"I'm fine Thor," you laugh as Thor eyes you suspiciously. "See? I don't even have any bruises. Loki took care of them. Let it be."
"Very well, my lady," Thor says. "But should you change your mind I will drag him to the dungeons myself to stand trial."
"Not if I find him and stab him, first," snarls Loki.
"Would you not prefer to see him in shackles, brother?" Thor frowns. "You need not always resort to murder as a first option."
Loki frowns, his lips pressed together in a tight and disapproving line as he seems to consider Thor's words. "Fine," he finally grumbles. "You may put on the shackles. But then I kill him."
"Would you both please calm down? I'm fine. It was a bar. Shit happens," you say, shrugging.
"I assure you my lady, 'shit' doesn't happen on Asgard," says Thor angrily. "Besides, no man but my brother is to lay a hand on you."
Loki glances up at Thor, a mixture of amusement and surprise on his face. Loki has always been envious of your close relationship with Thor. You can see that his brother's support for your relationship, even in moments like these, means a great deal to him.
But soon enough, that look on Loki's face is gone, replaced by one of savage intent.
"I might still kill him," says Loki, flipping a long, serrated blade in his hands. "Thor, did you recognize the man?"
"I did not, brother," Thor says, eyeing Loki's drawn knife. "But today is not the day for bloodshed! You know this!"
Loki looks up quickly and glances from Thor to you, a mild panic hidden in his eyes.
"Not the day?" you ask, laughing. "Why? Is it a holiday or something?"
"Oh, I-I...well, no, my lady...I only meant that-well," Thor's stuttering and Loki's wide-eyed panic causes you to get suspicious. You press the question.
"What's so special about today, Thor?" you ask, approaching Thor with your arms crossed.
"I think what my dearest brother is trying to say is that we don't tolerate such things in Asgard. Especially on a Friday," Loki says self-assuredly.
"Saturday," corrects Thor quietly.
"Saturday," Loki corrects himself, pushing Thor out the door. He shuts it tightly behind him, leaving you alone in your room.
"Uh, wait, guys?" you question, moving to the door yourself and tossing it open only to find an empty hallway. "Loki?" you call down the hall, met only with silence. "Hello?" you shout again, receiving no answer.
Perplexed, you shut the door to your room once more, and wander back to your easel, picking up a brush and lightening your strokes, rolling your eyes when you realize Loki was right.
-----
"Thor? Loki?" you call down the halls quietly, searching for one of the brothers. Since they had mysteriously disappeared from your room a few hours earlier, you hadn't seen hide nor hair of them.
"Your Highness?"
A tiny voice - sweet and clear - calls out from somewhere in the corridor. From behind a thick golden curtain stumbles a young girl with long, honey-brown hair.
"Oh! It's you!" you smile, recognizing the young servant girl from several days prior. The one who had caught you and Loki in the hallway. Your cheeks warm in embarrassment as you think back on what she had caught the two of you doing.
"Are you okay?" she questions with a curious tilt of her chin.
"Of course. And, sorry. I don't mean to be disruptive," you laugh.
The little girl watches with big eyes for a moment. "Okay," she shrugs simply, pulling out a wet and dirty rag from the ties at the waist of her dress and scampering back toward the heavy golden curtain and disappearing behind it.
"Wait, hold on," you laugh. "What are you doing?"
The little girl's head pops back out from behind the curtain and flashes you a smile. "It's my turn to clean the windows."
Your gaze follows the curtain's golden tassels all the way up to the ceiling, framing windows several meters high.
"You can reach up there?" you question.
"Uh huh," the girl giggles, emerging from the curtains fully and giving them a yank with all her tiny might to reveal a giant ladder hidden behind them. She climbs up a couple steps and beams. "See?" she says proudly. "I can do it by myself!"
You share a laugh with the girl, but suck in a nervous breath as she jumps up another step. You throw your hand out to grab the edge of the ladder, but the little girl just laughs and pulls her rag out of her apron tie, and goes back to cleaning the panes - her bitty hands covered in red welts and sores from all the chemicals. You hadn't noticed those the first time you met.
"What's wrong?" the little girl asks, noticing your shift in expression.
"Your hands," you frown. "Do they hurt?"
"Not anymore," she says, returning her attention to the glass. "But they used to when I was little."
"Aren't you still little?" you tease.
The girl's wiping motions falter as her face falls. But it only lasts a moment before determination takes its place.
"No," she says resolutely. "I'm almost grown up. And when I'm a grownup I get my own bed."
Confused, you part your lips to ask another question. But the girl speaks before you can.
"Are you lost, Your Highness?" she questions, still focused on the glass. "Because your room is on the other side of the palace. I know because that's where Prince Loki tells the guards to go at night to keep you safe."
"Uh, no. I'm actually looking for Prince Loki," you say, simultaneously confused and warmed by the what the girl has just told you. "Have you seen him?"
The little girl casts you a mischievous, side-eyed grin and giggles. "Yes, Your Highness. The Prince is in an audience with Her Highness the Queen."
"He's with Frigga?"
The young girl nods, and tries to use her spray bottle again. But nothing comes out. With a huff, she slides down the ladder. "I wouldn't go to the Queen's chambers though," she says in warning. "The guards aren't nice on that side of the palace."
With a smile, the girl scampers off - presumably to find more of whatever was in her spray bottle, leaving you alone to wonder why Loki is meeting with Frigga.
And why he didn't tell you about it.
With the little girl's warning fresh in your mind, you abandon your search for Loki and start wandering the halls lost in thought as you head back toward your room. You're only a few twists and turns away when spot a quick flash of blonde hair turn the corner down a long and decadent hall.
"Thor!" you shout quietly, spinning on your heel and racing down to where you thought you saw him disappear. As you round the corner, you catch site of the back of Thor's head as he makes his way down the stairs towards the palace exit. "Thor!" you yell out, running to catch up.
"Lady Y/n?" Thor says, turning just in time to catch you as you trip slightly down a step in your haste to reach him.
"There you are! You disappeared earlier!"
A blush crawls across Thor's face as he steadies you. "My apologies, my lady. I had somewhere to be."
You look at him skeptically. "Mhmm," you hum. "So, why is Loki in an audience with Frigga?" you ask.
"What? I don't...why do you think that-he isn't-," Thor stammers once more.
"Cut the crap, muscles. A servant told me she saw him with her. What's going on?"
Thor lets out a defeated sigh. "All right, my lady. But you mustn't tell him I told you," Thor says hesitantly, glancing around the hall. "Loki has requested an audience with our mother to inquire into how he might make your stay more comfortable."
"More comfortable?" you scoff. "I'm living in a palace."
"W-well yes, but, without any of your things from home!" he says, his voice pitching up suspiciously high.
"Yes, because I'd rather trade the pure silk sheets here for the cotton ones back in the tower," you frown.
"That is simply what he told me," Thor shrugs.
"That's what he told you?" you push. "Or that's what he told you to say?"
Thor clenches his jaw, his gaze darting toward the steps. His intentions to escape your questioning clear, you close your eyes and take a breath as your Perception snaps into place. You find Thor's gaze once more, his eyes wide when he notices your silver gaze.
"No, my lady, you mustn't," he pleads, taking a step back.
But all the distance in the world can't change the fact that in his emotions you can sense that shifting, hard-to-catch thread that signals only one thing: deception.
"You're lying Thor - what the hell is going on?" you frown.
"My lady, please," Thor says, placing his hands on your shoulders. You wince as flashes of dark, gentle curls and red lips flash through your head - your Genetic Link dying to take over. "Trust me when I say that Loki has only your best interest at heart," he states.
That slippery hue of deceit fades as veracity settles with certainty in your blood. Thor's telling the truth. Breaking your Perception, Thor lets out a sigh of relief as your eyes return to their normal color.
"Fine," you say. "But I don't like it."
Thor laughs, and offers you his arm. "Then perhaps we should go riding? To offer you a timely distraction?"
"Yes!" you cry out, as you begin pulling Thor eagerly down the steps.
Your pulse quickens in anticipation of going riding with Thor once again. After the weeks you had spent in Asgard healing from your encounter with Agent May, you had gotten used to riding with Thor, and you like how he commands his steed with more control than Loki. Although you would never tell either of them that.
Making your way to the stables, Thor saddles his white stallion and helps you up before climbing on behind you. Settling into his chest, you smile and relax into the strength of his body, enjoying his warmth. Loki simply doesn't give off much body heat, and you find Thor's to be cozy and comforting, helping to soothe the ache in your heart from missing home.
As the two of you ride in measured gait, Thor guides his horse evenly and steadily through the city streets. Soon you reach a gate similar to the one Loki had ridden you through on your way to his sea cave. But this gate is larger and much more grand. It lead to the mountains, Thor explains, rather than the sea.
Of course Thor and Loki would take their horses down opposite paths.
Once reaching the free roads outside the city, Thor presses his heels firmly into the side of his horse, and the three of you take off toward the forest.
You hold your arms out as your hair flies behind you, letting out a laugh. Thor laughs as well as he guides his stallion through the forest path until finally, you reach a clearing. Dismounting, Thor helps you down, and guides you to the edge. Staring over the edge unto the valley below, you are amazed by the beauty of Asgard's rolling plains. And yet, in a way, it reminds you of all those gentle rolling hills that you had driven through on your way to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ all those weeks ago.
"It reminds me of Midgard, Thor," you say longingly, staring out over the plains of tall, rippling grasses.
"This does not surprise me, my lady. Asgard and Midgard are closely connected by Yggdrasil."
"By what?" you ask, turning to Thor.
He sits on the ground, and motions for you to join him. As you sit, Thor begins telling you about how the realms are connected.
"You have heard of the nine realms. Yet of all the realms, Midgard is the most closely connected to Asgard."
You pluck a few pieces of grass and twirl them in your fingers as you listen to Thor.
"Even from here my father could see just how weak the humans had been made. They could not possibly withstand an attack from the frost giants of Jotunheim, or the ice giants of Niflheim. So my father dug up Yggdrasil's roots, and pulled your realm closer to Asgard. Then the bifrost was constructed to allow the Aesir direct access to the Midgardians - to you - in case of trouble. In that way, the Aesir are the caretakers of all humans."
"So...you've been watching over us?" you question. "This whole time?"
"That is my job as Crown Prince," Thor smiles. "While I cannot protect you from yourselves, I can protect you from dangers of the other realms. And I do. I have. For a very long time."
You ponder Thor's assertion in silence for several long and quiet minutes as the two of you sit side by side on the valley's edge. "You know, in one of those books I brought to Loki back in the tower, it said that you control Earth's weather," you finally say, eyeing the blonde god suspiciously. "Is that really true?"
Thor lets out a booming laugh. "I have been known to cause a storm in my day," Thor says. "Especially in my youth, when I was learning to deal with my strongest emotions, there were many times that my emotional state affected Midgard. Being so closely connected to Asgard, even today it is not uncommon."
"So, whenever there's a thunderstorm on Earth, you're upset?"
"No, no my lady," Thor laughs once more. "Storms are natural. You would know if it was I causing a disturbance. Think back on your years. Has there ever been a span of many days of thunder and lightning? Or a particularly violent storm?"
You nod, recalling once or twice when a freak storm had completely knocked out power to half the island of Manhattan.
"Those times were likely caused by me. But I do my best to avoid doing so."
You laugh and lean against Thor's arm, breathing in the sweet scent of honeysuckle and wild lavender floating up to the valley ridge from the plains below. For a while, you sit with Thor in silence, before a thought occurs to you.
"Thor, are there any other ways to get to Earth besides the bifrost?" you ask.
Thor's face darkens. "Aye, my lady. The roots of Yggdrasil spread far and wide - each a portal of its own in and out of the realms that they pass through. Yet these roots are nearly impossible to find. And there's no telling exactly where they will take you. But some would and do travel through Midgard."
You ponder in silence. If he had told you this back on Earth, you would have laughed it off as myth. But here you are, sitting in another realm, and suddenly nothing seems impossible.
"I will warn you, my lady," Thor says, his tone turned serious. "To try and make use of these roots not only violates our laws, but would prove incredibly dangerous. Maybe even deadly."
You're taken aback by just how grave Thor's tone and expression have turned. You study him for a moment as realization dawns. "Thor, I made a choice. I'm not looking to go anywhere," you say.
"And yet you still think of Midgard as home," he says pointedly.
"No," you say staunchly. "No, that was just...I don't know. A slip of the tongue. I'm still getting used to the idea I'm never going back. Can you cut me some slack?"
Thor sighs, and offers you a gentle smile. "Of course, my lady. I apologize," he says, standing and extending you a hand to pull you up from the ground. "We should make our way back. I'm certain my brother is wondering where you've managed to run off to."
The ride back to the palace stables is swift. As Thor helps you dismount, you give him a hug, and thank him for a fun afternoon. He gives you a small kiss on the cheek before you turn and make your way back inside the palace. Throwing open the door to your room, you expect to find Loki inside.
But he isn't there.
Somewhat surprised, you try his room, but find it empty as well. You wonder if perhaps he is still speaking with Frigga, when you remember that in several of the memories Loki has shown you over the past weeks he would sneak away to the palace library when he had much on his mind.
And an audience with the Queen - regardless of the topic - was likely to give him a lot to think about.
Scurrying back down the hall, and taking the grand stairs up two floors, you beeline for the ornate double-doors of the library. A gentle pull of the gilded golden handles has one of the massive doors swinging open without a sound, ushering you into a dimly lit, archive-lined room with shelf upon shelf of books, standing ceiling high. And it is quiet. Still. Almost reverent in its silence. You thread your way through the shelves until finally you spot Loki's raven locks sitting cross legged on the floor, buried deeply in his book.
"Boo," you whisper from the corner. To your surprise and pleasure, you seem to have startled him slightly.
Looking up, Loki smiles upon seeing you, standing quickly and picking you up, spinning you around before placing a loving, gentle kiss on your lips.
"You're in a good mood," you tease as he places you gently on the ground.
"I suppose I am, love. But I have missed being by your side. Where have you been this afternoon?" he asks.
You consider asking him about his meeting with Frigga, but decide that if and when Loki wants to tell you about it, he will. And if your conversation with Thor was any indicator, Loki might now want to talk about it right now.
"Well, after you disappeared on me this morning, I found Thor and he took me riding. I just got back."
"Good, I'm glad you had a pleasant day," Loki says with a smile. "Come, read with me."
You arch one brow in pleasant surprise. Loki is always jealous of any time you spent alone with Thor. Yet right now he doesn't seem bothered in the least. You wonder why for a moment, before Loki threads his fingers between your own and pulls you to the shelves. He points you toward a certain section of books as he sits once more on the floor, picking up his own book where he left off. You peruse for a moment, overwhelmed by the sheer number of titles by authors you have never heard of.
After while, you hear Loki laugh. "Indecisive?" he asks you.
"I just don't know any of these people," you say.
"Here, I'll pick one familiar to you," he says, standing and disappearing down an aisle and returning a moment later with a copy of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.
Loki carries the play over to a long sofa, and beckons you to him. Snuggling up, he holds the book in front and begins to read to you. It doesn't take long before you find yourself growing drowsy in Loki's arms, his voice lulling you to sleep as Shakespeare flows effortlessly from his tongue.
"But that is not the question. The question is concerning your marriage. Ay, there's the point, sir. Marry, is it, the very point..."