Chapter 3
The day seemed to move by too quickly, and I considered the possibility that maybe I'd simply arrived later in the day than I'd originally thought. But the night, when it came, slowed to a crawl. After feeding Emma, I had been brought back to a small bedchamber to rest, finding the accommodations to be warmer and far more comforting than the hospital, despite the tense welcome I may have initially received. A small cradle was even waiting for Emma beside my bed, and I could only assume it had been the healers' way of ensuring Frigga remained pleased with how I was being treated. Were it not for the medical tools, this almost looked like a normal bedchamber, or at least one any human not raised in a palace would be more than happy to retire to.
I was awkwardly assisted into the bed, and I allowed Emma to be taken from my arms and placed in her cradle while healers set to work inspecting my injuries. Just as the nurse back at the hospital had told me, they found my leg was broken as well as three ribs, but nothing worse. After seeming content that my bones had been already set properly, they gave me medicine for the pain and left me to sleep.
But I couldn't sleep.
Instead I lay wide awake, wishing I could at least wander the palace to kill the time, but my leg and ribs had me more or less confined to my bed. And even though I tried to keep my mind off it, I couldn't help but feel loneliness creeping in. I'd been lonely for so long in the isolation of my husband's house, but at least it had been in a world where people I knew, friends and family, were a phone call or email away if I ever needed them. And while I'd never contacted them, knowing there was no way they could help me, I at least knew they were there. I didn't have that option here.
I looked down at Emma, who had been sleeping soundly for the past two hours by what I could only guess was a miracle, and I felt the need to pull myself out of my self-pity. I had done what I'd originally set out to do. We were out of that house, and we were safe. It didn't matter how lonely it made me feel, I'd protected my daughter and that was important. And it wasn't as though I wouldn't make new friends here. I reminded myself of Frigga's kindness and even Thor's willingness to help me in the first place.
I forced myself to smile. I would not be alone here.
I heard footsteps approach, and I looked away from Emma to see Thor standing in the doorway. "I don't mean to disturb you…" he said gently, and I shook my head a little too eagerly at the sight of someone to talk to.
"You're not," I said. "I can't sleep anyways." He offered a sympathetic smile and stepped in, taking a seat at my bedside.
"That does not surprise me," he said with a nod. "Though your daughter seems to be managing," he added amused. I gave a stifled laugh, but cut it short, fearing my ribs would start to hurt, even though the pain medication had been working wonderfully so far.
"Go figure," I said. "When she's at home she'll scream through the night, but when I have her around others, she behaves. I swear she was only born to make me look like a liar." Thor grinned.
"I'm sure my mother could tell you some stories herself." I smiled and nodded silently. It had been so long since I'd had an actual conversation, let alone one I actually enjoyed. "So you're a friend of Jane's?" he asked after a moment.
"Uh…" I stammered, still not sure of the real answer to that question. "Yeah… yeah I guess. We went to school together, but we weren't close." I shook my head and furrowed my brow, still trying to think of an explanation for why she suddenly showed up out of nowhere to help. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn't think of a single conversation we'd even had back then.
My stomach twisted with nausea, and I stopped stressing it, realizing my body couldn't handle the added stress of confusion in its current state.
"It was amazing of her to help Emma and I," I said, looking at Thor's inquiring face. "She's really a great person." He nodded, smiling knowingly.
"I'm aware," he said. I couldn't help but feel a bit jealous as I stared at this handsome god who was clearly in love with her. Some women had all the luck. "Have you thought about what you'll do after you've healed?" The question made me uncomfortable and I shook my head.
"Not really," I answered honestly.
"I spoke with Jane before she went to find you, and while I'm sure you're eager to eventually return home as soon as it's safe again, you are welcome to stay as long as you'd like."
I couldn't help but smirk. "I don't think the king shares your sentiments." Thor chuckled and shook his head.
"Odin may be intimidating, especially when he's irritated, but I can assure you that you truly are welcome here. After explaining to him your situation, he became more understanding."
"Well… that's good to know." Emma made a sound in her sleep, and I watched her for a few moments, making sure she wasn't waking. "I haven't really thought about what I plan to do, but keeping Emma safe is my only priority right now."
"Of course," Thor said, looking down at her as well. His next question came out hesitantly. "Your husband… did he harm her?"
My breath caught in my throat and a stab of guilt came over me. Even though I never said anything, I could tell when I looked at him he could read the answer in my face.
"I see…" he said, seeming to regret pressing on that particular nerve. "Well… at least he can't find either of you here."
"No," I said in agreement, fighting back tears. "He can't."
"Excuse me," came a familiar stern voice, and we both looked up to see the head healer approaching me. "The patient-"
"Anna," I cut in. She gave me an annoyed look and a sharp nod.
"Anna…" she repeated. "…needs her rest." Thor stood with a nod and turned to leave.
"I'll see how you're fairing in the morning," he said and with that he was gone.
A cup of tea was placed in front of me and before I could ask, the healer said, "To help you sleep. Drink it up." I sighed, but did as I was told, drinking down the hot liquid and handing back the cup. At once a warmth began to spread inside me, starting at my toes and working upward, beckoning me to lay back and relax into the pillow.
I stared at Emma until my eyes drooped shut.
It must have been late afternoon when I woke, Emma's crying being the first thing I noticed before my eyes were even open, and I groaned, my head still very groggy. When I opened my eyes, one of the healers was already holding Emma and feeding her while another pulled the bed sheets from my body. Part of me was relieved the head healer was nowhere to be seen.
"Good morning, miss!" said the one who had taken my blankets with a warm smile. "Anna, right?" I nodded with a yawn.
"Yes."
"I'm Lydia," she said, turning her attention to my cast. "I think that's just about ready to come off. And then we can give you a bath."
When I realized she wasn't joking I made a face. "I've only been in a cast for a few days!" I cried. "There's no way it's ready to come off."
"You underestimate us," she replied, amused. Before I could protest further, she had already begun to remove the cast on my leg. There was nothing for me to do at that point but to sit back and wait for her to finish… and hope that when she saw for herself that she was wrong that the pain in my leg wouldn't be too horrifying.
Though as I thought about it, I began to realize my ribs weren't hurting at all.
When the cast came off she ran her hands over my bare leg, and I grit my teeth, expecting the pressure she was applying to feel the bone's placement to hurt. To my shock, there was no pain at all.
"Wonderful!" she said, smiling at me. "You're coming along nicely. You'll need a little assistance to get around for today, but by tomorrow you should be moving without much trouble." I was stunned. I was no stranger to broken bones, but being able to be healed this quickly was a huge relief. "And I'm sure you'll feel even better after a nice hot bath. So let's get you out of that bed!"
She moved over to me and I threw my arm over her shoulders as she put her own around my waist and helped me to my feet. There was a dull ache as I put weight down on my leg, but it was tolerable. A beautifully polished wooden cane was handed to me, and I took a moment to admire the stylized carvings that wrapped themselves down the full length of it. "You should only need it for today," Lydia said, seeming to think I was dismayed the be offered it in the first place.
"Okay," I said with a smile, and she lead me across the hall to a white room where a large tub awaited me, already filled with hot water.
Lydia had been right. As soon as I was stripped and settled into the water, I immediately felt my stress melting away. I was washed thoroughly before Lydia left me to enjoy a few moments alone, and I lay back, closing my eyes and enjoying the quiet. There was an open window near me, and through it I could hear the scattered sounds of a few birds chirping away, and what I could assume were soldiers in the midst of their training. The fresh air that came in smelled amazing, and I sat in tranquility until I could tell the water was beginning to cool.
Down the hall, I could hear two voices speaking, though I could barely make out what was being said. One of them was definitely Frigga, but the second voice I was unsure of. I looked towards the doorway, but there was no sign of Lydia or any of the other healers. There was, however, a robe hanging on a hook near me and some towels folded below it. Deciding I had sat around for long enough, I sat up slowly and worked myself to standing. My leg throbbed, but I braced myself on the edge of the tub as I climbed out and limped my way to where the robe hung, drying myself with one of the towels before throwing it on and tying it shut. The cane was gone, probably taken with my clothes, so I steadied myself with my hand against the wall as I limped out to investigate.
The voices were further down the hall than I had originally estimated, and as I searched for their source I became surprised I had even heard them at all. But I eventually came upon a room, and peering in I saw Frigga. Her back was to me so she didn't notice me, but I tried to keep ducked around the corner as the person she was talking to was facing my direction.
"Loki, enough of this," Frigga said in a scolding tone. "You know well enough you brought this on yourself. Did you really think there would be no consequences for what you've done?"
"And what have I done, exactly?" he asked. His voice had a sort of elegance to it, but there was something in the way he spoke that set off every red flag I'd become used to watching for. "Taken the lives of meaningless mortals? Tried to rule over them as their king? How am I any worse than Odin?"
"And who are you to deem their lives meaningless?" she asked calmly. "Only a fool would be so arrogant."
He rolled his eyes and paced away from her. It was then that I realized he was transparent, making me realize it was some sort of holographic projection rather than him being really in the room.
"I've already had it arranged that you will not be forced to share a cell with anyone else, and I'll have a proper bed sent to you later today."
"When Odin won't see?" he asked in a mocking tone. She seemed to ignore it. Behind me, down the hall, I could hear a familiar sound begin to ring out. Emma's crying. My knee-jerk reaction was to return to her, but a larger part of me wanted to see how the conversation would play out, so I waited.
"What about your books?" Frigga asked him. "Are there any you'd like to have in there with you as well?"
"What for?" he asked annoyed. "I've read them all. Am I to entertain myself with stories I already know the endings to?"
"Have it your way then," said Frigga, clearly not giving in to his rotten attitude. "There's only so much I can do for you now, and if you choose you'd rather be miserable and sulking in your cell then so be it."
Loki opened his mouth as if to object to her, but the turned his eyes to me, making me jump a little, and groaned, "Oh for Heaven's sake, will you stop eves dropping and go take care of that shrieking baby before it gets defenestrated?"
"Son!" snapped Frigga before turning to see me standing there. I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment for being caught, but before I had a chance of explaining myself, Lydia was beside me, apologizing frantically to Frigga.
"I'm so sorry, m'lady," she said, bowing her head. "I didn't see her wander off." She handed me my cane and ushered me away quickly.
I kept my eyes on Loki, unable to look away, and just before he was out of my line of vision, he gave me a smile that made me uncomfortable and said in a silky voice, "Goodbye, Anna."