Chapter 10.
She woke the next day very ill, and her head ached as if it were having a spike driven into it. She moaned, looking blindly for a cup of water to slake her thirst, but nothing was on the small table next to her bed. She moaned, rolling onto her back and opened an eye painfully.

"Akima." She whimpered, hiding her eyes under an arm from the light. "May I have water? I am parched."

"Akima is being punished with kitchen duties, for her behavior yesterday." A female voice said, a cup of water being pressed into her hand. Elanora sat up to drink it, savoring the wonderful, cool flavor of the water and seeing Queen Frigga standing over her.

"Behavior?" She asked, worried about her own actions. Flashes of being left on a table, and her skirts being pulled up. Dark hair, and someone, or something growling at another man. She turned pale, reaching for the hem if her shift to see what was done to her.

"Calm down, you are unmolested. For the most part, Loki stopped the bastard before he could violate your body." Frigga said and Elanora lay back on the pillows. The woman gave her a vial, motioning for her to drink from it and she obeyed. Grimacing at the taste, but she did as she was told.

"I am so sorry." She cried, her face collapsing in depression. "What a horrid mess I must have made of everything.

"It is small, and can be cleaned up. Your Maid needs to be reminded that your safety is her task as well, you could have ended up with worse than a painful head and a sour stomach." Frigga replied, covering her back up. The older woman sighed, her face looking sad and she knew Loki was listening beyond the door. A mother knew these things, and she hoped that something could be done to repair his pride.

"I am so greatful for Loki, if he had not stopped that man then... He would have..." Elanora began, but could not finish the statement. Her eyes closed a moment, and she looked pained. "He is a good friend, and I do owe him a great favor."

"It makes me happy to hear you say that dear. It tells me that I did right in raising my sons." Frigga replied and the suffering girl looked up at her. Her face was drawn, fine lines appearing from the illness on it.

"He is very kind to me, but also harsh at times. I do not understand him, he confounds me."

"He has dealt with much, and perhaps he does still enjoy your company at times. He... does not like certain aspects of his being however, and thinks you fainted out of fear of him." Frigga replied and Elanora shook her head.

"No... I don't remember seeing much of the men about me, all I remember was that my legs were exposed immodestly, and that there was shouting and growling. I felt ill and I cried, I thought I was used... and I was damaged as a result of it." She sobbed, Frigga held her close and rocked her. In the next room, Loki could hear her words and sighed. Not having left his place from the night before, he shifted and looked through the crack in the door to see Frigga comforting the stricken girl.

"The potion I gave you will help you sleep this all away. You were not harmed, and have someone to thank for that. Rest again, and you will feel better again soon. You will have to remain in your chambers without your friend for the week, as punishment of course." Frigga soothed the girl and slowly began singing a soft song to her. Elanora's body relaxed against the Queen's, and he knew she was asleep again. Frigga lay her back on the bed, covering her and closing the canopy so she could sleep undisturbed.

Loki sat back against the door, thinking about what she said and heard the door to the hall close. The girl did not fear him after all, she thought him her saviour.

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"I did not think to have a visitor." She said as Loki entered with his Pente board tucked under his arm. She sat with a book open, her fingers hovering over the page as she read and smiled at him. The fire crackled, her features warmed by it and she nodded and rested the book in her lap.

"I thought you would be lonely, but I see you are reading." He replied and she set the large tome aside.
"I am learning some of the histories if this place, it is to be my home after all. A Lady with an Estate, especially one cast off should be able to carry her own in conversation at times." She replied and he sat in the chair across from hers. He rested the board in his lap, frowning to himself and she waited for him to speak.

"I was also wondering if you had recovered from your shock." He said, not wanting to say what was on his mind and she nodded. She took a sip if tea from the delicate cup on the table next to her, smiling sweetly.

"I did, thank you. I feel I owe you much for that, and am greatful for your presence when it was needed most."

"Elle..." He began, but she stopped him before he could say more. She knew what he was going to speak to her about, and she did not want to go too far into a Marriage that would never work.

"Why do you call me that?"

"It is sort of an affection between friends." He said, frowning and looking at her. "Do you wish me to stop?"

"No. It suits me better, and I do like it a bit." She replied with a smile. "Do you want to play your game?"

"If you feel well enough to do so. I heard you were quite out of sorts this morning." He teased, earning a frown from him and she sighed.

"I ask you so many times not to tease me, why do you persist in doing such?"

"I find it amusing when you get mad at me." He replied, grinning at her and she huffed her annoyance.

"You are impossible at times. Do you know how hard it is to like someone who irritates you?" She snapped at him, crossing her arms and glaring. He laughed, earning further irritation from her and he relaxed back into the seat.

"You say that I am impossible? You are the one who is stubborn as ten mules when it comes to being teased." He replied, grinning as he stopped her from speaking further. "Yet, you think it amusing to strike me in the ass with an arrow to poke fun at me."

"I am sorry I did that, Akima brings out the wilder nature in me at times." She replied, blushing a deep crimson that reached her ears. "She is being punished now, and I am to stay in until the week is up. It is going to be awful.

"It does not have to be." He replied and shifted. "I could bring you more books, and visit to play games if you wish."

"I suppose... it is company after all." She said and laughed at something.

"What is so funny?" He asked and she laughed harder, pointing at him.

"You should have seen your face when I struck you! Oh! It was amusing, you looked as if you were goung to swallow your teeth!" She laughed, Loki shaking his head at her and chuckling to himself.

"You call me impossible." He said and set up the board for a game. She settled and took her pieces from him, her eyes still shining with the laughter.

"I only say what is true." She said and smiled at him.