For months, that shared stare kept Loki awake at night. How the She-Wolf's eyes held his, how her gaze burned with anger and desperation, but not a flicker of fear. Loki had felt his stomach roll when the soldiers had struck her a second time, knocking her unconscious, only to drag the warrior off to the prisons.
The whole room had shook with the whispers and gossiping council members, but Loki only remembered the promise he made himself. That he would find a way to undo his father's judgment…somehow.
It was easy to sneak about the prisons, the guards never noticed him. His spells were too good for mistakes like that. He had to be careful though. Heimdall's gaze never wandered far from trouble, which was usually where Loki was. Not that that had ever stopped him before. Heimdall would be busy watching over Loki's idiot brother off on another one of his "battles", so this was Loki's opportunity to break in.
Within six months he'd figured out where Kara was being held. But it took several long nights in the library, endless days practicing, and twenty years for Loki to break into her cell. Two decades weren't long for Asgardians, but to the young prince it had felt like eternity.
Cloaked and hooded, Loki walked through the most heavily guarded section of the prisons with ease. He'd grown taller and had inherited his mother's cunning.
His footsteps never made a sound, not even his shadow was seen by a guard.
Upon arriving at the cell, the prince murmured spells under his breath and with a flick of his fingers, the locks and gears of the prison started turning. Slowly, the door opened and Loki stepped inside, excitement and dread pumping through his blood.
He was about to truly meet a hero of Asgard but hadn't the slightest idea about just how he would find her. What kind of condition she would be in. Kara's punishment was something the King had kept only between himself and a handful of soldiers. There were rumours however. Loki swallowed a lump in his throat.
It was the whirring of the locks that woke her first. The ever so light footfalls was what made her rise. Ull was not a light footed man and cared not for her discomfort.
He was the soldier who had been elevated to Captain in Kara's place and he made it his responsibility to carry out the physical punishments she served in the stead of a death sentence. Each month she was visited by Ull and each month she was left bloodied and bruised, thrown back into the cage that sat inside the cell.
Kara sat upright, she couldn't stand in her enclosure. Sighing she spoke, her speech slurred slightly because of the damage done to her mouth "What is to be my punishment today…" she trailed off as she took in the appearance of her visitor. This was not Ull.
"Who are you?" Kara's voice took back her usual commanding tone and she tried to cover as much of herself as she could with the rags that hung from her.
The prince couldn't believe his eyes. His hands shook as Loki closed the unlocked door behind him, blinking hard. The warrior he'd tried to find for so long was in a cage unfit for an animal. The room reeked of blood and filth, a lot of it covering the warrior in front of him. The golden eyed woman fixed her gaze on him, and just as before, not a hint of fear shone in them. Even after all this time, Odin had not yet broken her.
He cleared his throat, willing his voice to steady "I am Loki, and I've brought you this."
From beneath his cloak, Loki pulled out a golden apple. He'd stolen it from Idun's orchard himself, though she'd hardly miss a single apple from her always bountiful crop. The goddess's fruit contained magic that healed and nourished those of immortal blood. And at that moment, it was the closest thing to freedom Loki could offer the She-Wolf.
He offered it to Kara, pushing his hood back so what little light there was illuminated his face. "I'm sorry for what my father has done to you."
The prince? Kara's eyes narrowed, suspicion evident in her expression. How long had she been down here? Had it truly been long enough for the prince to have grown so much? Had it been longer?
Kara tried to remember but failed. She once kept track of the months by each phase of the moon as they shone through a barred window. But after a while, with changes in weather and plenty of nights spent unconscious, she inevitably lost track.
Shifting her weight and tying the rags around her torso, she watched as the hood fell from her visitor's head. Well, it was certainly the prince. But he had indeed grown. Kara couldn't believe how this could possibly be the same little boy she once knew.
The prince held out his gift and Kara eyed it hungrily. It had been days since she'd eaten and just one apple would help along to when she could eat next. The She-Wolf reached out slowly, watching for any signs of malicious intent. Kara took hold of the apple and snapped her arm back into the cage, not once breaking eye contact. The prince jumped at the sudden movement but kept his composure. He was hiding his nerves well, Kara would give him that.
It was when he apologized for the King's actions that she remembered just how she must seem to him. To the outside world. Kara knew what stories were told about her. The She-Wolf gave him a sad smile "Don't be sorry for your father. It isn't your responsibility. I do appreciate you coming here. I haven't been visited by anyone unless they come to beat me. So it's a nice change." Kara gave a small laugh, nonchalant about her torture.
She all but dismissed the prince when she turned her attention to the food in her hands. She turned it over and noticed the tell-tale shine of its skin. Shock spread across her face "This is an apple of Idun." Kara stared at the prince, perhaps truly noticing him for the first time as man rather than a boy "How did you get this? The orchard is guarded."
He watched Kara stare at the apple hungrily, wondering when it was the last time she saw food in this place. He made a mental note to bring more. Loki couldn't believe his father had allowed this, for the finest Captain Asgard had to be degraded in such a way. Even from this distance he could see how her ribs protruded too much, her cheeks too sharp and eye sockets too deep. Yet he found her intimidating and beautiful all the same.
At her question he smiled. "The queen has taught me much of her magic. It wasn't hard to conjure a spell that made me unseen. It's the same one I used to get in here." He cleared his thought. "I came to tell you that others and I are looking for ways to get you out. Many are bitter towards Odin for locking you away like this. You won't be here forever."
He straightened, knowing that he'd have to leave soon to remain undetected. Loki wanted so badly to simply break open her cage and lead her out of this place, but he knew patience always paid off. Even if it meant leaving his childhood hero to rot for a little longer.
"I have to go, is there anything I can bring back for you?"
At the mention of the Queen, Kara's posture sagged. Frigga was the only mother figure she had known. What did she think of Kara now? Would she be disappointed? Angry? She hoped the Queen could see past the lies and see the truth in what Kara had done.
Kara noted Loki's words. He had learned magic. Begun to master it. She felt something she hadn't for a long time. It was pride. The She-Wolf was proud the Prince had taken after his mother, proud that he was following his own path and not the one Asgard's society dictated.
When Loki mentioned freeing her, her attention snapped back to him "Loki, you should know better. The moment you start to plan anything, Odin will know of it. You can't free me before my time is done. Odin must choose to do so, or he will resent me more than he does even now. He will hunt out anyone who helped me and I will never be free." Kara's voice cracked on the her last word and she hadn't realised her voice had gotten so fierce. She looked to the rising moon and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She wanted nothing more than her freedom. Kara was as wild as her namesake and her heart ached, longed to even just see the sky again.
Remembering Loki was with her, her voice became soft "You know you shouldn't return, Loki." When Kara looked into his eyes she could see his resolve. She sighed in defeat "If you can manage it, get your mother to teach you to disguise yourself. If you must return here, only come as a Guard. It will be safer for the both of us. And you can bring me food without questions." Moving, so that she was curled tightly around herself, she started on her apple and fought her stomach when the sweetness touched her tongue. Kara forced it down and kept it there. "If you return, please bring me clothes. Only a shirt and trousers." She took another bite and fought her gag reflex. It had been so long since she'd had food, her body simply wanted to reject it. Kara kept her eyes on Loki, watching and waiting for his resolve to waiver. It didn't.
He gave a short bow and made for the door, Kara savored the light that poured into her cell and called to him "Thank you, Prince Loki."
She wasn't sure that he'd return but his visit was a welcome one. She hadn't spoken to another person for twenty years and in those years had only been shown violence. His visit, whether it would happen again or not, gave her hope. Gave her strength to endure.