OK, I am a little worried about this chapter. I heard about what happened with my dear fellow author Alydia when she did a chapter that people did not like. This is going to be another hard one to read so please, I beg you, me gentle with your reviews. However, tell me how you feel after you read it.

Listen to "Father and Son" from the Tron: Legacy soundtrack. All of the scenes in the chapter will fit to those tunes.

Chapter Eighteen - Breathless

It was near nine in the evening and dinner was spread out across the vast meeting table. At each end was a royal placement setting for the pair that would dining there.

Loki sat with his leg swung over one arm rest that propped up his elbow. It gave his hand easy access to massage his forehead.

However, at the other end of the table, the chair remained empty...and he continued to wait.

Within the royal bed chamber, Jane walked very calmly into the bathroom to address the bath water that was awaiting her.

Her royal finery was out to celebrate her one year of marriage to Loki. She wanted to look her best.

But no makeup would be able to hide the puffiness under her eyes or conceal the redness from the tears that had stained her cheeks.

The mark from where his hand had met her cheek was gone, but it could be there forever for all she cared.

She felt...dirty. She felt unclean, unworthy to be the Queen of Midgard.

The water was warm and she had better get in before it got too cold.

Loki continued to wait as the servants and guards stood in their posts, simply observing him. His hand brushed along his upper lip, swiping back and forth in agitation and thought.

He was beginning to grow frustrated that his wife had not come down from the residence since their confrontation yesterday about her kissing Thor. He had even refused to go into the room and be within the same four walls as her.

His hand still burned from when he had struck her across the face. Hours after it happened, he did feel sorry for what he had done. Maybe his brother had forced himself onto his wife, and he was so angry at the time that he did not care to admit it.

It still hurt that Jane had allowed it to happen.

But this was their one year anniversary dinner. She should have no excuse for missing it.

Yet, her setting remained empty and her food would be getting cold.

"Ashlyn," he called quietly for one of the maids that waiting in attention to be used. The woman arrived and curtseyed to him. "Go to our chambers and tell Lady Jane that I request her down here immediately."

"Yes master," the woman replied and went out the doors to fetch her.

It was a few moments when Ashlyn announced. "My lord, she is not in the royal bedchamber," she replied timidly.

Loki stood up from the chair sharply and went down the hall towards his quarters. It was true, she was not in there. "It is impossible," he berated her. "Jane was under strict forbiddance of leaving the castle."

But indeed, the bed was made and untouched and the room was very quiet. He checked the balcony area and she was not there either.

Perhaps she had snuck out and had traveled to Asgard now. Maybe she had decided to leave him after what had transpired yesterday.

"Call out the guards," he ordered as he returned into the bedroom area.

"Master!" Ashlyn howled from the bathing room.

Loki's heart pulled him from the outside where he found Ashlyn was crying and screaming while pointing to the bath.

They saw that Jane was submerged underwater, pale, and not breathing.

He threw his arms under Jane's body in the cool water and lifted her out of it. "Jane," he cried her name, but she was not responding to him. Her limbs flapped uncontrollably where he did not have a grip on her. Her body was still dressed in long white gown that stuck to her body, a heavy second skin.

Loki shook her head, but it just rocked back and forth. She was not in control of her body.

"Wake up!" he ordered of her, coming the wet strands of her hair back. She would not answer him. "Wake up Jane!"

The guards arrived.

"Fetch a physician!" he howled. "Now!"

One guard left while the others came over to try and revive her.

"How long was she down my lord?" one of them said.

"I do not know," he cried. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to try and revive her," the guard replied and started compressing down on her chest.

He was unaccustomed to the ways that humans healed themselves, but they were forcing air into her mouth and pushing down on her heart; trying to no doubt get it restarted.

Whatever they called it, it was working because Jane coughed up a large pool of water that was trapped in her throat, but that was not all she coughed up.

Some of the fluid was blood.

Why would she have coughed up blood?

However, Jane refused to wake up.

After the physician had finally arrived, Loki stood there watching as the man brought a sheet to cover her body up to her shoulders. She was tucked in very tightly.

He also reached for a device that connected to a mask and harness. It was placed over her tangled hair while the mask was placed over her nose and mouth. Once it was thoroughly secured, the device was switched on and began to provide her with life-giving breath.

"My lord," the doctor was telling him, "I do not understand why she is not responding after coughing up the water and blood. You do not know how long she was under the water?"

"She was unmoving and unresponsive when she was located," Loki told him. "Why the blood?"

"She could possibly have some sort of organ damage due to being under for a great amount of time. Did she do this herself or would someone attempt to drown her to make it look like a suicide?"

"That I answer I cannot provide," he replied. "Is there nothing else you can do?"

"Right now, my lord, I have done what I can," the doctor replied. "I am providing her with pressurized oxygen to make sure that it gets down into lungs to restore what was lost while she was under the water. It could be one day, could be several days. I would only be making a conservative guess right now. We can only take it a day at a time."

The doctor came and put a hand on his shoulder. "I will come back in the morning to check on her," the doctor told him.

"Thank you," he replied quietly.

Loki returned his gaze back to Jane's lying form, taking a seat and holding her chilled and clammy hand in his. Her skin was so damaged from being underwater that her skin could almost be peeled off in sheets.

She would not be this way if he had not struck her last night. If only he had given her a chance to explain herself and the situation, she would not have attempted to kill herself.

Hard to believe for the reason that he originally got with Jane was initially kill her, then it was to torture Thor, but however, the both of them grew to love one another and were married and successful.

They should be in this bed now in throes of passion in celebration of their anniversary. Now she was lying near death and there was nothing that he could do to help it.

This angered him. He was a god after all. Why could he not heal her? Why couldn't his powers save her?

It was all because of his brother. If he had not accosted and kissed her, none of this would have happened. His hands clinched handfuls of the sheet around her and trembled uncontrollably.

"Guard!" he shouted for his private official guard to come to him.

Torston arrived and saluted in his usual way. "My liege."

"Fetch me Nick Fury of SHIELD," he ordered. "You order him to come to me immediately."

"Shall I provide a reason?"

"Tell him I am going to war," Loki added in while his cold eyes stayed locked on Jane.

And as he sat there, tears fell down his cheeks and began to feel a change race throughout his body. Dark entrails seeped into his soul, slowly consuming it to nothing.

Within a couple hours, Commander Nicholas Fury of SHIELD had arrived in his king's castle with Black Widow and Agent Phil Coulson guiding him.

Their counsel Darcy was already there, sitting in a chair at work. The young woman looked up at them when they entered.

"Ms. Lewis," he greeted her.

Fury's eyes were suddenly drawn to an unconscious Jane whose face was covered in a mask to give her air. She looked to be dead or if not, on the verge of it.

Stark was there already at her side.

"You see what he has done," the voice of his king said.

Loki appeared from the balcony. His royal attire had changed dramatically from his usual gold and emerald. The leather vest that covered his body had multiple clips across the front and was adorned in gold and emeralds. He also wore a plain pants to match.

His hair had grown longer and flashed off to the sides of his neck with facial hair beginning to form along his profile.

The look in his eyes was cold and filled with tears of agony.

"Who attacked the queen?" Fury asked. "Was it Doom in retaliation for missing yesterday? I assure you, my lord, he will not..."

"It was not a rebel attack," Loki interrupted him. "It was the one who saved her."

"Thor?" Stark questioned. "How could he..."

"He dishonored her," their king said as he walked across the front of the bed. He turned and faced his wife. His arms spread across the footboard. "He put his hands upon her and kissed her."

"Why?" Widow asked.

"Because he has this delusional fantasy that Jane is under a spell as she is married to me," Loki shouted in anger, whipping around to look at everyone. "He thinks that she is bewitched and assaulted her."

"And according to our charter," Darcy filled in, "an assault on the queen is an assault upon us all."

"Jane is lying on the brink of death because she attempted to kill herself than to live with the shame in her heart," their king informed them. He slowly turned and faced the SHIELD agents. "This I am taking as an act of war upon us all."

Everyone was wondering what they were going to be ordered to do. There had been no wars on Earth since Loki assumed control. Now they were going to declare war on a realm of warriors and gods.

"What will you have us do?" Fury asked.

Loki had been smoothing the sheet over where Jane's foot was propped up. "Gather your Avengers Commander Fury," he spoke with his back to him. "I will follow the proper protocols for declaring war against Asgard, but in the event Thor does not surrender to me, we will attack. Asgard will be burned to the ground for ever calling our realm weak and pathetic. We shall be avenged." He looked to them off to the side with a staring, cold glare.

"As you wish," Fury replied, bowed, and left the chambers.

Loki returned his gaze back to Jane who was still unmoving from where she was. He probably knew that he should accuse Thor of murder and not of driving Jane to suicide. The people would call for war in a heartbeat. However, that was not what a king does. Tell the truth and the people will fall in line.

"Do not worry my love," he told her. "For you shall be avenged. Our Avengers will bring back Thor's head on a spike for you to see. You will not be dishonored again."

"Here is the mandate," Darcy told him. "Shall it be dispatched?"

Loki looked to it. "I approve," he answered. "Send our messenger with it immediately."

"Yes my king," she replied. She put an arm on his forearm, a kindly gesture. "She'll pull through, I know she will." And she left while rolling up the parchment.

"I pray you are right Darcy," he whispered. "I pray you are right."

Loki followed the protocols. As king, he felt it unfair if he declared war on another realm without just cause and without the backing of his people. He called a meeting of all the politico officials of the United Nations.

Many cried out for the blood of the Asgardians.

Some were reluctant to declare such an event, but folded under pressure and understanding.

In a vote of 175 to 10 to 5, Loki had his backing.

He also could not help but notice how many soldiers had signed up to join the invasion force. Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, was placed into control of the new recruiting class and America's forces.

Fury gathered in all the captains and generals of the various battle groups to discuss how they would attack Asgard.

Leaders from Jotunheim, Muspelheim, and Svartalfaheim arrived on Earth to work with the humans on a battle plan. They also would be supplying their weapons and manpower; to say the least.

It was perfect plan.

Loki ensured that Commander Fury and the rest of the Avengers were doing well as he stayed close to Jane who seemed be deteriorating and not getting better. Her heart seemed to be slowing day-by-day. Doctors came in, but most were telling him that the machines were keeping her alive.

One even said that it would be merciful to let her go. However, Loki could not bring himself to do it. He would hold onto her until after this war ended and then consider releasing her from her mortal prison.

How he longed for combat. To hopefully have the blood of his brother on his hands. It would be the only comfort that would soothe his savage nature now.

But the king was assured that his troops would be ready while he tended to Jane. After the servants had bathed and washed her in their bed, Loki sat at her side, using her hairbrush to smooth her wet strands. It was very therapeutic to remind him why he was about to do what he was going to do.

Loki got up and left his wife alone while he went to check on the preparations.

Darcy met him in the hallway on his way to the briefing chambers. "Master, here is what you asked for. It is written to the highest quality with all your refinements and gives your declaring of combat."

"Excellent," he replied. "See to it that Widow receives this and travels to Asgard with you. I want him to respond and you are not to leave without his reply."

"Me my king?" she asked. "Frankly, and I mean no offense, but I am worried about presenting this in a way that will be taken with all seriousness."

"Darcy," he replied, putting his hands on her shoulders, "Jane and I have the ultimate faith in you. You go and deliver this declaration for me." And he returned to his former task of walking to the briefing chamber.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! ::ducks flying debris from computer screen:: I promise that it is not over yet. You have to see what happens. Please review!