Karliah woke up to the smell of eggs the next morning. She opened her eyes, feeling nauseous. She sat up quickly, getting out of the bed with haste. She fell to her knees a few steps later, heaving. She gagged a few times, her sick quickly spreading throughout the room. She wiped her mouth after she was done, wishing she had water. There were footsteps coming toward her, causing her to look up. A woman was helping her up, sitting her on the bed again.

"Can you hear me, m'am?"

Karliah nodded, trying to swallow the acidic taste in her mouth. She looked up at the woman.

"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am your maidservant." she replied.
"I'm sorry." Karliah told her, looking at the throw up on the floor. "I can clean it-"
"Nonsense." she said. "I will take care of it. You first though. Are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah, I'm ok."
"Do you wish to eat? Perhaps, it would help your stomach settle." Karliah nodded, getting up slowly with the maid's help. She walked over to the table, looking at the food that was set for her. She sat, watching the maid pour some juice into a goblet. It was placed in front of her. "Do you need anything else, my lady?"
"No. I'm ok." Karliah said. "Thank you."

The maid curtsied, then went to clean up the floor. Afterwards, she left the room. Karliah picked up a fork and slowly poked at the eggs. She smelled them, wondering if they would be different from eggs on Earth. She raised a fork-full to her mouth, taking a deep breath, and putting them in her mouth. She chewed lightly, her taste buds loving the flavor. She smiled, liking the food, and continued eating. She looked around while doing so, wondering if Loki was eating breakfast too. She thought about whether or not her baby would like this food. She put her hand near her belly, hoping it would like the nourishment.

After she was finished, she stood, feeling stronger than she did when she got out of her bed. She decided to dress herself, striping her body of the emerald green silk she had worn to bed. She put her jeans back on, along with her shirt. She imagined she probably looked weird here with such clothes on. She smiled. She turned to the door, hearing it open. When the doors were opened and shut again, Karliah was in the room with another woman. She was muscular, her dark hair back in a ponytail. She was dressed in armor with a shield on her back. She smiled at Karliah, perhaps trying to come off softer than what she appeared to be.

"Hello." Karliah said.
"You are the woman who arrived with Loki?" she asked.
"Yes…" Karliah replied cautiously.

The woman crossed her arm over her chest, bowing her head. Karliah wondered why. He's a prince, she remembered.

"My name is Sif." the lady said, raising her head back to it's original level.
"I'm Karliah."
"It is nice to meet you." she said, smiling again.
"Are… Are you a God too?"
"Yes. I am the Goddess of War."

Karliah did not know if she should be scared of her. How was she supposed to defend herself if Sif were to attack her? She didn't know how to fight, let alone the way Sif was surely trained. Karliah also noted that she was pregnant, and Sif would undoubtedly know this is she knew she had arrived here with Loki.

"Are you here to tell me Loki's fate?" Karliah asked.
"No." Sif said, stepping forward. "I have just come to simply meet you."

Karliah found this strange. Why would she want to meet her? Was it because she was mortal? An animal to poke fun at in a cage?

"Why?" she asked, trying not to sound worried.

Sif seemed amused, but it faded when she saw Karliah was serious.

"Forgive me." she said. "I just wished to meet the woman who tamed Loki."

Karliah didn't know what to say to this. She hadn't really done much to him. She was a friend to him, which lead to more. She didn't chain him down and beat him until he was broken.

"Tame?" she said.
"Perhaps that is not the word I should use… But it is the truth." Sif said.
"If you are going to taunt him, I really don't-"
"Please, I am not taunting. He is a friend."

Karliah suddenly felt jealous, not wanting to know what degree her friendship was with him.

"Do you know where he is?"
"No one is allowed to see him."
"Why do they treat him like he's some kind of monster?"

Sif swallowed, searching for words.

"You do not know what he is capable of." she said finally.
"What is he capable of then?"
"I hesitate to say… But I believe anything."
"I don't care." Karliah said. "He is different."
"You are strong." Sif said, laughing slightly. "I like you."

Karliah smiled a little, feeling flattered at the compliment.

"Thank you." she said.
"I will see you at the council." she said, crossing her arm over her chest again and bowing. "Good bye my lady."
"Goodbye." Karliah said, watching her leave the room.

Karliah heard the door open again, yanking her from her train of thought. She got off the bed, seeing Thor in the doorway. She walked over to him, knowing it was time.

"I need to tell you the rules of being at the council." he said. "No one but the Gods and the royal family can be there, so this is an exception that you are present."
"Ok." she said, nodding.
"Rule number one, you don't speak. Rule number two, don't break rule number one." he said, holding up his fingers.
"Ok." she laughed.
"Follow me." he said, leading her out of the room.

They walked down the hallway, silently. She felt her stomach turning, and didn't know if she was going to be sick again. She knew it was nerves though, and she took a deep breath. As they approached the door she could hear voices inside. When they opened, she saw nine people standing in a line. They seemed to be waiting for her. She moved closer to Thor, knowing he was her protection if they decided to treat her like they had treated Loki. Like a monster. He lead her into the room, walking her up to the first man that was in line.

Karliah seemed to know they were Gods. They were all strong, beautiful. They had different auras about them, and she guessed that these were the Gods who had Loki's future in their hands.

"Karliah, this is the council of Gods." Thor told her. "This is Baldur, God of joy, light and forgiveness. Amongst other things."
"It's lovely to meet you, mortal." Baldur said, kissing Karliah's hand.

She smiled, walking with Thor to the next God.

"Freyr, God of peace and male fertility." Thor said.

Karliah felt calm when she was near the God. She liked this.

"Heimdall, guardian of the Gods."

Karliah noticed this God from when she arrived in Asgard. He was the gatekeeper of the Bifrost.

"Freya, goddess of beauty and love."

Karliah was jealous of the Goddess, her beauty enchanting her mind. Karliah felt attracted to the woman, shamefully shaking away what she'd never felt for another woman.

"Tyr, god of glory."

She felt proud around this God, finding glory within herself.

"Mani, goddess of the moon."

Karliah took in the Goddess' appearance, seeing nothing but shades of gray and white. It was different from the other Gods in their gold.

"Sol, her sister, and goddess of the sun."

Karliah felt her skin prickle, burning as if she had been sitting in the sun for too long.

"Hlin, goddess of protection."

This Goddess seemed different from the others. Karliah felt safe around her as expected, but she could see in her eyes that she was a friend to her. She had difficulty looking away from her.

"And this is Joro, goddess of Earth." Thor concluded. "This is the God you should pay the highest respect to. After Odin, of course. The Allfather."

Karliah looked from the goddess of her own realm, to where he was indicating. There was a man on the throne. He was old, but this did not break his character. He had power. Karliah knew that his was the man who raised Loki. This was Odin. She crossed her arm over her chest, like Sif had done to her, and knelt down to her knee.

"Rise, mortal." he said, and she did so. "You will witness this account."

She nodded, knowing even if she detested, she would have to be here anyways. Frigga stepped down the stairs, putting her arm around Karliah. She walked her over to the side, letting the Gods, Thor among them, kneel to their King, and gather on the other side of the room. Frigga sat with Karliah, making her feel more comfortable in the room of Gods.

"No matter what happens, do not speak." Frigga told her as the doors opened and guards marched in.

Karliah already felt herself wanting to protest as Loki walked in with the men. He seemed to search for her, and after finding her, his demeanor softened. They stopped at Odin's throne, the guards kneeling. Loki did so too, reluctantly.

"Rise." Odin said, and the guards walked away from Loki. "Welcome back, Loki."

Loki smirked, finding humor in this.

"You have been brought back before the council of Gods, so that we may reconsider your sentence to Midgard, realm of the mortals. You have been there for six months, and three weeks. Did you find resistance in your powers?"
"Yes." Loki said, his voice hoarse. "I could not use them."
"Did you ever use them for a mortal?"
"Yes." he repeated. "I used them for the mortal in this room."
"Why?"
"Small reasons, none that altered her life."
"Do you see yourself as worthy to come back to Asgard to live with your fellow Gods?"

Loki paused, seeming to think about his answer. He looked at Karliah, then back to Odin.

"I do not see the point in answering this question."
"Why is that?"
"Because I truly do not care if I come home or not. The only reason I would stay is if Karliah did."

Odin was silent, scanning Loki for his lies.

"Why do you care if the mortal stays?"
"Because my home is with her."

The Gods murmured at this.

"You are speaking like a fool." Odin told him.
"I speak the truth." Loki argued.
"You speak like a child."
"Then I shall stay in Midgard."

Odin looked at the other Gods.

"Loki is opting to stay in Midgard." he said. "What do the Gods think of this notion?"

Thor stood, a look of anger on his face.

"We cannot make a decision for his mortal." he said. "Loki will not leave her side, here or there. If he leaves, she will die. She holds a God within her, and we cannot sentence her to her death. She is under the protection of Hlin in her condition. We have no control."
"This is my realm and if she wishes to live, she may stay. Loki is not bound to her by any means. He does not have to stay."

Karliah couldn't stop herself from standing.

"If Loki leaves so do I." she said.

The Gods murmured again. She had broken the one rule given to her, but she felt no regret. She wouldn't sit and let them banish her God from his home when she knew he deserved to be here.

"Sit, mortal." Odin said, his voice firm.
"No." she replied. "If Loki leaves, I do too."
"You will die." Thor said.
"I don't care. I will not leave his side."
"You cannot take the life of a God into your own hands. Your child belongs here."
"I am in control of my child." Karliah said, feeling protective suddenly "If you do not wish it to die, then you will let Loki stay here, with me, where he belongs."
"Enough!" Odin yelled, standing now. He looked at Thor, who sat down. He looked at Karliah now, who did not. "Mortal, you know not who you talk down to."
"I know very well who I am talking down to, Allfather. I will not, however, subjugate to your rules if it is not what I want."

He didn't seem to like this.

"You will do what we Gods command."
"Then I will leave." she said, turning to leave the room.
"No." Odin said, guards walking towards her.
"Loki." she whispered, scared, and she immediately saw his duplicates surround her.

She looked back to Odin, the council of Gods all standing now.

"He is summoned by her." Hlin said, her voice clearly not human.

Odin seemed just as surprised as the Gods. He motioned for the guards to back away from Loki's duplicates, which did not fade from around Karliah.

"Loki, you are called by this mortal?" Freya asked.
"Yes." he said simply.
"Can others call you in Midgard?"
"None but she have been able to do so."

Freya stepped forward, not breaking her eye contact with him. She stopped inches from his face.

"God of Lies, you cannot hide love from me." she said. "It is my power, and I know you have been touched by it."

Loki nodded.

"You do not deny this?"
"No." he said. "I do love her."
"Allfather." Freya said, looking to Odin. "He speaks the truth. She has him under her power. He will not be separated from her."

Odin was silent for a long while. Freya rejoined the Gods while they waited for him to say something. Anything. Karliah and Odin made eye contact for a long while. He finally looked to Frigga, not saying anything still. When he looked to Loki, he sighed.

"I grant you your powers back." he said simply. "You may stay here in Asgard, so long as you swear an oath to your council."
"I accept the oath." Loki said.
"Swear on the throne, Loki Laufeyson, that you will never do harm to Midgard again."

Loki found this to be an odd request. Why not swear to never harm any realm again? Why not swear to only use his powers for good? Why? He nodded, though, accepting this simple request.

"I swear, on the throne, that I will never do harm to Midgard so long as I live." Loki said, crossing his arm over his chest and bowing.
"Let it be known that Loki has his full powers back." Odin said. The council bowed to Loki, and he bowed back. "This council is dismissed."

Loki turned to Karliah, and she stared at him. His duplicates vanished, allowing her to run over to him. She hugged him, happy to know he was free to do what he wished now. She looked at him, not letting him go.

"Thank you." he said.
"For what?"
"Believing in me."

She smiled, kissing his lips passionately. He pulled away from her, smiling too.

"Has anyone ever told you you need to learn to hold your tongue?"
"More or less…"
"You are brave."
"I know what I want."

He nodded, letting her hug him once more.