A/N: Yeah, I'm back :) I have 21 days left of school. Ever. Eeek!

Anyway, I bring you this. Enjoy!

"His Grace is not here, my lady. He has gone to council, but he asked me to inform you that you are welcome to travel as you please and do as you wish."

"Thank you," Eva said softly, and the attendant bowed and left the room. Eva's parents both raised eyebrows at that.

"'My lady'… It's true, then," Daniel murmured. "I'd heard rumours, but dismissed them… perhaps I was wrong to."

"Dad, I'm not his queen. I'm not!" she repeated, insistent as she saw the looks they gave her. "They're only addressing me like that because Loki would have their heads if they didn't."

"So he commands that you are to be treated with respect," Elise reasoned, the look still pointed. "That doesn't sound like he sees you as just another woman, Eva."

"Well, of course not. I'm carrying his child, for Christ's sake! But I will not be his consort. I can't stand by him when I disagree with everything that he stands for!" Eva ran a hand through her hair, exasperated. It was the morning after Loki had brought them back to the Chrysler, and Eva would be lying if she said she wasn't relieved that Loki had already left. She did not need a confrontation between her father and her captor. Or was that saviour? She barely knew anymore. It had all become so twisted so soon, and the lines were blurring. Nothing had ever been black and white with Loki, but now it seemed that even the shades of grey had their own subdivisions.

"He isn't going to stick a crown on my head," Eva insisted. "He isn't."

Elise's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, and she gestured for a pen. Confused, Eva handed her one, and Elise began to write on one of the napkins.

WHAT IF IT HELPED THE HUMAN RACE?

Eva stared at her mother, mouthing, what do you mean?

IF BEING HIS QUEEN GAVE YOU INFLUENCE OVER HIM, WOULDN'T THAT HELP? YOU HAVE POWER, EVA. YOU COULD SWAY HIM.

Elise had a point. The idea was slowly unfurling in Eva's mind, and she slowly nodded, before pointing to the napkin. With her hands, she imitated fire. If anyone got their hands on that, anyone loyal or desperate…

Eva took the pen, and quickly scribbled.

TAKE THE NAPKIN, AND GO OUT. GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT, A MUSEUM OR A GALLERY. USE THE BATHROOM THERE. FLUSH THAT AWAY.

Her parents nodded, and Elise stood up. "Aidan?"

"Yeah?" came the soft alto.

"We're going out."

"There's a private car that can take you," Eva said. Her father looked disgusted, but Eva only raised an eyebrow.

"I'm only saying that because they're bulletproof. Any taxi driver would probably love to get their hands on the parents of the King's whore."

Wisely, neither her mother nor her father chose to comment.

"What about you?" Daniel asked. "You can't stay here. You'll go stir crazy."

Aidan wandered into the room, interrupting their conversation.

"Eva, where does the locked door go to?"

"The locked door?"

"Yes. There's a door in your room that's locked. Can we see what's behind it? Please?"

Ah, the inspiring curiosity of children. Locked doors and passageways were always fascinating to them – but Eva frowned in confusion.

"What door? There isn't one –"

"Yes, there is! Look!" He ran into the bedroom, clearly expecting his sister to obey him.

Eva sighed, and she followed her little brother, as well as their curious parents. What she saw both bemused her and yet filled her with a strange sense of familiarity, so much so that she knew instantly what her brother was referring to. That door. It was slightly wider than a normal entranceway, the patina of the wood glossy and dark. Aidan went up to it and tried the doorknob, sighing when it would not open for him.

Eva made her way to where he stood, waiting for her, and she simply turned the handle, unnerved at how she somehow knew what to do, that the sense of familiarity pushed her towards a door which she had never seen before.

There was a click, and the door eased open. Aidan stared.

"But… why can't I open it and you can?"

"Magic," she whispered, and it was no lie, she suddenly realised. "Loki's doing. It shouldn't fit into a skyscraper, but it does. Only he or I may open it."

Words spoken automatically – and the loss of control over her tongue had Eva instantly troubled.

"Where does it lead to?"

"Aidan," Daniel said warningly, but Eva shot him a reassuring glance amidst the inner turmoil in her mind.

"It leads to Loki's suite," she explained – though how she knew, she had no idea. "It's a small passageway until you reach his door."

"And he isn't here, right?"

Alarm bells rung in her mind, and she fixed the boy with a look. "Aidan, no. Not a good idea – "

But the boy had already pushed open the door and gone through.

"Aidan! Stop! Get back here!"

Eva swore and followed him through. She physically had to grab him and restrain him from going any further, though of course he struggled.

"Eva!"

"Aidan, no," she said. "You can't. Please. Do not. He might have saved your life, but he is not a good man. He would not hesitate to punish you if you insulted him." Slowly, she let him go, and he simply stood there. Eva knelt, and turned him to face her. Her hand took his as her eyes gazed up at him.

"He is a dangerous man, Aidan. He is not kind. He is not merciful. I do not know why he saved you, but I will be forever glad he did. Just listen to me. Whatever he says – do not believe him. Do not trust him. Do you understand me?"

Silently, Aidan nodded, biting his lip. "I'm sorry."

Eva's gaze softened, and she straightened, placing a kiss to his forehead.

"I just want you to be safe, kiddo," she murmured. "That's all."

She led him back into her suite, closing the door behind her. Her parents eyed her warily, and she glanced away. "You said you were going out?"

"Where are we going?" Aidan piped up, looking energetic once more. Daniel managed to summon a smile.

"Museum of Natural History."

"Like the one in London?"

"Yes. But only this one's in New York."

"Does it have dinosaurs?"

Eva laughed, as did Elise, and Daniel's smile widened.

"I'm sure it does."

The three of them left then, Aidan's eagerness endearing, and it was then that Eva turned her attention back to the secret passageway. She had never seen it before, never noticed it was there, yet she seemed to know everything about it, enough that she was able to inform Aidan quite easily.

Loki.

Eva rolled her eyes – but then the comprehension dawned upon her. Tampering with her mind, perhaps? That sent a chill through her, and it was swiftly followed by a kind of anger that roiled and rasped within her, grasping at her fibres and every other feeling she could have until anger was all that she knew. It may have been an overreaction on her part, yet the concept of Loki not only invading her mind but also tampering with it sent her ire into overdrive.

Before she knew it, she was striding out of her rooms and down the corridor – straight to Loki's council chambers.

The guards, however, did not see fit to let her pass.

"Sorry, ma'am. His Grace does not want to be disturbed."

Well, fuck that. Eva's eyebrows lifted, and her stance instantly became, unknown to her, regal and poised.

"I will not say it again. Let me pass. I wish to speak to him – " Eva could never say 'the King' " – and you will not deny me thus. Am I understood?"

The guards glanced at each other, and then, reluctantly, they parted. The doors eased open, and without hesitation, Eva walked into the chamber.

"… I will not tolerate this again. Do you understand me?"

Loki did not look pleased. The councillor currently under scrutiny looked at though he wanted the ground to swallow him whole for all eternity, but Eva's arrival gave the room pause for thought. Loki raised his head, and a smile graced his features, leonine grace returning to his posture.

"Ah, Eva. This gentleman here has disobeyed the express order of his King. Shall I execute him?"

"If you're still alive after I'm done with you," she replied acidly. Several councillors fought to hide smiles, lowering their heads, and Loki raised an eyebrow. He waved his hand. "Leave us."

The men rose from their seats and silently left, though not before bowing to him and then to her, much to Eva's surprise.

"Do tell me what it is that I have done to offend you so," Loki said languidly, appraising her from his seat. "Or am I to acknowledge this as the first of the infamous mood changes associated with expecting a child?"

Anger shaped her features, and she strode over to him.

"The door," she seethed. "How dare you. How dare you tamper with my mind!"

Loki eyed her, and he tilted his head, as if she were nothing more than a mere curiosity. It stoked her ire more than his trademark smirk would have, but then her anger was replaced by shock as he casually leant forwards to press his palm gently against her stomach. A pause, and then a startlingly soft smile curved his thin mouth.

"Perfectly fine," he said contentedly. "As if I would let our child be any less than that."

Eva withdrew a step, uncomfortable with the sudden tenderness he seemed to display. "Don't change the subject, Loki. Your magic. My mind. What did you do?"

Loki glanced to the side, unbothered by her steadily reappearing wrath. "A simple spell, nothing more. Easier than explaining it to you in person when I was otherwise engaged in other matters."

"That doesn't give you the right to mess with my mind! You can't do that, Loki! I'm not your property, and you could at least be bloody courteous enough to actually tell me!"

"And you, madam, should hold your tongue," he cut in icily. His eyes flashed. "Be silent. I cannot cater to your every whim; if the opportunity to 'kill two birds with one stone' arises, then I take it. So it was with the issue you appear to find so grievous. You are too quick to anger, Eva. Keep your temper in check, not least because it is stressful for the child."

"A child I never wanted!" she hit back, suddenly snapping. "I never wanted to be your lover, I don't want to be your queen! I don't want this anymore! I can't live in fear, on a knife-edge! For god's sake, I – I just want to live!" She passed a hand over her face, a humourless, broken laugh sounding. "I want a job, I want a husband who I can love, a simple life!"

"And you think I cannot give you that?"

"Of course you can't! This is not simple! You are a megalomaniacal alien with serious parental issues who decided to claim jurisdiction over a planet that only believes you to be a fucking myth! Tell me how that is simple!"

"You have protection; you are worthy of a king and you are with my child. Your life is simple, Eva – you have little else to trouble yourself with aside from your pregnancy –"

"And I'm stripped of my freedom!" she yelled. "You think that the concept of freedom is a lie – it isn't! I was free before you came along! I could make my own choices, decide my fate, and now I am at your mercy. If I try to leave, I am brought back. If I want to do something – such as get fresh air and green spaces – I have to ask you. Do you have any idea how humiliating that is?"

Loki rose from his seat, and his eyebrow lifted.

"You think yourself equal to me, Eva Manning. You are not. You may carry my child, but you are not my equal. You are human and thus beneath me. Freedom is a lie for your race. Can you not see it? Are you really so blind?"

"I see what everyone else sees – oppression! We never asked for you to come along and divide our nations up as it suits you! We never asked for our ways of living, our cultures to be suddenly influenced by your whims! Even those who do not believe in democracy are hostile towards you! I bet you shielded what happened in Iraq from the press. Did you not want pictures of the protest streaming across the world?"

Ah, he should have known she'd be aware of that. It had been rather unfortunate, but with one rather final demonstration he had silenced the rally in a single second. One human life was nothing if it brought him victory, dominion. SHIELD had undoubtedly informed her of the event, though they could hardly use it against him now that Fury had lost his mind. The organisation had lost credibility. They were weak. And there was nothing to challenge him anymore.

"Your belligerence is petty," Loki replied steadily. "It serves no purpose other than to demonstrate just how hopeless your supposed 'cause' is. Look at you! You have nothing. You are the bedmate of a king, carrying his offspring in your womb. You are not a soldier; you are a scholar. I know what you want. You want to stand at the forefront of a rebellion, to stand before me and smile as I lose everything. To throw your hands up in jubilation as I am led away in chains, utterly defeated. But you see – that will never come to pass. Ever. So I suggest you keep your pretty mouth closed and attend to the babe growing within you. I have other far more important matters to address than your pointless protestations. Cease them."

Eva flushed as he dismissed her. Her eyes blazed, but she was unable to utter nothing more, so demeaning was his attitude. And yet it struck her very soul. He was right. She did want to see him fall, yet the manner in which he dismantled her wishes had her feeling almost deflated, shamed.

Loki's fingers easily tilted her chin up to face him. "Look at me, Eva."

Slowly, she did, and he smiled.

"That's better. Now, shall I call for some refreshment? I cannot have you going hungry."

Eva looked at him, eyes searching his even as she loathed obeying his command, and the question slipped from her lips, quiet, laced with thought.

"Why me, Loki?"

He gave no reply, only kissed her forehead, and then guided her out of the chamber, his hand at the small of her back. Lunch was taken in her suite, the sun shining into the lounge, and he encouraged her to eat as much as she desired.

"I am going to relocate the court," he said calmly, as she sipped at a cup of jasmine tea. Eva raised a brow questioningly.

"I was not aware you had a court," she replied. Loki sat back in his chair, his piercing gaze appraising her.

"I am going to move the court to Germany," he continued, watching as Eva's eyes widened in surprise. "You need somewhere to raise our child, and the middle of a dirty, bustling city such as New York is no place for such a young being. I have ordered a palace in Berlin to be readied for our arrival with the next two weeks. You will spend the remainder of your pregnancy there. It is perfectly adequate for the task, and the gardens are quite fine enough for your requirement of 'fresh air and green spaces'."

Carefully, Eva set the cup down upon its saucer, and she measured her words before speaking.

"Which palace?"

She had visited many, on her annual stays in the country that her mother had grown up in. All were beautiful. All had a history behind them.

"Charlottenburg Palace."

Had Eva still been drinking, she would have choked.

"Charlottenburg?" Her stare was incredulous. "But… that's a public attraction! You can't seal it off from the people!"

"I can, and I have. You really are quite forgetful about the fact that I can do whatever I wish," he remarked dryly. "The Palace will be your home for the next few months. Worry not, you will have all you require."

She was silent in her shock. Charlottenburg was a beautiful place, and she had visited many a time, but to call it home?

"It is too grand for me," she murmured. "I don't need luxury. I don't need opulence."

"You do now," Loki responded simply, and he stood. "I will brook no arguments, Eva. The court will move, and you will go with them. That is final."

No further argument was made; only a look of fire was sent his way. Satisfied, he walked over to the windows, glancing out at the city as flakes of snow began to drift from the heavens. Cold had never bothered him, of course, but he was well aware that it bothered Eva. He heard her intake of breath as the fur blanket wrapped itself around her, and he turned his head to see her surprise. His lips twitched at her expression. Priceless, as the mortals might say.

"Comfortable?"
"Yes, thank you," she replied frostily. He chuckled.

"Good. I'll be sending your family to their home in England before we leave for Germany; it isn't feasible keeping them here when they should be going back to normality."

"You're sending them home? But they can't go back! They will get torn apart!" Eva cried, plainly horrified at the idea, sudden images of possibility swarming her mind.

"Of course they can. There is no reason why your father cannot resume his job and Aidan return to school."

"And do you really think my father won't get abuse and my brother won't be bullied?"

"They will not dare."

"Carry on believing that all you like; you clearly don't understand humanity."

His smile was humourless.

"Oh, Eva. I understand humanity all too well. It is you who is mistaken."

He turned his attention back to the city, and Eva pulled the fur closer to her body, grudgingly appreciating the warmth it provided.

"As long as my family are safe, that's all I care about," she murmured. Unseen to her, Loki's face tautened a little, his jaw tensing as memories flashed through his mind, but his voice was perfectly even.

"Of course."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed!

Lightning xoxo