The sound of chains fill the air of the throne room. The prisoner, once a prince of Asgard, had been awaiting trial for over a year. The events in Vanahiem had over run the prison and made it difficult to even hold a trail. A small group Anigarh stopped, four of them holding long chains, the rest were merely there for protection. The prisoner stopped, and looked over to the queen.
"Hello mother." Loki said over the rattle of his bonds. "Have I made you proud?"
"Please Loki. Don't make this worse."
"Define worse." He said with a smirk.
"Enough." Odin's voice echoed through the silent hall. "I would speak with the prisoner alone."
"Goodbye mother." Loki said a hint of a mocking tone to his voice. "I really don't see what all the fuss is about?"
"Do you really not understand the severity of your actions?"
"I intended to rule the mortals like a merciless god, just like you do."
"We are not gods. We are no different then them. We are born, we live, and we die just the same."
"Give or take 5,000 years."
"Frigga, and Araminta are the only reasons you are still alive. Their love for you has blinded them of your actions. But that will be the last time you ever see your mother again. Spend the rest of your wicked days in the deepest dungeons of Asgard."
The prisoner is led away without a word.
It was only hours after the battle of Vanahiem was won, and knowing the girl would want to see her brother, after not seeing him for days, Sif was standing outside of the one person who had become like a sister her. The two had spent countless days in secret training since the events on Midgard and that had brought them closer.
"Araminta... Open up." She said banging on the door.
The girl inside, abandons a letter, the imprisoned god's name scrawled beautifully across the top, it was only half way complete. She pulls the door open looking at her friend in the eye. "What is it Sif?" she says frustrated by the lack of fenness, Ara knew she was one of Asgard's elite warriors but did she have to act like such a brute sometimes.
"I thought you would enjoy a bit of fun tonight. Instead of sitting her fretting over your brother." She says with a smile.
"Thor's back? Is he alright?"
"Fine. Did you really worry about his safety that much?" she said with a laugh.
"Well, it's only natural, all of the trouble he manages to find himself in." Ara says grabbing a fur cloak and tossing it over her shoulders. The two women make their way to the small pub, a favorite among Asgard's army, after any sort of battle or even the simplest training session.
"Well look who's here!" Fandral says finishing off his drink as the two women walk in. "The beautiful Araminta herself. Haven't seen you in a while darling, trying to hide yourself away again?"
Ara rolls her eyes as she sits by Thor. "I'm glad your back." She says softly with a smile.
The night was nothing special, it was something Ara had gotten used to over the last two years. And as always got an escort home.
"Been writing to Loki again I see." He says picking up the parchment. He looks over to his sister. "Ara I keep trying to tell you, the Loki you knew…"
"I know. He's gone." She says with a sigh. "But that still doesn't mean he isn't our brother. Or that he does not deserve the kindness of a letter from time to time."
"This is the third one this month…"
The goddess doesn't speak at first not wanting to fall into the same argument they had many times before. "It will be finished tomorrow. Could you just find some way of getting it too him please…"
The thunderer sighs titling his head back. "Alright." It was a lie. The letter would never make it to Loki. None of them did. Thor would always keep the letters hidden away. He felt after hurting her, during their fight at the bifrost, and unleashing the beast that hurt her on Midgard, did not warrant such things. And that the letters would only feel something close to a reward.
"Thank you brother." She says watching him get ready to leave. "I will have it ready in the morning."
"Don't stay up all night trying to finish it either."
"I promise." She said hugging him.
Morning creeps up on Araminta. She had, despite her brothers pleas, spent the entire night finishing the letter. It was her longest yet, a good four pages, front and back. It was her forgiving Loki for everything he had ever done to hurt her. She folds it up taking a hair ribbon to tie it together.
She is soon with her mother. Where she spent most of her days now. The letter, tucked away waiting till she saw Thor again.
"Your brother tells me you are still writing to Loki." Frigga says placing a few jewels in Ara's hair, it was perhaps one of the few things she had missed out on doing when Ara was a child.
"Yes. I wrote one last night…." She said softly. "Where is brother?"
"I do not know. I haven't seen him since this morning…" she starts twisting a strand of her daughter's hair. "Ara. Why is it you can't let go of how Loki used to be?"
"You didn't see the way he acted towards me on earth Mother. While we were there, he treated me so different. While he was hostile to everyone, I was the only one he had any care for. He only saw the times he hurt me, and didn't want to do that again. That part of Loki, is still in there somewhere."
The queen smiles, knowing this was one of her daughter's greatest strengths, and also one of her greatest weaknesses. "Come here..." she says walking over to one of the huge fire pits. "There is a way to see him."
"But Thor says I am not allowed in the prison. What if he or father find out?" she said questioning her mother's almost infinite wisdom.
"They won't. I have been visiting him often, without the slightest bit of detection." Ara knew then it would be with magic. Another thing Frigga took full advantage of now, was the magic lessons she had been giving Ara. And while she wasn't as experienced as her mother, or Loki, Ara was a quick study.
"But, the spell will be difficult to pull off. It is even for me. And once you see him, you cannot get upset. I know you miss him, but if you start to cry, the spell will be broken." Frigga puts her hands on her daughters shaking shoulders.
"I understand mother." Araminta whispered closing her eyes tight.
Inside his cell, Loki was laying on his bed, one of the many comforts of what he used to call home, his mother had given him, tossing a trinket in the air. A tiny light caught in the corner of his eye, he knew it. His eyes closed as he started to laugh.
"You know, Odin will eventually catch on too you… and it would not surprise me in the least if…." The god stops short, seeing his sister. "Ara."
"Hello Loki." She says with a smile.
"What are you doing here?" He stands walking over to the illusion.
"I miss you. Mother thought this would be the best way to see you, since I am not allowed an actual visit." The same sweet innocent smile plastered on her face, as she slowly moved through the cell looking over every detail. "Why haven't you been writing back?"
"You have written me?"
"Yes, three letters in the last month, surely you have gotten them I gave them too…." She drops off at the sudden realization. "You didn't get them…any of them" she whispers.
"You know, you shouldn't be here." He says quickly changing the subject, and pacing the cell, even though they were close, he didn't want to see her, nothing more than a vision or in the flesh. He was here because he hurt her, he didn't need that reminder hanging over his head.
"Why not you are my brother, and I missed you I have every right to visit you."
"No you don't. I am a criminal Araminta. One who does not deserve such kindness."
"Loki, you are my family..."
"What do you not understand? I killed people, hundreds of people. I tried to destroy an entire race of people!"
"That was not you Loki. I know it wasn't, none of those things were your fault. And it doesn't matter to me, you are still my brother."
"No! I am not a son of Odin! I am nothing more than the bastard son of Laufey! I am not your brother, or Thor's! I am not your mother's son! I was adopted. Taken by the cruel man Thor calls father. You may look at him with the same distain and disgust I do, but you can never know the pain he has put me through."
"Loki..." she whispers starting to cry. "How could you..."
He turns around, immediately feeling bad for what he said. She was perhaps the only one who understood his pain.
"Ara. I am truly sorry... I" but as his eyes land on the spot she stood she was gone.
The connection breaks, leaving a few stray tears on Ara's cheeks. But as her mother goes to comfort her, the girl pulls away, and simply walks away. She was going to find Thor to get the reason behind her undelivered letters. After searching everywhere, she finds him. On one of the balcony's locked in a kiss with a woman she had never seen before.
"Thor!" she calls walking with a fast pace.
"Ara…" he can't finish, and is silenced by a hard slap to the face, his third in the past twenty four hours.
"What was that for?" the woman said taking a step closer to Ara getting a burning stare in return.
"Why haven't you been giving Loki my letters?!" Ara says focus shifting back to her brother, he was rubbing his jaw.
"Jane, I would like you to meet my little sister, Araminta…" another slap.
"Answer me!" The goddess yells wanting an explanation and his full attention on her.
"It is because he does not deserve them. His actions land him in prison as punishment, letters from you or any of us would only feel as rewards."
She scoffs. "Loki is family, and needs to still feel like it, locked away for life or not! He is our brother you can't just…"
"That is enough you two." Both stop as if they were still children at the sound of their mothers voice. "Perhaps you two should discuss this later, and in private instead of out in the open."
"Jane, this, is the queen of Asgard and our mother, Frigga."
the realization of who exactly the woman is hits Ara. "Jane? The mortal you fell for when you were…." She didn't have time to finish the thought as alarm calls started to ring out across the realm.
"The prison." Frigga says, watching a group of Anigarh head that way.
"Loki…" Thor whispers.
"I'm going…" Ara starts to follow her brother thinking if he was trying to escape she could stop him.
"No! Go with mother." Thor says, leaping off the balcony, catching Mjlionir in mid air.
"Come on Ara. They will be alright." Frigga says taking her daughters hand. The three head back to Frigga's room but on their way find another group of soldiers, and the one person Araminta honestly did not wish to see. Odin.
"Frigga.." he says walking over to them. She merely smiles at the sight of her husband.
"Be careful" she says sweetly.
"Do not worry, my queen. It is nothing I can't handle." He says placing a hand on her cheek.
"My worries have kept you alive" She says walking away the two girls following close, as they pass one warrior, Frigga takes his blade. "I need you both to do exactly as I say." Ara nods looking at the mortal.
"Yes ma'am." She says quickly.
The plan was simple, Frigga knew of the Aiether that was inside of Jane, and knew it wouldn't be too long till they came looking for it, Jane was sent into an almost hidden room to wait it out, but when Ara was told to do the same, she refused.
"Mother if something happens I want to stay here, I want to help you." She said watching her mother conjure up an illusion of Jane. "I can take them out with everything you have taught me."
"Alright, go hide and wait for my signal." Frigga said looking at the tiny warrior escaping from Araminta's eyes. The girl quickly ducks behind a pillar, waiting. Finally a being, dressed in all black with hair and skin whiter then the snow that fell outside appeared. A huge red and brown one trailing close behind.
"Where is it?" the smaller of the two beings said.
"I don't know what you speak of…" the queen said looking him the eye. The intruder took notice of the illusion of Jane very soon, and made his way to her. But as he went to grab her arm, she faded away.
"YOU WENCH!" he scremed starting a fight with the queen, she was able to knock blade from his hand, and give a damaging blow. But it was his companion that grabbed her up by the troart.
"Where is it!" the being yelled again.
"Ara…now!"
The goddess came from behind her cover using a shot of pure energy against, what she was sure was an elf. It was the creature that held on to her mother that grabbed Ara, trying to strangle the very life from her.
"I will ask again. Where is it?"
"I will never tell." Frigga said. A pain tore through her side, as the elf's blade was driven deep. Ara struggling for every breath she took, started punching the huge create, and her thrashing became more violent.
"NO!" The call was unmistakable. Thor. A bolt of lightning shot from where he was stinging, what he now knew as Malakeith in the face, blinding the monster who held his sister and mother. Both were dropped to the floor, as there two attackers retreated Thor chasing after them, hurling his hammer as hard as he could after them. He came back into the room finding Araminta struggling to crawl to her mother still gasping for air.
"Frigga…." It was Odin he had heard the commotion and came to help his son. But it was too late.
Ara had managed to pull herself up on to her mother's chest, feeling the very life start to leave her body. "No…" it is barely audible, as she starts a fit of coughs.
"Ara….my only daughter…I'm so….proud of you….." with that what life was left in the queen faded, the hand that was on Araminta's cheek fell to the ground, as her daughter started to cry, busting into a fit of coughs as she did.
Odin, knelt beside his wife. Gently cradling her head in his arms. He rested his forehead against hers. It was quite except for the fit of coughing coming from the one next to him.
Ara expected Thor to pick her up from their mother's body, but instead something takes her hand. Her eyes open, it's her father. Holding on to her hand, to comfort her, and make sure she was alright.