"And that, little ones, is why we should not aim to wrestle with bilgesnipe," Laila finished with a small chuckle, eyes continuously scanning from left to right to ensure that all of her younglings were still with her.

Trips to the palace were enjoyable in that it gave Laila a break from typical classroom lectures, but they also included keeping the attention of children who simply wanted to tour every inch of the royal's home.

"Lady Laila." She looked over at the green-eyed little girl who'd gleefully informed her just that morning that she'd lost her very last baby tooth. "Can we see Prince Thor's room?"

Laila withheld her sad smile. If only the child knew the prince's room was practically hers when he was gone.

It was already more or less an order from her beloved that she reside in the palace while he was away as it was the safest place for her to be. But in his chambers was where she spent most evenings, the familiarity of the room providing her comfort on the nights where she desperately desired to be in his arms.

"I don't know." Laila pretended to think about the request while also weaving in a grammar lesson. "Can you?"

The bright child immediately recognized her mistake. "May we see Prince Thor's room?

"Is it true Mjølnir has its own bed?"

"I heard it has its own room!"

Laila chuckled. That she could answer.

"While I believe the prince is never far from Mjølnir, it would be best served somewhere close to the bed rather than in one, hmm?"

Several sets of eyes widened. "You've seen it, Lady Laila?"

Before she could respond, another student, one who often carried himself as far more superior than his classmates, chimed up. "Of course, she's his beloved."

Laila sighed at the chorus of gasps and giggles. "Children-"

"Do you love Prince Thor?"

The question caught her off guard, and while she naturally wanted to respond with a firm yes, she knew to say so would further distract her children from the topic at hand.

"Don't we all love our royal family?

"Yes." Laila's head snapped to the side, her heart fluttering as she laid eyes on a smirking Thor. Forearm propped against a pillar, he casually twirled around his hammer. "But I believe that's not what she asked you."

Completely oblivious to his question, the only thing Laila could do was focus on the fact that her love had returned. As the children swarmed Thor with a litany of questions and joy at his surprise arrival, she remained in the same spot, allowing the students to have their fun.

"You know." Laila looked over to see Lady Sif and the Warrior's Three heading over. "I think the prince would like some alone time with his beloved."

Laila pushed her lips together in an attempt to hide her smile. "I-"

"I agree!" Fandral chimed. "Come, children, we shall show you where the Warriors Three train!"

Cheers of excitement chorused as the students crowded near the warriors, hanging onto every word as Volstagg began one of his infamous elaborate stories.

"But-"

"Surely." Laila peered over her shoulder as Thor's strong arms wrapped around her from behind. "Surely, you are not opposed to spending time with your favorite prince?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Loki is here?"

Laughing at his obvious irritation, she continued, pulling away from him. "I should welcome him home." Turning around, she didn't try to hide her grin as Thor started to corner her. "He deserves a proper welcome, no?"

Thor grunted as he forced Laila against a pillar, her hands behind her back. "And myself? Do I not deserve something?"

"Hmm," she gasped as his hand moved to the small of her back. Lowering her voice, she looked at him through her long eyelashes. "That depends."

"On?" Laila's eyes closed as Thor brought his lips to her exposed shoulder blade.

Bringing her hands up to his chest, his cool armor sending chills up her spine, she grinned. "How much time we have."

—

"Heavy bruising across her entire body, lacerations on her legs, swelling-, the list goes on, but it's nothing that we can't heal," Brunnhilde informed, stopping when she recognized that Thor was barely cognizant of her summary, or maybe he was, either way, he was clearly preoccupied.

He sat on the side of the healing bed, one hand continuously reaching out to stroke her forehead, the other gently clasped over her hand.

Thor hadn't left her side.

He'd allowed the medical team to examine her, of course, but as soon as she was sedated, he'd been the first one in there.

It was strange. He'd spent months, years even, praying that somehow, someway, she'd return to him. That fate would cease turning her ear to his pleas, and now, five years later, his request was granted.

She was here, alive, real.

But….not in the way he'd imagined. No, not even close.

Seeing his beloved wife in such a battered state, the mere thought of someone having the unmitigated gall to bring her any type of harm, it made his blood boil. What kind of vermin thought it okay to lay even a finger on her? His queen?

Thor closed his eyes, sensing the pending surge of lightning building within him.

"It's strange. She knows the year, she remembers….." Brunnhilde trailed off, unsure as to if she should say it. Probably not. While she knew that she was the only person who could engage so casually with the king without the fear of vicious repercussions, she also knew that discussion of The Snap was never on the table. "The basics. Everything else though, how she got here, where she's been….who she is….nothing."

His eyes burned into the subtle rise and fall of her chest. Setting aside the disgraceful markings that marred her beautiful skin, she was just as breathtakingly exquisite as the last time he'd seen her with the exception of a slightly heavier build and longer hair.

Five years. Five years, and she still held such a profound effect on him even if….if she didn't remember.

"What about her memory?"

Brunnhilde sighed sadly, dreading this part of the conversation.

"No signs of neurological problems or enchantments." She shook her head and crossed her arms. "The assumption….."

"What?" Thor was growing frustrated with the prolonged answers.

Brunnhilde glanced at the ground. "The trauma….everything she's been through….it sent her into a deep state of denial and repression."

He dropped his head, his heavy shoulders lifting. She'd been through so much, lost so much more….and it was all his fault.

"They can heal her physically, but everything else….."

His thumb coursed over the apple of her cheek, the whispered "I'm so sorry" muffled by the soft kiss to her forehead that followed suit.

Brunnhilde felt as though she was imposing on an intimate moment and turned to leave when Thor cleared his throat and stood up.

"You will help her."

She paused. "You mean guard her? Of course."

"No." He turned around. "Teach her. Home. Asgard. Even her father." Brunnhilde opened her mouth to protest. Sure, she'd learned almost everything there was to know about her queen over the years, but who better to help her than her husband?

"Thor."

"What you are not to tell her though…." The brief pang of sadness in his eyes disappeared almost instantly, replaced by hardness. "-is about us."

"I don't understand."

"She grew up among my family because of her father's position, becoming a close companion to myself and Loki. Nothing more."

The warrior paused as she finally understood what he meant. "But she's your wife, Thor. She deserves the truth, not an altered version."

Not only was she against the idea of being the one to walk Laila through what she couldn't recall, but the fact that Thor was asking her to lie to her queen and perpetuate a fraud…..it seemed tasteless.

And wrong.

Stepping toward her, Brunnhilde swallowed her nerves as Thor turned on the menacing tone and narrowing eyes that sent fear throughout the nine realms.

"Are you questioning me?"

Returning her gaze to the ground, she relented. "No….no, your Highness."

He straightened. "Good."

Recognizing that this was a conversation she would not win, Brunnhilde tried a different angle. "What of how she ended up here? She may not be able to provide answers, but someone knows something."

"I agree," he nodded, giving his unconscious wife one last glance before heading for the door. "And I intend to find out who." Eyes ablaze with white sparks, lighting dancing across his body, Brunnhilde stepped aside, fully aware that being in the way of an enraged god of Thunder was never a wise decision.

"Whatever it takes."