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Loki swallowed. He had intended to wait to solve the mystery of the slave girl until the issue with Harokin was resolved. But now, staring into her pain filled face he couldn't shake the belief that they were somehow connected. He looked from her to the maps. 

"Kenna," he began, uncertain how to broach the subject without scaring her further. "What do you remember of how you came to be in Asgard?" 

Kenna shook her head, her eyes were still wide and fearful. "Nothing," she replied automatically. "...and yet...." she looked back down at the maps. 

"What of the tea?" Loki pressed. "And the healing herbs? Your herb lore in general...where did you learn that? You grew up in Alfheim, remember-" 

Kenna opened her mouth to respond but then she fell forward, bending at the waist and clutching at her temples with her fists. Instead of speaking as she had intended her mouth opened in a silent scream. 

Loki reached forward and caught her by the shoulders. His fingers brushed against the collar and a zing of pain radiated through his entire body sending him stumbling away from her.

Kenna's eyes were wide with terror as she stared at him. "Prince Loki I'm so sorry! I don't know-" 

Loki pushed himself up off the desk and walked towards her slowly. "Kenna," he said her name in a low gentle voice holding his hands out in front of him so she could see he meant her no harm. "Let me help you," he implored. 

"What will you do?" she asked, drawing back from him. 

"If you grant me permission, I think...I might be able to help you get our memories back." 

"My memories?" she asked in confusion and Loki could see with every moment that went by even the memory of the pain that had robbed her of when she had tried to remember was fleeting. Whoever had crafted this spell was incredibly powerful. 

"Trust me," he commanded, though he had a moment to doubt whether he would be powerful enough to disrupt such a spell. 

Kenna nodded slowly. She reached up and touched her cheeks, uncertain why there were tears there. How many times had she woken, uncertain why she was crying. 

Loki stepped up in front of her. Her wide black eyes were staring at the ground at his feet. The magic he was already expending to shield them would make this difficult. He had practice dividing his focus but not when he was this exhausted. He could drop the shield, but then Hiemdall would be free to look upon them. Whoever chose to lay this magic upon the small slave must have had good reason and was someone of immense power. 

He stepped up even closer to her. He drew in a deep breath, preparing himself. He grabbed the collar in both hands. Power surged up his arms and it felt like he was holding onto a bolt of lightning. Sweat beaded on his brow as he fought against the magic. His hands shook with the desire to let go of the burning metal. He poured every last piece of his magic down his hands and opened it. The collar clicked and suddenly it was just a piece of bronze in his hands. 

He stared down at it in surprise. He turned it over in his palms. But there was no magic left. It was simply a slave collar. He swiped a hand across his face and exhaled heavily. Whoever crafted that was powerful indeed. He could only think of a handful of magic users who might manage. As he shook off the remaining tingle of magic he narrowed it down even further. Perhaps two or three but there had been no clear signature to the magic. 

Kenna was watching him, a guarded look on her face. Her black eyes were staring openly at Loki's face. Her brow wrinkled in confusion. She opened her mouth to speak and then she pinched her eyes closed. A shudder ran through her small form. 

Loki reached out and touched her arm. "Kenna?" he asked uncertainly. There was no zing of magic this time, just warm skin beneath his hand. 

Her midnight eyes snapped open. Tears brimmed her eyes. "What is happening?" 

"Do you know where you are?" he asked cautiously. The amount of magic in that collar had been containing something. He had a sudden moment of uncertainty, wondering what he may have unleashed. 

Kenna looked even more confused for a moment. "Of course," she replied as though it were the most ridiculous question she had ever heard. 

Loki nodded slowly, but he watched the slave warily, trying to see what had changed. There was a slightly different set to her shoulders, and her chin was lifted ever so slightly higher than her normal submissive posture. Loki pressed his lips together as he slid the maps closer to her. "Kenna?" he asked. 

She met his eyes, which was a first. Then she followed his gaze down to the map laying between them. She opened her mouth to tell him she still couldn't remember, but then with trembling fingers she reached out to touch the smooth parchment. 

Kenna was drowning in memories. She remembered her father forcing her to study the maps for hours, studying them until she was able to draw them from memory. She remembered him explaining to her the secret places and paths between realms. It was the knowledge of the elves. Knowledge that had been kept safe and guarded from the other warring races. And yet, when her father had gone to war, he had used them and they still perished.

Her father....her father...she remembered her father. As she turned to the time before Asgard. Before she was a slave, her mind was flooded with memories and images all coming too fast. She jerked her hand away from the maps and covered her mouth. Tears burned the backs of her eyes but she sunk her teeth into her lip, refusing to let them fall. She would not cry in front of an Asgardian, she would not show him weakness. 

"Kenna?" Loki's soft voice called her back from the tide of memory. 

She blinked up at him and then looked back down at the maps. She was here for a reason. She had agreed to help the Prince of Asgard. She had agreed to help save Asgard. She swallowed. "I remember," she told him. She reached for a quill with a slight tremble to her hands. 

Loki frowned down at Kenna. She had taken up a quill and begun to draw in the edges of the maps. He watched as she slid it over the paper, her eyes were hooded in concentration and she was quietly murmuring words in Elvish. She hesitated over one spot for a moment, biting her bottom lip. She glanced up and noticed him watching her. She tightened her grip on the pen and looked down at the paper.

"Staring me down isn't going to help me remember any faster," Kenna muttered under her breath in elvish. That impish glimmer was back in her eyes. 

Loki snorted and shook his head in amusement. Part of him was relieved to see the change hadn't been drastic. But there were changes. He wanted to ask about them, but her eyes suddenly widened as she realized he understood her. 

Loki smirked. "Allspeak," he reminded her in a teasing tone. Then he switched to elvish. "I am also fluent in several dialects of elvish."

A pleased smile tugged at the corner of her lips and she looked back down at the paper in her hands. "It's nice to hear another speak Elvish," she confided. Then she paused and replayed the whole interacted through her head. "I mean...I'm sorry Prince Loki, I shouldn't have been so familiar, I-"

Loki waved her off, but his dismissal seemed to make her even more uncomfortable. Loki cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the maps. He could practically feel the tension radiating off of Kenna.

"The collar seemed to have suppressed some memories," he said carefully trying not to look directly at her as he spoke. They were going to need to discuss what had happened. Whether unjust or not, the memories had been suppressed for a reason. 

Kenna pressed her lips together as she continued to work, drawing the quill across the parchment in sure, practiced lines. "It-" she started to say and she shook her head. 

"What?" 

She just shook her head, refusing to look up at him. She didn't know how to put into words what the collar did, what it took from her. Saying it simply took her memories was not enough. It felt like it took who she was, memories and experiences had shaped her. It was confusing as the old memories blended with the new and a throb started behind her eyes. 

Loki cleared his throat uncertain how to make her feel more at ease. "Where did you learn this?" he asked nonchalantly, resting his hip against the table and crossing his arms over his chest. 

"My father," she replied without thinking. 

"Who was your father, that he would know the places between the realms?" Loki asked trying to encourage her to keep speaking with him. His question however seemed to have the exact opposite effect. He assumed her father was some kind of scout or spy, someone with strong military ties.

Kenna looked up at Loki in surprise. She had assumed everyone in the palace knew. Assumed all of the royals had a good laugh over being served by the enslaved heir to the throne of Alfheim, but the sincere look on the prince's face made her think otherwise. While Odin and Frigga certainly knew, she didn't think the youngest prince did. 

"Um...no one important," she lied turning back to the paper in front of her. It didn't matter anymore and she didn't want to answer his inevitable questions.

Loki frowned down at her. "Do you know who I am?" he asked, a challenging light in his emerald eyes.

Kenna looked up at him and her eyes widened to see him leaning towards her a mischievous glimmer shinning in his eyes. Even though it chaffed, she hunched her shoulders in a submissive pose. "You are the Prince of Asgard," she said in a low, voice.

"I am that," Loki allowed, taking a step closer to her. "What else am I?" he asked his voice carefully neutral. This was the first time she had behaved like a slave since he removed the collar. He realized his stature alone could be intimidating and he didn't want to scare her, just get her to think.

Kenna frowned down at her feet, uncertain what the prince wanted from her. She opened her mouth to respond but bit back the answer that was on the tip of her tongue. If it wasn't what he was looking for she stood a real chance of offending him and she could already barely contain the simmering rage the felt like a fever beneath her skin. 

An amused light appeared in Loki's eyes. "Come now," he teased, watching so many unnamed emotions flicker across the elf's face. There was so much more to her, and he hated that she attempted to hide them. "I have read Light Elves have a gift for naming," he pressed cruelly, knowing full well it wasn't fair to bring up her fallen race. 

Kenna pinched her lips together as the prince managed to rile her past sense once more. "The God of Mischief," she snapped back candidly.

Loki flashed a smile that looked like the cat that caught the canary. "What else?" he pushed.

Kenna stared back at the prince. His emerald eyes were shining as he smirked at her. She wondered if he had dropped his voice an octave on purpose. She felt like she was caught, unable to look away. It wasn't as though there were ugly Asgardians, but there were something about the Prince that drew her attention and made her not want to look away. 

She licked her lips and his eyes followed the motion an amused light glinting in them. "Lies and illusion," she whispered and she wondered if somehow this strange attraction was tied to his magic. It had to be. He had just used his magic on her to free her of the collar, it would stand to reason there would be some side effects. She could never be attracted to an Asgardian. Not after what they did to her. 

Loki smirked proudly and dipped his chin as though he were bowing. "True enough," he responded. Then his face fell into a serious expression. "That being said, do not for a second believe you can ever lie to me," he warned seriously. "If you do not wish to discuss your past that is fine, all you need do is say so," he assured her sincerely. Then he turned his attention back to the paper in her hand and waited for her to continue.

Kenna blinked, taken aback the prince was able to tell she had lied and that he was so willing to move on with her not having answered his question. That he would show such consideration and respect for one so far below his station was surprising.

When Kenna didn't immediately return to the map Loki glanced back up at her. She was studying him with a peculiar expression on her face, as though she couldn't quite figure him out. It made him feel better to know he could baffle the elf as much as she baffled him.

When he met her gaze she quickly looked back down at the map in her hand. She leaned over the table resting on her forearms and began to move her pen once more, mumbling softly under her breath. Her hair hung forward, shielding her face from him.

Kenna grit her teeth against the memories that surged. She had done this so many times with her mother and father standing over her, correcting every mistake. Her elder sisters had always been better at this than her, they were much more attentive to their studies. She couldn't help the burning in the backs of her eyes as she remembered her father telling her that one day she would be grateful for the knowledge and he only hoped he was still alive for her to thank. But he wasn't. No one was. She swallowed thickly, surprised that even after all this time their deaths could affect her so. Though being unable to properly remember as time passed it felt as fresh to her as the day it happened. 

It took Kenna nearly an hour to remember everything and once she was certain she had control of her expression she brushed her hair back and looked up to see the Prince watching her attentively. Kenna held out the piece of parchment, the ink still wet. "You have to swear to me to destroy that map once we are done."

Loki nodded at first and then hesitated, looking up at Kenna. "We?" he asked in surprise.

Kenna studied the Prince's face. Perhaps she had misjudged, perhaps Loki would not want her to accompany him. "Things may have changed, a lot of time has passed since I have been there. If I accompany you I can bring you through on this side as well as help you find your way once in Alfheim."

Loki studied the elf's face. "It could be dangerous," he said carefully.

Kenna lifted her chin defiantly her dark eyes were set and determined. Loki couldn't help the pleased light that shone in his eyes as he regarded this side of her that somehow the magic seemed to suppress and hide from everyone.

"I am no coward, I assure you," she promised him.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he assured her. Then he frowned at her, suddenly serious. "If we are caught, you could be regarded as a runaway slave...and punished as such," he said in a low voice. His fists clenched of their own accord at just the thought of her being delivered to the dungeon master for punishment. He would not see the small woman whipped for helping him. "It is not something we should risk."

Kenna shook her head, she would not leave the prince to do this alone. "And you will be guilty of treason," she said firmly. "This is not just our lives we are talking about. If you are right..." she looked back down at the maps laid out before them. "All of Asgard will pay the price if we do nothing."

Loki sighed, she was right. Though he didn't like the idea. He had yet to find time to do further research on light elves. The protective swell in his chest had to come from somewhere. He disliked that he didn't understand the motivation behind the unsettling feeling.

Kenna nodded to the Prince her jaw set determinedly. "When do we leave?"

"As soon as possible," Loki responded then he frowned. He was nearing exhaustion, as much as he hated to admit it he would have to rest before they left. "But not tonight," he finally said pressing his lips together grimly.

Kenna looked from him back to the papers strewn across the table. "When should I be ready?"

Prince Loki frowned and she could tell he didn't like waiting. "We should leave before dawn," Loki said.

Kenn nodded and lifted her eyes to meet his. "How will we explain away our absences?"

Loki chewed on his lip and for a moment he looked boyish and young. "I'll handle it," he promised. "I'll send word that I sent you out to gather plants with specific properties for the garden from the outer villages. You won't be missed."

"What about you?"

"I'll think of something," he assured her but she could see the lie in his eyes. While he would be able to cover for her he would be punished for shirking his responsibilities.

Kenna swallowed thickly as she looked up at Loki. He had turned away and dropped his eyes to the ground. "You should get some sleep," he said in a low voice, though he didn't look as though he planned on leaving himself. "Tomorrow will come early."

She turned to go, but he reached out to stop her. She caught the movement of his hand out of the corner of her eye and she flinched away from him. Hazy memories of pain flickered at the corners of her mind. 

Loki froze and she saw shock and hurt flicker through his eyes before he schooled his expression. He lowered his hand slowly, so he wouldn't scare her further. "You should stay here," he said, motioning behind him. "We can't have Eir or Cook sending you off on one of their errands," he explained quickly, not wanting her to think he was attempting to seduce her. He was not like his brother or the warriors three, he had never once taken a servant to his bed. He certainly wouldn't start with a slave incapable of saying no.

Kenna glanced around the library thoughtfully uncertain where she could sleep. She needed some space and wanted to be alone with her thoughts and the ever sifting memories she had yet to sort through. She moved away from the Prince towards the back of the stacks where she could be alone.

Loki was staring down at the maps, though he didn't see anything. His thoughts were on the small woman whose quiet movements were echoing through the silent room. After a few moments he realized she had headed into the stacks. There was nothing back there aside from books, he hadn't even lit the torches. She was probably cold. He himself was never cold so he never lit the fires in the library.

Finally resolving himself to being unable to focus he turned and scooped up one of the many throws his mother had the servants artfully arrange. He came around the corner to find her lying on the ground in the fetal position, her arms wrapped around herself. He had thought he was moving silently but she lifted her gaze to meet his nonetheless. It made him wonder if elves senses were more heightened than an Asgardian's. He had so many questions. 

Kenna's eyes flickered over him, taking in the blanket he carried in one hand. She frowned suspiciously at him. He held his arms out, to reassure her he meant her no harm.

Kenna watched the prince warily, unclear of his intentions.

"You don't need to sleep back here," he told her. The suspicion on her face didn't abate however, if anything the line between her eyebrows deepened. He made a noise in the back of his throat and crouched down so he wouldn't tower over her. "Come sleep on one of the chaise, I will turn down the lamps." He promised her.

She shook her head. "If anyone-"

Loki looked down at her patiently. "I will make sure you are not found," he promised her.

She sat up, pulling her legs to her chest. It was cold back here, and the marble floor was not something she would be able to easily sleep upon, but there was a piece of her that was certain trusting the Prince would be a mistake. A small piece of her brain was telling her it was safer back here in the dark. But there were memories echoing in the dark. Memories the collar had protected her from. Waking up in a strange place, in the dark only to learn that her family, friends, her entire race had been wiped out. That she may very well be the last of her kind. That the man who her father had entrusted with her safety had betrayed him. That she was a slave.

Loki drew in a slow, deep breath. Somehow no matter what he did he was continuing to frighten her. "Kenna," he finally said firmly then he waited for her to look at him.

She lifted her eyes to meet his.

"I won't do anything to hurt you," he said. "I swear it. You are safe with me," he promised and he reached out and touched her elbow gently. She stiffened but didn't pull away. "You don't have to do anything you don't want," he continued. He was seemed to be getting through to her, the fear in her eyes was giving way to exhaustion. "Please," he said again. "You've been through a lot today. You will need your rest before tomorrow."

Finally, Kenna relented. Loki had done nothing to hurt her, it was all just phantom memories in her mind. She followed the prince back into the main room where he motioned her towards one of the ornate chaise. She glanced warily at the prince before laying down, resting her head on one of the feather pillows. She stifled the groan of contentment that threatened to surge up her throat. She had been denied luxuries of this nature for so long. Loki was watching her, a faintly amused look on his face. When she met his eyes he shifted uncomfortably and looked away.

"Here," he said, holding out the blanket he had brought her.

She took it gratefully, spreading it over her legs and drawing it up around her shoulders. It was designed for a much larger Asgardian, so it more than covered her.

Loki didn't allow himself to sleep until he was sure Kenna was sleeping. He had things to acquire for their journey and not much time for preparation. Part of him wished he could confide in his brother. Having Thor along would make this endeavor far less risky and that much easier. But Kenna was right, this was treason, and he couldn't drag Thor into that. He had no doubt Thor wouldn't hesitate, but where would that leave their father? And if they did find Harokin, would his brother be able to set aside his desire for battle long enough to return to Asgard without engaging the enemy? He doubted it. No, this was something he would have to do alone.

Once everything was prepared he laid down as comfortably as he could on another chaise. While the small elf was able to curl up comfortably, the fashionable but wholly uncomfortable chairs were unable to accommodate his much longer frame. After several hours of tossing and turning through sporadic sleep Loki finally resigned himself to rising. He only hoped it had been enough for him to make it through this journey.

The bells rang out over the sleeping city, sounding three chimes. He stepped over to where Kenna slept. She had pulled the blanket up around her so only a small amount of her face was visible. He wondered if light elves were more sensitive to the cold. He felt badly for not knowing more about her and her people. He would have to remedy that.

Loki laid a gentle hand on her arm and she jerked awake, already attempting to draw away from him. "It's time to go." He said, trying not to take Kenna's reaction personally. He didn't know what she had been through in the past.

Kenna nodded sleepily, though it only took seconds for her adrenaline to kick in as she realized they were leaving. She climbed quickly to her feet. She straightened her dress as best she could and ran a hand through her hair.

Loki watched her fidget nervously. "You know you don't have to come," Loki said. "I can do this myself."

Kenna lifted her chin. "We can't leave this up to chance. Nor will I be responsible for the prince of Asgard being somehow lost or trapped in Alfheim. Not after what you did for me. I owe you."

Loki nodded thoughtfully for a moment, trying to see if there was anything he was forgetting. "All right," he said, he cast the spell over them and he opened the door. The two of them walked out together. "I don't know how far you can get from me," he said in a low voice. "So stay close."

Kenna only nodded. Her throat was tight and it felt strange walking side by side with the Prince. The minimum punishment for a runaway slave was fifty lashes and imprisonment. She shook her head and lifted her chin. She couldn't let her fear blind her to something this important. She was the daughter of Ljosalfar and she would not show fear. 

Loki watched Kenna out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't just her posture that had changed, the entire way she moved had been adapted. Where she was once clumsy and unsure she glided silently beside him. She moved with the fluid grace of a predator. He bit back the smirk that threatened to pull at the corner of his lips. What had he turned loose indeed. 

Kenna slowed as they came out of the residential wing. She could hear footsteps coming their way. She glanced at Loki but he hadn't yet heard them. She touched his forearm, slowing him and pointed ahead of them and then to her ear. He nodded in understanding but continued. Loki's hands were loose at his side, but she saw him snap one out towards whomever was approaching. There was a loud crash and muffled swearing.

Loki's other hand gestured towards her and while she didn't feel anything she and Loki appeared as though they were palace guards. She stretched her legs to match her stride to his military one and when they came around the corner she saw an intoxicated Volstagg lamenting over a spilled tray he appeared to be sneaking up from the kitchens. Kenna half expected the renown warrior to recognize them somehow, but when they turned down another corridor Loki allowed the illusion to fall away revealing a smirk.

"You enjoyed this far too much," she said in a low voice. Then she stopped and nearly bit her own tongue. She shouldn't be so familiar with him. She was a slave. 

Loki only flashed her a boyish smile. "What's life without a bit of mischief?"

Loki appeared to be having the time of his life. He opened several locked doors with a wave of his hand and led the way down through the back cellars to the docks. It appeared to be the place where deliveries were made to the kitchens. There were several boats tied up and Loki led the way to the furthest. He climbed in ahead of her and turned back, offering his hand to help her in.

She hesitated for only a moment before she placed her hand in his much larger one. He smirked at her and helped her climb onto the boat as though she were a lady of the court. She settled into the bow, gazing out across swirling waves. Loki stepped up to the controls and soon they were racing off across the dark sea.

Kenna's hair whipped around her and she quickly braided it back so it would stay out of her face. She turned into the wind, closed her eyes and breathed deeply the smell of the sea. Never had she felt more free. The wind blew around them, sending spray up into her face. It reminded her of the seas of her homeland. 

Loki tried not to stare at the look of bliss on the small elf's face. He had never seen her look so at peace, not even among her plants. She grinned when the boat bounced over a small wave, sending water crashing up the side. Unable to help himself he turned the boat into a large wave sending it airborne for a moment before it went skittering across the water. Kenna giggled in pure joy and it made something in his chest tighten. He had done this, brought her this joy. She turned laughing eyes back to him and he couldn't help the smile the tugged at his face despite what they faced.

"A bit of mischief indeed," she called back loudly, to be heard over boat and the roar of the sea. Even from here he could hear the smile in her voice.

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Hi guys! Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you are enjoying the story! Please comment/vote. I love to hear your thoughts and impressions as you read. It keeps me writing! Thanks!