What is soothing to the soul may mean death for the body.
The wretchedness of war had passed from the shores of Eire long ago in the fires that swept through the island like a plague. It had wrapped its horrible clutches around the living and the dead that called the Emerald Isle home. During this time, even the birds refused to sing. All hope seemed to be lost but for the enduring determination of Morgane, Goddess of War to not let outlanders kill the people that she so desperately wanted to save. The Fomors were gone now, pushed back and banished to their undersea world and forbidden to ever set a foot upon the island again. Peace flourished on the island now, a general ease glimmered in the eyes of all that lived under the rule of Tuatha de Danaan and Tara. But, a strange and deceitful whisper is carried in the wind that war will soon come to Eire once more.
"What is it you stare at sister?" Fergus asked.
"The Sidhe' are fearful. They no longer walk amongst the people Fergus. They sense that something is coming." Morrigan said as her turquoise eyes continued to fix themselves on a far off place that Fergus could not begin to understand.
"The Sidhe' are superstitious and prone to rapidly change their minds. One day they bring good milk, the next they bring a swarm of locusts. You cannot place trust in the faire folk Morgane." Fergus continued trying to ease his sisters mind but it was to no avail. Morgane was the battle cry for war that men hear before the fight. On her chariot she would ride in front of the troops of men and rally them to war, beating their spears and swords against their shields. Morgane was fearless, a fearsome spirit that would never die and would never be tamed. When men doubted and kings lost hope, it was Morgane that gave them the determination to continue.
"Tell me Fergus, when did you last feel the power of the Goddess?"
"I feel it everyday sister, when I walk through the woods or drink from the streams."
Morgane gave her brother a searching look as if she saw something that he was attempting to conceal from her but turned to watch a hooded rider gallop down the worn path to Tara.
"Maybe this is what you felt coming sister. That is not a man of Eire."
Morgane stood near the window inside the great hall of Tara and waited for the rider to be escorted inside. No one came to Tara without her knowledge and an introduction. Guards escorted the man inside, still concealing his face. Morgane was immediately put off by the insolence of this cloaked horseman. The man stood before her smelled of lilacs and fresh cut wood, it wafted off of his clothes and scented the air in the room.
"Good day to you cloaked rider. You are at Tara and here we show respect to one another by showing our true faces. Will you not show us yours and tell us from whence you hail?" Fergus announced to the man. He stood near his sister and waited for a sign from her to go further. She gave him none. The hooded man, pushed back his cloak to reveal a head of hair as golden and sparkling as the sun itself. With hazel eyes he looked up at the Goddess before kneeling to the ground in submission.
"I hail from Asgard. I have a message for the Lady Morgane, the one that sits upon the throne of Tara."
"Odin All Father has not conversed with the Tuatha de Danaan in ages. What is his word, rider?" Fergus asked seemingly annoyed.
"I do not bring word from Odin. I bring word from his son, Loki."
The air went out of the room in a flash and Morgane snapped her head towards the Asgardian and pinned him with a fiery and melting look. The man did not seem phased by the goddess in the least.
"What say you messenger? What does the god of mischief want with Tara?" Morgane asked as she strode calmly to the steps of the dais.
"My Lord Loki only wishes to extend a hand of friendship and love towards the Tuatha de Danaan and the isle of Eire. He has an offer for you m'lady of protection in the future." The unknown rider extended a piece of rolled parchment to the young goddess. Morgane quickly snatched it away and read the words to herself. It was an offer of marriage and union of the two great lands.
"What does it say sister?" Fergus asked.
"It is an offer for my hand." Morgane replied coldly.
She ripped the parchment in half angrily and threw it into the coals of the fireplace.
"What are Loki's intentions?" Fergus asked the Asgardian messenger.
"My Lord wishes to protect and make an ally of Eire through marriage. He is hopeful that this sort of union will bring about prosperity for both of our worlds sir." The messenger replied cutting his eyes to Morgane who now stood with her back to the rest of the room.
"Morgane, this is your chance. Beltane is three days from now. You,"
"I know what the law says!" She yelled back at him cutting him off.
Morgane began to pace about the hall. Her boots rattling the very stones of the castle. The room fell silent.
"What answer am I to give my king, goddess?" the messenger asked not appearing to be in the least bit shaken by Morgane's outburst. Morgane continued to pace.
"Morgane?" Fergus asked tentatively.
"You may tell your Lord Odin that such an impudent offer of union from his son is an abomination to the Tuatha De Danaan. We have proper ways to go about such things."
"M'Lady Morgane, the All-Father has fallen into the odinsleep and no one knows when he might awake. My Lord Loki, now sits on Asgard's throne. It is the King who asks for your hand."
Morgane stopped pacing and stood perfectly still. All air in the room was suddenly sucked out by a fierce wind that whipped the tapestries off the stone walls and blew papers off of lecterns. Morgane ceased the wind and turned her head to look at the messenger.
"My answer is the same, messenger." Morgane said with fire in every syllable. At that, Morgane left the room and bounded down the steps to the stables where she saddled her horse and took off North.
"My Lord Fergus, do you not wish to see your people live in peace?" the messenger asked after Morgane had gone.
"Of course, but this is not easy for Morgane. She's stubborn and is convinced that Danu will allow her to rule Tara and Eire without a consort or husband. She has three days to accept a proposal or Danu will exclude her from the Beltane rights and our cousin to the East, Rhiannon, will ascend to our throne here in Tara. I have fought in enough wars, I am ready to rest." Fergus said letting out an exasperated sigh. Fergus hung is heavy head and sat in the chair of honor, next to Morgane's throne.
"I might have a way."
Fergus lifted his head at the voice that weaved its way through the room. It was not the voice of the messenger. He came face to face with Loki. He had cast a glamour.
"Put this draught into everything that Morgane eats for the next three days and she will come around." Loki said handing Fergus the small vial.
"But your highness, what you ask of me is treason." Fergus said pulling away from the bottle. Loki's sea green eyes bore into the man with an evil demand. Fergus took the vial from the god's outstretched hand and put it in his pocket. Loki smiled down at the man who had just given up his own sister for peace.
"Do not fear Sir Fergus. You will be well rewarded with peace and honor in Asgard."
"What will it do to her?" Fergus asked fearfully.
"It will make her realize that even a queen needs a king." Loki said and then disappeared into the ether.
Fergus did as he was told for the next three days with a heavy heart. Morgane was no wiser of her brother's treachery. But the goddess' dreams were a testament to the evil that he had invited into Eire. She dreamed of horrible things. She dreamed of chains, pain and most terrifyingly of all, pleasure. A pleasure that ate its way into her waking hours and took a hold of her mind. A disgusting desire to be dominated grew within her and she could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. She felt eyes following her everywhere.
Beltane was upon the land of Eire and Morgane was summoned to the High Goddess Danu. She stood before the shining deity in awe. A light breeze wound its way through Morgane's crimson tendrils and played with hem of her gown. The air was fresh and clean, just like the Goddess herself.
"Be welcome Morgane, Goddess of War and Queen of Tara." Danu's mellifluous voice was like the tinkling of a thousand tiny silver bells. Morgane bowed her head in reverence to the goddess before her. When she looked up Danu stood over her with a slight frown on her beautiful face.
"What is it Goddess? Does something trouble you?"
"Yes Morgane, I am troubled by your lack of obedience. It is the night of Beltane and you still have not accepted a marriage proposal."
"I do not mean to offend you Goddess but I do not need a man to rule Eire." Morgane stammered out.
"And who are you Morgane to make such decisions? The law is clear in stating that after your 100th year of rule on Eire, you must accept an offer of marriage or consort by the night of Beltane or you shall forfeit your title. Have you not received such offers of union?" Danu asked wandering around the fairy hill fort.
"I have Goddess."
"And yet you still defy me Morgane."
Danu continued to circle around the kneeling woman. Morgane could feel the heat of Danu's anger bear down on her. Morgane closed her eyes and a flash of one of her dreams came over her. A vision of being chained and screaming while a man stood before her with a malevolent smile on his lips. Morgane shook off the desire mounting inside of her and opened her eyes again to see Danu's delicate bare feet before her.
"I can see that the determination of battle still courses throughout your veins Morgane. I am sorry but you give me no other choice, you will accept Loki Odinson as your husband."
Morgane's head shot up and she had a pained look in her turquoise eyes. Her blood burned hot and her face turned almost as red as her hair. She had never felt so much betrayal in her life.
"Goddess please, not the Asgardian. He is the trickster. He will bring nothing but mischief to Eire."
"Loki will also bring protection to the people of Eire. Morgane, the time of the Tuatha de Danaan is coming to an end. We will soon pass into the Otherworld and become like shadows. We cannot protect Eire forever. You must do this for your people."
"I'm sorry Goddess but I cannot do what you ask of me." Morgane let out a snort in anger.
"Defy me Morgane and I will strip you of your gifts. The guards of Asgard come to collect you this night. Make yourself ready to call Loki husband."
"And what of the Beltane rights? He is not of our kind!
"I am willing to set aside that law for peace and protection. Now go make your farewells to your friends and family." And with that Danu was gone.
Morgane was left alone kneeling in submission to the wind that whipped her hair from the golden caul. She screamed in anger to the Goddess and cursed all that she stood for.
"I've fought wars for you Goddess! I've won wars in your name! I have killed for you!" Morgane screamed out to the fields and streams. Then, without thinking Morgane let loose her battle cry and gave a piercing howl to all who could hear her.
Morgane rode back to Tara at a much slower pace than usual. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she noticed the four white Asgardian stallions in the stable, they were already here to collect her. She took a last look around the place that she had called home for nearly 200 years. She touched every stone in the walls of her bedroom as she packed her things. She stood staring out the window of her chambers and waited for the guards to come for her. She was no longer a queen ruling over her kingdom. She was a pawn in a dangerous game. A knock came on the door and Fergus entered.
"Morgane, this is for the best. The Goddess is right, we are not much longer for this world. You don't have to fight anymore. " Fergus said rubbing his beard.
"Fergus, you knew of this? You conversed with Danu behind my back on the matter?" Morgane asked stunned.
"Yes Morgane. I went to the Goddess for aid and council. She knows whats best for Eire." Fergus tried to explain himself to his sister.
"You were the one that told her of Loki's proposal?"
"Morgane, please try to understand." Fergus pleaded.
"I curse your soul Fergus Mac Goilla Eoin! May the birds of the air peck out your eyes and your soul walk the plains in eternal torment! Treacherous pig!" Morgane screamed the curse at her brother and spit on the ground. It was no threat, she had cursed her brother for all time. Fergus stepped back in horror and turned to go before saying, "I love you sister."
Morgane's seething anger only fueled the fear of what she was about to witness with her own two eyes. The desirous pit that was still eating away at her soul took her breath away and she clutched the bed post gasping for air. Within minutes another knock came on her chamber door.
"M'Lady Morgane, we must make ready for the Bi-Frost." Said one of the Asgardian guards that had come to collect her. Morgane walked silently out of her chambers and did not look back on the place that she now considered full of betrayal of treachery. She held her head high as she walked to the horses waiting. Only the four white horses stood in the courtyard.
"Where is my horse?" She asked the guard standing next to her.
"You are not to bring any beast of Eire to Asgard with you M'Lady Morgane. King Loki has ordered it." The guard replied with a sneer.
Morgane stood still for a moment trying to compose her anger and mounted the horse behind the guard. The continuous wailing winds of Eire whipped around her as they rode for the gate to the Bi-Frost and on to Asgard.
As the four white stallions rode onto the Bi-Frost, Morgane did not marvel at her surroundings. Her eyes were fixed forward onto Valhalla but there was no look of awe or amazement on her face. As they rode into the courtyard of the palace another set of guards took over and escorted her into the throne room. Their boot heels echoed in the vast empty room. Her hood still covering her head she was placed before a dais where Loki sat, lounging on the throne of his father. The room was silent and Morgane continued to stare at the polished golden floor. She heard Loki rise and descend the dais but she still did not look up or move.
"The Lady Morgane, Goddess of War and Queen of Tara and All of Eire, welcome to Valhalla. I must admit I was expecting someone a bit more grandiose." Loki said chuckling outloud. Still Morgane held her ground. She knew that Loki's fabled "Silver Tongue" could only deceive if one let down their resolve.
"Does something trouble you Highness?" Loki asked, feigning genuine concern.
Morgane did not move.
"M'Lady, it is customary here,too, for one to remove his hood in front of someone." Loki said becoming a little perturbed. When Morgane continued to play at being a statue, Loki nodded to one of the guards and he yanked Morgane's hood off. She slowly lifted her head and looked into Loki's eyes with not a drop of fear but a lifetime's worth of disdain.
"There that's much better. Danu did not mention your appearance when we talked of the marriage contract. I was expecting someone more "war" and less "goddess". But, I can see that my assumptions were incorrect and do not begin to attest to the beauty and grace that stands before me." Loki's sweet words dripped with honey but did nothing to soften Morgane's composure. When this did not work, Loki changed his tactics. He stood before her and said in a low voice, "You know, usually when a god asks for the hand of a goddess, she acts a little bit happier and more agreeable. If you want to make friends here, I suggest you try to find the good in the situation and get into a better mood than the one you're in now."
"Who says I'm interested in making friends?" She asked quietly. Her words spiked with venom. Loki stared back at her in awe, she was not succumbing to the magic he weaved throughout his words or the draught that she had been given. Her knees should have buckled and she should've become faint at his appearance. She obviously did neither. Loki tried to quickly think of a way to penetrate her mental barriers when he noticed the beautifully crafted dagger hanging from her belt.
"That is a wondrous piece of metalwork you have there." He said gesturing with his eyes to the knife. Morgane's eyes darted down to her belt and a look of fear passed over her before she righted herself. She stayed silent though. Loki took it a step further.
"Where are the ladies things, Olof?" He asked the guard to her right.
"In the foyer your highness. Waiting to be taken to her rooms." The guard replied back.
"Destroy them." Loki said flippantly. Morgane's eyes grew large and her temper was unleashed.
"How dare you! There is no reason why I cannot keep my possessions!" Morgane yelled.
"I wouldn't do anything rash Morgane. Danu can still come and collect your gifts, even is Asgard. Then you would be nothing." Loki said calmly. Morgane reigned in her temper as the guards pushed her towards another door to the right of the throne. She was halfway to the door when Loki stopped them.
"And Morgane, the dagger please." Loki said as he stretched out his open hand. Morgane locked herself back down again and took the belt off as she walked to him alone. She stood before him, held the belt up just inches from his palm and dropped it to the floor in front of him. The two stared at each other until Loki let out a sigh and stooped to pick the belt up off of the floor. He carefully wrapped the leather around the scabbard before Morgane turned to go. Loki grabbed her arm and whispered in a lethal voice, " Watch your step Morgane, you're not in Eire anymore. And my patience only goes so far." Morgane stood strong and would not let the magic in his words overtake her. She gave him a devastating look of defiance before snorting indignantly as he released her.
Morgane was escorted through a labyrinth of hallways and corridors until she finally reached her destination. Her quarters. Her rooms were lavishly decorated with heavy furniture, gold gilded mirrors and trinkets, green silk upholstered couches and heavy black curtains. In Morgane's opinion, it was garish and tacky. She preferred to have the outdoors inside. Her rooms at Tara were sparsely and naturally decorated. No gold, gems or silks were found there. The bedroom was suffocating. She ran her fingers down the side of an ebony black chair when a voice startled her.
"M'Lady, do you require anything?" It was a young girl of about 16. She was dressed in the clothes of a servant. Well, in Tara she would be a paid servant, here the girl was most certainly a slave.
"Yes, can you find someone to get rid of all this stuff?" Morgane asked as she gestured to the rooms décor. If she was going to live here for the rest of her life, she was going to decorate her chambers, to HER taste. Not Loki's.
"Do you not care for the rooms design M'Lady?" The girl asked genuinely confused.
"No, I don't. Can you find someone to dispose of all of this please?"
"M'Lady, I'm sorry but King Loki has made it clear that you are not to change anything." The girl said bowing her head in submission. Morgane looked at the girl with pity in her eyes. Everyone in Asgard was a slave to Loki.
"Thank you…what's your name?" Morgane asked.
"It's Mairead, M'Lady." The girl replied bashfully.
"Thank you Mairead. " Morgane said and smiled at the timid girl before her. Mairead gave her a ghost of a smile before bowing her head and turning to go. Morgane looked around at her new home again wondering how she was going to stomach all of this.
"M'Lady the herb garden near the kitchens is wonderfully fragrant right now. King Loki never goes there." Mairead said, startling Morgane out of her thoughts. The girl smiled fully this time before closing the heavy doors. Morgane smiled too. She had made a friend.
Later that evening, she was summoned to dine with Loki and the rest of the gods that resided in Valhalla. Mairead and two more handmaids came and dressed in her in the garments that Loki had chosen for her. They laid before her a dress of deep green silk with gold embroidery. From the front, the dress was plainly cut but the back was not. A hundred, thin gold chains stretched across the back of the dress studded with emeralds ran from one side of the dress to the other and from the bottom of her neck to the small of her back. The dress was horrendous in Morgane's opinion. It was completely inappropriate for a dinner and far too sensuous for the occasion. Morgane refused to put it on. She yelled and smashed anything that was in her path. Out of fear, one of the other handmaids alerted the guards outside her door to send for King Loki.
"Is there a problem, M'Lady?" Loki asked, non-chalantly as Morgane continued to throw trinkets and yell. She turned to look at him and fought back the ever growing pit of desire in her stomach from swallowing her.
"I'm not wearing that abomination. I am a goddess of Eire and I will not wear something so inappropriate!" She yelled back at him. Loki sauntered over to the wardrobe where the dress hung neatly on a hook. He picked up a fold of fabric and rubbed it with his fingers.
"I think it's quite beautiful and it suits you. That's why I chose it."
"Then you wear it." Morgane retorted. Loki said nothing but a dark feeling fell over the room and Mairead and the other handmaids retreated backwards with their heads bowed into the shadows. Loki gave a small chuckle before turning to Morgane and saying, " You will wear the dress Morgane. That is an order. If you do not, Mairead here will pay for your insurrection in blood." Loki's threat hit Morgane like a boulder. Her breath was knocked out of her lungs. Mairead made a small noise before stepping forward to accept her punishment.
"It's your choice Morgane. Wear the dress or watch this pretty girl be whipped. What will it be?" Loki asked malevolently. Mairead took another step forward.
"No! You will not touch her." Morgane said slowly.
" Good, then it's settled. I will come to collect you in one hour." Loki said striding out of the room.
Morgane sat in front of the mirror of the vanity and sneered at the reflection she saw before her. She had never looked so disgusting in her entire life. She was finally alone and could collect her thoughts. She told Mairead that she will never ever have to endure any kind of pain on her behalf. Morgane took a deep breath until the door creaked open and Loki entered. He came up behind her and looked at her in the mirror.
"You look beautiful. The dress really does suit you." He said touching the gold chains on her back. Morgane shuddered from the touch. It wasn't out of fear or anger, it was out of want. She stared back into Loki's sea green eyes and saw something there she could not describe. Loki bent over her and placed his hand at her throat forcing her to raise her head. His grip was loose but Morgane felt an electric shock go through her when his fingertips brushed the skin on her neck.
"You will learn to respect me Morgane." Loki whispered into her ear. His breath was like fire against her skin and she let out a light sigh before he let go of her and stood. Morgane sucked in a deep breath as if she had been suffocating. Loki just smiled and put his hand out to help her up. She had let down her guard and he had penetrated her barriers. Without thinking, Morgane took his hand and a shiver went down her spine. His eyes bore into her mercilessly. She felt as if she was sinking to the bottom of a lake. A knock came on the door and she broke away from him. It was the guards that had come to escort the couple to the main dining hall. Morgane immediately hated herself for letting him take a hold of her so easily.
The two entered the hall, hand in hand and were announced formally to the other gods. Loki sat at one end of the long table and Morgane at the other. No one spoke to her for fear of angering her. Apparently, her outburst about the dress had already travelled around Valhalla. Morgane constantly felt Loki's eyes on her. Every time that she glanced towards his end of the table, he was staring at her intently as if to say, "Challenge me and die." She finished her meal and excused herself from the table. As she walked through the halls unescorted, Morgane followed the smell coming from the kitchens and found her way into the herb garden, Mairead spoke of. The scent of fresh dirt, rosemary and mint mingled in the fresh clean night air. Walking through the rows of herbs she came upon a familiar sight. A small elderberry bush sat dwarfed by the ancient oak tree at the back of the garden. Morgane smiled at the thought of a little bit of Eire here in the darkness of Loki's Valhalla. When she felt satisfied with her time in the garden, Morgane attempted to find her way back to her rooms alone. The incomprehensible maze of corridors and halls all looked the same to her and there was no one nearby to ask for directions. When she thought that she would have to turn around and go back to the kitchens for help, she came across an open courtyard with a dirt floor. There were viewing galleries all around the courtyard with nets strung across the openings. On the far end stood a target and behind that a rack of various weapons. It was a training yard. Morgane found her way down to the bottom floor and entered the courtyard quietly. She wasn't sure if she was allowed here, knowing Loki. She picked up a bow and plucked the string thoughtfully. A quiver of arrows sat near the target and Morgane couldn't help herself. She picked up an arrow and placed it in the bow, she took aim and let the arrow whistle through the air. It was a perfect shot, right in the middle of the target. She never missed. Her hunger for weapons training had been sated for the moment and she placed everything back where it was and finally made her way back to her rooms.
The next morning, Morgane sat down to breakfast in her rooms still wearing her nightgown when Mairead entered silently to replace the flowers in the vases around her quarters. Morgane sipped at her tea until Mairead spoke.
"My mother was from Eire." Mairead said still arranging hyacinths and orchids.
"So is that where the elderberry bush came from?" Morgane asked.
"Yes, she planted it there when she was first brought here to be a scullery maid. She used to tell me stories about the Tuatha de Danaan and all of the heroics of the Morrigu. The ravens that acted as her scouts, her chariot made of yew and her battle cry that could be heard for miles."
Morgane smiled at the thought of someone telling stories of her exploits at war. She had never considered herself a legend or someone to be looked up to.
"I would very much like to meet her Mairead." Morgane said putting her hand on Mairead's shoulder.
"She's dead. She was strung up by Loki's guards when I was only eight for turning him down, M'Lady." Mairead said coldly. Morgane had never thought about the possibility of her mother being dead.
"What do you mean, 'turning him down'?" She asked.
"She would not lie with him M'Lady. She still loved my father back in Eire."
A long silence settled over the room and Morgane could see the hate in Mairead's eyes whenever she thought of what was done to her mother. Morgane noticed a dark purple bruise around Mairead's wrist that was not there yesterday.
"What happened to your wrist Mairead?" Morgane asked.
"It's nothing." Mairead lied, trying to cover her wrist with her sleeve. When she did, she revealed a fresh cut on her shoulder.
"Mairead, did Loki do this to you?" Morgane asked.
"He was angry when I told him I didn't know where you had gone after dinner last night. It's really ok. I'm glad you got to go to the garden though M'Lady." Mairead said quickly, trying to get out of the room without having to go into more detail about the beating.
"Mairead, I wont let this happen to you again."Morgane said as Mairead ducked behind the door to leave. She nodded her head timidly.
"And Mairead," Morgane added "call me Morgane."
Mairead nodded again and left Morgane alone in her rooms. She was seething at this point. She had to unleash her anger somewhere. She would love to unleash it onto Loki himself but that would start more problems than she cared to deal with at the moment.
Morgane opened her chamber doors and turned to one of the guards standing outside of her room.
"Is there a training yard in Valhalla?" Morgane asked.
"Yes M'Lady. But why?" the guard asked.
"Take me to it." Morgane commanded and stepped out into the hall. The guards reluctantly escorted her to the training courtyard that she had found on accident the night before. She memorized the way this time. Morgane spent the rest of the day taking her frustrations and anger out on the practice dummy and targets. Having a sword in her hands felt like the handshake of an old friend. As the day wore on, her audience grew more and more. At first, it was just her guards that watched her, then more guards, maids and even a few of the gods from the previous nights banquet came to watch the woman fight off imaginary foes. Late in the afternoon, Loki came upon the exhibition.
"What's going on?" Loki asked Ullr. The god of the hunt stood next to the balustrade and chuckled a little.
"She's been at it since sunrise her guards say." Ullr replied gesturing to Morgane. Loki looked down into the courtyard where Morgane stood and took aim at the target with the bow. Again, the arrow flew silently through the air and stuck into the target with a "thwomp" sound. Loki laughed a little.
"She cant hit it every time Ullr." Loki said.
"Watch again." Ullr replied.
Morgane took aim and again hit the target dead on.
"We're taking wagers on how long she can go without missing." Ullr said laughing.
" Who's winning?" Loki asked.
"Right now me. 72 is my wager. She's at 71 right now."
"Seventy one? I'll make sure you win that bet." Loki said smiling as he descended the stairs to the practice floor. Morgane did not notice Loki enter the courtyard. She had put everyone else watching her out of her mind. Loki stood quietly behind her until she took aim again.
" I hope I'm not interrupting you." Loki said as soon as she let go of the bow string. The arrow pitched wildly in the air and she missed the target completely. Morgane felt as if she had had the air knocked out of her lungs and caught her breath. Her audience was laughing now and she looked up to see Ullr taking his winnings from the guards and the other gods around him. Morgane turned and came face to face with Loki. He gave her a devilish smile, knowing that he was the reason why she missed her target.
"You weren't at luncheon today. I called upon you but there was no answer from your quarters." He said as she went to go and retrieve her arrow.
"I wasn't hungry." She replied sharply. She was becoming more and more irritated with his effect on her.
" So I can expect you for dinner tonight then." He said presumptuously.
"You may not." She retrieved her arrow and began to walk back towards him.
" Your attitude is still unsatisfactory Morgane. Is that why you were cast out of Eire?" Loki asked goading her on. Morgane had had enough of his prodding her. She turned to him and the pit widened even more, she was standing on the edge.
"How about a little wager of our own? I hear you're quite good with that thing." Loki said, gesturing to the bow staff. Morgane cut her eyes in the direction of the weapons racks.
"What are the stakes?" She asked cunningly.
"If you best me, I will let you go wherever you like in Valhalla and you have my permission to redecorate your chambers. But, if I best you, you will join me for dinner tonight and you will be forbidden from leaving your quarters until after our wedding." Loki's eyes did not waver, he was not bluffing. Morgane looked up and around at the audience waiting for her to give an answer.
"What say you Morgane, Goddess of War?" asked Loki with a cheeky smirk.
"Aye, but you will not walk away unscathed Asgardian." Morgane replied.
Loki calmly walked over to the rack where the staffs were and picked one up, testing its balance before throwing it to Morgane and picking up another for himself. Morgane caught it in mid-air with ease and took her position at one end of the yard opposite of Loki. Loki stood staring at her for what seemed like an eternity until he mouthed the word, "Go". Morgane and Loki went running towards each other at full speed, when Morgane was mere inches from colliding with the man, she dug her staff into the soft earth and pole vaulted over the god's head. Morgane hit the ground behind him and lunged at him with the staff, but he was quick. Loki ducked and rolled under the pole, kicking Morgane's feet from under her. Her back hit the ground with a thud and Loki was rising to make his "kill" when Morgane jumped up and hit the god hard in the stomach with the end of the pole. Loki doubled over in pain, when Morgane ran to take her next shot at him. When she was but three feet from him, Loki smiled, gave a little wave and disappeared. Morgane looked around confused until she realized that he was using his magic. The next thing she knew she was face to face with Loki again fighting him back. In her surprise, she did not have the time she needed to calculate her next blow and he was now pushing her up against the wall of the courtyard. His face was calm but his eyes were chaotic. Morgane's vision became hazy and her head swam with a mix of fear and pleasure. He was so close to her.
"What's the matter Morgane? You do not look well at all." Loki said laughing as he pinned her against the rough stone column. All around them, the spectators cheered for Loki. Morgane continued to try to push him back but it was a vain effort.
"I know what you're thinking about Morgane." Loki whispered into her ear with a lethal tone. Morgane felt the shock go through her body again and her eyes rolled in the back of her head. She almost gave in until she heard someone on one of the balconies yell, "Erin go bragh!" She could not recognize the voice but it snapped her back into reality. Morgane looked back into Loki's eyes and gave a devilish smile of her own before her eyes turned completely black and 4 large carrion birds, drifted out of the sky and onto the weapon racks around them. They were her calling card. Everyone in Eire knew that when the crows perched themselves around someone, the Morrigu was coming. Loki's skin paled as he looked over his shoulder at the massive birds squawking at him. When he turned to Morgane, she evaporated into a dark swirling mist and re-emerged 10 feet away, with the bow and arrow aimed at him. The audience let out a collective gasp and time stopped as Morgane let the arrow slice through the air, just inches from the side of Loki's face. No one moved, no one breathed as the arrow vibrated with the force of being stopped by the wooden door behind Loki.
A small scratch marred the side of Loki's cheek were the arrowhead just grazed him. He reached up to touch the scratch and looked at the smear of blood on his fingertips.
"Enough Morgane. You fought well. It's a draw." He declared smugly.
" I bested you, there is no draw." Morgane retorted.
"Let's ask them then." Loki said raising his hands for silence from the galleries. The spectators hushed each other immediately.
"The Lady Morgane claims that she bested me. I say it is a draw. What say you? Will you let an Eiran woman take the victory away from an Asgardian man? Is it a draw?" He asked using his best oration.
"Draw! Draw! Draw! Draw!" the audience chanted wildly.
"Well, there you go Morgane. It's a draw. You get to redecorate your chambers and are hereby prohibited from leaving them without my express permission and you will now have a set of guards posted inside and outside of your rooms at all exterior exits." Loki said non-chalantly as he turned to go.
Morgane's temper was about to boil over until she realized that it only pleased Loki to see her furious. Morgane collected herself and looked at Loki from behind black eyelashes.
" An Asgardian man declared a draw to an Eiran woman, what would your brother say, Loki?" She asked sweetly. Loki was raging inside at the question.
"You address me as King or your highness, Morgane." Loki replied trying to hold back his anger and never answering the question.
Morgane simply grinned and gave him a fake and sassy curtsy. Loki turned to leave and was met with one of Morgane's crows perched on the arrow stuck in the door. He scoffed and pushed the door open to leave. Morgane laughed and called the bird back to her with a short, high pitched whistle.
Loki stomped back to his rooms in a rage fit for Morgane. He slammed the door behind him in the face of his stewards and flipped over the long table standing in the middle of his study, laden with books and parchment. Loki took a few deep breaths before calming himself enough to think.
"The dosage of the draught must be increased." He said to himself before ringing the bell for his head steward, Gunnar.
"Yes, your highness?" Gunnar asked, bowing deeply.
" Increase the amount of hyasung in the Lady's food and drink. And put it in every meal, not just her dinner. She must be contained." Loki commanded the white haired man before him.
" But, your highness, she is already consuming one dram of hyasung a day. I fear that if I give her any more, she will be uncontrollable. Her maids already say that she writhes and moans in her sleep and that she is beginning to drift off during conversations whenever you are mentioned." Gunnar explained to him.
"Gunnar, you are a steward, not an apothecary. Do as I command and your election bid for the high council will be guaranteed. " Loki lied to him, weaving his magic through the words. Gunnar smiled, bowed and turned to go.
"Wait, has she attempted to cross over into another plain yet?" Loki asked, hands clasped tightly in anticipation.
"No your highness not yet. She speaks to her goddess in their language but the maids don't speak it, so they have no knowledge of what she is saying. "
" Inform me at once when she does. I believe that after today, she will try soon." Loki said. After Gunnar had left the room, Loki picked up a small box on the table next to the window that overlooked his personal gardens. He smiled as he turned the box over and over in his hands before lifting the lid. An immaculate emerald sat nestled in the middle of a golden ring with two serpents coiled around the edges, their mouths open and fangs waiting. It was the wedding ring made for Morgane.
"Do not fear Morgane, your thirst will be sated soon enough. You will probably be drowning in it tomorrow night. And I will have my own personal gateway between the worlds on a chain. Literally." Loki said to himself as he gazed out over the gardens where not a single flower bloomed and not a blade of grass grew. His personal gardens were a barren wasteland of dead trees and shrubs being blown about by an icy cold wind.
Morgane sat in silence as the sun dipped low behind the hills of Asgard. She had taken Loki at his word and had every piece of Asgardian décor thrown out of her rooms and replaced it with the plain, unadorned trappings of her home. She looked about her and smiled with pleasure at the fact that she had gotten to him. He feared her now and so he should. She was the Goddess of War, the Morrigu, the herald of courage and the harbinger of defeat for her enemies. Loki feared her because she was uncontrollable in his eyes and that's what he craved more than anything, control and power. Loki only surrounded himself with those that he considered unthreatening and unable to defend themselves. He underestimated her greatly.
As twilight fell, a knock came upon her door and Morgane knew that it was Loki's steward, Gunnar, here to collect her for dinner. The small man entered the room but did not bow as was customary. Morgane could tell that he had been instructed to do so by Loki.
"My Lady, King Loki will receive you for dinner now." Gunnar announced.
" You may tell Loki that I will not be dining with him this evening or any other evening for that matter. " Morgane replied without even looking in Gunnar's direction.
"But My Lady, he commands it. And he's in an awful mood after the display you made at the practice yard today. I wouldn't test him M'Lady. " Gunnar said pleading.
" Loki does not command me until after tomorrow evening and even then I will not be called upon like a faithful hound. Do I make myself clear?" Morgane asked.
"Yes, M'Lady." Gunnar replied before leaving the room. Morgane stood to go out onto the balcony when she caught a glimpse of herself in one of the mirrors hanging on the wall. She could barely recognize herself as she touched and pinched the soft flesh on her face. Her eyes were no longer the turquoise blue of the ocean that surrounded Eire but were now a dark and dreary shade of grey-blue. They reminded her of the murky, dark ice of Jotunheim. She had only traveled there once, but once was enough for her to remember the Jotun wasteland. Morgane steeled her nerves and took a deep breath before taking a small step forward and closing her eyes. A mist enveloped her and when she opened her eyes again, she was in Jotunheim. The cold and ice shocked her body and she immediately shivered in the howling winds that whipped around her. Her hands shook as she tried to wrap her thin cloak around her body. Morgane felt a familiar presence in the landscape, it had not left long before she herself crossed over. She looked around her but saw no one. Just ice, rocks and a forever midnight sky. That's when it hit her, she recognized the presence now. It was Loki.
"She's done it your highness!" Gunnar came bursting through the doors of Loki's study.
" Done what?" Loki asked, still looking over a spell he was concocting.
"She's crossed over!" Gunnar said loudly and full of excitement.
" I knew she would soon enough." Loki said smiling.
" And you will never believe where to." Gunnar said. Loki put down the piece of parchment he was holding and took a deep breath before speaking again. He was hoping she had crossed over into Midgard or as the mortals called it, Earth. If he was going to control the humans, he needed Morgane to act as a guide of sorts. As of right now, he only had two ways into the other nine realms: The Bi-Frost and various access points scattered throughout the realms. The Bi-Frost was his most direct way of traveling between realms but it was also the most conspicuous. The access points were more inconspicuous but once you stepped into one of the gates, you didn't know where in one of the nine realms you were going to end up. It was a toss-up of what world you walk into and the access points were constantly changing. One day you would walk through one and you would be in Vanir, the next day you could pass through the same one and end up in Niflheim. Morgane however, could pin-point a location using nothing but a memory, picture or description, take a step forward and be there.
"Where?" Loki asked, hiding his anticipation.
"She went to Jotunheim, sire." Gunnar said smiling. Loki's heart sank and he broke out into a cold sweat.
"How do you know she went to Jotunheim? She could've just gone to a cold place in Midgard." Loki was trying to hide his fear of being found out. No one but his father and mother, knew that Loki was a frost giant.
" Her maid said that she when she crossed back over she asked to be drawn a hot bath." Gunnar replied.
"That's it? She wanted to take a bath? Gunnar you are worthless."
" Your highness, that is NOT all. When her maid was picking up her garments, she said that this fell out of her pocket." Gunnar handed Loki , what appeared to be a small rock. But it was no rock, it was a piece of Jotun ice. Jotun ice was as hard as a diamond and took years to melt. Loki rolled the piece of ice around in his palm as he thought. Gunnar continued to stand waiting for further instructions or acknowledgement.
"Go away." Loki said with finality. Gunnar's mood was immediately darkened and he left the god to his thoughts.
"Why Morgane? Why Jotunheim? How do you even know of the place?" Loki asked himself. As Loki continued to inspect the bit of ice and ponder on Morgane's trip to Jotunheim, the skin on his hand turned from alabaster to the dark grey-blue of the frost giant he really was.
The next morning, Morgane woke from a slumber that she wished she had never fallen into in the first place. Her dreams the previous night were more frightening than ever and she awoke more than once in a cold sweat and a feeling of unmet desires clouding her vision. Her stomach turned and growled once her breakfast was brought to her. She had never been so hungry before. As she ate, maids and servants came and went, bringing gifts, flowers and the dress that she was to be wed in. Morgane scanned the dress for anything that seemed odd or out of place. She found nothing but was still wary in donning the garment. Mairead and the other dressers slipped the soft fabric over Morgane's head and she immediately felt the chains of desire tighten around her body. She was about to be wed.
All of Valhalla and Asgard spent the morning preparing for the wedding of Odin's second son and the Eiran woman that the commoners called, the dark fire. They feared to say her name after her outbursts over the dress and in the practice yard swept through Asgard. Loki had granted the commoners a day of rest on the day of his wedding even though only the gods were in attendance at the actual ceremony. Morgane stood perfectly still next to Loki in front of the high priest performing the wedding. She could not bring herself to turn to look at Loki, she didn't need to. A rich, dark heat came off of him in waves and she thought that she would faint from the intensity of it. She itched to brush up against his skin and satisfy the desire but she could not bring herself to touch the man that she hated so much. Morgane was now at war with herself. When it came time for the newlyweds to seal their marriage with a kiss, Loki turned to Morgane and lifted her veil. Loki looked intently into Morgane's eyes and she thought that she could kill him right then and there. When he leaned in to kiss her Morgane turned her head at the last moment and Loki gave her a light brush with his lips on her cheek. Every time Loki touched her, the same staggering electric jolt went through her body and into her mind. She was catapulted into a memory of one of her dreams. She felt herself being forced into submission by a phantom set of hands and a hot breath on her neck as she ached for more of the ghosts touch. When Loki pulled away and looked at her again, Morgane's mouth went dry and she felt little beads of sweat form on her back. For the rest of the day, whenever Loki looked at her, Morgane felt the heat bear down on her again and again.
After the reception dinner, Morgane was escorted back to her rooms for the final time by the guards to prepare for her wedding night. All of her things had already been moved to Loki's rooms and only one garment hung in the wardrobe of what was once her dressing room. She looked at the dress hanging on the hook with a numbness and anticipation that she could not place or describe. Morgane was unaided for the first time since coming to Valhalla to dress herself. She let the cool white silk, slide over her body and let out a small sigh of pleasure. Looking at herself in the mirror, she wondered what she could do to delay the inevitable. She felt no love or fondness for Loki, only deep seeded hate and desire. The thin fabric of the dress whispered over her skin as she coiled her red hair into a simple bun and looked down at the emerald wedding ring on her finger. She turned and twisted the ring around and around and let herself believe that there was no treachery or deception afoot. A knock startled her out of her thoughts and Mairead entered carrying a tray.
"M'Lady, I thought you could use a little something to calm your nerves. It's elderberry wine. I know that if I was about to go spend my wedding night with the King, I would be scared." Mairead said as she poured a glass of wine from the crystal decanter.
"Thank you Mairead. I do not fear Loki. He is nothing more than a minor annoyance to me. But I will take a glass of wine." Morgane lied through her teeth to Mairead so that she might have hope for herself. Morgane took the glass from Mairead and took a long drink before setting the goblet back down on the tray. As soon as the wine hit her stomach, Morgane felt an odd cloud settle over her. She looked up at Mairead who had a look of utter fear and regret on her pretty face.
"Mairead, are you sure that was elderberry wine?" Morgane asked trying to steady herself. Her head became heavy and it became more and more difficult for her to keep her eyes open.
"I'm sorry Morgane. He was going to kill me!" Mairead apologized before dropping the tray with a clatter. Morgane's eyes closed and she felt herself fall to the hard floor and then darkness enveloped her.
The guards outside the door bound, gagged and blindfolded Morgane once they were sure that she had passed out. They dragged her limp body down a hidden staircase that opened in the floor outside of Morgane's door. Minutes that seemed like days passed in Morgane's mind before she awoke. Her first sensation was that of a cold, stone floor and a draft seeping beneath a door. She heard someone breathing but other than that it was silent. She wanted to scream but when she tried the gag in her mouth choked out the sound before it ever hit the air. With her eyes still covered by the blindfold Morgane inched herself into a sitting position and felt with her hands a wall behind her and leaned back. After about 30 seconds of waiting, two sets of rough hands grabbed a hold of her arms and pulled her to her feet before dragging her forward and forcing her to kneel. Every time she attempted to tuck her feet under her so that she might stand, the hands pushed her back down again. Morgane felt the presence of a third person in the room. The two guards standing on either side of her walked away and Morgane listened intently until their footsteps disappeared into the ether. The third person walked towards her, stood in front of her for a moment and then walked behind her. Her blindfold was slowly untied and pulled away. Her vision still blurry from the lack of light and the effects of the drug, Morgane tried to focus on the face of the person that knelt down in front of her but what appeared to be a man got up and walked away before she had the chance to identify him. When her vision finally did come back to her, she looked up and saw Loki leaning against a wall at the far end of the room, his arms crossed in waiting.
"Hello Morgane." Loki said with a sneer. Morgane looked around the room, scanning it for any other people. They were alone. The vast room was dark and only lit by a few torches and a roaring fire in a fireplace on the end of the room where Loki stood. Morgane's eyes widened in horror but she struggled wildly to stand so that she might run. When she successfully got to her feet, a phantom hand wrapped its fingers around her throat and squeezed. She was paralyzed and nearly passed out again from the lack of air until she slowly bent down and kneeled again. Once the hand released her, she looked up at Loki once more and he smiled. That's when she realized that she had seen those lips and that smile more than once. She had never seen the man in her dreams that tormented and pleasured her mercilessly. She had only seen his mouth, hands, feet and torso.
"So you know who I am then. I must say, I thought that you would have figured it out before now being the clever girl that you are. " Loki said still wearing the malevolent smile. He walked towards her slowly and knelt in front of her again. He scanned her face and reached up to touch a strand of hair that had fallen out of the knot atop her head during the struggle. Loki wrapped the hair in a coil around his finger and let go of it. The spiral bounced for a moment before going still again. He smirked again and pulled the gag out of her mouth. As soon as he did, Morgane spit in his face. Loki wiped the saliva off of his skin and gave her a sadistic laugh before backhanding Morgane so hard that her lip split and she fell over to one side.
"Now, is that any way to treat your husband? On your wedding night, no less?" Loki asked her rhetorically. Morgane righted herself after a moment and tried to suppress the ringing in her ears from the force of the blow. Morgane looked down to see an ever increasing splotch of blood, stain the front of the silk gown she wore. She began to let out an evil laugh that filled the room and forced Loki to turn and stare at her.
"Look what you've done. That stain will never come out." Morgane forced out between crazed laughs. Loki walked up to her and wrapped his hand around her throat, pulling her up until her feet no longer touched the ground.
"Do you really think that you're so wild Morgane? You have done everything that I wanted since the day that you crossed the rainbow bridge. Danu didn't want you in Eire anymore and I took you off of her hands. Without me, she would've cast you out of Tara and declared you anathema. There are no more wars for you to fight Morgane. You are a relic of a time when gods walked with mortals. You have outlived your purpose. You need to be contained, you need to be ruled." Loki lectured Morgane through grit teeth. He loosened his grip on Morgane's throat and brought her back down until her feet touched the floor. With his hand still around her neck, Loki turned Morgane so that her back was now pressed firmly against his chest. Morgane was just about to attempt to crossover to Eire when Loki put his lips next to her ear and whispered, "You were made to be ruled." At that moment, the pit of lust and desire that had been threatening to consume her, grew ever wider and swallowed Morgane until all she saw was darkness.
Time stopped and even her breathing ceased until Loki released the bonds that held her wrists behind her back. Morgane fought for air and coughed until breath made its way back into her burning lungs. Her skin sizzled and itched. Loki smiled and knew that she had fallen into the web of deceit, poison and lust that he had weaved for her.
"Close your eyes." He commanded. Morgane did as she was ordered and let her lids fall. Loki took a small knife from his boot, barely pressed it against the flesh where Morgane's spine began and dragged it through the thin silk of her dress. Morgane sighed as the fabric pooled around her feet on the floor. The cool air in the room did nothing to cool the fire raging inside of her though. With her eyes still closed, Loki turned Morgane to face him again and ever so gently wiped away the blood left on her lower lip. Morgane flinched and a chill went over her skin. Loki looked down at the blood on his fingertips and put it to his own mouth.
"Open your eyes Morgane."
When Morgane opened her eyes, Loki wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss that she had been craving for so long.