Thanks so much for following, everyone!

You may have noticed that I got rid of the prologue. I promise you'll see it again in a few chapters. For those who are new to the story, I thought the prologue was a bit of a spoiler, especially after writing this chapter and the ones to come. I think it makes the story read better now, but I'll let you decide. My readers are gods. :-)

And for those of you waiting for Loki's return- he's coming up the next chapter. :-)

Cecelia

Cecelia knocked on Jane Foster's chamber door with a heavy bang. It was mid-afternoon, but Cecelia had been too upset after meeting Freyja to eat "the midday meal," as Thor called it, with the others. As Cecelia waited for Jane to open the door, she looked down at her tennis shoes and stifled a sigh. She no longer cared about fitting into Asgardian society. As far as Cecelia was concerned, anything that looked remotely like what her mother would wear wouldn't touch an inch of flesh on her body, so Jane was greeted to the sight of Cecelia back in her jeans, sneakers, and plain long-sleeved shirt.

Jane was still dressed in the native garb she'd had on at breakfast. She crinkled her brow as she took in Cecelia's clothes. "Um…?"

Cecelia held up a hand to silence her protests. "Don't." She bent down and double-knotted her laces. "You ready to go?"

Jane nodded and came out into the hall, shutting the door behind her. "I take it your meeting with Freyja didn't go well?"

Cecelia pulled angrily on the last knot and stood up, "You could say that." She gestured back to Jane's room as the women began their decent down a wide staircase. "Why do you have your own room here anyway? Aren't you and Thor—"

"Good question," Jane interrupted angrily.

Cecelia shook her head in disbelief. "I take it that Odin thinks you and Thor need separate rooms?" She nodded to a guard stationed at the bottom of the stairs, but the man didn't acknowledge her. No one seemed to want to acknowledge her.

"Something like that."

Cecelia grunted. "That's ridiculous. You're both adults, and you love each other—"

Jane stopped walking and turned to face her new friend. "Love isn't enough. Not here. At least, not for Odin. He'd never let his only heir marry a simple human like me." Her voice trembled in a mixture of grief and despair.

Cecelia placed a hesitant hand on Jane's shoulder. She wasn't very good at showing affection for a lot of reasons, but Jane seemed to need a reassuring touch. "Hey, it's okay. Odin may come around. And even if he doesn't, he'll probably die of old age soon anyway, right?"

That made Jane smile. She blinked back tears as she regarded Cecelia. "You're lucky, you know, that Odin doesn't care who Loki marries."

Cecelia's hand dropped.

"I'm sorry. That was rude. Just forget I said it, okay?" Jane waved a hand and, just like that, Cecelia was once again left with more questions than answers.

She followed Jane down a staircase that wound around the western wall of the palace. As they stepped through carved archways, Jane made a point to greet everyone she met with a smile from the youngest child fetching water to the grizzled guards that manned the exits. Everyone took the time to return Jane's goodwill with a smile of his or her own, and Cecelia couldn't help but hate Odin in that moment. If the king of Asgard was too blind to see what an amazing queen Jane would make, then he wasn't someone Cecelia ever wanted to meet.

Jane ushered Cecelia through a side gate that led from the palace directly into an outer courtyard. Patches of greenery with flowering buds ringed the sides of the thick castle walls at intervals along the one road winding out to the main thoroughfare. They passed a merchant leading a dappled gray mare as they exited the courtyard. The heavy smell of the peaches and plums inside his cart wafted toward Cecelia and gifted the air with a rich, sweet fragrance.

Two enterprising children ran around the merchant, their small hands reaching up to snag a plum. Cecelia was sure the merchant would scold them, but instead he laughed gently and stopped his horse to toss out a peach. Cecelia couldn't help but wonder if merchants on Earth would've been so kindhearted if children tried to snatch their goods.

"The weather's gorgeous, isn't it?" Jane said. The sun beat down on the smooth cobblestones with just the right amount of warmth to signal that summer was coming.

"What season is it?" Cecelia asked. "It feels like spring."

"I'm not sure Asgard has seasons. The same trees outside of town will start producing different fruit in a few weeks time."

"Really?"

Jane nodded. "Yeah, there's no such thing as just an apple or an orange tree. It's pretty cool to see. I have a friend who's a botanist. She'd kill to come here."

The city opened before them, and they continued down the main street for several blocks. Jane pointed out her favorite eateries and which vendor sold the tastiest tarts and which had the finest jewelry. Cecelia gazed around her in awe. It was like being transported back through time, only instead of smelling the filth and poverty of the Middle Ages, everything was pristine and brimming with life. The streets were fairly crowded today, and everywhere she looked people greeted her with a smile despite her Earthly attire. Horses seemed to be the main method of transportation if one could afford to own one, and yet everywhere she looked Cecelia saw only cleanliness, order, and joy.

They passed a man selling long-tipped quills and sheets of parchment outside of what looked like a stationary store. Cecelia's eyes lit up as she stared at the blank paper. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a bookstore, would you?"

"A bookstore?" Jane gave her a quizzical smile. "I doubt they'll have anything in English."

"I know."

"What would you do with a book you couldn't read?"

Cecelia shrugged. She'd been thinking of Loki down in his cell. The rumor was that Odin would sentence him to death though there'd been no formal trial, at least none she'd been invited to. "I just thought it'd be a nice souvenir."

"Well, I can read some Asgardian symbols. Thor's teaching me, though I don't think he was ever much of a scholar. I may recognize enough of them to help you find something you'd like." Jane pointed forward. "There's a village on the outskirts of the city that has the best tea cakes I've ever tasted. I remember seeing an old bookstore around there. Come on."

Jane led the way, past the towering shops and apartments of the dense city until the stores were spaced further apart and the homes stood on small lots with patches of green grasses and small gardens. By the time they arrived at a little shop with the picture of a cup and pastry on a hanging sign, Cecelia was officially famished.

"Would you mind if we stopped for some tea?" Jane asked.

"No, that would be great!"

They sat at a table by the window. Cecelia allowed Jane to order and watched as small clusters of people walked by. Cecelia had no idea how much longer she would stay on Asgard, or if she even wanted to stay, but she couldn't deny how peaceful it was here. She wondered what it would've been like to grow up inside the palace, with a mother that actually wanted her and palace workers that wouldn't ignore her, and Cecelia suddenly felt divided from her perfect surroundings. Was this how Loki felt when he walked the streets or was mistreated inside his own castle? If so, she could see how that might have caused an innocent boy to become a sociopath eager to lash out in anger.

"Oh, Cecelia! Look!" Jane pointed out of the window with a grin. "Come on!"

"But… our tea…"

Jane grabbed her hand and practically hurled her into the street. A small crowd followed behind a man and woman strolling hand-in-hand. Every now and then, the couple would look at one another and smile. The crowd spoke only in muted voices, and a hush of anticipation settled over Cecelia as she and Jane trailed behind them.

The crowd stopped outside of a cottage where an archway made from ivy and woven flowers stood waiting. The woven greenery reminded Cecelia of the night in Iceland when Loki wove pine needles into the wreath that had sent her to Mimir's Well. She closed her eyes to block out the memory and instead found herself listening to the gentle breeze. It sounded like the landscape itself was whispering something to her. Her palm felt warm, and when she glanced down at her hand, she saw her rune faintly glowing.

"What's happening?" Cecelia whispered.

Jane beamed at her. "It's a wedding."

They watched as a man who didn't look at all priestly began officiating the ceremony in a thick Asgardian dialect. He held out a wreath made out of motley wildflowers and spoke formal words over the head of the woman as her husband-to-be reached for a slim ornamental dagger from his sheath. Cecelia gasped as the husband-to-be cut deep into the flesh of his palm, and then opened his fiancée's hand to cut hers as well. Once their blood flowed, the couple clasped their hands together.

"That's a bit barbaric, isn't it?" Cecelia whispered as she watched blood drip onto the soil. It was obvious the experience wasn't a pleasant one for either party.

Jane leaned closer. "Technology and magic have evolved together on Asgard. Blood is considered the essence of life, and anything important must be sealed in blood. The deeper the cut, the stronger the bond. I know it seems strange to us, but blood sacrifice plays a huge part in ceremonies here."

Cecelia remembered Loki cutting himself at the Well of Mimir and shivered.

"You alright?" Jane eyed her curiously.

Cecelia forced herself to smile. "Yeah, I think I am."

Jane nodded to the cottage. "Marriages between farming families like this one usually take place right outside the couple's home, and Thor told me that their blood also blesses the land, making it more fertile."

The women watched as the priest used a simple, white cotton-like cloth to bind the joined and bleeding hands of the new husband and wife together. The spectators seemed to hold a collective breath as the couple smiled and held up their bound hands. A cheer went up from the crowd. Everyone gathered around the happy couple and a line formed to kiss them on the cheek, though Cecelia and Jane hung back.

"Their blood mingles, and actually binds them together."

Cecelia frowned. "Binds them? What do you mean?"

Jane shrugged. "All Thor would tell me is that it allows the two to become one."

"It all seems so… traditional."

"Yeah, no shotgun wedding chapels with Elvis officiating here." Jane patted Cecelia on the back. "Come on. Let's finish our tea and find that bookshop."

The sun was dipping along the crest of the distant mountains when the women finally entered the darkened bookshop. Every wall held a floor-to-ceiling shelf stacked to the brim with leather-bound books. To Cecelia's eyes, the shop seemed disorganized and cluttered, though she was sure there must be a system for finding things.

The seller, an elderly woman with golden teeth, smiled at them and spoke the word "Hello" in Asgardian.

Cecelia was proud at herself for picking up the simple phrase. "Hello," she replied in the shopkeeper's native tongue.

Jane sputtered a couple of words in Asgardian, along with some pretty realistic charades of her holding and flipping through a book. The women smiled back and beckoned to the shelves, clearly not understanding exactly what kind of book they wanted.

"Wait!" Cecelia turned her hand over so that the palm with the "Fehu" symbol faced the elderly shop-owner. "Have you seen this?"

Even though she didn't know English, the shopkeeper's blue eyes lit up with recognition. She bobbed her head and practically sprinted into the back with a speed that belied her old age.

"Wow." Jane grinned as she took in Cecelia with new eyes. "What did you show her?"

Cecelia shrugged shyly. "Apparently, I inherited this symbol from my mother. It became visible a few months ago." Cecelia held out her hand, and Jane studied her palm.

"That's so cool. What does it mean?"

"When I read through the S.H.I.E.L.D. archives, it said it was a symbol associated with Freyja. It means strength or courage, though there's some question about that. A lot of knowledge about runes has been lost." It seemed a lifetime ago that Cecelia had sat hunched over an encrypted S.H.I.E.L.D. computer, trying to find knowledge about the symbol on her hand as Loki waited in his underground cell at HQ.

The shopkeeper returned with a single book. She bowed as she handed it over to Cecelia.

Cecelia bowed back, accepting the thin book with a gentle grasp. As soon as she touched it, she could feel the magic within. The spine was worn but in no danger of falling apart. She could see the stitching that held the brown cover and bound the thick manila pages inside of it. The scent of dust and worn leather drifted up into her nostrils as she opened it.

"Power… rocks…" Jane tried to read the title page over Cecelia's shoulder. The shopkeeper moved to stand on the other side of her.

Cecelia turned the pages with care until she found a page with her mark.

"Fehu," the shopkeeper said. She pointed to the symbol on the page and touched Cecelia's hand with a toothy grin.

Cecelia smiled back. "How much?"

The woman furrowed her brow and looked over at Jane for a translation.

Jane dug out her small satchel and began untying the knot at the top.

The elderly woman shook her head. "Neinn. Neinn."

"She won't accept any payment," Jane said with a frown.

The woman opened Cecelia's palm and pointed to the mark. "Freyja," the woman said. She pointed to the heavens, then to her heart. She smiled.

"Well, at least my mother has one fan," Cecelia muttered. She smiled at the woman and bowed again. "Thank you. Really. This was so nice of you."

When they were finally outside the door of the shop, the shopkeeper spoke some sort of blessing over them, and they were on their way, Jane pointed to the book. "So, what are you going to do with it?"

"I was going to study it, see if I could find out more about this." Cecelia held up her palm before scowling down at the book. "But now that it's obviously something about my mother, I'm not sure I want it anymore. Maybe I'll give it to Loki."

"Loki?"

Cecelia nodded. "At least he'll be able to read it." The man needed to do something while he waited to die, and a book on rune markings seemed appropriate.

Jane's eyes widened with incredulity, and Cecelia tried to hide a blush as she felt her friend's judgment.

"I… I had no idea you liked him that much." Jane said. Her stammer made it clear how incredible she thought the concept was.

"I don't like him, but I don't hate him either, at least not anymore. He's saved me twice now, and I guess I feel like I owe him something." Cecelia smiled softly. "Though he's a bit of an asshole, isn't he?"

Jane laughed and nodded. "Yes. Yes, he is."

"A lovable asshole."

"Nice way to put it, actually." Jane reached down and squeezed Cecelia's hand, and Cecelia frowned at the joy on Jane's face.

"Cecelia, I'm… really glad you opened up about Loki." Jane paused to consider her words. "To be honest, I've been worried about how you'd react when you found out."

Cecelia felt her stomach drop. Had Loki already been executed? "Found out what?"

"That Loki doesn't have to die."

"Really?" That was news to her. She looked down at the book in her hand with a smile. Maybe she could visit Loki in prison every now and then, and he could help her find out more about her mark, maybe even school her in magic. He had to do something to while away the years. "So, Odin has decided to give him life in prison?" Maybe Odin wasn't so bad after all.

Jane let go of her hand.

Cecelia felt a nervous tinge in the pit of her stomach. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Jane pursed her lips and looked away.

"Jane?"

The scientist cursed under her breath, and when she finally met Cecelia's eyes, regret peered back at her. "I thought you knew…"

"Knew what? For God's sake, Jane, spit it out!"

"Odin isn't giving Loki a life sentence in prison." Jane's smile was as fragile as her voice. "Instead of killing his son, Odin has accepted Thor and Freyja's offer of having Loki marry you instead."