*

"Maeve! How'd it go?"

"We did it," she said shortly, brushing Corey off of her as she moved. For once, Corey had to hurry to keep up. "He's free."

"That's fantastic, sister!"

"Yes, it is." Maeve hurried around him and continued on, tears blurring her vision. She wiped them from under her eyes and let an illusion cover the skin of her exposed back, hiding the scars from view. "Let me know when they release Asmund, will you?"

"Of course I will, but where are you going?"

"I don't know."

A hand grabbed her shoulder and she cried out in surprise, nearly tripping as she spun around. It was only Corey, still confused about why she wouldn't stop and talk, but her scream startled him into letting go.

"What's going on with you?" He asked urgently, concern in his golden brown eyes. "What happened in there? Are you alright?"

"Don't touch me," she begged, her big blue eyes widening with fear. "Please."

His eyebrows drew together. "Maeve-"

"Go talk to the council. They'll need assistance with the aftermath of the meeting, and I'm not in the mindset to help them now."

"Maeve-"

"Send for me when they release Asmund." Her voice shook. "Please?"

Corey stared at his younger sister, completely at a loss. Then, he ran a hand through his curls and nodded. "Alright."

Maeve hurried off, rounding a corner without another word, leaving Corey alone and rather confused.

He turned to leave, only to walk past Loki. The god of mischief looked to be in a particularly bad mood. Anyone who knew anything knew that bothering Loki Odinson in such a state was as bold as it was stupid, like prodding a sleeping bilgesnipe, but Corey decided to risk it anyway. He needed to discover what had happened to Maeve.

"What's going on?" He muttered under his breath, stopping Loki with his hand. "What happened to her?"

"Those fools made her show them traumatic memories for their precious evidence," Loki growled. "Where is your father?"

"Outside, with the horses. He'll be in soon." Corey glanced over to where Maeve has just stood seconds before, a dark expression on his face. "It really was that bad, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was," Loki said curtly. "Listen, the council has assured me that they will inform Frey of his new position. We do not have to. I want Frey kept away from Maeve, is that understood? If he even tries to speak to her alone, then I will have something to say about it."

Corey heard the underlying anger in his voice. While Loki was younger and slightly smaller than him, only a fool would oppose him. Besides, after seeing Maeve, Corey had no interest in letting his father near her, either.

"Of course."

The raven-haired prince's eyes then softened slightly as he looked down the hallway. "Did she say where she was going?"

"No. She just asked me to inform her when Asmund is released." Corey frowned. "I wouldn't go after her, Loki. She is in a strange mood."

"I need to speak with her."

"No. You don't."

Loki turned around, irritated by the contradiction. "I'm sorry?"

"You don't need to speak with her. You need to leave her alone for a while."

"She's my wife-"

"And she's clearly upset!" Corey replied loudly, his temper now flaring up. "Leave her alone! If she wanted you, she would have went to you."

For the first time, Corey saw a crack in the immaculate mask of Loki Odinson, and what he saw surprised him: guilt. It haunted his wild emerald eyes. He actually looked quite demented. For the first time, Corey thought he lived up the names so many of the realms called him.

The Trickster, The Snake, The Mad Prince.

These nicknames were precisely why Corey had been so against Maeve's betrothal to him, even though they had no say in the matter. He heard rumors of the man just like everyone else. That his fury was unmatched. That he flirted with every woman and committed to none. That even the people of his own kingdom found it difficult to trust him.

Now, things were different, of course. Loki had proven time and time again that he cared for Maeve, perhaps more than he'd ever cared for anyone. Now, though, it wasn't the problem. It wasn't that he doubted Loki's love for his sister.

No, Corey worried that Loki loved Maeve too much.

Instability destroyed all emotions, no matter how wonderfully they began. Simply put, their union seemed too good to be true. He couldn't have cared less about crumbling alliances, but he cared for his sister more dearly than anyone else in the nine realms.

Finally, Loki let out a long breath. "You're right."

"Of course I am. Don't talk to her before she's ready, or I will have something to say about it. Alliances be damned, if you hurt her, I will kill you."

Eyes still burning like overturned coals, Corey strode away to talk with the council, leaving Loki alone in the hallway, too many thoughts running through his mind.

First things first. If he couldn't fix his own problems at the moment, he could fix someone else's. Knowing that his wife was most likely too distraught to follow their original plan, he took a detour on the steps and found himself in front of the healing wing. Thinking on his feet, he allowed himself to shimmer out of existence before slipping into the room, completely out of view.

His eyes scanned across the room, which was buzzing with healers, for the woman that matched Maeve's description. She's quite pretty, and much taller than me. I suppose everyone is, though. She has brown hair that she clips into a bun and a heart-shaped face. I didn't see it, but I think she'd have a nice smile. He shook his head to himself, smiling at her innocent mannerisms. Sometimes he really thought it a miracle that they got along so well.

Loki found who he was looking for a minute or so later. She occupied the back corner of the room and he knew it was her at once. Not only did she match Maeve's description, but she also wore a long-sleeved dress, an unusual choice for a warm day, unless she was hiding a soul mark. She worked next to a man with long, dark hair and a lean build.

The prince leaned on a pillar and watched them for a few minutes. Their conversation didn't interest him - something about new medical practices - so he let his mind wander, and it unfortunately wandered into a place he didn't want to visit.

It was my fault.

Her voice shook as she begged them to hide that memory. Her worst memory, he was sure of it. And all of those scars...

He'd seen them, of course, but never knew when they came from. It wasn't the kind of thing he could just ask, after all. He just pushed his uncertainties away and kissed her, assured her that she was beautiful. Maeve's past haunted her in every facet of her life, and now, he truly understood why. He wished he didn't. 

How could she still manage to love him when he had caused her so much pain? And why hadn't she told him?

Loki snapped to attention when Gale wove her way through the cluttered room and out into the hallway. He followed, still invisible to all around him.

Once they were alone outside, Gale took a deep breath, then cast a furvitive glance over her shoulder. Once she established that no one was watching her (Loki had to smirk at the sheer irony of this), she pulled up her sleeve and let a lilac and gold soul mark shimmer into view, staring at it quizzically like something was wrong.

"I like the colors."

The brunette nearly screamed in shock and ripped her sleeve back down as Loki allowed himself to be seen, laughing under his breath.

"What was that for?" She snapped angrily. Then her eyes widened as she realized who she was speaking to and fell to her knees. "I'm sorry, Your Highness."

"No need to grovel on the ground." He winked and helped her up. Gale stared at him, practically quivering with fear. Grinning, he pushed her sleeve back and examined the colorful swirls on her wrist. "I hear we're family now, after all."

"I-"

"That makes us similar," he said, lowering her arm to her side. If he was being honest, he was rather enjoying messing with her. He decided to stop, though, figuring that it was unkind to purposefully frighten an already-worried pregnant woman. Still, if they were going to regard each other as family, she had better get used to it. "We both married into this mad House, did we not? I suppose we'll have to wait and see how that turns out for us."

"I don't know what you're-"

"Relax. Believe it or not, I have no intention of killing you. Quite the opposite, actually." Loki offered the stunned woman his arm. "Let's take a walk. I think some explanations are in order."

*

"Your Highness!"

Maeve instantly sat up straighter and wiped the tears from under her eyes, letting an illusion wash over her face. No one needed to know that she spent the afternoon sobbing in the palace gardens. Between watching the worst memories of her childhood and feeling embarasseed by her own husband in front of the council, she thought there was plenty to cry about.

"Yes?" She smiled politely at the guard, who bowed low to the round.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Princess, but your brother will be released from the prisons in a few minutes-"

She started running before he finished the sentence, yelling a hasty, "thank you!" over her shoulder.

The poorly-healed scars on her heart had freshly opened, but they could wait. For now, she'd hide her emotions like the bruises she spent years covering up. She had to see Asmund. It was beyond a simple desire. It was a need, a need to see with her very own eyes that all of that horribleness from the morning had been worth it. She had to make sure that the council would keep their word and release him.

Through the halls she ran, past servants and maids, past multiple of her brothers, never stopping until she saw him limping up a staircase.

"Asmund!"

He was pale and unshaven, with scratches and bruises littered up his arms and face. The outfit he wore was dirty and torn in a few places, most likely the same one he wore the day he was arrested. His movements were slow and labored, but at the sound of her voice, his head snapped up.

"Maeve." He pulled her into a tight hug, but she stiffened and quickly wriggled away, her skin crawling with discomfort she didn't quite understand. He didn't, either. "What happened? No one told me anything."

"Papa's off the throne, and the crown is yours if you want it," Maeve said. She didn't want to get into the details of her terrible morning. Unfortunately, Asmund was not so easily distracted.

"But how?"

After spending weeks in a cell that leeched away his magic, he could feel the familiar warmth returning to his veins. It was a wonderful sensation, similar to drinking a hot beverage after returning from the cold. Out of nowhere, he began to feel crashing waves of anxiety and anger from his little sister. He'd never felt such strong emotions from her before and couldn't imagine what she had gone through to feel such a way, especially because he assumed that she did it for him. On top of that, he noticed the multiple illusions she had conjured.

It feels like her soul is bleeding, he realized.

"Maeve, what did you do?"

"Asmund?"

Maeve watched her brother's blue eyes light up and look around, searching. It was like all of his injuries vanished the moment he saw her.

Gale covered her mouth with her hands as her eyes filled with tears. He moved to her faster than Maeve could have imagined, and when she carefully wrapped her arms around him carefully, wary of hurting him, he spun her around carelessly. From the far end of the hall, Loki leaned against the wall, an amused smile on his face as he observed, not making any attempt to approach Maeve, a fact she was grateful for.

Maeve couldn't hear what they were saying and she made no attempt to eavesdrop. Their reunion was special and it was theirs. At one point, Gale murmured something to him with a smile, and the biggest grin she'd ever seen on him spread across his face. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her, laughing as she laughed.

The blonde princess crossed her arms and watched with a small smile. Asmund deserved that kind of happiness, the kind that made him smile uncontrollably and feel like he could take on the world.

"Asmund! You're out! You're okay!"

The rest of the Freyson brothers flooded into the hallway, grinning as they embraced their eldest brother. A few thanked Maeve, but she only gave them thin smiles and nods. Even amongst all the celebrating, Asmund noticed her behavior and it worried him.

Maeve tiptoed across and stood next to Loki, who glanced down at her with a look that could have been concern, but it could have been indifference. Why? It wasn't usually so hard to read his expressions.

"I want to go home," she whispered. Odd, that home had become Asgard. "You can come or you can stay. It makes no difference to me, but I am going home."

The formality of her tone stirred an uneasy feeling inside of him, but he didn't want to be difficult. Instead, he spoke in a cool, unattached voice. "Tomorrow morning?"

"No. Tonight. Now."

"And miss the heartwarming scene before us, flower?" He gestured lazily at her brothers as they embraced Gale. "She's very nice, by the way. A bit too soft-spoken for my taste, but very intelligent."

"Good," Maeve said. "And yes, I want to be gone as soon as possible."

Loki understood the hidden meaning behind her sentiment. She wanted to leave before she could run into Frey.

"Alright. We'll leave, if that's what you want."

Her eyes flashed. "Would you prefer to stay?"

"No, I would not. I'm not one for unnecessary socialization."

"Right. You couldn't seem to contain yourself in the council room today, though."

His green eyes flashed, but he kept his gaze on the cozy reunion before them. She wouldn't look at him, either. "Meaning?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

"Well, pardon me for protecting your honor-"

"It's not yours to protect!" She hissed. "I'm not yours, Loki."

"I am perfectly aware of that, thank you," he replied, his tone cold as ice.

"Are you?" She stormed out of the hall, intending to leave Vanaheim alone, but Loki followed her.

"You're not going to ignore me any longer," he said, glaring. "I want to finish this conversation like adults, not pouting children. And you, my dear, are throwing a tantrum I am too tired to tolerate."

"I don't want to talk to you."

She sidestepped him, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could get away. Immediaetly, her heart beat a little faster and she tried to pull out of his grasp.

"I'm not letting go of you until you agree to stay and talk."

"Let go of me," she demanded through gritted teeth, tears brimming in her eyes. "Loki, please let go of me."

His hand released her like he had touched something scalding hot, and his expression changed from one of irritation to shame.

"Maeve, I'm sorry-"

"You made me look weak today." Her voice broke, but she continued. "You embarrassed me in front of all of those men. I told you to let me handle it, I begged you to let me handle it, but you just couldn't help yourself, could you? You just had to get into a fight! I wanted to keep the meeting as civil as possible. You can't just yell your way out of everything, Loki, and I don't want my marriage with you to affect my own trustworthiness throughout the realms! We are diplomats, and when you lose your temper like that, we look like fools!"

She was breathless by the time she finished, flushed with anger.

"I apologize, then." His words were clipped, purposefully sharp. "The next time someone insults you to your face, I will gracefully step aside and allow them to drag your name through the mud further. Clearly, you won't mind."

"Lord Radford was right," she whispered harshly. "You really are the most heartless man I've ever met. Were you lying when you said you loved me? I wasn't quite as skilled at catching your falsehoods back then."

"I have never lied about my feelings for you," Loki replied. Consumed with fury, he hoped that each word would hurt her. "I swore that I would love you through everything, and even though you speak with ignorance and stupidity today, I still love you nonetheless. One of us has to be sensible."

"And one of us was supposed to shut up today, too, but he didn't do a very good job of that, did he?" Maeve glared at him, then began to walk. "I'll send my brothers my apologies. I'm going home."

Wordlessly, Loki followed her outside to the Bifrost. She could feel the anger radiating off of him in waves, and she was sure he could feel the same thing.

The Bifrost irritated her more still. As usual, Maeve nearly threw up after the journey, but unlike most times, Loki didn't offer a hand to steady her. Heimdall watched them, no emotion evident on his face.

"Welcome home," Heimdall greeted in his deep, sonorous voice. "I trust that all is well in Vanaheim."

"Yes," Loki answered shortly.

"And how are you, Your Highnesses?"

"Oh, we're delightful, Heimdall," Maeve snapped. Her tone startled both men. She had never lashed out at the keeper of the Bifrost before. She felt like she owed him a debt for his helping save Roscoe's life.

"Heimdall, do not inform anyone that we've returned home," Loki muttered. "I do not wish to deal with court protocols tonight, nor do I feel like being interrogated by my father."

He bowed. "Very well, my Prince. I had horses brought for you - I saw you coming."

Maeve gave him a nod and quickly exited the golden dome. Dusk had fallen over the city, the gilded buildings and monuments silohuetted by a purple and indigo sky. She quickly mounted Ingrid and rode off, not bothering to wait for her husband.

No words were exchanged between them for the rest of the night. Maeve and Loki both attempted to distract themselves in their room, Maeve with a flower and Loki with a book, but the uncomfortable atmosphere made them want to end the night as quickly as possible. After changing in a separate room, Maeve slid under the covers on her side of the bed, making sure to leave as wide a gap between them as possible. Hours upon hours of uneasy tossing and turning later, she finally drifted off, tears still wet on her cheeks.

here's a pretty emotional chapter :(

tell me your thoughts and predictions! please vote and comment!

anyone have a favorite character?