Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters should pray for their good fortune.
Title: Liars and Cheaters
Summary: Sequel to "A Gods Proposal" and Prequel/Eventually Absorbtion of "Where to Levy the Blame" Time has passed since their journey, but not all is as it seems, and with the introduction of some new characters the best kept secrets will be revealed. Odin has broken the law with Loki's punishment, and now he must pay. Loki/OC Warnings: Rape and Torture
Author's Note: I would like to thank everyone for their continued support, and I hope that you will all enjoy this story.
~[~ (Loki's POV)
The Allfather had invited him to a family gathering in the dining hall. Even though Loki despised him, he would not skip out and disappoint both Thor and his mother. He made his way to the hall with much apprehension though since he did not like being in the presence of Odin. Odin was always looking at him with distain and disgust and was always overly rough with him. He hoped that he would be seated far away from him at this gathering, and perhaps he could hide in Thor's shadow like he had in his youth.
He pushed open the golden dining room doors and found that he was the last one to arrive. Thor was pleasantly chatting with his parents who were contently sitting in their chairs, but none of the food had been touched yet. Odin sat at the end of the large table with Frigga to his left and Thor to his right. The hall was massive, but aside from the few servants present no one else was in the hall. He quickly slipped into the seat next to Thor and looked up at the rest of them expectantly.
"So nice of you to finally join us Loki, now we may all eat before the food gets cold since we are all here." Odin's voice was unkind and he must have been hoping to cause offense. However, Loki took none at his words and if anything he felt some satisfaction that such small things from him managed to cause Odin such annoyance.
They all ate silently for a while enjoying the feast lain out in front of them. Thor and Odin naturally consumed the most food, and Loki absently wondered if they even tasted their food as they forced it down quickly. He had chosen a helping of the stuffed boar and some of the more succulent vegetables complemented by a glass of red wine. He ate slowly enjoying the delicious food, and looked at his mother across the table. She was also eating slowly, but for different reasons it seemed because her gaze felt strangely critical as she observed them all. He looked away and continued to eat focusing on his food.
Odin cleared his throat and stopped his rapid food consumption as he drank a hearty gallon of ale. "I am sure that you must all be wondering why I have summoned you all here tonight. Well I am hosting a very important meeting with a few of our most respected allies in a few days. Two other prestigious kings will be in attendance, and they may bring some of their own children along so I expect the best behavior out of everyone." His gaze was aimed mostly at Loki who pretended to take no notice of the obvious insult. "This meeting will be important because we need to maintain a good relation with our allies since the universe has grown more hostile as of late. I expect my own children to keep on good terms with the kin of our allies, so behave both of you. There will be a great celebration and feast the night everyone arrives, so make sure that you not only attend, but that you look and act presentable. I am counting on all of you to make a good impression." They all nodded and made no further comments.
Loki could see that Odin was taking no risks with this and his warning rung loudly in his ears. This was going to be a large gathering of a magnitude not usually expressed except in times of war, but no war seemed forthcoming, unless Odin was not being entirely truthful. He had also left out exactly which kings would be attending, so Loki had no idea who they were dealing with. This was certainly something to puzzle over, and he would try to do some further research on all their close allies so he was not caught off guard.
~[~ (Karmin's POV)
It was traditional on Rinigard for people to wake up early so that they could get a head start on their training. Karmin was up at four in the morning preparing for her day as she always did. She quickly cast a few spells so that she was dressed and presentable for the sparring grounds. She had been studying some new and powerful spells lately and could not wait to test them out. Just as she was going to leave her room there was a knock on her door. She quickly answered it and found that a servant was standing there bowing lightly to her. "Hello, is there something you wish to tell me?" She asked politely regarding the woman.
"Hello my princess, your father has requested your presence in his throne room this morn." The woman bowed again and waited for dismissal which she gave giving the woman her thanks.
She decided to head in that direction while mussing over what he would want her for so early in the morning. It was well known that aside from being the most powerful sorceress in the nine realms she was also one of the most skilled cheaters in the universe too. It was unknown for her to lose at anything she played, usually she had the sleight of hand to tip the results in her favor, and she always got what she wanted. Knowing this it is not hard to see that she was not exactly the most well received person throughout the universe, but that bothered her not. She was well respected by her own people and they all loved her and her independent spirit. She was an activist for women on her planet constantly trying to sway laws and regulations in their favor since woman were not ranked as high on her planet as men. Not only did they work for less, but not all jobs were available to them solely because they were women, which she highly resented. Even if her father chose her as his heir for some reason she could not succeed the throne until she was married, though her husband would hold very little power. She doubted that her father would choose her since she was his third child, and that she was not ruling material according to him, but if he did there would certainly be a lot of change regarding the treatment of women on this planet.
She strode into the throne room with confidence, not missing a step. She approached the throne he was seated in talking with a few of his counselors quickly and finally stopped at the base of the stairs folding her arms across her chest before replying. "You wished to see me father." She flashed him a quick smile and waited for him to turn to her.
King Riggar Rinagorium turned to her and smiled back at her. "Ah, Karmin yes I need to ask you something. King Odin Borson is having a grand meeting, and even though I am asking you at short notice I was wondering if you would like to go with me? It would be a great opportunity for you to see your mother's birthplace and I think this festival would be good in developing your skills in politics. I understand that when it comes to getting what you want you are unmatched, but skills can always be improved right?"
It was then Karmin understood what he was offering her, a chance to get away from the pressure of her family for a while and enjoy herself. He would not pester her while she was with him, and she would be free to do as she wished without the elders critical eyes. This was not something she would refuse. "When do we leave?" She smiled back at him grateful for all he did for her, especially now.
"Tomorrow at nine in the morning, and we will be gone for at least a week, so pack enough to last at least that long. I am glad that you will be joining me." He smiled and they both bowed to each other lightly before Riggar turned back to his duties and she departed for the training grounds planning to pack later.
~[~ (Loki's POV)
Loki had managed to narrow the possible visitors down to three realms: Rinigard, Vanaheim, and Alfheim. Of the three the Rinigarians were most likely to be in attendance since they were the closest of Asgard's allies, and the other two were both equally likely. Loki really did not particularly like the rulers of the last two so he just planned to avoid them and their equally disdainful children.
However, he had no quarrel with King Riggar, and if Princess Karmin was in attendance that would be even better. She was one of his idols and he has aspired to learn more about her magic and secrets. He also admired her fierce independence and fighting spirit. However, she was touchy and could be easily offset so that meant that he would have to be very polite to be sure not to cause her offense since that was the opposite of what he wanted. The very thought that he might get a chance to meet the one person that he idolized for so many years excited him, but his status as one of Asgard's prisoners and his own lack of magic dented his chances of talking to her. If the chance arose though he was certain that he would not waste it.
He was walking through the palace watching as the servants scurried around to prepare the palace for the immense gathering; it almost resembled the preparations for Thor's coronation. The best food and wine was collected and held in the storage room waiting to be prepared, and the entire hall was being cleaned and shined. The light reflecting off the many surfaces was beginning to sting his eyes so he quickly exited and headed back to his room to escape the chaos. Ironically this was usually something he reveled in, but this time he just wasn't in the mood for it.
~[~ (Karmin's POV)
The next morning Karmin was prepared and ready for an interesting adventure. She had heard tales of Asgard and knew that the people there tended to be muscular and fighters. However, she was not putting up with any slander to her magical abilities and was prepared to fight if necessary, something that she knew her father would not be very happy with but in the end he knew he couldn't prevent her from doing it anyway. She also packed formal wear and was going to try to at least look nice since she would observe the men and see if any seemed to be what she was looking for in a husband, though she doubted it.
She met her father at the entrance to their realm and her servant handed her bags to her bowing before receiving her thanks and leaving. "I won't watch you like a hawk in Asgard, but I do ask that you please do not cause any trouble this trip." Her father said in a tone that had a slight begging edge to it.
"I will not go out of my way to try to make this an unpleasant experience." She told him conveying the notion that although she would not go looking for trouble, if it found her she wouldn't be afraid to put it in its place.
"Alright." He nodded his head accepting her agreement and they both uttered a few words landing themselves at the end of Asgard's Rainbow Bridge, or what was left of it. It annoyed Karmin that the bridge was destroyed because it meant that it was harder to get in and out of the realm, which was not convenient for anyone.
When they arrived they were instantly greeted by Odin and their bags were taken by his servants. "King Riggar and Princess Karmin it is with great honor that I welcome you to my realm." The king gestured to the servants to start walking with their bags. "I have brought my best steeds to take you to the palace, and there you rooms have been all set up for you. I hope that you will find everything to your satisfaction." Odin was sitting atop his own eight-legged horse holding head high with pride.
Karmin looked at Asgard's king and couldn't help the feeling spite. The way he directed everyone seemed a bit rude, and he seemed to think too highly of himself in her opinion. Well, she had promised her father that she wouldn't outwardly look for trouble, but she was the best cheater in the nine realms and loopholes were her best weapon. She crossed her arms and looked Odin in the eye. "Why thank you Allfather, but I can handle things from here." With that she winked at him and teleported away to the castle. She didn't miss the surprise on his face or the way he seemed to be knocked down a notch. Well maybe now he wouldn't be so foolish and treat everyone around him as if they needed his guidance, which in regards to his help was rather rude in her opinion.
~[~ (Riggar's POV)
Karmin was a piece of work, that he was certain, but he wouldn't change her for the world. She had certainly shown Odin that she was not your typical woman, and he was shocked at the way she just shrugged off his pleasantries and teleported off.
He wasn't surprised when Odin turned to him after he got over his shock and said "Some daughter you have there Riggar."
Well if that was the card Odin wanted to play he certainly wasn't afraid to add his own pun. "Your sons don't seem much better." Odin made a face clearly accepting defeat on this one. It was common knowledge how much trouble the Odinsons had caused throughout the universe and he knew that though Karmin had a track record of her own she certainly wasn't that bad, no wars caused yet at least.
"I think I would rather have a daughter, for they are simpler." Odin remarked, and he clearly had no idea.
"My friend, you have a lot to learn then." They both laughed heartily and chatted all the way back to the palace. They had been allies for a long time, and they even considered themselves good friends.
~[~
So what do you think of this chapter. I personally enjoy Karmin's defiant attitude, and in the next chapter she will meet Loki. Also, for all of you who have read "Where to Levy the Blame" you know that Loki is not the one that Odin should have been warning at the table, and that big battle will be coming up soon. For now reviews are great, and I would like input on Karmin's character. Do you think she would make a good match for Loki?