Reader's POV

You have been meditating by the old oak tree down by Ran’s Lagoon[1]; the day had been incredibly warm for mid spring and the weather conditions within the surrounding boarders of Asgard had seemed unlike any from the rest of the Nine Realms.

Taking in deep breath through your nose slowly releasing it past your lips; your senses were filled by the sweet scent of the peach blossoms that seemed to linger and drift in the air. Farmer Ulrich’s grove have had an excellent season thus far, you also wondered how his strawberries were coming along...

Suddenly at that moment it didn’t take long for you to feel another presence coming toward you or the fact that this person’s aura was burning at full power.

Keeping your current sitting position, you had yet to open your eyes when you feel the assault of a fist coming down to hit the side of your face when you swipe it away with a hand blocking the punch. The strikes continued left, right, up, down and sideways until you felt the need to stand and finally face your opponent head on.

“Not bad at all,” you say after the exchange and you had paused to finally open your eyes to look upon your opponent, “I should give my Lady Queen my deepest thanks for stripping you of your magic for a week, Loki.”

You then smile at him; Loki on the other hand had been huffing out of breath. For a long time now he had started to depend solely on his magic and had gotten rusty while on the non-magical defensive.

“Ready for a five mile run? Come on let’s go!” you asked with a grin and began to run up the path leading back to the palace when you hear Loki groaning then proceeded to follow in suit behind you. When you felt him come close behind you, you sprinted until you were out of his reach.

“__________!” he roared your name from a distance.

You laughed.

~*~

After your run, the two of you decided to have a fifteen minute cool down by walking toward the public bath houses to wash off. It was then that Loki turns to you and started a conversation… one you were expecting for some time.

“Did I tell you about this girl I met at the ball last week?” he asked as you both were now walking along the center of a large elegant golden themed hallway, another few feet more and you both would be standing by the large wooden doors leading into the bath houses.

Stiffening at his question you could also feel the burning warmth on your cheeks; oh yes, last week’s ball. You gave him a false name in the hopes that he wouldn’t know that it was really you under all that make up and fancy party sparkle. You were a warrior, a pretty decent one so you didn’t really do dresses or parties or any of that awkward social stuff… but it was pretty nice to step out of character give or take an hour or two.

You shrug nonchalantly then engaged yourself into the conversation, “I’m surprised Sigyn allowed you out of her sight at all.”

Loki chuckled and you could feel butterflies in your stomach at the sound.

“Anyway what about her? Did something happen?” you inquired; a part of you wondered what it was he was going to say about this so called “girl he met”.

“Her name is Gilda, full of mystery she was. Beautiful soft (y/c) locks of hair, well perfumed, dressed in the finest gown I had ever seen,” he mentioned turning his attention toward you with a quiet smile.

“Sounds like some girl,” you agreed while returning the smile, “what made her catch your attention?” No matter how you looked at it, you could tell Loki had grown suspicious of you asking this particular question, he arched a dark thick eyebrow at you before replying.

“I have no idea. She was visually appealing I can tell you that and when we spoke—“

“Wait, you actually spoke to her?” you mock gasp and even covered your mouth with your hand, “Again I ask, where was Sigyn when you were apparently speaking to this mystery woman?” You snort and shake your head; honestly this was beginning to get very silly.

“I am not called the “Trickster” for nothing __________,” he grinned making you snort and rolled your eyes again.

“Tell me another.” You retorted and gave him a playful shove on his arm, he laughed genuinely this time.

“But anyway, this girl,” he continued, “there was a time that I had looked upon her face closely and although half her face was covered by the mask she wore I had noticed how her eyes looked strangely familiar to me. I never thought about it but there was just something in those eyes that haunted me. As though I had seen them before,” He stopped walking beside you and held back until you stopped and slightly turn to face him.

“Oh?” you asked then looked at him standing a few away from you until he looked up and stared deep into your eyes, “What?” you asked him both feeling and sounding suspicious, “Loki, don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” he asked while still staring at you and was now approaching you slowly.

“Like that,” you pointed up at his eyes just as he began to tower a little over you; he was a good five inches taller than you.

“I can look at you however I please __________. And don’t point at me either, it’s very rude.”

You snort dismissively and feel your face heat up again.

“Now I know for sure that it was you, at the Mask,” he smiled none too kindly and caresses your cheeks with the the backs of his fingers. He certainly knew how to make your insides feel like liquid, “my question now however, is that, now that I have you what am I going to do with you?”

You sigh sadly for you were expecting this, reality now settling in, “What is there to do about it?”

“Come to my room tonight.” He places his hands on your shoulders, his sea colored eyes staring deeply into your (y/c) ones.

“And do what exactly?”

With a sinister looking smile Loki leans in and began to whisper things to you. Things he had planned to show you, teach you and bring to you until your eyes rolled back into your skull and you could no longer see through the onslaught of pleasure he planned to give to you. And oh those wonderfully cruel, teasing, scandalous words he whispered to you had begun to make your legs turn to liquid and you could feel the most pleasurable burn bubbling deep inside your inner most parts.

He made you want him, yearn for him, ache and quiver for him. You needed him to touch you, to break you open, to make it hurt in the most brilliant way that it felt exhilarating! That is… until you realized what exactly he was doing to you. Bilgesnipe!

“Stop that!” your voice was a husky whisper and you gently push yourself away from him, “Blast that silver tongue of yours, Loki,” your voice trembled and you bite your lip as you began to regain control of your body, all pleasure subsiding. Loki laughs at your actions.

“This is what I’ve always liked about you, __________, you never give in. You are always so willful and strong and that is why I want to make you mine. No other man shall have you.”

“And what of Sigyn?” you ask the obvious question.

“What of Sigyn?” he looked bored at the mention of his betrothed.

“Well aren’t you going to break your engagement off with her?”

“Why in the Nine Realms would I do that?”

He did not just say that. No wait, of course he did, what in the all the universe were you possibly thinking? He wouldn’t break up with her not even for you.

“Do I honestly need to explain it to you Loki?” you asked exasperated, your hands now on your hips, “Well then my answer is no,” you say and gently shake your head, “No, I am not going to do that. You must be completely off your head to even suggest such a thing.”

He gives you such an impressive glare, though you couldn’t care less not with your own anger flaring up to rival his own, “What do you expect me to do __________?”

“I expect that if you desire to have a relationship with me that you would do the honorable thing and break off your engagement.”

He rolled his eyes when you mentioned the word, “honorable”, this only further built up your disappointment in him, “You know I can’t do that.” Now it was his turn to shake his head, “That is absolutely out of the question.”

“Well why not? That night at the ball when you told “Gilda” about the “woman you loved” and she asked you about Sigyn and you said that you didn’t love her, then how can you possibly even consider marrying someone that you do not love?”

“In case it wasn’t clear to you __________, it is a political marriage. Both my parents and hers have arraigned it. Don’t you think I’ve tried getting myself out of it?” You could tell he was disgusted by it and you even more so, “It was my bloody luck that she knows magic as well…” he added as an afterthought.

“Regardless, this excuse would have possibly worked on other women. Women who have no morals at all and would be satisfied with this “arraignment” of yours but I am not. If you truly desire to be with me then be with me, I deserve to be more to you than just the other woman.” This was stupid, so stupid you should have known better than to say anything let alone expect to just break his engagement. Even if you had achieve in doing so, then what? Were you going to dive into a relationship with him? Then what was going to stop him from taking on another lover while he was with you?

A tense silence falls between the two of you until you finally had the courage to ask, “Loki, do you love me?”

“What sort of question is that? You know I do.” He snapped his patience was wearing thin.

“Then don’t ask me to do this with you in this way.” You spoke gently and reaching up you cup his cheek and stroke the sharp bone with your thumb, “I can’t do that.”

“You can’t or you won’t?”

You sigh. He really was acting like such a child.

“Loki, I care for you as well and speaking freely and honestly, if I had wanted nothing but physical pleasure in any relationship then I would have set my sights on your brother ages ago.”

The moment was instant when you saw a dark spark flitter across those green eyes which now narrowed with fury.

“Then what’s to stop you now?” he sneered and smacks your hand away from his face as he was now glaring at you with such revulsion.

Now it was your turn to be angry. So this was it? This was how he felt? All he wanted from you was a shag and nothing more? Fine. Fuck him.

“Apparently, absolutely nothing,” you say in a similar tone while staring into his eyes before you turn and begin to walk away from him.

It seemed as though Loki had done the same thing only that he was walking in the opposite direction as you did. You could feel your throat tighten as a feeling of remorse and frustration now began to press against your chest, “You idiot.” You whisper and you felt a tear sliding down your cheek just as you stepped outside of the palace where you headed into the direction of the sparring grounds.

~*~

You were currently sparring on your own having earlier defeated some of the other warriors as well as a few guards. They were gone now but you still remained behind and were now working on your stance as well as a few maneuvers with a nearby tree. You had been slicing at the bark from side to side hacking at it bit by bit, front and back until you pulled back to give it a final blow when someone’s voice halted your actions.

“Care to take on a real opponent? I do believe that tree has had enough of your abuse, my Lady.”

Turning around with your sword pointed at the fool who had interrupted your session, you automatically lowered it when you saw who it was.

“Oh,” you panted and wipe your brow with the back of your hand, “Hello Prince Thor,”

“You’re usually less sporadic in combat practice as well as in battle. Is there something weighing on your mind?”

“Yes,” you find yourself saying, for some reason you can’t ever seem to lie to Thor, “though it’s more like someone.”

“My brother.” It wasn’t a question.

You look up at him with alarm to find him grinning brilliantly at you, “__________, I have known for some time that you have a deep affection for Loki, though I wasn’t sure how deep that affection ran.”

“We had an argument.”

“What about?”

“I would rather not go into detail my friend, simply put, I only wished that things could go back as they were before. I honestly care for him and would be willing to risk anything for him but without trust and without respect how can we move forward?”

Thor beamed and places a hand on your shoulder, “You are a very honorable woman __________, my brother is a lucky to have you in his life.”

You smile at his kind words then you suddenly feel guilty. You must have looked the part as well for Thor could tell that something else was wrong and questions you on it.

“Do forgive me Thor I might have mentioned you in our earlier argument.” You say guiltily and averted your eyes from his and began to study the intricate details of his armor.

This caught his attention, “Oh? What did you say?”

You blush a little and looked at the blond thunderer whose blue eyes stared curiously at you. Honestly he could be quite adorable at times and it made you smile, “I told Loki that had I wanted a relationship based solely on physical pleasure I would have sought you out to begin with.”

Thor blinked then smiled charmingly until finally he threw his head back and produced a booming laugh, “I suppose he didn’t take kindly to that?”

“No he didn’t,” you smiled sadly to him, “Then he acted like an absolute troll and had asked, ‘What’s stopping you?’” you said in a mock voice to imitate his pompous attitude.

Thor’s mouth dropped at that, “He did not…”

You nod silently and shrug, “Which is why I had mentioned how I wish things would just go back to how they were before.”

Thor looked thoughtful as though he was mulling something over in his head and then stopped and beamed.

“You know __________, Loki is correct,” you hear him say and you automatically turn your head to stare dumbfounded at him, “There isn’t anything stopping you and I would gladly provide any services you may be in need of.” He grins and winks at you to which you blush and your eyes widened from the shock of what he just offered to you.

“Ew, Thor!” you laughed and shove at him, “I couldn’t do that!”

Thor laughed again and sweeps you into his arms so that you nearly looked straight up at him, “I can be quite convincing my Lady,” he purred and you gulped then you push yourself off him.

“Do forgive me Thor, as tempting as your offer is, my heart still belongs to Loki and being with another man let alone his brother well, I couldn’t live with the guilt. It would be as if I were unfaithful, you do understand do you not?”

The Thunderer stares in disbelief at you then he smiles kindly and shakes his head, “My brother is a fool to have cast you aside like this. Had you have fallen for me I would never allow you to wander off from my side.”

You blush again and smiled nervously at him, “My Lord you are most definitely a charmer…”

“Well then my Lady, if you aren’t willing to share my bed tonight, will you allow me to be your escort this evening at dinner?” he offers you his arm.

You smirk at that looking from that offered arm then up at him. Inclining your head you then take his arm with your own, “I would be delighted, my Lord.”

~*~

After a much needed shower and a change of clothes, you were heading down toward the grand dining room where you would meet up with Thor along with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three as well as the other warriors of the kingdom. The moment you entered, the large crowd that waited for you gave a shout of greeting to which you returned and sat yourself in front of Thor.

You were actually having a pretty good time, laughing and drinking and eating and at that moment being an Aesir was good. Really good. And then you look over near the head of the large table where Loki and Sigyn could be seen sitting together, Loki had been watching you and when your eyes met he looked away, damn those judgy green eyes of his, you think and bite into another hot roll while your attention drifted back to your plate.

“My Lady __________, I was told that you can hold your own not only with a sword but with spirits as well.” Thor mentioned just as you took a sip of your tankard.

“Oh?” You asked after swallowing the rich and bitter ale, “Who might have told you that?”
You see the back of Volstagg’s large hand pound Fandral on the shoulder to which you laughed at the reaction on Fandral’s face at the hit.

“Lies!” you shouted over the noise then swallowed the bite of roll you had in your mouth, “Fandral wouldn’t know; he was already pissed by the time I joined the drinking!”

You really could hold your own when it came to drinking heavily though you wouldn’t dare take on Thor you knew how much he could put away.

“Nonsense my Lady!” The Thunderer said and slams his tankard on the table so that a serving girl could refill it, “My good wench,” he now addressed the serving girl who blushes as he gripped at her wrist to get her attention, “A jug of your best kept spirits for the table.”

Your group roared. You however had the sense to know that this evening wouldn’t end well.

~*~

“DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!” you hear around you as voices chanted and the sturdy table surface was being pounded upon by fists. Tipping back both your head and your hand you shoot back the shot of rice wine spirits[2] from your short cup. The usually hot, dry, burning and biting ferociousness of the drink slides down your throat as you swallow it down easily having earlier drank so much of it that the inside of your throat felt numb and raw.

Placing the short cup upside down on the table, you then cross one leg over the other and rested your elbow over the thigh. Your face now resting in that hand as you stared across the table at Thor with a smile.

The two of you obviously already had plenty to drink but you were both too stubborn to give into the other.
More chanting ensued after Thor’s short cup was filled and he too knocked back that shot.

“What’s going on here?” someone said to your right and you turned to see a pair of sea color eyes looking at you questionably.

“Hey! Look everyone!” you cry out and raise your hands up, “Loki’s here!”

A few of the crowd roared in greeting the others grumbled and you frowned at that, “Fuck off he’s good now! You’re good now right?” you asked and pat him on the knee and before you allowed him to answer you, it was then that you noticed he brought along a goblet with him.

“Whatchoo drinking?”

“Wine… Sigyn just gave it to m--”

“Gimmie.” You say without thinking and drink it down easily. The wine itself was fairly sweet though it must have been the mixed combinations of drinks on your tongue for then you received a bitter aftertaste that made you squirm in your seat.

“You’re going to regret that…”

“I know, I know!” you moan and took a sip of water which you gargled then swallowed it, “I’m regretting it now…” turning your attention to Loki you could see the amused little smirk on his face and then it was as though you had an epiphany… a rather inebriated epiphany to be precise.

“Oh. Loki…” you say immediately as you begin to feel all your fears and anxieties vanish the moment you met his eyes.

“I told you that you would regret it,” he answered pompously and smirked at you, “The only one that can ever drink Thor under the table would be yours truly.”

“Uh huh,” you say in an almost dreamy like swoon, “You know, I never noticed before,” you say softly leaning against him with your head now on his shoulder and you walked your fingers up his nearest arm, “the color of your eyes.”

You watch the color bloom on his cheeks, he was absolutely precious! And you giggled stupidly as you watched the look on Loki’s face as though he were trying to anxiously to change the subject, “Yeah well what’s this all about? Is this some new tactic to make me forget that you drank my wine and now you’re drunk off your arse?”

You bite your lower lip between your teeth and giggled then wave a finger at him, “I’m nah drunk,” then then tapped him on the nose, “I’ve just gain the ability to tell you how I truly feel,”

All around you, you can hear the other warriors jeer and oohed at the two of you when you shush at them, “Oi! ‘M trying to have a bloody conversayshun! Quiet!”

Turning your attention to Loki again he had the look of a scared lamb, ready to take off running, “Uh…” was the only response he managed.

“Wuss da matta?” you slurred and smile up at him, “Cat caught your tongue?”

“No, though it’s quite obvious that it’s caught yours,” he sniffed and stood up.

“Oooh! The God of Lies is so angry! Grrr!” you tease him, earning you another laugh as well as the other drunk warriors around you until you felt yourself being lifted up higher and higher until everyone began to look like tiny ants from your position.

“Odin’s sack!” you cry out earning a sputtering spray of ale to fly out of Thor’s mouth[3], the table roared with laughter, “I can fly!”

More laughter ensued.

“No you aren’t flying,” came Loki’s exasperated drawl from behind you, “I’m taking you back to your room, you need to sleep this drink off you.” You turned your attention over your shoulder to see the back of his dark head then you returned your attention back over to the crowd of your friends.

“Fare thee all well friends, till tomorrow!” you say good bye until you look down and the sight before you caused your jaw to drop and your eyes to almost pop out of your skull, “Saints be praised!” you slurred again and brought down a hand to smack at Loki’s bottom, “Look that that fabulously tight arse!” You squeeze at one leather clad cheek then the other, “Damn!”

“Stop that,” he growled and you felt a smack on your own bottom which caused you to squeal.

You must have dozed off on your way back to your room for you couldn’t really remember too much or how you ended up in bed with your boots off.

~*~

When morning finally came you rolled out of your bed and came face to face with the welcoming floor. You groaned miserably at the wave of nausea that followed soon after your greeting with the floor.

“Good morning,” you hear a familiar voice say, and pushing yourself up you see Loki holding up a pitcher of cold water in one hand while tipping some of its contents into a cup then passes it toward you from across the other side of your bed, “how are you faring?”

“Oh sweet merciful angels…” you groaned, your head pounding feeling as though you were repeatedly hit on the head with Mjolnir, “Don’t ever let me do that again.” You then rub at your head with one hand to get rid of the pounding while the other reaches out to take the cup of water and you drink it slowly.

“It was your own damn fault, what made you think you could evade a hangover by drinking in the manner of how you did last night at dinner?”

“Shhh, stop yelling. Why are you yelling?” you wince and whispered to him, “Indoor voices please…”

He snorts and shakes his head while sitting on the edge of your bed, “You’re pathetic.”

“Fuck off.” You groaned and somehow you climbed back up on your bed, “it’s your fault by the way.”

You feel him shift himself around and stare at you, “How is this my fault?”

“Wouldn’t have gone binge drinking with Thor if we didn’t have that fight.” You shrug.

There was a deathly silence and then the yelling resumed.

“You are impossible, unbelievably impossible!” he yelled causing you to cover your ears at the sound then he got up and slams the door shut behind him.

Damn it…

~*~

A little after Loki left you alone in your room you headed for the Healer’s wing of the palace for a potion to cure you of your hangover. You had decided that after you were sober enough, you were going to talk to Loki again and apologize for the things you told him that morning, you honestly didn’t mean it when you said it was his fault. If anything you knew what you were doing and you just couldn’t leave things the way they were with him. Turning the corner you were walking into the direction toward his room while thinking of the few other places where he could be when you spot Sigyn walking toward you from down the hall.

“I believe that you and I need to have a conversation.” She said as you both met each other half way. Her blond hair was braided and it hung neatly over her left shoulder as her crystal blue eyes studied your appearance and you noticed a tiny sneer on her upper lip.

“What conversation would that be, my Lady?”

“Don’t act so innocent, you know of what I speak of.”

You watch her carefully not really knowing what she was talking about until she rolled her eyes and threw her hands up toward the open ceiling, “Loki of course! My betrothed! Who else?”

“Oh, very well my Lady, what about Loki would you like to discuss?”

“Not here,” she said and began to walk toward one of the empty parlors where you could talk privately to each other, “Now I understand that you’ve upset him.”

You sigh a little and bite your lip, “I admit Lady Sigyn that we’ve had an argument and I was just about to look for him to apologi—“

“I don’t want you to see him. I don’t want you to speak to him, and I don’t wish for you to even say his name.”

It dawned on you that this conversation was about to get very ugly. You then shake your head at her, “Lady Sigyn I can understand how you must feel about his friend—“

“Do you love him?”

That threw you off, “What?” you asked confused, what was she doing?

“Do you love my intended?”

“Of course I do,” and although it hurt you to say that, because you love him more than just that, you had to put on a front with the woman who was to be his wife and the new Princess of Asgard, "he's my eldest friend, how can I not?"

“Liar!” she accused, “If that were true then the potion in his wine would have poisoned you!”

“Wait, what?! You tried slipping him a potion? What the Hel is the matter with you?!”

“How dare you speak to me that way? Don’t you know who I am!”

“I could care less at this point! You could have killed him!”

“He would have not,” she snorted and waves a dismissive hand at you, “That potion I made was only intended for him. If by some chance it were another man, he would have been infatuated with me. Though had a woman drank it she would have been gravely ill at this point.”

“Well you see apart from having so much drink from last night, I had actually just left the Healer’s Wing not too long before we ran into one another in the hall Lady Sigyn. I was in need of a potion for my hangover and I suppose it countered your poison as well as it alleviated me.”

“Damn my rotten luck…”

“Well if that’s all that the Lady requites of me, I shall take my leave.” You wanted nothing more than to leave before you did something you regretted and you begin to bow at her when she stops you again.
“Are you going to tell him about the potion?”

Looking up you stare at her then shake your head, “I shouldn’t because it isn’t my secret to tell him. But if you honestly love him, you cannot lie to him you must tell him the truth and if you do not, then surely I will tell him. Though to be perfectly honest, I feel sorry for you. You thought that you needed to resort to using magic in order to get him to love you. That’s very selfish on your part.”

“S-selfish?! How dare you!” Sigyn turned a shade of red at this.

“Your love for him is arrogant and egotistical. All you care about is that he sees you and only you and it drives you mad that he doesn’t want you as you expect him to, just simply because you are betrothed to him.”

“And what about you __________? Sneaking around behind my back knowing too well that he and I are to be married. You don’t love him at all, I saw you at dinner last night acting like such a fool.”

“Of course I love him! How can you say that? He is my greatest and oldest friend; I would risk anything for him if needed be!” You declared with a hand over your heart to emphasize your point.

Sigyn raised her eyebrows at this, “Truly? Then I don’t think you will mind if I asked when was it exactly that you began to feel this way?”

You paused and looked a bit taken a back; you didn’t really think about it until then, “I suppose in some way, I’ve always loved him. I’ve known him since we were children, we grew up together, we’ve fought alongside each other... and even long ago when everyone feared him and the things he could do I still cared about him. It saddened me of course because I couldn’t believe that he was the same person I had known almost my whole life. It was so hard to see him fall and not to be able to help him.”

Now it was Sigyn’s turn to look surprised, “Do you honestly mean that?”

“Of course I mean that! It seems as though the only thing your little potion had done was to only further encourage me to be honest with myself as opposed to the opposite of what you said it would have done. It was as though my fear and insecurities no longer held me back from letting me know how much he means to me.”

You stood there watching the other woman who was now shaking with anger and frustration, her face had now turned a shade of plum and her fingertips began to glow a dangerous shade of pale blue then white. It looked as though she had collected two handfuls of sparking stardust and she raised them up to use against you.

“You don’t know anything!” she shrieked sending a hot white blast to you, and you fall back off your feet while shielding your face with your arms, your (y/c) hair flew around her shoulders and some against the sides of your face, “You weren’t even supposed to drink it! Why didn’t you die? Why won’t you die?!”

With every strangled sob she spoke, Sigyn’s magic began to toss you back and forth between the floor and the wall of the large parlor and you were powerless against her magic. Your vision swam as you landed from one part of the room to the other, your body aching and your head pounded. You were sure that if Sigyn kept this up for much longer, she would kill you! Until at last you were let down on your stomach, your hands braced against a patch of marble floor your body has yet made contact with and your right cheek pressed against the cool smooth floor.

“SIGYN!” you heard a familiar shout echoing in the room as Loki entered the room while heading toward the two of you. Sigyn continued to stand over you with her hand in position over your body her eyes widen as she stared at Loki, “I will not allow you to harm her any longer!”

Sigyn’s rage returned with a vengeance as she glared at Loki, “I will destroy her before she gets her hands on you!” with that her fingers glowed again and with a raised hand she sent out a blast of yellow light upon your battered and beaten form. You screamed but held your ground, gritting your teeth you tried your best to stand when you felt your back crushed under the force of Sigyn’s spell.

You’ve must have black out for a moment for you couldn’t see or hear much but a loud shout and a girl screaming in protest from far away. When you finally did open your eyes you saw nothing but blurred colored figures and felt a pair of strong arms lifting you up from the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” you hear Loki’s voice close to your cheek.

“Loki, stop!” Sigyn cried; you feel him turn to look at her then you could hear her softly sobbing from her place on the floor.

“I told you not to touch her, you disobeyed me!” he shouted, you felt his magic as it rose against you then the sound of Sigyn screaming until she was silent, which then you realized that Loki must have released her. For you could hear her trembling and whimpering sobs from below at Loki’s feet.

“You deserve to suffer,” he sneered and was about to hit her with another spell when you managed to reach up and gently press your fingers against the side of his cheek and looked at his serious features.

“No…” you strained and you could see his face turn toward you, though his expression blurred from your vision, “It’s not her fault,” you manage, “her only crime is that she loves you so much,”

You couldn’t remember much after that just a pleasant darkness followed by sleep. When you finally did wake up, you didn’t really know how much time had passed, the only thing on your mind now was that you needed to find Loki and explain to him what happened.

“You shouldn’t overexert yourself,” you hear a voice to your left, when you turn toward the voice you come to find Loki sitting in a chair next to you, he had dark circles under those brilliant sea colored eyes of his, “and if you do I’ll just have to strap you down and I don’t want to have to do that.” You could tell by the smirk on his face that he was joking.

“Here dear, take this it will make you well,” you hear Lady Frigga say as she smiled toward you and hands you a warm mug of potion.

“Thank you your Highness, it is very kind of you to be here. I am honored,” you say with a smile of your own while taking the steaming mug into your hands and blowing gently over the hot liquid before you took a sip. You then close your eyes and gave a sigh of contentment. At this point Loki had been watching you and smiles.

After drinking down the tea, you stifled yawn behind your hand, your eyes begin to droop and soon you were fast asleep against the pillows once again.

~*~

Loki’s POV

I never once took in how beautiful _________ really was. Under all that rough attitude and demeanor she was still a woman with true sentiments and emotions. Half a century ago I would have called her an emotional fool but now… now things were different. They would be different, and we will get through this together.

“It will take her a few days to fully recover. But she should be awake later tonight.” My Mother spoke gently as she had also watched __________ as she slept; I tear my eyes from her sleeping form for just a moment as I spoke to my mother.

“Sigyn was close to killing her, had she succeeded--” I paused, my anger flared once more and I shake my head from the overwhelming desire to rid myself of her once and for all, “No, I’d rather not speculate.”

“It’s best not to my dear, you should stay by __________’s side, I do believe it will do you some good, she is your friend after all,” she smiled as though she knew something, that didn’t go unnoticed by me, “Mother,” I began, choosing my words carefully, “by any chance, are you conspiring something?”

I could see the earlier shine to her eyes from her smile dull as she regained her serious composure, “My darling, whatever gives you that idea?”

Then I decided on another tactic, “And what of Sigyn?”

My mother’s expression turned grim at the mention of Sigyn’s name again, “She has been temporarily stripped of her powers and was escorted to a holding cell.” She said simply, “She is to not have any contact with the outside world for many moons and her powers will be returned to her until I see fit. If at all.”

That bit of news lifted a smile on my face, though I did my best to fight it down and suppress it, “And what of our engagement?”

At this I could a small flicker drifted across my mother’s eyes, “My love, you do not seriously think that after this little display of hers, Sigyn is still worthy to be by your side? If your father and I allow this match to proceed as planned, she could cause you to stray away from us again. And after all the progress you’ve made over the years. No my love, your engagement is broken off with her.”

“Broken you say?” I now turn my attention back to __________’s sleeping form and pushed back a stray strand of (y/c) hair behind the shell of her ear, “That’s very interesting.”

~*~

Reader's POV

The tea that Queen Frigga gave you allowed you to have a dreamless sleep, it was peaceful and wonderful and you felt refreshed by the time you woke up again. The afternoon light that had come earlier through the window was now dark and you could now hear the bugs chirping their night songs.

Just as you wondered what time it was did you feel a hand slide on top of yours and you turned to find Loki at your side, you smile at him before turning yourself over to face him, “Have you been watching me sleep all this time?”

“Yes,” he admitted and leaned in, “and I’ve got to tell you __________, you snore.”

You look at him scandalized.

“And you drool.”

Now you know he was joking with you by the smile teasing his lips. At this his other hand lifted to caress the side of your face, you stare at him and waited, for it was only a matter of time before he left you.

“Why do you look so concerned, I thought you’d be happy that I’m here by your side?”

You slightly glare at him, “Get out of my head, that’s not fair.”

Loki chuckled, his thumb now traced over your cheekbone and his fingers cupped at your jawline, “Then stop making it so easy to read your mind.”

“Are we always going to be like this?” you finally asked and this stops him from teasing you and he looked thoughtful now.

“What? Constantly bickering? Yes I believe so. It is how we’ve managed to survive each other for so long.”

You smile silently at him then you close your eyes to enjoy his gentleness with you.

“Are you still tired?”

“No, I’m wide awake, at least for now until you leave.”

“Whoever said I was planning to leave?”

You now open your eyes to stare at him, “What about Sigyn?”

“I do believe we’ve had a similar argument like this before,” he smirked, “Don’t worry about her, she’s right where she belongs, in prison.”

“What?!” you lifted yourself up half way and groaned at your sore muscles which screamed at you at the sudden movement, “Fucking hell…”

“__________! It’s alright, relax and calm down.”

“What do you mean she’s in prison?”

“Well she did almost kill you.”

You snort and rolled back to your side facing him again, “As if she could.”

Loki rolled his eyes at you, “She did bang you up pretty badly that you are in need to stay here for a few of days and drink potions and the like.”

“Careful Loki,” you smiled in a warning tone, “Sounds like you’re starting to care for me.”

Loki sorted, “Shut it,” you both laughed.

“Are you still going to marry her?”

“Move over,” he mumbled almost too softly for you to hear him, when he saw that you made no move at all he looks at you and spoke a little more clearly, “Move. Over.”

You scoot over and make some room for him since the bed you were resting on was big enough to fit two people, Loki then stretches himself out next to you, “To answer your question, no. No I am no longer going to marry her. She’s disgraced herself in my eyes and in the eyes of my parents and the kingdom. She will be lucky if she will be granted the use of her magic again.”

Not getting married. He was no longer getting married.

The two of you were quiet for a moment until Loki broke the silence, “Though I must admit I honestly don’t know what you’ve done to get my mother to like you so much.”

You smile and shrug though you had your own suspicions that the Allmother did play her hand into this somehow, “Perhaps it’s because even when you were at your best or at your lowest point, I still loved you. And maybe she saw that.”

Loki smiles at that and traces your lips with his thumb, “Love,” he snickers, gently shakes his head and leans in towards you, “love.”

This kiss was by far much better than the first.
...

Notes

Okay here it is: the sequel to Masquerade.

I don't own you or Loki or Marvel, just the spelling/grammar errors.

Some inspirational music to go with this piece (lots of feels too!):

My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne
Someone Like You - Adele.

Number bullets:

[1]: Ran is the Goddess of the Sea.

[2]: Rice Wine I found is actually different than sake and I am so glad I looked this up first before posting and/or making a statement that they are the same thing. They are not.

[3]: How I imagine Thor spitting out his ale at your choice of curse.