Frigga said nothing as her son told her everything, from the day he first met Ariella in the country market as she assisted him get away from a stall-keeper who was accusing him of theft, of how he befriended the girl, how she was the reason he learnt of the mine collapse, how she thought him of all the great inequalities of Asgard, of how she was his greatest friends, how she cared about him, and him her, of her family, of how she ceased to go to the markets one day, of how he thought she was lost, but then found her again and of how was suffering, how she had no form of comfort, how she clearly could not fight the inevitable decline of her health any longer, of how he was about to lose her. What he did not say was his feelings on the matter, but that didn't matter, Frigga could see that as plainly as she could her younger son in front of her.
She had realised only a short period before that Loki's recent infatuation was with the girl in question, causing her heartache. There was such little chance of the girl making any form of recovery, she knew that her death would tear Loki apart and so few could understand.
"I need to be there." Loki rose to his feet.
"Darling, there is nothing anyone can do now, she has to be allowed recover," Frigga placed her hand on his arm to comfort him.
"What has Eir done?"
"She has put a force field around her, obviously, to keep her warm and kill off anything that could cause her harm in her immediate atmosphere, she is being given very small portions of an infant mix, her stomach is so tender that were she to be given any more, she would not be able to process it and it could very well kill her, she will be given that every other hour, it will build her back slowly and she is being treated for several ailments that have managed to finally weaken her to this state."
"Like what?"
"Pneumonia is the most concerning, her lungs are barely able to function and according to Eir's findings, her kidneys are very much unable to function as well as they should, oedema and other issues associated with malnutrition. She has some small wounds that have become infected and another issue, one of a female nature, ails her also."
"What is it?"
"It is…well, a female issue…"
"Mother, please just tell me, I have been taught of the differences between the genders, I am aware of women's bodies requirement to keep the womb clean," Loki stated, annoyed at his mother's assumption that something as basic as bodily functions was too much for him.
"It would appear no one taught her of how to tend to herself at such times, she has a terrible infection as a result," Frigga explained. Loki's nostrils flared as his anger continued to rise. "Loki, I know you are frightened and upset, but you need to do something," Loki looked at her. "You are the one that has to stop this, you need to stop it going further, I can only do so much getting them treatment if they come and look for it, but you my darling," She cupped his face in her hands. "Make it so none other suffers as she has."
Loki swallowed, "They broke no laws, I cannot make them pay unless she dies, I want to make them suffer, but to do so I lose her; if she survives, they are her guardians, she will only return there to suffer again."
"She is not yet of age?"
"Not for another year."
"She is so young," Frigga shook her head. "How can one suffer so greatly and yet still fight?"
"She cannot fight anymore."
"She is trying darling, she would not be still here if she was not."
"How long does Eir think she could…"
"Most of that is up to how long her body will take to recover, but Eir has sworn she will tend her day and night if she has to until she is better; it could take weeks."
"Okay." Loki nodded.
At that moment, Eir exited the healing rooms and was almost bowled over by Loki in his attempts to get to her. "She is stable but so weak, I know this is hard to hear, but her chances are not great," She explained, knowing he would be deeply upset to hear that. "I have placed the shield over her, similar to the ones you have seen before on the Allfather when he has his Odinsleep, but unlike with your father, until the infections have passed, no one, bar myself or my top two other healers, can place a hand inside the shield, is that clear?" Loki nodded. "You can visit her, but only for very short periods of time, minutes at most for now, if she pulls through and wakes, of course, that may alter."
"Thank you."
"You got to her just in time, my Prince, any longer, and she would have been beyond saving."
"But she still…"
"Yes, she is still very much at risk, there is no way to say she will pull through, hope and faith are all we have now, and I am not sure that alone will be enough, but it is all we have as she gets the medicines, foods and care she needs. That reminds me, she has a tube in her mouth, do not be alarmed, it is to allow her food to her stomach with her unconscious, it is not harming her, though when she wakes, she may gag a little and try to pull it out, do not worry about it, just call one of us if you are present at that time. We also have her in a state of sleep for at least a week, if she tries to wake, it may take more energy than she has to give it. In rest, she can recover as she requires. She looks like one that has not slept so soundly since she was an infant, if she even did then. There are cotton pads on any part of her body that is touching the bed, that is to prevent her getting bed sores, her skeleton is showing, and the bones with so little muscle over them means that there is very little to protect her between her and the sheets."
"Okay, may I please go in?"
"She has endured a lot today," Eir answered unsurely.
"I will not go against anything you said, I just want to see her for a moment, say a few words to her and leave again." Loki pleaded.
Eir eyed the youth up, not sure of what to do before looking to Frigga, who gave a small nod. "I have to continue what I was doing before, I need to make some new potions, Helga, my second in command is inside, she will be watching her like a hawk, you may go in, but only with the Allmother with you. Later, after a few hours rest, you may return again alone if you choose."
"Thank you, Eir." Loki smiled, turning to his mother, who to his relief was already to his side. "I will see you later."
"I very much think so." Eir smiled before heading on her way again.
"Come," Frigga encouraged her son.
When he entered, Loki made straight for Ariella's bed. It took everything in his power to not put his hand in and put it on hers, to comfort her. He looked around to see his mother was giving him some space, the closest thing she could do to emulate privacy at that time. "Ari, I…Norns look at you," He half sobbed before inhaling deeply again. "I will right this wrong, I will protect you and all the others. I just need to find the way to do so. Fight it, please, for me." he begged, again feeling an urge to put his hand in, to touch her. But he willed himself not to, to let her heal. He knew if he did, the eagle-eyed Helga, watching from beside his mother, would inform Eir and he would be banned from visiting. He took a step back, and inhaled deeply, anger on his features. "I am going to right this Ari, wait and see, when you wake up, you will see what happens when I am involved." with that, he left the room, not waiting for his mother.
Frigga watched him leave, she had not heard his words when he was closer the bed, but the last sentence, his sworn promise, that she heard, and she knew he meant it. Walking forward, she studied the girl that mattered so greatly to Loki. She would be beautiful, she thought, if her hair had not been butchered off and if she had not been allowed be starved. As Loki swore to right the injustices of the world, Frigga swore that the young girl, not yet even in adulthood, would no longer suffer simply because she was born in poverty, nor would any other girl. "You will be the one that will the great catalyst that changes everything, I only hope you are alive to see it happen little Ariella," she stated before she too left the room, her own new mission so clear in her mind.
Loki met some opposition to his plans from within those on the board for the commoners, something he was realistically aware would happen, but there were two substantial differences between Loki and those on the board, he was not blissfully unaware of the sufferings of the truly needy and he was the only one there with a true vested interest. He would not stop until Ariella and others like her were protected. He was not stupid, there would still be those who would suffer, but he would ensure they would be given protection, that their tormentors would rue the day Loki was ever even born for what he would do to them. Any manner they made others suffer, he would have them suffer ten fold.
It did not take long for those on the board to realise that Loki was not only more determined than any they had met before but more cunning. Some thought it wise to attempt to bully, cajole or otherwise control the young prince, whose age they thought meant he was weak or foolish, but they soon realised that not only could no one control him, he knew their plans as they thought them, and had ways to counteract any plans to stop his changes.
Odin grinned proudly from atop the throne as Ivan, a high-powered lord of the forest lands complained to the Allfather that his son was without reason or compromise with his demands. "Why do you think I put him there?" He laughed when Ivan half asked, half demanded the king deal with his wayward son. "None can get Loki off his chosen path, not Thor, not my wife, and most certainly not me. That is why he has been put to the task at hand, there cannot be compromise on this matter."
"He will bankrupt us with the policing costs alone."
"You own more land than any other in this realm, you charge four times the rate of a full day's pay for a one-roomed shack, you will not go bankrupt if you charge fairly, all you need do is stop visiting brothels and gambling, do that and what will you cost yourself? So cease your moaning, you cannot have everything while others have nothing."
The Lord made a grumbling that Odin was sure contained the words Nepotism and own wealth, to which Odin gave a bark of a laugh. "My wife has spent more than four times her considerable dowry on healing the sick poor this last decade, she is also funding the schools she insisted we build off the money made from the using of the palaces we possess and their farmlands to feed the poor around the realm's lands and has used said palace's as orphanages. I have paid more money to dressmakers on children I have not fathered than I ever have paid to cloth my sons in their finery in all of their lives and if I have to sit on a chair of wood instead of this golden throne, then by the Norns, if I can ensure every one of my citizens goes to bed warm and fed, I will."
"Laziness cannot go rewarded."
"I agree, which is why I am wondering why you are here in front of me and not doing something of use for once in your overprivileged life. The poor slave to get food, and what food they get I would not feed to a hound, so they cannot be accused of sloth, idle Lords, however, now that is a different story."
Seeing that not only was he getting nowhere with Odin, he was at risk of more focus by the royal family, Ivan bowed and left the room.
"You are almost as silent as our son." Odin stated to the seemingly empty room, "What ails you, my dear?"
"How did you know?"
"Of what?"
"My actions?" Frigga asked, walking out from behind a pillar.
"My dear, I go through each and every coin spent by the crown, myself." Odin chuckled. "You think me so blind that I did not realise you are sending money to healers all over Asgard, on specific dates each month, coinciding with the markets and the one day I cannot find Eir for love nor money."
"Have you been clothing the children?"
"I received a letter, the writing terrible, the spelling atrocious, from a little girl, not yet four hundred, from a small fishing village at the edge of the realm, thanking me, and you I might add, for letting her learn, that she cannot wait to finally own a book but that she needed to wait until after she got new socks. Socks, something so basic. I had Hildegard look into it, there were children turning up to the schools in a pillowcase, made to look like a dress." He shook his head. "I am the king of a realm so divided, so contrasting. How can my people see fit to look to me when I failed to look after them? Loki, I have found out, has been allowing himself only what he requires, Thor seems to not be so conscious of such things, but Loki…I have no idea what it is that has him so aware, but whatever it is, it can only be good."
Frigga thought for a moment before speaking again. "It is not a what." Odin looked at her. "It is a who." Odin's brow raised. "I need to introduce you to someone."