A thought crossed Kat's mind as she sparred with Thor. She made the time-out gesture and backed up. 

"What? Don't tell me you're tired already." Thor taunted.

"No, no, I just had a thought." Kat said, and looked around. Two mages happened to be passing by in one of the halls. "Patricia! Deehan!"

Patricia and Deehan looked up, momentarily ceasing their debate. Patricia, a short curly haired brunette was the first to respond. "Yes?"

"Have either of you seen my wife recently?" Kat asked.

"Wife?" The more muscular Deehan blinked, his own hair a lighter shade of brown than Patricia's.

"Well, I had a wife this morning." Kat replied. 

Deehan smiled. "Saw her on her way to the healer's wing. Didn't seem to be a problem though."

"Don't you two usually just tele?" Patricia asked.

"Wanna surprise her." Kat answered. "Thanks for the info!"

The two mages shook their heads and waved, before continuing on.

"Does the soulbond make it harder or easier to mess with Loki?" Thor asked.

Kat shrugged. "Guess I'm about to find out, huh?"

"Don't cause a ruckus in the healer's wing." Thor called out as she began to jog off.

"I would never!" Kat grinned back before disappearing from view.

The people of Asgard were still getting used to the idea that Katha was Roman. But their enthusiasm with the soulbond and the alliance made up for their wariness. Thor noticed when the looks lasted a little too long on the golden wreath upon Katha's brow. He wouldn't pretend that it didn't make him slightly uneasy, but logically he knew the wariness would fade, and would turn to trust. After all, the celebrations were due to begin tomorrow. It was too early to be worried.

When Kat approached the healer's wing, she tried out a new technique with her power. Using her domain and invisibility felt a little overkill for stealth, but against Loki it would be necessary. As would another trick she'd been practicing: Hiding her magical aura. It took great concentration and effort, and only skilled magicians could do it.

Kat was lucky Frigga had been teaching her so thoroughly. Of course, Kat was grateful that her mother-in-law took the time to do so. But it also had Kat wondering what the Allmother was giving up to take the time to teach her. And part of her wondered why. He couldn't just be because she was soulbonded to Loki. Frigga had been teaching her since she arrived.

Anyway, spatial manipulation was very interesting. For other magicians, it was incredibly difficult, and often had disastrous consequences if done recklessly. For Kat, it was ridiculously easy once she got the hang of it. After all, it was basically her domain. As soon as she found the link that connected what she wanted to do to 'between', her power answered the call.

So Katha crept into the healer's wing, distorting the space around her and hiding her aura, to make her power and presence practically invisible. She put a physical invisibility spell into place just to be sure. It was definitely a lot of magic, and she would be taking a good long rest later before doing any more magic. Because it was exhausting.

It was worth it, however, to sneak up behind Loki. She had to manipulate the space below her so that she would be tall enough to set her chin on Loki's shoulder, and wrapped her arms around Loki's waist.

"Boo." Kat said, letting go of her invisibility and hidden aura, and only using the spatial manipulation to continue floating.

Loki jumped impressively, before recognizing her wife. "By the- How did you manage that?"

Kat dropped to the ground, and instead made herself comfortable under one of Loki's arms. "Ask your mom. She taught me the technique."

Loki looked questioningly to Frigga. "What did you teach her?"

"Spatial manipulation. Only the basic idea of it all, though. How she goes about it is unique to her domain." Frigga said warmly. "I see you have also been practicing hiding your aura."

Kat nodded. "Man, it's exhausting. I'm gonna have to take a nap later."

"Preferably not in the lounge." Loki said, recalling an incident two days prior.

"Yeah, sure. Don't really see a problem there, but if you say so." Kat shrugged.

When gods expended a great deal of power, 'sleeping' tended to help replenish their energy much faster than it otherwise would, but sleep itself was not necessary. In Loki and Katha's case, Kat found that she actually needed to sleep. And Loki needed less sleep. Part of the soulbond, Frigga had said. 

But Kat wasn't used to sleeping at all, and hence it slipped her mind that she needed to until she had already fallen asleep. Loki had realized that he needed to take her with him when he went to bed, just to make sure she got some sleep in. Otherwise, like the incident that had happened a few days ago, someone would be looking for her and she wouldn't be found. She'd also be vulnerable, and Loki didn't like that much.

"You will be up for the festivities, won't you?" Loki asked, looking down at her wife. She could tell that Kat was more tired than Loki could ever recall her being before. Perks of the soulbond; you are much more connected to your bonded than other magic allows.

"Yeah. I'm not that out of it." Kat said. "By the way, what should I wear?"

"Well," Frigga smiled. "Loki and I were just discussing attire. She told me that you will wear dresses, but prefer shorter ones?"

"Less tripping, less death." Kat said.

"I do suggest that if you have any secret adventuring to do, you do so today." Frigga nodded, and wrote down a little note. "Nothing too extreme, just a quiet respite."

Kat poked Loki's side, causing the taller woman to look down. "I did have an idea."

"Oh? Do tell." Loki quirked an eyebrow.

"Do you know of any hidden little meadows or something? Like, surrounded by trees? Away from other people?" Kat asked.

"I do." Loki answered. "Why do you ask?"

Kat smirked. "I guess I'll just have to surprise you, huh?"

~~~~~~

Behind Loki on her horse, Katha admired the landscape as they passed through. Asgard was beautiful. Loki eventually left the path and began to lead the horse into the underbrush and trees. 

"Thor and I used to sneak out and come here when we were young." Loki said. "Especially on days where I wanted to be his sister. Here we could play without someone making comments."

"Thor's got his flaws." Kat said, "But he's also got his good points."

"He does." Loki agreed. "Sometimes it's difficult to remember that they are there, but he does have them."

"You've been really peaceful these past couple days." Kat commented.

"I've been happy these past days." Loki admitted, a soft smile on her lips.

Kat grinned.

"And you have been smiling brighter, if I haven't been seeing things." Loki added.

Kat laughed.

"I do believe my point has been made. I didn't even say anything funny." Loki said, smiling fully.

"I laughed because I smiled and then you said I was smiling more." Kat said.

"Either way, my point was made." Loki said. "We're here."

Loki led them into a relatively small clearing, surrounded by trees and thick underbrush. She stopped by a tree, and Kat expertly slid off the saddle. A moment later Loki followed, and hooked the reigns over the bough of a tree.

"It's pretty here." Kat said, admiring the hidden spot.

 "We'll have to visit again when it snows." Loki said. "Now, what was the surprise you were so excited for?"

"Well," Kat said. "I'm the Keeper of the Dog of War."

A smirk slowly grew on Loki's face as she realized where this was going.

"I wanna meet my doggo." Kat finished.

Loki summoned a quilt, and laid it over the grass before sitting on it herself. With her long legs stretched out in front of her, and crossed at the ankles, she gestured for Kat to continue.

Kat closed her eyes, and focused on her core. She looked for a part that was unfamiliar, that she hadn't yet labeled. She thought there would only be one that stood out, that it would be her sacred animal. Instead she found a different aspect, one that seemed more powerful and volatile. 

Kat left it alone. She didn't want to risk anything like that at the moment. Instead, she tried again to find something a little more dog-like. When she found it, she felt a warmth at her fingertips, and what could best be described as a release of pressure.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in front of a tank sized cane corso with raven colored fur. 

"Hey there, buddy." Kat said quietly. "Sorry it took so long to meet you."

The mastiff snorted, and began to take in the scents around her with caution.

"Yeah. We're not on Midgard- Earth. Dam it Loki, your Asgardian vocab is throwing me off." Kat said.

"You are the one who decided to come to Asgard with me." Loki replied.

The mastiff looked over to Loki, and tilted her head, before walking over toward the god and settling down in front of the quilt. The dog was still huge, even laying down. Loki raised an eyebrow at Katha.

Katha shrugged, and made her way over to sit down next to Loki. "So, what are we going to call you?" Kat asked her sacred animal.

"You mean you don't already know?" Loki asked.

"Not a clue." Kat said.

"Hm." 

"What about... Like, Fluffy?" 

"The three headed dog from that book?" Loki asked.

"Yeah. That one." Kat said, and the mastiff huffed.

"I don't think she approves." Loki said. "I think such an animal deserves a more impressive name."

"Okay. How about Fang?"

"Like the other dog?"

"Um, I guess." Kat said meekly.

"Hm. Blóðfang." Loki suggested.

The mastiff's ears perked up and she turned her eyes to regard Loki.

"What does that mean?" Kat asked.

"Blood fang." Loki answered, and Kat thought for a second before nodding.

"Is your name Blóðfang?" Loki asked the mastiff.

Blóðfang let loose a booming bark, and her tail smacked the grass enough to uproot some.

"Blóðfang it is." Kat said. 

A short while later, Loki conjured the Asgardian version of a giant Frisbee, and they took turns throwing it for Blóðfang to chase after. 

"Do you think I'll have to keep her hidden when we go back to the palace?" Kat asked.

"I don't know." Loki said, and Blóðfang dropped the Frisbee next to her. "Her size would make it difficult..."

Blóðfang tilted her head, and shrunk down to the size of a normal cane corso.

"You can do that?" Kat asked the mastiff, and Blóðfang simply wagged her tail.

"With new light shed upon the situation," Loki said, and made the Frisbee smaller before hurling it again with magic. "I do think she will be able to accompany us in the palace. So long as she behaves."

"Of course she will." Kat defended. "Also, do you see how awesome she is?"

"I do." Loki said, and took another bite of the picnic she'd summoned.

They were quiet for a while, enjoying the peaceful escape. It was oddly domestic, considering their current positions. 

"So, marrying you makes me a princess here, but it makes you a king on Midgard. Earth." Kat said. "Or a queen, depending on the day."

Loki paused with a strawberry halfway to her mouth. "I hadn't thought of that before."

"You could be the ruler of two realms, without conquering any of them." Kat blinked.

"Three." Loki corrected her softly.

"Three?" Kat frowned.

"I was born the son of Laufey. He was the king of Jotunheim."

"Woah. Three realms. That's..."

"Absurd."

"I was going to say cool."

"You realize that it would also make you the queen of said realms as well?" Loki returned.

"Oh." Kat's eyes widened. 

"If I am to sit upon a throne, I will not do so alone." Loki said.

Kat snuggled into Loki's side. "We'd be like... The biggest power couple."

"I think I know what that means." Loki said.

"But... I don't think I'm up for that kind of responsibility." Kat said.

"I have to agree with you." Loki said. "One realm is enough to tend to. Two is pushing the limits."

"Maybe Percy can take care of Earth, at least, from the godly point of view. Thor can take care of Asgard, and we can handle Jotunheim." Kat said. "Boom, three allies, with different leaders."

Loki chuckled. "One can only dream of such peace."

"What if we actually did it?"

Loki sighed, and looked up into the sky. "You can't fathom the lives that would be saved."

"Then we have to try, don't we?"

Loki looked down at her wife. "I suppose we do."

A/N

Sorry for the late update... Kinda hard to switch between the light atmosphere here and the darker one with Achilles.

Today's appearances by:

@SeriouslyFangirling 'Patricia'

@Son_of_Pallas_Athena 'Deehan'

Sorry it took so long to get you guys in here! 

Also, on a side note, the height difference between Loki and Katha:

She's literally as tall as his shoulder.