A small groan escaped my lips as I wiped my mouth. I pushed the bin away and leaned back against the cell wall.
"Are you certain you don't want me to get a healer sent for?" I opened my eyes to see Loki standing directly across from me in his cell, concern etched on his face.
I shook my head, "I'm fine. I think its just the bracelets." The first few weeks in the dungeons I had gotten mild headaches. For the past several weeks now though, the headaches had gotten so intense that they had been making me sick. I hadn't been able to use my powers now in over two months, thanks to the gauntlets, and it seemed to be taking a toll on my body. I couldn't keep anything down, and sometimes the headaches made it where I couldn't even get out of bed. My pale skin was paler than ever, and even my white hair had lost the ethereal glow it had from my power. For the first time in a long time, I felt weak.
Loki slammed his fist against the barrier, "Damn him!" I gave him a pointed look, there was no reason to be angry at his father. I knew the anger was just because he felt powerless to help me though.
"Loki", I said firmly, "I'll be alright." His expression softened and he unclenched his hands.
"I just want to help you. I hate seeing you like this." I smiled, he had grown so much in the time we had spent together. I hadn't touched his skin since the day we were imprisoned and I longed for nothing more than to just touch him. I had grown to love this man with all of my heart, and I believe he loved me as well.
"It could be worse, at least I still get to see you."
He chuckled, "You sound so uncharacteristically optimistic. What happened to the woman who fought me when I met her?"
"That was before I got to know you, I only wish now that I'd met you sooner. I've never had anyone this close to me before; I spent most of my life in hiding."
"Nor have I. Now my only fear is losing you and being alone again."
"As long as I'm here, you'll never be alone. I love you." His whole body seemed to freeze when I said the words.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said I love you." He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as the dungeon doors opened and the guards came in, escorting a prisoner to his cell.
"Odin continues to bring me new friends. How thoughtful", he muttered. The guards left back out the way they came and I saw a form materialize in the cell with Loki. I smiled in hello at Frigga when another wave of nausea rolled over me, my head pounding. I lurched forwards for the bin, I dry heaved as there wasn't anything else to throw up. After a moment the nausea passed and I laid on my cot.
"Hello mother", I heard Loki say to Frigga.
"How long has she been sick?" I heard her ask, concern in her voice. I had been asleep the last time she visited and she hadn't seen me.
"A few weeks."
"Why have you not mentioned this? You should have sent for a healer."
"Don't you think I wanted to? She didn't want me to", he whispered, the pain evident in his voice.
"I know how much you care for her", she said softly. A long pause seemed to follow before she spoke again. "Loki, have the two of you been intimate?" Though I was in my own cell, covered with my blanket, I still flushed with embarrassment. Why in the world would she ask such a thing?
"Yes. Once", Loki said in a clipped tone. "What are you implying mother?"
"I just believe a healer visit would be appropriate."
"Don't be ridiculous mother. We aren't even the same species."
"There is still a chance th…"
Loki cut her off, his voice angry, "I won't speak about this anymore." Another long pause filled the cell.
"The books I sent, do they not interest you?" She must have recognized his anger, abruptly changing the subject.
"Is that how I am to while away eternity? Reading?'
"I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable."
"Have you? Does Odin share your concern?" A silence hung in the air as Frigga did not reply. "Does Thor? It must be so inconvenient, them asking after me day and night."
"You know full well that your actions brought you here."
"My actions? I was merely giving truth to the lie that I've been fed my entire life. That I was born to be a King."
"A King? A true King admits his faults. What of the lives you took on Earth?"
"A mere handful compared to the number that Odin has taken himself."
"Your father...", Frigga started, but she was cut off by Loki.
Loki snarled, "He is not my father!"
Frigga replied calmly, "So am I not your mother?"
He responded in a cool voice, "You are not."
"Huh. Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself." I peeked out from underneath my blankets to see Loki reaching out towards the dissipated form of the Queen.
A sudden chill went through me, followed by a sharp pain. I watched as a spark of energy crackled to life on my fingers. The energy abruptly vanished, a loud crack ringing through the cell as a fine crack appeared on one of the gauntlets. I sat up from the cot, wrapping the blanket around me to keep warm, but I was freezing. "Loki?" He turned towards me. His eyes widening at seeing me. "Call for a healer." Another sharp pain shot through my body and I felt myself falling to the floor of the cell, my vision going dark.
The sound of a door closing woke me up. I opened my eyes to see that I was in a large, dimly lit room. I was lying on a large four poster bed, adorned with emerald green and gold silk sheets. The pain had disappeared, and I no longer felt cold. I started to sit up, but a hand gripped my shoulder, firmly pushing me back down to the bed.
"You should be resting", Thor said. He was sitting in a chair beside the bed, I hadn't even noticed him because he'd been so quiet.
I raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing here?"
"Mother requested that I kept watch over you until she returned."
"Where's Loki?"
"He's still in the dungeons. How are you feeling?"
"Better. My headache seems to be gone for now, and I don't feel cold. Those bracelets have really done a number on me."
"It's not just the bracelets that are making you sick."
"What do you mean?"
He let out a breath, meeting my gaze uncomfortably, "You should wait for mother to come back."
"No, Thor. Whatever it is, you can tell me now."
He sighed, "It seems that you are with child."
It felt as if someone dunked my body into ice water, "W-what?" I stuttered. He smiled, taking my hand and squeezing it gently.
"You are carrying my niece or nephew."
"I'm pregnant? How is that possible?"
"I'm not sure." I used Thor's hand to pull myself to a sitting position, taking in my surroundings. "We're in Loki's quarters", Thor said, answering my unspoken question as I looked around the room.
"Does he know yet?" Thor shook his head.
"Don't tell him yet. I will soon, I just need some time to think about everything, take it all in." I had definitely never imagined myself as a mother. It figures the one time that I am with a man that I would get pregnant. I got up from the bed, with Thor's help, when I noticed I was wearing different clothes. I was dressed in a pair of black, leather pants and a royal blue, long-sleeved tunic. The tunic was embroidered with a silver thread, weaving swirling designs all over the fabric. It was then that I noticed that the gauntlets were missing from my wrists, it was no wonder why I felt stronger.
"Where are the bracelets?" Thor smirked as he handed me a pair of black, knee-high boots.
"Mother ordered father to have them removed, she used your condition to her advantage."
I laughed, pulling on the boots, "Your mother is a formidable woman."
"Indeed she is."
"I suppose its back to the dungeons then?"
"So long as you do not attempt to escape, and keep control over your powers, you will not have to return to the dungeons."
"I assume that was your mother's doing as well?" Thor nodded. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, looking at the strands as I did. The strands didn't look as dull as before, it was slowly regaining its glow.
He held out a hand to me, "Come. I'd like for you to meet Jane."
"Who's Jane? Your girlfriend?" Thor laughed as he led me out of the room. Suddenly an explosion sounded in the distance.
"What was that?"
"It sounded like the dungeons", Thor said. "Go. Stay out of sight." He moved away from me, summoning his hammer in one swift movement of his hand.
"Make sure he's alright." I moved around him, hurrying down the hall as he left in the opposite direction from me. Another explosion sounded, only this made the palace shake. I began to hear what sounded like battle within different parts of the castle. The first set of doors I came across were locked, so I went further down the hall where I saw a small door, almost hidden from view due to the angle. I ducked inside, closing the door as quietly as possible behind me.
"Rayne?" I whipped my head around as I heard the voice, only to see the Queen herself in the room. She wore a golden gown that shimmered with every movement that she made. Behind her was a pale young woman with brunette colored hair. She wore a pale blue dress, not as extravagant as the one Frigga wore, but more intricate than a maid.
"Queen Frigga", I said in greeting, "Who's this?"
"This is Jane, she is from Midgard."
"Thor's girlfriend?" Jane's face reddened. "I thought that Odin had a rue about Midgardians coming to Earth?"
"She is a special case, like you were."
"You're from Earth?" Jane asked. I nodded. She came closer to me and I felt the energy within me flare up suddenly, crackling to life in my fingers. I could feel some sort of energy emanating from her.
"What is that?"
"She is in possession of the Aether, and the dark elves are hunting for it."
"Aether?"
"Energy." I raised a brow. "Yes, like yours, only dark energy." I stepped towards her, looking at her closely. Her skin wasn't just pale, she looked sickly.
"It's killing you", I said.
Jane nodded, "We can't get it out."
I glanced over at Frigga before turning my attention back to Jane, "May I?" I asked, extending out a hand to her. I could feel the energy within her pulsing wildly, it felt similar to my own energy. If I could draw it from her, then I could absorb it like I had done with the Tesseract. My body could handle the energy, especially more than she could. She nodded, placing her hand in mine. I closed my eyes, letting my energy blaze to life in my hand. A black-red energy seemed to creep from her fingers, swirling around my own energy. More blue energy blazed to life, covering my body, as more energy seeped from Jane. It felt only slightly different from my own, so I continued to draw it into myself. The vision of that desolate rock flashed in my mind, and I dropped Jane's hand, stepping away from her. I felt the dark energy seep into my skin, melding with my own power.
"How do you feel?" I asked her.
"Better, I don't feel weak anymore?"
"It made you feel weak?" I asked, genuine curiosity in my voice.
"You shouldn't have put yourself at risk", Frigga said sternly, scolding me.
"It was killing her, I'm used to having this energy within me. It makes me feel powerful. I got sick when I couldn't access my power."
"I just hope you made the right decision."
My eyes met Jane's, "As far as anyone else is concerned, you're still in possession of the Aether."
Jane nodded, "I understand. Thank you." The energy within me seemed to pulse, but I willed it under my control. It seemed to conform to my own energy, making it easier to control.
We moved away from the doors as they suddenly burst open. A pale creature with white hair and pointed ears came inside, a dark armor covered his body. Frigga moved in front of us, motioning us further back into the room. She made a sword materialize in her grasp, much like I had seen Loki do with his own daggers.
"Stand down, creature, and you may still survive this", Frigga said in an authoritative voice.
"I have survived worse", the elf replied smoothly.
"Who are you?"
"I am Malekith, and I would have what is mine." The creature, Malekith, moved closer and Frigga held her sword out in warning. Suddenly, Frigga lunged at Malekith and struck him across the face with the butt of her sword. He drew his own sword and he struck back, missing her as she dodged. They sparred until, with a flick of her wrist, Malekith was disarmed and Frigga had him pinned to the ground, the tip of her sword nestled at his throat. I yelled out in warning as I saw a large beast come behind her, but the creature knocked the sword from her hand and lifted her into the air. I grabbed her sword from the floor as Malekith picked himself up from the ground.
"Put her down", I said evenly. I urged the energy down, for fear of giving away that I had the Aether. Malekith ignored me and picked up his sword from the floor. I swung at him and my blade met his. He pulled back before swinging again suddenly with much more force. With a twist of his wrist, the sword was out of my grasp and sent skidding across the floor. He swung his sword at me again and I caught his wrist in both of my hands, halting the blade before it could make contact. Malekith pressed harder and I realized how much stronger he was, especially since I was weak from being sick. I was forced down to my knees, visibly struggling to hold the blade back. He suddenly kicked me squarely in the chest and I felt all of the air rush out of my body as I flew backwards into the wall. Dust fell into my face from the cracks in the stone. Malekith went towards Jane, who backed up into a wall.
"You have something of mine, child. Give it back." I tried to get up, but I was still struggling to catch my breath after having it knocked out of my so forcefully. Blue energy crackled in my hands as I summoned it up, thankfully none of the other energy present. I fired a blast of energy towards him, knocking him off his feet and away from Jane. He was seething in anger as he stood up, stalking towards me with dark intent. Before I could move, he plunged his sword downwards as hard as he could. The blade plunged through my leg and into the stone floor. A cry of anguish was wrenched from my throat as blood pooled around my thigh. I tried to pull the blade free by the handle, ignoring the searing pain, but the sword was lodged deeply into the stone. Malekith stalked towards Jane once again, reaching for her, only to have her form completely vanish.
He went towards Frigga, "Witch! Where is the Aether?"
"I'll never tell."
"I believe you", he said as he stabbed the sword into her chest. The last thing I saw was her body crumpling to the floor before my eyes closed, succumbing to the burning pain and blood loss.
I woke in a small room, lying on a table of some sort. I sat up slowly, eyeing the large bandage that was wrapped around my leg. Beside me, Thor was sitting in a small chair. He stood as he realized that I was awake.
"We have to stop doing this", I said with a small chuckle, earning a slight smile from him. I remembered Frigga then, realizing that now was probably not the best time for jokes.
"Where's Jane?" I asked, changing the subject.
"She's safe. For now."
I looked at him with a confused expression, "What do you mean?"
"The dark elves won't stop hunting her until they have the Aether. The sooner we kill Malekith, the sooner she is safe."
"What're you going to do?"
"I'm going to ask Loki for his help in following Malekith to the Dark World, the realm of the Dark Elves."
"You'll be going to the Dark World."
He nodded, "Yes, if Loki agrees to help. It's the only way that I can save Jane."
"I am coming with you. I can help."
He smiled, "I thought you might say that. Let's go talk to Loki." I followed him out of the room, headed towards the dungeons.