Hi everybody! Another chapter complete :D I hope you like it! A million thanks once again for anyone who read/reviewed/favourited the last chapter. I adore you all! It's impossible to wipe the smile off my face after reading your reviews XD

The inspiration for the story in this chapter is the Medusa from Greek mythology. I've always had a lot of sympathy for her. I never thought it was fair that she was made out to be evil, she must have been so lonely. And very recently I found a drawing I did of her a few years ago. It's a picture of her and a man with empty eye sockets and a blood stained face. You'll see what it's all about in this chapter, though the context is changed so that it flows like the rest of my stories.

I just thought that it was fitting, we all love Loki and think he's very misunderstood and I think that's true of Medusa as well.

Well, enjoy!

Once again Rosa found herself sitting cross legged upon her bed, staring at an unopened flower bud. A new one. Her last had long since browned and withered. Just as the one after it had, and the one after that. She refused to let that happen to this one. This one she would make bloom.

She stared hard at it, the tiny green bud in her hand. Straining her eyes… Holding her breath…

Open, sweet flower…

The words Loki had spoken to her weeks before suddenly swirled into her head.

"That is most likely half of your problem, the amount of effort you are putting in. You cannot force it to happen, you merely have to make it happen."

At that, Rosa relaxed. She closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath. She allowed the words to swim round and round in her mind, spreading through her – seemly, warming her. She focused on the weight of the bud in her palm, and each time she took a breath she imagined it bringing life to both her and the little green bulb.

Her hand began to tingle beneath it...

Though her eyes were closed, she saw light...

Glittering light...

She felt sudden a jolt within her, as if for the first time in her life she was waking up. As if any state of consciousness she had felt before that was merely imagined. The tingling in her palm spread through her body, slowly becoming stronger and stronger.

Rosa's heart began to race. This was it, she was doing it. It was truly going to work this time-

The door swung open, "Rosa!"

And just like that, the was spell broken.

She glanced up from the flower bud as Lyora bounded towards Rosa's bed.

"Hersil is taking me into the village," Lyora was beaming at her, "we are going dancing! Will you not come with us?"

Lyora had been not but sighs and smiles for weeks now. She and Hersil had finally come to speak and he had instantly become taken with her. He had confessed that his favourite part of his days since he had been restationed, had come to be when she walked past him and offered a shy smile. When he had finally spoken to her, and asked her to spend some time in his company, Lyora had recounted the story to Rosa with a happiness she had never before seen in her. Rosa was certain that if her dear friend had stopped spinning in circles for but a moment, she would float away.

Rosa loved seeing Lyora so happy. She had since been introduced to Hersil herself and she thought him a fine man. He was handsome and charming and kind. And when he looked at Lyora, there was a tenderness in his eyes that caused Rosa to feel a great fondness towards him. She knew he would be good to her dear, dear Lyora.

And because of that, she tried her best to ignore the swelling jealousy she would feel whenever he would wrap his arm around Lyora's waist. They would stand there happy and carefree. With no concern at all as to who might see them and what they might think… why could things not be that way for she and Loki? She loved him. Truly loved him. And yet for now, all they shared were whispers and stolen kisses.

"Perhaps, you could at last introduce to this stranger who seems to be stealing all of your time. I have scarcely seen you in your own bed for three months now." Lyora added hopefully, still sitting beside Rosa.

Rosa smirked and pushed Lyora playfully, "you will meet him soon enough, Lyora."

"But why not tonight?" Lyora whined with a laugh as she took hold of Rosa's hands.

"He is otherwise engaged tonight."

"Why? Who is this man? You refuse to so much as tell me his name!" Lyora gave an exasperated sigh.

"Mika," Rosa said quickly, "his name is Mika."

Lyora gave Rosa a sharp look, "that's a lie."

And as a smirk broke out upon Rosa's lips, the girls began to laugh.

In a Kingdom united for the love of a great and wonderful King, the noise of celebrations filled the air when news spread of the arrival of their first Princess. The King and Queen had bore a child, it was said that never had a lovelier babe been birthed. She had golden, silky hair and eyes blue as crystals. All who looked upon her fell in love.

All but one.

The King's sister was a jealous woman. She had watched her brother come to possess riches and worships that she had never even dreamed of. She was a spiteful and deranged woman. And in truth, her desire was to have wed her sibling herself, and become Queen and Ruler of the Kingdom. But it was not so, the good King had come to love and wed another who now bore him a child.

Hatred filled the cruel sister and when her turn came to gaze upon the babe, she spat upon the child's face. The tiny baby screamed and rubbed at her eyes. And when she opened them again, they transformed from their gentle blue to a strange and striking lavender. The Queen reached for her daughter, but as her blue eyes met purple she turned to stone.

The King screamed out in horror, shaking the stone form of his wife, willing her to wake up but it was to no avail. He turned to his cackling sister and commanded her to undo her evil. She refused him.

Hurriedly the King wrapped a cloth around the child's eyes and ordered his sister to be killed. Once her head had been cleaved from her body the King tentatively removed the baby's mask, hoping that the woman's death had undone the curse. It was to no luck. The baby blinked her eyes and her gaze locked with a nearby guard. The man had not even time to scream before he too, was made of stone.

The King contemplated carving out the child's eyes, but could not bring himself to harm his only daughter. He opted instead to have her hidden away in a deep cave in the mountains outside of the Kingdom, for the safety of both her and all others. A lonely existence, but an existence nonetheless.

Lyora had spent hours, patiently teaching Rosa the hairstyles of the Goddesses. It was never something that Rosa had had to learn. When she and Lyora had come to the Royal Palace for work, she had been assigned to cleaning and cooking for the most part. Really, it made no sense for her to be serving Queen Frigga at all. But her other maids had explained to Rosa that the Queen had chosen her for her good nature. And therefore, Rosa had never felt so fortunate to have Lyora as her friend as she did in those first weeks in the Queen's service.

She stood behind her now, weaving delicate flowers and strings of crystals into Queen Frigga's hair. It was slow going, but she thought herself to be doing a rather fine job. She wished Lyora had been there to see her efforts, if only so that she might know all her patience was being rewarded.

Frigga looked up into the mirror before her to watch Rosa as she worked.

"Tell me child, is there a man in your life?" A hint of a smirk graced the Queen's lips.

Rosa looked up and her heart fluttered with panic momentarily. She hesitated before a reluctant smile pulled at her lips, "Yes, my Lady. There is actually…"

The memory of Loki pressed up against her in that very room whilst the Queen herself stood frozen by a spell flashed through her mind. And she blushed. She hoped with all her heart that one day Loki would confide in his Mother about their relationship and she would smile and approve. Frigga was a kind woman, and she was indeed fond of Rosa. But would she think her – a common maid – good enough for her son, the Prince of Asgard? Rosa hoped so, though she could not ignore the fear and doubt that bubbled within her at the thought of it all.

Years passed in this nature, and the baby grew into a young woman. She knew only the one stone cavern she had grown up in, and to her memory, she had never seen the face of another person. She was subjected to the life of a prisoner, and how she longed for adventure.

Two guards were forever stationed just outside of the cave's mouth, and sometimes the young girl would watch them from the shadows, longing to speak to them. From this hiding space she could also see the beauty of the world which she was kept from. The rich colours of the forest, the glorious blue sky, and the intense light of the sun.

She loved the sun. After growing up in lonely darkness and candlelight, she longed to walk in the light of the sun.

On the morning of her seventeenth birthday, she decided that she couldn't wait for it any longer. Bare footed, she padded towards the mouth of the cave. She blinked as the light hit her eyes. She knew that the guards would try to stop her, but she had made up her mind. She would step out into the sun.

At the sound of her approaching, the guard turned and drew their weapons. They attempted to speak to her, to tell her to return to the darkness of the cave. But as soon as her eyes met theirs, the pair turned to solid stone.

The young girl screamed in horror. She ran towards them and her fears were confirmed – she had turned them into not but rock. Terrified, she retreated back into the depths of the cave where she let her tears fall freely.

As the sun began to set, two of the King's Guards made their way through the woods towards the mouth of the young girl's cave. They were to take over the post of guard but when they approached, and they saw the men who wore matching armour to theirs turned to statues, their hearts filled with dread. The men drew their weapons upon approach and though they scanned the area, there was no sign of the girl.

The braver of the pair – a man with hair black as midnight and eyes the colour of the ocean – opted to enter the cave and search for sign of the girl. He entered with flaming torch and shining sword in hand. It was not long before echoing sobs reached his ears. Hesitantly, he followed the sound until the fire light of his torch illuminated the hunched, shaking figure of a small woman.

She froze when she saw the light and cringed away from it, covering her eyes. She begged him to leave her be, begged for his forgiveness. She had not meant to hurt those men, she told him. She did not know that it would happen. She had only wanted to see the flowers, and the birds… and the sun.

He tried to move towards her and offer some form of comfort but from the corner of her eye she saw his movements and screamed at him to leave her be. She was terrified of hurting someone else.

Reluctantly, the man retreated, leaving the cursed girl to cry herself to sleep.

It was mere coincidence that Thor was making his way down the corridor when Rosa emerged from Queen Frigga's chambers. She spotted him and hastily averted her eyes in a hope that he would pay her no mind.

Thor did see her. And a cocky smile bloomed upon his face. His encounter with her a few weeks previous had indeed been strange to him. He could not think of another time in which a woman had denied his advances. He had in fact, attempted to charm other women since their encounter and each effort had been successful. As he had anticipated.

And yet, this maid was completely indifferent.

"You there," Thor called to her, searching his memory for a name, "..."

"Rosa, my Lord," she helped him, her voice quiet.

"Rosa," he repeated, with his ever-so-charming smile. He would not surrender this easily. He had never thought that he might find a woman who did not faun over him so intriguing. He found her challenging. And oh, how the Heir to the Throne of Asgard loved a challenge.

"Are we not experiencing the most wonderful weather today?"

"Indeed, Sire." She answered.

"Then perhaps you might enjoy spending the day in my company? Nothing would please me more than to have you take a walk with me. Perhaps you might like to see me ride my stallion."

He held out his hand for her expectedly. He assumed her answer to be yes before he allowed her to give it and the notion annoyed her. He really thought her simple. Once she would have fallen for it. Once she would have stuttered and looked away shyly – the wonderful Thor directing his attentions towards her. But now, when she looked at him all she saw was just another man who wasn't Loki.

Feeling bold, Rosa replied, "Though nothing sounds more thrilling than sitting on a side line, watching you enjoy yourself, my Lord… I have duties to attend to."

At that, she turned on her heal and strode away. Thor just smiled as he watched her go.

Challenging. Yes, that was certainly the word for her.

As she rounded the corner, Rosa was startled to find Loki suddenly walking in stride, right there beside her. His features were stern, his eyes locked straight ahead, burning holes into anything in front of him. Rosa did not say a word as she felt his hand press firmly to the small of her back, he steered her towards the closest room adjoined to the hallway. Loki threw the door open, pulled her inside and slammed it behind them. The lock clicked with a small flick of Loki's wrist.

Then Loki's hands were upon her hips, fingers digging into her soft flesh, sure to leave marks. He pushed her further into the room and when her body finally slammed into the far wall, Loki hoisted her up against it and pressed himself into her, pinning her there. Rosa's gasp of surprise was cut short as Loki's hot mouth caught her lips in a rough kiss.

Loki growled when their lips finally parted. "I saw the way he looked at you," he murmured. He leaned in and grazed his teeth against her neck.

"Loki… I-" she managed between sighs and groans. Rosa could not say that she was really listening to him. Moments like this – private and passionate moments – were few and far between for the two of them of late. She missed him. She craved him. And when he was acting like this, she found it next to impossible to pay attention to any conversation they might be having.

Loki suddenly grinded his groin into hers and growled against her throat, which earned him a sharp gasp from the maid. Rosa tangled her fingers into his hair as she brought up her legs to wrap them around his waist. As her garments began to ride up her thighs, Loki's hand bunching them up even further, he spoke again. Words that this time, Rosa heard.

"He cannot have you." He hissed.

Rosa suddenly froze and opened her eyes to stare at him. He was angry.

"Loki," she said breathlessly, "Loki, stop."

With gentle hands, she took hold of Loki's face, coaxing him to look at her. He seemed to be reluctant but his lips left her skin and he met her eye. He tried to look calm, but there was a slight snarl upon his face that he could not seem to hide.

"Do you doubt me, Loki?" She whispered, hurt.

Loki let out a deep sigh. His hand moved up and snaked around her neck, and he stared into her eyes, "It is not you I doubt. But once Thor decides that he wants something, he becomes determined to get it."

She watched him but he looked away, not wishing to meet her eye. Rosa brushed his hair back from his face and then settled her hand over his heart. Loki took the hand in his and pressed a gentle, loving kiss to her palm.

"Even that which he cannot have?" Rosa says softly.

"Especially that which he cannot have."

She could not help but to smile gently.

"Loki… I am not going anywhere," she whispered, "I promise you."

Loki leaned in and rested his head against her shoulder. He let out a sigh of frustration before whispering, "I love you, Rosa."

Rosa's heart fluttered, he'd said it… He'd really said it.

"And I love you. You, and only you. I swear it."

"Come to me tonight." A desperate whisper.

"Of course," she murmured in return with a soft smile. She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

The pair remained together for only a few moments more before a final kiss. With an obvious reluctance they parted and soon after, exited the room. Leaving it empty once again.

Or so they thought.

Sif emerged from her hiding place.

Shock.

It was not a word powerful enough to describe quite how she was feeling in that moment. Her jaw hung open and she gazed absently around the room, looking for confirmation that she wasn't dreaming. That simply could not have truly happened.

Sif had only been in the room to find a moment of peace and quiet. She had been training so hard of late and she beginning to feel so strained. There were countless rooms within the Royal Palace that were for the majority of the time uninhabited. And this was just one of them. She had slipped inside in the hope to find a place to relax for just fifteen minutes and when she had heard the door open she had stood, ready to order whoever was disturbing her to leave. The sight of Prince Loki and one of the Queen's handmaidens (by indication of her garments) had stunned her into silence. Luckily, the pair had been… distracted, and she had managed to slip behind a potted plant in the room's corner and remain unnoticed.

Had she not seen it with her own eyes she would have believed any tale of the event to be a farce.

The urge to tell someone – anyone – suddenly overwhelmed her. She suddenly realised that she ought to go to Thor.

And tell him what?

That Loki was in love with a servant girl? Sif bit her lip hesitantly. He had used those words. He had meant them. Sif had never thought it to be possible – the Dark Prince capable of love. And the idea caused a smile to tug at the corner of her lips. Perhaps she wouldn't divulge this little secret to anyone just yet… at the very least she would sleep on it. And perhaps the Prince would be left to his private happiness.

Because perhaps the Prince had a heart after all.

But the next day, he returned. He brought him a bouquet of as many different flowers as he could find. He left them for her and called out into the depths of the cave that if she ever wished to speak with him, all she need do was call his name. Eventually, a small voice offered thanks, and confessed the flowers to be beautiful.

As the days past, the pair spoke more often. And the man brought for her, more gifts. He left her a tiny song bird in a handcrafted cage. An assortment of pebbles from the river banks. Fruits that grew upon the trees in the forest.

But he knew what she wanted most was to see the sun.

He told her that he wanted to bring her outside, but she adamantly refused. It was far too dangerous. She had come to love this man, and the mere thought of turning him to stone broke her lonely heart. She knew that they could never look upon one another's faces. Their eyes could never meet. And so, with tears in her cursed eyes, she begged him never again to return.

But the man was stubborn. So very, very stubborn. And he had come to love this girl with all his heart and soul, though he had never once looked upon her face.

The very next day the young woman heard stumbling footsteps approaching her, deep within her cave. She hid, and when she peaked out from amongst the stony walls, she saw him. Stumbling blinding into the cavern, with a blood drenched face and empty eye sockets.

She called him softly, and blind eyes turned towards her. She looked upon his face, and his flesh remained flesh. She ran into his arms and showered him in kisses as the pair confessed their love. She was filled with guilt at the sight of his ruined eyes but he smiled and told her that it was a small price to pay if it meant he could hold her in his arms, and never hear her tears again.

Together, the pair stepped out into the sun.

As he finished the final sentence, Loki glanced down. Rosa's head rest upon his chest, her hand slung lazily over his abdomen. She nuzzled into him and let out a deep and content sigh, her body pressing up closer to the Prince's. She had fallen asleep while he had read to her. He could have sworn that she wore a smile upon her face, even in her sleep.

Careful not to disturb her, Loki closed the book and put it aside. As he looked back at her, he couldn't help but to smile. In all the years Loki had lived he could honestly say he had never experienced anything akin this; true happiness. He never imagined it possible for another person to make him feel this way. He felt alive when he was with her, she made him feel worth something. For the first time in his life he wasn't Thor's brother, or Odin's Son, or the God of Lies and Mischief. He was Loki.

She gave him that.

And he would never let it go.

Does that sound at all foreboding to anyone? *shifty eyes*

Feedback as always is loved and appreciated! I'm aiming to have the next chapter up within 7 days! So wish me luck! :D