A/N: new chappie! enjoy!

Chapter 3: Coronation

Loki watched Elsa combing her hair at her vanity before he stepped closer and stood behind her, making her smile into the mirror as she saw him.

"I was hoping you would come to celebrate my birthday with me," she smiled as he set his hands on her shoulders, both looking to each other in the mirror. "You're late. Talk yourself out of that, Silver Tongue."

"Well, my snowflake, as you know, the royal duties of a prince of Asgard, are never done," he smirked back. "I would not ask you to neglect royal duties simply to visit me early on my birthdate."

"Oh, yes, you would!" she laughed, turning to face him and wag her brush at him. "You think I cannot see past your lies as well as you can see past mine?"

"I had hoped you had not become so well-versed in my lies," he smirked, taking her hairbrush and twirling a finger to signal her to turn back around.

"Well, I did learn from the best," she retorted, turning as he had instructed and sat back.

They were silent as they watched each other in the mirror for a moment before he began to brush her hair. She held her hands in her lap, keeping the gloves on, even thought she was sure he would try to remove them later, but for now, she had to have them on. Her emotions were far too fragile when he was near. She had started noticing it when she was a teen, but now she knew exactly what it was.

Elsa didn't dare tell Loki her feelings. He would either tease her mercilessly or reject her as gently as he could. She was sure he could never see her as anything more than the child she had been when he introduced himself to her. For now, she would be content with his visits and company when he gave it.

"Ah, yes, I nearly forgot," he suddenly recalled, making her frown at him in the mirror as he reached into a pocket in his usual leather garb. She turned to see him pull a chain from his pocket with a snowflake pendant made of crystal dangling from it. "Your birthday present."

"Oh…Loki," she breathed, lifting a hand to touch it, reverently with her fingertips. "It's beautiful!"

"This is special, Elsa," he smiled, gesturing that she face ahead again and he put the necklace on her as he said, "I know that, here on Midgard, they say no two snowflakes are the same. Every one has it's own design. I can safely say that is true of this pendant. There are no others on Midgard with this design. Believe me, I did me research. I wanted it to be as unique as you are."

She touched the pendant and stared at him through the mirror with wide eyes, tears welling in them as he only rested his hands on her shoulders again after clasping the chain around her neck, then leaning down to press a chaste kiss to her cheek.

"I take it by your reaction that you approve?" he guessed.

Elsa said nothing as she only turned and shot to her feet, making him stand as well in wide-eyed surprise before she threw her arms around his neck, snuggling her face to his chest.

"It's wonderful Loki!" she shuddered as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm happy you like it," he smiled as she stepped back to look up at him with tear in her that surprisingly rolled down her cheeks without freezing to her skin. He lifted a hand to wipe the tears away as their gazes met and she lifted a hand toward him, but her smile fell when he grasped her wrist, gently. "I've told you before, I know not how many times, you need not wear these infernal gloves any longer."

"And I have told you, I do not know how many times, that if I want things to be normal around here, for the sake of my sister, then I do," Elsa shot back, irritably.

"Your father is gone, darling," Loki whispered, lowering her hand and she pulled back to march away from him as he remained in his spot to watch her, explaining, "You've been the good girl he wanted you to be, Elsa. It is time to…let it go. Let it all go. Things will only get worse if you try to keep things in the way he told you to."

"That's easy for you to say," she shot back, keeping her back to him. "I loved my father. I wanted to be the good girl he wanted. But you could never understand that, could you?"

Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief at herself and she slowly lifted a hand to her mouth, but kept her back turned to him, afraid to see the look of absolute pain she was sure was on his face. Loki only stared at her back for a moment, his face not reflecting any sort of pain as she assumed. Instead, his eyes glowed with understanding as he slowly began stepping toward her. He was always so patient with her, even though she'd seen his temper flare at Thor, but she was sure it was only because of sibling rivalry. But his patience with her never ceased to amaze her.

"It's true, my father and I have not been as close as you were with your father," he began in a gentle tone, making Elsa close her eyes against her guilt as she lowered her hand and sniffled. "I doubt I will ever know the pleasure, really. I always envied seeing your father dote on you the way mine never did. I only wish he would have let you experience your powers fully instead of keeping them concealed."

"It was to save my sister," she shuddered, her bitter feelings now spreading down to her feet, and causing ice to form over the floor, spreading all around the room. "Anna would have died."

"I know, darling," he murmured, standing right behind her, but she only stiffened, not daring to turn and face him. He rested his hands on her shoulders again, making her tense in anticipation of what he might say or do. "And now you have a chance to live up to your full potential. She is out of danger."

"You don't know that!" she cried, still not moving, making him sigh and lower his hands from her shoulders.

"It was not my intention to upset you tonight, of all nights," he explained, gently. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you before I cause any more hurt." He gently took her arms into his hands and pressed a kiss to the back of her head, breathing in the icy scent from her hair before whispering, "Happy twentieth, my Snowflake."

"Loki, wait!" Elsa cried, finally turning to face him, but he was gone, and he had cleared the ice she had formed over the floor with him.

Guilt overtook her, making her shudder with sobs and fall to her floor, which began icing over once more, thicker than before and spread fast from her spot. She clutched the pendant he had given her, fearing he was so angry that she may never see him again.

"Loki, forgive me," she sobbed, then unwittingly whispered, "I love you."

One Week Later...

Elsa stood in front of a portrait of her father, staring up at it and admiring how regal he looked. It was a portrait done for his coronation as he held the royal scepter and orb…something she would have to do at the coronation today and without gloves. Her nerves were already taking hold, and she knew that if she let her emotions get the better of her, her powers would reveal themselves.

"Elsa."

She knew the voice well, but stiffened slightly in surprise when she heard it. She hadn't expected him after their last conversation on her birthday. Still, she turned to the window to see Loki standing in front of it, dressed in his armor, his helmet under his arm and silhouetted by the sunlight. He stepped toward her as she remained in front of the portrait and set his helm down on the table in front of her before gazing up at the portrait as well.

"Your father would be proud of you, darling," he assured her, seeing a tear form at the corner of her eye.

"Would he?" she murmured, rhetorically before looking to the candle stick and jewelry box on the table. "I still can't control my powers. Father always said conceal, don't feel…but I find myself feeling more than I want to now."

"A case of nerves, no doubt," he smiled, taking her gloved hands in his and as he spoke he slowly pulled the gloves off, finger by finger. "Anyone in your position would be nervous. It is coronation day, after all. Put on a show."

"Loki, it isn't that simple, and you know it," she argued, gently as he placed her gloves on the table, holding both of her small hands in his larger ones. "I have to hold the scepter and orb, but I can't wear my gloves. If I make one wrong move, everyone will know."

He gave her a soft smile before stepping behind her, his arms wrapped around her, holding her hands to guide them toward the candle stick and jewelry box. She took the objects in her hands as he still held her, but she could feel her nerves starting to bubble up again, her heart thumping in her chest, partially from the nerves…but partially because Loki practically had his arms wrapped around her. Elsa gave a gasp when she noticed ice forming around the box and up the candlestick, making her put them down again, hurriedly and Loki gave a sigh of exasperation.

"It's only for today," he whispered, reassuringly in her ear and making her stiffen only slightly.

"It's agony to wait," she murmured, solemnly as she gently pulled away from him to put on her gloves and step toward the door. He watched her as she opened the doors to her room, leading into the hall and the staff waiting for her next orders. "Tell the guards to open up the gates."

The staff nodded before she waved them off, Loki right next to her, but he couldn't be seen by anyone except Elsa, a trick she'd learned he could perform some time ago. She stepped down the halls and toward a balcony overlooking the gates leading outside the palace square.

"Your sister seems excited," Loki noted as they both observed Anna racing past people toward the gates and dancing about in her dress for the coronation.

When she only gave a small smile at her sister and said nothing as she gazed out on the scene, he gave a small sigh of helplessness. He wanted to cheer her up. Sooth her nerves. But he had no idea what to say or do now. His Silver Tongue was failing him. He had noticed some time ago that after her parent's deaths, she became even more drawn into herself, and he found himself unsure of how to bring her back to that happy girl he'd introduced himself to, or even the teen that had gone on so many afternoon horse rides with him.

"I take it by your armor that you will be attending the coronation today," Elsa guessed, pulling him from his thoughts and he met her gaze before she turned to step back into the hall, making him quickly follow her.

"I am," he confirmed before adding, "That is to say, if you will permit me?"

"That depends," she smirked, making him give a small frown before she stopped and turned to him, asking, "Will you be appearing as yourself, or someone else?"

"Myself to you, but to the rest, I will be someone else entirely," he smiled, slyly, making her smile in return as they made their way back to her room. "Perhaps some regal-looking gentleman? Or perhaps a rugged military man?"

"Just as long as you are not too handsome to the ladies," she muttered, not really wanting him to hear her, but he did. Instead of saying anything, he only continued following her until they reached her room and he shut the door after them as she turned to him. "Loki, I want to apologize—"

"There is nothing to apologize for, Elsa," he cut in, making her look up at him in wide-eyed wonder as he stepped toward her with a smile, taking her hands in his again as their gazes remained locked. "I forgave you the moment you spoke the words. You were frustrated, and I certainly didn't help things. It is I who should be apologizing, and I do not often say things like that, so you should take the date down in your diary or elsewhere, because I doubt I will be saying it again."

She gave a genuine laugh, making Loki grin widely as she still laughed. She soon calmed herself and pulled her hands from his to wrap her arms around his neck, letting him hug her in return around her waist. They remained in their embrace for some time before reality dawned on Elsa and she gently pushed back to look up at him.

"The coronation will be in an hour or so," she reported, not leaving his arms entirely. "I have to finish getting ready."

"Have you not learned that something as simple as that can be done in a minute or so with my magic?" Loki smirked, lifting a hand glowing gold. "The rest of the hour could be ours."

"To do what, exactly, Mischief Maker?" she smirked back and he only shrugged. "No. I need to do this on my own, thank you."

"Very well," he sighed, reaching past her to lift his helmet from the table, causing their faces to come inches away from the other's and their gazes met. Loki gave a smile and pressed a tender, lingering kiss to her cheek, making her close her eyes to savor the touch before he took a step back, lifting his helmet and bowing low, adding, "As you like it…my queen."

Elsa swallowed and she was sure he could see the flush staining her cheeks as he gave her a smirk and sauntered through the door. She placed a hand over her racing heart before looking back to the portrait of her father and trying to collect herself.

"I'm sorry, Papa," she whispered. "I don't think…I'll be able to conceal this much longer."

The Coronation...

Elsa stood in front of the bishop that held her crown in his hands, the chorus in the wings above in the church they were all gathered in. She leaned forward, bowing her head to allow him to place the crown in her hair, done up neatly in a bun. She swallowed, nervously as she stood tall and the bishop held up the pillow holding the scepter and orb, making her stare down at them for a moment in absolute panic.

The moment she had dreaded had come.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind that perhaps she could get away with handling the objects without removing the gloves at all. She lifted her hands and reached for them, knowing she was meant to take the gloves off, but if she was quick enough, maybe—

"Your majesty," the bishop whispered, cutting into her thoughts and making her look up to meet his gaze in wonder before he explained, "The gloves."

Elsa looked to her hands and hesitantly pulled back to begin slowly pulling at the fingers one at a time…recalling how Loki had done the same an hour earlier. She couldn't help but give a small smile at the memory before setting the gloves down, and coming back to reality. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, but it did no good as she reached for the scepter and orb. She turned to the gathered audience of nobles and dignitaries, her sister at her side.

The bishop was now speaking as everyone stood, but she couldn't hear a word he was saying as she concentrated on keeping her powers from going out of control. She scanned over the audience before landing on a familiar face standing in the very back, making her give a small smile. However, her heart began racing when he gave her that charming smile she had come to adore…setting her emotions off. She looked down at the scepter and orb to see ice forming from her hands, and her panicked gaze met Loki's. He tried to encourage her to calm herself, silently, but she quickly turned and placed the objects back down on the pillow then pulled on her gloves.

"…Elsa, Queen of Arendelle," the bishop concluded his speech as she turned to face forward again, her hands folded in front of her.

"Elsa, Queen of Arendelle," everyone echoed as she only gave a small smile, meeting Loki's gaze again.

Elsa and Anna both turned to make their way out of the church through the back, but Elsa knew the Loki would follow…or at the very least appear from thin air as she prepared for the ball afterward. They turned a corner and Anna nearly ran down the hall toward the ballroom, impatient to start the celebrations, and Elsa slowed her pace.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Loki asked, suddenly next to her in the empty hall, making her smile slightly.

"Like my knees will give out if I stop walking," she chuckled, lifting one of her gloved hands and scoffed, "Shaking like a leaf on a tree, and I couldn't even stop my powers."

Loki gave a small sigh and took her hand in his, making them both stop in the hall and she looked up at him in wonder. He slowly pulled her glove off, making her frown in wonder, but her heart began to race again when he lifted her hand to press a kiss to her knuckles.

"You look beautiful, Elsa," he murmured, meeting her gaze again. "I look forward to dancing with the Queen of Arendelle tonight."

A/N: reviews?