Karliah woke up the next morning to the sun shining bright on her face. She rubbed her eyes, sitting up to look at the view she had out the window. Wow, she thought. I am so lucky. She smiled, looking down at Loki's sleeping body. He was so handsome, just laying there in all his glory. She shook her head, not wanting to start anything again this morning after the night they had shared together. She got up, stretching out her body. She decided to go to the stables again after thinking about what she could do while waiting for Loki to wake up.

She looked through her wardrobe, picking out a dress for the day. After slipping it on she brushed through her hair, putting it up in a braid for a change. She pushed her thoughts of home away, not wanting it to be a day of sadness. She was happy. She had a home now, one that she knew was hers forever, with a fiancé that loved her and accepted her for who she was. She smiled back at Loki, who was still sleeping in a tangled mess of sheets. She was a mother. She smiled as she remembered this. She felt her belly, wishing she could feel the baby move back in response to her. Soon, she told herself, knowing that it wouldn't be too long until it would move inside her.

She walked to the door, looking back to Loki once more before she left. She walked down the hallway, still needing to think about where she was in terms of the castle. She found the staircase, walking down it to the guards that were by the doors. They bowed, as usual. She bowed back, leaving the castle after they opened the doors for her. She smiled at Asgard, it's beauty still new to her. She shook her head, amazed that something like this has existed so long without anyone on Earth knowing it. It was truly magnificent. She walked slowly down the stairs, taking in the surrounding buildings. She could smell fresh bread, and hear children laughing. She wondered if they were the same children from before or if there were many that lived around here. Would they grow up to be Gods or were they already proclaimed as so? Perhaps they weren't meant to be Gods and simply lived here among them like she did

Her thoughts of this left her as she entered the horse stables, taking in the familiar smell of the animals that she had loved her whole life. She walked over to the horse with eight legs that she'd seen last time she had been in the stables. She pet it, trying so hard to not think of her own. She wondered if they would let her have a horse here. She looked for a latch on the stall, wishing to get closer to the animal. Just as her fingers touched it, she heard a soft voice object.

"I wouldn't do that."

Karliah looked over, spooked from the sudden sound. The woman standing there was downright gorgeous. She had golden hair, her smile was soft and calming. She wore a white dress with gold lacing everywhere. She wore golden hair pieces, complimenting her appearance all the more. Karliah smiled at her.

"I'm sorry." she said.
"Do not apologize." the woman replied, stepping forward. Karliah noticed how blue her eyes were. She was completely beautiful. "Sleipnir is a very gentle beast, but he is loyal to only the Allfather."

Karliah looked at the horse, then back to the woman.

"Most horses are only loyal to their owners." she replied, thinking of how much trust she shared with her own. Again, she pushed the thoughts out of her mind. "Are you here to take care of him?"

The woman smiled, her teeth perfectly lined and white. She pet the horse, then looked at Karliah again.

"No." she said. "I am not."
"Oh. Am I not supposed to be in here?" Karliah asked.
"My lady?"
"These aren't MY stables, I just didn't know if I was allowed to be in here."
"These stables belong to the royal family, you are allowed anywhere you wish to be in Asgard."

Karliah then knew who this woman was. Her heart dropped as she realized that this woman was who Loki warned Karliah of. This was Sigyn. She smiled at Karliah, causing her to shift uncomfortably.

"I uh… I should go." Karliah said.
"I actually had come to meet you, my lady." Sigyn said.
"Oh." Karliah said, trying to stay polite. This was, afterall, a Goddess. She shouldn't be rude just because of Loki. "I'm Karliah."
"Karliah." she said, smiling. "I am Sigyn."
"You're the Goddess of Fidelity, then?"

Sigyn seemed to scan her for more of an explanation.

"Loki has told you about me." she concluded.
"He has."
"I'm sure he had some interesting things to say about me. But I assure you, I am not all bad."
"He had just told me I wouldn't enjoy meeting you."

Sigyn looked hurt, but seemed to understand.

"I apologize if my presence displeases you then."
"It doesn't."
"So you are his mortal then?"
"I guess if that's how you wish to put it, then yeah. I am."
"I see."

Karliah could see that Sigyn was humored by this, making her feel defensive. Perhaps Loki was right.

"Well, I guess I will belong to him after the ceremony." Karliah retorted.
"I thought Loki was already dismissed." Sigyn said, her smile fading somewhat.
"Oh no, not with the council. With me."
"My lady?"
"We're getting married. Loki asked me yesterday."

Sigyn looked disturbed for a moment, then smiled.

"I offer my congratulations." she said with great difficulty.

Karliah knew this was news to her.

"Thank you." she replied. "I should go. It was nice meeting you."

Sigyn bowed as Karliah left. As soon as she was outside the stables, Karliah felt herself relax slightly. She walked down a path she'd never seen before, the walkway paved in gold. She reached down to touch it, never before seeing such a thing. It was smooth on her fingertips, and she smiled. She looked around, hearing the children closer to her than they were before. She looked around the corner, seeing them running around together. She smiled and noticed the little girl that had given her the pendant.

"Karliah!" she heard behind her, making her jump as she turned around.

She saw the Warriors Three approaching her. She smiled at the familiar faces.

"Are you lost?" Volstagg asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.
"Oh I'm just wandering." she said. "Where are you guys headed?"
"Training." Hogun said.
"For what?"
"Just practice."
"Could I tag along?"

They laughed, but agreed that she could go. She went with them, being led to a training ground. She saw people training all over the place. She smiled, knowing these were more Gods. She saw Tyr, one of the council Gods, fighting the beautiful Goddess Freya.

"Who is first?" Volstagg said, lifting the battle axe off of his back.
"I suppose." Fandral said, drawing his sword.

They moved into position to fight each other, then when they were ready, took to practicing their skills. Karliah watched them fight, amazed at their abilities. She smiled at them as they jokingly sparred with each other, wondering if Loki ever did this with them. She suddenly wanted him there to see his abilities. She knew he had magic, but what else did he use to fight?

"Do you have any special attributes?" Hogun asked her.
"Um… No." she said, wishing she did.
"How will you defend yourself if you need to?"
"Call Loki." she said.
"What if that does not always work?"
"I… I don't know."
"The lady cannot protect herself?" Fandral asked after they were done sparring. "I will protect her."

Karliah laughed.

"Loki has her well protected, I promise you." Volstagg told him.
"She should have her own way of protecting herself." Hogun said.
"What are you proposing?" Fandral asked him.
"We should teach her to fight." Hogun said, looking at her.
"I'm pregnant." she told him. "I can't fight."

He smiled, seeming to think she was joking.

"Mortals are so worried for their young." he said. "You have a God within you. It's stronger than you think."

Karliah looked to the others, who did not object to the statement. She shrugged.

"If you promise I'm safe, then sure." she said hesitantly.
"Pick your weapon." Volstagg said, walking her over to a table.

Laid out for her use were at least a hundred different weapons. She looked at them in awe, not knowing how she'd use half of them.

"How do I get magic?" she asked, thinking of Loki yet again.
"You don't get it. Loki was born with it." Volstagg said.
"Ok…" she said, looking around. One weapon in particular caught her eye. She smiled, grabbing the matching daggers. She picked up a few little black balls, wondering if they would aide her later. "What now?"

She held them awkwardly, noticing how heavy they were. She had never held a weapon like these before, and had always imagined they wouldn't weigh much.

"You'll need armor, but we can get this for you later." Hogun said. "Come over here, we will teach you how to use these."

Karliah swung her arm down, hitting Hogun's weapon. It fell from his hand from the force she brought to it. She smiled, knowing she'd won the spar. She heard Volstagg and Fandral clapping, and she looked to them. Her stomach lurched at the sight of Loki standing next to them. He held his hands behind his back, standing straight and watching her walk to him. She smiled, putting the daggers in the belt they had given her to sheath them in.

"Hi." she said.
"I see you have taken it upon yourself to learn to fight." he replied.
"They talked me into it."
"Remember they are not Gods."
"Right. Gods are stronger."
"Doesn't mean we can't give her a challenge." Fandral told him.
"I agree, friend." Loki said, stepping out to where Karliah and Hogun just were. Karliah smiled after he held his hand out to her. "After you, my dear."
"You want me to fight you?" she asked. "I don't wanna hurt you-"
"I assure you you will not be hurting me." he laughed. This made her feel challenged. She walked over to him, pulling her daggers back out of the belt. "Don't hold back."

Karliah took a deep breath, then swung her arm forward, immediately missing him as he evaded her attack. She tried again, missing another time. A few more times this happened. Loki smiled at her frustration.

"Stop trying to hit me, you have to get a hold of me first." he told her.

She threw one of the daggers at him, causing him to duck. She lunged towards him at this moment, grabbing a hold of his shoulders. She tried raising her dagger to him but he caught her arm. She looked at him, his eyes making her calm for a moment. He smirked. She knew he was using his magic, distracting her from what she was trying to do. She kicked him away from her, his smile going away. She watched as his duplicates surrounded her. She looked around, trying to find a way to see the real one. She heard him laugh, the duplicates echoing his voice. She threw down the little ball she'd picked up while choosing her daggers, a cloud of black smoke erupting from it. She ran, getting away from his holograms. She heard him cough and she lunged into the smoke, grabbing him and forcing him down to the ground. He was strong, but unsuspecting. She pinned him down and he smiled. She'd won.

"Satisfied?" she asked, letting go of him.

He sat up, catching his breath.

"Perhaps. I took it easy on you though, know that."

She laughed.

"I'm sure you did." she said, helping him up.
"You have learned well so far." he told her.
"Brother what is going on here?!" they heard.

They walked over to Thor, who looked less than pleased.

"They are teaching me to fight." Karliah said.
"They are letting you spar against Gods, this is unwise."
"I'm fine."
"You are not strong enough if they were to hurt you."
"I'm fine, Thor."

He sighed.

"You don't understand."
"Fight me, I'll show you what I've learned."

Thor laughed as Loki made her look at him.

"No." he said.
"Why not?" she smiled. "It'll be fun."
"Thor is strong."
"So are you."
"I will not fight you, mortal." Thor said. "Perhaps later, when you are not in such a delicate condition."

Karliah wanted to challenge him further, but Loki spoke over her, not wanting her to engage in a battle with Thor.

"Brother, where is Sif?" he asked.
"She is in training today."
"For what?" Loki asked.

Thor looked at the others, then back to Loki, not answering the question.

"Why is she training?" Fandral asked, not accepting Thor's silence. "She is the Goddess of War, she does not need-"
"She is going to Svartalfheim."

Karliah looked around, not sure what this meant. The others were silent though, and she knew this was not a good thing.

"Why?" Hogun asked.
"We have business with the Svartalfar." Thor replied.

Karliah looked at Loki as Thor argued with the warriors about Sif's safety.

"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Svartalfar are elves. They are nasty creatures that play tricks on one's mind for their own benefit." Loki replied. He saw the smile creep across her mouth. "I am different."
"I didn't say a word." she laughed. "I just am reminded of you in that comment."
"They are nasty." he said again, and she saw that he was serious with the statement.
"Will she die there?" she asked.
"I do not wish to dwell on that." he replied, looking away from her.

Karliah entered the dining hall, looking out at the crowd of people that had gathered to celebrate Loki's engagement. She had expressed her concern for this, not wishing to be the center of attention. He insisted that she did it though, as a pleasantry. She had agreed after he told her some maids would dress her up like a princess. She didn't know why, but she loved the thought of it. What little girl didn't grow up wanting to be a princess someday?

She loved her dress, the emerald standing out amongst all the gold everyone was wearing. She was yanked from her thoughts of entering quietly though, as a guard announced her presence.

"My Gods and Goddesses, Lady Karliah, Loki's betrothed." he said, bowing to her.

They gave her an applause, and she smiled at them nervously. She saw Loki moving forward, smiling at the sight of her. He offered his arm to her as she stepped further into the room. She took it, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

"You look beautiful." he told her as they walked about the hall together.
"Thank you." she replied, her heart racing. "Who are all these people?"
"These are all of the Gods of Asgard."
"Wow." she breathed, feeling herself growing sick. "Can I leave now?"
"No." he laughed, making her look at him. "What frightens you my dear?"
"I don't know, I just feel like I'll do something that makes them think I'm not good enough."
"You are strong, remember this. You have never cared what others thought of you, why are you starting now?" he asked. "It is a most inconvenient time."

She laughed, knowing he was trying to get her to do so.

"What if they hate you for choosing the wrong person?"
"You have nothing to prove to them. I do what I please, with any women I please." he smirked. He closed his eyes, catching himself after a bad choice of words. They laughed. "That is not what I meant."
"Better not be." she said, her smile lingering on her face. "Speaking of which… Is she here?"
"Yes." Loki said, his smile fading. "I have yet to speak to her though."
"Why?"
"I wanted to wait for you." he replied.
"I met her earlier."
"What?" He looked very concerned now. "When?'
"Today. She was very…. Surprised to hear about us."
"Did you tell her about the child?"
"No."

Loki sighed, looking around the room.

"She knows." he said.
"How?"
"She would have done her digging to know what is happening with me."
"She really does sound like a crazy ex." Karliah said, laughing slightly.
"Trust me, she is." Loki said, pulling her along with him.

Karliah walked with him, being introduced to different Gods and Goddesses along the way. She knew he was trying to evade being found, but it did not work. She saw Sigyn walking towards them. She felt herself growing defensive, though she kept a soft demeanor as best as she could.

"Karliah." Sigyn smiled, pulling her into a hug. Karliah hugged her back, seeing Loki becoming agitated quickly in the corner of her eye. "You look so lovely this evening."
"Thank you." Karliah said. "You too."
"Nice to see you again, Loki."
"Yes." he said simply.

Sigyn looked back to Karliah, ignoring his anger.

"How is your evening going so far?" she asked.
"It's alright, I've met some cool people so far." Sigyn laughed at the way Karliah spoke. "You?"
"My night has been enjoyable." she replied, holding up her glass. "They have brought the most delectable foods for us."
"I wish I could drink." Karliah laughed, looking at the glass of wine.
"Well order a glass, it is your right." Sigyn said.
"I can't." Karliah said, glancing at Loki, then back to Sigyn.
"Do you not hold your drinks well?" she joked.
"No, I'm pregnant."

Sigyn's face seemed to change, but she smiled through her irritation.

"Oh I couldn't tell."
"It's still new to us."
"Congratulations." she said, looking around the room. "I must go, my lady. I hope you enjoy your evening."

She bowed, walking away from Karliah and Loki. She looked up at him as he stared down at her. He cracked a smile, knowing she was proud of herself.

"You did not have to do that." he told her, popping food into his mouth.
"She has a right to know." Karliah said. "Where did you get those?"

Loki held chocolates in his hand now. He looked down at them, knowing she would take one.

"I took them from the servant." he said, smiling at how she snatched one from his palm. "Hungry?"
"Do you know how long it's been since I've had chocolate?" she asked, letting the chocolate melt on her tongue. It was so sweet. She had never tasted anything so good before.
"Mortals." he scoffed.

Karliah enjoyed herself, spending the evening getting to know the people Loki had grown up with. Many of the Gods seemed to be interested in her, knowing she was the mortal who "tamed" Loki. She couldn't help but to feel proud of herself, walking around on Loki's arm and being introduced as his bride. At one point, he had left her alone with some Goddesses and they insisted on telling her that she was lucky to have won his heart because he was a handsome God. She enjoyed her time with the women, loving that she was accepted among them.

After the night was over, Loki and Karliah walked together to their chambers, laughing about the small things that had pleased them during the festivities. She knew this was her life now, enjoying nights like this with her soon-to-be husband. She didn't mind though, especially after they had gotten back to their room.