Chapter Nine: Tumult

To be fair, Jane was not prepared for what the day would bring. It started out normally enough. She awoke, had a moment of confusion as she wondered where she was and then remembered she was a prisoner in Asgard. Then she went to take her daily shower. Afterwards she wandered around the palace, careful to avoid a certain set of stairs and meandered around the halls, eventually ending up in the kitchen, the only place she actually knew how to get to and from. Talked with the spice shakers – if that didn't sound too bizarre by itself – and then had some waffles. The day began decently normal, considering the circumstances. It was when she returned to her room, lacking anything better to do, that things started rolling on the weird train.

On her bed, which was always clear of extra obscurities, had a folded piece of paper atop it and a single rose. Her blood ran cold the moment her eyes lighted upon them. The third rule again taunted her. She gritted her teeth, picking up the note, avoiding contact with the rose altogether. In cursive letters, it read:

"Dearest Jane,

Accompany me for a special dinner tonight, held in your honor.

- L"

Jane's eyes ran over the letter two more times, making sure she read it correctly, but the unease growing in her stomach didn't stop and she knew the implications of the note. She didn't want to believe it, but it was hard to ignore what was printed right in front of her face. Loki was playing a trick that involved winning her over. If that wasn't sick, she didn't know what was. It was one thing to not like your brother, but this went above and beyond brother quarrels. She was not in any way involved with whatever those two's problems were. There was no way she was going to that 'special' dinner.

/

/

"You're going."

"What?"

Sif rolled her eyes. "What did we talk about?"

"Yeah, I know. Don't let him win, but, Sif, he's… he's…" In a very weird and uncomfortable way, flirting, Jane finished in her head, but couldn't bring herself to say the words aloud.

"I understand he's been forward," Sif began.

"Forward? You call attempting – emphasis on attempting - to steal your brother's-" She hesitated here, only a moment, unsure of just what she was to Thor and settled with, "date 'forward'?" Jane continued, "Loki is nothing, but cruel. And this sick game of his has to stop. I am putting an end to it now. I'm not attending the dinner."

Sif arrived soon after Jane read the note and once Jane explained what was going on and declared she wasn't going the teapot surprised her by telling her that she had to. The candleholder was obviously trying to steer her towards the second prince, so why not the other talking object? She expected Sif to side with her, though, and that was disappointing. How could she not see how strange all this was?

"Lady Jane, if you cower in your room-"

"He'll win," Jane bit out. "I don't care if he wins. I'm staying in my room and I'm not attending his 'special' dinner." Under her breath, she hissed, "The creep."

Sif caught the last part and held back a cringe. There was a strange mixture of pride and ill-will towards the mortal. Pride in the fact she was so resistant towards the prince and ill-will because the curse wasn't going to lift itself. The latter wasn't as strong, seeing how she could not force the mortal to do anything if her heart would not allow it, something the warrior knew too well. "Lady Jane, if you stay in your room, Loki will surely find other ways to acquire your company." She let that sentence hang in the air for a few moments, letting it sink in.

Jane paled. Then she frowned, furrowing her brow angrily. "I'm going, but he's not going to like it."

Sif didn't like the sound of that. Then again, she did want the mortal to survive rather than bend to the whims of false love. This could end up entertaining. "What dress will you wear?"

/

/

Jane wasn't a romantic person at heart or at all, really. No one has ever made the effort before, nor has she done so. Thor was the closest she ever came to a 'big romantic gesture' and that wasn't saying much. Their most romantic evening was when he dropped by unexpected while she was deep in her work and she was so ecstatic by his appearance that she dropped everything and flew to her kitchen, hastily throwing together a batch of coffee because she had nothing else to offer and the two sat outside beneath the stars while she began rambling off all she knew about them. The night ended with a kiss. He had to get back to S.H.I.E.L.D. and she to her work. The rest of her work time was nothing, but a buzz and she couldn't focus on anything but the tingling in her lips. How did he have that effect on her when he did nothing at all? Because he was Thor. Because he was kind, sweet and loyal. Because he meant so much to her and yet she still couldn't say the words 'I love you' when she thought of him. There was 'like'. She knew she liked him a lot. But, love was a leap away and she wasn't ready to make that jump.

So, standing in the banquet hall entrance, Jane didn't know what to expect when she walked in for dinner. Another awkward conversation was to be expected, of course, especially after that note, but this she couldn't have anticipated. And the only word that came to mind was 'romantic', but not the kind she would want. It was romantic, but in a horrifyingly cheesy way, the kind that came out of a movie and she knew she wanted nothing to do with. Not when it involved him. A part of her entertained the idea of if Thor had planned this and a half smile spread on her face, only to be quickly turned into a frown. This wasn't Thor's plan. This wasn't Thor's romantic endeavor. It was Loki's. Thor's brother. And it was all wrong. Every last bit of it.

The lights were dimmed, casting the room almost completely in darkness. Above the table, there were thousands of pinpricks of lights, some small, some large, all of it together replicating the familiar sky that hung over her home in New Mexico.

Romantic was a word most would describe this, but Jane only felt bitter. Bitter towards Loki for his efforts at pulling off something as cruel as this. The stars were hers. They were everything to her, her life's work. These ones were especially important. She knew them intimately. They were the ones she gazed up at each night, the ones she found comfort in. Thor looked up into these same stars many nights with her. They weren't meant to be used in a petty ploy to garner her attention. The anger in the pit of her stomach rose to a boil, rising fast into her throat, creating sharp edged words that rumbled across her tongue. Her eyes found Loki, who was seated at the opposite end of the table, staring at her. She saw his mouth move, but she beat him to it.

"How dare you do this?" she accused, her voice hot with anger.

Loki stared at her, blinked once and then asked, "Do you not like it?"

Does she not like it? Does she not like it? The question was so galling, Jane almost couldn't form words, she was so angry. "No, I don't like it. How can I when all of this is some childish attempt at besting your brother?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know what your problem is with him, but leave me out of it. I'm not getting in between whatever issues you have with each other."

Loki's face remained calm; in fact, he didn't seem the least bothered about any of this. The only change was his fist slightly tightening as she spoke. "Jane," his voice was smooth, even. "This is all done for you. It has nothing to do with him."

"Then tell me why you're doing this. Why are you doing any of this? And the third rule? Tell me about that." With each word, her voice got louder, and she stepped closer until she stood at her end of the table, staring down it at Loki, raging.

"There's nothing to tell. I've told you before, I desire your company. Surely, there's nothing wrong with that."

"With what intentions?" she shot back. "Love isn't mere company. There are implications."

Loki smirked here and asked, "And what implications are you inferring?"

Feeling bold, she said, "The kind of implications between Thor and I."

Loki was no longer smirking.

/

/

Fandral didn't want to use the word 'disaster', but there weren't many other ways to describe what he was watching right now. He didn't want the teapot next to him to hear he was wrong, though. "What a lovely evening," he said instead.

Sif sighed. "Where were you to stop this?"

He played a cool look on his face. "Who would want to stop this?"

"Please admit you are wrong already."

"There's nothing to admit."

"Fandral."

"What?" He turned to her, finding a frown marring her face. "Alright, it's bad. But, really, who could have anticipated this?"

The two watched from the side as Loki and Jane continued in their screaming match, the prince now out of his seat, standing at one end while Jane stood at the other. Loki had planned the dinner to have a star theme and he created star illusions to hang over them while they dined, Fandral having suggested he used familiar stars like the ones that hung over her home. Only instead of being wowed, Jane saw the constellations and immediately began yelling. The reaction was so startling no one knew what to do. When Loki tried to calm her down, it only led to her yelling more, which caused him to start yelling back and now here they were in the middle of a full-fledged argument about what, no one knew. The two at this point were spouting nonsense that neither the candlestick, nor the teapot could follow.

Fandral breathed a chuckle, prompting a look from Sif. "What is so funny?" she asked. "This is not exactly helping."

"They sound like an old married couple," he explained, smiling.

"That is not what we're going for."

"Yes, they skipped falling in love and went straight to lovers' bickering."

Sif scoffed. "More like lovers' death match."

Then Jane said something that made the whole room stop.

"How can I ever love you? You are a monster. You're nothing like Thor."

Everyone held their breath.

"She did not just say…" Fandral trailed off. "She knows not the power of those words." He knew. He had watched before as similar words undid the second prince. The scene played out the same.

Loki's fists were clutched at his side, his jaw set so tight, Fandral thought he might snap it in half. "Leave," Loki seethed, darkly, through jagged, black teeth. "Before I make you regret those words."

Jane obliged and stormed out of the hall, slamming the door loudly.

"What is he going to do?" Sif asked.

"If he's smart, he'll go after her."

Loki stood, not moving. Then he slowly sat in his seat without a word.

Sif shook from side-to-side in what would have been a head shake and said, "I'll see to her." And with a few hops, she made her way out of the room.

Fandral and Loki sat in the banquet hall in silence. Neither breathed a word.

Hopping over to the table, Fandral waited next to Loki's chair, wondering what he could possibly say to begin the horrors of this conversation. Nonetheless, it needed to get started one way or another. "You should've written 'please' in your letter," he said off-handedly, half hoping it would lift the dark mood that settled around them.

"Shut up," Loki muttered, not in the mood for jokes it would seem.

Fandral sighed, wondering where everything fell apart. Was it when she walked in and saw the decorations or was it when she received the letter? She seemed tense from the second she walked in, but there was only one moment when everything really became unhinged. Thor. When she mentioned him, it was over. Nothing could put the words back in her mouth. Nothing could make her un-say it. The coldness that glazed Loki's eyes was haunting.

"She isn't my type."

Fandral startled from his thoughts, glancing up at the blue prince curiously. This wasn't where he thought the conversation would go, but he was now interested to hear where this was going. "What is your type?" he asked.

Loki leaned heavily into his chair, replying, "Crazy isn't a part of it."

Fandral smirked. "Crazy might be compatible with you."

Loki scowled at him, asking, "How can anyone win over such an insane woman?"

"Give her flowers, chocolates, make her promises you never intend to keep…"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Fandral, I have more romantic talent in my little finger than you do in your entire body. Nothing you suggest will work."

Fandral snorted. "I highly doubt that."

"Watch me."

Loki waved his hand and transformed the entire banquet hall.

Fandral's jaw hit the floor. Alright, he was impressed. He blinked. Gesturing to his right, he asked, "Are those... singing swans?"

Loki smirked.

Fandral acquiesced, "Well, this is impressive..."

Loki prompted, "But?"

Fandral held up his holders. "But - and this is a big but - I don't think Jane will go for any of this."

Loki frowned. "So, you're suddenly an expert on Jane?"

Fandral hurried to amend his words. "That's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying she doesn't seem to enjoy any of..." He gestured vaguely. "This. She really seems to like the stars, and I was thinking, it's not like she can see them locked up in the palace..." He trailed off, unsure how to phrase it. He was thinking about this ever since his talk with Jane about her interests. The show Loki put on in the banquet hall was too much. There were better means to see the stars. Hopefully, he would see that.

"Are you suggesting I let her go?"

"No, not that." Fandral took a breath. This was harder to say than he expected. "What I mean, escort her. Lead her to a picnic or whatever, somewhere she can see the stars. She'll be in swoon." He paused, raising his brows. "She might be more willing to talk."

Loki frowned. "I don't need talk. I need…" He hesitated and then with a disgusted look, finished, "love."

"If you want love, you have to be more open as well. And don't make that face. Do you want to get rid of this curse? Then quit acting like fire's raining down on us. Maybe neither of you can learn to love each other, not right away. These things take time-"

"I don't have time!" Loki shouted.

"Then make it!" Fandral shouted back. "Love doesn't just happen because of a few big gestures of romance - I should know!" He heaved a sigh, deflating slightly, but his resolve remained strong. "Loki, get to know her and I mean, really know her. Find out her quirks and her thoughts; find out what she likes and doesn't like. Maybe love isn't in the near future, but friendship could be." Then, more for himself, he added, "Friendship can lead to love."

Loki didn't respond right away. The silence stretched for a beat too long and Fandral worried he lost him and the prince would leave without acknowledging any of his advice. Then, without looking at him, Loki said quietly, "Where can one see the stars best?"

Fandral smiled.