As the next day dawned, my handmaiden's entered after I awoke. They made my bed and began to clean my room for me. As I walked to the bookshelf, my finger stretched out, tempting to touch the books that sat there, the doors to my bedroom opened. I turned to find a guard standing there waiting. As I stood up, the guard bowed his head at me.

"My lady, King Loki has requested your presence in the gardens." He proclaimed. I contemplated the offer for a moment before nodding and following the guard out to the gardens. Two handmaidens followed behind me. I had made a point of learning all their names, making sure I was kind to them and friendly. I didn't want to be too much of a hassle. So as we walked outside into the light Asgardian fresh air, Mara and Lori followed closely behind, their heads bowed and ready to receive any order or request I asked of them. The guard left as Loki came into view. He had his back to me, looking up into the sky, his hands behind his back. As I made my way towards him, he glanced over his shoulder, smiling.

"I wasn't sure if you would come." He said, amused.

"Well it's better than sitting in my room all day." I shrugged my shoulders. He chuckled at me.

"Is it?" He glanced back to the city below him, the gardens were up high. Lush greenery surrounded us in all directions, flowers dotting the tops of shrubs and hedges. I looked around at the garden.

"This is nice."

"That is the intention of a garden my Lady, to bring joy to the one who wanders through it." His voice was light and warm. I struggled to understand how a man as friendly as he was to me, could be such a cold hearted killer.

"So what's the plan for today?" I asked. Loki turned to face me now. His hand reached for mine, squeezing it gently. I looked down at it for a moment, pondering whether I should pull my hand back or not.

"You are confused." He noted. "What of?"

"Well, you stab a guy to death one minute, and the next, your golding my hand like it's the most precious thing in the world." I explained, my brows furrowed. His face went serious for a moment.

"Need I remind you that guard was intent on hurting you."

"He was only standing up for you, doing what he thought was right." I argued.

"As was I." He replied, his voice controlled and calm.

"And what about New York?"

"What about it? I was simply trying to help your kind." He explained, making me scoff at the cop out.

"So trying to destroy an entire city is how you try to help us." I shook my head in disbelief.

"Your people kill each other out of pride, differences and hate. I merely attempted to subjugate your people to be unified under one rule. What is wrong with that?" His body had turned to face me completely, his hand still held mine, but his eyebrows furrowed as he spoke.

"Dictatorships haven't exactly worked on Earth in the past." I said simply. I saw his point. I just didn't agree with his methods of making his point.

"Yes, I figured that much." He nodded looking down at the ground for a moment.

"And I don't get the fascination with making everyone kneel..." I mused aloud, this brought Loki's attention back to me as he lifted his gaze, his playful smile reappearing.

"Perhaps I was in need of some reassurance of my god-like status and birthright." He teased.

"Mmmhmm." I looked away awkwardly. Loki stepped closer to me, I couldn't help but turn my body as he did. Our chests almost touched as he bore his green pupils into my blue ones. He ran the back of his finger down my cheek, turning my attention to him. I was intrigued, as he watched his finger run along the side of my face. His eyes harbored curiosity. As my chest tightened under his touch, I felt something inside of me begin to change. Something that meant it was alright for him to touch me this way. Something that gave him permission. And as I let out a simple, quiet sigh, his eyes darted back to mine, the warmest of smiles playing on his lips as he watched me with strange adoration.

Loki had kingly matters to attend to after our day together, so I hadn't seen him in a almost a week. I had been told he was going off world fairly regularly, attempting to clear up some treaty issues. I didn't mind. I wandered around the palace and its surrounding city, exploring its deepest corners, and learning its most wonderful secrets. I couldn't help but think of how beautiful the city was. Stone buildings and cobbled streets surrounded me at every turn. Asgardian's occupying the streets in their beautiful gowns, the men dressed in god-like armor. It began to humble me, the way they lived such simple lives, a life I had always secretly wanted.

As I made my way back to the palace, walking through the lush gardens that surrounded the large edifice that was the palace, I found the stables. I wandered through, watching the horses that had been placed in their stables. One in particular, black hair and a white mane and tail approached the front me, his head stretching out to touch me. I patted him, before realising he was actually a she. I grabbed some carrots and began to feed them to her, she would reach out, her long tongue attempting to lick my face as I fed her.

"She seems to like you." I turned my stare quickly to the voice. Loki stood there, smiling warmly. He made his way towards me, patting the horse as he watched me. I fed the horse another bit of carrot. "She is yours, if you wish." He said softly. I looked at him confused.

"You would...give me a horse?" The horse licked the side of my face as I spoke. I jerked out of surprise, making Loki laugh.

"If you want her, she is yours." He explained. I looked at him incredulously.

"Well what would be the point of having a horse, if I don't know how to ride it?" I explained stupidly. Loki looked down at me with playful eyes.

"You shall learn." He said simply.

"I ain't getting on her back dude, were just getting to know each other! Too much too soon." I said, my tone silly. "Unlike Asgardian's and their horses, I like to take things slow before I, you know, propose or something..." I mused aloud. Loki chuckled, before taking my hand and wrapping it under and over his arm. He led me out of the stables and through outside of the palace grounds. We wandered along the streets, civilians bowing as we walked past. Their respect didn't faze Loki, who simply stared ahead. "Where are we going?" He turned his gaze to me, his face serious.

"You shall be given a chance to leave all of this behind and go back to your world. But, to be given that chance, I must first show you something."

"Show me what?" He didn't look at me again, instead keeping his piercing gaze set on the path ahead.

"You must see my true form."