“How did I look at you? I asked thickly. Like you had to, like I was a magnet you were pulled to. There was no choice, he said. And when you look at Jack, it's because when he's around, why would you want to look at anything else? You love him the way you could never love me.”

“How did you even know I wasn't in my room?""I checked on you." Finn gave me a look like I was an idiot. "I check on you every morning.""You check on me when I'm sleeping?" I gaped at him. "Every morning?"He nodded."I didn't know that.""Why would you know that? You're sleeping," Finn pointed out.”

“You need to be Queen. Everyone who knows anything knows htat, but most people don't know anything, and that is a problem." He scratched at the back of his head and shifted his weight. "I would never take that away from you. No matter what happens, I'd never take the crown from you, and I'd defend you against anybody who tried."I didn't say anything to that. I'd never heard Tove talk so much before, and I didn't know what he was getting at. "I know that you're in love with...well, not me," he said carefully. "And I'm not in love with you either. But I do respect you and I like you.""I respect and like you too," I said, and he gave me a small smile."But it's a number of things, and it's none of them." He let out a deep breath. "That didn't make sense. I mean,it's because you need somebody to help you keep the throne, and somebody on your side, and I can do that. But...it's just because I think...I want to.""What?" I asked, and he actually looked at me, letting his mossy eyes stare into mine."Will you...I mean,do you want to get married?" Tove asked. "To me?""I,um..." I didn't know what to say."If you don't want to,nothing has to change between us," Tove said hurriedly. "I asked because it sounds like a good idea to me.""Yeah," I said,and I didn't know what I would say until it was comign out of my mouth. "I mean,yes,I do.I will. I would...I'll marry you.""Yeah?" Tove smiled."Yes." I swallowed hard and tried to smile back."Good." He exhaled and looked back down the hall. "This is good,right?""Yeah,I think so," I said, and I meant it."Yeah." He nodded. "I sorta feel like throwing up now,though.""I think that's normal.""Good." He nodded again and looked at me. "Well,I'll let you go...do whatever you need to do.And I'll go do what I do.""okay," I nodded."All right." He randomly patted me on the shoulder, then nodded again, and walked away.”

“What do you know of love or marriage?" I asked. "You were all set to marry a woman ten years older than you before the King stole her away.""I wouldn't have married her anyway," Loki shrugged. "Not if I didn't love her.""Now you've got integrity?" I scoffed. "You kidnapped me, and your father was a traitor.""I've never said a nice word about my father," Loki said quickly. "And I've never done anything bad to you.""You still kidnapped me!" I said dubiously."Did I?" Loki cocked his head. "Because I remember Kyra kidnapping you,and me preventing her from pummeling you to death. Then,when you were coughing up blood, I sent for the Queen to help you. When you escaped,I didn't stop you. And since I came here,I've done nothing to you. I've even been good because you told me to be. So what terrible crimes have I committed against you, Princess?""I-I-" I stammered. "I never said you did anything terrible.""Then why don't you trust me, Wendy?"He'd never called me by my name before, and the underlying affection underneath it startled me. Even his eyes, which still held their usual veil of playfulness, had something deeper brewing underneath. When he wasn't trying so hard to be devilishly handsome, he actually was.The growing connection I felt with him unnerved me, but I didn't want him to see that. More than that,it didn't matter what feelings I might be having for him.He was leaving today, and I would probably never see him again."I do trust you," I admitted. "I do trust you.I just don't know why I do,and I don't know why you've been helping me.""You want the truth?" He smiled at me, and there was something sincere and sweet underlying. "You piqued my curiosity.""You risked your life for me because you were curious?" I asked doubtfully."As soon as you came to,your only conern was for helping your friends, and you never stopped," Loki said. "You were kind. And I haven't seen that much kindness in my life.”

“You have so much going on. It comes off like a...""Static?" I suggested."Exactly!" He snapped his fingers and pointed at me. "You need to tune it, get your frequencies in check, like a radio.""I would love to.Just tell me how.""It's not a matter of turning a dial. You have no on or off switch." He walked around in a large lazy circle. "It's something you have to practice. It's more like being potty-trained. You have to learn when to hold it and when to release.""That's a pretty sexy analogy," I said.”

“If I'd known you'd look so beautiful, I would've gotten dressed up," Loki teased when Finn and Thomas brought him into the War Room. Finn shoved him into a seat unnecessarily hard,but Loki didn't protest."Don't get familiar with the Princess, Duncant told him,giving him a stony look."My apologies," Loki said. "I wouldn't want to get familiar with anyone."Loki looked about the room. Duncan, Finn, Thomas, Tove,the Chancellor, and I were the ones set to meet Sara. The rest of the house was on standby, should we need them,but we didn't want to look like we were ambushing Sara when she arrived."Did you change your mind and decide to execute me?" Loki asked,looking us over. "Because you all look like you're going to a funeral.""Not now," I said, fidgeting with my bracelet and watching the clock."Then when,Princess?" Loki asked. "Because we only have about fifteen minutes until I leave."I rolled my eyes and ignored him.”

“Will you… I mean, do you want to get married?” Tove asked. “To me?”“I, um…” I didn’t know what to say.“If you don’t want to, nothing has to change between us,” Tove said hurriedly. “I asked because it sounds like a good idea to me.”“Yeah,” I said, and I didn’t know what I would say until it was coming out of mouth. “I mean, yes. I do. I will. I would… I’ll marry you.”“Yeah?” Tove smiled hopefully, and I nodded.“Yes.” I swallowed hard and tried to smile back.“Good.” He exhaled and looked back down the hall. “This is good, right?”“Yeah, I think so,” I said, and I did mean that.“Yeah,” he nodded. “I sorta feel like throwing up now, though.”