So I know I said that this would be a reunion chapter, but it just got way too long so I had to split it. I don't know why I ever bother planning anything. Said plans are never followed.

BUT! I the next chapter (the real reunion chapter) is finished. I am just proof reading, so it will be up tomorrow morning at the latest.

Sorry again.

Chapter 19: Blast Off

"What does one even pack for a trip to a different planet?" Jane says from the depths of her closet. Ellie sits cross-legged in the middle of her bed, watching Jane freak out. Darcy is on the floor, absently reading a magazine.

"Realm," Ellie corrects.

"I have nothing to wear!" shrieks Jane. Ellie chuckles. Darcy rolls her eyes.

"Jane, you are getting dangerously close to bitching," Darcy says, scowling in Jane's general direction. "If I hear you bitching about getting to go to Asgard I will seriously lose it. You lucky assholes. I can't believe you two are leaving me here alone."

Jane growls and throws clothes out onto the foot of the bed. Ellie collects them, smoothing out wrinkles and selecting the ones she deems worthy for the Realm Eternal.

"I'm not bitching. I'm just stressed okay, Darcy!" Jane yells. "I'm going off to a different realm to meet my boyfriend's parents, and oh hey, guess what! They are the king and queen of the place and I'm just a lowly mortal."

"Yeah, that's pretty freaky," agrees Darcy.

"Darcy! You are supposed to be making me feel better."

"Well, at least you're not hung up on a psychopath about to be sentenced to eons in the slammer," says Darcy.

Ellie throws an unworthy pair of pants in Darcy's face.

"Well, if the tastes of said psychopath are any indication, Asgardians seem to wear a lot of long, flowing dresses. And green. But that's probably just Loki," says Ellie.

"Okay. I've got dresses. I can wear dresses. I think I may have one dress. Why didn't I pack sooner? We leave tomorrow! There's no time to buy long, flowing dresses!"

Jane continues to freak out for the majority of the night. Neither Darcy nor Ellie manages to do much to ease her fears, but the wine seems to help. There isn't much to say. Their upcoming trip to Asgard will be fucking scary.

Ellie leaves later than she should. Plied with alcohol, Jane is on the verge of sleep in her room at the compound, and Ellie makes the long walk to the cottage alone. She pauses at the base of the stairs when she gets home, looking at the stars and thinking of Loki, worlds away, rotting away in a dungeon with his lips sewed shut. She tries to analyze her own feelings for the God of Lies, but fails miserably.

She's invested now and will see it through the best way she can. Convincing Thor to bring her to the sham of a trial is a good start.

There is nothing she can do for him but see it through. Maybe it's more about her than him. Maybe she needs that closure Darcy's always going on about.

She'll go to the trial. She'll know his fate. And she'll move on.

It's a very strange sensation, being sucked up by bright blue light only to solidify galaxies away. Ellie can feel each and every cell in her body stretched upwards. Every part of her body is ultra sensitized.

Her instinct is to close her eyes against the blinding blue light, but she focuses on keeping them open, not wanting to miss a moment of this. Through the brilliant light, Ellie makes out stars and nebulas and the fleeting immensity of space.

Her feet solidify first and Ellie gapes down as her shoes lose their blue glow against the equally bright surface of what Thor calls the Rainbow Bridge.

Really, it's a shockingly gentle process despite the Jane's painful grip on her hand.

Ellie cracks her neck, taking stock of her body before she can focus on her new, other worldly surroundings. Her eyes go wide as her brain struggles to process the unbelievable sight before her.

During Thor's visits in the lab, many days ended with Jane, Darcy, and Ellie listening with rapt attention to Thor's description of his home. He talked with such quiet reverence. The thunder god's words were so vivid Ellie felt as though she could picture it perfectly.

Nothing could prepare her for the sight of the towering golden city, flanked by idyllic mountains and the dark beauty of space beyond. There is too much to see and Ellie's eyes dart around frantically before they settle on the bridge that seems to buzz under her feet.

Thor gives the girls a few moments to silently take it all in.

"Fuck," mutters Eleanor, still holding Jane's hand. Her boss lets out a semi hysterical giggle. Jane's gaze is rooted to the sky, but Ellie looks at the golden palace. Somewhere far below the magnificent spires is Loki, trapped away all alone with only her CD's as company.

"Come now my fair Midgardians," Thor says, wrapping an arm more firmly around Jane's shoulders. "Our greeting party has arrived."

Ellie stops gaping at Thor's home long enough to gaze at the group of four rapidly approaching Asgardians, all dressed in armor and leather as splendid as Thor's.

"The Warriors Three and Lady Sif," announces Thor. "Volstagg, Hogun, Fandral, Sif, this is my Jane."

"Hi," squeaks Jane.

The Warriors Three and Sif return the greeting. Ellie loses interest and goes back to staying at the city.

"And this is Lady Eleanor," continues Thor. She glances back at the imposing figures standing before her and she knows just from the looks on their faces that Thor has told them all about her dubious parentage and her impossibly stupid attachment to the traitor prince.

"What's up?" says Eleanor.

All four warriors look up, blinking in confusion as they search the sky. Jane chuckles as Thor explains that her words are a "strange Midgardian greeting."

They take a moment to recover.

"I must say we did not expect Thor to return in the company of any let alone such stunning companions," says the dashing blond one. Ellie didn't catch his name or any of their names. In her head she dubs him Warrior One.

She just watches him with a raised eyebrow as he reaches for her hand, kissing it.

"Does Odin know about this?" asks Sif. Ellie did actually pick up the woman warrior's name.

"Come," says Thor, wincing slightly. With a sweeping arm, the prince of Asgard gestures grandly towards the golden city. "Let us depart."

The odd group sets off but Ellie lingers behind. She takes off her shoes and a shiver runs up the length of her body as she feels the pulsing energy of the bridge below her feet.

Thor shows Ellie to her chambers and he is nervous.

"My apologies, Lady Eleanor," he says, loitering at her doorway as she slowly moves around the room, taking in the opulent décor. "I must meet with the Allfather alone before introducing them to Jane. Your presence here was not expected and I must explain."

"It's cool," she mutters.

"You are chilled?" asks Thor, confused. "I can call for more blankets if you wish."

Ellie turns her head to hide her smile. "No, it means I will be fine here on my own. Don't worry about it."

"Very good, Lady Eleanor," he says. "I know you wish to see him, but I am afraid you will have to wait until the trial tomorrow. Please stay here. There are… whispers about you and I would hate for the people's curiosity to turn into something that might harm you."

And then he's gone, leaving her alone in a bedroom so fancy is makes her nervous. Her insides still feel a little shaky from her super speedy ride through space, so she lies down on the plush purple bed and tries to rest.

She gives up after less than ten minutes.

Instead she gets up to finish exploring her surroundings. The furnishings are gold and purple. The floor is a cool marble and the walls a lush mahogany paneling. The ceiling is enchanted to look like stars in the sky.

An elaborate golden archway opens to a balcony and Eleanor wanders outside. The rolling green hills give way to jagged rock and an ocean beyond. She can hear the faint roar. Again she looks at the sky with space beyond and she thinks of Loki.

It's hard to believe he is so close.

The view seems to freeze her in place for a good hour but eventually her curiosity gets the best of her. She eyes the curving marble steps at the end of the balcony and then peaks over the edge, studying the lush gardens below.

Thor was rather clear with his instructions to stay put, but this might be her only day on a different fucking realm, and she refuses to waste it. With a final deep breath to steady her nerves, Ellie sets off down the stairs and out into Asgard.

Or at least the palace grounds.

The gardens are beautiful, and Ellie wanders for hours, but she doesn't feel a connection here. As irritating as it is to admit, Eleanor hoped to feel ties to this distant, unbelievable realm, but instead she feels nothing. Parentage be damned because she feels nothing beyond the standard shock of being on a different fucking realm.

Ellie has been disconnected her whole life, the dark prince of this stunning city being the one exception.

Fingertips trail over soft petals, each more extraordinary in color and texture and shape than the last as she meanders down a cobblestone path, her feet bare.

The sounds of footsteps behind her have panic stirring in her chest. Thor told her to stay put after all, but what's the worst they could do? Lock her back in the absurdly opulent room? She is used to such things, even if Stark Tower stopped being her prison over nine months ago.

Ellie turns to meet the newcomer and is surprised to see a tall woman covered head to toe in a long brown cloak. Only her face is visible, framed by a few golden curls escaping her hood. She is tall and beautiful, just like every other Asgardian ever.

"Lady Eleanor Tate," she says in that distinct accent.

Ellie nods absently as the woman stops to scrutinize her, even though there was no question in her voice.

The cloaked stranger drags her gaze down the length of Ellie's body with alarming intensity. Ellie pats her hair self-consciously and curses herself for leaving her sandals behind. Her feet filthy from her tromp through the gardens. Although this woman is dressed far more plainly than her typical Asgardian company, the woman's height and piercing stare intimidate Ellie.

There is something so very familiar in that stare.

But then the woman beams. "You are absolutely beautiful," she declares. The precision of the cloaked woman's speech reminds Ellie of Loki and it hurts her heart for a moment. "Although a bit small."

Ellie can do nothing but nod back with wide eyes.

"I am so very pleased to meet you, my lady," says the woman, bowing slightly.

"Thanks." Ellie finally manages to find her voice. "Um, who are you?"

"It matters not," says the cloaked woman, waving an elegant hand dismissively. "I am a simple servant with a question."

Ellie glances around, totally baffled by the conversation. She nods at the cloaked woman to continue.

"Why are you here?" The suspicion apparent in the inquiry has Ellie going on the defensive.

"I'm a guest of Thor," Ellie explains, bristling and crossing her arms over her chest. She has to look up to meet the gaze of the cloaked servant.

"You failed to answer," replies the very pushy servant.

"I fail to see why I should," Ellie says. "It's not your business."

The cloaked woman gives a genuine smile. "You have heart," she says. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are here for the dark prince."

Now Ellie is really surprised. How could such gossip spread so quickly? She's been here for less than half a day and she's gone nowhere near Loki.

"As I suspected," says the woman, blue eyes bright and excited now. "You wish to assist him."

Ellie's eyes narrow. "Assist him how?" she asks.

"You wish to change his sentence, to change his fate."

Ellie stares in open mouthed shock for a long moment during which time the woman just looks on hopefully.

"There is nothing I can do," Ellie murmurs, shoulders slumping in defeat. "He deserves to be punished, but he isn't well and a hundred year of solitude will absolutely ruin any chance he has of ever being okay again."

"And you wish him to have a chance?"

Ellie nods, struggling not to cry. Thor explicitly warned her about advertizing her views on Loki to the rest of the Aesir, but here she is, practically breaking down in front of a servant.

She's going to get herself beat up. To the Asgardians, she is an abomination connected to a monster.

"In that case," says the woman, drawing an ancient leather-bound book from the folds of her cloak with a flourishing gesture that once more reminds Ellie of Loki. "I must deliver this to you."

Raising a single, questioning eyebrow, Ellie accepts the book with extreme caution. It is so old but still very heavy and solid. Ellie touches the flaking gold writing across the front. Frowning in confusion, she opens the book to a page marked with a green ribbon of fabric.

"You know I can't read this, right?" Ellie asks as she stares at the tiny foreign lettering crowding the yellow pages.

"Ingest this," says the cloaked woman, offering a small, nearly transparent item in the palm of her hand.

"Wha—" When Ellie opens her mouth to protest, the cloaked woman shoves the circle into her mouth, holding a hand over Ellie's lips and tilting her head back, leaving Ellie no choice but to swallow.

"What the fuck!" Ellie sputters when the cloaked woman lets go. "What the hell did I just eat?"

It tastes like a mint.

"You can read now. The gift is not permanent."

Ellie glances down at the book, understanding every symbol on the page. Blinking in confusion, she looks back up to ask the cloaked servant for a little clarification, but she is once more alone in the garden.

Ellie turns in three full circles before she looks back at the bookmarked page and the heading written in bold.

"Atonement," she murmurs.

"Thor is not going to like this," Jane mutters, frowning down at the map drawn by the God of Thunder himself.

The girls spent the evening together, dinning in Jane's rooms. Thor apologized for the lacking hospitality, but he needed to spend time with his parents and the council, preparing for tomorrow.

Jane briefly met the King and Queen, but apparently all further socialization will just have to wait until after Loki's trial.

"Of course he'll be mad," Ellie replies as they walk down the deserted hall. "He drew you this map so you could sneak into his room to do him and I'm tagging along. He'll totally be mad."

Jane stops walking abruptly. Torches that barely light the space throw strange shadows on Jane's beautiful face. "Maybe I should take you back," Jane murmurs.

Ellie combats that bit of stupidity by snagging the map and continuing down the hall. Jane has little choice but to follow.

They only get lost twice, pretty good considering Thor really can't draw for shit.

Jane gives Ellie a wary look before sighing and knocking on the set of golden double doors.

"My Jane," Thor says in what is supposed to be a whisper as he opens the door. "You've found my rooms."

Ignoring the fact that he's wearing nothing but a crimson loincloth, Ellie pushes past the startled God of Thunder to enter the room.

"What is the meaning of this?" he sputters as Jane follows, shutting the door behind her. "Surely you do not mean for me to engage in the trinity with my brother's woman."

Ellie rolls her eyes.

"Trinity!" barks Jane. "Is that like a threesome? What is wrong with you?"

Before an argument can really get going, Ellie drops the heavy book on Thor's desk. The resulting bang makes Jane jump and Thor scowl.

"I need to talk to you about Loki," Ellie says, opening to the proper page.

As Thor reads, Ellie uses the green ribbon serving as a bookmark to tie up her hair in a messy bun.

"How did you come to be in possession of this, Lady Eleanor?" he asks, barely containing his anger. His jaw ticks. Loki's does that too. "How do you even know what it says?"

"So I was in the gardens," she admits, ignoring Thor's groan. "And this woman started asking me about your brother and then she gave me this book and shoved this weird minty thing in my mouth so I could read it."

"This gift of tongues," Thor murmurs, thinking hard apparently. "She could have very well slain you or held you for ransom, demanding Loki's life to spare yours. I told you how they hate him."

"Your gardens are that dangerous?" she asks.

"Of course not," snaps the crowed prince, getting defensive. "Who was this woman? How did she come to be in the palace undetected?"

Ellie shrugs. "She didn't give me a name," she continues. "She said that she was a servant. She sounded like she was acting on someone's orders."

Thor strokes his chin and starts pacing. Loki does that too.

"My brother has an ally," he muses. "It seems impossible."

"Does it really matter who gave it to me? Check this shit out." She clears her throat and starts to read. "Under just circumstances when the offending criminal is judged redeemable and traditional forms of punishment indeed threaten this possibility for redemption, a bót mannaforráð may hereby be endued with the most sacred of responsibilities and the according powers to ensure the criminal's full and complete redemption."

Thor stops his pacing to stare look at her with pity. "Lady—"

Ellie keeps reading, driven by hope. "The bót mannaforráð must be pure of heart," she continues. "The cloaked lady said that I have heart!"

"Ellie—"

This time Ellie keeps reading over Jane, refusing to head them and their stupid reason. She keeps hope alive.

"The bót mannaforráð must be willing and able to devote his life to atonement, yet he must also have been greatly wronged by the criminal in the past to ensure the adequate punishment is sought. He must seek redemption over revenge, justice over vengeance. The bót mannaforráð will have the power to prevent further criminal action. Bót mannaforráð and the criminal will never be parted until the King of Asgard declares the criminal redeemed and sufficiently punished."

Ellie looks up at the end of the passage. Instead of hope, she is met with more pity and discomfort.

"You know not what you ask, Lady Eleanor," Thor murmurs, looking pained. "You know not what this means."

"Does that even matter?" she asks, struggling not to cry. "This way he'll have a chance but if he ends up alone for a hundred years, that's it. He's done. Your brother will be truly lost to you. He'll be gone."

"He's already gone."

Ellie smacks Thor in the arm. He doesn't seem to feel it, but is shocked by her move nonetheless.

"You don't believe that, you ass," Ellie scolds. "If you really thought he was gone, you'd let SHIELD have their way with him. You wouldn't have convinced me to go visit him in his cell at Stark everyday and I wouldn't be here now."

Thor sighs, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opens them again, he's lost that look of heartbreak.

"This is old magic," he says, once more looking at the book. "It is not done. Few in our history volunteer to take on such responsibility for those who have wronged them."

"I volunteer," Ellie mutters, losing that hope. It's so much worse than having no hope to begin with. She wants to crawl into bed and never move again.

"I promise to remind my father of this possibility," Thor says, resting his hands on Ellie's shoulders. "But it will likely change nothing."

Ellie nods, taking both the book and her leave.

"This is insane. You know that right?" Jane says on the morning of Loki's farce of a trial. "Like bat-shit crazy."

They are "breaking their fast" on Jane's balcony. Well, Jane is breaking her fast on Jane's balcony while Eleanor watches. The spread of fruity, cheese, and baked goods is impressive but Ellie can't eat.

She sticks to the wine, delighted that on Asgard there is no silly five o'clock rule.

"It doesn't matter," Ellie says, shrugging. "There is zero chance of Odin going for my plan anyway."

"But you want him to. You want Odin to agree." Jane pops a grape in her mouth, chewing out her frustration and concern. "That's troubling, Eleanor. That you would do something so huge like that… I don't get it."

Eleanor drinks more wine and considers ignoring these hard questions. Silence is not a problem as far as she's concerned, even if things get awkward.

"You are my friend, Ellie," Jane murmurs. "That's a pretty big deal for me. It's the dead parent thing. It means that my friends are my family, and I don't have that many friends. So I care what happens to you. I'm not trying to judge you in this but I am really worried. Please, just help me understand."

Well, there's no way Eleanor can maintain her silence after such a moving speech. She wipes a tear from the corner of her eyes, wondering how the hell she'll manage to get through this day.

"I was alone for a long time," Ellie attempts to explain. She can't look at Jane so she focuses on the view. It is too pretty to be real, more like a painting or a dream than a tangible place. "My exile was self imposed, but I didn't realize how fucking horribly lonely I was until Loki. For the better part of a decade there was no one but then there was Loki and I wasn't alone anymore."

"He kidnapped you."

"Yeah." Ellie nods and scowls into her wine. "That fucking dick kidnapped me. And I'm not excusing him. He kidnapped me and that was bad, but my life before was worse. It really put things in perspective and now I'm getting my shit together."

"That's your doing," Jane says, still not getting it.. "Not his."

"I know. But he's still the first person I let in after eight years on my own so I can't not try. I can't just… abandon him."

Jane sighs heavily and eats some more grapes. Eleanor offers no more explanations because she has none.

"Just say you won't do anything reckless," says Jane.

"I won't do anything reckless."

Eleanor does something reckless.

The God of all Gods poses an intimidating figure, especially up close, but Eleanor does not cower under his one-eyed glare. She is not scared and she stands tall, looking him right in the eye.

I object. What a ridiculous thing to say. It felt as though she was in some horrible rom-com and the man of her dreams was about to marry the wrong girl. But she was sitting there staring at Loki, so skinny and defeated, listening to Odin give him a hundred fucking years of solitary, and she just couldn't stand it. She was on her feet, voicing her objection, with all those eyes on her.

I object. Stupid, true words that proved extremely effective because she is here with the Allfather. Without finishing the trial they dragged her in here to prevent her from causing a further scene.

At least she'll have her say.

Odin waits and glares as Thor paces the length of the large room off to the side of the immense throne hall where she interrupted Loki's farce of a trial less than ten minutes ago. There is a long golden table dominating the center, along with a collection of maps, reminding Ellie of a war room.

The Allfather seems to be waiting for her to speak first. Ellie smirks slightly because there is no way that will be happening. She is a pro at not talking.

After a few more tense minutes of silence, Thor finally breaks.

"Father, I—"

"Who are you to object to the goings on of this realm?" Odin demands, ignoring his son to bear down on Ellie. Something about his quiet, deadly voice is much more alarming than Thor's angry boom.

It reminds her of Loki and a shiver of trepidation goes up her spine.

"Who are you to object to the ruling of the council?" he continues. "Who are you to question my word?"

Again, he sounds like his maniac adoptive son and Ellie's eyes narrow, her trepidation replaced by anger. Still, the Allfather could very well sentence Ellie to a century of solitude right along with his troubled son, so she takes her time and keeps the hatred out of her tone.

"I'm Eleanor," she murmurs with a respectful bow of the head. "Nice to meet you, your grace. I mean no disrespect and I really, truly want what's best for your son."

For a moment Odin's face falls. Her words were unexpectedly polite after she leapt to her feet and objected to Loki's punishment in front of all of Asgard's elite, surely, but then the death glare is back.

"What could you possibly have been thinking, Thor," he says, his voice raising in volume. "Bringing a love sick outsider to such an event. It makes me question your judgment. Perhaps you are not as ready to rule as I previously thought."

Thor abruptly stops pacing and pales as he gapes at the Allfather. Ellie barely manages to stifle her snort of disgust.

No wonder Loki has such daddy issues. This guy is a dick.

Although it would be nice to see Thor stand up for himself, Ellie steps in once again.

"I do have some right to be here, you know," she replies quietly, dropping her gaze to the gilded floor. She hates even thinking about her parentage, but this is the argument that ultimately convinced Thor to bring her to Asgard in the first place.

"Ah, yes," Odin say, nodding. "You are the progeny of the insatiable Bragi."

The name makes Ellie wince

"I've received an account of you whole life, Eleanor Tate," continues the Allfather. "Trust me when I say you know nothing of my people. There is nothing of my people in you."

Ellie fears she might be sick. Although she can't even imagine how, she believes his words to be truth. He knows every sordid detail of her misspent youth and every low moment of her lonely adulthood.

Ellie wonders if he ever made his adoptive son feel this way – so unworthy and ashamed. Each moment she spends with Odin brings her a faction more understanding of Loki.

But then she remembers what Loki told her of her father, of the protection he wrought, of the gatekeeper who can't see her.

"You know all that?" she murmurs, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

The intensity of Odin's scowl makes Ellie think her attitude was a mistake. She takes a deep, calming breath.

"I know about this," Ellie says, hugging the ancient volume a little closer to her chest. "I know there is another way. You send him off to spend a century alone and he's lost forever. This will give him a chance."

Once more Odin's harsh facade crumbles slightly. "He is already lost," he murmurs, sounding heartbroken, sounding like Thor.

Ellie's eyes tear at this ridiculously familiar conversation.

"Oh come on," she whispers, meeting the one eyed gaze once more. "You're the Allfather, right? I know you are a much better dad than that."

Odin's eye goes wide at that and the only sound in the room is Thor's sharp intake of breath and the dull roar from the crowded hall just outside the door. Hundreds wait for a verdict being decided here in the war room.

"Just give him a chance," she whispers, pleading now. For one glorious moment Ellie thinks he's finally coming to see her point, but then his expression hardens once more. Ellie tries hard not to sob in desperation and frustration.

"Even if Loki could benefit from a bót mannaforráð arrangement, I see no suitable candidates for that role," Odin declares.

Ellie winces as if he's slapped her. Once more, Loki's adoptive father makes her feel utterly worthless. She stutters, searching for the words to defend herself, but she's once more lost the ability to speak.

"Father, that is unfair," says the thunder god, finding his courage as he comes to stand at Ellie's side. "She is no warrior, but shows great bravery in spite of this. During the battle of New York City she provided a distraction to Loki, allowing the one known as Hulk to render my brother incapacitated for the remainder of the war."

Ellie scowls slightly at Thor. How does he know this detail? The memory of the giant green rage monster still haunts her dreams. She hates the way Thor tells this tale, as if her distraction was in any way intentional.

Loki could have very well screamed at the Hulk even if she stayed in his basement prison. It certainly felt like he did it to keep the monsters attention away from Eleanor, but who can really say?

From the look on his face, it is obvious that the Allfather remains unimpressed.

"I will not reward Loki's behavior by handing him over to his preferred concubine," says Odin simply as if to close the matter.

"Father!" Thos says, clearly shocked and embarrassed. Ellie glares at the one-eyed god.

"Do you know your son at all?" she snaps, finally losing patience. "I may miraculously help with his mental clarity, but he is going to loathe being stuck with me, the control freak that he is. The whole point is that someone will have power over him. That's part of this magic, right? That I'd have the power to ensure he wouldn't fuck up again. Even if I wield it fairly, he'll hate it. He'll hate me for the control I'd have over him. And given what he did with that scepter of his, I can't think of a more fitting punishment."

As usual, everyone is surprised to hear her speak so much.

"Ah," says Odin, as if he's uncovered some secret that should've been obvious all along. "That is it then. You desire power."

The Allfather is so far off the mark, Ellie doesn't even know where to begin.

A new voice joins the argument, saving Ellie from giving an incomprehensible reply.

"She has heart."

All eyes are drawn to the door. The newcomer leans against it, eyes narrowed at the Allfather. Ellie's mouth falls open in shock when she recognizes the woman from the garden, the cloaked lady.

Now the regal figure at the door is without cloak and if her pale, jeweled dress and matching tiara are any indication, she is no servant.

In the throne room Ellie briefly glanced at Frigga, Queen of Asgard where she sat next to the King, but she didn't recognize the woman from afar. Now that only a few feet separate them, Ellie feels like an idiot for not spotting it earlier. She finds the right words, but Frigga glances at her, silently instructing her to keep her mouth shut.

Of course the cloaked woman was Loki's mother. Thor told her all about their mother. Who else could it possibly have been?

What a sneaky bitch. Loki is so ridiculously like every member of his fake family.

"She has a good heart," Frigga continues, making Odin sigh heavily.

"She knows not what she seeks," says the King.

"She knows better than you."

Ellie tries really hard not to smirk at this.

"It is not done, my love," Odin says with another sigh. Suddenly the cruel, hard king is replaced with a tired old man. "The council nor the people will understand. They call for a century banished to the Isle of Solitude."

For whatever reason, the name is exceedingly funny to Ellie with its drama, and she bites the side of her cheek to keep from giggling.

Frigga scoffs.

"The people fail to think and feel betrayed while the council seeks to unnecessarily punish our son for hundreds of meaningless slights that came before Loki's true crimes. In your desire to remain unbiased towards your son you've become unfair and cruel. You over compensate, Allfather, even as you strive to be king only in this matter, rather than parent."

Ellie decides she loves Loki's adoptive mother, despite her sneakiness, as Odin hangs his head in shame.

"It is not done," he says again.

"It is not done recently," the queen corrects. "Look at the book she holds, my husband. There is your precedent. And our Eleanor Tate fills the requirements and desire to take on this responsibility."

In the presence of these three royal gods who now study her intently, Ellie suddenly feels very small. She doesn't typically do responsibility. Before Loki, she was only willing to commit to singing and nothing more.

Even with all the changes in the last nine months, Ellie won't even commit to a good week to let Laura and her family to visit.

And fuck, is this a fucking commitment.

This terrifies her. This will change her whole life. She could very easily fail, and then what would become of the God of Mischief?

There is no alternative so Ellie nods. She nods too much. In her attempt to be confident, Ellie nods too much.

"I want to give him a chance," she murmurs. Commitment or no, there is no other choice for him to have a chance.

Odin stares at her for a long, tense moment. She forces herself to meet his gaze.

"Very well," he declares. "We will deal with the council and the people appropriately, in due time. But first we shall arrange this."

Ellie's knees threaten to give out but somehow she stays on her feet. Wining this argument has put her in a state of shock. Really, she never expected to win.

Odin speaks as Thor slips out of the room, but Ellie has a hard time really hearing.

"You will be given the power to totally control his movement, although his mind will remain unchanged. His mind is beyond your influence, but his body will be under your charge, if you deem it so," The King of Asgard explains as he stands in front of Ellie, eye boring into her. It is deeply unsettling.

She manages a nod in response although she really can't get her head around those words.

"He will be unable to go against your commands. It will be your duty to prevent him from committing further crimes against both Asgard and Midgard, using your new power over him if need be."

Again, she nods dumbly.

"To ensure this, it will be physically impossible for Loki to be away from you. He will be perpetually in your company."

Her eyes widen slightly and Odin pauses, waiting and wanting her to change her mind. Instead she nods.

"You will be solely responsibly for his rehabilitation. This magical bond between you will last until I've decided he has properly atoned and been punished for his crimes. Until this occurs, you will be as chained to him as he is to you."

More nodding from Ellie.

"It may very well take years. I fully anticipate your failure to both prevent him from committing further crimes and for carrying out appropriate punishment. If further crimes are committed, the bond will be severed and Loki's original punishment will commence. Do you understand these terms, Eleanor Bragadóttir?"

She winces at the name, but nods all the same.

"This magic requires a verbal confirmation," snaps Odin, continuing to pace.

"Yes," she says. "I accept."