Loki stared at the wall in front of him, your words spinning around in his mind; it had been months since you had said them to him, but they only seemed to hurt more with time. You had fooled him, he had given you his heart, and you only scoffed at him, crushing it as though it was nothing, you had only used him to get ahead, to try and get out of being a lowly chambermaid. It felt as though you had torn his heart from his chest with your words, and every time he thought of them again, it was like the edge of the wound was picked at, allowing infection to fester and for it to never to heal. He thought back to when his parents told him of his betrothal, how that night he had you under him, your body reacting to his touch, the noises you made, the delicious sound of his name on your lips as you went through ecstasy together, he never felt such love, such happiness as that time, thinking of it, he began to sob, his arms wrapped around himself.

You watched from the doorway of the room, having just entered and closed it softly behind you, biting your lips together, he was gaunt, dishevelled, everything so quintessentially Loki was obliterated and in front of you, sat a shell of the man you loved so dearly, a man you helped destroy, if only unintentionally. "Loki." You barely whispered.

He looked around at you, his eyes red raw. "What, why are you here again? I cannot take any more of this taunting, I cannot take those words again; please, please do not torment me any longer." He pleaded pathetically, his voice cracking with heartbreak. "I cannot even sleep with this anymore."

You cocked your head to the side. "What?"

"Do not play dumb, you come, day and night, taunting me, torturing me, I cannot take it any longer." He shouted as he rose to his feet and came closer to you.

"Stop shouting, I am right here, and my hearing is in no way impaired." You chastised. He went to strike you with the back of your hand, but you ducked. "What are you doing?" you asked in shock.

"It's the only way you leave." He shouted.

"I have not been here to leave, and stop shouting I said." You snapped. When he went to strike you again, you got out of the way, but then slapped him across the face in retaliation.

He stared in shock for a moment, his hand going to where you had struck him. "That smarted."

"It was supposed to." You retorted.

He looked at you warily, his hand extending towards you cautiously. You eyed it carefully but did not move. When it came to you, he gently touched you. "You are really here."

"Yes, I am."

"Why?"

"Your parents came to me."

"Why?"

"Have you looked in a mirror, you look terrible." You stated.

"You look so beautiful, as you always have." he stated sadly.

"I am more tired than I ever thought possible." You commented. "They are worried about you, everyone is, they think you will harm yourself." Your voice became tight at the thought of Loki doing such a thing.

Loki's eyes fell from your face, along with his hand. "Why would you care?"

"Because if you were to be harmed, I would never be capable of knowing the sensation of happiness again," You replied.

"Why you already said, you were only using me."

"Do you really believe that?" you gave a small cold laugh. He looked at you. "I had to say that, you would not stop fighting it otherwise, I wanted you to move on, or I thought you would anyway; it appears, however, that indeed, you conceded and forwent living entirely instead, look at you, you are merely existing now."

"You…you did not mean it?" he asked, his eyes and tone showing his hope.

"Of course not, I loved you Loki, I still do."

"Why…how could you…?"

"I have not slept many nights since that day, I cannot forget the look on your face when I said those words. It took ever last ounce of strength I had to force those words out, it took everything I had to not close the distance between us and kiss you, to show you how greatly I love you. I had to pretend…even when it cost me everything I held so dear, the family I loved as though they were my own. Do you know Wilhelm effectively threw me from his home, forbidding me from ever seeing Ruby again for believing I said those things to you because I forced myself to act as though I meant them when he confronted me regarding them?"

"Then why did you?"

"I had no choice." You justified. "You are betrothed to another."

"I do not want to be."

"Nor do I want you to be, but that does not stop the fact that you are." You argued.

He closed the two feet between you and caressed your cheek gently. "I love you." He whispered, leaning in to kiss you.

"You should hate me." You stated sadly, leaning back t avoid the kiss.

"I never could." He shook his head.

"You do not know what I have done, the day of the wedding, I kept something from you; from all of you." You began to explain.

Loki looked at you, his eyes looking into yours, trying to see why you felt so guilty. "What?"

"I need you to leave this room." He shook his head. "I need you to Loki, I am not asking, I am telling you to." You took his hand in yours and looked him in the eye, trying to convey your request. "You need to follow me." Sceptically, he allowed you guide him from the room. In the other part of his rooms, his family sat as though in a small circle, Wilhelm standing nearby, his eyes on you, his face cold.

"I do not…" Loki looked around. Thor and Odin moved slightly on hearing his voice, their large bulky bodies almost seemed to shield Frigga's from view, but when they moved, Loki was able to see something, he let go of your hand and moved closer to his family. When he saw his mother, he looked for a moment before staring back at you. "You…"

"Apparently Lord Henricus' plan worked." You stated. "I am sure he looks up from Hel in glee."

"But you said…"

"What else was I going to say? I had to say otherwise if any had known..." You defended.

"You told no one." You looked to Wilhelm, who seemed angry at you. "You never told me, Anna…"

"You would have run here and told him before I even finished the sentence, do not deny it." You countered; Wilhelm gave a small look and a movement of his head that signified it was true.

Loki made his way to his mother, who was holding the small bundle in her arms as though it was the most precious thing to ever exist, looking down at it adoringly before looking to her son, gauging his reactions. "Loki…" his hands extended of their own accord, looking at you cautiously, she moved her own to allow Loki take the blanket in his. "Be careful."

"I will not drop…" he looked to you.

"Him." you stated.

Looking down at the baby, he smiled weakly. "A boy." He noticed that under the hat, there were small strands of black hair, his features a mixture of elfin and Aesir. "He is perfect."

"Who would have thought Loki's offspring would be so…calm?" Thor stated looking at his brother and the baby. Loki glared at him. "You were the noisiest terror to ever exist, Norn's, you never would stop crying."

"It is true." Odin agreed, nodding his head.

Loki looked at you again. "You could have told me." There was hurt and anger in his voice, though not as much as you had been expecting.

"Would you have been able to stay away?" you asked, his eyes told you his answer. "That is why I could not."

Loki looked for a moment at his son again, before looking to his parents. "You cannot force me to marry Lady Alana now." he started firmly. "I need to be a father to my son."

"You did not seem overly interested in the idea before," Odin commented. Loki made to retort viciously, but he looked at the small infant in his arms again. "It is not so easy, he is illegitimate, he is a…"

"Finish that sentence, I dare you," Loki snarled. "You were the first to condemn Njall for his treatment of what children he sired."

"But Lady Alana…" Odin stated factually.

"Father," Thor stood, "Were her family to find out…" Loki looked to Thor in disgust. "Peace, brother, I stand with you in this." He assured him. "They will not accept this, you know that they are overly sanctimonious, a child outside wedlock, to another woman, they will null the agreement immediately, they will make it very clear why this is happening also."

"How can we save face in this?" Odin demanded, wanting to hear their great plan.

"I have an idea." Loki declared, his eyes filled with hope.

"Darling, wake up." Loki shook you gently. "Our son requires you."

"No, you do it." You groaned, turning over to try and continue sleeping.

"I would, my love, but I cannot feed him, I lack certain…abilities and anatomy."

"What good is it eloping with the greatest seidr wielder in the realms if he cannot feed our child?" you groaned, "I am up." You pushed yourself up a little, "Where is he?"

"I have him right here." Loki smiled, showing you your son, who was looking around for you, his little mouth open.

"He is your son through and through." you laughed, looking at your husband.

He placed hair behind your ear, "He is yours also, he has your demeanour." He smiled fondly as you fed his child "Which is apparently a good thing if my parents are to be believed."

"Do you regret it?" you asked, looking at him.

"Giving up my title?" you nodded. "You gave up yours without second thought."

"I never had it growing up, it was not something I knew all my life."

"I do not want titles, lands or what else was it?" he smiled, trying to quote your words from the day his mother suggested you take the crown of Alfheim. "I was never going to be king, so what do I care for a title? Thor will have his own offspring, and they will be next in line. I did not have to marry that little harpy, and instead have it that I have you, the elf I adore with all my being, and our son. A fair trade-off, in my opinion."

"'Fair trade off' we both know you would have married a goat if you needed to, to get out of marrying her." You scoffed.

"I could have if I had been forced to, but I was fortunate enough to get you instead."

"So I am better than a goat?" you grinned.

"Most definitely." He smirked back, kissing you.

"Even if you now live in a forest, miles from anything? The whole realm knowing you ran off with some peasant."

"I honestly prefer this." He confirmed he kissed you again, before stealing your son to burp him, the infant giving out a loud one as his father aided him. "shh, my boy, you will wake your grandmother if you continue like that."

"Speaking of which, not that I mind; after all, I have not had a mother since I was a child and she has been such a great aid to me, but does she ever plan on going back to the palace?"

"I think not, not so long as her beloved grandson is here." Loki shrugged. "Thor has overstayed his welcome, though." He groaned.

"As the Crowned prince and your brother, he is allowed to visit, besides it was him that married us."

"He has stayed a full week after; we could have gotten some town magistrate and have been left alone soon after." Loki groaned.

"I thought all royals had long weddings." You smiled, "And it was already enough of an elopement, at least there is no contesting this, royally sealed. Though he seems to have gotten the date wrong." You pulled off the covers to get out of bed.

"Usually I would agree with you, he is normally stupid enough to do so, but this time, no, he did not." Loki grinned. "As far as everyone outside of the family will ever know, our son was conceived and birthed when we were wed." he gave a coy smirk, helping you to your feet, your son in his other arm.

"My genius husband," you kissed him again.

"I am only as good as my dear wife." He looked down at your son. "Are you worried for the future?" you looked at him with concern. "What will we do when he is older and has our smarts combined?"

"I do, but I do not think we will have time to worry."

"And why is that pray tell, dear wife?" He asked with a raised brow and a small smirk.

"Because, dear husband, we will also have his brother or sister to contend with also." You bit your lip at your admission.

"Norn's, do I only need to look at you?" Loki stated wide-eyed, though there was pride in his voice. "You always are so willing to give me my desires, are you not?"

"As your former employee and now wife, I am always willing to serve you." You smiled.

"It is a worthy cause." Loki joked, earning him a bemused look before you stuck out your tongue. Looking at the small boy in his arms, who was still only learning to sit up, Loki beamed, unsure how, after everything you had both endured, the Norn's thought to show such favour.