"I've been healing you for two weeks straight. Only taking time, for short naps and eating. Please humor me and let me show you to a more comfortable room. I will rest easily knowing you're not in this cavern alone." She said bluntly. She took a deep breath, "Please."

Loki sighed, he supposed he should be grateful to an extent but it seemed like such a wasted effort at the moment. He felt dead inside but all the same with some effort he pulled himself back to his feet. He barely even felt like glaring at Thor as he passed him on the way out of the cavern.

"Thank you, Loki." Ceres took his arm gently, giving him the option to pull away and guided him out of the healing caverns and down into the palace. The capital of magic was a place to be seen for all it's glory. Fairies flew from flower to flower, mystical beasts roamed the meadows and the Palace shone brightly in the sunlight, like a beacon of hope, glittering with magic.

Ceres showed him to his room. It was easily half a football field in size. There were lush pillows, sweet amormas filling the air. A king sized bed with draped with shimming rolls of fabric and various objects from what seems like the beginning of time. A large fancy balcony with large columns stood on the other side of the room It was fit for a king.

"You may use my room. As it is one of the few rooms that may suit your tastes. Thor, the room down the hall is for you to use. Loki, I will be resting in the adjoining room here." She walked into the room and unlocked a door. "Should you need anything, I am merely a knock away." She bowed her head before opening the door and falling through it.

The ajoining room was much smaller, a lush pillow bed caught her. It almost looked like a small Japanese shrine. Wooden mats, bamboo walls.

Loki barely gave the room a glance, though he nodded to Ceres to acknowledge that he had heard her before she left. Thor lingered in the doorway.

"Loki" he spoke gently, "I truly am sorry."

Loki trailed his fingers along the fine fabric that draped from the bed, "You know... I thought I knew what loss was, when I found out we were not brothers. I thought I knew betrayal when Odin declared me not his son. Perhaps in a few hundred years my anger would have even faded" he stared out the glass doors that lead to the balcony and found himself with a half-crazed smile that turned to laughter, "but this... This Thor, Odin son" he turned to face the god, "This is so much worse" he doubled over in a pained laughter that echoed down the hall of the open door and left a bitter feeling in it's wake.

Thor felt a dark knot twist in his stomach and he knew that it was officially too late. There were no words, no actions that could sway Loki now. Whatever plan he would concoct next, it would no doubt be more devastating than the last. It would be a mercy to kill him now, to save countless lives in the future, he knew it would be but looking down upon the man he had called brother it broke Thor's heart to even consider it.

So Thor walked away, leaving Loki's laughter to fall to tears as the door closed behind him.

--Time skip--

Ceres tended to every request Loki made of her the next week. She brought him food, helped bath him, dress him, sang for him, entertained him with fan dancing and harp playing, even sitting silently in his presence for hours.

Ceres covered all of Loki's food in a bit of her magic. It seems to relax him but he was far from alright.

"Loki, the tailor is here." she said after knocking on the door. She stepped to the side to reveal Pietro.

Loki had actually passed out on the floor that first night, leaving the over-sized bed untouched. Though he did take to it after that, nothing seemed to improve his mood. Even with all of Ceres' efforts he still spent most of his time sitting on the balcony, lost within his own mind. Sometimes the time would pass and he didn't even realize it. He was numb to the things going on around him and he barely ate. Likely the only reason he touched his food at all was because of the magic.

As usual he did not respond when Ceres came knocking again and Pietro stepped into the room with her. The speedster at least was impressed with the place, though a little confused at Loki's silence. "Did he uh..." he whispered, "did he hear you?"

"It's alright. Just get your things set up." Ceres said calmly. She walked over to Loki and gently put a hand on his shoulder, "Loki?" She called lightly.

Down the hall and through the secret passage on the left of the south wing... Loki was lost in thought, playing out the different ways to sneak through the Asgardian palace when Ceres touched his shoulder and brought him out of it. He turned to look at her and caught sight of Pietro in the corner of his eye, "Who is he?" Loki questioned as he watched Pietro zip around, setting up his things.

"He's the tailor I mentioned before." She said, holding her hand out.

"New clothes aren't going to change anything" Loki replied, though he take her hand to get up from the chair.

"I find new clothes help change a lot" Pietro piped up, "Sometimes the better you look, the better you feel." he smiled, it wasn't every day someone got to dress a god and he was a little eager to get started. "So, the first thing I need to know is if you want to fit in around here, or stand out?"

Loki stepped just inside from the balcony but kept his distance from Pietro, "I am not human, so do not treat me as such. As long as I still have Asgardian blood... well. It's something."

"I wouldn't dream of it sir" Pietro replied, taking a few mental notes. He was trying to be as respectful as possible but he could also tell that Loki was not going to be a very cooperative customer. "I took the liberty of properly cleaning your original out, people these days just don't know how to treat fine leather" he added, gesturing to Loki's Asgardian clothes that were displayed on the bed.

Curiously, Loki took a look, touching the material lightly. He was actually surprised, Pietro had made them look almost new again. "Do you have magic?" he inquired.

"Nope" Pietro smiled, "just you're average mutant human with more knowledge about clothing than anyone else I've met."

"Knowledge is equal to power." Loki replied, returning his eyes to the speed demon. Odin may have taken his magic but not his mind, that was a comforting thought, he was still as clever as ever. Too bad it had to be inspired by a mortal. All the same, "Let's get to work."

Ceres sat down on a pillow near the balcony, keeping out of the way. True, clothes weren't going to his current state but with Pietro's help perhaps they'd make him feel better... even if it were for a short while.

Pietro made it quick and easy for them both, asking only the most important questions to make sure Loki would get what he wanted. In truth, Pietro already had a few things partially made based on estimates that he'd gotten from Ceres before. So once the measurements were done he made a few quick adjustments and already had the god try on a few things. Loki didn't give much feedback but at least he didn't vocally disapprove which generally meant it would do.

"Alright, I think that about covers it" Pietro finally stated, packing up his things, "Give me a day and I'll have a few things done."

Ceres got up, "Thank you Pietro. I know locating the city can be a bit hard for outsiders."

Pietro shrugged, "I just ran around for an extra twenty minutes before realizing it was right in front of my face" he chuckled, "No big deal." he nodded to Loki before heading out of the room with Ceres. Once the door closed he let out a sigh of relief, "Wholey banana phone that guy is intense!"

"He's not doing so well... A part of his being was taken from him..." Ceres said as she walked Pietro down the hall. "I'm doing all I can for him but the hole inside himself... I can't fill it..." She said. She was rather stressed out about it. To have Loki who had been laughing and smiling one week to a complete 180 of himself. "I don't know what to do.."

Pietro thought about it with a frown, "Honestly... I'm not sure either. Maybe he just needs to work through it himself?"

"Maybe, but I'm afraid if I leave him alone, the void he's feeling will grow until he does something terrible..." She put a hand to her chest.

Pietro stopped and turned to face Ceres, "Don't go there" he cautioned, "look, on the down low, I've been in that place myself before. It sucks. The best thing you can do is get him focused on the good things he still has and not what he's lost."

"Right." She took a deep breath, patting her cheeks, "Positive." She smiled, and took Pietro's hand, holding it tightly. "Thank you again for coming. Your visit did seem to bring a little glimmer of his old self back.... But I noticed a shield ship out on one of the pecks... You didn't have anything to do with that would you?" She asked. Shield would not enter the city.

Pietro looked uncertain, "Well... I had to tell Ciara at least where I was going" he looked apologetic, "I can't say if she mentioned to anyone."

"It's alright." She patted his shoulder, "I knew it was only a matter of time before I was discovered. Thor probably has something to do with it as well. Was Iron Fist able to look at my brother, Horatio?" She asked, opening the door to the large dining hall. She'd promised his a feast he'd never forget.

"Yeah, but you'll have to talk to him about-OH MY STARS AND GARTERS" he squealed, staring at the massive meal in the dining hall with his jaw dropped.

"Foods from around the known worlds." She walked up to the table and pulled out a chair on the side, "Please."

"Weeee!" Pietro was giggling like a school girl as he took his seat and dug in.

Ceres sat down beside him, pouring him drink when his glass was empty and had a little bit to eat herself. She waited awhile before speaking, "You were saying before you got excited?"