Hi everyone! So, another chapter. It is pretty crazy at school now and I can't find time to write, sorry. I'll do my best though! Hope you enjoy the chapter, leave a review if you did!

Again, let me know if there are some spelling or grammar mistakes.

I own nothing but my OC and plot.

X

There has never been a better demonstration of the phrase "a quiet before the storm".

It took her two days and sixteen hours to realise that something is definitely wrong. It was like little things became different, but it was impossible to tell which. Like the habits of everyone around changed in a blink of an eye. As if everything moved an inch to the side and it just didn't feel right. Or as if there was a single stain on a white table clothing. Uncomfortable yet unchangeable. Even wind stopped blowing but the air was still fresh and enjoyable, children stopped screaming during the plays and a lively buzz on the streets was gone. Something will end very, very bad.

Milla stopped in the middle of the staircase with a bad feeling, realizing all this changes. Like she lacked something or someone stopped her from doing something or like she was supposed to be someplace else, but she wasn't. She felt like someone was still standing behind her and she could not tell if for looking over her or harming her. It was really hard to shake the feeling off, however hard she tried. She read, cooked, played the piano, talked with whoever she could and finally re-wrote the stolen writings. But nothing helped. Even the work was not as demanding as before. Milla was still waiting for her spies to find out some information about this mysterious Sebastian and there was not much beside it. That was also driving her mad.

When she asked Emma if she felt the same, her friend shook her head and asked if she could help. Maybe the lack of sleep was finally getting to her. The bad dreams were not as often as before bus still insanely intense and vivid. And the worst part was that however the dream started, it always ended the same- with her drowning in a freezing water reaching for the faces above. Perhaps the chills were only a quiet reminder of freezing to death.

Finally, she god frustrated by walking around the house and trying to find an activity that would make her useful. It was only noon and she has already sorted all her clothing by whether she wore it or not, read a few pages of one of her favourite novels and went to the market to get some fresh fruit she then gave to the orphanage along the way. The boredom was new, she always had something to do or at least someone to keep her busy. She decided to simply sit down on the couch and relax a little. Maybe some activity will occur in time. If only she had a pet to keep her company right now.

She may fell asleep for when she opened her eyes again, Emma was sitting on the terrace with both Johnatan and Jon, puzzled expressions on all of their faces. They weren't talking, only looking around, thinking. Milla stood up abruptly and walked to them, ignoring the darkness in front of her eyes and weakness of her muscles from the unexpected fast movement. Luckily she hit the doorframe before she fell and waited until it went away. All three faces were turned to her, all frowning and concerned.

"What is it?" she asked quickly, a hint of fear rising in her chest. "What happened?" Could something happen to someone they knew? Is Andrea and Adam all right? Is someone else hurt? She was thinking of all people all four of them knew and imagining dozens of possible scenarios. And finally, only one face appeared in front of her and it changed the fear into dread. Did something happen to Loki? Did he do something stupid and got hurt? Or worse, killed? Or they found out who he really was? "Tell me."

"The realm is mourning," Johnatan replied while Milla sat down next to him. And she frowned. That means only one thing.

"The queen is dead and king may be dying," Emma added. She was looking at Milla whose expression was frozen between pain and surprise. She knew them both, especially the queen, as they met some time ago when prince was younger and suffered from an unknown illness. Milla was the one who found the right doctor and acquired rare herbs for the cure. They both sat at the sickbed for hours, Milla keeping her company and sanity by telling all stories she could recall. Since then, she got the door opened to the castle, but they saw each other only a few times for they both had little time for a meeting. That woman was one of the kindest people she had met here, caring about the people in realm, loving and being loved in return. And dead.

"What happened?" she asked again in whisper. Truthfully, she was thinking about meeting the royal couple if the boredom continued. Not anymore.

"Nobody knows. They found them in a pool of blood in the morning." Jon carried on. Milla was pale and asked Emma for a glass of water.

"There were bells while you slept," Johnatan told her. "What is going to happen now?"

"We will wait. If king dies, there will be a coronation of our young prince. The question is, who will they name a regent?"

"That must not happen." Milla closed her eyes, clearing her head and trying to think straight. "There is a reason why they attacked only the parents. Logically, the regency is what they truly want. Someone wants to rule the realm unknown." It all made sense now. Everything Aaron told her a few days back was clear as water. Someone was killing off everyone who could have figured this out and stop them. People with power to get the information and people who had enough money to pay an army to defeat them. And somehow, she was in the middle of it.

"Who?" Emma looked at her with concern.

"The same people who wanted to kill me before. I have to go to the castle," she stood up, wiping away the annoying tears. The odd feeling from the morning was gone for something horrible has already happened. It was not about her anymore. Someone wanted to change the way Vanaheim was and they were trying to achieve it by blood. That was never a good sign.

"You can't. Nobody can go in or out." Johnatan stopped her by the hand.

"Well I need to do something!" she snapped.

"You could calm down, I'll make some coffee," Emma offered.

"Brilliant fucking idea," Milla muttered. "I'm sorry, but I can't sit around when I know something unthinkable is going to happen. I'll try to find a way."

She walked from the house and everything was different again. It was not as before, but the noise from the streets was back. Not the usual carefree one but muffled, full of confusion and maybe fear. Almost everyone was outside, talking to the neighbours. Some were yelling the news for everyone who haven't heard. But she didn't listen, afraid if there is some more.

There were dozens of people at the castle gates. Guards sealed the entrance answering questions, but not getting anyone in. She elbowed her way to the front and looked for the guard. He recognized her and made a little bow. "Nice to see you, lady Milla."

"Thank you, James," she remembered his name. "Please, tell me how it happened."

"Our queen had her throat cut as well as the king. But his wound was not to deep, but he lost a lot of blood. Nobody believes he will see the next morning."

More tears crept to her eyes. She gave him a squeeze on shoulder and nodded. "Please let me know when I can come and see them."

The assassin had to be incredibly good if he got in and out of their chambers at night and unseen. There was half a dozen guards at the main gate and another twenty walking around the fencing. She remembered two more at the entrance door and two from the inside. And she was sure another two guarded the enter to the bedchambers of the king and queen. A few others were walking around the house. The fires were constantly lit yet no one saw a shadow. How?

"My lady!" a voice shouted behind her and made her wake up from thoughts. Milla found herself only a few streets from her house. She turned around and surprisingly, she saw the last person she wanted right now. One of the spies she sent to find out more about Sebastian and Jakk. This won't be good news, for sure. The bad day was certainly not over.

"Not here, walk me home," she suggested. With no more words, they moved fast through the streets avoiding the main street. But the closer they were to home, the more crowded it was. Milla was afraid they were waiting for her in hope to find some more answers and unfortunately, she wasn't wrong. A group of people, most of them with familiar faces were talking with Johnatan, Erik and Jon at the gates. They were polite enough so they didn't force their was to the house and when they saw her, they let her pass.

"Who killed them Milla? Do you know?"

"Yes, and why?"

"And how exactly? I heard about chopping their heads off."

"Is the king dead yet?"

She reached for some support because her knees were giving up. Those people sure loved their king and queen, but it was a different kind of love, different respect as the one she felt. They were her friends, not just faces everyone knew. And it hurt her to hear other people talking about their death like it was something normal, common and not at all horrifying. She was glad when she felt someone's strong hands around her waist. She tried her best to not let those tears out. Again.

"I know as much as you do. Maybe less," she sighed. "We have to wait now. I'm sorry, it is very hard for me to talk about it, they were friends."

With some sad fake smile, Milla turned around and basically ran back to the house. She dimly remembered that there were some bad news waiting and with fingers on her temples to soothe the headache, she came to the living room where Emma was handing some water to her spy and seconds later, she was holding a glass as well. Before she let him speak, she looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't as bad as she thought, but the eyes were more red than usual and she looked generally tired. Nothing unusual for last weeks.

"Thank you for coming so quickly," Milla tried to smile at her guest. She offered him a seat, but he didn't take it and she didn't sit down too. "It was a surprise."

"As well as for me. The information was easy to get."

"And are you sure they are also true?"

"Yes, my lady. There were several sources," he bowed a little and took a sip of the water. She knew he would prefer wine or beer, but after all, he will drink enough after she give him the money. He was a good man, loyal, but a heavy drinker and gambler. She tried to help him some years ago, but he refused and only asked for safety of his family. He never told her the whole story, but she picked up the pieces and apparently, he owned someone a great amount of money and they threatened his loved ones. Without a hesitation, she found them a safe house far away and gave them money so they had something to start with. But he didn't go with them. To her surprise, he wanted to repay her somehow and after days of asking, she finally gave up. Here and then, he accidentally heard something that could interest her and occasionally, she sent him to get specific information. Now was the time.

"Talk then," but I'm not sure if I want to hear it, she thought.

"There is a town, two or three days ride from here. A big one, pretty, cold, but pretty. They say there is this man, well known, but feared. Even the Guardians turn aside when he is doing his business."

"What business?"

"Something like you, but dark," his eyes widened when he realised what he said. "I beg your pardon, my lady, I didn't mean you are..."

"It is all right, continue please," she tried her best encouraging smile. He was a good man.

"They say he knows everyone's bad plans, if you know what I mean. And that he is doing something big with a man called Sebastian," he took another sip. Milla narrowed her eyes, the man in front of her looked a little sick, his skin paler than usual but there was sweat on his forehead. Fever. She made a mental notice to make him go to healers afterwards. "I know nothing more my lady, only that the men are close, but that is all. The other one is a mystery, living in the shadows they say and he is a angelic man with devil's mind. People are afraid to ask, my lady. It is not like the man would tell anyone anything. Those who asked disappeared, my lady."

Chills ran through her spine. She believed him every word and more and more mysterious people troubled her. Finally, she was not in dead end, but what could she do now? Not use other people, that would be to risky. And she didn't mind risk on her own. There was a plan revealing in her mind but honestly, she didn't want it to be the only one she had.

"Can you tell me something about this business man?" her voice was calm so much it surprised her. The man nodded.

"His name is Noel. And he likes to drink and have fun and he likes women and money. I don't know how else to help, my lady," he looked down at his shoes. She took a few steps to him and took his empty glass to put it on the table with her full. She lifted his head and placed her palm on his forehead. He was burning.

"You helped me more than you know and I thank you really much for that. Let me repay you," she took some money out of her little purse and put them into his palm. He tried to refuse, but she made him take it. "It is for you to get some medicine. You have a temperature. Please?" she looked in his blue eyes and after a long while, he nodded. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

When he left, Emma appeared and found Milla standing in the middle of the living room, holding the piano for support and looking like she was somewhere else in mind. Her eyes were sadder every second and the colour from her face was fading. Scared, she hurried to her and put hand on her shoulder. Emma prayed the man didn't tell her something to put her in the mood she found her the day Felix left. Milla woke up from the daydream and looked Emma in the eyes. Hers were full of water.

"Emma, I think I need to remember some old habits."

"Guys! There is she! That's her!" the excitement in Joel's voice caught attention of every Guardian sitting around the largest table in the bar. It was honestly the poorest looking bar Loki had ever been to. Full of drunken men with whores on their knees, screaming and laughing, spilling beer everywhere and sometimes, there was some really bad singing louder then other sounds. But none of that mattered, the beer was good and company entertaining and at least he laugh with the others at bad jokes or embarrassing stories and had enough privacy with his thoughts whenever he wanted. Even Aaron right next to him left his anxious look somewhere at the entrance.

The city was only a couple of days ride from the capital. It was a little bit colder, which was a pleasant change after his dry and hot one before. It even rained for a few hours during the day. They found a place to stay for a few night and joined other Guardians in the bar. Most of them knew each other and if they didn't, it was no longer truth after first ten minutes. Loki was not fond of a company of some strangers, but he could use a few hours break from his mind. There was no visible risk anywhere tonight. That part will come later when Aaron gathers his man and tell them the plan. The prince didn't care about the plan, the only thing he intended to do was to kill a man that meant a danger to a woman he loves.

For some reason, when Aaron came back after visiting Milla, he didn't tell Loki anything. He asked and even threaten him, but nothing worked. He had to play with words when his...apparently something as a friend...was slightly drunk to find out why they are leaving so fast. And yet, they were here for a week and nothing happened. However any of them tried, they could not find out where this bastard named Sebastian is hiding. And so they waited. And drank. At least the poisoner was dead because Loki would murder him in a blink of an eye.

The bar was not as full as other days. It was filled mostly with Guardians, few local older men and some travellers. The bartender told them it was because people revered the memory of the king and queen and it was a tradition in this part of the realm to stay at home at the third day after they leave the world and pray for their souls. A stupid one, but Loki admired their loyalty. It made him wonder if asgardians would mourn Odin's and Frigga's death just as much. They would probably do. And if they mourned his death? Probably not. He forbid himself to care.

"Where?" another Guardian asked. Loki already forgot his name. But he was interested in this woman all of them seek. According to Joel, there was a woman who came to the city only two days ago and she was already the most popular person around. He described her as young and beautiful and rich but the rest of her was a mystery. Except her name: Becca. When someone asked how rich could a young lady be, Joel started laughing. "She is no lady although she looks like one. She is a noble whore for noble gentleman."

"There you blind idiot!" he pointed at the bar and a few of the men stood up just to have a closer look. One of them whistled when he saw her. The prince of Asgard raised eyebrows to their immature behaviour.

"I want her so much," one of the youngest Guardians, George, said. Others nodded.

"I don't think you can afford her, friend," Joel answered, eyes never leaving this whore. When one man stood up and walked away, Loki finally got to see her too. She was sitting at the bar, a glass of wine in colour of blood in front of her, already half empty.

"What is she doing here?"

"Maybe looking for a client."

"Or waiting for one. This is not a place she would find noble men."

Becca was wearing deep red sleeveless dress with unbelievably short front and back touching the ground. Her boots were made of quality black leather and were reaching above her knees, the heels dangerously high. And she wore black silk gloves to her elbows. Lustful red on her lips and black around her eyes. Long brown curls were falling on her shoulders. And there was only a delicate teardrop necklace on her neck and matching earrings. They looked familiar. She looked familiar.

And then, he slowly put his beer back to the table and blinked to make sure. His lips parted and he forgot how to control his body as he realised.

Milla was sitting right in front of him, smiling at the bartender as the old man was saying something to her.

"I bet all my money that you can't make her sleep with you," George told Joel and he accepted. But that was something so distant, Loki's mind could not understand right now. Was it really her? And if so, what the hell was she doing here? Why was she dressed like that?

"Maybe next time. There's the lucky one tonight," Joel nodded to the door as the man in rich black suite walked in. His eyes found who he was looking for immediately and when she realised he was looking at her, she smiled widely at him. He walked to her and leaned to her ear. She laughed at whatever he told her. After that, the man paid her drink and offered her his shoulder. She accepted and they walked out.

All that happened faster than Loki took another breath. He slowly turned to Aaron who looked just as astonished as he was. "Did you know?" he asked hoarse voice.

Aaron shook his head. "Just as surprised as you are."

"Doubt it." Loki drank the beer at once. What was she thinking? Was this a well planned action ar a pure stupidity? It didn't matter really, she was in danger but he was sure she was aware of that as well. And she still chose to do this, whatever it was. Who asked her to? Or was she after this Sebastian all by herself?

"I hope you don't think about running after her, do you?" Aaron eyed him with the worried look again. Yes, he should just go, took her by her bare shoulders and shake some sense to her. But he won't. He wouldn't be able to walk away again. "She will be fine."

"You don't know that." Loki muttered. Weak. That he was. He came here to protect her and she walked to the greatest danger. And he was not allowed to do anything.

"This was her job, back in the days. She will manage. Now drink," he put another glass of beer in front of him. Yes, it was no secret she used to be a whore. But the thought that other man will touch her the way he touched her burned his mind. What if she will enjoy it? What if she was only a damn good actress?

He drank to drown the rage.

The night was chilly and she wasn't wearing a jacket. She was hoping to drink a little more to be warmer before her client, Noel came. Unfortunately, he was early and the only glass of wine was not enough to make her warm after a few hours.

Milla took a deep breath as she was walking back to the bar. It looked like a place nobody would ever look for a noble whore that she was pretending to be? Or was she? This used to be her life, however hard she tried to deny it. The moment Emma found her old dresses, every memory came back and hit her with a great intensity. She felt every bruise and every scratch, every aching muscle from the past. It took every last piece of her broken courage to actually put on the clothing and walk the streets with her head high and not to be offended with the talk in the foreign city. It still hurt, every hateful look and offensive word even though it was exactly according the plan- to be talked about so that Noel could find her a lot easier.

And he did. Sent a message the day after she arrived. With no idea who she was, they met in that bar and he enjoyed her company for a couple of hours. Noel wanted her to stay at night, but she was already getting dressed and with some sweet words and a soft kiss, he let her go. With a promise that he will ask for her again, of course. Hopefully, she will be long gone by then.

Noel was a good looking man with black hair and blue eyes, perfectly shaped lips and almost invisible tattoo on his neck. To her surprise, he was funny and easy to talk to, and quite intelligent. Every word he said was carefully chosen and sounded like a pure honey. Milla caught herself thinking that in another life, they could be friends. But then again, he said something, she forgot what, that reminded her of Loki and it took her a lot of acting skills to keep smiling and blushing as an innocent girl. It took her only one look to realise he liked to be the dominant one. So she played along.

People would be surprised what a man tells you if you do what he wants. She did everything, every trick she learnt long time ago and a little more, because she liked his voice. By the time they finished the bottle of champagne, she knew all about his interests. She knew about his family and about his dreams. And she knew names of his friends. Luckily, he mentioned Sebastian. It was easy after that. However smart he was, no one ever expect whores to remember what a man tells them. Especially after paying so much money.

The bar was half empty when she entered. Good. Only a few old men sat in the corned and some Guardians were still left on the other side. She headed to the bar again, smiling at the bartender. It was an older man without front teeth, but that didn't stop him from smiling when he saw here.

"Welcome back miss," he greeted her as she sat on a high chair. "What can I getcha? More wine?"

"No, not this time," she smiled. "Something really strong and be generous."

"Hard night?" the man was not walking on tiptoes around her. It made her laugh.

"You could put it that way. A hard client indeed," she took the glass filled with something that smelled awful and drank it all at once. She heard laugh and then saw a surprise in old man's face. Easy way to impress a man. Surprisingly, it didn't taste that bad. She asked for more.

"Are you sure, pretty thing? Terrible things could happen to drunk beauties," he hesitated.

"I'll manage. Is there a better way to spend money I don't need?" she ran her fingers through the hair. She definitely needed a shower, she still could smell him on her.

"Wise words," with no other words, he filled the glass and turned to another customers.

Only for a little moment, she closed her eyes and was focusing on the hotness filling her belly. She will get drunk tonight. Fast and good drunk. But before that, she had to remember what she found out. Sebastian was Noel's childhood friend. Noel's parents practically raised him for Sebastian's were always drunk. They do business together. And he lives in a common house for wealthier people, just a few streets south. The only unusual thing about his house were the flowers at the entrance- two-colored roses, red and white. Noel promised to introduce her to him someday.

A laugh and loud voices made her come back to reality. Milla drank the alcohol again and made a little grimace. It was not as good as the first one. She turned to the Guardians who were obviously talking about her. A few were literally staring. She smiled, thankful she fixed her lipstick before leaving the house, and waved them. Another loud laugh filled the room.

She thought about Aaron and Loki again. Where are they now? When Aaron came to her house just after the master of poison left, she was to relieved that she almost started crying. He swore they are both all right and he is keeping an eye on the bastard so he would not cause any trouble or get involved in anything public. Milla didn't ask where he was, and she knew he wouldn't tell her. She begged him not to some time ago. She was desperate to know, but what good would it do? None. He will be gone in a few days and she would better start forgetting him. For good.

And maybe, today was the first step. She let another man touch her and a part of her liked it. The other part hated herself.

"Hello beautiful," a young man sat right next to her, a little drunk but still sober enough to behave. She slowly turned her head to face him and lifted one corner of her lips. "Can I pay for another?" he nodded towards her empty glass.

"Hello Guardian. Thank you, yes," she never moved her gaze from him and after a few long seconds of silence, he woke up and remembered what he wanted. It was funny.

"My name is Joel."

"Becca. But you already know that, don't you sweetie?" she straightened her back a little more. It started to hurt.

"Yes, actually. You are a celebrity here, you know?" he paid for both new drinks and waited for her to take it. But she took her time.

"Really? It must be a pitiful city when whores are celebrities," she laughed. For a while, Joel was amazed by her sincerity. He managed a nod.

"Only the beautiful ones," he found the words.

"Well thank you, handsome," Milla started to feel alcohol rushing through her veins and making her a little dizzy. She loved the feeling. "To the beautiful poor souls?" she raised the glass.

"To beautiful ones," he agreed and they both drank. She asked for another one. "You should be careful Becca."

"You men should finally make your mind," she turned to him with all her body. There was probably a love bite at her neck and collarbone, but it apparently only caught Joel's attention. "Isn't this what you want? Getting women drunk and taking an advantage?"

"Not the right men," he replied. It made her smile.

"Good answer, Guardian."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Anything but my price." Joel was wearing casual clothes that made him younger than he really was. His eyes were brown as chocolate, as well as his hair. But there was something in his face that reminded her of a weasel. A cute boy.

"Oh," fore the second time, he was speechless. She noticed grins at his friends' faces and realised this was not a common sight. "No, of course not. I was wondering what makes you different than the others?"

Milla raised her eyebrows and laughed. She emptied the glass again and then stood up and spun around. Joel had to catch her. Those heels were incredibly high. "You have courage, Guardian, for asking something like this, even though I'm just a whore. However, not every whore is the same. Let me explain you a thing," she sat down again, leaning against the counter. "Most of the girls are good only for sex. That is all they do, please men and they are wonderful at it. But not every man wants just a good fuck. They are looking for something they don't have at home. You understand?" she asked but he still looked confused. She smiled. "They are looking for a woman who will comfort them when there is no one waiting for them after a long day at work. Someone who can appreciate what they did when they hear no kind word from anyone. Some are looking for adventure in their dull lives. But in the end, all men are only lost souls wanting to feel special and a good whore can make them feel as special as ever. You won't believe how many men paid me only to listen and talk to them all night. And I am good at it. That makes me different." She told him, her voice a lot calmer than she expected it to be. This was the first thing she learned when she had no other choice but to become a whore. Milla drank another glass. "And I'm outstanding in bed, naturally."

"The man who will steal your heart will be a lucky man," the bartender spoke when Joel lost his words. Milla turned to him as he handed her another glass. The best way to get drunk was to drink fast. She accepted the glass and waited till he fill Joel's one.

"It's already stolen. And neither of us is lucky," a sad smile appeared on her face. "But thank you."

Joel asked where was she from and she made up some story. It was hard to focus after another drink and her mind was filled with Loki again. It took her a lot of strength not to fall into self-pity again so she flirted with some Guardians and Joel and tried to forget the face she loved so much. Regrets appeared after a while. Loki walked away and Milla still felt like she was cheating. So she drank.

After a few other drinks when sun was already rising, she stood up and tried her balance on those high heels. It was all right although she bumped into two chairs. It made her laugh and she didn't care. At the door, she stopped and looked back to the Guardians. Some of them were sleeping on the tables, Joel was smiling and waving with two others and then there was one in the corner. She didn't notice him before and it took her a while to focus her vision. The alcohol was making everything a little blurry. But he looked familiar. The smile was slowly fading. Loki? Could it be? Was he there all along?

She shook her head. He was miles away now, sleeping in a warm bed and planning his vengeance. It couldn't be him.

Milla was walking from one side of the pavement to the other, drunk by the alcohol and fun she had inside. She didn't let a fresh wind to clear her mind. She felt free. And possibly, a little excited. And why not? Everything could be over very, very soon. And then, she will be free for real.