Winter's Hearts

Chapter 3

You walked up to the library in silence with Loki at your side. You felt his questions burning as he tried to figure out what was going on. You took a step from the open familiarity toward formality. He didn't remember and until he did, it was best to stick to protocol.

You opened the door to the library for him and watched with a fond, warm, smile as he stared at the wonder of all of the books. Some things would never change and placing Loki in a room full of books led to the same reaction no matter how many centuries had passed. Even the mystery of his missing memories couldn't compete with a new library.

He wandered off without a word, enthralled by all of the books. You chuckled and settled on the couch by the fireplace, summoning the book you were currently reading from your bedroom. He would come find you when he was ready and nothing could drag him away from the allure of new reading material until then.

His nose was in a book as he walked over to the couch. You smiled and tossed one of the apples you had summoned his way. He caught it without looking up from his book and bit into it before he realized what you had done or what he was doing. Some things really did never change. He curled catlike on the other side of the couch and finally seemed to remember that there was more in his environment than books. He blinked quickly and closed the book, looking over at you. "Hi," you smirked at him. He chuckled.

"I should apologize..."

You shrugged. "I knew what I was getting into when I brought you up here," you told him. You got his attention back at that.

"So, would you care to explain why you seem to know us so well, but Thor and I don't remember you?" he asked, a hint of anger and hurt in his tone. You summoned a plate of sandwiches on a plate on the middle cushion and nodded. He took one absently. Asgardians were bottomless pits when it came to food.

"I promised you an explanation." Now that it was time, it was hard to get the words out. "I don't know what you remember. I'm going to assume it's nothing, since your Lady Mother would have been thorough when the Allfather ordered her to modify your memories when I was exiled from Asgard,"

Loki glared at you. Exiles were not good, usually only for extreme crimes. "What did you do to get exiled?" he asked incredulously. Especially since you had obviously kept your rank when you were exiled.

You smirked at him. "Kissed you," you replied. It was worth the open shock on his face and you laughed aloud at it.

"I didn't think that was an exileable offence. Unless the kiss was that bad..." he teased, then looked shocked, like he wondered where the hell the teasing came from.

"I assure you the kiss was more than satisfactory," you glared at him, crossing your arms over your chest defensively. He gestured for you to continue when his laughter died down. "So I'll start at the beginning. I trust that you've learned about your heritage by now?" He inclined his head so you continued. "Thank the Norns. If I had to tell you that too, I swear by Odin's beard I would have slapped the Allfather for adding that torture too, exile or no," you grumbled. Odin wasn't exactly your favorite person for what he did to all of you. "I'm Y/N, daughter of Sigun of the Valkyries," Loki nodded recognition. He knew your mother at least. "During the war with the Jotuns, Mother went to Jotunheim in the guise of a frost giant as a spy for the Allfather. She ended up marrying one of the giants to keep up her disguise. I was born shortly before the end of the war. When the treaty was signed, Odin took you to Asgard and Mother returned there with me. She was actually your wet nurse," you paused again there, hating that he didn't remember, that you had to spell all of this out for him.

"You're half Jotun?" he asked in the silence. You nodded and stripped off one of your gloves. With a faint shimmer of magic, your hand turned blue, confirming that you were at least part Jotun. You shook your hand and it turned back to normal.