Good King Wenceslas looked out, On the Loki of Stephen

Day 5

Loki woke up to a slap to his face, he had somehow managed to move much closer to Mysma and his body was directly against his back. They were a very similar position they had been in the night before, he felt her hand slap against his again. He snapped then and there, he grabbed the free hand with his and pinned her down, moving himself to hover over her. She looks up at him with a still face, she wasn't expecting him to do that.

"I am your prince and the rightful heir of the Jotun throne, your king and you will treat me as such. I have tried to be nice to you, I have tried to compliment you and be kind, but you only push me away. Why?"

"Everyone that was born on Jotunheim hates you!" She shouted in his face, her eyes began to water. "You weren't punished properly for your crimes against my people. My family was killed by your insolent ways years ago when you attempted to take the throne from Odin and try to destroy my home. I will never forgive you for that. I would rather die than have to live the remainder of my favorite holiday having to be with you." Her head fell back into the pillow and she appeared exhausted for a moment, a few cold tears pouring from her eyes and Loki felt guilty. He knew what he had done in his greed for power and tyrant of both earth and Asgard... But he never thought of how much it would have an impact on those around him because it was always about him. Loki knew he was a selfish and egotistical man and he hated himself in some ways for it. He had no race at this moment, many Asgardians hated him and the Jotuns despised him even more. He flipped over so he was off of her again and she turned slightly so her face was buried in the pillow.

"I know how to fix this." He muttered, he was thinking irrationally and out of impulse, but he couldn't stand having her go through so much pain when she was near him. "I'll cut my finger off." She stopped sobbing and looked over at him, she wiped her tears away with her free hand. Their eyes met and it seemed as if they were looking at each other in a different way. "I can't stand seeing you in so much pain. I use to think there was a way I could get you to like me, but now I know there isn't. You will never love me."

"So it's like t-that..." Her voice cracked slightly. "You are gonna cut off your ring finger for me?"

"Yes..." He gulped. "I won't ever need it. No one wants to marry a man like me anyways, with a past so violent and cruel." She just stared at him, he looked back up at the ceiling.

"We'll go to the dining hall and get a knife and that's how we'll do it. Or we can just use your dagger, get it off as quickly as possibly."

"But what about your finger, won't the bond still-"

"It should end as soon as the participant is gone, it won't be that bad."

"Won't be that bad? No." She sat up and shook her head. "You don't have to do that. I can handle these next few days."

"These next few days looking at the face of a killer?" Loki sat up, bringing her with him to his side of the bed to sit beside him. "Where is your dagger?"

"You mean right now?"

"Yes right now." She slowed crouched down beside the bed and reached under it pulling out a thin box, she opened it and pulled out the dagger, holding it tightly in her hands. She was staring at it hesitantly, Loki reached his hand out to take it from her.

"You are serious?" He didn't know why she wasn't completely open to the idea, especially after nearly freezing his insides out yesterday and her constant threats made him believe she wanted him dead. Now he knew she really did.

"Serious as can be." He stood up and walked over to the wall beside the bed. Her hand was brought with his as he placed his against the wall flatly and put the dagger against his ring finger just before the knife. He was ready to press down, but felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at her. She wasn't looking at him like she would before, she was looking at him with softened features and utter deference.

"Don't, please." He could see that she was afraid, but he didn't know why. Did she not trust his knowledge in magic? What was it? She hated him.

"Why not?"

"Because... I-If it doesn't work..." She was lying.

"I'm the god of lies, you will have to do better than that." Her eyes looked everywhere as if trying to avoid his then they finally fell to the floor.

"Your mother won't-"

"Stop lying." He interrupted again, he could read her better than he ever could in this moment. It was like she was an open book and he could read everything. He was growing slightly annoyed however, he was sure this would work and she wasn't being cooperative.

"I just, don't want you to..."

"Yes?" He leaned forward closer.

"I don't want you to g-" The door was opened and Sif walked in, she seemed to have a tendency to enter without knocking.

"Um... Uh... Odin calls for you Mysma." She then turned and left, Loki dropped the knife and grabbed Mysma's cheeks so she would look at him. Her hand was brought up to her cheek with his, his thumbs wiping the straggling tears away.

"Tell me your name." He asked softly, she shook her head.

"It's a sacred name."

"Then what's your rank?"

"Five."


Loki wasn't sure if what had occurred today was a turning point in their relationship, but Mysma seemed less distant from him as they made their way to the throne room. When they entered he noticed that Mysma seemed less confident and defiant as her usual self. They stopped before the throne and she bowed, they held hands to make it seemed like it wasn't the rings that were connected.

"You called my king." Frigga wasn't sitting in the throne beside him, smiling at the two of them which slightly broke the tension that Mysma was feeling.

"There have been rumors going around that Loki and you are engaged. Is this true?"

"Actually-"

"Yes, we are engaged father." Loki interrupted her again, she fumed yanking her hand out his, the ring drew them back together.

"That is not the truth. An old woman gave us these rings and somehow they have create a bond that won't separate until the end of Yule."

"I see. They are mariment rings from the realm Alfheim made by the elves. When an elf came of age to mate they were given a ring and that ring would bond with their true lover's when they came face to face with them." Mysma shook her head.

"T-That's impossible. I don't love Loki." Loki tried to withhold his look of pain.

"It's not about whether or not you love him, it's about whether or not the ring thinks you are his lover and supposedly he is. So I have arranged for your marriage to be in three days."

"What?!"

"It is only appropriate. You both can't continue to sleep in the same bed and bathe in the same bath without being properly married."

"This is a disgrace. You can't just..." She trials off at a realization. "You've known. Were you a part of this. How do you know?"

"I see everything, Mysma. You don't think your king would recognize the unusual when he hears about it. You both hated each other days ago."

"How are we supposed to marry? You can't expect me to marry a man I don't have any feelings for."

"Perhaps you don't know what you feel for him." She shut her mouth tight, Loki could literally see the mental debate she was having herself.

"May we be dismissed my King?"

"Yes you may, but before you leave you both should know to meet Queen Frigga tomorrow morning to discuss this further."

"Yes sir." She turned and left, Loki getting use to having no choice, but to follow. The moment they left, he grabbed her hand with his connected one and stopped her. She didn't looked up at him, he knew they were only going to the library, because she always went to the library.

"We have to find this woman..." She spoke. "The woman that did this and we have to kill her."

"Do you hate me so much?"

"I'm angry..." She looked up into his eyes. "I don't want to marry you because I am not marrying you by choice. I don't understand the meaning of this, why would Odin care if we are with each other or not?"

"It's all about appearance, he never went to me for years because he thought the people would regard him as a foolish King, condoning my actions. He doesn't want people to think that his son is a whore." She could hear how his tone went darker every word he spoke and she felt his pain. She still hated him, but was seeing Loki in a knew light now, he wasn't just a monster anymore. He was a monster with feelings and monsters didn't really have feelings.

"I'm going to the library."

"I know..."

"Then let's go together." She grabbed his hand and didn't look at him again until they made it to the library. The rest of the day was a bit more quiet than the day before, but this time it was better... Somehow it was better.