Silver and Scales
Chapter Ten: An Asgardian Secret
When Vyperia turned around to speak to Loki, she was taken aback by the dark look in his eyes. It was penetrating, calculating, and it turned Vyperia's stomach. While the expression on his beautiful face was haunting, her heart beat quickened as she felt the familiar wetness bury deep into the pit of her stomach. Loki's blue eyes stunned hers with retreating fear, but the enveloping fright that it instilled in Vyperia's chest was arousing.
Loki stood in the middle of an empty washroom. He watched her carefully.
"How did you know that I was heading toward the chamber, Vyperia?" he asked her in a strangely quiet voice.
"Loki..." Vyperia said breathlessly; her voice hitched upon speaking. She was frightened of the look he had on his regal features. The threat was simmering, not outspoken like Thor's intimidating method. Loki's soft anger was like the growing frustration of a woman who was waiting for the right to strike.
Loki stepped forward when he didn't receive an answer.
"How did you know?" he demanded from her. He waited.
She emitted a sigh of one in defeat.
"Please, forgive me," she whispered softly.
As if her words had pulled at her heartstrings, Vyperia felt her eyes burn with onset tears as she forced herself to come clean. However, Loki's face softened as her words uttered themselves so meekly and tender. He stared at her, surprised.
"Vyperia...Does this have anything to do with what happened in the garden? Does it have to do with what you were trying to tell me?"
She nodded.
She bit her bottom lip, trying to sequester a thousand years of secret-keeping from spilling out of her mouth. Vyperia's breath shook as she spoke.
"I was sworn to say nothing," Vyperia uttered. "I was told that I would be thrown into exile if I said anything. You must understand that. You must..."
"What is it?" asked Loki.
"You're born of a Jotun; you're born of your father, Laufey." Vyperia confessed.
Loki stared point-blank.
"What?"
"It is true, love," Vyperia muttered.
"You...lie," Loki said.
His stunted expression smoldered.
Vyperia's eyes widened.
"No."
"Are you lying to me?" he demanded, suddenly angry.
"No." Vyperia shook her head, fearing his rising voice. "No. No. Please, you must believe me. You must understand. I pleaded with the All-Father to tell you. I wanted to, you must know that."
Even as her emotions ran high, and her words spilled out of her, Loki shook his head in disbelief. His hands seized her shoulders as if to force the truth out of her; Vyperia whimpered in growing fear as his expression faltered from shock to one of rage.
"How could say something like that?" he assaulted.
"It's not a lie." She implored him weakly. "It's not a lie,"
"Is this to prove me wrong? Because I pulled you into Jotunheim? Is this because Thor was exiled? Is that it? Is that why you tell me this? Vyperia!"
"It's not a lie, I swear...I swear," Vyperia cried. Her hands shielded her face from his angry glare.
"You look me in the eye, and you tell me this abomination. You look at me."
He grabbed her by her wrists and pried her fingers from her eyes. His blue eyes burned into hers, which had watered from her outcry of desperation—she cowered in front of him with no escape, no way out. Vyperia's strength and combative attitude toward those who argued with her failed as Loki sternly assaulted her. She couldn't argue with him while he was so angry; and although she was telling the truth, a part of her truly wanted to tell him that all of this was a jest...just a cruel joke to play on the god of mischief.
Tears slowly streamed down from Vyperia's cheeks as he forced her to come clean.
"Please, Loki...please...I'm sorry."
"What?"
"It is true. I never wanted to keep quiet; I wanted to tell you, but your father—"
"He told me that my birth right was to be a king. I am an Asgardian. Tell me that you are lying!"
"It's not a lie," she cried out. "Loki, I—"
"We'll see about this."
Before she could stop him, Loki seized her wrist and pulled her along with him. He pried the unlocked door open and dragged her along the corridor angrily.
"Stop. You must believe me! I—"
Loki stopped her incessant pleas by halting in mid-step and crammed a hand over her mouth.
"Stop this," he growled. His charming voice lowered to one of a dark simmer. "You will come with me to the chamber. We will settle this. If you are lying to me, if I discover that you have caused this for nothing..."
He made an empty threat.
They passed through corridor after corridor. Upon entering a large vault, Loki released her arm and passed her down the stairs that led to a long walkway; at the end of the path was the glowing Casket of Ancient Winters. Vyperia's eyes were moist; her cheeks were stained with quiet tears.
"Please."
Her soft voice echoed in the empty, quiet hall. Loki ignored her and stepped toward it. While he intended to make good on his word, his eyes faltered as he gazed at the Casket in front of him. He walked over to it slowly, and reached out to it. Loki lifted it between his forearms off its pedestal.
Vyperia uttered a small cry as a blueness spread from Loki's arms, across his body. The blueness spread further and it consumed his whole body. His eyes widened in surprise...and simmered anger. It was not aimed at Vyperia, who had begged him to believe her. Instead, he closed his eyes to absorb this phenomenon, wishing that his love had bespoken falsities.
From behind Vyperia, she heard Odin cry out,
"STOP!"
Loki turned to see Odin as he hurried into the room. Vyperia and Odin made eye contact; and she lowered her gaze, feeling defeated and spited at the same time. Odin's gaze left Loki's lover to fall upon his second son in dismay.
"Am I cursed?" asked Loki softly.
"No. Put the Casket down."
Loki's brilliant red eyes watched him carefully, and then met the saddened green pair of Vyperia. New tears ran down her cheeks as she understood that look in his face. It was of anger, sadness, and realization.
"What am I?" asked Loki as he lowered the Casket back upon its pedestal. As he had released it from his grip, his body quickly returned to its normal form and color. He stared at his father.
"You're my son."
"What more than that?"
Odin didn't answer. He looked suddenly weary, burdened. Loki sized him up and slowly understood that Vyperia's claim, her years of secret-keeping, was true.
"The Casket," said Loki, "wasn't the only thing that you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"
"No," Odin answered. He glanced at Vyperia, who momentarily turned away, unable to bear to hear the confession that was to follow.
"In the aftermath of the battle," Odin explained gently, "I went into the Temple; and I found a baby. Small for a giant's offspring—abandoned, suffering, left to die.
"Laufeyson."
"Laufeyson...?"
His heartbreak on his face pummeled hard into Vyperia's stomach.
"Why?" asked Loki, as he desperately struggled to make sense of it all. "You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why? Why did you take me?"
"You were an innocent child."
"No. You took me for a purpose, what was it?"
Tears formed in Loki's eyes as Odin remained quiet.
"TELL ME!"Loki screamed in the silence.
Vyperia watched the scene unfold, her hand on her mouth. It pained her to see Loki so angry and sad. The pain that he felt might have heightened, as she had known about it for years and said nothing.
"I thought," Odin explained, "that we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace...through you."
"What?" Loki's voice asked faintly, aching.
"But those plans no longer matter," Odin uttered.
"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me?"
"Why do you twist my words?"
"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?"
"You are my son. My blood. I wanted only to protect you from the truth."
"Why? Because I...I'm the monster that parents tell their children about at night?"
"Don't..." Odin whispered.
Loki's look of intense sadness smoldered to an upset fury in his eyes. He rose up to the stairs, confronting his father angrily,
"It all makes sense now. Why you favored Thor all these years!"
"Listen..."
"Because no matter how much you claim to 'love' me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the Throne of Asgard!"
Odin's body began to shake. He lifted his hand in a soft plea. Odin slowly fell to the stairs, weakened by the burden of his son's revelation and the oncoming of an ancient war.
"Listen to me!" Odin uttered weakly. "Please..."
Loki gazed upon his father who slowly quieted. He collapsed to the stone floor. Vyperia rushed forward to stand beside Loki who lowered beside him. Loki took Odin into his arms, his gaze falling from anger to one of submissive concern.
"Father..." When his father would not stir, "Guards! Guards, please, help!"