Chapter 3! Thank you so much for those who have enjoyed this so far. : )

He tried his hardest to make it seem like he was no longer interested, but that was excruciatingly difficult. Every move she made over there caught his eye and made him want to ask yet another question. He sighed as her movements had once more caught his eyes. He turned to face the wall and looked over at his books. The red one caught his eye and his thoughts drifted back to what she had told him about the red artifact she'd spoke of.

'A red artifact huh?' the thought bounced through his mind and he couldn't figure out what artifact she could be talking about, although he supposed that there could be thousands of artifacts out there. Not all of them could possibly be a different color, he supposed that not all artifacts were the blue of Syndra's eyes. He especially couldn't figure it out because he figured frost giants had a thing for blue things. His attentions were drawn back to her when he heard her clothes rustle.

She was smiling at him. "Do you want to talk?" she asked, that brilliant and excited glint in her eyes. "No, I'm ok." He said with a sharp tone, he hadn't meant to take said tone with her it had just come out like that. He shifted to glare down at his book that he'd grabbed once she'd caught his attention again. He was trying so hard to not ask questions but it was hard. He really wanted to talk to her but he also knew the more he talked to her the more Heimdal would tell his mother. He continued to stare at the page in his book, the same words fluttering through his mind.

"Are you sure you didn't want to talk?" she asked. He looked over at her and his eyes couldn't focus on her at first, but then he saw her face, she was frowning at him softly. Her tone had been so soft and concerned, and this made him frown. The lights were out and this elicited yet another sigh from him. He'd been glaring at that same page for hours… "I'm sure…" he whispered and turned to face his wall. "Okay…" She whispered softly and he waited until he no longer heard movement from her before he turned to look at her once more. He frowned, seeing her curled up into her own side in her cell. It wasn't long before he too, curled up on his bed and drifted off to sleep.

However, it had been less than three hours before he woke once more. He couldn't figure out what had woke him, but he was searching. He looked around, expecting there to be someone in his cell, or someone in another cell being noisy… but there was nothing… not a single sound from any of the other cells. Once the rustling of him moving around silenced, he heard it. He looked over at Syndra and his eyes had begun to soften, there was a tinge of pity there; but then he caught it and his rational mind took over. He looked back towards his bed, but then returned his gaze to her cell.

He saw her shivering over in her cell and couldn't help but raise a brow. "What the hell kind of frost giant are you?" he asked himself with a confused chuckle. He knew she was one of them, because he could feel it from her. Her ice magic was ok, but her illusions needed much work. She had the abilities of one, but they weren't at quite the level of a true frost giant. "Your magic is far from being remotely alright… and you're COLD… What kind of frost giant gets cold?" he asked with a sigh that was accompanied by a roll of the eyes.

"That's because she's not a frost giant dear…" his mother's voice rang out and he repressed the annoyance of having been caught off guard by her sudden appearance. "I thought…" he began, but his mother cut him off swiftly. "I know exactly what you thought dear, we all thought it at one point… but I'm trying to tell you there are more dangerous things out there than frost giants." She began, but Loki cut her off.

"She can use ice magic mother…" "But who took the time to teach her? That was you, so it is understandable that she can." Frigga said and Loki pursed his lips as he looked at his mother. "She has Frost Giant blood flowing through her veins, mother." He bit out and his mother gave him a scolding look. "And so do you, but does this make you any less of my son?" she asked, daring him to bad mouth her.

"No…"

"Then listen to me…" she began and he nodded. "She has the blood of the frost giants flowing through her veins, but it is so diluted you couldn't actually do much with it other than a few basic ice spells. Her mother, her grandmother, and her grandfather were not Frost giants, but her father was a half frost giant. She is most likely a quarter frost giant, possibly less." Frigga explained, and this only made Loki even more curious.

"Then what is she?"

"When she is ready for you to know, she will tell you." His mother said as she turned to look over at the shivering woman. "She really seems to like you Loki… She needs more people to talk to, because she's been so lonely down here. She never wanted to talk to anyone, and I understood. I placed the silence spell on her for her safety… but she broke it… she must really trust you to remove the spell." Frigga said and Loki looked over at Syndra.

"She reminds me of myself… mother…" He said and she offered him a small smile as she cupped his face. "Then find a way to save her, dear… Once you know how to save your friends… you know how to save yourself…" She said as she turned away from him to look over at Syndra once more. "Don't let her follow your path…" she said and looked around. "I suppose I should tell Heimdall to bring her some bedding supplies." Frigga said once more, smiling sadly at the shivering woman. He stood there in surprise, just staring at his mother.

"What dear? Did you not expect me to take care of your friends?" she asked and Loki cracked something of a small smile. "I suppose she has become something of a friend…" he said and his mother's illusion cupped his cheeks once more with a small smile. "I love you, My Loki…" she whispered as her image faded from view. "I love you dearly, mother…" he whispered as her smiling face began to vanish. His eyes went wide and he called out the questions quickly. "Have you seen or heard from Sigyn?" he asked, but his mother shook her head as the last of her image faded.

"Oh…" he sighed softly, "I see…" Not even thirty seconds later, guards walked in with a small, but thick and comfortable looking mattress in hand. They placed it in syndra's cell along with a small blanket, a thick comforter, and some fluffy pillows. Once the Guards left, Loki made his way to sit beside the wall between them. "Syndra." He called out softly, and upon doing so he saw her eyes flutter open softly. Her smiled when her confused glowing gaze landed on him. "You should sleep much better now, dear." He said softly and she furrowed her brows, but turned to look where he was pointing.

She was silent for a moment, just staring with wide eyes; but then he smelled that familiar scent. His made him want to frown, but he knew these were of happiness. The smell of fresh tears surrounded him long before the sound of her soft sobs reached his ears. He looked over and saw her gently rubbing the blankets with her fingers, her shoulders jerking as she tried to stifle her tears.

"Thank you… so much…" she whispered, her voice warbled from her sobs. "Don't fret it… they are a gift from my mother." He said and she looked over him with her watery eyes. "Thank you." She whispered once more and he offered a small smile. "As I said, don't fret it… just get you some rest and I shall get more as well." He said and she nodded rapidly as she unfolded the blankets and shoved the mattress close to where he had just been sitting. She sat on it and a smile graced her lips as she then flopped and snuggled down into the mattress. She tried to whisper out another thank you, but her exhaustion caught up to her and she was out like a light.

He chuckled to himself and stood to make his way over to his bed as well. "You're welcome, Syndra."

:-:-:-:

He woke the next morning to see her parading around with her smaller blanket wrapped around her shoulders. He chuckled, but didn't disturb her as she moved things around her room. There wasn't much for her to move, but she was busy rearranging it in the way she wanted it, rather than having everything all crowded in one corner. He sat up and stretched, he watched her carefully from the corner of his eye as she snuggled on top of her bed with a sketch book. She had a visible glow to her and it suited her, or so he thought.

"Loki…" she called and he blinked and turned to her. "Yes?" he asked and she snuggled the blanket around her and made her way over to the wall separating them. "Will you tell me of your triumphs as a son of Odin?" she asked and he frowned. "It's only fair, I suppose." He said and she smiled. "You don't have to if you don't want to." She said and he shook his head. "Oh, but I will…" he said and made his way over to her. "What would you like to know?" he asked and she pursed her lips. "Anything you will tell me." She said and he nodded.

"How about I tell you of how I came to be in Asgard?" he asked and her eyes brightened. He offered her a small smile, although he hated the way this had been explained to him. She seemed to catch the look in his eyes and she frowned. "Never mind, Loki… you don't have to tell me." She said, offering a sympathetic smile. "No, I will. Do not pity me." He said, a slight edge to his tone. He supposed he was so insistent on telling her of himself so she will tell him what she is other than Frost Giant.

"I was born as a Frost Giant in Jotunheim, except I was the size of an Asgardian infant. I was puny in their eyes. They left me in the temple with the casket to die as a sacrifice to the casket. Odin had found me and had raised me as his own." Loki began and Syndra watched with a similar enraged type of shame in her eyes. "Even though Odin had raised me like his own, I had always known I was different. Thor was always treated so much better than I was… always." He muttered bitterly and she offered a small smile. "Thor was the prized child, he had the strength, the power, and the stature to be a great warrior, but I was scrawny, physically weak, and had no skills with weapons whatsoever. However, my mother saw I had skills in sorcery and began teaching me. I had then begun to be known as the God of mischief, this title seems to still be a fitting one to this day." He sighed and Syndra watched him carefully.

"Looking back on all of the thing I have done… it makes sense. I started out as god of mischief, pulling pranks and simplistic little spells to annoy people… but then I grew bitter, especially when Odin chose to begin training Thor as heir to the throne. I began trying my best to take over the throne, and I had tried to do so for centuries. I failed time and time again and after a while Odin became weary of my antics." Loki began and Syndra tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brows, "What did he do to you?" she asked and he sighed.

"He sealed me within a tree." Loki stated blatantly and Syndra blinked in confusion as she tried to understand why Odin would have done that. "However, he told me that if I wanted to be free, someone had to shed a tear for me, other than my mother of course. He specified that." Loki said and Syndra saw the mischievous glimmer flash through his eyes. It seemed that Loki truly enjoyed outsmarting Odin, which she knew he was about to tell her how he had done so.

"Heimdall was always watching me, as the all-seeing guardian of the bifrost. I made a leaf strike him in the eye, and thus he shed a tear for me and then I was freed." He said and she watched him for a moment. He was blatantly bragging to her as to how no matter what situation he was in there was always a way out for him. It was as if he knew he was more intelligent than anyone she had ever met and was trying to enforce that idea to her. Somehow the jolt in her chest had registered as mistrust in her mind, but she shoved those thoughts away and forced a smile. He had been the reason for her quality of life in this place to be slowly getting better, she couldn't just suddenly not trust him. It didn't matter if he were the God of mischief and lies, she was going to trust him for as long as she could, provided he never gave her a reason not to.

:-:-:-:

She woke up the next morning to see him sitting over by the wall, his demeanor nonchalant, but she knew he had been there for a minute. "Good morning." He greeted and she smiled at him softly. "You enjoy talking, don't you?" she asked and he offered a small smirk. "At least I have the walk to go with all the talk I do." He said and she shook her head. He however, had very slightly enjoyed seeing her random little looks of fear or awe… he didn't know which one he liked more. "Tell me of your travels then, since you seem to want to expend so much air." She laughed softly and he rolled his eyes.

"Of course," he said and she offered a smile. "Alright, I will tell you of my adventures with Thor." He said and swung his legs around to get comfortable. He started out telling her about the time where they had gotten into a fight with the frost giants, and this really caught her attentions. She wasn't sure whether or not she should have been as interested as she was but she guessed it was only natural she would be so interested in what exactly had happened that day. "So we were there in the presence of Laufey and his Frost Giants… we thought we had everything settled and we were going to go home, but before we could leave, one of them told Thor to run home little princess." Loki chuckled and shook his head at this. "Needless to say-" he began but was cut off. "Brother, I thought we agreed that our battles would be recanted in great glorious detail." Thor's voice boomed and Syndra grinned and jumped up to run to the main wall where he stood.

Thor smiled at Syndra but then glanced over at Loki who had swept back over to his couch to hide himself behind a book. "Syndra, forgive me for interrupting your glorious conversations. I will take my leave once I have come to say what ive been informed to announce, because my brother doesn't seem to want to see me or even hear the sound of my voice." Thor sighed and she frowned at him. "It's ok Thor, don't worry about it." She said with a smile and Loki turned to watch how she interacted with Thor, he was admittedly jealous of how open she was with Thor, having only spoken with him in nonverbal forms; but with him, she seemed held back. He wanted her to be that open with him as well, they were supposed to be friends after all.

"I came to see how you were fairing, and obviously you are well." Thor said to her and she nodded. She spoke so kindly to him, and he knew she spoke so kindly to himself as well; but he was suffering from the slightest bit of jealousy towards Thor once again. He sighed and glared down at his book, thinking that Thor had come to pull her away from him, as he always said he never tried to do. Never the same person, but always the same manner of stealing them away… this was probably why Loki had no real friends, but then again he could always find a reason to blame Thor when he knew it was never Thor's fault. He had no friends because… well… trying to rule every world you've ever been to and playing tricks on everyone usually puts people off.

"Loki, I have actually come to tell you something important." Thor said and Loki glanced up from his book to look over at him. "And what would that be?" Loki asked and Thor frowned. "You have a visitor." Thor said as he turned to Syndra who frowned. "You don't have to go Thor, you can sit and speak with me if you wish." She said and Thor nodded, offering a small smile to her. "Of course." He said then looked to Loki. "I will gather your visitor." He said and left the area, only to return moments later with a beautiful Asgardian woman in his midst.

Syndra stared in awe at how beautiful the woman was. Long ebony hair fell in shining curls over her shoulders, long lashes swept over glowing sky blue eyes, and plump red lips stuck out in a lovely contrast to her pale porcelain skin. "Sigyn…" Loki greeted and the woman placed her hand to the barrier with watery eyes. "Oh my king… what have they done to you…" she whispered and Loki frowned. "They have done nothing to me, I have done this to myself." He said, but didn't move from his place on his couch with his book in hand. "I missed you, my king." Sigyn said and Loki nodded. "I was wondering when you would return. I had almost thought you had forgotten about me, seeing as you've been off running about with Sif and the warriors three. However… it was mainly with one particular member of the warriors three, now wasn't it?" Loki asked, flipping a page in his book, not even giving her a second glance.

"My king… I would never do such a thing as to betray you!" she said and he nodded. "Then what were you doing with the robin hood look alike?" Loki asked and Thor blinked, but then grinned. "I understood that! It's from midgard." He chuckled, but an angry tear filled gaze found itself on him and he had to cough and turn back to Syndra, who watched the woman with curious eyes. "I was trying to figure out where you were and how to free you, my king… but I'm afraid that nothing I have come up with would work… " She said and Loki nodded. "That's fine, my queen… I was just curious; no ill insinuations were particularly implied." Loki said, and Sigyn sat in front of Loki's barrier. He continued to speak with her for a couple more hours, as Thor spoke with Sandra.

Once Sigyn left, loci returned to his place near Syndra's wall. Thor left not long after and she approached the wall and sat before him. "So, you're married…" she whispered and he nodded. "You never mentioned that you were married, but I should have guessed, seeing as how you had given me an odd look when I told you that if I ever get out of here I would want to get married and live a normal life…" she sighed, and he looked up at her. "I also should have guessed it seeing as how you were asking about what it feels like to love someone." She said and bewitched her carefully.

"Would you like to understand how I ended up in this mess?" he asked and she nodded. "It depends, is this a genuine explanation, or another lie? Thor told me to be weary of what you say, but don't wish to have to… walk on eggshells as Thor said." She said and he nodded. " I understand why he says this. You know of why I am in here, correct?" he asked and she nodded. "You led the chitauri to war with earth." She said and he nodded. "I also threatened his girlfriend." Loki said offhandedly and Syndra frowned at him. "but do you know what I had said when Thor was destroying the bifrost?" he asked and the words rang through her mind, those small words meant so much… and she knew Loki had meant them.

"Thor had wanted so badly to protect Jane Foster… so much so that he would destroy his one way to return to her, just to make sure that I wouldn't be able to go back either. In that moment I thought of him and only him… I thought of his happiness… seeing as though I was forever bound to Sigyn… even though I was always angry at him, always jealous… I didn't want him to end up like me." Loki said and she watched him with saddened eyes. "I tricked her into marrying me." Loki said as he adjusted himself to face her better.

"I killed her fiancée, and impersonated him until their wedding day came around. After she said her vows and my father had declared us wed… I revealed myself. Father was furious, and I could tell she wished to cry, but she quickly resigned herself and she told my father she would be my queen for all eternity. I tricked her into the betrothal because I had admired her from afar for so long… I thought she was just so lovely… but after we ended up married… I realized that I was stuck with her and that I did not… love her… I enjoyed the thought of her but not her. Don't get me wrong, she's loyal, she's beautiful, and she is a wonderful woman who would do anything to help me… and as much as I enjoy having her around… I want her to be happy and I can see she isn't happy with me." He sighed and Syndra smiled at him.

"She worries about you. I think she is happy enough with you… I just think you should try to speak with her and figure out what she does and doesn't like…" Syndra said and Loki released a snort. "Last I heard she wanted a throne. But I can't be too sure if that is the truth or not, I don't believe I heard it from a reliable source, either way." He said and Syndra frowned. "I did get the princess vibe from her, but I don't think she wants a throne." Syndra said and he sighed. "But whatever you do, just do what you think is best for her." Syndra said as she made her way to her bed as the lights began flickering out.

"Do what I think is right, huh?" Loki sighed and he made his way over to his bed. "Alright then I think I know just what to do."

:-:-:-:

He continued to tell her stories of his travels and had even tried to teach her more illusory spells, however she didn't seem to be picking up on them so well. He couldn't quite figure out why she wasn't learning it, but eventually he gave up, and she understood why, but she kept trying to make the spells work. In the meantime, while she would practice, he would continue to tell her of all his pranks, misdeeds, and endeavors. He would congratulate her when she had mastered a spell, but none of them were illusory spells she had mastered.

It was strange. The only illusory spell she could do, was to change her appearance. Nothing else. Just the way she looked, and how tall she was. But that was fine, she was learning as she continued to practice day after day. Month after month, they talked and she tried her best time and time again. They'd spoken for about a ten months now and he didn't think he would have made it mentally without her. He sighed as he sat by the wall as his mother's image appeared before him. He caught a glimpse of Syndra as he stood to greet his mother. He waved his hand to create an illusion so she wouldn't see or butt in on their conversation. He had a feeling that this one was different from the others they'd had before.

"I don't suppose you've heard, have you?" she asked and he offered her an odd look. "No, I haven't." he replied and she sighed. "The aether has showed itself, but it has come to us in form of Thor's Midgardian woman, Jane Foster. It is slowly killing her." Frigga said and he frowned. "The Aether?" he asked and he saw Syndra's eyes go wide. "The red artifact?" he asked and Frigga nodded. Loki's eyes cut to Syndra and he furrowed his brows. "I see…" he murmured and his mother nodded.

"We think something might be coming for it but we don't quite know what." She began and Syndra began listening carefully after that. After a while of him and his mother talking, she vanished from sight and he was angry. She frowned at him and sat in front of the wall between them. She placed her hands against the barrier, which he returned with a saddened look. "You shouldn't have been so harsh to her, she loves you." Syndra said and his eyes went wide. "How did you? I… used an illusion." He said and she pulled her hands away from the wall slowly.

"An illusion?" she asked and he frowned. "I didn't see an illusion." She said and this only made him frown more. "Nevermind that… how do you know of the Aether?" he asked and she frowned. "I only knew of it because I was given the coordinates and told to never let anyone know where it was, but it came here." She said and her eyes went wide. "Oh no… Oh No…" she whispered and tears filled her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked and she pulled her blanket around her and her hair darkened to black and her skin became tanned. "Why are you doing that?" he asked and she stared at him with teary eyes. "They will come, they will find me… I can't let them find me, Loki." She whispered and he frowned, placing his hands on the wall separating them. She slowly reached up her hands and placed them over his. He felt her warmth resonate through the wall and she slowly began to calm down.

"Don't worry Syndra." He began and she looked up at him. "I promise I will keep you safe." He said and she looked at him with trembling lips. "I promise, that I will let no harm come to you, because you are my… friend. and you are the only one I have. So I'd rather you not die on me." He said and she laughed lightly. "I'm five foot one and a trembling ball of fear… and you'd rather have me alive than in their clutches?" she asked with a small smile.

"Of course… I only have one midget, and you're my midget." He said and she laughed lightly. "Of course." She whispered as her appearance returned to normal. However, he knew that he wouldn't be able to protect her like he'd promised. But that was only because he was in this cell, just like her. However, he would find a way out and he would find a way to protect her, even if it was the last promise he made to her. He finally had a friend, and he was unwilling to let anything happen to her; because if he could protect her… what kind of friend was he?