Loki hit the wall, his fist piercing through as he felt Sif's subconscious decide to do the inevitable.
He assumed the 'Golden Prince' would return eventually, but he had to say, his timing wasn't the best. If he had come at a later date, a date in which The Warrior Maiden had been trained properly, the both of them would not be in the trouble they were soon to find themselves in.
Unfortunately for Thor, he was completely unaware of what he was getting into just by walking across the bridge and onto palace grounds.
Loki wasn't sure if he wanted Thor to know about his takeover just yet, he surmised he could push it a bit further until Sif felt she would snap.
He would know soon enough. Once his eyes landed on the mark she bears..
A low chuckle vibrated in his throat.
The outcome of his plan depended solely on how he reacted at this moment, so properly plotting was crucial in the careful game of chess.
But after watching Thor through one of the large windows, he grunted and spun around, flicking his wrist to assume his illusion that all were blind to; give or take a person.
-:::-
Sif went charging through the halls, not daring to stop in fear of being caught by that predator of a man.
Her beautifully crafted dress flowed freely behind her as her eyes narrowed on the objects in front of her, making her way towards the entrance.
To any bystander she would appear as not the Lady Sif but as a woman, a gorgeous one at that. Any man would be on his knees before her. Any 'normal' man.
Her hair was done as well as her makeup and she hated it beyond belief, she had been reluctant in letting her handmaidens do so. She did not understand the least bit as to why she had been treated the way she had. It was almost as if she wasn't a prisoner at all, rather a lady of the castle.
Sif was beginning to become winded as she neared the front of the castle, she only had a few more corridors to run through before she would reach Thor. She could almost taste the freedom, the justice. She wanted to put that rat in his place, show him Asgard could not be taken down by one person, especially not him.
She turned a corner and saw Loki leaning oh so casually on the wall, flipping a small golden coin and catching it repetitively.
"You will not stop me from telling him the truth! The gods forbid what will happen when I do!" Sif screamed at him, glaring furiously before dashing for the detour, trying to reach the Thunder God.
After looking over her shoulder time and time again she arrived at the palace's entrance, just where the bridge and stone bricks connected. She looked down at the area before placing one foot on the rainbow glass, remembering Loki's other threat as well, the one about her stepping foot outside of the walls.
She swallowed any doubt or fear she had developed within the last few minutes and set her mind on her duties, the duties that came with the title of warrior, she would not be intimidated by anyone, not this day.
Sif looked up and met the gaze of an expectant Thor, not even a quarter mile away.
"Thor!" She began sprinting again before she felt a strong but powerful hand grip onto her shoulder so tightly that she could barely move.
Sif knew exactly who had stopped her and felt as he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"It seems my threats were not evident enough for you.. Another thing you've got to learn, I suppose? When and when not to defy your king." A low chuckle rang in her ears as he walked forward disguised as someone completely different, no other than the All-Father himself.
"You are /not/ my king!" She screamed her protest to the world but was not heard, it did not take her long to realize he had muted her with a silencing spell.
"Father! How long has it been? One, two, three millennia?" Thor's joyfully boisterous voice bounced off of all the walls in Asgard. Wherever he went, you always knew.
"Ah, I'm afraid not, my son. Only a few months, not many though. I can see where it could be easy to loose track of time, after all, once homesickness settles in, it can make only a week feel a lifetime."
It was so clear, it nearly pained her. She knew exactly who was behind the mask, yet the one being manipulated had not the slightest clue. It made her want to cry and scream the truth, but the ability had been cruely taken from her.
After several minutes Thor peered at her, looking around 'Odin'.
"Whoa! Sif? You are wearing a dress and you look.. like a lady!" The different layers of shock in his tone confused her slightly, it made her want to slap him as she took it as just a bit offensive.
"Yes.. She does, doesn't she?" Loki stepped back to look at her as well, sending her a glare while his back was turned towards the thunderer, sending her a warning as he dissolved the spell that bound her vocals to the point of no sound.
"Uh, I've had a change of heart lately, I guess?" She threw him the most convincing grin she could muster. Unfortunately it was not very good, she looked like someone had just killed her puppy.
Thor laughed, "You don't seem very convinced. Come, let us all go to the dining hall for a feast! We shall have a plentiful amount of food and let's not forget the mead!"
"I believe you will be consuming mead with a side of food. Quite the opposite of what you have proposed." Odin's tone was all but knowing.
"Father, you jest!" He cheered, "I can't remember a time when you were this joyous!"
"Well this is such an occasion.. How could I not?"
And with that the three of them were off to get ready for the feast that had been set up not even a minute ago.
-:::-
Sif had been ordered to redress, much to her distaste.
Loki had hand picked her new clothing and the very idea made her get that same feeling she had earlier.
Her new dress was full length, it draped around her feet and flowed with the wind, undoubtably made from the finest silk the worlds had to offer, thin and soft to the touch. The color of the gown itself was a beautiful scarlett, a color that flattered and hugged her curves perfectly, as much as she hated to admit it. It was fit for royalty, something she was not.
Her handmaidens came in shortly after she put it on to do her hair and makeup.
They went for a messy but chic updo, a messy bun as the mortals would call it, and then a smokey eye styled look.
Sif could tell her life was only going to get worse from here on out until it became the living hel she wished it never would.
-:::-
"I do believe it is time to come out, dear Sif." A low voice purred through a crack in the door, filling her ears with the sound of smooth and sinful velvet.
She was reluctant in opening /his/ door, so she simply waited until his patience ran thin and he did it himself. Which, to be honest, was not the best idea. But she figured with Thor here, he couldn't do much to her without him noticing.
But oh was she wrong.
Loki burst through the door and pushed her against his wall, something that began to become a daily thing for him, much to her displeasure. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed her fiercely, a fight for dominance if you will. There was no love in his actions. No. This was all about power. About showing who was truly in charge. No matter how hard she shoved him, he wouldn't budge so she settled on trying to take over the rough kiss, to take hold of him through it.
Another bad decision on her part.
He bit onto her bottom lip unil it began to bleed, leaving a metallic taste in her mouth as he licked some of the blood with his tongue, pressing her so hard against the wall she was sure it would dent.
They continued to fight for dominance for several minutes, until his hands started traveling up her inner thighs, causing her to gasp and pull away from him.
"Don't touch me." Her command was plain as day and it was clear he did not like it one bit.
"Or what? Do tell! I'd love to know what exactly it is you are going to do." He was still pressed against her but he looked almost expectant as he awaited her answer.
Her response had not been quite what he had expected.
She had grabbed a book from his side table and whacked him upside the head with it, making a mad dash in the direction of the door before a swirl of green magic beat her to it.
It slammed a little too loudly.
"Wench!" He pause briefly, only to collect himself, "I will make you pay extensively for that!"
Loki charged at her, grabbed her arm and dragged her down the halls as the illusion cascaded over his person once again.
-:::-
The moment before Loki had sent her on her way he made his next threat very clear.
He did not want her saying a word about her current situation or his, for that matter. Thor should not know and /would/ not know as long as he was in control.
And with that Sif walked through the giant double doors of the dining hall. Several smiling expressions greeted her as she entered but their were a few other kinds of emotions that practically disarmed her as they stared at her in - awe.
Sif wanted to scream. To shout at them. She wanted to feel the freedom she once did; all she was now was a caged animal. A captive. And the worst part was; no one knew. But somehow she managed to keep the urge in check, thank the gods for it. She did not want to have another confrontation with her captor.
"Sif!" Fandral immediately stood, only Volstagg at his side since Hogun had stayed on Vanaheim. "Where have you been all this time? I was afraid something tragic had occurred to you!"
'Something tragic /has/ occurred to me.' She thought bitterly as she struggled to maintain her smile. "My apologizes, friend, I was ordered on a mission and I wasn't supposed to speak a word on the topic." Sif walked forward, ignoring the wild glances that began to arise in the room as peoples' eyes darted from Sif and then around the room. Even Fandral and Thor had begun to do it, that, she had to admit, had caused a spark of fear. "Is.. there something amiss?"
Thor stepped forth after a painstakingly long minute and tentatively touched her neck, causing the maiden to push his hand away.
A small flash in the corner of the room caught her attention but didn't seem to get any one else's as their eyes were focused solely on her. She turned her head slightly and her eyes immediately widened.
"Ah, I see you have found the mark." Loki came towards the two of them slowly, for emphasis she guessed.
The whole room gasped as they almost rubbed their eyes from the shock they were experiencing.
"This cannot be! You. You died! I saw it with my very eyes!" Thor was beginning to go through his own little state of shock as he grabbed hold of the table and used it to keep himself upright.
Sif finally managed to cut in. "What are you talking about? What mark?" A small tremor escaped her demanding tone and she found herself cursing internally.
"The mark you bear on your neck, my /dear/. The green serpent that binds you to me for the rest of eternity." His tone was mocking and knowing as he stared at her almost predatorily; like a lion seeing it's first meal in over a week. The look most definitely did not escape any of the hall's inhabitants.
"How?" Was all she could manage.
"Last night. Oh, I do hope you recall correctly?"
And she did, he was referring to after he had caught her the second time. He had bit and licked her neck.
But no one else knew. They thought it completely different.
She could no longer take it. These people who were supposed to be her friends were looking at her like some kind of twisted whore, /his/ whore. Something she was not.
His next action caught her off guard. It was as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
"Now, now, Lady Sif, we don't want to lose our temper, do we? You are way too fiery to be the cheap whore that these people appear to think you are."
A few pair of eyes widened at that.
Loki knew exactly which buttons to push, and push them he did.
He spun the now retreating Sif and pressed her against himself, kissing her the way he had not even twenty minutes ago, of course not as fiercely since they had an audience.
Not at the least surprisingly, she resisted but he even knew what to do for that too. The hand he had rested on her hip squeezed her until she felt as if the bone itself would fracture if not break.
Sif had to bite back a scream as she reluctantly kissed him back.
"If you two are done?" Fandral spoke up then, clearly taking over for Thor as he noticed the god was too far gone to speak a word over the shock of the 'return' of brother and the betrayal of his friend.
He pulled away then but turned Sif so that her side was pressed tightly against his. "I believe so. Now. I do /not/ believe, however, you are prepared for another truth this moment so I shall call a handful of you to the throne room when I see it fit. But for the time being. Leave." His voice was cold and demanding as his gaze hardened, all earlier amusement leaving without a trace.
"In the name of Hel and all things evil; get off me!" Sif broke. All that remained of her facade not only cracked but broke as she screamed out her protest, causing several pairs of eyes to stare at the two of them questioningly. "I am my own person! I do not belong to you. The only feelings I hold for you are hatred and pity; And to answer your question; no, your ears do /not/ deceive you, you have heard correctly; I pity you! You believe material things like a throne or a realm can bring you happiness! I'm sorry.. It can't. It won't. It never will."
Sif quickly pried his hand off and ran to Fandral's side, gripping onto his sword and taking it from it's holder, pointing it directly at the enemy.
At this point everyone had stopped to watch, not wanting to miss one second of this brawl unwinding right before them.
Loki did not care much, he cherished the attention. The bigger the crowd, the better.
"Is that so? Now then. Tell me." He paused, walking a few steps towards her only for Fandral to step out ahead of her, "Do you truly believe that? Or is it just your logic slithering it's slippery way into your emotions?"
Something changed in Loki's gaze and it cause her to drop to the ground. She knew exactly what was about to happen, his outward emotions were controlled but his eyes were far too expressive. She could visually see when he planned to do harm to someone in them. But it had been too late to warn the ladies man. He collapsed to his knees and yelled in pain. It looked to be excruciating, she would have came to his aid if everything around her hadn't faded away to leave her sitting on a bed, correction, /the/ bed in Loki's room, unarmed.
It did not take him long to appear right in front of her, standing right at its edge, flashing her a seductive grin.