Revna had awakened just before the sun arose and by the light of the lamp dressed in a simple gown in a shade of violet and now stood before the mirror brushing her wavy locks and quickly plaiting two segments on each side before twisting the plaits around each other at the back of her head, securing them with a small gold clip. Loki, not quite as early a riser as Revna and his grandmother continued to slumber, having rolled on his side facing where she now stood. Revna turned from where she prepared for the day in front of her dresser to wake him.

Immediately, she drew back with a gasp of shock and horror, both hands flying up over her mouth, her eyes wide. As in her dream hours before during the night, Loki lay a cadaver upon her bed, his skin the same greyish white tone, his eyes staring blankly in her direction. Similar to what Loki had done upon witnessing the same sight his first night at his grandmother's, Revna squeezed her eyes tightly closed, taking in a few deep, even breaths before slowly raising her eyelids again. Revna relaxed, the vision or hallucination or illusion, whatever it was, having vanished. She walked to the bed, slowly seating herself on the edge, turning towards him, watching his chest rise and fall with each breath. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Loki…" she said, gently shaking him. Loki woke, languidly opening his eyes. Once the fog of sleep had sufficiently faded, it took him little time to notice the disquiet in her expression.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Loki asked, concerned.

"No….nothing. It's dawn. We should be going."

"Oh...yes…" Loki said, still sounding slightly sleepy. He sat up, moving to the opposite edge of the bed and reaching down to don his boots. Revna silently watched him as he did so. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. First, her faint of the evening before, then the sense of deep seated unease, dread, darkness, and danger that blanketed her, along with her dream and now the replay of Loki's image from it while fully awake. What was the source of it all? What did it mean?

She didn't feel physically ill. Even during her darkest days, some of the events of which she had confessed to Loki, she had never had such experiences, had never hallucinated or had any sort of visions or…..Revna's thoughts came to a sudden halt at the next word that came to mind...premonitions. She knew well where Loki had been during part of his absence though he of course had not spoken of it. She was certain the jovial mood he had been in the rest of the evening, up until he had discovered her on the floor of Frida's bedroom, had not been from his return home, which likely would have had the complete opposite effect on his mood if that had been the only place he'd been. The surprise he knew was waiting for her could not wholly be the cause either.

She had fulfilled her end of the bargain with Laufey through her delivery of the elixir she had secretly been giving Frida in the evenings and the suggestions she had whispered into her ear after it had taken effect pertaining to Jotunheim, along with that the disparate pieces, like those of a puzzle, of a plan she had planted in Loki's mind that had been scattered throughout their conversations for him to piece together, and of course believe was of his own devise.

In the beginning she had not cared what happened to anyone really, except Frida of course, and Frigga. She had no cause to wish harm upon or hate the kind, motherly Queen of Asgard. She had not even cared really what happened to herself. She knew only the deep well of disgust and anger she felt towards all those who had orchestrated and those that had celebrated so uproariously and so long the battle (and any battle that led to the loss of lives, tearing families apart) that had robbed her of her father and indirectly her mother, leading her life to spiral into an abyss where she would suffer further grief day after day. She knew only that her craving, her need for vengeance had to be satisfied. What she had heard tell of Loki in the past had not given her an inkling that she would come to care for him and be concerned that he, as she had asked Laufey for assurance, would come to no harm.

She knew that what she had heard of Loki was not all exaggeration but then others had likely said equally unpleasant things about her at one time. People rarely questioned or bothered to look under the surface to discover why people did the things they did, why they had become who they were. She recalled the stories Frida had told of him as a boy, his sweet, fun loving nature, how he had worn his heart on his sleeve until it had become too battered. As she had told Laufey, he knew the darkness she also knew well, both well acquainted with the sense of feeling alone even in a roomful, or in Loki's case, a palace full of people.

Revna realized that flame that had once burned so bright within her had now significantly dimmed. If it meant harm would come to him, that what she had seen in her dream would find its way into reality, that flame would be extinguished utterly. She knew he was what she had been searching for for so long, what she had sought in so many others and had never found, what she was sure she would never find again.

As they followed the trail approaching the forest, Revna reached over, taking his hand in hers. As she did so she was jolted as if a surge of electricity had coursed through her brain followed by a flurry of images...Loki falling from the bifrost, Loki shackled, Loki in chains, Loki confined to the dungeon, and the most horrific of all, once again, Loki's corpse. The visions stopped as they entered the forest, dawn's light filtering through the trees, casting everything in a warm, orange glow. Revna slowed her pace. Loki looked over to her questioningly before becoming concerned. She again looked pale, an expression almost of panic on her face.

"I've been thinking...what we spoke of...your brother...I shouldn't have said such things...Frida's right...whatever you're planning...if it were to go wrong…" Revna said, Loki hearing the fear in her voice. Loki, confused, wondered what had brought the subject up in her mind. He hadn't spoken of it since the night of the storm.

"There's very little chance of that. I thought you were in agreement with me concerning my brother..." Loki replied, disappointment evident in his tone.

"You've said your father does not favor you. If he learned of your part in it, he could lock you away. You could spend the rest of your days in the dungeon...or worse. " Revna said. "As your grandmother said, let your brother have his glory. Your day will come. If he is the danger you say, he will not remain long on the throne. You would ascend it in his place. Until then, trouble yourself with it no more. You are a king in my eyes. Why should anyone else's matter? Stay here with me. I love you..." Revna said, her voice becoming desperate. Loki came to a stop, Revna with him. He looked ahead of him into the forest. He felt a sense of dismay and betrayal at her seeming change of heart. He felt a familiar chill descend on his own.

"You've spoken of how freely you once shared your affections. How many others have you claimed to love? Does that number include the potential fathers of your abandoned son?" Loki asked. Revna stood in shock for a moment before bowing her head. Releasing Loki's hand she walked silently away from him along the path leading to Frida's cottage. Loki watched her for a moment before bowing his own head.

"Wait…." Loki said. Revna stopped, standing with her back to him, her shoulders slumped, her arms wrapped around herself with an expression of despair. He closed the distance between them and stood behind her, putting a hand onto her shoulder. Revna raised her own hand, quickly swiping a tear from her cheek. "I'm sorry. That was crass of me."

Revna turned to him, throwing her arms around him so that Loki was knocked back half a step.

"Please...don't do it. I can't lose you too."

"There's nothing to fear. You'll see." Loki assured her.

Making the rest of the trek to Frida's cottage in silence, Revna opened the door and entered, Loki following behind. As Revna made her way to Frida's bedroom door, Loki made his to the guest bedroom to change from the clothing he had worn the day before.

Revna was surprised to see Frida still appearing to be sleeping. The few times she had been late to arrive in the past, Frida had always been sitting up waiting for her to teasingly admonish her upon her entrance.

"Frida?" Revna said, her anxiety growing as she received no response. Crossing to the bed, Revna looked down to see the green bottle lying near the elderly woman's hand as it lay limply on the bed.

The Jotun plodded across the frosty ground. He relished the icy chill after the stifling warmth of Asgard. Approaching Laufey's throne, Laufey's red eyes stared coldly down at him as he fell to one knee, bowing his head before looking up at his king.

"We are betrayed."

Loki rushed through the doorway of Frida's bedroom and to her bedside after hearing Revna frantically call to him. He looked down at his grandmother with dismay.

"Is she…?" Loki asked, unable to finish his question.

"No, but her time draws near. I found this…" Revna said, showing Loki the green bottle.

"Poison?"

"It's a hypnotic. She sensed the end coming and wished to be unaware." Revna looked from Frida to Loki, seeing the grief in his eyes.

"I should have been here..." Loki said.

"It would have made no difference. You should summon your mother. There is not much time."