Freya woke late the next morning, and she gave a heavy sigh as the events of last night came back to her. More than anything she had wanted to stay in Loki's arms and never leave, but her heart had been unable to take it. The events of that afternoon had only made her fall even deeper, and she had been so close to kissing him… But she had no wish to let him toy with her emotions, for she had no idea of his motivations, and from past experience, she knew that love was rather easy to manipulate. It had been a tough decision to leave, and she knew that even if she had stayed, she would have regretted last night. Either way, there would have been a price to pay, for things between them had definitely shifted. Just the way they had been around each other… Both of them had dropped their guards for once, and the chemistry had been so obvious, yet Freya's heart had not been able to cope. All she could do now was hope that Loki would give her a chance to explain her actions. After all, he had done what he could to keep her there, but she had ignored all her instincts and ran away, rather than let him continue.

Making herself a cup of tea, Freya was not surprised to see that her lesson with the Prince had been cancelled, and she knew that she would have to talk to him. Her eyes then landed on the blanket that he had wrapped her up in yesterday afternoon, and she knew that she had the perfect excuse. After all, it needed returning, and that meant finding him. Up until the balcony, yesterday had been one of the happiest of Freya's time in New Asgard, and yet she knew it would also haunt her for the rest of her days. As much as she had been struggling with heartache, the fact that they had been so close… Well, more than anything she wanted to knock on his door and confess everything to him…

"Meow?" Sif distracted her from her thoughts, and Freya smiled sadly as she stroked the cat.

"At least I have you…" Freya mused as she sipped her drink. "Of all the men in all the realms, why did it have to be him Sif?" The cat just looked at her curiously before affectionately rubbing her head against Freya's thigh. "Why did it have to be the one I can never have?" Sif just purred in response, and Freya did her best to pull herself together. She was feeling rather vulnerable today, for she had shed a number of tears last night, and she knew that it would not take much to make her cry. Yet she knew she had to face him at some point, and it was better to do so as soon as possible.

Draining her mug, Freya got dressed and then picked up the blanket, hoping that he would at least give her the chance to talk. Stroking the material in an attempt to soothe her nerves, she could not help but notice the quality of it, and she briefly wondered if she could commission the weavers to make her one like it. She then took a deep breath before heading to the door, for her heart was racing. She had no doubt that this was not going to be easy, but she needed answers, and it was better to get them now than to forever wonder what would have happened had she stayed. More than anything though, she wanted to make sure that he was alright, and that her actions had not ruined their friendship.


After nearly two hours of fruitless searching, Freya was on the verge of giving up. The God of Mischief had not been in his room, or if he had, he had declined to answer. Freya had then checked his office, the library, the gardens, and many of his other favourite haunts, but there had been no sign of him anywhere. She had walked all over the settlement in the hopes of finding him, but it appeared that he had no wish to be found, and he was not answering his phone. However, as frustrated as she was, Freya was determined to at least get rid of the blanket. After all, it would only serve as a painful reminder of what could have been, and she already had the memories to deal with. The sound of him singing was stuck in her head, and she could not shake the image of them being so close on the balcony. How she wished that she'd had the courage to stay…. Yet she had ran, and these were the consequences.

Returning to the palace, she found that no one had seen the Prince since last night, and so she tried his room one last time. She knocked on his door and waited a moment, though she did not really expect him to answer. After all, whether she had meant to or not, she had hurt him, and he was well within his rights to ignore her. Freya was undeterred though, and she placed the neatly folded fabric on the doorstep before talking through the door, hoping that he would listen.

"Loki, I… I'm sorry about yesterday. It was fun, but I… I don't wish to lose our friendship. Please give me a chance to explain…" Freya's heart skipped as she heard movement inside, but the door did not open, and she knew he was doing this deliberately. "Please Loki, I just want to make sure you're alright…" Freya waited just a moment longer, before she turned to leave. "I can only hope you'll forgive me…"


Half an hour later found her sitting in Hilda's living room. Freya had instantly been given some spiced mead and a plate of cakes sat on the table as the women discussed dresses and dancing. Of course, it was not too long before they were talking of other things, and Hilda was itching to know what had happened at the feast.

"Rest assured Freya, if he hurts you in any way, then he will have quite a few people to face, and I will be the one leading them." Hilda told her after Freya had tried to change the conversation topic.

"As much as I would love to see that, it is not needed. This is my fight and no one else's."

"So what exactly happened? One minute you were so full of joy, and yet when you returned…"

"Heartache is a terrible thing." The Midgardian sighed as she checked her phone. Loki still had not responded, and she knew she should leave him be. "I haven't felt like this for anyone in so long, but I know that this can never be, which makes it even worse."

"Is it really that impossible?" Hilda asked, somewhat sceptical.

"Even if he feels even the slightest bit the same, my life is but a blink of an eye to you all." Freya pointed out before taking a drink. "And besides that, how can I trust that it would be real? Love is the most powerful emotion of all and it can so easily be manipulated. As much as I want him to be mine, I have no wish to be used for his own ends."

"Hmm…" Hilda mused. "This is definitely a tricky situation. Have you spoken to him since last night?"

"No." Freya admitted sadly as she felt fresh tears form. "I looked everywhere this morning, but there was no sign of him, and he hasn't responded to my messages."

"Give it time." Hilda advised as she topped up their drinks. "I believe you have rejected him, whether you meant to or not, and…"

"He does not take such things kindly…" Freya sighed as she rested her head in her hands.

"But do not give up hope just yet Freya."

"I can't go on like this." The consultant told her. "I need to move past it, but…"

"Surely if the pair of you could both be happy together, even if it is only for a short while, then it would be worth the heartache?" Hilda asked, but Freya did not answer. The Asgardian woman shook her head as she sat next to the mortal and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You really want to do this?"

"What other chance do I have?" Freya asked. "If I let things go any further then I have no doubt that it will end in tears, and I dread to think of the repercussions… The easiest thing for me to do is to leave and never return, but then I'd be giving up everything I have dreamed of…" She paused. "Or I could run to him right now and confess everything, yet…"

"Yet you would rather spare him the future heartbreak and suffer yourself." Hilda sighed. "Oh Freya… I will support you whichever way you choose, but you deserve to be happy as much as anyone else does."

"Thank you Hilda."


It was rather late by the time Freya returned to the palace, and she checked Loki's usual evening haunts only to find no sign of him. She then tried knocking on his door, somewhat heartened to see that the blanket had gone from his doorstep, but he did not answer. Freya hoped that she would be able to talk to him soon, but he still hadn't replied to any of her messages, and she knew that there was much to be done to repair the damage. With a heavy heart, she returned to her room and then she felt her frustration overwhelm her, for the blanket was on her door mat. Picking it up, she swore as she saw the note telling her to keep it, for she knew that it would only torment her. Heading inside, Freya immediately threw the offending fabric in to the back of her wardrobe, before she cursed some more. She had no idea what to do, for it seemed he had no wish to talk and yet she wanted to make things right. More than anything she wanted to throw herself at him and confess the depths of her feelings, but the sensible part of her told her that this was not a good idea. All she could really do was pray that she could find him tomorrow.


Things changed between them after that day. Freya's workload had doubled, and she was kept so busy that she barely had time to think. Her diplomacy lessons had been handed over to other council members, and she had not had the chance to talk to Loki about that night, though it was not for lack of trying. She had sought him out at every opportunity, but the Trickster was rather skilled at keeping himself hidden or shaking her off. He responded to messages only if they were about work, but otherwise he ignored her, and Freya's remorse was slowly being replaced with anger.

She still wished to make amends for that night, and she missed him terribly. However, he would not give her a second of his time, and it was infuriating. Every day she hoped that he would appear for tea break or for lunch, but she had dined alone. Her heart leapt every time she received a message from him, but he only ever wished to discuss work. What stung the most though, was the fact that he ignored her existence otherwise, even though he had been the one to bring her here. The worst part was the fact that it could have been avoided. If Freya had just stayed on the balcony… If she had just let him ask his question… Or if she had even stayed at the feast, then perhaps things would be a lot different now. She could have been happy, but she had listened to her head over her heart, and now here they were. That was the hardest thing to deal with- this was of her own doing, but at least she had not stopped trying to make things right.


Two weeks had passed since that day on the beach, and Freya was fighting a losing battle. Though she managed to remain civil towards Loki in the few meetings they shared, her fury was starting to overwhelm her, and it was only a matter of time before it was unleashed. The Trickster had caused her no end of pain and suffering in the period she had known him, and yet she had always been able to forgive him. This time though… This time was different, for it was too much to bear. She knew that it was mainly because he had done everything he possibly could to avoid her, and he barely acknowledged her existence. Though she had been sympathetic to this at first, now it angered her. She had no doubt that the letter she had slipped under his door would remain unread, though it explained everything, and she prayed that Thor would return soon so he could talk some sense into Loki. The God of Thunder had been called away to Alfheim on some form of diplomatic mission, and so that meant less meetings and no feasts, for which Freya had been almost grateful as it meant less time in the same room as Loki. However, she missed Thor's calming presence, for she knew that he would be able to do exactly what she had not been able to.

Freya gave a sigh as she threw some pebbles at the sea, for the waves were not soothing her today. She had found that the beach did not work so well to ease her mind recently, but she was trying to replace the memories that tormented her daily. Freya found that no matter how hard she tried, she simply could not stop thinking about that day. She almost wished that she could turn back time and change her actions, but she knew that it was impossible. All she could do was try to move on, and hope that Thor would be back soon.

"It's his loss." Hilda commented as the pair of women walked through the gardens that evening.

"I know." Freya sighed as they paused by the fountain. The Midgardian had not wished to spend her day alone with her thoughts, and so she had sought Hilda out after her walk along the beach. Freya had been rather glad of the distraction for they had talked of the future and plans for Hilda's cottage, before going for a walk to enjoy the evening sun. "I just hope you won't get sick of me."

"I will never tire of your company Freya." Hilda assured her. "I mean, you do make things much more interesting."

"I'll take that as a compliment." The women shared a smile, before they heard voices nearby. One sounded very familiar, and Freya felt the urge to run, while the other she did not recognise.

"Do you want to go?" Hilda asked, and Freya hesitated, for she was curious as to who the newcomer was.

"I…" she paused, before nodding. "We'll go through my office." She told her. However, just as they turned down the path, the Prince reached the fountain, and Freya had not been able to resist looking at his company. Peering back, her heart sank as she saw a beautiful woman dressed in burgundy, with her dark curls hanging loose and she had the prettiest brown eyes. She was laughing at something, while Loki smiled warmly at her. There was obviously some kind of history between them, and Freya felt a stab of jealousy as she watched them. After all, not too long ago she was the one walking with him like this, but now... Feeling a tug on her arm, Freya turned to find Hilda gesturing for them to go.

"Who is she?" Freya asked as they reached the relative safety of her office.

"That is Lady Sif." Hilda told her, watching from the window. "I'm glad she's alive. She was away when…." She faltered, and Freya gave her a sympathetic smile, for Ragnarok was still a fresh wound.

"Thor must have found her." Freya paused, then realised that she might be able to talk with him soon. "She's certainly pretty."

"She's a skilled warrior." Hilda explained. "She is also good friends with Thor and the Prince, and she often went on missions with the Warriors Three."

"Then she will have been missed." Freya sighed. "I guess that means I have no chance with him now…"

"Don't give up Freya." Hilda told her. "I know that in the past he has done this, but given your history, I never would have thought…"

"I should have known better." Freya sighed as she sank into her office chair and rested her head on the desk. "I knew that there was a risk of being cast aside, and that he had made false promises, but this… This is…"

"He will see sense eventually."

"Will he?" She asked sceptically.

"It's guaranteed." Hilda promised. "Because if he won't listen to you, then he will have to listen to everyone else."

"This is my fight…"

"Yet you said you may have to leave."

"I don't want to go." Freya told her.

"True, but if word gets around…" Hilda trailed off as Freya glared at her. "Alright, maybe not."

"I just need him to listen."

"The only way I can see that happening is if you trick him."

"What do you mean?" Freya asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Find a way to get him on his own, where he can't get rid of you. He will have no choice but to listen."

"I've tried that already and it didn't…"

"Then make sure he has no way to escape."

"You're telling me I need to trick him?" Freya asked, and Hilda nodded. "How on earth do I trick a Trickster?"

"I don't know, but I have faith that you will manage to do it."

"Hilda?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"It's alright Freya." The Asgardian said. "Besides, it's in my interests that you stay."

"Oh?"

"I'd miss you terribly otherwise." Freya just smiled at this.

"Then let us both hope I manage to do the impossible."