Just like that my boredom was gone, oh sure there was plenty of dryness that existed during the week but I finally had something to look forward to, I had time to properly use my magic and I would do anything to keep that opportunity going, including putting up with Loki's antics.

Although the time of the lessons did interfere with me ever going out with my classmates the nights previous. Unfortunately that was not true when regarding last night, somehow that idiot Via had convinced me to go out with her and her friends and that is why when I woke up very late in the afternoon I ended up staring at two very large scrutinizing green eyes.

"Loki" I shrieked started back in my bed almost smacking my head on the wall. He sat on the foot of bed staring intently at me, oh dear gods, I was barely dressed in anything at all!

"You're late" he commented non-nonchalantly, I groaned letting my head fall to the pillow.

"How long have you been here" I asked shoving a pillow in my face in embarrassment.

"A while" he said "You talk in your sleep you know" I uncovered one of my eyes to look at him prompting him for information but he never provided none, I sighed.

"I'm sorry Loki" I mumbled "Via convinced me to- oh never mind"

"What?" he asked

"I just went out with her and her friends, we drank and danced it was all very trivial" I waved it off "Some of her friends are very much fans of the men if you know what I mean"

"You're not?" questioned Loki, I laughed.

"Oh I like men just fine, but you won't find me draped over them like they were, I'd have to really like someone to hang off their arm like that" I smiled, Loki nodded slowly.

"Well, Maridell I forgive you but I expect it never to happen again" he told me, standing up, I nodded. "Now I suppose we can still get in a quick lesson, let's go"

He stood in the middle of the room apparently waiting for me to get up and follow him out, what he didn't seem to grasp was the very small, very sheer garment that I was currently wearing, I was just very lucky I was fully covered by my sheets when he walked in.

"Loki" I began slowly "I'm in my nightwear, I need to get changed" he tried not to look embarrassed as he awkwardly exited the room.

I quickly and efficiently changed into my day wear and pulled my hair back, I took a moment to address myself in the mirror. I suppose I could be considered pretty, with my blonde hair pulled back you could more easily see my high cheekbones, I had some elfish decent in my family so that expressed in my face. My eyes were blue, but an ice blue, not the dark that I always found so deep and enchanting, I found that my face looked a bit too sharp to be considered conventionally attractive, I had been described as striking which I suppose is better than forgettable. I sighed deciding I better not keep Loki waiting any longer and I walked outside to meet him.

He met me with a small smile and took us to the garden where we started another lesson, I finally felt at ease for the first time all week. My understanding was getting better every lesson, but it still wasn't enough to impress Loki which is something I wouldn't admit I desperately wanted.

"Loki" I groaned "Can we take a break, I'm exhausted" I sat down on the rock I had fallen off of during our first lesson. It was so long ago it seemed.

"You show up late and now you want to end early?" asked Loki slightly annoyed.

"I'm still very tired from last night, come on let's just sit and talk" I prompted him to sit beside me, he looked sort of confused but sat down next to me anyway, it was odd, sitting causally, Loki looked a lot smaller less threatening than he usually did.

"So Prince Loki" I began "How did you first become acquainted with magic?"

He shifted looking slightly uncomfortable at having just a simple conversation "My mother, she taught me how to fight and how to first utilize magic, I taught myself from there"

"Queen Frigga? I should have guessed she was a sorceress" I mused

"And you? Did your mother help you as well" he asked, my stomach dropped.

"Oh, my mother...she died when I was very young" I blinked trying to push the painful memory to the back of my mind.

"I'm sorry" he said genuinely.

"Thank you, it was...a long time ago" I said, deciding if I was going to mention her might as well go all the way with it "See my mother was very interested in the realm of Midgard, she studied it for years and then one day she planned an exploration for a few select people to travel there and take information, she took my eldest brother with her as well, and...none of them ever returned"

"I truly am sorry Maridell" he repeated.

"Yeah" I breathed "Well, like I said, it was a long time ago, as for my magic I did most of my studying myself, it's sort of a joke back home. I'm basically just a glorified torch to them"

I looked down, willing my eyes not to cry, there was no way I was going to shed tears in front of the god of mischief. No way in Hel.

"You're much more than that Maridell, don't ever think otherwise" he said softly.

"Thanks Loki"

"Brother! Maridell" we looked up to see the glorious Thor walking towards us, he had an infectious bright smile on his face that I just couldn't help but return, I pushed my sadness away and decided instead to focus on the big goof of a god in front of me.

"Afternoon Thor" I greeted grinning.

"I was planning on going for a walk to the other side of the garden, would you two care to join me?" he asked, I widened my eyes.

"There's another side to this garden? Loki you never told me!" I exclaimed.

"Loki, how could you keep such a thing from our dear Maridell?" joked Thor.

"Slipped my mind" muttered Loki obviously thrown off my the presence of his brother.

"So, shall we head off?" asked Thor

"Come Loki, it'll be a lovely break" I smiled at Loki but he did not smile back.

"You go. I suddenly don't feel very well" and with that he walked back towards his home, his exit was rushed and abrupt leaving me feeling like I had done something terribly wrong, but I tried my best to forget about and started on my walk with Thor.

Thor was a very pleasant companion to have on walk he joked and pointed out all the special little points of the garden, this place was my favourite before but now I was falling in love with it all over again.

"Oh I this is the most beautiful place I have ever been!" I exclaimed breathing in all the different fragrances.

"It is quite a magical place" agreed Thor.

"So, is there something wrong with Loki?" I asked him, if anyone could decipher Loki's odd behaviour it would be him.

"I have an inkling, but I cannot say for sure" he said airily.

"Tell me" I told him, he laughed

"I can't Maridell, It's between brothers" he smiled, I rolled my eyes.

"You are no fun Thor!" I teased, he looked at me in mock offence.

"Me? No fun? You know not what you speak young sorceress!" he accused jokingly

"Ah, I always know what I speak!" and with that I took off in a run which gave Thor the cue to chase me.

I knew I would never be able to out run him but it would be an interesting experience to try. I laughed as he respectively kept a short distance behind me, but I failed to calculate the amount of roots that were sticking out into the path I hit one of them and twisted on my ankle and hit the ground, I cried out in pain and I heard a tearing sound in my ankle.

"Maridell!" shouted Thor in concern coming to my side "Maridell, are you alright"

I sucked in a painful breath "I hurt my ankle, oh Hel" I rocked back and forth attempted to minimize the pain. "Thor, help me just take my back to my home, they have healers there"

"Yes, of course Maridell" he gently helped me to my feet.

I grasped his arm and leaned on his side to gain some leverage and him and I limped back along the path and through the courtyard and back to my home. He stayed with me for a while until the healers came and then bid me farewell and promised to come check up on me in the next few days, I thanked him numerous times before he left and after the healers fixed my ankle I went straight to bed avoiding nay and all questioned presented by Via.

My ankle was healed in only two days, luckily it wasn't anything serious, Thor was true to his word and checked up on me, it was nice to talk to him, I still attempted to get him to tell me anything about how Loki was acting but he vowed never to breach the unspoken confidentiality agreement between brothers.

The rest of the week passed without any incidents until the last day of classes before our day off, the day was almost over and most of my classmates had gone out to the town to celebrate another week over, I on the other hand, determined not to disappoint Loki again, prepared for an early night. I was about to change my clothes when I heard a knock on the door. I went and answered it.

"Lady Maridell?" it was one of palace guards.

"Yes?" I asked confused as his presence.

"I have a message from prince Loki" he said, I raised my eyebrows in surprise "He wishes to tell you that you are not to attend lesson tomorrow and that all subsequent lessons are cancelled, he does not expect any return message"

I think I stood in shock for a full two minutes, the guard left promptly leaving me standing in the doorway. My mouth was agape and I had no words to express, not even to the empty corridor, it didn't take very long for my shock and surprise to evolve into full rage. How dare he...how dare he do this to me!

I slammed my door and ran down the corridor out into the streets, I passed through the many crowds of people shoving anyone aside who dare stand in my way, I ran to the castle using my magic to knock any and all guards off their feet. I managed to navigate my way to his room even though I felt blinded by anger. There was no where in the dark that he could hide from me.

"LOKI!" I shouted ramming my first on his door, he didn't answer "LOKI OPEN THIS DOOR!"

Finally the prince opened his door, his expression was unreasonable, blank.

"Maridell" he stated

"Loki, what the hel is your problem?" I asked angrily

"I believe I just sent a message to get rid of it" oh that hurt.

"How can you just do that? Just end our association? It wasn't even you who did it, it was some nameless guard!" I shouted at him

"I saw you" he said darkly

I took a step back, surprised by his sudden change in demeanour "What?"

"You and Thor!" he shouted, I jumped

"What are you talking about?" I asked

"After I left, when you went for your walk. I saw you coming back, with you draped over him like a common whore!" he spat at me.

"How dare you!" I cried

"How dare I? How dare I! You are barely above commoner, you aren't even worthy of speaking to me!" he sneered

"How can you say that?" I felt tears brimming in my eyes. "It wasn't like that!"

"I have a hard time believing that" he scoffed,

"Loki you are an idiot!" I swallowed hard "You have no idea what happened! Although you did succeed in making an incredible ass of yourself! I hope your happy!" I stormed out of the castle.

...

I ran back down to the village and rushed into a pub that I knew Via and her friends would be, I easily spotted her and sat down next to her, still shaking with anger and hurt.

"Maridell" said Via surprised "I thought you were going to bed early, because of Loki-"

"Don't you mention that name to me!" I seethed, Via jumped in surprise at my outburst.

"What happened?" she asked delicately.

"That...idiot! Remember when Thor helped me back to the building last week because I had injured my ankle?" Via nodded "Lo- he saw us, and assumed that-" I couldn't even finish.

Via understood immediately "Oh, Maridell, I'm sorry, I know how you felt"

"How I felt?" I asked angrily "I never felt anything for that bastard, but the way he spoke to me! How he treated me! Oh, I need something to drink"

Via nodded and signalled the bar keep to bring me a drink, I downed it quickly and ordered another to follow. Via did her best to comfort me, but I had few words to say, I just drank more, waiting for the substance to calm me, dull my senses, erase my...feelings. It did just that, soon enough I was laughing and dancing with Via, forgetting all about him

Flirting was never my strong suit, but I'll be dammed if it's something I can't do, and I managed to get a few men interested in what was beneath my dress, but deep in my sub conscious I knew it was all in spite. None of the men got what I was promising anyway, Via made sure of that.

By the end of the night, I could barely stand and I couldn't string one sentence to the next, Via took me by the arm and began to lead me home.

"Look Via!" I shouted waving my hand and shooting a ball of light into the sky so it exploded illuminated the street "Pretty, pretty lights"

"Yes, Maridell, very pretty" she grunted trying to keep us both on our feet.

We did finally make it back, but we didn't quite make it into the room, there was something blocking it.

"LOKI" I roared drunkenly breaking away from Via and grabbing him to stay upright "I have something to say to you!"

"Are you drunk?" he asked astounded.

"What? No!" I denied unconvincingly

"Your Highness" greeted Via coldly. The chilliness was on my behalf and I was grateful, not then, but alter I was.

"Via, give us a minute 'kay?" I slurred, she hesitantly entered our room and left Loki and I in the corridor alone.

"Maridell, what did you do?" asked Loki

"Acted like a 'common whore' I believe those were your words?" Loki looked away from me, he looked almost...guilty. "What Prince-y? Got nothing to say? That's a first isn't it silver-tongue?"

"Maridell. Stop" he told me. I had to hang on to his arms just so I could stay upright, he grabbed by the waste so I could stay steady. "I spoke to Thor"

"OH! So finally figured out I was telling the truth eh?" I asked cruelly

"I'm sorry"

"Yeah! You'd better be sorry, because I-" I stopped "You know I would never"

"I know, I was just...it doesn't matter, just know I'm sorry"

I threw my arms around him in a tight hug, his surprise was evident and he through his hands up in a surrender position, but eventually he returned the hug.

"I forgive you Loki" I said not letting him out of the hug, he was the first to pull back, but still held me by the arms so I wouldn't fall.

"Now should we get you to bed?"

"Don't go" the words slipped past my lips beforeI could stop them.

I'm never drinking again.

"What?"

"I like your bed, can we go to the castle?" I asked

Never again.

"You...want to sleep in...my bed?" he stuttered. I nodded sleepily.

"Oh, well, um, okay" he said awkwardly.

"Carry me!" I smiled putting my hands on his shoulders, he obliged scooping me up into his arms bridal style.

I don't remember anything after that. I fell asleep in his arms.

A/N: longer chapter yay. Hope you like it, please, please review I always look forward to them.