"Arise, Annerledes!" Jennie sang into Christie's ear. Too close for comfort, but what else was new?
"Ohhhh please leave me alone Jen," Christie grumbled into the soft pillow she had buried her face into.
"But today is The Coronation! You must get up so that we can do your hair in time - we are already running terribly late!" Delilah reminded her from the corner of Sif's guest room, brushing her shoulder length jet black locks.
"Wait, today's the actual day? Sh*t," Christie mumbled, immediately throwing the duvet off and heaving herself out of bed. She had to be prepared for the worst and she knew it. Today could be the day that her entire cover was blown if anything went wrong.
"Finally! Hurry," Renesme rushed her as she tugged her out of bed.
"Part of me doesn't even wanna go anymore," Christie suddenly admitted, now remembering Sif's words the night before and feeling completely sick to her stomach. This was entire ordeal was rapidly becoming increasingly uncomfortable for her.
"Listen Annerledes, regardless of what Sif said - you mustn't let it deter you from your duties," Delilah advised, finally putting down her hairbrush to give her full attention.
"Wait. How do you know what Sif said?" Christie frowned as she padded over to the stone based shower.
"We listened in of course," Renesme beamed shamelessly.
"REN!" Jennie groaned, throwing her head back and stamping her foot whilst Delilah released an irritated sigh.
"WHAT?" Renesme frowned back. Christie smirked to herself in the shower as she lathered her body with the bar of soap provided.
These girls were nuts, but she was thankful to have them around.
Christie entered the giant hall that held thousands of Asgardians, looking beautiful as usual. The buzz surrounding her was electric, but she couldn't seem to care - she wanted to see Loki to settle her nerves a little. But she spotted him on the far side of the hall soon enough, and made a beeline for him through the crowds so that she could tap him on the shoulder. He spun around and gave her a grin of in relief. "There you are!" He gave her a tight hug, burying his face into her neck in comfort. As soon as Christie was back in his embrace, it was like she immediately forgot about everything that Sif had told her last night. Heck, it was like she forgot about the mission brief completely.
She was just relieved to be in his arms again.
"I…I missed you," she whispered into his ear, just as the announcement trumpets blasted off above them.
"I missed you too," Loki muttered, softly kissing her temple before releasing her and standing up straight to watch Thor enter the hall. Christie watched him wave and wink at everyone, obviously relishing in the moment; he caught her eye across the hall too. He threw a special wink directly to Christie herself, and she gave him a small amused smiled back. Loki frowned slightly at their actions but managed to cover up his disapproval before it was too obvious. Thor began to proclaim his vows over the tense silence of the eagerly awaiting audience, but as soon as Odin was ready to coronate him...he gained a sudden unreadable look in eyes, and opened his mouth to mutter those much feared words,
"Frost Giants."
Immediately, every single person in the grand hall fell into mass hysteria and attempted to find the nearest exit, carelessly scrambling over one another in pure panic, almost crushing each other in the process. Thor, Sif and the Warriors Three immediately looked to Odin and Frigga, awaiting further instructions.
"Take Annerledes and the girls to the hideout room, IMMEDIATELY!" Frigga yelled to Jennie over the massive roars of terror of fear filling the air. Christie's eyes darted around her in confusion, and it was only then that she noticed Loki had already gone. She was reluctant to leave until she knew that he was safe - particularly after remembering how adamant he seemed to be to demand answers from the Frost Giants before.
"Come, Annerledes, we must go NOW!" Jennie screeched, yanking Christie's arms to pull her through the bustling crowds and snapping her out of her daze.
"Where's Loki?" Christie asked quietly, more to herself than anyone else. But Jennie didn't hear her over the noise, and she just continued to lead her to Delilah and Renesme waiting impatiently in the entrance of the hall so that they could all began to run to safety.
"I'm here, my love," Loki suddenly spoke directly into Christie's head. Such a bizarre feeling. "Go with the girls. I'll be back when I can." Comforting words - yet for some odd reason, Christie suddenly caught an awful feeling that Loki was somewhat linked to whatever was going on...and that Sif's mother's predictions may have been more accurate than she thought.
Was it time to wrap this up?
"Everyone get in here, quickly!" Jennie shouted, opening the dusty door leading into the basement of the palace. Christie, Delilah and Renesme filed in quickly, scurrying down the staircase and into a tiny room holding two soft sofas, a tiny kitchen, a toilet and basin. That was all that stood in the dimly lit room. Nothing else. Jennie shut and bolted the door behind her before finally walking down the small staircase too, wringing her hands together anxiously.
"So, this is where we have to stay until further notice?" Renesme groaned, slamming herself into one of the sofas and throwing her head back dramatically.
"Yes, until the guards come to tell us that everything is clear. The last time the Frost Giants attacked Asgard, I was much younger. I had to stay here with the other serving girls for three weeks. It was scary at first but it's so comfy in here, so it soon felt like home. At least we have each other," Jennie smiled, turning on another little light which lit up a little more of the room. There was a small silence as the girls took in their surroundings, hearts still racing dangerously from when they ran.
"I have never seen such panic in Odin and Frigga's faces before," Delilah was the first to break the silence, kicking off her shoes and sitting next to Renesme with her legs tucked under her bum.
"Neither had I, not even since the last Frost Giant Attack," Jennie mumbled as she walked to the kitchen to check what food they had.
"That was truly awful," Renesme grumbled.
"Right, all we have is deer or boar, can't really tell - eggs, cheese, peppers and bread," Jennie announced, rummaging through the mini pantry. "Also, some spices, milk and water. I will start on dinner because I am starving."
"I'll help," Delilah offered with a risen hand. She heaved herself off the sofa and walked over to Jennie whilst rolling up her sleeves. Whilst they got started, Christie was clearly still shaken. She kept herself quiet as she settled herself on the free sofa opposite Renesme. Her head was pounding. It was too much-
"I think Loki has something to do with this," she suddenly mumbled, more to herself than the others. Jennie and Delilah stopped cluttering around with the pots and Renesme blinked over at her in fear.
"What?" Jennie frowned. "That's a hefty claim to make, Annerledes. What…what makes you think that?"
"If it's anything that Sif said, those strange 'fortune tellers of Asgard' are not always accurate. You cannot believe everything they say, trust me," Delilah tutted irritably as she got to cracking a few eggs into a ceramic bowl.
"Oh that's so true," Renesme agreed with a hum, releasing her long red locks and massaging her scalp. "Terribly untrustworthy."
"No, it's not just what Sif said. I can physically see it in him," Christie broke it down to them slowly. "Like when I said hello to him today, he was the Loki that I know. But when I saw his reaction to the Frost Giants turning up, I just felt weird. Even when Thor was walking in at the start of the ceremony, he winked at me but then I felt Loki go really rigid and stiff around me. That's not like him, Thor's always been the cheeky type, so why is Loki behaving like it's an issue now?" The girls fell silent for a good few moments.
"Maybe…maybe this is paranoia-" Jennie suggested, looking a little uncomfortable.
"Yes, perhaps it's all in the mind-" Renesme added in as she nibbled her lip anxiously.
"No, it's not," Delilah interrupted her with a wince. The girls turned their heads to look at her so quickly their necks almost clicked.
"What do you mean 'it's not'?" Jennie snapped.
"I was observing Loki as well, just to keep an eye on everything. No offence Annerledes but I do not trust him because I never have," Delilah began, briskly whisking egg and grated cheese together whilst she spoke. "And just before Thor was crowned, Loki's eyes went strange and he looked up into the sky as if he was expecting something to happen. Then when Odin said those words, Loki's eyes shifted. Whether it was joy or anger I know not for certain, but it was like..."
"He was expecting it because he planned it himself," Christie finished with a heavy sigh.
"Or…" Delilah continued on, leading Christie to frown at her.
"'Or'...?" Renesme whispered in horror.
"He knew but never intended for it to be carried out like that. Perhaps that was not the plan," Delilah finished, dragging her knuckles her forehead. The girls glanced at each other, the chills running through them.
But nobody was uneasy as Christie.
"I mean...I'm sure there's a logical reason to all of this," Renesme hummed. Suddenly, Jennie dropped the pan she was holding and rushed to the other side of the room, prising away a stone slab in the wall. Christie could barely breathe steadily. The last thing she wanted to do was rush back to Earth to warn people of Loki. She didn't want to have to 'put him down' either - but the mission came first…did it not? But would he do anything dangerous? If so…for what? Was she even safe…or was she overreacting?
Through her misty eyes, she stole a glance over at Jennie who was now sitting on the carpet between the two sofas, whilst placing a dusty cream leather-bound book on the floor, the hefty thud bouncing against the walls of the room. Delilah slid the food she had prepared into a steel pot to cook on the fire before joining her on the floor, whilst Renesme peered at the book over Jennie's shoulder in curiosity from her place on the sofa.
"What's that?" Christie croaked out, trying her best not to have a panic attack in front of them. Composure was certainly key but she was clearly running out of it.
"This, this is the book that Sif's mother gave her when she was a child. I remember the first time I hid out here, I found it read it before bed every night. It's a 'mystic book' that a group of seers and fortune tellers wrote, based on their predictions on people of power in Asgard, and it updates itself occasionally without them having to touch it, as long as they're alive," Jennie explained as she roughly flicked through the thick dusty pages. Christie had so many questions and sceptical points, but she was too on edge to challenge Asgardian magic right now.
"Ah. So you're looking for Loki's name?" Renesme groaned, diverting her eyes from the book and squeezing them shut. "I don't think I need to know anymore to be honest, I'm already disturbed by the man. Again, no offence Annerledes."
"Personally, I think it's best to know…but only if you want to hear it, Annerledes? He is your partner after all," Delilah checked tentatively. Christie shot her a reluctant nod, unable to think of any words at that moment but appreciating her hesitance.
"J...K...L! Loki, here," Jennie muttered, stabbing her finger on the page. "There's not a lot about him, though. It clearly hasn't been updated recently."
"Just read out what it says," Christie muttered, her mind still racing.
"It says... bear with me, I'm translating this word for word: 'He shall start an honest man, shaken from his past, but with help, shall become pure. But let it be known, darkness crosses his heart and prevents a lifetime of happiness. Bitterness controls his mind, a thirst for power runs through his blue veins and greed will cloud his judgement. Thirst from a greater power possess him. The one closest to him must rid him it. An untrustworthy, lost soul. His destiny will never change, for IT IS WRITTEN.'" Jennie gulped and closed the book, a small cloud of dust emerging from the pages as she did so. Delilah looked as if she wished she had never suggested that the paragraph was read out, and Renesme began to shiver, nervously scratching her arm.
But no one, not one person, was as rocked and as shaken as Christie herself.
He was the threat. Now she really had her proof.
But did she run back to Earth, or neutralise him?