Okay, here's Chapter Two! Two updates in one day, which will most likely never happen again! Anyway enjoy and review!

Aurora and Miabella walked through the halls of Asgard with smiles on their faces and a spring in their steps. Though they had served at Asgard for many years –one more than the other- neither had ever attended a feast before, and they were more than excited to get to see one with their own eyes.

This all changed when the couple rounded the final corner leading to the Grand Hall. Aurora was caught off guard and knocked to the ground by a speeding Loki.

"Watch where you are going!" Loki spat at her in a rage. He didn't even look at her face, he just continued walking down the halls at a fast pace, never turning back.

The pain from falling to the ground had been nothing compared to the pain Aurora felt from being spoken to like that. As she got to her feet, she brushed off the non-existent dust from her clothing and turned back to face a worried Miabella.

"Dearie, are you okay?" Miabella asked concernedly, raising a withered hand to touch her cheek.

Aurora nodded in a hopefully convincing manner, "I'm fine, I'm fine." She turned to look in the direction Loki had sped off in, "Listen, I don't think I want to go to the feast anymore."

"But dear-

"Sorry Miabella. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Miabella nodded with a little too much understanding for Aurora's liking. "Of course. You know where to find me if you need me." And with that, Miabella began walking once more in the direction of the Grand Hall and off to the feast they had both been so excited about attending.

Aurora sighed deeply and began to walk in Loki's direction. She had no idea what she would say to him once she had found him. It had been plainly obvious that something had upset him. Yes, it was well known that Loki wasn't the nicest to the staff, but Aurora had hoped that had changed since their relationship had begun. Obviously not, she thought dejectedly.

After a lonely fifteen minutes of searching, Aurora finally came upon the Library, which she couldn't help but notice, had lights on. Found you, Aurora felt relieved.

Loki looked pathetic, with his legs crossed underneath his and his face in his hands. Aurora couldn't help but feel sorry for him, which was rare since he was rarely the one in need of comfort or sympathy.

"Loki," Aurora said softly. Loki lifted his head from his hands and met her comforting gaze with an icy glare. "What's wrong?"

"It doesn't concern you," he muttered coldly.

Aurora stepped hesitantly toward him. She tried again, "Loki-

"I said it doesn't concern you!" he snarled. Aurora froze in shock and fear. Not once had Loki raised his voice at her, and it was truly frightening.

Loki sighed and softened his gaze. "Father wants- no, has ordered that I marry Elphaba."

Aurora felt her heart break, though she didn't know why. She loved Loki more than any man she had ever met, but she had always known that they could never be together. It was just luck that had gotten them together, and personally, she felt she was all out of it.

"Well," she began sadly, "We always knew this day was coming."

"What do you mean?" he questioned, still using a harsh and slightly cold tone.

Aurora walked towards him once more and knelt down on the floor in front of his chair so that she was kneeling before him. She placed a loving hand on his knee and used her thumb to rub soothing circles on it.

"We always knew that this," she gestured between them, "Was not permanent, no matter how much I wish it was."

Loki placed a hand on top of the one she had placed on his knee, stopping the movement and gaining her attention.

"It's not about that," he said sharply.

"Oh," was all she could get out.

"It's," he began, but seemed to struggle to find the rest of the words, "I've always done things of my own accord, and this wasn't in the plan. Truthfully, I detest Elphaba. She is vein and rude and thinks she is above others. I could never see myself settling down with one person, never mind marrying or having children."

Though Aurora had listened to the whole speech, the part that struck her was the 'never see myself settling down with one person'. Wasn't that what they had been doing for the past few months? No, she told herself, that's what you were doing. Aurora berated herself mentally, for she had always known that Loki had been with other women while he had been with her.

"Just leave," he said quietly, "Please."

Aurora nodded her head and silently moved away from him. When she had reached the door she turned around, hoping to see him rising and moving to follow her out. She berated herself again. Of course he wasn't going to do that, he had basically just admitted that he didn't love her.

That was the last time Aurora saw Loki.

Only minutes after Loki had left the Grand Hall, Elphaba herself had announced that she was tired and was going to retire to her chambers. Everyone had bid her a goodnight and nice dreams, and she had made her way out of the Grand Hall.

"Oh, milady," an old maid gasped. She hurried into a curtsey and lowered her head.

Elphaba waved an uninterested hand and just moved past the plump woman. She thought, though, that she had heard the maid mutter something along the lines of, "Never liked her." It wouldn't shock her though as she had heard it many times.

As she walked through the empty halls, she cursed Odin for giving her the chambers on the other side of the Palace. Old fool, she thought scathingly.

Just as she past the Library, she heard Loki seemingly arguing with someone. Elphaba peered through the small gap in the door, and saw what had to be a maid touching Loki. That wasn't what annoyed her though, it was the fact that she wasn't recoiling in disgust, as he did when she touched him in some way.

"-truthfully, I detest Elphaba. She is vein and rude and thinks she is above others. I could never see myself settling down with one person, never mind marrying or having children."

Anger and hatred filled Elphaba and the need to hurt him just intensified. Underneath though, she was hurt. Elphaba was beautiful, with long blonde hair and blue eyes, and was a princess. What didn't she have? All she knew was that she needed to get out of this marriage. How was she going to do that though?

Once Elphaba had made it back to her chambers, she sat for hours on her bed thinking of every piece of information she had ever learned or been told about arranged marriages between royalties. Elphaba remembered things like 'If one party already has an heir by a different source, the betrothal is declared null and void,' and 'Divorce between the parties is illegal and the marriage may only be finished if one dies'. So, either she had to find herself a child by the end of the year, or he had to die.

Elphaba placed her head in her hands with a groan and flopped back on the bed.

Review and read next time! Have a nice night, and a happy Halloween for tomorrow! x