Hey, everyone! New chapter, yay! I'll keep it short and sweet. I'm really excited for all the things to come (and boy, are some awesome things brewing)! Thanks to Team Damon for her constant presence and support; she's a goddess :) Also, what did you guys think about Ragnarok? Team Damon and I absolutely loved it, and so much Loki screen time!

I hope you like the chapter! Please drop a review if you feel so inclined!

~Midnightwings96

Aemilia was exhausted. She and Sif had sparred until the wee hours of the morning. If her aching muscles were any indication, Sif had made good on her promise to not go easy on her, but Aemilia had no regrets. She could take it, and she learned some new tricks along the way. While it had been utterly necessary and the physical exertion definitely helped relieve some of her pent-up anger, she still only managed two hours of sleep before she had to wake up for rehearsal and meet Elida for lunch in town after that. Then, on top of her sleep deprivation, of course, she had the matter of talking to Loki about her business proposition and making a final decision still looming ominously over her head. She had made no progress in that matter and was as torn as ever.

"Aemilia? What's wrong? You haven't heard a word I've said."

She blinked a couple times, Elida's voice pulling her out of her head and back to the outside world, with big blue eyes looking at her expectantly from across their table.

Gathering herself, she motioned for her to continue and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm just a little tired. I'm here now, keep going."

Elida, stubborn to a fault, was not about to let that slide, however. "No, no, no, talk to me," she rebutted. "You only get the 'Crinkle Brow' when you're thinking really hard about something troublesome."

Aemilia's eyes darted to the side for a second before returning to Elida. "'Crinkle Brow'?"

Elida nodded. "Yes, that crinkle between your eyebrows is your tell." She pointed at the very spot for good measure. Indeed, Aemilia realized, her eyebrows were unconsciously furrowed. "You can't hide from me, woman," Elida declared. Loki had always said she was rather transparent, perhaps the "Crinkle Brow" was why.

"It's nothing, Elida," she tried again, and was only met with a deadpan stare. She wasn't getting out of this one. With a sigh, she said, "Okay, well, I received a business proposition from Asmund, and I'm simply contemplating my answer."

"What's the proposition?" Aemilia then proceeded to tell her the details of her new potential contract. Just as she suspected they would, Elida's eyes grew wide with surprise. "What? Aemilia," she said in disbelief, "this is amazing! This is a perfect opportunity! You've always wanted to explore Vanaheim, now you get to go with a big group of your friends and get paid to do so! How is your acceptance even a question?"

Aemilia lowered her voice and motioned for Elida to do the same. The last thing she wanted was other people hearing their conversation. "It's just…a bit complicated, 'Lida," she replied in easily the largest understatement of the century.

Elida could hardly comprehend Aemilia's indecisiveness. Leaning forward, she asked in an almost-whisper, "What's so complicated about it, Mia? I can't help if you don't clue me in on what's going on in your head."

These inevitable questions were exactly why she hadn't spoken of the proposition to another soul. She had only intended to speak of this with Frigga, but she had still yet to meet with her to do so. She knew she could trust Elida, but gods, she didn't want her to have to get involved.

The younger woman clearly could see Aemilia's confliction. "Hey," Elida said gently, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Mia. You're my best friend. I promise that anything we speak of need not go beyond us."

Aemilia's eyes closed tiredly, processing Elida's words. She could feel those expressive blue eyes looking upon her in concern, and she felt her resolve crack. With a heaving sigh, she said quietly, "I can't…" She took another breath and opened her eyes. "I…can't leave Loki."

Elida's face softened and squeezed her hand in recognition. "But it's not a long tour, darling. He's not going anywhere. And besides," she said with a humorless smile, "unless your sneaking around every night secretly visiting him, it's not like you would get to see him in that time anyways."

…Of course she would immediately hit the nail squarely on the head, by accident, no less. Aemilia felt her heart clench and entire body tighten in response, and Elida's eyes grew roughly the size of saucers as she let go of her hand.

"….Great Odin's beard, you've been sneaking around visiting him, haven't you?!" she whisper-yelled across the table.

Aemilia made a face. "Well…"

Elida's tiny hands flew to her mouth in shock. "Oh, my gods, Aemilia! Why didn't you tell me?"

Aemilia pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to formulate words. "Because I didn't want you to get caught in any crosshairs if I were to be discovered…and I knew you would worry."

The little blonde woman's exasperation was so palpable Aemilia could almost feel it radiate off her in waves. "Well, yes, I'm worried, but beyond that," she leaned in over the table as much as she could without getting her long braid into her half-eaten food. "You have been visiting your dark, mysterious, slightly scary but also scary beautiful, once-thought-dead former lover and you don't tell me just because you don't want me to worry?! Woman, I could care less about worrying, you're supposed to tell me these things so I can live vicariously through you! How is he? Are you guys together again?" She gasped a little too audibly for Aemilia's taste. "Have you been having passionate forbidden reunion sex?"

A bright, unexpected blush bloomed across Aemilia's cheeks. "Soften your voice, 'Lida!" She winced and silently mouthed an apology.

Aemilia stammered slightly, not having been prepared for the turn their conversation had taken. "It's…it's not like that. Frigga helped me be able to project my visage into his cell. I'm not tangibly there. We can't make physical contact."

Elida blinked. Then grimaced. "…That…sounds like torture."

She wasn't at all wrong, but Aemilia believed this complication was really a blessing in disguise. Their relationship had always been so physical that it had kept them from communicating as they should have. Now they could only talk.

That didn't mean it wasn't still increasingly hard to keep her mind where it should be as they continued to reconnect. "Well, I've been…trying not to think about things of…that matter."

Elida was simply flabbergasted. "I don't blame you. Gods, I would be out of my mind. Especially considering how long it's been…I know you and Fandral did a little here and there, but you haven't really…you know…since before he fell, right?"

She could feel the heat of her blush returning as she grappled to damper the assault of not-so-appropriate memories. "'Lida, I…I'd really prefer if we don't discuss this at the moment. I've been doing well in that department, and you are putting way too many thoughts in my head."

"Oh, sorry, sorry. Okay, subject change. Then, what is it you guys do when you visit?"

This was something she could discuss. A little smile graced her lips. "We keep each other company," she said gently. "We talk…more than we ever have, I believe. And last night…" Valhalla, last night. "He finally, truly opened up his mind to me. Fully. We shared thoughts, memories, feelings." Elida didn't realize that Aemilia and Loki had actually telepathically connected, but that wasn't a necessary talking point at the moment. She was practically melting to the floor seeing such a warm sparkle light up her friend's eyes. Unfortunately, that sparkle didn't last long, though, dimming as Aemilia's thoughts turned darker. "'Lida, if you knew what he has been through…" She swallowed and looked down at her hands. "I can't leave now. He needs me." Looking up again through her lashes, she admitted, "I need him."

She visibly deflated from her excitement. Of course, despite the flailing for her and Loki's budding reunion and her bubbly, optimistic exterior, Elida was also very much grounded in logic and reality. After the death of her father, she had to be. And she knew Aemilia was going through a particularly challenging time and her emotions were very clearly fueling her thought process, but Elida knew through sheer observation that while Aemilia may want Loki's presence, she did not need it. Despite her grief and hardship, the young woman had flourished all on her own. While still a novice, she had become a promising young sorceress and warrior, and she had rebuilt her singing career from the bottom up, entirely surpassing all her predecessors, all on her own and in the midst of her mourning, no less.

Elida had admired Aemilia's talent from the moment she made her first leading debut, and then to meet her and become such close friends with her during her time healing from Loki's fall, seeing her strength and determination and willpower to not let her grief overcome her…those were the qualities that made Elida look up to her in a way that she had no other before. So, no, Aemilia did not need Loki, for she needed no man.

…But she entirely understood why Aemilia wanted him in her life. Still, Elida could not ignore her thoughts. "But, Mia, this opportunity is once in a very long lifetime, especially for a woman in this messed up, unbalanced society. If you can't leave, believe me, I couldn't blame you, but singing, performing is your passion. It's part of the very foundation of who you are. If you were any less dedicated, I wouldn't stress this decision as much. But you work so hard. You've done so much to get to this point. This proposition wasn't just a stroke of luck, you earned it. I'd hate for you not to see it through."

And just like that, Elida summed up the very reason she was experiencing such torment over this. Hand running through her hair, she sighed, "I know, I know, trust me when I say that I truly want to go, but…it's more complicated than that."

"Have you actually talked to Loki yet?"

She shook her head. "No. I intended to last night, but then when everything became so unexpectedly…heavy, I couldn't bring myself to tell him yet."

Aemilia found her hand in Elida's small grip once again. "Talk to him. See what he says. Then reassess."

"You're right. I need to talk to him. I just…I hate to add this onto all that he has been dealing with, especially now that I'm seeing him make progress."

"Hey, I've never met the man, but if all that you have told me of him is true, he should not be defined by his mischief and spells, but by his strength, resourcefulness, and depth of emotion. He can handle it. It may go over much more smoothly than you fear."

Of course, Elida's logic was impeccably sound.

"I hate to do this, but I need to go if I'm going to make rehearsal somewhat on time." Elida gave her hand another little supportive squeeze. "Please let me know how it goes?" Aemilia smiled appreciatively and nodded. "Good luck. And thanks for telling me, Mia. You know I won't tell a soul."

She wouldn't dare even question it. "Without a doubt. Thank you for the advice."

"Anytime." And with a quick little kiss to Aemilia's cheek, Elida left her to her thoughts and her upcoming visit with Loki.

Aemilia had planned on telling Loki the very moment she appeared in his cell. Of course, plans hardly ever unfolded accordingly. As soon as her visage fully formed, Loki looked up from his book and his face lifted ever so slightly with eyes alight and lips softly smiling. Aemilia's resolve immediately crumbled and she smiled right back. She simply didn't have the heart to bring it up quite yet when he looked at her like that. This time, she saw a twinkle of hope in his eyes. It was subtle, but it was there, and the idea of possibly extinguishing that was heart wrenching.

Instead, she decided she would put it off until the very last moment of her visit. Naturally.

"Good evening," he greeted, standing from his bed as she approached him. "You're earlier than usual."

"I found myself with some extra free time. You don't mind, do you?" she asked, looking up at him at his impressive full height.

He smirked down to her with a playful skepticism in his eyes. "I believe you know the answer to that." She tried to contain her budding smile, but just as she was this morning with Elida, she proved to be utterly transparent.

"You look more rested," she observed, noting the lessened circles under his eyes and the lighter manner in his movements.

"I am, actually. Last night, after you left, was oddly…peaceful. I suppose you were right about opening up doing me some good."

She feigned shock and delighted in Loki's immediate attempt to bite back a grin. "Prince Loki, do my ears deceive me? Is the god of mischief truly admitting that a being other than himself was correct?"

He looked down at her, those green eyes sparkling with amusement. Aemilia could hardly believe what she was seeing. "Do not press your luck, my dear."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she sang, flitting over to his desk to look at his papers. "So, teacher, what are our lesson plans to—"

"—Aemilia," he interjected, following her. She turned back to him to find him much closer than she expected him to be, expression drastically more serious than just a moment ago. Her heart quickened at his sudden proximity. If she were actually there, she imagined she would be able to feel the heat of his body on hers. His hand hovered over her arm as if he could will her image to solidify. She looked up at him in surprise and confusion, but before she could say anything, he said her name again, quietly, almost reverently. "Aemilia." She could feel warmth rising in her cheeks.

He locked eyes with her, and Aemilia could sense the change in how they looked at each other. She couldn't quite put her finger on specifically how yet, but last night….last night had clearly made a huge impact on them, and the results were almost overwhelmingly intense. "Loki, what is it?" she breathlessly asked.

His eyes searched hers, and his hand raised to her rosy cheek, a mere hair's breadth away from touching and distorting the image. With a breath, he whispered, "Thank you. Not just for last night. Just…thank you for everything. For being here."

Aemilia's heart very nearly lurched from her chest. She needed to tell him right then and there.

Of course, he noticed her slightly stricken look before it had even fully formed. His voice dropped, "What is it?"

She swallowed hard. "I need to tell you something. I meant to tell you last night, but then…you know, and it just wasn't the right time. I'm sorry, I should have just said it anyway—"

"Tell me what?" His hand dropped back to his side and his eyes dulled, neutralizing his expression in preparation for whatever she had to say.

"…Asmund has offered me a 3 month contract extension for Helena."

Loki blinked. "Despite this sounding like a thing to be celebrated, your reluctance to reveal it to me makes me sense a rather weighted, forthcoming 'but.'"

Just out with it. "The contract is for a 3 month tour. In Vanaheim."

His gaze held hers for a painfully long second before casting downward, his mouth tensing to a pensive frown. "…I see."

"I haven't agreed, yet," she quickly added, trying to cushion the subject as much as she could. "I wanted to discuss it with you before I made any decision. I by no means have to go. The offer would certainly prove to be an amazing experience, but the timing could not be worse. Besides, I have plenty of other new opportunities right here in Asgard that would be equally as rewarding."

"No," he said quietly, his eyes looking back to hers. "Not equal."

A heavy beat of silence permeated his cell as Loki got lost in his thoughts and Aemilia tried to read his complicated expression.

"You should accept." Her eyes widened. He took a tiny step forward, and though his gaze remained sad, his lips softened into a gentle smile. "I'm proud of you, Aemilia. I always knew you and your talent were destined for greatness the moment I saw you perform at that banquet the night we met. I won't have you stifled from your passion for my sake."

Aemilia stammered, struggling for words after such a statement. Her entire body itched to make any physical contact with him – a gently held hand, a tenderly cupped cheek, a mere brush of the fingers. She needed it so much right now she could feel tears of frustration beginning to sting her eyes. "But...But I'm not undecided just for your sake. I don't want to leave you, either."

Loki looked as conflicted as she did at the sight of her glassy eyes. "I can tell you want to go, though."

Her jaw gritted as she tried to hold back those tears from falling. "Well, yes, of course I do. A world-crossing tour isn't something that just happens. And it's on Vanaheim, the place that makes up half of who I am, yet I know practically nothing about it. But, the idea of…" She took a heavy, steadying breath. "I don't want to have to choose between the two biggest pieces of myself, music or…," she gestured towards him with a look of torture, "or you."

Loki's heart stopped mid-beat. His face would never betray him enough for Aemilia to realize the gravity in which he perceived those words, but he felt it to his very core. His brain went entirely blank for a split second with nothing but her voice ringing through him over and over.

Swallowing hard, he tried to put that particular thought away for a later time when he wasn't blinded with shock and she wasn't expectantly staring at him with those eyes that looked particularly green in the bright light of his cell.

What he did have the capacity to think about right now, was this little conflict Aemilia had presented him. He couldn't lie to himself about this. The thought of being alone for three months after the reconnection they had made last night…it was tellingly excruciating. Loki hadn't quite come to terms with how dependent he had become on her constant presence during his time in captivity, but clearly he had. Not to mention the fact that three months for a greater being like him should feel like a mere blink of the eye, but every hour he spent alone ticked by unbearably slowly.

He would be damned if he couldn't figure out a way to fix this without Aemilia passing on such an opportunity. An extraordinary natural intellect and nearly two millennia of extensive mastery of magic should prove successful. At least, he certainly hoped so.

Loki paused. His brows furrowed in thought, a faint spark of something in his mind just daring to ignite. He looked to Aemilia, his desk, and back to her again. She saw the gears moving in his expression and stood up straighter. "What? What is it?"

He pursed his lips in contemplation before turning to his desk and taking the lightly glowing crystal in his hands. "Maybe," he began, "maybe you don't have to choose."

Eyes narrowed in contemplation, she inquired, "Do you think you can do something to the crystal to make its signal transcend realms?"

He turned the crystal over in his palm, inspecting it. "I'm…not sure yet, but maybe. How long until the tour would start?"

"We would leave for Vanaheim in a month's time."

Nodding, he grasped the crystal tighter and looked back to her, a certain smoldering determination swirling in his gaze. "Aemilia, I want you to accept the offer. I can – we can make this work, alright? You and me."

Her eyes searched his, a hopeful smile teasing at her lips. "You're sure?"

He returned her smile. "If you help me, I think we'll be able to come up with something."

Aemilia very nearly clapped her hands in excitement. After so many blows, would they finally be able to have the best of both worlds? Well, as best as their worlds could be right now, considering the situation. "Yes, of course; I'm going to help whether you like it or not! What do you need?"

"I need to do some planning. Could you come back tomorrow morning? By then I should have a list of resources I'll need you to find in my chambers and help me go through so we can start theorizing some possibilities."

"Yes! Yes, I can come back. This will give me a chance to tell Asmund the news tonight. Oh, he's going to be thrilled! The cast will lose their minds!" she exclaimed, her wide smile beaming like a spotlight.

Loki grinned at her excitement, his heart pumping just a bit faster and a bit warmer seeing such happiness on her face. "Well, don't let me delay you any longer."

She nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, I'll see you in the morning!" Then, in a ray of green light, she was gone.

Chuckling lightly, he set the crystal back down on the desk.

"Oh, and Loki?" He cocked his head and turned around to see her reappeared, hands twiddling with energy. Her eyes practically shining at him, she breathed, "Thank you."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Aemilia happily accepted Asmund's proposal that evening, and the old man nearly twirled in delight and hugged her neck so tightly she struggled to breathe. Once the cast met the next day for a quick run-through, Asmund made the official announcement, and they did, in fact, very nearly lose their minds. Exuberant shouts and clapping and excessive hugging pervaded the entire theatre in a raucous cacophony of excitement.

Aemilia felt as if her smile was permanently etched onto her face. Such was a feeling that she had become foreign to.

She was glad to have it back.

Happiness aside, Aemilia knew she and Loki had quite the work ahead of them. Accomplishing such a spell with incredibly minimal resources and the matter of Loki being stuck in a cell would be no small task, but it was Loki. Her faith in his ability and intelligence was unshakeable, and she would help as much as her skills would allow. If anything, after the extensive education her mother had ensured she received, she would make a remarkable researcher.

And that's exactly what she became over the next few weeks, assisting Loki in every way she could and researching when he didn't have the means to. She would spend hours upon hours in Loki's personal and the palace libraries flipping through books older than Odin himself, writing detailed notes over any possible helpful ingredients for potions or ages-old incantations to potentially include. Every day she would present Loki with her new notes and findings. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with each other on the floor, he would carefully read through every word and transfer vital information to his own journals, occasionally asking her to turn the page for him, as he could not do so himself.

Over the course of the next two weeks, they did indeed come up with a potential spell to amplify the crystal's magic. Unfortunately, Loki feared the crystal was not strong enough to handle such a spell. If he were to cast it, and the crystal were to potentially shatter? That was a risk neither Loki nor Aemilia were willing to take. Frigga was also unavailable to potentially consult, as she was on a political excursion and would not return for another week. That was too close to Aemilia's departure for Loki to comfortably consider waiting on his mother's return, so the two continued on in their research for an alternative approach.

Late one evening, Aemilia was sprawled out on the loveseat in Loki's chambers, flipping through a large, dusty spellbook by lamplight. It was one of the very few she hadn't read cover to cover in the past two weeks, and one she could tell Loki hadn't used in a very long time. She figured it was better to be thorough than potentially miss something.

Just as she began to yawn with exhaustion, she turned to a page that gave her pause. It was a tethering spell, binding one object to another. Aemilia frowned and leaned in closer to the page. Perhaps…perhaps they could use this spell in tandem with the amplification spell they had created. If they were to find another artifact to bind and strengthen the crystal with, presumably, it would then be able to withstand their spell.

She grabbed her ever-lengthening journal and copied down the spell, adding in her annotations and musings as she went.

But…what other object could they use as a tether? There was nothing in Loki's chambers that fit the bill, and Frigga could not help them until her return.

The question eventually led Aemilia to the palace library again, knee deep in books that she felt could possibly contain an answer. Hours went by, evening turned to dreadfully early morning, and it was by sheer willpower that kept Aemilia alert. She was skimming through the index of a painfully thick anthology on mystical plants from all the Nine to no avail, and eventually slammed the book shut in frustration.

Leaning her head up against the wall, she took a breath and fiddled with the ring around her neck, her brain so overworked she could hardly think at all anymore. She decided to call it quits for the evening, dropping the ring to push the books away in annoyance.

She paused. Wait.

With a sudden burst of energy, Aemilia jolted from her seat in search of a book in her pile. Albeit with some exhaustion-fueled clumsiness, she quickly found the proper book and flipped to the section for Nornheim.

Frantically skimming, she found exactly what she was looking for.

Meanwhile, deep below the palace, Loki sat at a desk that looked very much like hers. He was not as productive as he would have liked to have been that day, but he was, admittedly, rather distracted. He had yet to allow himself to put much thought into what Aemilia had said two weeks prior, but it seemed his brain would not let the matter lie dormant any longer.

"I don't want to have to choose between the two biggest pieces of myself, music or…or you."

Over the several months – especially as of late – that he had been reunited with Aemilia, they had spoken of a great many things. Except one glaring thing.

Their…well, their relationship, he supposed he should call it.

Of course, before everything that had happened, he had finally recognized how deep and how true his feelings for her were – he acquired a ring for her, after all. Despite their short time together, they had been through so much, yet became all the closer for it.

However, that was all before everything was completely and utterly shot to Hel. That subject could be re-analyzed and examined until Loki was blue in the face, but that does not alter the fact that Loki and Aemilia's situation could never be the same. In any semblance of the word.

In fact, as they grew close yet again, Loki had actively tried to not even begin to contemplate the matter. She was a successful, independent thriving young noblewoman, and he… He was a scorned and feared prince stuck rotting in a bloody cell. And while he certainly did not intend to die in this prison, he did not exactly see a way out anytime soon. Even if they wanted to be, Loki and Aemilia could not be together. All that they could ever be is what they were right now.

Yet, she still apparently felt for him the way she did before…despite it all, despite their situation, she still wanted him. He hadn't really admitted it to himself until now, but he could see it in the way she looked at him these past few months, not just when she thought he wasn't looking, but all the time.

He couldn't pretend that he didn't want her, too. The prospect of her leaving had really shown him the gravity in which he craved her presence.

Which made this whole predicament they were in hurt even more.

A bright flash of green to his side caught his attention and an immediate concern tensed his soldiers. It had to be well into the night, and Aemilia never—"

"Loki!" she exclaimed just as her visage fully formed. Despite the hour, she wore a simple lavender day dress, but instead of her auburn curls pulled back into her normal braids, they were free flowing down her back and over her shoulders. He could tell she was sleep deprived, but her beauty still managed to give him pause.

"Aemilia? What's wrong?"

She excitedly shook her head, "No, no, nothing is wrong! I think…" She smiled and clasped her journal tightly in both hands. "I think I may have come up with a solution for our little predicament."

His concern gave way to intrigue. "Oh, have you now? Please, tell me."

She looked at him somewhat sheepishly and quickly added, "Of course, I don't know for sure if it would work, but it seems like it would—"

"Aemilia, darling, you need not preface your discoveries, simply tell me," he encouraged gently, aware of her slight self-consciousness with magic.

She took an acknowledging breath and began again, opening up her journal. "I was going through your old spellbooks, and I came across this tethering spell." She held up her notes so he could see it. It had indeed been a long time since he had even thought of that spell, but he could vaguely remember learning it hundreds of years ago. "Your concern is that the crystal is unable to withstand our amplification spell."

"Correct."

She took a step forward. "Well, what if we were to tether the crystal to another object with potential mystical properties? The two objects could then share the weight of the spell. It could even potentially strengthen it if you were to have one and I were to have the second, like a beacon to one another."

Loki visibly perked up, sharing a loaded glance with her before grabbing his own journal and copying down the necessities. "This just may work, Aemilia." He looked back to her smiling face and said with pride, "I never would have thought of this old spell on my own. Wonderful job, my dear."

Her eyes practically sparkled upon his compliment, and he felt his heart practically melt at the sight.

He added one more thing to his notes before stating, "Now, it's just a matter of finding the secondary object to tether it to. I don't know—"

"I already found it," she cut in with a knowing grin. When he looked at her expectantly, she acted nearly shy, blushing lightly at his unmitigated gaze. Her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment before meeting his again, no less shy but with an added determination.

Aemilia's hand then reached up for the light chain around her neck and pulled it from beneath her bodice.

There it was, glittering in the light as bright as any star in the sky. His ring for her. The rare sapphire from Nornheim.

Loki chuckled lightly. He could have slapped himself for not thinking of this entire plan, but he didn't. Aemilia did. His eyes held the ring for a moment longer before looking back to her. "You're a genius."

Aemilia's jaw actually dropped a fraction before she managed to snap it shut. She couldn't cover up the pretty little flush that colored her cheeks and chest, however. Loki smirked as she stammered, "W-well, I've had two of the best teachers anyone could ask for, so naturally you should also receive some of the credit."

He shook his head. "I will not have it. While I wholeheartedly agree that you have the two best teachers in all the Realms at your disposal, this was all you, take pride in that." The charming, still somewhat bashful smile that appeared as a result of his words lit up his dreary cell and his very heart.

Another week came and gone, and as Aemilia's departure grew ever nearer, Loki found himself a bit more tense with each passing day, especially since that evening, they were to finally cast the spell. To work around the physical barriers between them, they would have to simultaneously cast it whilst mentally connected, and he knew Aemilia was rather nervous about it. To be fair, he himself was a touch nervous, for if it did not work, they would not know until she tested it in Vanaheim.

If it didn't…well, he didn't really know what he would do. He supposed he couldn't do anything, which irritated him beyond reason. Helplessness was not a feeling that boded well with Loki, and he didn't want to ever experience such a sensation again, if he had anything to do with it.

"You look troubled, my son."

Loki's pen stopped mid-word. He turned his head to see Frigga standing before him, as pristine and graceful as she always was. She was finally back from her trip, he supposed. They hadn't been keeping in touch much. Typically he wouldn't have really cared either way, but the trip was certainly ill-timed. Her counsel would have greatly lessened their burden to come up with a spell on their own with such poor resources.

"How was your trip?" he bluntly asked, ignoring her initial observation.

Frigga's calculating – almost invasive – stare made Loki turn his head back to his work to await her reply. "It was fine. A bit laborious, but nothing that wasn't to be expected in Nilfheim."

Loki made a noise of acknowledgement similar to that of a "Hmph," and turned the page.

"…Are you going to tell me what has made your brow so intensely furrowed or do you expect me to simply stand here in silence?"

He could hear that edgy, teetering on impatient tone in her voice that he and Thor had grown so familiar with as a child. With an admittedly moody sigh, he set his pen down for good this time and turned back to her. She watched him expectantly.

"Aemilia is taking the opera on tour to Vanaheim for three months." He then proceeded to tell her the whole story of his and Aemilia's efforts, her plan to tether the crystal with the ring, and their plans to cast it the moment she came back from rehearsal that evening. Frigga remained silent the entire time, listening intently.

When he concluded his story, he noticed the slight remnant of regret in Frigga's expression. "I apologize I was unable to assist the two of you in this. I wish Aemilia had come to me with this before I left, but I'm glad the two of you have conjured a solution."

Loki's jaw ticked. "Well, maybe if you weren't so constantly absorbed with doing Odin's job for him, she could have reached you."

Frigga's back straightened and eyes flashed with heated irritation as she snapped back, "I will not apologize for doing what my King and kingdom need from me. I wish I had time to spend with you and Aemilia as of late, yes, but I will not stand for your sharp tongue when it is you and your actions that have put me in this position. You have only been able to continue communicating with Aemilia because of my defiance against Odin's orders. So do not scold me."

Loki's eyes heatedly flashed, prickling at her reprimand. A beat of poignant silence pervaded the brightly lit cell as mother and son stared at each other, Frigga simply daring Loki to provoke her further. Almost no one in all the Nine could challenge Loki in a battle of words, but for all his expansive intellect and unparalleled silvertongue, he would always fall short against—

"I know, I apologize," he quietly sighed, relenting and actively trying to tamp down his flash of anger. He stood from his seat to approach her in apology. "I do recognize and appreciate all you've done for me since I've been back. I'm just….a bit on edge, I suppose."

Frigga's gaze softened, just as it always did when her youngest son let go of his pride long enough to apologize. Despite all the incredible trouble and grief Loki had perpetuated in her life – these past few years more than she even thought he was capable of – she still held an unbelievable soft spot for the man she still saw as her little sorcerer. She couldn't hold any anger in her heart for him for long, no matter the sin.

She glanced to his desk, seeing all of his work sprawled across its surface. Looking back to him, she asked, "May I?" He immediately stepped aside for her. She scanned all of his notes and read through the spell he had written on a piece of parchment. Reading it again, she said, "This is quite a clever spell the two of you have concocted."

"I agree. I'm fairly confident in its success, but if you have any suggestions…"

"You have my old spellbook, yes? I took pains in disguising it so the guards would allow it through."

"Yes, right here," he confirmed, taking it from beside his bed.

"Turn to, what I believe is, page 113." Loki looked at her curiously but obeyed, wondering what was going on in his mother's head. He presented her with the page. Scanning it quickly, she pointed to a specific passage. "This right here. Add that after the tethering section of the spell." Her blue eyes landed on his. "This will allow you to make it a mutual connection. You can visit her, if she so gives you permission. Consider this my apology for my ill-timed absence."

Loki stared at her in surprise. His and Frigga's relationship was still so tense – perhaps in part due to his own stubbornness – but then at times they would have moments such as this where it was how it always had been. Mother and son. This was one of those moments.

He wished it could always be like that. While it had been difficult for him to mend his anger and warped regard towards Aemilia – she had never actually betrayed him, Frigga had. A millennia of withholding the truth from him…despite knowing her regret, he still struggled to accept it. He hoped this was a step in the right direction.

"Thank you." The two shared a million-word stare before Frigga nodded and gave him a small smile.

"I will approach Aemilia tomorrow to inquire how the spell went. I would offer my assistance, but I don't believe the two of you need it. Good luck."

Then, with a soft encouraging smile, she was gone.

Casting the spell was as difficult as Loki had predicted and as troublesome as Aemilia had prayed it wouldn't be. She hated that she was the weak link the situation – if the spell was improperly cast, it surely would never be Loki's fault. Loki had sensed her frustration and worry even before they linked minds, and he tried his best to encourage through her self-consciousness.

His voice – thoughts? – was truly a soothing balm to Aemilia, and always had been. He led her through it, more gently than he ever had before in his teachings. As the two stood facing one another, crystal in Loki's palm and ring in Aemilia's, they finally cast the spell they had slaved over. Loki felt confident in it. Aemilia didn't necessarily have confidence in her abilities, but she did for Loki's, so that would simply have to be enough.

Then, all they could do was wait. Well, Loki had to wait while Aemilia made final preparations with the theatre for their journey across the Bifrost. No matter how slow it seemed waiting in anticipation, time did eventually move forward.

Aemilia and Loki both lay away in their beds the morning of the theatre's departure.

Aemilia had gone to bed early, knowing full well how much she needed her rest for the next day's events, yet she had ended up staring at the ceiling the entire night. She was a horridly conflicting mixture of excitement and debilitating anxiousness. On one hand, she couldn't wait to explore Vanaheim and begin such a venture, but on the other, she dreaded the possibility of finally arriving at her temporary chambers to find that she could not reach Loki.

Loki was entirely anxious without any of the excitement. Time had eaten away at his initial confidence, and now he was beginning to second guess everything.

Of course, he would be keeping that to himself.

Aemilia got ready for the day without the aid of magic in hopes that her routine would help calm her nerves. Once she was dressed in her most comfortable day dress with a long casual braid down her back, she deeply sighed in front of her mirror and closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she stood before Loki.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, neither truly knowing what to say. Loki cut off the searing eye contact first to close his book and set it at his side. He hesitated to look back to her.

"Listen," she broke the silence, "we both know why I'm here." With a small sigh, Loki finally raised his eyes back to hers, expression purposefully unreadable as always. "I don't want to do this either, but…just in case it doesn't work," she said, voice weaker than she intended, "I couldn't leave without saying goodbye properly."

Loki gritted his jaw, "Aemilia—"

"No, Loki, let me do this, please. Just in case."

"It's going to work," he strongly stated. If she hadn't known him as she did, she would have never caught that tiny, miniscule look of doubt in his eyes. She didn't acknowledge that to him for his own sake.

"I know, but still. For my peace of mind."

With a beat of silence, he nodded and stood with a trepidatious expression as she hesitantly approached him. "Even though these past few weeks have been undoubtedly stressful, I actually," she chuckled nervously, "had quite a bit of fun. It was challenging, but I really enjoyed working with you." There was such pure sweetness in her eyes that Loki felt his gaze soften. Despite all that she had been through, she could on occasion stun him with the near innocence in her eyes. She hadn't let her hardship truly taint her soul like he had let his. "Of course, I thoroughly love and appreciate your teachings, but…" She paused with a tiny, almost prideful smirk as she looked up to him. "We make a good team."

He mirrored her expression, his resulting agreement as strong as his amusement. He was actually sort of surprised at how well they worked together as a true team. He shouldn't be, for they had always played off each other remarkably well. Loki supposed it was because he never really had a partner in the way Aemilia had been serving these past few weeks. Months, really. In all his years, he never had to truly rely on another being, until now. He of course had many good moments of teamwork with his mother, but they still were acting as mother and son, not equals. Then of course with Thor he was really never anything more than a sidekick. So, for his entire life, when it came right down to it, he had only ever had himself to truly rely on in his endeavors. It was easier to simply do it himself than involve another potentially messing up or trying to take over.

It was utterly frightening to Loki to realize how dependent on her he had become. It had entirely snuck up on him, and he didn't quite know what to do with this realization.

As scary as it was, however, it was also weirdly…relieving. Loki didn't know if he had ever trusted someone so fully, and he had no idea how he had ever reached this point. Not even a full year ago he despised the woman with everything he had. Of course, with time-induced clarity, he realized his delusions, but still. The evolution and growth was mind-boggling. Even in comparison to that small window in time when they were happily and publicly courting.

Then, while he was still shockingly devoted to her (for his standards), he realized now he had still viewed her as lesser, in a way. He did not mean that in a derogatory way, but she was younger, naïve, impossibly innocent, with a spark of life that had reminded him of his own younger self.

His regard towards her had evolved. He still recognized (and frankly, adored) her occasional displays of innocence, but…she was now his equal. Neither could have accomplished what they had on their own. They had worked as true, equal partners and they had worked beautifully.

This long-awaited realization made their potential separation sting even more.

Still, Loki smiled back all the same and confirmed, "We really do." He relished in the resulting widening of her grin.

"So," she continued, "even if it…doesn't work," her smile turned pained, "I'm really glad we did this."

His own expression faltered as well. "I, as well."

Her smile continued to deteriorate, even though he could tell how hard she was trying to maintain it. "And, if it doesn't work," she repeated in further difficulty, "I will come visit the moment my feet land on Asgardian soil and tell you every little tiny detail of my trip! We could even connect telepathically again and I will show you everything!"

His eyes dipped down to her mouth for a fraction of a second before connecting back with her gaze. "I would like that very much," he replied, "but you need not worry of such things. It's going to work."

Aemilia would have entirely believed him if Loki wasn't looking so intently at her that it was like he was trying to commit every angle of her face to long-term memory. Still, she sent him a little smile and said, "I know."

She hadn't yet realized that her eyes were turning glassy with tears.

Loki couldn't take this torture any longer. He took a step closer, chests nearly meeting. "Hey," he gently murmured, his sadness impossible to fully hide anymore. "I don't want you running late."

Her eyes glistened, a couple tears finally escaping down her cheeks. She grit her jaw and looked down, trying to keep it together. "I know," she feebly said. With a feeble attempt at a calming exhale, she raised her eyes back to him and weakly repeated, "I know."

His fingers utterly itched to wipe at her wet-stained cheeks, and the fact that he couldn't frustrated him so much that he felt his throat painfully constrict and his eyes start to sting. Loki fought with everything he had to keep it at bay.

Aemilia's heart sunk through the very floor as she watched in utter dismay as Loki's stunningly green eyes began to water with unshed tears.

She cleared her throat in vain. "I'll see you tonight. Everything is going to work entirely as it should."

He clenched his jaw and nodded.

It took all the will power Aemilia had to step back from Loki. Tears streamed freely down her face, and she had no hope of reigning it in at this point. There was just so much to say, she thought. So much left unsaid.

"Loki?" she said suddenly, her entire body so tense she ached.

His head raised back up to watch her expectantly.

"I…," she began. He didn't blink. She moved her mouth slightly, but no words could escape. "I…," she stammered again, finally saying, "I'll miss you."

That wasn't at all what you wanted to say, Aemilia immediately scolded herself, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Not now. Not like this.

Loki didn't know how to take that, so he simply refused to acknowledge it. "I'll see you tonight," he stated, voice tight and jaw taut. He was not a praying man, but this time, he prayed to Valhalla he was right.

Aemilia swallowed hard. "Tonight," she managed to reply. "Goodbye, Loki." Her visage then melted away.

Loki's cell had never felt so quiet and isolated.

Elida and Frigga awaited Aemilia at the palace gates to see her off to the fully repaired bridge. Earlier, her mother and father had sent her their well wishes for her trip, though Ayre had been sure to voice her concern over the improperness of Aemilia travelling without a familial escort. She had gotten a good chuckle out of that, for how her mother could still be concerned with properness after all the very improper things her daughter had committed was beyond her.

Aemilia arrived right on time with Gunnvarr, who was helping her with her two bags. After she reluctantly left Loki, she had hastily refreshed her ruined makeup with a quick spell and tried her very best to pull herself together for her departure.

The two women were quick to embrace Aemilia, though Elida was sure to adorably step back so Frigga could go first.

Frigga pulled her into a warm, comforting hug, surely aware of her inner turmoil. "My dear, darling Aemilia," she said lovingly into her ear. "No matter the outcome of the spell, I am sure that this will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Take heart in that, and live this adventure to the fullest."

Aemilia's arms tightened ever so slightly around the Queen. "I will. Thank you."

Before they pulled away, Frigga quickly added, "I will check in with Loki in the morning to see what happened. Good luck, my dear."

Elida gracefully swept in for her own hug, for which Aemilia slightly leaned down for. "I expect in-depth, vivid retellings of everything you do while you're gone. That includes your little magic rendezvous with Loki, because I am entirely confident that it will work. Understood?"

Aemilia laughed lightly. Even if she wasn't as confident as Elida, it did help calm her some. "Understood."

Elida smiled brightly, pleased. "Good," she said while lightly grasping Aemilia's hands. "I will miss you very, very much."

Aemilia's face softened into a sweet smile. "I'll miss you, too, dear. Keep up with all the gossip around the theatre while I'm gone. You'll have to catch me up when I get back!"

The blonde woman scoffed. "As if you even needed to remind me."

Then, Aemilia made her way to the awaiting carriage. After Gunvarr shut the door, Aemilia leaned out the window and called to Frigga as they began to drive away, "Tell Thor that if he happens to take a break from saving the realms and finds himself in Vanaheim to come visit me!"

The Queen laughed and called back, "I will deliver the message!"

With the sight of the two women waving after her, Aemilia finally turned back forward in her seat, her skin beginning to tingle with anticipation.

Upon arriving to the Bifrost, Aemilia met with her fellow awaiting castmates, a bag in each hand. Not one person in the entire company – not even Asmund – had experienced the firsthand splendor of the rainbow bridge except for her. Naturally, they had been bombarding her with questions for weeks now. What did it feel like? Did it hurt? Is it safe?

Now, they were almost all as quiet as a mouse. Out of fear, she imagined. Not that she could blame them, especially with the infamously stoic, golden-eyed Heimdall standing tall before them and patiently waiting at his post. Aemilia had to remind herself of a time when she was not familiar with the royal life, either. After having lived in the very middle of it for around two years now, she had become accustomed to it. This was not the case for anyone else.

Heimdall's unsettling gaze landed on Aemilia as she made her way to the front of the group. She smiled somewhat nervously at him as he nodded cordially. "My Lady. It is good to see you again. Congratulations on this newest venture."

She graciously thanked him before moving to stand with Asmund. She hadn't really thought of it until now, but she wondered if Heimdall was aware of her visits with Loki. The possibility was a bit concerning, but even if he had, he clearly didn't deem it necessary to mention after nearly a year of Loki's imprisonment. Perhaps the Queen had spoken with him.

After everyone had finally arrived and entered the Bifrost, Heimdall withdrew his sword.

She vaguely heard the slide of metal as the Gatekeeper turned the sword before the walls slowly beginning to spin and rapidly picking up speed. There was a slight murmur and shifting of the crowd, surely nervous of the unknown. Then, in a blinding burst of light, they were all suddenly sucked into the portal, the never ending, bewilderingly brilliant colors flying past them at light speed. It was utterly exhilarating. The last time she had done this, Loki had held her the entire time to cushion her landing. Aemilia attempted to think back to his stance and quickly tried to emulate it.

Then, the brilliant lights gave way to stunning blue skies and an infinite tree line. Aemilia managed to land directly on her feet, as did most of the others. They had arrived. They were finally on the fertile, vibrant green soil of Vanaheim.

Loki waited for hours. It was difficult for him to know exactly what time of day it was, but Aemilia was surely in Vanaheim by then.

His anxiety levels had been steadily rising, and he had taken to pacing to try and channel it somehow. He must have walked back and forth all day, certainly long enough to warrant his neighboring prisoner to shout at him in annoyance. Loki had merely scoffed at the inferior creature's trivial pettiness, haphazardly threw up a cloaking spell, and continued on.

In time, however, he began to lose hope. It was easily well into the evening, and if it were to work, he had long expected her before nightfall.

Eventually, he found himself lying in his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He didn't really know what to think. He was trying to resign himself to whatever miserable, useless existence he had in store in the coming months. He had become so accustomed to her. Every day for nearly a year, he knew he would get to see her face and hear her voice. Aside from the occasional tense visits he had with his mother, Aemilia was quite literally all he had while trapped to rot in this infernal prison. The idea that he no longer had that…he could hardly fathom it.

It hadn't worked. He had miscalculated something somehow, and it hadn't worked. An intense rage and self-deprecation that he hadn't felt in quite a long time began to simmer within him as he blamed himself over and over and over. Something he had done had ruined the entire process, and the fact that he couldn't think of what it was angered him even further.

Loki shout in a sudden burst of frustration and pushed the small nightstand next to him over. It and all the books that had sat on it loudly clattered to the floor with a rustle of pages, but he paid it no mind. He groaned and fell back to his bed, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.

What was he going to do now?

He laid there like that for some time, and he would have stayed like that if he hadn't sensed a surge of energy next to him. Loki's entire body froze for a moment, his heart suspended somewhere between anticipation and hope and dread.

He slowly pulled his hand from his face and sat up. With a breath, he looked over.

There she stood, hands clasped tightly around the glittering sapphire with a smile so bright and eyes so heart achingly beautiful that Loki felt all of his anger, all of his frustration, completely fall away. In its place pulsed a joyous relief that nearly took his breath away.

The two locked eyes.

Aemilia quietly laughed in disbelief.

"We did it."