A/N-First, my apologies for this update taking so long. I never thought it would take almost three weeks...but there was a week and half in which I wrote nothing (a combo of vacation and work projects led to that), and then a fight with malware and my wireless going out when I was trying to send updates to my beta. When I had time to write, it went really well. I thought I'd post this over the weekend. But there was the wireless issue, and then tweaking and rewriting and condensing (because as long as this is, it was *really* long before). And then a little more tweaking, because this update needed to be right. The next few might take a little longer to post as well (though hopefully not nearly as long), because we are getting to the heart of the story.
Second, thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing. Thanks for following! I really, really, really hope you enjoy this update.
I'll update with comments (both on the last chapter and this one) tonight and tomorrow. I also have a new piece of artwork from mr-stark-21 that I'll add a link to very soon.
*Edited to add: fanfic is being an absolute bitch about putting the url to Mr Stark's work.
I've been working for 30 minutes, and this site will not let me post the proper link, even of . etc.
I'll try again tomorrow...but be on the lookout on tumblr for a post of the pic as well!
A huge thanks to Jax Jesilaux who helped tremendously with editing!
Chapter 24-Fool's coin
"I want to see Kagoq."
The request came the same day that Vatrnaetr ended, as Loki sat in his workroom with Asrior beside him. They had greeted the castle's residents in the dining room earlier when they wandered back for a meal after the bonfire died out. Everyone ate quickly, intent on falling into their beds as soon as possible, for they had been given the rest of the day to recover from the revelries.
Everyone went to their beds except for Hlin, who announced his intention to ride out to the Halfjornson farm after eating, and who did so without answering any of his master's pointed questions.
And now, as they sat at Loki's desk, Okershall was quiet again. Asrior pulled up a chair close to his as he spread papers about, intent on showing her the progress he'd made researching Valtur's magic.
Before Loki could begin talking, though, his wife made her pronouncement. She looked worried that he would grow annoyed at her interruption.
Loki tried to give her a reassuring look as, for he had meant to broach that very topic himself. He wanted to bring Kagoq back to her, but to do so would involve an act of courage and trust on her part—and though he believed with everything in him that his wife was as brave as anyone he'd ever known, he was still cautious about bringing up the subject.
"I do not think we can see him on our journey to court. But we will most certainly be able to see him afterward. Perhaps even bring him back with us, if things go as I have planned," he said, his voice quiet.
She looked curious. "What plans have you made?"
He leaned onto the desk, his long fingers tapping a cadence against the wood as he looked at her for a moment.
"We will have to show Thor your scars," he said finally, watching her carefully for a reaction. "And Sif as well, if we are to get your Kagoq."
Even though she had probably known that it would come to this, Asrior's face paled slightly.
"You have not gotten far enough in your research to break the spell?" she asked, though it was clear from the tone of her voice that she knew the answer.
"No. I'm sorry, Asrior, but I do not think that I will have enough time," he explained. "We leave in three days, and I have barely been able to crack the surface of this magic. The little I have found..."
"What?" she asked, tilting her head as she regarded him intently. "You sound as though you have done something, even if it is not much."
He took a deep breath, telling her, "When I projected to Jerrik's, I was able to breach the magic around his palace, to see inside the front gate. Only for a moment, though. I was pushed back out again, almost immediately."
"How did this happen, being able to see inside?" Asrior looked almost excited at the news. Though the infringement had been brief, she understood the importance of what had happened.
"You know, it's odd," Loki said slowly, for he did not fully understand how he had done it. "When I arrived, I cloaked myself and waited outside the palace to see if Herluf would ride to the gates. I did not intend to do anything else, but I grew restless and tried to see if I could enter. It was almost on a whim, were I one to bend to such fancies. I was able to see in, though, enough to see that Jerrik and his men were gathered in a courtyard, as though they were waiting."
"And then you were...pushed out, you said?"
"Yes. Before I could try to enter again, Herluf arrived and rode through the gates. I tried to follow him, but was unable to do so."
"What did you do differently?" Asrior's eyes were wide.
"I've been working of a few things, so I'm not sure what it was," Loki admitted, leaning back in his chair and running a finger across his lip as he thought about the work he'd been doing. "I've been trying to disguise my magic, for one. Cloaking more than my image. I thought..."
When his voice trailed off, his wife prodded him, "What do you mean, cloaking your magic?"
He glanced at her, asking, "You understand that I can feel magic in others? And that my powers can be felt as well?" When she gave him a quick nod, he continued, "A projection of myself has a magical presence that sorcerer of Valtur's abilities can feel. Such residue is useful in battle, for it makes it close to impossible to know which of my images is corporeal. But it's damned useless when I'm projecting and need to stay fully hidden."
"So...you have been trying to conceal the magic others can feel from you?"
"No, not hide it, but disguise the feel of it. You see, I wondered if the spell used on Jerrik's palace is somehow triggered by the magic that is specific to my race. When Stark retrofitted his weapons to alarm at the feel of dark elf power, it occurred to me that your father could also..."
"What do you mean?" Asrior's voice rose slightly.
"Well, there are many creatures whose magical powers can be sensed, but a Jotun will feel unlike lesser creatures like dragons or garms. I thought if I felt different..."
"No, not that," she said, waving a hand impatiently. "What did you mean about alarms detecting dark elf magic?"
Loki's stomach dropped when he realized what part of his words she had focused on. "Oh."
"Oh," his wife repeated dryly, her eyes probing him. "Tony turned his weapons into alarms? I had not heard of this."
He stared at her, trying to find the words to explain, but when he waited too long, Asrior's eyes narrowed.
"When did Tony turn his weapons into alarms? Before or after you knew the truth about me?"
Loki's voice was quiet. "Before."
"So they were not meant to protect me."
"No. Not at first," he admitted, leaning toward her, assuring her, "But they have been used as part of your protection since then, Asrior. They were placed around Okershall's lands when Stark first built them, and it made sense to use them to help protect you in case I was gone. The time I was with Thor at Alflyse's court, for example..."
"Why were the alarms put near Okershall?" she interrupted, tenaciously digging for an answer. "You can feel dark elf magic, you don't need alarms."
"We wanted to know if dark elves were near the castle while I was gone."
Loki's chest was tight, for he knew she would soon understand how he had intended to use her. He was not afraid of her reaction, not entirely—he mostly wondered if he would ever be rid of the guilt he felt when remembering what he had done. He had lived much of his life without his conscience interfering with his activities, and now that the cursed thing decided to exercise itself, it was doing so with alarming vigor.
Asrior worked it out almost immediately.
"But they have never attacked anywhere near the castle. The closest they came, I was told, was to Hogun, and he lived out from the village back then..." Her voice trailed off, and her mouth formed a small circle as her mind churned. "You...you thought they would come for me. You wanted to know when he came for me."
"Yes." Loki swallowed hard. "I thought they would come to take you back, Asrior, not attack you. You have to believe..."
She seemed to have not heard him. "That's why you allowed me to leave the castle without escort." Her hands knotted in her skirt as she remembered. "That's why you gave me that list of tasks when you left for Gaula. You...you wanted it known that I was allowed away...left alone."
Asrior's body seemed to tremble and the familiar, sickening feeling of remorse filled him. "I didn't know they would attack you," he said again, reaching out, pulling her hands from the folds of her skirt and taking them into his. "I had no idea they would try to hurt you, I thought..."
"Is that why you were there when I was attacked?" She pinned him with her gaze. "Were the alarms triggered? You were there so quickly, and you weren't expected back for two days."
His hands tightened on hers. "No. I came back sooner than I'd planned...because you told me by the boulders that you did not want to be left alone, remember? I knew that your fear had to be extraordinary for you to even mention it to me. I tried to tell myself that that wasn't the reason I came back so swiftly, but it was. You have to believe me."
Asrior's face was white, but her eyes, Loki saw with relief, were not filled with anger. The memory of that day was raw, even now, and was not sure how he would react if she held him responsible for the attack. The only thing saving him from dwelling endlessly on his own self-recrimination was the hope of her forgiveness.
"I passed the Halfjorns on my way back, and they were going to meet you in the village," he pushed on, anxious to make her understand. "But when I didn't pass the cart on the road, I knew you had gone through the forest. I rode to Hogun's to ask him to watch things while you were there, and then...I felt the dark magic."
She was blinking, as though trying to remember.
"You put me on your horse. You bought me to Hogun's cottage."
"Yes." He wondered if her hands hurt from his grip, and he the smile he gave her shook weakly. "You rode Falhofnir and didn't even realize it."
Asrior's breathing was hitched, but she did not pull away from him. "You used me as bait in a trap."
"That...that was my plan." His voice was strained as he admitted the truth. "But I had no idea they would try to harm you. None of us did, except for Hlin. Even Hogun was not convinced, even when the kitten was killed. He thought someone from the castle played tricks simply to scare you."
Her body shook as she tried to steady her breathing, her eyes lowering to focus on their hands; and for the first time since he took them, Loki felt her fingers move to wrap around his.
"It was not a bad plan, if the alarms work. We... we could still do it. Bait them. Lure Valtur back here to try to take me."
Her voice was almost timid as she spoke, but Loki's was sharp. "No. Absolutely not."
"Why not?" Asrior's voice grew almost as sharp as his, her familiar belligerence returning as she pulled her hands from his with a jerk. "I am ready for this to be over, Loki. I do not want to live forever with the threat of him hanging over me."
"It will not be forever." Loki tried not to scowl at her, for she had no idea how she was provoking him by even suggesting that she be anywhere near her father again. "When I am ready to attack Valtur, you will be far from the battle, Asrior. You will never be near your father again, not if I can help it. I will not risk your being taken by him."
The glare directed at him relaxed slightly. "You would...you do not mind the wait? You spend so much time on his spells. It consumes you."
"I will break his magic, no matter how long it takes," he vowed, holding her gaze, wanting to make certain that she understood him completely. "That particular task will never be so inconvenient to me that I decide to put you back in harm's way."
"But...surely the lower countries would benefit from an earlier battle rather than a later one," she said, seemingly intent on convincing him to put her into danger. "It is in their best interest to entice..."
"It is out of the question. I suggest that you stop this foolish line of inquiry now."
He spoke more harshly than he'd intended, but Asrior blinked, her face growing soft. Indeed, to his inordinate pleasure, her expression turned almost mawkish as she watched him.
"You are so determined to protect me?" she asked.
Loki rather thought that he was protecting himself by keeping her safe, but he merely said, "I do not forsake what I hold to be mine." He gave her a quick smirk before turning back to his papers. "Even sharp-tongued elves determined to vex me."
Asrior simply smiled and pulled her chair a fraction closer, saying, "You will break the spell, I am sure of it...you are probably the smartest person I have ever known. Tell what you have done that is different."
So he told her about the cloaking magic he'd found that came, ironically, from Jotuns, and of a rather undistinguished Asgardian sorcerer who had visited Valtur long ago. He told her how he half wondered if the impulsive state of his mind when he'd tried to enter Jerrik's castle made a difference.
Eventually, he told her of his own lessons in sorcery. Of how he'd studied diligently as a way to earn Odin's approval, for the Allfather, he explained, had more magic and power than anyone across the realms.
The one thing Loki didn't have to tell Asrior was how he'd felt apart from everyone, long before he knew the truth about his heritage. She seemed to understand that he'd looked askance on the Asgardian lust for blood, how offended he was at their mistrust of anything that didn't involve muscle and sweat.
Tricks, they'd scornfully called his work, before disparaging his want to use his brain—all the while ignoring how many times his sorcery and quick thinking had saved their lives.
Asrior asked him about that difference as she readied for sleep that night. He'd piled his books over her bed's coverlet, leaning back against the headboard as she walked from the bath. She was brushing her hair, and he scooted his legs over when she sat on the edge of the bed.
Loki watched her, the book falling slowly to his lap as he did so, for she was mesmerizing. Her flowered robe, tied at the waist, accentuated the dip of her waist and graceful swell of her hips. When she moved her arms to bring the brush through her hair, the sleeves fell down, exposing an expanse of her arm. Even her wrists were pretty, he thought, staring at them. They were fined-boned, covered with petal-soft skin that looked smoother than the silk encasing her body.
At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to turn her around and push her onto her back—to wrap a hand around those delicate wrists and stretch her arms over her head. He wanted to undo the tie at her waist with his other hand, to lower himself beside her...
Before he could move, she yawned widely. Loki knew she was exhausted, for he'd allowed her little sleep. And really, he thought, he'd rarely indulged in so much coupling in such a short period of time and never with one woman—he should be sated himself. Yet he wanted Asrior again, so much that it was alarming.
She yawned again, turning her head to look at him with bleary eyes. Loki repressed the urge to smile sardonically at himself, for indeed, it seemed as though lying with him was the last thing she desired at that moment.
"Here," he said, pulling her toward him and gently taking the brush from her fingers. "You should have told me that you were tired earlier."
"I'm only feeling it now," she said, and he took her hair into his hand instead of her wrists. When he began sliding the brush through it in long, slow strokes, he felt her sigh before she whispered, "That's lovely."
Asrior's shoulders relaxed after a while, her back slumping slightly, and she turned her head just enough so that she could look at him. Her eyes were somnolent, but he could see that desire flared in them as well. "You are going to read tonight?"
"Yes, I am going to read." Loki lowered the brush, reaching with his other hand to pull stray bits of her fiery hair back over her shoulder. His touch might have aroused her, but her mouth was drooping slightly with weariness. "And you are going to sleep."
He pulled more of her hair back, stroking it lightly, tucking some of it behind her ear. As he did so, he exposed the pointed tip of it. His fingers traced along the edge lightly, and Asrior's back stiffened as he did so. But after a moment, she seemed to relax again.
"You do not like others seeing your ears," he said softly.
"No," she admitted after a heartbeat, her voice gruff. "It makes me uncomfortable."
Loki's fingers continued moving gently through the strands of her hair. "You so not quite so bothered by your scars."
"They do not make me different."
Something constricted in him. "Different?"
But he knew what she meant.
"From other Asgardians," she muttered. She turned around more fully so she could better look at him, asking, "Did you... did you know you were different?"
His hand stilled. "Not at first."
"When did you suspect?"
Her eyes seemed to pierce him as he answered, "I did not suspect I was a Jotun, but I knew that I was not like other Asgardians. I do not have their incessant thirst for battle, and I find a robust intellect to be more valuable than physical skills, however useful those may be."
Asrior's mouth tilted up slightly. "Yes. I heard tales of you using wits to defeat might."
"I can only imagine what other tales you heard." Loki's voice was dry.
"Enough to frighten me," she admitted. She moved, then, and his hand dropped from her hair as she crawled gracefully over his legs to settle against the headboard on the other side of him.
He scoffed. "You did not act afraid of me. Quite the opposite. You were most defiant, from the first."
"I hide my feelings well when necessary." She moved closer to him, tilting her bright head so that it rested on his shoulder. "You were intimidating, and your reputation did not invite my admiration."
"What did it invite?" Loki asked, a hint of a laugh rumbling through him.
Her shoulder lifted, and she moved a hand, wrapping it around his arm. "I wanted to hide every time I saw you." She turned her head so that it was half-hidden against him, and her voice was muffled. "And I most certainly did not pray to you."
"Pray to me?" he asked, startled, his brows shooting upward. "What..."
Asrior shifted a little against him, her small figure desperately light against his body. Loki's eyes raked over her head, which was still bent against his arm. Pink flooded her jawline.
"When I first went to Valtur's fortress. When... when he first used dark magic on me. My mother told me that the ancient Midgardians prayed to the gods...and so I prayed for them to save me. To take me home to Asgard."
For someone who professed to not know if he was even in possession of a heart, Loki found it almost amusing how badly his chest ached at her whispered confession.
He found that his hand was back on her hair, smoothing it back. "They did not forsake you, Asrior, for they would not have heard you," he murmured, and her hand tightened on his arm. "It does not work that way, unfortunately."
"I know. Kagoq told me the gods would not come for me. He liked to remind me that he was right." Asrior lifted her head, her twilight-hued eyes filling with pride. "But I proved him wrong, for I helped the gods come to his aid."
"The day Sif found him in the woods? The day you beat him?"
She nodded, her eyes holding his fiercely. "Valtur had used the whip, but he stopped when he saw the soldiers. Kagoq's clothes were sticking to his skin... I had to make sure his injuries could be seen. So fell upon him and tore his shirt back when the soldiers pushed me from him."
"Yet no one thought to see if you needed aid," he said, his voice solemn as his hand moved to stroke her cheek. "You have not been treated well here. I cannot imagine why you even want to be on Asgard."
"Asgard is still my home," she whispered. "Why do you stay? You... you do not fully belong either."
"No, I do not. And yet this is my home as well," Loki admitted, his voice as soft as hers as he sought to explain, "For all that Asgardians have faults, there is a noble beauty here that cannot be matched. Everything—the music and art, literature, architecture... It is why I chose Okershall as mine, you know. The new wing reminds me much of the royal palace in its splendor."
Asrior's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I thought... I mean..."
"What?" Loki's brow arched at the embarrassment in her voice. "What story have you made in your mind?"
"It is not a story," she muttered. "I simply thought... Well, I thought you chose to stay here because of Vedis. The assumption is not unreasonable, given your inclination to wed her."
"You should know me better," he said, making a dismissive sound in his throat. "Do you really think me so sentimental? Why cling to a spot of land because someone who is gone once walked here?"
Asrior's eyes were sympathetic despite his curt words. "My mother's chain gives me comfort. I thought you might feel something similar despite what you have said. "
Loki grunted, weaving an arm around her shoulders. Her heard fell against him once more as he tried to describe his thoughts, "I am glad for your sake that such sentiment gives you a measure of peace. But we are not alike in that regard. I am the least...sentimental person you will hope to meet."
She was quiet for a moment, saying finally, "You have such contempt sometimes for softer feelings, yet anger and vengeance are emotions as well. And they are not the only ones worthy of holding."
Her words made him uncomfortable. "I am not as contemptuous as you make me out to be, or else you would still be in the tower," he muttered. "I simply disagree with you in some ways."
Asrior sighed, but her next words surprised him. "When did you know that you are a Jotun? You said you did not suspect."
It was ironic that he preferred this line of questioning—so fraught with dark memories—to her ruminations on sentiment.
"It was in battle, on Jotunheim," he explained, watching her closely. "A frost giant grabbed my arm...my bare skin. The cold from his touch would have burned me had I been Asgardian, but instead, I... my skin began to turn blue."
Asrior's eyes were wide as she stared up at him. "You had no idea?"
"None. I confronted Odin, and he admitted the truth. He thought I could bring peace between the two realms, but he neglected to tell me that very salient fact until I forced him to." His lips grew thin, the memory of the old bitterness swelling inside of him. "He raised me to be a king...allowed me to think I was of Asgard. He told Thor and I stories of defeating the frost giants, and smiled indulgently when my brother talked of killing them all when he grew up. Do you know what it feels like? Finding out that you're a monster? To feel so used by someone you trust? To know..."
"Yes."
The word was quiet, but it stopped his heated declarations as quickly as though she had shouted.
"I know what it is like to feel both."
Loki's damned chest was aching again, the all-too-familiar sting of remorse gripping it like a vise.
But Asrior's eyes were lit with compassion rather than recrimination, and she her lips upon his shoulder. "I am sorry," she whispered, resting her cheek on the spot she had just kissed. "I cannot imagine what it is like to find out that your own father deceived you."
When he spoke, he was hoarse, for as much as he craved to have her near him, the feelings she stirred sometimes frightened him. "I called myself a stolen relic. Put away until I was of use."
"At least you were not literally put away. Valtur hid me in a tower most days." Dark humor touched her mouth. "We could play a game of one-upmanship...your blueness, for example, is apparently more easily hidden than my ears."
The feelings churning in him merged into something familiar, and Loki turned to slide his arm from around her. He took her hands, lifting them to his mouth, and his eyes were bright as he gazed at her. "I find that I am not in a gaming mood."
"That's right. You said..." Her voice hitched when he rubbed his mouth over her palms. "You were going to read. And I was going to sleep."
Loki looked at her, drinking in the rich color of her hair and her nightfall eyes, the soft fullness of her mouth. His body was humming again. But the feeling was not driven by mere sexual hunger, for as appealing as she looked, he yearned even more for her—for her compassion and strength, for her curiosity and determination, for her ability to find wit in the face of their tortured pasts. For her obstinate, determined, unlimitedcourage, and even her maddening need to argue with him at times.
"We can do both in a bit, elf."
"In a bit?"
"Mmmm..." He pulled her to him so that he could place his mouth at her neck. "Soon."
"Soon?" Her voice was husky, but the effect was ruined by her snort of laughter. "Really? I thought you were a god."
"You're tired. I thought I should be expeditious with my attentions." She raised a brow, though she allowed him to press her down against the pillows. His mouth pushed the edge of the robe to the side, uncovering naked skin beneath. "You can sleep after."
"After?"
Loki pushed himself up on an elbow so that he could look down at her. "After I'm done."
"Doing what, exactly? Keeping me awake? You were going to read," she teased, her fingers pushing into his hair.
He tipped his forehead so that it rested against hers. "I meant for you to rest, truly I did. But I find that I want to be close to you."
The laughter tilting up her mouth faded, replaced by something altogether different. "Oh," she whispered, her legs tangling with his. "I think I would like that."
His answer was lost, for she pushed her mouth against his, and the books Loki had stacked to the side sat untouched for a fair amount of time.
….
As much as Asrior wanted Kagoq back, she was reluctant to leave for court. It felt strange to rush off so quickly after uniting with Loki. She wanted to find her footing, to understand exactly what this new relationship would mean for her life at Okershall.
They had spent their first few days mostly in bed, though the night Vatrnaetr ended, he'd lain with her the one time only. She'd been allowed to sleep the rest of the night, and when she awoke the next morning, it was to find her husband on his stomach, his eyes closed. His arms were curled under his pillow, and one of his legs was bent, the knee digging into her thigh. When she moved away from him, half-sitting to better look at his face, he stirred slightly, the leg moving until it was in contact with her skin again.
He woke then, his eyes bleary and hair mussed, looking more like a boy than the God of Mischief. When she asked how his reading went, he muttered sleepily that he would tell Saldis to move her things into his chambers, for the larger bed would make it easier for him to spread more books around.
Soon after, they were at breakfast, Loki tapping his fingers impatiently upon the table as he waited for Hlin to join them. The boy did so soon enough, smiling widely at Asrior and answering questions about his visit to the Halfjornson farm with a cool vagueness that made his master scowl.
"I should make you feed the pigs again," Loki muttered, pouring tea with such vigor that it splashed onto the table.
Hlin just grinned. "Can't. I have to ride to the village to repair the axle clip before we leave for court. Remember? Or do you want to deal with Gudrod today? He recently fashioned a lyre for his middle daughter, and she sits near him and attempts to teach herself the instrument while he works."
Loki managed to grunt meanly and drink from his cup at the same time.
"Oh! Do you mean that you're coming with us?" Asrior asked, smiling widely, ignoring her husband's mood.
"Yes." Hlin stuffed a sausage into his mouth, his words thick as he answered. "I'm helping spell Ulvgeir on the coach during the ride. We're driving straight through to the city."
Startled, Asrior whipped her head around to look at Loki. "Really? We won't stop? The journey takes days..."
"Three days, to be exact," her husband amended, putting down his empty cup. "I know it will be a bit of an ordeal, but the coach is a comfortable one. And you will have Saldis for company."
"But..." Her mouth dropped at the revelation. "Where will you be?"
"On Falhofnir. If we are attacked, it is easier to fight if I am riding." His expression turned forbidding.
Even Hlin's jaunty look faded, and a dull pit of fear settled in Asrior's stomach. "You think we will be attacked?"
"The risk is small. I simply wish to take precautions," Loki assured her, his face smoothing into calmer lines.
"What other precautions will we take?"
"You will ride in the same coach that brought you here. It is large and swift, but it bears no royal markings to make us a target. And I will be cloaked."
The dread only surged with his words. "I will not be able to see you?"
Loki seemed to realize that she grew more distressed. He turned to her, his hand moving to rest on her shoulder. "I will not ride far from the coach. You will be armed with Stark's weapons. And when I sense that it is safe, I will show myself. But I think it best if the coach appears to be that of a random lord rather than mine. If I am visible, I will only attract attention to our journey."
She sighed before giving him a trusting nod. "Alright—though surely the journey will be arduous for you."
He leaned back in his chair, his hand sliding away from her as he smirked. "I am a god, not an elf, and therefor will not tire so easily."
Asrior made a face, using her sign language to call him a bad name, while Hlin tried to hide his laugh by coughing and shoveling eggs into his mouth.
After turning a look of great affront on them, Loki began needling the boy once more about who exactly he'd visited at the farm. Asrior watched them, absent-mindedly eating fruit as two began to argue.
This was what she craved, this normalcy. For all of their teasing, everyone was... well, they were happy. She was happy now that her future was settled, and a part of her hated rushing off as soon as Okershall's inhabitants enjoyed a newfound sense of contentment.
But it would be even better when Kagoq was there, so she pushed such thoughts from her mind. When Hlin left for the village, Loki and Asrior walked to visit Hogun, for they had to discuss the story they would tell to explain their leaving the castle.
"It is inevitable that the coach's leaving will be noticed," Loki explained when she asked. "With Hogun's help, word will get out that Hlin is journeying to Nidavallier on a task for me, and that Saldis will be dropped off at her brother's home in Skornheim on the way. She has not visited her family in many years."
"What of us?" she asked. "Will no one notice our absence?"
Loki smiled. "I sometimes journey into the Ringsfjord Mountains when the snows come. There is an old fortress there where I stay—there is no staff, for I go there when I need solitude. Now they will think that we want to be alone. I do not think that will be a surprise to anyone after the holiday."
"Tis a thin story, all of us leaving, scattering to the wind," she murmured, looking up into his sea-green eyes. "I doubt it will hold up for long."
A grim look flitted across his face. "It only needs to hold up until we near court. Thor's soldiers will escort us when we come down from the Asgardian mountains."
The unease settled over her again, but Asrior pushed it aside. There was still much to do, so much that it was hard to worry. After the visit to the warrior's cabin, there was the matter of moving into Loki's chambers. They had to visit the library as well, to sort through books to take on their journey.
At the end of the day, the pair went to the greenhouse. Loki relaxed for a brief time, watching as Asrior worked with her restarted seedlings—and when she played with her cats, he told her about the winters he'd spent with his father and brother hunting rock ptarmigan and hare in the mountains near the city.
Despite the uneventful day, it felt peculiar retiring for bed in Loki's chambers. As well-appointed as Asrior's had been, his were truly lavish. She'd peeked into his rooms once, when she'd raided the family wing to better furnish her tower room. A lifetime seemed to have passed since then. It was hard to believe that she belonged now.
"What are you staring at?" Loki asked as he came from the bathing chamber, his damp hair flat against his head and neck. "You look lost."
Asrior looked at him from her spot near the room's great windows that faced the hill in front of the castle. "It is just...very grand in here. The bed is so large I imagine you could fit the entirety of the library on it. You must have hated sleeping the settee."
"Well, at least there is more room for the animals here," he muttered, sending a half-hearted glare to where three cats and a rabbit were sprawled across silk-covered chairs. The golden reedling sat nearby, a heavy shawl draped over its cage. "Truly, it is a miracle that we escaped Hogun's today without the owl he is tending to now."
"Of course he would not give me the owl," Asrior reproved. "That bird will be able to survive in the wild once healed. It would be wrong to keep it caged."
Loki merely grimaced, muttering a quiet thanks before moving to the bed, commanding, "Come here."
Staring at him with mild rebuke for his tone, she put a hand on her hip. "Why?"
Loki sighed as he sat upon the green and cream-colored silk covering the bed. "There is no need to take offense."
"You sounded as though you wished to interrogate me," she said tautly.
"Asrior," Loki began again, speaking very slowly, as though she was a temperamental child, "will you please come and sit by me?"
She lifted her chin regally, moving to settle beside him. "You can try not to be sarcastic next time. What do you wish to know?"
"I wish to know what is wrong," he said, frowning slightly. "I do not think you are just overwhelmed by the room's décor."
She made a face. "It is just odd, being here."
"Odd?" He looked askance as he spit out the word.
"I am... Well, you need to understand that I am still getting accustomed to all of this. Of staying with you. Not just staying in here, but staying. I never thought I would marry, and certainly not to a prince of Asgard... Son of Jotunheim... Master of Tricks..."
Loki stared at her as she rambled, pulling her closer after a moment. His voice was soft as the silk they sat upon as he gently urged, "Listen to me."
Asrior's mouth shut.
"This is as...odd, if you will...for me as it is for you," he confessed, giving the cats a significant look before turning back to her. "I have never shared my personal space before, not for more than for a few hours. And now I find my chambers invaded by you and your assortment of animals—and I know that you are not like the others, gone almost as soon as you enter. It will take me time to accustom myself as well, I imagine."
She felt her body relaxing, and she leaned against him as she said, "I wish we did not have to leave so soon. I think it would be easier if I had more time to acquaint ourselves with this."
His answering murmur reverberated through her body. "Indeed, though we have been off to a splendid start getting acquainted. But we must visit court if we are to get your Kagoq." He glanced down at her, smirking. "I have to warn you, I will not allow him to sleep on a mat by our door once we have retrieved him. I allow cats and birds and rabbits and an elf in here. I have to draw a line somewhere."
Unable to help the grin that spread across her face, she poked him in the side before standing. "Are you sure you can adapt to us? I can always go back to the tower."
"I will give you my opinion on the matter once it is formed." Loki pushed her gently toward the bath. His eyes were on the books stacked over the bed, and he sounded the tiniest bit distracted. "Ready yourself for sleep. We leave tomorrow evening, under cover of darkness. Enjoy the bed while you can."
When Asrior was done in the bath, Loki settled her next to him as he dimmed the room's torches. Then he began reading, the familiar sound of the turning pages lulling her into sleep.
When she woke later, the room was bathed in moonlight. All three cats were on the bed, and Loki was on his stomach again, an arm stretched out so that it lay over her hip. He looked so appealing—his lashes soft against his cheek, his skin almost like marble in the room's pale glow—that Asrior was tempted to wake him. But he need rest if he were to ride for three nights straight; so she curled at his side, forcing herself to sleep once more.
Loki was not quite so considerate, for he woke her just as dawn's light broke through the room's massive windows. Her eyes fluttered open, and she realized that his hands were twined in her hair—then his breath was in her ear as he told her that he'd decided he could adapt to her presence very well indeed. He spent the next hour showing her exactly how well he could acclimate to the situation.
The new day was more hurried than the one before. There were more books to pack, and papers, and the carriage was inspected to ensure that it was ready for the lengthy journey.
When the sun grew lower in the sky, Asrior followed Loki to the master chamber so that she could gather clothing. She needed only a small bag—it would be warmer in the royal city, her husband said, and they would find more clothes for her once they arrived.
She was carefully folding her dress from Midgard to take when someone knocked softly at the room's main door.
Loki was peering in a cabinet, shoving small vials into a case, and he ignored the sound. When he muttered to himself and he moved to a table, jerking a drawer open, Asrior sighed softly and moved to the door.
She expected it to be Hlin, but Saldis stood in the hallway, a bundle in her arms.
"My lady," the older woman murmured, looking furtively over Asrior's shoulders to where Loki was bent over the desk. "I have a few things...when the master asked me to move your things into here yesterday, he said I should clear your old chambers in the tower, you see. Only the necessities were bought here after you were injured. We did not know your stay in the family wing would be permanent."
The housekeeper was talking so quietly that Asrior had to step toward her, and confusion filled her voice as she said, "I know that things were left in the tower, but... What do you need? I do not understand."
"I found these as I was cleaning." Saldis pushed the items she held into Asrior's arms as she spoke, her words rushed. "These were in the armoire there, and a few were in such a state that I washed them. The one on top—well, I tried my best, but the stains will not come out."
Asrior looked at the bundle she now held, and her stomach plummeted when she saw what lay on top. The gown was folded neatly, but faded brown blots peeked over from a creased edge, contrasting sharply with its fine white cloth and intricate crochet trim.
Saldis had given her some of the dresses that had been made before her marriage, Asrior realized—and the nightdress she'd worn the night the union had been consummated.
"I'm afraid it sat for too long," Saldis continued, sounding embarrassed. "Perhaps the laundresses at court can be of help. They have access to better..."
"Thank you. I will see what can be done there," Asrior said, clutching the clothes to her chest. She did not want Loki to turn his attention to them, and wanting to be rid of the woman before he could do so, asked, "Are you ready for the journey? Do you need to go pack?"
"I was planning on doing so now." Saldis took a step backwards, looking relieved that her task was complete. "I will be ready when it is time to leave."
As the housekeeper slid toward the staircase, Asrior slowly closed door behind her, turning her head to look at her husband. He was pushing the desk's long drawer closed, and he glanced over at her as the door clicked shut.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing," she said, trying to keep her voice even as she moved to the massive wardrobe where her meager assortment of clothing was housed. "Just a few things from the tower."
Something in the way she spoke caught his attention, though, for he turned around and watched her. When her hand fell on the wardrobe's handle, he asked, "What from the tower that makes you sound so bothered?"
"I assure you, it is nothing," she said, throwing him a quick smile. She thought that the smile did not reach her eyes, though, for Loki's brow creased, and he pushed from the desk to walk toward her.
"You are not acting as though it is nothing," he said, focused on her with an intensity that was unnerving. "What did Saldis give you?"
"Just clothes," Asrior muttered, clutching everything to her chest with one hand as she pulled the wardrobe open. "I suppose I'm nervous about the journey..."
Her voice wobbled, and before she could move again, Loki stopped her by saying, "You are lying."
"No...I'm not. Not really," she protested, suddenly unable to move. Loki was at her side, and she could feel his eyes burning into her. The air suddenly felt thick, and it was hard to breathe much less turn to deposit the clothes onto the wardrobe's shelf. "I'm simply a bit..."
The feel of his hand on her wrist stilled Asrior's words as he gently pulling her arm lower so that he could see the cargo she guarded. Her fingers tried to wrap around the stains, but they had turned numb.
Loki's pale green gaze swept quickly over the gowns she held before settling on her face."We should not begin this marriage with deceit..." But his words jerked to a halt, and his eyes flew back down.
Asrior forced her tingling fingers to curl around the nightdress, trying to turn the edges in further, but the hand on her wrist tightened.
"What are you holding?"
The words sounded as though they came from far away, for her heart beat so loudly that it was hard to hear anything outside of its uneven cadence.
"Nothing... it is just old clothing..." she began feebly, but Loki continued talking, ignoring her.
"Why is there blood on your old clothing? Were you injured before and did not tell me? Did you think I would not believe you?"
His voice was clipped...a cold rage burgeoning in it, and Asrior shook her head wildly, trying once more to press the gowns against her chest. "No! I was not attacked. It is... it is nothing..."
But Loki's hands let go of her so quickly that it was almost a blur, and before she could stop him, he had pulled the soft white cloth away, the other gowns tumbling to the floor.
"What is this then, if it is nothing?" he asked harshly, holding the nightdress so that it fell open, his bewildered eyes raking across the splotches that lay midway down the gown's back. "Quite clearly, something made you bleed..."
He went very still—his words, and his hands. His eyes fixed on the stains, his face rigid as he stared at the brown that marred the pale, gauzy material.
Asrior knew the moment the puzzle pieces fit together, for his body twitched, as though he felt a blow deep inside of him.
"I hurt you."
He tore his eyes away from the stain to stare at her, his eyes resembling those of Hogun's wounded animals.
She wanted to go to him, but all Asrior could do was shake her head and whisper, "What happened then makes no difference..."
"You had not lain with anyone before. I hurt you," he said again, sounding desperate.
"No, Loki, you didn't," she began, more forcefully. "You..."
"Stop lying to me, Asrior!"
Tears stung at her eyes, and she heard him draw in a long, shaking breath.
"It hurt, didn't it?"
She blinked, trying very hard not to cry, for she feared he would not understand that her pain was for him.
"Yes," Asrior said carefully, her voice hushed. "But it was not unbearable."
His eyes closed, his mouth twisting, and she wondered if he was remembering. There was so much she herself remembered—the way he'd growled at her when she pulled at his hair, how she'd jerked against the hand holding her wrists when the pain came. How warm his seed had felt inside of her, and how he'd left so quickly afterward, barely giving her a glance as he walked from the room.
The pain of consummation had been over quickly, but the hurt afterward had been so real—yet at some point in the time that had passed, she had forgiven him.
"Loki, it would have hurt no matter what." She spoke softly, afraid that he would bolt from the room if she made the wrong move. "You could not help that."
His eyes opened then, and they were filled with a ferocious anger that burned through her. "Yes, but I made you bleed, and then I left you," he grated, almost spitting out the words. "You trusted me."
"Loki..."
"I left you alone after I did this." Loki shook the gown clutched in his fingers, sounding tortured. "Then I brought you here and abandoned you again. I knew that you would be mocked and scorned...and I didn't care. Hel, at court I boasted about how I tricked you, did you now that? Then I found other women to lie with, to..."
His words became garbled in his throat, and his face worked as he tried to speak.
It felt as though a hand clenched around Asrior's heart at his admission, but she had forgiven him, she told herself...she had to move past what he had done. "Stop, Loki. Please, I beg you not to listen to me."
When she moved toward him, he stepped back—but Asrior did not allow him to avoid her. She lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly about his midriff, pressing her cheek to his chest. His heart was pounding, and she closed her eyes at the sound of it, saying, "I have forgiven you already."
"Asrior..." He put his hands on her shoulders, trying to push her back from him, but she tightened her grip, insisting, "What you did then is over. I forgave you, long ago."
"How?" he asked, sounding pained as he pushed against her shoulders. "How can you do so, when I cannot fathom excusing myself for what I have done?"
"Because you deserve it," she said, looking up at him, her eyes desperate. "You have made mistakes, but you did so because you care. I know you hate to admit it, but you care for Thor, and for your mother and father. And for Vedis, and for the people you rule here. I know your faults, Loki, but you are not wicked. You are not an evil..."
"But I hurt you," Loki repeated, managing to finally remove her arms from his waist. He stepped back again once he'd dislodged her, holding his hands up as though touching her wounded him. "You. Do you know how it feels, knowing you now... knowing that I caused you a moment of pain?"
He sounded so distressed that she was afraid to move. Asrior linked her fingers together to stop herself from touching him, her knuckles turning white as she roughly admitted, "I know how I feel. I know that I love you."
His breath caught for a moment, but then his mouth twisted. "Love."
"Yes. Love," she said, standing firm despite how she ached at the bitterness in his voice. "I do not love because people are perfect, Loki. My mother hid me, yes, but she hated being away from court. The stories she told about how wonderful it would be when we lived there—when she must have known I would never be fully accepted in Asgard—those were for her benefit, not mine. And Kagoq is surly and overbearing, and even more patronizing that you can be. But I love them. Always."
"And me? Despite my faults?" he pushed thickly, smirking at the gown he still held in one hand. "For I can assure you, they are legion. Do you know that I've killed? That I've probably inflicted even more pain on others as I caused you? It is hard to believe that you feel anything for one such as me..."
"I love you," she answered, her voice clear. "And I know that you... you care for me. No matter what my future is, I am better for these feelings... Stronger..."
"This does not make me feel stronger!" His lips pressed together and he dropped the nightdress as though burnt. And as he lowered his hand to his side, taking another step away from her, she saw that it was shaking. "You... you are so much more familiar with such sentimentality. How do you not go mad when your feelings make something unbearable?"
Tears stabbed at her eyes again. "Please... Please just sit, and we can talk..."
But he went on as though she had not spoken, his eyes burning with growing anger. "I thought your forgiveness would make my past bearable. But I want to undo everything that I have done, and I cannot. This is my reality, Asrior. I want to take everything back. I want to erase it all and start over, but I am not so powerful as that, which means I have to remember," he growled, fisting his hands to stop their trembling. "That makes me feel weak, and I... I am not used to this..."
"Loki," Asrior began, and though she knew his fury was directed at himself, terror filled her. "What... What are you saying?"
Breathing hard, he shook his head, muttering, "I don't know. I... I need..." He looked almost helpless. "I need time to think."
"You... You do not regret this? Being with me?" she asked, her body stiffening as though preparing for a blow.
Though his eyes still burned, the look he gave her was incredulous. "No. That is not what I meant. I simply need to learn how to... to cope with this. I need time to adjust."
The thought that his feelings for her were something he needed to regulate pierced deep inside of her. But as Asrior watched him fight for control, she reminded herself that he was unused to admitting that he held tender feelings. He often resorted to games when strongly moved, but he could not do so, not about what he'd done to her.
"Do you... I mean, will we leave tonight?" she asked finally, still braced for his anger.
Loki took a deep breath, trying to exert calm as he answered, "Yes, we must still leave tonight. I will not court danger by altering our plans at the last moment."
She bit her lip and nodded, bending to pick up the gowns from the floor where they'd fallen.
"Riding helps when I am beset by moods," he muttered, his breathing evening out as he watched her move to the wardrobe to shove the garments inside. And smirking to himself, he added, "Perhaps it is a good thing the journey takes three days. Surely that will help."
Asrior gathered her bag in silence. Loki moved to the bedroom door, sounding remote as he asked, "Do you need more time to pack?"
Shaking her head, words stuck in her throat, she moved to the door and followed him into the hall.
….
They did not speak much as they readied for the journey. Hlin and Ulvgeir stowed baggage and supplies, both of them covered in plain brown cloaks with hoods. Saldis settled into the coach first, huddling under a blanket as she commented on the cold night air.
Asrior hesitated before moving inside the carriage, glancing at Loki where he waited for Hlin to bring Falhofnir from the stables.
When he saw her uncertain gaze, he moved toward her. His body was rigid, and his hands were flexing at his sides. But bent toward her and spoke, the stiffness of his voice held an undercurrent of gentleness.
"I promise, when I feel it is safe, I will uncloak myself...if it will make you feel better."
She nodded, gazing up at him, wanting to say more than her meager, "Thank you. I would like that."
Her feelings must have shown in her eyes, for Loki breathed in and slowly lifted a hand, his fingers soft and cool against her cheek. "I... I hope the journey is not too intolerable."
"I'm sure it will be fine." She wanted to reach up and curl her fingers around his wrist. But he was lowering his hand.
Loki stepped back then, glancing at Hlin, who was nearing with his ride.
"It's time to go." His voice had turned brisk.
"Yes," Asrior said, but she did not move. Instead, she gave her husband a tremulous smile, her voice soft, so that only he could hear. "I hope... I hope that your ride goes well. It is such a long one." And then, unable to help herself, she added, "And know that I love you, Loki. I am better because of you. I would not feel so if you were unworthy. Think on this as you ride."
He stared at her, not moving as she turned to walk toward the carriage. She heard Hlin telling him to take the horse's reins, but she did not look back when Ulvgeir closed the carriage door behind her.
In minutes, they lurched forward, the coach lumbering into the night. Asrior did as the housekeeper had done, pulling a blanket over her as she stretched out on a padded bench. It was comfortable enough, despite the swaying when the horses built up their speed.
Saldis soon fell into a deep sleep, and though Asrior closed her eyes, she was awake for hours. When she did rest, her slumber was uneasy.
The first two days were endless. They stopped twice in Hindi, briefly entering small pubs to eat, while Loki remained cloaked, but otherwise drove through the long day and night. Their drive through Skornheim was much the same.
It was only when they neared the mountains separating Skornheim from Nidvallier that Loki unveiled himself, when the party stopped for quick meal outside.
As they ate, Hlin hastily swallowed his bread and asked, "This is near your hunting lodge, is it not, Loki?"
Her husband stiffened at the question, and Asrior's stomach dropped, for she knew he was remembering.
"Yes," Loki answered, sounding detached. "It is sparsely populated here, which is why I can show myself. I can remain visible until we reach the mountains."
The party was soon away again; Loki rode on the side of the carriage at times, and at other times rode ahead. Asrior watched him, leaning her head against the coach window's glass, her heart heavy as the miles passed on and night fell.
When dawn next broke, they were well inside Nidvallier, past the villages where Asrior had waited for Kagoq. And as the carriage pushed across the country's Boiling Plain, the snow thinned until only patches lay on the ground. They would be at court by the next morning, and though her heart was not exactly light, Asrior began to breathe easier.
Everyone looked tired when they stopped as the last night fell on their journey, but moods were high. Loki uncloaked, looking more relaxed, though he chose to sit in silence at they ate. The prospect of journey's end seemed to bolster everyone. Hlin announced that they'd enter the last mountain range by nightfall, and as they set off again, Asrior finally gave in to her exhaustion. She fell into a deep sleep as the carriage began its ascent, slumbering through the night, waking briefly when the carriage slowed.
Moving to peer from behind the window shade, she saw the thin light of dawn. They were on a rocky ridge, approaching the road that sloped down to the Asgardian plain. If she were up on the driver's seat with Hlin and Ulvgeir, she would be able to see the city's golden spires glinting in the distance. Her mood brightened even more, for they would be at court in hours. And if things went well, she would have Kagoq back with her soon.
Voices could be heard outside, and Loki rode past in a blur of brown and gold and green, slowing briefly to talk to the two males driving the coach before riding ahead. Asrior wondered if he went to meet the soldiers that would escort them into the city.
But she was still tired and slipped into sleep once more. When she woke again, the sun was higher in the sky, and the carriage was slowing to stop. Saldis stirred across from her, stretching and yawning as she managed, "Good morning, my lady."
"Good morning to you, Saldis," Asrior said, feeling inordinately cheerful. "Are you ready for this journey to finally end?"
The housekeeper smiled sleepily, and both of the females turned jovial faces to the door as it opened.
Ulvgeir peered inside, muttering, "We're stopping."
"Are the soldiers here?" Asrior asked, but he simply stepped back so that the women could climb down.
Saldis left the carriage first, and as Asrior stepped down, she looked around, searching for Thor's men. Only the road was empty, save for another carriage stopped ahead. It was different than the one she rode in—ornate, with gilded trim and painted a bright crimson.
And though the road they sat on was flat, it meandered through woods rather than a plain. The royal city should have been visible, but it was nowhere to be seen.
"Is that from court," she asked, her voice wary as she looked at the other coach.
"No. It's not from court," Ulvgeir mumbled, his hand tugging at the edge of his cloak, as though it bothered him. Asrior saw that the collar of his shirt underneath was torn, and a large, black mark curved around the skin at his neck. She stepped back at the sight of it, for the hair on her arms began to rise.
Saldis noticed the look on her face, for the housekeeper stiffened as well, asking, "What is it?"
Asrior was looking around, though, her voice rising. "Where is Hlin? And Loki?"
"Not here." Ulvgeir spoke as he turned to the other coach, watching as the door opened. "We took a detour. I thought it best if Hlin didn't come."
Her stomach lurched, and just as a booted foot lowered from the other carriage, Asrior moved her hands, her wrists twisting to arm the repulsor bands that Stark had given her. The weapons began to hum as they charged, and Ulvgeir's face turned mottled as he noticed the glowing circles.
He lunged toward her just as the person fully exited the other coach. And as the coachman grabbed at her wrists, Asrior caught a quick glimpse of a corpulent figure in vivid purple robes.
She fired, the first set of beams hitting the top of the ornate coach, but when she fired again, struggling to lower her hands, the weapon caught Ulvgeir in the chest.
A woman screamed, but Asrior didn't turn to look, for she was busy shoving the coachman's weight from her. As he fell heavily to the road, she began firing again, though she could not see where she aimed—a thick, acrid smoke suddenly engulfed the spot where she stood.
Confusion reigned. Weapons were being fired at her—something that cracked loudly. Asrior fell to the ground, crawling over Ulvgeir and shouting at Saldis to get to their carriage. She heard men shouting and the housekeeper screech, and something fell nearby, hitting the road with a thump.
And then someone grabbed her from her spot on the road, someone stronger than her—they grabbed her wrists and held them still so that she could not fire the repulsor. Asrior struggled against the hands binding her, kicking backward as she did so. But the man holding her only laughed, the sound growing stronger as the rotund figure walked through the smoke, revealing himself.
"Thank you for your help, Herluf," Jerrik purred as he stopped in front of them, flourishing his purple robes and smiling as though he preened in a mirror. His eyes raked over Asrior, glittering as his face went slack with lust. "Take her to the carriage...and mind that you don't hurt her. I have waited a very long time for this. I would appreciate it if you did not damage my prize."
And now, comments!
Guest 2– First, thank you for reviewing ! Second, I prefer to think that the cats are cool with the sex. Like many others, they were probably thinking 'it's about friggin time' ;). Thank you for the nice words, and you did not have to wait too long for the next update ! I hope you liked it.
Shelly–Thank you very much! I have to admit, you might not be jealous of Asrior so much now...
Candy flaps –You were right to fear, lol. But thank you very much for the review and nice words. I had to give our sweet pair a few nice memories before Stuff Happened :D.
Guest 1 –Yes indeed, I updated! I wish I could have done so sooner!
strangedazey –Thank you very much for your review! Though I understand if you don't love this ending paragraph quite as much as the last one :P.
Zippythewondersquirrel-Thank you as always...Loki in love is indeed marvelous, though he is still having issued with the whole "omg I have feels thing". He's not quite sure how to handle it. I hope Loki...in the next two chapters is marvelous. Our God of Mischief has a bit to learn about himself. Good news, Kagoq gets a lot more face time soon!
Kim Jerk –thank you so very much for the nice words last update. I sincerely loved the 'whupsie daisy'! (and your avatar or whatever it is those things are called this week). I think the cats (see above) said the same thing you did ;). I hope you enjoyed this update as well, and, honestly, if there's more open weeping, it will make me happy.
Mr-Stark-21–Oh, how I love your so very nice reviews. You know, I thought twice about back-to-back lemons, but...they needed a bit of happiness, because their time together before the crap hit the fan was rather short. They will need those memories, that's all I'll say. This chapter was a blend of character development (a few things that needed to be done/said to set up payoff down the road) and plot. The traitor...well, there's more to come there. Their motives are complicate...and not entirely black and white (an you might be surprised at a few things). I wish I'd gotten this chapter up sooner. But I did, and it's a cliffie! But hopefully the next one will be MUCH quicker. Lastly, thank you so much for your work in photoshop...I'm adding information about your latest work in the a/n just as soon as I put these comments!
HarryPotterFreakie–Thank you very much for your review! And I agree with you totally...just don't tell Mr. McQueen ;).
MutiaRAWR and Merri85–Thank you both so very much! I hope you like this latest (and late!) update.
sidlewild–I'm very glad you liked the ending ;). Thanks for reading and reviewing...and I hope you liked this latest ending too ajdkfajsdkfasdj;.
London calling–Thank you so very much! I am very much cheered that I made you that happy. I hope you are equally as happy this update!
Sweets1111–LOL, I think it was cute too, but Loki would smite us both for saying it! Thank you very much for your review. I do not think this ending was nearly as cute, but I hope you enjoyed the cliffie!
NoVacancyMind-Thank you! Really, your comment meant a lot to me. Writing lemons is so difficult, and I appreciate the fact that someone thinks I did a good job navigating that sometimes tricky terrain! And I really like the term Lokior...;). I hope you enjoy this latest update...and those that follow.