A.N.: this chapter (29) begins with a time skip that takes place after chapter 27. It features a fun cameo of some characters mentioned several chapters ago. I just couldn't help myself ;)

Book 2: And They Lived

Chapter 29

*150 years later*.

Listening to Dalla's sweet, quiet humming as she brushed and styled her hair helped calm some of Kagome's excited, nervous energy. She sent her aura out in return, washing over her friend in soothing shallow waves. She still hadn't grown used to the change in her lady's circumstances that led to her being in the second prince of Asgard's private sleeping chambers. Such nerves left her stomach in knots, and as she was currently growing a sweet little one, Kagome wanted to help ease her anxieties as much as possible.

Loki strode through on his way to the bathing room and Dalla jerked back with a gasp, nearly tumbling over in her haste to show her prince the proper respects.

"Oh, your highness!"

Steadying her with arm around her back, Kagome helped her friend and handmaid stand up straight again, and Loki gave her a stern look.

"I am certain we've told you such formality is unwelcome in our private chambers at the very least. Please stop stressing yourself needlessly."

"He's right, Dalla, it's not good for the baby." Kagome replied, placing a hand on her friend's swollen abdomen sending another surge of calming reiki through her.

"I'm so sorry, ignore me please, I'm afraid I'm just extra on edge today. It's a big day."

"Yes there will be many very important guests, but you will be kept out of the way in your condition. Kagome has made sure of it."

Dalla met her Lady's eyes in question, stunned at the sincerity found there."

"Truly?"

"Of course! I've arranged a day for you in a relaxing bathhouse far away from the palace and all the big wigs coming to visit. A gift just from me."

"Oh my lady, I couldn't possibly-"

"You can and you will. Now, I can't get any readier than I am, so go straight back to your rooms and get ready, your ride leaves in two hours!"

With a grateful hug and a small bow, Dalla walked as quickly as she could out of the rooms and Kagome shook her head at her poor friend's inability to just lay the reverence to rest and relax a little on the job.

"This is your fault you know." She teased, snuggling up to Loki's chest, wrapping her arms around him. He embraced her back and his chuckle reverberated in her ear.

"Oh? And how's that? I can't be any clearer with the girl than I have been."

"You're too intimidating. Maybe if you relaxed then she could."

He tilted her face up and grinned down at her, green eyes glowing with a growing light of mischief.

"I am always relaxed my darling. Can I be blamed that even at my most serene I command the respect of all in the room?"

She giggled and he smiled indulgently at her pure look of happiness, leaning down to kiss her. She stood up on her tiptoes, but a knock on their door interrupted.

"My Lady Queen summons you, highnesses."

Kagome wrinkled her nose at being called "highness" when she wasn't even engaged to be married into the family, but the longer she lived on Asgard so close to the royal family, the more reverence she was treated with.

"Get used to it love, your rank wont be falling any lower at this point."

Wrapping her arm around his so he could lead them toward the banquet hall, Kagome sighed and leaned her head against his arm.

"I suppose you're right, it's just so awkward. But never mind that. I'm so excited for today! I've been waiting for this for forever! You told me a century and a half ago that this thing would be happening soon!"

"Is that not soon?"

She glared up him, unamused with his teasing grin.

"No. It's not soon and you know it."

"Ah, I forgot. Your simple human brain struggles to process the passage of time. Forgive me my darling, I did not mean to disregard your human limitations."

He almost laughed out loud at the irritation vibrating around her. He didn't need her unique ability to read souls to see past her blank stare.

"Keep it up, see if you don't end up sleeping in the garden."

His expression turned predatory and he pulled her around a corner into an empty corridor, pressing her to the wall and enjoying the way her cheeks bloomed in color when he was this close to her even all these years later.

"You tempt me, little minx, to drag you back to our rooms and remind you of every reason you would not send me away." He bent his head, bumping his nose against hers, smirking as she breathed out a shuddering sigh.

"And you were so looking forward to-"

Her eyes popped open and she pushed him back, startling him for a moment.

"Stop! You're right, I have been looking forward to this so keep it in your pants, perv! You win this this round, and we will pick this back up later, but for now, take me to the gathering!"

The Gathering of Gods was a semi-regular meeting of Gods from various Earthbound pantheons to come together every few centuries or so and make sure they all had a handle on what was happening in their specific jurisdictions. Intervening too closely on humanities behalf had rippling consequences for all of them, so such decisions could not be made lightly, and needed to be reported in now and then, just in case.

Kagome had been waiting anxiously for it since Loki had told her about it in the library over a century ago, especially since she'd been assured the gods of Japan wouldn't be there this time, so there would be no awkward run-ins this time around.

When she'd first made her trips through the pantheons, she'd been a young, broken girl looking for any old place to belong, too sad and lost to really take in anything she might have seen. This was her second chance to get close to these amazing, mythical beings with a new set of eyes.

She couldn't wait.

Loki smiled at her fondly and laced their fingers together, pulling her along back in the direction of the banquet hall.

It was Asgard's turn to play host, and the only reason he was bothering making an appearance was for the little woman who'd wormed her way into his heart.

"Very well then. Let's get on with it. The sooner the better."

The banquet hall was absolutely brimming with huge, powerful auras. Shimmering people ranging from very humanoid to large, scaled and feathered meandered about.

She tried to remember her manners and not stare, but she was failing miserably.

Loki unlaced their fingers so he could wrap her hand in the crook of his elbow again 'like a true lady deserved,' as he always said, and he walked through the banquet hall with all the pride and belonging of every other god in attendance.

He was steering them in the direction of two beings with two auras so wildly different she would have believed they would clash, but they melted sweetly into a balanced push and pull that circled them hypnotically. One cold and deep, one bright and effervescent. Once she got passed the immensity of their auras, she knew immediately who she was seeing.

One limned in cool blue flames, tall, solemn and grave, the other sparkling with the vibrance of life and new beginnings, fluffy spring flowers and ivies twining through her hair.

'He's bringing me to meet Hades and Persephone!'

Persephone, small and radiant, turned as they approached and a smile lit her face up.

"Loki! We didn't expect to see you here."

Hades looked back, curious at his wife's exclamation, and she was shocked at how soft and handsome his face looked. He was always portrayed so hard and fierce.

"Indeed Loki, you are not usually in attendance."

"Aidoneus, Kore, a pleasure to see you both again. What sort of prince would I be if I avoided guests in my own kingdom?"

Amusement danced in eyes the color of new spring growth, and Persephone covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"The type who avoided us all the last time we were hosted in Asgard. And who is this?"

Kagome blushed as the weight of the beautiful spring goddess's gaze fell on her.

"This is my current favorite concubine, Kagome. Kagome, the king and queen of the underworld."

"Excuse me? Your what?" Hades and Persephone laughed outright and Loki chuckled under his breath, but she turned an irate gaze on him and noted with satisfaction that a small thread of apprehension laced his aura.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer, pressing a kiss into her hair.

"You know I'm only teasing, my darling."

"Pardon me, but have we met? You seem very familiar."

Hades' eyes we're endlessly black, echoing long eternities of darkness and rest. She could see why so many found the thought of him intimidating, but she found the reality of him almost soothing, like the promise of a long rest from strife.

"Yes actually. You gave me a ride off of Olympus before Hera could toss me off of it."

"Ah yes, I remember. You seemed much more wilted then."

"Hera was just going to toss you off Olympus? But why?!" Persephone asked, horrified, but then she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Never mind. It was probably something to do with Zeus. It always is."

"Nevertheless," Hades cool, somber voice broke back in, "I am pleased to see you found a place to stay. I half considered offering you a place in my realms, but that is no place for the living I'm afraid."

"Oh, thank you. That's very kind. And yes, I did find a place to belong."

Loki's arm tightened around her, and she rested her head against his shoulder, feeling safe, loved, and at home.

Later that night, wrapped up snug and safe in both her sheets and Loki's arms, an ancient self doubt creeped back up stuck its sharp, dirty fangs in her heart.

"Loki?"

"Hm?"

"Is that... really what I am to you?"

He rolled over on top of her, propped up by his forearms, staring down at her with concerned eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Her eyes fell from his, too embarrassed and vulnerable to hold his gaze, too shamed for allowing old hurts from another life to take hold of her.

"Just... am I actually a concubine? Is that what I am? I don't... I never thought about it."

"Darling, That was all said in jest. I'm a god, gods don't have concubines."

"But you aren't just a god Loki, you're royalty, and sometimes royalty does have-"

"And sometimes they do not. It's not even a practice on Asgard, my love."

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes again, forcing her to see his heart.

"Listen to me, Kagome. You are the dearest thing in this world to me, do you understand? And I won't have you questioning your place here, which is right at my side. And before you start down that path, no, there will not be concubines later. There will only be you."

Melting inside, like something long frozen and hidden away was warming and thawing, one tear slipped down Kagome's cheek and she arched up to place a light, tiny kiss on Loki's nose.

He smiled, and her eyes widened as she watched it slowly morph from sweet to predatory. He fell the rest of the way over her, pressing her down into the bed.

"Now, I believe we have some earlier business to attend to."

And then he thoroughly stole every last thought, both sweet and sour, from her mind.