***WARNING*** - The following chapter contains mature content. It features graphic depictions of sexual acts that may be inappropriate for young readers.

Born to be a King

Chapter 19

King Beyard watched the battle through the holographic intelligence in the Strategy Hall. When it was over he closed his eyes, lowered his head and breathed a sigh of relief. The stone was safe. Loki had proved himself not only a great warrior but an extraordinary commander. With this victory, the remaining Shadow Legions would certainly follow him anywhere and everywhere. Loki would soon become the most powerful and feared leader, renown throughout the universe as invincible. King Beyard shook his head gently upon seeing the woman sitting proudly on the dragon's back. How had she accomplished the impossible?

The Phoenix.

He scoffed, laughing at the title. Reborn out of the ashes, indeed. He recalled what little he had seen of her past, the sight of Loki screaming out in anguish on top of a cliff as he held her dead, bloodied body in his arms. Oh, how he loved that woman so! He would tear the universe apart if it meant keeping her safe at his side. She was a hindrance, an obstacle that kept him from fulfilling the destiny he had been intended for.

He had proved himself in battle. Now it was time for Loki Laufeyson to prove himself a leader.

A ruler.

A king.

He continued observing as Loki took the case containing the stone from the woman's hand, then reached out to caress her cheek. King Beyard turned from the sight to his chief magician, the powerful Diarmaid, master of a dark, sinister, and ancient blood magic long believed to have been extinguished. He was the last survivor of his race, the only one capable of summoning such terrifying sorcery, and the only one capable of breaking the spells casted with its power.

"I've made my decision. We will do it after the celebration. In private and away from prying eyes"

King Beyard now stood from his throne and walked to the bottom step. He observed the Promised One who knelt before him, presenting him with the case containing the ancient relic.

"As promised father, I deliver the stone into your hands" Loki said, looking up at him.

"You have proved yourself worthy of being called my son" Beyard said as he took the case from him "rise, and embrace me. Today, all five kingdoms shout your name. Tonight we will feast in your honor, and pour our blessings upon you"

Standing behind Loki, Barbara and Ireena watched the two men embrace. Barbara watched proudly, while Ireena registered the calm, determined look in her father's gaze. She knew that look.

She could only watch in excitement and elation as her father ordered the banquet hall prepared, then he turned to look at her with a smile that reached his eyes.

Her father would soon make things right.

It was now well past midnight. The feast had raged into the wee hours of the morning. The palace was finally quiet while the entire city of Dwyvendale was still lost to the uproar of feasting and merriment. As the halls of the palace were being emptied of the last lingering guests, the ones who resided within were now locked within their chambers on the highest floors.

In one, a king consulted with his most trusted sorcerer and advisor in hushed tones. In only a few short hours, the cruel yet necessary deed would be done. The king's heart was burdened by guilt as he weighed the consequences for what he would soon do. He was about to alter the fragile threads of destiny and deliver an innocent soul into a fate she never even imagined. What he was about to do was inconceivable, unforgivable and barbaric.

In another chamber, the prince regent and his great love were having their own celebration. He was lost in the warmth of her embrace, the ardor of her lust, and the heat of her thighs. He devoured her mouth as he rutted into her, his arms surrounding her, securing her in the anchor of his hips. Both creatures of the darkness, they had no idea that this night would be their last together. He was completely unaware that she was slowly slipping from his grasp even as he exercised his right over her body and continued to gorge on her womanly gifts. She was being torn from him even as she now clung to him. Dawn would soon rise, and with the dying of the night she too would slip away.

On a third balcony, a figure disappeared and on the railing now stood a lonesome eagle. Taking off, it flew upwards to another terrace and landed on the rail. Its yellow, piercing eyes immediately settled on the pair that moved in unison on the bed.

"My little Aldrnarihugr" Loki panted "my fire nymph, my tamer of dragons"

He was kneeling and she astride him, her legs wrapped around his hips and she grinded against him. He met her halfway, thrusting upwards and colliding with the center of her pleasure, their movements creating a loud, slapping sound that mixed with their moans and pants.

"You were glorious" Barbara moaned "standing at the fore of fifty thousand warriors. By the Norns, you were a magnificent sight to behold"

He untangled her legs from around him and deposited her on her back, holding her legs wide apart as he plunged into her again. Her head dangled over the edge of the bed, and she fisted her hands in her hair as he rode her at a slow and maddening rhythm. He leaned forward to take a nipple into his mouth, and as he did so, Loki caught sight of the eagle standing on the rail, partially hidden by the columns and the sheer curtains that blew in the wind. His eyes narrowed upon realizing that it was the very same eagle he had seen the night prior.

Being a shape-shifter himself, he knew another one when he saw it.

He laughed darkly in his throat and shifted his angle, burying himself deep into Barbara, eliciting a scream from her and providing the unexpected spectator with a perfect view of their lovemaking. He held her in place by holding on to her hips and continued to slam himself into her cunt over and over again. She was now shouting his name, grabbing onto the sheets as he brought her forcefully over the edge, her head thrown back and her back arched.

"Come for me" he growled as he felt Barbara's walls clench rhythmically around his cock, and his own orgasm building. Her legs shook and her body trembled, her mouth was open in a silent scream that was finally given voice in incoherent expressions of pleasure when she collapsed back on the bed. He grunted and buried himself into her to the hilt, then he too collapsed, landing in the haven of her embrace and the soft warmth of her chest as he spilled inside her.

She wrapped her arms around him as they caught their breath, shuddering and whispering sweet nothings. He then propped himself up on his arms and bent down to kiss her, and as he did, Loki looked at the lonesome eagle on the railing with a wicked smile on his lips.

I know it's you, his gaze said.

He watched it fly away, then focused his attention back on the woman beneath him.

The eagle landed on the floor of a balcony on a lower floor. It grew larger and shimmered, then it was replaced by the figure of a woman. Standing to full height, Ireena ran into her chamber and pulled back the curtains around her bed. At her command, the candles in her room gave out, leaving her in the darkness as she climbed under her bedding as if she were a chastised child hiding after being caught. She cursed herself for being curious, for being careless.

He had seen her. Had he known that it was her who had been spying on them?

She felt her eyes burn with tears and her stomach flutter as she remembered the way he had looked at her. His fiendish smile, the sparkle in his eyes that had carried a direct message:

Wouldn't you love to be in her position?

"Oh yes" she whispered aloud into the darkness. She registered the dull ache that was pooling deep in her belly, and the way the juncture between her legs began to throb. It was a sweet yet painful feeling, foreign and new to her. Having gone untouched her whole life, she had only imagined what it must be like to be taken by a man, had only fantasized of the night when the Asgardian prince would claim her for his own. Now here he was, a few floors above her, taking another. She replayed in her mind what she had seen: The way the woman spread her legs wide for him, the ecstasy written on her face, the way she cried out, the way the muscles of his core rippled as he slammed into her again and again...

Ireena hadn't realized that her hand had found its way beneath her nightgown. Her eyes were closed in rapture as her inexperienced fingers found her folds and parted them, a digit pressing into a nub of flesh that was slightly engorged. She gasped at the sensations that exploded within her as she continued to explore. She suddenly retracted her hand when she felt her fingers become slick with a certain wetness, and she looked at her digits with wild eyes, observing the moistness that had a slippery and creamy consistency. She looked back down at herself and pulled her gown back down over legs, sitting up and holding her knees against her as she trembled with the realization that she would soon be in the woman's position, underneath the very man who now caused her to ache and feel feverish in a way she never thought she could.

Was he going to take her with the same hunger, with the same ardor? Was he going to ravage her so deliciously, eliciting the same cries of pleasure from her lips? Was he going to engulf her in his arms, kissing her lips after satiation? Was he going to love her as fiercely as he loved the woman who currently lay beneath him on the bed?

Was he going to love her at all?

Loki walked out onto the large garden where the small group was assembled. Barbara was already there, lost in conversation with Diarmaid and Ireena. He eyed the princess curiously as she pretended not to have noticed that he was there. The way she swallowed hard and acted as if she were listening to Diarmaid most intently, the way her hands were folded in an almost bone-breaking grip, the way she tried to slow her breathing...

Of course it had been her.

"Loki!" the king's voice gathered his attention. Beyard walked over to him and placed an arm around his shoulders.

"Father" he replied warmly.

"Come, let us enjoy a feast, just the few of us"

"Shouldn't we be preparing for the next assault?" Loki asked.

"Of course, but it can wait. Besides, victory is certain with you leading my legions. Enjoy yourself, celebrate your triumph! Dine and be merry!"

The group sat at the table prepared under a large gazebo in the king's private gardens. The feast was most succulent, the wine unmatched, the atmosphere one of utter merriment. King Beyard was at this leisure, totally at ease and jovial.

"I hope you're well rested. I would have preferred to delay the celebration but the people were already in an uproar. You know how these things are"

"Oh, no cause for concern, father. I had a most satisfying night"

He caught the way Ireena nearly choked on her wine. Got you.

"Merriment and rest do not always go hand in hand, my boy. You delivered a crippling blow to that human intruder, so it will be quite some times before he recovers and makes a play for the next stone. In the meantime you should rest. That's an order, from your father and from your king"

The king asked Barbara to retell her encounter with the dragon. Both he and Diarmaid listened enraptured as she recounted how the creature had suddenly reacted when she tried to summon her powers. It had left her both befuddled and astonished.

"He saw you as one of his own kind" Diarmaid concluded "have you ever heard of Aldrnarihugr?"

"I have" Barbara said, looking at Loki with a knowing smile.

"She aided Odin in the imprisonment of Surtur and the subjugation of his race. Without her help, he could not have been defeated. I hear that you aided in his final demise"

Loki's eyes widened at that. He had never heard of the fire nymph having been involved in battle before, and recalled the way Barbara had turned Surtur's own sword against him...

"Of course" he chuckled.

"You never knew because she was always rumored to be a myth, nothing more" Diarmaid explained further "Aldrnarihugr was the embodiment of the element of fire, and known throughout the Nine Realms as the most powerful of all nymphs, but also the most unpredictable and dangerous. To unleash her was to bring destruction in the grandest scale. I also hear that with Surtur's final demise also came the destruction of Jotunheim"

Barbara lowered her head, remembering that fateful day long ago.

"I didn't mean to destroy it" she whispered "I was overwhelmed by grief. I had just seen Loki fall, and I don't..."

"... don't know what came over you?" Diarmaid finished the sentence for her "just like Aldrnarihugr. Grief was her most powerful incentive"

"Can Jotunheim be restored?" she asked.

"Only by the power of the Casket of Ancient Winters. Once all things settle and we establish peace with Asgard, we must negotiate for your brother to release the Casket so Jotunheim can be rebuilt" King Beyard said "but let's not talk of such somber matters. So what if Lady Barbara is the reincarnation of a fire nymph, why should that be cause of concern to us now? There is no danger of any future grief so we can conclude that the Five Kingdoms and the Nine Realms are safe from her wrath"

The entire table laughed. Barbara laughed as well, but deep inside, she felt something within her stir. There was something in the way King Beyard seemed to dismiss the potential danger she could pose as if it were but a trifle. She shook it away, but then she felt Loki's hand take hers under the table. He was looking at her, and his eyes told her that he had noticed it as well.

"Let us toast. The tragedy of the past and the battles that await tomorrow will not overshadow the victory we celebrate today. Bring more wine! Wait, no, bring the best wine!" the king ordered.

Goblets were filled again, this time with a new brew. It was a deep, dark red libation that smelled of the sweetest grapes and the highest quality. It danced and swirled gloriously in the glass chalices, shimmering and smooth. King Beyard stood, and the rest followed suit.

"Loki, my heir, prince regent to my kingdom. Today I not only praise you for your formidable display in battle but I rejoice in your arrival. For centuries we dreamed of the day you would come to us, and for many days we grieved your apparent loss. Today, however, our hearts burst with joy upon finally seeing you take your place and stand where you belong. Lady Barbara, we also toast to you. What a magnificent creature you are. What you did yesterday will become legend, just as the deeds of your predecessors. You will be remembered, not only as a warrior, but as a myth"

"Hear!" Ireena and Diarmaid exclaimed, raising their goblets and bringing them to their lips.

"We must also toast to you, father" Loki said, raising his own goblet "to the king, as benevolent and persevering as he is wise. If only Asgard could boast of such a ruler. From the shadows of secrecy you harbored the ostracized, sheltered the destitute, and embraced the displaced. My wish is to one day achieve at least a fraction of your greatness, and to possess an iota of your magnanimity. I have a great height to reach when I follow in your footsteps"

"Hear!" Ireena and Diarmaid said again, raising their goblets and bringing them to their lips, but just like the first time, they only pretended to take a drink.

King Beyard held his breath as he watched Loki's lips curl around the rim of the glass and tilt it. Barbara was doing the same, and they both drank.

"Such excellent wine" Loki complimented, then suddenly leaned forward and caught hold of the edge of the table as he felt the dizziness that crept over him. Looking down into his goblet, he saw it: The almost unnoticeable swirls that danced in the cup. They were not an effect of the sunlight on the red liquid, but the effects of a concoction hidden within the brew.

A potion.

Magic, or poison?

Stupefied, he looked at Barbara who was licking her lips in agreement with his observation. She had drank. Then he looked at Diarmaid, Ireena and Beyard, noticing that the level of wine in their goblets hadn't lowered. Suddenly numb, he didn't feel the goblet fall out of his hand nor did he hear it shatter on the floor, the magical elixir spilling onto the surface.

"Loki..." Barbara whispered, staggering and grabbing her head as if suddenly hit by an ache.

"NOOOO!" He lunged for Barbara, catching her just as he also felt himself collapse. In an instant, King Beyard and Diarmaid were at his side, lessening his fall and gently bringing him down to the floor. Mastering all his strength, he grabbed Barbara's hand and tried to use his own magic to overcome the one that was beginning to work its way through their veins, consuming them from within.

"Look at me. Barbara, look at me!" he shook her, screaming in desperation at the realization that his own magic was powerless against the one that was taking hold.

"We are betrayed, Loki" she gasped as she writhed with agony.

"Shhh... don't fight it Loki. Let it take hold and everything will be alright" Beyard whispered, placing a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"You betrayed me! Why?!" Loki roared as he cradled Barbara tightly to him and struggled against Beyard's hold.

"This is not betrayal, Loki. This is ensuring your future and your throne. Please forgive the manner of it but I had no choice"

"You're no different than Odin. Both liars and frauds, cut from the same cloth. I should have known you would deceive me, just as he did" his voice was growing weaker as he felt the world around him spin, and the darkness begin to shroud him.

"No, Loki. I have been honest with you from the beginning, while Odin kept the truth from you all your life. Do not blame me for his failures. I am only rectifying his mistakes"

Kneeling next to them was Diarmaid, chanting in an unknown language that would seal the spell now cast upon the two lovers. Ireena simply stood back, watching the realization of her father's scheme.

Then, as Loki looked down at Barbara one last time and a single tear escaped his eye, the spell took its hold.

"Barbara" he whispered with his last bit of strength as the last thread of recognition was severed. Her writhing ceased and his struggle stopped. The haze lifted, the agony ebbed, the darkness that came over them was gentle and soothing, and as their eyes closed they each saw not the one they loved...

They saw an enemy.

"You..." Barbara rasped with a hatred that overshadowed the fury of a thousand suns.

Then, everything went black. Barbara went limp in Loki's arms. He fell backwards and landed in the protection of Beyard's arms. Ireena knelt next to Barbara and scooped her up, whispering a quiet apology into her now unhearing ears.

"Please forgive me, Lady Barbara"

Diarmaid stopped his chanting. "It is done, my king"

Beyard nodded. "Very well. Take Prince Loki to his chambers and deliver the woman to the human. Everything is now as it should be"

The Three Norns' prophecy now began its fulfillment.

"By the light of the moons, and the scorching of noon,
So does the treasure lay strewn.
Laughter shall not last, smiles turned aghast,
Future and present become muddled past.
By the raging swells come the hounds of Hel
And there where the once king befell
Shall the day set anew, and night become blue;
Lovers turned enemies, promise and menace construe.
For the chains of doom will give way to gloom;
The blossom withers, and the blossom blooms"

End of Chapter 19

Responses to reviews:

CLTex: I hope the final revelation was exactly all that you hoped it would be. There is a very important reason as to why I showed the stone have an effect on Barbara, which will be interesting to explain now that she and Loki have been separated. The entire story has been turned on itself, and new dynamics between our two main characters will take place. It will be a lot of fun! Thanks so much for your review Christi!

DoctorLokiLove: Hahahaha, I know what you mean! I wish I could tame such terrifying beasts as well, but alas, I can only housebreak dogs and cats lol. I wish you all the best as you deal with all the stress in your life at the moment, and I hope that you're able to keep your grades up. College is stressful enough as it is without having to add anything else, so try to stay as focused on your studies as possible. Thank you! It feels strange hitting the books again, especially since I've been the one doing the teaching for the last 7 years, but I hope to be done in less than a year! Take care, hun!

westernfemme: Thank you! It makes me so happy to see others pay attention to the details I try to work into the story. That is an excellent question, and I am most happy to answer it. Yes, if Barbara had been able to summon her powers against the Inkeri, she and Loki would have never been apprehended. However, not a minute before she tried to, Loki had been hit with a blast that immobilized him. Barbara was hit with the same force the moment she tried to use her powers, fired by Stingadr who had been hiding in the vegetation, ready to ambush Loki should he overpower his men. Both he and Barbara were stunned powerless, and the chains they were bound with also kept her powers and his magic at bay, which is why Loki had to find something to pick the locks with, hence the scene in which he stole the girl's charm. I hope this answer clears your confusion, and I think I'm going to revisit that chapter and maybe re-write the scene so it is clearer for future readers. Thank you for pointing it out! Wouldn't it be great to see a scene in which Arik finally gets to see a dragon with his own eyes? Or maybe Barbara can just pick an infant one from a cave and bring it to him lol.

jjocasta: Oh my, I'm blushing! Thank you so much for such sweet compliments. I try to write my action scenes as vivid and as visually as possible so the reader can see them in their mind's eye. It was difficult for me to write battle scenes when I first started, and I still sweat and shit bricks when I know that a chapter is coming up that involves combat and warfare, so to know that someone enjoys my writing style makes all the stress worth it! Lol I know the feeling, there are fanfic authors out there whose writing style is phenomenal, and I get sucked into their stories. It's a wonderful experience! I totally agree with you on the storyline for the cinematic universe. I can't wait for the moment in which the Guardians meet the Avengers (you know it's coming), and imagine the interactions between Rocket and Iron Man. Oh my god, just give it to me now! Your old sec school teachers are so right, which is why I sometimes go weeks between updates. This writing process, though a rewarding one, is also taxing. It takes me literally an entire day to write a new chapter, and it is not because I write (or type, in this case) at a slow pace, but because I make a draft, scrap it, type it again, change dialogue, word things differently, play around with the emotional feel of a scene, or sometimes just delete the whole thing altogether and start again from the beginning. There is lots of wine, loud cursing, and pizza involved! Lol. But I would not have it any other way. Best of luck with your studies as well, darling!

Anon fan: E L James? Hahahahahhaha, well, many people may criticize her work but that doesn't take away from the fact that the woman is a genius. She knew the lack of BDSM smut targeted for female audiences and she took advantage of that opportunity, now look at what her story has become (which is based on Twilight fanfic smut she used to write). A worldwide phenomenon. Doomie doom? ROTFL!

LisaF: As always, thank you so much Lisa!