"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."
