FOLLOWING THE FUNERAL, that evening was sheer torture for Loki. He'd returned from Svartalfheim several days before, and - thus far - no one had discovered his true identity. Even Heimdall did not question his appearance as Odin, so he counted his blessings. However, he did not expect Thor to insist on holding a funeral for him, nor did he think Anna would arrive on Asgard. As it was, simply knowing that she is so close to him is nearly enough to drive him mad.

Even worse, the maid - Ilva - placed Anna is his old chambers, something he doubted even Anna recognized. To imagine her in his room, in his bed...it's almost impossible to resist, and he's utilizing every speck of his willpower to do so.

Her grief overwhelmed him. First, he watched her mourn at the funeral in relative silence. The achingly beautiful brunette seemed to be holding herself together by the smallest of threads, and he wanted nothing more than to catch her in his arms and take her away from all of this. Every fresh tear hitting her cheek was like a dagger to the heart, and Loki wanted to do nothing that take the pain away from them both.

Confined to Odin's chambers, he spent the night pacing the room. Any attempt to sleep was quickly thwarted by a wave of vivid dreams about Anna. His proximity to her earlier in the evening was intoxicating, his senses were still drowning in her no matter how hard he might try to fight it. Even now, as dawn hits the palace in a flood of colors illuminating Asgard for a new day, he struggles to resist the colossal urge to rush to her side.

In less than an hour, she'll be leaving Asgard with Thor. In less than an hour, she'll be gone and with her the temptation.

All he must do is wait an hour, one simple hour, and pray that his heart can withstand the torment.

*****

Anna spent the night tossing and turning, until finally she gave up trying to sleep. Ilva, her maid, was kind enough to lead her into a large suite of lavishly decorated chambers after Loki's funeral the night before, and - after helping her ready for bed - she realized that the chambers readied for her once belonged to Loki.

The fact had shocked her, and she found herself torn between anger toward Ilva and gratitude. It hurt, knowing that she was expected to stay in the rooms that he called his own for so many years. It felt almost as if the universe was mocking her. The last time she was here, the last time they were together before all of this happened, they were ripped apart by Odin. Now, soon after they were finally reunited, his death tore a fresh wound down the jagged seams of her heart.

She could smell him everywhere, and the fact brought a fresh ache to her heart. Her fingers roamed over every surface, collecting as much information about the man she loved in the only way she could. Every book, every trinket, every smell was catalogued into her brain. She even delved into his wardrobe, selecting a soft green shirt to wear to bed instead of the formal Asgardian nightgown Ilva brought for her. It swallowed her petite frame, the hem falling past her mid-thigh, and she relished in the knowledge that for one night - one last night - she could be close to him.

After sleep evaded her, Anna found herself sitting by the balcony overlooking Asgard. She watched as the stars slowly blinked out when the dawn came, and she discovered herself wishing the night could go one for just a little while longer.

Unfortunately, time doesn't work that way.

Soon, Ilva's knock on the door shakes her out of her thoughts. The maid rushes in with a tray full of food, all of which Anna rejects, and begins reading her for her departure from Asgard. Even Thor intends to stay in Midgard for a while, his promise to return to Jane urging him on, so Anna has no choice but to go with him. She dresses quickly, throwing on the pair of jeans and a sweater than Jane gave her several days ago, and gives Ilva a warm hug.

"Thank you," she tells the maid. "I will miss you."

Ilva smiles, "And I, you, my lady."

Another knock on the door causes Anna to turn her head, and she sees Thor peek inside the room. He smiles at the sight of her, ready to go, and opens the door wider to step inside the chamber. Instead of his armor, he's wearing simple trousers paired with a grey shirt and a maroon jacket. He looks...surprisingly human, albeit far more muscular and still a far cry from the normal person you'd pass on the street.

"Are you ready, La...Anna?" Thor corrects himself. On Midgard, it's easier to fall into the habit of dropping the 'lady', but on Asgard he finds himself getting lost in customs.

Anna nods, "Yes. Let's go."

He smiles again, nodding politely to Ilva, before ushering Anna out of the chambers. Part of her wants to spin around and grab something from the room, a memento of some sort that she can cling to, but she doesn't let herself. The silver ring on her finger is enough, a token that will forever remind her of the bond she and Loki shared. Last night after the funeral, she swapped it onto the ring finger of her left hand as a reminder of their love.

Thor guides her through the palace, twisting and turning through the ornate golden chambers, until they reach the glittering rainbow bridge. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three are waiting for them, sad smiles on their faces, and they all exchange heartfelt goodbyes. Even though she barely knew them, each fresh goodbye is like a nail hammering home into her chest. Her old life is long gone - it was from the moment she met Loki - and now she isn't certain about what she'll do next. Return to New York, probably, or Washington DC. Perhaps Tony can give her a job while Natasha is off saving the world, and she'd rather build a new life with the friends she's made in the Avengers than attempt to return to her life in London.

Finally, they arrive at the Bifrost. The golden dome is shining brilliantly in the sunlight, and Heimdall smiles broadly at Anna. His was the first face she saw when she first arrived in Asgard, and now she is hesitant to say goodbye. The finality is too much, so she sucks in a breath and nods at Thor.

"I'm ready," she tells him.

Her thoughts are racing, her heartbeat slamming into her chest making it harder and harder to breathe, as she realizes that this is her last moment on Asgard. She should've said more to Loki at his funeral, she should've done more to prevent him from dying on Svartalfheim, she should've done something to prevent Odin from throwing him back into prison.

Odin. Just as the Bifrost begins to open, Anna's mind flies back to her conversation with Odin the night before. The Allfather bore no torch to Loki's funeral pyre, but he watched carefully as each and every person paid tribute to the fallen Asgardian prince. It was almost as if he was picking each of them apart. When he spoke to Anna, he was uncharacteristically soft. Instead of being the hardened ruler who believed that Loki had created his own damning fate, he spoke of Anna's love for his son. He...

She gasps, stumbling backward just as the Bifrost begins to pull her in, spinning around and running in the opposite direction. Heimdall, perceptive as always, brings the Bifrost to a halt, but Thor has already jumped in and disappeared.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles to Heimdall. "I have to do something."

The golden armored man nods, no doubt assuming that - in her grief - she wanted to say a final farewell to Loki, and watches as she speeds toward the palace. The words Odin said to her at the end of Loki's funeral play through her head over and over again, an endless loop that fills her heart with equal amounts of pain and hope. Hope that it might be possible. Pain that it might not.

It's what Loki told her in the prison back at Restitution, right before he gave her the silver knotted ring and swore an oath to protect her with his life.

You have the strength of the gods in you.

Now playing: "The Funeral" by Band of Horses.

*****
AUTHOR'S NOTE

Three double updates in three days? Who wants a triple? Here's how to earn one: 

I need a HUGE favor from you. The Ides of July has been nominated for 11 (count 'em, ELEVEN) categories in the Marvel Fanfiction Awards. 

Go to marvelfanficawards to vote in the "Voting #1" chapter!!!! (Get that triple update! You know what's happening in the next chapter!)

Here the categories The Ides Of July is in:

--Best Loki
--Author of the Year
--Book of the Year
--Best Romance
--Best Plot Twist
--Best Plot
--Best Avengers
--Best Soundtrack
--Best Male Villain (Magnus)
--Best Female Hero (Anna)
--Toughest Character (Anna)

The more people who vote, the more chapters you'll get for All Hail The King! *cough* A triple update??

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