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Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Born to be a King
Chapter 28
The Underground.
Dark, dank, algid and bleak, it was the system of dungeons saved only for the worst transgressors. Many a traitor and perpetrator had met a cruel end inside one of its rocky cells. A far cry from the aesthetic dungeons of Asgard, its purpose was to serve a slow and agonizing death. Forsaken and forgotten, its inhabitants died of starvation, seclusion, and the elements. Others went mad and brought an early death upon themselves by crashing their skulls against the iron bars on the stone walls. Guards posted inside were rotated every three hours. The mere sight of the decaying dead and the dying played on the sensitivity of even the most hardened. It was a place not meant for the living.
The figure in the hooded cloak was pulled from heavy chains clasped around fragile wrists and ankles. The prisoner was led across the wet and slimy floor.
King Loki's orders...
Thor, ever the impatient man, was near ire. He paced the floor of the throne room's antechamber, huffing in frustration.
"This can't go on for longer. He must act now or face dire consequences" he puffed. Mehmet, the gatekeeper, had sent word that there was activity not far from Dwyvendale. Doom was on the move and heading straight for Verdandi's capital realm. An attack was imminent, but Loki had yet to leave Barbara's chamber. When Thor and Stingadr had informed him and pleaded with him to emerge, to give the orders to prepare for invasion, he had shouted back obscenities and sworn flaying any and all who even thought of breaking in. Thor had contemplated doing so more than once, willing to face his raving sibling, but he thought better of it. Now he was contemplating it again.
"Was he always so morose?" Stingadr asked, becoming slightly irritated at the sight of Thor's constant pacing.
"Morose is not the word. Headstrong is" Thor huffed "Arrogant. Vain. Relentless. Perverse. Single-minded..."
"I heard that" came Loki's voice from the doors.
Stingadr and Thor were taken aback. Loki was dressed in full regalia, and he carried his scepter of kingship. He was the perfect image of kingly splendor, but Thor could see the darkness under his eyes and the heaviness in his gaze.
Loki walked right past them and into the throne room. Thor and Stingadr followed, watching him expectantly. Loki walked up the dais and sat on his throne, then he motioned the guards stationed at the doors.
"Bring them in"
Thor and Stingadr were shocked once more when all the realm leaders filed into the throne room: Ljósálfr, Zelius, and Durrgo.
A guard walked in carrying a thick, leather-bound tome, and put it on a platform that another guard placed at the bottom of the dais. The guard opened the tome to the middle page, revealing the book to be blank.
Then, the sound of clinking metal was heard approaching the great hall. All inside turned to see six guards flanking a figure hidden under a hooded cloak. He was being pulled by four sets of heavy chains attached to his limbs. The figure was led toward the bottom of the dais, and the hood was pulled back to reveal a haggard and languishing Diarmaid. The eyes of all present turned steel cold at the sight of the fallen chief magician. Weakly, he fell to his knees before the throne just as the sound of chains clanking could be heard in the antechamber once more, and a moment later, Ireena entered the throne room, flanked by six other guards.
The gasp of dismay that escaped Stingadr's throat was heard by all. In a breath, he ran across the throne room and reached her.
"Ireena" he whispered "my princess"
"This is it, Stingadr. Today I fear I die" she said, looking up into his eyes. His heart shattered when he saw the terror behind the serenity she struggled to maintain.
"No, milady. He must have brought you here as witness. Have faith"
She held her hands up for him to see. "Do these chains speak of amiability, Stingadr? Of mercy?"
Thor walked up the steps to the throne, but Loki instantly put his hand up, stopping him.
"She carries no fault" Thor whispered up to Loki.
"Learn your place, brother" Loki snarled downwards at Thor, but his eyes remained fixed on Ireena and Stingadr who still stood at the gates.
"Bring the prisoner forth" he called out to Stingadr and the guards.
The Inkeri leader closed his eyes and let out a breath, then placed his arm around Ireena and gently led her toward the throne. Loki raised an eyebrow at the sight of Stingadr's gestures toward the frightened princess. Of course, he thought, the slight traces of a smile playing upon his lips.
When Ireena finally reached the steps, she curtsied as best as her chains allowed, then she looked up at Loki with an expression that betrayed nothing.
"Behold" Loki spoke, motioning toward the two prisoners "feast your eyes upon the fate of all who dare betray us. Look to those who whisper in the corners, who plot under the veil of night, who conspire against the realm, and your king"
The throne room erupted in murmurs. Diarmaid extended his arms as if pleading.
"What is my crime, my lord, but acting in accordance to the wishes of my king?"
"TREASON!" Loki roared down at him. "Did you not concoct a potion to force my will and to bend my conscience just so Beyard could hold power over me? Did you not conspire to beguile me, to persuade me into a false sense of trust, only to betray me in secret?!"
The murmurs among the realm leaders were now louder and angrier. They had no idea of what Beyard had done. The sudden absence of Loki's wife was deemed as betrayal on her part, and his hardened demeanor was blamed upon it. None had dared even imagined something so perverse had been done. And by the king no less.
"Oh yes" Loki addressed the realm leaders "learn of the great enterprise of King Beyard. His legacy shall be one of intrigue, conspiracy, and treachery. He made a treaty with the human intruder which was to be fulfilled after our victory in Angharad. At a private feast ordered in my name, I was placed under a spell in which everything I knew, everything I loved, was altered in my memory. My will was bound to the king's, and my wife was delivered to the human"
The murmurs were now shouts of appall and dismay.
"Why, Diarmaid. Why?!" Ljósálfr pleaded in horror.
"Because the king was destined to rule Verdandi under the condition that he marry the princess" Diarmaid finally confessed.
At his words, Loki beckoned a guard who handed him a scroll. He flung it open for all to see.
"This is the treaty Beyard forged with Odin millennia ago. In it, it is agreed between Asgard and Verdandi that Odin's younger son was to inherit the Verdandinian throne. To seal the alliance between the two realms, I was to marry Princess Ireena before being named Prince Regent. Well, were you not all present when Beyard named me his sole successor and heir? Was I bound to the princess then?"
Diarmaid watched horrified as Loki tore the scroll in half. He handed it to a guard, who took it to a torch and threw it into the fire.
"I have no need for old parchments placing conditions upon my rule. I am king by birthright and by succession. I will not be a toy of the Fates. Now, I am sure you ask yourselves why the princess also stands in chains"
Ireena, turned her gaze from watching the scroll burn and her eyes met Loki's. She squared her shoulders and looked up at him with defiance.
"She knew of it. All of it. She was fully aware of her father's schemes and only stood by. Silence in the face of conspiracy makes her guilty of conformity!"
"No, my king!" Stingadr shouted "The princess is guilty of being nothing more than the victim of circumstance. She was told from a very young age that she would one day wed an Asgardian prince. You, my lord. She was forced to stand back and let men of power take Fate into their own hands. Would she have spoken against her father would have made her guilty of treason in his eyes, just as you judge her now. But she did not. And as such, she carries no guilt. I plead with my king to see the reality of her existence. She is a victim here, not a traitor"
"You defend her" Loki sneered down at Stingadr "could it be that your fascination with the princess has clouded your senses, Stingadr? Does she know that you've yearned for her since she became of age? Has she somehow used it to mold you to her advantage?"
Stingadr braved to look at Ireena, who was looking at him with an expression of utter shock.
"My concern for her wellbeing stems from a deeply rooted regard, my king. I have protected her since she was a small child. In her father's absence, I feel the obligation to be the shadow that continues to guard her"
"Spoken like a true sentinel" Loki replied, then stole a glance at Ireena, who continued to stare at Stingadr. Loki smiled as he saw her expression go from shock to realization, and finally to sympathy. With a sigh, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. This was it, this was the defining moment of her life. Even if she was to live only a few moments longer, the words she was about to say would define her very existence. Taking a deep breath, she raised her head once more and squared her shoulders. Even in chains, she was the perfect picture of royalty and grace.
"My king" she began "if being my father's daughter is a crime, then I accept my death willingly. But I have done nothing more than be the hopeful recipient of what I was made to believe was my birthright. I was groomed to one day become queen of the realm I called home. I was trained to become a queen you would wish to call your own. But when faced with a different outcome, I was sworn by my father to remain steadfast, and to wait. 'The Fates always find a way' were his words to me. Little did I know that he had taken the task upon himself to rectify the path he believed to be winded"
"You knew of his plans to snare me" Loki accused.
"I knew not, my king. On the day of the feast, my father instructed me not to drink of the last wine. It was then that I knew what he had done. I battled with myself, for I knew that what he was about to do stemmed only from his desire for a well-established kingdom. But as for me, I remained silent out of my own selfish desire"
At her last words, Stingadr lowered his head in defeat. She had admitted to the very crime she was accused of. Thor sighed sadly. The princess had just sealed her fate.
Loki sat back on his throne. He placed his elbow on the arm rest and ran a finger across his lips as if deep in thought. After a long moment he stood and motioned the guards flanking Diarmaid, who hauled him toward the stand where the empty book sat open.
"Diarmaid Dievnrson, you stand guilty of treason. I sentence you to public execution by the ancient ritual of the Blood Eagle. Your death shall serve as an example to all who dare cross me. Princess Ireena, your admission of compliance makes you guilty of treason. I hereby sentence you to the axe"
Diarmaid's head dropped. An eerie silence fell around the throne room, disturbed only by the clinking of chains. The ritual of the Blood Eagle was the most gruesome and violent of deaths, saved only for the most wretched. Loki's eyes scanned the small group assembled. He looked at Thor, who was staring up at him with indignation. He observed the realm leaders. He could see them shivering in their boots with utter fear. No doubt they were telling themselves that he was a merciless, tyrannical ruler. He laughed inwardly, for indeed he was. And yet, in his tyranny, there was a form of warped justice.
"However, your life-long loyalty to the king you served shall not go ignored" he continued "Diarmaid, I admire a man of unswerving devotion, no matter how misguided and blind said devotion may be. Therefore, in exchange for your relinquishment of the secrets to your sorcery, I will show you clemency. I will be lenient. Let it not be said that I am a despotic king. Make your choice, old man. Die in shame with your secrets, or acquiesce to me and taste the balm of my mercy" he declared, motioning toward the empty book on the stand.
The disgraced right hand of the king knelt for a very long time. He began chanting softly to himself, then he stood with the help of the guards flanking him. He placed his right hand on the book, and it shone brightly as the blank pages were magically filled. The ancient knowledge and the secrets his people had kept hidden for ages were now being passed down to one who sought only to use it for his own gain. When it was over, he collapsed back onto the floor, exhausted and spent.
Loki beckoned Durrgo, who walked forward and stood behind Diarmaid. With one sweeping motion, he unsheathed his sword and swung. Ireena screamed. Diarmaid's head was severed, and it rolled until it hit the bottom step of the dais. Everyone else took a step back in horror. They all watched revolted and stunned as blood spurted from Diarmaid's neck, then his lifeless body fell forward and hit the floor with a sickening thud.
Durrgo now advanced upon Ireena. The princess took a step backwards, but was held by the guards who forced her onto her knees. She closed her eyes as she braced herself for the blow. Thor raised Mjolnir, ready to intervene. Durrgo brought his sword down...
...and it was met with Stingadr's own.
"To kill her, you will have to kill me first" he whispered darkly at the leader of the Shadow Legions. Thor's arm stopped in midair at the sight of the two commanders locked in a standoff.
Up on the dais Loki laughed, long and loud.
"How fascinating" he admired and began to descend the steps "Why Stingadr, I knew not you had it in you. Such selflessness, such commitment, such passion! It's certainly a stirring sight to b..."
He was stunned speechless when Ireena suddenly lunged forward. Before the guards could restrain her again, she pulled a dagger from Stingadr's armor and pressed it to her throat.
"Stop her!" Loki shouted.
"One more step and my blood shall wet the floor" she spat back at Loki "I am a princess of Verdandi, my life is mine and mine alone and only I can choose when and how I die! King or not, you hold no power over me!"
Loki stared at Ireena with wide eyes. "Have you the audacity the slice your own throat?" he whispered down at her.
Her eyes remained fixed and steady. "I am Ireena of Jotunheim, I am not afraid of anything. Death seems but a sweet reward in the face of what awaits me if I remain living"
Loki said nothing, studying her. He had not expected the innocent, naïve girl to possess such bravery, such spirit. Her hands did not tremble. Her eyes burned with a bravado he had seen in but a few. She was a beautiful sight to behold. Like him, she was a creature of destiny, a stolen relic kept under lock and key until she was to serve a purpose. He imagined them both as infants, discarded on a frozen wasteland, hoping for survival when in reality, destiny was about to open the doors. Had they crossed paths under different circumstances, perhaps the treaty Odin had concocted would not have seemed so constricting...
"You have courage" he finally said. He would not make the same mistake as Beyard and take Fate into his own hands. Ireena was destined to become queen, and queen she would be.
"Princess Ireena, on this day you have proven your mettle and your fortitude has spared your life. You are to remain under house arrest until the war is over, at which point I will decide your ultimate fate. Remove her chains and escort her to her chambers"
Durrgo stepped back and sheathed his sword. Stingadr turned to Ireena just in time to catch her as she collapsed. He removed her chains and then carrying her in his arms, turned towards Loki.
"Thank you, my liege. The king of Verdandi is both admirable and just"
Holding the princess close, the faithful guardian walked out of the throne room. One by one, the realm leaders rushed to the bottom of the dais and fell to their knees, swearing their loyalty. Loki raised an eyebrow at the sight of them trying to keep their heads.
"Remember what happened here today. Go forth, and speak of all you saw. Tell all in the Five Kingdoms that their king serves justice with a heavy hand. Comfort them, reassure them that in this uncertain time, their king has sworn to protect them. No invader shall break into their lands and no Verdandinian will languish or face fear as long as I am king. Now go"
The realm leaders filed out of the throne room. Once they had gone, Loki descended the rest of the steps towards Thor.
"Great speech" Thor quipped "a proper reassurance after what they witnessed. I never imagined you could be so doting toward the common folk"
Loki laughed with amusement. "I do what any reasonable king does. I give the people what they want"
"You were never planning on executing Ireena" Thor stated.
"No. She and I had an agreement. She surrendered everything she knew of her father, along with all the treaties he forged with Odin. Her trial was only staged to clean her name and to have her serve as witness against Diarmaid"
"And still you gave her a fright. She truly believed you had foregone your part of the bargain and condemned her to die"
"I had no choice under the circumstances. Her father was a traitorous cur; she needed to disassociate herself from Beyard and those who were closest to him"
Loki walked over to the stand where the book lay. He stepped over Diarmaid's headless body and took the tome from the stand.
"What happens now?" Thor asked "do you believe Diarmaid's sorcery will help undo what was done to Barbara?"
Loki smiled at Thor's perception. He did indeed hope to find some secret to bring her back. If Diarmaid had concocted a potion that completely altered their perception of the past, surely he also knew how to restore one's mind.
"Perhaps" he answered, flipping through the pages absentmindedly. "Doom is set to attack at any moment. He will come for her. I have ordered the Shadow Legions to surround the Five Kingdoms, that human has no chance of even breaking into the atmosphere. But we're nearly out of time. The alignment is set to begin in four days. We must bring Barbara back and destroy Doom before then. Have you prepared Asgard's army for what is to come?"
"I have. All the borders to the mainland are protected, including those in Nornheim and Ria. I have closed all the secret passageways with the magical seals you provided. But I must go back. The people need to be reassured with my presence there. I shall return in two days"
Loki nodded, then as Thor moved to exit the throne room, he stopped him.
"There is one thing I must ask of you before you return"
"Name it"
"Bring my son back"
Thor frowned at the odd request. "Would he not be safer in Midgard? And with Barbara..."
"I need him here" was all Loki said in response.
"I understand. He shall accompany me when I return"
A pensive Loki watched his sibling walk away. Now totally alone in the throne room, he sighed. He began to climb the stairs to his seat, when he caught sight of Diarmaid's bloodied body and his severed head feet away. Loki wrinkled his nose in disgust and called a guard.
"Get this thing out of my sight" he ordered.
Open, dead eyes stared up at him. Loki looked down at the severed head and was hit with the impression that the grimace on the face seemed not to be one of pain.
It was mocking him.
End of Chapter 28
Responses to reviews:
CLTex: Yes! I love going back to GOS... it's like visiting an old friend! It feels a bit strange though... Loki and Barbara are so much past that stage and having to go back to it, it feels a bit discombobulated to be honest. It's a very odd feeling, writing them at odds since they've been a united front for nearly two stories and a half. Love ya too Christi! :)
LokiGrey: Ha ha! You guessed that Loki would want Arik back now and you were correct! As to how Barbara will react to seeing this strange kid who is supposedly her son AND Loki's, her sworn enemy, we'll have to see how that plays out. By the way, I'm so happy for you! I'm glad you're keeping up with your health! I know it's not easy at first but in time it will become part of your daily routine. I was blown away by Age of Ultron as well! Wow, it was so packed with information and it was one development after the next. I was so upset when I saw that they cut Loki's scene out, I think it would have added an awesome dimension to Thor's dream. I missed seeing my bebe! :'(
Anon fan: Smooth as fuck is the perfect way to describe our favorite Norse jackass lol. And yes, Loki is going to approach the whole Barbara thing the only way he knows how, by playing around it. It's almost as if he's courting her, except this time, it's his wife that he has to make fall for him. He's doing what he should have done from the beginning lol. Poor Loki, always doing things totally backwards! Lol
Scarlet3102: Hi Scarlet! So happy to hear from you! Glad to know you're still reading! :) Wow, I can't believe it's been a year either! Time flies! I'm so glad that you've enjoyed this journey as much as I've enjoyed creating it! Don't worry, the next chapter will have a full scene with Arik and Tony and the rest of the Avengers. I promise it'll be fun, exactly how you requested! ;) I hope you're doing great! :)
Guest: I know, poor Loki! Thanks for your review!
Hiddles-Skittles: Awww Diana you are simply the sweetest! Thank you so much hunni! I know that my updates have been the longest I've gone without updating but life is just really hectic for me right now. I wish I could update as often as I used to before, but with BTBAK being the last story I write, I also want it to be the best of the three. It's like wanting to go out with a bang, if you know what I mean. I can't believe that I'm retiring from writing fanfiction after this story. Writing has taken so much out of me, and though it has been an amazing experience, it has also exposed me to some negative experiences. I'm really going to miss it, but I must do it. Catch you later, Di! :) Say hello to Yoshi for me! Lol
