Chapter 22

Thor eyes were dark as he strode on, not even breaking his pace since he'd left Imogen's room. His feet had guided him to when he needed to be.

Lines of guards flanked either side of the corridor as he marched closer to the prison entrance, each one silent and motionless on their watch. Thor knew that each one was alert and ready for battle if the need should arise, not that there had been a breach in the prisons security since before his father's time.

The floors and ceiling were lined with gold, entrancing patterns worked into the precious metal. It was deceptively kind and beautiful, not betraying any of the misery within its yonder chambers.

Again, Thor knew differently.

A heavy stone door lay ahead of him, but as soon as he was a few meters within step of it, the guards began their heaving. By the time the God of Thunder reached them, he was free to walk through without breaking step.

His gaze was steeled ahead as he passed the guards and strode onwards, through the lines and lines of imprisoned captives. There was only one he had come to see however.

His fists were clenched at his sides, forcing himself on. What choice did he have now? He needed to hear the treason for himself, and if Imogen would betray nothing then he would go to her conspirator for the answers he sought, as much as it killed him.

The yellow gleam of the cells either side of him, taunted him as much as the jeers from the creatures inside. Most of them were there by his doing. It didn't bother him though; he had far more distressing matters on his mind.

Seeing Imogen still haunted him. Her face swam in his mind, tauntingly beautiful even in her anger and misery. Even locked away in that dark little room she managed to look radiant just by existing. It was infuriating. It made a mockery of his emotions. Even when she had done these treacherous things, she still ruled his heart.

It drove him to despair and Thor could only pray that the fool beyond the walls ahead would confess his lies. That was all he needed.

Then he could take Imogen home.

That was all he needed for him to find a way to prove her innocence.

His bootfalls echoed in his ear as he marched, eyes locked ahead as he waited for the last cell to come into sight. That was where his enemy was housed, where Koli would be. His eyes ran along the cells to his left, waiting for the traitorous Asgardian to come into view.

When the dungeons neared their end however and the final cell on the left came into plain sight, the god froze in his tracks: it was empty.

His heart stopped in his chest.

The anger and sorrow melted away in a heartbeat, wiped away with pure shock. Where was he?

And then the panic started to set it – without Koli to confess that it had all been a lie, how the hell was Thor going to prove that Imogen was innocent?!

He spun around, eyes scanning for an even remotely Asgardian-like figure amongst the nearby prisoners. There were elves, and trolls, and fire nymphs, and Frost Giants, but no Asgardian. None without the gleaming golden armour of the guards, at least.

"Where is he?" he breathed, eyes scanning from creature to creature, not caring who would answer him. When all was silent however, his temper snapped instantly. "Where is he?!"

The roar echoed around the chamber but he didn't care, feeling the vein start to throb in his temple the longer nothing but silence answered him. Where was the wretch? He needed that man here, now! He needed that counter confession. The fury bubbled up inside him, though he wasn't sure if it was anger or just a stark combination of fear and panic creeping up on him.

Right now, he didn't care – he just needed to find the prisoner.

His turned around over and over, eyes scanning every living creature in eyesight. Wait, Thor suddenly stopped himself, catching something out of the corner of his eye.

Gold. Gold armour. Guards. Thor made for them in a heartbeat. "You!" he barked at the two guards either side of the door in the wall, striding towards them. "Where is he?" he growled, throwing his arm behind him to point at the empty cell. "Where is the prisoner?!"

The guard's eyes widened at the enraged king, but they held their post, glancing at each other anxiously. That only angered Thor more.

He took one more angry step forward thought and they melted away from the door like butter from a hot knife. Thor glared at them for just a moment, before he barged through the door.

It wasn't a room he was familiar with, not that it was something that really bothered him at that moment. A quick scan of the small, plain room and Thor drank in the scene: Lord Roanull, an old woman and a body lain out on a table in the middle of room, crying out and writhing.

Thor recognised the shaggy dark hair and tanned skin of the convulsing figure of the table and felt himself baulk. This was the man that was ruining his marriage, his life. He had claimed to fuck Thor's wife and desire the throne. The thought alone infuriated Thor, but at the same time it brought back that great sadness of missing Imogen, of praying she had not truly betrayed him.

By the look of it though, Koli would not be in a fit state to dispute his former confession. The man looked like he was dying.

Panic flittered through the god's heart – Imogen needed him alive.

He strode forward quickly, gulping down any anxieties. They were not for here. Fists curling at his sides, he remembered his anger and let it burn again.

"What is wrong with him?" he growled, drawing beside Lord Roanull, eyes scouring over the prisoners body.

He was dressed in workers clothes, not dissimilar to the ones he had worn when Thor had first met him that day by the barn. They were much grubbier now though after all his time imprisoned. His body was also much thinner, frailer, though his skin had retained its healthy tanned complexion.

There was nothing healthy about the cold sweat on his skin though, the froth oozing from his hanging mouth and the abandoned way his eyes rolled back in their sockets.

The Lord didn't move as his King came near, arms folded and dark eyes also watching the prisoner avidly. "We are not sure." He muttered quietly.

The woman was muttering as she worked over the fitting man, quickly burning herbs on the table side and gathering them up in a makeshift bag made from a handkerchief. Holding it to Koli's face, Thor could see the pale lilac fumes leak out of the bag eerily. A shaky breath from Koli, the coloured smoke disappearing through his lips, and finally his body thumped still on the table.

His chest thudded down heavily as his body settled, though his eyes remained wide and lost, and his chest heaved with rapid gasps for air.

The god's eyes moved to the healing woman, brow furrowing. This was not one of the healers Thor knew from the palace. Her long but wild grey hair and thin, hunched frame made her pretty distinctive, but Thor did not recognise her.

"Who is this?" he asked of Lord Roanull at his side, still frowning as he watched her murmur and move her shaky hands over Koli's vacant face.

Who was she to tend to the prisoners?

"She is a local medicine woman, my Lord." The noble replied calmly. "It was her remedy that saved the Queen's mother, I believe. She has been assisting the palace healers as of late."

She didn't exactly look like the creator of a miracle medicine, Thor though sceptically, remembering the remedy that practically brought Volva back from the dead. But then again, what did he know of medicine healers and their skills? At the moment, he didn't give a damn who she was as long as she saved Koli.

All the same, he was a bit unnerved that he hadn't been consulted of the new appointment. "Why was I not informed of this?"

The god was sure he caught a slight flicker in the corner of the noble's smug mouth. "Forgive me, my Lord. I feared you had more important matters on your mind."

Thor's jaw tensed, but he held his tongue against the noble's snide comment. Now was not the time. Now he needed that confession from Koli. That was what he was here for; what was the Lord doing here though?

Glancing beside him, Thor frowned at the well dressed noble. Just as he opened his mouth to ask though, the medicine woman interrupted him.

"His heart rate is settling." She murmured in a voice that did not match her appearance. It was so much younger than her withered face.

What did that mean though?, Thor wondered in his head. "He will survive?" he asked of her.

The woman didn't look up, as Koli's chest started to jerk upwards with his jagged breaths. "Most likely, but I still-"

The woman didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Koli abruptly sat up on the table and his arm lashed out wildly, knocking the woman across the room. He let out a feral roar as he threw himself at the King.

Caught by surprise, Thor staggered back as Koli's hands now flew to his throat, his once vacant eyes now blazing and uncontrollable. He looked mad. All the same, his fingers barely grazed Thor's skin before the thunder god caught the prisoner's wrists and thudded them back down to the table so hard that the wood groaned with a splintering sound.

The god's heart was beating wildly in his chest as he stared down at Koli, teeth gritted as his anger flooded back with his adrenalin.

His hand moved to Koli's throat, lifting the man up slightly only to slam him back down to the table. Koli gasped for breath as the air was knocked out of him, wild eyes momentarily clouding.

"What did you do to my wife?" Thor growled, fingers curling around the man's throat. Gods, he would love to just end him now…

Even more so as Koli's lips parted in a slightly insane grin, a chuckle leaving him. "I fucked her, of course." He spat out, the white remnants of the foam from his mouth flecking from his lips. "Did she not tell you?"

Thor grimaced in disgust – and growled in fury. This rat… "You lie!" he snarled. "I know Imogen, she would not do this. Tell me the truth."

He was furious, but he did believe what he said. He believed when he said he thought Imogen to be innocent, but a tiny part of his heart sank as Koli just grinned on. Why was he not denying it? Not even a hint of doubt. The confidence in his orbs… it filled Thor with dread.

"Well, she did." The man gloated shamelessly. "She slept with me time and time again, wishing she was with me instead of you. I heard her say it. And that baby she lost…she poisoned herself while she was pregnant because she said she couldn't bear to have your spawn inside her." He chuckled again, but it was cut short as he gasped in a sudden rasping breath. "She wanted you dead-"

Thor's fist cut across Koli's face before he could stop himself. "You're a liar." Thor forced between his gritted teeth. "Admit it was all lies and you can keep your life."

He wasn't sure if he was telling the truth, but he didn't really care. All he needed to hear was that it was all false, that his wife hadn't wanted him dead. He couldn't accept that the woman that he had married would do that to him. He knew she was strong and could be cruel, but this…his Imogen…

Despite the blow, Koli's eyes still gleamed with triumph. "It wasn't lies." He grinned, refusing to back down. "If I have to die for this, then so be it. But I love Imogen and she loves me, while you mean nothing."

Thor's fists were trembling with rage, but his heart quivered in his chest, broken and wounded. Hearing those words, that Imogen loved another…

The god released Koli and staggered back a step, unable to bear touching him anymore. "She does not love you." He spat back resolutely. He wished his heart could have the same conviction as his voice.

She couldn't love Koli, could she?, Thor gasped in his head. Thor's thoughts were swimming, brimming with confusion and disbelief. Koli was willing to die for his confession – people rarely did that for something that was made up. That shattered the god.

Imogen had admitted to kissing him in the forest. Of that much, Koli was most certainly guilty. And Imogen? What else had happened? Had she really pushed him away as she had said or was she just covering herself, pleading her innocence? Koli was convinced. Thor could see it in the man's eyes; to him, this was the truth. To him, Imogen had been his lover and they had planned a life together.

It was one hell of a confession, and it looked like it was there to stay. Sharp pain stabbed at the god's heart, but he refused to bow in to it, staying still as he came to terms with his loss.

His fists clenched and unclenched as he wrestled with the pain. It felt like the pain of grief, like what he had felt when their son had died. If the accusations were true then maybe Imogen wasn't only guilty of treason and adultery, but murder too. Their baby, their precious child…

He screwed his eyes shut for a moment and thought hard, trying to gather himself.

Koli was sane and convinced. Thor knew how much manipulation Imogen was capable of, how she could lie if she wanted to. Witnesses attesting to Imogen's sneaking and bad character seemed never ending. Perhaps Thor was being a fool. Perhaps he had to accept that, as much as it killed him, this was the truth.

Decision reached, heart heavy, his fists held clenched and he snapped his eyes open.

XXX

There weren't many places in Imogen's small abode for her to hide in. Just looking for a change of surrounding was nigh impossible. Usually, she would lie on the bed, pace across the floor, or stand on her toes and look out of her small window in the wall down at the world outside.

When the lock on her door clicked open one mid afternoon, Imogen had been pacing. She froze in a heartbeat, snapping her head up.

Last time someone had come into her room outside of a mealtime, it had been Thor. And that had gone horrifically. Imogen truly couldn't imagine how it had gone any worse…

She was praying it wasn't him again. She couldn't face that again just yet.

But if not him, then who?, flitted through her mind instantly. A council member? Lord Roanull? She didn't particularly want to see them either.

She held her breath as the door was opened…and burst into tears when her mother barged through.

"Imogen!"

The young Queen was in her mother's arms in a heartbeat as the wizened woman flew across the room, clinging to her daughter as if her very life depended on it. Her father was there seconds later, Imogen engulfed thankfully with her parents.

She didn't bother trying to be strong anymore and let the tears flow. She could hear her mother crying too and wished that she could stop it, but there would be no words to comfort either of them. What could be said? Everything about this situation was hopeless and desolate. Imogen sobbed shamelessly into her mothers shoulder, sinking to the floor as weakness took over her. Her family followed, her fathers arm around her shoulders and holding her hand.

"Oh, my dear, dear girl." Aevar murmured in a broken voice by Imogen's ear, holding her tightly.

It had been so long since they'd sent their daughter. With all the scandal and for as little they had heard of her wellbeing, she could have been dead for all they knew, but to see her alive and well made them thank the gods their daughter was still safe.

For now, at least – who knew what would happen to her in the months to come…

Finally, Volva pulled back and her round, wide eyes scoured over Imogen, clasping her daughters face between her hands. "How are you?" she gasped. "Are they feeding you well? Treating you kindly?"

Imogen pressed her lips together and screwed her eyes shut, trying to gather herself before she answered her mother. Sneaky tears still slipped through though as she covered her mother's hand with her own over her cheek. "Yes, mother. I'm fine." She said in a far from steady voice.

As soon as those words left her mouth, she was crushed back to her mother's chest, sniffling into the vibrant red curls that fell over her mothers shoulder.

No one would ever know that she was a Queen by the way she sobbed now, but she didn't need to be for these two people. Her mother and father had raised her from a baby, their only daughter. She could sob, and break down, and lose herself in front of them. Especially in times like this.

Her father's hand stroked gently over her hair. "We would have come sooner if only we could." He sniffled, obviously emotional himself. "You have been guarded with great secrecy."

Imogen's hand squeezed her father's comfortingly. "Thor told me you would not speak to him?"

"Of course, I would not." Aevar almost growled the anger more than obvious in his voice. "He came to our house after your arrest to have words, as if there were any words to say after he has imprisoned my daughter for an offence she did not commit! I would not have him anywhere near my land. I once thought Thor a noble man…"

The words hung bitterly in the air for a silent moment.

"We mustn't speak ill of the King." Volva muttered darkly, and Imogen felt her mothers chin lift as she inevitably gave her husband a warning stare.

There were guards outside the door, inevitably listening to every word that was said. The last thing Imogen wanted was for her parents to be arrested for plotting treason too.

"He's the King, father." Imogen chuckled humourlessly. "You can't keep him off your land. He goes where he pleases."

Aevar scoffed. "Then I shall move to a different realm, where he would have no jurisdiction over me."

Imogen couldn't help but smile at that, even as she knew her mother was glaring at her father yet again. There was no stopping him though, even Imogen knew that. The small smile was still on her face as Imogen finally drew back from her mother, wiping her tears from her eyes.

Concern still gleamed in Volva's eyes though as her hand cupped Imogen's cheek. "How is the baby?"

Imogen's hand fell to her stomach, still smooth, but a little bit more bloated than usual lately, so small though it was something only she would notice. "The baby is fine, I think. I haven't bled…"

She prayed the baby was alright. For all her stress and anguish, she hoped the baby was in good health, but there was little she could do to ensure that from this small pokey room. No fresh air, basic food, no medical women to aid her…

Gods, she had missed her mother and father. A part of her had thought she would never see them again. Her hand gripped her mother's as her eyes filled with tears once more. "I'm scared, mother." She confessed.

It wasn't something she said often, but lately, she wasn't sure she had the spirit to deny it. Weeks and months had passed and she still had no news as to whether her fate was in danger or not. To her, that was worrying. She just wanted to know. Her visit from Thor had hardly gone well, after all. For all she knew, they were planning her execution.

Imogen hands started shaking again. "He hates me." She gasped, unable to hold her mother's eye anymore. "I could see it in his eyes. He hates me. He's going to kill me."

As soon as those words left her lips, her chest tightened and she fought for breath, feeling the air leave her in short sharp bursts. This time, Aevar beat Volva to it and Imogen's father engulfed her in his strong arms, his daughter hyperventilating into his tunic. "I won't let him hurt you, my girl." He kissed into the top of her head. "With my last breath, I won't let him."

Volva's hand rubbed at Imogen's upper arm comfortingly. "The trail is still being debated. It is very well guarded though. No one is really sure as to the mind of the king."

"He hates me." Imogen breathed brokenly, remembering the hostile look in Thor's eyes just before he had left her, how angry and vicious he had looked…she didn't hold our much hope. "You should have seen him. He doesn't believe me." She choked. "You believe me, right?"

Her mother didn't even pause. "Of course, darling." She chuckled humourlessly, as if Imogen needed to ask. "How could Thor even consider you would want him harm? That you would love another?"

"You loved Thor with all your heart, we could all see that." Her father went on as Imogen drew back from his chest. "He and Shelby mean everything to you."

All but Thor could see, Imogen thought sadly in her head. Of course she knew her parents didn't know what happened behind closed doors, but still, behind their quarrelling and however he might break her heart, she still loved him. She would never do anything of what she was accused of doing.

"We don't have long." Volva sighed sadly. "They would only let us have a few moments."

Imogen pressed her lips together, eyes gleaming as they found her mother's. "What does that tell you?"

She saw the pain flash in her mother's eyes and she didn't even answer Imogen, crushing her in yet another embrace instead. "It will be alright." She finally choked determined to her daughter. "You'll see."

Imogen didn't even get a chance to reply to her mother before the knock echoed on the door and the guard's voice rang through. "Time's up."

Volva pulled back instantly, hands clasping either side of Imogen's face as they both rose to their feet. "We'll be back." She promised. "We'll speak with Thor. We'll not let this injustice endure."

Imogen just nodded, before Volva's hands melted away from her and she turned to quickly hug her father instead.

He pressed a kiss into the side of her temple. "Stay safe, my daughter."

Imogen felt like a part of her was dying as her parents let her go, and she bit her lip, holding the tears back as the guard opened the door to her room.

Hand in hand, her parents glanced back and took one last look at her. Who knew – it might really be their last. And Imogen didn't want them to remember her snivelling and broken. She was still their daughter, proud and strong. She knew she was innocent. She just hoped that would be enough though.

But when her parents turned away and the door slammed shut behind them, her knees failed her and she fell to the floor heavily. She didn't bother trying to muffle her sobs as she cried loudly into the floor.