Freya silently cursed as she left Thor's office. It had taken her two weeks to even find an opportunity to talk with him, for he had been busy between introducing Lady Sif to New Asgard and finalising the plans for the temple. However, though he had been sympathetic to Freya's plight, he had basically told her that there was nothing he could do. This had killed Freya's last hope of sorting things out, and so she had just thanked the God of Thunder for his time before storming down the corridor. She had no idea what she should do next in terms of the God of Mischief, but as she was currently feeling somewhat murderous, she headed for the training arena to let off some steam.
It had been a whole month since that day on the beach, and Freya's patience was wearing thin. She had gone from being sympathetic to angry, and she was questioning if her efforts were even worth it. She had tried numerous times to talk to the Trickster, but he barely acknowledged her existence these days. He spoke to her only in meetings or in emails about work, but that was it. Freya knew that she must have caused him some hurt by running away from the feast that particular night, but he could at least have the decency to let her apologise. Instead she was treated as if she was nothing, and she was really starting to question if she should stay in New Asgard. Although everyone else was rather welcoming and friendly, she was struggling to deal with the loss of a dear friend, especially as she had to work in such close quarters with him.
Yet she knew if she left then she would be sacrificing everything she had worked so hard to build, and she was not willing to do so. As much as she had the urge to run, she did not wish to lose her other friends, nor did she want to give up on a role that she had dreamed of for most of her life. To be able to live in among the Norse Gods was one thing, but to work and be friends with them was another entirely. She still felt a bit of an imposter, for she had never quite worked out why she had been chosen when there were others who were far more qualified, and yet she was proud of all that she had accomplished so far. Though there was still much work to be done, New Asgard was starting to take shape, and she knew that this was partly because of her.
Sighing, not for the first time did Freya wish she had listened to her heart instead of her head. Ever since that night she had been tormented by the memories and visions of what could have been, and it was infuriating. Even now, she longed to be held in his arms, and she truly regretted not kissing him when she'd had the chance. Perhaps if she had stayed… If she had even found him after his song… Well, it was pointless dwelling on what could have been. She had listened to her head and ran away, and now this was the price. More than anything though, Freya just wanted her friend back. Though Hilda and Ragnar had done their best to fill the gaps, they just weren't the same. Loki had been the one who had saved her life after their encounter with Professor Caygill, and he had been with her when her family had been turned to dust. The pair of them had travelled across the world to make things right, and he had even invited her to stay in New Asgard. He had seen such potential in her and encouraged her to be the best she possibly could, while she had helped him to adapt to Midgard and found ways for him to satisfy his penchant for mischief without using magic. He was the closest friend she had in New Asgard, but now… Well, she supposed she had to accept that she may have lost him.
Her family hadn't been too surprised to learn that he had essentially ghosted her, though Freya had not explained everything to them. She had hoped for advice, and yet her mother had basically pointed out that Freya was daft to have trusted the God of Lies. It stung though, for Freya had dearly hoped that the Trickster would have kept his word. Lady Sif's arrival had just made things worse too, for Freya had watched from afar as Loki spent time with the newest addition to New Asgard. Though Freya was not normally the jealous type, it had been difficult to watch the pair together, for it just reminded Freya of everything that she had lost.
Having cooled off just a little bit by the time she reached the arena, Freya did not hesitate to grab a wooden sword from the racks and find one of the practice dummies. She was vaguely aware of other people training, but she was glad that she had somewhere to let out all of her pent up rage. She had found herself spending more time here recently, and she was somewhat glad that she had been taught the basics of swordplay a few weeks ago, for it was far more satisfying than archery. Muttering under her breath, she attacked the straw dummy with such ferocity that she barely even noticed that she was being watched. She was frustrated with Loki for treating her this way, and she was annoyed with Thor for doing nothing. More than anything though, she was angry with herself for letting this happen. She had known that she had a crush on the Prince before he had even reappeared in her apartment, and yet she had done nothing to quell it until it was too late. Now she was paying the price for it. All this time, she had known that he would never be hers. How could he be? He was the Prince of Asgard, as well as being a Norse God and a Frost Giant. He was well out of her league, considering she was just a lowly mortal girl. But she had not stopped herself from falling. Freya had dearly hoped that working and living with him might have helped her get past it, but she had not been able to move on.
She should have known better. She knew that. Either she should never have accepted the position, or she should have kissed him, and she would have been happier. If she had just talked to him that evening… If she had been able to talk to him… But it was pointless. He had cast her aside, and now she was left to pick up the pieces.
"Who hurt you?" A voice interrupted her thoughts, and Freya felt the fight leave her as she saw who it was.
"No one." Freya lied, but the warrior was undeterred.
"I know that look in your eyes, and that dummy is very much defeated. Who is it who has angered you so?" Lady Sif asked, and Freya sighed deeply.
"A certain Trickster?" Valkyrie guessed, and Freya realised that the women had been sparring nearby. She had barely spent any time with either of them outside of meetings, and Freya had a deep admiration for both of them. While many of her peers had dreamt of being princesses when they were little girls, Freya had only ever wished to be a Shield Maiden or a Valkyrie, although recent years had taught her that she was no warrior. She didn't have the stomach for it, nor could she cope with the losses of friends and colleagues.
"Ah…" Sif paused as the warriors shared a knowing look, for they had all suffered at Loki's hand at some point. "You are the Midgardian consultant?"
"I am. I was asked to join the King's Council to help everyone adapt to life on Midgard." Freya explained, for though the pair had been introduced at a meeting, they had not spoken directly otherwise.
"And until relatively recently, she was rather close friends with our Prince." Valkyrie told her, while Lady Sif frowned.
"He has not made any mention of this…"
"He wouldn't." Freya sighed. "I have been cast aside and ignored. He barely acknowledges my existence, so I'm guessing I am no longer useful to him."
"Yet this pains you…" Lady Sif was a little curious, and Freya sighed.
"I have had many people do this to me in my life. I always wish to help, and usually people are grateful for that, but every so often, one of them will then throw me aside and it is as if I never existed." Freya paused. "I had half expected this to happen, but…"
"You had hoped not." Lady Sif guessed. "But I can see that there is more to it."
"Is it that obvious?" Freya asked sadly, while the Asgardian women were silent. "Either way, it does not matter. I need to accept this and move on, otherwise I will have to leave, and I have no wish to…"
"If it's any consolation, you'd be missed." Valkyrie pointed out. "But I should point out that I have already beaten Loki a few times, and I would be more than happy to do so again at our next training session."
"Thank you for the offer, but this is my fight to face. I just wish that he would give me a chance to talk."
"I have known Loki for much of my life." Sif stated. "Many people would have given up by now, but there is a way to get him to listen."
"Hilda suggested I trick him, but I have no idea how I would even go about that…" Freya hesitated. "I mean, I have tried but so far nothing has worked."
"Where you have failed, we may succeed." Sif stated.
"What do you have in mind?" Freya asked, and the warrior smiled.
The plan was put into action that evening. With the temple completed, there was to be a celebratory feast, and this meant that Loki would be duty bound to stay for the entirety of the festivities. This meant that Freya would stand a good chance of getting to talk to him, and she dearly hoped that he would listen. She had spent the afternoon going through the various scenarios in her head so that she was prepared for every outcome, and she had then gone to some effort to prepare for the celebrations. Hilda had found her the perfect dress to wear, for it was just the right mix of Asgardian and Midgardian in style. It came to just below the knee, and had flowers embroidered across the waistline, while Freya's hair hung loose. She had done everything she could to attract the Prince's attention, for Freya had not worn any shade of green since she had accepted the role of consultant, and she knew that she would be breaking quite a few rules tonight.
It was with her head held high that she reached the doors to the Great Hall, and she took a deep breath before going inside, for she was purposely late. Thor was already half way through his speech as she walked towards her seat, and she tried not to react as she realised that everyone was watching her. Her first instinct was to apologise and hurry to sit down, but instead she did her best to exude confidence as she walked to the top table, the sound of her heels on the floor echoing around the room. It was only once she was seated that Thor resumed talking, and Freya did her best to calm her fluttering heart, for her nerves were kicking in. This was a very bold move for her, but she had been assured that this would be the only way to get Loki to listen to her.
Of course, she now had to wait until she could complete the second part of the plan. She picked at her food, for her appetite was pretty much non-existent, and she sipped at her drink, for she wanted as clear a head as possible for talking to the Prince. She never had been good at confrontations, but she knew that she had no other option available to her, for she had tried everything else. She just prayed that this would work, for she had no idea what she would do if she failed.
"You can do this Freya." Hilda assured her once the tables had been pushed aside and the dancing had begun. The Midgardian gave her a nervous smile, all the while keeping her eyes on the balcony doors.
"I'm starting to question if this is the right thing to do…." She admitted.
"You deserve to know where you stand." Hilda pointed out, before they spotted Lady Sif walking outside. Freya knew that this was her cue, and she was incredibly grateful to the warrior for her help. She had spent an hour or so with her that afternoon to devise a plan, and her knowledge of Loki had been invaluable. Shooting a worried look to Hilda, Freya then headed towards the balcony, praying that this would work. She barely noticed a concerned Heimdall talking to Thor, for she was far too focused on the next steps of the plan. Hovering by the balcony door, she took a deep breath to calm herself just as Lady Sif laughed and made her excuses. The door then opened, and Freya slipped onto the balcony as the Asgardian warrior returned to the hall.
However, as angry and determined as Freya was, she was almost speechless as she saw the Prince. He was contentedly watching the birds swoop in the evening breeze, and her courage faltered, for she had no idea if she really wanted to face him right now. She had no doubt that this would end in more heartache, and yet… Yet she could not continue like this.
"Whatever it is you wish to say, I suggest you don't." The Trickster stated, not even looking at her, while Freya remained near the door. She knew he had no means of escaping this time, but that did not necessarily mean that he would listen. "If it is work, then it can wait until Monday."
"And if it is not?" She asked softly.
"Then it can wait." He paused, while she tried to work out what to say.
"I am afraid that this cannot wait any longer." Freya told him after a moment. He tilted his head slightly, but his eyes remained fixed on one of the birds. "Sire, I must have words with you, and you will listen to me this time."
"You do not get to tell me what to do." He stated,
"No, I don't. That much is true." She agreed. "But I am sick and tired of trying to talk to you. You have constantly avoided me, and I will not stand for it any longer."
"Avoiding you?" He scoffed. "I am a very busy man Freya."
"Your lies will not work on me this time, sire." She told him, doing her best to stay calm, though she could feel her temper surfacing. "I have been used and discarded many times before now, but never did I believe that you would do the same without any reason."
"What makes you believe I have done so?" He asked her as he turned to look in her direction.
"We were friends, but then you have had nothing to do with me since…"
"What else did you expect Freya? I am the God of Mischief, and you are just a mortal girl." Loki pointed out, somewhat arrogantly.
"This mortal girl managed to summon you and bind you to her will when she was just a teenager." Freya pointed out, undeterred. "She also helped to save your life and gain your freedom after Ragnarok, or are you conveniently forgetting just how much I have done for you?"
"I never asked you to." He said coldly, and Freya knew that this was going to get nasty.
"Yet you asked me to join Asgard's Council. Was our friendship really just a charade? Just some scheme to keep me here?"
"Would you expect any less of me?" Loki asked as he raised an eyebrow. Freya just shook her head.
"I expected more." She told him, meeting his gaze. "I had truly hoped that you were more than the man they all believed you to be, but I see now that it was misplaced."
"You truly are so naïve…" He shook his head. "Did you really think that I could be friends with a mortal? That this would be some form of fairy tale where you get to be with a prince for the rest of your days?" Freya did her best not to react at this, for she knew then that he was aware of her feelings for him. "You truly are a fool."
"Then so be it. There are worse things to be." She shrugged. "But I deserve to know why the sudden change. What did I do that day to cause you to treat me so?" He did not respond. "Loki…"
"I do not need to answer you Freya. You are far beneath me." He growled.
"You will answer me Loki of Asgard." She demanded.
"You should leave while you have the chance." He stated.
"Or else what?" Freya asked, undeterred, although she had the sense she was going to have to do something she had no wish to.
"Leave Freya." He warned. "Go home. No one wants you here."
"I beg to differ." She told him, already reaching for her secret weapon. "There is nothing you can say that will make me leave. Thanks to you, I have the job I have always dreamt of, and there is very little that would make me give that up."
"Yet you still question if you are good enough for it." He said, and she did not deny it. "I can tell you now that you are not. I truly regret asking you to stay here. There are far many others who would be much better than…"
"You're lying." She said, though she wobbled slightly, as this had always been in the back of her mind.
"Tell yourself that if you wish, but it is the truth. You will never be enough." He stated cruelly, and Freya knew that this was not her friend speaking.
"Whatever I have done to hurt you, I am sorry for it." She told him.
"You truly think so highly of yourself to think that I would be concerned by your actions?" He asked, and she sighed. "I am done with you Freya."
"Yet I am not done with you." She told him. "I want answers."
"I used you." He shrugged. "It is as simple as that."
"I don't believe you." She stated as she revealed the whetstone. Loki stared at it, and then at Freya, questioningly, while she glared defiantly at him.
"You would not dare…" He warned.
"Wouldn't I?" She asked as she quirked an eyebrow. "You truly do not know what I am capable of, sire. I may only be a foolish mortal girl, but I know my worth. I know that there is more to this than you are telling me, and if using this is the only way to find out what that is, then I will not hesitate."
"Freya…" He had conjured a dagger now, but Freya did not flinch. Instead, she held the sceptre in her hands, and with a slight smile, she began to speak the words.
"Hear me, Loki I summon…" The blade was but an inch from her, and Loki had her pinned to the wall, but she knew she finally had his attention. He was breathing heavily, his anger evident, but Freya was not deterred. She instinctively knew that he would not dare kill her, for he undoubtedly still had use of her, although that did not stop her from being scared. Loki glared at her with such hatred, and yet there was something else there. It was the tiniest glimmer in his eyes, and for one moment, Freya wondered if her friend was still there.
"Loki, I…" She began, letting the artefact fall to her side, hoping that he would finally talk.
"Freya…" He hesitated, but she would never know what he was going to say, for they were interrupted by a rather loud explosion from the north of the town. "What on…?"
"We're under attack!" A cry came from inside, and Freya shivered, for she knew that her day was about to get a lot worse.
