Wow. Just wow. Thank you all so much for reviewing, I'm really flattered! I'm so happy to hear from all of you, it really makes my day to read all the lovely thing you have to say! XD I'm taking all tips and suggestions onboard too.

About Loki being ooc as some of you pointed out, I am working on that. I'm struggling with it a little because as this was originally intended to be a one shot, I feel like it starts in an awkward place for a longer story. And with the second chapter I really had no clue where I was going with it so I agree that Loki's characterisation is a little off.

But like I said, I'm working on it, and with these chapters posted and a fair bit of interaction between him and Rosa already, I don't want to do a complete 180 with him and change him up completely, so let me know what you think after this chapter and I'll see what I can do.

Also, I should say that I do really think that Loki has a softer more vulnerable side to him, maybe not one that he'd show so early on, but it's definitely there. Anyway, here's chapter 3!

I absolutely adore your reviews so please keep them coming!

There once stood a humble village in the middle of an ancient woodland. It was located at the very end of a long, crooked pathway that took a great many days to journey the full length of. It was not a large village, small enough in fact, for everyone to be acquainted with one another. They lived modest lives, the people of the village. Each had a job, a duty, in order to ensure that their community lived comfortably and without want of anything more than what was necessary.

They helped raise each other's children, gave generously what they could spare to their neighbours when in need, and came together to pray when a member of their population should fall deathly ill.

It was good place. Or so it would seem…

While the village and it's people appeared to live simply, with no knowledge of anything unusual in any of their lives whatsoever, the villagers in actual fact kept a terrible secret. One that if discovered, would doom them all.

And so began the friendship between a Prince and a handmaiden. The pair spent a great amount of time in one another's company. They passed the timing reading to each other but for the most part they found themselves talking. Just talking. About anything and everything. For Rosa, Loki was the most fascinating person she had ever met. His life was entirely different to anything she had ever experienced and she lapped up every word he spoke, about his way of life, his traditions and particularly, his magic.

And for Loki, Rosa was a breath of fresh air. He was completely and utterly intoxicated by her. For the first time, he found himself genuinely interested in the way in which the people of Odin's kingdom lived, something he had honestly never cared about before. Her excitement for life was truly contagious, he laughed genuinely with her, and shared things that he would not with any other living soul. What had this woman done to him? When he was with her, he felt that he finally knew himself.

"What is it like to be the son of the King?" Rosa asked, she lay on her stomach, propping herself up with her elbows, "I imagine it being a life of glamour and riches… celebrations… food and wine… adventure… freedom…"

Loki smiled gently as Rosa's eyes had glazed over, lost in her thoughts with a grin dancing upon her lips.

"In a sense, I suppose so, yes…" Loki replied, "We are waited on, our every whim seen to-"

Rosa rolled her eyes, "Believe me, I am aware."

"Now, now," Loki said with a thin smirk, "there's no need for that."

"I'm only teasing. Though, I cannot deny my envy of you, Sire. What I would give to experience the way you live for a day."

Loki offered a small smile, "Well, it is not exactly what you think it to be. As with everything, it has it's negatives." He told her gently.

"Ahhh, you mean the responsibility? The burden of the crown…" She smiled, still jesting at him, "the weight of the entire Kingdom resting upon your shoulders."

Loki jawed tightened and he glared at the far wall, bitterly he told her, "no, not on mine."

Rosa watched him as he stared down at his hands, anger upon his features. For a time, neither of them spoke.

At the far edge of the village stood a house. A house which at first glance, looked just like the others nearby it. Modest, wooden, a small chimney atop it's slanted roof. If one were to look at it from afar, their eyes would not even linger upon it. But… anyone who ever drew too close to the house would feel a dreadful chill overcome them. It would coil itself right down their spine and linger there for the remainder of the day.

Children in the village, though warned never to go near it, would have contests to see who could get the closest to it without being overwhelmed by the chill that would take hold of them. There were some who claimed to have witnessed a little boy actually take a run up and touch the side of the house. They said that they boy let out a terrible scream, turning to reveal his hands covered in horrific burns. The story seemed to instil enough fear in the young children who dared approach the house that they never got closer than four feet away.

"My mother would braid flowers into my hair, and sing to me the songs of our Ancestors." Rosa smiled to herself, "Whenever I think of her… I think of warmth. It's as if she was made of it."

"She sounds extraordinary."

"Yes… she was."

Loki's eyebrows furrowed, " Was?"

Rosa looked up at him with a sad smile, "She passed… illness took her."

"Illness? But she was an Asgardian."

"T'is rare, but not unheard of. In truth, I think it was my Father's death . He died in battle, fighting in fact, by your Father's side against the Frost Giants. You see… she just couldn't bare it… I think she died of a broken heart."

Loki watched her in silence. A sadness took over her features and it was an expression that Loki had not seen adorn her face before, nor one that he ever wished to see again.

"I was young when she went… and I swore to myself that I would never fall in love. I would never ever suffer the pain that she did." Rosa looked up, "But then as time passed, and the hurt dulled… the memories returned to me. I remembered the way they were together, their laughter and their joy. The way my father would look at my mother. The way she had to but touch his hand to calm him when he were upset… and in time I came to realise that a love that could break your heart like that… t'is worth it… and now I want it more than anything... A love like theirs..."

The pair gazed at one another for a time before Rosa blushed and turned away.

What the adults did not tell the children who played in their courtyards was that there was a great evil residing in that house. A woman. If she could be called that.

In all the years that this woman had lived amongst those people, none of them had ever heard her voice. Few had ever even seen her. But, those who had were changed forever. They walked with hunched shoulders, dragging their feet. Beneath their eyes hung deep, dark bags. Their skin soon hung from their bones, as if it were too running from the memories seared into the brains of those who had looked upon the woman who lived in the frosty house.

They trudged around as shells of their former selves. Nightmares deprived them of sleep. And consciousness played host always to the thoughts… the dreadful thoughts of the woman's face. A face without eyes.

Her face was a barren wasteland of yellow, wrinkled decaying skin. Her mouth and nose were positioned perfectly as all others were but where her eyes should sit, there was nothing but a stretch of awful skin reaching all the way to her hair line, shadowed always but the rotting cloak she was forever adorned in.

Her blackened lips were always stretched into a knowing smile. Some said that in the darkness of the night, only when the moon was full, the woman's snickering echoed throughout the village, carried by a non-existent wind. It filled all who heard it with dread and an unexplainable knowing; the woman had looked into the future and she had seen nothing but doom and despair… and she had liked it.

"Now place your hand on my shoulder, here."

Rosa did as she was told with a broad grin on her face. Loki had one hand at her waist and held her free hand in his other, holding it at shoulder height. He had done this many times, it was evident. His posture changed completely. He looked powerful and proud, and Rosa remembered once again that he was royalty.

"Now, just follow my movements. I'm leading so you need only to move with me."

Rosa let out a giggle and watched their feet as Loki began to step, moving her in smooth motions. He moved gracefully, and Rosa was certain that if he did not have such a firm grip on her waist, she would not be doing as well as she was.

"Try not to look at your feet." He told her, "Keep your chin high... You should convey an aura of confidence."

"Even though I am not at all confident?" Rosa said, between glances back at their feet.

"Of course." Loki spun her and she laughed out again.

A great Royal Feast was to be held in two days and the event was so grand that any maid who could be spared had been given additional duties in preparation. Rosa had been assigned to assist with the banquet and so she had only minimal time to spare; she had not been able to resist the temptation of sneaking into the Library in the hope of encountering Loki. He had been there waiting for her.

Rosa had confessed to him her excitement regarding the upcoming Feast. Though she would only be present as a server to those who would be dining, she always enjoyed those events. She could not wait to see the God's dance and make merry.

"I never learned to dance, myself," she said, spinning in awkward, untidy circles, "but I do not think it an impossible feat to learn from watching."

It was then that Loki had stood without a word, moved towards her and grabbed hold of her waist, instructing her as to which were the appropriate movements. And that is how Rosa came to stand so close to the Prince, partly focusing on her footwork, but mostly praying that he could not hear, at this proximity, just how fast her heart was beating.

It was warm and sunny the day that the most dreadful event occurred. Birds sung from their trees, children laughed and danced, and smiles adorned the faces of all who stood in the main courtyard of the town. That day was everything it should not have been. And everyone in the village realised this when the sound of the rusted hinges of the cold house creaked open for the first time in three decades.

All turned towards the noise. They had all suddenly grown cold in spite of the sun beating down upon them. The bird's song had abruptly stopped. All stood deathly still save for a few young children who ran into the arms of their mothers.

Silently they watched as the old woman hobbled out of her home and towards the crowd.

When she reached them, nobody spoke. They only clung to each other with fear in their hearts. The woman's head was bowed and all anyone could see was her blackened lips stretched into their horrid smile.

She did not look up.

She did not speak.

She only pointed at one little girl, and then slowly curled her finger, beckoning the child towards her.

An undeniable envy bubbled up inside Rosa as she stood in her place in the Banquet Hall as the Mightiest of God's made their way into the room. The pale blue Server's attire she wore looked down right ridiculous compared to the marvellously embellished attire of the God's. It were as if they were trying to set the servants as far apart from the Banquet Guests as possible. 'This is your place, do not forget it.'

Rosa could not help but to feel a heat creep slowly up her neck as Loki entered the Hall. She bowed her head, embarrassed. Her affectionate feelings towards the God of Mischief suddenly hit her as utterly foolish. She did not know what it was that he wanted from her, but to look upon the beautiful women – adorned with the finest of clothes and jewellery, moving with such an air of grace and confidence – Rosa was sure that it was far less than she had allowed herself to believe.

She only hoped that she would continue to go unnoticed for the remainder of the evening.

She was stirred from her thoughts by a soft tugging on her skirt. She turned to find a small boy at her side.

"Begging your pardon miss," the child said in a tiny voice, "I am not too sure if you recall, but at the last Feast you took me aside on my Father's request and told me stories?"

Rosa smiled at the boy, "How could I ever forget, young Sir? Miklor, the young God of Moons."

The boy beamed, but then with much effort suppressed a smile, not wanting to look too eager, "If you please Miss, might you tell my friends and I another? Perhaps one about dragons?"

"I can think of no greater honour," she told him and the young boy grin once again, taking her hand and dragging her off towards a group of waiting children.

The child did not move forward, she instead shrunk back against her mother's skirts which she clung to.

The woman beckoned again and one of the village's strongest men stepped in front of the terrified mother and child, blocking the witch's way. He only shook his head, letting her know she could not have her.

The old woman was unfazed, she just continued to curl finger, summoning the child forward. Soon she began to hum. The sound was not in any way pleasant, it was deep and guttural. It sounded as if something deep within her was grinding against her very bones to produce the noise.

The young girl suddenly lurched away from her mother, her eyes glazed over. Her mother clutched onto the child's arm but it was to end, the girl trudged sickeningly slowly towards the old woman's song as if she were the walking dead. When she reached her, she willingly took hold of the old woman's hand and together the pair turned towards the woman's chilled house.

The entire village cried out in protest, screaming the young girls name and begging her to come back to her mother. It was the man who had stood before her in a hope to protect her who lunged forward and embedded his axe in the old woman's head. Silence fell after the cracking over her skull.

The crowd expelled mortified gasps as old woman turned to face him. She reached up and pulled the axe out from where it was lodged with the greatest of ease. Finally she raised her head, though the man saw she had no eyes, he knew she was staring right at him.

The woman dabbed her fingers in the blood that ran down her face and reached toward her attacker, smearing it down his forehead and cheek. The man fell instantly to his knees and let out a blood curdling scream of agony.

The children sat in a cluster at Rosa's feet staring up at her with wide eyes. Miklor sat up her lap, swinging his legs excitedly as Rosa stretched out her arms and imitated the terrible claws of the beast in her story. The children giggled along with her, letting out excited gasps and shrieks and clapping their hands. They were enchanted by the heroes of her story; the brave brother and sister who banded together to slay the ferocious dragon that lurked in the depths of a gorge right outside their village.

The noise the small group of children were making was beginning to escalate and it drew the attention of many of the Gods and Goddesses present. They looked over with disapproving glares. The maid had not been instructed by anyone there to care for the children, she obviously had duties that she was neglecting. The nerve of her!

"She ought to be flogged," murmured one of the women watching.

Loki's eyes shot up at hearing those words, those standing with the woman nodded in agreement. Loki immediately stood and strode towards Rosa and the children. His jaw was tightly clenched. Rosa saw him coming, oblivious to looks the others in the room were shooting in her direction.

"Ah, it looks as if Prince Loki has come to join us for the remainder of our tale!" Rosa said to the children with a smile, when she looked up at him she met a cold gaze.

Loki sneered, "A Prince of Asgard, has little time for stupid stories, particularly while there are guests who are being neglected."

"I meant no offense, My Lord," she said softly, her smile fading.

"I am referring to those who you ought to be serving, woman. You sit here and play with children while the cups of Gods need refilling. Do you think yourself above the duties that you have been assigned to?"

Rosa's eyebrows were furrowed, she found herself having quite a difficult time keeping eye contact with Loki while he glared at her the way in which he did.

"Of course not," she replied, "you know that not to be true..."

"I'm not sure what it is you're implying, maid," Loki replied, cruelly, "but I think it would be best that you return to your duties before I lose my patience."

Rosa stared at him without a word. As she lifted Miklor from her lap, she tried to ignore the hurt in her chest. Loki had never looked at her like that before, she was sure that she had seen genuine hate in that cold glare.

"Will you not finish the story, lady?" Milkor said clutching at her hand.

"Perhaps another time, little one." She said gently and then turned to Loki and bowed, "I apologise for my behaviour My Lord, it will not happen again."

She hurried away without a word.

The man pulled his hands away from his face to reveal his skin flesh was sizzling away until only bone remained. His flesh continued to burn away down his entire body and his screams ripped through the air, doubling over when he saw with his own eyes, the flesh of his hand melt away to nothing but bone.

His begged for death.

Any who ran forward to help him, any who touched the man, produced horrifying shrieks of their own as their own bodies began to burn, starting from their fingertips and crawling up their limbs.

Rosa walked into the Server's Hall where to feast was being prepared, taking deep breaths to calm herself. His eyes. They had been so cold. Rosa shuddered.

"Rosa," came a voice from behind her.

Rosa turned to face the voice. There stood Lyora, another of the maids, serving at the banquet.

"I witnessed what happened," she told Rosa, "are you alright?"

Rosa nodded, "I am fine, Lyora..."

Lyora huffed and placed her hands on her hips, "he is a nasty man, that Prince." She whispered fiercely, "Honestly, I wonder sometimes, how someone as good as Odin could spawn such a horrid son. Sly and shifty. And a tongue for magic, no less! All know that spellcaster's are not to be trusted and behold! There is now one, second in line to the throne of Asgard!"

"You would do well not to speak ill of the Allfather's family," said Astril, another of the serving maids, in a hushed voice, "particularly with so many of them not fifteen feet away from us!"

Lyora only scoffed, "I am not concerned, they are all too busy with their drinks. They do not even hear the voices of the Help unless we are offering another rack of pork ribs."

Rosa smiled at her friend, she wondered for a moment if she should tell Lyora about her… encounters, with Loki, but thought better of it. Evidence suggested that they had come to an end anyhow. Rosa was no fool, and she had known that in public, she would have to conduct herself differently – more respectfully – around him. She had not realised though, that Loki would entirely deny having ever known her. She did not think his being merely acquainted with her would be so shameful. She had been wrong.

Soon half a dozen of the villagers were writhing around on the ground as their flesh sizzled away. And a sickening realisation overcame all who were there that these people were not dying. This curse was not intended to kill them. The witch just wished for them to suffer.

Screams of agony filled the air and many ran from the scene, utterly petrified. It was an elder of the village who finally took mercy upon the things that writhed before him. He picked up the axe which had been embedded in the witch's skull and one by one beheaded the cursed members of their village until a deafening silence rung throughout the town. The only sound that was heard was the screech of rusted hinges as the woman re-entered her house, the child with her.

For the four days that followed, the town was covered in an ominous fog and the young girls cries echoed out into the darkness. None went to her aid, not after what they had witness the witch to be capable of.

On the fifth day, the town heard the creak of rusted hinges and those who dared to peak out of their windows saw the girl emerge on her own. Slowly, they moved a few steps from their doorways and watched as she moved towards them.

"She made me drink her blood… and now she will sleep, awakening only so long as I live to turn eighteen." The tiny child murmured, her voice was distant and tears brimmed in her eyes.

The villagers looked to one another… and an understanding passed between them.

Is evil born or is it inspired?

The people who lived in that town at the end of a long and crooked path could not know whether their shameful actions were the right ones to take that day. To sacrifice one in order to protect the many… it seemed to them an easy choice. The girl had only been three years old, and as they had held her down with a man raising the axe above her head, she had cried and begged and called for her mother. Their lives were forever changed from that day, and not a moment went by that the people of the village were not filled with shame.

The witches house no longer gave off a chill but all stayed further away from it than ever. The villagers were never quite sure about their actions upon that fateful day but when the full moon rose and they were reminded of the awful cackling they used to hear, they knew in their hearts the events would play out just the same should they have to do it again.

Loki closed the book and rested it in his lap, staring out at nothing in particular. He had been to the Great Library no less than a dozen times since the Royal Banquet and he had not seen Rosa once. This day was the only time that there had been any sign of her presence at all. A single book left for him in the place where they had read together. A story of a witch with no eyes.

Loki let out a deep breath. He knew why it was this tale she had left for him. It was a message; not every story has a happy ending.

Thanks SO much for reading! Please let me know what you think, I love you all! :D