Frigga was trying desperately to calm Thor. When she had told him what had happened with Elizabeth, Frigga was barely able to keep Thor from breaking down the door. She sent him away until she had settled Elizabeth and Loki into a different room. After Thor had left, she gathered her son and the girl into a guest room in her chambers.

She left them both and retired to her sitting room. Settling herself down with a bit of embroidery, she let her fingers wander while she thought. She loved her son, but it was hard to understand his recent actions. She knew that Loki only wanted to prove himself. She also knew that he had begun to feel something for Elizabeth. He did not love her, nor did she love him, but they had each begun to understand each other and share the sadness and loneliness of their parallel situations. Loki wanted Elizabeth to stay because she respected him and understood his feelings more than he did. Elizabeth had been happy to learn Loki was alive because she felt sympathy, not pity, for him.

Frigga sighed. Looking at the fabric in her hands, she saw that the deer she was stitching had suddenly gained two fawns. One was silver green with just sprouting antlers. The other was a tiny, sand colored doe. Setting the stitching aside, she rose to go find Thor.

/

Dinner began with a tense silence. Frigga collected Loki and myself and showed us to a huge hall with a giant table. It was all too familiar to Loki's private palace before Thor had destroyed it. Thor was already seated and he rose as we entered. Loki seated me before settling comfortably into the neighboring chair. Frigga sat herself at the head of the table. "It will just be us dining tonight, I'm afraid my husband is indisposed this evening."

Frigga made a motion and several servants appeared with great trays of food and drink. The meal was spent in relative silence. Thor ate ravenously while Loki quietly took his fill. I picked at the unusual but delicious food. My appetite had rather been ruined by the days events. When Thor finally sat back with a contented sigh, The servants reappeared and whisked away the dishes and silverware. Frigga suggested that we all adjourned to her sitting room.

Soon we were all settled in the pastel and gold room. Thor took up half of a couch, Loki settled himself into a chaise, Frigga took a comfortable looking chair, and I sat nervously on the edge of a chair near her. Settling in, Frigga took up her embroidery and turned to me.

"So Elizabeth, how do you find Asgard? Is it to your liking?" I stuttered for a moment, trying to find the right words. "It is very lovely here. I feel very out of place. I am not used to being somewhere so grand." Thor smiled. "I do not think you look out of place Lady Elizabeth. Not with such a lovely gown. Your beauty would rival many ladies of the court." I blushed at Thor's compliment. Loki grinned mischievously at me. "Yes," he said raising his eyebrows, "I do find it rather flattering." I blushed even harder now.

Frigga cleared her throat softly. "Elizabeth, do you embroider?" I nodded, my cheeks still burning. She handed me a large piece of blue fabric and a needle strung with a silvery thread. I accepted it with a timid thank you. She nodded. "The thread is enchanted so that it will never run out and it will change its color when you so desire." I was unsure of what to say, so I nodded again.

Soon, the conversation changed from pleasant chatter, to the events of the day. I focused pointedly on my embroidery while Thor dove head first into the most delicate subject possible. "Brother, I do not understand why you will not simply let Lady Elizabeth return to her home." Thor looked imploringly at Loki. Loki simply shifted his weight and looked straight back at Thor. "You cannot possibly understand my reasoning. You are much too simple in your convictions." Thor let his temper rise. "I am not a dullard. It is you who are too simple to see the wrong in your actions."

Seeing the imminent conflict between her sons, Frigga cleared her throat loudly. "I think it has been a long day for us all. I suggest that we retire and continue this discussion in the morning." Loki rose quickly and stalked off to the bedroom. Thor watched him go. "Mother," he said quickly but Frigga cut him off. "Sleep well my son. I will speak with you on the morrow." With a quick nod and a grunted farewell, Thor left for his chambers.

I rose quietly to leave, but Frigga stopped me. She stood and placed her delicate fingers on my shoulder. Looking up to meet her gaze, I was reminded of how tall she really was. Her sons stood at least a head higher but Frigga still cut an imposing figure. She smiled softly at me. "Tomorrow I would like you to join me at midday." I nodded. "Sleep well, Lady Elizabeth." Then she turned and glided softly down the hall.

/

Loki disrobed and sat himself on the bed a bit harder than strictly necessary. Why does Thor insist that everything I do is unjustified or malicious? Loki settled himself under the thick gold covers. It was always that way I suppose, he grumbled internally. Thor never saw what I did as being worthy. Neither did Odin. He paused in his thoughts to listen as Elizabeth padded softly across the room. He listened to the quiet noises she made as she went through the motions of going to bed.

When he heard her breathing finally grow deep and even, he returned to his train of thought. Mother taught me magic and made me strong, but she has taken even that from me now. Tears pricked his eyes. I tried to prove myself. I tried to help Asgard and I was hated for it. Breath caught in his throat suddenly. I tried to create a world of peace for myself. Even for that I was hated. Rubbing his eyes, he harshly pushed back the flood of sorrow. After a while, he finally fell into a fitful sleep.

...

Loki's thoughts swirled in his brain even after he finally fell asleep. They changed and morphed into strange creatures and colors intent on swallowing him. He found himself in a dark void. A star twinkled in the distance and he felt a sudden urge to move toward it. He ran, his footsteps meeting solid matter in the emptiness. He ran and ran but the star got no closer. Suddenly, behind him, he heard the voice of Thanos rumble. It got closer and closer till he could feel breath on his neck. Thanos was calling his name over and over. Loki ran even faster toward the one bright point. The star was getting bigger now, a few strides more and he saw that the star was really Frigga and Thor. He reached out for his brother but felt the weight of a thousand chains holding him back. Frigga was reaching for him now. Thor's expression turned to one of disgust. Lifting his hammer, Thor struck a great blow to Loki's ribs. Loki felt himself falling being pulled down by the invisible chains. He tried to yell for help, to scream for Frigga, but each time he opened his mouth, the laughter of Thanos came out. He was dragged into the blackness as the laughter grew louder.

Then he stopped falling, the laughter was gone. He opened his eyes to see a golden maiden with eyes like green gems. She approached his prone form and knelt over him. She gently stroked his face and muttered something comforting. He felt a sweet calmness sweep over him. She gracefully stood and the gold melted from her body to reveal a tiny fawn. The fawn took two steps and collapsed. Loki sat up and saw that a thin gold thread was wrapped around both his and the fawn's leg. Then the dream dissolved around him and he saw Elizabeth sneaking out of his bed.

/

I woke to a terrifying noise. For a moment, I was disoriented by the huge soft bed and the high ceiling lit with moonlight. Then I heard the suffocated scream again and it all came flooding back to me. I was tempted to let Loki suffer, but his thrashing and labored breathing reminded me all to much of the time my little brother had a nightmare. I had been struggling to get to sleep and had gone for a drink of water. When I passed his room, I heard him groaning and it terrified me that he was so scared. The sounds coming from the other side of the partition echoed in my heart as if I was hearing my own sibling.

With a mild groan at the cold air, I quickly flipped off my covers and tiptoed over to Loki's bedside. His eyes darted crazily beneath the lids and bits of his hair were stuck to his damp forehead. His mouth opened and closed like he was trying to speak and his breath came in short gasps. Periodically he would shake his head or move his arm. Thinking that he looked very small and childlike, I felt a tug on my heart the same as if he were my brother or sister.

The bed was so large, I had to climb up on the edge to even reach him. I placed my hand on his head and smoothed back the hair from his face. His eyes shot open in terror, darting here and there without really seeing. "Hey," I murmured. "Hey, it's okay, you're only dreaming, it's okay. You're just having a nightmare, its okay." He seemed to relax a bit so I kept stroking his forehead. After a few more moments, his breathing steadied and he closed his eyes again.

I waited for a moment before carefully moving toward the edge of the bed. He looked so serene now, I didn't want to disturb him. Once again, the thought crossed my mind that he reminded me terribly of my own brother. I had almost made it over the edge of the bed before Loki woke with a start. He grabbed the hem of my white nightgown, startling me. He looked at me accusingly. "What are you doing?"

The small, childish, Loki was gone from his face now. Returned was the man I feared. "I was... Just... I mean... You were having a nightmare." I felt the blood rise in my cheeks. I realized how awful this looked. Me in a nightgown, trying to sneak out of a grown man's bed. He looked at me a moment longer then his expression changed ever so slightly. "Why would you be concerned about my dreams?" Indignant at the situation and irritated by his tone, I yanked the hem of the gown away from him. "I couldn't very well sleep with all your whimpering." Now firmly planted on the ground, I turn on my heel and marched pointedly around the partition back to my own bed. I could almost feel his grin on my back.

Thank you to those that commented and helped me to push through this chapter. Comments truly make a difference to me. Until next time, stay driven.