So here it is! Finally! Chapter Eighteen! Enjoy!
Keep the comments coming
Loki followed behind the group as they made their way back to the palace. He could see Ellie walking up ahead surrounded by many warriors. Seeing this made him think that Odin must have known who Ellie was. When they had left the palace the guards surrounded her and when they returned it was the same. They were protecting her, the woman he loved.
As the group moved into the palace Loki stopped just outside and watched them make their way to the throne room. He was furious and he knew he needed to take a few moments to clear his mind. Odin always seemed to be keeping secrets from him and now Ellie did not share what she knew of herself. Did everyone still look at him as the spoiled child who grew into a bitter, power hungry adult? Loki felt he had changed. He felt that Ellie had made him into a better man. Now he would stop and consider what Ellie would think before he would say or do something that he would have previously reacted to like a spoiled child.
Loki paced back and forth in front of the palace doors like a caged animal. The thought of everyone still lying to him made the anger and the hurt start to build up inside his chest. His family had lied to him his entire life about who he truly was. Then after what he had done, his family had brought Ellie to Asgard to…..what? Calm him? Tame him? What? He fell in love with her wholeheartedly. He loved everything about her. The way she moved, the way she smelled, the way she cared for everyone more than herself. Now she lied to him as well.
Loki needed answers. Turning on his heels he entered the palace and headed straight to the throne room.
….
Odin sat on the throne while everyone stood around discussing options on how to deal with the Frost Giants. He listened patiently to all the options and weighed them heavily, but in the end he knew how this scenario played out. Loki would never allow anything to happen to Ellie and Ellie would not want anyone to get hurt due to her. Even though he could see what was coming, Odin could do nothing to change it. The outcome was inevitable.
….
Ellie stood quietly to the side of Odin's throne. The soldiers were taking turns voicing their opinions on battle strategy. Ellie envisioned the battle in her mind and knew that many of them would be injured or even killed. She realized they would all be doing it for her. To protect her. The weight on her shoulders started to become heavier.
Ellie looked up as Loki walked into the throne room. He did not say a word but strode purposefully towards the dais. Ellie watched as the men quickly parted to make room for Loki to pass. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs directly in front of Odin. For a moment he just stood and stared. The look on his face frightened Ellie. She could see how angry he was and knew this was all her fault for not opening her mouth and telling him. All the possibilities of what would come next frightened her the most because she had never witnessed Loki's anger.
"Speak my son," Odin said plainly.
Loki squared his shoulders. "Why have I been lied to once again?"
"Why do you think you have been lied to?" Odin asked.
"Do not answer me with a question!" Loki bellowed, making Ellie jump. "It is obvious that there is more going on than I know about. I want answers and I do not want any more lies!"
"No one has lied to you my son. Just not all the information has been revealed to you yet." Odin replied calmly.
"Yet?! Whose decision would it be then, to decide when it would be the proper time?!" Loki yelled louder, taking a step up the stairs.
"Calm down Loki…." Odin started.
"Do not tell me to calm down! Who?!" Loki took another step as his rage became more evident.
Ellie's skin prickled as she felt his magic pulsate through the room. His blue grey eyes turned black like a thunderstorm.
"When the realization was made about Ellie's true parentage, the decision was left to her," Odin said motioning towards Ellie. "It is her decision to whom she tells her secret."
Loki turned his storm filled eyes towards Ellie. Ellie took a wobbly step back. The look on Loki's face was haunting. A mixture between rage and hurt.
Loki took a few more steps. "So, who are you?"
"I'm not sure who I am anymore," Ellie whispered.
"You seem to be someone of great importance if the Frost Giants want to possess you," Loki said, not taking his eyes off of her. "Who are you supposed to be?"
"Odin seems to think that I am the lost queen of Alfheim," Ellie replied quietly.
Loki stood at the top of the stairs and stared at her. He looked so angry but this realization gave him pause. It took a moment before he continued. "So you could not share this with me."
"I couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that I wasn't who I always thought I was," Ellie said lowering her eyes. "I didn't know how to tell you."
Loki strode towards Ellie, but the look on his face made Ellie take a few hurried steps back. The flash of fear in her eyes when she recoiled from him made him stop dead in his tracks. Unsure of what he should do, Loki watched her from a few feet away. It seemed as though the weight of the world pressed heavily on her shoulders.
"You could have told me," He grumbled.
"I was afraid of how you would react," Ellie said trying to stand a little taller.
"Why would you be afraid?" Loki asked confused.
"I wasn't sure if you would look at me the same way anymore," she said looking up into his face.
"How would I look at you differently?"
"Knowing now that I am a queen would rekindle some old tendencies," Ellie calmly stated.
Loki took a step back as though she had punched him square in the stomach. He stared at Ellie for a moment and then without another word he turned and left the throne room.
Ellie's body deflated as she watched Loki walk away from her. She could not believe the words that came out of her mouth. They were the truth, but she wasn't prepared for the deep look of despair that was hidden under the anger. Those words had hurt him to the core. Ellie's guts twisted painfully. What had she done?
All eyes in the room were on Ellie. The embarrassment creeped up from her feet and settled bright red in her face. She looked over at Odin who sat regally on his throne. The room was so quiet that she could have heard a pin drop. Not knowing what else to do, Ellie stood as straight as she could, bowed to Odin and left the throne room.
…
Thor had watched the entire exchange without saying a word. The anger on Loki's face changed from rage to hurt to sadness. After Loki left the room, Thor saw the deep regret on Ellie's face. Once Ellie left the room everyone slowly went back to discussing their options. Thor's mind was not on battle plans. He kept thinking about Loki.
Thor looked at Odin and said, "I must go find my brother."
Odin nodded and Thor went in search of Loki. He meandered through the castle trying to find where his brother might have gone. After not finding him in the usual places, he thought of the one place he himself would go if he was as upset as Loki.
Thor walked out in the training yard and found Loki doing battle with the training dummies. Loki was throwing knives and punches at the fake soldiers with an occasional burst of magic. Thor stood quietly in the doorway watching his brother move about with purpose. Loki grew more forceful with every strike he made. The bursts of magic became more frequent and finally Loki stood still with his hands at his sides conjuring all the magic he had. A mixture of green and purple tendrils started to jump and tangle out from his hands. Thor could feel the tension from where he stood and then Loki threw his head back with a heart wrenching roar and the magic burst like an explosion from his hands. Thor threw himself to the ground. When the dust cleared he could see his brother standing amidst the charred remains of the training dummies. Loki stood with his head hanging low.
Rising back to his feet, Thor brushed the dust off of his clothing. "Do you feel better now brother?"
Loki whipped around and glared at Thor. "I wish to be left alone."
"I think right now is a time when you should not be left alone," Thor stepped into the yard.
"Why? Do you think I will go and do something unwarranted?" Loki said with a sneer.
"No. I would just think that right now you need a friend," Thor answered as he walked to his brother's side.
"Ha! I seem to have no friends. No one trusts me. Not even the woman I thought I loved." Loki laughed and turned to kick a chunk of charred dummy.
"I am your brother, Loki, and a friend."
"You knew Ellie's secret. Everyone knew Ellie's secret except for me," Loki said angrily.
"No brother, only our father and Ellie knew."
"Well then why was she surrounded by all the guards? They must have known who she was to treat her in such a way," Loki glared.
"They treat her that way because they respect her. Ellie fought the Frost Giants in the vault and she protected our mother and Jane. They know what a brave young woman she is and they would give their lives for her," Thor said respectfully.
"I should be the one to protect her," Loki grumbled. "I should be the one she confides in with her secrets. Yet she could not tell me! She does not trust me after all that we have shared!"
"Imagine this from her point of view Loki. Ellie is in a world she does not understand and then comes to find out she now has to rule over people she never knew existed. I would believe that she is very overwhelmed. Just the fact that she now possesses extreme powers would be disconcerting on its own."
"I would have helped her! I could have shown her all would be alright!" Loki yelled. "She would not trust me."
"How did you feel when father first admitted where you came from?" Thor asked.
Loki stepped back and looked to the ground. He remembered how hurt he felt that his family had been lying to him all of his life. Since childhood he always felt a little out of step from everyone else, but they all loved him just the same. Ellie had been loved by her mother, but after she lost her, her father treated her with disdain. She had grown up in a difficult situation, but had managed to come out with a good sense of dignity. Loki supposed that after learning this new information, Ellie must have lost her sense of direction.
Loki was starting to feel better, but he was still angry with her for not confiding in him about her new found past. "Why could she not tell me?"
"Well brother, Ellie is the only one that can answer that question."
…..
After Ellie left the throne room she had no clue where to go. She couldn't go back to Loki's chambers. The hurt and anger on his face was proof enough that he would not want to see her there. The room that she had before was occupied by a rather large family. Yet Ellie thought that she would not want to go there either. That room had too many memories for her. It was the place that she and Loki had shared so much of each other. Those memories would only make the pain in her guts worse. She wanted to be alone and her only option was the gardens. Everyone would be in the palace and she could hopefully find some peace outside.
Ellie meandered through the gardens running her hands through the foliage just trying to forget the ache. She tried to keep her mind blank when she found herself by the fountain. Ellie slowly circled around it, looking at the beautiful fish, rocks and plants that filled the water. Finally she sat and the fish gathered in the water beneath her. She attempted a smile as the fish kept breaching the surface looking for food. An image of Loki came to mind and she turned to look at the path. Empty. Ellie broke down into tears. She felt like it was only yesterday when this was the place that she first broke Loki's heart. This is where she had told him that there was nothing to keep her in Asgard.
Her body slid to the ground and her body began to shake with sobs. Not since her mother died did she feel so alone. Ellie curled up into a ball and cried herself into oblivion. She didn't know how long she lay there, but at some point arms wrapped around her and she was carried away from the fountain. Her eyes were so heavy that she could not have opened them if she tried. So instead of fighting her body, she curled up and pressed her face into the warm chest and let the oblivion claim her once again.
….
"It is settled then. We will fight the Frost Giants," Odin stated loudly. "Have all our men returned from the other realms?"
"Yes, Father," Thor replied.
"Have we heard from our allies?"
"No, Father. We have not received any replies."
"Well we are on our own then," Odin said as he stood from his throne. "Tonight we will feast and spend what time we have with our loved ones for in the morning we will battle the Frost Giants."
"For Asgard!" the warriors yelled.
Thor looked to his father knowing that this battle would be hard to win. Their only hope was that the Frost Giants numbers had been depleted as much as they thought.
…
Loki was left with a lot to think about after his conversation with Thor. His brother had been right. He began to understand how Ellie might have felt after learning her whole life was about to change in a very drastic way. Deep down he knew that she loved him and had been ready to uproot her life and stay with him, but now she would have to rule over a race of people that she was unfamiliar with. They were not much different from the people of Asgard, yet their ways were different from what she grew up with.
Loki surveyed the damage he had caused in the training yard. Ash and char covered everything, even himself. He kicked the charred remains of one of the training dummies heads and then made his way back to his chambers. As he moved through the palace people gave him wary looks. He had to look awful. Children giggled and parents gave him a wide berth. Once he reached his room Loki stripped and bathed himself, trying to wash away the anger.
When he was finally dressed, he was not sure what he should do. He wanted to wait for Ellie yet he was still angry with her. Glancing over at the bed, he pictured her and how they had been there not a few short hours ago. Ellie's face, as she tried to concentrate on using her magic, was truly a sight to behold. She looked regal. She looked beautiful. She did not trust him. Aaaaah! Loki needed to get his mind off Ellie. He turned from the bed and stormed out of the room.
Loki was still angry with Odin as well, but knew that he needed to find out what the strategy was for going up against the Frost Giants. He slowly made his way back through the palace to find his father. The anger sat like a rock in the pit of his stomach so he breathed deeply because he did not want to start an argument with Odin. In the end, the goal was still about protecting Ellie.
Odin was standing out on the veranda talking with Anson when Loki found him. As he approached, Anson bowed to his king and left them alone. Odin knew how upset Loki was so he waited for his son to start the conversation.
Loki's hands gripped the stone wall and he stared out over the gardens. Finally Loki felt like he could speak. "What is the plan Father?"
"Well, my son, we will march out and face the giants head on. Ellie is too important for them to take possession of."
"Where will Ellie be? I know she will not want to sit behind and let people fight for her." Loki stated flatly.
"She must be left behind. We cannot take the chance that the giants would get near her."
"She will fight you on this," Loki practically laughed. "Ellie will need to be tied down."
"Ellie must be made to understand, Loki. You must speak with her."
"How can I make her understand if I do not even understand?" Loki pushed away from the wall.
"I know you are upset, but right now we need to focus on the battle ahead. Hopefully we will survive tomorrow and you will be able to make amends," Odin placed his hand on Loki's shoulder.
"She does not trust me enough to share her secrets. How can I make amends when I am not sure of her love for me?" Loki asked sounding disheartened. "Ellie made it clear that she could not trust my feelings for her once I knew she was queen. Given my past, how can I trust myself?"
"You have changed a great deal, my son, since you met her. Have faith in the destined." Odin patted Loki's back and walked back into the palace.
Loki stared after the All Father. Odin always seemed to know what to say, but could be so cryptic at times. He tried to understand what his father had said, but in the end, he shook his head. Make amends. Loki thought he might as well try now. If he could talk with Ellie maybe he would understand how she felt. He did not want to be angry with her any more, but the rock in the pit of his stomach persisted.
Loki looked out at the gardens. All the flowers were in full bloom and the scent was overpowering. He decided to go back to his chambers. Loki made his way back through the palace and deliberately took his time. He hoped Ellie was there so they could have a chance to talk, but he was also filled with a feeling of dread. If she was there, he thought she might admit to him that she did not love him anymore. There was no way he could handle such words.
Loki finally reached his chambers. He stopped and took a deep breath before opening the doors. Ellie was lying on the bed. Quietly he walked over and could see by her slow steady breaths that she was in a deep sleep. Her hair was a mess and she had dirt on her face that was streaked by tears. With his hand, he moved a few strands of hair from her face. Even in sleep she looked stressed. The rock in the pit of his stomach rolled. He needed answers from her, but decided to let her rest. Stripping off his coat and boots, he slid into bed next to her. Loki reached over and stroked her cheek which caused some of the stress lines to smooth out from her face. Ellie cuddled into the bed and moaned what sounded like his name. Loki smiled and closed his eyes.
….
When Loki awakened, it was early morning. The sun had barely risen above the horizon. Ellie lay next to him with her hand in his. He sensed that in her sleep she still longed for him, but was it still the same when she was awake? Today they would fight the Frost Giants to protect her. Loki got out of bed and prepared himself. Ellie lay quietly and he looked down upon her. Even though he was unsure how she felt about him, he would protect her. He would do anything for her. Loki would give all he had and die for her.
At the door Loki hesitated and turned back to look at Ellie. He walked back over and stood next to the bed. Reaching up he pulled the pendant from around his neck. The chain dangled from his hand and he looked back and forth between the stone and Ellie. Not knowing if he would ever see her again he reached over and laid the pendant on the pillow next to her. With one more glance at the woman he loved, Loki left.
When he arrived downstairs everyone had started gathering to wish the warriors farewell. Frigga stood holding Odin's arm as he gave orders to his men. Thor and Jane embraced each other in farewell. Loki felt his heart ache a little more not having Ellie there, but he knew she was better off where she was, unaware in his chambers. There she would not get into trouble and he knew she would be safe.
The time had come to leave. The women separated from their men in a final farewell. As the warriors lined up to march into battle, Loki took one last look back up at the palace. Not sure if it was a last look at his home or if he secretly hoped to see Ellie. The line began to move and Loki followed.
…
When Ellie slowly started to return from the peaceful oblivion she felt as though she was wrapped in a warm cocoon. She sensed that Loki was near and prayed that the whole thing had been a horrible nightmare. His smell surrounded her and she knew everything was going to be alright. Slowly stretching the kinks out of her body she reached for him. Cold emptiness met her hand. She slowly opened her eyes and came to the realization that she was alone. Ellie was in Loki's bed but he was not there. The tears began anew.
After a short time the tears ran their course and she could not cry anymore. Dragging herself out of bed, she stumbled into the washroom to clean up her face. The face that looked back at her from the mirror showed proof of what a mess she really was. Ellie needed to clean herself up and go look for Loki. She needed to apologize to him even if he would not forgive her.
Walking over to the bath she looked for the faucet. Instead she waved her hand over the tub and it instantly filled with warm water. Ellie whipped around to look behind, her but Loki was not there. She had actually done it on her own. A single tear slipped down her cheek. After wiping it away, she began to undress and clean herself up.
After Ellie was cleaned and dressed she walked out onto the balcony. The sun shined brighter in the sky than she had anticipated. Oblivion had claimed the whole night. She looked into the distance knowing that the giant army was out there waiting for Odin to turn her over. If not, they were ready to fight. Ellie knew Odin would not give her over willingly. That meant there would be a bloody battle. There was no way that she would let any more men die for her or risk the lives of the women and children in the palace for their protection.
Walking over to Loki's chest she knelt down and ran her hands along the smooth, ancient looking wood. Pushing open the top, she found all sorts of weapons and carefully started to sort through them. Eventually she settled on a few of his throwing knives that she managed to stuff inside her jacket. Then she found a short sword that was small enough for a child to wield. Ellie strapped that on with a belt and made her way downstairs.
It seemed as though everyone was gathered out front to wish the warriors well. She knew she had to do something to stop this madness. Trying to make her way through the mass of people was nearly impossible. Finally she managed to get outside and pushed on for the stairs. When she reached the top she could barely see Odin sitting atop his horse at the head of the line of warriors. As she tried to decide what to do next, the line moved out. She was too late.
Ellie knew Loki and Thor were there somewhere behind their father. It hit her that she would possibly never see them again. She would never have the chance to apologize to Loki for what she had said to him. Looking at all the faces around her as they wished the army a brave farewell, she came to the realization of what she had to do now. Pushing her way back into the palace, Ellie found the way down to the vaults. Even though she had been ill, and after a few wrong turns, Ellie found her way to the outer door Anson had brought her in. Taking a huge breath, Ellie mustered her courage and left the palace.
Running out into the morning light she moved quickly down the path towards the forest. When she reached the edge, Ellie stopped. What was her plan? Knowing she didn't really have one, she charged into the forest. The line of warriors made a great deal of noise off in the distance as they marched to meet the Frost Giants. At first she moved through the forest at a normal pace trying to decide what she would do when she got there. Unfortunately she didn't have a lot of time to think about it when she heard the roars from both sides.
Ellie took off at a run. Being small gave her the ability to duck under the tree branches and move quickly. As she ran towards the battlefield, she remembered the last time she moved through these woods. It was to save her new found family from this exact problem. This time, she caused the problem. In her mind images flashed as she thought of all the people she cared about fighting giant men. Losing concentration she tripped over a root and sprawled out on the ground, hitting her face on a tree branch on the way down.
"You better be more careful, your Highness, if you want to reach your destination."
Ellie flipped over onto her back and pulled her sword as fast as she could to protect herself. She stared into the morning light, but could not see anyone. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Do not fear your Highness. I will not hurt you."
She still could not see anyone. "Prove it to me and show yourself then."
Anson stepped out of the trees and stopped before her.
"What are you doing here?" Ellie asked confused.
"Making sure you are not doing anything rash," Anson said with a smirk as he stepped over and held out his hand. "Where do you think you are going your Highness?"
"I'm going to stop this madness," Ellie said reaching up to take his hand.
Anson pulled Ellie to her feet. "Do you think that is a wise decision?"
Ellie sheathed her sword. "I can't let all those men die for me. I can stop this." Ellie heard the battle and knew she was close. "I have to go. The longer I wait the more men that will die unnecessarily."
"There is no way that I can talk you out of this?" Anson asked calmly.
"No! So let me go or come with me!" Ellie burst, starting to panic.
Anson stared at her for a moment as if he was debating something. "Lead the way, your Highness."
Ellie didn't take the time to question why Anson was with her and not in the battle already. She turned and took off again towards the fighting. Anson moved swiftly behind her. In a few short moments they came to the edge of the forest. Anson reached out and grabbed Ellie from behind stopping her before she ran straight into the field.
"Let me go!" she yelled.
"Stop and evaluate the situation before you charge in, your Highness."
Anson crept up to the nearest bush and knelt down to survey the field. Ellie crouched down beside him. The scene before her took her breath away. Ellie had never seen anything like it before. The field was a massive movement of bodies. The giants stood over the men but the men moved deftly in between their taller opponents. Bodies lay here and there of both giants and men. Ellie looked for Loki and could barely see him amongst the chaos.
…
Loki fought his way through the giants. He went at them with all the anger in his heart. He needed to take out as many as he could. Helbindi was his ultimate goal. That giant needed to die. Fighting his way through the hoard of giants, Loki finally found him. Helbindi stood to the side of the battle watching his giants but not taking part himself. This angered Loki even more. He was letting his pawns do his dirty work.
Loki headed straight at Helbindi with one intention; to rip the giants head from his body. Frost Giants stepped in his way and Loki threw his knives and bursts of magic. He fought hard trying to take them out one by one. Finally, when Loki took out another giant, there was no one left between him and his target. With purpose, Loki strode towards Helbindi.
"Loki! Not alone!" Thor yelled from nearby.
But Loki did not hear him. He had one focus and nothing would get in his way. Helbindi watched him come with a sneer on his face. They stared each other down as Loki moved closer.
"So you want to kill me little giant?" Helbindi asked as though he was about to laugh at the idea.
"I would love nothing more." Loki replied sounding completely confident.
"Even more than that little woman you are trying to protect?"
Loki was taken aback by the question.
"How fitting it is that you love a woman that belongs to me and I want nothing more than to bring pain upon you for killing my father," Helbindi smirked.
Loki stopped dead in his tracks. Helbindi was Laufey's son? Loki did not know what to think. This giant was his brother.
"Give up the woman and I will let your people live."
"By what right do you think you have claim to her?" Loki asked seething with anger.
"She has been betrothed to me since her birth. Her father and my father made a deal, which makes her my property," Helbindi replied as though she meant nothing.
Anger grew in Loki's chest with every word Helbindi uttered. He pulled out two knives and planned his attack. He did not care if Ellie was betrothed to this giant; he loved her and was not going to let Helbindi touch her.
"That is your first mistake," Loki grumbled, tilting his head to the side and assessing his opponent. "Ellie will never be anyone's property."
With a laugh Helbindi said, "That will not be a problem. That little thing will be easily broken."
Loki's control shattered. He bellowed with rage and charged at Helbindi. No one would break Ellie. Loki threw his knives past Helbindi's head to try and distract him so he could get in close. He managed to get in a few shots with his magic before Helbindi connected a blow with his massive fist. Loki went flying and crashed to the ground.
….
Ellie watched as the men and giants fought. She knew she needed to get in there and do something. "I'm going in. I can help them with my magic. They are doing this to protect me and I will not let them do it alone."
She got up and moved to the edge of the battle with Anson close behind. Using the wealth of emotion coursing through her body, Ellie called forth her magic and slowly made her way through the tangle of fighting men and took down one giant after another. The men then flanked her to protect her back as she continued on. Finally she could make out Odin and Thor in the distance, but she had lost sight of Loki. As they got closer, she finally saw him as he charged Helbindi. It got hard to concentrate on what she was doing as she worried about Loki. Then it happened. Loki's body went flying. Ellie took off at a dead run.
Getting to Loki was the only thought on Ellie's mind. This gave the opportunity for the giant coming at her to broad side her and send her flying. Ellie hit the ground and the wind was knocked right out of her. She quickly tried to get to her feet, but she was swept from the ground and held up by Helbindi.
Loki's head cleared as he struggled to push himself off the ground. Looking up his heart plummeted in his chest as he saw Ellie struggling in Helbindi's arms. All rational thought left his mind and he charged. Just as he was about to reach them the most excruciating pain burst through his chest. For a moment he was unaware of anything, but then he looked down and saw a spear pierced through his chest. Everything felt in slow motion. As if through a tunnel, he heard Thor yell as he sank to his knees and tried to catch his breath.
Loki looked up and the last thing he saw was Ellie reaching for him and screaming as tears streamed down her face. He tried to lift his hands towards her as she disappeared in Helbindi's arms.
