DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! Thor and Loki belong to the good people at Marvel, and Elsa and Anna belong to Disney.

Note: Non-Avengers and Dark World compliant AU, with serious characterisation liberties taken as a result.

Chapter One

Loki looked out of the tower window as sunset descended over Asgard. He sighed and turned his back on the burnt orange and grapefruit sky as he heard a timid knock on his door.

"Enter," he said.

His mother stepped through the door with smile on her face that was just a bit too understanding for Loki's liking.

"They'll be arriving soon, you really must descend to greet them." She spoke to him as though he was fragile, or worse, volatile. Sutr, you try to obliterate an entire race once to win the approval of your father and suddenly everyone thinks you're going to fly off the handle at the smallest thing.

"Of course Mother, it would be remiss of me as the last Prince of Jotunheim."

"Prince of Asgard, my son. Asgard." The look on her face made him regret his little joke. "Come down soon, after all you only get to make a first impression on your future sister-in-law once." She left the room.

He sighed again and ran his long, pale fingers through his raven hair. He really must get it cut before the wedding. He thought of the wedding and felt another pang of guilt. The wedding. Repairing the bifrost had taken a long time, a very long time. So long that by the time it was finished, not only had Loki had managed to con the Chitauri into transporting him out of the depths of oblivion and back to Asgard, but Jane Foster had forced herself to forget Thor, married, had children, grown old and died. Loki would never forget the day that Jane died. Thor had come back from Heimdall looking like a broken man; he had smiled sadly at Loki, clapped him on the shoulder and walked into the throne room with unshed tears shining in his blue eyes. He was glad that his older brother had found someone, but he was well aware that it wasn't the wedding he should have had, the one that he would have had – had it not been for Loki.

He put on his headdress and cloak and left the confines of his chambers to go to the courtyard; it's not that he didn't want to meet Anna and her sister, but he found even descriptions of her to be annoyingly chirpy. Vor help him when he actually met her. At least this Midgardian was actually a Princess this time.

He stood beside his mother on the steps as they listened to the thunderous sound of approaching hooves cantering nearer. Two sets, if he wasn't mistaken. His brother must be riding with his bride, oh how idiotically romantic. Gradually, two horses and their riders, smears of red, white, blue, yellow and orange, came into view and grew sharper and more defined as they drew nearer. Loki smiled and rolled his eyes as the riders came to a halt; Thor had his "am I not amazing?" grin firmly in place as he dismounted and helped his bride down.

The girl was small (everyone was compared to Thor, though) and seemed to exude a crackling excitement with every movement of her freckled body. Thor said something and her green eyes lit up as she laughed nervously, her hands playing with her red plaits. Seriously? Plaits? He thought. What was she, a blushing pre-pubescent maiden? Mind you, that giggle...

His brother had now taken her hand and was leading her up to his mother.

"Mother," Thor said brimming with pride, "may I introduce you to Princess Anna of Arendelle. Anna, this is my mother Queen Frigga of Asgard."

"Queen Dowager," the older woman corrected as she rolled her eyes and bent down to kiss Anna on the cheek. Anna promptly threw her arms around the Queen Dowager's neck and embraced her as if she were her own mother.

"I am so glad to finally meet you your majesty! Thor has told me so much about you!" Anna said as a kind of nervous excitement took hold of her.

"Please, call me Frigga my dear." As off balance as she looked, Loki could tell his mother was glad to have such an affectionate daughter-in-law. Prospective daughter-in-law, he corrected himself; in Asgard you never knew what might happen.

Anna's smile faltered a fraction as she approached him. Ah. Clearly she had been told all about him as well.

"Anna, meet my brother Loki. Prince of Asgard." Thor gave him a look that dared him to disagree. "Loki, meet my bride Anna of Arendelle." Anna immediately stuck her hand out awkwardly.

"Pleased to meet you, Loki. Sir. Your majesty. I mean, um -" She babbled.

Once more Loki smiled and rolled his eyes, before taking the young Princess' hand and bowing.

"I assure you that the pleasure is all mine, Anna. And if I am to call you Anna, you must call me Loki – 'tis only just."

She looked reassured. Her emerald eyes flicked over to the side and she stepped aside to allow another to take her place.

"Loki, this is my sister Elsa. Queen Elsa. Of Arendelle. Obviously."

Now this creature was truly stunning. She simply radiated regal poise and power. Pale and luminous as purest snow and quick, intelligent, large eyes that were the purest, sharpest ice blue imaginable. Was her hair just a very light blonde, or white? A smile twitched up at the corner of her dark pink lips as she held out her hand.

"Delighted to make your acquaintance, your royal highness." Loki bowed elegantly and pressed a kiss onto her hand.

"Why, thank you. Since we're doing equality among royalty, you may as well call me Elsa."

He straightened up and froze, still holding her hand. All of a sudden his blood was singing and, judging from her suddenly stiff posture, so was hers. His skin tingled with an instinctual knowledge long since buried deep and left to die.

"Ice Witch," he whispered.

"Frost Giant," she returned in the same whispered shock and curiosity.

Thor gave his fiancée a reproachful look.

"What? I didn't tell her anything! It's not my fault they've got some frozen voodoo thing going on!"

"Voodoo?"

"Oh! It's the most amazing kind of magic..." Their voices grew distant as they went inside. Frigga raised an eyebrow at her youngest son and followed them.

"Loki, release my hand. Please."

With a jolt, Loki realised that he was still holding on. He let go.

"Oh. I apologise."

"So... I take it your adopted?"

"Is it really so obvious?"

"Just a tiny bit."

"I'm assuming you're not, then?"

"No. Obviously."

"Ice Witches are exceptionally rare, throughout the nine realms. You should consider yourself lucky."

Her face broke into the strangest, bittersweet smile.

"I do. These days. Shouldn't we be going in?"

Loki smiled, recognising the sign of someone who would rather stay silent about their past he offered her his arm and lead her inside. Goodness, he was smiling a lot today.

That evening there was a reception to celebrate the imminent marriage of the King of Asgard and the Princess of Arundelle. Elsa would have argued that a celebration so near to that of the actual wedding was needless, but apparently you don't need to give an Asgardian an excuse to party. She watched her sister dance, wheeling about to the music of some lute-like instruments and booming drums with the man she loved, flushed with excitement and love shining out of her eyes. Elsa needn't worry. Anna was going to fit in just fine here.

Meanwhile, Anna simply couldn't believe her luck. Forget the King part, Thor was... Thor. He was kind and thoughtful and passionate and maybe he was a bit arrogant sometimes, but his heart was good and he'd never actually hurt anyone till he had to and oh-my-God he was just so gorgeous! She took a mental breath. And looked at her love, drinking in every detail as they reeled around each other – his twinkling blue eyes, the long sandy hair she loved to touch and his beautiful laughing mouth. He caught her staring and with a devilish sparkle in his eyes, he lifted her off her feet and slung her over his shoulder and carried her to the fireplace as she squealed with laughter in delight.

He put her down and thought himself the luckiest man in all of the nine realms. It had taken breaking into a parallel universe to do it, but he had finally found his Queen. He brushed his fingers across her cheek.

"What? Do I have something on my face? Oh my God, it's chocolate isn't it -" Anna knew they should have brought something more sophisticated from Arundelle.

He silenced her with a kiss.

"Silly Anna," he whispered in her ear. "Even if you were covered in bildsnipe dung, I would love you all the same."

She had no clue what a... Thingy was, but she understood his where he was coming from. And she understood his heart, as he did hers. And that was the important thing. They may come, literally, from different worlds, but they had love. As ridiculous and corny as it sounded they had true love; it really did conquer all. Even her sister's occasionally frosty and sceptical heart had to recognise a love that evidently transcended mere girlish crushes and earthly passions.

Elsa walked over to the mead and filled a horn up, within earshot of the happy couple.

"I love you, you know that right?" Anna said grabbing her Asgardian God round the waist.

"And I love you too," he put a protective arm over her shoulder.

"Not more than me, you don't."

"Oh really?" He looked down on her with an amused, but sceptical smile. "Are you in a gaming mood?"

"Damn straight. I love you more than the ocean is deep."

"Well, my love is longer than the Bifrost!"

Elsa almost choked on her mead. That was a funny name for it. Although apparently neither of the love-birds had noticed.

"Huh, my love for you is..." Anna cast around for ideas. "My love for you is as deep and infinite as space!"

"Nonsense! My love for you will last to Ragnorok and beyond!"

"What the hell is Ragnorok?! If you're going to speak in references, explain them!"

Loki was standing a little way off and he caught Elsa's eye and they both chuckled and rolled their eyes. Elsa went over to join him.

"Only those two could argue over who loved the other more," Elsa shook her head in fake despair.

"I know – disgusting, isn't it?" He looked over at the couple, who were both indulging in a thoroughly non-verbal apology.

"Oh, absolutely. Sickening, really." She raised her horn, "to the die-hard un-romantics like us." Loki raised his and locked eyes with her.

"To realists."

Never breaking eye-contact with each other, they raised their horns and drank.

Thor smiled at Anna, when they finally came up for air. He was so happy – if only Loki could allow himself to be so too... Over Anna's head, he saw his brother's toast with Elsa. And he was struck with an idea. He looked down at his beloved and spoke low enough for only her to hear:

"Anna, I have a scheme in mind. Do you..."

I seriously cocked-up the formatting of version 1, hope this works out better...