A/N: Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, followed! I genuinely appreciate it, and thank you especially to guest reviewer anon for leaving such a lengthy review!

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3rd POV

"A masquerade?" Loki echoed, eying his brother skeptically, as if wondering whether or not he was joking. "Are you playing some version of a trick on me, Thor?"

"That is your forte, brother." The blonde replied, smiling, looking like he was trying not to laugh. "I am being wholly serious."

His brother just groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a migraine coming on. "I almost wish that you were jesting me. Why do I have to attend this infernal thing?"

"Mother insists. She seems to find you... ah, how did she put it? "Lonely and without companionship, if you do not count the plethora of books he reads."" This time, Thor did laugh. He never passed up a chance to tease his younger brother on his constant pursuance of knowledge, which he found quite amusing.

Another moan. Loki knew that he couldn't ignore a direct order, especially from his mother. If Odin had commanded it, he might have at least argued, but with Frigga, he knew that protestation was pointless. She would force him to go no matter what he said or did or threatened to do.

"But why? And do not pull that "lonely" bull with me. There is some political reason to this. Otherwise father would not bother to tell mother to convince me."

Thor shrugged, dropping the façade. "You would have to talk to father about that. But I do know that a number of courtiers will be showing up."

That got his attention, but he didn't dare let it show. "Oh?" He asked casually, trying to extract more information. "More than usual?"

Thor wasn't fooled. Loki rarely asked casual questions. He regarded his younger brother with unsuppressed suspicion, an almost wary look in his sky-blue eyes. "Are you planning a trick, Loki?"

He put on a mock-hurt expression. "Dearest brother, how could you accuse me of such a thing?" But he couldn't stop the smile from stretching his lips.

The prince scoffed. "Based on your history, I think that an accusation of such is perfectly reasonable. When we were children, I couldn't walk two feet without hearing an angry outburst."

"Ah, the good old days."

"You and that slave girl were as thick as thieves."

The grin faded from his face instantly. Again, Cass. "You still remember her?"

Thor shot him an incredulous look. "How could I forget? Do you have any idea how many times she dyed my hair red in my sleep?"

This statement effectively stunned him into silence.

Thor remembers her? There was a pang in his heart. Then how come I can't?

"How... much do you remember?" He worded the next sentence carefully.

"Plenty." The blonde scoffed, obviously oblivious to his brother's inner turmoil.

"Not foggy?"

"Not at all. Why?"

"I blame curiosity. Forget I asked."

"Oh, Cassie."

Cass turned, a wicker basket of dirty laundry in her arms. Her face was flushed and sweaty- she had been doing a ton of running around that day.

She saw Ioa standing before her, smiling mischievously, shifting hyperactively from one foot to the other.

She recognized the expression too well. He used to look like that when-

No! Stop! She mentally slapped herself again. Stop thinking about him!

"Yes, Ioa?" She blew a limp strand of her hair out of her face. It flopped back onto her forehead and she gave up trying to look at least partially neat.

"Can you come here for a sec? I have a surprise for you!"

Cass internally groaned. I don't have time to play games. "I'm really busy with chores right now, Ioa..."

"Just a few seconds. Please?" She widened her eyes, pleading.

How could Cass resist that look? She put down her laundry with a sigh, resting it against her hip. "Fine. What is it?"

The younger girl's face lit up. "Thank you!" She hugged her, and then started to run off in the other direction. "This way!"

Another sigh. Where does she get that energy?

Ioa led her to the kitchen, where Morwena was rolling out bread dough. She spared the girls a smile. "Oh, hello. What's going on?" She washed her hands of the flour and wiped them on a towel, raising her eyebrows.

"I brought her, Morwena!" Ioa said proudly. "We can show her the surprise now, right?"

"Right." Morwena ruffled the blonde's hair fondly and winked at Cass. "This way, Cassie."

The older girl was beginning to get tired of this game. She set down the laundry in the corner. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Sh!" Ioa put a finger to her lips, still grinning. Whatever it was, it was working her up into a frenzy of excitement. She was literally hopping from one foot to the other.

This time they led her to a side room, where there was a package sitting on a chair, innocent and innocuous, wrapped neatly in brown paper.

Morwena closed the door and Ioa snatched it up and presented it to Cass with the air of naming her supreme ruler of the universe. "Here! It's a present for you! Or, part one of your present."

The older girl took it gingerly. "Is it alive?"

"No, silly!"

"So it's inanimate."

"Yes."

"Will it make me scream?"

"With delight!"

Feeling somewhat reassured, Cass untied the string and pulled away the paper.

And gasped.

It was a dress, a beautiful dress, made of green silk with gilded edges, embroidered with gold leaves and vines along the bodice, trimmed with black lace. The skirt was long and full. Resting on top of the dress was a green and gold face mask.

It was beautiful.

Cass looked up to see both Morwena and Ioa beaming at her. "I don't... understand." She lifted the dress up reverently. "Why... why did you...?"

"Make it for you?" Ioa jumped up and down and clapped her hands with childish glee. "That's part two! You're going to the masquerade ball that the royals are having in a few days!"

She might as well have said, "We're going to turn you into a hyena and put you into a zoo!" Either statements would have left her just as flabbergasted.

"But... I am just a slave..."

"No! That's the whole point of the ball! You have to go in a disguise!" Ioa picked up the mask. "That's why we made you this as well! No one will recognize you! Oh, you'll look so beautiful, Cassie! Just like a real princess!"

"It's a thank you gift for saving Ioa." Morwena said softly. "We thought that you deserved something nice for once, Cassie. For helping her." She put an arm around her shoulders. "For helping all of us."

Cass just stared at the two.

And then she sank to her knees, the dress still in her hands, and started to sob. Tears of happiness made their way down her cheeks.

Truly, I have good friends. She looked up at the cook and the slave. Very good friends.

"It's so pathetic, it's not even funny." Lenora laughed to herself. "Well, maybe it is a little funny. I mean, can you just see him, trying to talk to me?"

"I can indeed." Cass lied smoothly, so accustomed to the falsehoods that she didn't even have to think about them anymore. It was more of a subconscious action now. "Have you picked your next candidate yet?" More like victim. I pity the poor boy that she sets her eyes on next.

"Funny you should ask that." Lenora rolled over so that she was laying down on her stomach and rested her chin on her interlocked hands, giving Cass the lopsided, playful smile that drove guys crazy. "I think that I have?"

"Oh, then please tell, milady." Cass picked up another discarded piece of clothing from the floor, hanging it up in the noble's closet. Such a pity. She has such nice clothing, and she doesn't even bother to take care of them.

The promise of the dress and the upcoming masquerade ball had worked her into a frenzy of excitement, one that she could barely conceal. It seemed so surreal that she was actually going to once such party.

If I'm caught... She shuddered. No, don't even go there.

"Well, I'm not sure I should tell you..." Lenora trailed off, trying to look hesitant. It really was all an act. The girl loved having others beg her for information.

Cass didn't waste any time in giving her what she wanted. "Oh, please, milady? Indulge your humble servant in a little of your genius." That was another thing that Cass loved about Lenora. She was so stupid that she could never catch her sarcasm.

"Well... I don't know..."

"I am at the edge of my seat, milady."

"Fine." Lenora was squirming with excitement, and she started to ramble. "Now, I've decided to shoot a little high this particular time. So I want to go for a prince."

"The Vanir prince? The Alfheim prince?"

"No, silly! One of the Asgardian princes."

The slave froze when she heard that, and she almost forgot to goad Lenora on. "Which one?" She asked hastily, standing up to stare at the girl on the bed.

"The secondborn, surprisingly."

Cass felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of icy water on her. Loki? She wants to go for Loki? There was a pang in her heart. My little prince?

Why do you care? She scolded herself. His relationships are of no matter of yours. Let her pursue whom she wants. But her heart still hurt.

She closed her eyes.

"Will you be my Queen, when I grow up, Cass?" She could still hear his words in her head.

"-ss? Cassiopeia, are you listening to me?"

Cass immediately straightened, snapping herself out of the reverie and forcing a smile. "Yes, of course I am, milady. I was just surprised that you were going for such a high prize. Do you think you can get it?"

"Oh, I'm fairly sure of my abilities." Lenora smiled slyly.

"Yes, but... do you think that the secondborn prince is worthy of your attentions? I mean, really, shouldn't you go for the firstborn?"

"Well, I thought of that at first." Lenora admitted. "But then it occurred to me that the secondborn- Loki, I think his name is- has never had a lover." She grinned again. "So, you see, if I can be his girl and then break his heart... well, I would be the first. It would boost my reputation."

Cass's first reaction to that was shock, and then anger.

"Break his heart? How could you be so cruel? You play at hearts as you might play at catch, and yet you are so clumsy with them as you fling it to and fro that your opponent's always ends up damaged and broken by the end! This is an Asgardian's vulnerable emotions that we are talking about!"

At least, that is what Cass would've liked to say. And yet, she bit her tongue, reminded herself bitterly of her standing.

She's going to hurt Loki! Her rebellious side argued furiously.

She bit down harder and tasted blood in her mouth.

"What will you do afterwards?" Cass asked Lenora in a strangled voice. The latter was so pleased with herself that she didn't even notice her friend's emotional conflict.

"Oh, then I'll probably go for Thor." She said thoughtfully, smirking. "Oh, poor Loki- he'll be so sad after I leave him for his brother."

The blood was roaring in Cass's ears now. This... this... mewling quim is planning on hurting him. On purpose. For her reputation.

I can't let her win him.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Thank you for sticking with me!

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