"Verbannen do you swear to protect my sons for the rest of your unnaturally long life? To serve and advise them to the best of your ability?"

Queen Frigga's voice rang out through the silent hall. Every eye in Asgard was trained on me, boring into me. The hatred in their gazes was palpable.

"I swear." I heard myself say in a voice that could have been mistaken for being passionate.

This didn't feel like it was happening to me. I felt like I was watching some other creature kneel before the queen, pledging herself to two princes. This couldn't really be happening, could it?

My eyes flickered to the princes from where I had been staring at the floor, head bowed. The blond one looked at me with distaste, a sneer on his lips. He reminded me of his father who I hated so much.

Frigga instructed me to rise to my feet and I did, raising my chin to shake off my fear and disgust. The black haired one was staring at me too, though his face wasn't pinched in hatred as fervently as the others. He was the easiest to look at, so I kept looking at him.

As part of the ceremony, I ascended the steps to where they were standing, side by side. I had to reach out and place one hand on each of their hands so that Frigga could physically brand the backs of my hands with symbols as a way to remind me of my duty.

I shivered as my skin touched both of the princes'. The blond boy's hand was scarred and calloused, I noticed, and he held himself stiffly as if he didn't want me to touch him. The raven haired boy's hand was strangely cold and longer than his brothers. I had a wandering thought that was something about how they didn't look alike.

Frigga muttered something and I felt like I had stuck my hands in a fire. I forced myself not to react. Two silver burns appeared on the black skin of my hands, symbols marking me as a protector. As a servant.

"It is done." Frigga declared, raising her voice so that the entire hall could hear her. "This woman, this -" monster, I thought. "- mighty force of darkness, is a killer no more. She will serve my sons and protect them from their enemies and shield our house from evil."

I loud clapping assaulted me from the crowd. I snatched my hands away from the princes without meaning to.

I stared at nothing behind the princes, overwhelmed that I had lost my freedom twice now.

I was led out of the hall by a group of guards, back to the room that they had given me. I slowly stepped into the room and the doors were slammed closed behind me and I was left alone.

I just stood there for a while, staring at the polished granite floor, rubbing the backs of my hands.

I had just been sold off. Like livestock. Never in a thousand years would I have dreamed that Queen Frigga would summon me back here, never. I hadn't anticipated this. What was I supposed to do?

I melted into smoke and rushed under the bed where there were hundreds of gouges my nails had gouged into the wood.

I had been banished from Asgard a long time ago. I had used to be an Asgardian, but I hated the static of it. I was sought out by a dark elf who offered to make me immortal and give me ground shattering power, but first I had to kill the king, Bor at the time, and bring his head to the she-elf.

It took a long time, but I did as I was asked. The result ended up forcing me to carve my heart out of my chest, which then turned into a large ruby that Queen Frigga eventually captured. She had banished me from Asgard, never to return. I was made unable to remember my name, even if I heard it said I would instantly forget it. Time and darkness and power melded me into a creature that could melt into shadow whenever I felt inclined and it took effort to keep a solid form. I could create objects out of my shadows, anything from cloth to knives.

I scratched at the bed until I my skin didn't feel like it was on fire. I even put some gouges in the granite on the floor.

After a while I moved out from under the bed.

I ripped off the white dress I had been given, throwing it onto the bed. I willed cloth to wrap around my chest, forming a smooth triangle that pointed toward my stomach and wrapped around my back. I also conjured baggy pants out of the same black cloth. This was leagues better than that damned scratchy dress.

I ended up in the bathroom, staring at myself in the gold rimmed mirror on the wall.

My blank eyes stared back at me, the same snowy white as my hair. I had a small nose, pointed ears, big lips. I angrily wiped away a tear that had formed in my right eye, smudging the white make up I had put on my face.

I had wanted to look as strikingly un-Asgardian as was possible for the ceremony, so I had painted white lines that stood out starkly against my black skin. I had put dots under my eyes, a stripe down my chin and several straight angled lines on my forehead.

I had actually been pleased with the outcome, but I had just ruined it.

I scowled at myself and wrenched the tap to the sink on. I pulled too hard and the golden handle snapped off in my hand and I swore and threw it on the ground where it clanged loudly. I turned on the cold water and roughly scrubbed all the paint from my face, making a mess of the sink.

I stalked out of the bath and I was about to retreat under the bed again when a knock came on the door.

"What?" I snapped.

"Prince Loki requests your presence." Came the irritated reply through the door.

I rolled my eyes at the ceiling. Which one was that? The blond one?

"What does he want?"

"That's none of my business." Clipped the servant.

Usually servants would say "My lady" but apparently I was too low class for that.

"Fine." I hissed, striding to the door and throwing it open.

The servant made a visible effort not to look disgusted by me and turned and walked away, intending for me to follow him.

He led me to the gardens, surprisingly, as most of the celebrations were taking place in the grand hall.

He left me in front of a maze of tall, dark hedges with white berries.

I contemplated the plants for a moment. Why the hell was he having me meet him here?

I glanced over my shoulder, seeing no one, nothing but the immense golden castle, glowing in the setting sun.

I disappeared into a shadow and ventured into the maze.

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I wandered among the hedges for a while, not really wanting to find Loki. The hedges didn't made a maze really, more of a path that had occasionally had a fork that lead off somewhere else.

I eventually found Loki in a clearing, standing in front of a small crystalline pond. The grass was a dark green here, black in the low light. The hedges had strange vivid flowers that seemed to change color as I moved. Little balls of light drifted lazily through the glade.

I didn't want to materialize unless he made me, so I drifted around the flower bushes, watching him.

He wasn't the blonde one, as it turned out, he was the one with black hair. He was dressed in green and gold armor, his face narrow and pale. His green eyes seemed to not be focused on nothing; his angular face suggested that he was deep in thought.

His eyes suddenly became focused and he straightened up.

"Verbannen?" He asked. He had a quiet voice, one that was smooth with an undertone of a growl.

My lip curled. I hated it when people said my name.

Loki turned around, his bright eyes scanning the garden. His eyes rested on the bush I was hovering around.

"Show yourself." He said quietly.

I inhaled sharply through my nose, but I materialized next to the hedge.

Loki's emerald eyes studied me and I held my chin up and narrowed my eyes at him.

I crossed my arms subconsciously, his gaze unnerved me. He was scrutinizing me in a way that was icy and calculating. Like I was a tool for him to exploit.

"It displeases you to hear your name?" He inquired.

I tore my eyes off of him and glanced around the glen, letting out a humorless laugh.

"If you were cursed not to be able to remember a word, and people kept saying it over and over, don't you think it would get on your nerves?" I said shortly, tapping my arm with my fingernails.

He didn't laugh.

"You are sworn to obey me, yes?" Loki asked, changing the subject.

I lowered one eyebrow slightly. "…And your brother, yes…but my first loyalty is to the Queen so long as she holds my heart."

Loki nodded, deeply immersed in thought.

"And if I order you to keep information disclosed…" Loki said slowly, walking slowly toward one of the dark prickly shrubs on the opposite side of me. "Would you?"

I blinked, confused. "I would – I mean, I'd have to unless the Queen ordered me to tell her your secret."

"And if my brother demanded that you tell him?"

My eyes wandered to the sky. "I don't guess that I would have to tell him… I think that you both have the same amount of power over… me…"

I trailed off, frowning. "Why?"

He glanced at me, a slight smirk on his lips.

"No reason. Speak of this to no one, understand?" Loki said, seeming satisfied about something.

I pursed my lips and nodded curtly.

"Good." Loki nodded.

He turned to leave and I felt my face burning in anger, but I wasn't allowed to express it in any way and it felt humiliating.

Loki stopped at the entrance to the clearing, his back toward me.

He looked up, and I did too, wondering what he was looking at.

A million stars had come out, nebulous purple and blue gas streaking the dark sky.

"I think…" Loki said quietly. "Yes. It should be about time."

I narrowed my eyes in confusion as he turned around and strode up to one of the bushes.

I was about to ask what he was doing when the shrub suddenly came to life; tiny buds that had dotted the dark leaves suddenly opened up to a pure, brilliant white, the petals glowing with soft light.

"These flowers only bloom under the stars of my ancestors." Loki said quietly, reaching out a slender finger to touch one of the flowers.

The beautiful bloom opened up wider, letting out a little puff of glowing powder.

Loki picked several of the buds from the shrub and placed them in a bottle. He glanced at me and gave me the smallest of smiles before walking out of the garden.

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