Part Three:

The night has fallen down bringing cold winds run along the corridors of the Asgardian palace. Everyone was already asleep in their bedchambers however two little kids were still running around with a shrieking baby dragon in their tracks.

You visited again to Asgard after your master let you take a few months break from your Rider training. You were the youngest Rider amongst the others who were already reaching adulthood. You knew they would never try anything because well, you were the princess of Du Weldenwarden but you still felt on edge amongst them. Here with your friends and Loki you felt free and happy.

You ran down the corridor to the royal library, your favorite spot in the palace while Loki tried to follow you with Srunugr who could now fly with his small but strong wings. A voice in your head tried to stop you as it whined.

'(Nameeeeeee)! Stop! I… too slow!' you heard the little dragon's voice in your head making you stop in your tracks. He never said anything before except your name. These were his first real words.

'Srunugr? Did you just talk?' you asked turning around and facing the baby dragon and a confused Loki. He looked at you concerned as he watched you eye the dragon without a word.

'Why would I not?' asked Srunugr confused.

'How long do you know how to speak?' you asked putting your hands on your hips.

'Saphira elda teach me listen you speak. She say I can learn' answered the dragon landing on the marble floor and galloping to you before placing his two paws/legs on your knees and leaning on them to get closer to your height.

'What are you doing? (Name)?' asked Loki shaking your shoulder with one hand. You looked up at him with sparkling eyes and smiled at him widely.

'Srunugr finally started speaking!' you shrieked with happiness. Loki's eyes widened at that and his smile grew with yours before he started speaking to the both of you telepathically. That night went with hide-and-seek in the library and sharing stories about your nations. You lied on your back facing the high ceiling above you Loki on your left side in the same position. He was silent since a long time and you were worried if he fell asleep so you turned your head to see his profile in this glorious peace. You turned completely towards him but he didn't notice you moving as you stared at him in pure wonder.

He was like a painting and you just wanted to touch his high cheekbones. Loki turned to you suddenly making you jump in surprise and you blushed your heart racing in your chest.

'What are you looking at?' he asked concerned. You just stared at him for a few seconds before the words left your lips quietly.

'You're beautiful' you said making him blush but you had to shoo away the moment by adding: 'Like a princess.'

Loki's face became crimson red in embarrassment before he shoved you back hard and started the wrestling you were usually ending up everytime you hanged out with him alone. Somehow Frigga always knew that the two of you were fighting as this time and scolded both of you. It only brought wide smiles on your faces and you and Loki just kept laughing at it in your chambers when he sneaked in and slept next to you in your bed.

You jolted into a sitting position in your bed, cold sweat covering your skin and making your hair stick to your forehead. You took deep and sharp breathes while you tried to calm yourself down. You dreamt about your childhood spent here, in Asgard since the night you first fell in bed in your chambers.

You looked around and slowly calmed down processing where you were. Maids hurried inside your door looking at you worriedly.

'Are you alright, my lady?' asked one of them with blonde curly hair, blue-grey eyes and pointed nose. She wore the usual maid clothes and had clothes in her hands.

'I don't need assistance at dressing up… I can do it myself.' you said not wanting to see any of them the scars you received from the war. You didn't want to frighten these young maidens.

'But, my lady…' she tried to protest.

'Please' you shook your head. She walked up to you and placed the clothes on your bed before she left with the other two maids closing the door and bringing silence into your chambers. You sat in bed in the same position for a while until you felt like you could move. You got out of bed and grabbed the clothes eying them. It was an Asgardian green gown, with golden metal accessories attached to the fabric. You shook your head before sighing in defeat and took your night gown off leaving it on the floor and walking to your bathroom. You filled the tab and climbed in. After a long bath you dried yourself off and went back to your bedchambers to change into the gown you got. To your surprise Lady Sif was standing in your room waiting for you. Her long brown hair was still fastened into a ponytail on the top of her head while she wore her leather and metal armor. Her eyes widened at your bare form and a slight pink hue appeared on her cheeks.

'My princess, I was tasked to escort you to the dining hall' she announced. You quirked an eyebrow and chuckled at her face.

'Sif, you shouldn't call me princess! To you, I am always a friend' you smiled at her before embracing her in a tight hug making her blush more because you were still bare.

'(Name), would you please put on something already?' she asked embarrassed. You chuckled again before taking on your undergarments and turning to Sif with the gown in your hands.

'Would you help me?' you asked. She rolled her eyes but helped you put on your gown. 'How are you?'

'Excellent' she replied smiling politely. You furrowed your eyebrows.

'Something's bothering you… what is it?' you asked.

'There is nothing bothering me, (Name)' she shook her head but you just narrowed your eyes at her. Sif sighed defeated and answered you. 'I saw your scars… they are from a war. That is why you disappeared all those years ago?'

You looked down on your feet searching for the right words to not tell her too much but tell her enough. She was your friend and you always told her about everything. You trusted her… but the secret you were hiding was bigger than any trust you built up with her. You knew at some point you would have to talk about it and you wanted to try out the words before you would go to Odin. You looked back up at her and smiled sadly.

'Yes… my queen asked me to go back to my home to join the Alagaësian forces. A neighboring kingdom, the realm of the dead, The'odangäte decided to attack us with their half-dead soldiers. The frightening thing was that no matter how deadly you wounded them they just kept walking towards you and if you couldn't avoid them or stick your sword in their head they chewed down the skin and meat from your bones while you could only cry for death to take you finally.' you said burning fire in your eyes as you thought back how your friends on the battlefield fell. 'But the soulless king of the kingdom sent soulless soldiers, his elite forces. The few of us who survived the first wave of the attackers had to face the cruelest, most ruthless warriors. One of them, a half blind one with a scar running along his left eye was the one who stabbed Srunugr in the heart. After the war… my king locked me up in a cell because my mother wanted to leave the throne to me and not him. I would've let him get the throne anyway… but I saw how he cannot fulfill a ruler's duties. I escaped and came here to find protection for as long as I gather the power to go back and fight him.'

You watched the warrior woman's mouth open in utter shock. You always called Arya queen instead of mother… after the fight you had with her. She kept your true origin from you telling you that Vraë was your father. Vraë always hate you and scolded you for everything. You couldn't do anything to please him and when you saw your queen interact with your master you realized why. Sif changed the subject as you followed her out to the dining hall but all you could think about was the fight you had with Arya and the truth. You still were deep in your thoughts when someone poked you in the shoulder. You jumped in surprise and snapped your head to the intruder of your thoughts.

'(Name)… were you even listening?' asked Sif furrowing her eyebrows at you. You sighed heavily and shook your head.

'I'm sorry, Sif… sometimes I go back to the past unconsciously… and stuck in my memories…' you smiled sadly. 'If you excuse me…' you stood up from the table and left the dining hall not noticing the way the royal couple looked at you worriedly. The only thing you could think was to go to Loki. You needed him even if he refused to accept the fact that you were alive. He thought it was all some kind of game of the All-Father as punishment and you wanted to tell him how wrong he was.

You hurried down the corridors straight for the dungeons. The guards at the doors let you in not asking who you were or why you wanted to enter. As you walked towards his cell you felt someone else's presence behind you. You turned around sharp and saw Thor walking to you.

'I wish not to be rude, my friend, but I wish to speak with Loki alone' you said coldly.

'(Name), you are my friend and you know you can trust me. I know that something's bothering you… tell me what it is and I may be of help' he stopped in front of you with pleading sky blue eyes looking into your eyes.

'Oh, Thor… I know that well… but you would be the one who would lose your trust in me if I would to tell you the truth' you shook your head smiling sadly. Thor cupped your cheeks with worried eyes looking deep into yours.

'You are like a sister to me… there is nothing you could do to lose my trust' he replied trying to reassure you. You patted his arm before pulling away from him.

'One day, I will tell you, I promise this… right now, I have to repair the relationship I had with Loki' you turned around and this time the blonde didn't follow you. You walked along the rows of cells while ignoring the sounds the prisoners made in the cell. They were disgusting, filthy creatures who needed punishment and they didn't worth even your glance. You kept a cold and hard expression on your face while you strode down the right row to his cell.

When you reached it you saw Loki lying on his back on his bed one arm propped under his head while the other kept a book above his face. He looked… adult. His legs were long and he was tall even as a teenager when you last saw him but… now he had miles long legs, a well-built body, his shoulders broad and his arms strong. You could see that he had an iron grip and his strength radiated from him. You smirked before you spoke up.

'You are still as beautiful as a princess' your voice echoed through the area because all around him the cells were empty to not let him manipulate the other prisoners into dumb decisions. You saw his body tense up and he slowly sat up in his bed putting the book away on the nightstand. You waited for him to answer while he got out of bed and walked to the comfortable armchair by the barrier.

'And you still are an actor' his deep voice filled the air around you.

'You are still not looking farther than your nose…' you shook your head disappointedly. 'Test me, and you will see who I really am.'

'Who you really are? I expected you to say something as "that you are the real (Name)"' quirked an eyebrow as he crossed his legs and arms looking at you. Your mouth twitched slightly holding back the quiet laughter you were about to let out.

'I told you… war changes us. I am no longer the person you knew but I am the one you knew once' you answered calmly. It always irked him when you could keep your cool in every situation. It was somehow frightening to some. Loki's expression changed for a second into curiosity but changed back into the blank mask he wore.

'Let's suppose that I believe you' started Loki while unwrapped his arms, reaching out for a green apple on the table he had next to him. 'Why should I want to know you? Want to see you?'

'Because you still love me' you answered showing certainty when you were all but certain about it. You wanted him to still love you because all those years all you did was crave for him. You needed him to still love you because he was the only one you could trust as much as you did.

Suddenly his hand stopped in midair with the apple in his grip his face snapping to you his blue eyes glaring daggers in your skull. Anger was clear on his face and a cold pain gripped your heart.

'YOU LEFT ME THERE! YOU LEFT ME WHEN ALL I ASKED FOR YOU WAS TO STAY! YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE I COULD HAVE FOUND THE PLACE WHERE NO ONE COULD REACH ME! YOU WERE EVERYTHING TO ME AND YOU LEFT. ME. THERE!' he shouted at you tears in his eyes.

'YES, I LEFT YOU BEHIND BECAUSE I HAD DUTIES TOWARDS MY HOME! I AM WELL AWARE OF THE FACT THAT IF I HAVE STAYED HERE I WOULDN'T HAVE TO ENDURE THE LOSS OF SRUNUGR OR MY MOTHER! I WAS LOCKED UP FOR TWO HUNDRED YEARS BECAUSE I AM JUST A BASTARD OF MY MOTHER'S!' you shouted back angrily at yourself. You were angry because if you would've refused to go back that night, you would've saved Srunugr and maybe Loki. Your anger contorted face surprised Loki and you felt the tears rolling down on your cheeks.

'What?' he asked quietly processing what you just said. You couldn't help but jump back to the memory.

Flashback~

You walked down the corridor of the palace of Ellesméra on a sunny day. You were called back from the headquarters of the new academy of Riders for an official case. Arya wished to teach you the aspects of ruling so you had to go back to the elven capital. This time your master, Eragon-elda accompanied you which surprised you but didn't say a word because he was like your father.

You were about to join the council of elves on an important matter that day when you crossed the corridor to the room of your mother's and accidently peaked in her room. You froze at the sight and didn't want to believe your eyes. Arya stood with her back to you, her long raven black hair falling free while she was grabbing at Eragon's linen shirt pulling his face close to her, his hands on her waist. You felt betrayed. You knew Arya wasn't at the best terms with Vraë but this was something you never expected your mother would ever do. You didn't realize your lips part and your voice leave your throat until they turned to you frightened.

'Mother?' you asked quietly concerned of what you just saw.

'(Name)…' gasped shocked Arya hurrying to you.

'Are… you seeing each other? Behind father's back?' you asked still not processing the meaning of this.

'I… Yes…' she nodded but you saw the look on your master's face. He was… sad. You furrowed your eyebrows at his expression.

'There's more to it… isn't there?' you asked cautiously.

'I think it's time to tell her the truth, Arya' looked Eragon to the elven queen who just kept looking at you. You looked at her furrowing your eyebrows.

'What truth?' you asked as she closed her eyes.

'Vraë is not your father' whispered Arya her expression growing sad and regretting.

'Don't tell me that…' you pointed at your master in utter shock before looking at him. You snapped to the mirror you could see yourself in and noticed the similarity immediately. Your nose, your ears and your chin… it all looked like Eragon's. However your eye and hair color was different you were still similar to him. 'Everything was true… they said I must be related to you, master… they said I was treated differently… was I?'

'I never treated you differently, (Name). Yes, you're my daughter but that doesn't mea-' he started.

'You lied to me! All of you! How could you?! Why?!' you shouted angrily tears pricking at your eyes. You turned around and ran out of the room even if you heard their voices crying out after you but you didn't care. You just ran and ran until you reached Srunugr who were in the dragon barns. He asked you what was wrong but you only told him to fly to the portal to go to Asgard.

End of flashback~

Someone shook you by your shoulders wildly when you finally woke from your memories. You looked around frightened and saw Loki's cell… but from the inside. You were inside his cell, in his arms. You gasped surprised and looked into the blue eyes you wanted to look in for so many years.

'(Name), (Name)… are you with me?' he asked concerned. It was genuine concern as he searched for something in your face.

'Y-yes…' you choked out shaking like a leaf. 'I'm so sorry, Loki… I should've stayed… I should've become your queen' you whispered crying into his chest as he held you tight to his torso.

'We share the same destiny' he smiled sadly down at you. 'They need to blame someone to right their wrongs.'

'Help me, Loki… and you will be a king… my king' you replied quietly hugging him tightly.

'Tell me what to do and you will get it the moment it left your lips' he pulled away a little to look into your eyes. He said the truth. He was genuine about it and you smiled up at him happily cupping his cheeks.

'You are the only thing I want' you whispered your heart pounding in your chest. Somewhere you knew you were insane partially but you knew Loki would be the best partner for you. He was just as mad as you.

'I thought you dead for so long… I am not going to let you go this time' he said before pulling you into his body pressing his lips to yours in a hungry kiss.

To be continued…