Loki, do you give your word to protect me?"
Loki blinked, noticing how smoothly Silvia had switched her phrasing to "protect me" to appeal to Shade's sense of duty. She's definitely playing us, he thought. He turned his eyes to Shade, looking for any sign of a veto.
Shade sighed, looking down at him. "Tell the Duchess what is truly in your heart, Loki. I know you feel a bond with her too. I promise I won't be angry if you accept."
Loki would later deeply regret believing that promise, as Shade would make him work incredibly hard over the coming weeks to earn her forgiveness.
But in that moment, he took a breath and made his choice.
"Alright," Loki said, turning to the Duchess. "Duchess Silvia Sky, will you do me the honor of becoming my first wife?"
Silvia smiled brilliantly. "Loki Sky, I humbly accept. Oh, look at the clock—it's officially past midnight. Happy Birthday, Loki!"
Shade’s grip on his torso tightened so hard his ribs began to groan, but she suddenly let go as the realization hit them both. Loki was officially eighteen years old.
Loki’s eyes lit up with sudden excitement. "Ah! Can we do it now?!"
Both women stared at him, catching the sudden burst of energy in his voice. Shade turned to Silvia, a playful pout on her lips. "He has two beautiful fiances standing right in front of him, and instead of celebrating us, he's jumping for joy over forming his magic core. I feel entirely cheated."
Loki deflated slightly, realizing they were teasing him. "No, I want to get married first!" he protested.
Laughing, both women stepped forward. Each took hold of one of his hands and firmly dragged him out of the study, guiding him down the stone corridors toward the magic chamber to begin his true ascension.
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