Kaysa felt Loki's hand on her waist. His breath caressing her neck. She had slept better than ever. Her eyes travelled to the little window in her room. The sun was out and she was sure that if she did not appear in the kitchen quickly, someone would come to get her.
She sat in her bed, with her sheets covering her naked body. Her dress was under Loki's armour. Kaysa looked at him. He had a relaxed face, with some strands of hair on his eyes. She could spend hours like that, watching as he slept. Her bare foot touched the cold stone of the palace floor.
Loki opened one of his eyes when he felt Kaysa getting out of her bed. He had woken up almost an hour before and spent the time looking at his Queen. His fingers stroke her belly lightly as he felt little shocks through his arm. Loki saw as Kaysa covered her little figure with her maid dress. That morning she looked stunning and Loki cursed himself.
"You are only making it more difficult." He murmured. Kaysa turned to him when she heard the sheets moving.
"Good morning, my prince." She smiled as she walked closer to him. She leant down to kiss him, but Loki moved his face away. That movement surprised her. "Is something wrong?" Kaysa sat next to him, trying to hold his hand.
"Alright, I think I have had enough of you," Loki said as he took away his hand and step out of the bed. He put on his cape and took the armour under his arm.
"What...What do you mean?"
"Oh... Do you need me to explain it?" Loki looked at her with an arched eyebrow. His face was hard and his gaze was cold. Kaysa shivered. "You know what they said about me, right? Oh, don't look me like that." He laughed when he saw Kaysa's hurt expression. "It is true. All the things they said about me." Kaysa knew what he was talking about. Loki walked to the door.
"I want to say something." Kaysa felt as her heart was shattering at every word he said. "If you walked out of this room now..." She breathed for a moment. "If you go like that, don't you dare to come back to me then." She was doing a great effort to not cry. "Because I won't be here. I won't wait for you. My heart cannot stand this pain anymore." Kaysa stood up but she did not walk to him. "So think about it for a moment before you decide something."
"Is that a threat?" Loki looked at her over his shoulder. "So funny, yeah." He waited for Kaysa to say something else. He needed her to be mad at him. "Is that everything you are going to say?" Nothing came as an answer. "I see...Do us a favour and forget about me. I don't want to see you around me anymore." And with that, he left the room.
Kaysa let herself fell to the bed. She was not willing to let a drop fall for him. Not anymore. She had cried enough for him. Kaysa took a deep breath before exiting the room.
Loki rode his horse faster than he ever had had. He needed to be as far from Kaysa as he could. The run stopped when he reached a clear in the forest. A lake was in the centre of the image surrounded by some dark trees. Loki climbed off his horse as he thought they both need a rest. His head did not stop thinking about Kaysa and about how he ended up with her. Loki walked his horse to the shore of the lake as he tried to control his feelings. There was a time when he promised he would never feel something for a woman again.
"Then, what is this?" He asked to himself as he thought that only one person could answer that. With a wave of his hand, he formed Frigga's figure. She looked confused and looked around until she met Loki. Frigga smiled tenderly.
"What am I doing here, my dear?" Frigga walked to the shore and stopped next to her son. Loki stood in silence trying to find the correct words. "Come on, you know you can talk to me."
"Then, you know what is it," Loki answered as he through a little stone to the lake surface, making it jump. He waited for Frigga to keep on with the conversation, but her voice never sounded. "Do I love her?"
"I think so." Frigga smiled and met Loki's eyes. They were clouded with confusion.
"I don't want it." Loki moved to one side to the other. "I don't want to love her. I don't want to feel like my life is in her hands." He stayed in silence for a second. "I want her out of this place."
"That's what has happened, then," Frigga said disappointed. "That's why you said those mean things to her?"
"I want her to hate me. I need it!" Loki cried as he waved his hand. Frigga image disappeared. He looked at the empty place in front of him. So this is love. He thought and sat down on the shore. His heart was hammering in his chest fast as he flushed only thinking about the thing that he really loved Kaysa. After so many years... He cursed himself as he wished he could take off his heart and buried it so deep down that none could find it again.
Frigga was in her room alone. She had felt Loki's call and she formed an image where he was. Their conversation left her with a bitter feeling. Kaysa had been there a moment before. All she said was that she was leaving as soon as possible. Frigga tried to understand the reason behind that statement. She only found it after talking with Loki. She knew her son, but she had never expected him to be so cruel. Frigga needed to solve things with Kaysa. She could not leave yet. Not until she confirmed what she was suspecting since some weeks ago.
"Mother!" Thor's voice sounded on the door. Frigga opened it and invited her son to come in, hoping he would leave soon. "I need your help." His voice sounded defeated and it worried the Queen.
Kaira was walking around the palace gardens. She needed some time alone with herself after all the events of the last night. Only one question was in her mind: Why?. Why had Kaysa left off her spell? Because of that, everyone knew that she was there and alive! Then she could not help but think about Ada and her hate for herself. Kiara knew from the first moment that Ada loved Prince Thor. It will only take some time to announce their wedding, she thought but she ran over someone.
"Lady Kaira, my dear." Queen Frigga excused herself. She seemed in a rush. "I hope you are fine." She smiled politely.
"Yes, my Queen," Kaira answered as she bowed. "It is a wonderful morning to take a walk."
"But you are alone, aren't you?"
"I'm fine, for real." Frigga did not look convinced. "I'm sorry but after yesterday, I need some time for myself," Kaira told her the story about Kaysa and that she was hiding from everyone just to be safe. Frigga's eyes clouded with something that Kaira could not read.
"Lady Kaira, as an elf, you have some special gifts, right?" Frigga asked with an unread expression.
"Yes. I can sense people light inside their hearts." Kaira explained briefly. "Kaysa can feel their darkness growing. Knowing that we can create some spells and Alchemist to control it." Kaira looked at the intense look in Frigga's eyes. "I can show you if you want so."
"That would be nice, my dear," Frigga answered. "Tell me what do you need."
Some minutes later, Kaira and Frigga were in a clear of the royal garden, with a big gold bowl full of water on the ground. Kaira knelt as she murmured some words and started throwing some herbs and flowers on it. Frigga looked at her carefully. She needed to confirm her suspicions about Kaysa and Loki before seeing Odin.
"Let me show you how this is work." Kaira closed her eyes as she put her hands over the water. As it had happened when she showed it to Thor, two water figures appeared on the surface. Frigga knelt next to her and looked at them.
"Who are they?" She looked closer at them. The figures were two women with long dresses that were sitting somewhere.
"They are us, my Queen," Kaira answered as she looked at them. "You are full of light, my Queen." She smiled at her but Frigga was focused on the figures. "Is everything okay?"
"So you can see even the ones from your kind? And Kaysa can do the same?"
"Well, you are seeing light now. With Kaysa you see darkness." Kaysa shoved her hand through the figures and place it again over the surface. "That's why you cannot see her full of light." A new figure started growing up as she said those words. "But these last months, her darkness has grown more than usual."
"Is that Kaysa?" Frigga asked seeing the little figure in front of her eyes. It was true that her light was softer than the one from Kaira and her, but it was another thing that caught her attention. "What is that?" Frigga pointed to a little point in the air that was connected to Kaysa by a think line. Kaira looked closer at it.
"I don't really know. Is something too small to see it clearly but, wait. It is connected to someone too." Kaira's hand moved the figures and a third one appeared. It was a man standing and in a guard position. "If it stops moving, maybe I can see who is." She murmured but Frigga's hands moved quickly and erased the figures.
"I have seen enough." She said as she stood up. Kaira followed her quickly.
"I'm sorry, Queen Frigga. Have I done something wrong?" Kaira asked worriedly.
"Oh no, my dear. But there are things that require my attention." She kissed her cheek and walked back to the palace. Kiara waited until she was far enough to go to the palace too. She knew what she had seen.
Loki stood in front of the cloud of darkness that had appeared in front of him. He did not notice it at first but it was whispering his name. His mind was playing tricks on him, or at least that what he thought. Pictures of Kaysa appeared in his eyes. She was running through a dark forest, calling him, when she felt down. Her knees were bleeding but she could not stand up. She cried in pain as her hands tried to hold to the ground.
"Kaysa!" He called her name as he ran to her, but she vanished. His reflexes were quicker and he realized where he was. The water was at his neck and the cloud around him. Loki swam back to the shore and took his sword. "I know who you are!" Loki shouted. "You are the reason they want to execute her!" He hissed as he prepared himself to attack it. "I almost lose her once because of you. But it was the last time you will ever be near her. I promise you."
Frigga entered the throne room without announcing herself. Odin looked at her and asked the man in front of him to leave them alone.
"How could you do it?" Her voice showed pain. "You didn't even consider my opinion!"
"You know there is no other option." Odin's voice sounded calm. "We need this. Our people need that protection."
"But, what about his feelings?" Frigga's eyes were watering. After all that time, she was hoping that Odin would change his mind.
"That's why you take her here, isn't that right?" Odin walked down his seat to Frigga. She looked at him confused. "Don't look at me like that, my love. Do you think I am that dumb? I know who she was since the first day I saw her." His hand reached her cheek. "You wanted him to know what it was to love someone." A tear ran down Frigga's cheek. She closed her eyes. "It's okay, my love. You love him. But he needs to understand his duty as a prince."
It had been a week since Kaira found out Kaysa's secret, but she had not managed to talk to her yet. That morning a strange and uncomfortable atmosphere was in the palace. The servants were running through the halls in silence. It was the wedding day.
Kaira got out of the bed and sat in a chair as she waited for the maid to get her dress. She waited for almost an hour, wondering if she had missed the day or something, but at that moment, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in, please," Kaira said as she corrected her sitting.
"I'm sorry for the delay." Kaysa excused herself and entered the room with a dress in her hands. Kaira stood up quickly. "Don't worry, I can handle this."
"We have you been?" Kaysa asked as she held her sister's hands. "I've been trying to talk to you for days!" Her eyes travelled from her face to her belly. With the dress, Kaira could not appreciate it properly.
"I've been busy." Kaysa dropped the dress on the bed and walked to her sister as she put a fallen hair strand behind her ear.
"With the wedding?" Kaira asked but Kaysa did not answer. She started working with Kaira's hair. Her loosened dress hid all her curves but Kaira could notice a strange bump in her belly. She was sure that, if she hugged her, she could confirm her suspicion. "Are you okay?"
"Of course I am," Kaysa said but did not meet Kaira eyes. "Kaira, please. Let's not talk about it." She said and met her sister with pleading eyes.
Thor knocked on his brother's door. An already dressed Loki opened the door. He did not say anything. Loki just stared at him with empty eyes.
"I've thought that maybe, you'll need some help." Thor was worried about his brother. He had not seen him for weeks and he was sure that none had. "But I think you have handled yourself." He tried to smile but Loki did not respond.
"Anything else?" Loki asked for the first time. He did not feel like talking anymore with his brother. Thor sighed.
"I need my brother." He confessed after a while. Loki hit the door frame.
"Could you please, for one day, stop thinking about yourself?" He said with a painful voice. Thor looked at him in silence until Loki closed the door.
Kaysa was finishing with Kaira hair. She had done it with a cascade braid, making it reach her waist.
"Can you finish yourself? They need me in the main room to prepare everything for today." Kaysa said. Kaira stood up and looked at her sister. She did not think twice and put her hand in her belly. Kaysa jumped and tried to move away, but Kaira did not let her go. "Kaira!"
"Since when do you know it?" Kaira felt as energy tried to reach her hand. She knew what it was. She had felt that same energy many times ago.
"For almost two months," Kaysa answered with watered eyes after a minute if silence. She sat down on Kaira's bed and embraced herself. "I don't know what I am going to do, Kaira." She was holding her tears.
"Oh, my dear Kaysa." Kaira sat next to her and hugged her. "You don't have to be afraid. The Queen will help you and-"
"No, Kaira! The Queen cannot know about this. You have to promise me you are not going to tell anyone about this." She begged as she held her sister's hands. "Promise me!" Kaysa had her reason for asking that. Somehow, Kaira understood her sister. None would love that baby.
"Kaysa, let's leave this place. Now!" Kaira stood up and walked through the window. "Everyone would be in the main room. It is our chance to be happy again. Just the two of us. Well," Kaira placed her hand on her sister's belly. "The three of us." She smiled and, for the first time, Kaysa smiled too. It was true. They had only one chance. One chance to be safe and sound, to be happy. Kaysa's smile faded away.
"You'll never be happy, Kaira. Not without him." Kaysa knew about her feelings for Thor. She could not ask her to leave him. Kaira tried to protest, but Kaysa hugged her. "It is time to face our fate. We have chosen the wrong side in this fight, and we need to face the consequences."
Kaysa entered in the empty room. Rows of benches were waiting for the guests that would be sitting on them some hours later. She did not want to be there, but she had no choice. The room needed to be ready for the noon and the wedding. Thinking about it made her felt a pinch of pain in her stomach.
"This is not the way it should be." Kaysa talked to herself as she caressed her belly. "I thought we could leave this place together. All of us." She walked to the place where the bride and the groom would stand. "I've thought that I would be the one standing here."
"Oh really? Such a stupid dream." Kaysa turned and found Ada at the end of the room. She walked to her with a heavy walk. "Are you really that dumb? Do you really think that he will choose you over his duty?" Ada's voice was hard. "A prince deserve something better than an elf. It seems is something that you and your sister don't understand." She finally reached Kaysa. The elf had to look up at her as she was taller.
"My lady." Kaysa bowed and Ada laughed as she held Kaysa's arm.
"Quit the game with me. I know what you want. I really know what you and your sister want." Kaysa took a step back. "But let me tell you what. You are not going to ruin everything. Nor your sister. I promise you."
"Your plans?"
"Don't try to pretend that you don't know what I am talking about. Your sister wants this palace as much I do. She wants the power of the throne. That's why she is so close to Prince Thor." Kaysa could not believe what she was hearing. "But I was here first. That throne is mine and I will do anything to get there. Even to marry Loki if that makes me part of the family." Ada smile made Kaysa shiver.
"You are not talking seriously," Kaysa said and Ada's smile did not disappear. "Are you going to kill him?" A pinch of pain grew in her heart.
"Oh no, my dear." Kaysa breathed relieved. "But I cannot look for him always."
"Why are you telling me this? You know I can tell the Queen about it."
"Do you think she will believe you? After your affair with him, do you think anyone will do? You are the jilted of the palace. No one will believe that you are serious. After the humiliation of seeing how the man you want decides to marry someone else, you would be willing to do anything to avoid it."
"The Queen will never believe that thing."
"Tried me," Ada said as she walked away from her and exited the room. Kaysa stood there until the door closed behind her. It was then when she sat on the floor as she doubted what to do. She needed to tell Loki about that.
In less than ten minutes, Kaysa was hitting Loki's door as she cried his name.
"I know you are there!" She cried as she heard him moving on the other side. "I need to talk to you. Please!"
Loki opened the door and Kaysa froze when she saw him with his armour. Ready for the wedding.
"Have I not been clear when I told you to forget about me?" Loki asked with a cold gaze. Kaysa could not make a word. She was focused on Loki's armour. "Could you, for once in your life, keep your word? You said there was no going back. What the hell are you doing here?"
"You cannot marry her." Kaysa did not recognize her voice. Loki snorted as he was about to close the door, but she threw herself inside the room. "You cannot marry her." She repeated again and told him about her conversation with Ada. In the end, he smirked as he walked her to the door. "You have to believe me, my Prince." Kaysa pleaded. "If you don't believe what I'm saying, who will?" She sounded defeated and let herself to be guided by Loki outside the room.
"You are so innocent... You are forgetting that I am Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard and" He paused and leant down to kiss her forehead. "The God of Mischief, my dear Kaysa." He whispered as he pushed Kaysa lightly and closed the door. She blinked several times as a horrible feeling grew inside her. She knew that voice very well and it was not Loki's.
Kaira stood up when she saw the Queen and the King doing the same. The bride was entering the room. She could not help but think about the day when she would be the one entering there. She was sure that day there would not be a Prince waiting for her, but Viggo instead. Ada walked to the throne where Loki waited. Thor walked by her side. Kaira was sure that in Ada's head, it was Thor the one waiting for her.
Kaira felt someone moving next to her. It was Viggo, who seemed uncomfortable with the situation.
"It is something wrong?" She asked politely. She was hoping him to ignore her, but his answer caught her off guard.
"I don't like her." He answered nervously. "She is like her father."
"What do you mean?" Kaira whispered low enough so none could hear them. Viggo looked at her hard before answer.
"I have fought with her father long ago. It was a small fight against a Lord from the North of Asgard who had rebelled himself against the All-Father. He was supposed to fight by my side, but his interests were stronger than his honour. He betrayed me, leaving on me a mark that would remind me about it always. But I also left a mark on him." He paused and Kaira asked him to continue the story. "I was suspecting from the beginning that someone was trying to make us fail our mission. I made up a plan in my head so I can catch the traitor. As I suspected that the traitor would throw away our weapons, I put a strong acid on them. Only a few drops, but enough to burn the skin of a person. The next day I only needed to check the hands of everyone."
"And what did you do?"
"Nothing. He could not suspect of me until I'd found out what was his reason."
"And when did you find it out?"
"Never. That's why I keep not trusting him neither his family." Viggo ended the conversation and left Kaira with a bitter feeling. What if something happened to the Prince? She noticed someone behind Viggo. Kaysa was there with the rest of the servants. Kaira felt the need to run to her and took her sister out of the room. Although Kaysa had not admitted it, Kaira knew she had a deep feeling for Loki and she would be mad if something happened to him. Kaira needed to tell her about what Viggo had said.
Kaira's attention went back to the bride that was next to the groom. Odin was talking about the union between a man and a woman. Again her mind was focused on Kaysa. She turned and saw as her sister was looking at void. Kaira would have given anything to know what she was thinking. What she was feeling.
People started clapping. Kaira saw as Loki and Ada turned around and looked at everyone, their arms laced into the other. Kaira was hoping that maybe when Loki saw Kaysa, he would stop everything. It seemed she was wrong as Odin was announcing them as Prince and Princess.