"Xander," Princess Veronica addressed her most loyal servant at their daily tea party, "I think Prince Alfonse is cheating on me."
Xander spat out his tea and started choking.
"I wasn't aware you two had that kind of relationship." Xander managed once the liquid exited his lungs. Prince Alfonse had struck Xander as an honorable man, and the Crown Prince of Nohr didn't think he would be a criminal.
"That's disgusting." Veronica was outraged, not that you could see it on her face. Although she was more offended since they were from rival kingdoms rather than the age gap like Xander.
"Oh thank the Dark Dragon. I almost thought I had to call Chris Hanson." The relief was palpable on every part of Xander's face.
"No, I meant our status as Arch Enemies." Veronica continued after being so rudely interrupted. "Because of the constant threats from other worlds, we don't fight as much anymore. I think the other villains are starting to mean more to him than me."
Veronica wasn't close with many people, so she treasured the few bonds she did have. Even if one of them was of mutual hate.
"Don't be so self-conscious, my dear!" Loki invited herself to the tea party, ignoring the baleful stares of the other two tea party participants who wanted nothing to do with her. "I'm sure you are the one he curses when he goes to sleep each night."
"Why are you here?" Veronica didn't feel like playing along with whatever game the Trickster was planning.
"So cold, little Princess! Do you think so little of me? I obviously just want to help my dear friend in need!" Loki acted mortified, but that didn't really mean anything when it came to her. Most people had expressions so other people could better understand them. But Loki had expressions to confuse them instead.
"We aren't friends." Veronica deadpanned.
"Now, now, Princess Veronica. There may be some truth to what she says." Xander tried to diffuse the situation, "After all, I had many enemies back in my world. But throughout it all, they could never compare with Prince Ryoma, the Crown Prince of the neighboring kingdom. Even when we temporarily set aside our differences to fight a much more powerful foe, I could not forget to be cautious."
"I see. So even if we cooperated to take down Hel and Surtr, he is still afraid of me?" The tiniest of smiles graced the Embla Princess.
"But then again… You two have been working together a lot recently…" Loki mused. "Surtr, Hel, and now the dökkálfar. Dare I say, it seems like you two have been working together more often than fighting each other." Loki poured herself a cup of tea and added a couple of sugar cubes, taking no notice of Veronica's short-circuiting.
"Is that true!?" Veronica pouted, "Doesn't he know that I have only been defending this realm so that I could destroy Askr myself!? My blood aches for it after all. And he dares to think of someone else as a greater threat!?"
It was the principle of reciprocity in action. People wanted to be treated the same way they treat others. After all, if you put in all that effort, and the other person took no note of it, then what was the point?
"What are you doing, Loki!?" Xander hissed at the trickster while their Princess went off on her tirade, "I thought you were trying to help her!"
"But isn't a troubled Veronica just so cute? It's an absolute treat!" Loki took a long sip of tea as she admired the chaos she caused.
"That's enough out of you," Xander gave up on the whimsical shapeshifter. Xander cursed himself for trusting her for a second.
"And what about Lif? That's his future self!" Veronica was spiralling further into depression, "That's so much more personal than what we have! I should have known. When we were fighting Hel's forces, Lif was all that he would talk about!" Veronica rued the fact that she wasn't the one to kill his father. If only she had trained under Gustav so she could fight him later to see if she surpassed her master!
Actually, Henrietta was still alive…
"But Princess Veronica, Lif is gone. Of all his enemies, you have been the most enduring. Surely that must count for something?" Xander consoled, which comforted Veronica a little.
"Yes, I suppose. But this has been an eye-opening experience." Veronica regained her composure, "I need to make sure that he realizes what a threat I am. We shall ambush him at dawn."
"Princess! You can't do that, you are in an alliance!" Xander tried to stop her. He had just gotten her to stop killing random citizens! She was doing so well in her 'How to be not-Evil' classes!
"That's why he will never see it coming," Veronica looked very smug for someone who just suggested a war crime.