Raeni was really enjoying herself. It was her first time ever being off of Lyron and there was so much to do and see. Bastian, her boyfriend, wanted to make his way to New York City eventually, but Raeni had been able to convince him to take his time, given that Lusca was in New York. So far they'd made it to Orlando Florida. Disney World had been fun, but now Bastian was being a total party pooper about it.

"So many cameras," he was muttering as they opened they rode the elevator up to their hotel room, "We could be caught so easily!"

"Caught by who?" Raeni laughed, "No one is looking for us! My aunt probably hasn't even heard that we are gone and the council doesn't care!"

"You know that Azzaca will have sent someone. He probably told Lusca that we were gone too. He's such a suck up."

"Yeah, but how are they going to find us?" Raeni grinned as the elevator doors opened, "You're using magic to hide us, right? And you're one of the best magic users on the island!"

"I suppose, but I still worry," Bastian said, fishing the room key out of his pocket. He put it in the slot and the door opened. The two teenagers were greeted with the charming smile of Captain Steve Rogers.

"Hi," the captain waved, "Before you-"

"Run!" Bastian yelped, pushing Raeni back out the door. They both fled to the stairway and began leaping down as fast as they could. When they got to the lobby they continued their sprint for freedom, but Captain America stepped in front of them with that same perfect smile.

"How?" Raeni panted.

"Elevator," he gestured to the lift with his thumb, "Just to let you know, there is a whole team of operatives surrounding the building so if you run from me, odds are you'll get caught by them."

"Who sent you?" Bastian demanded, keeping Raeni behind him.

"Loki. He says that you are allowed to go, Bastian, but I must take Princess Raeni back to New York."

"Ha! We'll both escape you, right babe?" Raeni jutted out her chin defiantly.

"I can go?" Bastian asked, "And I won't get in any trouble?"

"Right. Or I can take you both to have a chat with your queen."

"Be scolded by Queen Lusca for days on end?" Bastian laughed, "No thank you."

Raeni's eyes widened as Bastian started walking past the captain. She tried to race after him, but the American hero caught her and held her back.

"Bastian! Wait for me!"

"We had a good run, princess, but I am not dealing with your aunt. She'll send me back to Lyron and I have too much to explore in the world first."

"But, but, you and I were supposed to-"

"Raeni," Bastian rolled his eyes, "Please tell me you didn't actually think I cared. You were the queen's niece! Good for getting into the palace and gathering information, but that's it."

"Bastian!"

"Bye."

"You come back here right this second!" Raeni screamed, fighting against Captain America's hold. People in the lobby were gaping at her unseemly display, but she didn't care. She felt her world falling apart as her boyfriend walked through the doors of the County Inn and Suites. She was far away from home, about to be punished by her aunt, and the boy who she'd spent the last year loving was telling her he'd never cared about her. He'd broken up with her plenty of times before, but he'd always said it was because he didn't feel she was mature enough, or that he didn't think he was ready for a relationship, or any of the normal stuff you told people when you broke up. He'd never told her this before and she couldn't believe her ears.

"Princess, please calm down," Steve Rogers instructed as she continued to wriggle and shriek. She felt her magic bubbling up inside her and she didn't do a thing to stop it as it caused all of the light bulbs to burst. The fireplace in the lobby began spewing angry flames and the furniture began to float. It reminded Raeni a little bit of a horror film she'd seen (totally against Lusca's wishes) and she knew she had to calm down before she created a bigger mess, but she didn't want to.

So, the chaos continued. The fire alarms went off, the sprinklers decided to join in, and then the paint on the walls turned to a bright safety-orange color. A carpet wrapped around a bellboy, turning him into a burrito of sorts, and finally, the windows broke outward. That was the last thing that happened because Captain America radioed another agent who brought in a tranq gun and shot Raeni with a dart.

"We're on our way back now, sir," Captain Rogers was reporting over a video chat, "We have the princess, but we let her boyfriend go as instructed."

"Good work," Loki said, glad to have made progress on at least one of his problems, "Any difficulties?"

"Did you know that the princess has some sort of energy superpower?"

"Magic. Most people on Lyron can wield it. Did she do something?"

"You could say that. I'll send you the security footage from the hotel lobby."

Loki raised a brow, wondering what the girl could have done. He supposed that he should have taken her tantrum on Lyron more seriously. Who knew what she'd done now and what she was capable of doing? He wasn't sure his plan was such a good idea anymore if she was dangerous to be around.

He'd deal with that when she got here. For now, he was happy to be able to tell Lusca that her niece was in custody. The queen had blatantly refused to do anything or go anywhere until Raeni was found. She'd spent the last two days on the computer or on her phone, trying to track down her niece from afar. This had irritated Loki, but he knew if he'd made her go to socialite events when she was in such an attitude she would do nothing but embarrass him.

Now, he knocked on her door and she opened it so quickly it seemed as if she might be waiting right by it. Her perfect curls were loose and messy, her eyes had bags under them, and she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Loki took a moment to gape at her before she cleared her throat.

"We've found her," he said.

"Really?!" Lusca gasped, and then smiled, "She has truly been found? Is she okay? What of her boyfriend?"

"She is on her way here now. From what I hear, she is in good health. Her boyfriend escaped my agents."

"She is coming here?" Lusca's smile dropped and her eyes narrowed, "Why?"

"I thought," Loki leaned against the doorframe, "That you might want to see her."

"Right, right! Of course! Thank you, Loki," Lusca relaxed again and then offered her hand to him, expecting him to shake it. He did, but he didn't let it go afterward.

"You are welcome. Now that we've solved that crisis, there is the other matter…"

"The assassin?" Lusca nodded, "I have been thinking about that as well and-"

"No, I already have a team working on that," Loki's grin grew and he squeezed her hand tightly before letting it go, "I mean the second condition of our bargain."

"Oh. Certainly," she dusted off her immaculate T-shirt and stood a bit straighter, "What can I do for you now that you have helped me?"

"Nothing," he shrugged.

"Pardon?"

"There is nothing for you to do," he looked lazily down the hall, knowing that she would be irritated if he didn't give her his whole focus.

"Then what is the point of the second condition if you are not following through?"

"Oh I am," he assured, "But you don't have to do anything."

"Who?" Lusca's eyes were ablaze when he looked back at her, "Who do I have influence over that you want to manipulate?"

"The second condition of our agreement is that the lovely Princess Raeni will be living here from now on. Understood?"

"No!" Lusca exclaimed, "She needs to go back to Lyron, where she is safe!"

"Is she not more safe here? The best security in the world, every luxury she could ask for, private tutors, and she gets to be near her aunt. Lyron can't be safer than my home," he took a step into her room, "Unless you think she needs to be kept safe from me. But that is ridiculous, isn't it?"

"I do not want her here. Not with this assasin business and everything else."

"Too bad, Your Majesty," he sneered, putting a hand on her shoulder, and leaning in close, "I want her here."

"Why?" Lusca demanded, flinching away from him.

"Because it is so much easier to control someone when you can threaten someone they love," he laughed, "This way I know you'll never go against me. Or your niece will suffer for it."

"If you dare to think you can get away with touching a hair on her head," Lusca surprised him by grabbing the tie of his suit and yanking him close to her snarl, "A missing SHIELD ship will be the least of your problems."

"How adorable," he shoved her back with such force that she flew into the counter in her little kitchen, then he approached again with a sinister leer, "You think you can threaten me. I find it amusing when you have real reactions, Queen, but do not make promises you can't keep."

They stared each other down for a moment and Loki realized that he'd gotten exactly the reaction he'd wanted. Lusca was no longer behaving absurdly politely and she actually looked rather like she wanted to kill him. His guess that bringing Raeni here would make Lusca more interesting had been correct and that made him smirk.

"She'll be here soon, Your Majesty," he turned to go, "And there is nothing you can do to change my mind."

"Are you trying to do everything in your power to make me hate you?" Lusca asked quietly as he started to walk away, "Because it is working remarkably well."

He paused. Was that what he was trying to do? He supposed if he was going to marry this woman eventually he should let her see his good side - if he had one anymore. He didn't think he was trying to make her hate him because his actions against her were all logical steps to get what he wanted. He wanted Lyron under his control so he'd taken away their hiddenness and their self sufficiency. He wanted Lusca under his control as well so he was having her niece brought here. No malice, though he was having fun with her reaction to it, he was just… being king. Simple as that.

"That is not my intention, Queen, but feel free to hate me all you like," he began walking again, "It won't change the fact that your niece is coming."