A few weeks had passed since Freya had said goodbye to Astrid, and things were definitely improving. Freya's workload had started to decrease, and she was rather grateful at this fact. She was also glad that her idea had been given the go ahead, even if it had taken several meetings and a lot of paperwork. Everyone had been dubious at first, for fieldtrips were not a known thing for the Asgardians, but Freya had not been deterred. She had explained her plans and reasonings to all concerned, and even the most sceptical had warmed up to the idea once Loki had spoken to them. The Prince had done all he could to make sure that the trip went ahead, and Freya was very grateful of his help. However, it had not come without a cost, and so she had delivered a parcel of sweets and baked goods to his room first thing that morning by way of thanks. She also knew that there would be much more bargaining to be done if today was a success, but she did not mind, for she somehow had the ability to sweet talk the Trickster into helping her.

Setting everything up, Freya grinned as she was rather excited for today. The weather was perfect, for the sun was shining in a cloudless sky, and a gentle breeze blew from the sea, while the tide was just making its way out. She just hoped that the weather would remain in their favour, for she had put a lot of time and effort in to preparing for today. Though she had been talking at the school a few times a week already, she had barely touched upon the seashore, and she was looking forward to showing them some of it. Her plan was to start the day off with some basic science and some geology, and then go from there, but she had no doubt that the day would go by far too quickly.

She was in the process of sorting out the kites when she heard the excited chatter of the children above her, and she waved as they lined up along the sea wall. Many of them were regarding the items curiously, for Freya had bought a number of buckets and spades, kites, and nets for them to play with, and she was rather looking forward to teaching them about the beach and some of the Midgardian traditions that came with it.

"Good morning everyone." Freya greeted as she stood where they could all see her, and she was not surprised to see quite a few apprehensive faces, but she hoped to change that very soon.

"Good morning Miss Wilkes." Helga, one of the teachers, replied. She was an older woman with dark hair and a kindly smile, and she had not needed much persuading about today.

"We are all looking forward to today, are we not class?" Ingrid, the younger of the teachers, asked. She had blonde hair and was the more sceptical of the two, but she was also glad of the chance to spend a day in the fresh air. The children nodded in response to her question, and Freya smiled at them.

"As am I! It has been rather a long time since I spent a day on the beach, and we certainly have the weather for it." Freya told them. "There are just a few rules to go over before the fun begins though. First of all, there is to be no swimming in these waters. Though they might not run off the edge of the world, the currents are not kind. Secondly, mind your step, as the rocks can be rather slippery. The most important thing though is that I hope you have fun, and if you have any questions, then you need only ask."

"Miss Wilkes?" One of the older girls asked as she raised her hand. "What is different about this place compared to Asgard?"

"I am glad you asked, because that is exactly what I am hoping to show you today." Freya replied, before they joined her on the sand.


The best part of the morning was spent looking in the rock pools and learning all about the different sea creatures that had their home here. Freya had been rather enthusiastic as they found crabs and seashells of varying sorts, and then there were even a few starfish. She had happily explained about the rocks too, for there had been a few questions about them, and Freya was not sure who was having more fun- her or the children. No one had been able to stop smiling since the trip had begun, and Freya was also heartened by the fact that everyone had joined in. Even the most apprehensive child had not been able to resist seeing what their friends had found, and Freya had answered every question thrown at her. Indeed, the questions did not stop coming, even as they broke for lunch, and Freya did her best to answer them while she ate her sandwich. She was also starting to think about where to take them next, for there were obvious places like the palace and the temple, but then Oslo wasn't too far away really, and the Bifrost did give them far more options…

"What are these for?" She was snapped from her thoughts by one of the boys who was holding one of the spades.

"For building sandcastles of course." Freya told him, before noticing the confused faces.

"What's a sandcastle?"

"Let me show you." Freya grinned as she set to work on one.

The afternoon was spent constructing sandcastles, flying kites, and playing games. Freya had long since abandoned her shoes, for she much preferred the feeling of the sand between her toes, and she was grateful of the cool breeze, for the sun had not stopped shining all day. Hearing the laughter of the young ones, she knew that today had been a success, and she hoped that there would not be so many meetings or so much paperwork needed for the next trip. However, as she tidied up, one of the younger boys appeared by her side, and she wondered what the matter was.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"We need your help in a game." He explained.

"The game being?"

"Tag." He stated as he reached out and touched her arm before hurrying away. Freya just laughed before chasing after him.


As the afternoon wore on, Loki's curiosity finally got the better of him. Although he had watched Freya plan the trip and had helped her organise everything, he still had no idea quite what she was up to. It had taken quite a few weeks to get everything finalised, but Freya's enthusiasm had made all of the meetings worth it. She had been truly excited that morning too, but then that had not been unusual for the mortal woman, as she was usually excited about everything. Hearing the laughter echo from the beach, he could not help but smile, for it had been a long time since he had heard such a thing from the children. Of all the Asgardians, it was the younger generation who had suffered the most, for they had not been truly able to understand what had happened, and it had been hard for them to adapt to the fact that this was their home now.

"Curiosity got you too?" Thor asked as he saw Loki heading out of the palace. The brothers instantly fell into step with each other, and Loki bowed his head in response.

"Something like that." The Trickster replied.

"I don't know how she does it." Thor said after a moment. "We have tried so much to cheer them up, but nothing has quite…"

"Freya has a different outlook on things." Loki pointed out. "And she has also stated continuously that she is a big kid. Is it really surprising that she would be able to bring them such joy?"

"She certainly does have the ability to light up a room." Thor agreed. "I am glad she chose to join us in the end. I can understand just why you wanted to keep her safe."

"I am sure she has proved her worth ten-fold by now." Loki agreed.

By this point they had reached the harbour steps, and it was here that they spotted the two teachers sitting on the sand, while the children were running about. All of them were smiling as they dodged and weaved about, while running away from something. Loki then saw what they were running from, and he chuckled as he spotted a breathless Freya chasing after them with her arms outstretched. Her eyes were sparkling and she had the biggest grin on her face, while her summer dress was billowing in the breeze. She looked so full of life and so care free that it was a joy to behold, and Loki realised he had never once seen her like this before.

"This seems a very odd way of teaching." Thor commented.

"I believe it is a game." Loki replied, his eyes not leaving the Midgardian girl. He had no idea how she managed to remain so optimistic after everything that had happened, and yet he was glad of it.

"Good afternoon your majesties." One of the teachers greeted upon spotting them, and the pair were soon down on the shore.


Freya slowed her pace a little as she tried to catch her breath, before her eyes fell on their visitors and a plan formed in her head. Calling for a temporary truce, her eyes sparkled with mischief as the children gathered by the monarchs. Thor was busy talking with the teachers, while Loki crouched down to talk to the children, and Freya smiled as she heard them enthusiastically explain what they had been up to. Hovering by the Prince, she pressed her finger to her lips to quieten a few of the giggling children, before she let her hand lightly rest on his shoulder. Some of the children started to inch away, while Loki looked rather confused.

"What is going on?" He asked, tilting his head slightly, but the children were laughing now as they were all moving away from him.

"Tag." Freya whispered softly, and he turned just in time to see her running away. Loki just shook his head, for he knew that he was too old for such games, and walked among the young ones. All of them kept just out of reach, and he sighed before calling out to the mortal woman.

"You'll regret this!" He threatened playfully.

"You'll have to catch me first!" She called back, and he rolled his eyes before heading after her. However, Freya did have a good head start, and before he could catch her, the teachers called for their class as the trip had come to an end. There were a few protests from the children, but they soon gathered together, while Loki was already calculating a plan to catch the mortal woman. Freya had quickly joined the group, and she smiled as they headed back to their homes, while Thor waited by the steps.

"Coming brother?" Thor asked, giving his brother a quizzical look for the Trickster looked a little hesitant.

"I would have words with Freya." The God of Mischief stated, and the King gave him a knowing smile before heading back towards the palace.

"I take it you would like to run more of these trips?" Loki asked after a moment, watching as Freya gathered everything into bags.

"I would, but there are a few places I will have to scout out first." She explained, before frowning as she scanned the sand. "Where on earth did my shoes go?"

"Are they not over there?" Loki asked, gesturing towards the rock pools, and Freya rolled her eyes before going to retrieve them. "Where are you considering?"

"We'll stay local for the time being, with the palace and the temple once it's completed, but then maybe Oslo? I hear they have an amazing Viking ship museum, in among others." She paused. "But I can imagine there will be a lot more paperwork involved for that one."

"So much." He agreed, while smiling at her. Freya looked a little confused, and then instinctively took a step back as she caught the glimpse of mischief in his eyes. "What's the matter Freya?"

"I do believe that you are trying to lull me into a false sense of security." She told him playfully.

"And why would I do that?" He asked innocently.

"Because you're still…" She didn't finish her sentence as he lunged for her, and she took to her heels. Loki chased after her, wondering just how she still had so much energy after spending the day with the young ones. Freya's laughter rang in his ears, and he could not help but smile, for it had been such a long time since he had done something as simple as play a game and he was rather enjoying it. Being cooped up in an office was never what he had been destined for, and he hated the fact that he was restricted to the settlement.

"I only wish to talk Freya." He called as she reached the base of the cliff. The tide was on its way in now, and he knew he had her cornered.

"That's why you're running after me? To talk?" She asked sceptically as she weighed up her options. Freya knew that she would not be able to get past him, but then she spotted his boots and smiled, for there was no way that he would risk ruining the fine Asgardian leather in the water.

"What's that over there?" She asked, pointing to something behind him. Loki turned to look, and Freya instantly darted for the shallows before making her way back towards the stairs. The water was cool on her bare legs, and she laughed as she found her theory to be correct.

"You haven't beaten me yet." He told her as he walked along the water's edge, ready to catch her when she returned to land.

"You'll give up eventually." She told him, savouring the chance to catch her breath.

"You underestimate my patience Freya." He pointed out, taking off his boots and heading into the water. Freya's eyes widened with panic as she tried to run, but the waves slowed her down. Both knew that he had won, but the consultant was not going to make it an easy victory. She kicked up as much water as possible in an attempt to keep him away, but then went under the water. Loki waited for a moment, certain that this was some trick, but then grew concerned as she did not surface.

"Freya?" He called, already looking around for some sign of her. "Freya!" He shouted, but there was no response. As he took a step forward, he felt something tug at his leg, and the next minute he was soaked through. As he got up, he heard Freya laughing as she ran towards the shore, and he was rather impressed that she had managed to trick him.

"You'll pay for that!" He growled, already a few metres behind her.

"I have no doubt." She agreed. "Totally worth it though." She muttered to herself, for his tunic was clinging to his body and he looked incredibly handsome in the afternoon sun. The moment her feet hit the dry sand, she was sprinting towards the steps, but she was tiring as she was far too unused to this amount of running. She risked a look backwards to see that he was almost upon her, and then she winced as she lost her footing on the sand.

"I'll give you one chance to surrender." Loki said as he crouched beside her, but Freya just rolled onto her back.

"Surrendering is not in my nature." She told him defiantly.

"I was hoping you would say that." He grinned mischievously before starting to tickle her. Freya wriggled and squirmed, desperately trying to get away, but he had her pinned.

"Do you yield Freya?" He asked after a moment. Freya glared at him.

"Never!" He went to tickle her again, and Freya tried to move out of the way. Her chest hurt from all the giggling, and she needed a break. "Ow…" She winced.

"Do you yield?" He repeated.

"Alright!" She told him.

"What was that?"

"I yield!" He let her go then, and got to his feet before offering his hand. Freya waited a moment to catch her breath back, before taking it. "I should know better than to trick you."

"You should." He agreed. "Though I admit I am rather impressed."

"Is that praise?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"I can't say I have had this much fun in quite some time."

"It is much needed?" She queried as she limped towards the stairs.

"It is." He paused. "You are injured?"

"My ankle." She sighed as she sat on one of the steps. Loki just smiled at her as he joined her side and dried them both off before conjuring a blanket. Freya took it with a grateful smile, but she was also rather curious.

"The agreement said…"

"It didn't say I had to stop using pre-existing enchantments." He shrugged.

"So this…?"

"Kept in a pocket." He stated, while Freya laughed.

"I wish I had pockets that big." She paused. "Wait, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"What?" He blinked.

"You told Thor you wished to speak with me." She told him, and Loki blinked as he had forgotten that lie.

"That was merely an excuse."

"An excuse?" She repeated, while he nodded.

"I wished to see what made you so full of life. I have never seen you look so happy or care free or…" Beautiful, he realised he was about to say. Even now, when covered in sand and wrapped in a blanket, she looked beautiful. The sun behind her gave her hair a copper glow, and Loki could understand why she had been named for the Goddess of Beauty. He tried to dismiss the thought, for Freya was nothing more than a mortal, and a friend, but there was something about her today that...

"Curiosity then." She smiled. "I haven't laughed this much in such a long time."

"Me neither." He agreed, not wanting to leave any time soon and yet incredibly aware that they had to get ready for the feast. "I should say thank you for the baking. Are you sure you do not wish to work in the kitchens?"

"I am certain you would only try to sweet talk me into giving you cakes and buns every day." He chuckled at this.

"You see straight through me." He admitted, raising his hands in mock surrender.

"Well I am glad you enjoyed them. It was the least I could do considering everything you have done to help make this happen."

"You did do most of the work." He pointed out.

"I still could not have done it without you." She paused. "I fear that the agreed dance may have to wait a few days though." Freya sighed, for that promise had been made last week.

"Which ankle is it?"

"This one." She said, gesturing to her left leg. Loki merely smiled as he placed a hand on the ankle and let a green glow surround it.

"Tag…" He murmured, while she glared at him, before realising that the pain had gone.

"One of these days…" Freya warned.

"Well, you do have a promise to keep." He pointed out. "And you are not one who breaks her word."

"That is true." She hesitated as she saw the tide coming closer, and then realised that there was much to do before the feast that evening. As much as she was really enjoying her time here, it was really testing her, and sense was prevailing.

"We should probably head back." She pointed out as she retrieved her shoes and bags. Loki gave her a hand and said nothing as Freya gave him the most awkward things to carry.


It was only once everything was dropped back in Freya's office that the pair started to part ways, for both had to get ready for the feast, but as Loki started to walk down the corridor, Freya stopped him.

"Thank you Loki." She said heartfeltly once she had locked her door. "I would not be here if it were not for you."

"You're welcome." He said, meaning it.

"And I am terribly sorry." She apologised, while he looked confused.

"For what?"

"This." She gave a mischievous grin as she tapped him on the arm before sprinting towards her room. Loki was quiet for a moment, for that was the second time she had managed to trick him that day.

"You'll pay for that!"

"So you keep saying!" She called, and he ran after her, their laughter echoing around the palace.