Like a Hurricane

Chapter 10 – Expectations from Family

'Hmm... how interesting...' Loki muttered, finally reaching the end of the ancient books he gathered that afternoon in the library. He stayed up all night reading and now his eyes were beginning to feel the strain on them. He decided to take a nap – he still had a couple of hours before sunrise and he needed the sleep to process all the information.

But he was too excited at the possibilities. He turned restlessly in his bed, thinking about Chantrea's situation and how he could use it. The Waning was a special condition of the nobles of Earth, a way of Mother Nature to ensure the species continued to exist. Since they had life energy enough for several hundred years – some even lived thousands –, childbearing was pushed to the end of their priority list. Additionally, there were so few nobles around, marriage between blood relatives wasn't uncommon practice among them. Actually, Egyptian royals followed these nobles' example.

Unfortunately, they didn't realise the danger, only after it was already too late. After awhile they were unable to produce offspring and if they had reached a millennia and still hadn't found a lifemate, they would die. Slowly and painfully. They would fade away, day by day.

It was called the Waning.

How was it then, they still had children?

Loki flashed a smile in the darkness that enveloped his room. There was only one explanation. Now he only needed to figure out how to best use this information to his advantage.

'Danna' Chantrea greeted her little sister. She didn't move as she tried to assess Danna's intention. 'Are you here to take me back to our parents?'

'Indeed.'

'Forget it!' Chantrea sprung up in protest. Her fear of going back enhanced her strength to stand her ground. 'I've gone through hell. I won't go back, ever again.'

'You misundersta-'

'What is there to misunderstand? I've served my sentence, now let me be.'

'I can't do that, I'm sorry' Danna apologised. The light, night breeze gently lifted her hair from her shoulders for a moment. 'We need you there.'

'What do you mean?' Chantrea asked, puzzled. 'You're not here to drag me back and let those two continue punishing me?'

'No. For the last decade, we were looking for you' Danna said and let out a sad smile. 'You're very hard to find.'

Chantrea straightened up.

'I didn't want to be found.'

'Sister... we really need you to come back' Danna repeated.

'Why?' Chantrea asked, suspicious. Suddenly, the air turned cold around them and she wasn't so sure anymore that she wanted to hear the answer to her question.

Her little sister held her gaze and told her in a serious tone:

'Leakena is gone.'

'What?' Chantrea gulped down the sudden sorrow and tears that rose. 'She died?' her voice cracked at the end of the question. Danna nodded. 'When has this happened?'

'A little over a decade ago.'

Silence enveloped them for a moment. Chantrea broke it:

'Then who is now the-'

Danna gave a pointed look to her as she interrupted her sentence:

'That's why I've been looking for you.'

It took a couple of seconds for Chantrea's brain to fully understand the meaning behind her little sister's words.

'What? NO!' She backed up – forgetting she was at the edge of a fountain, and dove right in. She came up for air immediately, sputtering. 'No! How can I-?! Why did she...' Chantrea glanced up at her little sister, desperate. She asked in a soft voice: 'How did she die?'

'It was the Waning' Danna replied.

A moment of silence passed.

'She didn't find anyone?'

Danna silently shook her head and Chantrea let out a deep sigh. She was sitting in the fountain, with dripping hair and clothes, feeling oddly numb as she thought of her eldest sister. "Will that be my fate, too? To fade away, alone?"

Chantrea glanced up at her little sister. Danna was still too young to have such a burden placed on her, so Chantrea had to survive, at least for a little while and fulfil her duties as heir to the ruling noble family.

She reached her hand out to Danna and she helped her out from the fountain.

'Do you have someone?' Chantrea asked, suddenly scared for her little sister.

Danna shook her head and shrugged.

'I'm still too young to be tied down.'

Chantrea swallowed a "you never know", before inquiring how did Danna get here.

'You know our cousin, she came up with a crazy idea and our parents went with it. Though only I can move freely between realms.'

'Because of your unique ability.'

'Exactly' Danna winked at her, before leaning closer.

'But back to the point: have you met someone during your hiding?' She asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

'No one worth mentioning.' Chantrea replied. After all, they were all humans. They were gone in the blink of an eye and after she regained her memories, she didn't really have time to think of things like these.

She sniffled, suppressing a sneeze.

'Listen, we should go to my room. I need to change my clothes.'

'And maybe there'll be less people eavesdropping there' Danna noted loudly and Chantrea snickered, realising there was indeed someone in the shadows spying on them.

'Doubt it.'

'The phrase 'waning' describes it all too well' Danna remembered. Chantrea had dried herself and changed into more comfortable (and dry) clothes, and they were talking in hushed voices in her spacious room. 'It was like watching her fade away. She was getting weaker every day, and the seizures...'

Chantrea gulped, gripping her hands together, remembering her own experiences.

'When she... passed away, we immediately started to look for you.'

'I assume Orion and mother weren't too happy about that' Chantrea snorted bitterly.

'You know mother, she's hard to read' Danna allowed a little smile. 'But I think she looks forward to meeting you.'

Chantrea grumbled something under her breath that suspiciously sounded like "after what she's done" and crossed her arms. They were shaking a little.

'She wasn't too fond to use her powers on you.'

'But that didn't change the fact that she did.'

An awkward moment passed between them, before Danna continued: 'As for father, he... came to terms with it. Eventually.'

Chantrea snorted.

'I can't imagine that.'

'Despite what you think, you're still their daughter and they-'

'Save it, Danna, please' Chantrea put her hand up like a stop sign. 'You cannot change what happened.'

Her little sister let out a sigh.

'True...'

Chantrea put her hands in her lap, in deep thoughts.

'Does that mean mother is back to-?'

'No' Danna shook her head. 'She's just keeping the seat until you return.'

'What if I don't want to?'

She didn't care it sounded as if she was a sulking child, her emotions were still in a turmoil.

'You know it isn't something you can back out of' her little sister reminded her. 'And mother is tired of the weight on her.'

'So I should just take the burden off of her? Like a good child, right?' Chantrea looked up, her eyes frantic. She reached toward her sister with one hand. It was mildly shaking. 'Look!'

At first, Danna was confused, but her eyes widened when she recognised one of the symptoms. She looked at her sister in alarm.

'Don't tell me it's the Waning!'

'I fear it is.'

Chantrea retracted her hand and held her little sister's gaze.

'You- But you're too young for that!' Danna sprung up, agitated and began pacing in front of the bed they were sitting on.

'Yes. I should still have a few centuries to live before it was supposed to happen to me' Chantrea nodded, calming down a little. 'I suspect it might be because my powers were sealed for too long.'

Danna stopped in her tracks as if she was hit by lightning. She turned to her older sister and her gaze showed she knew more than she shared.

'What is it?' Chantrea asked, leaning forward. 'Tell me.'

Danna looked away and dragged a shaky hand through her hair. She glanced back at Chantrea's unwavering gaze, then away, before finally speaking:

'Leakena. You remember what her special power was, yes?'

'She c-could glimpse into the future' Chantrea replied, stumbling over the second word. It was still so strange to talk about her older sister in past tense.

'She feared this might happen to you if your punishment was carried out the way it was.'

Chantrea's breath caught in her throat. Does this mean...?

'She confronted our parents, but they did not listen' Danna finished quietly, lowering her gaze to the floor. As if it was her fault this had turned out the way it did.

Chantrea stood and put a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder.

'We'll figure something out' she said. Danna looked up at her.

'You need to find someone. I've just found you!'

'Danna-'

'No, listen! I don't want to lose you, too!' Danna looked desperate. Chantrea shut her eyes for a moment, pondering over her options.

'I will think about it. I cannot promise more than that.'

Danna knew this was as good as she would get from her. After all, Chantrea was never one to tie herself down to somewhere or to someone. And her decision would bind her to someone for eternity, which wasn't a trifle matter.

'Thank you' Danna hugged her older sister. Chantrea patted her back and drew back.

'Good. Now, we need to get ready for a meeting Odin. I imagine news of your arrival has already reached his ears and he would soon want to meet both of us.'

'You're right... Hmm...' Danna looked around. Her gaze found the closet. Chantrea chuckled to herself.

'Look around to see if you'd like something. I'll be back in a moment' she said, going into the bathroom.

Chantrea was shaking, but not from exhaustion or the use of her powers. She was shaking with anger. She took a few, deep, calming breaths.

Her parents knew what would happen to her.

Her parents effectively sentenced her to death a century ago.

She meant so little to them, they would go so far to ensure she had learnt the lesson.

Well, she had learnt the lesson not to trust them, ever again.

Chantrea made a fist with her hand and drew in a shaky breath.

And now these same parents, who had damned her to this cruel fate, needed her to go back. Scratch that, they didn't need her. But her people indeed needed a leader and Danna was too young for that role, which leaves her, the prodigal daughter, her parents never wanted.

'Shit' Chantrea cursed and splashed some cold water on her face. It helped her calm down a bit. She glanced up at herself in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled, her face was dripping with water and her eyes twinkled wildly.

She was cornered.

The next day, Loki was walking seemingly aimlessly around the palace, thinking, when he happened across two maids. They were talking animatedly in hushed voices and Loki knew they were gossiping. He stopped, and waited silently just out of sight. He faked interest in the painting on the wall, as if it was the first time he had noticed it.

Gossiping maids were the best source of information in a place like this, so Loki listened.

'Do you need help with that?' Asked the smaller one.

'Yes, she wants to leave in a couple of days' replied maid number two.

'How is she going to do that? The Bifrost is gone!'

'Her sister has a way out of Asgard.'

'What?'

'I don't know! I haven't heard everything that was said during their morning meal, girl!'

'Sorry, sorry!' The smaller one apologised. 'But did she say why she wants to leave?'

The other maid quieted for a moment, glancing around to see if there was anyone to overhear them. Naturally, she didn't notice Loki standing not so far away. She leant closer to the smaller woman and whispered, so Loki had to strain his ears to hear her answer:

'She has to.'

'Why?'

'Because she...' The tall maid hesitated.

Loki heard a smack, muffled by clothes.

'Tell me! Don't leave me out of the loop!'

'But-'

'Finish what you started! Quickly, quickly!'

Loki agreed with the small maid. He was intrigued.

'She's... she's a...' the woman was so quiet, she was almost inaudible, 'princess.'

'And?'

'What do you mean, "and"?' asked the tall maid, in indignation. 'She's going home so she could step up.'

'Step up where?'

'You're not the brightest one, are ya? Tsk.'

The small maid didn't seem offended, but rather, embarrassed. The other one rolled her eyes.

'To the throne!'

'What?' Yelped the small maid. Loki almost chocked on his breath.

'Shhh! Someone might hear ya!'

'Sorry!' She whispered. 'What?'

'She's next in line. She's practically a queen already, just needs to get through the coronation ceremony.'

'Wow... I knew she was some noble, but...'

'You're lucky I'm here for ya.' The taller maid said, patting the girl's shoulder. 'Now, come. You said you'll help me with her stuff and room.'

'Right!' They scampered off in a moment.

Loki stood completely still as he thought how he could use this information to his advantage. It was as if the last piece of a puzzle fell into place, which formed a perfectly clear plan. And what a plan it was, indeed! A small smirk played on his lips as he continued his stroll. It would be a shame to let this opportunity pass to show his so called 'family' just how well a throne would suit him.

To be continued...

A/N: There was this older version of this chapter, written a couple of weeks ago, but there were so many things worth fixing - pointed out by the helpful Jazz -, plus Life happening, that I couldn't get to it. But I realise it's been long since I updated and I gathered my strenght and decided to fix this chapter in an epic battle for... your enjoyment?

I'm so sorry for the wait. I look forward to your reviews. I just realised you probably look forward to new chapters as much as I look forward to new messages from you. Hmm... I feel I've just reached some kind of revelation.

How did you like this chapter? I think you now suspect where I want this story to go exactly (though of course you don't know the details, you have to read on for those!), and I'm curious about your opinions! Hope you enjoyed this chapter^^

Anyway, thank you for reading and~ if anyone's interested in beta-reading, feel free to drop me a line (in which you tell me what's your strong point as a beta reader). Thanks! :)