Eirlys was thoroughly mortified by the teasing, particularly because she knew Loki was not entirely wrong. Her legs did ache a little, though it was hardly unbearable, and she would never have admitted it so easily if he hadn't noticed. What truly overwhelmed her was the sheer audacity of him turning her embarrassment into an opportunity to tease her further, especially when he had so casually suggested that he could simply do it all over again. The memory alone made her cheeks burn. That was enough, Eirlys turned on her heel so quickly that Loki barely had time to move before she climbed onto the bed and pulled the covers over herself.
"There is absolutely no need for you to keep reminding me of what we did this morning!" Her voice came muffled from beneath the blanket.
She buried herself deeper beneath the covers, deciding that sleep was considerably safer than giving Loki another opportunity to torment her. He laughed softly and the sound only made her pull the covers higher. For several seconds, he simply stood there, watching the small mound she had turned herself into. Then her voice emerged again, much quieter this time. "I am tired."
His smile widened. "A moment ago you weren't."
"I am now."
"And sore?"
There was another painfully long silence. Finally, she admitted, barely above a whisper, "Probably."
The teasing immediately softened from Loki's expression. He sat beside her and carefully lowered the blanket enough to see her face. The embarrassment was still there, but so was the exhaustion she had been stubbornly denying. "If you are aching, you should rest."
"I know."
He brushed a loose strand of hair away from her cheek. "And next time, perhaps you will admit when you're tired instead of trying so hard to prove that you aren't."
Eirlys gave him a tired glare. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"I know." His fingers lingered gently against her temple. "That is precisely why I worry when you don't."
Her expression softened despite herself. The words had been simple, but there was something about the quiet sincerity behind them that made her irritation dissolve. Loki leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. "Sleep."
Eirlys sighed, finally surrendering. "Fine. Just stop nagging me."
He began to move away, but her fingers caught lightly around his sleeve. "Stay here."
Loki looked down at her hand before meeting her eyes. The amused expression returned, though this time it was softer. "As you command."
He settled beside her, allowing her to curl against him without another word. The warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his breathing gradually eased the last of the tension from her. Eirlys stopped fighting the exhaustion. Her eyes slipped closed and Loki, wisely, decided that whatever amusement he found in her embarrassment could wait until another day.
Next morning, it was barely even dawn when the messenger arrived. Eirlys had only just begun to wake when hurried footsteps sounded beyond the chambers, followed by a knock that was far too urgent for that hour. Loki stirred beside her, still half lost in sleep, but Eirlys was already sitting upright. Something in the messenger's voice when he was finally admitted told her immediately that this was not ordinary news from Vanaheim. "Princess, you must return at once."
Eirlys's heart dropped. "What happened?"
The messenger bowed his head, breathing heavily from the haste with which he had travelled. "Your brother has sent for you. There is an illness spreading through several settlements. It began in the deeper forests, but it has already reached the villages surrounding the southern marshes."
Loki was awake now. "What sort of illness?"
The messenger hesitated. "They call it the Rot."
Eirlys went still. She had heard the name before, though only in old medical records and stories from healers who had spent years studying the more dangerous ailments found in Vanaheim's deepest regions. The illness was believed to begin when people inhaled spores released by a particular species of jungle fungus, one that flourished in the dampest and oldest parts of the realm. Normally, the fungus remained buried beneath the enormous roots of the rainforest, harmless unless disturbed, something had changed. The messenger explained that those infected initially developed a persistent cough, fever and overwhelming fatigue. Within days, their breathing became increasingly difficult. Some complained of a strange pressure in their chests, while others began coughing up traces of greenish material that resembled moss or fine plant matter.
Eirlys's face paled. "How many?"
"We don't know yet."
That answer frightened her more than a number could have. "How many settlements?"
"Seven confirmed. More may be affected."
Loki was sitting upright now, watching her carefully. "And Ethan?"
"He is overseeing the healers in the capital, Your Highness. He sent me because the number of patients has become too great. He believes your knowledge may help identify the progression before it becomes irreversible."
Eirlys immediately pushed the blankets aside, there was no hesitation after that. She crossed the room and began gathering what she needed, her mind already moving through everything she knew about Vanaheim's medicinal plants, antidotes and healing magic. She had always been particularly gifted in healing, not merely because of her magical ability but because she understood the delicate balance between the body's natural processes and the magic flowing through it. If the illness was truly caused by spores, treating only the fever would do nothing. They would have to stop the infection itself.
Loki watched her move around the room. "You're going now."
"I have to, Loki."
"Eirlys, you haven't even had breakfast."
"I'll eat when I reach Vanaheim."
She stopped long enough to look at him as his expression softened despite his concern. Eirlys hurriedly pulled her cloak around herself, then turned toward him. For a moment, the urgency surrounding her seemed to disappear. She crossed the room and took his face gently between her hands. "I have to go."
"I know."
"My people need me. Ethan needs me."
"I am aware."
She pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'll come back."
Loki caught her wrist before she could turn away. "Be careful."
She smiled faintly. "You too."
Then she was gone. The journey through the Bifrost seemed unbearably short considering how much fear had filled her mind. The moment her feet touched Vanaheim, Eirlys could already sense something was wrong. The air itself felt heavier, carrying the damp scent of the forests beneath an unfamiliar bitterness.
Ethan was waiting for her, looking utterly exhausted. His usual confidence was buried beneath sleeplessness, worry and the responsibility of trying to protect an entire kingdom. "You came."
"Of course I came." She embraced him tightly before stepping back. "How bad is it?"
Ethan glanced toward the distant settlement beyond the palace gardens. "Bad enough that I stopped counting."
Eirlys swallowed, behind him, healers hurried between buildings carrying baskets of herbs, bowls of water and bundles of medicinal roots. Several patients were being brought toward the healing halls, coughing violently as their families followed helplessly behind them. She tightened her grip around her cloak. "Then we start now."
Ethan nodded as together, they turned toward the healing halls, while somewhere far behind them, the first morning light spread across Vanaheim's forests. Neither of them knew yet how far the Rot had already travelled or how much of their kingdom it intended to consume.
Back in Asgard, Loki knew he had time. Whatever had happened back in Eirlys's realm, some trouble had drawn her attention there, it would not be resolved quickly. Healing, especially when an entire realm was involved, demanded patience. Eirlys would be occupied for days, perhaps longer, and that was precisely the opening he needed.
He had already seen the Tesseract. He knew where it was and, more importantly, he knew what it could give him. The thought remained at the back of his mind as he lay beside Eirlys, outwardly calm while his thoughts moved several steps ahead. He could return to Earth while she was occupied, retrieve the Tesseract, and be back before she had any reason to question his absence. He only needed to be careful.
Eirlys trusted him now, perhaps more than she ever had. After everything they had shared, he could not afford to let suspicion take root. So Loki would wait. He would let her believe he was exactly where he belonged, beside her, while quietly preparing for the moment he could slip away again. This time, he would not return empty-handed.