Vinius and Nessa arrived at the healing room. The room was filled with injured warriors and dead warriors, covered in blankets until they could be prepared for their funerals. They found Ava lying on one of the tables, completely unconscious. Her mother, Queen Frigga, was by her side of course.

Frigga looked up at them and smiled gently. "I am sorry that your visit here has gotten off to such a rough start." She said.

"Please think nothing of it." Vinius replied. "How is the princess?"

"Resting." Frigga answered. "She will recover, but it will take a while."

"You look tired, my queen." Nessa said. "We can stay with the princess for a while so that you can rest. If she wakes up one of us will come and get you."

"I wouldn't want to do that to you. You two are here to enjoy your honeymoon." Frigga countered.

"Please, it would be our honor to help." Vinius replied.

Frigga hesitated, but then nodded. "I am glad that my daughter has good friends like you." She said.

Vinius and Nessa bowed to Frigga as she left. They then walked over to stand beside Ava. Nessa began looking at Ava's burns, which were wrapped in bandages and covered in salve. She peeled back the bandages and saw that the burns were almost to the bone in some places.

"Do you think you'll be able to heal her before sundown?" Vinius asked his wife.

"I believe so...it won't be easy, but I'm pretty sure I can." Nessa then placed her hands over the burn on Ava's right arm. She closed her eyes and found the healing power within her. She imagined it as a golden glow, traveling from her core, through her arms, and out her palms. The healing energy began to flow out of her and into Ava.

Slowly, the layers of skin, nerves, and tissue of Ava's arm began to heal and regrow. It took several hours for the process to be complete and that was only the one arm. "Why did that take so long?" Vinius asked, knowing that it usually didn't take that long.

Nessa shrugged. "I'm not sure...but I don't have it in me to heal her other arm today."

"Nor do we have the time." Vinius added. "Sundown is in twenty minutes."

They then started trying to wake Ava up. After five minutes, Ava was opening her eyes and groaning. "What's going on? Vinius? Nessa? Where's Loki?"

"To make a long story short, the attack by the Jotuns earlier, was set up to make Loki look like he was behind the entire thing." Vinius said. "And now your father has taken Loki prisoner and is planning on executing him at sundown...which is in fifteen minutes."

"What?" Ava asked, her eyes widening.

"I'm sorry to just blurt it out like that, but it was the fastest way." Vinius replied.

Ava felt her heart sinking. If she lost Loki...she had no idea what she would do without him. She then thought about the baby growing inside of her womb, conceived out of the love she and Loki shared. A determination filled her and fueled her. She pulled herself into a sitting position. "We have to get going."

Vinius and Nessa then helped her off of the bed. They began to leave the healing room and heading for the throne room, where it was likely the entire court would be gathering for the coming execution. Ava stumbled as she made her way through the halls, but she wouldn't give up. She had to make it. She had to stop the execution.

With the aid of Vinius and Nessa, Ava arrived at the throne room just as Odin was beginning to give the order to his captain to end Loki's life. Loki was forced down on his knees and the captain drew his sword. Spurred on by love, desperation, and determination, Ava ran to them, crying out, "No!"

Loki...

Loki wasn't sure how long he had been in the cell. It could have been, minutes, seconds, hours, or days. He couldn't be sure for every second felt like an eternity. "Get up." The captain of the guard ordered, turning off the energy shield and stepping into the cell.

He and a group of other guards, forced Loki to his feet and practically dragged him out of the cell. They took him back to the throne room, which was illuminate by the fading light of the sun and filled with the entire court of lords and ladies as well as the royal family, minus Ava.

He was brought before Odin, who was sitting on his throne. Thor and Frigga were on either side of him. "Loki Laufeyson, you have been found guilty of deceiving the royal family of Asgard, conspiring to bring about war and the fall of Asgard, causing the death of many a great warrior, and harming the princess. For these crimes you are to be executed this day.

Loki was too shocked to say anything. The guards surrounding him forced him down to his knees. The captain pulled out his sword. "No!" Loki heard the familiar voice scream from behind him. Because of the chains, he couldn't turn to confirm what he heard.

Of course, he didn't need to as he soon felt Ava's arms wrapping around him and her body lying over his, throwing herself in the way of the sword. Loki felt his heart soar as Ava held him.

"Ava!" Odin ordered. "Get out of the way."

Ava lifted her hand and used her magic to send the guards flying far from them. She then looked up at her father. "You can't kill him!" She shouted.

"Ava, sister, look at him. He is a monster." Thor told his sister, stepping towards her as if he were going to be moving her and holding her back.

"No. Loki is no monster." Ava replied, the tears stinging her eyes, as she still held onto Loki, kneeling beside him.

"He has deceived us and made us believe he is something he is not in order to get closer to the casket." Odin replied.

Ava shook her head. "He has never deceived me. I have known all along of Loki's origins. We were waiting for the right time to tell you. We thought that once you got to know him, you would be able to accept him...accept us and maybe through our love, a true and lasting peace could be built between our realms."

"Ava..." Odin began.

"I love Loki, Father." Ava replied. "I will not let you kill him especially for something he did not do."

Loki looked at Ava. "My love..." He said, tears glistening in his eyes.

Ava turned her attention to him and smiled gently at him. Her hand cupped his cheek. "I love you."

"That is enough of this!" Odin commanded. "We have been betrayed and..."

"No!" Ava shouted back at her father. "I will not allow you to kill the man I love and father of the child I carry in my womb."