Odin had called for a council meeting with Thor and Nikki and Nikki was busy grooming herself for it. After she trudged to her chambers, her ghastly appearance giving her chambermaids a fright, she bathed and changed dress. She sent her wet dress down to be dried and shooed her handmaidens out after they cleaned her room adequately. It was always nice to have her own company.

Still, Nikki had plenty of time to spare so she got up and left her chambers, running her fingers through her long blonde hair before tossing it over her shoulder and walking down the vast hallway, intending to do something with her mind while it raged over Thor's imbecile nature and the message her father sent her that he could not attend dinner with her that night.

Nikki found a striking view just before she passed a pillar where there were waterfalls in the distance and the sun hit the garden's grass just right that it was unexpected and beautiful, and it struck Nikki into peace, so she stood there, running her fingers through her hair over her shoulder in the cool air and watching the still beauty outside. Her mind was pleasantly blank and clear. She started to lean on one leg and enjoy the world outside.

"My, my, my," came a sultry voice near her. Nikki straightened up from her casual stance and looked around her. She saw the figure of Loki walking down the hallway quite near her, either he just appeared or she hadn't seen him coming at all. He was the only thing green inside the palace. "That was quite heroic of you, rowing at my brother that way,"

Nikki tossed her hair back over her shoulder, her arms folded under her bust. She looked back out at the beautiful green and blue garden, yellow flowers dotting it, as the emerald-clad God drew up beside her, eyes on her face, smile on his lips and hands behind his back gentlemanly.

She said eventually, "Really?" and looked at him, quite cordially, eyes open and curious before turning back to the garden. "I wouldn't call it that heroic."

The god chuckled darkly. She peeked over at him and stepped a tad away since he was standing quite near. Loki looked out to the gardens then back at her lovely face.

"It hasn't been done before."

Nikki burst out into laughter, it filling the tall corridor and into the outside air. The god of mischief's smile remained, and he looked out again.

"Hasn't been done before? Loki, you're so funny."

"I jest not," He chuckled. "I mean every word."

She continued to laugh until it died down on its own, her genuine smile the thing he looked at the corner of his eye.

Her smile slowly stopped and she brought her hair over her shoulder again, looking down at it. She said lightly,

"I hope he doesn't get me executed or something,"

It was Loki's turn to chuckle. It nearly raised to what could be called a laugh – it rumbled from his chest to his throat, and out into the open, somehow more silky than any man she had heard. She watched him, his shoulders shaking, before he turned to her.

"I do not think Odin would allow that. He is too fond of you."

"Haha."

Turning elegantly at footsteps, Nikki faced the person who just turned the corner, Loki following in surprise and gazing at Nikki with a surprised expression. It was Sif.

"Have you heard?" Her armor clacked and she could be heard coming a mile away with how she was trotting. Her question was directed at Nikki and Nikki smiled quite enchantingly, with the sun on her curvy figure and hair and skin.

"Yes, the meeting will begin soon, correct?"

"I came to get you. It's beginning as we speak,"

"Oh really? Okay. Bye Loki," She chirped sweetly his way and followed Sif to the hall where it would be held.

Sif placed a protective hand around Nikki's arm, glaring at the God of Mischief, who, after a moment of watching Nikki, caught the look the returned it with a slick smile.

The meeting – more of a hearing – took merely an hour of the day into the late afternoon with Odin forgiving his son and sending the palace builders to clean the mess up right away.

Nikki was inwardly seething. The council and the Allfather were so blinded by their love for Thor. Something was going to go disastrously wrong with that.

Nevertheless, Nikki waited until twilight and used magic to pass through to another realm. She could use her own magic for realm-travelling when the time of day was an 'in-between' time. It brought her an independence she liked. Depending too much on one thing was not good.

When Nikki returned it was dinner, and she was descending the steps from a nearby well when Fandral found her.

Hm, it's strange he's without his trio.

Then Sif turned the corner and made her way over.

Oh, okay.

"Hello Sif," She called out in greeting.

"Lady Nikki! Where is it you have travelled? Your chambermaidens have said you have been gone all afternoon!"

Nikki had went to the Dwarves and asked them to embroider their metal into the linings of a cloak she was having made for her father. Maybe it would make him love her. She also asked for a bracelet to be forged for her mother with special jewels that Nikki herself provided, so that it would always protect her.

With a teasing, innocent grin she responded, "I went sightseeing,"

Fandral was gazing at Nikki. Nikki was just so happy to be here, to be back, that she gazed over at Fandral like he had wanted something, but Fandral shook himself out of it.

"I am starved! Shall we commence to the halls of the feast?" Dinner reminded Nikki of her father, but she brushed it off after with a smile in Fandral's direction.

The three entered the bustling hall where warriors were mingling at thick, sturdy tables and the Allfather was talking with his advisors and council members over many things. The trio made it to a table and sat down. Thor was there, Nikki was looking at her plate as she sat down. The Prince was in a good mood, noticed her, but did not do anything other than eat his meat. She noticed what he was eating and a grin came to her lips.

"You should be careful there, Thor. You never know if the meat is bad again," She teased with a glint in her eye.

"You watch your mouth," said an unfamiliar man to the next of Thor. Nikki remained unperturbed, her grin staying.

"Watch my mouth? Please! It was a warning that Thor didn't get last time when he fell ill – you don't want the Prince to fall ill again do you?"

The warrior was quietened and returned to his food and Nikki turned her head to voice to Fandral quietly,

"Who's the new guy?"

"Oh, Thor picked him up somewhere," He drank a glass of mead. "He's new to the warrior's business. Just arrived at the palace."

Nikki turned back to the young warrior and felt a twinge of sympathy. The boy looked like he just turned of age.

I should control my tongue. She thought to herself, looking at the silver of her plate. She began loading it ready to eat. In her head, she wondered why her comment was taken like a threat, she mused it over.

Sif laughed with Volstagg and Fandral at some joke, and it pierced Nikki's ears.

Ohhhh dear. She thought to herself, eating. Some things still pierced Nikki it seemed after being at the market. It was a shame, in the realm where the Dwarves dwelled, the sounds of metal, mining, and weapon-making were harmonious.

"Hm." She hummed to herself unnoticeably. Deciding the ring of Warriors next to her were too rowdy for her tastes (who included Thor, by the way), Nikki picked up her plate and goblet and moved down the table where it was empty, on the other side of Sif and the Warrior's Three. Nikki's eyes looked up hopefully to the Allfather and his circle to see if her father was there, but alas he was not. Sitting down disappointedly, Nikki chose a spot a few seats down from the line of people and servants that circled, bringing more mead to every warrior's goblet.

"Lady Nikki," She heard next to her. She looked to her right and Loki was standing there. She said nothing. "I'm afraid there's no room beside my brother when he brings companionship to his table. Do you mind if I sit?"

She giggled to herself and shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay."

He kept his eyes on her before he sat down. She had returned to her food with her full concentration there and he was wondering how she was so maiden-like when there had been a powerful and alluring woman coaxing him in his chambers last night. It was intriguing.

"I see you have been travelling," He said, gesturing with his eyes to her cloak.

She looked at her arm where the material lay against her skin.

"Oh yes, I travelled to the Dwarves this afternoon. I had an assignment for them."

Loki swallowed a sip of wine, and nodded.

"Hm. I see."

Nikki perked up at the sight of her hulking father making his way to the circle surrounding Odin. The man was tough and sturdy, had been through many wars, and he was roughishly handsome. She felt herself sinking in dread. Maybe the cloak wasn't a good idea. Loki followed her eyes.

"Is that your father?"

She became guarded, her eyes snapped to her plate.

"Yes." She started eating again. She glanced up once to watch Geirr as he and the Allfather spoke quietly together before the Allfather nodded and Geirr moved off and they behaved as if they hadn't spoken.

"Ahh, Geirr the Wise."

Nikki felt a twinge of pain in her chest. Geirr was not wise, even for all his council. He didn't know the value of family.

"Yes," She replied to indulge him, laughing breathily. "I see Thor has not ordered my execution," She said lightly to change the subject. She turned her head and looked down the table with her hands on her lap. The man looked like he didn't think anything was wrong. She blinked then gazed unassumingly in front of her and was curious to see that Loki was gazing at her. "Ingenious, it was. Poison the meat. I didn't think of that."

His lips lifted up at the corners, making him look devilish. It was amazing the changes this woman went through in one minute.

"It has put me at the top of Sif's favorite friends' list,"

Nikki gazed at him in surprise.

"I didn't mean for that to happen,"

He chuckled and raised a hand as if to stop her.

"I am used to it,"

"Still, that's wrong. I'm sorry."

His green eyes twinkled, a constant grin on his lips. He was quiet in that smile, for a moment, before he finally said,

"It is no matter."

She nodded and finished the food on her plate, washing it down with a drink.

"If you excuse me, I must attend to something," Loki said with a devious smile.

"Not at all," She replied.

He left and she left not too long after. As she walked back to her chambers, a thought hit her hard. As she was talking to Loki, she didn't once think of her father, or think of anything that worried her – Thor, the council meeting today, the future of Asgard, pleasing her father. She had simply not thought about it. She pondered it as she retired to her chambers for the night.

Chapter Four up – loving it loving it loving it. Just decided to go ahead on this one and give it to you. :) Enjoy! Sorry for the wait – I AM alive! This chapter was short like this on purpose for the next chapter :P