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The Vanir Princess steeled her resolve to confront Loki. Much like Fandral, Liya argued with herself trying to push out the thoughts of Loki deceiving her, him betraying her father's confidence in him, and questioning his love for her. Amaliya played with the long tresses of her dark hair as she walked slowly to the throne room. Surely she was overreacting and exaggerating what she was feeling. Loki would never be disloyal to her or Asgard; it was ridiculous to think such things. A slight chuckle made its way through her mouth at that though. However there was this feeling that was eating away at her good sense, if it had a voice it would be a booming tone shaking her to her very core. Even pausing to argue with herself and turning around several times to go back to her room she made it to the throne room in record time it seemed.

She found the gilded room empty, even the guards were nowhere to be seen. Amaliya looked around carefully only to find nothing and no one. "Loki," she called but no response came. "Loki," she ventured once more only to be answered back with her echo.

Liya let out a somewhat relieved sigh; perhaps she would go to Frigga and address her concerns with the Queen. The princess turned making her way out of the empty room only to hear distant footsteps behind her. Only feeling the adrenaline in her veins she hid behind a nearby pillar. Peering out from the column she saw Loki walking toward the throne; he was wearing odd clothing which shimmered away into his Asgardian garb. She observed him for a moment, where had he gone and what were those garments? Liya caught her breath in her throat holding it there hoping he hadn't seen her. She tried to move as stealthily as she could back to her room.

"I know you're there Dove," he called to her softly. The tone of his voice sent shivers down her spine, and for the first time it frightened her.

She moved carefully from behind the pillar slowly approaching him, "I was wondering where you had gone," she told him her head was bowed Liya couldn't look him in the eye, "I was about to ask your mother if she knew."

Loki smiled closing the gap between them, "I went to see Thor." He lifted her eyes to his seeing the fear she was so clearly trying to conceal.

"Thor," she asked trying to keep the shock out of her voice.

"Yes," he told her holding her arms, "I was reinforcing his banishment, and he is to stay on Midgard to keep peace on Asgard and Vanaheim."

"So you have made a treaty with Jotunheim?"

"Yes, Dove, conditional on Thor's banishment," he pulled her into him. "I told you there was no need to fret Amaliya; I will and always keep you safe."

"Of course Loki," she said quietly, she laid her head on his chest.

Loki smiled kissing her forehead, "You will do as Your King commands Amaliya?"

He lifted her face to his, he wore a smile that seemed to be genuine but his eyes told a different story. There was a cruel cunning gleaming in his bright green eyes, this did not sit well with the princess. As Loki held her face his grin got bigger as he seemingly delighted in the growing fear behind Liya's eyes. Amaliya started to tremble under his touch.

"Something troubling you Dove," the Trickster's voice was smooth and disquieting.

Liya held her breath once more shaking her head, "No," she whispered. A murmur was all she could manage trying desperately to keep the alarm out of her voice.

Loki could sense her fear and found that it elated him, "You have a right to fear me Amaliya," his tone was low and disquieting, "I am your King," he whispered into her ear, "and I will soon be your husband, you will submit to me."

Amaliya shivered again searching his eyes trying to find the boy she loved somewhere beneath this now power hungry Trickster, "Loki," she pleaded.

He gave her nothing just the cruel cunning staring back at her, tears stung at her eyes feeling that she might have lost him forever. She pulled away from him turning to leave; perhaps she could get back to Vanaheim or Midgard to find Thor.

Loki pulled her back into his grasp, his hands tightly wrapped around her arms, "You were meant to be my queen and you would throw that away so quickly?" His voice was hard and he was angry with her. His grip tightened making Liya cry out in pain as Loki roughly pulled the princess into him. The Trickster tried to capture her lips with his, "I love you Amaliya," he almost growled at her giving her slight figure a hard shake.

Liya was trying to fight off his advances but she was terrified of him, "Loki stop," she found her voice but it was high and full of panic.

Odin's youngest let her go once he heard her terror stricken plea. When he let go she was still trying to pull out of his grip and she fell to the floor with a hard thud. He was shocked at his own actions; he looked down at the princess cowering away from him. The feeling of remorse that should have filled his being never came, instead he felt exultant. A haunting laugh poured from his mouth as if he had gone mad. His eyes found Amaliya once more, a being indeed more powerful than he was recoiling away from him. If he could control her, the Nine Realms would be his, Odin would surely be proud to call him son.

The Asgardian prince narrowed his eyes at the Vanir advancing on her once more, "You must surrender yourself to me completely Amaliya, obey no other, and let me control you or leave, never to return."

With every stomp of his boots she tried frantically to put as much distance between them as possible. Liya gaped at him she couldn't believe what Loki was saying, "You would banish me," her voice was a harsh and raspy whisper.

He considered her words stalking closer to her still, "I would have you be mine," he pleaded his deep voice echoing off the walls, "we could rule the Nine Realms together, think of it Amaliya," his eyes grew wide with excitement, "No one would be able to stop us."

"No Loki," she told him quietly shaking her head.

"Please Amaliya," he begged. Loki then looked at her recoiling away from him and something snapped. He stopped his advance on the princess putting more distance between them, "I am so sorry Dove," he told her softly standing in utter disbelief of what just occurred.

Liya cautiously rose from the floor moving slowly toward him, "Loki," she reached for his face with her hands. He was overcome with emotion barely able to see her through his tears. Amaliya pulled him into her arms holding him close, hoping that the madness that took him had indeed passed.

"Please forgive me," he whispered into her shoulder.

"I will always forgive you," she told him stroking his hair; "I love you Loki."

Loki lifted his head capturing her lips kissing her deeply and passionately, the grip on her arms tightened. She was the one person that he surely could not live without. His new found power and dominance over her would be the key to unlocking his full potential as King of Asgard. Amaliya would indeed fulfill her destiny as his queen. He would love her, cherish her, protect her, and use her in any way conceivable to further his quest for domination. A wicked smile crossed his mouth.

Liya pulled away from him wishing that she had never heard his thoughts and plans for her. Her lavender eyes poured out tears looking at someone she didn't know anymore. She choked on her sobs just staring at the Trickster trying to push all the horrible things she heard from her memory. Loki's face as a child flashed before her eyes, that boy that took such great care with her, that boy she loved more than anything in the Nine Realms was gone leaving nothing but a shell of who he once was. The princess turned hoping that she could get back to Vanaheim before…

Loki called Gungnir to him took aim and fired hitting Liya squarely in the back knocking her to the floor. He used only enough energy to render her unconscious. The surge had unfortunately left its mark on her back in a starburst pattern. The Trickster picked up Liya's limp body, "I hope one day you will forgive me for this."

Loki set the princess gently on her bed. He looked over her unconscious figure and sadly shook his head unable to form a cohesive thought about what he had done. The Trickster had crossed a line that he could never uncross. He hurt her, he had promised to never hurt her. Loki wanted nothing more than to sit at her side and nurse her back to health but he was too far into his plans and he needed her to be a part of them. Loki closed the door behind him; he had business with Jotunheim.