Sooooo lovelies... we're back on Asgard! Are you guys excited to see Loki again? Are you curious what adventures await Kara in this new realm? I sure hope so~
So toss me a review and let me know what goes through your mind, although I warn you... Kara's reunion with Loki might not go the way many of you likely expected it to ;)
Now enjoy, darlings~ :D
P.S. Every Thor/The Avengers/Thor: The Dark World character belongs to the wonderful Marvel. I own nothing, except my OCs :)
Entry #27
"My prince believed you would be happy to see his brother."
oOo
Location: The Royal Palace, Asgard
Date: September 15, 2013
Upon entering the castle, with Jane gawking at everything around her and Kara trying to hold back her amusement at the scientist's child-like eagerness, they soon sighted what appeared to be a maid and Thor beckoned over the young woman.
"Take her to the queen's chambers." he said, motioning the maid toward Kara. "Tell mother she is here to see my brother and I will be along soon."
"Wha-what?" Jane asked, suddenly snapped out of her awe.
"Do not worry, she will be safe with my mother."
"I'm not here to babysit you, Jane..." Kara retorted in amusement. "Go see the healers."
With the young scientist blushing lightly when the agent winked at her, Kara was left to follow the maid until the woman led her into a set of luxurious chambers, decorated in shades of pale green and dark blue. Halting at the door when the maid motioned her to, Kara suddenly found herself nervous to meet Loki's mother. Sure, he had spoken of her, but she barely remembered much of what he had told her of his family.
"Your Highness..." came the maid's voice from what seemed to be one of the many rooms composing the queen's quarters. "Prince Thor has sent a young woman to you. He says she is here to see his brother."
A moment of silence followed, which had Kara lightly gulp in anticipation, before she heard a female voice which she was certain did not belong to the queen.
"Then I will be taking my leave, Your Highness."
Upon those words Kara was rewarded with the sight of a fiery head of long, wavy hair adorning a young female's heart-shaped face. Her attire somehow reminded her of a warrior and a princess at the same time, but what really caught Kara's attention – aside from the woman's unearthly beauty – were the pointy ears she could see peeking from amidst the red strands, as well as the young female's charcoal eyes; for a moment Kara felt as though she was looking into a pair of shiny black pearls... but then she sighted something in the female's gaze, that sent a cold shiver along her spine.
If she had to describe it, she would have said that the Elf's gaze had gone from a shade of smug satisfaction in the face of Kara's obvious awe, to a sort of murderous glare in the span of just one second. It had been such an intense sensation – like the she-Elf had literally reached out to grasp her neck and try to choke her – that Kara was compelled to lower her eyes. Never had she been subjected to such an overwhelming bloodlust; not even when looking Glenn in the eye.
"Welcome to Asgard." Vanya stated in a whisper as she passed by the human female, her voice betraying a particular brand of cold sarcasm.
That? That was the woman Frigga had told her about? That was the woman Loki had spoken of? That wasn't competition... but still, if that child proved to be a problem, she would see to it that the little Midgardian was taken care of.
Even after she left the chambers, Kara was still rooted to the spot by the sheer malice in that tone, which had frozen her very core. Not even Loki, in his darkest moment, had spoken with such venom in his voice. She felt her knees trembling lightly and her stomach tightening as though she was about to throw up. The only thing to snap her out of that sickly state was the sight of Frigga's warm smile, which now washed over her like the sun after a frozen rain; it actually reminded her of her own mother to some extent.
"I have been looking forward to meeting you, child." she said softly. "Come..."
Had it been Thor, who had spoken of many women over the years, she would not have been this happy to meet Kara; but she was the first woman Loki had ever spoken of, and the queen had to admit that she was thoroughly curious. When she moved to follow, Frigga turned to the maid and sent the young female to prepare one of the guest chambers, as well as Asgardian attire, given that Kara's Midgardian clothes stood out too much.
Once the maid had left, the queen beckoned Kara to follow her outside into her private gardens.
"Do you know what surprised me the most, after Loki returned from Midgard?" she said contemplatively, looking to the young girl at her side. "That he told me he misses someone. He regretted nothing of his actions in your world... other than hurting you. I tried to tell him that human lives are much too short and that he would only be left to suffer for thousands of years after your death."
Halting, the queen now smiled again, reaching out to set her hands onto Kara's shoulders.
"But seeing you now, I do understand why he would be willing to subject himself to that. Such a beautiful Midgardian I have yet to see."
"I doubt it was that which gained his attention." the young woman replied shyly.
"Oh yes, he told me of your gift. I must admit I was quite impressed... but I was more impressed that you managed to gain his heart. Loki was never someone you could easily cope with, but to hear him speak so fondly of you... it made me happy to know he trusts someone other than me, to such an extent."
Leaning over, the queen now placed a soft kiss to the girl's forehead.
"He told me that you lost your parents..." she said, reaching out and taking Kara's hands in hers. "But know that you have a mother in me from now on."
Her words brought tears to the young woman's eyes, even as she lightly squeezed Frigga's hands in return and offered a silent nod. Smiling again, the queen extended a hand and trailed her fingers along one of the girl's chocolate locks before beckoning one of her maids to approach.
"Now go bathe and change... I will speak to the guards."
OoOoO
Two hours later Kara was still just as nervous as she had been when the queen had sent her away. She hadn't been allowed to bathe by herself, two maids helping her with that, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they believed her to be some form of royalty, after Frigga had spoken so fondly to her. But while it did make her feel a bit awkward, she was grateful for their help given that her hands were so shaky that she wouldn't have been able to even undress by herself, much less bathe or comb her hair.
"Is it true, miss? That you come from Midgard?"
The sudden question coming from the young woman – probably not much older than herself – who had been brushing her hair, almost startled Kara who now glanced at her in the mirror and smiled lightly.
"Yes."
The sight of her expression lighting up actually astounded her.
"What's Midgard like, miss? Is it true that you have buildings that reach to the clouds?"
At that Kara was utterly unable to hold back a soft chuckle.
"They don't exactly reach the clouds... I'm pretty sure our tallest building is much smaller than this palace."
"And is it true that you have people who can fly? And others who are so strong that they can bring down a building with their bare hands?"
With Kara's smile fading and her expression settling in awe as she stared at the young maid, the other, elder servant stepped into the room with what appeared to be a dress draped over her arm.
"Tyra! Stop bothering the Lady with questions and finish your task."
"Yes, ma'am."
"It's alright..." Kara replied softly. "I don't mind the questions, but... where did you hear about that, Tyra?"
With the young girl blushing and shying away under her questioning gaze, Kara tilted her head lightly until Tyra finally replied.
"Prince Loki told me about that... Her Highness, the queen, often sends me to him with books. Before he returned from Midgard last year, I used to clean his chambers because I was the only one he didn't mind having around. Not that I had much to clean anyway... he always was very tidy. Unlike his brother..."
"Tyra!" the elder maid exclaimed, apparently shocked at such honesty from the young woman. "How can you speak so improperly of prince Thor?"
"It's quite alright..." Kara laughed lightly before winking at the girl in the mirror. "I won't tell anyone, even if I'm sure Thor himself would agree."
Despite knowing that she was in for a serious scolding later, Tyra still offered Kara a grateful smile.
"I'm finished, miss." she said a few minutes later.
Once she had moved to her feet, Tyra and the elder servant helped her put on the attire prepared for her; a long, flowing dress made of something Kara had first believed to be silk, only to find that it was much lighter and smoother than any silk she had ever touched. Her waist had been strapped in a narrow golden belt to compliment her slender figure, the warm honey color making a nice contrast to the dress' dark shades of green, almost bordering on black, and completing the almost identical golden shade of the petticoat which could only be glimpsed at beneath the slightly see-through dark emerald layer. With her feet being clad in light footwear which reminded her of ballet shoes, the last thing she donned was a dark grey cloak with a hood large enough to shadow her eyes.
"Are you sure you want to cover yourself like this, miss?" Tyra asked. "You look no different from one of our own women."
"It's better this way... you can never be too careful." she replied, smiling softly to the young girl.
Moments later a loud knock on her door had Tyra rush to open it, revealing a pair of guards in golden armor.
"Her Highness has sent us to escort Lady Kara to the dungeons." the male stated, apparently ignoring the maid and addressing Kara herself.
With a nod, the young woman moved to follow them, inhaling deeply in an attempt at settling down her pounding heart. She was actually nervous to see Loki, as she had no idea how he had changed during his time in prison.
"You will have unrestricted access to the prince's cell, as per the queen's orders." the male stated again as they walked, startling her out of her thoughts. "Her Highness has ordered that no guards be present whilst you are there. Should you require anything, there will be two guards at the other end of the corridor and they will offer any assistance that you request."
"I understand. Thank you."
For a moment she sighted what she assumed was surprise on the male's features, probably due to the lack of authority in her tone. Falling silent afterwards, however, she merely allowed the two soldiers to guide her along the labyrinth-like structure of the palace. At long last, after what seemed like an eternity of twists and turns, the two males pushed open a pair of heavy doors and Kara was rewarded with a sight that she would have never imagined when thinking of a dungeon.
This definitely wasn't a regular prison; no chains, no bars, no locks... the cells were painted in pure white, lit from above by what she could have taken for neon lamps. But the most interesting thing, by far, was the fact that the wall which would have normally contained the door to each cell had no bars and no door, in fact. It was nothing but a thin layer of what she guessed was some form of force field... after all, she didn't imagine that any one of the males in those cells were sitting there of their own accord.
Finally, glancing to the right side of the long corridor built of what seemed to be a form of black stone, she sighted Loki in the very first cell of that row, standing near one of the exterior walls and apparently talking to someone who had been visiting him before her arrival. She couldn't tell who the person was, given that they too seemed to have chosen a hooded cloak, but she could tell it was a woman. Vaguely she recalled Loki mentioning a female among his friends, namely Sif, the Goddess of War. Perhaps she had come to visit him...
With the guards closing the heavy doors behind her, the young woman was now left to descend the steps and approach the cell, trying her best to fight back a smile. He really hadn't changed at all... at least physically. With him wearing fewer clothes than usual she could tell he had the same slender but well defined build that she faintly recalled seeing in its entire splendor all those years before.
What snapped her out of that contemplation upon approaching within earshot, was the voice she instantly recalled as belonging to the she-Elf, and her breath caught in her throat. Why? Why was she there?
"Agree to marry me and I'll persuade my father to demand your release... I'll give you the throne of Alfheim. The Allfather won't be able to refuse, unless he wants war with my people."
For a moment Kara felt utterly rooted to the spot, when she sighted that amused smirk on Loki's lips. He wasn't actually considering that offer... was he? That mere thought now caused such a mixture of emotions to swell in her chest – anger, fear, sorrow – that she stepped forward and spoke before even consciously deciding to make her presence known.
"Don't you dare..."
Instantly his expression emptied of humor; that voice... oh, heaven knew how much he had dreamed of hearing that voice again. With his emerald gaze moving from Vanya to the hooded figure standing a few steps behind, he could do nothing but stare in shock as Kara ultimately removed the hood and he sighted that gaze... that frighteningly pained gaze in her eyes which suddenly made his heart quiver. Only when she lowered her eyes from his and set them upon Vanya who had by now turned around to face her, did Loki release a breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding.
"And why would he not?" the she-Elf retorted, making Loki clench his jaw as a cold shiver rolled along his spine.
Why? Why did his heart shake like that in his chest? Why did he have such a bad feeling about seeing Kara there? Why did he suddenly feel like crying, despite being so utterly happy that she was there?
"What can you give him, better than what I just offered?" Vanya continued, narrowing her eyes when Kara failed to reply. "I can give him his freedom back... and the throne he always wanted and deserved. You would only give him words of comfort while standing outside his cell."
The sight of that slight frown vanishing from Kara's face, leaving behind an emotionless mask, actually had Loki stare at her in shock. Her look said it all... he was about to lose her. And when she again raised her eyes to him, he took a step forward barely even remembering the words to speak.
"No... Kara..." he pleaded.
"She's right." the young woman replied, offering him a smile devoid of any trace of warmth or love. "I hope you have a good life... be a good king."
Unable to do anything but watch her rush back up the stairs and through the heavy doors which the guards had opened to bring in a few new prisoners, he felt tears stinging his eyes before they overflowed onto his cheeks, and he heard his own pain filled voice echoing off the cold stone.
"KARA!"
Sooo today's replies for my darlings :D
1. Forbidden Moons - Aww I'm so sorry you got upset, darling, hope the cookies helped. Well I'm still not certain if I'll kill Kara in the end, or find some plot twist to keep her alive, but I can tell you for certain that I do have a sequel planned out, so this won't be the last you see of her and Loki ;)
I hope that even with that uncertainty looming about you still enjoyed the story so far. I'm looking forward to hearing from you again :D
2. SuperNaturalxxFreak - I personally preferred Darcy in the first movie; in The Dark World she was just reduced to being useless, other than providing comic relief. Which is a shame, because she's a very cool character. As for Jane, I enjoy her when she's with Darcy or Erik or anyone else... with Thor... those two just have NO chemistry whatsoever, as far as I could see.
Anyway, there's still more goodies to come... I'm hoping you enjoy reading the last bits of the story, even if it'll be a while still before the uploaded version catches up with those chapters. As always, I'm so grateful for all the excitement and love you're pouring into this story. You really are such an amazing beta and I'm so happy that I got to meet you :D
3. smkyle - Haha well there you have it, even if it probably didn't go as most of my lovely readers were expecting. But the bumpier the road, the sweeter it is when you finally get to your goal.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and I'm looking forward to hearing from you again, darling :D
4. iuwan - Aww you really shouldn't lose sleep over my story, even if I am terribly overwhelmed that you loved it so much and that it sucked you in so well that you couldn't even sleep. I am so happy that you're still interested even after so many chapters, I always have this fear that if I write a story with too many chapters, people will get bored of it. So I'm really happy when my readers tell me that they still love it just as much :D
As for your English, no worries, I didn't have any trouble understanding your review so it's all good ;)
I hope this chapter rose up to your expectations as well and that you'll enjoy the rest of the journey to the very end. Hope to hear from you again soon, honey :D
So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤
