Two horses graze at the edges of a flowering meadow on Asgard as Loki leads the way through the long grass. Zenaida follows along behind them. This is Loki's favourite spot on Asgard. It's away from the palace and Thor's boisterous personality and behaviour. This meadow also has significant sentimental value for them too. For both of them, even if Zenaida is currently unaware of it. Loki is going to tell her though. They can give her this. Something to show that Loki isn't indifferent to her.

"This is the first place I brought you to after you were born and I returned with you to Asgard" Loki explains. Zenaida turns to them surprised. "The only place" Loki moves closer to a fallen tree and points to it. "I was sitting there with you when Odin came to me...Discovered that I bore you" Zenaida shifts closer to them. "Demanded that I send you to your father. To send you back to Midgard. He was concerned that you would bring shame on me...on them....on the royal family" Loki mocks a little and then scoffs. "I should never have listened to him" They complain, magic flickering at their fingers in their own annoyance. At themselves. At Odin. At her father. At everything that happened. "What a waste of space your father turned out to be" Loki turns to Zenaida. "Misplaced curiosity, Little One" They admit. "My brother and I had been curious of the Midgardians for as long as I can remember, their progress, their evolution, their...toys" Loki lets out a breath and shakes their head. "Asgard has been unchanged since I was a child" Loki admits as they move back to Zenaida. "But Midgard changed...every year, every decade, something new, impressive speeds of adaptation and creation all without the use of magic" Loki holds out their hands and lets their magic dance over their fingers. "And with such short lives..." Loki sighs and looks at Zenaida sadly. "....But I was wrong about them" Loki takes her face in their hands and sighs a little. "I met your father in a tavern, there was mead, and wine and something called...whiskey...I ate something called a Weiner" She smirks a little. "Perhaps I was blinded to them, to him... at the moment" Loki brushes their thumbs over Zenaida's cheeks. "I could have squirrelled you away in some dark corner of the palace, to keep you, to raise you myself.....but what life would that have given you?" Loki knows that the outcome that she got, was the best one for her. Clearly. She did not deserve to be locked away and hidden, as if she were some dirty shame. Loki is not ashamed of her. They might regret the who and the when and why, but never Zenaida. "Despite my...distaste for the midgardians now, Charlie...." Loki sighs. "I will forever be grateful to him for how he raised you, that he took you in when everyone else wanted...." Loki stops and shakes their head. She knows what they mean. Everyone else wanted to throw her away, but Charlie took her in.

"I'm okay with the life I have" She assures Loki with a soft smile. "More than okay"

"But still..." Loki argues with a sigh. "If I'd known...perhaps things would have been different" They clasp their hands behind their back as they stare out over the wildflower meadow.

"If this holds such a sad memory" Zenaida starts. "Why is it your favourite place?"

"Because of you" Loki admits sadly. This was the only place on Asgard that held any connection to their daughter. Someone that they were forced to give up. Naive. Complacent. Loki should have fought harder against Odin's order. Loki lost her through no choice of their own. Her own father chose not to be a part of her life. Charlie chose to love her and raise her. Zenaida knows who bears the blame for her life, for the way that Loki was forced to give her away. It's all a mess. But it is what it is. Zenaida shifts towards the log as she peers out over the meadow. She can see why Loki likes it here. It's beautiful. Peaceful. She moves to sit on the log as Loki watches her. She stops just before she sits though. Something catches her attention. There is a yellow ribbon attached to the log. Loki holds a breath as she crouches down in front of it to pull the ribbon through her fingers. She notices that her name has been sewn into the ribbon. A memorial. Loki needed something. Something just for them.

"Odin would not allow me to keep you on Asgard, but this is your home...." She touches the ribbon and nods a little. Loki's absence from her days whilst she's been here led her to believe that they cared little for her. That she was only here because Frigga was the one that wanted her here. But Loki is still hurting from a pain that Odin caused them seventeen years ago. That these last few years have been just as hard for Loki as it has been for Zenaida. Too much too soon. Loki wasn't ready for her to be thrown into their life. Frigga got too excited. They should have interacted long distance. As they did in the first few months after her 14th birthday. It was easier then. Before she came to Asgard. She smiles sadly at the ribbon and then turns her hand, with a little puff of green magic, a white swan pin badge appears in her palm. Loki moves closer to her and she lets out a breath.

"Charlie won me this" She holds up the badge. "When he took me to a fairground when I was five" She looks at Loki. "As soon as I saw it, it was all I wanted, no amount of cotton candy sugary goodness or stuffed bear or flashing lights could change my mind...I wanted the swan pin" She turns it around in her hand. "He spent ages trying to win enough tokens for it....." Loki smiles a little. "Then I had it...I wore it, on a scarf, my school tie, my sleeve, my bag strap, no matter what, I wore this badge every single day..." She looks down at the badge. "It is part of me now" She turns back to the ribbon and then attaches the badge to it before standing. Loki lets out a breath. She is leaving a part of her on Asgard. For them.

"Are you not going to miss it?" They ask her, Zenaida turns to them and smirks.

"Nah, Charlie won me like five more over the years" She shrugs a little. Loki laughs softly. "This was the first...and this was my first home, even if I can't remember it, the badge should be here" Loki moves to her side and touches her arm before they curl their arm around her. She leans into their side. Loki kisses her head and holds her close to them. "It's not forever" She reminds Loki who nods. "What's a few years for you?" She teases a little, Loki smirks and shrugs. "You waited fourteen years...."

"I'm not known for my patience, Little Witch" Loki counters, turning a look on her. Zenaida shrugs back at them. "I do wish you would stay, but..." Loki softens. "I just want you to be okay and happy...and that is not here...that is not with me"

"Not right now" She corrects, because she does want a relationship with Loki, but neither of them is ready for it.

"Not right now" Loki repeats quietly. They turn to face her and nod. They can work with that. Not right now is not never. They have time. They have years to come back and try again. "You are my daughter...." They assure her softly. "You are meant for greatness, remember that" She hums and nods in agreement. "Let us head back so you can finish packing..." Loki voices as they pull away from Zenaida. Zenaida takes a moment to look back over the meadow. Taking it all in before she leaves. This is the longest she's spent with Loki since she arrived. This is the most personal of things that they have spoken to her about. It's not enough to make her stay, but it is enough to realise that Loki was hurting and that is why they were distant, not because they wanted nothing to do with her. Odin hurt Loki by making them send her away from them. Loki gave up their child because someone forced them to. And they are still hurting from that. 14 years missed and lost. Zenaida lets out a breath and turns to find that Loki is already heading back towards the horses. A thought suddenly occurs to Zenaida as she moves to follow them.

"What if I can't control my mind reading?" She asks them as they head back towards the horses. "It's easy when it's not more than a few people in a room, I will have to go back to school, that's going to be hundreds of people...." Loki chuckles a little.

"My mother has given you all the tools you need, Little Princess" Loki assures her. "You were a quick study...you are more than capable, and you have all the tools you need. Do not fret so much..." She lets out a breath and pulls a face. She knows they are right. Her mind-reading was one of the first things that Frigga had her control. It's an invasive aspect of magic. It is also mostly subconscious. It takes some serious thought and skill to block her own mind from instinctively reaching out to touch other people.