*

Loki had made it halfway through lunch before he heard her.

He had already been feeling rather uneasy due to the offers made to him by Laufey. Instead of dwelling on it, he simply sipped his glass of wine and let Asmund do most of the talking. He couldn't stay out of the conversation infinitely, though, with only three of them there to converse.

A few times, he considered trying to have a telepathic conversation with Maeve, but he refrained, reasoning that they both needed to be completely present.

And so he discussed politics to no end. He usually favored this topic, but he couldn't remain focused. How was he supposed to protect Maeve if he didn't even know where she was? How could he protect his children?

The answer was simple: he couldn't.

Either way, the prince understood that even his thoughts needed to be kept quiet. The Jotunheim made him feel exposed, and he didn't like the way King Laufey looked at him. It was eerie, almost knowing.

"-but our lands have been devastated since the war with Asgard. I was hoping to change this in the near future." Loki snapped back into the conversation just as Laufey fixed him with a stern gaze. "But my hopes were misplaced."

Loki sipped his wine before responding, knowing that he had to choose his words with precision. The attempted negotiations from earlier made his skin crawl and his stomach twist. Maybe he could begin to make sense of it all when he told Maeve later. She always thought of things differently and was much more introspective than people gave her credit for.

"I am unable to promise peace negotiations, Your Majesty. Only my father can do that."

"Your father... yes..." Laufey drummed his fingers on the tabletop, smirking slightly. "Tell me, how is Odin these days? Is your father as mighty as he used to be?"

"The Allfather remains well," Loki responded indifferently. His thoughts took a dark turn at the thought of his father, but he kept his face placid. "He and my mother continue to keep Asgard in prosperity."

"I see. And you?" Laufey turned his attention to Asmund, who straightened his posture subconsciously. "What has become of Vanaheim without Frey?"

Asmund felt like people only ever asked about his father, the one topic he didn't want to talk about, but he remained polite nonetheless. "We had a bountiful harvest this year. That was mainly thanks to my sister. After your attack, she saved our fields."

"Ah, the attack." Laufey set his gem-encrusted goblet down. "You must know that the attack on your grain fields was not sanctioned by me. We've been having to quench rebellions in the mountain territories. My son, the Prince Bjarke, just returned from the mountains to solve such trivial problems."

"You call an unauthorized attack on another realm a trivial problem?" Asmund asked mildly, the closest to passive-aggressive that Loki had ever seen from his brother-in-law. He hid a grin in his wine goblet.

'Loki?'

Loki's heart immediately began to beat faster. Nodding along with the conversation, he stared down at his half-eaten plate of food and dove into his mind.

'What's wrong?' He asked, trying not to jump to the worst-case scenarios, but her voice sounded breathless and shaky. 'You sound scared, love.'

A jumble of words fell from her mouth so quickly that he could barely understand her.

'I'm with Bjarke and there are these people trying to attack us and-'

'Slow down.' He stood up and walked away from the table, ignoring the questions and objections from those around him. None of them mattered. Only she did. Only they did. 'Where are you? I'll come find you.'

'I'm-'

A sharp pain seared through his soul mark, and her voice vanished.

'Maeve?'

Panic seized Loki and he placed his palms on the cool stone of the hallways. Leaning over, he repeated her name weakly over and over, hoping and praying that she would speak again. The pain in his soul mark increased exponentially.

"Loki?" Asmund's voice sounded far away, but it startled Loki out of his trance-like state. "What's wrong?"

"Maeve's hurt," he whispered hurriedly, sick with worry. "And I have no idea where she is!"

"What?" Asmund asked, his face paling. "What about Gale?"

Loki shook his head and ran an agitated hand through his black locks. "I don't know. I think she only said that she and Bjarke were together."

Asmund closed his eyes. Loki realized he was trying to talk to Gale and gave him space.

"You!" Laufey snapped his fingers, and Barði came running. He tripped on his too-long robe as he came. "Gather my council. My son and the princess of Asgard are missing."

Loki's green irises met Laufey's red ones, his expression dangerous. "If anything happened or happens to her, you and your people will answer to me. If your son did anything to her, I'm going to kill him and there will be nothing you can do about that."

Laufey gave no reply, but amusement flickered across his face.

The council assembled faster than Loki could have imagined. Most were the Frost Giants who either escorted them to the palace or ate breakfast with them. Gale also joined them, and Asmund immediately drew her close to him, unwilling to let his wife out of his sight again. They all crowded around the dining table, where Aegir had spread out a map of the realm.

"Where are they?"

Randgnid shook his head. "It's hard to say. The blizzard's grown worse all day, so tracks are covered. Only one horse was taken from the stables. They can't be too far away."

"We can't assume that," Aegir argued. "It's been hours since we've seen either of them."

"We're wasting time!" Loki burst out angrily. Asmund shot him a warning glance, but he was far past caring. "She could be-"

"It's going to be fine, Your Highness," Thrym attempted to reassure him, looking nervous as he spoke.

"Is it?" Loki seethed. He started to pace, unable to stop himself. "Is it going to be fine? It's all fine and well for your prince to be out in the cold, but my wife could freeze to death!"

"We understand that, but unless there's another way to track them I don't know what else we can do!"

Loki made a noise of frustration and ran both hands down his face. His eyes fell on the window and the falling snow, which only scared him more.

"There has to be a way," he insisted.

As his erratic pacing continued, he racked his brain for anything he'd ever read about sorcery that could help them. Asmund put a hand on his shoulder. He initially flinched away, but then an idea popped into his head. A desperate, terrible, last-straw idea. Slowly, he turned to his brother-in-law.

"Are you familiar with family magic?"

Creases of perplexion appeared in Asmund's forehead. "I've read about it."

"But could you do it?" Loki asked urgently.

"Theoretically, I suppose I could, but..." His eyes widened.

"You need to do it. It has to be you."

This, Loki knew, was a lie. He technically could complete the spell because his blood ran in the veins of his children, and finding them obviously meant finding Maeve. However, admitting to this would give them away. As Maeve's brother and relative, Asmund could perform the magic just as easily and with less risk.

Once Asmund made the decision, his mind was clear. No hesitation graced his features.

"Give me the map."

Asmund put his hand on the map and closed his eyes. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, all of the color drained from Asmund's face and he collapsed. A line appeared on the map, showing Maeve's location. It was only thanks to Loki's quick reflexes that he didn't fall.

"Asmund!" Gale cried, clutching his clean hand as Loki lowered him to the floor.

"He'll be okay," Loki muttered. "Give him a moment to come around."

All the same, the two of them stared worriedly at Asmund until his eyelids fluttered open.

"Oh, thank goodness," Gale mumbled, tears filling her eyes as she kissed his cheek. He tried to sit up, but she forced him back down. "Rest a minute. You look awful."

"Did it work?" Asmund mumbled tiredly.

"I know this place," Aegir said, peering at the map with a dawning expression of understanding. "The Frozen Gardens. That's where they're near."

"Then we need to go," Asmund said. With what looked like enormous effort, he stood, though the little color he had regained disappeared. Loki attempted to help him, but he stepped away, insisting to stand on his own. A heavy cloak materialized from nowhere and rested itself on his shoulders, and another one on Gale's. She looked surprised, but fastened the golden clasp it anyway.

"Stop using magic," she whispered in a scolding tone. "You're going to kill yourself."

"I'm fine, Gale," he replied quietly. "We need to go. Now."

"Your Highness," Randgnid stammered, "wouldn't it be wise for you to leave your lady here? Surely it will be safer and warmer. And forgive me, but should you remain here? You don't look well."

"No," Asmund snapped, his voice sharp as he reached for Gale's hand. "My sister is in danger, and nothing is more important to me than my family. As for Gale, stays with me. Clearly you cannot protect your guests adequately on your own, so I will do it myself."

Asmund's passive-aggressiveness had completely disappeared. Despite his obvious weakness, he stared Laufey down openly, just waiting for him to respond. Even Loki watched with apprehension, not accustomed to this side of Vanaheim's sovereign. 

"You dare disrespect your host?" Laufey asked carefully. "I don't believe that's wise, Your Highness."

"You aren't in much of a position to make threats. I already refused your alliance. My brother's army is stronger than yours, and Vanaheim's alliance with Asgard amplifies our power. Once I find my sister, I will be leaving your realm as quickly as possible. So yes, I dare."

A moment of silence passed. Finally, Asmund had gained the upper hand.

"Now that we've wasted time bickering, can we leave?" Loki asked impatiently. He hated that he couldn't feel anything in his soul mark. The pain didn't scare him half as much as the nothingness.

"Yes," Thrym said, already halfway out the door. "I'll fetch the horses at once."

Loki summoned a dark green cloak to protect against the bitter cold and followed the group. Everyone chose to go except Laufey. He continuously tried to speak with Maeve, but all he received was terrifying silence.

They rode the horses in silence, only speaking to change direction. Loki kept his eyes ahead of him, but occasionally glanced over at Asmund. He seemed to have regained a bit of strength, but not enough to brag about. Gale sat behind him, her arms wrapped around his waist, and it almost looked like she was steadying him.

"Look," Aegir said in shock, the howling wind carrying his words away. Loki turned forward again and felt his stomach turn.

Three bodies were scattered across the ground in front of the pine trees, blood dotting the snow. He dismounted and rushed to investigate.

"This one's dead," he said after a moment. "He was stabbed, most likely. It looks like a sword wound."

"This one, too."

"And this one." Aegir stood up, an apprehensive expression on his face. "We should be careful. These are bandits from the mountains. I recognize the markings on their arms. Split up. I think the prince must have killed them all, but now it's a matter of finding him."

And Maeve, Loki thought. A dagger appeared in his hand. He jogged into the gardens, accidentally stepping on something that crunches beneath his boot. He glanced down to see a scarlet rose, ice shattered around it like glass.

"I found them!"

He had never run faster in his life as he ran in the direction of Randgnid's voice. His heart beat double-time, thinking wildly in his chest, until he saw her. He didn't care about the prince or the other bandit also laying motionless. She was all that mattered.

"Maeve," he whispered, dropping to his knees. He gathered her up in his arms, only wanting to hold her and keep her safe like he felt he should have the first time. Her skin was a deathly white and cold to the touch, and her head lolled to the side as he cradled her close. Burns from an Jotun's touch covered her neck in the shape of a large handprint. He let his hand momentarily brush her stomach before taking one of her hands in his.

"Loki," Asmund said, kneeling down next to him. "I can heal her, but not here. I want to go back to Vanaheim. We'll be safer there."

"Fine," Loki muttered distractedly, brushing snow-coated curls out of her closed eyes. "I don't care. I'll do anything. Just save her, please."

Asmund heard a desperation in the prince's voice that he had never heard before. But there was his little sister, minutes away from frostbite and limp in her husband's arms, and he felt the desperation himself.

Loki stood on shaking legs, lifting her small body with ease. The Jotuns had gathered around their prince, but they weren't the only ones. Gale busied herself with trying to heal Bjarke's many injuries, three arrow wounds and a slash on the side that bled freely into the snow.

"Gale, we have to go," Asmund said, his eyes still mainly on his sister.

"No."

"What?"

"In a minute. I have one more puncture wound to heal," she said quickly, her fingers dancing over the wound. "We owe him this much. He protected Maeve."

He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. "Fine."

Irritated with the selflessness of healers in general, Loki waited until Gale stood up. She swayed slightly from the magic use, but Asmund put his arm around her waist and nodded to Loki.

"Give your prince my thanks." Then, he looked up at the sky. "Heimdall, please take us to Vanaheim, and don't inform my family of our movements."

The Bifrost engulfed them all in a beam of rainbow light, releasing them not at Vanaheim's usual location for it, but in a meadow near the palace stables, where their entrance would go unnoticed. As usual, Heimdall was looking out for Maeve.

"Gale," Asmund said, meeting her eyes and taking both of her hands, "I need you to go to my brothers. Tell them that we arrived safely home, but I'm too tired to see anyone tonight. They won't question that. Then, I need you to inform all of the members of my council of a meeting first thing tomorrow morning. It will be a secret meeting. No one outside of council members will know about it. After that, just come to our room. Can you do that?"

She nodded, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek and running into the palace. Loki followed Asmund through side corridors and back staircases, avoiding contact with anyone. A few times, Asmund offered to carry Maeve, an offer that Loki denied every time. Finally, he pushed open a door that revealed Maeve's old room.

"Lay her on the bed," Asmund ordered, falling into old habits from the healing wing, "and get a few blankets. She's freezing."

Loki did as he said and sat down on the bed next to her as Asmund worked, tracing the burns that slowly started to fade. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," he replied.

"But I do. You did so much for both of us today. I wanted you to know that I trust you, and I don't trust many."

Asmund chuckled to himself. "I have your trust, hm?"

"Of course you do," he replied, confused.

"When were you planning on telling me that Maeve's pregnant?"

Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise, then he laughed. "After this trip, I swear."

"That's understandable." He finished healing the burns on her neck and yawned widely. "I suppose I must need sleep more than I thought. Don't tell Gale. Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you." Loki took Maeve's hand, trying to warm it in his. "How did you know?"

"I suspected it since we arrived. You were acting more possessive than usual, and she just looks so tired."

"They're okay, right? The twins? She's been so sensitive to the cold in the last month or so, and I know this couldn't have been helpful."

Closing his eyes in concentration, Asmund lightly placed his fingertips on her stomach, letting his depleted magic examine her. "Yes," he said after a minute. "They're doing much better than her, actually. She took the majority of the injuries, and-"

He stood up abruptly. An unreadable expression crossed his face.

"What is it?" Loki asked, dread sinking in his stomach like an anchor in the sea. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is... nothing is wrong." He yawned again, but this one seemed false. A troubled look appeared in his slate blue eyes and they briefly flicked to Loki, who tried to name the emotion. Disbelief. But why? "You should get some rest. She'll come to in a few hours. Come find me when she does, my room is three doors down."

"Asmund-"

"Good night, brother." Sparing Maeve a final, concerned glance, he shut the door and left the pair alone.

Loki stared down at his wife and wondered what could have possibly made her brother lose his composure so quickly. He didn't believe that nothing was wrong, but Asmund's mental defenses were too strong to break into quickly.

A wave of exhaustion hit the prince. Tomorrow, he decided. I'll worry about it tomorrow.

This was false, of course. Even lying next to her in the dark, holding her in his arms, he worried plenty.

new chapter!!!! let me know what you thought! any predictions?