"Did your meeting proceed as planned?" Thor asked as if he hadn't expected it to.

"It was fine," Elise replied, following him through the corridors as they proceeded to the room where she'd be staying. "I have to talk to you about something, though."

"What is it?" The question sounded like a challenge.

Elise's confidence waned. She needed more time to prepare for this conversation. But without access to any of her usual resources, she'd have to wing it. "The way you're restraining him," she said. "Isn't it overkill?"

"Not at all," Thor responded quickly.

"Well, it kind of seems like it is, and we have to talk about it."

"What is there to talk about?"

"Come on," Elise urged. "The solitary confinement, the handcuffs that shock him-"

"They do not 'shock' him," Thor argued. "They merely prevent him from using magic."

"Well, they're hurting him," Elise said. "You can't do that."

"Who says that I cannot employ the methods necessary to restrain Loki?"

For this, Elise had no response – she had to conjure something up, something that sounded good. "It's a violation of his human rights."

Thor laughed. "He already has you wrapped around his finger, does he?"

That implication offended Elise. "Not at all," she said before drawing in a deep breath to calm herself, then bluffed some more. "There'll be consequences if you don't do one of two things: remove the handcuffs, or let him come and go from his room freely."

This seemed to get Thor's attention. He stopped walking and faced Elise directly. "Consequences?" he said. "From whom?"

"From the international community." It was the most non-specific actor Elise could think of.

Thor stroked his chin has he considered this.

"You can't keep my client in restraints twenty-four seven," Elise pushed. "If he was a United States citizen, we'd shove so many lawsuits up your-"

"As you wish," Thor growled. "I will remove the restraints. But his door will remain sealed throughout the day. He will not be able to open it, neither by magic nor by trickery."

"Fair enough," Elise smiled. "Shake on it," she said, extending her hand.

Thor clasped her comparatively tiny hand firmly in his own and squeezed. They began walking again. Then, seemingly unprompted, he said, "I fear for your safety."

"Why's that?" Elise asked.

"I do not think you understand what he is capable of."

"I think I can handle this."

"In that case, I am sure that you do not understand what he is capable of."

This was exactly what Skip Parmeri had warned her about. He was trying to get inside her head, trying to derail her efforts to fulfill the legal duty she'd been saddled with. It wasn't going to work, Elise told herself. She wouldn't let Thor – who, to her, was already proving to be more or less a barbarian – dictate how she handled her client's case.

Once more, Thor stopped suddenly in his path. He held up the ring of big, brass keys. "Here," he said. "Take them."

"Oh, no," Elise said. She wanted neither the responsibility nor the implications that came with being her own client's jailor. It was a conflict to end all conflicts of interest. "I couldn't-"

"The guards are not very clever," Thor explained. "That is why they are guards. I have instructed them not to speak to Loki, but can I trust them?"

"You can't trust them, but you can trust me?"

"Yes."

"You just met me."

Thor mulled this over. "Perhaps, but Loki intended to destroy your town when last he was in your realm. You would not allow him to do the same again."

"Of course not," Elise said, "but-"

"He will be frustrated if he cannot outwit you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Thor lowered his voice. "My brother is not well. His mind is not well. Should something happen, the guards may not reach you quickly enough. Take the keys so that you may escape should something anger him."

A chill rushed through Elise's body. Loki had shown her no sign of aggression, but perhaps Thor was right. Besides, this arrangement would mean that she would no longer need to ask for permission to see her client. She could meet with Loki without Thor's accompaniment or intrusion. She was convinced.

"Thanks," Elise said as she reached for the keys. They were heavier than expected, like a jug of milk.

They walked through the tower, quicker now, and without speaking, until they reached the room that had been prepared for Elise's arrival.

"I hope that this is acceptable," Thor said as he pushed the door open and stood aside so that Elise could enter.

"Wow." Elise's reaction was warranted. While not as large as Loki's, the room could have contained the entirety of Elise's apartment and more. "Thanks a ton. This is great."

"I am glad that you are pleased with it." Thor backed into the hallway. "Soon, we will eat. I will send a guard to retrieve you when it is time."

"Great," Elise replied, her eyes still wandering across the high ceiling. "Thanks. See you then."

Thor shut the door when he left, and Elise was alone. She dropped her handbag and the heavy keys on the mattress and sat. What was there to do now? Instinctively, she pulled out her phone. No signal, of course. She could have reviewed her notes, but she'd already reviewed them the day before, and there was nothing new to know. She'd wasted too much time shooting the breeze with Loki. But was that a bad thing? As a woman and a young attorney, Elise felt it necessary to maintain a professional veneer and an almost stern demeanor simply to deflect doubts about her competence. She never meant to be cold or unsympathetic, but she feared that too much kindness could be misinterpreted. But maybe, she thought, friendliness was the way to gain trust from someone like Loki. Maybe casual chat was a skill she had to develop.

Elise was still convinced that Thor's intense precautions had been unnecessary, and she was pleased with herself for convincing him to make a concession. Loki didn't seem crazy. He'd been, for the most part, refreshingly pleasant to talk to. Despite his constant isolation, he seemed, for the most part, mentally "all-there." The moments when something didn't seem quite right with him, Elise could forgive. After all, had one of her brothers locked her away, she wouldn't have been able to keep it together, either.

Still, though, something was unsettling.

Elise reclined on the bed. She was still tired, her second wind depleted and her daily coffee regimen incomplete. She rolled to her side and attempted a nap, closing her eyes and going through the motions – relaxing first her toes, then her feet, her calves, and so on – to fall asleep.

But she couldn't. She was jittery, anxious to get work, to get to the bottom of whatever had happened. With what she knew, she argued and counter-argued in her imagination. She could almost see the pieces of the defense moving around and fitting in together, but she needed to know more to make it all work. She needed to know something good. Maybe she'd get it tonight, if her client would give it to her.

More and more thoughts sprang up, and they raced faster and faster through her mind. They were becoming overwhelming. Elise's excitement morphed into uncomfortable, limiting anxiety, exactly the sort of thing she'd filled a prescription for. She leaned to reach her bag and pulled it toward her. She brought out the Valium, pressed and twisted the child-proof cap, and swallowed one dry. The placebo effect took hold before the signature benzodiazepine drowsiness kicked in, and Elise eagerly welcomed sleep.

It was the kind of sleep in which hours seem to pass in an instant. After what felt like only a second, a guard jostled her awake.

"Come," he said. "You are wanted in the dining hall."

Elise stretched her back. "Do I have time to fix my makeup?" she groaned, eyes still closed.

"The others are waiting," the guard informed her.

She sat up quickly, resulting in a rush of blood away from her head. "One sec."

The guard backed away and Elise swung her feet over the side of the mattress, touching down on the floor. She snapped her head forward to make her hair fall in front of her, groped blindly in her handbag for a hair tie, and, finding one, twisted her hair and wrapped it around itself to form a bun. Once it was steady – she touched it to be sure – she stood, and the guard escorted her down to dinner. Elise rubbed her crooked eyeliner off in smears as they walked, examining her fingers to be sure she'd taken care of every last bit.

Unfamiliar sets of eyes looked to Elise as she entered the hall. The older woman seated at the head of the table, Elise assumed, was Thor's mother, the goddess, Frigga. Thor was seated at her right, and beside him sat Jane the physicist – her picture had been in the news – looking pretty and plain. Across from her, separated from Frigga by one chair, sat Loki. Behind him stood the guards from his doorway, obscuring the light from the torches on the wall and casting shadows on his features.

"Mother," Thor said, standing, "I wish to introduce Elise Milton, of Midgard."

Elise's escort nudged her, and she walked the length of the table to the end, where the food and the people were. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted Frigga, bowing slightly at the waist. Her head was still foggy, but even had she been thinking clearly, she would not have known the right way to address queens or goddesses anyway. To her relief, no one appeared offended.

Frigga responded with one slow nod. "Please," she said, "sit down."

Elise took the open seat between Frigga and Loki and immediately noticed Jane glaring at her.

"It's nice to meet you," Elise said in her kindest tone. "I've heard about you on the news, but I never thought I'd be eating dinner with you."

Jane's smile was noticeably forced. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Shall we begin?" Frigga suggested, leaning forward to place meat on her plate.

It was the most uncomfortable dinner Elise had ever endured. As if she, Loki, and the guards weren't there, Thor, Jane, and Frigga talked among themselves. Loki did not speak, and while that made Elise's job easier while others were around, she wanted company. Every time she moved, whether for more food or to shift for comfort, Jane eyed her with resentment and suspicion. That was the most bothersome thing of all. Elise wanted the only other non-deity in the room to like her. She had to try. She spoke up at the next lull in the chatter.

"Jane," she said, "I heard you were in Manhattan a little while ago."

The table was silent. After a few tense seconds, Jane responded. "Yeah. Why?"

"No reason," Elise replied. "Did you do anything fun?"

"Not really." Now, Jane was staring into her plate.

Elise tried harder. "Really? That's too bad. There's some great shows off-Broadway right now. If you want, next time, I could-"

"Sorry," Jane interrupted. "I can't get past..." She emitted a frustrated sigh. "What are you doing here?"

"Jane." Thor placed a hand on her forearm. "Let her be."

"I'm sorry, it's just so ridiculous," Jane said. "I can't get over it."

Elise thought she heard Loki mumble something, but she couldn't make out the words.

"Excuse me," Jane said as she stood and dashed off.

"Forgive her," Thor said once she was out of earshot. "She was very troubled by what happened."

"I completely understand. It's a sensitive thing." Elise was somewhat hurt and embarrassed, but Jane's reaction was not completely unexpected.

The rest of the meal passed without another word until everyone seemed to have finished eating and Loki asked quietly: "Elise, may I speak to you before you retire for the evening?"

"Yeah," Elise responded, eager to leave the table. "Are you ready now?"

"Yes."

Elise looked to Frigga. Frigga looked away and waved her hand, dismissing them.

Elise walked beside Loki, flanked by guards, as they made their way to his room. He looked straight ahead, as if he had some new purpose, and as if Elise weren't there.

"Is everything okay?" Elise asked.

"Wait," Loki replied, neither turning his head nor breaking his stride.

Anticipation gripped Elise despite her pharmaceutical-induced calm. If he couldn't say it in front of anyone else, surely it was something big, and perhaps something useful. And if he could say it to only her, then that meant she'd gained his trust. Was this going to be a breakthrough?

Finally, they arrived, and the guards took their places as Elise fumbled with the massive keys until she was able to open the door. The desk chair was still in its place near the foot of the bed, but Loki did not sit, not even when the doors were locked behind them. He paced slowly instead while Elise lingered near the exit.

"I am now in your debt," Loki smiled, raising his hands, palms-open, to demonstrate his freedom. "Many thanks."

"It's no problem," said Elise. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am." Again, Loki seemed to be looking at everything except the person he addressed. When his eyes finally settled on Elise's face, he began to approach her. "Can you keep a secret?"

Oh no.

"It depends what kind," Elise answered.

Loki altered his course and strolled toward the writing desk. "Then perhaps I will withhold this one for now," he said, his back turned.

"Well, don't let that scare you," Elise said, taking a few steps toward him. "I want you to feel comfortable with me. I just can't keep it a secret if you're going to commit a crime, that's all." She wondered whether that was acceptable to disclose as soon as the words left her mouth.

"I assure you, that is not what I intend." Loki turned back. "You seem far more tranquil than you were when you arrived," he observed. "What happened?"

"Valium's a hell of a drug," Elise laughed. Again, she second-guessed herself. Was that appropriate?

"Valium?" Loki questioned.

"Yeah," said Elise. "It calms you down."

"What is it?"

"It's a pill."

Loki seemed intrigued. He moved closer. "Where do you get it?"

"From a doctor," Elise responded, unmoving.

"Very interesting." Loki appeared to examine her for a moment, his eyes moving from her face, to her feet, to her torso, and back to her face again. The up-down. "Elise," he asked, "are you fond of me?"

"How so? And why?" It was weird, tbut Elise indulged him despite her misgivings.

"Curiosity," he smirked. "What is your impression of me?"

Elise took half a step back, toward the door. "I like you well enough."

"You are afraid of me."

"What makes you say that?"

"You were so calm until I came into your midst." Loki stepped even closer.

He was right, but Elise couldn't have him believe that. "It's not that," she assured him. "It's just been a long day."

Loki took another step forward. Elise stepped back and, extending one hand behind her, found that the door was at arm's length.

"There is nothing to fear," Loki nearly whispered. "I am very kind to those who show me kindness."

"That's great," Elise replied, her back almost flush against the wood. "We'll have to show the jury that."

Loki chuckled, then he finally backed away, giving Elise some space. "Yes," he said, something facetious about his tone. "We will show them just that."

Elise relaxed once a distance was re-established. "How do you want to do that? Is there anyone who can attest to your character?"

"Please," Loki said as he turned and began toward the wardrobe, "can that wait until morning?"

"Sure." Now, Elise was becoming frustrated. He hadn't crossed any clear line yet, but she wasn't stupid. He was testing her patience purposefully.

"You may go," Loki called from afar.

Elise was already on her way out when he dismissed her. She was flustered, her peace of mind replaced by an agitated delirium. Maybe she was in over her head.

"Lock the door." It was the guard on the left.

"Thanks." Elise would have forgotten had he not reminded her. With both hands, she fitted the keys in the locks and waited to see sparks. She began down the stairs, then turned back. "Can you walk me to my room?" she requested.

"I cannot," the guard said. "I must remain here."

Elise nodded, then went on her way. She navigated the darkened corridors cautiously, looking over her shoulder intermittently. There wasn't a sound besides the clatter of her shoes against the marble, and not a shadow in sight besides her own. She was imagining things. Before she found her room, she got lost once, and she had to spend several minutes backtracking before correcting her route and arriving, at last, in the right place.

Once she was sure she was alone, Elise kicked off her pumps, rolled down her tights, and melted into a pair of sweatpants before pulling a well-loved t-shirt over her head and letting the hem settle at her hips. She let out a sharp huff before slipping between the heavy blankets. She wondered whether to extinguish the torch on the wall, but decided against it.

She lay awake – she shouldn't have taken a nap – and examined her options. There would be no way to get a hold of Parmeri until she returned to New York, and even if she were able to reach him, she'd probably just appear incompetent if she complained about a difficult client. Her potential replacements were probably lined up around the block already, just waiting for her to fail. She couldn't waste her time in Asgard – that was out of the question. But what would it matter if Loki wouldn't give her anything to work with? She could feign illness, she thought for a moment, and then put the blame on him when she got back. They'd put someone else on the case, and she could work on something else. But that was quitting, and Elise didn't quit.

The thought of someone else deriving all the benefit of what was supposed to be her big break, her way of getting noticed, her project, nagged her. Giving up was not an option. She'd just have to put up with it all. That was the only choice she had. After all, this was good practice; there would always be clients like him. And was he even that bad?

Maybe, Elise thought, she just needed thicker skin. Maybe it would be easier tomorrow.