It was late afternoon when you woke again. You were still curled around your new familiar, using Loki as a pillow. He didn't seem to mind. He was reading and absently stroking your hair. You sat up and shifted the sleeping cat-dragon to your lap, sitting cross-legged on the bed. Loki snapped his book shut. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Much better," you told him. You waved your hand and levitated the book from his lap, grinning that your magic was back. It wasn't back up to full strength, but it was a relief that your power was back at all.

"That's a relief," he sounded as though he meant it. He'd been worried.

"How bad was it?" you asked him softly, petting the sleepy cat in your lap.

Loki growled softly. "I should never have let you go on that trip alone," he snarled.

"Lokitty..." you said in the exasperated tone your voice took on when he was being more overprotective than was acceptable. "None of us knew that witch hunters would attack at a business conference. Hell's fire, none of us knew that they were after me."

Loki's eyes narrowed at those words. "That is too close to a lie, little sorceress," he informed you, not quite coldly, not yet.

You rolled your eyes. "The man who snuck in on Halloween was wearing the robes of a witch hunter. I didn't really believe at the time he actually was one because it was a costume party," you explained quickly, before he could get angry, thinking you were hiding things. He nodded accepting your explanation.

"It was bad, love, very bad. Based on the shape you were in, I believe they were planning on killing you," he said softly, sadly, but you heard the hint of rage in his voice too. You set the cat-dragon on the bed and went to Loki, wrapping your arms around his neck, stroking his long hair.

"I'm here, Lokitty. I'm here and I'm safe, thanks to you," you told him softly, reassuringly. His arms wrapped around you and he held you tightly to him.

"I can't stand the thought of my life without you, my little sorceress, not now that I have finally found you," he whispered into your hair. Sometimes you forgot that you'd only been on one official date, that you'd only been an official couple for less than a week. Loki'd been your best friend since he moved to the tower months and months ago and had been carefully courting you ever since he turned human again. It felt like you'd been in a relationship with him forever, though it was technically new.

"I love you too," you told him and kissed his forehead. You sat back, failing to notice that you were sitting, probably uncomfortably, on his legs. He didn't seem to mind. "Is there any news from home?"

He shook his head. "Thor told the team what we were up to before he followed us through the Bifrost. They agreed that the witch hunters can't follow you here since we actually appreciate magicians here..." Loki grumbled, hating the witch hunters for wanting to hurt you because you happen to practice magic. "So they asked us to keep you here for at least a few days while they make sure the tower is safe for you to return to. Thor got Odin to agree, however grudgingly. I don't know how he did it, though I think Mother got involved. The team promised to investigate the witch hunter issue while you're here,"

"I hate this. I should be there helping them," you grumbled at him helplessly. There was no way he or Thor were letting you go home until the team had time to make sure you'd be safe. You loved your overprotective boys, despite that they were overprotective. You knew it meant that they cared and you couldn't begrudge them for it.

"I know, darling, but until we're sure it's safe, you will just have to suffer with being pampered like an Asgardian princess," he teased.

"I'm no princess," you reminded him firmly. You were just a little witch from Midgard, nothing special about you.

"To me you are," he replied warmly and leaned forward to kiss you. "Now, if you will kindly get off of my legs, I can show you to your suite." You flushed and scrambled off of his legs, scooping up Sera as you scrambled off the bed.

"I get a suite?" you asked, surprised that you were getting a whole suite. Maybe a guest room somewhere...but not a suite.

"Of course," he laughed as he got off of the bed as well. He flushed a little. "I should have taken you there to recover, but..."

"You wanted to make sure I was ok," you supplied, understanding. It was a perfectly normal reaction, especially with how badly the drugs had affected you. "So I take it this is your room?" you asked before he could get more embarrassed. He nodded and showed you properly around his bedroom and sitting room. Both were plush and comfortable, airy and had doors leading out onto the same balcony. His sitting room was unsurprisingly filled with books and scrolls.

He hesitated, but gestured to a door in his sitting room. "Your suite is actually through here," he said, embarrassed. You were confused as to why until you opened the door to find that it led to another sitting room, not a hallway. That's why he was embarrassed. "The door locks and there's another entrance off the main hall," he added quickly.

He didn't seem inclined to explain, but you knew. It used to be common, after all. His Mother had set you up in what was properly his consort's suite. "Your Mother's idea?" you asked with a smirk, choosing to be amused instead of offended. He nodded, even more embarrassed. "It's alright, Lokitty. I'm not offended. Mothers apparently are all the same. And highly resemble Grandmother Helene," you added with a laugh. He chuckled, but still seemed a little embarrassed.

"I don't mean to presume-" he started.

You waved his apology off. "Lokitty, it's fine, I promise. I know you're not going to push. Merlin's beard, it took, like, six months of knowing you and being courted by you before you would ask me on a proper date. I'm quite sure you're not going to push any boundaries just because there happens to be a door connecting our rooms," you teased. He laughed then, finally seeming to relax at your open honesty.

You stepped into the suite. The sitting room was just as plush and comfortable as Loki's, decorated in a beautiful lilac instead of his preferred green. You noticed that it also led out onto his balcony. The decorations were also mostly bookshelves, the books on which you noted were in English, which was very considerate. The bedroom was equally gorgeous and comfortable. There was a bathing room as well. Sera finally woke while you were exploring and squirmed out of your arms so she could flutter around the suite with you.

Loki watched you explore the suite from the connecting doorway with a warm smile. "It's gorgeous," you told him. You'd never stayed anywhere as nice.

"I'm glad my lady approves," he replied warmly. You stood up on your toes to kiss him.

There was a polite knock on the door leading from your sitting room to the hallway. The door opened before you could reply, or stop kissing Loki. You dropped back to your feet and flushed as you turned to face the two maids who entered the room. They both had knowing smiles, though neither would comment on a simple kiss. "Your highness, lady," they greeted you formally. "We were told to assist your lady in preparing for dinner, your highness," one of them explained to Loki.

"Of course, thank you ladies. Please let me know when you have finished, so I may escort my lady to dinner," he told them politely, formally. He was obviously used to this life and the treatment of servants. They curtsied in reply, obviously used to the polite, usually reserved prince. Loki turned to you and kissed you, and the maids nearly swooned due to second hand romance. "Play nice with the maids," he told you softly so they wouldn't overhear. "I know you're not used to maids, but things are different here, plus you deserve pampering my darling,"

"I used to be a maid," you grumbled softly. You didn't deserve maids or pampering and could handle dressing yourself. He gave you a look. You sighed. "Fine," you told him. It wasn't your culture, so you gave in... for now. He smiled, lifted your hand and bowed over it to kiss your knuckles, purely for the benefit of the hopeless romantics that were the maids.

"I will see you in a little while to escort you to dinner, my love," he bid you warmly and stepped through the connecting door, closing it behind him and leaving you alone with the maids. Sera fluttered to safety when they led you to the bath and hid on your bed before they could decide that she needed a bath too. She wouldn't hear of that nonsense.

The maids were very efficient and chattery as birds while they did your hair and helped you get ready. So you heard all about how working for Loki was actually one of the most desired positions in the palace, right under working for Frigga. He was so polite and kind to everyone. You made extra sure to praise their work when they were done and while they were working. You saw their actual genuine smiles at your courtesy as well.

You very nearly didn't recognize yourself in the soft lilac Asgardian style gown and your hair up in a gorgeous braided updo. Your only jewelry were your wand hiding as a its usual bracelet on your wrist and the necklace Loki had given you. The maids had tried to suggest something fancier than the very simple pendant, but relented when you told them that Loki had gifted it to you, because of course you'd want to wear his token. And you weren't removing your wand. They relented on that when you told them it was a magical item that had to stay.

When they were done with you, Sera fluttered over and settled on your shoulder, perching there as if she had always been with you, as if that were her usual spot. You reached up absently to scratch behind her ears and she purred the tinkling musical purr which was hers alone.

Loki was waiting for you in your sitting room when you stepped out of the bedroom, dressed and ready, he was dressed as well in black and green formal Asgardian garb, not his armor. He came over and kissed you lightly, leaning down to do so, though you met him halfway, standing up on your toes in the soft indoor slippers. "You look lovely tonight, my darling," he told you warmly. "Asgardian fashion suits you,"

"You clean up nicely as well," you teased lightly. He smiled and kissed you again.

"Shall we?" he asked and offered you his arm. You placed your hand lightly on his arm and let him lead the way from your suite to dinner while wondering what you had gotten yourself into.