Part Two:

You walked down the busy streets of the city trying to walk past the people without touching them. You couldn't risk anyone bumping into you and getting your robes down onto the ground revealing your identity. Vendors yelled loudly around you trying to sell their goods, maids and commoners hurried to their duties while you could smell the fresh pastries, vegetables, fruits and wines' smell.

A scent hit your nose making your mouth salivate. It was a roasted deer spiced with pepper and with a lot of potato and garlic roasted with the meat. You weren't completely elven which meant you could try out meat but not as much as a human could eat. Your stomach grumbled but you just ignored it and continued to walk to the palace. You were here because more important cases than your stomach. As you got closer and closer to the palace the houses and people changed as well from poor to the richest ones. Women wore jewels and gowns from expansive fabric while men wore clothes showing off their titles and every of them wore a sword or some kind of weapon on their belts. You drew their attention and you knew you had to hurry if you didn't want the guards to drag you in the palace like you were some kind of lowlife.

You just got out of jail you didn't need to be on that side of the metal bars. The moment you reached the palace's gates guards crossed their spears in front of the gates as you approached them. You knew it would come but you knew it would've cost more energy for you to just sneak inside and you weren't a common visitor of these walls anymore the secret passageways must have been moved and you would end up lost.

'Clarify yourself' spoke up one of the guards. You pushed your hood back to reveal your identity earning a curious stare from both of them. Your cat like (e/c) eyes looked at them coldly.

'I am high ranked visitor of prince Thor. How dare you stop me when I have an urgent case to deliver to him?' you asked faking anger. It usually worked if they were dumb enough. However you weren't so lucky now.

'Who. Are. You?' asked the other guard impatiently. You narrowed your eyes at them and changed to plan B.

'If you really want to know, I am Princess (Name), the heir of the Alagaësian elven kingdom, the childhood friend of the princes. If you wish to question my identity you can always send for Thor and he will clarify my rank and identity to you' you answered not wavering for a second. 'I can wait for his answer here as long as I need to. Thereon! Chop chop!' you waved with your hand dismissively faking impatience. You saw the other guard gulp nervously realizing that only a royal could act this way. You yourself despised this kind of behavior from the nobles and royal people who would need to be the most caring and kind people for their people but you could make things faster this way.

'All right' nodded the nervous guard and went off hurriedly to send for Thor while the other guard eyed you warily your own gaze not showing fear. You stood silently for more than fifteen minutes until a booming voice interrupted your thoughts about just jumping over the gates and running inside to the throne room where you would surely find the blonde.

'(Name), is that really you?!' came a tall… no, that man was more like a bear compared to you, blonde and bearded man. He wore red cape and silver armor with dark blue pants and black boots. His muscles bulged on his arms and you were sure the armor could only contain his muscles on his torso straining.

'Thor? Is that you?' your face changed to a soft and happy expression from the grim and cold one. 'Oh, a long period of time passed by us, indeed…' you walked inside the gates towards the blonde.

'(Name)! What a surprise! After so long!' he picked you up happily and twirled around with you in his arms while you felt all of the air leave your lungs. 'What happened to you? Where is Srunugr?'

Your heart stopped at that question when you heard it and you didn't even realize he already put you down. You could hear fire crunching in the distance, metal meet with metal, painful screams of elves and humans, desperate orders from the commanders of each division… but the only thing you remembered of it all was Srunugr's last howl falling to the ground by a sword pushed through his heart. Thor's large and firm hand touching your face and wiping a tear from your cheek woke you from your daydream.

'I should not have asked that… I am sorry for your loss, (Name)' he sighed with pity in his eyes. He pulled you in a tight hug and petted your hair soothingly. You sniffed at his scent and you found it quite tolerable. You remembered how badly he smelled usually because of the lot of sparring and training when you were younger.

'I have lost my other half, Thor… Two hundred years passed since that and I could not stay at my home land anymore. I just had to come here… away from… that…' you pulled away and wiped at your eyes with your wrists. You looked up at him and smiled at him trying to tell him that you would be okay with time.

'Well… you are always welcomed here, (Name)' he circled an arm around your shoulders and started leading you inside of the palace. 'Do you want your old room or would you prefer a new one?'

'Any room would be good, Thor… and please do not send me maids to help me with anything because I am capable of making my own bath or dress up, okay?' you smirked.

'It is their duty to help you, that is why we pay them, you know… they would come and want to help you on their own fearing they would lose their job' he answered making you sigh in defeat.

You walked with him down corridors after corridors until you found yourself in front of a large pair of doors painted in gold. Thor knocked on them without a word before he pushed them open and looked back at you to follow him.

'Mother, Father, we have a visitor… from Alagaësia' spoke up the blonde turning his parents' attention on him and eventually on you as they sat in chairs. Odin was seated behind his work desk while Frigga sat in another chair reading a book. The queen's eyes shot up to you and the book was long forgotten as she made her way to you and pulled you into a tight embrace.

'Oh, my child! How pleasant of a surprise is this?!' she sighed hugging you tightly.

'Last time you resided on Asgard you left in a hurry… it is fortunate to see you again, princess' boomed Odin standing up from his chair and walking to you lifting your hand up to his mouth and breathing a soft kiss to your knuckles.

'What happened to you? Are you alright? What happened on Alagaësia?!' asked Frigga not waiting for an answer. 'How could they drag you back and immediately onto the battlefield?! You were just a child! It was a blameworthy deed on your mother's part… you were so young yet you had to see so many…'

You looked down on your combat boots and tried to gather the courage to talk about what have happened. Tears welled up in your eyes as you thought back to the time you had to watch all of your friends and family die. Your father was still alive but you did irrevocable things to him pushing him away… far, far away from your reach. You missed him so much… he was your master too and he was always in a special place in your heart.

'Yes… a battle is not for a child… but difficult times requires difficult decisions. Queen Arya has died and… my father took her place' you spoke up your voice changing at the word who took her place on the throne. 'However… I came here because all the time that passed, my heart still aches after Srunugr like it happened two seconds ago. I have failed my dragon, my only companion through life, my best friend and the only one who could understand me and accept me the way I am. I could not stay in my home everything reminding me of my loss.'

'Oh my child!' gasped Frigga hugging you again. 'That is horrible…'

'I only ask for your hospitality as long as I can recover to go back and sort things out the way my mother would do. My people does not deserve the misery my… father brings them. But with a clouded head I cannot help them…' you looked at Odin meaningfully.

'What are you talking about, my child?' asked the old king confusion on his features. 'Do you think Vraë is not fitting for the throne?'

'I saw with my own eyes how he treats everyone who disobeyed him in anyway. I saw how he persecuted the Riders because he has a few disagreements with my master, Eragon Elda. He only sees what he wants to and not what he needs to see.' you answered trying to stay polite and diplomatic. 'Did he try to reassure you, your Highness of how well the elves are? Did he approach you already? Because all he showed you were illusions and lies.'

'He told us about… that you could lose your sanity due to losing your dragon. These were his own words, my child' admitted Odin. 'Does he mean a threat to the other realms? Should we be cautious?'

'You believe me instead of him?' you asked completely surprised. You were imprisoned because no one believed you. You were locked up because they assumed you were mad when you only saw the truth.

'Should we not?' asked back Odin. '(Name), during my rule, I have seen a lot of attempt at taking power away from others out of greed or jealousy. In your eyes, I can see none of them. I can see your mother's knowledge and tenacity, nobility, strength, power, care. Not everyone, moreover, only a few are born with these characteristics. When he contacted my court, Frigga and I could clearly see the falseness of his every word… we even asked for Loki to join us for that one.'

'He could see through Vraë…' you realized earning a nod from both royals.

'It is already late to discuss such matters and you look tired, (Name). I will escort you to your chambers' smiled at you the queen intertwining your arms at your elbows. You didn't even have the time to curtsy to the king and Thor before she led you out of the room. The walk to your chambers was silent and you felt more and more uncomfortable at the queen's silence. You felt like she knew exactly what she wanted to say but she wanted to wait for the right moment. At a corner you turned on her soft voice broke the quiet finally.

'Do you wish to know where Loki is right now? You two had quite the friendship that time' she said. You sighed heavily with a sad smile on your lips.

'I assume he would not recognize me or if he would do he would not want to do anything with me. I left him alone to deal with life when he asked me not to. And I am certain that he have found a suitor already' you answered your heartbreak paining you.

'You did not hear the things he did? Why he is in prison?' asked the queen surprised. You stopped dead in your tracks with wide eyes.

'What have happened to him? Is he alright? Is he in pain? Will he be executed?' you asked jabbering. You grabbed Frigga's elbows and shook them. 'Where is the dungeon? Which way should I go?'

'I will escort you to him' smiled sadly the golden haired woman.

Time skip~

Loki's PoV.

I sat in a black carpeted armchair waiting for my dinner like usual. Surprisingly it was edible and never poisoned which truly surprised me considering how furious I made Odin last time we met. It brought a smirk to my lips as I thought back to the way his nostrils flared with rage, how his face changed into blood red and how he shouted at me.

The book I was reading was one of my favorites however it did not satisfy my need for mischief. The damn barrier secured my magic within my cell which was absolutely boring. I was out of ideas how I could frighten the guards with the image of a beast in the cell instead of myself. I heard steps from the corridor.

'Finally… I thought the All-Father would try with starving me to death this time' I spoke up while putting the book down on the table but it was not a guard's voice replying.

'Your father would not try to kill you, Loki' sounded the calm and always so soft voice from the other side of the barrier.

'Mother… did you not give up hope of making me see the light?' I asked sarcastically.

'Today I brought you a visitor' answered mother. I lifted my head to spot someone I never hoped to see ever again. That woman there, next to my mother, wore the only love's face I knew. That woman had the same (e/c) eyes, pointed chin and fair skin she had.

'Who are you?' I asked quietly anger slowly rising inside my chest. I do not know what is that supposed to be but if it is a trick I will slit the throat of the one who dared to wear the only woman's face I ever loved. When she did not answer me I jumped to my feet and went as close to the energy barrier as I could. 'WHO ARE YOU?!'

'I suppose the phrase that war changes a person is true… am I really that different, Loki?' asked the woman with a sad smile on her face. I tsk-ed and shook my head. If she wanted to play it this way I will surely play along.

'We all changed then' I replied. I turned away and started pacing back and forth in front of them feeling mother's disapproving gaze on my form. I knew it couldn't be (Name). It must have been an illusion, some kind of torture of the All-Father. I knew he would start torturing me after a while and I knew I couldn't let him get to me. 'Tell me, how did the All-Father do this?' I motioned all over her form. 'Taking on the woman's face I called my friend once on you?'

'I am the one you called friend' she hissed the last word irritated. I quirked an eyebrow, not feigning my surprise. She looked hurt at the fact I called her friend and not more.

'I need to accept that you are a good actor… mother please tell, father that he can double the money he would have given to her' I turned to mother who started shaking her head. Did any of them think it was a game?! I knew I could show my rage at any moment and would erupt so I had to cut it short.

'I am no actor, Loki. Look at me and try to look farther than your nose to see the one you sneaked out in the middle of the night to play hide and seek in the library or the one who gave you the case knife which is on your belt even now, after all this time! Look at me!' she shouted angrily which only made me angrier. How could she know about it?! How could Odin tell her such things when I hid every evidence of my affection towards her?!

'YOU ARE NOT HER! YOU CANNOT BE HER! SHE DIED!' I shouted not bearing it anymore. The illusionist stepped back with tears in her eyes, her mouth ajar and disbelief clearly on her face. What left me speechless was the next thing she said.

'Yes, I died Loki… but I promised you something on that night… and I came to fulfill it' her voice rang in my head even after hours of her departure. She couldn't be (Name)… she couldn't be…

To be continued…