Hello my readers and welcome back for Key To Redemption chapter 22! Without further ado, let's get started!

LokixDiana(explicit)

Warning: Suicidal thoughts.

Chapter 22

Third P.O.V

As Diana brought the mass of fire and rock down towards Helblindi, Thor and the rest of the Asgardians looked on in horror and awe.

Sif felt terror brush up her spine, knowing that either Diana had become stronger since they had fought, or she had always been this strong and had been holding back during their fight. It's a sobering thought for the only female warrior of Asgard.

Volstagg and Fandral felt thankful that Diana's anger was not directed at them, and that she was mostly on their side. For they were unsure how the outcome would be if she were to ever become their enemy.

Hogun was thoughtful along with being horrified, knowing that Loki had found someone that seemed to love him unconditionally and was willing to kill to protect him. Or in this case, to avenge him.

Thor looked on in awe, and felt angry as well. Angry that his brother had been taken from him, angry at himself that he could have done nothing to protect him. So focused he was on fighting the Jotun that he hadn't even seen the spear of ice Loki had jumped in front of to spare Diana. He knew that he had let Loki down, had let Frigga down. He'd never be able to forgive himself for this.

Just as the mass of rock and fire was about to hit Helblindi, Diana was thrown off her feet. Causing the fiery ball to go flying into the side of the castle.

Diana snarled as she stood up from the snow, her face twisted in anger as she stared at the trio of Jotun standing in front of the King. Smaller than the rest, around the same size as Loki actually, the trio wore simple shawls of colored fabric over their shoulders and around their hips. The one in the middle wore purple, with the other two wearing red.

Black hair fell down their backs, and their loincloths had symbols stitched along the edges. Silver jewelry clung to their fingers or decorated their wrists and ankles, leading to simple sandals on their feet.

"I'm sorry my friend. You have good reason to want our King to pay for taking your lover from you, but you must understand that we can not let you kill him." The Jotun in the middle said, their hands glowing with suppressed power. It was Kraka, the Royal Jotun Mage and two of their attendants.

They had known things would go wrong, but King Helblindi hadn't listened to the rest of what the seer told them. 'A woman of power protects the Kinslayer, and she is not someone to take lightly', indeed.

Just as Diana reared up to attack, the large beam of light of the Bifrost shot down from the sky. Out of the light, Odin rode up on Sleipnir, Frigga behind him and Gungnir in his hand.

"Father! Mother, I'm so sorry!" Thor said, running up to help his mother down from Sleipnir.

"Please my son, we must hurry!" Frigga said, running to Loki's prone body. "He is not lost to us yet!"

"What do you mean?" Thor asked as Frigga knelt next to Loki.

"Loki's daughter is Hel herself, if she so chooses she can help Loki's soul back into his body." Frigga said, her hands glowing as she did her best to heal Loki's body.

"But he fell in battle, wouldn't he go to Valhalla?" Thor asked in confusion.

"Normally yes but since Hel is his daughter I feel he'd more go to her by choice instead of Valhalla." Frigga said, her magic working on his wound.

Meanwhile, Odin was facing off against Diana. "Lady Diana, it is commendable that you feel this strongly towards my wayward son, but I can not allow you to kill King Helblindi."

Diana snarled, her mind clouded with anger and her face twisting as her features extended into its short, muzzle-like form. "He killed your son, Odin All-father! Will you stand by and do nothing as this murderer goes free?!"

"No but Loki is a prince of Asgard!" Odin said, banging the butt of his now glowing spear on the ground, and it gave a bright flash. "Asgard will deal with this!"

"Like you dealt with Loki's children?! Like how Loki was punished for defending his son, who you ride as a steed?!" She screamed, eyes glowing. "Helblindi is mine to deal with, Odin!"

"You will be too busy for that my dear." Odin said with a glare. "I do believe you have someone to care for."

Just as Diana reared up, ready to strike at Odin, Thor shouting with joy caused her to turn and stare.

Loki was sitting up, leaning against his mother as she continued using her magic on him. And he was very much alive.

Diana suddenly felt weightless as the energy around her started to dissipate. "I-I don't understand." She said hoarsely. Her voice grew quiet, and her features went back to normal and smoothed out.

"Frigga healed his body. And with his magic back he was able to come back from his daughter's domain." Odin said, thumping his staff on the ground again.

"You returned his magic?" Diana asked, looking at Odin in confusion.

"He proved to me that he regretted his actions in the Battle of New York, and I believe that in time he will prove to the people of Midgard that he has been reformed. You are a positive influence on him, Diana Sullivan." Odin said, before turning and heading to where King Helblindi stood with his warriors and the trio of mages.

Diana meanwhile, slowly walked towards Loki and Frigga. She wanted to see if it was true, if Loki had actually come back to her.

She knelt down in the snow in front of them, her hands shaking as she reached to lay a hand against Loki's cheek. She let out a cry as he laid a hand on top of hers.

"I'm back, my love." He said softly, and tears started streaming down her face as she drew him into a hug.

"You died!" She said. "How is this possible?!"

"It pays to have a daughter that's the Queen of the Dead." He said with a tired smile. He hugged her as tight as he could, which isn't that tight considering the circumstances.

She buried her face in his neck, her body shaking with unreleased sobs and over-fatigued muscles. "I thought I had lost you...I went ballistic, I almost killed these people..."

"Shh, I know darling. I know." Loki said soothingly, glaring over her shoulder at the assembled Jotun.

Odin, currently locked in a discussion with Helblindi, spared a moment to look at the newly reunited couple. "I would suggest you consider yourself lucky, Helblindi. That women would not have stopped until you were dead for hurting my son."

Helblindi glared at Odin, his distaste for him apparent. "And I'm suppose to stand by while he goes free?! He killed my father!"

"And Diana almost killed you,boy! Be glad that my Queen and I got here in time to stop her, and be grateful!" Odin said. "Take the advice of a king who has ruled longer than you've been alive, and walk away."

Helblindi growled, taking a step forward but stopped as he saw the scene over Odin's shoulder. Diana was standing, her eyes glowing and her teeth bared in a snarl as she stared him down. Loki was standing behind her with Frigga's hand on his shoulder to steady him. She and her exhausted son both wore identical glares directed towards the Jotun King.

Helblindi growled again, but this time in anger at himself as he glared at Odin. "I suggest you leave, All-father. But remember this, this will not be the last time we meet. I will have recompense for my father being taken from me, I can promise you that."

"I would expect nothing less." Odin said, before they both turned. Helblindi and his soldiers to head back underground and Odin to head back to his family.

"Come, we must leave here and go back to the castle. Eir will no doubt want to look you two over." Frigga said as Odin came up next to them.

"As always, a wise suggestion my dear. Come!" Odin said, pulling himself up onto Sleipnir's saddle and helping Frigga up in front of him. "A carriage waits at Heimdall's observatory for us, let us go."

The Bifrost opened once again, and the group entered the beam of light and were transported back to Asgard. Diana's knees buckled as she stepped out onto the observatory floor, and felt herself going blacking out. Thor caught her before she hit the ground, luckily stopping a potential concussion.

"The poor dear, she must be exhausted. We must get to Eir quickly!" Frigga said, and Thor adjusted Diana in his arms as he followed his friends to the carriage.

Sif chose to ride up front with the driver, while Hogun rode on the back harness. With Loki, Fandral and Volstagg riding in the carriage, Thor gently positioned Diana's prone form next to his brother.

"I will fly ahead and give Eir some warning on what she may expect." He said, before swinging Mjolnir in tight circles at his side and then flying off towards the castle. Odin and Frigga rode in front of the carriage as it started moving, and everyone in it breathed a collective sigh of relief and finally allowed themselves to relax.

"Well, I shall say one thing. You sure know when to drag us into an adventure, Loki!" Fandral said with a laugh, looking at the newly restored prince.

"Next time I'll make sure to not be dragged off by Jotun then." Loki replied in stiffly. He was berating himself as he looked at Diana.

Couldn't even protect yourself, how pitiful you must be. The nasty voice in his head mocked him. What makes you think you could protect her from what's coming, you monster? It would be easier to just kill yourself and spare her the grief.

You idiot, she loves you! She risked her life to save you from Helblindi and you're thinking that? She'd chastise you if she could hear you and you know it. Another voice whispered. And what about Anthony? You know he must be worried sick about both of you,admit it.

All the more reason to leave them both, to save them the trouble of dealing with you. You couldn't even destroy the Jotun when you had a chance, always being bested by others. Poor little Loki, the last person anyone wanted to play with as a child. Couldn't even protect your own children.

SHUT UP! He roared in his mind, but the damage was done. He loathed himself more now than ever, especially as he looked down at Diana. Bruises were already darkening across her face, and he had no doubt that the rest of her body was covered in them as well.

The trip back to the castle was silent, which Loki was thankful for as he had no wish to converse with either Fandral or Volstagg. They did try to think up a way to make conversation though, but one look at Loki's pale and weary face stilled their tongues.

Finally they arrived, and Loki watched as Volstagg gently lifted Diana from his side and carried her up the stairs. Fandral had tried to take her, but Loki had shot him a venomous glare.

"If you so much as touch her, I'll make it so that your manhood will be severely downsized." He had shot at him, causing Fandral to back off and allow the rotund warrior to take her instead.

The procession of Asgardians and the like moved up the steps, Frigga's arm in the crook of Loki's to offer him silent support. He appreciated it, especially as they passed multiple Asgardians on the way to the healing rooms. They all stared at him, and he felt that they were no doubt gossiping about his reappearance.

When they entered them, Volstagg gently laid Diana down on one of the empty beds with Loki taking the one next to her. Eir, an Asgardian even older than Odin but hardly slowed down, shook her head as she looked over the unconscious mutant with her instruments.

"Poor thing, she expended too much of her power. Her body has gone into a pseudo-hibernation." She let them know, looking at the read-out on the machine. "She needs to stay in one of the healing pods, in order to make sure no more damage is done to her."

"How long can this actually last?" Loki asked. "Will she recover?"

"Oh she'll recover all right, but it's going to take time. With how much energy she expended, I'll be surprised if she wakes up in no earlier than a week."

"A week?! So long?!" He asked in shock.

"Yes a week, and if she was a lesser being it would be at least a month!" Eir snapped. "She is lucky to be alive, but considering how strong her spirit is it's no wonder. Especially with her family blessing!"

"Family blessing?" Frigga asked.

Eir looked at her in surprise. "My Queen, you can't tell? Her aura almost glows with it! Her family has been blessed by a goddess!"

"How is that possible?" Thor asked, while everyone else looked stunned.

"Oh it's very possible, and by the energy signature I'd guess it was one of those Gaelic goddesses that remain on Midgard. They do love rewarding devotees." Eir said dismissively.

Loki stared at Diana. No wonder she was so powerful! Blessed by a Goddess indeed, and it especially explained those ancestors of her.

Eir had one of the other healers move Diana into a healing pod and shut the lid, letting the golden light of it slowly descend upon Diana. Luckily they had taken her armor and her headdress off of her, to make her more comfortable.

"Is the blessing the reason she seems to be so powerful?" Odin asked, and Eir shook her head.

"It may be why they're active and why she heals faster than others, but the reason she's so powerful is all her, All-father." She said, before turning to Loki. "Now then young man, let's examine you next."

Loki, knowing Eir well enough now that he was use to her mannerisms, sighed but let her examine him.

"Hmm." She said, reading the information on the machine. "Your wound is all healed thanks to your mother, but you need bed rest, nutrition, and hydration."

"I saw that coming." He sighed, then yelped as she smacked his knee.

"No sass from you, young man!" She wagged a finger at him. "Bed rest, now! I'll want you to stay here over night, but if you feel better tomorrow you can go back to your own chambers. But you'll need to come back every now and then for a check up!"

He grumbled but did as he was told, lying down in the bed next to Diana's healing pod. Another healer brought him a goblet of water and a bowl of stew, and he ate his meal before succumbing to the sleep he so desperately needed.

Eir ushered the non-patients out of the healing rooms, and shut the door behind them.

"I pray that Lady Diana comes back to us soon, and in good health." Frigga said as she and Odin went to the Royal chambers.

Thor had decided to go back to Midgard to let Tony that everyone was alright, and to discuss what to do with the Jotun bodies and prisoners still in S.H.I.E.L.D custody.

The Warriors Three and Sif had decided to get their own wounds treated by the healers before heading to get lunch in the Great Hall.

"You heard Eir, my love. The Lady Diana will be fine." Odin said, patting her hand in his elbow consolingly. "She simply needs to stay in her healing pod."

"You are right. And besides, we have bigger worries right now." She said, seeing the Council convened outside of their rooms.

Odin sighed, knowing it was going to be one of those days.

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Diana's P.O.V

I remember green, green all around me. A circle of stones, the smell of the sea in the distance. Wind moving my hair around me as I stepped towards the stones. A woman's voice, whispering in my ear. I can't understand her, but her voice is kind and warm. I try to move my head, but my body isn't listening. It stops in the middle of the circle, and suddenly I'm flooded with power, and I can hear the whispers.

Come find us. Find us, daughter of the Isle. Learn of your heritage.

My eyes snap open with a gasp, and I instantly start coughing. My throat and chest burn as I almost start hyperventilating, and I try to sit up but I find that I can't. I'm surrounded by glass and glowing light, and I'm lying on a cot. It's so Sci-Fi I half expect turn and find Star Trek crew member.

I bring my hand up and bang on the glass as I keep coughing. The lights disappear, and I'm looking up at a surprised women in Asgardian dress. She pulls the glass away, and I turn to lean my head over the side of the chamber and start dry heaving.

"You're not suppose to be up yet, you have another three days." She says in shock as I throw up what little is in my stomach.

"Sorry about that." I say, sheepishly wiping my mouth. "Wait, what do you mean three days?!"

"You've been under stasis for four days. Head Healer Eir said you were not suppose to wake up for a week, minimum." She said.

"A week?! I can't be gone from my home for that long!" I said, trying to get out of the cot. "I've already been gone long enough!"

"Not hardly, when it comes to your health my dear." A voice said behind me, and I turned to find an old woman approaching us. Her snow white hair was held back with silver clips, and her dark blue dress was identical to the other woman's, except for the thick silver border along her skirt.

"Lady Eir." The other woman said, bowing her head and stepping back. Eir nodded her head and then turned back to me.

"You used up too much energy when you went to Jotunheim, young lady. You need to work on that." She said, waving a finger at me in disapproval.

"I couldn't exactly help that." I said, standing up. "I had no choice, not after what they did to Loki. Speaking of, where is he?!"

She gently pushes me back onto the cot. "With the young Prince almost fully restored to his former status, he has gone about either helping with the various political nuances that come with running Asgard, or enjoying personal time with the Queen and Crown Prince Thor."

"Well, where is he now?" I asked, evading her hands and standing on my own. "I want to see him."

"You still need to rest, my dear." Eir said, her brow furrowed.

"I've rested long enough. I need to see him." I said, getting up and walking towards the doors. I ignored the healers trying to stop me, and walked down the halls.

I asked a guard for directions to where Loki would most likely be, and raised an eyebrow as he bowed to me after pointing me in the direction of the gardens.

Along the way, people stared at me. At first I thought my clothes were dirty or my hair was messy. But after checking them in a mirror that I passed, I saw it was neither one.

I tried to ignore them as best as I could, until I finally reached the gardens. I quickly bypassed the guards, though they didn't try to stop me, before finally seeing Loki sitting on a bench and talking to Frigga.

I stopped, biting my lip as I took a step back. I had half a mind to turn back around to give them their privacy, but Frigga spotted me before I could.

"Lady Diana, this is a surprise! Eir said you wouldn't be out of the chamber for a week." She said, getting up with a worried expression. Loki whirled around, eyes wide as he saw me before standing and approaching.

"Loki I-" That's all I got out before he drew me into a tight hug. I hugged back all the tighter, body shaking as I held back from bursting into tears.

"I thought I lost you..." I murmured against his neck.

"I thought I was lost." He whispered, kissing my temple. "I blacked out, and then I was with my daughter Hel. We talked, and she showed me what was happening. She gave me a choice, I could either stay with her, and see Narvi again, or I could come back."

I looked at him in shock. "You gave up seeing your son?"

"I know I'll see him again someday Diana, but I wasn't ready to give you up." He said, looking into my eyes and stroking my cheek. "I want a life with you, maybe even start a family one day. You mean too much to me to give it up."

I stared at him in shock, tears silently falling down my cheeks before I buried my face in his shoulder. I had no words to say how grateful I was that he was still alive, that he still wanted to be with me.

After a few minutes, I finally calmed down. I wiped away my tears, and took a deep breath.

"You mustn't strain yourself, you're still not well." Frigga said.

"I just want to go home." I said. I was tired of dealing with intergalactic politics.

"I'm sorry dear, but you're still not well enough to leave." Frigga said with a frown. "Traveling by the Bifrost right now isn't wise. Not even any of the other ways off of Asgard are safe while you're still weak."

I sighed, knowing she was right. "Fine, but I at least need someone to go back to Earth and have someone take care of my animals."

"I'll send one of Odin's ravens with the message to Thor. He's still on Midgard helping with what to do with the Jotun who were captured alive when they ambushed your home." She said. I growled, eyes softly glowing as my heart ached.

"Thor told me that Kida and Taboo were killed." Loki said softly, gently stroking my cheek. "They died defending their territory, and their mistress."

I clenched my eyes, trying to push back the maelstrom of emotions swirling in me. "I-I killed half o' the Jotun tha' came to kidnap you, and two of 'em had teeth marks from Kida and Taboo. I killed 'em as easy as breathing, because they took ya' from me.

"I pushed everythin' away! The only thin' I was focusin' on was gettin' you back!" I knew my accent was showing, but I was so jumbled up I couldn't help it. "I jus' didna' want to let ya go!"

"Shh Darling, it's ok." He said, rubbing my back to soothe me. "You killed them to try and protect me, and to avenge Kida and Taboo's deaths. It's going to be ok."

I nodded, breathing deeply to try and calm down. I stepped out of Loki's arms, still feeling the storm of emotions inside. I looked around, and spotted a pool of water in the very center of the garden.

"May I?" I asked Frigga, gesturing to the pool. She nodded her head, and I walked towards it until I stood in front of it.

I took a deep breath, before I brought one foot back, and one forward. I brought my arms up slowly, putting a trickle of power behind my actions. The water moved, half of it rising up at my behest.

I breathed out, and started moving. I went through my tai chi motions, bending the water to my will. I focused on the water, trying to soothe my emotions as I moved it. I went slow, trying to calm the racing emotions in my body.

After a few minutes, I was calm. As a flourish, I brought the water up and used my breath to freeze it in the shape of a rearing centaur. My breathing was heavy as I slowly sank to the ground on my knees.

My body shook as I looked at the centaur, seeing the flowing tail and the definition in the muscles. The features on the face greatly resemble Loki with a proud expression.

"Oh my dear it's lovely!" Frigga says as Loki helps me stand again. She waved a hand, casting a gold glow over the sculpture. "There, now it won't melt unless I will it to."

"Are you alright love? You shouldn't have done that, you're still too weak." Loki chastised, moving loose hair from my face.

"It was the only way for me to get my emotions under control." I said, nuzzling against his hand. "Now I'm just starving."

He laughed because at that moment my stomach growled rather loudly. "Come then, let us go to the Great Hall so we can settle that beast of a stomach of yours."

He squawked, because I had just hip checked him into a patch of grass at the edge of the garden. I weakly smirked down at him as Frigga smiled and entwined her elbow with mine.

"Come along dear, I'll lead you to the Great Hall while Loki catches up. They should still be serving lunch." She said with a smile as she lead me away.

A giggle escaped me as I heard him grumbling behind us before he followed at our heels.

"Why do they keep looking at us?" I asked Frigga before I bit into a small leg of meat that tasted a bit like duck.

"They've all heard of your expedition to Jotunheim in order to rescue Loki. And the Warriors Three have been telling tales about how well you fought." Frigga replied, causing me to blush and almost choke on my bite of food.

"Most of them also saw you punch Odin before you rescued me." Loki said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Hey, I blame him. He slapped me first." I said, glaring and tearing another bite from the leg of meat. "Granted I did call him pigheaded, but he wasn't actively trying to get you back."

"Well at least you succeeded where he failed love." Loki said, kissing the side of my temple. I hummed in delight as I nuzzled against him.

"Oh, and watch this!" He said with excitement. He gently wiggled his fingers, and the water pitcher on our table levitated and refilled my goblet.

"Love that's amazing!" I said, looking at him in awe.

"It's not the biggest display of magic, but it's better than I could do a few days ago. I can also do weak illusions and change small features of mine." He said with a shrug, but I could tell from the gleam in his eyes that he was proud of himself.

"Oh? Like what?" I asked in interest.

"Like this." He said, and I laughed as his regular ears turned into black cat ears with shimmer of green magic.

"Oh gods that's adorable!" I said, reaching up to touch them. "They feel so fluffy!" They really did, the fur on them was short but soft and the skin under it was warm.

Loki preened under my attention, leaning into my touch. "Soon enough I'll be able to shapeshift my whole body like I use to."

I giggled. "Tony's going to have a field day with this. He's gonna want to get you into the lab as soon as we get back."

"That'll have to wait. I plan on ravishing you both once we get home." He softly growled, leaning in to steal a kiss.

I blushed but laughed as I kissed him back. I see Frigga smile at us out of the corner of my eye.

"I do believe a few of our bards are composing songs telling of your deeds, Lady Diana." She said with a twinkle in her eye. Loki definitely got that from her.

"Please, Queen Frigga, just call me Diana. Adding 'Lady' before my name is too formal." I said with a small blush. She gently reached across the table and grabbed my hands.

"Only if you call me Frigga in exchange." She said with a sad smile. "Or Mother, but I don't think you're quite ready to call me that."

"Maybe someday." I said with a small smile, squeezing her hands gently. She smiled back, before we went about finishing our meal. Once again I managed to surprise myself with how much I ate. I had four legs of meat, three bowls of a meat and vegetable stew, and two hunks of fresh bread.

As we left the great hall though, a guard came up and asked us to follow him to the King's study. Loki and I looked at Frigga, but she gave us a bemused look back before we followed after the guard. He took us deeper into the palace, until we reached a wide gold door and bade us to enter it.

Frigga did first, with Loki behind her as I lagged behind, taking a deep breath to steady myself. Odin's study was simpler than the rest of what I had seen of the palace.

The bookshelves lining the walls were neat and orderly, the table in the center had a holographic map of what seemed to be the nine realms, and a little beyond, and the desk in the back where the King sat was covered in piles of scrolls with one unfurled in front of him.

Odin rose from his chair as we entered, but he motioned us not to close the doors. "Come, let us walk to the training arenas. What I'd like to discuss need not be private."

I clenched my teeth, not wanting to be in Odin's presence for long but seeing I had no choice. I looked at Loki, and saw an emotional mask falling over his face. Frigga stood at Odin's side, and we exited the study.

"I would like to apologize,Lady Diana. Striking you was in poor taste, I see that now." Odin stated, watching as multiple pairs of warriors fought in the training circles.

My face hardens as I focus on the back wall of the area. "I accept your apology, but I'm not going to for striking you back. Nor for the words I said to you before that."

"I don't expect you to." He said gruffly. "You may have showed disregard with your actions, but you stood by your beliefs. That I can respect." Next time you won't be so lucky. Went unsaid, but I felt like he wanted to say it.

I bit back a snarl, but bared my teeth a bit. "I happen to be very stubborn, King Odin. I don't change my beliefs very easily."

"No, I don't suppose you do." He said. "Then you'll probably fit right in, here on Asgard. We can be a very stubborn people."

"A vast understatement, don't you think All-father? Asgardians have scarcely changed since before your father Borr took the throne." A broad-shouldered warrior with silver hair approached us, dressed in simple clothing and leathers but with a wide gold buckle on his belt. He was also missing his right hand.

"Lady Diana, this is Commander Tyr. He's our resident God of War, and he leads Asgard's armies and makes sure our warriors are well-trained." Odin introduced. "Tyr, this is Lady Diana of Midgard."

"Ah, so you're the Midgardian that punched Odin in the nose!" His face, already lined with age, broke into a grin. "I would've paid to see that, but I was getting our troops ready in case the Jotun declared war on us."

"It won't be a repeated performance." Odin said, his one eye piercing mine.

"Probably not." I said. But who knows?

"And you even drew blood! That's an impressive feat for a Midgardian!" Tyr said, thumping me on my back hard enough to jar my teeth. "And rumor has it, that you can control the elements."

"Rumors seem to circulate through Asgard pretty fast." I said, swiping my tongue over my teeth to make sure none were out of place.

"So you're confirming it is only a rumor?" He said, his blue eyes shrewd and appraising.

"I'm neither confirming nor denying it, I'm simply stating an observation." I said with a shrug. I suddenly felt the need to tiptoe my words around Tyr. I had just stepped into a political minefield.

"But in the interest of being truthful, yes. She can control the elements." Loki continued for me. "Though if you want a demonstration you'll have to wait, Tyr. Healer's orders after all."

"Of course, Prince Loki. I wouldn't dream of asking for too much from a warrior still healing from a battle. I simply wanted a straight answer." Tyr said. "Also, I'd like to extend an invitation to train with my warriors at any time after you heal up."

"Unfortunately I doubt that I'll be able to come back after this stint. Mortals are forbidden from Asgard, after all." I said, turning to look at Odin.

"That is actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Lady Diana. In light of your readiness to not only defend Loki, but also because you have done our family a great service by reuniting him with my Queen, I'd like you to become an honorary member of the Asgardian court." Odin said.

I felt like I had been hit with a sledgehammer as I stared at Odin. "A member...of the Asgardian court?"

"It means that you'll be able to own land on Asgard, weigh in on political debates and trade agreements, and even marry within Asgard." Frigga said with a smile.

"Seems like a rather high position for someone like me." I said with a frown. "Why, King Odin? What's the real reason you want me in your court?"

"Ha! This one is perceptive! You chose well in a partner, Prince Loki!" Tyr said with a laugh.

"She chose me actually, and I couldn't be happier." Loki said with a smirk, looking at me lovingly.

I cleared my throat. "Back to the matter at hand. Why do you want me to join the court?"

"It was at my behest, my dear. I would like you to get to know our realm, and I would like to keep you close." Frigga said, gently grabbing my hands. "You're an amazing woman Diana, and you're going to do great things."

I didn't know what to think, but I knew they weren't telling me something. I looked at Loki, and saw him avoiding my eye.

A ball of cold lead formed in my stomach as I felt a frown form on my face. He was keeping a secret, and I was going to find out what it was.

In the mean time, I turned back to Odin and Frigga. "I'd like a few days to think over my decision. I wouldn't want to make a rash choice."

"Of course not dear, take all the time you need." Frigga said, patting my hand before turning to Loki. "Now then, why don't you show Diana around the palace, show her where you spent your childhood."

"Wonderful idea Mother." Loki said, smiling at me. I tried to smile back, but I felt like it was closer to a grimace.

"You're excused for the rest of the day. We'll have a servant come and get you for breakfast tomorrow." Odin said, before turning and walking away with Frigga at his side.

"I'll leave you two to it, and I look forward to the first sparring session you join us in Lady Diana!" Tyr said with a bow, before turning and going back to the warriors.

"I'd like to talk to you somewhere private if you don't mind love." I whispered to him.

"Of course Darling. Come, I know the perfect place." He said, before leading me once again through the halls. We came upon a dark wooden door, and entered a room primarily done in creams, greens, and golds. Spying a dark wooden desk with multiple books stacked on it and bookcases against the far wall, I made an educated guess.

"Are these your rooms?" I asked.

"Yes they are." He said with a smile. "This is my study, the bedroom is through that archway, and the bathroom is on the other side of that."

I looked at the archway, and saw glowing runes along the edges. "What do those runes do?"

"They make it so my bedroom is protected from anyone wishing me malicious harm from the outside, and from eavesdropping and prying eyes." He said. "You have no idea how many times that came in handy when Thor was mad at me, or when I threw a tantrum and wished for Heimdall not to see me."

"Then let's talk in there." I said, grabbing his wrist and walking into the bedroom. I felt a tingle go up my spine as we passed under the archway, and I looked over the sleeping area.

The bed took up the center of the room, covered in green silk sheets and black pillows edged in golden yellow. The walls were the same cream as the study, and the dresser and vanity with a mirror were made of the same wood as the desk.

I smiled slightly as I spied a pile of books on the dresser too, before I turned to face him and crossed my arms. "Alright mister. What was the real reason Odin wants me as part of the court? I know you know, because you were avoiding my eye at the training grounds."

He sighed, once again avoiding my eye. "I'm not entirely sure, but I know Odin. He most likely hopes to keep you close in case you end up turning on him, and having you as an ally is better than as an enemy. Especially with your family's blessing."

"What do you mean, family blessing?" I asked.

He sighed again, this time turning to me with a rather serious look on his face. "You've been blessed by a Goddess."

I stared at him. "I've been what now?"

"Well, not just you. Your family has been blessed by a Goddess, no doubt the one in that story you told me about your ancestor Brannagh." He said. "Eir confirmed it when she looked you over. But she said that whoever blessed you simply made your family's powers active in whoever carried the spark, she didn't give you the powers per-say. Which would also explain the more random powers in the individual instead of a select power for your whole family."

"Wait wait wait!" I said, holding my hands up. "So is what you're saying is that I'm part magic and part mutant?!"

"Essentially yes." He said with a wide smile.

My head spun with this new information. "Oh boy..." I said, sitting down hard on the edge of the bed. "This is a lot to take in. And Eir said this? In front of you and your parents?"

"Yes." He confirmed. I huffed in irritation and rubbed at my eyes.

"So the whole reason Odin wants me in the court is so he can keep some sort of eye on me in case I turn on him, and so I can be a secret weapon in case Asgard goes to war?" I asked.

"Again, essentially yes. But I'm sure my mother doesn't see it that way, she simply hopes that you being an honorary member of Asgard's court you and I will still remain close, and one day marry."

"She sure has high expectations of us." I said. Loki sat next to me on the bed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"It's hard for her not to think like that, since you did storm Jotunheim just to get me back." He said, and then smiled as I elbowed him in the ribs.

"I don't like people taking my things. I'm very territorial." I said, nuzzling my cheek against his neck.

"A thing you and Anthony have in common then. I believe he said about the same thing to Thor when my brother tore me out of that Quinjet after the Avengers captured me in Stuttgart." He said, kissing my forehead.

"You don't mind being mine anymore?" I asked quietly.

He hummed in thought before answering. "I use to, because I never really liked being put in a box or backed into a corner. But with you, and Anthony to an extent, I'm as free to do what I want. As long as I come back to you and never hurt you, and you give me the same treatment.

"It makes me feel safe, and it makes me feel wanted." He continued, looking at me with love in his eyes. "With you, my Darling, it's neither stifling nor too little. You give me just what I need, and I love you for it."

"I love you too, my treasure." I said, kissing him soundly on the mouth.

He kissed back, moving his lips against mine and in that moment I knew we were going to be okay.

Soon enough, after Loki had shown me the vast library of Asgard and some more of the palace grounds, we decided to take a relaxing bath before dinner was brought to his rooms. The tub itself was huge and in-ground, more like a Jacuzzi than anything.

"Mm this is nice." I said as Loki was scrubbing my back.

"Isn't it though? Once I got my own set of rooms, I specified that I wanted a rather large bathing tub to relax in. I was always more fastidious than Thor on being clean growing up. What he wanted was a large bed and a balcony to look out over Asgard." He said, rinsing the soap off.

"Was the large bed so he could bring multiple lovers into his room?" I asked.

"No, it's because he's a bed hog." He replied with a laugh. "I was just glad I didn't have to share a room with him anymore. He snores like a raging Bilgesnipe."

I giggled, and relaxed back against his chest in the warm water. "Must have been hard learning to sleep in that racket."

"Luckily it wasn't too bad until after he went through puberty, and then it got loud." He said, stretching his arms out along the edge of the tub. "The very next day after a sleepless night of dealing with his snoring, Mother taught me a charm on how to muffle him while he was sleeping."

"Was she the one that taught you your magic?" I asked, kissing him under his jaw.

"Mhm, she no doubt thought that with her spending so much time with me, I wouldn't feel as bad about Odin favoring Thor." He said with a shrug, moving my hair off my shoulder. "I can't believe how long your hair is when wet. It's almost as long as my mother's when she lets it down."

"You should see how long it is when I tried to straighten it." I laughed. "It took me three hours since it's so thick."

"That I would like to see." He said. "Long hair is prized on Asgard. More often than not it's seen as a mark of status."

"Sometimes it's that way on Earth too, but it's actually more a sign of femininity." I said. "In the past, the longer the hair the more feminine you were as a woman. It's honestly an outdated belief, and not a lot of people still think it nowadays."

"Unusual, but then again a lot of what you Midgardians do is unusual." He said with a shrug.

I pinched his thigh, causing him to yelp. "Cheeky bastard." I laughed. "We're just different. And speaking of different, I was hoping to talk about Jotunheim."

He frowned. "What about it?"

"Some of the Jotun were smaller than the rest, and some had hair like you do but others didn't." I said. "From the stories you told me, I figured all Frost Jotun were huge and hairless."

"I thought all were, because that is what all of their warriors look like. Huge and hairless, like the Jotun that took me." He said with a frown. "Most interactions between the Jotun and Asgardians are during battles, so of course it's understandable how we would come to think that they were all like that."

I could tell he was uncomfortable, but I nuzzled against him. "You barely looked different."

He scoffed, looking away. "I looked like a monster, you mean."

I frowned, grabbing his chin and making him face me. "What have I told you? A monster is something that doesn't feel regret in hurting people, something that takes pleasure in killing. Thomas is a monster, Thanos is a monster. You are NOT a monster." I told him. "Your skin may have been blue, and your eyes may have been red, but you're still the Loki I know and love. Nothing has changed."

He roughly turned his face away, causing my eyes to narrow. "How can you say that though?! I looked like-like one of them!"

"And besides being at war with them what is so wrong with them?" I asked angrily. "From what I saw, besides living underground in ice and snow and looking differently they're no different than Asgardians! They marry, they play with their children, some even practice magic just like Frigga taught you!

"You're acting the exact same way as some people on Earth when they discuss mutants or those of other races. You're being prejudiced because they look different, because they live differently and act differently." I continued, straddling his hips as he made a move to get up from the tub.

"Get off of me, Diana." He said angrily, trying to push me from him.

"No. We're going to talk about this, and you're not going to run away." I said, grabbing his wrists holding them in between us.

"No we're not!" He said, trying to yank his wrists out of my hold.

"Yes we are!" I said, tightening my grip as my eyes softly glow. "Tell me why you hate them! Tell me!"

"BECAUSE I HATE MYSELF!" He screamed. "I HATE BEING DIFFERENT FROM THOR! I HATE THAT ODIN TOOK ME! HE SHOULD'VE LEFT ME TO DIE ON THAT BLASTED ROCK!"

He was panting at the end of his tirade, his eyes shiny with unshed tears. I felt my anger extinguish as I looked at him, sadness blossoming in its place. I released his wrists, and gently cradled his face in my hands.

"Do you know what I see when I look at you Loki?" I asked him. "I see a confident, beautiful, amazing man who can do wondrous things with just a wave of his hand. Someone who is cunning but thoughtful, mischievous but loving, who wants to be loved so much, but has been hurt so often that he hides behind a hard mask of indifference. What I see is YOU Loki, neither Jotun nor Asgardian, just you."

Tears are falling down his cheeks as he tightly hugs me to him, sobbing against my chest and splashing the water in the tub. I gently stroked his hair, kissing his temple.

"It's going to be ok love. I've got you, you're going to be okay." I murmured in his ear, continuing to comfort him until long after I had had to reheat the water.

It took awhile for him to calm down, but I was patient. Soon enough, his sobs quieted to hiccups until those stopped as well. He sniffled, and then looked up at me with such a sad expression that it broke my heart.

I nuzzled my cheek against his, making a noise in my throat like a purr as I tried to soothe him. "Do you feel a little better?" I asked softly.

He nodded slowly. "A little." He said hoarsely. "I'm sorry, Darling."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, my treasure." I said, kissing him gently. "You needed to let it out. I'm just glad I was here to comfort you."

"I am too." He said softly, hugging me tightly.

"Are you ready to get out?" I asked him, and he nodded. We slowly moved apart, and left the tub. I moved the excess water from our bodies and we walked back into the bedroom.

Not wanting to put on real clothes, we put on simple dressing gowns that we had set out earlier and went into the study. Luckily we found dinner already waiting for us on his desk, in the form of a seafood stew with large hunks of bread to dip into it. Accompanying it was a custard tart that tasted like lemon and a flagon of a berry flavored wine with two silver goblets. Not wanting to move very far, he sat in the chair behind his desk and I planted myself on top of it.

"Woo!" I said, swallowing a mouthful of the wine after we finished the stew and the bread. "This is delicious, and it tastes potent too."

He laughed as he poured himself some. "Yes, it's an imported wine from Alfheim. We trade a few dozen barrels of our mead for a few dozen barrels of their wine every few years. It's normally saved for only the Royal family and court and some of the higher quality taverns."

"Are you sure we should be drinking this then?" I asked but I took another sip. It was really good.

"Well I'm a newly restored Prince of the Asgardian Royal family, and you're a potential member of the Asgardian court. If anyone has a problem with this, then fuck them." He said with smirk.

I laughed and raised my goblet. "Then I propose a toast, to not giving a shit if other people don't like what you do."

"Hear hear." He answered, tapping his goblet against mine before we both took a sip. He cut a small piece of the tart and hand fed it to me.

Feeling naughty, I sucked his fingers into my mouth one by one, cleaning them of any leftover custard. He groaned as my tongue lapped against the pad of his index.

"You temptress, you're doing that on purpose." He growled, his eyes smoldering.

"Oh? And just what are you going to do about that?" I asked, leaning back and placing my foot against his stomach, before bringing it down to tease his cock with the arch of it.

He groaned, leaning back in his chair but angling his groin up into my foot. I smirked, keeping the touch teasingly light, intending to drive him wild. I could feel my core heating up and getting wet as I watched him squirm. The wine was also working through my system, giving me a slight buzz.

"Damn it, you minx! Stop teasing me!" He growled, and then whimpered as I stepped down harder.

"Ah ah ah, is that any way to get what you want?" I chastised, roughly rubbing his cock through his dressing gown.

He whimpered again, moaning as I stroked his full length under my foot. "Please Darling, have mercy on me?"

"Do you believe yourself worthy of mercy?" I asked, relieving the pressure a little.

'No one else gave me any, why should you?" He said, then yelped as I stepped on his cock harder.

"Wrong. I'm the only one who gives you what you need, and what you deserve is mercy." I said. "Now repeat what I said."

He whimpered, looking up at me pleadingly.

"Repeat. What. I. Said." I ordered, putting extra force into my tone.

"You're the one who gives me what I need, and what I deserve is mercy." He said softly, and then whimpered as I got off the desk and knelt before him. I untied his gown, pulling it to the side to reveal his bright red and leaking length.

"Oh Norns..." He moaned as I started to lick and suck his poor cock. My tongue swirled around his leaking head, licking up his pre-cum.

His hands reached up to entangle with my hair, but I leaned back and leveled him with a look. "Hands on the arms of the chair. Do NOT move them unless I say you can."

He whined, but his hands gripped the chair arms and I put my mouth back on his cock.

I sucked in half of his cock, massaging it with my tongue to the best of my abilities as he moaned above me. I lapped it against his slit, enjoying the sweetness of his pre-cum as it continued to leak out.

He leaned back, spreading his legs as I brought my hand up and started stroking his cock. I moved my mouth down and licked at his testicles, mouthing against them as I massaged them with my tongue.

Loki moaned as his thighs shook on either side of me, looking down at me with lust clear in his eyes. "Darling please, I need you. I'm going to go mad if I can't have you!"

"Then take me." I ordered, standing and untying my dressing gown and tossing it from my body to the floor.

Loki wasted no time, standing up and turning me around within seconds. He attacked my neck with his mouth, licking and sucking on it while his hands reached around me to squeeze and flick my nipples. I moaned as they pebbled under his touch, before he maneuvered me forward to lean over the desk.

His cock entered me as soon as I was in position, and started thrusting. He went slow at first, groaning as he held himself back before he started to pick up speed.

I moaned as we made the desk shake under us, pleasure coursing through me as he fucked my wet pussy. His body leaned over me, his hair tickling my shoulder as he fucked me harder.

I whimpered as he bottomed out in me, grinding his cock against my walls as he bit into my shoulder.

"Don't cum inside!" I stuttered out before I lost all rational thought.

He growled, grabbing my hips and jack-hammering his cock into me. I whined and moaned as I was fucked, my pussy tightening as he kept hitting my sweet spot with the head of his cock.

My body started tightening as he got a new angle, hitting my sweet spot with more accuracy. My nails lengthened and hardened as they turned into claws and starting making grooves in his desk. My body was wound tighter than a clock, and it was waiting to be pushed off the edge.

Finally it came, with one rather deep and grinding thrust. I arched my body back, yowling through clenched teeth and my vision going white as I hit my climax, my pussy throbbing around him.

He fucked me through my orgasm, pulling out when he reached his and I felt his seed hit my back cover my back as he came.

He was panting above me, hands still gripping my hips as we both recovered from cumming. He bent down and kissed the middle of it.

"Gods, you're perfect." He said, releasing me and stepping back. I lazily smiled, looking at him over my shoulder.

"What would be perfect right now is another bath." I laughed. "We probably should've waited to bathe until after sex."

"No doubt, but who's going to tell on us?" He said with a grin, turning and heading back to the bathroom. I soon followed, the flagon of wine in one hand and the goblets in the other. I smiled as I felt his cooling semen dripping down my back, and felt better than I had in days.

The next morning breakfast was tense. We were in a private dining room between Odin and Frigga's private quarters, at a table seated meant for six. Odin sat at one end of the table, with Loki sitting at the other. Frigga sat on Odin's left, and I sat on Loki's left.

I picked at the flowing sleeve of my dress, feeling uncomfortable despite how lovely it is. The multi-layered material was thankfully airy enough that I wasn't sweating in it, and the spring green color complimented my skin and hair. The gold embroidery along the end of the dress was beautifully done, but I felt nervous about potentially snagging it on something.

Loki had reassured me when he chose it for me that it was a suitable every day dress for me. He had even done my hair up with two braids on either side combining to make one with the rest of my hair falling down my back.

"Have you come to a decision, Lady Diana?" Odin said as he pushed away his empty plate.

"I have, your majesty." I said, my stomach rolling but keeping a poker face. "It would be an honor to join the Asgardian Court, but I do have reservations about spending long amounts of time here."

"Well unless there is an important meeting or ball to attend my dear then you are more than welcome to go back to Midgard. We have several members of the Asgardian Court that live on Alfheim or on Vanaheim when they aren't needed." Frigga said with a smile.

"How often are they normally needed?" I asked.

"About once a month, maybe more often if a trade agreement takes too long or if a dignitary is visiting. As a matter of fact, the Vanir dignitaries should be visiting either tomorrow or the day after with Frey, the Crown Prince."

"Is that bastard Hodur going to be joining them?" Loki said with a sneer.

"Unfortunately yes. He's taken over as a dignitary from his father Ignvar." Odin said with a snort. "I have half a mind to believe that he did it simply to make his fellow dignitaries' lives miserable."

"This being the same Hodur who is the brother of Baldur?" I asked with a glare on my face.

"One and the same, my dear." Frigga said.

"Then it'll be a pleasure to join the Asgardian Court." I said. And no doubt claw the smug look off of Hodur's face if he talks to Loki. I add in my head with a snarl.

"Very well! Then one week after the Vanir dignitaries get here will be your induction ceremony into the Court." Odin said, and the meal soon ended.

Servants came to take the dishes away, and Loki pulled out my seat to help me up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Odin give Frigga a kiss before he left the room, and Frigga approached us.

"Diana, Loki I was hoping you two would agree to accompanying me to the marketplace. It seems I am out of wool from Alfheim and was hoping to get more." She said, a smile on her face. "I normally send out one of my handmaidens for something so simple, but I feel like stretching my legs. And it will be a wonderful chance to show Diana around the marketplace."

"Wonderful idea, Mother! I've been wanting to get a new set of spell books for my personal library." He replied with a smile before turning to me. "What do you think love?"

"I think that would be wonderful." I said with a grin, and followed them through the castle through to a carriage waiting at the castle steps. The driver took us through the streets and dropped us off at what seemed to be the very edge of the marketplace before leaving.

"From here we shall walk, and the carriage will be back for us after lunch." Frigga said.

"Sounds like a plan." I said with a smile, already enjoying the amount of activity around us.

The marketplace was packed with people, but it didn't feel overly crowded. The stalls and tents shined in every color of the rainbow, and the smell of food and incense was heavy in the air. The sellers shouted out their wares, selling everything from books and jewelry to armor and weapons. Four guards followed us at a distance, giving us our space but close enough in case we needed help.

"Loki, the tent that I get my wool from is right here. But you two should go on ahead and enjoy the rest of the marketplace." Frigga said, stopping in front of a powder blue tent with a woman around the same age as her waiting outside. The seller's features are thing and angled, and her pale blonde hair was pulled back to reveal pointed ears.

I have to admit, I stared a little before Loki lead me away from the tent and deeper into the marketplace.

"Was she an elf?" I asked as Loki as we paused to look at a stall with several bolts of beautiful fabrics.

"Yes, she was. Citizens from Alfheim normally come with their wares to try and sell at the markets here and on Vanaheim. Some even sell them to the Jotun and the Dwarves." He said, picking out a bolt of emerald green and one of bright gold fabric and paying for it with gold coins from the pouch at his belt.

After securing the fabric into a satchel that must be be magic from the way the fabric disappeared into it we moved on to the next place.

As Loki stopped at a tent with another elven citizen from Alfheim that sold books, I moved a little further down to pause at a stall that sold jewelry. As I admired a lovely gold choker in the shape of a dragon I couldn't help but stand a little straighter as I got the feeling I was being watched.

I turned, my eyes scanning the marketplace until they landed on a woman standing four stalls down. Dressed in blue and silver, her black hair was wrapped in a silver ribbon down her back. Her pale skin flushed as I caught her staring, but she soon approached me with her head held up.

"You must be the Midgardian that Asgard has been all a-twitter about recently." She said, a false looking smile on her face. Her blue eyes looked me up and down, appraising me as I stood in front of her. I straightened, raising an eyebrow as I saw she only came to my collar, but still made me feel she was looking down on me. "Diana, was it?"

"Yes. But I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, since I don't know your name." I said, but she seemed to dismiss my statement.

"I am curious my dear, what is it about you that drew Prince Loki in? Was it your looks, your charm? Or did it happen to be your power? What could have attracted him to you?"

"If I had to say, it would probably have been either my personality or the fact that I don't take his shit." I said with narrowed eyes, and saw she flinched as if I had spat at her.

"Certainly can't have been your vulgar tongue." She said with a sniff, and a growl escaped my throat.

"And just who do you think you are? To insult me like this in the middle of a crowded place?" I asked, my teeth bared.

"Why, I'm Loki's wife of course! Hasn't he ever talked about me?" She said with a sweet smile and a curtsy. "Lady Sigyn, at your service."

"Ex-wife, Sigyn." Loki's voice said behind me, and we both turned to see him walking up behind us. "You made it quite clear when we divorced that you never wanted to get back together again."

"Oh Loki, that's all in the past. You must see that this is fate, running into each other like this! It's time for you to come home." She said, grabbing his elbow and trying to lead him away.

He stood firm, gently turning her back around. "Sigyn, my home is no longer with you. It hasn't been for centuries. Diana is my home now."

"Oh Loki you don't mean that!" She said with a dismissive shake of her head. "You must see this folly, loving a Midgardian. Their lives are so much shorter than ours! It will only end in heartbreak, and that will be yours!"

He shook his head, stepping back from her and taking her hand from his elbow. "Sigyn, that's enough. I do not want nor seek your approval, I haven't ever since we divorced. My heart once held love for you, but it does no longer."

I could see her eyes watering as she stared at him, before she whirled on me. "What have you done to him? What did you do to turn him against me?"

"You turned him against you yourself!" I said, stepping in front of Loki and causing her to back away. "When you whispered vile things to him in that god-forsaken cave as that snake's venom slowly blinded him! When you shut him out after losing one son and drove the other away!"

"He'd killed my son!" She sobbed.

"No, your son was taken from you by the same family who ordered Loki to be chained in that cave all those years ago!" I said, shaking my head. "Loki was punished for protecting one son, so they took another away.

"I can't even begin to comprehend the pain and grief of losing your children, Lady Sigyn." I continued, my voice softening as I approached her. "But Loki has moved on, hard as it is. He's no longer the man you fell in love with."

Her lovely face was tight as she held back tears before she turned and fled into the crowd. I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted as I turned to Loki.

"Lady Sigyn is quite beautiful. I can see why you fell in love with her." I said softly, leaning against him as we looked at the jewelry stall.

"She is, but my taste seems to have changed over the years. I find myself attracted to the most unusual creature." He said, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Oh? Tell me about this unusual creature." I said, pinching my lips to hold back a laugh. My eyes once again were drawn to the dragon choker. It really was expertly done, each scale stamped into the gold with precision. The eyes were gleaming rubies, and the wings were spread and jointed so they would encircle the wearer's neck. In its front claws it held an oval sapphire cabochon the size of my thumbnail.

"Well she has the patience of a saint, but also one of the quickest tempers I have ever seen. She's strong enough to give Thor a run for his money, but gentle enough to calm a skittish animal. Her eyes alone could freeze someone in their tracks, but can be so warm that they leave me breathless with one look." He said in my ear, causing me to blush as nipped at the lobe.

"Sounds like she's full of contradictions." I said with a smile.

"I prefer to think that she's a wonderful balance of positive attributes." He said, nuzzling his nose against my curls. "Now come, love. There's more of the marketplace to see."

Later that day, I found the dragon choker waiting for me on the bed in our shared chambers. I wore it to dinner, beaming as I was complimented on it by Frigga.

"My beautiful Lioness." Loki moaned into my ear later as we made love, and I knew he would stay mine, as long as we loved each other.

Hope everyone enjoyed that chapter, and until next time!