With a soft coo, Annalise stroked her baby's face as the infant began to fuss. Astrid's chubby little hands reached for her mother's diamond-accented emerald earrings and she let out a loud squawk. Her temperament was like her father's, and the fact that Annalise was denying the child the precious stones was causing the little girl's green eyes to shine with anger. Her round cheeks turned red and with one last reach for the jewelry, she wailed and dissolved into tears as her mother patiently shifted the infant in her arms. Shannon, one of her charges (Loki had started referring to them as servants, which Annalise adamantly veto'ed), swooped in and collected the squalling baby from her Queen, for which Annalise graciously thanked her.
Annalise loved being a mother, but she was infinitely grateful for the opportunity to hand off her baby when her inconsolable shrieking echoed throughout the Waldorf, especially because no child of Loki's could be considered "easy" and effortless to soothe.
Annalise's heart swelled as watched Shannon cradle Astrid and walk her to their rooms, whispering comfortingly. Despite the baby's Asgardian blood, she was growing quickly. She resembled a healthy, (mostly) happy human child at what would be the same age. Astrid had her mother's pink pout and her father's glittering green eyes. Her hair was dark, but tinged with hues of same warm chestnut as Annalise's.
With one last glance at the modern-day nursemaid holding her child, Annalise turned and made her way to the lowermost level of the Waldorf in search of her husband. Her heels clicked on the cold stone floor as she descended to the basement. Loki requested it modeled it after the dungeons of the castle in Asgard, which meant there were no horrid stretching racks or crude steel cages. The cell walls were constructed of glistening, holographic wards that Loki put in place.
The Queen's fair skin broke out in goosebumps as the temperature dropped drastically. She pulled the collar of her jacket closer and shivered as she made her way past the cells. They were all empty, save for the six at the end of the row. The Black Widow, Captain America, Banner in human form, and a few SHIELD agents filled the magic prisons. She caught sight of her husband surrounded by chattering Chitauri, watching blue-eyed Banner sit and read a book on gamma radiation. She sighed. Not only were captives burdensome, but they appeared boring, as well.
The aliens parted like the sea when Annalise stepped closer, gently linking arms with her spouse, who was deep in conversation with his general. Though he didn't say anything to acknowledge her arrival, he placed his hand over hers and squeezed reassuringly.
Annalise truly tried to wait patiently, but between the less than entertaining prisoners and her inability to understand the Chitauri's speech, she cleared her throat louder than was necessary, which got her husband's attention. Loki excused himself from his men and guided her to a more private corner of the dungeon.
"You know I don't approve of you down here, Annalise," he growled quietly.
She huffed and stuck her hip out.
"I don't approve of you down here either, but here we are."
Unable to hide his smirk at her sass, Loki cupped the back of his wife's head and drew her in for a kiss. He left her breathless and dizzy, her punishment for going against his wishes and entering the bowels of the Waldorf. Teasingly he nipped at her jaw.
"Was there something you needed, dearest?"
Annalise panted, regaining her bearings after such a disarming act of affection. She cleared her throat again and pushed his mouth away. She couldn't think with it orbiting in such close proximity to hers.
"You've been down here all day. Astrid misses you. She was doing her "Daddy" cry when I left her just now."
A pang of guilt and desire to be elsewhere hit Loki square in the gut and he inhaled sharply. With practiced self-control, he pushed down the need to go to his daughter immediately. He fought daily to hide the weakness he had for his family and he would not give himself away now, especially not in front of the remaining Avengers. He straightened and nodded curtly.
"I'll tend to her when I am able."
They both knew he'd excuse himself shortly. The King of Midgard couldn't resist his tiny daughter's cries, especially when her wails specifically indicated that he was the only viable candidate to soothe her to sleep.
Annalise surveyed their surroundings and made a face in distaste. "Can we just go now?"
Loki's lips curled into amused smile.
"Patience, little girl. Allow me a few minutes."
He kissed her cheek before returning to his men.
Anna denied the fact that her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched him resume his role as King. He was powerful, brilliant, a little maniacal, and he made her kind of happy. A lot happy. Fighting the urge to sigh dreamily, she turned to leave when a low female voice broke the silence of her secluded corner.
"We know you didn't chose this, Annalise."
The little Queen froze.
"I beg your pardon?"
"We know he kidnapped you and forced you to help at Stuttgart."
Cautiously Annalise turned and eyed the Black Widow. Though she appeared harmless sitting on the floor of her cell with a book, the woman was a professionally trained assassin and even behind bars, she was dangerous.
"The world will be sympathetic to you and your situation once it's explained. They've seen how he is. I know you didn't ask for this," continued Romanov.
Anna's eyes narrowed into slits as she gazed into the Black Widow's dark chamber.
"You know don't know the first thing about me. You have no idea what he's like, so don't speak as if you do."
Despite the clipped response, Natasha's face remained placid.
"You must have forgotten what SHIELD stands for. We're an intelligence agency—."
"You were an intelligence agency. Now, you are nothing. You're lucky my husband hasn't killed you."
She gave the other woman a tight smile. "I need to see to my family. Have a pleasant day, Agent Romanov," Annalise turned on her heel.
"If you have questions about your baby—About what she is, or what, exactly,you're married to, you know where to find me. I'm only offering to help you, Annalise. It's not too late to get out of this mess."
Standing still for a moment, she took a deep breath as Natasha's words echoed off the stone walls. She flexed her fingers and forced herself out of the anger she felt towards the other woman. The Black Widow was just baiting her. Holding her head high, Annalise fought the urge to look behind her as she made her back to her husband's side.
x
That night, Annalise twisted and turned in bed. No matter how she positioned herself, she couldn't relax next to Loki. Her mind raced as she thought about what the Black Widow said. The way she referred to "what" her husband was made him seem like an exotic being, which she didn't think he was. He acted and looked normal. Normal for him, at least. But, if she were honest, she truly didn't know much about her husband. He was powerful, rather self-centered, had a wicked temper, but wasn't completely unchangeable. When she needed to, she could get through to him. He'd come far since they first met.
She glanced at her side. He was genuinely asleep, or he'd have halted her restless tossing with some vigorous mattress calisthenics. With a frustrated huff, she gave up on rest and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Slipping into a green silk robe, she checked on Astrid and glanced one last time at her sleeping King before quietly making her way downstairs.
The brilliant bit of possessing such a thorough knowledge of the Waldorf's new floor plans was that she knew how to reach the Avengers' cells with minimal detection. When she did run into a Chitauri guard, she merely put on her most authoritative expression with her chin raised and brow cocked commandingly and it let her pass without incident. As she made her way to the chambers she'd stood before earlier that day, her stomach sank. Romanov's was empty.
"Oh, dear," she whispered, her gaze flicking to each bare corner of the room. Was the woman dead? Had Loki killed her? He'd promised Annalise he'd leave the remaining Avengers alive.
"They're questioning her," Captain America offered from his cell.
Annalise jumped and whirled to face the cell next to Romanov's. The dark, muscled figure of Steve Rogers rising from his bed made her blush and look away, despite her shock.
"I forget there's little privacy when you live in a fishbowl," she murmured, glancing at the floor when he peeled the covers off himself to reveal that he slept in little more than boxers. He pulled on a t-shirt and approached her, grabbing a chair and getting as close to the shimmering force field walls as he dared.
"You get used to it," he shrugged. "You came looking for Natasha?"
"Yes... They're questioning her?"
The blonde nodded with a quiet sigh.
"Loki likes to keep us on edge. We never know when we're going to be pulled for interrogation. She will likely be returned in a few hours. I'm sorry you missed her."
His sincerity was nauseating.
Nodding slowly, Annalise synched her robe tightly around her middle. She was feeling rather underdressed.
"Well, I'm sorry to have woken you, Captain. Goodnight."
His voice interrupted her departure once more.
"You wanted to talk with her about Loki?"
Annalise frowned, nodding.
"I apologize." In the dim light, it was impossible to be sure he was blushing, but Annalise was pretty positive he was. "I, er, overheard the two of you earlier. It was hard not to. I apologize for eavesdropping."
She quirked a brow and sized the man up. He was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his chin propped up on a fist. The Captain seemed as if he had something to say. Annalise was hesitant. He seemed kind and genuine, but he'd also tried to kill her husband on multiple accounts. At least Natasha was openly calculating.
"She seemed to have information on Loki that I might find helpful, that's all. I'm sure it was insignificant."
The Queen made to turn away once more.
"I can assure you it was anything but, ma'am."
She sighed resignedly as he reassured her the information was important, but neglected to share it. Her hands dropped to her sides. Though irritated, she was too curious to walk away.
"Then tell me. Or don't. I don't want to make a night of this."
Annalise stood primly before him, leaving several feet between herself and the humming wall that kept him caged. She tucked her hair behind her ear and tilted her head, listening expectantly.
"Well, ma'am, Loki… He's not of this realm."
A fresh wave of cool air hit the Queen and she shivered as she fought to keep her eyes from rolling. She knew this already. Her teeth threatened to chatter when she went to open her mouth.
"I-is that all you have to say? I already know he's from Asgard," she snapped. "If that's all you have to offer, then goodnight, sir. I'll be getting back to my husband, now."
A crisp, clear baritone cut through the freezing air.
"Perhaps you should first hear exactly what you'd be crawling back into bed with, my darling."
Wickedly cold fingers wrapped around Annalise's arm as Loki yanked her against him. The girl gasped, bracing her palms flat against his chest as he tugged her.
"Loki," she breathed as she ran her fingers down his rigidly tight abdomen. His entire body was tense.
"Annalise, my little Queen," he hissed against her ear, making her wince as she tried to work her arm from his grasp.
"I was just returning to you, my King."
His voice was harsh and frighteningly angry as he spoke.
"I'm sure you were, my traitorous little whore. But you missed your opportunity. Now, you'll be a grateful little wench if I ever allow back into my bed, won't you?"
Annalise cried out as Loki snatched wrist and wrenched her alongside him as he stormed to a cell blocks away from the Avengers'. He waved his free hand and the humming force field disappeared, then he motioned again and the room transformed into a luxe suite. A canopied king bed bedecked with decorative pillows appeared in the center and Anna tripped over the corner of an ornate Persian rug as Loki dragged her across the expanse and threw her onto it. Eyes wide in fear, Annalise clamored backwards against the pillows, crossing her arms over her chest as her husband magicked the wall back in place.
"I'll have to admit, I didn't expect this," he said as he advanced. "When the rebel Chitauri attacked in Brazil, I was irritated, but not surprised."
Her jaw worked up and down as she desperately tried to interrupt his toxic thoughts, but when he crawled onto the bed she was panting so hard from adrenaline that she couldn't speak.
"To think my little Queen would turn against me," he spat.
Her brows rose in shock and adamantly she shook her head, horrified and hurt that he would think she'd betray him. All she'd wanted was to learn about him, about their daughter.
"No! Loki, no. That's not what's happened! I'm sorry, I should've asked you myself instead of going to them. It's just that Romanov hinted at knowing more about your background, and I was curious—I got impulsive. I couldn't sleep so I came down here just to talk, I'm sorry."
He looked at her with narrowed eyes, then shook his head.
"I don't want to hear it," he said quietly, the ire in his voice clear. "I know what I saw, and that was you conspiring with the Captain, dressed in almost nothing." He tore at her robe, pulling it open and greedily taking in the sight of her in a lacy emerald slip.
Anger bloomed in her chest and Annalise's lip curled as she slapped at his hands.
"Don't you dare touch me, we're having a conversation!"
Loki blatantly ignored her and snapped the straps of her slip so that the thin material pooled around her middle.
"I woke in need of my wife's body, and her body I will have. Willing or not," he growled, pinning her wrists above her head.
Furious, Annalise lashed out at him with a foot, kicking him squarely in the ribs and sending him sprawling backwards. After birthing Astrid, she'd noticed a significant difference in her strength and physical endurance.
Loki held his side as he looked at her in disbelief.
"Look at you, my little Queen. You're stronger than before."
Annalise held up her fists, ready to knock some sense into her husband when she was interrupted by his laughter.
"Your temper is so endearing, darling. You have no idea how appealing you are when you're mad."
He flicked his hand and manacled chains shot out from the corners of the bed, snapping soundly around Annalise's wrists and pulling her so she lay flat on her back. With a shriek, she fought against her bonds, hissing in anger when Loki approached her once more.
"You may have grown powerful, little one," he purred as he crawled over her body, "but don't forget," he leaned in close so that his lips brushed against the shell of her ear, "You're married to a god."
Annalise couldn't help but shiver, the combination of the cold and Loki's threat proving to be simply overwhelming. She pulled desperately at her chains, earning a creak of metal, but nothing else.
"You'll not have me like this. Not when you're angry and accusatory and acting like a child!"
Her King smirked down at her, his eyes flicking back at forth between hers as he studied her. He brushed a piece of hair from her face and shook his head, the petulance vanishing from his expression, but the anger remained.
"You're mine. You're my property. You act as though you can control what's about to happen, kitten. You're smarter than that."
His lips ghosted along her jaw and when they reached her earlobe, he sucked it into his mouth, making her moan softly.
"Loki," she whimpered.
"Hush, now. I'm going to enjoy myself while you sit pretty, do you understand?"
Perhaps the best way to get through to him was compliance until he was out of this mood. After a moment of hesitation, Annalise nodded.
"Good girl. Now, don't go anywhere."
Though he was no longer looking at her, Annalise shot him a glare. Loki was far more interested on the matching pair of panties that lay beneath the skirt of her slip. She begrudgingly cooperated when he tapped the side of her hip, indicating he wanted her to lift as he removed them. Carelessly dropping them to the floor, he picked up her ankle, held it to his mouth and ran his tongue over the slender bones, then nipped. She gasped, but forced herself to stay still as he worked his way up her leg. He kissed and bit along the length of her calf, licking behind her knee as he pressed her thigh to her chest. She grunted in mild discomfort as her muscles stretched, but that was quickly forgotten when he sucked a mark onto the flesh of her inner thigh.
"Loki," she moaned as he made his way to her center. "Stop."
Licking the crease where her thigh met her hip, she whimpered as she felt him smile against her skin. He parted her folds and hissed between his teeth.
"I forgot how aroused you get when fighting with me," he growled, nuzzling his nose against the soft skin of her mons. "Betray me more often."
"Shut u—Oooh!"
Annalise was rudely interrupted when his tongue delved between her folds, lapping and greedily tasting her moisture. His tongue explored, gliding everywhere but her now throbbing clit. Eventually his mouth wandered back to her thigh as he took his time kissing, licking and nipping the tender skin.
Between clenched teeth, she managed to ask, "I thought you wanted to fuck, not to go down on me. Why are you doing this?"
She felt a puff of warm air hit her skin as he chuckled.
"To remind you that I control your body," he murmured against her skin before biting down on her thigh.
She cried out, hips twisting as she tried to pull away. He issued a smart slap to her outer thigh and immediately she stilled with a whimper. Abandoning her leg, he settled himself before her and wrapped an arm around her thigh to hold her open as he lowered his mouth once more. Annalise uttered a high-pitched whine as she bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling, desperately trying to think of anything besides the man between her legs. She wanted so badly to refuse making noise as it only encouraged his antics, but her damn vocal chords had other plans. Her breath hitched as he bared her clit, blowing on the tiny bud before tasting it and using the tip of his tongue to push the hood back.
"See, I know you. I know what you like. I know how to make you do whatever I want, and right now, I want you to sing for me. My beautiful, traitorous wife."
Her nose stung and her eyes threatened to well with tears as he continued to drive home the point that he believed her to have deceived him, but when he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked gently, her vision went white and her hips involuntarily arched off the bed. With a condescending laugh, he kissed the bud, moving his mouth to lave at her folds again. Though still chained, Annalise's hands clenched into fists as she tried to fight the delicious curling deep in her belly. She refused to orgasm for him when he was being so crass. Her body, however, was on another page. As he licked and tasted her, his tongue slipped inside her and she grunted, trying to keep her mouth closed to muffle her noises.
Loki took his time, not satisfied until he'd drawn out every sound he knew his wife could make when he touched her. He wanted all her cries, gasps, whimpers, and moans. He wanted to remind her how powerless she was compared to him, to remind her of the things he could make her do. He kissed her clit, sliding his lips around it once more until he forced from her the familiar moan that signaled she was close. He suckled at her little bud with renewed vigor, torturing her with the tip of his tongue. With a scream, Annalise came. He pinned her hips to the bed when she tried to thrust against his face, and held her in place when she became overloaded with sensation as he kept teasing her. She yelped, whimpering and shaking her head as he plunged his fingers into her slick channel and fucked her to a second orgasm, his lips still sucking at her tender clit.
She gasped and pleaded with him to stop, feebly trying to kick him away. Loki growled and caught her foot this time, forcing it even higher against her chest as he surged forward, burying his cock deep inside her. Helpless, she looked up at him, her eyes hooded and her mouth open as she fought to catch her breath and fight him off at the same time.
"No," she rasped, which only earned her a grin.
"Yes," he countered as he pulled back, then slammed forward.
She gave a choked cry, trying so hard to stay silent and failing miserably as he began a steady rhythm. Having already brought her to a peak twice, Loki didn't have much patience for play, but he wanted to feel his wife come on his cock that night, so he slipped his hand between them and used her own slick to rub little circles around her clit. Still wildly sensitive, Annalise shrieked, trying to buck him off only for him to slam into her so hard her teeth chattered.
"You're going to come again," he crooned. "I don't care if it hurts, I don't care if you're too sensitive, I don't care if you don't want to. Now, come," he ordered, snapping his hips violently.
With a wail Annalise obeyed, the muscles of her pussy contracting violently around his cock as he made her fall apart beneath him. Loki growled in pleasure, a cruel smirk of satisfaction marring his features as his brow creased and he doubled his speed. With a roar, he came as well, flooding her cunt with his seed as he used her body to find completion. Both lay panting, Annalise with her face tilted to the side to avoid looking at her husband. Loki roughly gripped her chin and forced her to look at him, keeping his eyes open as he roughly pressed his mouth to hers. With a tired whimper, Annalise returned the kiss to the best of her ability. Her husband nipped and bit at her mouth, eliciting a pained whine, but she stayed still beneath him. When he'd had his fill of her mouth, he pulled away and surveyed his panting wife. He ran his fingers long the stretchmarks on her belly.
"I did this to you, didn't I? I like these." The muscles in her abdomen quivered as his fingers played about the surface of her belly. "They mean I've had your body, that I've claimed it and made it mine." He tilted his head to the side. "I think I'll get you pregnant once again. I have my heir, but while you're healthy and of childbearing age, I may as well beget you with more. I liked seeing you ripe with my child," he said thoughtfully. He traced his fingers along her ribcage to her breasts, cupping one. "And I don't want these getting any smaller."
The poor girl was speechless, not that she could catch her breath to speak in the first place. She just looked at him in awe. Of everything that had just happened, that was where his mind was? Knocking her up again?
Loki crawled off her and wiped himself on her discarded slip before tucking his cock back into his trousers. With a yawn, he stretched his arms towards the ceiling.
"You'll stay here until I've decided what to do with you. I'll have Astrid delivered for her feedings, but don't you dare try to prolong them. You don't deserve to be in my daughter's presence any longer than necessary," he said while examining his nails.
Annalise's jaw opened in shock. She lay, still chained, blinking stupidly at him as she took in what he'd just said.
"I'll have some of your things brought down to keep you occupied. I can't have you going insane on me, can I? The chains will retract in the morning. You'll sleep with them on when I'm not around to oversee you. Goodnight, little peach."
He walked from the cell and waved his hand, replacing the humming wall of energy and effectively trapping Annalise in her new cage. She waited until she heard the heavy dungeon door shut before she let out a choked sob.