Ch. 10

Skye landed heavily next to Loki. She felt both nauseated and feverish at the same time. Traveling via the Bifrost was like going through a kaleidoscope and a roller coaster at the the same time. She sank to her knees, panting heavily.

"Are you quite alright, my dear?" Loki asked, crouching down next to her, his hand resting lightly on her back as she fought back against the desire to vomit all over his leather boots.

"Is it always like that?" she asked between gasps.

"The first time is rather . . . . intense, especially for a mortal. But, there's no need to fret. You need never repeat the experience."

"One month. One month and then I'm going back," Skye said firmly as she struggled to her feet, allowing Loki to help her to stand.

"As you wish," he replied.

As she stood, she saw one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen staring down at her on a raised dais, his hands grasping a long sword hovering over some device in the middle of the room.

"Heimdall, let me introduce to my daughter, Princess Skye. Skye, this is Heimdall. He watches over all the realms and guards Asgard."

"Your Highness," Heimdall said, inclining his head.

"Hi," Skye said nervously, giving Heimdall a little wave. She turned to Loki, "Princess?"

He smiled at her. "That is the correct term for the daughter of a king, is it not?"

Skye's eyes widened at the thought. Earlier that morning she was an orphan with no knowledge of her parents and now she was a half-alien princess. She didn't know if she'd be able to take any more surprises.

"Have the horses been readied?" Loki asked Heimdall.

"They are already on the bridge, your Majesty," Heimdall said as he nodded.

"Excellent. Let us be on our way then," Loki said as he began walking towards the door.

"Thank you, Heimdall," she said as she left.

"You are most welcome, your Highness," Heimdall said, his face engulfed in a blinding smile.

As Skye stepped onto the bridge, she saw a contingent of armored soldiers and horses waiting for them. Loki easily mounted a large white stallion. She blanched when she saw that it had eight legs.

Loki reached down and patted its neck. "It is Sleipnir, Odin's steed. With Odin indisposed, I decided to appropriate him. He is a rather unique animal."

"I can see," Skye said weakly as she noticed that the rest of the horses on the bridge were sporting only four legs. "I . . . I don't know how to ride a horse," she admitted as a guard ushered towards a black mare.

"You do not?" Loki asked, perplexed.

"Nope. Horse-riding lessons weren't a big priority at the orphanage," she ground out through clenched teeth a bit more bitterly than she had intended to.

Loki winced at that. "I see. Well, we shall endeavour to rectify the gaps in your education. At present, you can ride with one of the guards."

A guard motioned Skye over to the horse. He laced his fingers together and bent over to help give her a boost onto the animal. Skye took a deep breath and then placed one foot in his hands and swung her other leg over. The force of momentum nearly made her fall off the other side of the beast, but she held on tightly to the saddle and righted herself. The guard leapt onto the back of the horse and grabbed the reins.

"Off we go to your new home," Loki announced cheerily as they began to ride.

"Temporary home," Skye corrected as she held on tightly to the guard's waist, sure that she was going to fall off the horse and into the abyss below.

0000

Between the naustating journey via the Bifrost and the rough horseback ride to the palace, Skye was exhausted, pale and shaky. Loki looked at her with concern as they dismounted and made their way through the palace's outer doors. "My dear, you do look quite fatigued and it is already rather late. I'll have you shown to your rooms and you'll be able to rest until morning."

She was about to protest when another wave of nausea hit her and she just nodded feebly before following a servant that Loki had waved over.

"Good night, my dear. I'll see you in the morning," Loki said to her retreating form.

Skye didn't really know what to do or say and so, she settled for silence. She walked through endless corridors and felt completely disoriented in the maze-like palace.

"Here we are, your Highness," the servant said to Skye as she opened the door for her to an opulent room. Skye had to stifle a giggle. It was at least fifteen times as big as the miniroom she had on the Bus. It was covered in rich, silken drapes and ornate tapestries. There was a long flowing white gown on the huge bed that dominated the room.

"His Majesty ordered that you be outfitted befitting your station. If you'll allow me, I can take your Midgardian clothes to be . . . cleaned," the servant said, sniffing contemptuously at the jeans and T-shirt that Skye wore.

She nodded slowly. She picked up the nightgown, went into the adjoining bathroom, which was, thankfully, fairly similar to what she was used to, and changed. When she emerged, she handed her clothes over to the young woman.

"Thank you . . . Um, what's your name?" Skye asked.

"Arnleif, your Highness."

"Thank you, Arnleif."

"Do you require anything else? I have laid out a light repast as well as refreshments, but I can bring more food or drink from the kitchens, if you'd like."

Skye saw a tray that had been placed on a far table, laden down with what looked like different types of breads, fruit and some other unrecognizable foods.

"No, no. That's okay. Thank you."

"You are quite welcome, your Highness. If that will be all, I will turn in for the night."

"Yes, thank you."

"You are most welcome. Another servant will be by in the morning to attend you. Good night, Your Highness."

"Good night, Arnleif."

Skye prowled around her room. She couldn't believe the size of it. She felt a bit overwhelmed and thought about her team for a moment. They would be so worried about her. She briefly regretted her decision to come to Asgard. What had she done?

But then, she thought of all those nights at the orphanage or at a new foster family's house, looking up at the sky, wondering if her parents were staring at the same stars. She took a deep breath and walked over to the large window and looked up to the night sky and spent almost an hour just looking up, trying to figure out which one was one the Earth orbited.

00000

"She's up there, somewhere, and she's all alone, stuck with an insane murderer. I couldn't stop him, Fitz. I couldn't protect her. Again," Ward said, looking up at the stars as they both stood outside the Bus, hands jammed in their pockets to ward off the cold.

"We'll get her back," Leo said, but his voice lacked conviction.

"Will we?" Ward said as he turned to walk slowly back to the plane. "It took all of the Avengers to defeat Loki the last time and, in the end, he still became a king. It was all for nothing."

"Yes, well. We have something that the Avengers didn't have," Leo said.

"And what's that?" Ward said sceptically.

"Me," said a petite woman as she walked into view. "Hi, I'm Dr. Foster."