Loki stared at the bed, not twenty four hours ago you had been curled against him in it, your head against his chest, above his heart; you had been under him, giving him every last part of you as he showed you how much he loved you. And now you were gone. He did not know if he would ever get to lay you to rest, he prayed to the Norn's he would, he would give everything he had to just find you.
He walked over to the bed and took the pillow you had rested on, holding it to his nose, he inhaled, sure enough, the citrus scent of your soaps were on it. He inhaled deeply again, trying to keep the scent strong in his nose. When he ceased, he knew he was not alone. "I do not require anything Wilhelm." He stated, barely looking behind him.
"She lives." Loki spun around. "Thor has been sent to Alfheim after her, the Allfather fears you will be too emotional."
"Perhaps he is right." Loki sighed, placing the pillow on the bed again.
Wilhelm stared at him in thinly veiled shock and disgust. "So that is it? You are not going to even try and save her."
"She wanted nothing more to do with me. She said she could be with me no longer." He stated in defeat.
"Only because she was hurting, because of your tricking her into bed. So you are abandoning her." Wilhelm hissed.
"I am not…Thor will bring her back, he will protect her. I was not able to do such, she is better off without me."
"I…Norn's you cannot be serious." Wilhelm was in shock at what he was hearing. "You stand there and say you love her but do nothing to save her." He stormed over to Loki. "You do not care for her."
"Do not tell me what manner I feel for her, you could never know," Loki growled, glaring at him.
"If it were Anna, I would move the realms to help her."
"Then you go save her."
"I cannot, I am no warrior, I am a hand servant, nothing more."
"Then how would you save your beloved elf?" Loki sneered.
"I would find a way." Loki scoffed again. "I should have known, you only wanted to bed her, get experience from one with none so you could go after someone advantageous in court, hopefully get some lord's daughter and avoid the bad pairing with the little brat. Now you've had her she matters little, whoever did this probably did you a great favour ridding you of her, at least this way now there is no risk of her carrying your child." Wilhelm spat.
Loki saw red, spinning around, he caught the other man by the throat and pushed him against the closest wall. "Do not dare…" Loki bellowed irately.
"I caught you out on your farce Loki, do not get angered, you know I know you better than any other, I cannot believe I fell for the façade of you caring for her, I thought at least you would know how to treat her, but you are nothing more than a spoiled brat, no wonder your father does not put interest in you, you have no loyalty, not as Thor does." Wilhelm groaned as Loki punched him across the face and broke his nose, causing him to fall to the floor.
"I love her more than I love my own miserable life, I would die a thousand painful deaths for her!" he yelled down at the hand servant.
"Well act like it, you moron. What good is this passion if you don't even try?" he challenged, smiling back at him.
"I…" Loki looked at Wilhelm in shock, realising what the hand servant had done. "You goaded me."
"Oh for Valhalla's sake Loki, someone had to get you out of this rut, you mourn for her, but do nothing because of the grief, yet she is alive, but who knows for how long, you have to find out what is behind this, the Allfather is less than pleased, he has asked about her past, he knows about you both."
"He does?"
"You need to end this Loki." Wilhelm urged.
"I am sorry." Loki indicated to his face.
"No your are not, if anyone spoke like that of Anna and I did not react like that, I would never be able to say again that I loved her." Wilhelm shrugged. "They used that passageway, the one on the hillside, she is on Alfheim, and according to Heimdall, and she knows her attacker. It was Rebekkah and Freda that came to capture her, but they are both dead now." he informed his friend, helping him get his weapons, blood still dripping from his nose.
"Do we know who?"
"He never said."
"Have we even got a why?" Loki asked in frustration as he put a blade into its holster.
"Nothing."
"That guardian is no more than a nuisance, I do not care if he can see the realms, he won't even assist." He growled.
"Just be glad we know we are not looking for her corpse," Wilhelm stated solemnly. "Make sure it remains that way."
"My horse…"
"Already tacked and waiting."
"I will leave Thor to get her back, I will have her harmed if I am not careful, I will deal with other things," Loki swore.
"I know." Wilhelm grinned. "And do not make it long, Anna does not want a wedding without her."
"Have you any idea where we are?" Fandral asked as the warrior's looked around the dense forest. "It is so…green."
"It is a forest Fandral, what else would you expect?" Sif scoffed.
"They are not too far from here," Thor stated, looked at the ground from the saddle of his horse.
"And how do you know this, my friend?" Volstagg asked curiously.
Thor pointed down. "The marks of a cart are fresh, we follow them, we find her."
"Why are we doing all this for a maid?" Fandral queried. "I mean to say, of course, I am willing to help, but the manner in which this is being treated, it is not normal practice."
"We are sworn to protect all," Thor answered. "Even lowly maids."
"She is a Light Elf, though, so if they want her…"
"Fandral, if you wish to return home, then do so, none will stop you," Sif growled. "We are needed, and that is all I care about. I…" she ceased speaking and turned as she heard a horse cantering up behind them.
"What are you doing here? You are in no fit state to…" Thor began.
"I am not here to find her; that is your mission, I need to find out what is afoot." Loki interrupted, slowing his horse. "Find her, please."
Thor looked at him in bewilderment. "Are you not going to try?"
"I cannot, I know myself I will only be a danger, I am too involved, as soon as I see her, I will get us hurt, I know it. You deal with that, I will deal with finding out why." He instructed, pushing in his heels and getting his horse passed them. "And hurry up, she has not long." He shouted back.
"Okay, someone needs to explain this." Volstagg declared.
"Loki loves her; she is why he came into my rooms in such a manner and fought so terribly."
"Loki? Loves a maid?" Fandral asked in shock. "But surely…the Allfather would never…"
"Father cannot permit the match, but it does not mean he wants my brother suffering. Also, with this, it makes it all the more personal." Thor shrugged. "All that concerns me now is what Loki is doing?"
"He is being wise, he knows in his current state he is at risk," Hogun responded. "And in turn, he is keeping us all safe, so I commend him for such. We know little of the reasoning behind this yet, so his focusing on such is nothing but an aid."
Saying no more on the matter, Thor ordered they move on, looking to the left in the fork ahead that Loki had taken; the wheels of the cart indicating they needed to go right, praying to the Norn's his brother did nothing that would see him lose his life.
Loki did not stop until he reached the great palace of Alfheim, he used his seidr to open the gates, the guards just watching open-mouthed as the magic that was supposed to assist them buckled immediately under Loki's own and looked at him as he galloped by, knowing what he had done for the realm previously and knowing that should they do anything, they would more than likely anger Asgard, as well as die immediately against the war veteran prince.
Loki jumped from his horse before it even stopped, the animal immediately going to a water source to rehydrate, knowing its master to be a man that could return in moments and demand its full strength again. He strode through the palace with purpose and did not halt or slow in any manner as he made his way to the throne room. Once there, he burst the doors open, his eyes fixated on King Njall, who looked at him startled. "Prince Loki, what is the matter?" he asked, rising to his feet.
"Why are elves coming to Asgard, hiring maids to kill other maids and stealing back an elfin one?" He demanded angrily. "What in Valhalla's name is going on here?"
King Njall's eyes flitted side to side for a moment before he swallowed and answered. "I assure you Prince Loki, I have no…"
"SILENCE!" Loki bellowed, causing even the guards in the room to jump, having never even heard of the second prince of Asgard being one of serious temper, and now witnessing it in all its glory. "I am the God of Lies you dim fool, I can sense them from a realm away, why do you think I have such a demeanour, most every last filthy wretch I meet is a liar, and I see them all, as I see yours, you know full well what is afoot, and if you do not tell me this instant, I will make you rue the day I was ever given life."
Terrified, King Njall looked at the irate prince. "Leave us." He ordered his Lords and his guards. Somewhat hesitantly, they did as instructed. When the last one exited and the door was shut, Njall sighed and rubbed his hand over his brow. "I…There is no manner in which it is easy to say this."
"I find opening the mouth and willing the words out tends to help." Loki snarled.
"I am not sure what you will think of what I have to tell you."
"Believe me; I will not be long in letting you know exactly what I think." Loki growled, his promise terrifying the foreign king. "So, speak." As King Njall revealed what he assumed to be happening to Loki, the Prince's eyes widened, trying to process what was being said.
"Where am I?" You demanded, the next time Lord Ivan entered. "Why am I here, I've done nothing wrong." Since you were apparently to die anyway, you saw no reason to hold back. After poisoning and kidnapping, you effectively had nothing left to lose.
"You are back on Alfheim, where you belong."
"No, Asgard is my home, I live there."
The older elf chuckled. "You are a Light Elf, are you not?" you nodded, knowing it to be obvious. "Then you belong here."
"Why am I here?" you decided you were going to get nowhere with him on the other fact.
"To be dealt with."
"Why, what have I supposedly done?"
"I neither know why nor do I care."
"Why was I kept alive when all the others you spoke of were killed immediately?"
"Perhaps because you deserted, to be frank, my dear, I do not care in the slightest. All I will say is it is a pity." He stroked the side of your face almost kindly as you glared at him. "You are the prettiest little thing."
"Enough Ivan." A sharp voice ordered from the doorway. "Is she the last of them?"
"Of the list, you compiled, my Princess."
"Princess?" Your eyes widened. "Princess Renee?"
"Yes, you filthy wench, who else?" she sneered.
"Why am I here?" you asked again.
"Because you need to be dealt with."
"I have done nothing wrong." You argued, fearful as to why such a thing was happening.
"You exist, so that is your crime, I cannot have any competition."
"Compet…I am a maid on Asgard, what in the realms could I possible contest you for?" You almost laughed at the madness of what she was saying.
"You were harder to find than most of the others, sister, I mean, it is simple really, whores breed nothing but whores or labourers, but an old scullery maid, well, one would think one would not want her in her…tainted condition, but her husband kept her, the fool." She ignored your comment and continued on.
"I…" You did not know what she was saying. Your mother had been a scullery maid at the palace until she married your father, you knew that. "This does not make sense."
"You are older than me, not by much, but it matters enough to warrant concern, I am sure you understand, my dear sister. Though I had to get rid of the younger ones too. Norn's how irritating it is cleaning up after my stupid father." She hissed.
"Why do you keep calling me sister?" you asked. Often high-bred elves called each other brother and sister even if they were not related, simply as a term of closeness to indicate their class, but you were a lowly daughter of a scullery maid and a drunk, she was the only child of the King, the future Queen of Alfheim.
"You really do not know, do you?" She laughed cruelly, taking out a dagger from her dress. "Well allow me to enlighten you as I end your miserable life." She walked over. "Gods, you even look like he used when he was younger."
"Who?" That statement made little sense, you and your father shared almost no traits, and the ones you did were synonymous with all Light Elves.
"Our father."