Loki Odinson, God of Mischief, grinned as he danced with his people. He had not felt this happy or accepted in a long while, but tonight everyone was celebrating the fact they were safe and had a new home. The wine was flowing freely, and for once he could enjoy it without fear of slipping up. Though being disguised as Odin on Asgard did have its perks, it had meant that he had watched enviously at feasts as the people had celebrated without him. Now, though, he could join in and he was determined to enjoy every minute. Of course, his stamina was not quite what it could be, for he was not entirely recovered from his ordeal with Thanos, and he had no wish to undo Eir's hard work. The Goddess of Healing had done her best to speed up his recovery, but it would still take time and plenty of rest, which was not forthcoming. Though he had been able to read through paperwork and treaties in bed, he had still had to attend the various meetings, and he was not exactly looking forward to the next week, for they had to move half way across the world. That meant going to the new settlement to figure out what was needed, and he was not excited at the prospect of spending a few days with his brother. Though things had been alright between them recently, Thor undoubtedly still blamed him for Odin's demise and for the events leading up to Ragnarok. Although the God of Thunder had not said this, it was evident in his eyes and body language whenever they spoke, and Loki had no wish to face Thor's temper just yet.

Still, that was in the near future. Loki was determined to enjoy tonight, and as the tune ended, he went in search of more wine. He knew he could do with a break, and as he left his people to their merry making, he glanced around the room for a certain person. He was a little worried when he did not see them, and then he caught sight of Ragnar talking to Hilda. The Prince knew then what must have transpired, and he inwardly cursed, for he knew that Freya would have been easy prey tonight. For once she had let her guard down, and Loki had been glad to see the mortal girl enjoy herself. He had not seen her so excited or happy in such a long time, and he had hoped that tonight's feast would prove that she was welcome to join in with their traditions. If anything, Freya had solidified Loki's assumptions that she would do all that she could to learn about them, for she had quickly picked up the dances, and had only stepped on his toes once, and even then, he was certain that she had done it deliberately. Sighing, he abandoned his quest for wine and headed out to the nearest balcony, for he had no doubt that this would be where she had escaped to.


The sun had long since set, and Freya was staring up at the cloudy night sky, questioning everything that she had done. Her tears were still falling silently, and she knew that no one would come looking for her here, so she had decided to stay put, even if she was a little cold. Ragnar's words echoed in her head, and though she knew that she should pay them no attention, she could not help but question them. She certainly didn't feel like she would be a capable consultant, for she had no idea what she was doing. The fact that she had been able to release Loki was a fluke, and the treaty had mainly been created by other people. And then there was the question of if Loki was manipulating her for his own ends. Freya was no longer the naïve university student she had once been, and she hoped that she would be able to spot if Loki was using her. There had been a few signs of it, for he had revealed his injured state in the hopes that she would sort it, and he had also shown her everything that had happened so that she would argue for his freedom. He knew her far better than she knew him, and this was something that she was struggling to come to terms with. Freya knew that she was far too nice, and she had suffered for it horribly in the past, but it had never stopped her from offering help whenever it was needed. This was certainly the opportunity of a lifetime, and something that she would have jumped at the chance for when she was younger, so why was she having doubts now?

"I wondered where you'd gotten to." Loki said softly as he stood by the door. Freya just bowed her head, hoping that he would not persuade her to go back inside anytime soon. As much as she had enjoyed the feast, her heart was no longer in it, and she knew she needed to pack ready for morning.

"I just needed some air." She told him. He smiled ever so slightly as he joined her leaning on the railings, before facing her.

"That was true, but now you're hiding."

"I keep forgetting I can't lie to you." She sighed as she wiped away her tears. "I fear…."

"Ragnar found you, didn't he?" Freya bowed her head, then heaved a heavy sigh.

"He hates me. I have no idea why, but he will hate me even more now."

"What happened?"

"I lost my temper." She admitted, a little ashamed.

"I wondered how long that would take." Loki stated, while she frowned at him. "Ragnar does not like humans. He never has done."

"Then why on earth did you partner him with me?" Freya asked, feeling her temper rise again, while Loki gave her an apologetic look.

"I had thought that you would prove to him that not all Midgardians are the same, and that some do just want to help Asgard. I can see now that I was wrong, and I am sorry for it."

"I suppose I can forgive you for this." She sighed. "But I would ask that I do not have to deal with him in New Asgard."

"I'll see what can be done." He assured her. "You are having doubts though, aren't you?"

"I just don't know why you chose me. I have no diplomatic skills, and I have never done anything like this before. I know for a fact that there are many others out there who would be far better for your people, and I…"

"None of them are you." Loki pointed out, meeting her gaze, while Freya looked even more confused. "Freya, your motivations are pure. You have nothing to gain but knowledge from helping us, and you have already done so much without asking for anything in return. I can see just how determined you are to help my people in their transition to life on Midgard, and you have not backed down from a fight, even when you have faced those you deem heroes." He paused. "You may not think you have those skills that are needed, but believe me when I say that you have them."

"I…" She shivered a little in the night air, and then gave another sigh, for she knew he was right. "There are also rumours and I have no wish to…"

"People will gossip, and they have nothing better to talk about at the moment." He assured her. "For one, you are a mortal, which is unusual for many of my people. They would have talked about you regardless of my involvement. The fact that you are a female, and that we are friends just adds fuel to the fire."

"I don't think that makes things better."

"You should know that they will disappear once we are in New Asgard, for they will have plenty of other things to gossip about then." Loki paused. "Freya, please do not let these things deter you from something I know you have dreamt about for much of your life."

"Answer me one thing." She said after a moment.

"Name it."

"Why me?" The Trickster looked confused, so she elaborated. "Why ask me to come here after what transpired in Wakanda? Was it because you knew that I would do everything I could to ensure your freedom? Or was it because you knew you could use me?" Freya asked, then instantly regretted it as she saw the flicker of hurt in his eyes.

"I needed a friend." Loki said simply. "And you are the only one I can trust."

"Oh…" She uttered. "I… I'm sorry. I just…"

"It is only natural to doubt the God of Lies." He said with a wry smile. "Freya, I asked for you to be brought here because I needed a friendly face before I was to be imprisoned. I had hoped that you would plead my case, but I did not expect you to do so. I…" He faltered, for he was rather unused to being so honest. "I promise you that I will never manipulate you, or use you for my own ends."

"If I find out that you have done so, I can assure you that there will be hell to pay." She warned, while he nodded.

"That is only fair." He agreed. "Are you all set for tomorrow?"

"Mostly." She replied, thankful for the change of topic. "As much as I will miss being here, and I do not particularly enjoy packing, I am looking forward to spending a bit more time with my family."

"Will you have much time with them?" Loki asked, a little confused.

"They foolishly volunteered to help me." She pointed out, while he chuckled. "So I get time with them, and I have got a day with my sister in London before my flight."

"I can understand why you don't want to use the Bifrost, but is there no quicker way of travelling?"

"That is the quickest way." She pointed out. "I'm not exactly a fan of flying either, but it is quicker than by boat."

"Any requests for your new home?" He asked after a few moments, while she smiled, for she knew that the monarchs would be choosing her lodgings.

"A roof over my head would be nice, for I'm guessing it gets too cold for a tent in Norway." She joked, and Loki was glad to see the Freya he knew reappear. "In all honesty, I would like a place with a decent view, and plenty of space for bookshelves, but anything will do."

"I will see what can be done." He promised her, before hearing the musicians start back up inside after their break. Freya saw the look in his eyes and gave him a kindly smile.

"Please don't let me keep you from the celebrations. I am not as important as spending time with your people."

"They are your people too you know." He told her as he walked towards the door. "Come and join us for a little while longer."

"I…" She tried to object, then realised that if she said no then Ragnar would have won. "I'll give you half an hour." Loki just smiled, before holding the door open for her.


That half hour turned into two hours, and Freya eventually escaped Hilda and her friends in the very early hours of the morning. She felt tired, and her body ached from all the dancing, but she also felt better about her new role. Hilda had assured her that she was doing the right thing, and had even hugged her when Freya had made her goodbyes. The Midgardian woman did feel accepted by at least a handful of the Asgardians, and she knew she would miss them while she was away. She just hoped that they would remain friendly after the move. Drinking some water to try and dissipate the effects of the alcohol, Freya packed her things and knew that it would be pointless trying to sleep. Thor had agreed to take her back to England quite early in the morning, and she hoped that by leaving at 3 am local time, she would make the most of her time at home, for she would land in the UK for 8 am. Therefore she had to stay awake, and so she did all she could to stop herself from closing her eyes, regardless of how tired she felt. Once everything was packed up, she made her way to the ramp, and was surprised to see a few people fresh from the celebrations to see her off. She felt a little teary as she saw that there were some Asgardians she had barely spoken to present, and she knew she must have made some sort of impression for them to say goodbye.

"I hope you don't mind, but they insisted on being here." Freya half smiled as the Prince appeared beside her. "Are you all packed up?"

"I think so." She told him. "Have you come to see me off?"

"Something like that." The Trickster replied. "There was something I meant to say earlier, and I could not let you leave without doing so."

"And what is that?"

"Thank you, Freya." He said simply, while she looked at him curiously.

"What for?"

"Everything you have done for us so far, and everything that you will do." He explained, and Freya gave him an appreciative smile before Thor appeared. Freya's heart raced at the sight of him, for she was a little apprehensive about travelling via Bifrost and yet excited to be reunited with her family once more.

"I'm guessing this is goodbye?"

"For now." He told her softly. "I hope it is not too long before you join us."

"Me too." She paused as she shuffled her bags on her shoulder. "Promise me one thing while I'm gone?"

"And what's that?" He asked as they walked together.

"Try to stay out of trouble. There's not much I'll be able to do while I'm away, and lord knows I'll already be dealing with enough mischief with Astrid." Loki grinned at this.

"I make no promises." He told her, knowing that she was struggling to say goodbye. "Safe journey Freya."

"I'll see you soon Loki." She wished, before joining Thor's side. She waved at the gathered Asgardians, who waved back and wished her luck, but her eyes lingered on the lone Prince before she was enveloped by the bright light of the Bifrost.