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Thor was not expecting her next move.

With every fragment of strength in her little body, Harmony pushed herself away from him with a whimper, sending both a physical and verbal message that she wanted to be released. However, Thor didn't like being told he couldn't have something, especially not from a slave. Never in his life had someone rejected his advances, slave, maid or noble. Anger simmered in his blood.

He pulled her even tighter to his chest than before and the girl whimpered a second time, still trying to push away, as tears spilled down her cheeks. "No, no," she whispered, her voice laced with terror.

"You dare to refuse me?" Thor scolded. "You should be grateful I even waste my eyes on you, let alone my affections!"

Affections? More like lust, Harmony thought. She felt wrong for disobeying but she couldn't do it. She was too afraid.

But in the end, she was totally helpless against him. She was just a tiny delicate mortal; she could do nothing to stop him. She could not make him stop, but she could try and make him stop himself. If he had any compassion he would listen to her pleas and see that she didn't want to do this. "Please stop," she begged him.

Thor didn't listen. He pulled her as close as he could before she threatened to break and fastened his lips to her neck. Harmony let out a whine of protest, only to receive a deep growl in response that succeeded in silencing her. She then went almost limp, letting him do whatever he pleased with her, as the reality had dawned on her; he was going to get what he wanted.

Thor kissed down Harmony's neck. He was not being gentle enough and his lips would go on to leave bruises on her delicate flesh. He cared little though. If she broke it would not be a huge loss to him. His hands pulled at her clothes. Harmony let out a whimper, as her body jerked and her fingers curled. She was torn between fighting and surrendering. It was impossible to decide what to do. Either way, she'd be going against something dear or important to her.

"Please stop," Harmony found herself whispering. "Please. Please."

It was not what she'd decided a few moments ago.

It went on.

She'd go limp and let him kiss her, whether it be her lips, neck or lower. Other times she would start to struggle and beg him to stop. It was starting to wind Thor up. He wished she would just submit already!

It was when he ventured further than kissing her that things started to turn bad. His large hands slipped under her short tunic, his fingertips running along the smooth, wet skin of her waist and flat belly. A hunger rumbled within him, a hunger for her. The tiny slave pulled away with all her might, seeming to have found some needed determination for her escape and the preservation of her innocence. It was not right, she told herself, she was a domestic slave, not a pleasure slave. It was not her job to do this.

"Let go. Please let go," she whispered. "I don't want this."

Thor looked up and his bold eyes pierced her, while Harmony had to refrain from cowering under his gaze. She wanted to be a good slave, obedient and meek, but she wanted to get her message clear that she didn't want him to take her, or do anything like that with her.

Harmony swallowed nervously, suddenly afraid that he might hurt her. She blinked once or twice, very aware of everything she did, and making sure she gave no threatening signals, asking for her own punishment. "Please," she found herself repeating in a very quiet voice. "My lord, I can't."

She prayed he would understand. That he would find the compassion inside him to release her. Her gaze remained lowered as a gesture of submission but when she did look up, Harmony searched his eyes, though they frightened her, for some shred of kindness, pleading with her own doe brown orbs. However Thor was not used to being refused, nor did he like it.

But he let her go.

Thor may have been selfish and hungry but he was not about to rape a little mortal girl. That was below him. He was better than that.

"Then go," he muttered, a growling edge to his voice. Without waiting for an answer from the girl, he lifted her up and set her down on the edge of the bath.

Harmony opened her mouth but could not find her words. Luckily, her master was not looking at her so he could not see her falter at his act of mercy. Dripping wet and slowly freezing, Harmony scrambled to her feet and walked quickly to the door, not looking back. As soon as she closed the door, she let herself go and slid down against the wood onto the floor in a wet and shivering mass. Her heart still raced like the wings of hummingbird, she was still unable to breathe normally as her mind took everything in.

After a few deep breaths, Harmony got onto her knees and crawled over to her bed. She changed out of her soaking clothes and into some new dry ones as quickly as possible, not caring if she was still a little damp after hastily drying herself. After that she sat by the fire, rocking backwards and forwards while clutching her knees tightly to her chest. Her eyes watched the flames and would seem to be in a trance to anyone that saw her.

When Thor had had his bath and came back into his chambers, he saw his slave rocking like she was mad in front of the fire. She stopped and startled when she heard him, turning sharply. The fear stood out like light in the pitch blackness of dark, and suddenly Thor felt something in the pit of his stomach. He had felt it before, but rarely and not in a long time.

He set it aside. He didn't want to feel it.

He approached the fireplace and sat down on his sofa, noting how Harmony flinched away and moved into a stance ready to leap to her feet. The timid slave was slightly comforted by the calm expression of her master; he did not seem angry with her. She hoped he harboured no ill feelings towards her – she remembered when he had told her why she was afraid of him, and it had not been because he bore her ill feelings. What if he did now?

Thor then lifted his leg, holding his bare foot out to her, his request clear. Harmony let out a mental sigh of relief and took his large foot in her lap and began massaging it. She knew this, she could do this. She calmed further still at the sound of his content groans and purrs. If she could make him happy it might ease any tensions between them.

But Thor did not want to give his slave ideas that she had control over him, so that night he made her sleep in his bed with him. It had reduced to her to the likes of a shaking fawn but she had obeyed, no doubt terrified he would repeat his advances from earlier. But he let her sleep with a distance between them, that was, until she fell fast asleep and Thor closed the distance between them. The hot, firm planes of his muscular chest wrapped around her small and fragile back, his body looming over her like a mountain.

Thor felt the girl stir but she did not wake. He did not embrace her; his arms were kept to himself. One arm lay across the pillow, above their heads, while the other lay idle at his side. Thor was used to sleeping with a woman at his side. Those nights alone felt somewhat strange.

When Harmony awoke the next morning, she found herself pressed against her master, and her whole body seized as she swallowed a loud gasp. She glanced down her body, making sure she was not physically bound to her master and relaxed she saw she was untouched. Quiet as a mouse, Harmony slipped from the bed and began a normal day.

It was not quite normal though. For two reasons.

Harmony was still very shaken from her near rape situation. Once or twice she found herself literally shaking and found it took a great effort to calm herself down again. She reminded herself over and over that Thor had let her go. He had listened to her and let her go. The god was capable of compassion and mercy. It soothed her for a while but her anxiety always came back to her.

And then, during the afternoon, whilst on her way back to her master's chambers, Harmony heard something she wasn't supposed to.

"… and the All Father shall be destroyed."

Harmony stopped dead in her tracks.

"Are you certain Heimdall cannot hear us?" a male voice asked.

"No," replied the first voice, a female's. "He is as deaf as he is blind to us."

"You were taught well. Not even Loki knows how strong you have become. He was a fool to not see this," the man laughed and Harmony felt a pang of anger. She didn't want to hear Loki insulted. He was kind to her.

She pressed herself against the wall, knowing they were round the corner. She held her breath.

"But how can we trust the Frost Giants?" the male continued.

"We share a common enemy, we would both see the All Father dead. It is what we both desire," the woman sounded as if she was shrugging.

"You don't let go easily, do you?" the man chuckled.

"Do not mock me!" she snapped. "Odin cast my whole family into shame for a deed that was not ours. For years and years we've lived in a shadow. He has hunted and butchered so many. He deserves the same fate himself."

Harmony sensed the other man back down. "I will not pry further. You are almost famous for keeping your demons close to your chest. When shall the Frost Giants come?"

"This night."

"So soon?"

"Why waste time?" The woman asked. "Our friends are ready, we are too. They come at the fall of dusk tonight."

Harmony decided she had heard enough. As silently as she could, the mortal fled.

When out of hearing range, she bolted to Thor's chambers, hoping he would be there. She burst through the door, "Master!"

He was not there.

Cursing aloud, Harmony ran to the training grounds next; that was most likely where Thor would be. The training arena was fairly busy with warriors today and she cursed again, silently this time. A flash of bold red caught her searching eyes and she bolted again. Her tiny form was of use to her for once as she weaved through the many warriors, ducking and dodging.

Suddenly, Harmony felt herself being snatched by someone, and in the blink of an eye, she was whirled from her path and was suddenly face to face was a warrior she did not know.

"This is no place for a slave. Off with you now," he told her.

"No, please, I have to warn the prince," Harmony protested, as she tried to pull away.

"Whatever it may be, I'm sure it can wait," the Asgardian dismissed.

"It can't!" she cried. "I need the prince!"

Other warriors were starting to be drawn to the small commotion. To her annoyance, Harmony felt her cheeks begin to burn. "It's important," she pressed on.

The warrior seized her firmly, forcing her to bite back a wince. "I shall not tell you again," he said sternly. "This is no place for a servant. Leave now."

"Please, it's important," Harmony begged. "I need to speak with the prince." Part of her knew that this man wasn't going to let her get to Thor. And it seemed her body listened to that part.

With all the strength she possessed, Harmony shoved at the warrior and shook out of his grip. But alas, she did not get far. He pulled her back, rougher this time and Harmony submitted. She was in trouble now.

"That's it," the warrior huffed. Seizing her by the scruff, he dragged her out of the training grounds. "The bold warriors of Asgard cannot afford to be distracted by a wailing servant."

Too obedient in nature, Harmony kept quiet. If only he knew. He wouldn't believe her even if she told him; and she couldn't have gone screaming that Odin was going to be killed in the middle of the grounds. What if one of the two she'd heard conspiring heard her? Who would protect her? Her mind was actually more focused on where she was being taken but quickly wished she hadn't been so curious.

"Look after this one until she calms down," the warrior said the prison guard as he pushed Harmony through into a cell.

His superior strength was too much for her and she fell to the ground with a tiny whine of pain. She looked back over her shoulder, through the wind swept tangle of her curly hair. The prison guard closed her cell door and memories and demons came lurking back to her. Only bad reminiscences came of being back in a cage. Her desperation was gone, replaced with only terror, and like she always did, Harmony went to the corner and curled up there, pulling her knees tight to her chest, while her lips sealed themselves shut and her eyes closed, her head lowered.

Every second seemed to bring more and more back to her. Harmony could have sworn she could hear the whispers of other slaves around her, the crying of a child, the cracks of a whip followed by a cry or moan of pain. Even behind closed eyes, Harmony could see her vision darkening as if the cloth that sat over her cage was being draped over her once more. The cold prickled at her feet the way it has always done but other parts of her body warmed as if her thin blanket was wrapped around her.

When she opened her eyes, Harmony expected to find herself back in her old cage at S.O.A.K. But that is not what she saw.

She saw Loki.

"Two out of three times that I have met you, you've been in a cage," he said, and then turned to the guard. "Release her. Now."

The prison guard did as he was told. He opened the door but Harmony did not move. Loki waited for a few moments before knowing that he would have to go to her, and he remembered when he'd found her. But this time she didn't cower from him or look as afraid. He crouched down in front of her and offered her his hands, which she took almost straight away. "What happened to you?" he said, with the edge of a chuckle to his gentle voice, as he pulled them both up.

Harmony didn't answer that. "I need Thor," she said.

"So I heard," Loki replied. "I shall take you to him."

"Thank you," she whispered. "How long have I been here?"

"An hour or so," the god told her. "I came as quickly as I could."

Harmony smiled but was thinking how deeply she'd fallen into a trance. She'd learnt to do it as a child to help pass the time in her cage. There was extremely little for her to ever do – she had to stop herself dying from boredom somehow.

"Is Thor angry with me?" Harmony asked.

She didn't need a verbal answer to understand.

Thor was still on the training grounds. Unlike before, people now parted to let her through because she had a prince with her. She caught sight of the warrior who had taken her to the dungeons. Inside she was harbouring ill feelings of her own for him but she turned away from him quickly. She tried to calm herself. It was still light. The Frost Giants would not be here yet and the All Father was safe.

"Thor," Loki called in his usual strong voice.

The Thunderer had not been fighting so he was not as angry as he might have been from being disrupted, and also since it was Loki stopping him. "Brother," he said striding confidently towards them. "Why are you not at work Harmony? I heard you were sent to the dungeons."

"Through no fault of her own, I believe," Loki cut in.

Thor looked from Loki back to his slave.

"My lord, there's something I need to tell you. It's important but I cannot tell you here," Harmony said, her voice far more timid.

"And why ever not?" Thor asked.

"Someone might hear," she muttered. "Please, I would have waited if it weren't of vital importance."

The titan god nodded. "Come with me."

He took her to a secluded corner of the palace with no one around, no one even close. They would not be overheard there.

"What is it you wish to tell me?" Thor asked, he did not sound happy.

"There's going to be an attempt on your father's life tonight," Harmony whispered. "I heard two people talking. They said that Frost Giants would be coming at dark tonight. They said Heimdall was blind and deaf to what they were planning."

"When did you hear this?"

"Earlier this afternoon. I came to find you straight away but I wasn't allowed through," she explained. "I think one of them might have magic. I heard Heimdall can hear and see everything here."

"You heard correctly," Thor nodded. "Do you know who was planning this?"

"Forgive me, no," she admitted. "It was a man and woman, and I think it was the woman who had magic."

Thor nodded, no longer angry. He almost regretted being angry with her in the first place. "I will place more guards outside my father's chamber and aid them myself. However many Frost Giants are sent, they will not defeat me or my men, if they come at all. Thank you, Harmony. You may go."

Harmony had been checking the sky since Thor had left her. It was almost dark now. Harmony was scared. It was not her the Frost Giants were after but if she happened to be in their way they might well kill her. She didn't know how or where they would arrive. It could have been anywhere and she did not want to be there. The girl stood by one of the pillars, looking out over the courtyard and gardens, watching the sun sink into the horizon and the first stars appear in the sky.

Suddenly a man cried out from down the corridor. The sound scared the slave out of her wits and she knew it could only be one thing.

The Frost Giants were in Asgard.

Harmony bolted for the third time that day. She had to find someone, alert the palace and then get herself to safety. Adrenaline pumped through her blood. There was a mighty crash behind her and her heart quickened ever faster. Some of the guards had heard the sound and had come to investigate. When she saw them, Harmony cried, "It's the Frost Giants!"

"Get to safety!" one of them ordered her.

Harmony didn't stop. She sped past the few guards and pushed herself on, fighting the growing exhaustion of running so fast. Then she suddenly realised that she didn't know where the All Father's chambers were, but she couldn't stop. She find out from the next person she ran into.

Trouble was…

The next person she ran into was a Frost Giant.

Ohoooo poor Harmony! She's in trouble now.

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