Cara had learnt a lot in her time under Eir's tutelage. One such thing was never to it assume anything. Loki's wounds were nothing too severe and could be the result of any manner of action. Their likeness to Lady Lucia's false nails could be utterly coincidental or perhaps, going by his lack of wanting her in particular to know, could be the result of overly amorous displays of lust. It was not her place to judge, though part of her did. To Cara, who had been taught to question everything, and to try and see things from every angle, she suspected, from the alteration in Loki's behaviour and by what Eir had taught her to look for, she suspected that Loki had received those marks in a manner he did not consent to. The only issue was, she had no inkling as to if or how she should broach the matter with the head healer.

For a few weeks, she saw little of Loki or Lucia, she only really saw them at official even, sitting by one another, but that only made her wonder more as both seemed almost uncomfortable around one another, their personalities were clearly completely at odds. She knew of situations where contrasting personalities seemed to work well together. Her father and his wife were curiously different also, but they had been a political match and seemed content in themselves and seem to have something of a rhythm to their lives that it worked. Her stepmother preferred drawing and sewing, while her father preferred reading and meeting with other warriors to speak, but at home, they would be very content to sit together for hours, with only a few words said between them as they enjoyed their quiet pursuits together, in the one room, which she noticed from even a young age, had a calm and pleasant atmosphere, even at their most silent. Looking at Loki and Lucia once more, she would wager everything she ever owned, they were not similar to her father and stepmother.

One afternoon, as she made her way from the gardens, where she had procured some herbs required to make more salve, she heard hushed and angry whispers.

'I cannot see why that is an issue, you are supposed to be a prince.'

'I can't.'

Immediately, Cara was able to tell who it was she was overhearing.

'You are supposed to be a man.'

'Doing such things does not indicate whether you are a man or not.' Loki argued.

'Thor does it.'

'That is his business, I don't want to.'

'Is it because you don't find me attractive, is that it? Do I not make you want to? Or is it that women do not excite you in that manner? Is that all I am, a cover for your true nature?'

Cara bit her lips together at what she was hearing.

'No, I just….'

'Why do you hurt me like this, Loki? I love you so much and you do these things to me. I thought you cared about me.'

'I do...'

'This is not how you care for someone, this is hurting them. You're hurting me, Loki. This is telling me I'm not enough, that you do not think me worth it. To share something so special and you won't do it. How do you think that makes me feel?'

'I…'

'Why are you so cruel?' The sobbing that followed was nothing short of theatre dramatics in Cara's opinion, and bad theatre dramatics at that before seeing Lucia rush off. She watched as Lucia ran off feigning tears before looking to her side to where Loki was now standing, having clearly begun to chase after Lucia, but coming to a stop on seeing they were not as alone as he thought.

'I….Sorry.'

'It is not something that you need to apologise for, Your Highness.' Cara dismissed. She looked at the conflict and uncertainty in his face, telling her of his internal turmoil. 'If I may give some advice, as both a woman and one who works in a health field.' The look on his face told her he was listening. 'If one partner does not consent to intimacy, it is the duty of the other to respect that, not guilt the unready one into doing what they want, that is not consent.'

'But, isn't that only regarding women?' Loki replied sheepishly. 'Men for them and that is rape, it….'

'It works both ways, you know?' Cara informed him. 'Both partners need to consent in any relationship, male and female.'

Loki's expression became more conflicted by her words. 'But women cannot force men…'

'Really?' Cara challenged. 'From what I have just witnessed, I would think Lucia is doing a pretty good job at trying to force you, and from what I can see, it seems to be working.'

'Men…'

'Are just as worthy of respect as women.' Cara finished for him. 'Men have as much right to say no, to not have to feel pressurised and to be able to choose what they wish to do without being accused of using a partner as a way of hiding who they are.'

Loki swallowed as he realised just how much Cara had heard. 'I….'

'Also, contrary to what you were just told, declining your partner is not an attack on them or your thoughts of them.'

Loki scoffed at her. 'And you would know this how? It is not like you have ever had a line of men rushing to court you.'

'Yet I am the one that knows that both men and women can be coerced into intimacy against their will by their partner.' She smiled. 'I rather not have a line of men to court me, if that.' She pointed to where Lucia had gone. 'Is what fills this. I am waiting for someone worth my time.' She bowed slightly and took her leave, not letting Loki say any more on the matter.

Cara sat beside her sister as they listened to the father blabber on at their brother's wedding.

'So, what is new in the world of healing?' Sif asked, making conversation with her younger sibling.

'Not much, it tends to be the same few things most days. Though, I see you got a new weapon.'

Sif frowned. 'How could you possibly know that?'

'A double-ended sword, right?' Cara smiled knowingly.

'No really, how could you possibly know that?'

'You have sent fifteen men to the healing rooms in a fortnight with injuries that can only be from that and the glare I get when they are asked what happened sort of gives it away.' She laughed.

'Sorry.' Sif did not seem any bit remorseful saying the word.

'Don't be, they seem the sort that needed some humbling.'

'Doesn't that go against your "code" saying something like that?'

'My code says I have to treat them and I have to respect their privacy, not that I cannot think that some of them actually deserve…' She cocked her head slightly to the side as she studied what was in front of her.

Realising Cara had gotten sidetracked, Sif turned to see what she was looking at. 'Is there a reason you are looking at Loki and Lucia like that?'

'What do you know about her?'

Sif looked at her sister and laughed. 'Do you not know of her? How absorbed in your studies do you have to be if you do not know who Lady Lucia is?'

'I am aware of who she is, I just do not know anything about her. You're closer to the princes, so I assume you have at least some knowledge of her.'

'She's friendly, outgoing and loves a party. She's far too much fun for that mopey prat.' Sif dismissed. 'Honestly, you'd think when a girl of her standing and demeanour shows an interest, he would become more outgoing, instead, he seems even more sullen. I cannot fathom why she bothers with him.'

'The title of Princess of Asgard seems something of a motive. I mean you always talk about the airheads that try their luck with Thor.'

'No Cara, you don't see how lovely she is to him, it's startling. I heard her the other day speaking with her friend, she is thinking of giving into his want to go away, just the two of them for a week, and you know well what you want that for. She is too giving.'

To Cara, Sif's words made her mind scream warnings, knowing that Loki, on her last speaking to him a mere few days before, was anything but eager to be intimate with Lucia. And going by the manner by which the prince was sitting, his body leaning towards his brother and not towards his lover, made it seem as though that has not changed.