Chapter 6

Darcy walked the royal gardens contemplating her betrothal and how she was now of a different mind than she had been when she had first found out about her engagement to Loki. She no longer wanted out of the betrothal like she had at the beginning of the month in fact she was looking forward to getting married. She didn't want to admit it but she was in love with Loki and wanted to be his wife. As she walked she wondered how she was going to resist his advances on her person when she heard a noise behind her. Before she had time to turn to see what it was she was hit from behind and knocked out. When she awoke some time later she found herself in a dark room chained to the wall by both her hands and feet. She was also surrounded by what looked like the creatures that had helped Loki try to take over Midgard. They were tall and lean and their skin looked like tree bark. She silently took in her precarious situation before demanding to be returned to Asgard.

The larger of the creatures who was evidently the leader answered her demands, "I am afraid we cannot do that."

"And why the hell not?" she spat back clearly annoyed.

"Because we now hold something very dear to the Fallen One and he will come to regain it and when he does he will die!" the large being nearly shouted.

"What do you mean you have something the Fallen One holds dear? And who in the world is the Fallen One you speak of, you great oaf?!"

"Ah, I see you do not see your own worth. He will come for you as you are the one he holds dear and when he does he will pay for his betrayal."

Loki. The great buffoon was talking about Loki. Well, she knew that Loki desired her, knew that he would move heaven and earth to see her safe, knew that he would come for her no matter what obstacle lie in his way. She was going to have to convince the creature before her that he was too much a coward to come for her.

"He won't come for me, you know. He is too much a coward beside I am of no importance to him."

"So you do know of whom I was referring to?"

"Yes, and I tell you he will not risk his own neck to save mine."

"I think you are wrong, Sigyn Berensdottir, betrothed of Loki of Asgard, the betrayer I spoke of."

"And I am telling you, you great big unfeeling buffoon, that he is a coward and will not show his face."

At this the tall creature struck her hard effectively knocking her out once more.

Xxx

Frigga and Keeren were in the queens' skyring room looking into the pool hoping to see only happiness in store for their children when an image appeared that frightned both mothers. They looked at each other briefly before both hurried out of the room.

Loki, Thor, Odin, Ronin and Beren were in the throne going over the final wedding preparations, mainly the bride price, when a frantic Frigga burst through the door followed by an equally upset Keeren.

"What is the meaning of this?" Odin demanded of his queen.

Instead of addressing her husband she turned to her youngest son, a look of sorrow crossing her features as she said in a very unsteady voice, "Loki, I am afraid that Lady Sigyn has been kidnapped by those that tried to turn you against us months ago. They want to make you pay for your betrayal of them when you lost the fight with your brother and his Midgardian companions months ago."

As the queen as speaking Loki grew very pale and then turned livid. They had dared to take something that was his! For that slight alone they would pay! Darcy was his in every way but one and the fact that they had stolen her only a week before their wedding was not lost on him. However what he could not understand was how they had gotten past the gatekeeper? Surely Heimdall would have alerted them to any danger. He looked around the room at the faces before him then asked his mother, "How did they get to her?"

"They came in undetected if that is what you are asking. They used an old passage between the worlds. I only just saw it in the pool. They will kill her Loki, if you do not go. But if you do then they will kill you. There is no way out for either of you," Frigga said tears in her eyes.

He stood dumbfounded. So many emotions were racing through him but the topmost emotion was rage.

"Do not fear, Mother, I will return her safely to us," he said, shocking everyone in the room.

Odin looked at the son that had changed so much over the course of the past three weeks and knew that Lady Sigyn had a lot to do with it. He only hoped that they both returned safely to Asgard.

Ronin volunteered to go with Loki to retrieve his sister as did Thor. So, it was decided that the three of them would travel to the Darkness and retrieve her.

Xxx

Loki, Thor and Ronin arrived in the Darkness and were immediately set upon by the Chitiri that remained after the fight on Midgard the year before. The battle that insuded was long and gruesome but they were victorious in the end. They continued on to the small shack in the distance where they were sure they were keeping Darcy captive destroying any and all who got in their way as they went.

When they got to the shack they peared into the window and could barely make out Darcy in chains on the opposite wall. Loki recognized the leader of the Chitiri looming over his betrothed and he grew angry at the sight.

"We need a plan of action," Loki said trying to calm himself.

"I say that since there is only one of them left we go in and surprise him. Ronin and I can take him out, Loki. You need to focus on Darcy and getting her free," Thor said surprising Loki with the plan of attack.

They all nodded and stepped into the room just as Darcy reawakened.

xxx

Darcy once again awoke surrounded by darkness and the foul creature who had dared hit her. She wished she had had her trusty taser on her but she had left the device on Midgard when she had traveled home to Asgard.

"I see that you have awoken."

"Yes, no thanks to you, you brute!" she said sarcastically.

"My apologies, I had not meant to hit you that hard."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not nice to strike a woman?" she spat back at him irritated beyond belief.

The being smirked. As irritating as the young woman was, she had a fighting spirit and a quick wit if not a sharp tongue.

"Besides he wouldn't have betrayed you had you not betrayed him first," she told him as he was turning away from her.

He looked back at her sharply, "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Had you not used that scepter on him in the first place to make him more compliant to your demands he would never have betrayed you. He wanted to rule far too much. To him you were merely the means to an end; a way to get what he truly desired-a throne. He would have eventually made you his slaves just as he had intended to make Earths inhabitants slaves. You would never have won though. The people of earth are far too strong for even the likes of you. Why do you think only five men and one woman were able to defeat the most powerful being in the universe? Really? You seriously thought you had a chance?" she said goading him, as she had already spotted Loki, Thor and her brother in the shadows by the door.

The being raised his hands to strike her once again when a voice he recognized at once stopped him, "I would not do that if I were you."

The large being turned in astonishment and was shocked to see the Fallen One standing there, a smirk plastered on his handsome face, as well as two other brawnier warriors on either side of him.

"YOU!" the being roared in outrage.

Loki looked at the being that had enslaved him months ago and then to the woman who was chained to the wall. He could see a large purple bruise forming on her left cheek and he saw red.

"Yes, me. You took something of great value to me and I want it back," Loki stated as calmly as he could in his seeting anger.

"Then come and get it." The being goaded him, though he noticed that Loki made no move towards the woman.

Thor and Ronin were the first to move and both attacked at the same time with precision while Loki kept a close eye on what was going on. As much as he wanted be more involved in her rescue, he knew he wasn't much of a warrior like the two men that were with him. He anilized the situation and noticed that the chains that held his betrothed bound were enchanted. As he studied the spell that encompassed her bindings, Thor and Ronin dispatched the foul being that had taken her captive. As soon as the commander had been disposed of, all three men were at Darcy's side working to get her free from the chains that bound her. Loki after studying the bindings quickly unraveled the spell the enchanted the chains and freeded her.

At being released from her bonds, Darcy held fast to her brother and wept. The entire ordeal had been very trying for her and one she would prefer never to have to go through again. Drying her tears after a few minutes, she pulled out of her brothers embrace and turned to the man she had known all along would come to her rescue even if she had basically slandered him to the commander they had just decimated right in front of her.

"Loki, you came for me!" she said surprised though she really wasn't. After their talk the week prior she had begun to see her fiancé in a different light and had grown to like him very much.

Loki, who was still angry that she had been taken in the first place, pulled her into a tight embrace and simply held her to him, like he was afraid she would disappear if he let her go again. "Of course I came for you, my darling girl. I wasn't lying when I said that they took something that was of great value to me. You my dear mean a great deal to me and I would go to the ends of the nine realms to see you safe."

"I know," she said knowing that that was the closest she was going to get to a confession of love from the man embracing her. For some reason it made her happy to know that he cared enough to come after her and that he would always see to it that she was safe and happy. He had changed so much from the murderous villain she had known him to be the year before to the man that now held her with such reverence and devotion.

"Can we go home now?" she asked softly into his shoulder only loud enough for him to hear. He smiled at her reference knowing that she had finally stopped fighting their union and excepted her fate.

He nodded and together the four of them returned to Asgard.