Okay! Another chapter done and dusted! Thank you so very much to each and every one of you who has taken the time to read and/or review! I love you too much, really :P

Just so everyone knows, the events from the movie are coming up soon, perhaps 2-3 chapters away. And for the most part, my story will be written KIND OF like deleted scenes. We've all seen the movie (obviously) and we know how it went, so I don't see any point in recounting it to you. Though, it being fan fiction and all, there will be a change or two here and there. So this is just a heads up for that.

I hope you like this chapter! It was quite fun to write as it was a type of interaction between Rosa and Loki that I haven't got to play with up to this point.

Well, that's it from me. Enjoy!

"Do you think all the help to be as stubborn as she, brother?"

Thor lay sprawled across Loki's bed, having barged in completely unannounced only moments before. He had collapsed there, ignoring the burning glare from his irritated sibling and confessed himself utterly taken with the maid who would not give to him her attentions.

Loki was certain that he could have incinerated all of the nine realms with the fury he felt when he heard those words. Vaguely he wondered if Thor was actually doing this on purpose; of all the women in all of Asgard he had to have seen Rosa. The fates were cruel that way.

Though he knew that Rosa only held his brother's interest because – for the first time in his life – a woman did not swoon at the sight of him. If she had giggled and batted her eyelashes at him like the rest of them, he would have forgotten her face the moment he glanced away from it.

"She is most beautiful, Loki," Thor said, a dopey smile upon his face, "there is this fire in her eyes."

Loki only grunted in response but it seemed enough to spur Thor on.

"I saw her this morning-"

Loki's eyes shot up.

"-I waited for her in the corridor outside of Mother's bedchambers, and I offered her a rose. She refused it!" Thor laughed to himself, "and when I insisted, Brother, she took it from me and passed it to a child who was running through the corridor… Loki, I am left entirely infatuated with the woman. I must have her."

"Do you not think it more prudent for you to focus upon your approaching duties, Thor?" Loki asked, his voice laced with irritation, "the Odinsleep is to begin days from now, yet you chase some common maid instead of readying yourself for the Throne."

"And just what am I in need of 'readying', Brother?" Thor propped himself up on his elbows to look properly at Loki, "I have the love and loyalty of Asgard, I have bested any warrior who has dared to face me in battle and I have Father's approval! He thinks me ready, so what reason should you have to think otherwise?"

"Where do I begin?" Loki muttered under his breath.

No one would ever be able to deny that Asgardian's were passionate people. They took up any excuse to celebrate and when they did, the entire Palace trembled. So with the upcoming ceremony that would see the Mighty Thor crowned as the King of Asgard, the Gods and Goddesses seemed determined to feast and drink until there was simply nothing left.

Once again, Rosa was acting as a serving maid along with Lyora and countless other women. The event was grand and required any and all hands that could be spared. In their pale blue maid attire, the maids bustled around all night, doing their best to please the endless demands of drunken Gods.

As Queen Frigga's serving maid, Rosa spent a great amount of the night at the grand table of the Royal Family. And therefore, she found herself once again, in close proximity to Loki, who would spend the entire evening ignoring her existence. On the other end of the scale, each time she passed Prince Thor he would shoot her various combinations of winks and cocky smiles.

As the night went on and the volume of general conversation gradually increased, so too did the workload of each of the maids. Rosa had been assisting in refilling the wine supplies on the opposite side of the room when she saw Loki approach his mother and a woman clad in a gold dress. She could not hear the conversation, but she saw all she needed to understand.

"Loki," Frigga held out her hand to him and he took it, though he did not return the smile she offered him, "My Son, you would remember Lady Nilomira?"

Frigga gestured to the beauty who stood by her side. The Goddess of Flowers gazed at him through violet eyes. She stood tall and proud, with silvery blond hair cascading down to her hips. Upon his approach, her full lips split into a sultry smile and she offered him a limp hand, which he respectfully took, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"How could I forget," Loki offered a false smile, "how fares My Lady?"

"As well as ever, Your Highness." She replied and that seemed to be the end of it.

An awkward silence threatened the pair before the Queen spoke up.

"Nilomira is yet to be offered a dance upon this evening," Frigga told her son, with a smile.

Loki bit back an annoyed groan, it seemed his family were set upon finding him a woman. And Loki suspected, as just was the case with his brother, part of his mother's motivation was to rid herself of an individual she could not seem to shake alone.

"If only to please you, Mother." Loki bowed to her, before he turned and offered his arm to the Goddess of Flowers, leading her onto the dance floor.

His hand had been at her waist for no longer than thirty seconds before the scent of the oils she wore caused him to feel faint. Loki did his best to grit his teeth and press on through it.

As she refilled the goblet of yet another God, Rosa glanced up to see Loki dancing with the (there was no denying it) stunning woman. She held herself as if she were royalty, and the way she shimmered in her golden dress made her the focal point of the room. But what held Rosa's gaze, was the way she pulled herself closer to Loki… and how he did not draw away from her.

Rosa averted her eyes and set about tending to the other guests in an attempt to distract herself. She was being foolish, she knew that. Her mother had always told her that jealousy never helped any situation. And that rang particularly true of a situation such as this when she had nothing to worry about…did she?

Rosa began clearing soiled plates from a nearby table, piling far more than was sensible into her arms and carrying them into the kitchen, hoping they would serve as a momentary distraction. However, the task did not take her long and when she emerged back into the Banquet Hall, she looked up again to see Loki bow to the shimmering Goddess and place a kiss upon her knuckles.

It made her feel ill, yet she decided that the best thing to do would be to pay it no mind. Their dance had come to an end, so the woman would find another partner to spend the remainder of the night with. But then Loki was returning to her side, and he offered to her one of the two goblets of wine he held.

Rosa's stomach churned unpleasantly. Never had she seen him spend so much time in a woman's company, particularly one who seemed so… friendly towards him.

"She is utterly insufferable," a feminine voice stirred her from her thoughts.

Rosa's eyes flicked to meet the gaze of Lady Sif. She was standing right beside her, though Rosa had not heard her approach. The woman warrior wore a strange expression, a mixture of annoyance and… sympathy? No, Rosa had to have been imagining that…

"M-my Lady?" she asked, mildly.

"Her name is Nilomira," Sif went on, her arms folded over her chest. She inclined her head towards the maid but her eyes remained locked on the glittery woman, "She rolls the 'r' whenever she introduces herself."

Rosa could not help but to let a small laugh escape her. Sif smiled and looked over at Rosa, her eyes softened.

"She is an irritating woman who loves herself far more than anything else… but she is one of the High Goddesses and therefore we must show our respect… Prince Loki must show his respect."

There was a meaningful look in Lady Sif's eyes. Not knowing how to respond, Rosa only nodded and offered a small curtsey before moving to offer more drinks to guests. It was a surreal conversation indeed, and had Rosa not known any better she would have thought… no. She was being silly.

What little comfort Lady Sif's words haf brought to her was short lived when she glanced in Loki's direction once again. He and this Nilomirrrra sat together at the Royal table and when she moved to stroke back his hair, he offered her a hint of a smirk.

Something caught in Rosa's throat at the sight of it. It was too much; watching another woman by his side for all to see. Whether it meant anything to Loki or not was irrelevant in that moment. It hurt. Knowing that she would never be permitted to do so, yet this stranger could. And Loki had no problem with it, it seemed. He had not so much as glanced her way the entire evening, yet the night before he had held her against him and whispered words of love and promises that now seemed empty. She turned away immediately and retreated towards the kitchens.

"Begging your pardon, My Lady," a voice came from beside Loki, "Your maid Rosa-"

Loki's ears pricked, and whatever Nilomira had been saying to him instantly became not but background noise.

"What of her, child?" the Queen asked, with genuine concern in her voice.

"She begs your pardon, My Queen," Lyora offered, "but an urgent matter has arisen which cannot wait for her attention. She has had to leave, and she bid me to take her place to see to your needs."

Frigga's brow furrowed, "Is she alright?"

"She is fine, My Queen. Personal matters and nothing more. All she begs is that you forgive her absence."

A lie, Loki thought. A blatant lie. He stood from his seat, abandoning his meal. He made to move away from the table, but a hand caught his sleeve.

"Is something the matter, Sire?" Nilomira asked, gazing up at him through thick eyelashes.

Loki offered her no answer, even as he stopped to offer the Goddess a respectful bow, it seemed to him an inconvenient waste of time. He strode through the doors of the deafening Banquet Hall into the deserted hallway. His pulse pounded in his neck as he searched for her. Thankfully she had not managed to get too far, he spotted her retreating down the third corridor he checked.

After glancing around to ensure no one else was there, Loki strode after her.

"Rosa," he called out to her.

But she did not slow her pace. She did not turn to look at him. She just kept walking. Loki hurried after her, eventually closing the gap between them and when he did, he took hold of her arm. He froze in shock when Rosa wretched her arm out of his grasp and threw him an icy glare.

"Leave me be Loki," she told him before turning to walk away again.

"Rosa, wait… what is wrong?" Loki asked, frankly taken aback by her behaviour. He could not recall a time he had ever seen her angry. And it seemed that all his question did was to worsen her mood.

"Go back to your feast, Your Highness," she spat back at him, "it appears there is a woman awaiting more of your attention."

Loki stopped dead in his tracks, staring at her incredulously. He could not have had heard her correctly. She was already walking away from him again but Loki took hold of her hand. Rosa spun and met his eye, though there was still anger in her gaze, there was also hurt. She did not pull away from him as resolutely as she had the first time. Instead, she averted her gaze, not at all wanting to look at him.

Loki watched her, his eyes softening. A horrible feeling churned in his stomach. He did not like seeing her distressed, and he hated being the cause of it. But really, the idea of it seemed almost laughable to him. Rosa knew he loved her. How could a dance with a stranger possibly worry her? The silver tongued Prince realised in that moment that he did not know to say to ease Rosa's upset. Loki always had words. Rarely did they ever fail him. The fact that they did so now, when he so desperately needed them, agitated him. And so when he spoke, his voice came out far harsher than he wanted it to.

"Y-you cannot be upset by that? Do not be ridiculous Rosa, I am bound by duty to entertain my guests." He heard the scorn in his own words.

"Especially the pretty ones." She shot back with a scoff.

"Why do you speak like this? You know she means nothing to me." He tried to speak gently. Loki moved toward her, ducking his head closer to hers as he tried to cup her cheek. He just wanted to calm her.

It was to no avail. It seemed only to fluster Rosa more, and as her agitation peaked she shook free and shouted, "and yet she is the one you hold in public!"

The words rung out around them and then there was silence. The truth can be a heavy thing, and in that moment, both Prince and maid alike felt its weight. They stared wordlessly, Rosa's words bearing down upon them.

"Rosa…" Loki said at an utter loss, the few feet between them suddenly felt to him like miles.

So that was it… Loki had always known that Rosa had never been happy about their secret relationship, he hadn't enjoyed the fact either. But he had never imagined it was hurting her like this. He thought at the very least that she would have trusted him enough to say something to him.

"You… you never told me-" he began but she cut him off.

"Of course I didn't Loki," she folded her arms across her chest, uncomfortable, as she looked up at him with furrowed eyebrows, "what would you have done but resent me for it? A common maid requesting that a Prince be anything else but ashamed of their acquaintance."

"Stop doing that!" Loki spat, "You degrade yourself to sound so far below me."

"But it is what you think! Deny it Loki, tell me that you would not care if we were to be seen right now."

Rosa stared at him, silently praying that he would prove her wrong. That he would say something to ease this fear she had been secretly nursing. But he didn't. He stared back at her, silent.

"You know Loki, Thor's advances are ridiculous." Rosa began with a deep sadness echoing in her voice. "And I never wanted his attention, not for a moment. But I will say this for him; I don't believe that he would not be ashamed of my presence as you are. He would wear me like a prize on his arm."

She knew she had crossed a line, the worst thing she could have done was compare Loki to Thor. But she had wanted in that moment to hurt him. And she knew that she had. Though guilt instantly swelled within her, Rosa turned to leave, but Loki caught her arm and she gasped at how threateningly tight Loki's grip was. When she raised her eyes to meet his, she found his face only millimetres from hers, a cool and hateful gaze boring into her.

"Is that what you want then?" he snarled, "To be a trophy."

Rosa's glare dissolved into sadness, "If you don't know what I want Loki, then you have never listened to a word I have said to you."

She pulled her arm free and that time Loki let her go, he did not want to look upon her for a moment longer. However, he rage within him fizzled as soon as he saw her shoulders begin to shake with sobs just as she rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight. Loki's jaw tightened as he stared to the far end of the corridor.

His skin tingled as his entire body became translucent and then completely invisible. Silent as a shadow, he moved to follow her. Angry as he was, he wanted to ensure she made it back to her chambers safely… Lyora would surely find her there soon enough and offer comfort. His presence was most likely the last thing she wanted anyhow.

He did not have to look far to find her. He had only just rounded the corner when he heard tiny sobs from beside him. He turned his head to see her sitting, obscured by a marble statue, crying upon the floor. Her legs were hugged to her chest, her head resting upon her knees. Loki moved closer and crouched before her, wanting to reach out and hold her but something stopped him. He just lingered there with a horrible ache in his chest, watching her cry.

Went she lifted her head, she stared straight through him. Silently, he watched as another tear spilled down her cheek and she wiped away stubbornly with a heavy sigh. She then slowly reached down the front of her dress and pulled out the disguised necklace Loki had given to her. She fingered the jade stone, thoughts dancing in her eyes.

"What am I doing?" she whispered to herself suddenly.

She took the necklace off and stared at it, lost in silent thought. Whatever it was, Loki didn't like it. He stiffened, holding his breath. What was happening? Something in her was shifting, he was seeing her change before his eyes.

"What am I doing?" She said again. There was sadness in her voice… defeat…

Rosa stood up Loki did too, but only to watch as she walked away. He glanced back to where she had been sitting and his stomach dropped, she'd left his necklace abandoned upon the ground.

The sun was only just beginning to peak up over the horizon as Lyora set about making her bed. She turned to crane her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Rosa in the washroom. She'd been so quiet that morning. She hadn't spoken to her at all since she had told her she was leaving the feast on the previous night. Something was certainly wrong with her but when Lyora had inquired, she had just offered her an unconvincing smile and went about preparing herself for the day. At the best of times Lyora hated to see Rosa upset, but for her to act like this now when she had been so secretive of late… Lyora was at an utter loss of what to say to her anymore. She just wished Rosa would open up to her. To confide in her the reason for all this strange behaviour!

Suddenly, His Royal Highness, Prince Loki barged unannounced through the door, making Lyora squeal. She stood in shock, staring wide-eyed at the Prince who now stood in her bedchambers. Her sheets slipped from her fingers. It was the undoubtedly the strangest moment of her life. She and Loki stared at each other for a moment before Lyora seemed to gather her whits and genuflected before him. It was then, that Rosa came hurrying out of their tiny washroom, having heard Lyora's shriek.

"Lyora, are you alri-" She spotted Lyora on her knee first, before her eyes locked with Loki's.

Confused, she hesitated before bowing her head and curtseying. She thought it best to assume her role as handmaiden and nothing more.

"My Lord," she said softly, and Loki strode across the room towards her, "Might I ask, what we may do for y-"

Loki took her face in his hands and captured her lips with his. She let out a small surprised whimper and her hands fluttered to rest upon his wrists while he held her in the searing kiss.

Ahhh! Chapter 10 done! I'm am already halfway through the next chapter so I should have it up fairly soon, but for now I'd love some feedback! I adore reading all your reviews, so please keep them coming!

Once again thank you for reading! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend :)