Author's note: This is by far the longest chapter. Over 7,000 words. Yikes! But it was fun to write! I had to go back and edit this with MuchAdo96's help. But still, hope you enjoy.
Warnings: Some bad language
Disclaimer: I don't own anything besides minor OCs. Ana belongs to MuchAdo96
"This is disgusting," she glared down at the foreign meat and vegetables. "That's it, when I get home, I'm going vegetarian."
"I tried that for 30 odd years. It was not one of my favorite experiences," Ana entered the dungeon, placing herself right outside Neena's cell.
"Well look who it is," she pushed the food away, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself. "Did your fuck toy let you off your leash?"
"Now I could go into a very long and in depth description on every single thing you are implying, but I'm afraid that won't get us anywhere. That is, unless you would like to hear about those matters?"
"Nope; I'm good. Your boyfriend tried to explain it, but I don't want to hear about alien sex."
"It isn't much different than any other species. I'd say better in fact," she trailed off.
"Are we really having this conversation?" she asked, face now turning red. She sneezed, wiping her nose with her hand. "Can I have another blanket?"
"If you don't want to hear about my sex life, you should probably stop bringing it up," she told her. Walking up the steps to the cell she stepped right through the force field of her cell, conjured up a blanket and handed it to her, "The Queen said you might need this."
"Holy Shit! Did you just walk through a wall? I want to do that! Then I could kick the pirate's ass and get the hell out of here," she took the blanket, making a nest with the other three blankets. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Ana returned. "I would advise not trying to walk through that unless you want to be severely burned. It's kind of my thing," she laughed.
"Creepy," she eyed Ana, scooting away from her slowly. "You're very weird, Barbie."
"It has its perks, wouldn't you say?"
"I guess," she glanced towards the other prisoners in the cells. "I suppose you aliens aren't as weird as the ones over there."
"Whatever makes you feel better. I've seen a lot of criminals, and those aren't even the worst ones," Ana shrugged, looking beyond the other prisoners.
"What kind of criminals?"
"Some humans, some 'aliens.' The ones who kill and torture. Those kind," she explained vaguely.
"Wow," she curled into her blanket nest. "You must have seen a lot of shit."
"I've seen enough shit to last me a thousand lifetimes," she tried to smile.
"Aren't we supposed to be enemies or something? I mean, you tried to kill me yesterday," she sneezed again. "Fuck, I think i'm getting a cold. I need more blankets."
"If I was trying we wouldn't be having this conversation now, be grateful. It's a reflex of mine, just as yours is to out curse everyone in the room," she sat down next to Neena's blanket fort.
"It's a habit," she grumbled, wiping her nose. "I have no filter."
"So we've noticed. And I have a temper. Welcome to AA, Neena," she nudged at her.
She flinched a bit at the contact. "I can see you have a temper. Is tall, dark and creepy kinky? It looked like he liked to be slapped."
Anastasia let out a loud laugh, "I cannot confirm or deny that. But I will say it takes a certain type of person to be able to care about him."
"Well he's an asshole. His brother seems nicer. Oh shit, he ate the tacos I was supposed to deliver! I am so going to get fired!"
"I think you have a valid excuse as to why you've been missing work. You should be glad that Thor enjoyed them so much. Tacos are not my personal favorite though," she rambled on.
"Well woopty fucking doo. I am so happy he enjoyed them," she grumbled sarcastically. "What does he want? More of them?"
"I'd say he does. Think, if you stay you can open a taco restaurant and bring all that Midgardian food to Asgard. Though, most of it can stay there," she suggested.
"Are you kidding me? I burn everything I cook. My Dad has banned me from the stove when I almost set the house on the fire," she smiled at the memory before her throat tightened. "The stains are still on the ceiling."
"Well, I don't know what you were trying to cook, but an evening with Volstagg and you'll have that shit down pat, I guarantee," she smiled, trying to brighten the mood.
"Is he your other fuck toy?" she smirked.
"Gosh no. Loki is not a fan of sharing," she waved off the comment, though visibly agitated.
"I can tell."
There was suddenly a penny that fell in Neena's lap, startling her out of her blanket fort. "Penny for your thoughts?" Anastasia asked.
"Uh, Odin looks like a pirate? And Loki needs to grow his hair out?" she gathered herself in her blankets and moved to the corner. "And I want to see my Dad."
"I conquer on the former, but I don't even know my father and it has been over 800 years, so I think you can manage," Ana leaned against the cell wall.
"I don't know who my mom is," Neena wrapped another blanket around herself. "Dad never talks about her. All I have from her is this ring."
"Well," Ana thought for a moment. "I guess that makes two of us. You have a ring and I have this thing," she held up her pendant.
"Shit," she banged her head against the wall. "And supposedly she's here on Asgard, but doesn't even want to know where I am. And how am I even going to find her? Fuck this!"
"Ideally she would be here," Ana straightened up. "It's always been an unspoken rule that no one is supposed to mess around with humans that way because it creates complications. But if you cooperate while you're here we might actually be able to help you," she explained.
"I don't need anyone's help," she grumbled. "I can do fine on my own. I have always managed to get by without anyone's help."
"Mhm," Ana nodded. Somehow she seemed to understand where Neena was coming from.
"I refuse to bow to Odin. Fucking pirate."
"I've only done so once, and that's only because I couldn't stand any longer," she snickered.
"If you're over eight hundred, why don't you look old? What skin products are you using?"
Ana laughed, rolling her eyes, "We age much slower than humans do. When we get a certain age it is like we stop aging altogether. And since you are a halfling, you might even have this trait."
"Who the hell knows," she grumbled, still finding it rather odd that the woman was being nice to her. They were just fighting yesterday; why was she being nice to her? "Why are you being nice to me? Did tall, dark and creepy put you up to this?"
Ana shook her head, golden curls looking like waves on her shoulders. "He suggested that I come talk to you, but I came down here of my own accord. Loki isn't exactly good with handling emotions."
"Well no shit," she grumbled before giving a cough. Her head was still hurting, and her nose was feeling stuffy. Wonderful. She just got to this shit hole and she was already sick. "Great, I've got a cold. Why is it so cold down here?"
"Because you're in the dungeons," Ana offered with an amused smile, moving her hair out of her face. "You have plenty of blankets, so I don't understand why you are this cold."
"I live in New Mexico. It NEVER gets cold in New Mexico. I hate being cold," she kept her toes inside the blanket, shivering still. "How long do I have to stay down here again?"
"Until you acquire some manners and abide by Odin's wishes," Ana replied, rolling her eyes at mere thought of listening to Odin. "At at the rate you're going, it could be quite a long time. You're not going to win a battle against him, so might I suggest you at least try and do what he says."
Alright, so maybe Ana had a point. Maybe she was being a little too stubborn, but who could blame her? If someone else were in her position, what would they do? "Probably not act like you did," she nagged to herself. "If there was someone else in your shoes right now, they would not be here." As much as she didn't want to listen to her conscious, she knew it was right. "There are some fights you cannot win," her father would say to her sometimes. "Sometimes you need to accept defeat and go on from there."
"I would like to get out of here," she admitted rather begrudgingly. "What are the rooms here like?"
"The beds are luxurious, I'm not exaggerating," Ana admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "The rooms are far too fancy for my liking, but I'm not complaining by any means."
"Sure," she nodded her head. There was a moment of silence before her stomach growled, causing Ana to smile again. She blushed a light pink, placing her hands on her stomach. "Which is safe to eat and won't kill me?"
"No person or thing is going to kill you here," Ana sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'd have to suggest those green leafy vegetables there and mix it in with the meat. If you get the chance, you must dine with Volstagg. The food here is much more nutritious as well as delicious than what I ate on Midgard. I did my shopping here," she smiled.
"Hey, leave McDonald's alone," she found herself laughing, the sound ringing rather oddly in her ears. The very mention of earth made her stomach churn and the ugly feeling of homesickness returned. "Did they notify my Dad?" she asked quietly.
Ana shook her head. "I don't know," she said softly. "I personally don't hold Odin to his word, but to put yourself at ease you can just assume so."
"And if they didn't?"
Ana stood up, smoothing out her blue t-shirt and jean shorts. "I'll let Frigga know you're willing to cooperate," the look on her face reminded her that she was possibly her ticket out of jail. "A guard should come retrieve you later and show you to your room. Sound good?"
"Fine."
She left after that, leaving her to sit in her boring old jail cell. When she was sure Ana was gone, she took the tray of food back and stuck her fork in one of the leafy greens. She brought it to her mouth, chewing it slowly before swallowing. "Damnit," she glared down at the food. "She was right; this is pretty good."
Just like Ana said, a guard did eventually come and retrieve her. The other prisoners in the cells around leered at her, or made threats in languages she didn't understand. The second she was away from the noise, she relaxed a bit more. The guard leading her to wherever she was supposed to didn't say anything. His face was like stone, blank and impassive. In his hand he carried some staff or maybe it was a sword; she didn't know. The one thing she did notice was that he was extremely tall. Actually, now that she thought about it, everyone here was tall. She was barely five feet; something she had supposedly inherited from her Grandmother.
She almost bumped into him when he stopped walking. She was standing outside two long double doors with gold handles on them that looked recently polished "This is where the All-Father has decided you will stay," he told her stiffly, eyes cast down on her as if she were a bug he wanted to squish. "Halfling."
She could feel her face turning red, almost tempted to feel ashamed. "Thanks, asshole," she opened the door, shutting it behind her before he could say something. She could hear his footsteps disappear down the hall and she let out a sigh of relief. "What an ass," she grumbled, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I asked to be here."
The room was just like Ana said it would be. Too fancy and a little too large for her liking. The walls were a deep gold, with tapestries on them burning brightly and creating warmth in the room. A queen sized bed stood at the far end with the sheets looking so warm and inviting. The doors nearby were opened and she stepped through them, finding a nice sized balcony to lean on. She closed her eyes, the smell of the air so different from the New Mexico wind. It was cool, making her nose twitch slightly at the impact. When she opened her eyes, she could see the whole kingdom stretch out before her for miles on end. It looked like a village for the commoners was below her and if she listened hard enough, she could hear the laughter and voices from the people down below. The lights from the streets gave it a homey feel, and a faint smile grew on her lips.
She decided the best thing to do was to go to sleep on the rather comfortable looking bed before her. It lay in the far center of the room against a wall, lying on a sort of platform with two steps to get up to it. Silk gold sheets looked so inviting, she flopped down on them. The soft mattress was so inviting; her body feeling like it was on a cloud. She was out the minute her head hit the pillows, drifting into the most relaxing sleep she'd ever had.
When she woke up, it was to the sound of birds chirping loudly on the balcony and the sun's warm beams bathing her room in light. She slowly sat up, body awake and refreshed as she stared around the room. It was too big; not small and comfortable like her room back at home. No Moutain Dew yellow walls, no Captain America shrine. It was like she was one of those shallow rich girls at school that she tended to mock. This place was so foreign; so unfamiliar.
"It's not home," she found herself saying aloud, the ring on her finger gleaming. "But for now it will have to do."
"Ahem."
She jumped, moving her head to see a girl maybe a few years older than herself standing before her. She was tall, with long caramel brown hair held up in a neat bun with not a single strand of hair loose. Her golden brown eyes were timid, and she stared at the floor as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Miss," she began in a quiet tone. "I am to here to assist you by orders of the Queen."
"Uh, hi," she offered, relaxing a little as the tall girl continued to stare at the floor. "I'm Neena."
"Yes, I know."
"Shit, does everybody know my name?" she asked, now feeling quite stupid for saying that. Man, these aliens were right. She did have her foot in her mouth all the time. Damn. "Uh, ignore that. What's your name?"
"Ingrid," the girl replied softly.
There was a slight moment of silence while the girl began to move around, walking with quiet footsteps towards a large closet filled with an assortment of clothes. She pulled out a long, A-line royal blue with a brush sweep headline and train dress. The fabric was silk-like satin and it had beading and pleats that resembled flowers and vines. There was a sleeve on the left that was lace and like the dress, it was adorned with flowers and vines. Her mouth dropped. "No way," she gasped, dread filling in her stomach and she tumbled out of bed to hurry over and look at it. "Do I have to wear that?"
Ingrid looked confused. "All the ladies here wear dresses," she paused, a light blush filling her cheeks. "Except for Lady Sif and Lady Anastasia."
"Why doesn't she have to wear dresses? Why can't I wear some normal clothes?"
"Normal...clothes?"
She waved her hand. "Forget it," she grumbled, flopping on the bed in an ungraceful manner that made the serving girl cringe. "So, why are you here exactly? No offence, but I think I can get into a dress by myself."
Ingrid just laid the dress on a table with quiet, graceful hands. She didn't say anything except for smooth the material out, eyes unmoving and focused on the task at hand. "Queen Frigga assigned me this task and I will do so with honor. Since you are under the Queen's protection, she offered me to be one of your handmaidens for however long you stay here," she turned around, hands on hips. "So whether you like it or not, I am here," she then blushed, all the firmness from her eyes vanishing. "Was that too mean? I apologize."
Neena just blinked. "Why are you apologizing?"
"I don't know; force of habit?" she said weakly. "Now, would you like to bathe before you get dressed? You have been here for over two days and you look…"
"Gross?"
"Oh no!" she pleaded, eyes widening to the size of golf balls. "I could never say that! I don't want to offend you or-"
"Relax; I know I smell bad. You don't think I wouldn't notice?" she smirked, finding this girl to be rather amusing. "Yeah, a bath sounds nice right now. Where is it?"
"Just this way; follow me," Ingrid opened a door that she hadn't noticed before. A large bathtub that appeared to be carved in the floor was filled with water. The high ceiling almost made her feel uneasy, but the water looked so inviting. "You may get undressed now, my lady. Or do you need my help?"
Her face flushed red. "No!" she protested as Ingrid moved forward. "I can get undressed myself, thank you very much."
Ingrid just stood there patiently, hands crossed in front of her. Neena just flushed darker. "Um, could you turn the hell around? I can't get undressed with you staring at me."
"Oh! Right! Sorry!"
Ingrid turned pink, turning around and covering her face with her hands. She rolled her eyes, but stripped out of the gray dress she was now getting used to wearing. "Good riddance!" she grumbled as she kicked the thing aside. She kept the ring on her finger, not sure on where to put it and cleared her throat. "Done!" she called out, covering herself with her arms.
She walked into the water, glad the warm water covered all of her body besides her head. Ingrid pulled out a few bottles of oils. "I brought some oils that the Queen suggested. I don't know if you like them."
"I don't care, I just want to be clean!"
Ingrid hid her smile. "Of course."
While she was perfectly okay with bathing herself, Ingrid insisted on washing her hair, no matter how much she protested. In the end she lost, grumbling curses and allowing the girl's nimble fingers to rub her scalp and put in the oils to clean her hair. She did, however, allow her to clean her body, so she had to be at least a little grateful for that.
When she was snuggly wrapped in a towel looking thing, Ingrid led her back into the room. "May I brush your hair?" she asked gently. "And uh, how do you want me to do it?"
"I don't care; just brush it," she shrugged her shoulders before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "What's with the getup anyway? What's going on?"
Ingrid glanced nervously. "You're dining with the king and queen and their sons. Oh, and Lady Anastasia if she's there. She comes and goes sometimes."
She just stared at her in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? You've got to be fucking kidding me!" she paced around the room in the towel, ignoring Ingrid's look of embarrassment. "I have to have dinner with the asshole? Oh hell no!"
"Lady Neena!" Ingrid moved around her, trying to make her sit back down on the ottoman. "You mustn't say that about the All-Father. It's very disrespectful."
"I don't give a shit," she hissed as she was forced back down. "Who else is going to be there again?"
"The Queen, her sons, and possibly Lady Anastasia."
"You mean tall, dark and creepy is going to be there?"
"Beg your pardon?"
She waved her hand dismissively. "The dark one that looks like a goat with all that armor."
"Oh, you mean Prince Loki? Yes, he will be there."
"Good. I can kick some sense into that asshole for using me as a potato sack!"
Ingrid just looked confused and opened her mouth to say something, but ended up saying something else. "About your hair. How would you like to wear it? I've never really done hair this short," she lifted up the strands of black hair, letting them fall through her fingers. "Maybe I could curl it?"
"Or you could leave it alone?" she offered, hoping the servant would get the hint.
"No, you must have your hair done," Ingrid took her hair again, examining her head as if it were some difficult math problem. "I think for your hair, we'll just do a simple bun. Does that sound good?"
"Fine. Whatever. Or you know, you could just leave it alone?"
"No."
She slumped forward, almost tempted to bang her head on the vanity. Ingrid just hummed under her breath, gathering strands of her hair to brush with the golden hair brush. Her hands were gentle, soft against her scalp. She couldn't help but feel at ease as the woman brushed her hair. Her dad would never take the time to make sure her hair had been brushed thoroughly; he would stick it in a braid or ponytail and that would be it.
In no time her hair was done and almost dried. She took one look in the mirror and almost did a double take. Unrecognizable. Her hair was pulled all the way back into a bun With only a few strands falling in front of her face. She didn't wear earrings too often, but two pearls had been stuck in her ears and Ingrid was gathering the dress. "You'll have to wear a corset. I'm afraid you have...well, no figure. Do you know what I mean?"
She blushed angrily. "I know I have no figure; I'm fourteen! Geez, make things awkward why don't you?"
Ingrid shrugged. "I can't help these things, my lady. Now, what shoes do you want to wear?"
"Just pick a pair. Just don't make them high heels!"
"Yes, my lady."
Ingrid returned over with the dress, motioning for her to drop the towel. She slid the corset around the front, ignoring Neena's now tomato red face. Putting the corset on took longer than either of them expected and by the time it was finally on, she wanted to rip it off so she could breathe again. Ingrid grabbed the dress, sliding it past her head and lacing it in the back. "All ready," the tall woman announced, face shining with pride. "I believe that you almost look like a true Asgardian."
"Fuck."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, yay."
Ingrid gave her a warning look. "You better be on your best behavior when talking with the All-father. He does not like rude people in his presence."
"No shit sherlock? You think I haven't figured that out by now?"
Ingrid nodded thoughtfully. "Just mind yourself, please?" she asked, waiting for her to reply. "I would hate for you to be in the dungeons. Again."
"I'll try," she grumbled, stumbling in the shoes as she walked. "Why do I have to wear these shoes? This dress hides my feet; can't I go barefoot?"
"Absolutely not!" Ingrid gasped. "Young ladies do not go around barefoot!"
"Well they do in my world," she sighed, knowing she was losing a battle she wouldn't win. "Fine, but just for tonight. I make no promises in the future."
"Very well," the caramel haired woman motioned for her to follow her down the hall. She sulked the entire way, arms crossed in front of her and a permanent scowl etched onto her face. Ingrid pushed back a pair of golden double doors, the sound of harps and other instruments greeting her and the smell of food made her stomach growl with hunger. Ingrid whispered softly in her ear. "Just be polite and it'll be over quickly. Please don't make a scene."
"For the third time tonight, no promises."
She seemed satisfied enough with that answer and stepped back towards the walls with a few other handmaidens. Odin sat at the head of the table, eyepatch looking as ugly as ever and adorned in gold armor. Frigga sat at the end of the table in a long-sleeved silver gown. Thor and Loki sat across from one another, with an empty seat next to Loki. She took the seat next to Thor, wishing she could sit somewhere else. While waiting awkwardly, Thor turned to her with eager eyes. "Do you have anymore of those delicious tacoos? We should serve those at my coronation in two weeks!"
She could see Odin roll his one good eye and Frigga just sighed patiently. Of course tall, dark and creepy had to give an eye roll. "They're called tacos," she replied, making a face. "Not tacoos."
"What's the difference?" the blonde asked innocently. "They're delicious either way."
"Don't bother," Loki commented casually. "You'll never win."
"I can see that," she looked towards the empty chair. "Did she run away or did you leave her on her leash?"
"She will be joining us shortly," he replied politely. "Any more questions?"
She attempted to kick him under the table, but she just ended up kicking the table and stubbed her toe. Loki smirked in amusement, but rolled his eyes at the childish attempt to injure him. Frigga then turned to her with a beautiful smile. "How are you adjusting? I know your room must be different from your one back home."
"It's fine," she answered back politely, taking a sip from her goblet and cringing at the taste of ale. "A lot different. My walls back home are Mt. Dew colored."
Thor frowned. "How did you get a mountain in your room?"
She wanted to smack her head on the table. "It's the name of a beverage and the color is yellow," she tried to explain, but Thor just looked even more confused. "Never mind, I won't even bother trying to explain the rest."
"Didn't I warn you?" Loki stated maliciously, but Thor obviously didn't understand the tone of his voice.
"Fu-!" she started, but then glanced at Frigga and Odin. "Uh, my room is a lot warmer than the dungeon."
"If you want to remain in your room, remember your manners," Odin spoke for the first time that evening. "Unless you want to spend more time in the dungeon."
"No thanks," she replied hastily. "I think I'll remain in the room I'm in now."
Loki smirked again and she couldn't help it. She tried to kick him again, and she succeeded in doing so this time, but she ended up hitting gold armor. Shooting pain shot through her foot and she cringed. Thor looked towards his mother. "May we have Tacoos at my coronation?"
"I don't think the cooks know how to make Tacos," the queen glanced at her with a smile. "Unless Neena here wants to show them how to cook them."
"You don't want me anywhere near the kitchens!" she exclaimed, images of the last time she cooked flashing before her eyes. "Plus I don't think you have the right ingredients."
Thor pouted. "Why not?"
Damn, this guy was obtuse. "Because," she ground out, tempted to throttle this guy and make him see sense. "I don't know how to make them and last time I checked, no one is Asgard knows how to make corn tortillas!"
"...What's a tortilla?"
"Oh my God!"
The door opened again and Ana walked in, looking at Thor in exasperation. "Midgardian food is not for the likes of the future king of Asgard," she fluffed his hair as she walked around the table and sat down next to Loki.
Thor still looked disappointed, but kept quiet after that. Neena frowned. "How come you get to wear jeans? Can you please get me a pair? And I need my combat boots!"
"I'm not Asgardian," she raised a glass before taking a sip.
"I need my boots!" she complained, glaring down at her feet. "I can't stand these shoes; they hurt my feet."
"Can't help you there," Ana smirked.
"Bitch," she thought to herself, but didn't say it outloud, but she had no doubt her face made it quite clear about what she was thinking. Then, she turned to Odin. "So, uh, All-Father, did you contact my Dad?"
Odin didn't say anything; he just glanced at Frigga. Frigga cleared her throat. "We'll discuss it later, dear."
That didn't sound good. A sense of dread filled her and she dug her nails into her palms to keep her hands from trembling. Ana gave her a quick look, but didn't say anything. The rest of dinner just seemed to drag on forever, with Thor eating like a pig and Loki and Ana having those disgustingly cute couple conversations. Odin was quiet; no shock there and Frigga just wore a small smile. She just wanted to run away from the table, grow a pair of wings and fly away from this hell hole. What happened to her father? Was he okay? Did something happen?
She ate her meal quietly, the food tasting dry and tasteless in her mouth. Everyone else continued to talk, but her mind wasn't at all focused on what they were discussing. She heard bits and pieces about a coronation that was supposed to take place, but that's really all she heard and chose to process in. Then the queen began to speak. "So, Neena, where do you live on Midgard?"
"Puente Antiguo," she said flatly. "I've lived there for seven years."
"Where did you live before that?"
She paused, shaking her head slightly. "I don't remember," she began, clearly lying and she could feel everyone stare at her. "It was a long time ago."
Thor just threw his goblet of ale down. "ANOTHER!" He called out in a merry voice. She jumped in her seat, clearly not expecting him to do that. Loki and Ana just smirked at her and though she wanted to say nasty things to them, she didn't. She would save that for later.
"Why did you move?" Frigga asked patiently, obviously curious.
"I don't want to talk about it," shit, she didn't like how they were prying into her personal affairs. There were some obvious skeletons in her closet that she didn't want to look at right now, thank you very much. "Now could you please stop asking me questions? I want to know about my Dad. What's happened to him?"
Frigga just cleared her throat. "We will talk about it later, alright?" the way she said it allowed no more on the conversation; that she would not talk about it any further. "Now, Thor, we have much to discuss about your coronation."
That was it. Just like that, she faded back into the background, as if she didn't exist. She dug her nails into her palms again, trying to fight back the urge to yell or something. Why wasn't anyone giving her answers? She could feel blood slide under her nails; palms stinging with pain. She felt sick; like she might pass out at any minute. "Sons of bitches!" she thought to herself. "What happened to Dad? What if he's hurt? Did I do something? Shit, I'm sorry Daddy; I'm sorry I failed you. If they hurt you, I swear to God I'll hurt them back."
She poked at her food; not feeling hungry anymore. She poked at the meat, not really sure what it was, but it didn't look very appetizing. Neither did the vegetables and fruits; or bread for that matter. The ale or whatever the hell she was drinking was too bitter and left a sour taste in her mouth. The blood on her hands was beginning to dry, but she still felt ill. She twitched slightly, sensing at least two pairs of eyes on her. Could this dinner be done already?
"Neena," came Ana's concerned voice. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she ground out, hands trembling at her side. Shit, she was going to break any second. "I'm fine." She repeated, just for good measure.
"Alright," Ana nodded, clearly not believing her.
"Yup," she mumbled. "Pull yourself together!" she lectured to herself. "Don't draw anymore attention to yourself. They'll just throw you in the dungeon again or worse."
"Here," Ana conjured up a different drink in her hand. "Try this," she offered it to her.
"Thanks," she said flatly, taking the drink. She drank the clear drink; surprised that it tasted good. Instantly, the pain in her palms disappeared and the blood vanished, but it didn't calm the panic that was slowly forming in her. Any minute, she was going to snap and get herself in trouble. Ana just glanced at Loki, who was busy cutting his food like the fucking queen of England. She suddenly felt the desire to throw food at him, preferably peas, but since they didn't have that on Asgard, she would have to make do with something else. However, Odin would probably, no, definitely get mad and throw her in the dungeons permanently.
Ana rose from the table, smoothing out her clothes, "If I may excuse myself, I have things to attend to." She looked at Neena, "Would you care to join me?" she offered.
"Sure," she started hesitantly, looking to Frigga. The older woman nodded her head, allowing her to leave with Ana. She followed Ana down the hall, almost close to the point of hyperventilating. When was the last time she got this stressed? She needed to hit something. Now!
"Just a little bit further," she heard Ana say.
"Where are we going?" she asked between clenched teeth.
"You'll see," she smirked, rounding a corner to a door that seemed to go absolutely nowhere. "Right behind this door," she gestured for Neena to open it. She practically threw the door open, surprised by the site in front of her. Mountains, larger than the ones she had seen on earth, lay before her.
"Why are we here?" she asked. "What's so special about some damn mountains? Don't tell me you want to go climbing?"
"Everybody needs a place to escape to, no?" she shrugged.
"I guess," she sat down on a bench, head in her hands. "Fuck, why does shit always happen?"
"I'm no philosopher, but I'd guess that shit happens for a reason," Ana joked.
"Oh ha ha," she grumbled. "Well, if my existing is reason enough, then I guess I deserve it. Do you know how many times I've been called a halfling today?"
"About as many times I've been called a monster, perhaps," she said nonchalantly. "You can question your existence as much as you'd like, but you're not going to disappear."
"Who said anything about disappearing?" she snapped. "I just want to know what happened to my Dad. What kind of person brings up the topic and then dismisses it like its nothing?"
Ana remained silent for a moment, "If I knew, I would tell you, but this is Asgard, so things are done a bit idiotically here."
"Yeah, well, I've had it!" she stood up, removing the shoes and tossing them to the ground. "And I'm done doing what they want. They want me to cooperate; then they better tell me what happened to Dad," she kicked the shoes away, glaring heatedly at them. "He's all I have. If something happened to him, then there's no one left."
"I'll take you to the queen soon so she can tell you," Ana told her. "And if you didn't like the shoes, you could've just said so," she added with a smile.
"Well Ingrid wouldn't let me," she inwardly cursed the handmaiden. "She said something about it not being proper and refused to get me a different pair."
"Let me share a little secret with you," Ana sat down on the bench. "They talk all high and mighty, but if you're as stubborn as me, they can't do shit, pardon my French," she laughed. "Next time just tell her that I said you didn't have to."
"Alright," she shrugged, feeling a little bit better. "Can I go see the queen now? And maybe tall, dark and creepy so I can give him a proper kick to the shins."
"I suppose I can take you. But I'm afraid you can't kick Loki, that's a task reserved for me," she smirked, knowing it would disgust her at least a little bit.
"Ew, you're gross, Barbie," she wrinkled her nose distastefully. "I knew you two were into some kinky business."
"To each their own," she grinned. "Come along now, just promise you won't kill anybody along the way?" she asked sarcastically.
"Please, everyone here is too damn tall," Neena rolled her eyes. "Like I could kill anybody; they'd probably just laugh."
"If only you knew how great of an advantage that would be," she commented, getting up and holding the door open to get back to the palace. "In you go," she waved.
"Thanks," she nodded as Ana walked forward back to the dining hall, since she had no idea where it was. "Barbie."
"You're welcome, Tiny," she teased as they entered the dining hall once more. Ana motioned for Frigga to join them and the three made their way out of the hall once more. Thor and Odin had already left, probably to discuss the coronation.
Frigga stood patiently, with a sign of caution on her face. "Neena, child," she ignored the annoyed look she gave her. "About your father…"
"Yeah?" she asked eagerly. "Tell me! Is he okay? Please, say something!"
Frigga shared a quick look with Ana and somehow communicated something to her. She couldn't stand it anymore; she grabbed the queen's arm, the guards drawing their weapons. "Tell me!" Ana couldn't even meet her eyes.
Frigga sighed. "Neena, we sent someone to your house to tell your father that you are alive and well. But, when we got there, there was nothing left. The house had been burned to the ground and your father...well, the guard found his body. The fire didn't kill him, it appeared he was stabbed and bled out," she queen gave her a sad look, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry; if there's anything I can do…"
The world seemed to come to an end right then and there. It felt like someone had slapped her in the face or punched her. Her words were caught in her throat, nails scratching her palms as she tried to speak. Her father couldn't be dead. He couldn't be! "You're lying!" she whispered, lower lip trembling. "He can't be dead; he can't be!"
Frigga just held something in her palm. It was a Native American beaded necklace; the one her father would always wear. "We found this on the body. I'm sorry, Neena, but your father is gone. We will find who did this and they will be punished, I assure you."
"I DON'T CARE!" She screamed, tears falling down her face. "You think vengence will bring him back? He...he can't be dead," her voice cracked and she felt like collapsing. "Tell me this isn't happening…"
"Neena," Ana said softly, "I'm afraid that it did happen." She didn't offer her any advice or kind gestures, just genuine sympathy.
"No," she shook her head, not wanting to believe it. "No, no, no, no, no! He...he wouldn't leave me behind! He's all I have! This...this can't be real!"
She ran out of the room, not entirely sure where she was going. She had to get out; find a way and get of this hell hole. She needed to go home and see for herself. "Where do I even go?" she asked herself. "I need to go home! I can't stay here; I'll go crazy! I'll figure out a way on my own. I won't go into the foster system!"
She threw open a door to another room, the balcony door open on the other side. She stepped out onto it, looking over the edge. Numbly, she stared down the edge, wondering where it went. "If I jump, it will all be over…" she trailed off, knees shaking at the very thought. "I can be with Dad and this nightmare will be over."
"Jumping would be futile as we have Thor who can fly to your rescue and then a number of us can simply use magic to break your fall," she heard a voice say from behind her. "I don't like my time wasted."
"I don't give a shit about what you like," she spat, biting her lip hard enough for it to bleed. "Go away; and let me be."
"I believe that situations like this require me to stay. I am still learning common moral courtesies, so do be patient with me," he spoke almost honestly. "Or is there someone else you would rather keep you company over there?"
"My life means nothing to you," she said without any trace of feeling in her voice. "I don't care what you do. I don't belong here and you know it."
"Yet here you are. But if you really must, do jump. I cannot stop you," he explained.
She could hear her Dad's voice in her head, but it was drowned out by the throbbing headache forming. "I can be free," she smiled faintly, talking without any thought in her words. "I can finally be free."
She lifted herself over the balcony, taking a leap into the empty air. The feeling of being weightless was liberating and she closed her eyes, preparing for the impact. "I'm on my way, Daddy. Don't you leave me behind! I'm coming home."
Then she blacked out, not even remembering hitting the ground.
