Secrecy

Thor and Loki's eyes met, wide with shock and worry as the guard walked away.

"Blast," Loki whispered, staring after the guard. "How did I not think of this?"

"Why would Heimdall need to see you?" Volstagg asked, still standing at Thor's side, unaware of the terror pulsing through the two princes. "Have you done something?"

Thor opened his mouth to say something, but Loki answered faster, not trusting Thor to make an acceptable lie. "Of course not," Loki scoffed. "Besides, if one of us had done something, what are the chances we would have done it together?" he rolled his eyes.. "Thor and I don't do things together. I don't know what Heimdall could possibly want with us both… We'd better go find out." He threw a meaningful look to his older brother and gave him a 'right?' look.

Thor visibly swallowed and nodded mutely. "Er… yes, I don't know, Volstagg… Perhaps I'll see you later." He stood, still looking rather stunned and frightened, and followed Loki's lead out of the dining hall.

And then they dashed to a spare room and ran inside, closing the door behind them.

"What the blazes are we going to do?" Thor hissed.

"I don't know," Loki growled. "I hadn't thought… didn't think… I almost forgot about Heimdall…" He mentally berated himself. He had even pointed out the Observatory to the girls when they were looking out the window… he had even told them about Heimdall… He was such an oaf! How could he have forgotten about the all-seeing Gatekeeper of Asgard?

"Do you think he's told father already?" Thor asked worriedly.

Loki groaned quietly at the prospect. "I'm not sure I want to know… Let's go try to explain ourselves to him before he does."

"You think explaining ourselves will help the situation?" Thor demanded.

Loki gave his brother the smallest of smiles. "It did with you. Perhaps I can get out of Heimdall telling father and making Noir and Marron leave."

"Can you?" Thor asked, unconvinced.

Loki swallowed, thinking of Noir and Marron. He and his brother had assured them they would be safe. He despised the thought of going back on his word to Noir. "I bloody well hope so."

Ten minutes later, the royal princes of Asgard dismounted their steeds on the Rainbow Bridge and approached Heimdall.

The Gatekeeper stood outside the Observatory, his hands resting on the pommel of his huge sword. He did not look angry… or even upset. He just looked at the princes evenly as they approached him. Loki threw his brother a meaningful look and whispered.

"Leave this to me," he muttered before raising his voice and addressing Heimdall. "Greetings, Heimdall. I—"

"Are your friends comfortable?" the Gatekeeper interrupted flatly.

Loki just grimaced. "I think so," he muttered, not even bothering to try to conceal the existence of Noir and Marron. "Have you told our father yet?" he asked drily.

"I have not. I thought I would ask your intentions behind such actions first," Heimdall said slowly, his golden eyes shifting from Loki to Thor, and back to the trickster again.

Loki sighed. "They are my friends. They mean no harm to the Aesir or the realm. I merely wish them to not lose their home in Asgard, and I would miss their company should they leave."

Thor nodded quickly. "I have not known them long, but I agree with Loki that they mean no harm."

"Admirable, to be sure. But you both know that I am sworn to protect this realm… and even if your friends mean no harm, the king has demanded that all nekos be removed from the city," Heimdall rumbled.

Both boys hung their heads. But then a thought struck Loki… one that might be their saving grace.

"Heimdall," he said suddenly, his eyes flicking from the ground to meet his. "The nekos are being requested to leave the city… but no actions are to be taken against them for at least a week. So… technically, we are not disobeying our father's orders, correct? They are not required to leave until a week from today."

Thor lifted his head and stared at Loki, mouth slightly agape. "…You're right…" he looked hopefully at the Gatekeeper.

Heimdall raised his eyebrows, and a touch of amusement permeated his demeanor. "Well…"

"So you can't really tell our father… at least, not for another week, when the nekos are actually going to be worked against to be moved from the city, right?" Loki continued, his mind working to come up with a good argument in the nekos' favor. "And by that point, the king may have come to another conclusion about the fate of the city's nekos… so…"

Heimdall's lips curved into a very slight smile. "If you interpret the decree in such a manner, then… yes, I suppose you are not guilty of insubordination. Not just yet, at least."

Loki and Thor exchanged very small smiles of triumph.

"Then you won't be telling our father about this?" Thor inquired.

Heimdall considered. "I shall not tell my king of your providing the nekos Noir and Marron quarter in the palace until it defies his decree, or if it causes threat to the realm."

Loki held back the urge to just grin broadly at the reassurance. Because he knew that now things were out of the way… and he would be able to see Noir at least twice a day.

Noir and Marron had made themselves comfortable in their safe room, and were now sprawled out on their beds of choice. Noir had taken the top bunk of one of the four beds, and Marron had taken the lower one of the same. Noir now had her boot-clad feet hanging off the end of her bed as Marron lay on the bed beneath her, and they merely talked. It had been what seemed like a long time since the princes had left, and the nekos had spent most of that time taking stock of the room. But now they were simply relaxing.

Nothing of consequence was said, except for passing comments on the princes, or quiet laments that Blanc wasn't there with them. Even more time passed, until they both froze as the door handle turned and slowly opened…

Revealing the younger prince.

The girls sighed in relief as he stepped in, letting the door close behind him.

"Hello again," he said, trying to be nonchalant.

"Hello," Marron smiled, sitting up quickly in order to be more respectful.

Noir merely turned on her side and propped her head on her hands, still on her top bunk bed. She waved half-heartedly at him, growing secretly nervous at seeing him again. "Hello, Prince Loki," she said quietly.

He smiled. "Don't suppose Thor has been to see you two yet, has he?"

They shook their heads. "What time is it?" Noir asked.

Loki considered. "Late evening. We've just finished dinner… Which reminds me." He pulled a medium-sized bundle out of thin air, wrapped in a white cloth.

The girls were out of bed and grabbing at the bundle so fast that Loki was a little startled. He handed it over quickly, and the girls peered inside. "Hungry?" he asked, amused by their eagerness.

"Maybe a little," Noir said fairly. "But we haven't eaten since breakfast… not that we're complaining," she added hurriedly, glancing at Loki.

He smiled. "You know there's food in those drawers there, right?" he nodded towards said drawers.

"Yes, we know," Marron said lightly. "But it's all jerky and jars of pickles and dried fruit."

"Isn't that what you normally eat?"

"Exactly," Noir nodded vigorously. "Hence us waiting for you to get here so we could see what you brought. Speaking of…" She glanced over the contents of the bundle. "What do we have here, anyway?"

"Chicken legs, a few slices of garlic toast, some various fruits… and…" Loki shifted some of the slices of toast and held up… "Strawberry frosted pastry." He threw a meaningful look to Noir, who gave him a peculiar look. They both easily recalled the significance of such a pastry… their sharing the same treat after Loki had saved her from being caught by the baker had signified their first meeting of true friendship.

Marron caught the significant look they gave each other at the mention of the dessert, but said nothing.

The food was divvied out between the girls, and the prince refused eating anything. Loki seated himself on a spare bed while the girls returned to their own.

"Was there any trouble while I was gone?" he asked after a few minutes of the girls tearing into their dinner.

The girls raised their eyebrows and shook their heads.

"Why? Should there have been?" Marron asked, stripping meat off her chicken leg.

Loki hesitated, not wanting to alarm the girls, but not wanting to hide anything from them, either. "Thor and I were called to speak with Heimdall."

"The Gatekeeper?" Noir asked.

He nodded. "What do you know of him?"

"That he is the guardian of the realm, and operates the Byfrost…" Marron said slowly.

"And that he is all-seeing…" Noir added, then paled. Marron picked up on the implications as well, and clapped her hands over her mouth to hide her gasp. "What happened?" Noir demanded, dropping from her top bunk and looking anxiously at Loki.

"He knows about you two, and how Thor and I are hiding you here," Loki admitted. "But he has agreed to not inform anyone else."

Marron blinked. "…Why?"

"Because after a bit of careful thought on my father's decree, we came to the conclusion that we are not actually breaking any laws," Loki smiled slyly.

Noir frowned. "How so?"

Loki explained how the allotted time of one week allowed nekos to have their freedom for that long, and so no actions were permitted to be taken against them for that time. "So, at least for a week, you shall be safe here," Loki finished.

Surprised into silence, Noir sank onto Marron's bed, and the girls exchanged blank looks.

"So… we have a week," Marron said quietly.

"At least," Loki nodded. "And by that point, hopefully we will have a plan, and my father will revoke the decree."

Silence for a few long moments.

Noir was the one who broke it. "Marron, can I talk to the prince alone for a moment?"

Marron quirked her eyebrows and picked up her cloak, slipping it on and flipping her brown hood up. "…Certainly. I'll be… just outside. Let me back in when you're done talking." The brown neko glanced between Noir and Loki, a questioning look in her eyes. But she obediently went to the door. Loki quickly stood and opened the door for her, like any gentleman. As the door swung shut, Marron merely sighed, puzzled as she leaned against the wood of the enchanted door.

Inside, Loki allowed the door to close and then look to Noir questioningly.

She said nothing for a moment, looking as if she were searching for the right words. Loki's gaze on her was unsettling, making her feel like he understood her, and already knew what she was going to say… he was just waiting for her to say it.

She pulled a loose string from the hem of her tunic absentmindedly, searching the prince's face. "Prince Loki…"

"Just Loki," he said quietly. "It's fine. We're friends, right?" he asked with a small smile. As soon as he said it, though, he looked a little unsure, as if maybe he hadn't considered the possibility that she would say that, no, they weren't friends.

But Noir smiled faintly. "Yes, we're friends, I think. Loki."

He smiled faintly in return. "So what was it you wanted to say?"

"Thank you," Noir gave him a bigger smile and stood from the bed.

His smile grew as well. "Is that all?"

"You didn't let me finish," Noir scolded.

"Very well; finish, then. What do you thank me for?" Loki asked, pretending haughtiness.

Noir laughed a little. "For… everything. For not having me arrested, for allowing me a dozen gold coins, for helping me escape the baker's wrath, for sharing the pastry with me, for being worried that I might have been put in the stockades, for helping spring Marron from incarceration, for offering us a sanctuary…" With every incident she recounted, she took a small step closer to him until they were only separated by a foot, with Loki's back still pressed against the door he had closed behind Marron. "For… being my friend," she finished in a small voice, looking up at him imploringly.

Both their faint smiles had faded now, and there was a heaviness in the air that made them feel like something of great import was taking place.

Loki realized it was his turn to talk, but he seemed to be having a difficult time finding something to say. "Noir, you don't have to thank me," he murmured. "It was no trouble."

She smiled wryly. "Yes, it was… it was a lot of trouble. But you did it anyway. And I'm thanking you for doing it for… us," she finished her sentence with a plural, referring to herself and Marron, rather than a singular. Though her intuition told her that it would have been more accurate to say 'me.'

Loki searched her face, trying to find any hidden meaning behind her words. But there was no sarcasm, no disdain, no deception. He reached forward and touched her cheek gently. "You're welcome," he whispered.

Noir unconsciously took a step forward, bringing herself one step closer to him. His hand on her cheek made her heart go haywire, but she was finding that it was a good kind of chaos. Now there were only inches between them. Unable to take the tension any longer, Loki put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, wrapping her in a meaningful hug.

Noir froze for a second, stunned. Then she smiled to herself and wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him back and burying her face in his shoulder. She felt Loki's hand run down the length of her hair once before he pulled away slightly and forced her to look at him. There was something… some emotion... in his eyes.

Loki, wrapping Noir in a hug, felt a mixture of both happiness and sadness. He felt the tension in the room dissipate, and they both relaxed. But Loki felt like this wasn't enough. Like there was more that he felt for Noir than just a hug. He pulled away slightly from the hug, and she looked up to meet his eyes again, a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her lips. He glanced briefly between her lips and her eyes, deliberating and berating himself. He brought his face an inch closer to hers, and she rose slightly on her toes in return.

A heart-stopping moment of silent anticipation and stillness… they remained hovering only an inch from each other…

Loki let out a very shaky breath and pulled away again, shattering the moment.

Noir felt her heart sink as Loki backed a few steps away. She let her gaze drop, and she felt her tail and ears droop in disappointment. "Anyways…" she muttered. "I… just wanted to say… thank you, Loki."

"And…" Loki was kicking himself internally, calling himself unspeakable names of cowardice and idiocy. Sighing, he stepped forward again, bringing himself closer to his little neko bandit. She didn't look up. "I told you," he touched a finger to her chin and made her look up at him. "You're welcome, Noir," he said quietly. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead softly.

And then he teleported himself back to his room before he could see the look on Noir's face.

And Noir was left frozen, rooted to the spot.

It was a full five minutes before she remembered that Marron was still waiting to be let back into the room. Stiffly,, the black neko moved to the door and opened it, peeking out. But no one was standing in the hallway outside…

Chatte Marron Arable waited for what seemed like far too long to her for the prince and Noir to let her back in. She counted to 550 before she got bored…. And perhaps a touch of irritation sparked through her. She would give them one more minute, and then she would go in, no matter what they were talking about.

A minute passed. Having had enough of waiting alone, Marron turned and rested her hand on the door handle. And she yelped in surprise and jerked her hand back, shaking it painfully.

"What the bloody-?" she froze. Blast. Only certain people could open this door. The royal family, head of cleaning staff, and other select people who were not likely to be coming this way. She had no way to get back in.

With a growl of frustration, she sank back against the door. And waited. Nothing for a long while. Biting her lip, Marron turned to face the door. Then she glanced down the hallway. No one. She was locked out. She hesitated and began walking down the hall to her right, trying to recall the way back to Loki's room. She couldn't stay out in the middle of the hall like this for much longer.

But the palace had endless halls, twisting and turning and all looked like identical gilded passages. She was hopelessly lost within a matter of minutes. She couldn't find her way back to the safe room, either. She felt vulnerable and exposed, out of place in her worn brown tunic and cloak. No one would be able to tell that she was a neko. But unless they were blind, someone would be able to tell that she was not where she belonged.

With a worried sigh, she turned in a full circle. Which did absolutely nothing to help her orientation.

"Child, are you lost?" a soft female voice asked from behind the brown neko.

Marron blanched and whipped around, heart hammering and guilt flooding her.

A kind-looking woman stood a few paces away. She was slightly taller than Marron, with dark blonde hair and a slightly anxious expression in her hazel eyes. She wore a fine-looking gown of blue and gold that swished gently as she took a few steps closer to the girl in brown.

Marron backed away a little as the woman advanced. "Er… Yes, I'm lost…" she squeaked.

The woman looked at her carefully, knowing something was amiss. "If you please… who are you?"

Marron swallowed hard. "I'm… a friend… of the princes," she whispered in a choked voice. "Erm… who are you?"

The woman cocked her head to one side, as if such a question were an odd one for the girl to ask. "I am Queen Frigga, the princes' mother."

Marron's eyes widened, and she immediately looked to the floor. "M—my apologies, Your Highness… I did not know," she stammered.

Queen Frigga could easily see that this poor girl was all three mortified, petrified, and terrified. "Come… where were you trying to get?" she prompted gently. "It is alright."

Marron swallowed, mind racing. "Where were you going?" she asked timidly. "Um, if her Majesty does not mind my asking?"

Queen Frigga decided to play along with her. "I was heading to Prince Loki's room to talk with him… he has been acting odd as of late, and he took a great deal of extra food from the night's meal. Do you know anything of it, since you are his friend?"

Marron slowly shook her head. "I do not. Could you… take me to Prince Thor's room?" she asked nervously. "I was… looking for him, and got lost," she said quietly. Not entirely a lie. And she couldn't ask the queen to open the safe room; she would find out what was going on.

"Certainly," Frigga smiled softly. "Walk with me… I do not think I caught your name?" she added as she began to lead the way through the halls.

"Oh… I am Lady Marron," Marron whispered.

"Do you know Lady Sif?" Queen Frigga asked.

"N—no, my queen, I do not believe I do," she replied anxiously.

"Hm. I thought you might be a friend of hers… There are few ladies who wear cloaks, tunics, and breeches," Frigga said offhandedly.

Marron felt herself blush, and she merely shrugged.

"So how do you know my sons?" Frigga asked, hoping to get Lady Marron to loosen her lips a bit and talk.

"Oh… my friend is a friend of Prince Loki's, and I met the princes through her friendship with Prince Loki."

Frigga blinked. "Loki has friends?"

Marron couldn't help but giggle, remembering that Thor had said something along the same lines of "Loki never has friends."

Frigga gave her a warm smile when she laughed. "We are nearly to Prince Thor's room," she assured her.

They stopped a few moments later in front of a set of double doors. Frigga approached and knocked. It was only a few seconds before the door was thrown open, and Thor appeared, smiling broadly.

"Hello, mother. What brings you…?" he trailed off as his eyes travelled from the queen to Marron. His smile faded, and he looked nervous.

"I found Lady Marron in the halls, lost," Frigga explained carefully. "She said she was looking for your room, Thor."

Marron nodded minutely to indicate that it was alright.

Thor's smile reappeared, though it now looked forced. "Of course. Hello, Lady Marron. It is good to see you. I did not know you would be visiting," he said stiffly. "Would you like to come in…?" he trailed off again at the sharp look from his mother.

"Did I correctly hear you invite a lady into your chambers?" Frigga asked quietly, a dangerous edge to her voice.

Thor abruptly shook his head. "Er… no. I said, shall we talk out here in the hall?" he smiled tensely.

Queen Frigga smiled a little. "That's what I thought I heard you say. I am going to see your brother now. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lady Marron. Thor, see to it that she makes it back to where she wishes to go." She curtseyed to the pair and turned, disappearing down the hall.

Marron and Thor exchanged an awkward look.

"Sorry," Marron whispered.

"Yes, me, too," Thor muttered. "What are you doing out of the safe room?"

"I got locked out," she muttered embarrassedly. "Prince Loki and Noir were inside talking, and I was growing tired of waiting, but I couldn't open the door again. I was going to go and simply wait in Prince Loki's rooms again, but I got lost… and then your mother came along…"

Thor smiled faintly. "Loki and Noir are alone in the safe room?"

Marron and Thor exchanged small smiles, and at the same time, they murmured, "Scandalous…" And laughed a little.

"Shall I escort you back to the safe room and let you back in, then?" Thor suggested.

Marron nodded. "Yes, please."

Thor immediately offered his arm for Marron to take.

Marron blushed. "Oh, no… I'm not a lady of the court anymore, remember?" she gestured to her worn clothes.

"Lady Marron, I refuse to be impolite and not have you take my arm."

"I'm not a lady," Marron muttered.

Thor gently took her hand. "Of course you are."

Blushing so red she resembled Thor's cape, Marron silently pulled her hand out of Thor's grasp and rested it on his arm as if she were a lady.

He began leading her to the safe room, and there was an awkward silence between them.

"So, um…" Thor cleared his throat uncomfortably, trying to clear the air, but only making it worse.

Silence.

"How long have you known Loki?" he finally asked.

"Since.." Marron considered. "Hmm. Last night? Yes, last night."

Thor raised an eyebrow.

"It's a long story," she smiled softly. "Noir has known him longer. She met him more than a fortnight ago."

"They seem awfully friendly… What do you know of their relationship?" Thor asked.

Marron hummed in thought. "Noir adores him. Prince Loki, though… it's hard to tell, sometimes. I think he likes her well enough. I know that they are definitely friends… but I don't know what more than that."

"I think Loki has a great admiration and affection for her," Thor observed.

"That's good. I wasn't sure, but then, I have never spoken much to him. Noir does most of the talking for me. I'm too quiet," Marron smiled bashfully.

"Sometimes being soft-spoken is a virtue," Thor assured her.

Marron glanced down and away, blushing again.

They drew to a stop in front of the safe room doors. With a brief smile, Thor opened the door and gestured for Marron to enter first, which she did.

"There you are!" Noir cried, jumping down from her bunk bed. "I was worried sick!"

"Yes, Mother," Marron smiled sweetly. "I just got lost. I couldn't get back in because of the spell, and got lost looking for Prince Loki's room," Marron shrugged. "But Prince Thor helped me get back."

Thor looked slightly proud of himself, and Noir and Marron both threw him smiles.

"Thank you, Prince Thor," Noir sang.

"Yes, thank you," Marron echoed.

"Of course," Thor nodded, stepping forward and holding out his hand for Marron's. "It was a pleasure to speak with you, and I am sure I shall see you both soon." He slipped the fingerless glove off Marron's hand and kissed it softly, meeting her eyes for a fleeting moment.

After a few quick civilities about making sure the nekos were comfortable, Thor left once again, assuring them that he would be back the next day.

Marron sank shakily onto her bed. "Well, then…" she looked expectantly at Noir. "What happened with you and Prince Loki?"

Noir turned scarlet and glanced away. "I… honestly… don't know."

Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: *sigh* the plot thickens…

So Heimdall has allowed the girls to remain where they are for the moment (you clever Loki, you).

And a lot of you guys have been begging to bring Frigga into the mix… I really didn't plan to bring her into the thick of things for a few more chapters, but I guess I can have a few bits with her on the sidelines… I will probably put a scene with her talking to Loki in the next chapter. And she just kind of rolled with Marron's appearance in this chapter… that's because I figured she's the kind of person who would see Marron, know she's not supposed to be there, but recognize that she's not a threat, and would just roll with it and let it slide.

And Noir and Loki… Gahr! So cute… and yet so sad… so close, and yet so far… Can't help but feel bad for them both, huh?

And a few of you guessed there would be some ThorxMarron action taking place… correctamundo! Actually, I first got the idea from my sister, who suggested it when I told her about the "Loki's bedroom/run and scream" encounter. And since then I've been putting in their fluffy moments… so now we've got both the princes of Asgard smitten with nekos. Odin will be so proud XD

To Isa: On one hand, it's kinda creepy you're following the story that closely… on the other, it's rather flattering… yet I am totally feeling the pressure! Lol I'm just playing; I love writing the story. Well, you got a little Frigga in this chapter ;) And I totally know what you mean about relationships moving too fast in some fics… It's like… Hmm… yeah, no. Don't worry; I don't plan on ever writing smut. Just fluff and perhaps making out… eventually. Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on whether Loki and Noir ever get over themselves. ;) And you have a cat ear headband, too?! *high fives!* neko sisters forevah!

To Guest: You know… I really don't know how this fic is going to end yet, but I was planning on ending it pre-Thor so I don't have to deal with Noir yelling at Loki that he's become a butthead… I think Noir dealing with evil Loki would just end… badly. Probably heartbreaking for one or both of them. So I don't really know. ;)

Alright, now there's something personal I'd like to share with you all. Since it is Thanksgiving time in the United States, we're doing all those silly 'what are you thankful for?' assignments. My English teacher had us write an essay about three things we are thankful for… but to not make them clichés like "family, pets, my house, and my health…etc." So I wrote, for one of my non-cliché things I'm thankful for… the people who review my stories on FF. I thank all of you, and send all of you virtual hugs and pumpkin pie, and a piece of my grandmother's mind-blowing fudge. Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate it, and if you don't, then just know that I appreciate you... and the sixteen reviews I've gotten since yesterday… You guys just rock. That's all there is to it. ;)

Please favorite, follow, and review.