I'm reposting the first 18 chapters of my story, The King's Companion. It is still a Work In Progress. There might be slight changes from the original posting, but nothing significant. I will only repost the original 18 chapters since that's as far as I went originally. I will post an updated version with more chapters on AO3 eventually.
Disclaimer: I don't own Loki or any of the characters on The Avengers; Marvel does. As does...The Mouse.
A/N: This is rated M for a reason! Tags/triggers below get more spoilery the further you go. I'm a slow writer so there might not be an update for a while.
The genre was originally Romance and Drama, but I have updated it to Angst and Romance. There's going to be romance, and even some fluff, but it'll take a while.
Tags/triggers: rape, non-con, dub-con, sex, violence, spanking. Flashbacks/mentions of: domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, mental abuse
Please don't take this story seriously. It's fiction, it's fantasy, it's pretend. It's like Twilight; it's a guilty pleasure. It's a dark/fun/erotic fantasy, but no way in hell should it happen in real life. The relationship depicted in this story should not serve as a model for what a healthy relationship should look like or how people should treat each other.
I'm not a professional writer. If something doesn't make sense or is inconsistent, please let me know. It might be an error or I decided to ignore it. If that is the case, then please suspend disbelief and go with the flow.
A/N: I am re-posting the chapter with edits, but there are no major changes. There may be more edits when I ultimately post this story on AO3.
Loki, the god of mischief and lies, looked down at the crowd of humans who were kneeling and cowering before him. He continued to keep his astral-projected counterparts surrounding his new subjects outside the grand museum from which he had recently frightened them from. Loki looked up at the Midgardian moon and smiled his wicked smile. At last. He was going to get what he was entitled to…what he suffered so much for. He released a sinister laugh.
The crowd kept still with their heads down afraid that any slight movement would anger this gold-horned devil-like creature towering over them, yet most of them could not help the shiver emanating from their bodies at the sound of the creature's laugh. Sniffles were heard amongst the crowd from those too frightened to control their tears. Many eyes flew up to look at the devil as he slowly moved into the mass. Those in his way were quick to move aside so as not to obstruct his path. Suddenly, he stopped and pointed his strange, multi-edged scepter to a young woman who was clearly a guest at the prestigious museum event.
"You," he said to her. "Rise." The young woman was tall and slim with long auburn hair that went a bit past her shoulders, and she was dressed in a chic, short, black dress with thin straps and a lightweight, multicolored shawl. She slowly looked up at him to confirm he was addressing her. When she saw the sharp edge of his scepter near her head, she slowly rose, holding tightly to her black clutch. Not knowing if she should look him in the eye, she kept her head down. "Have you any children?" he asked. Her eyes shot back up at him, tears welling in her eyes.
"Yes," she said, panic in her voice. She was afraid she would never see her children again, or worse, that he would hurt them. Could she appeal to some sense of humanity in him? "Two. And they need me."
"That is not my concern!" he snapped, and the crowd winced fearfully. The auburn mother lowered her head once more and stifled a cry in her throat. "Are they healthy and strong?" he asked her.
What kind of question was that? Her automatic response was, "Yes," but there was uncertainty in her voice and the evil god knew it. She sensed his piercing gaze, and she added, "My youngest has Down's Syndrome," she glanced up and knew she had to explain further, "He is mentally slow." Her son was perfect in her eyes, but she knew others would not agree.
Loki scanned the crowd as he dismissed the young mother. She gave an audible sigh and knelt back down. The god came upon another young woman. She was also tall, but curvaceous and had soft, dark skin. Her hair was in short, black curls, and she wore a long burnt-orange tulle dress with thin, off-the-shoulder straps. "Rise," he commanded, and she complied. "Have you any children?" The young woman tensed as she told him she didn't. "And your family? Are they healthy and strong?"
Oh god. The young woman and many of the people in the crowd were starting to understand the reasoning behind his questions. Genetics. Knowing the information he wanted she quickly said, "Heart disease runs in my family. And diabetes. And…"
"That is enough; you may resume kneeling." Again, Loki's eyes surveyed the women in the crowd, and he stopped before a young woman with brown hair that was in a neat, tight bun. She was shorter than the other two women, and she wore a black, pencil skirt that went to her knees and a white short-sleeved, button up dress shirt. Though her clothes were neat and polished, she could not have been a guest at the party. Perhaps she was a servant? "Rise." She did as she was told. "Have you any children?"
The young woman kept her head down and shook her head. "No." She hesitated when he asked her about her family. As far as she knew, her family had been relatively healthy, but she didn't want to tell him that. She didn't want to be a candidate for what she feared he had in mind. "My parents died young."
He knew she was purposefully being vague, and so he took a step closer to her and sternly asked, "How?"
The young brunette stiffened under his intense gaze and swallowed hard before replying, "Heart attack." She held her breath, hoping this information would disqualify her.
"Heart attack." He repeated skeptically. "Both of them?"
The young woman nodded nervously. "It runs in both their families." She glanced up at his piercing green eyes to gauge his reaction, but quickly lowered them again knowing she could not hold his gaze. Did he believe her? He had to! She pathetically added, "It's genetic."
She hoped he would now reject her and move on. There was a sudden motion, and she realized the sharp edge of his scepter was directly below her chin. Gasping, she straightened her back to avoid the blade and ended up looking directly in the eyes of the imposing and oddly, beautiful, creature.
Though he towered over her, he lowered his head so that his eyes were inches away from hers when he commanded in a dark, low voice, "Do. Not. Lie. To. Me."
He pressed the blade a bit more to her chin, and the crowd gasped audibly, afraid of what he was going to do. The young woman opened her mouth to say something, but she was too frightened to speak. Loki lowered the scepter so that the sharp edge was pointing directly at her heart. "I can make you tell me the truth," he threatened.
Afraid of having the tip of the blade pierce her heart she confessed, "Car crash." Tears ran down her face, "They died in a car crash when I was little. My grandmother raised me." She sobbed, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"
A mischievous smile appeared on the god's face as he lowered the scepter and looked at his subjects. He hadn't thought it possible, but they were more afraid of him than before. He laughed wickedly. Didn't they know there was no use in tricks and lies? That was his specialty. He looked down at the young woman who tried to deceive him. She had her face in her hands trying to hold in as many tears as she could. Oh, how easily these humans are broken. He was mildly impressed by her audacity to lie to him, but he quickly dismissed it. She wouldn't be foolish enough to try to deceive him again.
"Choose me," a soft, confident voice in the crowd called out suddenly. All heads turned to the direction of the speaker, who slowly stood up. She was a beauty. She was tall and slender, and she had straight, long, blonde hair that went past her shoulders, and she wore an elegant, floor-length, blush, crepe dress with a deep neckline that showed just the appropriate amount of cleavage.
Loki looked at the young, blonde woman, fascinated by her courage. He smiled. He would humor this beauty for now. As he took a step toward her, he saw the brown-haired servant beside him move to kneel back down. "I have not dismissed you!" he snapped his head back to her, and the crowd gasped in fear. The brunette quickly stood back up with her head down, hugging herself. She was too afraid to speak to apologize, but Loki was already giving his attention to the young blonde who had to quickly compose herself after his outburst. "Continue," he said.
The blonde took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I come from a strong, healthy family of athletes, scholars, and," she grinned flirtatiously, "well, beautiful women and handsome men." She continued when she saw Loki smile. "I don't have any family history of any genetic diseases or conditions. I, myself, was prom queen in high school, a track star in college, and I just graduated from law school from a prestigious university." Loki was now standing in front of her. She lowered her voice so only he could hear, "I can make you very, very happy." She smiled seductively.
This incredible beauty intrigued him, and she was everything he looked for in a possible mate. "And why are you so eager to volunteer?" He asked.
The young woman lifted an eyebrow. "I'm no fool," she said. "You're clearly going to take over, and I'd rather be by your side than collateral damage. Also," she took a step closer so that she could whisper in his ear, "I find power deliciously appealing."
Loki looked at the young woman in awe. Oh, what fun they could have together. Their children would be perfect: intelligent, beautiful, and strong. And he could have a mate that would be easy to control and would be all too eager to please him. He smiled. What more could he want?
He turned to look at the brunette. She was still where he left her: holding herself, trying desperately not to cry. Her head was still down like everybody else's, but he knew they were all listening to his conversation with the blonde woman. No doubt this brunette thought she was safe now that the blonde was ready and willing to be his mate. He, himself, wasn't sure. He knew he should just take the blonde woman and have his way with her, but this brown-haired one…
Something about her made him not want to leave her behind. Was it her face? Her beauty was simple and subtle. It was nothing compared to that of the blonde. He could take them both, but he didn't want to deal with petty jealousies from them or the children they would bear, as he had witnessed from the families of other men who had taken multiple mates.
The blonde woman's melodic voice came from behind him, "I would never lie to you." The god turned to look at her alluring, seductive smile.
He smirked, coming to his decision. "You may kneel now," he told the blonde. He watched as the disappointed and confused beauty knelt back down. Clearly, she was not accustomed to rejection.
The god began to walk toward the museum he had frightened his new subjects from only minutes ago, pausing briefly by the brunette. "Come," he commanded as he walked past her. A couple of steps later he heard her refusal.
"No," she said fearfully, but clearly. She couldn't go with him. What would he do to her? Make her bear his evil, alien children? What about the beautiful blonde woman? She wanted to do all that. Why couldn't he just take her?
The god slowly turned around to stare incredulously at the woman who would dare defy him. Was she mad? Did she wish to die? "No?" he repeated.
The young brunette instinctively covered her heart with her hands as if they would protect her if this evil god chose to kill her. "Please," she begged, "I can't…Please…" She looked toward the blonde to indicate wordlessly that she would be the better woman for what he wanted. The blonde woman was looking back at her shocked and horrified that someone would disobey the powerful god. The entire crowd was looking at her in disbelief.
Loki now stood in front of the brunette, his tall stature dramatically emphasizing how small she was. This was unacceptable. This human was not going to refuse him, and certainly not in front of the other lower beings. He would give her one last chance, or he would demonstrate his power for all to see. "Come with me now," he raised his scepter, "or I will make you."
The brunette was terrified. She knew he might kill her, but she would rather he do it now instead of later after she bore him his evil offspring. "Please," she sobbed as she shook her head, "I can't…"
He underestimated this woman. How…interesting. Well, she would heed him once she saw what he could do. They would all understand his power of persuasion. To everyone's surprise, he turned to the man kneeling next to the brunette. "You," he addressed the man then pointed to the woman on his other side. "Is this your woman?"
The frightened man looked up at Loki and nodded. "Sh-she's my wife." The burly, middle-aged man and his wife were guests at the party, and they clearly cared for each other deeply. They had been holding hands the entire time.
Loki smiled, satisfied with the man's response. "How lovely," he said as he lowered the tip of his scepter to the man's heart. The crystal on the scepter glowed sky blue and everyone gasped, not knowing what was happening. The man slumped over briefly before he stood up facing Loki. The man's eyes were the same shade blue as the scepter's crystal. Unnaturally blue. Something was wrong. "Now," he said to the man. "Kill your wife."
The crowd panicked at the words. Surely this man wasn't going to kill his wife because he was told to…no matter how terrifying this god was. But they were wrong. The man turned to his wife, bent over, and started to strangle her with his hands. The entire crowd was shocked and afraid. The frightened wife was suffocating under her husband's grasp, though she tried to pry his hands off her neck. He was too strong. He was killing her. Her husband was killing her.
"Stop!" cried the young brunette. She found herself trying to pull one of the man's arms away from his wife. "Stop it!" she screamed loudly and with more courage than she felt.
The arm the brunette was pulling was beginning to budge, and so the man let go, still holding his wife with his other hand. He pulled his free arm back, ready to strike the brunette away when Loki pointed his scepter to his head and told him, "No." The man looked at Loki, acknowledging his order, and turned back to his wife using both hands to strangle her.
Quickly recovering from almost being tossed across the plaza from a man twice her size, the young woman lunged at him again trying to help his poor wife. While pulling at the man's arm, she looked at Loki with pleading eyes, "Stop him, please!" But the mischievous god made no move to do so. "Please," she begged, "I'll go with you! Please!" Her breath hitched as she realized what she was saying: she was agreeing to go with him. "Please stop him! I'll go with you! I'll go with you!"
With a satisfied smile, the god commanded the man to release his wife. The young brunette almost fell back at the lack of resistance when the man let go of his wife and stood at attention in front of Loki. The crowed sighed in relief and fear. This god could make a man kill the woman he loved. What could he make the rest of them do? The god pointed his scepter at the man's heart, and the scepter and the man's eyes glowed again. The man blinked and his eyes were no longer glowing; the dark brown of his eyes were clearly visible. The man shook his head confused, then he saw his wife on the ground coughing and gasping for air. Concerned, he knelt beside her to see if he could help, but she quickly backed away from him in fear. It took a moment for the man to realize what had just happened, and he kept his distance from his wife, burying his face in his hands and weeping.
Loki held out his hand to the young brunette and said, "Come." Though he wasn't smiling, there was a mischievous glint in his eye. He knew he had won. He knew that the woman had no choice but to come with him. None of these humans had a choice about anything anymore. Oh, these foolish creatures. Now they were beginning to understand.
The young woman hesitantly accepted his hand, and he led her toward the entrance of the museum. After they walked through the doors, the people in the crowd looked at each other and finally noticed that Loki's astral-projected counterparts had disappeared. They didn't know when the projections had gone because they were focused on the real god: the lethal one. The crowd quickly dispersed, knowing that they were safe…for now.