"How much did you hear?"

"Every word," Loki growled between his teeth.

"You were eavesdropping?"

He ignored her question and turned away. "You never intended on falling in love with me, did you? This was all just a business deal to you."

"But...wasn't it a deal?"

"To me, it wasn't!"

The look he was giving her now made her shudder in terror.

"But you wouldn't expect someone like me to have feelings now, would you? Would you?!"

"Loki, I never said..."

"You're right. I'm just an evil freak who's kept you prisoner!"

"You're not a freak!"

"I thought you were different! I thought you understood!"

"Loki, I do understand..."

"Yet you never wanted to marry me! All you ever thought about was your friends!" He said that word as if it were poison.

She scowled. "I had no choice! You were going to kill the prince and princesses!"

The Frost Giant was taken aback. "Kill? Kill?! You really thought I was going to kill the prince and princesses, including one who was pregnant?!"

"But...you said...you said..."

"So I exaggerated a bit! But you actually thought I would do such a thing?"

Madisyn's lip quivered. "I...I'm sorry..."

He turned away again. "You don't have to say it."

He felt betrayed. The one friend he had ever had, who he had thought to be different, was just like all the rest.

Madisyn was devastated. His words stung her as her words had him. She had to make amends, but what could she do? Unlike Loki, she could not make things better with a wave of her hand as the case was. She did not know where to start.

"Loki, if you would just listen to me..."

"I should have known you would never care for me," he growled. "You were just stalling, weren't you? Praying that your friends would come and rescue you, weren't you? Is that why you wanted them here?"

"Loki, please! Those things I said, I didn't mean any of it!"

"So you don't feel like a prisoner?"

"Well, I..."

"So you do want to marry me tomorrow?"

"I...actually..."

"So you didn't just agree so you could see your friends?"

"I...I..."

"So you do love me?"

She hung her head in shame. "I...I do care for you, but...but..."

"You don't love me."

A tear fell down her cheek. "No."

He stepped toward the bed, his arms crossed. "No, how could you? I'm just the big bad Frost Giant who forced you into marriage."

"Loki, I didn't...my friends..."

"I can't believe it! After everything I've done for you, you still pick them over me! Well, my dear, you were right about one thing."

Madisyn gasped as he magically lifted her into the air by the ring, bringing them face to face.

"You have no say in the matter. Love me or not, you will be mine."

For the first time in weeks, she was truly afraid of him, but she tried to be brave. "And I have no argument over that, but Loki, you have to understand that I only said those things because I panicked. I...I was afraid of what my friends would think and...I didn't know you were listening...you shouldn't have been listening! Still, it was no excuse for my insensitivity."

She squealed as he dropped her to the floor and turned away. Why did she not love him? Why did she still listen to those humans? Those humans had ruined everything! Wait... he thought, the gears turning in his brain. Those humans...

He chuckled darkly to himself. "Oh, my poor, naïve Madisyn." He knelt down to pick her up. "Forgive me for being so brash, my sweet. I don't blame you."

Madisyn blinked at him in confusion. "You...you don't?"

"Oh no, you're not at fault here. You've just fallen victim to the real monsters here: those nasty friends of yours."

She jumped out of his arms in a huff. "My friends aren't nasty!"

He chuckled again, patting her on the head. "Of course, you'd say that, naïve as you are."

"Naïve?!"

"Oh, don't take it personally, my dear. You just fail to see the truth when it's right in front of you." He ran a finger under her chin. "But don't worry, darling, we'll fix that."

Something about his tone alarmed her. Her heart was racing as his face drew closer, her head telling her to run.

"Now listen here, my dear. I've made you happy, right?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"I've treated you well, have I not?"

"You have..."

"I've comforted you, gone out of my way to make you smile, and granted your every wish, yes?"

"That is correct."

"And in all of that, have I ever hurt you intentionally?"

"No, not really, but..."

"See? You know I'm not a monster."

"You're not a monster."

"Yes!" She shivered as he caressed her cheek. "I'm your only real friend here. Those humans out there," he tilted his head toward the door, "they don't understand how happy we are...how happy we could be."

Madisyn was growing suspicious. "What are you...?"

She trailed off as he began stroking her hair. As usual, his tender touch shut down her senses, but something about this touch was especially mesmerizing, but all she thought about was how much she was enjoying it. Loki grinned mischievously, seeing that it was working, but he had a long way to go. He laid his free hand on her shoulder.

"I want you, Madisyn." he whispered. "I want you by my side for all eternity, not just because we made a deal. I don't want just any girl. I want you."

She tried to say something, but all that came out was: "Huh?"

"Why don't we stop playing games, my dear? I know that deep down, this is what you want."

"I...what?"

She snapped out of her trance for a moment, but sank back into it as he ran his hand down her spine.

"Picture it, my dear. You, sitting on a glorious throne, a majestic crown on your radiant head, overlooking a world of mischief..."

"A...a..." Madisyn shook her head. "World of mischief?!"

Oops, wrong thing to say. He quickly moved behind her, messaging her shoulders, mesmerizing her again. She was never easy to manipulate, and he hated doing this, but he had to help her see the truth. A simple touch would not be enough. He had to do the full temptation. He had to think of something to lure her in, something she would not be able to resist.

"Yes," he improvised. "The world will be at your disposal, my sweet. I can offer you the one thing you've always desired."

Her eyes opened wide. Seeing that he had gotten her attention, he turned her head so their gaze was locked.

"Love," he whispered.

Madisyn stared into his eyes, unable to blink. "What?"

He nodded. "I love you."

"You...you do?"

"That's right, my dear." At that moment, his eyes transformed into hypnotic spirals. "You don't need your friends. All we need is each other. We'll be together forever, for all eternity."

"Together...forever...for all eternity," she repeated.

"Yes," he chuckled. "So what do you say, my dear? Will you be my Goddess of Mischief?"

Madisyn showed no resistance as her eyes changed to match his.

"Yes, my love," she said mechanically.

Meanwhile, everybody, aside from the Mills sisters, was sitting in the main hall, wondering what to do. Nichole Price was the first to break the silence.

"Madisyn's been in there an awfully long time. Should we see if she's alright?"

"We should let her be," Vahl sighed. "Maybe we were too harsh on her."

"I suppose we did get a little carried away..." Tatum mused.

"Alyssa looked pretty upset too," Boise added. "I'm going to check on her."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Vahl warned.

"Look, I understand why Madisyn's upset, but Alyssa just blew us off for no reason. I've never seen her like this."

"Well, okay, go ahead."

"And I'm checking on Madisyn," Nichole insisted.

Nobody had any objection as the dog and marcher went in opposite directions. Nichole was about to knock on the door when she heard voices. It didn't take long to figure out who they belonged to. What's Loki doing in Madisyn's room?

She assumed the worst, but stopped herself from breaking down the door. Instead, she opened it slightly and quietly peeked inside. Her jaw dropped at what she saw. The Frost Giant had his arms around Madisyn, both their eyes filled with spirals. There was no doubt what was happening.

"Now," Loki said, running his hand under her chin. "You will go out there and tell those humans to leave this place and never come back."

Nichole burst the door open, surprising the Frost Giant. "I knew it!"

"Um...this isn't what it looks like!"

"You...you...you monster!"

She charged toward him, but Loki was quick and summoned a brick wall for her to slam into.

"What's going on in there?" Vahl Dragonborn called, appearing in the doorway. She gasped when she saw the tan marcher lying unconscious under a pile of newly fallen bricks. "Nichole! What...?"

"Vahl," Madisyn said, still under Loki's influence. "I want you to leave this place and never come back."

The dark elf looked up in horror, seeing the spirals in her friend's eyes. She growled at the Frost Giant.

"What did you do to her?!"

"I talked some sense into her," he answered, stroking his fiancé possessively. "I simply explained to her how you humans have poisoned her mind with such prejudice and that she doesn't need any nasty friends like you. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Yes, my love," Madisyn uttered.

"You fiend!" Vahl cried, stomping her feet. "I should have known this was all a trick! You're in for it now!"

Loki laughed maniacally. "And what can you do to me, dear? You don't have the Elements of Pride with you, and even if you did, you need all six Elements to make the spell work! And I don't think my fiancé is willing to turn me to ice. Are you, my dear?"

"No, my love."

"Maybe I can't turn you to ice," the dark elf grunted, "but that doesn't mean I can't show you a world of pain!"

Her hands glowed, preparing to fire. Loki simply yawned and turned her hands into a magical gauntlet.

"Oh yes," he chuckled. "Much funnier than just taking it away!"

Nichole was slowly gaining consciousness and lifting herself up. "You...you jerk...I'm gonna...I'm gonna..."

"You're gonna what? Try and hit me again?" He shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, Nikki. Don't you know hitting other creatures is wrong? Somebody needs a time out!"

The tan marcher cried out as she was thrown across the main hall and into a stool in the corner. A tall cone hat labeled 'DUNCE' appeared on her head. Tatum, Cwryen, Snow White and Lydia gasped.

"Hey!" the marcher child cried out, facing the Frost Giant. "You can't do that to Nichole Price!" She threw up her hands. "Put 'em up, ya big bully!"

"Yeah!" Snow White shouted, copying her friend's gesture.

"Oh, you wanna fight, huh?" Loki said with a twinge of amusement. "Alright. Fight!"

With a snap of his fingers, the two children found themselves in a wrestling ring. Lydia was all red with boxing gloves of the same color and Snow White was blue, also with gloves.

"Ooh!" Cwryen shrieked. "I love this game!"

She raced to the corner of the ring and pressed the giant buttons, causing Lydia to punch Snow White in the face.

"Hey!" the latter cried.

"Sorry! I can't control it!"

"Cwryen!" Tatum squealed in terror.

She jumped into the ring and tried to tug her sister out of the way, but she was stuck in place.

"Oh yeah!" the Frost Giant cheered. "Loki is back, baby!"

Vahl made a charge for him, only to have her feet turned into paper.

"Quit it!" she screamed, collapsing to the floor.

Alyssa, Regina Mills and Boise had heard the commotion and gasped as they entered the main hall.

"What in the...?" Alyssa exclaimed. "Loki!"

"Why, hello there, Alyssa" the Frost Giant waved. "Come to join the party?"

He yelped as Regina Mills bit his leg.

"You leave my friends alone!" she yelled through her teeth.

"Hey, get off!" he commanded, jumping into the air and trying to shake her off. "Why you little..."

He then had an idea and snapped his fingers, causing Regina Mills' cutie mark to disappear.

"Hey, I just got that!" she cried.

She realized too late that in saying that, she had let go of Loki's leg. She screamed as she fell to the ground. Madisyn, who had been sitting on the sideline, heard this scream and shook out of her trance.

"Regina Mills?"

She gasped as she saw the child plummeting to her doom. Alyssa rushed to catch her.

"Don't worry, Regina Mills! I gotcha!"

She didn't have to, for Madisyn jumped into a nosedive and swept the child into her arms before she hit the marble floor.

"Madisyn, you're back!" Vahl exclaimed.

"What happened?" the marcher asked as she set Regina Mills down.

Then she gazed at her surroundings, mortified. Regina Mills was a blank flank, Snow White and Lydia had become a giant version of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Humans, Nichole was glued to a stool in the corner, and Vahl looked like a bad Halloween costume. Madisyn turned to Loki, who was shocked at seeing her awake.

"What..." she stammered. "What's going on?"

The Frost Giant desperately threw up his hands. "Sweetheart, I can explain..."

"You...you cast a spell on me?"

He bit his lip. "Well...maybe...a little?"

She flew up to his face. "I trusted you! I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend!"

"Yet you broke your promise!" She gestured toward the mess he had created. "You said you wouldn't do this anymore!"

"Technically, I didn't break any promise. I said I would confine my magic within the bounds of the property bestowed upon me. And oh, would you look at that? We're in that property right now!"

"But you cast a spell on me!" she shouted angrily. "I can't believe you tried to trick me into loving you!"

"Well, it didn't work, obviously! I mean you...how did you...? You broke my spell...without magic." He looked at her with admiration. "For some reason, that makes me even more attracted to you!"

He moved his hand to her face, only to have it slapped away. "Seriously? After tricking me and what you did to my friends, you still expect me to like you?!" She shook her head. "I was right about you all along. You are a monster!"

The last word pierced his heart like a sword. "Darling, please..."

She crossed her arms and turned away from him. "Don't call me that!"

At that moment, something inside the Frost Giant snapped. He gritted his teeth at the marcher.

"So I'm a monster, huh?" he growled. "So be it, then. But you're still mine!"

Madisyn screamed as a rope rapidly snaked around her body, tying her to a chair. The chair flew into the corner opposite Nichole Price.

"Madisyn!" everyone cried.

"Loki, let me go!" the tan marcher demanded, attempting to struggle out of the rope.

The Frost Giant chuckled darkly, running a finger under her chin. "So sorry to have to do this to you, my dear, but it's as you said. You have no say in the matter."

He recoiled as a piece of wood hit him on the back of the head. It was a leg of the stool that had trapped Nichole Price, who was now hovering above with said stool still stuck to her rear. The leg, however, had been thrown by Alyssa.

"You get away from her, ya varmint!"

Loki rolled his eyes. "Do you mind? I'm in the middle of a conversation here!"

He snapped his fingers, transforming Alyssa into a giant box of actual Apple Jacks. Regina Mills shrieked.

"That does it! Pickin' on my friends and takin' my cutie mark is one thing, but no one, I repeat, NO ONE TOUCHES MY SISTER!"

Loki only yawned and snapped his fingers again. Suddenly, Snow White and Lydia were back to their normal selves, but tied up with Regina Mills.

"Hey, what gives?" Lydia demanded.

"Oh Madisyn," the Frost Giant said in a singsong voice. "How do three kids sound to you?"

"You're crazy!"Regina Mills shouted.

"Oh shut up."

He zipped all their mouths closed.

"You beast!" Tatum cried, charging towards him.

With another snap of his fingers, the princess's hair turned green. He made a mirror appear in front of her so she could see.

"Ah!" she screamed. "Not again!"

"Hey!" Cwryen cried, finally pulling away from the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em game. "Leave her alone!"

In a flash, Cwryen got a new hairdo as well, her cotton candy-colored hair now actual cotton candy. She yelped at first, but then chewed on a piece.

"Mmm," she said.

"Cwryen, stop eating your hair and help me take this punk down!" Nichole commanded, darting her eyes at Loki. "I ought to press you into jerk cider!"

Another snap of the fingers caused cider to dump onto her head. Then with a laugh, Loki stuffed her into a cider mug.

"Loki, stop it!" Madisyn pleaded. "Why are you doing this?"

"Isn't it obvious, my dear?" he smirked, lowering his head toward her. "I'm teaching these humans a lesson on what happens when they mess with the God of Mischief!"

He reached out his hand and caressed her face, only to have her jerk her head away.

"What do you want from me?" she demanded, her eyes tearing up.

"You," he whispered lowly. "I want you to be my Goddess of Mischief."

"No! Never!"

"Have it your way, then."

He gathered the remaining humans and Boise into the wrestling ring, steel walls rising high above them. Loki teleported himself and Madisyn over the group as the walls started closing in on them. Nichole Price was still stuck in the mug and Vahl's legs were still paper, making it impossible for them to escape. Madisyn could not take it anymore. Loki starts to sing. "My dearest Madisyn, you know that I'm mischief itself of my power I am justly proud. My dearest Madisyn, you know that love is Pride, the kind of magic
I am not allowed. Then tell me, Madisyn. Why you always haunt my dreams. Why your gentle eyes burn through my soul. I want you, I need you. The sun caught in your brown hair, enchants me in a way I can't control. Like mischief, your marcherness is driving me insane. Your beauty and fineness are causing me such pain." Said Loki. "You're really sick, you know that?" Asked Nichole. "It's not my fault." Said Loki. "You monster!" Said Vahl. "I'm not to blame." Said Loki. "You beast!" Said Tatum. "Yet I should've known, you women are all the same." Said Loki.
"You big bully!" Said The CMC. "It's not my fault." Said Loki. "Let her go!" Said Alyssa. "We had a deal." Said Loki. "Dumb meanie!" Said Cwryen. "The moment she put on my ring, her fate was sealed. Forgive me, my dearest. I hate to see you sad like this. Don't think that you are forced to be my bride. Just say that you love me. So we'll live in eternal bliss and rule the realm together, side by side." Said Loki.
"No!  Stop it, Loki!  You can't win my heart like this!" Said Madisyn. "What?" Asked Loki. "You're as evil as they say.  I'll never be yours." Said Madisyn. "But Madisyn, I-I love you!" Said Loki. "You have a funny way of showing it." Said Madisyn. "I'll have you!  I'll have you even if I have to destroy all your friends! With marcherness, you'll cherish and honor me each day!" Said Loki. "The walls are closing in!" Said Cwryen. "Choose me or they perish.
Be mine or your friends pay!" Said Loki.  "Please have mercy on them.
Please have mercy on me." Said Madisyn. "But you will be mine or they will..." Said Loki. "STOP!" Yelled Madisyn.

"No, please! Stop! Don't hurt them! I'll..." she hung her head. "I'll do anything."

Loki cupped his ear. "What was that? Didn't hear you over the screaming humans."

"I'll do anything!" she shouted.

He gave her a sly grin. "Anything?"

She breathed. "It's me you want! Leave them out of it!"

"No, Madisyn!" Vahl called. "Don't do it!"

"It's the only way, Vahl!" She turned back to the Frost Giant. "I'll marry you. I'll be your wife, your Goddess, and I will never resist you again. I will do whatever you want, and I won't fight against it. Everything will be exactly the way you want, if you would just spare them, please! Cross my heart and hope to march, stick a wire in my eye."

"No!" Cwryen cried. "Not the Cwryen Promise!"

"Please! Just leave them alone!"

Loki stared at her, searching for any sign of trickery, but found none. He chuckled throatily.

"That's better."

He snapped his fingers, stopping the walls from moving and undoing the rope.

"Although," he said, stroking his chin. "I need some sort of proof that you will hold to your word."

"How am I...?" Madisyn started to say, but he stopped her as he lifted her chin.

"How about another kiss?"

"Another kiss?!" Nichole exclaimed.

The tan marcher was frozen in place and would have fallen had Loki not wrapped his arms around her.

"I...in front of...?"

"Ah-ah-ah," he waggled his finger at her. "You said you wouldn't resist."

Defeated, she closed her eyes as he leaned towards her. Down below, the humans were trying to free Nichole Price, Vahl and Tatum pulling on the mug, Cwryen pulling on the marcher's head. Just as Loki's lips were inches away from Madisyn's, the mug came off with a pop, causing Nichole to land on Cwryen. She quickly recovered and darted upward.

"Don't you dare touch her!" she shouted.

Loki moved away from his prize and narrowed his eyes at Nichole. "You know, I've had just about enough of you meddlesome humans!"

He raised his glowing hand, ready to strike. Madisyn gasped.

"Nichole, Loki, don't!"

But neither of them stopped what they were doing. Promise or no promise, she could not let her friend get hurt. Without a second thought, she pushed Nichole out of the way of Loki's blow. Madisyn cried out as she was thrown across the room and smashed against the wall. Loki gasped when he saw who he had struck.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no!" he muttered.

He rushed to his beloved as she slid to the floor.

"Madisyn, are you...?"

He trailed off when he heard a sob. Oh darn. Please, no! He knelt down to her.

"Please don't cry, please! Madisyn, I didn't...I didn't mean..."

She moved her hands away from her face, revealing her big, tear filled eyes. The look she gave him, this look filled with so much fear and horror, killed him.

"Madisyn, don't look at me that way..."

He reached his hand towards her. She flinched and hid her face again, curling into a shivering ball, but the look she had given him still lingered. He gazed down at her and then at his hands.

"What have I done?" he said under his breath.

His anger had driven him so far that he had hurt the only thing he had ever loved, after swearing otherwise. He knew from that look that what he had done was unforgivable. She would never love him now. Even if she did marry him, she would never look at him the same way, nor smile for him ever again and would be miserable for the rest of her days.

He looked at his beloved Madisyn as she burst into tears. He wanted her more than anything in the world, but not like this.

Loki turned away from her and hung his head. A light emitted from his chest, restoring the humans to their normal selves and releasing them from their prisons. The three children rushed to embrace their sisters. Madisyn looked up from her hands, surprised and confused. The Frost Giant walked sadly to the farthest corner of the room and sat down.

"Get out," he grunted.

The humans did not argue and raced out the door. Madisyn rose and cautiously approached Loki.

"That includes you."

She stopped in her tracks. "What?"

She looked down as the ring vanished from around her finger.

"I release you," he said without turning around. "You're no longer bound to me."

Madisyn was more confused than ever. "You're...you're letting me go?"

"Yes! Now go! Before I change my mind."

"But...Loki, I..."

"Are you deaf?!" he bellowed, whirling his head around angrily. "I said go!"

She squeaked and ran to the door, seeing Alyssa waiting for her. In the blast, the castle had returned to the ground and the force field had diminished, making it easy for them all to leave. Before she crossed the bridge, she remembered her animals and went back for them. She told them she would explain everything later, but they had to leave now. Once they were on the other side of the gorge, Madisyn looked back at the castle. Her head told her to run as far away from the place as possible, but her heart compelled her to stay.

"Madisyn, come on!" Vahl shouted from ahead.

"I'm coming!" Madisyn called back.

She glanced at the castle one last time and then went after her friends. She did not see the Frost Giant in the tower window.

Loki watched her go until she was out of sight. He buried his face in his hands. The nord's words made sense now. He could not keep her locked in this castle forever. He loved her too much. That's why he had let her go.

He was a fool to believe that she could ever be happy with him, for who could ever love a monster?