Didn't know I had to do this...but here's the disclaimer so I don't get my ass sued off: I don't own Loki, or anyone/anything from the Avengers/Thor/Marvel Brothers stories. I do take credit for Heilenheim and its people. That good?
"Stop being a coward and open your eyes." Allaysia mocked the Asgardian man lying on her bed. Pompous, pretentious cowards, the lot of them. She sat down on the bedside chair and waited for him to man up and face his injuries.
Sure he had broken most of the bones in his body, falling out of the sky like that. But she had seen worse injuries and those people had toughened it out and survived. No reason that he can't open his eyes and regain some sense of consciousness.
His eyelids fluttered at her voice, and she couldn't help but notice his ridiculously long lashes. Hmph, leave it to the Asgardian men to have such feminine features.
His eyes opened and two pools of hazy green appeared, like emeralds covered in a fine layer of dust. Probably just disorientation of waking up from four days of coma-like sleep.
Yep, soon enough, his eyes cleared into sharp green, staring at her. Allaysia could see the brain behind those eyes beginning to whirl and assess the situation. Decide on her use and worth.
"Before you try to kill me or whatever it is you're thinking, why don't you eat first." Allaysia brought the bowl she had been holding closer to his head. Well, she supposed it was less accurate to say eat since the bowl only contained nourishing liquids. His stomach was not ready for solid substance yet.
"Where," he croaked, "where am I?"
"Ah, good question. Why don't you eat like a nice boy and I'll tell you what you want to know." She spooned some of the soupy substance and placed it near his mouth.
She sighed as the Asgardian glared at her. Without opening his mouth.
It wasn't as if she desperately wanted to feed him. If she wasn't under the orders of her king to bring him back to health, Allaysia wouldn't give a damn about an Asgardian man. Even her regular patients didn't get this kind of personal care.
"My arm is getting tired. If you'd rather die than eat, then that's fine by me." She made a move to withdraw the spoon.
"Wait." He opened his mouth.
"See, it didn't have to be so difficult."
She placed the liquid in his mouth, laughing on the inside at his grim, guarded expression. The laughter bubbled out into a choked cough as his face opened in surprise, probably at the rather delicious taste of the soupy liquid. She bet he had expected it to be horrible, or even better, it to be poison. Of course the nourishing liquid was good. The little princes and princesses had damn made sure of that during their sick days by requesting the nectar of honeysuckles to be added. And she had never broken that habit.
Allaysia fed him two more spoonfuls before speaking again. "You are in the realm of Heilenheim, the world at the intersection of the nine realms. I do not know how to you got here, except for the fact that you arrived by falling out of the sky. And broke most of your bones doing that."
She raised a brow at him, but didn't pause in her feeding. "If I may give my advice, such a method of arrival is not very...healthy. I suggest you find another, less impactful way."
The Asgardian scowled. "I did not choose to come here. The bifrost bridge was destroyed and I fell from it. I had expected to fall into nothingness." His voice is stronger now, beginning to sound low and smooth.
So the bifrost bridge, the main asset of Asgard, was destroyed. Interesting.
Allaysia mentally filed that information away before continuing. "Well, the king has decided that as a sign of good manner and relations, Heilenheim would restore you to health and send you back to your home, Asgard."
"Asgard is not my home." Cold and emotionless statement. Which usually meant that there was much emotions behind it, most likely pain or anger or sadness. Oh, my my.
"Well, that would be a problem." But not her problem. Allaysia shrugged and scooped the last bit of liquid into his mouth.
She wiped his mouth perfunctorily and left without another word. For all she cared, her task - feed him and inform him as the king had ordered - was complete. For now.
"Wait!" He called out before she left the door. "What's your name?"
"Allaysia." She didn't even turn around or stop to ask for his name. There was no need to know the name of an Asgardian man.
"How is he doing?" A kind but authoritative voice asked from behind the big chair. The voice of a king.
Allaysia stood respectfully with her head lowered. "Your Majesty, the Asgardian man woke up today and was given some nourishing liquid. He says Asgard's bifrost bridge is destroyed and he had fallen from it. He also states that Asgard is no longer his home."
A soft sigh drifted over as the King of Heilenheim stood up and walked around the chair towards Allaysia. He was surprisingly young, only a few years older than her.
"Al, we grew up together. Do you have to be so formal?" He stepped close, arms held up to enclose her in a hug.
Allaysia stepped back, eyes still lowered. "Your Majesty, please."
Another sigh, he didn't attempt to move closer this time but instead returned to business at hand.
"How long will it take for him to be healed?"
"At least a month. His bones need time to reknit and his body to recover. The process cannot be rushed. However, it will not be longer than two months. I will make sure of it." Allaysia had no interest in keeping the Asgardian longer than necessary. In fact, she felt the opposite.
The young king looked at her with weariness and sadness in his eyes, but her gaze was lowered so she couldn't see. He waited but she didn't, wouldn't, look up.
Stifling yet another sigh, he gave a dismissive gesture, not knowing if it was meant for her to go or for himself to give up. "You may go."
"Good night, Your Majesty." Allaysia bowed properly before leaving without a backward glance. She kept her face straight all the way until she reached her house at the edge of the palace. Her calm eyes belied the emotional turmoil filled with regret and sadness that always swirled after a meeting with young king.
She busied herself with collecting the dried herbs and grinding the ones that cannot be stored. Suddenly, a frisson of awareness caused her to stop and look around.
"Dear Allaysia, you look upset." A silky smooth voice sounded to her left. A voice that belonged to someone who should not have been able to move, lest get out of bed and walk into the herb room.
After the initial jump of shock, she didn't even turn to look at the Asgardian and continued to grind the herbs. "You're not real."
"Oh? Are you so upset as to think yourself to be hallucinating?"
Allaysia could hear him raising his eyebrows mockingly. A smirk flitted across her lips.
"You are so broken that even movement is not possible. Hence this image of you here, is definitely not real. You're probably using magic of some sort to create a double."
Suddenly she felt a body behind her back. Two lean arms snaked around and wrapped themselves around her waist.
The Asgardian whispered intimately in her ear, "I think your body can tell if I'm a mere image or a real man."
Her muscles tensed in defense upon initial contact, but now Allaysia leaned back against the Asgardian. She tiled her head up so he could see her face. See her condescending smile. "You don't have a heartbeat. Are you real?"
To her amusement, his green eyes stormed over and his face twisted into an expression more appropriate for a petulant child. She straightened up and focused back on her herbs, though not before adding, "I suggest you return to your body on the bed. Save the energy to heal your real body and not over-exert by projecting false ones."
He tightened his grip on her waist, but she could feel those lean arms fading in substance. "You care for my health. I'm touched."
She laughed, a harsh sound without merriment. "I care for the hours, medicine, and space that I am wasting because of you. If you do not stay in bed and focus yourself on healing your body, then I suppose I shall have to drug you. It'll take longer, but at least I won't have to fight you over it."
He answered by disappearing.
Allaysia finished grinding herbs without haste and left the room. The walls still faintly echoed her mocking laughter.