They were dismissed immediately after the news, but Freya followed Loki in a daze, scarcely believing what they had been told. She had no wish to die, especially not thousands of miles away from home surrounded by strangers, but she had no real idea how to undo the binding. It had been an accident after all. She had never meant to summon Loki, let alone bind him to her will and keep him as a pet. Just what was she going to do? They had one day to find the answer, and she wasn't allowed home. What if there was something else among the artefacts that they had found which would undo it all? What if...
"Freya, I promise you it will not come to that." Loki assured her as they came to a stop by a balcony. "We will find a way to break this."
"We only have one day." She sighed deeply. "I cannot think of who would keep you trapped, or what is to be done to undo this. Why I even read that transcription… I am such an idiot!" She could feel tears prick in the corner of her eyes, and so she turned away from him. She had her fists clenched and she so desperately wanted to cry, though she knew it would not help the situation.
"I will not let them execute you for something you did not mean to do." He promised as he rested a hand on her shoulder. "And they should know that you mean no harm. If anyone else had control over me then whole worlds would be in chaos. All you have done is wished to explore Asgard and satisfy your curiosity. That is scarcely a crime."
"I kept you on Midgard as a pet…"
"You gave me shelter and ensured I lived comfortably." He pointed out. "Now, where would you like to go?" Freya was silent as she dried her eyes and took a deep breath to calm herself. What was the best way to spend her last possible day alive?
"Do you have a library?" Loki just grinned.
"Of course. What is it you wish to know?"
"There must be records of visits to Midgard about a thousand or so years ago. Perhaps there is something in there which will either tell us how to break this completely, or at least jog my memory."
"You'd best follow me then."
A few minutes later found them in the library, and Freya stood in the middle of it looking around her in awe. She felt like Belle when she had been shown the library in Beauty and the Beast. It was absolutely beautiful, with shelves full of exquisitely bound books everywhere she looked, and a large desk was placed to one side. There had to be hundreds of books and scrolls in here, and then she sighed, for there was no way they would be able to get through it all in the time they had left.
"The histories are here." Loki pointed out as he retrieved two tomes from a shelf. They were bound in red leather and embossed with gold, and Freya knew she had never seen such a beautiful item as this. She traced her fingers over the embossed runes on the front cover, and then realised a rather large flaw in her plan. She could not read them.
"What is it?" He asked as he placed his book on the desk and opened it. "Freya?"
"I cannot understand this language." She sighed deeply.
"Then I shall just have to go quickly." Loki said. "What exactly am I looking for?"
"Well, anything between the Asgardians and Midgard in the tenth or eleventh centuries…" Freya paused, trying to remember exactly where they had found the sceptre originally. "Perhaps something to do with fires?"
"That is very specific."
"The sceptre was found on the edge of a burned settlement." She told him as he scanned through pages, and within a few minutes he had finished the first book. "It was in Norway."
"Anything else you can remember?"
"No." she sighed. "Would you like me to fetch the next one?"
"Please." And so that was how they spent the morning, with Loki scanning through a number of books in search of anything tat would help them, while Freya flicked through a couple, trying to understand what the pictures meant. Loki had pointed out what the runes for Midgard looked like, but it took her much longer to scan through a book than Loki. By midday they were surrounded by piles of them, but they did not seem to be much further forwards.
However, though the books had not revealed anything of use, Freya had been thinking back to her summer excavation, and the trench in which the sceptre had been found. Everyone had been so excited to have such an unusual item that everything else appeared to have been forgotten. She was certain that it had not been the only thing to have come out of the pit, and she was trying to work out what the other item had been. It had been a while since she had catalogued the finds, and with everything that had happened these last few days, her head was scrambled. But she was certain that if there was anything that would unbind Loki, it would either be at the archaeological site or in the university. Except, she realised, not all of the artefacts were in storage. She had some in her flat. The question now was how to get to Midgard without being spotted, and without Loki coming with her.
"Don't worry Freya. We will figure it out." The Prince told her as he used his magic to return the books to their shelves. "How about a walk around the gardens?"
"I should like that." She smiled.
They stopped by the kitchens on their way outside, and Loki charmed one of the maids into making them a small picnic, which they took with them. Finding a secluded spot near a fountain, Freya and Loki sat down before tucking in to an assortment of breads, meats, cheeses and pastries. Freya picked at it, her appetite having all but disappeared with the imminent death sentence, but the Prince did not seem to notice. Instead he told her more of the history of Asgard, and then stories of mischief which did cheer her up slightly. However, she was trying to remember who had been in the university building the day she had first summoned Loki, and who would have wanted to keep the God of Mischief trapped on Earth. Her only thought was her Professor, but she was pretty certain that he was no sorcerer. Who else could it have been?
"What is troubling you?" Loki asked her as he packed everything away. "You have barely spoken since the library."
"I was thinking of the day I first summoned you to Midgard." She told him truthfully. "I'm wondering if I had believed you then perhaps we would not be in this mess…"
"This would only have happened sooner." Loki pointed out. "You still do not know how to undo this?"
"I don't." She sighed deeply. "I have never felt so helpless." She tucked her knees to her chest and rested her arms on them. "You truly have no idea who turned you into a cat?"
"I did not see them." Loki shook his head. "I barely even heard them speak."
"Very well." She closed her eyes, willing her memory to refresh. "I suppose I ought to just resign myself to my fate."
"You will not die tomorrow Freya Wilkes." He promised. "I will make sure of that."
The afternoon soon turned to evening, and Loki was determined to persuade his parents for at least a few more days to work this out, or even a trip to Midgard. He had left Freya in his chambers, deciding it best to keep her hidden from the palace guards, but all she could do was pace nervously and wait for the right moment. She knew what had to be done, and it would take a lot of luck if she was going to pull off her plan successfully. She had to get to Midgard, which meant using the Bifrost, and that would require persuading Heimdall to go against the Allfather. It would not be easy, but she had to return to her home. She was convinced that this was the only way now.
It was late evening when she decided to act. Having downed a goblet of mead for courage and changed into some of Loki's clothes as a disguise, she threw on a cloak and pulled up the hood before tucking a dagger into her belt. She hoped that she would not have to use it, but had no wish to be unarmed. She could hear laughter from the Great Hall as everyone feasted, and she wondered where Loki was. She had wanted to say goodbye, but knew deep down that this was for the best. So she peered around the door and was glad to find an empty corridor. Slipping out of the room, she walked as quickly as she dared, and hoped that she would make it home. Her heart was racing as she did this, and she was trying not to breathe too quickly as adrenalin surged through her veins. She knew if she was caught then she would die anyway, but she had to at least try.
Freya hurried along another corridor, hoping that she was heading towards an exit, when she heard soldiers nearby. Thankful that she was wearing a dark cloak, she tucked herself behind a column and waited for them to pass. They chatted as they walked, and neither seemed to notice the hidden figure. Freya held her breath, and then risked a look, before making another dash along the corridor. She knew she could not be too far from the exit into the town now, for the noise from the Great Hall was mixed with that from the taverns, and she figured that getting through the city would be easier than the palace. She hurried down a staircase and wondered how long it would be before anyone noticed she was missing. She knew she was on borrowed time, and not for the first time was she questioning her sanity. Never before had she done anything like this, and yet she felt like she didn't have a choice. She knew that Odin would never allow her to return home while Loki was still bound to her, and yet this was the only way to break the enchantment and save her life.
She had just reached the entrance hall when the alarm was sounded, and the two soldiers on guard instantly blocked the doorway. Freya pressed herself against the wall, grateful for a large statue that she could hide behind, and instantly tried to work out what to do. There was no way she could leave the palace without being seen now, and she certainly couldn't turn back. It was only a matter of time before she was caught.
"You two, the fugitive has been spotted on the stairs to the west. Make sure she does not get past them." She heard a voice yell. The soldiers looked at each other, obviously uneasy at leaving the door unguarded. "I shall make sure no one gets past here." They left then, and just as Freya risked a look, she felt a hand clasp her wrist tightly. She turned to face her captor, and cursed, for it was another guard.
"And where do you think you're going?" He asked, grinning. Freya's heart sank. She was definitely going to be executed for this now.
