Chapter 7
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
W. H. Auden "The More Loving One"
An hour later, Frigga, Thor, and Eir stood alone in the weapons vault. The Tesseract had a link to Loki, she was certain of it, but there was something else here, something much stronger, more malevolent, and much more ancient. Eir turned and walked away from the Tesseract until she stood in front of the ultimate source of the power that held Loki's mind, the Casket of Ancient Winters. Its blue light churned and flickered before coalescing into a unified pulsing, almost like a heartbeat, her heartbeat. It called to her, offered her the power to rule and the knowledge of lost magic, but as it curled itself around her shields, the blue tendrils trying to find a way inside, it hesitated.
"Loki," it whispered to her seductively. "We will give him to you. His mind. His body. He is ours already. We can make him into the man you want, to rule at your side. We can make him love you."
Thor's arms encircled her upper body and pulled her backwards forcefully, facing her away from the object and temporarily silencing the voice in her mind. But she knew it waited there for her. It was patient, so very patient. Relaxing into his grasp, she took a deep breath and realized she should never have come down here without her full power. The healing, the sleep spell she maintained even now, even the realmwalk she had used to get to Asgard required tremendous expenditures of magical energy, leaving her more vulnerable than she should have been.
"Thor?" Her voice sounded far away, echoing inside of her head.
He held onto her firmly, leaving Eir time to consider what it felt like to be held. His arms were thick and muscular, strong enough to break her, but he was surprisingly gentle while Frigga stood before her, looking into her eyes. Frigga's magic pushed outward towards Eir, but Eir held her shields, fearing the worst if she opened her defenses even a crack.
Frigga stared at the younger woman for a moment longer, then nodded to Thor. "Take her upstairs, but do not release her until I am certain she is well."
Thor pressed his head closer to hers and spoke softly. "I won't harm you, Eir, and I apologize for touching you in such a fashion without your permission. I would never harm you." He ran the palms of his hands over her upper arms reassuringly as he encouraged her towards the stairs. It was strangely intimate.
If truth be told, it reminded her of how Loki had held in her in front of him in the saddle as they galloped home from their daily rides for those few blissful weeks so long ago. She recalled the feel of his breath against her ear as he whispered to her, his hand protectively pressed against her abdomen, the heat of his chest against her back, and of how he said he could not let her gallop so recklessly once she was heavy with child, his child. She imagined that he would have been a gentle but passionate lover as they spent long nights between the soft sheets of his bed, skin to skin, their hearts beating together. Their hearts as one.
"Relax, Eir," Loki said as he stood behind her, kissing the sensitive skin where her neck met her shoulder, "I will take care of you, in this as in all things." His lips feathered over her shoulder as his fingers deftly loosened the lacings of her dress, letting it slide to her upper arms. "Long have I desired to have you like this, so warm and willing, not only in my heart, but so soon to be in my bed. Now I will have you for all eternity." He let the dress drop to the floor, to be quickly joined by her corset, leaving her clad only in the sheer shift.
Turning her around to face him, he cradled her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes, silently begging for her permission to continue. Yes, they were wed, but he knew she had not yet tasted such delicious intimacies as those that awaited her that night. In the soft glow of the firelight, Eir nodded and Loki's soft lips descended upon hers, gentle at first, but as she responded, their needs became more urgent. She could feel his arousal pressed tightly against her abdomen, but rather than being fearful, she felt only anticipation and desire.
Loki took her hands and led them to the clasps on his formal armor, clearly forgoing his valet's assistance in his hurry to bed her. With trembling hands, she released each of the clasps and let the armor clatter to the floor as he smiled at her lovingly. When she touched his chest, she could feel his heartbeat accelerate through the thin fabric of his tunic, which he removed quickly, revealing his smooth, muscular chest. His skin was softer than she'd imagined, but it was the possessive, low growl that escaped his lips when her fingers brushed his nipples that made her tremble. Thinking she had done something wrong, she withdrew slightly, but Loki wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, his lips crashing down on hers, his tongue forcing his way into her mouth as she sweetly surrendered herself to him.
He backed her up against the bed and gently eased her down onto it, never breaking his kiss as she squealed with delight. "Oh, my queen, I hope to hear that sound from you many more times in the years ahead of us. That sound, and many more like it. Before the night is through, I'll have you screaming out my name as you come for me, again and again."
Eir blushed a deep red but still managed to meet his eyes. "And perhaps, with some instruction, I will have you screaming mine, my king."
Loki's wide, satisfied grin and delighted laugh was all the encouragement she needed. "Oh, I am counting on it," he said, claiming her mouth again as he pushed up her thin shift, sliding it over her head effortlessly and leaving her completely naked beneath him. She allowed her hands to remain above her head as she stretched out beneath him temptingly. "You are even more beautiful than I ever imagined," he said, running the backs of his fingers up her side from her hip to her breast, making her shudder.
Finally gathering her courage, she reached up to touch him where his cock strained against his doeskin breeches. "May I?" She asked, reaching for the button as he groaned with pleasure and flexed his hips towards her.
"Please do. I want to be inside of you soon." Eir looked away nervously, embarrassment settling over her features as she hesitated. He untied the laces and freed his cock then brought her hand to it, showing her just how he liked to be stroked. Once his groans of desire restored her confidence, Loki leaned down to kiss her on the lips, then her ear, running his tongue along the side of it while nipping gently until she moaned. He whispered in her ear, "Never be embarrassed about our pleasure, my beautiful queen. I intend for us both to experience it often and intensely. I will show you how it can be between us." His mouth enveloped her nipple and he sucked gently at first, slowly increasing the pressure and letting his teeth graze over the tip until she cried out, and he didn't let up for many minutes as he alternated his attention between the two hardened peaks.
"Loki… please…"
"Yes, my love?" His hand parted her knees and drew one of them up towards her stomach before settling it over his shoulder. Warm fingertips parted her wet folds and Loki swiped his tongue across her, humming his delight against her, making her arch her back up off the bed. "Is there something you want?"
"Please don't stop," she begged, watching him down the plane of her body. His deliciously wicked smile was her only reply before his mouth covered her and his tongue began its assault on that most sensitive nub. She laced her fingers in his hair as she held him to her, the warmth tightening low in her pelvis before her world shattered and she cried out, every muscle in her body tensing. Loki didn't relent as he sucked on her clit and slid one long finger inside of her tight channel, curling it forward to find a spot that soon had her nearing that inexplicable peak again.
Loki's fingers replaced his mouth on her clit as he kissed his way back up her body to her lips, letting her taste herself on him. "Tell me you want me, Eir," he purred into her ear.
"I want you, Loki, my husband. I want only to be yours."
He spread her legs wider and settled himself between them, teasing her with the hardness of his cock. "You are mine, as I am yours," he said, sliding into her slowly, giving her a chance to adjust to his girth as he watched her face. Loki began moving slowly, carefully, but once he felt her pelvis rise up to meet him, demanding more, he gave in to the sensation of being sheathed in her tight heat and increased his speed and depth. Her soft cries of pleasure drove him to the brink of orgasm much more quickly than he had anticipated, so he slowed his thrusts, not wanting to find completion before his queen.
"Loki? Please don't stop," she begged, her body coated with a light sheen of sweat, her body aching for release. At her command, he slammed into her harder, finding just the right angle to make her moan, and within seconds she was screaming his name. Her internal muscles clenched around him and he followed her into that welcoming oblivion. As he collapsed on top of her, both of them sated, Eir wrapped her arms around his back and held him close, never wanting this moment to end.
"I love you, Eir," Loki said sleepily, kissing the top of her shoulder.
"And I love you, Loki. I always have."
He smiled brightly at her, then rolled them both over so the sound of his heartbeat could lull her to sleep in his arms.
Eir allowed herself to be lost in those feelings, just for a moment, before she realized that it was all a lie. Just another lie. Loki didn't love her. He had never loved her. Eir found her focus and pulled all of her remaining energy into the center of her chest, and just as the vault door closed behind her she forced the Casket's seductive presence out of her mind, slamming her shields in place. She was only vaguely aware of Thor lifting her off her feet, his hands under her back and her knees as her head fell against his chest and she surrendered to the darkness.
When she woke, it was Frigga's voice that greeted her. "Welcome back," she said with a kind smile, looking up from her book.
"How long have I been out?" Eir said, sitting up on the edge of the small cot. They were in the room just outside of Loki's.
"Only a few hours." Frigga offered her a goblet of mead, which Eir sipped. The mead of Midgard paled in comparison, but it was best she not grow too accustomed to the delicacies of her youth. She needed to leave her, and soon. "Drink it all, Eir," Frigga encouraged her gently. "I added a potion to it which will help restore your strength."
Eir stood but found herself slightly unsteady on her feet. "I need to check on Loki. I fear that I was unable to keep him asleep after…"
Frigga guided her back down to the cot, then sat down next to her, the Queen's arm draped over Eir's shoulders maternally. "He is well enough for now. Meran gave him something to calm him, and I've kept Thor away so they will not argue."
"Please accept my apologies for what happened earlier. The Casket… it controls Loki. His attempt to destroy Jotunheim, to rule Midgard, his alliance with the Chitauri, it was all the Casket… no, not the Casket, the intelligence imprisoned within it. The Tesseract and the scepter were made from its energy; they are amplifiers for its influence, and down in the vault they are together. It… they… offered Loki what he craved most. Power. Control. Dominion. I don't know when, or truly even how, but I know the feel of its taint."
Frigga took Eir's hand and studied her for a moment. "What did it offer you, if I may ask?"
"The first time with the Tesseract alone? Power. It was simple enough to resist. You know I've never craved power." Eir considered her hand as Frigga held it. She wasn't used to anyone touching her with such care and consideration, and it was seductive. Perhaps even more so than what the Casket offered. A part of her wanted to stay here and accept Thor's proposal. The offer of Loki's love, however, was almost irresistible. Almost. Her life, her real life on Midgard awaited, and the sooner she returned to it, the better. She didn't belong here. Not anymore.
"And the second time?"
Eir sniffed slightly and pulled her hand back. "Loki. They offered me Loki. His love, to be exact."
A tear ran down Frigga's cheek. "Oh, Eir. I'm so sorry. I've brought all of this upon you."
"You did not. My weaknesses are of my own making." She took a moment to gather her mental and magical strength and resettle the calm demeanor of a doctor and a healer around her. That façade gave her strength in its own way. "I have had success healing the minds of some of the mortals that Loki affected during his recent invasion, but I need to get him away from the Casket, from the Tesseract… away from here, if there is to be any hope of separating him from its influence."
"Yes, you do, but the question is, will you? You do not have to risk yourself for him. It may well be too late. I fear the Casket may have affected him since his youth. I should have seen it long before now."
"My lady, I would do the same for anyone else. No one deserves to live like that, not even Loki. If I can heal him, I will, but the final decision rests with you and Thor. You are both needed here, I cannot realmwalk more than one person at a time, and even one is taxing. However, I cannot be certain that I will be able to… control Loki on Midgard, and certainly not undertake the task of healing his mind or ridding him of the Brittleberry at the same time. There are those on Earth I could call on for assistance, but given their prior interactions with Loki, I fear it will not go well for anyone. My Queen, you can I both know he will try to escape, and he won't hesitate to kill me or anyone else who tries to stop him. I fear what he will do once he is free."
Frigga patted her arm and stood. "You leave that to me, my dear." She hesitated at the doorway. "Loki is complex and difficult, but I understand him far better than he understands himself. I'll give you what you need. Save him from himself, Eir. Please."
"I don't know if I can, or if anyone can, my queen."
"If anyone can, it is you, my dear. A difficult path lies before you both, but Asgard needs you. It needs Loki." She returned to her chair in front of Eir's cot, offering her hand to the younger woman. "Will you permit me to show you?" Frigga held out her hand and Eir grasped it just as the world faded away into Frigga's vision. By the time they were through, Eir understood just how dire that need would be.
