After leaving Loki's mind I felt the suddenness of this whole thing wash over me. I needed to sit down, to relax. Of course I found myself in the gardens, looking out over the beautiful flowers and trees.

"Are you okay kiddo?" I looked up to see Tony standing there looking uncomfortable. When our eyes met he sighed and took a seat next to me. We were on the marble steps that surrounded the palace and led out onto the grounds.

"I'm so tired Tony, so so tired." I leaned onto his shoulder. He placed an arm around me, pulling me close.

"I've been looking for you Naiira. We're all pretty worried about you, seeing you run around all day makes me tired." He joked. I giggled a bit. His snarky comments always made me feel a little lighter. I looked out at the beautiful scenery, the glittering butterflies flying around landing on the bright flowers illuminated by the stars above. It was calming.

"Is there anything I can do?" He whispered. I was touched by the sentiment. Ever since he adopted me, I loved being around my father. He was really a kind, understanding man beneath all the snark and genius. He cared, he was the first person aside from Pepper to ever show just how much. He was a part of my life I never wanted to leave behind.

"As painful as it is, I must do this alone. It would be frowned upon if a being they see as superior asks for the help of others." I muttered, burying my face into his shoulder. Even here he smelled like a combination of his own deep cologne and a bit of fabric softener that Pepper used on the clothes. This was home.

"But you didn't know you were this super powerful person until just recently right? They should give a girl a break when she didn't even know…" He growled the last sentence.

"These people are supposedly higher than us in everything, I don't think that excuse would hold water even when it is true." I spoke what I truly believed. They were so called advanced lifeforms, much more advanced than humankind and so far they acted superior to Tony and the others. If I made such an excuse would they find me any different? I usually wouldn't have cared what they thought, but I needed them on my side. It was utterly frustrating and I shared this frustration with Tony. He agreed.

"They may be more advanced but they don't know shit about humans. We have power that none of them can even fathom and you know it Naiira." He snorted.

"What power is that?" I'd read so much about the council, about the other races that I began to wonder how humans even compared. Asgardians especially seemed to have godly powers of mind, body, and soul.

"Sheer, raw persistence. They may beat us down but humankind gets off its ass and takes the fight like a man." I actually laughed at that. Tony made a bunch of movements with his free arm to amplify his point. He was right though. While other races did persist, it was probably humankind that continued to just keep coming even when beaten into submission. All other worlds had a stasis, a perfect and constant stage of ingenuity and hatred. We as a species persisted, in flux which caused new and more interesting ages to follow the old ones.

"If only I were actually human…" I whispered. I'd thought it many times after discovering what I was, but had never verbally expressed it.

"What are you talking about? You are definitely more human than whatever the heck it was they called you." Tony quipped.

"How so?" I asked.

"You got a good head on your shoulders, enough emotion to rival any of those weirdos, and you know more about persistence than any being on the planet. If I had lived the life you had as a kid I don't think I would have survived. You suffered and yet you continued on. I'd say that makes you pretty human to me." I didn't want to correct him. I was sure other races thought of these statements as defining features but…I couldn't bring myself to logic his words away. He knew so little and yet he was so sure I was more human than I believed.

"Besides, my little genius of a daughter isn't allowed to live forever while I get gross and wrinkly. I'll get way too jealous." We both cracked up. Neither of us acknowledged that this was a fact, nor that sometime we might have to speak about such things. At the moment it was relief just to sit here and laugh with the man who had cultivated me into the person I was today. It didn't matter where I came from, Tony was my father.

"I really love you dad." I smiled against his shoulder. He tensed visibly and then relaxed, pressing a caring kiss to my hair.

"I love you too kid." He whispered. I sighed in contentment and we sat for a while in silence. I had people who cared, who were supporting me through the times I needed them most.

!

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!

Frigga twirled the pendant around her neck. It had been given to her by her husband, a golden chain with diamond accents and a diamond shaped pendant with a beautiful flower made of crystal within. It brought her peace even when it was Odin himself who brought her grief. Said man was currently walking back and forth in his chambers looking extremely annoyed.

"Am I to allow such a union? A Jotunn and one of the most powerful beings in creation?" Odin growled through his teeth. Apparently Thor had overheard a conversation between the Jotunn and Naiira. She had promised to be joined to Loki in exchange for his life. He had told Odin hoping his father would be overjoyed by the news, but the king of Asgard was anything but happy.

"He is your son! Surely you wish for his happiness as much as I? You never truly wished him dead and you know it!" Odin was a strange man, strict and traditional in ways that Frigga could never understand. What she did know was that he tended to say things out of anger that he didn't mean.

"He attempted to kill a race twice Frigga. He is no son of mine." Odin hissed. She walked forward swiftly, her gown billowing behind her as she approached. Her palm met the left side of his face. Odin was rarely affected, but when his wife got physical he knew he had done something wrong.

"How dare you! Loki is our son! I raised him from a babe just like I raised Thor!" She screamed. Her face red with anger and frustration.

"He is a monster! The bastard spawn of a demon who was placed upon my arm as a curse of which I cannot escape! You know of my deeds woman and Loki is simply my punishment! I shall not claim him after the truth of his nature has been revealed to me." His tone was raised at first before he calmed, a determined look in his eye. Frigga could no longer stand for his blatant disdain for the son he claimed to have loved long ago.

"Well I claim him. He is mine, my child and if you shun him then you shun me as well." Her own determination made the king shrink visibly.

"Surely you would not scorn me for the love of a child of another's blood?" He reached out to her only to have his hand smacked away.

"If you think so my husband than you are more foolish than I would have ever thought possible." She turned and walked from the room in a brisk fashion. He did not call after her, nor did he follow. He knew better. Frigga was a warrior as much as the frail queen she put on display. Among all those who lived in Asgard she was the only one to bring Odin to his knees and he knew it.

"Heimdall!" She called out. Within moments the large man with shimmering golden armor appeared before her.

"Yes my queen." He bowed low in reverence, his sunset colored eyes watching her for any movements to command him.

"I wish for you to ready something without my husband's knowledge. In return I will give you one request no matter how great." The man seemed intrigued by the offer.

"My Queen, you are asking me to commit treason." His deep voice boomed.

"Then I give you the order as queen, you will keep the following conversation and all its contents a secret from all ears including those of my husband." Her baby blue eyes gazed down at him with a sort of regal nature that simply could not be denied. There would be repercussions for such an act, but Heimdall agreed that Odin was out of line.

"As you wish my queen."

!

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!

I insisted that Tony tag along with me for the rest of the day. The beginning of Loki's trial started as soon as the stars aligned in a certain pattern. Since there was no sun, that was how they told time around here. According to the guards that was exactly three hours. I needed to find Frigga fast. We darted in and out of rooms looking for her. Tony was constantly all over me asking me why I needed her so badly but I brushed him off for now. We traveled back and forth until we finally caught sight of Frigga waving a goodbye to Heimdall as he walked back down to bifrost to his post.

"Frigga!" I called to her. She turned and I caught the sadness in her eyes. She hid the emotion quickly with joy as she opened her arms for me. I gave her a loving hug which made Tony frown.

"What is it Naiira?" She asked. I pulled away from her and gazed upon my father who had an eyebrow raised.

"I'd like an explanation too for being dragged around all afternoon." Frigga looked at me for approval before speaking again.

"Is it about Loki?" She asked. Tony tensed but said nothing.

"Yes, I wanted you both here for this. I've entered into an agreement with the Jotunn to spare Loki's life. I need your help to see it through." I muttered. My voice must have been shaking because Tony put a hand on my shoulder in encouragement to go on. Frigga too gave me a reassuring look.

"I have promised them that I will join myself with Loki in exchange for his freedom from the throne of Jotunnheim. In return they have promised that he will not die by their hands and will back me up at the trial." I waited. For a moment there was silence, nothing but the sound of breathing. I wondered if it was really sinking in or not? Frigga's face was full of elation, but I couldn't see my father.

"And…you…you're okay with this?" Tony asked curiously. I could tell he was gritting his teeth, holding back saying anything else.

"Dad…"

"They mean marriage right? You have to marry him?" He was angry, that much was obvious.

"I love him Tony…I just…"

"I just heard about him and now…you're going to marry him? Just like that?" He grunted angrily.

"I didn't want it to happen like this. I wanted you to get to know him, for you to agree but I don't have time for that now. Even if he is not sentenced to death the Jotunn will kill him." I said calmly, trying to relax the situation.

"You can't be serious! There is no way I'm letting you do this." Tony moved to get away but I grabbed his wrist with a strength I didn't know I had.

"I'm doing this daddy but I would prefer to do it with you there. Think about how you feel about Pepper Would it stop you if I told you I didn't want you to be with her? I love him and I'm scared. Please don't do this." I tried to reason with him. For a moment he didn't move, then he yanked free.

"Let me think." He walked off in a huff leaving me alone with Frigga. She came up to me and placed a soothing hand around me.

"Give him time child, it is something very sudden and life changing. He must care for you very much if he reacts in such a way." She reassured. I nodded but felt quite upset by the whole ordeal. I don't know what I expected really. Tony didn't like Loki for obvious reasons and me marrying him wasn't exactly a fathers dream.

"I have three hours to perform the ceremony with the Jotunn in attendance. I'm not sure how long it will take but I can't let them kill him." I whispered to her. Frigga held me close. She pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"It will be alright princess, you'll be okay." She whispered and her voice made me believe it to be true.

"Can you…can you get us down there?" I asked. She smiled.

"I can do better than that don't you worry. Now let's get you something to wear huh? I have a few beautiful gowns that would look lovely on you. What do you think hmmm? I'm sure Loki would enjoy seeing you in something nice." I closed my eyes and let my distress reach him. Loki responded instantly with concern. He was scared for me and attempted to soothe me but I couldn't help it. I started crying…I couldn't handle it. How did they expect me to do this? For god sakes I was only human or at least that's what my heart told me. Loki's mind reached out to me, sharing my pain and wishing for it to disappear. Frigga too comforted me. After all this I sincerely hoped that I'd never cry again.

This feeling was overwhelming me, it was painful. Loki was screaming in my head begging me to come to him now.

"Shhh…Naiira oh my child." Frigga whispered, rubbing my back and keeping my head pressed into her shoulder. My father rejected my decision, I was fighting as a being more powerful than all else so I was expected to be as such. Yet I could only be strong for so long. I wanted to relax, to let the pain evaporate from my life. I just wanted to be human, to be normal. Such a life in which I could live with my beloved Loki untroubled and unburdened. Frigga helped me stand.

"A little longer Naiira, just be strong for him a little longer." She was getting upset too. Surely she felt my pain. Suddenly her grip tightened.

"My lady Frigga I mean no offense. I simply wish to speak with Naiira." It was a soft, melodic sound that reminded me of bells. I turned to face the person. Her curtain of midnight black hair was sleek against her back, a small bun pulling some of it up. Her robes were of sheer white silk and covered very little of her body.

"Surely Sigyn is not with you?" Frigga asked. The woman I knew to be Freya shook her head.

"No, this is something I must tell Naiira alone." Frigga looked at me for approval. I sucked up the rest of my outburst and agreed. Somehow I simply couldn't be afraid of Freya. The queen still seemed uneasy, holding tight to me for a few moments longer before loosening her grip.

"I will wait for you at the palace entrance." She spoke to me in a calming motherly tone before leaving me with the beautiful goddess. I wiped viciously at my eyes as I was sure my face was blotchy from the crying.

"What I tell you must not be told to any other." Her tone had suddenly turned serious, determined. I nodded in agreement. Her eyes twinkled as she watched me.

"It is of your future. I cannot tell you exactly my vision as it is against my oath but I can at least warn you. The path you have chosen to follow will bring you great happiness as well as great pain. If you choose another road the pain will ease." This was something I could have assumed. I also figured she meant marrying Loki as the "path" that I had chosen. Her face showed no emotion, her eyes fixed on me as if waiting to see what I would say in return.

"How could I appreciate such happiness if not for pain?" I answered. There was a flash of surprise that extended over her features before going stoic again.

"Then you intend to continue onward even knowing that it could lead to great suffering?" There was a slight tone of respect in her voice.

"I have made my choice." My own voice was still a bit choked up from crying so I had trouble sounding determined. She nodded and walked away without another word. What a strange encounter. Was it a test of some sort? I looked up at the sky…damn I only had two hours to go.

!

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!

Malekith sat twiddling his thumbs. He was used to staying in the shadows, being incognito while his troops lay in wait along the perimeter of Asgard. Truthfully he had wanted to wait for attack. That was the original plan at least until he was contacted by the fire giant Surtr. Such a being didn't reach out to just anyone and at first he was proud that he had chosen the dark elves. It was clear that the giant had his own motives in place. Locked on the primordial world, Surtr was trapped until he was released from his prison. For whatever reason he had gotten it into his head that the trickster god, Loki, was the only one who could release him.

This fit Malekith well since he had planned to attack Asgard anyway. If the world was at war then the prisoners became forfeit. When his dark elves took the glimmering city he would hold up his end of the bargain and hand Loki over to Surtr. In return all the power he could imagine would be his, not to mention the life of the final infinity sister…Naiiat. He'd been stunned by her beauty, by the sheer force of her will. She was a fascinating creature, one that he could use to his advantage.

With an infinity sister under his control he could return the worlds to darkness as they had been before. Then again if he could find the precious Aether then the Naiiat would be useless to him. The destruction of his beloved creation was greater than all the infinity sisters. He was torn out of his thoughts as a guard walked in. The golden armored man bowed and the disguised elf allowed him to speak with a wave of his hand.

"The All-Father wishes to see you in his chambers my lord." Malekith stood and made to leave, the fullness of his body still strange to him. He was used to being agile, small, and lithe. As he moved towards the kings chambers he chanced a glance back at the guard with a trademark smile with malice hidden behind it that no one could see.

"If my brother wishes to see me in such a manner again, make sure he finds me himself."