That night Harmony did not sleep. She wasn't even tired. Even as Thor held her snuggly against his powerful chest, snoring softly and deeply, she had no desire to shrink back and let sleep take her, and she probably couldn't if she wanted to.

Her chest was painfully tight with untameable anxiety, crushing inwards so much that she thought her ribs might crack and her heart crushed til it burst with blood. She could feel a distinct difference in this fear. Usually when she was afraid, it was for her own sake; worried and scared that she couldn't defend herself or something or someone would hurt her. Now, she was afraid for another.

The weight of the decision was almost too much for her to bear, having this kind of power over someone's life. And she didn't like it. Not one bit.

Harmony supposed Thor's closeness soothed her a bit. He had said to her that if ever she needed anything she could simply wake him. She never would though. Why would she disturb his only peace? This was the only time he wasn't worrying or taking care of her. She felt like such a burden to him, so angry with herself that she couldn't look after herself.

You're nothing but a worthless slave, a very Astrid-like voice sneered in her head, and Harmony shuddered.

Because she knew it was true.

No power, no worth, no freedom, no hope, Harmony was chained this way for the rest of her life. Memories of her last day in S.O.A.K played so vividly in her mind, the day Loki had found her and she had been chosen for Thor. She remembered bitterly how he had looked down on her in disgust. The first thing he had referred to her as was a 'tiny creature' and next 'little thing'. She remembered how he had snatched her up and placed her on his lap as they rode back to the palace, and thinking how she would never want to risk doing anything ever to anger him.

Fear roused inside her belly.

"You fear me because you are helpless, a mere toy for my using. I am strong, powerful, almost invincible, a god, and everything you are not. You fear me because I can hurt you, and I can kill you without a thought, because you have no power at all. Because nobody will listen if you scream out. That is why you fear me." His words echoed in her head.

She remembered who he was.

Her bottom lip began to tremble, tears filled her sore eyes while her throat tightened horribly. Lying on her side, the tears, hot and stinging, flowed more freely down her face and onto her head rest, which was Thor's thick bicep muscle.

She was the prince's slave, nothing more, nothing less. She lived to serve him and somehow recently she had been forgetting that. And speaking of returning memories, she recalled her dreadful fear of men and how her master frightened her most of all. With everything going on though, she supposed it had simply faded in her mind, but now she was thinking of it once again, it all started to return to her. You idiot! she screamed at herself. Why was this all coming back to her now?!

All her focus went into making no noise instead of stopping her weeping because she knew there probably wasn't much hope of achieving that. But as more and more tears landed on Thor's arm and her body began to shake, the sleeping god stirred.

For a second, Harmony wondered if all those feelings and memories were in dreams rather than her conscious thoughts and if she had woken as her master moved.

The girl tensed, fear tight in the pit of her stomach. Like a cornered rabbit, she waited, completely still, as Thor sleepily propped his hulking body onto one elbow and loomed darkly over her. Her eyes flew shut, giving up one sense to strengthen focus in another. Thor's chest pressed more firmly into her as he leant over her, waiting one or two moments while he fully woke. Harmony felt the hot tears burn the rims of her eyes as she squeezed them tightly closed, while she waited for the god's frightfully deep voice to startle her.

She listened acutely to each breath he took, noticing how a once gentle growling edge became stronger and stronger until one could have mistaken him for some gigantic beast in the dark. Unsure of what in Odin's name she'd roused, Harmony felt her heart go still. Suddenly his breath was on her neck, hot and heavy, and in a helpless gesture of submission, she tilted her head to expose more of her throat to him, with no idea of what he might do.

His arms pulled her back, eliminating any gaps between their bodies. He could sense her fear from a mile away. After so much time spent on the battlefield, he could smell it. But his mind was still clouded with tiredness as his body fought to go back to sleep.

His nose brushed against her butterfly wing skin, and her shivering response was unable to be supressed. Tightening his fingers around whichever part of her they held, Thor pressed his lips into her neck, leaving a kiss that made her insides tremble, so gentle with such strength behind it. He kissed again, exactly the same only a little lower, then a little lower still, making her focus on his movements, his patterns, his touches, everything he was doing.

Harmony rolled into him, turning her head at a slightly awkward angle so that he might kiss her lips. Now more on her back, Thor's hand splayed itself across her belly to keep a firm pressure on her body, while his other arm now had the job of keeping itself wrapped securely around her bony shoulders. Within seconds, his lips found hers, warm and strong.

In her head though, Harmony was imagining she was kissing the Thor who was brutal and dominating and terrifying, not the Thor who, with her, was far more gentle and careful, and while she appreciated that side of him because at least it meant he could be that way, she felt more of a want for the Thor her mind was imagining she was kissing. The powerful darkness in him drew her and caught her in its snare. That ice cold fear with the heart racing thrill sent her wild, along with the knowledge that he cared too much for her now to ever truly put her in harm's way.

When she needed to breathe again, Harmony pulled away meekly, hoping her master would not be angry as her mind was telling her he would. She inhaled quickly before pressing her lips to his again, her body arching further into him. His huge hand fisted in her already tangled hair, tugging with a force bordering painful and Harmony gave a muffled whimper against his mouth.

Whether it was because of that or not, Thor's lips began the familiar descent down her neck, all the way to her collar and then back up to her neck, where he made nips and licked her soft flesh. Harmony tilted her head back, her fingers clawing into whatever they had grip on. Her lips were parted in pleasure, images of a fawn having its neck ripped out by a mighty monster flashing through her mind behind her fluttering eyes. A growl, deep in Thor's chest, rumbled through her brittle body like a gale through a field of reeds, and she clung tighter still, muscles tense, breaths short.

In the end, Harmony forgot everything she had been thinking about, not a trace of anything left in her troubled mind. Thor had given her something new to concentrate on, and when he was done with her, she drifted into a peaceful slumber that lasted long into the next day.

Only, when she woke, the bitter sadness rooted and bloomed once more. Thor was not lying next to her when her eyes, sore from the night, opened and flickered in the daylight. Lifting her head, she glanced around and found the Thunder God dressing himself in his full outfit of armour. Harmony had only seen him dressed in that way when training in the arena but that can't have been where he was headed. Something was different.

Thor had heard her stir and looked over at her, having just finished adjusting his armour. A slightly dark grin quirked the corners of his mouth, a matching gleam in his sapphire eyes. He approached her in his usual dominating, intimidating manner, shoulders back and chest wide, and saw the timid girl shrink back a little back.

"I ride into battle today," he told her, as if explaining something to a young child. A tone of dark glee lurked in his voice, reminding Harmony of his dear love for battle and destruction of his foes. Battle was merely a game to this titan god.

Harmony nodded meekly, sadly. Her eyes dropped to the bed covers, face fallen. "I shall be home before you know it," Thor said, making her look up again. He was different too, more like he was when he bought her, and that made her think about the last night. It was almost ironic how she'd been imagining him like that, and now she had the real thing before her.

The entire time silent, Harmony remained still as Thor leaned down and placed a strong kiss to her forehead, a large hand cupping her head, fingers threading through her locks. "Do not do anything rash," he murmured, though it sounded partially like a warning.

Harmony made no response and watched him swiftly leave the room to play his most fun game of all. Empty then, and emptier still now she was alone. She was now suddenly empty. And completely lost.

For what seemed like an era, the girl sat there, unmoving, thinking about little but thinking so much. One could have easily mistaken her for a painted statue or an oil painting, only moving unwillingly to breathe and blink.

As she stayed there, her mind began to drift apart from her body and before she knew it, her legs were walking her through the palace to the Healing Room. He was still there, as motionless as she had been. Kneeling by his side, her chest shattered and caved in.

She had made a decision she would regret for probably the rest of her life.

"I expected to find you here," Loki muttered, stepping out of the shadows cast by the gentle torchlight. It was not needed to be bright when patients were merely resting.

Harmony did nothing, only half hearing him. A few seconds later, the bonds between her mental and physical beings seemed to reattach with ease, allowing her to slowly turn her head in his direction.

"I see I have disturbed deep thought, forgive me," Loki said calmly with a slight gracious nod. He saw Harmony questioning his presence in the Healing room with her intent brown eyes. "My place is not in today's battle, especially when you may have need of me. There will be many more chances to fight, no doubt," he told her.

The prince crouched gracefully by her side, his sharp green eyes analysing every fraction of her face. To most, she was a blank canvas, but Loki could see everything, an endless depth of ocean beneath a thin pane of ice. Reaching out tentatively, he placed a hand on her shoulder, expecting the flinch that followed.

"You will not let him die," he said, barely a whisper.

Harmony began to shake. The realisation of her wickedness reared its ugly head and towered over her like mountain, topped with black storm clouds.

"Nor will you see him suffer," the god continued. What almost surprised him most was how she knew what he knew, where the boy's fate now rested.

Harmony blinked, unlocking the gates to the wells of salty tears she had kept hidden. She bit deep into her bottom lip. Her insides flinched with burning pain but it allowed her to steel herself. Only just.

"You may never see him again," Loki told her.

"I know," Harmony forced out, her own voice straining and cracking under the weight of a sob stuck in her throat.

She couldn't hold herself together any longer and let out the sob that had been dying to choke her to death. Hushing her quietly and whispering sweet nothings, Loki wrapped his arms gingerly around her, holding her for however long she needed. Although Harmony did not want to cry. Taking extremely deep breaths, she reined herself back and dried her eyes.

"The palace is near silent today. We will not be noticed," Loki hinted and Harmony lifted her head, briefly holding his eyes before nodding.

Loki helped her to her feet, strong and firm, like his brother. He kept a grip on her until he was certain she was steady on her own feet, even then he was afraid she would fall, before crouching and gathering the sleeping slave boy in his arms.

They set off together, without words, even without glances. They both knew where they were going. The fact of which still surprised Loki, but he supposed she must have heard whispers of many places throughout her life, short as it may be, and in this case, it was a very lucky whisper to have been heard by the right slave at the right time.

In order to keep herself under some kind of control, Harmony repeated a single line of a random song over and over in her head, like a mantra, something to hold all her focus on, using her footsteps as a rhythm to the singing voice in her mind. There were few guards on their way, and none would question the business of Prince Loki himself. Harmony stayed close to the prince, her head down with her arms wrapped around herself. She refused to look at Hunter, anything but Hunter, constantly denying her own choice even as she went through with it.

Loki did not bother in waiting to have his own horse saddled and then another for the girl; they took the first two horses they found that were already wearing their tack. The stable hand said nothing to either of them as he brought them the horses. Harmony stood nervously shuffling. She'd only been on a horse once, which she could remember, and that had been when she had been sold to Thor, and he had snatched her up and placed on his lap. She'd never mounted a horse before by herself and her tiny stature would not make it any easier. She didn't expect Loki to do anything about it, leaving her to make an utter fool of herself. But she was wrong.

Loki first laid Hunter across his horse's withers. The boy's unconsciousness would free him from any discomfort on their journey. The god turned his head to see Harmony with her eyes closed and her head rested against the side of her horse's saddle, while the beast snorted softly, its head bobbing gently up and down. Placing a hand on the animal's face, Loki stepped into its personal space, causing Harmony to open her eyes as she felt his closeness. With no words, he carefully picked her up in the same way an adult would a toddler and lifted her high over the horse's back. He made sure her legs were spread widely enough before lowering her into the saddle.

Harmony looked down shyly, her lips folding inwards and pressing together, as Loki adjusted her girth and stirrups for her; the horse itself was rather oversized for her and he had to put a twist in each of her stirrups so they were short enough for her little legs.

"Try that," he muttered, holding the stirrup for her to put her foot in. He looked up at her, waiting for her judgement. He smiled when she nodded timidly.

"Thank you," she whispered gratefully.

She watched as he swiftly mounted his own horse with total ease and grace, and in a small part of her mind she wished she could do that. He nudged the horse's sides, sending it forward and Harmony copied everything he did but it seemed her horse was eager to follow his already. They set off at a walk first. Harmony watched every little thing Loki did and didn't need to keep a constant eye on her own mount. Feet parallel to the ground, back straight, a bend in the elbows, chest open, a firm but gentle contact on the reins. Harmony adopted the position as best as she could.

When the two riders were outside the palace walls, Loki spurred his mount into a canter and then a gallop. Harmony's horse followed without her even needing to ask. The speed did not scare her as she thought it would have – it did almost the opposite. It almost made her happy. The ride was long though the horses never tired. Loki occasionally looked back over his shoulder, making sure Harmony was all right. She never seemed to be having any difficulty whenever he looked at her.

And at long last, they reached their destination: the hall of Eir, goddess of healing.

Here, a group of followers of the healer goddess had set up an establishment in her honour to help the sick and wounded. It was open to any friend of the gods or to any innocent. Hunter would be safe there; it was the best place in all the Nine Realms for him. The healers there treated any and every wound or illness. Maybe they could return Hunter's mind to peace when he awoke.

"Do you want to stay here?" Loki asked her as they came to a halt.

Harmony thought for a moment and then nodded. She wanted no more part in this. She wanted everything to be taken out of her hands so that she would never know whether or not Hunter lived or otherwise. That way she could always live in hope and imagine the idea she wanted to be a reality. She would never truly know.

Leaning forward in the saddle, Harmony ran a gentle, shaking hand down her mount's neck. His fur was soft like silk between her fingers and the gelding blew softly through his nostrils, ears flickering backwards and forwards. He was surprisingly calm with such a nervous and tense rider on his back. She leaned forward further still and wrapped her arms cautiously around his neck, hoping he wouldn't spook, and her arms tightened a little when he remained completely calm. Burying her nose in his fur, her lips formed a soft kiss. She let out a sigh and sat back up, her grip on the reins loose so her mount could stretch as much as he pleased.

Harmony waited, and waited. Every second seemed to drag on ten times as long as the time before with her eyes fixed on the entrance Loki had carried Hunter through. Her chest tightened with each double thud of her heart, then her throat until she thought she would suffocate. And when she thought things couldn't be worse, her mind started questioning everything.

She had made the right decision; she had made the wrong decision.

She should stay outside and wait; she should go inside and make her goodbye.

She should stay; she should just run away.

All of a sudden, she found herself forcing a loud sob from her mouth, her body quaking, ready to explode. Now, her horse became uneasy. He did not like her distress, not one bit. Harmony squeezed her eyes shut, hot tears burning, and she let out another sob. The sound was heard by almost all the Hall of Eir and Loki came as quickly as he could. He lifted her quivering form off her mount's back and cradled her close to his chest. "Come and say your farewell," he murmured. It was not a request.

The weeping girl nodded, two or three tears sliding down her flushed cheeks. Loki walked her inside to the ward that was now Hunter's. They received no strange glances; all the healers there were more than used to the countless forms of grief and crying was one of the most common, if not the most common. The healer in Hunter's ward came to quietly greet them, muttering a soft word to the God of Mischief.

"Here, child," she whispered to Harmony, taking the girl by the hands. She gently pulled her over to Hunter's bed and sat her in the chair that sat close beside it before crouching in front of the weeping mortal. "He is not lost, I assure you. He will be cared for and loved here, he will never be alone, he has all the time in the universe to recover. And in time, even the deepest of scars can fade. Do not lose hope, child."

Comforted by the hope and the chance, Harmony looked her deep in the eyes, instantly knowing her words were truer than the light of the sun and stars and her heart began to lift.

"I'm sure he will wish to see you again," the healer smiled gently. "Are you close?"

The girl nodded innocently. She was made glad that the healer had said 'are' rather than 'were'.

"And you came from the same place?" whether she meant S.O.A.K or Earth, Harmony wasn't sure but both were true so she nodded again. "Who has the honour of possessing such a precious little flower?"

Her words brought a soft, bashful smile to Harmony's lips. "Prince Thor," the slave girl murmured timorously, barely a whisper, and by now she had mostly stopped crying.

"Then never has a prince in all the Nine Realms been so lucky," the healer smiled, showing pearly white teeth. "I am sure he will be glad to see you again." She then drew away, standing at her tall full height. "Take as long as you like," she joined Loki silently by the door.

Taking Hunter's hand for maybe the last time, Harmony looked upon his peaceful face, meanwhile steeling her own emotions, finding it easier than before now she had let some of it out. She sat with him in total silence, watching his chest carefully rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall.

When she felt it was time, Harmony leaned over and placed a final kiss, filled with love, on his cool cheek and soundlessly bid her farewell.

Please review! The plot is rather open now so if there is anything you'd like to see happen then feel free to tell me :)

Love and hugs xxx