The Trial Left to Her
Jane lay crouched, hidden among the foliage, perfectly camouflaged. With eyes hardened by hate, she drew the string tight, lining up the shot. She took a deep breath, savoring this moment before exhaling and letting the arrow fly.
She watched, as if in slow motion, the mistletoe arrow flying straight and true towards her mark, watching as the arrow pierced flesh and bone, burrowing deep into the heart. A smile curled her lips momentarily before she snapped herself from her reverie, quietly making her way back from her hiding place.
The square was alive with terror and fear, the Aesir running about in panic. It was easy for Jane to blend into the crowds, steadily making her way home.
But...She should have known it would never be so easy to kill a prince.
The moment she crossed the threshold of her home, she knew she was caught. Instantly, she pulled a dagger from the sheath within her clothes, only to have it ripped from her hand by an invisible force.
She heard a whisper of movement a moment before the impact to her chest, throwing her back against the wall, gasping for breath and blinking spots from her vision. Her eyes scanned for her attacker, ears attuned for the next attack.
This time she was prepared when she heard the assailant strike, she feigned left and dodged right, kicking out, striking something solid accompanied with a grunt of pain.
Jane spun away as she watch the invisibility spell vanish, revealing a tall, fair skinned male with hair blacker than the night. Fierce ocean green eyes glinted at her, full of hate.
"Why?" The man hissed, body rigid with fury.
Unflinching, Jane questioned back, not losing her stance knowing she would need protect herself again. "Why what, Prince Loki?"
"You know exactly what!" He yelled, advancing on her, hand outstretched to grab her.
She avoided him easily, dropping to the floor and twirling to the side and standing mid stride, stepping away from him.
An almost animalistic growl ripped itself from his lips as he flung a spell towards her, which she sidestepped easily and evading the spells to follow.
She was quickly running out of room to maneuver in her small home that was being torn apart by the second. She tried to avoided being cornered, but could not avoid it as she was surrounded by the devastation to her home.
She found herself pinned to a corner, an obliterated desk blocking her only exit, though it mattered little. In one moment, Loki was upon her, grasping the collar of her tunic in one hand and holding the other hand aloft, dark green, toxic looking magic caged within his palm.
"Why!" Loki screamed in her face, his eyes becoming glassy. "Why would you-" His throat choked him, cutting his words short.
Jane stared up into his clouded eyes, feeling her steel-like resolve soften at his pain. "It was necessary." She spoke, almost a whisper.
"Why?" Loki nearly sobbed, his magicked hand falling, spell dispersed, his eyes searching hers for the answer he so desperately needed.
Unable to hold his gaze, Jane lowered her head, eyes fixed to the golden plate over his chest. Jane had no response to offer him. Certainly not one that wuld not tear open already bleeding wounds. So she stayed silent.
He grabbed her face, palm pressed against her chin and lower lip, fingers reaching her cheekbones and holding her in sure grip, lifting her face.
"Tell me.." He begged.
Tears brimmed her eyes, unbidden. She didn't want to relive that night, that pain. She closed her eyes against the memory, the tears forcing themselves down her face as she tried to turn away, but Loki's hold was relentless.
"Jane." Loki breathed, voice quiet and soothing.
Her brow furrowed as she tried to shake her head, to rid herself of the memory, but he would not allow it. She knew what he was doing, he was using the one path open to him.
Her mind.
"Release me." She commanded.
"Oh? And if I do not? What will the great and powerful Lady Jane do to stop me?" A male mocked, his voice thick with stubborn superiority.
"I will put my blade through your gullet." She hissed, yanking strongly on her captured arm.
"Hmm. That does sound quite like a threat, my dear. A threat to your prince." His voice cooed the word.
"An unfitting prince of Asgard." She spat, jerking her arm, unable to free herself from his grip.
"Tsk tsk tsk. Is that anyway to speak to me? The most beloved prince in all the nine realms?" He chuckled, wrenching her flush against his chest. "And after I've come all this way to see you."
Jane struggled against him, pushing against his chest with one hand and trying to claw his face with the other, but his arms caged her against him.
"Do not touch me, you filthy piece of-" Jane's screeching words were swallowed as her attacker's lips crushed against her own, his tongue invading her mouth.
Disgust froze her for only a moment before she brought her teeth together in a sharp snap, narrowly missing his retreating tongue.
"Now Lady Jane, that is no way to reward your prince."
"You are no prince of mine, Balder!" She screamed as she fought against him, reaching for her hidden blade, but finding the sheath empty.
Balder smiled, an innocent grin, but his eyes darkened with something she did not wish to name.
"Looking for this?" He prodded, his eyes slid to the dagger. "Not very appetizing, I must say. I do not think I shall eat it, not that this would kill me. Thanks to mother, I am now immune to all but one substance." He grinned wickedly, his eyes looked her up and down suggestively, making her stomach rebel at the act. "I have a much better use for it."
Moving so quickly so Jane couldn't react, he released her waist only to grab both her wrists in a bone breaking grip. His arm slashed in an upward arc and a scream ripped itself from her throat, fearing the pain to come.
But there was no pain, no, something much worse happened. Her dress was torn from hip to collar, gaping open and slipping from her shoulder. She screamed and instantly tried to cover her naked breasts, but was unable to free her hands. She tried to fall to the floor for some semblance of security, but he held her upright, lifting her arms over her head.
His eyes, pupils dilated in his frenzy, roamed over her naked flesh. A low growl of approval rumbled from his throat as he maneuvered his grip on her wrists and shoved her hands behind her neck. Her arms were painfully twisted over her head, hands pinned between her shoulder blades, lifting her breasts toward him.
His head bent to capture creamy flesh in his mouth and she sobbed.
"Enough.." Loki's voice quavered as he withdrew from her memories. He pulled her trembling frame close and held her tight.
Jane could do nothing but sob uncontrollably. Loki's face buried in her hair, one hand tangling in its silk as the other stroked her back.
"I am sorry." He spoke quietly, voice hitched.
Jane's hands fisted in his leather armor as she cried away her pain and despair.
Loki had stayed with her most of the day, comforting her, crying with her and holding her.
Eventually he had to return to the palace though. He repaired and replaced all that was broken and left with the promise to return soon.
Night had fallen by the time someone pounded on her front door. Numbly, she stood from her table and moved to the door.
The door burst from its hinges, splintering into bit of shrapnel that tore into her flesh and threw her to the floor. Her arms to moved to guard her face as she tried to see her assailant.
Guards poured into her home, surrounding her before she could find the strength to move. Swords prodded her to her feet as she was commanded to go with them. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, and found them bound moments later.
How could she have been so naive? To think herself safe from being discovered? For her actions to be understood? She should have known that Loki would not hold her secrets or try to protect her, but she had been so hopefully, and so wrong.
She was lead to the palace, a blade always pressed to her back that lead her to the throne room. King Odin stood before his throne, tall and intimidating, icy eye piercing, mighty Gungnir head in a white knuckle grip.
As they reached the steps of the dais, she was thrust onto her knees before the king, two swords crossed under her chin, forcing her head up to face her judgment.
"Lady Jane. You murder my son in broad daylight, flee and intend to hide from your judgment. What say you against these accusations?"
Jane didn't speak, but simply held Odin's eye with the hardest gaze she could muster.
Odin seemed enraged by her silence. "Nothing!" He yelled, voice booming throughout the empty hall. "You simply thought it may be a pleasing pass time?"
Jane still didn't speak, she watched as Odin stepped down from the dais with a purposeful stride.
Her eyes never left his until she was struck across the face, throwing her head to the side with a resounding slap. She did not move for a few moments before slowly looking to the king once more, eyes unchanged.
Odin breathed heavily, obviously trying to control his temper. He turned on his heel and took his place on the golden throne.
"Lady Jane Foster. I sentence you to live out the rest of your days under the Trial of Venom. You shall remain there until the finish of your life or the end of time, whichever comes first." Odin spoke, voice echoing off the walls as he lifted Gungnir to end his decree, but was stopped.
"Wait, father!" Loki yelled, rushing into the room, running up the dais, uncaring of his disrespect. "You cannot do this! I grieve just as you do, but this- This is not-" Loki shook his head in denial. "Father, Jane had good reason for the actions she-"
"Good reason!?" Odin yelled over him. "Good reason!? My son is dead and here stands the traitor who ended his life and you stand to defend them?"
"Yes!" Loki spoke over him. "Father, if you will just listen-"
"Silence!" Odin hissed, effectively silencing Loki's protest. Odin straightened to his full height.
"Lady Jane Foster has been condemned to the Trial of Venom for the rest of her days. This I decree." Odin slammed Gungnir to the ground in two booming strikes.
Loki paled visibly, taking a step back from the man he called father.
Jane was suddenly hoisted to her feet and drug behind the heels of a pair of guards. She struggled fruitlessly, knowing she had no hope but having to try.
"I take the place of Lady Jane." Loki spoke, voice not raised but loud all the same.
The guards moving Jane halted as Odin turned on his son. Jane's voice tore through her throat.
"No, Loki! No! You can't-"
"Silence!" Odin ordered, forcing Jane's compliance as the guards thrust their blades under her chin.
"You would take the place of this traitor, my son?"
Loki looked Odin dead in the eye, unwavering. "Yes." A choked sob ripped from Jane's throat.
Odin's eye searched Loki's for a time. Neither men spoke, neither men moved, both men locked on one another's gaze.
Odin's stature slumped gently, his age suddenly apparent. "I know that nothing I say would sway you, and I will not renounce my decree." Odin spoke sadly.
He inhaled deeply as a heavy weight seemed to settle on his shoulders and he pounded his staff to the ground. "Then so it shall be." He spoke with dejection in his voice.
"No!" Jane screamed. "You can't do this! You can't! I- I go with him!"
Odin's eyes turned to her once more, sorrow overtaking his rage before his gaze turned to the guard beside her. "You will fetch something for me." He spoke to the guard.
Jane's arms burned with the heavy weight she held above her head, but she would endure anything to keep this torture from him. Anything.
Loki lay chained beneath her on his knees, left in nothing but his trousers. Manacles held his wrists and ankles to two pillars, one on either side.
Exhaustion shook her arms as the golden bowl weighed heavier and heavier by the minute.
Her eyes brimmed with tears as she looked down to Loki, whose features were set in grim understanding. The bowl was nearly full. Soon she would be forced to leave to empty it and he would be left to the venom.
Her tears streaked her face and she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Loki."
Loki smiled sadly, shaking his head. "You needn't cry, Jane. It will be alright."
More tears fell at his false bravado, though it was very convincing. They both knew they were trapped there till the end of time.
Her trembling shook a splash of venom from the bowl to the floor, a single drop falling on her skin.
She screamed, agony coursing through her. Flesh, sinew, bone, all of her being ignited in fire. It took every ounce of strength not to drop the bowl, knowing it would fall on the chained prince.
Minutes passed as she road the waves of pain. When she could look to Loki again she was drenched in sweat mingled with tears.
"I'm so sorry." She choked on the words, her voice hoarse.
"Go Jane. It will be alright." Loki comforted.
Jane turned teary eyes up to giant scaled serpent on the ceiling and watched as the venom fell. She waited till she caught the drop before turning and leaving as quickly as she could without spilling the bowl's contents. She was not far to the basin, but it was too far to save Loki from the continuous drops of venom.
"I love you-" She heard his voice, ragged and filled with fear, trembling, before it broke off into screams as the first drop fell on his bare flesh. The sound of rattling chains sounded with his screams as tears ran down Jane's face.
I am so sorry, Loki..
The End
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Alright, so this was my small break from Anthem of the Lost. I am working on it I promise, to anyone who reads it. But I am catching up on a few chapters before posting again, trying to put the plot in order.
This oneshot just kinda popped into my head while I was at work today and I really wanted to write it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Thank you so much sis, for proof reading for me again! I love you!