Author's note: Hello everyone, sorry for the delay! Here is a new chapter! Hope you'll like it :) Enjoy

The raven-haired prince was sitting in front of his desk, his fingers rubbing his eyelids, elbows resting on the dark cherry wood desk. The constellations were already visible in the Asgardian sky, glowing dots illuminating the land and Loki longed to sleep but couldn't just yet.

He looked at the documents laying under his eyes and tried to focus. Crushing the Vanir army had been a child's play and in less than a month, the realm was on its knees. The rest of the operations consisted in taming the rebel movements Thorsten had initiated sporadically within the country and securing the capitulation of Vanaheim on the long-run. The conflict's costs were inscribed on the papers before him, estimated numbers that determined the future of Solweig's homeland. Loki's absolute priority was to limit the collateral damages that would ensue from the fall of Vanaheim.

He sighed for he remembered that he still hadn't tell neither the girl nor Odin that Thorsten was dead. The Allfather had ordered for him to be kept alive so he could respond to his crimes in front of the Asgardian justice but Loki had succumbed to his anger. He recalled how he had lost control after Thorsten provoked him and how he sadistically enjoyed thrusting his dagger in the man's chest for he was nothing else than a vile and repugnant worm. Yet, in the aftermath of the fight, he had realised he'd now have to face the probable discontentment of not one but two people. He breathed in as an attempt to relax, his body tensing at the recollection of the fight.

Loki had been swiftly walking up the flight of stairs, alone, his men awaiting his orders outside the palace after they had crossed the wide plain of Fólkvangr. How fertile and stunning that land had been prior to the first war, he had thought, now nothing else than shambles. Loki had pushed the heavy wooden door of the throne room to find Thorsten on his chair, alone, his hair the same blond as Solweig's but his features different, arrogant and repulsive. Immediately, the God of mischief had felt the overpowering desire to kill that man as he remembered that he was the one who was truly guilty of Solweig's destitution. Would he have not asked for her to marry the God of thunder, Solweig would have remained free, belonging to the pantheon of Asgard.

"How dare you show yourself before me?!" had asked Thorsten in a disdainful tone. "I order you to leave" he had spitted the last word, drops of saliva spluttering from his mouth.

"Know your place, Thorsten" had replied Loki coldly, silently considering whether slicing off that man's tongue would teach him some manners.

"All of this is nothing else than a game to you Asgardians! Odin kept insulting the Vanir all of these years. He thinks he can walk on my parents' graves and humiliate my sister?! Well I have a message for him, prince! He has never been more WRONG!"

Thorsten had stood up at the last word, hitting the stone floor with his sceptre and a wave of energy resembling a gust of wind had hit Loki with full force, pushing him further down the hall. Loki had stood up and resumed to walk towards the throne again, skilfully avoiding the next blow.

"Solweig had refused the marriage herself" had clarified Loki, his tone menacing.

"How dare you pronounce her name?!" had shouted Thorsten who had reached for his sword. "Odin had tricked her. My sister would have never risked the peace and the freedom of her people. None of you are worthy of her"

Loki had laughed, for he reckoned how wrong they all had been, all of them assuming that she was so kind, so compliant that she would not hesitate one second but sacrifice herself for the greater good. In the end, she had proved to be very self-absorbed, for she had sacrificed it all: the peace of the realms, her comfort in Asgard but also her brother's own life, all of that just for the god she loved.

Thorsten had walked towards the edge of the stairs looking down at Loki. He had stated before turning around, as if to leave: "I will not talk to anyone else than Odin. If he wants me, he can come and get me himself. If he had taken me seriously all along, he'd have at least sent me his first born. Not that sham and feeble version of a god that you are"

That had been the last straw. In no time, Loki had pushed Thorsten against the iron throne, a hand gripping at his throat, the other pushing a dagger through the man's chest, the awful sound of air blasting through an opened wound as his blade pierced the Vanir's lung. The man had screamed in agony and right before he died, Loki had whispered in his ear: "I will send her your salutations while she lies in my bed tonight". He had seen the man's eyes turn to him in horror and Loki had smiled.

Three quick knocks against the door jolted the prince out of his thoughts and the queen's head emerged from the small opening. She peeked inside his apartments, her eyes scanning the room before they stopped on Loki sitting behind his desk.

"No need to act so circumspect" he snapped and his mother shot him a disapproving glance.

"I thought Solweig was with you. I did not wish to disturb" she replied, closing the door behind her.

He sighed but did not respond, his fingers massaging his temples.

"Thor alluded to the both of you spending the day together" added Frigga now standing in front of her son. "I just assumed she might still be here"

"She would, if work would stop piling up…"

"That's a shame, I would have been pleased to see her"

She readjusted the shawl around her shoulders and whispered that he looked drained, a concerned frown showing on her face.

"What is wrong Loki?" she asked, her voice smooth and comforting as if sensing her son's irritation.

With her left fingers she lifted his chin, forcing his green eyes to meet her gaze while her right hand rested on his cheek. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of his mother's palm against his skin and he grabbed her by the waist, bringing her closer to him so he could bury his face within her nightgown. He rested his forehead against her belly like when he was a child, her skin soft through the fabric. She stroked his hair lovingly and he inhaled her smell, a mixture of jasmine and pinewood and he felt his breath calm down, steadying, while her own arms rested on her son's shoulders for a tight embrace.

"Do you think I made a mistake Mother?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

She frowned and framed his face with her hands, pushing his head away from her womb as she squatted before him.

"You did what you had to do"

"I haven't told her"

"She will not care"

"He's her twin brother" he grumbled, pushing her hands and looking away.

She cocked her head slightly to the side. "There is only one way to find out how she feels…" she whispered, searching for his eyes again. "But you've changed" she smiled. He shot her an exasperated look and she chuckled.

"I knew this would happen eventually. Once you'd claim her. Do you remember my last birthday?"

She recounted the last festivities when they'd all gathered in the banquet hall in her name. After dinner, Thor had insisted he wanted to sing a song in tribute of his mother the queen and Solweig had stood up and walked towards the middle of the room. When the music began, she had started to dance. Loki had not taken his eyes off of her as she was spinning, her arms above her face, her head hanging backwards, abandoning herself to the cadence of the song, her whole body intrinsically, intimately connected to the music. She had turned faster as the rhythm sped up and when she had stopped, panting, her forehead wet from the effort, Loki had thought she was beautiful.

"You've never danced until that evening, which is a shame, truly, because you proved to be a really talented dancer"

Loki remembered the second song, a couple's song, and Solweig had turned to the crowd, her eyes scanning the room for a potential mate, but no one had been brave enough to accompany her. She had the reputation of being difficult, never surrendering to her partner's lead. Thor had complained about it several times, declaring that she was impossible to deal with. When Solweig had turned around, giving up and about to improvise a dance on her own, the raven-haired prince had stood up, to everyone's surprise. She had seemed both relieved and stunned at the sight of him heading towards her. After he'd reached for her hand, he had been surprised to see how easy it had been for him to guide her, how smoothly she had complied to his lead. He should have seen the signs there and then, he thought, but he had whispered to her instead, saying that she should not imagine things for he was doing it solely for his mother. She had glanced down and he knew he had hurt her and he had felt both thrilled and ashamed to see that he had that kind of power over her. Yet, they had danced and when they had stopped, he'd felt like he'd gotten into a trance. She had dumped him in the middle of the room then, still afflicted by his words and when she had walked away from him, he had had the disturbing feeling that he was a bit less complete, as if she had stolen a small piece of his soul.

"I do not want to disturb, but Loki and I need to speak" interjected a loud voice from the entrance of the room.

Frigga smiled and nodded, kissed Loki on his forehead and passed Thor, kissing him on the cheek too before leaving her two sons alone.

"Feeling refreshed after your day off? You seem like a new man" smirked Thor while pouring himself a glass from the living room table.

"Why does everyone keep telling me this?" snorted the raven-haired prince, irked, passing a hand through his hair.

Thor brushed aside his comment and changed topic.

"When are you planning on telling Father about Thorsten?"

"Tomorrow" he winced, agitated. "Tomorrow I'll go to him"