Author's note: Hey guys I am so sorry it has taken me so long to write a new chapter but life as it has a tendency to do got in the way. I have exams to prepare for and school has been difficult this year. This chapter is longer than the other three as a consolation. I would like to thank the people for leaving reviews it's a great confidence boost to know people actually enjoy what I wright.
Thank you everyone, now please enjoy.
Charlotte woke up groggily. She had cried herself to sleep that night and now her throat and eyes were sore. What was left of her mascara was now dried and in lines down her face, however she felt different. She no longer felt useless, like she had no purpose, she felt angry, angry at Elizabeth, angry at her ex-boyfriend, angry at herself. She now knew what she was going to do.
"Hey, can I have some water?" Charlotte asked the giant. He simply replied with a grunt a got up. Once he was gone Charlotte rose from her stone bed and stretched. Today she was going to make a change. The giant returned with a jug of water and cup, which Charlotte drunk all in one gulp. She hadn't realised how thirsty she was. Now she turned her attention to her appearance first she had to deal with her makeup, her hair didn't matter if she had a face like a witch.
Charlotte ripped a piece of material off her old dress and wet it using the water from the jug. She then set about trying to remove the makeup. After several minutes scrubbing Charlotte managed to remove the lines of mascara from her face and neaten up what was left. Charlotte walked over to the bars and called to the giant. "What's going to happen to me?" she asked. The giant said nothing and Charlotte rested her head against the bars, the future did not look too bright.
Unknown to Charlotte Loki had been thinking about the very same thing.
Loki was stood in a large, grand hall that could at one time have been an exquisite ballroom filled with over the top parties and elegantly dressed gentry. The ceiling was so high it seemed to go on forever and from its heights hung three opulent, multi-tier, candle chandeliers all coated in a thick layer of dust so their shine no longer showed and draped with ripped, browning sheets. Around the edges of the room, against the walls were large leather sofa all at least four seats. In an earlier life these sofas may have been a luscious, deep green but their colour was faded and dulled by the years and layers of grime. On the walls hung thick, heavy drapes of forest green hiding floor length windows that if opened would have allowed sunlight to dance across the maple dance floor. It was truly a beautiful diminished by time's brutal nature.
Loki drew back a drape and lent against the window's frame. "What shall I do with her?" he asked himself out loud. The Midgardian has no new knowledge of SHIELD, in fact she has known of them at all. She was useless, so surely I should just kill her. Loki thought to himself. However some part of him could not let that happen. Maybe it's loneliness? He suggested to himself. No I'm use to that by now, I've been alone since Thor was named successor. Maybe it's pity? No pity was for the weak hearted, he could never pity anyone. It can't be?! Could it be? Was it want? Loki pushed off the window frame and stormed into the middle of the room. "No it can't be." He said trying to convince himself against what he knew what was in his heart. "I am a god; she is just a measly child of Midgard!" He nearly shouted at himself as he began to pace. Thor fell to his weakness; I will not allow myself to make his mistake. Nevertheless something, somewhere deep in his being whispered to him that it was true. Loki let out a cry of frustration.
Well if she can't go what am I going to do with her? I need an excuse for her to stay, something that won't make me look weak. A maid? Perfect. He had never had to cook himself and the mountain giants weren't much better. It was only logical.
Satisfied her makeup was the best it could be Charlotte decided to tackle her hair. Looking around for something she could use as a brush turned up nothing so instead Charlotte resorted to running her fingers though it to remove and knots or tangles. Contented that she had done the best she could Charlotte turned to styling, well keeping it out of the way somehow. Wrapping her hair in a bun and using the top of two stalagmites she held in place like chopsticks. As she turned round Charlotte saw the giant approaching the cell. Automatically Charlotte backed away as he entered but remembering her new philosophy she stooped and stood her group. The giant simply walked past her and tied her hands behind her back and Loki entered after him. "Are you scared of me god?" Charlotte asked him. Loki just laughed at her. "Whatever would give you that impression?" He inquired. "Well you only come close to me when my hands are tied or there's a locked door between us." She retorted as the giant went to lift her. Loki raised his hand to stop him.
"She can walk." He said his voice tinged with anger as his form disappeared. Charlotte blinked a few times trying to work out where he had gone before being shoved forward towards the stairs.
Walking up the stairs on her own two feet they seemed to go on forever. They weren't lavish steps just solid stone on that had been cut out of the rock. The stairs tuned back on themselves multiple times so Charlotte had no idea how far down her cell was or which direction she was facing. Finally she reached the top to be welcomed by a blank hallway with one elaborately barred door. The giant pushed the door open with a flick of his hand that looked effortless however Charlotte knew if she had tried it would have required most of her strength. The duo walked down the corridor only to be greeted, much to Charlotte's dismay, by more stairs. These were only one person wide and were made of a stone closer to marble than anything else. At the top of these stairs was a single white door which lead out onto another corridor though this was much more lavish then the pervious and on the wall hung paintings covered by cloth. This corridor soon widened into a kind of waiting room. The giant left Charlotte to knock on the intricate carved doors made of a dark walnut and accented with gold, a startling contrast to the white walls. Once the giant had knocked he pushed the doors open gently as if they might break in his hands, which she supposed they would, and led Charlotte inside.
The room Charlotte walked into was magnificent, the walls where covered with floor to ceiling windows each with their own alcove. Every accent and motif was coated with gold leaf which, against the white walls, made the room look even more impressive. The dark walnut floor, despite not having been cleaned or polished properly for years, seemed gleamed, throwing the light from the crack in the luxurious heavy drapes around the room. In the centre of the ceiling hung a crystal chandler in the shape of a tear drop that, when filled with candles, would glow creating the perfect atmosphere for a romantic ball. This would have been such a magnificent ballroom once, Charlotte thought to herself admiring the room.
"Do you know why I've summoned you?" a voice asked dragging her back to the moment in hand. Charlotte spotted the owner of voice standing by the window. She hadn't spotted him immediately as his passion for dark clothes caused him to blend into with the drapes "If you're going to kill me will get on and do it all ready. I am done being the weak and pathetic person I was, so if you are expecting me to beg you will be highly disappointed." She said straightening up ready to except whatever was coming for her. Loki smiled to himself; she definitely had spirit he couldn't deny that. "I'm not going to kill you but thank you for the emotional speech." He said turning round to face her "I have to admit it did cross my mind and it probably would be quicker and easier however I feel you may still be of some use to me." Loki nodded at the giant who unbound Charlotte's hands. "Feel free to run if you want, you won't get far but it would save me the trouble of killing you myself." Charlotte smiled to herself "Is that a threat or challenge?" she asked. Loki took no notice of this taunt and carried on. "However if you wish not to die, you can stay her in the role of my servant catering to my ever whim." Charlotte shifted slightly but didn't move "Well in that case, the giant will show you to your room and then once you have changed I will be requiring a breakfast."
Charlotte was pushed out of the room and down another decadent corridor. Once upon a time this building must have been a grand palace Charlotte thought to herself as she admired the painted ceiling and elegant gold and crystal chandelier. What secrets did the ceiling hold, what things had the painter hidden in the painting? Charlotte almost tripped over her feet as when she spotted a cherub giving her the finger. "What is this place?" she asked and the giant replied by shoving her forward. After about a minute the hallway opened up into a grand foyer with an elegant, two story high, Imperial staircase carpeted in thick scarlet red velvet dulled by a thick layer of dust undisturbed, but for the single trail of footprints in the middle belonging, Charlotte suspected to Loki. The railings were elegantly carved and once again covered with gold which shined through the dust. When Charlotte reached the half-landing she took the stairs on her left.
At the top of the stars Charlotte looked out over the balcony from this view point she could see the entire foyer, the crystal chandelier and the giant climbing some more solid looking stairs. From this perspective the entrance hall looked like the Russian palace she had visited as teenager on a school trip. In her mind Charlotte imagined herself as a Russian princess looking down at the guests as they arrived in their expensive ball gowns, myriad of colours, their extravagant jewels glinting in the candle light. Suddenly the giant was at her side and Charlotte received a rather had shove indicating for her to move on.
The second fall walls were cream this time accented with sort silver gilding and the floor was patterned wood. Along the corridor most of the doors were closed with their handles covered in a layer of undisturbed dust. A few of the doors were open but inside were only a few pieces of furniture covered in dust blankets. Finally the pair reached Charlotte's designated room. The doors themselves look unremarkable the carvings looked much like every set of doors on that hallway except for an elaborate b in the centre of each. Delicately Charlotte opened the door putting as little pressure as possible on the handle for fear of breaking it.
The room that greeted Charlotte was nothing like she had been expecting, instead of a dull, bland room she welcomed by a lavish, elegant room. The walls were all painted a pale blue with gold adornments. From the centre of the cream ceiling hung a gold and glass crown chandelier underneath which was Méridienne chaise lounge covered by a dust cloth. Looking around Charlotte saw other pieces of furniture from a dressing table to four poster bed. Behind her the giant grunted and pushed Charlotte more into the room before leaving. Once she was alone Charlotte closed the door hauled the dust cover off the chaise lounge, which was a beautiful in pale yellow, and collapsed. I'm never going to leave, Charlotte mentally told herself I am stuck in re-run of beauty and the beast only this time the beast could kill belle and nobody would care. All Charlotte wanted to do was crawl into a ball and cry but she pulled herself up and wiped a single tear from her cheek. Slowly she walked over to one of the two built in wardrobes which were set either side of the doors to a balcony. Inside Charlotte found dresses from all sorts of eras, defiantly nothing for a servant. Closing the doors of the first wardrobe Charlotte turned to the second, inside this one she found a simple empire line black dress with not jewels only basic embroidery, it looked like a morning dress from the later Georgian era.
Charlotte quickly changed and found a pair of brown walking boots of the same era to replace the sandals Loki had provided. In the corner near the dressing table Charlotte spotted a mirror and after removing the dust blanket and giving it a quick wipe down she surveyed her image for the first time in days. Her hair had started to fall out and at some point she had lost a stalagmite. Walking over to the dressing table Charlotte stopped at the window for the first time since arriving she saw the outside world, it was bleak. From this view point she could she what would have once been an attractive garden however now it was just dead. There were bare trees that looked singed, brown grass and what was left of a maze. The water in the fountain was brown as well and filled with leaves, what happened here? Charlotte asked herself. She shuddered slightly and moved onto the table. Removing the dust blankets revealed delicate coloured bottles with smelly liquids presumably perfumes, a jewellery box, various boxes full of makeup and a hairbrush. Freeing her hair from the remaining stalagmite Charlotte ran the hairbrush through it with more force than usual. Discovering some hairpins Charlotte pinned her hair in a slight elaborate bun, sprayed herself with the nicest smelling perfume and left the room in search of the kitchen.