So, to make up for my late posting, here is

Chapter 1

The silent tapping of my feet was all I could hear. Few ventured down here, but it was time for Loki's monthly bath. Of course, since I turned the equivalent of 16, I've been working as a servant for the royal family, mainly Loki, who was the equivalent of 24 when I began. Being as he's oh comfortable with my presence, they chose me. Again.

Of course, I shouldn't make it sound so troublesome. It's just my sheer rage coming out of me. Numbskull. How could he go and-and-and make us, make me think he was dead for-for-for a whole year?! Then we come to know he's alive because he tried to take over Midgard?!

I growled under my breath. He didn't even feel any sort of remorse. He made that clear at his trial. Sure, at the time I was just glad he made it back alive, but now that I think about it, death might have been welcomed more warmly than wasting away in a cell.

The guards nodded at me as I entered the dungeon with said cell. Of course, it is far from what you'd normally expect a dungeon to look like. It was filled with small rooms with yellow see-through walls that electrocuted you when touched. It was, as Midgardians called it, futuristic looking.

"Astrid, I see you have not forgotten your duties with me." He said with a lazy smirk, as he always did when I came down.

"Do not play games with me, Loki." I told him stubbornly out of fear the other prisoners would say immoral things. Of course, I knew well that he would not listen. He hadn't once since Odin allowed him to be cleansed on occasion. As always, the dungeon keeper put down Loki's walls and put Loki in handcuffs that would not be removed until we reached the bath. Loki rolled his eyes, but once they were secure, he looked at me and put his elbow out.

"Shall we?" he asked with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. It was tempting to drag him by the ear, but I thought that would be unwise with the guards around. "I wish you hadn't gotten yourself jailed so I could smack you upside the head."

Egil, the more fun of the two guards, bent down and whispered in my ear, "Want us to turn around so we don't see anything for a moment?"

"While I appreciate the thought, I think it'd be best to keep all eyes on him so he doesn't try anything."

Loki impatiently told us, "So, I'm a bit of a mess if you couldn't tell. Can we go to that bath, now?"

"Fine, fine." I told him. I walked him down the corridor, the guards lagging behind slightly. He kept looking down at me with an amused smirk. Finally, I broke.

"What is it?" I asked with an exasperated airy tone.

"Nothing. I just find it hard to believe how much you've changed from when we first met. You used to be intimidated by me and I'd hardly done anything then. Now I try to free the human race from freedom and you act as though nothing has changed from the past hundred years."

"Believe me, Loki; while I want to lop you upside the head, I know what originally pushed you over the edge to make you go insane. What happened after is unknown, but it had to be worse."

He scoffed. "You know nothing."

"I know that you had a crush on Sif for a century." He jerked his head to look at me. I gave a malicious grin.

"Was it that obvious?"

"No, but on the days where I gave Queen Frigga a report on your behavior, we gossiped about how cute you two would be. It seemed we were the only ones who noticed. Like I said, I just know you well enough to know things."

"Knew things. You knew things. I have changed greatly, I'll have you know."

I focused hard on my magical abilities and turned myself into a small black cat. I rubbed against his legs as he walked. His face showed the will power he was using. "Mew." I said cutely. He stopped and tried not to pet me. Unhappily for him, though, he reached down to me.

"Horrible little wench..." he muttered. I purred loudly for him before trying to step away. However, he picked me up instead.

"Mreow! Hiss!" I fought against him, but he just pulled me closer.

"You know my biggest weakness, I know yours. You hate being held." I growled, but stopped fighting. With my paw, I tapped his shoulder three times before he put me down. I changed back to normal and glared at him.

"I really hate it when you do that."

He smirked. "I know." We continued on in silence for a while before he asked. "So, you're the Asgardian equivalent of 24 now. Have you found a love interest?"

"This seems like something I should only speak to other women about." A devious smile grew on my face. I knew him well enough to know his next move.

He growled and turned into Queen Frigga. Sadly for him, his voice did not change. "Have you found a love interest, or do you remain pathetically without romance in your life?" I nearly doubled over.

"My queen, I am sorry to say that I would not consider speaking about such things with you. Perhaps my dear friend Lady Sif?" I said, as serious as I could manage.

"I hate you..."

I heard Egil laugh once before coughing to cover it up. I looked back to find the other guard amused as well. When I turned back to Loki, he looked like Sif. I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing.

"My dearest friend Astrid, have you yet to find a love interest so you can get out of the hair of the royal family?" Again, it was Loki's voice, which made it all the more amusing.

"I'll have you know that there is only one man who has ever caught my eye. Sadly, through a series of events, it can never happen."

"And what might it- you can't take me seriously at all right now, can you?"

"Not a bit." He/She rolled their eyes at me and turned back into Loki.

"And what occurred, if I may ask?"

"Can't say. You'd know who it was if I told you."

"So I know the person well?"

"Yes. You know them as well as you know yourself." I opened the door to the bathing halls He held his hands out and Luifr, the other guard, undid the handcuffs. Each man stood by the door as Loki and I entered. As Loki changed behind the screen, I picked out his favorite scents for each thing (shampoo, conditioner, steam, and bubbles) before putting each item in their respective areas.

"I'm coming out now." he warned. He held a towel around his waist and most women would have fainted. Granted, I almost did the first time since I was inexperienced at the job and its duties, but by now this was a normal sight. Centuries of working with someone does that for you.

When he reached the edge of the water, I turned my back. When I heard the familiar moan of comfort, I turned back to see him lying in the water happily with bubbles over the things left to be unseen. I chuckled and knelt behind him while the rinsing-water bucket filled, splashing some of the warm bath water onto his hair before grabbing the shampoo. I carefully massaged it through his hair, not leaving any filth.

"When I'm done cleaning your hair, do you wish for a trim?"

"Are you allowed to?"

"There is nothing against it. It's rather long and the ends are splitting. I doubt anyone would mind."

"When I become King, remind me to make you head maid."

"Still believe you can do it?"

"I know I can. When the time is right I'll take the throne."

I paused in my motions. His face was so relaxed yet I felt fear for him. I shook my head. Instead of thinking more I grabbed the rinsing water and removed the shampoo from his hair, moving onto conditioner.

"No comment?" he asked, slightly moving his head so he could look up at me with a quizzical expression.

I thought carefully on my words before deciding that I could only say if I knew something for sure. "Do you consider us friends?"

He paused for a moment before answering with, "You are nothing but a servant."

I bit my lip to keep from frowning but nodded. "Of course. Right. Well, in that case, I have no comment." He looked up and I forced a slight smile. Once he closed his eyes again, I let the frown out. I was sure he could see the hurt in my eyes, considering the fact that no matter how hard he trained me I could never lie even a little bit. Luckily, magic was easy enough to me.

"Focus on the thought of wind. Now imagine it blowing through the trees." The breeze picked up and he squeezed my shoulders slightly. "Good. Now open your eyes and try to keep it going." I opened my eyes, trying to keep my focus. The wind kept blowing and my smile widened. I squeaked happily and turned to hug him. My arms wrapped around his neck and his around my waist.

"Thank you so much!" I told him.

"Thank you for being a quick learner." I laughed and stepped back, keeping my hands on his shoulders near his neck. He looked into my eyes thoughtfully before putting his right hand face up between us. "Shall we walk?"

I snapped back to find I'd rinsed his hair out already and was grabbing a pair of scissors to trim his hair. He shifted so his back was up. "You took a blow when I said you were just a servant." It wasn't a question, but a casual statement.

I looked at him for a moment, once again thinking over my words. To hide the pain, I turned my back to him. "I assumed we were friends after all we've been through, but I was wrong. I let lines blur between servant and friend when I shouldn't have even thought I'd crossed such a line." While speaking, I must not have heard the splashing of him leaving the bath since when I turned back around, he placed a hand on each of my wrists, pushing them against the counter.

"I shall make one thing clear and one thing only. I no longer have friends. There are those I hate and those I don't."

I gulped. "As for me?"

"You are the category of those I don't...along with Queen Frigga"

"She is still your mother. You don't have to call her Queen Frigga."

Rage crossed his eyes and he tightened his hold around my wrists, causing my eyes to shut tight as if willing them not to feel pain. "None of the Asgardian royals are family to me. They never were. I was but a stolen relic of Jotunheim. Do not forget that." He let go of my wrists and I fell to my knees. I massaged my left wrist since it hurt a bit worse. I looked up to the area where he'd retreated, but I could already hear the wind room going.

A tear fell as I realized something horrible truly had changed him.