Five days before the wedding, Loki and Erna rode across the bifrost bridge to Heimdall's observatory. It had been weeks since she'd sat astride a horse and it felt good to feel the wind on her face. The ride ended up being a race, but Loki only won by a small margin. It felt like a true victory though. She was starting to be able to sense when his magic was at work and when it wasn't. He claimed she was becoming attuned to him, whatever that meant.

They left the contingent of guards they brought with them outside, while they entered the observatory. When she bounded up to the gatekeeper, he bent down and allowed her to kiss the part of his helmet covering his cheek. The familiar action made Loki's eyes darken with a predatory gleam.

Heimdall ignored the glare of his king and focused on Erna. "You haven't visited me in weeks, my lady."

"I know," she began with a sigh. "Wedding preparations have taken up so much of my time of late. But surely you've seen how busy I've been!"

He laughed, a rich, mellifluous sound. "I have, my lady."

"And yet you did nothing to rescue me from Lady Gerd lecturing me for an hour on the proper seating arrangements for the wedding feast. What good is a gatekeeper if he can't protect the future queen?"

He laughed again at her pronouncement and Loki goggled at the two of them. "I was just about to assemble the troops when you feigned a headache and saved me the trouble."

Her serious face broke into a wide grin as she turned her attention back to her dumbstruck fiance. She took pity on him and answered his unspoken question. "I visit Heimdall regularly. The ride out here is lovely and I enjoy trouncing him at chess."

"I haven't had a proper match since you visited me last."

"Once the wedding is over, I owe you another chance to lose to me."

"I will hold you to that, my lady." Loki's impatience was showing and the warrior finally took notice of his king. "The whole traveling party has not yet assembled, your majesty. I'll transport them once they're all present."

"See that you do. We're on a tight schedule."

"Calm yourself, Loki." She slipped her arm through his, intent on soothing his irritation. "We are free until tonight's banquet and you know it." If the gatekeeper was surprised to see his king addressed so informally by his betrothed, he showed no sign of it. But she did spy a brief, tiny smile on the man's face when Loki's attention was averted.

"I don't understand why we couldn't just send someone to meet them," he grumbled, sounding like a petulant child made to do an unpleasant chore.

"They are your family, Loki! I wasn't going to let them come without a proper greeting. I can't have my own loved ones here, so I'll enjoy yours."

He coughed and tightened his grip on her arm. "Whatever you want, little elf."

They stood in semi-congenial silence for several more minutes before Heimdall moved toward the mechanism in the center of the room. "Stand back, please," he intoned in his deep voice.

The crackling lightning lit up Erna's eager eyes as she took in the spectacle. Nothing Loki had told her fully prepared her for the thrum of mechanisms grinding into place beneath her feet and sheer power being harnessed in front of her. In a blaze of light, three new people were thrust into the room. Thinking herself inured to magic, Erna was surprised at how dazzling the whole thing was. Asgard continued to astound her.

When her eyes adjusted after such a bright light, she saw two figures she expected and one she didn't. Thor (he was unmistakable) towered over the woman she assumed was his wife, holding her hand. Jane looked only slightly off balance, but the dark-haired woman behind her was swaying on her feet, clearly unused to this mode of travel.

Erna rushed over to steady the newcomer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Whoa," she managed. "That was intense. Asgard is hardcore."

"Umm hi," the other woman waved at her. "I'm Jane, I'm sure you know this is Thor, and this," she motioned to the woman next to Erna, "is Darcy."

"It's so wonderful to meet all of you. I'm Erna and you know Loki."

"I don't," Darcy piped in. "I'm just here because Erik didn't wanna accept his invitation."

"Erik? Erik Selvig?" Erna faced Loki, anger blazing in her gaze. "You invited Erik Selvig to our wedding?!" She glanced back at Jane, feeling the need to amend her statement. "Not that he's not always welcome in Asgard, but I can understand his reluctance to come anywhere near Loki."

"Yeah, he ah… declined rather vehemently," Jane confirmed.

"Please send him my apologies for the appallingly poor humor of my fiance." Loki had the good grace to look ever so slightly cowed at her words.

Darcy stepped away from Erna, looking steadier on her feet. "So you're Loki, huh?" She walked around the king, inspecting him as if he was a horse she was hoping to buy. "Man, he has a nice ass too," she exclaimed in Jane's direction.

"Darcy!" The other woman looked mortified.

"I'm just being honest! So sue me for looking. I don't get to hang out with gods as often as you do."

Loki looked uncharacteristically confused at the exchange and Erna couldn't help but laugh. When Thor finally spoke, she noticed a healthy blush on his cheeks as well. "Erna," he bowed and kissed her hand. For such a large man he was surprisingly graceful. "I'm so pleased to meet the woman that has tamed my restless brother."

"I don't know if I'd go that far." It was her turn to blush. If they knew the real impetus behind the marriage, they wouldn't likely be so complimentary. She cleared her throat and gently withdrew her hand. "I'm so pleased to welcome you to Asgard. I'm sure you'd like a rest before dinner. We have your rooms all ready and we'll see to your bags as well."

"Thank you," said Jane with an awkward little bow. Though she may be a princess by marriage, she acted nothing like Erna expected.

"We have horses for the two of you," she motioned to Jane and Thor. "But Lady Darcy I'm afraid you'll need to ride with one of the guards. I apologize but I didn't know you were coming, though I am very glad you did."

"She called me a lady," Darcy whispered to Jane in a voice loud enough for all of them to hear.

Speaking for the first time since the visitors arrived, Loki seemed as off-balance as she'd ever seen him. "Yes well, let's be off then."

The next few days promised to be very entertaining.

-XXX-

Once Jane and Thor were settled in their suite, Erna escorted Darcy to her chambers. All the guest rooms had already been prepared, so it was no trouble to assign a vacant one to the unexpected addition to their party.

"Thanks for letting me crash your wedding," Darcy said when Erna showed her into her room.

"It's no trouble. We're happy to have you, Darcy."

"Loki didn't seem too happy… about anything."

"Honestly, I think he's nervous about me meeting his brother. No matter what he says, I still think he wants Thor's approval. Now please let me know if you need anything. I'll send a handmaiden along shortly to help you prepare for dinner."

"Umm okay." Erna moved to leave, but Darcy already had a request. "I uh don't think I packed anything appropriate to wear to a god's wedding. Can you help a girl out?"

"Of course! I'll send a seamstress to you after the feast. We'll have some gowns made for you while you're here."

Visibly relieved, Darcy sat on the edge of her bed and looked around the spacious room. "I don't know about Thor, but I like you."

"You have no idea how pleased I am to hear that! Let me or your handmaiden know if you require anything else, Darcy. And make yourself at home."

As she left, she heard the woman exclaiming over the size of the tub in her bathroom. It was refreshing to have someone around that didn't seem interested in showing her the cool deference that accompanied her new position. Darcy was brash and some may call her behavior rude, but Erna took an instant liking to her.