AUTHOR'S NOTE: A song recommendation for this chapter: 'The King and Queen's Waltz (So Close)' by Jon McLaughlin. It fits this chapter perfectly!
Born to be a King
Chapter 27
The orange streams of sunset streamed into the chamber through the curtains that blew on the balcony. It was quiet. Only the soft whistle of the wind outside was heard along with the occasional rattle of chains as the female figure on the bed shifted ever-so-slightly. The only other figure in the room sat in a corner, resting against the wall. Two emerald eyes were fixed upon the woman on the bed, and his hand flicked every now and then, magically tucking the hair that fell upon her face lovingly. He did not dare to touch her for fear of waking her. He knew that the sleep spell he had placed upon her would keep her submerged in a deep slumber till sundown, but still, he feared seeing again what he knew he would face upon her awakening.
And so, Loki remained hidden in shadow. He watched Barbara while she slept, wondering if she dreamed at all. He had placed the same magical spell upon his son many times to rest his inquisitive mind at night, but it seemed that sleep induced magically was dreamless, or perhaps whatever visions were seen under its power were forgotten upon returning to consciousness. But deep down, he wished that she dreamed of him. A ludicrous notion indeed, and he laughed drily at himself when the sentimental thought entered his mind, but it was a notion he contemplated just the same. Did her subconscious bring forth memories of past times with him, letting her see who she truly was, even though her consciousness was now distorted?
He dreaded the oncoming night, and he cursed the last vestiges of golden sunlight that bathed the crystal floor. They receded slowly as if exiting, not wishing to see what was about to unfold. He had remained thus, sitting against the far wall of the chamber since early morning when he had brought her here and placed her on the plush bed. He had barked at everyone to leave him, he had ignored the concerned knocks at the door that did not seem to end. From servants who wished to bring him sustenance, to his brother who worried, to Stingadr who came asking for orders. He had shouted from inside at all of them, ordering them to leave him be. The wine decanters and mead jars that were on the table lay empty and discarded on the floor, the arrangements of food were untouched. Dark circles were beginning to form under his eyes, and his hairline was wet with a cold, clammy sweat.
He was plunged in a living nightmare.
He, Loki Laufeyson, bringer of chaos and orchestrator of the most cunning schemes had finally been brought down. He laughed at himself, a deep, lifeless laugh that almost sounded like a cough. He had it all. He was king. He ruled one of the greatest realms in the universe. He had millions of subjects who fell to their knees before him. He had power. Unlimited, real power. He had riches far beyond imagination.
And for what?
"Oh I am Fortune's fool!" he exclaimed through his laughter, though his eyes burned with tears that sprung from a deep and all-consuming anguish. His cackles turned to choked sobs as he realized that he had recalled a line from a human text that Barbara once shared with him. His mind's eye replayed that night long ago on Earth, when he lay sprawled on a sofa with a sleeping Arik on his chest, and she sat on the floor next to him reading a play about two star-crossed lovers. As much as he sneered at anything humans considered extraordinary, he had admitted that the playwright possessed quite a gift for expression.
"I guess it goes to show that love doesn't always conquer all" Barbara had commented upon completion, closing the tome.
"Love" he had scoffed "'tis merely a concept. A tale made for children"
"Do you really believe that?" she had asked with a fallen face.
"I do" he had replied seriously.
"Then how do you explain us?"
"Love is creation, but we reasonable beings tend only to bring destruction. Look at us, Barbara. We are bound to each other by fate and my law. And yet, we seek to dominate, to destroy, to kill, and to maim. Love does not rule between us" he explained as he traced her jaw with his knuckles, and he watched the tear that trickled down her cheek.
He had been wrong. Terribly wrong. He didn't know it then. He had looked down upon the fiercest of bonds, even as he held in his arms the very proof of its existence. Their son was all the evidence he needed to realize that he loved Barbara with a power that overshadowed the greatest force in the universe. He had always looked upon Barbara as his possession, his own to do as he wished. She had been a prize, a little songbird he had captured and claimed for himself. It wasn't until he held her dead and lifeless in his arms that he finally came to realize that she was as much a part of him as himself. Bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh, her mere existence was vital to his survival. Now she had been torn from him and he was once again undone.
Empty.
Incomplete.
The faint vestiges of light were now gone, and the room was bathed in a grayish, bluish darkness. The chains attached to Barbara's wrists and ankles clinked as she stirred, signaling that the spell was lifting. Loki closed his eyes and with a sigh, steeled himself. A single torch in the farthest corner of the chamber lit up just as Barbara sat up sleepily.
The first thing she registered was the lulling haze that wrapped her as if a cocoon. Slowly it lifted and she sat up on the bed. The clanking of metal gathered her attention and her eyes widened when she took in the manacles that were clasped around her wrists and ankles. She ignored the plush bed upon which she had laid, the opulent chamber she was in, and the luxurious silk that clothed her. She grabbed at the chains, using all her strength to break them apart. She tugged as she tried to slip them off, and when that did not work she tried to summon her powers, but to no avail. Rising from the bed she followed the length of the chains, and was shocked to find that they were built into the wall. To an even greater surprise, they coiled and lengthened in harmony with her movements. Grabbing a book weight from a nearby table, she smashed it against the base built into the crystal wall. Then she tried a chair. She tried kicking it. Nothing.
"You can keep doing that forever, it's not going to work" came the voice from the other side of the room.
Her blood went cold and she instantly whipped about, trying to locate the location of the voice. Her gaze came to settle on a figure that sat on the floor and rested against the wall in a corner.
"You..." she growled.
"I missed you too" he replied, rising to stand. He stepped out of the shadows and into the light, stopping in the middle of the room. She stared at him for a minute, then she lunged for him. He raised his hand and she was brought down to the floor when the chains suddenly went taut and stopped giving her slack. She looked up at him and snarled.
"Well, this is definitely familiar. We've been here before, haven't we?"
He knelt down to her level and took hold of her chin. "It brings back many a fond memory, my pet"
"You plan a repeat of them, hmm?"
"Oh, I do" he purred "you're mine and it's as true now as it was then. Even more so than before"
Their faces were now only a mere inch of the other's. His lips ghosted over her mouth as his nose nuzzled hers. His fingers traced her throat, feeling the pulse beneath. She was breathless and for a second, entranced. She tried to touch him, but the chains kept her from it.
"Loki..." she whispered.
"Barbara..." he said, leaning into her.
The second he came close, her arms wrapped around his neck and she twisted backwards, pulling him to her side of the room. When they landed hard on the floor, she tried to wrap one of the chains around his neck but he was faster than her. He caught her hand and flipped her over him, and as she was flung forward, his hand wrapped around her throat and he slammed her on the ground.
"Did you really think you could trick me, Barbara?" he glared down at her "Using your womanly guiles to lure me? Why, it's the oldest trick in the book. I'm left quite unimpressed"
"What do you want from me?" she growled at him "you think you're going to bargain me for the gauntlet and the stone? You might as well kill me now because you will never have them. Do you hear me? NEVER!"
"Bargain? Oh no, I have no intention of squandering you away, my pet. I'm going to keep you"
"Oh, is that so? Please tell me, what is your purpose for me now? Aside from keeping me as your little lust toy, I see no other reason for my being here. Are you going to torture me to force the truth out of me? Ha! I'd like to see you try"
He raised an eyebrow at that. "Do you think me primitive like the rest of your kind?"
"Really Loki, you're so predictable. You think yourself so clever, but I can see right through you. We've been here before, remember? You abducted me. You raped me. You hurt me. You forced me to work against my own people and in return you were going to leave me to become nothing more than just another casualty of war. So go ahead and just do what you wish to do to me. Because it can't be worse than what you've already done"
He let go of her throat and stood above her, watching her while she laughed maniacally. To her surprise, he began laughing as well.
"Your new way of thinking is astounding, Barbara. Let me guess how your story ends. After my departure from your world, Victor von Doom helped you find forgetfulness. He put your broken pieces back together after I, the monster, tore you apart"
Her laughing stopped. She looked up at him with hatred burning in her eyes.
Loki leered down at her then began pacing the room. "Tell me" he invited "sounds like a fantastic story"
Barbara's scorching gaze did not falter. "Victor is a thousand times the man you'll ever be. That's all you need to know"
It was now Loki who laughed maniacally. As much as her words cut deep, he couldn't help but be greatly amused at the fantasy von Doom had created following those events. He watched Barbara as she sat slumped against a column, eyeing him with a hatred that overshadowed a thousand suns. Her animosity towards him was well justified considering that she only remembered his treatment of her during his short time on Earth. He smiled inwardly as he realized that von Doom had been unable to erase those memories from her mind. Her Asgardian nature had no doubt rejected any alteration of her first encounter with another of Asgardian origin. It seemed Fate was giving him a small advantage, a diminutive chance to bring her back, and he was not about to let it slip away.
"Oh, I'm sure he's the epitome of gallantry, blameless and steadfast to a fault. Does he please you?"
Her eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at, Loki?"
Touché.
"I assure you, nothing at all. Just looking to satisfy my curiosity" he replied innocently.
"Why don't you start by telling me why I'm here"
"You already asked that question and I already answered. You're mine"
She laughed drily. "Oh, Loki. Just because years ago you had me for a couple of days doesn't mean you have a claim over me. What is it with you aliens? You have the most warped attitude toward the fairer sex"
He crouched down in front of her. "So says the one with the distorted view on reality" he mused "Barbara, I would like to propose a bargain. A truce of sorts"
"Oh please, you're only going to trick me..."
"I will not exercise my claim over you, so you will have no fear of being forced upon. You will be treated fairly; not as my prisoner, but as my royal guest. I won't however remove your shackles. In return you will tell me your story, and I will tell you mine"
Her eyebrow rose at the odd request.
"Is that it? You promise not to force yourself on me in return for me telling you my story, which I'm sure you'll use only to find a way to get the gauntlet back and to get rid of Victor"
"Think what you will of my intentions, but those are the terms. You have until dawn to decide. Should you refuse you will be moved to The Underground. It will serve you to know that those who descend usually die within two moons. Dark, musky, cold, left to starve. Consider that when your stomach begins to rumble with hunger. Oh, and should you refuse, I will do with you as I wish" he said the last words in a lower voice, and eyeing her lecherously.
He stood and began to make his way to the doors. Her voice stopped him in his tracks halfway and he smiled. That had almost been too easy.
"And what story could you possibly have to tell?" she goaded "How you went back to Asgard and lied, and schemed, and murdered your way through? How you came here and tricked Beyard into trusting you?"
"Something along those lines, but I assure you, my story is much better than yours. Think on it" he winked, and walked out the door.
Now alone, Barbara let out a sigh of relief before collapsing into tears on the floor.
Outside, Loki let out a long breath. Then with new purpose, he straightened up and walked the long corridor.
There was much he needed to set into motion.
End of chapter 27
Responses to reviews:
CLTex: I know! He came so close, but of course I wasn't going to make it that easy on him. It was the perfect opportunity to revisit their old dynamic in GOS, and this was a key point I set down when I first came up with the plot for this new story. I hope you'll enjoy what I've got prepared! Thanks Christi! :)
Guest: WHY YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS ;)
LokiGrey: Well, I did say we were going to return to the dynamic they shared in part 1 of Game of Shadows. Have fun with it! It's like visiting an old friend. And you know Loki, he gets through everything and he always finds a way. Don't lose faith in our guy now! ;) I'm glad to hear that you've been trying to stay healthy. I wish I could say the same lol. I'm supposed to be getting ready and doing strength training because I hike and rock climb during the summer months but I haven't gotten off my ass lol. I've been eating so bad and indulging so much that my energy levels are beginning to suffer. Oh well, hopefully soon I'll find my motivation again. A 150K fanfic? Wow! I haven't read any fanfic in a long time I need to start again. The last I read was a Thorki fic that I really loved and that was about a year ago. I miss the old days when there were so many stories springing up in the wake of The Avengers. Those were the golden days of fanfiction! Good luck in school 'Becca!
fireelfmaiden1: Thank you so much, darling! Hope you continue to enjoy! :)
Hiddles-Skittles: You know me, always full of surprises! ;) Now sit back and enjoy the ride! By the way, I got your email and I really love the new fanart you made! Wow it's so amazing! And those are really the places I envisioned in my mind you found art that fit perfectly! The picture you found for Angharad is exactly how I wrote it! Now I just need to put them in my profile. Wow Diana, you're awesome! Thank you, thank you! Love ya! :)
LisaF: Thank you Lisa! :)
Anon fan: Ha ha! I told you I wasn't done girl! ;) Told you I had one last mind fuck to reveal and I'm glad to see it worked! Lol