"Can't we just tell Odin about this?" Maisy asked when her voice worked again, "He let us stay married so he can't be completely opposed to me being here, right? And the circlet is a family heirloom or something, right?"

"I prefer to cut out the middleman and deal with the issue myself," Loki said, "Now get out of the way so I can do so."

"I'm going to follow you as soon as you leave," she told him, still blocking the door, "There is no way I'm just going to twiddle my thumbs here waiting for someone to kill me or for you to kill someone who wants to kill me."

Loki glared at her again. She thought he was about to crack and let her come along or stay home all together, but then he took a step forward and put his hands on her waist and picked her up.

"What the hell?!" She yelped, "Put me down!"

"You are staying here," he put her down away from him and marched to the door. He stepped out and magically locked the door behind him, causing Maisy to gasp and run to the door. She knocked furiously, trying not to panic. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or not, but she could have sworn the air picked up the tang of sulfur as soon as the door locked.

"No! Please! You can't, Loki, please!" Her words came in frightened bursts and she couldn't seem to get control over herself. She knew it wasn't that big of a deal, but she couldn't stop freaking out. Panic was gripping her and she felt tears prickle at her eyes.

"Let me out!" She choked, "Bjorn! Loki! Linn! Anyone, please! Loki, I won't follow you, I swear! Let me out!"

"Ma'am?" Bjorn's voice asked hesitantly, "Ma'am, are you okay?"

"Please, get me out of here! Please, I, I can't! I can't be locked in here!"

"The door is locked, princess," Bjorn said worriedly, "I can't get in."

"It's magic," Maisy clawed at the door, "It's magic, Bjorn. Get someone to break it."

"The door or the spell?"

"I don't care, just get me out," the walls had definitely moved in closer. And despite the windows in the room, it felt like it was getting darker and more like a cave. Everything looked more menacing when she couldn't get away from it. Her wrists burned with the weight of imagined bronze shackles.

"Hold on just a moment, ma'am," Bjorn said, "I'm going to see if I can find someone to break the spell."

"Please hurry, the walls are…" Maisy bit her lip to stop herself from sounding like a crazy person, "Please, Bjorn."

He didn't respond. He must have already left to get help. Maisy tried to picture him sprinting through the halls to find someone who could break the spell. But what if there was no one? Loki was so good at magic he might have made it so no one else could let her out. The thought nearly brought tears to her eyes, but she held them back. Someone would come. Someone would be able to open the door… hopefully not the person who was threatening her life.

"Hold on, just a moment, ma'am," Bjorn called through the door, "I found someone!"

It felt like hours that he'd been gone, but it couldn't have been very long in reality. She made herself step away from the door and she held her breath as she saw green sparks go flying around the knob. She waited and waited until the door popped open and she sprinted out, pushing past her saviours and all but collapsing against the wall opposite the doorway. She took a few minutes to look at the enormous hallway before looking back to Bjorn and the person who'd saved her.

"Are you alright?" Fandral asked, worry etched across his brow. Maisy nodded, taking a deep breath as she did so.

"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to get so panicked."

"Perfectly alright," Fandral gestured to the door, "How'd it get locked in the first place?"

"I'm sure it was an accident," Maisy lied.

"An accident that reeks of Loki's magic."

"You didn't happen to see where he went, did you?" Maisy asked Bjorn, hiding her shaking hands in the folds of her black tunic.

"That way," Bjorn pointed and Maisy started walking. Fandral followed her.

"Are you sure you're quite alright, my lady? You are pale as a ghost!"

"I'm totally fine," she said, "I just need to find Loki before he does something really dumb."

"Ah, a continuous struggle, I'm sure."

"Do you have any way to track him with magic?"

"Certainly! Might I see your wedding band? I should be able to use it to locate it's partner. Hopefully. It has been a while since I've tried any spells of this sort."

Maisy handed over her ring and Fandral waved his hand over it. The ring rolled out of his hand and started to twirl its way down the hall. Maisy and Fandral ran after it, causing it to pick up speed. If they slowed down at all it slowed too, waiting for them.

Eventually it fell over in front of a door in the servant's quarters. Maisy put it back on and knocked on the door. Fandral stood by her, hand resting on his sword. The door creaked open to reveal Loki. He glowered down at her and then at Fandral.

"Dammit Maisy."

Maisy flinched involuntarily and took a step back.

"Loki," Fandral said with an edge to his voice, "I think it would be best if you left off whatever it is you are doing and came with us. You have caused your wife no small amount of distress."

"I haven't killed anyone," Loki rolled his eyes, "If that's what she's told you."

"What are you doing?" Fandral asked. Maisy was grateful that she didn't have to say anything because she wasn't sure she could through her anger and residual fear.

"Simply asking a man a few questions," Loki opened the door wider to reveal a beefily built man, sitting in a simple chair, whittling away at a piece of wood. He seemed unharmed, "He is the one who built your bookcase, Maisy."

"And I did not put the crown thing a mabob in the secret compartment, Your Highness," the man said to Maisy, never looking up from his whittling, "I am dreadful sorry that someone would do such a thing."

"I was just leaving, actually," Loki said, stepping out of the room and closing the door. Maisy winced as the door latched and she took another step backward, and another until she was walking back the way she came. She wasn't worried about Loki running off to kill someone. He'd just hit a dead end and the only other lead he had was Tyr, who had moved back into his country house while Maisy had been in Muspelheim.

She was practically running, but she wasn't sure where she was going. She heard footsteps behind her and she tripped when Loki popped up right in front of her. She knew it was a projection, but it still startled her and now she was sprawled out on the floor. The real Loki came up behind her and pulled her to her feet. When standing, she jerked away from him and kept walking.

"Maisy," he said tiredly, "I'm sorry. I truly am, but if I had found whoever threatened you I did not want you to be around to be my conscience."

She didn't respond, not sure she could do so in a reasonable manner.

"I knew whoever it was wouldn't try and get to you right away. You were perfectly safe."

"You know where else I was 'perfectly safe'?" She finally stopped, glaring a him a moment and clenching her fists. She was going to shout "Muspelheim" at him, but he might misunderstand and think she meant she wanted to go back. So, she just let the question fall and began storming away again.

"Where? What are you talking about?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"Egil said I was safe when he locked me in too," she finally managed, her whole body shaking with rage and fear of being locked up again.

Loki's eyes flashed with understanding and he quickly let her go, shame flooding onto his face. She kept walking at an only slightly faster than normal pace. He followed quickly.

"I… you know I am not like him," he said quietly, "You know I would never… I would never keep you against your will."

"You did. You just did."

"Maisy, wait, I did not mean-"

"I know, I know," she picked up her speed again, "You just wanted to protect me. Well, I'm pretty damn tired of being protected."

"You had best get used to that," Loki said shortly, "Given your status."

"Oh don't remind me. I've been called 'princess' enough for one day."

"Is that why you are mad?"

"I'm mad," she stopped and he nearly bumped into her, "I'm mad because you locked me in my room. Like a child! Like a prisoner! Just like Egil did. And I know you didn't mean it the same way he did. I know it was a spur of the moment decision, but you still did it."

She finally turned and looked at him, eyes watering. He sighed heavily and gently took her hand in his.

"I am sorry. I shall never do it again."

"Thank you," she pulled her hand away, but not before giving his fingers a light squeeze.

She wasn't sure that she forgave him. She wasn't sure that she was over it. She wasn't even sure if she was going to stop being mad at him for a while. But she was at least glad that Loki recognized his mistakes where Egil did not.

Bjorn was standing guard at Loki and Maisy's doorway when Loki returned. Maisy had left, claiming she had energy she needed to work off. Loki had been hesitant to let her wander about in the palace when there was someone threatening her, but she'd told him she was just going to train with Sif. Besides, he knew that if he tried to tell her what to do at this moment he would only push her away from him.

Still, he had energy filling him as well. It was a volcano of frustration and he targeted at the first person he came across. Unfortunately, that was Bjorn. Loki grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the wall. The guard clawed at his hand, not even quick witted enough to go for his sword.

"I told you to keep her in there!" Loki snarled. Bjorn glared at him boldly and stopped struggling. Loki lightened his grip enough to allow the other man to speak.

"If you'd have heard her, you wouldn't care that I let her out."

"Why's that, guard?"

"Because of how scared she sounded! She really flipped out the moment the door was locked. I could hear her scraping at the wood and she was screaming for help! Said something about the walls, I think she thought they were closing in on her," Bjorn gestured to the room, "I was afraid if I couldn't get the door open that she'd jump off the balcony for lack of better option!"

Loki let go and clenched his fists.

"Alright. Fine. You did well," he opened the door and then slammed it behind him. He happened to glance at the door and his posture slumped when he saw that there were faint scrapes - as if from someone's fingernails - on the wood. That's when it truly sunk in.

He sighed and opened the door again. Bjorn flinched away from him, but Loki ignored him and headed for the training area. He had some more apologizing to do. Honestly, he hadn't said sorry to someone as many times as he said it to Maisy since his mother had been alive. That was the trouble of loving someone, though. You actually felt bad when something you'd done upset them. What a pain.

He found Maisy and Sif training with bow staffs with great speed. Maisy's attacks were clumsy, but full of strength, probably fueled by anger. Loki watched as Sif took a step back and pointed her friend in the direction of the training dummy. Maisy whacked the head off of it with one clean hit and Loki winced, hoping she wasn't picturing his face on the target.

"Oh, look who it is!" Sif exclaimed in a falsely pleasant voice. Maisy turned to look and stiffened immediately upon seeing him. She didn't look mad exactly, but definitely uncomfortable.

"Maisy," Loki said, walking up to her, with hands extended peaceably (and to catch the staff if it swung in his direction), "Allow me to apologize again."

"I ought to tell Volstagg that I've won our bet," Sif crossed her arms and stepped in front of Maisy, "He thinks you two will last, but I said that you'd mess it up. Someone as kind as Maisy won't be blinded by your charms for long and-"

"Sif," Maisy said, "Could you, maybe, give us a little privacy?"

"I will be just over there polishing my blade. Should you need someone to kick his ass."

"Thanks."

Sif twirled her blade as she passed and it came centimeters from slicing into Loki's face. He glared at her and she merely narrowed her eyes at him to let him know that she'd be watching. He would have made a rude gesture in return, but he had business to attend to.

"I know I said it earlier," he took a step toward Maisy, "But I am hugely sorry for locking you in the room."

"Thank you," she kicked the dirt floor and didn't look at him.

"An hour of being back from our honeymoon and I'm already making you hate me," he sighed.

"I don't hate you," she was drawing a swirl in the dirt with her bow staff now, "I just freaked out. It might have been a slight overreaction, but I couldn't stop thinking that I'd be stuck in there forever."

"I would never do that to you," Loki took a step forward and put his hand over hers on the staff, "I swear on my life that I wouldn't."

"I know," she nodded and then looked at him, "And I know you are truly sorry."

"Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Loki asked, wanting nothing more than to put this business behind them.

"Yes," she smiled slightly, "I forgive you."

"Could you, perhaps, find it in your heart to… kiss me?" Loki leaned down toward her teasingly and she laughed.

"Maybe," she kissed him on the cheek, "There. Happy?"

"For now."

He hated the fact that his mind immediately started scheming. He was already thinking of ways to get around his promise to her, should he ever need to keep her from danger. Her words comparing him to Egil echoed in his mind and he quickly stopped plotting. She was right. She could make her own choices and he'd simply have to be sneakier if he was going to find and possibly destroy the person who'd put the bloody diadem in their room without Maisy knowing.

For now, he'd have to get used to get back into the normal swing of things at the palace. Destruction of unpleasant people would come later.

A note from the author: Well, I'm being a jerk to my characters again. Is anyone surprised? I didn't think so. But no worries! The angst and drama in this story are more broken up than they were in Till Death Do You Part. We'll get a lot of fluff and fun stuff between the horrible stuff! The next two chapters, in my opinion, are adorable. As far as I can remember... I'll have to read over it again to make sure there are no nasty surprises in store for you.

Thanks for reading/following/favoriting!

And thank you to my amazing reviewers!

xlokiswolfx: Don't worry, we're no where near done with the fluffiness yet!

Ninja Squirrel: Fiendish Foodstuff sounds amazing, tbh.

Guest: I'll be the first to admit it, I'm a big meany to my characters.

ferbette: Odin is definitely a jerk. I won't argue with you there. :P He'd probably get somewhat upset if Loki trusted him enough to tell him about the diadem... but Loki's not exactly a trusting sort of guy.

Lwolf: They'll get a short break eventually... and then they'll have some horrible stuff happen... and then some more fluff... and some more horrible stuff... and so forth and so on. ;)

Ceres Friggadottir: Keep those knives sharp, my friend. It may be a while until I tell you where to point them, but be on your toes!

You guys, as always, are the best.

TTFN!