Unofferable, Part I - Emergence

by AnMorrighan

The unexpected arrival of an injured Midgardian child clinging to life causes a ruckus on Asgard. The princes, Thor and Loki, are somewhat intrigued by this unusual guest, unsure as to how and why she ended up in such a state. What they did not expect, however, was the turn of events her appearance would inevitably cause.

26. Chapter 26

Unofferable

CHAPTER 26: TRIAL AND ERROR

Playlist: "Elysium" — Klaus Badelt, "Honour Him" — Hans Zimmer, "Now We Are Free" — Lisa Gerrard & Klaus Badelt

As Loki and his companions descended the stairs, they met Hogun, Sif, and Fandral, who had cleared all the other floors. When they returned to the selection room — which was well guarded by Volstagg — they gathered all the workers found on the premisses. With the addition of the six prisoners Thor had herded, and the two with whom Ellie was found hiding, there were now thirty of them in total within the room. Whatever guards that had not been killed in the raid were bound and locked in a nearby closet, ensuring any attempted escape was futile.

"You have no need to fear," Sif explained, addressing the whole room of workers. "We are warriors of Asgard, and this is Prince Thor and Prince Loki. We will keep you safe and ensure that you are all returned to your rightful homes." There were small gasps and exclamations of relief from the prisoners. Loki watched as some of them embraced each other and began to cry. "While we discuss what will be done, please do a head count and inform us if there are any missing persons we need to find before we leave."

The Asgardians gathered together, Ellie still clinging to Loki's waist. The Warriors Three grinned at the sight of her alive and (mostly) well.

"It is good to see you again, little Midgardian!" Volstagg said with the largest smile of the group. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now," Ellie replied, squeezing Loki's side. "Thank you for findin' me."

"It was all thanks to the princes," Fandral snorted. "They were very insistent about running blindly into Alfheim to save you."

"We were lucky Heimdall spotted you when he did," Hogun said. "Otherwise we may not have found this place at all."

Sif nodded in agreement. "I am still wondering why this building's shield fell in the first place."

"I put that down to extremely good luck," Thor laughed, ruffling Ellie's hair affectionately. "I do not care why it happened. All that concerns me now is Ellie and these prisoners."

"And Frey and Freyja," Loki added. "We still have to deal with them."

"And how exactly shall we go about that?" Fandral asked. "They are presumably at Ljosalfgard with the Allfather and Allmother."

"They are," Ellie confirmed. "They were here earlier, but they left not too long ago when the King and Queen arrived at the castle."

"Mother informed us to go to Ljosalfgard when we have secured Ellie," Thor reminded Loki. "Perhaps we should go to meet them as requested?"

"And what of the prisoners?" Lady Sif asked.

"We should bring them back to Asgard for the time being," Loki suggested. "We can get them checked over by Eir and then consult Heimdall with returning them to their rightful homes."

Thor nodded his head in agreement. "A reasonable plan. Then we shall move all the survivors once they have checked to see if everyone is present. We have collectively scoured every inch of this place, so hopefully this is all there is."

"Hopefully." Loki looked down at Ellie by his side. "The sooner we get you to Eir the better."

She looked up to meet his gaze, brow furrowed. "What? No, I'm not goin' back to Asgard."

"We need to get you to the healers wing, Ellie. You are clearly exhausted and need to be attended to."

"I don't care," she insisted. "You're all about to go off and confront those two arseholes and I want'a come too."

"I do not know if that is the best idea…" Sif trailed off, while Thor looked equally displeased at the thought.

"Would it not be good to bring me as proof of what happened? You can't bring all these victims, so why not just bring me to show Odin and Frigga that you're not lyin' 'bout this place? I'll be safe with you's anyway."

"Ellie," Loki began, voice uncharacteristically patient. "You do not need to see them again. First of all, you're hurt—"

"So I have some cuts and bruises, what of it? I'll manage fine in your company. Just…please. I want'a see them. If my presence will help to prove their guilt then I want'a be there. Then as soon as they're taken away I promise to go swiftly back to Asgard. I would much rather suffer through travellin' to the city to ensure their capture and preventin' any of this from happenin' to someone again."

Loki sighed heavily, hating the idea of her being anywhere near that pair again, even if she did make a valid point. Arriving at the castle with several witnesses and an actual victim — let alone one that is a servant to the Odinsons — would be enough proof to show that none of this was a lie. He saw the determined look on her marred face; there was simply no way she would step down and return to Asgard before confronting her attackers.

"Brother?" Thor asked hesitantly, cutting through his thoughts. "What would you have us do? I feel as though it is your decision."

The Trickster shook his head slightly. "I do not like it, but she is right. We need to guarantee that Frey and Freyja are put away for their crimes and the pain they have inflicted on these people. Ellie's presence could help to do so, and I cannot argue with her. She would not take no for an answer anyway." He settled his gaze on her before he went on. "So we shall bring her to Ljosalfgard."

"With that settled," Volstagg said. "I will bring the prisoners back to Asgard while you all go confront the twins. I will keep them safe and call Heimdall."

Hogun nodded slowly. "I shall join you. My help would be better suited attending to the captives while you all confront Frey and Freyja. With the Allfather and Allmother present, a fight is highly unlikely."

"Even still," Fandral began, patting the hilt of his sword. "If there is one, Lady Sif and I will be with the princes and the handmaiden."

"Shall we?" Sif asked, looking to Loki for the signal.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked the young woman by his side, giving her one more chance to opt out.

Looking back up at him, she nodded firmly, the hand on his waist squeezing briefly. "I'm sure."

Thor placed a massive hand on her shoulder. "Then I would say it is time to confront them!"

"Could you both begin to round up the captives outside?" Loki said, addressing Hogun and Volstagg, who immediately got to work. "We should head outside also. Come."

The other four Asgardians and their Midgardian companion finally exited the building. After them came the prisoners, some of whom squinted at the harsh sunlight. Others took in the fresh air, their eyes glistening with tears. Loki watched them smile for a moment before he moved his attention to Ellie again. It probably seemed obsessive, but given recent events, knowing she was still there brought him comfort. While all he wanted was to get her home and cleaned up, he knew he couldn't force her; she would sooner tell him that he wasn't the boss of her. At least he could keep her safe by refusing to let Frey or Freyja near her. Despite her determined speech, Ellie seemed severely run down. She breathed heavily, her grip on Loki's waist tightening the more they walked. He noticed she was dragging her feet and abruptly stopped moving so that he could speak to her.

"Little one," he urged, his voice gentle but still serious. "Are you alright to walk? I am not comfortable with dragging you through Alfheim if it is only making your exhaustion worse."

"I'm sorry," she wheezed and lowered her voice. Thor, Fandral, and Lady Sif were helping to herd all the rescued prisoners together, giving the pair a brief moment alone. "I'm just really worn out. I… I used everythin' you taught me to keep myself safe, and I don't have much energy left."

He narrowed his eyes at her comment, immediately catching the specific meaning behind it. Of course she could hardly mention their seiðr lessons aloud with the others nearby, but evidently she had used magic to save herself. While there was a large part of him that felt pride at her statement — he would need to hound her once they were alone for every detail — all he could do right now was worry about her physical state.

"Are you capable of walking on your own?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She shook her head as her lower lip trembled. "I'm fuckin'…" She tried to steady herself and stumbled, Loki quickly catching her in his arms with ease. Her fingers dug into his biceps as they wrapped protectively around her, tears finally slipping from her red eyes. Her voice sounded raw from her ordeal, and his chest ached as she murmured. "I'm sorry. I'm just so tired. I feel so fuckin' useless."

"You have nothing to apologise for," he reassured her, gently running a hand through her knotted hair. "None of this is your fault, alright? And you are certainly not useless. You just told me that you used all your knowledge to keep yourself alive. That hardly makes you useless. You are a true fighter and I am immensely proud of you, love. Feeling the effects of it now does not mean you are weak."

Clinging to him, she met his gaze as he slowly lifted her to her feet. "I wouldn't've gotten out if it wasn't for you and the others."

"Well then," he said with a shrug. "We can just say it was teamwork."

"Are you alright?" Thor asked her, hurrying over to the couple as she tried to steady herself.

"I'll be fine. It's just hard to walk after all that happened."

"Well, you are insistent about getting to the castle…" Without another word, Thor squatted down to his knees, his massive back facing her. He looked over his shoulder when she didn't move. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Hop on!"

"You want'a give me a jockeyback?" she deadpanned.

"Of course! It will be just like when you were a child and I would run around the gardens with you on my back. Come on! You are very light to carry, I promise."

With a tentative look at Loki, she agreed. The God of Mischief carefully placed her on his brother's back, who in turn hooked his arms around her legs while she wrapped hers across the front of his chest.

"There we are," he declared as he got to his feet. "Are you alright now?"

"This is better," she assured him and let her cheek rest on the side of his head. "Thank you, Thor."

"My pleasure! Now, lead the way, brother!"

Before they went on their way, Loki waited for Heimdall to safely transport Volstagg, Hogun, and the captives back to Asgard via the Bifröst. The quintet watched as the they all disappeared within the massive beam of electrical light through the sky. In a matter of seconds, they were left alone in the clearing, the imprint of the Rainbow Bridge burned into the grass beneath them. Without further discussion, they headed for Ljosalfgard.

Their arrival was unexpected, given the reactions from the elves. Although, they may have also earned such a surprised reaction due to the presence of the Princes, or the fact they were armed to the teeth, or that one of them was carrying a bloody Midgardian atop his back. Obviously the city's guards immediately questioned their arrival, but given that the Allfather and Allmother were already there, it seemed to justify their presence as well. Unwilling to tell the truth for fear of Frey and Freyja being informed, Loki did what he did best and used some honeyed words to make sure they weren't impeded by anyone as they headed for the castle. When questioned about Ellie, they simply stated that she was due to receive medical attention within. Most of them hardly dared to question royalty, so when the Captain of the Guard stopped them at the castle grounds' main entrance, he agreed to accompany them into the war room where their parents currently resided with the twins. Once inside and after the guards confirmed there was a woman working within the castle by the name of Dagny, Loki ordered Lady Sif to find her with the help of two of them. The group split up and moved swiftly, even with the remainder of the squadron following them the whole way.

Upon arrival at the massive door to their war room, the Captain of the Guard was quick to call them. "You cannot just burst through the doors unannounced. I have to inform the Lord and Lady of your arrival."

Loki looked at the man briefly before turning his attention to Ellie, still perched a top Thor's back. Her tired, bloodshot eyes met his gaze, and he clenched his jaw.

Protocol be damned…

Without another word, he forced the doors open with a harsh shove and abruptly announced their arrival himself.

Inside the room stood their mother and father, Frey, Freyja, and a few officials, one of which Loki quickly recognised as Aelsa Featherwine. Two other guards stood either side of the door, and turned to look at the Asgardians as they burst through. Frey's head shot up from the war table they were currently stood around to see what the commotion was. Loki met his gaze, and the former's eyes narrowed.

"My sons," Odin said casually. "You have arrived."

"We were not expecting you," Frey said as they spilled inside and the doors were shut behind them. "Although, we were not expecting the King and Queen either."

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Freyja demanded as the other officials looked completely befuddled. "They are not permitted to be here."

"We do not take orders from you," Loki snapped. "Not when you have been committing horrific crimes right under this realm's nose."

"What are you talking about, Prince?" Frey deadpanned, looking at Aelsa in amusement. "Still making up stories and creating mischief?"

Loki gritted his teeth. "There is absolutely nothing false about these allegations."

"What is going on here?" Aelsa cut in, stepping forward slightly to address Odin and Frigga. "I was not informed that your sons would be joining this discussion."

"That is because no one was meant to know," Frigga replied simply. "We had to be sure we had our facts straight before they made their appearance."

"Allfather," Frey began, still laughing. "Would you kindly explain why your sons have interrupted our consultation to spout false accusations directed at me?"

Odin shook his head at the Lord, tone sharp. "Well, if they have come with the proof they set out to find, then I do not believe them to be false."

"And we have brought it, Father," Thor boomed and stepped forward to stand beside Loki. With a slight shift of his waist, he revealed a still bloodied and bruised Ellie on his back. "We found Ellie within the brothel, as suspected."

Loki grinned at the sight of Frey's smile falling slightly. Beside him, Freyja appeared shocked for the briefest of moments before she hid it again. The officials exchanged looks of obvious concern while Aelsa turned to Frey for answers. "Who is this?"

"This is Ellie of Asgard," Loki answered before Frey even had a chance. "Formally of Midgard, she has been working in our palace since she was a child and is my personal handmaiden. While I was on Vanaheim with my father and brother, she was taken from Asgard against her will and brought here. Her abduction was organised by none other than Frey and Freyja."

There were a variety of shocked reactions within the room. The guards seemed most surprised, breaking their usually stoic demeanour to look to their Captain for guidance. He stood gawking at Loki in surprise. "Prince Loki, you best supply us with evidence before you accuse the Lord and Lady of your handmaiden's abduction!"

"Proof?" Loki sneered, turning on the captain, teeth bared in disgust. "Is her beaten and bloodied body not proof enough for you?"

"I cannot just take your word for it," he snapped back. "Do you have any idea how grave these claims are?"

Loki had had enough. The loyalty of their workers was expected but also bloody infuriating. "Do not speak as though I do not understand the severity of the situation! You might as well be blind if you do not see this to be true!"

"Showing up with a beaten mortal is not proof enough for me, Your Highness!"

"Oh, do you need to see your Lord beat and rape her with your own eyes before you would believe it?"

There was a silence in the room, one no one knew how to fill. Loki simply continued glaring at the captain. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticing Thor slowly getting closer to him. If he had his way, he would wring this arrogant fool's neck with his bare hands. He was about to insult him further when another voice cut across him.

"Everything Prince Loki says is true," Ellie insisted, voice hoarse but addressing the whole room. Loki turned to see her still on Thor's back, but with her head slightly raised and expression grim. "I was attacked by another handmaiden and taken to a whorehouse to be used as a toy by both Frey and Freyja 'cause I'm mortal and apparently—" Slowly, she looked over at Freyja with more hatred in her eyes than Loki had ever seen before. "—I am no more than a whore to be used and abused. They falsely believed me to be Prince Loki's courtesan and wished to cause him distress by takin' me away. That, and they're both fuckin' deluded, incestuous sociopaths who get off on inflictin' defenceless prisoners pain."

"You little cunt," Freyja sneered, stepping towards her suddenly, a move that caused a reaction from nearly everyone in the room. Loki and Fandral stepped in front of Thor, while Frigga planted herself firmly in Freyja's path.

"Not another move, my Lady," Frigga said lowly, face cold and emotionless. "That would be exceptionally unwise of you."

"I will not stand here while this mortal bitch speaks of my sister and I in such a manner," Frey growled, now openly glaring at both Loki and Ellie. "I do not care whose handmaiden she is; I will not tolerate it!"

When he turned to walk around the war table towards the guests, it was Odin's turn to step in. "As my wife previously stated, neither of you will move another inch."

"I wish to hear more of the girl's accusations," Aelsa added from her spot. "Allow her to continue."

Ellie went on talking without any hesitation, hopefully feeling protected knowing that most of the people in this room were on her side. With some more honestly, she could even turn the others as well. "I was locked away in an illegal brothel along with thirty or so other prisoners. They'd all been abducted from their homes within different realms and forced to service the Lord and Lady and their men for years in some cases. I spoke with them 'bout it as I was escapin' and they explained that they'd been beaten and raped by both Frey and Freyja frequently. Many other workers had been killed by their hands and those of their men."

The more Ellie spoke, the more appalled the officials on the other side of the room seemed. The guards began to grow uneasy, not exactly sure who they should believe. Sensing the uncertainty in the room, Loki added his own voice to her argument. "The brothel was hidden under a powerful illusion and that is why it was happening under all of our noses for so long. We were lucky that its barrier fell briefly and gave Heimdall enough time to see Ellie within its walls. My brother and I, as well as the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, explored the brothel and saw its depravity and victims with our own eyes."

"Where are these victims now?" Aelsa asked.

"Asgard, taken there safely by Volstagg and Hogun. Eir should be attending to them in the healers wing as we speak."

"I can confirm all the things my son is saying," Odin said, all eyes in the room falling on him. "We spoke with Heimdall back on Asgard after Ellie and Dagny disappeared. When the building's magical barrier fell, he saw Frey and Freyja leaving the premises and returning to the capital. Now that my sons and their companions have been at this place firsthand, I am sure they could bring you there for further proof. I would not take these facts lightly, for I will give you my word as the Allfather that they are true."

"We also have thirty other victims who can confirm the involvement of both of them," Thor added smugly, nodding his head to the twins.

Loki grinned menacingly at them. "I am sure the brothel guards will confess to your involvement when we have a word with them as well. There are a group of them still at the premises bound and locked away, and waiting to be arrested by you, Captain. Not to mention…"

As if on cue, the door opened and in came Lady Sif and the two squadron guards in her company. Being dragged along behind her was a very worried looking Dagny.

"Right on time," Loki muttered. "Thank you, Lady Sif. For those of you who are not aware, this is Dagny, the undercover handmaiden who took Ellie from Asgard to Alfheim."

"I found her trying to escape the castle," Sif said dryly, glaring at the woman. "And took great pleasure in subduing her."

Loki noticed the look Ellie was sending her former fellow handmaiden. Her eyes expressed a mix of confusion and rage, but she said nothing before she eventually turned her head away to focus her attention elsewhere.

"Dagny," Frigga called her. "What do you have to say for your actions? Do you deny your involvement in all of this?"

Looking briefly at Frey, the woman kept her lips sealed. Instead, she simply turned her head away and stared at the floor. She would not talk now, but Loki would do everything in his power to ensure she would later. Then maybe afterwards he would enjoy cutting her tongue from her mouth.

"There are simply too many witnesses for either of you to deny these claims," Odin explained, addressing both Frey and Freyja now. As he spoke, the guards slowly turned their attention to their employers and approached them. "And so, I order your guards to detain you both for crimes against not only the innocent people of the nine realms, but also for those against the royal family of Asgard."

For the briefest of moments, Frey and Freyja seemed to consider their options, fight or flight kicking in at the finality in the Allfather's tone. But the odds were stacked heavily against them, given how greatly outnumbered they were. Loki met Freyja's gaze and merely smiled at her in response, delighting in finally seeing some panic in her eyes. It did not completely simmer and anger he felt knowing what they did to his beloved, but it helped to ease some of it now that their lives were over. At Odin's order, the captain approached, having seemingly realised the truth behind the accusations made by Ellie and the others.

"By order of the Allfather," he grunted, not an ounce of disbelief left in his voice. "You are both under arrest."

The look of pure hatred that their faces morphed into as they were chained and led from the room didn't bring any further smiles to the face of either prince. They merely stood together, relieved that the right people had been captured after all they put their victims through. They shielded Ellie with their own bodies as the twins were lead out the door, Fandral following the captain closely by Odin's order. Lady Sif was also given the pleasure of leading Dagny away. The officials were given their leave, excluding Aelsa who was requested to stay.

"Well," she deadpanned. "I was not expecting to be so horrified by my meeting with them today, but they have outdone themselves."

"These past few days have been full of surprises," Frigga agreed, going to embrace her boys. She placed a gentle hand on Ellie's swollen cheek and whispered. "I am sorry we could not find you sooner, little one, but I am so happy to see you alive."

"There's nothin' to apologise for," Ellie insisted with what little energy she had left. Even so, she still managed a small smile. "Thank you for helpin' me."

"Aelsa," Odin began, offering her his hand. "If it pleases you, I would have you become the ruler of Alfheim in Frey's stead. I doubt he or Freyja will be back here any time soon."

The elf blanched, momentarily surprised by the request, but quickly righted herself with a firm nod and shook his outstretched hand. "Of course, Allfather. I promise to do a far better job protecting the elves than they ever did."

"I trust you will do so. The light elves of this realm have always been fond of you. I must also ask if, as Alfheim's next queen, you approve of Frey and Freyja being tried in Asgard?"

"Oh, I insist," she replied, shaking her head. "I would rather never see either of them again knowing what they put those people through."

As the pair spoke, Loki turned his attention back to Ellie. Despite the commotion in the room, her eyes were drifting closed, her head now resting on Thor's vast back as he spoke with their mother.

"Ellie," the younger prince whispered and gently touched her cheek. "Ellie, are you alright?"

She mumbled in reply. "Jus' so tired, Loki. 'M sorry…"

"Are you in any pain?" he asked, fully ready to help numb some of it with seiðr before Eir saw to her.

"Jus' need sleep," she slurred, barely able to keep her eyes open. "Tired…"

"Thor," Frigga whispered. "I think you should pass Ellie off to Loki now. Allow him to carry her back to Asgard and share the load."

"She is as light as a feather, Mother, but if you insist." Thor didn't even question it and turned so that Loki could easily slip Ellie into his arms. She didn't protest at the movement, but simply pressed her face into his neck as he carried her bridal style. As they exchanged their goodbyes with Alfheim's new soon-to-be queen, the Trickster felt no shame carrying her along the way. Thor was less than eager to leave her side, opting to squeeze her hand gently before he chose to walk beside Odin as they left the castle. Frigga firmly planted herself next to her younger son, happy to see the pair reunited and safe.

"You are both safe now," she assured him in a whisper. "I promise you that they will never been allowed near her again. In the meantime, we best get her to the healers' wing."

"May I stay by her side?" he requested.

Frigga smiled softly and replied. "There is no need to even ask. I would not expect you to be anywhere else."

"Thank you, Mother, for all that you have done for us in the last few days."

Loki was well aware that their ordeal was not over yet, but now that he had Ellie in his arms again and those responsible finally captured, he once again felt a much-needed wave of relief wash over him.

"Are we goin' home, Loki?" Ellie mumbled sleepily, eyes already shut.

He looked down at her lovingly, knowing only his mother could see the exchange and would not judge him for it. He smiled as her face showed a genuine calmness he had not seen since before he left for Vanaheim. Her hand tightly clutched the collar of his tunic, and he knew that it would remain encased in her small fist until she awoke.

"Yes, little one. We are going home."