The bright light of a new day shined through the windows of the palace. The sun had just barely risen over the horizon and the kingdom was still asleep, except for the few souls that worked in the palace.

The merriment that took place the night before had taken its toll and everyone who attended the royal ceremony was still incapacitated from the amount of ale that was consumed. Bodies were strewn everywhere in the palace; the hallway, the Grand Hall, the courtyard, it looked as if a massacre had occurred. Mistakes had been made, fornication had occurred and all of it would be repeated for the next six nights.

A royal from a kingdom long forgotten squinted at the bright light of the sun. Her mouth was dry and her head was pounding; she never could take her liquor. A warm arm was over her bare stomach and she sighed lowly, closing her eyes and rolling over on her other side and cuddling against the warm body next to her.

As she tried to get comfortable, her eyes fluttered open more. She looked down at the chest she was laying on and a scream bubbled up in her throat but she choked it down. Slowly and quietly, she lifted her head and looked up at the face of her bed partner.

The princess slapped a hand over her mouth and stood from the bed, every fiber of her startled. She looked around the room for her dress from last night and found it on the floor. She yanked it on and tied it the best she could, before slipping out of the room and out of the chambers.

As she stepped over people in the hallway, her mind was racing. Piece by piece, memories came flooding in from last night. Andromeda chewed on her lip at the erotic sights flashing through her mind.

She reached her old chambers and slipping inside, locking the door behind her. Taking a quick survey of the room, she was relieved to find it was empty. She padded to the bathroom of her suite and closed the door.

Andromeda stood in front of her bathroom mirror and dropped her dress, before inspecting her body. Her eyes were slightly red, as was her cheeks and lips. Her lips looked downright swollen and pinker than usual. Her bronze neck was tinted red, and a line of bruises traced across her collarbone. Her nipples were still erect and her waist and hips had large, dark bruises in the shape of fingertips. The bruises continued down to her thighs and when she spread her legs, they lined the inside as well.

She looked like she had been thoroughly made love to, and it would not be a problem if she had chosen the right prince.

Andromeda lowered a hand over her cunt, pressing her fingers down. As she suspected, she was still slick with the aftermath of sex. She sighed and grabbed a towel from her rack, wiping herself. Thinking quickly, she walked out of the bathroom and dressed herself in the dress from last night and a cloak, trying to cover her bruises. She covered her head with the hood and walked out of her room, knowing what she had to do.

The princess made her way to the kitchen of the palace, hurrying past the cooks making breakfast for the royal court. When she spotted her golden-haired pseudo-mother she ran to her.

Ragna jumped when she saw the princess, raising a brow, "You look like a ghost, child. Why must you wear a cloak?"

Andromeda said nothing as she pulled the servant outside of the kitchen, keeping her head lowered. She took off her hood and Ragna smirked at the sight. The princess rolled her eyes, "I need you to retrieve something for me."

"Oh?" Ragna questioned, her eyes still on the young woman's neck.

"That potion…" Andromeda hinted slowly, widening her eyes.

"I understand, I will attain it."

The princess breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, I also require a bath in my room. Not Loki's, this is especially important."

Ragna's eyes searched her bronze face and she furrowed her brows, catching on quickly. "What happened?"

"I…" Andromeda trailed, swallowing, "I cannot say here, but when you bring my potion I will tell you. Just… please."

"Of course." Ragna nodded, "Right away, you do not have to worry."

Andromeda covered her head once more and walked back to her room, not making contact with anyone. Most of the kingdom was still asleep, which was in her favor. She reached her room without incident and sat on her bed, waiting for her bath water.

The princess' emotions were mixed as she stared at the painted Asgardian sky on her ceiling.

She had done it. She had really stooped to Loki's level, except even lower so because it was with his brother. His brother who he was deathly envious of. He could never find out. Gods, her mother would be so disappointed, or proud depending on the day.

The biggest problem she had with what she did was that she enjoyed it, immensely enjoyed it, more than she thought she would. The way he looked at her, his hands on her body, his mouth; she was reeling at the memory of it. He was so… tender towards her. It felt odd yet pleasant, like it had been done before. It awakened something in her.

Did she have feelings for Thor?

A knock at her door startled her out of her thoughts. She hurried to answer it and peeked out from the crack, relieved when she saw maternal blue eyes. She opened the door wider and servants came in after Ragna and Sylvi, filling the tub for her. When the others left, Ragna pulled a potion from her satchel.

"Thank you!" Andromeda nodded, snatching up the vial and gulping it down.

"You are welcome." Ragna nodded, helping the princess undress. She slipped the cloak off the woman's shoulders and untied the crude bow at the back of her dress.

"Oh my!" Sylvi exclaimed, her eyes tracing the royal's body. "You look like you went into battle last night!"

Andromeda's face flushed and she hurried into the bathroom. She lifted her curls above her head and lowered herself in the tub, dropping her hair over the side. The two women walked in after her and she hummed. "I need to cut my hair."

"You need to tell us what happened." Ragna uttered, taking a limb and scrubbing, "Besides, your hair is beautiful."

"My hair is long and tedious." Andromeda disagreed, "It's to my buttocks!"

"Men like long hair, that is why you seem to be having such a time." Sylvi added with a laugh.

The princess groaned, "Do not say that, now I want to cut it all off."

"What happened?" Ragna repeated herself from earlier, her steel eyes on the young woman.

Andromeda groaned as her skin was cleansed by the two. "You must promise never to repeat what I am about to say." She looked from one woman then the other for confirmation before continuing. "Last night, I saw Loki with another wench." She cleared her throat, "I mean woman. Agitated and saddened, I drank. A little more than I should have, I admit, but I was distraught. Somehow, someway I ended up sleeping with…" She paused, closing her eyes as she confessed her sin, "Thor."

The princess waited for a response but was met with silence. She opened her eyes and looked at the women. "What?" She questioned, looking for a reaction.

"With all due respect, your highness," Sylvi started, running soap through the girl's hair, "It is not very surprising. It was bound to happen sometime."

"I am trying very hard not to be offended." Andromeda set her jaw and pursed her lips, "Was it really not surprising?"

"If you would like, we could act surprised." Sylvi offered and Andromeda snorted.

"No that will not be necessary. My thoughts are now on how to keep Loki from finding out about my relations with his brother."

"Well you have our word we will not ever speak of it." Ragna assured her, rinsing the suds from her curls.

"And I do trust the two of you." Andromeda nodded, closing her eyes, "It is the eldest Odinson that I do not trust." She stood up in the tub and Ragna wrapped a towel around her, helping her step out of the tub.

"You believe he would tell his brother what transpired?" Sylvi asked and the princess nodded.

"To win my heart, yes." She answered as her body was dried, "Admittedly, this was not my best decision."

"What are you going to do?" Ragna questioned, wrapping a robe around her and sitting her down in front of the vanity.

Andromeda stayed silent as the two prepared her for the day. Her face was left bare as always, with just a hint of pink on her lips. Ragna and Sylvi mixed a concoction of powders to match her dark skin and covered the results of last night. Her hair was left down to provide further coverage and her signature crowns were placed on her head. She rose from the vanity and was dressed in a white gown, the color feeling oddly inappropriate. The dress fell off her shoulders, though the sleeves were long and flowy. It cinched at her waist and the fabric fell on to her body like liquid.

The princess stood in front of the mirror and played with her sleeve, letting out a quiet sigh. "I do not know what to do… Should I show my hand completely and tell Loki or should I hide it? Mother always said even the darkest valleys are lightened by the sun eventually." She chewed on her bottom lip and sighed once more, before shaking her head and leaving the room.

She padded down the hallway slowly, noting in her head that the stragglers from last night had woken up and left, leaving the halls bare. Her mind was clouded with thoughts, her brown eyes stormy. Andromeda played with her fingers absentmindedly; even in her worry, she was the epitome of beauty.

"Princess Andromeda!" A guard called to her and she turned around. He handed her a folded up script and bowed deeply, his fist over his chest, before leaving her.

Andromeda looked down at paper in her hands and chewed on her lip before unfolding it. It was written in basic norse. She swallowed thickly and balled up the note; she would have eaten it if she could.

Loki wanted to have lunch with her.

One glaring thought popped into her head; he knows. There was no other explanation. He had to know. But did he know that she knew?

Andromeda rubbed her temples and huffed, closing her eyes. She opened her eyes and continued walking, a sour look on her face. She passed a pillar and an arm shot out, wrapping itself around her waist and pulling her in.

"Thor." Andromeda breathed in relief.

The golden prince grinned down at her and brushed his lips against her cheek. "How do you fare on this beautiful morning, Andromeda?"

"Wonderful," Andromeda breathed, taking a step away from the prince, "And you?"

Thor smiled, "Excellent." He reached out to her once more and pushed her hair over her shoulder with a single finger, leaving her neck exposed. "You look radiant." He muttered, as he traced over the faint bruises.

Andromeda sighed lightly and closed her eyes before shaking her head, "Wait, Thor… I-!"

"I know." The prince interrupted, still smiling. "But I will change your mind, princess." He finished with a wink. He leaned away from her and put a fist over his chest, "I will not touch you again; unless you ask me to."

The princess smiled and nodded, standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him on the cheek, before twirling away. Andromeda covered her neck once more and chewed on her lip, trying not to think about the feeling of Thor's finger on her neck.

"Calm down." She snapped to herself lowly, "You are not a cat in heat!"

"Though you behave like one." A feminine voice rang in front of her.

Andromeda looked up and met the eyes of Sif. She rolled her own, "My friend are you still angry with me? Did you spend your night alone?"

"As a matter of fact I did." Sif answered, walking with the royal, "And I am! Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"Sif you are overreacting." Andromeda waved her statement off, before fibbing, "Nothing transpired between Thor and I; I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the bed."

Sif narrowed her eyes and stopped the bronze woman, looking into her ember eyes for any signs of lies. "You did not?" She questioned once more.

"No. I promise you." Andromeda replied evenly. Sif looked over her face once more before she caught sight of her neck. She moved her curls to the side and scoffed.

"Even with skin as sunkissed as yours I can see the bruises of a romp." Sif smiled bitterly and let her go. "You lie as smoothly as your lover. You belong together." She spat and marched away from the princess.

"Sif!" Andromeda called out to her, frowning deeply, "I did not mean to-!" Her words were too late, as the warrior had rounded the corner. The princess shook her head and turned around, making her way to her lunch date.

The young woman fiddled with the fabric of her dress as she floated to the room, her mind burdened with terrible thoughts. She had just lost a friend over a petty action.

Sif's relationship with Thor was odd, and anyone with eyes could see that the warrior was attracted to the crowned prince. Everyone except Thor it seemed, for his blue eyes were too busy watching Andromeda. It was like a fairytale gone wrong, and as always the story was in favor of the princess and not, for lack of better phrasing, the pauper.

Andromeda opened the heavy door to the chambers and glanced inside, before walking in completely. She adjusted her hair to cover her neck once again and smoothed out her dress. She took a deep breath and walked out to the balcony of the suite, where her dark prince was sitting at a table.

The scene was eerily familiar to her when she bent down and ghosted her lips over his temple before sitting across from him. "Good morning." She greeted, her smile more out of necessity than niceness.

"Good morning, my love." Loki relayed the greeting, the usual sly grin on his pale face. "Sleep well?" He questioned innocently enough, taking a sip of his drink.

"I always do." Andromeda answered without missing a beat. She reached for a pastry and took a small bite, swallowing before speaking. "How was your night?"

"Lonely without you by my side, Andromeda." Loki replied, before sighing, "I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. I was very cold to you and you are the last person I would want to isolate."

His words were sincere, as were his eyes when Andromeda looked into them. She smiled sweetly and reached over the table, taking his hand in hers. She leaned forward, as did he, and her breath played on his lips. She searched his eyes and just as she was about to kiss him she whispered, "I saw you."

The prince's face didn't change, though his eyes went from her lips to the fiery embers burning in a glare. "I do not know what you mean." He replied smoothly, the two of them still a hair away from each other.

Andromeda grinned spitefully, her grip tightening around Loki's hand. "Oh come now, God of Mischief," Her tone was dipped in sugar but her words were as bitter as a lemon, "You should know that you cannot lie to me."

Loki did not budge, "I am not-!"

"Do not lie! To! Me!" Andromeda's voice rose, as her fist hit the table. She let go of his hand and leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed, "Who is she? Some pale young maiden that idolizes you in a way that I cannot? What about her made you want to hurt me?"

"Andromeda, calm down." Loki waved off her anger, his tone nonchalant. "She was just some peasant."

Andromeda set her jaw and stood from the table, shaking her head incredulously. She marched away from the balcony; if she did not remove herself she would throw him off. Loki quickly rose from the table and followed her, grabbing her arm to keep her from leaving.

"Get off me!" The princess snatched her arm from him, quickly landing a slap on his cheek. "I hate you!"

Loki turned his head toward her and rolled his eyes, "You do not."

"I do!" Andromeda insisted, her hands balling into fists. "You promised! You told me you would not stray ever again! Yet I catch you in the garden with some lily white peasant! Is that what you want? Is my skin too dark for a crown prince of Asgard?"

"Andromeda you are beautiful." The prince assured her, his hands in her arms. "Your skin is beautiful, she had nothing on your beauty."

Andromeda pushed him away again, "Do not patronize me, Loki! If it was not her appearance than was it her charm? Her wit? Does she challenge you as I? Would you marry her?"

"I-!"

"No!" Andromeda interjected, "You would not. I am sick of feeling this way. I am sick of being sad. I am sick of you. Do you know how many men would love to be in my company?"

"Andromeda do not speak of such things." Loki snapped and she let out a dark chuckle.

"Why not? If you can share your seed with the pits of Asgard, why can't I share my flower?" Andromeda questioned, nose to nose with him.

"Because you belong to me." The prince nearly growled, his green eyes glaring at her.

"I am not an object to be owned," Andromeda yelled, exasperated. Tears began to line her eyes but she pushed through them to get her point across, "I am not even your wife."

"You act like this and you wonder why."

The words made Andromeda freeze and her mouth gaped. She swallowed the sob in her throat and pursed her lips, a tear betraying her stoic expression. She stood there for a moment and waited for him to take it back, to apologize, to say something but he didn't. He just stared at her with eyes so empty they scared her.

"Well." She breathed, smoothing out her dress, "Thank you for finally allowing me to see how you really feel about me." She spared him one last look and picked up her dress in her hands, running out of the room.

Once she was out in the hallway, she began to walk. She had no destination in mind; she did not even want to go to her garden. So she just walked, her face akin to a ghost and her eyes glazed over.

"Andromeda!" A booming voice called out to her belonging to her only friend. She stopped walking but did not turn around.

"Thor…" She whispered, her eyes searching his face once he was in front of her.

The golden prince looked down at the bronzed woman with shining eyes, before he read her expression. "Oh Andromeda…" He muttered, his hand caressing her cheek. "What has he-!"

"I want to drink." The broken woman rasped, before he could finish, "Can we drink?"

The prince nodded in understanding and led her to his chambers. He sat her down in the common area and fixed her a drink from his cabinet, before deciding to bring the whole bottle to her. Within an hour, the room was still silent, but the mood was a little lighter.

Andromeda leaned into the cushions of the sofa, the liquor warming her body. Her mind was off of Loki and she was in a rare place she got into when she was distressed. The only thing she was thinking about now was how in the world Thor lifted up at hammer.

"Is it heavy?" She questioned, her head tilted in wonder.

Thor took a sip of his drink and shook his head, grinning slyly, "Only I can posses it."

"Really?" Andromeda asked, getting up from the couch. She wrapped her dainty hands around the handle and pulled with all her might, letting out a puff a breath. When she wasn't successful she turned to Thor with a playful pout. "I guess I am not worthy."

The prince chuckled and stood up from his seat, "Place your hands on Mjolnir again, Andromeda." The princess did what she was told and Thor put his large hands over hers. "Try again." He muttered and with his help, she lifted the hammer.

"Together," His warm breath caressed her ear like a kiss, "We are worthy."

Andromeda's eyes fluttered and her stomach felt warm, but it was a different warmth from an ale-induced glow. She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at Thor to the side of her before he helped her lower the hammer. She stepped away from him and looked up at the prince with squinted eyes, a light seeming to shine around him.

"Andromeda?" Thor muttered, with furrowed brows, "Are you alright?"

Andromeda just padded up to him and wrapped her arms around his body, pressing her cheek against his chest. "Thank you."

Thor returned the embrace immediately, placing his chin on the top of her head. "Anything for you, princess." He sighed into her hair. He leaned away from her and brushed his lips against her forehead. The woman leaned into the kiss as his lips lingered on her skin.

"You always know how to make me feel better." Andromeda murmured, her eyes closed.

Thor clenched his jaw and his arms grew tighter around her, "I could make you so happy, Andromeda." He uttered, his words barely audible.

"You already are." She whispered, and she felt him lowly chuckle.

"You know what I mean." He separated from her, though his arms were still on her waist. His blue eyes mirrored the sky with such an intensity that Andromeda had to look away. He took a step away from her and sat down, "Though I respect your wishes." He said, taking a sip of his forgotten drink.

Andromeda bit her lip and watched the eldest prince smirk at her from behind his glass. "Gods help me…" She uttered, sitting down next to him and throwing her drink back.