The following afternoon Odin receives a reply from Jotunnheim. It is a formal declaration of war. They accuse Odin of pettiness, cruelty, and greed. They also question his sanity and vow vengeance for any harm that befalls their beloved princess. Odin calls a special audience and orders the citizens of Asgard to gather at the foot of the steps of the palace to hear the declaration. Odin gives a grand speech to rally the people to his cause and the people cheer their King, trusting his wisdom and that their warriors will earn glory in battle. Only Thor does not cheer these events. What will happen to the girl?
Thor turns on his heel to seek out his mother's counsel. He finds her hiding in her crafts room, working on some needle point.
"Mother, I worry about this war declaration. I fear father is making a grave mistake. He is fighting the frost giants over a piece of land that Asgard does not need, but means everything to them. Why is he picking this fight?" Thor asks her.
"You are a grown man now Thor. One day you will have to make these decisions, which means that you must learn to understand them. Understanding your father's motivations will teach you to be a better King."
"But I don't understand his reasoning!"
"Then it is high time you asked yourself why that is. Taking the crown means taking responsibility and making decisions. It is time you learned what is worth dying for, and what is worth killing for." Frigga says with a grim tone. Thor has never seen his mother like this. She is usually far more helpful. But he accepts that she wants him to stand on his own two feet and accepts her judgment.
"So be it. Perhaps there is another matter you can assist me with. Princess Loki. I fear what is to become of her. I fear father may do something cruel. Might you intervene on her behalf? I fear for her safety." Thor implores her. He tugs at his mother's heart strings and gives her the saddest eyes he can muster.
"Alas my son, there is nothing I can do on the girl's behalf. She is on her own." Frigga says coldly. Thor is taken aback. Never has she displayed such heartlessness. Frigga feels the bite in her words and wants to vomit. But she must stay out of this chain of events if Thor is to live. Things will work out as they are meant to, she tells herself.
"Very well." Thor says curtly and then turns to leave his mother's presence. He usually feels comforted by his mother, but instead he is sick with worry. Only he can protect her now. He feels a heavy weight inside his gut as he marches towards the healing hall. Thor looks around and is filled with alarm when he sees that Loki is no longer there.
"Where is she!" Thor booms at Lady Eir.
"She has been taken to be bathed and dressed, as ordered by your father." Lady Eir mumbles. She looks sick with guilt and self-disgust and Thor knows that there is more.
"And then where?" He asks. He glares at the healer and when she doesn't answer him he shouts at her. "AND THEN WHERE!"
"She is to be dressed as a concubine and taken to the soldier's quarters." Lady Eir squeaks the answer. Thor says nothing but turns and runs. He swings Mjolnir and flies across the royal gardens, the training grounds, and the arena to land at the front of the barracks. Cold dread fills Thor as he walks towards the common room. He can already hear the sexual taunts and lecherous comments from the crowd. He is frightened by what he might see when he views what is on the other side. He opens the door and walks in.
Loki is standing at the center of the room, her hands tied in front of her. She has just arrived and the Captain of the Guard is present the men with their new toy. The clothing she is wearing barely covers her breasts and the long skirt is slit up both legs exposing her thighs. It is plain she was not given underwear. The cheers of the men die down quickly, however, at the sight of their Crowned Prince. Some of the men mutter amongst themselves when they see their usually happy and smiling God sneering at them. The Captain of the Guard turns to address him.
"My Prince…..what a pleasant surprise! I was just presenting our new thrall to the men. The King has said…..that….." The Captain stops talking. The look Thor is giving him is murderous and the Captain gulps audibly. Thor cannot tell the men not to touch her. His father has declared her a thrall and by all rights, these men can fuck her to death if it pleases them. He cannot override his father, but he will put the fear of the God of Thunder into them.
"This woman saved my life." He says quietly, and then, for the second time in just three days Thor removes his red cape from off his shoulders and wraps it around Loki. Loki looks up at him with gratitude written clearly on her face. She is quite literally covered in the cloak of his protection. Thor walks slowly around the room glaring each and every man in the eye. The message is clear. Defile her at your peril. He reaches the door where he entered, looks back over the room one last time, and walks out. No one makes a sound. They just look at her. What the hell are they going to do with a sex slave that they can't fuck?
XxXxXxXxXx
Days go by as Odin and Thor are stuck in the War room discussing strategy and tactics. Thor relies on his friends to check on Loki's welfare. Loki has been relegated to scrubbing chamber pots, serving food, polishing boots, and being groped by every wandering hand that she walks by. But none dare molest or penetrate her. Sif hates visiting the barracks. She knows what happens to unfortunate women here, but is powerless to do anything about it. To speak ill of the practice is to speak ill of the judgment of the King.
It is evening and Loki has finished serving the evening meal, having been tripped more than once by the men in the hall. Her knees are covered in bruises from all the falls. Sif pulls Loki into a quiet corner to ask her how she is faring.
"I am well considering my circumstances. I know my fate would be far worse had Thor not intervened on my behalf." Loki says politely.
"That doesn't mean you are doing well. Have any of them hurt you?" Sif asks. Loki understands what she is referring to.
"No. My virtue is still intact. My pride and dignity have been gravely wounded, but I can survive humiliation." Loki says resolutely.
"I wish there were a way I could ease your burden." Sif says.
"Sing with me." Loki says.
"Sing?"
"Yes. Singing always comforts me and I have not done it for days, not since I came to this place." Loki says.
"What would we sing?" Sif asks.
"Do you know the Ferryman's Tale?" Loki asks.
"Yes, it is a sad song filled with heartache. It is also rather long." Sif says.
"Aye. It fits my mood. Sing with me." They begin. They sing quietly at first mostly to themselves. But Loki has a powerful voice that cannot be restrained. She closes her eyes and takes it away as the lyrics invokes images of water, mist, maidens, and lonely sad men longing for their lost loves. It is a bard's tale, and to sing the full version in its entirety takes a full 20 minutes. Loki doesn't notice when Sif stops singing. Sif would much rather listen to Loki's silver voice than try to match it poorly with her own.
When Loki finishes she opens her eyes and notices something she did not expect. All the men, about 75, are gathered around her. They stopped talking long ago and there is not a dry eye among them. It is not until she looks at them that they are shaken from her spell and they all get up and go back to their carousing. Many of the men clear their throats and mutter manly things.
"I think you just found your niche." Sif says. Loki nods. She could live with being their little song bird, so long as they keep their pricks away from her. "Stay safe." She adds as she hugs Loki and then departs. She looks for Thor to tell him how Loki is fairing. She catches him just as he is leaving the war room for the day. He looks worried.
"Thor, I just visited Loki. She is well, all things considered. The men have not touched her out of respect and fear of you." She says.
"Good. I must find a way to get her away from that place. It is only a matter of time before some fool gets drunk and decides to take his pleasure on her."
"A night visit to the men in that barracks would serve to remind them of your threat, and you would get to hear Loki sing again." Sif says.
"She sang tonight?" Thor asks.
"Yes Thor. It was beautiful. All the men stopped what they were doing and listened to her. When she sings a song of such deep sadness and longing it makes my heart break. You should have seen how the men tried to hide their tears when she was finished. An entire company of Asgard's best warriors reduced to a blubbering sobbing mess." She exaggerates. Thor smiles at the image. He also feels a pang of jealousy in his chest. Thor wants to keep her sweet song all to himself. The rabble of the lower ranks are underserving of her loveliness.
"Father wants a regiment to occupy the disputed land. It will be long drawn out months of occupation, which means there will be a contingent of volunteer servants, as well as slaves working the encampment for the day to day chores." Thor says.
"You mean to take Loki with you to the battlefield." Sif says in realization. "But what if she escapes while there?"
"Would that be such a terrible thing?" Thor says seriously.
"Thor, I like Loki. I really do. But she is the enemy right now. Gifting back the princess to Jotunnheim could be disastrous. She's seen the inner workings of our army and our defenses. She knows how many men we have and the weapons we use. They have her polishing armor. She's studying it's weaknesses I'm sure. I know I would. Be careful that you do not sacrifice many Asgardian lives for the sake of hers."
"I understand Sif, and I appreciate your council." Thor says genuinely. Thus far she has been the only one to give him sound advice since this whole debacle began.
"One more thing Thor, if Loki accompanies the unit where will she sleep? She won't be allowed in the soldier's tent. She's a security risk. We can't leave her in the slave quarters with the others, she'll be violated for sure. And we can't house her with the servants."
"She'll be sleeping in my tent Sif."
"Ah."