So this one is a shorter one, but it's full of some good dialog that I think you'll all like! I also wanted to respond to a review real quick…someone had commented and basically asked why Tessa wasn't more powerful, considering she's an Asgardian of Odin's line. Well, there's a couple of factors that play into this. One, Tessa has never been very physically strong. She was born prematurely and was never as 'gifted' as say Thor. Two, I'm kinda playing with Frigga's backstory a bit for this story and so she's not Asgardian. Tessa takes after her mother's heritage, more than her father's, which helps bring down her power level as well. And lastly, I'm playing on the connection to Hella's power and Asgard. You know how she draws her power from Asgard? Well, I'm playing with that idea and moving it across to all Asgardians basically. Thor's powers are strong since he's lived on and drawn power from Asgard for over a thousand years. Tessa hasn't had that connection to Asgard, so in turn, her powers are not as strong. I know an Asgardian powered up by the serum/Tesseract would seem the perfect mixture for one badass woman, but then you run the same problem that comes with Captain Marvel….if she's too much of a badass then any 'normal' situation you throw her in would be way too easy to overcome. So, to fit the needs of my story, Tessa's powers just aren't as crazy as they could be. I hope that kinda helps clear things up a bit. Thanks for sticking with her so far guys! She and I appreciate you all so much! With that said, here's that same old disclaimer fully acknowledging that I have no rights nor ownership to anything Marvel and let you read on! Enjoy! Xoxo-NickyLynn
Tessa followed behind Frigga as they descended down into the lower levels of the palace. Their footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, rebounding off the barren walls. Frigga had greeted the men stationed at the entrance of the hall as they passed, waving Tessa along with her. Odin had granted her a few minutes with Loki, and Tessa was beginning to wonder if it had been foolish of her. Perhaps Loki would not wish to see her. Afterall, she played a large part in his apprehension and in turn, prison sentence. She pushed down her apprehension, however, as there was something she felt she needed to say.
As they drew closer to the cell which housed Loki, Tessa drew in a steadying breath. She had already made up her mind and would see this through. She trailed behind Frigga as she walked up to the cell, though Tessa could hardly think to call his enclosure a cell. It was lit up with bright, white light, held a bed, table and a few other basic furniture. It held more than furnishings than any prison she had ever seen, and she had to wonder if Frigga had a role to play in the comforts provided.
"I'm not in the mood for your company today, Mother." Came Loki's somber voice as they drifted up to the barrier. He was laying on his bed, arms crossed behind his head and eyes closed. He no longer wore the extravagant clothes Tessa had last seen him in, but a simple pair of black trousers and a green tunic. He looked so vastly different than what Tessa remembered. The anger and malice she had been subjected to, now replaced with despondence.
"Well, then I should count myself lucky that it is not I who desires to be in your company." Frigga told him as Tessa came to a stop beside her.
Loki's eyes snapped open and his head turned at her response. His eyes landed on Tessa and she couldn't decipher the emotion behind them. He shot up from his relaxed position, instantly on edge. "What do you want?" He bit out at her, unkindly.
Frigga turned to Tessa, a look of apology on her face. "I will give you a few minutes." She said, placing a hand on her arm and giving it a reassuring squeeze as she brushed past.
Tessa watched her mother stroll back down the hall before she turned to Loki, giving him her full attention. She found his eyes narrowed at her in what she assumed was suspicion. "Have you come to gloat? To see the would-be conqueror of your world rotting away in eternal solitude?" he asked her, his words filled with spite.
"You know, in a rather round-about-way, I should be thanking you for trying to conquer Earth." She told him, causing his eyebrows to furrow. "If you hadn't, then we would never have crossed paths, and I would not be standing in Asgard, reunited with a family that I didn't know existed."
"So, you've come to thank me for your return to Asgard?" he asked then. "We'll you've done it. You can go now. Go return to your family. I'm sure they have much to celebrate." Loki said, his animosity evident as he glared down at her.
"Actually, that's not why I've come." She told him, doing her best to not let his cruel words stop her from doing what she came here to do.
Loki raised a brow up at her. "Then what do you want?"
"I…I wanted to apologize." She told him, trying to overcome her nervousness. She could tell that her words caught Loki off guard. Out of everything she could have said to him, those words were not one of the things Loki had considered. "Thor told me about what happened to you. He told me about how you were led to believe you were my twin. He told me how Odin lied to you your whole life. He told me everything. I just…I wanted to tell you that Odin was wrong. He should never have done that. So even if he won't apologize for his mistakes, I thought someone should." She told him.
"I don't want your pity!" he seethed down to her, his eyes flashing with pain.
"It's not with pity that I offer this apology!" she bit out.
"No?" he asked, not believing her. "Then why come here? Why offer an apology that is not yours to give?"
"Perhaps I just understand what it's like to live your entire life believing you're one thing, never understanding why you don't fit in, only to find out that you never belonged in that world to begin with." She responded, crossing her arms.
Loki watched her in silence before he took a menacing step forward, coming face to face with her, the barrier the only thing separating them. Tessa didn't move, she stood her ground and stared him down. "You think because Thor weaves for you a sob story about my life that you can compare yourself to me? You found out you were a Princess and was welcomed home with open arms. I found out that I was the monster and had everything stripped from me. We are not the same." He told her, his voice cold.
"Everyone is a monster in somebody else's story." She told him in retort. "I wonder how many men who have fallen at Odin's feet had cursed him a monster with their dying breath. It is not with someone else's belief which we should draw a label for ourselves." She said, shaking her head. "Having Jotunn blood does not make you a monster, just as being born to Odin does not make me one. You can not be born a monster, Loki. You become one by letting yourself believe you are one."
"So, you think you'd just come down here, say some pretty words and I'd see the error of my ways? Is that it?" Loki asked her. "Whatever ploy this is, you can tell Odin that it didn't work. I do not repent!"
"No." she told him. "No, you belong in this cell Loki. Regardless of your reasonings, what you did was wrong. Hundreds of people are dead because of you, one of whom was my friend. No, it's not your redemption I seek, I just thought you were owed an apology. You may have chosen this path, but Odin helped push you down it. Considering he doesn't seem the type to admit to his faults, I thought I would say it for him. That's all I've come to say." She said before taking a step back and turning, ready to leave now that she had said what she came to say.
"Why?" she heard Loki call from behind, causing her to pause. "Why do you even care?" he asked, the venom that had been lacing his words no longer there, leaving him sounding hollow.
Tessa turned and stepped back to the barrier. "I always tell everyone that I don't remember anything from before I woke up on Midgard, and it's true for the most part, but there was something I remembered. A face. A boy with dark hair and blue eyes like mine. He used to haunt my dreams. He would reach out to me as I fell through the darkness." She said, looking into the same eyes that had haunted her for so long. "I'm not here for Odin, Frigga, Thor or even you. I'm here because I owe it to the girl I can't remember. For the girl who cared so deeply for you that she held onto you when she held onto nothing else. I'm doing this for her." She told him honestly.
The two stared at each other for a moment and Tessa couldn't help but notice the change in him. The hostility in his eyes was replaced with a sadness. As the seconds ticked by and Loki said nothing, Tessa took a step back, ready to leave. Before she could turn, however his voice stopped her. "Your life on Midgard." He said quietly. "Was it happy?"
Tessa studied him for a minute, genuinely surprised by the question. "It was….difficult." she said. "But I've met a lot of good people in my years there. I wouldn't take back any of it, even if I could." She told him.
"I-" Loki said, his gaze dropping down to the floor. "I should be the one apologizing. It's my fault you fell into that portal. I should have never brought you into that cavern." He said, his voice thick. When he finally brought his eyes back up to her, Tessa could see the tears he was trying not to shed. "I'm sorry."
"I do not hold blame over you Loki." She told him. "But if it helps, you have my forgiveness." She told him before turning and leaving, this time not stopping. Tessa walked back through the corridor and found Frigga waiting for her, having been conversing with the guards while she waited. She perked up as Tessa walked through the archway, looking lost in thought.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Tessa said as she walked up to her.
"Oh, do not fret." Frigga told her with a wave of her hand. "Would you like me to walk you back to your chambers now? You must be awfully tired."
"Yes, please." Tessa told her with an appreciative smile. Tessa followed Frigga as she began walking down the halls again.
"You'll have to forgive any harsh words Loki may have spoken." Frigga said after a moment. "I fear he had not taken to his imprisonment well. I hope he was not too unkind."
"I did not expect a joyous reunion." Tessa told her, hoping to ease her concerns. "It went as well as expected. I suppose you think me incredibly foolish."
"On the contrary. I think it rather admirable. Loki has been through a great deal, I think you granting him a visit meant more to him than he would ever admit. Your disappearance was hardest on him. I think there was always a part of him that blamed himself. It changed him, loosing you." Frigga told her. Tessa looked over at her, not sure how to feel about that. "There was once a time when the idea of raising a Jotunn along side my daughter worried me immensely." Frigga revealed. "When Odin brought him home, you were only a few days old. In fact, I had yet to leave the birthing rooms with you yet, as we were both still recovering from your birth. You came earlier than expected and it was a long and difficult birth. In fact, we almost lost you a few times and by the time you came, you were inconsolable. You would cry endlessly no matter how hard I tried to console you. Poor Thor had asked the servants if you came broken. You see, Thor was such an easy and healthy baby. Hardly ever fused at all. You, though, well I had begun to feel like a failure as a mother as nothing I would do would console you. When Odin came with Laufey's son, telling me of his plans to raise him as our own, I'm afraid to admit that I did not feel capable of caring for you, let alone the child of a Frost Giant. It….it scared me. I tried to sway Odin from his plans, but my words fell on deaf ears. However, when he placed Loki in the cradle next to you, something remarkable happened. You reached out and grasped onto him, and the cries stopped. You fell silent and I feared he had hurt you in some way, but I was wrong. I looked down and found you sleeping peacefully for the first time since you had come screaming into the world. Loki gave you a comfort that I could not and I knew in that moment that he was not something to fear….he was the missing piece we needed. The two of you loved each other before you could even conceptualize what love was."
Tessa came to a stop as Frigga did, the mother suddenly lost in memories and thought. "Sometimes I can't help but wonder what would have happened if you had never been lost to us. How different our lives would have been. How different Loki would have been." She said quietly and Tessa wondered if she had meant to say the pondering thoughts out loud. Frigga looked over at Tessa and she shook herself, as if suddenly remembering herself. "I suppose it does no good to linger on things that could have been." She said, moving forward again. "I thank you for giving him your time today, if only a moment of it. He may have made grave mistakes, but he is still my son and I still care very deeply for him."
The rest of the walk back to Tessa's chambers was fairly quiet, both women being lost in thought. When they made it to the familiar door, Frigga bid her a good night and promised she would see her in the morning. When Tessa was back in the seclusion of her room, she dropped down onto the plush bed and let out a heavy sigh. She stared up at the canopy hanging over her bed and began to wonder how her life had become so unbelievably complicated. Little did she know, it would only get incredibly more complicated from then on out.