Loki blinked once, twice…he closed his eyes, reopening them again a few seconds later. No…still there. Or rather, not there. It seemed his mother's servant had made their appearance. Everything was spotless. He surveyed the room. All his belongings were neatly organized, the mess on the floor had been removed, and his books…
My gods.
Loki sat up frantically, reaching a hand beneath his bed.
Still there. Good.
He scowled, thinking to himself. Surely, Odin would see this as an act of obedience on his part. He'd been weighing his options for the past day, his thoughts constantly churning, debating whether or not he would risk pain for a few moments of rebellious pleasure.
There wasn't much else to do.
Of course, if he continued to defy Odin's will even after his lips were sewn shut…would Odin finally execute him? Loki smirked. Nothing would please him more than to be rid of his tiny cell, with his tiny furniture, and dusty old books.
But there was also the matter of the damned servant Frigga had sent to his cell while he slept. Loki was not entirely sure how Frigga worked out the logistics. Was she watching him now? Stalking him with her magic? Did she wait for him to drop a crumb on the floor before sending in help? Would it be pointless to make more messes, if she only sent her servant running each time Odin was out of earshot?
Loki chewed his bottom lip. He was certain there were very few servants that would want to be of help to him. They must owe something to Frigga. If that were the case, perhaps they would not stay if he continued to make their job miserable. How far would they be willing to go for the Queen? Would she be able to find a replacement, anyway?
Loki did not know. So, he waited. And watched.
That night he did not sleep, and his mother did not come to visit him. But at some point during the night, he heard footsteps descending in the hallway. They were much too light to be coming from Odin.
So, it seems as though the servant is sent to do their work on a nightly basis. I suppose Frigga isn't watching me then.
Would it always be this way? Surely Odin would not be gone at the exact same time every night? Was he truly that predictable? Loki stroked his chin. Yes.
The footsteps reached his cell, and, while he could discern a hand pressing up and slipping through the field of his cell, he could not yet make out their face in the dark.
When the servant finally entered, they gave an alarmed gasp.
Whether it was because Loki sat straight up on his bed, staring, or because he had totally trashed the room before their entrance, was unclear.
The servant remained silent.
Loki smirked mischievously, eyeing the girl that had entered his cell. She was short, at least a foot shorter than himself. She had unruly red hair working its way out from a bun that sat atop her head. She wore the plain clothes of a servant, but the green in her bodice set off the green flecks in her eyes. The bodice worked in her favor, lengthening her short body, which was not entirely unpleasant. She was not thin. She was not overweight. She was there, and her body curved with her dress in the appropriate places. Loki felt as though he had seen her around the palace before, though he could not remember when.
"Hello, darling. Can I help you?"
The servant held her ground and locked eyes with Loki. "I've been sent by Frigga." Her eyes shifted to the mess around her feet. "It appears that you're in desperate need of some help."
Loki stood, crossing over to the servant. She held his gaze but backed up against the wall all the same.
"Oh, I am. But not yours. Get out."
She refused to move. Loki set his hands on either side of her head, looming over her. He leaned down to whisper into her ear.
"I asked you to leave. Will you not listen to your Prince?"
Loki felt her breath shudder out in a chuckle.
"I don't believe you're my Prince anymore, and either way I'd much prefer to obey the orders of my Queen."
Loki stood back, once again staring at her with intensity in his eyes.
"I see. So you are bound to the Queen. That's why you're here, isn't it? To repay her a debt. Perhaps she's blackmailing you…" Loki trailed off, looking away, ashamed that he had even suggested such a thing of his mother. From Odin, surely. But Frigga…never. The servant was here for some other reason.
To Loki's great surprise, the servant put her arms against his chest and pushed him backward.
"I am here of my own free will and I will not be bullied out of a job that is rightfully mine." She cleared her throat and stared at the ground as if her speech had shocked even herself. "If you'll excuse me, my Prince, I have something to do."
Loki's lips turned up in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. With what he hoped to be a look of defeat, he returned to his place on his bed, allowing the servant to conduct her business. It took quite some time. Loki was proud, really. He was never good at keeping things clean or straightening things out, but he was certainly more than able to create a bit of chaos.
As he watched the servant work, his eyelids began once more to weigh down. He knew he would soon fall asleep. That he would soon be plunged again into his nightmares. He began to breathe heavily, his body betraying his distress.
The servant turned around but was unwilling to approach him.
"Is the Prince feeling quite well?"
"I'm fine!" He shouted in reply. "Just hurry up and get out of my sight!"
The servant smiled knowingly at him.
"I was here last night, you know. I heard the kind of things you dream of." She held eye contact with him briefly before kneeling down to pick up a broken glass.
Loki grit his teeth.
Damn woman. These next few days aren't going to be pleasant for her.
