Chapter 3 - The Promise
Odin turned, looking at Frigga and Thor in turn, "Why has nothing happened? She's had enough time and nothing has changed with Loki. Those damned green eyes still follow my every move with hatred – it's enough! We released him from his cell so that this agent of Zeus's could have her chance with him. Perhaps her powers are not as Zeus led us to believe; maybe it was all a trick, the self-important 'King of Olympus.' I'm sure he thought anyone of his tiny realm could do better with Loki that we could! Why did I ever think that an Olympian demi-goddess would be able to bring Loki to hand?" He turned and watched one of his ravens as it plucked its plumage and squawked. "He still does his mischief, and we have no way of knowing what he plans behind our backs."
Frigga sighed, "It is indeed worrying, but perhaps he won't find out her purpose. There's nothing any Asgardian can do that will surprise him, and she may have caught him off guard. They have scarcely been apart in the last month, after all. That in itself is unusual; his attention span with women is not normally this long. I think this needs more time, husband."
You may well be right, Mother, they have been together a great deal, and Loki seems infatuated with her, and," Thor laughed, "Loki is certainly easier to get along with now that she spends so much time in his bed. And certainly, that is very understandable; she is a very beautiful and warm woman. But, we must remember that Loki is never off guard, I ought to know better than anyone. He still taunts me with how many times I've fallen for his tricks; he always has. Do we need to do something else? What would be our next step, then?"
"That's the point, my son, we have no next steps. We have imprisoned him, chained him, tortured, expelled him, and still he is amongst us and wreaks havoc in Asgard and all the Nine Realms. Our last option is his execution. " Frigga gasped and Odin rubbed his beard in thought. "But I have lost confidence in her – send for her. I want her in this throne room now. I grow impatient!"
…..
Kypris followed the guard to the throne room, entered, and bowed low to the king, queen, and prince who looked at her intently as she approached them. The men's eyes were full of doubt, and Odin's showed additional distrust and anger. Frigga's eyes were serene.
"It looks to me as though you have failed in your attempt to change Loki, to remove his hate and make him sane. Why has this not worked, 'demi-goddess?'" Although Odin snarled in a way that would frighten others, Kypris detected a feeling other than animosity behind his words. She lowered her eyes as he spoke, a gesture of submission. Powerful men love submissive women, and never understand the power such women have over them. It was a good thing that these men were such fools, gods or no. She waited respectfully for him to stop speaking. No men demanded greater submission from their women than the ancient Greeks. She'd had a great deal of practice.
Odin was done speaking, and glowered at her, waiting for an unsatisfactory answer. More submission: she turned her eyes respectfully to Thor, waiting for him to speak.
"I beg your pardon lady, if we seem rude or impatient," responded Thor, rumbling softly. Odin glared at him. "We have seen no great change in Loki, and the time you've had should have been adequate to the task. What are your plans?" Thor towered over her, and she looked into his clear, blue gaze, his face gentle and concerned, and quickly looked away again. That way lies only ruin and despair, she thought, she would have to be careful. His face was a contradiction to his work and his status. She knew that in battle his face would be brutal and angry, but in repose, it showed a different side of him; kindly, courtly, and good humored. She found him fascinating.
"My king and prince, first I must say that a few short weeks, scarcely a lunar month, is hardly long enough to win a man's, any man's, total confidence and love., and Loki is far more difficult that "any man," as you know. Even though you have underestimated the size of the task you have given me, I still have almost complete confidence that I will succeed. I will not and cannot change Loki's essential nature; that can't be done to anyone, but I believe I can make him happier, more satisfied, and negate much of the anger he carries within him. Those things will help him feel loved by others, and will give him more trust in everyone."
"I think your trip here has been useless," Odin practically snarled, "Other than to give Loki a great deal of undeserved pleasure with you. Your powers are clearly limited, and no match for Loki's. I want you to leave at once. Loki can go back to his dungeon."
"Before that happens, All-Father, I beg your indulgence to ask the queen a question."
"Ask as you will, lady," Frigga smiled and inclined her head.
"I ask your permission to demonstrate to your husband and Thor that I have the power to do as I promised. I give you my word, all will return to the way it was before, and no harm will be done to you or those you love. They must believe in me, or my plan will fail. As you know, my lady, simply from your understanding of men's hearts, even a demi-goddess from Olympus, cannot make a man truly love her in a short period of time, especially a man as complex and broken as Loki. Love must grow slowly or it is apt to dissipate at the first difficulty. What you see may frighten you. Will you allow me to proceed? I assure you, all will be well."
Frigga, surprised at these words, turned quickly to observe Odin's and Thor's responses. They were both staring at Kypris as if transfixed, unaware of her words; Frigga smiled. "Do you do that to men often, so that they cannot understand your purpose?"
"I do it always, my queen. Men have no place in the councils of women. Their emotions are not suited to understand us, as we understand them."
Frigga smiled in delight. "What a wonderful spell. Will you teach it to me when your time here is done? Did your godly parent teach you this?"
"No my queen, I was born knowing how to do this." Kypris smiled, "and I will gladly teach it to you, my queen, but you have no need of my help. You have the power already, but have never chosen to use it. I will simply remind you."
"Very well then, Kypris, proceed with your demonstration, which somehow, I think, has already begun."
"Only in a very small way, my queen," Kypris smiled, "Prepare yourself, and please withdraw to a safe distance." Frigga's eyebrows rose, but she inclined her head and mounted the great golden steps to her place beside Odin's throne. The raven grudgingly gave way to her.
Kypris turned her face to the two transfixed gods, and slowly closed her eyes. Almost immediately, Frigga felt a subtle vibration in the great room; and as a goddess and queen, she recognized it at once; it was the vibration of all life, essential to anything or anyone that lived. It seemed to come from directly Yggdrasil, the World Ash Tree. As she watched, the air in the room swirled with brilliant colors and the insistent thrumming of the life force. The branches of Yggdrasil were visible, though ghostly. She wondered how this would affect her husband and son. The colors and vibration centered on them, wrapping each in a wall of color and sound, she saw it enter their bodies, as the branches and leaves of the tree appeared to engulf them. Frigga sensed their pulses quicken, too rapidly, and the vibrations of the life force heat their blood. They each grew taller, heavier of bone and muscle, and more masculine as seconds went by. Just when it seemed that the walls of the throne room would disintegrate, the sound and colors abruptly stopped and the tree disappeared. Thor and Odin stood as still as statues, huge and strong, with the menace of their heightened masculinity filling the room. Frigga was aware of a silence; all of Asgard unknowingly held its breath.
Kypris moved quickly while the men remained still. She took Odin's spear and handed it to Frigga, tried to take Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, but could not lift it. She blew on it softly, and it floated, softly as a feather, and landed at Frigga's feet. "So they don't kill each other, my queen," she murmured, eyes again closed. She turned and snapped her eyes open.
They came to life at once, and to Frigga's horror, turned immediately on each other. Odin snarled, but Thor made his loudest battle cry, causing the walls and the floor to shake. The red cape billowed behind him.
"Stay back, Father, the woman is mine. If you venture a step towards her, I will kill you where you stand. I will take her as my queen, and breed mighty children from her, and she will be mine, and only mine, for all time."
Odin started to circle Thor, snarling, "You can't make her your queen, you stupid boy. You're not king, I am king; she will be my queen, and I will get on her new sons who will displace you. I will never give her up – and you will never lay eyes on her again, for I will banish you, if I do not kill you."
"I come to kill you now, old man!" Thor launched himself at his father, flying 20 feet across the room. He struck his father a crushing blow to the head, knocking him to the floor, but Odin's helmet magically appeared, and deflected the killing force of the blow. Thor leaped on him as Odin rose to his feet.
Frigga gasped, "Stop them! They'll kill each other!"
Kypris shook her head, "Trust me, lady, please. Not much longer."
Odin and Thor grappled and rolled, each trying to crush or break the other, each blow intended to kill. The foundations of the hall groaned as the blows became faster and heavier, and they left broken paving stones on the floor when they fell. Both faces were bloody and twisted with rage. The heavily gauntleted hands delivered blow after killing blow, but they continued to struggle.
Thor shook his head and extended his hand for the hammer and it flew to him, but before he could raise it, a shimmering, transparent wall, a foot thick, appeared between the two gods. Thor howled in rage, and struck the wall, but it didn't give way; it waved and shimmered, but was not broken.
Odin called his spear, and it appeared in his hand, shimmering with deadly magic. It could not miss once it left the hand of the bearer, and if it pierced Thor's heart, he would die. Odin readied the spear; it was difficult. Even in his blood lust, it was difficult to kill his son. He attempted to break through the wall through sheer force of will, and the All-Father's will was very powerful. The wall wavered, and Odin's figure shown through it. He aimed the spear at Thor's heart, and the wall fell. Odin advanced on Thor. "You fool, you thought you could defeat me in battle over a woman. I'll kill you now!" He held the spear over his head.
As soon as the wall opened, Thor raised the great hammer. "Die old man, and know in your dying that I am king and the woman is mine, and no one shall ever take her from me. Not you, not Loki. He's next, I'll kill him too! I'll kill them all." The great hall filled with lightening; the blinding light and thunder knocked Frigga to her knees. Kypris remained still. The raven flew from the throne, alarmed by the noise, its black eyes fixed on Thor.
Thor and Odin each advanced to give the killing blow, faces distorted with blood lust and the need to kill. Thor swung the hammer; Odin poised the spear, and thrust it.
"STOP!" cried Kypris, before the spear left Odin's hand, and uttered a word of power that Frigga did not recognize. The two gods stared at themselves and each other in surprise. Odin lowered his spear, and Thor put down the hammer and the bloodlust died from their eyes, replaced with confusion and shame. Each appeared his normal self again; Odin proud and suspicious, while Thor's faced assumed its humility and gentleness. Exhausted from their battle, their chests heaved and their breathing was ragged. They turned to Frigga in shame and bowed their heads, then turned their faces to Kypris.
"What just happened here, my lady? My father and I fought hard to kill each other. There was no joy in this fight."
Odin's laugh was bitter, "She has shown us her power, my son, and conquered us both, utterly, each of us completely unaware. She caused us to desire her so greatly that we would have killed each other, abandoned your mother, and brought Asgard down in pieces around us in order to possess her. All that mattered was the need to possess her utterly – this is her power. It is great indeed." He turned to looked at her; malice, hatred, and not a small amount of fear glinted from the one eye looking out from beneath the helmet. "I know who she is now; this is no demi-goddess brought in to keep Loki happy; this is the great Goddess herself, Aphrodite, Queen of Love and Beauty, one of the Twelve Olympians. She has been worshipped as long as there has been a human race. She has power over men that none can resist. She has brought down civilizations and has caused men and gods to kill each other. She causes trouble wherever she goes. She is a destroyer of worlds and must be confined and controlled. I do not trust Zeus to keep us safe from her magic."
Thor shook his head as if he had just emerged from deep water.
"Frigga!" You allowed this goddess to do this to our son and me? Would you stand by to watch us kill each other and destroy Asgard in order to watch as your husband and son are utterly conquered?" Frigga eyes blazed, her face aghast.
Kypris spoke. "Enough, all of you. Odin, All-Father, your soul is troubled, and you blame me for your violence. For all of history, men have blamed their blood lust and murder on the women they want, and in fear of us, have dominated and enslaved us. Your queen and I will not accept that. If you want my help, you will allow me to stay here with Loki, and work in my own way and you will not interfere. There is no other way. The life of your younger son is at stake, if you think that your only other option is that he must die, or spend the rest of his life in an underground cell."
Thor interrupted, his voice shaken and gentle, "Pardon me, Great Goddess, but surely what you did to the All-Father and me is not your plan for Loki? To enflame him as you enflamed us is madness. It would make him all the more dangerous and unstable. He might well kill us all. Is this your plan?"
"A fair question, prince, and of course, you are right. The power of sexual love is one of my powers, but not one to be used on Loki in such strong measure. Do not forget, I am also the goddess of love, the longings of the heart, and the fulfilling of its desires. Sexual desire and the need to reproduce are primal powers of the universe, but they are not the most evolved powers. The love that fills and completes the soul, and the desire to make the beloved happy and safe, are its counterparts. All are necessary for balance or the power between male and female becomes skewed to the male, and infects the universe with poison. If the powers and needs are not balanced, it will lead ultimately to destruction, because the power to dominate always leads to the need to destroy. Observe the men of the place you call Midgard; my home, the need to dominate all things has led them close to the destruction of our world. As Loki told you, Thor, they kill each other in droves.
The wall I raised was built from love and even through your rage and lust, it was enough to prevent you from killing each other until you, Odin, raised the spear and aimed it at your own son's heart; you would have killed him had you struck. The desire to kill Thor destroyed the love and thus the wall, and that was your moment of greatest danger. You are not to blame for this, do not misunderstand me; I put that desire in your heart, as I then took it away.
No, Loki needs love and healing, not the need to destroy; he already has more of his share of that, and it drives him mad. His own male desires are very strong and will suffice, and my own charms, are, ah, well known. His response to me through the course of a few weeks is already evident, is it not? Eventually, he will receive the power of my love, and love is the most potent force in the universe. I turned none of that, my greatest power, on either of you. Loving Loki: that is my plan. It's very simple, though I use it at great price.
"What price is that?" Frigga spoke for the first time.
"Just as I said, great lady, I must give Loki my real and complete love, if it is to heal him. It cannot be the manipulations of a goddess, nor can it be a magic trick. It must be from my soul. Giving that, especially to a man as damaged and full of vengeance as Loki, will make me vulnerable. I will have to fight against his rage and despair in order not to become one with them. He will have the power to destroy me, and I must be willing to take that chance.
Compared to loving Loki as he must be loved, what I did to the two of you today was child's play. Ask any pretty 15 year old girl in Midgard; if she has the need and will, she can make grown men fight over her. I did much the same thing today, though on a cosmic scale. I had no intention of allowing you to bring Asgard down – I needed only to demonstrate my power. I now set out to love Loki on a cosmic scale as well; I must be willing to die for Loki, and for Asgard, if that is what is necessary to make him believe in my love. It is my promise.
These things take time, and it must start within me, and I cannot love a man I've known for such a short time. I am many thousands of years old, and a month passes to me as a moment. However, the process has already started. I've begun to love him already – it started the first moment I met him. The anger and distrust you, All-Father, feel towards him, though understandable, are destroying him. The more he desires your love and trust, the more he betrays you. He tests your love, and it fails. This applies to you as well, Thor, though it comes as a result of your father's promises to him that could never come true. He truly loves you, Thor, but hates you as well. We may be able to change that.
I, however, feel no anger and distrust towards Loki. My love for him grows daily; it does will not diminish, once it is committed. His mother understands this; Frigga loves him this way since he was her baby, but does not absolve him of his crimes. Nor do I. Her goal and mine are the same; to heal him through our love, though of course, we will go about it differently; she, mother to son, I, woman to man." She smiled at Frigga. "I believe we will succeed if it kills us both. You two must agree to let this proceed. One further thing, all of you – Loki must not know of my purpose here. If he learns of it, the plan will be in ruins and have no chance of success."
Your way has failed; you admit that. Now, we will use a greater power than either of you have has ever used or possessed."
Thor and Odin looked at her with surprise; neither liked the idea of a power neither of them possessed. Frigga looked at her and tears fell from her eyes. "I don't like it," Odin spoke again. "I cannot permit it."
"You don't like it, but you must accept it. Frigga, do you join with me?"
"I do," said Frigga, moving to Kypris's side. "I will die with you, if necessary, for Loki and for Asgard. He shall not know of the plan or your purpose here."
"What is your reply, Odin All-Father, and Thor, God of Thunder? Do you accept our will?"
Defeated, Odin knelt before Kypris and Frigga, and Thor joined him. "I kneel to your power, Great Goddess," said Odin, "Because it appears we have no choice. I pray, however, that you have mercy on us all. Please do not use the power you unleased on Thor and me in Asgard again. " Kypris nodded and raised them to their feet, Thor kissed Kypris's hand, and she and Frigga embraced and looked at each other with deep understanding. Suspicion and distrust showed themselves from Odin's one eye, but he said nothing.
"What about that little trick you would remind me of?" said Frigga, as she walked gracefully down the long aisle in the throne room as the others followed. Odin and Thor walked with their heads lowered, walking as if exhausted.
"Let us rest and bathe, then I will show you. It's been an exhausting morning; I haven't worked so hard in a very long time, and I must save my strength for Loki."
The raven, sitting again on the throne's back, twisted its head to one side, and smoothed its feathers. Its black eyes glowed green for a second, and the raven became Loki, sitting on Odin's throne, hand on his chin, watching carefully as the doors to the great hall closed. He smiled suddenly, and laughed with relish. "What a delightful plan! They've brought the most beautiful women in the Nine Realms all the way to Asgard just for me? Oh, Aphrodite, how amusing this will be! Thank you, Odin, thank you very very much." Loki laughed, the horns of the great horned helmet glinting gold in the fire light.
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