Jane stands in Odin's presence, not entirely sure how she has reached this point. Thor asked her to join him as one of the Aesir. She wanted marriage. And there was an ultimatum from Odin- that she either accept the transformation ritual to bring her to the long life of the Aesir or leave Thor forever- something about the need for him to guard all realms equally, not just Midgard. But there are things that have happened she does not entirely understand, things that have caused her to distrust whatever is being said in another language in this ritual. For one, Loki stands beside her, muzzled, chained, and looking entirely more hateful than she has ever seen him. For another, Thor is quiet and isn't explaining anything to her. And lastly, no one has told her how this long life thing is going to happen or why Loki is even here.

She agreed to the ritual with little explanation, though she did ask Thor what was going to happen. There are so many things to explore that she wants as much time to see the Nine Realms as she can get. She agreed because of love and life and curiosity.

There is something, though, that feels wrong about the ritual. Something they aren't telling her. Her confusion, she hopes, is clear, as Loki glances over at her, his eyes the only way he has to communicate anything. And they are so very angry.

Suddenly, something gold shoots from Odin's staff and strikes her in the chest with such force that, if it did not also hold her in place, she would have been blown backwards across the room. She rises upwards, her arms spread, and thinks that this is far too familiar. She is terrified, wondering why everything in her body burns. But she stays very still, hoping that it will end soon and she will not fall. The force sets her down, but every inch of her hurts and she collapses. The gold something dissipates and Thor pulls her to her feet. But he does not ask if she is unharmed. Odin is still speaking, but she has given up trying to follow anything. And then there is a crack and the floor rumbles and she feels something snap in her chest, causing her breath to stop for a moment and her heart to skip a beat. Thor holds her up. And then it is over. Everything is silent. The guards drag Loki away. Odin disappears.

"Jane...are you hurt?"

"What the hell just happened?"

"You were granted long life."

"No. That's not it. What else happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Something else happened. You're hiding something."

"Let's go somewhere you can rest."

"And now you're avoiding it." She wants to add, "Why was he here and why did he look like he was ready to kill everybody in this room with his eyes?" but she knows she will only get the standard Loki-hates-everyone answer she has heard before when asking about his motives.

"Or perhaps I am looking out for you first and foremost. Do not look for the negative in this, Jane, for you will find the positive far outweighs it."

"Now I know you're hiding something."

He helps her back to his quarters and sits her down on the couch, dropping beside her and allowing her to curl up under his arm. She cuddles for a moment and he thinks that perhaps she will fall asleep, exhausted from her ordeal, and forget about her questions.

He is wrong, "Now tell me what you won't tell me."

"The All-Father has said I am only to tell you when I think you are ready."

"Then I'm going home."

"What?"

"This entire ritual is because I trust you. If I can't trust you to tell me what just happened...I'm taking my long lived butt back to Earth."

He sighs, "You aren't going to be happy."

"What did you do?" She sits up, her question stern.

"The ritual requires a bonding. You cannot simply become one of us. You have to be tied to one of us in order for it to work, so that you will live alongside one of the long lived, your life to parallel ours."

"Wait, what? Bonding?"

"Yes. A marriage."

"Are we married?"

"No. You know I cannot marry you. Father will not allow someone born in another realm to sit on the throne of Asgard, not even as its Queen and Steward."

Jane's face goes ashen, "You...you...you married me to Loki."

"Yes."

"What the ever living fuck did you do that for?" She is on the verge of tears.

"Do not fear, it will change nothing. You and I are still-"

"Changes nothing? What... I don't understand..."

"You will still live beside me."

"And who will you marry? Asgard has to have a Queen. I've heard your father, I know that's how this is going to go."

"Father has arranged for me to marry Sif."

"And so what? I'm supposed to be just fine with this?"

"The marriage is purely political."

"And how are you going to have an heir from this 'purely political' marriage?"

"The usual way, I suppose."

"Great. Just great. I'm supposed to be fine with this. I have to be, don't I? It's not like I can go back and live a couple thousand years back home."

Thor sighs as she stands up and walks to the window, "Jane... Please, it was the only way."

"No, it wasn't. You could've just lived with me for the handful of decades before I die and everything would have been fine! Odin won't die that fast, will he?"

"He may. He is already one of the oldest of us."

"I don't think he's just going to drop dead in the next fifty years. And that's beside the point. You didn't give me a choice. You just decided that you could marry me off in exchange for long life without ever telling me what was going on. You didn't think you should have maybe told me this before I said yes?"

"I thought this was what you wanted."

"Thor, you're incredibly stupid if you think that I agreed to get married, which, to people like me, is kind of a big deal. When I said I thought it would be awesome to live life out alongside you, it was because I loved you. Because I wanted to be your wife. Not someone else's."

"Marriage in Asgard does not only happen for love. It happens for other arrangements as well."

"Well that much is pretty damn clear. I don't suppose you guys allow plural marriage, do you?"

"No."

"But I'm expected to just sleep with you anyway."

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

"What, exactly, is the point of getting married here?"

"There are many. To forge alliances. Financial security. Family stability. And sometimes love."

"You don't say? I think I need to go talk to my new husband to find out what he feels about all this."

"Jane, don't. He is likely angry. And dangerous."

"Yeah? Well I somehow doubt that leaving him alone is going to do any good. And you'd have to be blind to think he wasn't mad. He looked like he was going to murder you and your dad with his brain." She storms out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Then it creeps open again and she peeks around it, "So...how do I get to the dungeons?"