Disclaimer: Only my OC's belong to me.
Harmony was amazed with herself that she'd managed to lie to the All Father and get away with it; she felt guilty however. If ever she saw Astrid, her blood would run cold and she would find herself almost running back to Thor's chambers. Since he had saved her life from the Frost Giants, Harmony felt she could always turn to the god for protection. He still teased her and liked to play, but she knew that when it came to it, he would protect her. It was a rather strange situation Harmony had.
She feared Thor, knew he could do whatever in the world he wanted with nothing to stop him, and everything else about him that frightened her; but at the same time she felt safe with him, as if she was under his protection in a way. The only other person she felt safe with was Loki.
As she had done many times before, Harmony ran into Hunter on one of her errands around the palace.
"Harmony," the boy gasped, lost for words.
"Hunter," Harmony whispered. She smiled as he managed to tie his tongue and his words back together.
"I heard what happened. I'm so sorry I didn't come and see you; they wouldn't let me leave my work. I heard that Prince Thor saved you. Is that really true?"
Harmony nodded. Her weight shifted from one leg to the other.
"Maybe he's not like everybody thought," the serving boy shrugged.
"It seems not," Harmony replied quietly. As her words left her mouth, her gaze often flickered to the floor or to the side, rarely meeting Hunter's own gaze for more than a few seconds at a time.
In a pause of silence, Hunter let out a sigh to break the awkwardness. Glancing up at him, Harmony guessed he was trying to find something to say, and wondered if she should break the silence herself.
"You weren't at your ceremony," Hunter said just before she opened her mouth. "I was hoping to see you there."
"Hmmm, well you know I don't like large crowds of people," she shrugged, almost bashfully. "You know how nervous and scared I get."
Hunter nodded sympathetically. "Well, you're a hero. You've managed to give mortals a whole new face to the Asgardians. Maybe now we'll be treated with a little more respect."
"I hope so," Harmony said quietly.
"It'd certainly be a change, that's for sure," he continued, and then lowered his voice. "So how did you find out about the plot?"
"I heard something I wasn't supposed to. It was an accident," she whispered, glancing around nervously.
Part of her mind screamed for her to stop right there. Astrid's warning drummed in her head, a promise that would not be broken. Her tongue swept across her dry lips. Hunter cocked his head to the side, his dark eyes narrowing as he read what he could from her body language. Harmony's lips opened to form words but somehow she was unable to create any sound, so she instantly closed them.
"Harmony?" Hunter said, as if bringing her out of a trance. "What is it?"
"I…," she began.
"What?" the boy slowly coaxed.
"No, it doesn't matter," shaking her head, Harmony glanced down to the floor, now trying to desperately avoid the topic. Out of paranoia, she looked around every few seconds in fear of seeing Astrid.
Her own nerves were starting to reflect onto Hunter. "No, come on, what is it? You know you can trust me," he said in a low voice.
"Forget I said anything," Harmony tried to dismiss. "It doesn't even matter."
"Yes it does," Hunter argued, and Harmony cursed in her head, knowing he wasn't going to shut up until he'd got everything out of her.
Her face fell in defeat, sure of what was coming. She scolded herself for saying anything at all. The intrigue that Hunter expressed nearly impressed her, as well as was new to her; no one ever cared for something she had to say. It was still all very new to her, not being treated like dirt.
"How did you find out?" Hunter asked again.
"I shouldn't say," she babbled out uselessly, only making him even more curious to know. For that she scolded herself again. Was there no way to stem his inquisitiveness?
He just stood there; his arms were folded, apparently not leaving until he was satisfied. He was smirking at her, knowing she would have to give in sooner or later. She had duties to attend to and they would not be done by themselves.
Harmony glared at him, "I heard a man and a woman talking about killing the All Father as part of an act of revenge and they were going to use the Frost Giants to do it, so I warned the Prince."
"And then?"
Biting her lip in bubbling frustration and stomach churning nervousness, the slave girl forced herself to admit more. "The woman knows that it was me and made me swear not to tell the All Father, or she'll…" she trailed off, hoping Hunter would understand where she was going.
"You lied to the All Father?" Hunter's eyebrows rose in disbelief that his timid little friend would ever even think about doing that.
"I had to," she whispered, the squeak of a mouse.
"You've got to tell them what really happened," Hunter grasped her hand, pulling her along with him. "You can't keep this from the All Father," he said.
Harmony pulled back, resisting his strength, "No, we can't tell them. Astrid will kill me," she protested.
Hunter stopped and Harmony crashed into him, suddenly finding herself subject to Hunter's intent, albeit shocked stare and knew she'd just dug herself a deeper hole. Her body was plagued with the horrible sickness of nerves; whatever happened, she couldn't let Hunter tell. Everything would turn on her. Everyone would know she lied to the All Father, she, and all other mortals, would be cast back into shame as inferior, worthless creatures, but Harmony found what unnerved her most was the thought of Thor being angry with her.
"You know who she is? You know her name?" Hunter resumed walking, tugging Harmony along with him.
"No," she struggled, "Hunter stop! Stop." Pulling with all her might, she managed to halt him again. "Astrid will kill me if she is caught. She would kill me if she knew I told you, or anyone. No one can know. They'll find her anyway," her attempts to reason with him seemed to be working, as Hunter's body turned away from the direction he was headed and back to her. "You said I could trust you," she persisted. "This could cost me my life. Please don't say a word. Please," her eyes searched his, silently pleading him to bend to her will.
Accepting defeat, Hunter's shoulders slouched and he sighed, nodding, the determined glow in his eyes draining away. Harmony felt her body relax. It was a great relief.
"You can tell no one," she repeated, just to make sure her word became his law; she could not afford him to tell on Astrid's identity. It could be the end of both of them, and Harmony had no idea of what Astrid was capable of but she knew the sorceress must have been powerful in order to escape the eye of Heimdall.
"Okay, okay," Hunter raised his hands in surrender, "I won't tell anyone," he promised.
Harmony nodded, naively satisfied with his word. She looked around again, always alert in case someone else was near. Hunter folded his arms. "Have you always been so jumpy?"
Harmony answered through her eyes.
The boy raised his hands again, chuckling softly, easing backwards. "But you're more on edge than a rabbit, you know that, don't you?"
"I can't help it," Harmony whined.
"I know, I know. Sorry," he apologised sincerely. "I think I know fear at least half as well as you do. I think all slaves do. You are incredibly timid, though, more so than some slaves I've met."
Harmony shrugged, "That's just me," she said quietly.
She sighed, glancing down at the floor, while her feet shuffled shyly. She feared she'd been talking for too long, "I, er, I should be getting back to work. Thor won't be happy," she mumbled.
"Yeah, I probably should too," Hunter agreed, seeming to adapt her shy mannerisms. "Hmmm, I'll see you soon."
Without warning, he swept down for a hug, pulling the tiny girl close to his chest, taking her by surprise. She had not been expecting it, but nor did she reject it. Her own arms delicately entwined around the bulkier human. Even to Hunter, a human, he felt like he would break her. After a few moments in tight embrace, Harmony pulled away, however much she didn't want to but she had to get back to work.
"Bye," she murmured, turning away.
"Bye," Hunter replied, equally quietly, if not sounding a little sad.
As Harmony got back to work in the Prince's chambers, she found herself humming and singing again. Her knees were aching from cleaning the floor, corner to corner, and every time she glanced at the joints, they were even redder than before. She felt like an old cripple when she finally stood up again. Her hands were sore too, stiff and aching. Harmony flexed her fingers, trying to undone the temporary damage on the tiny joints, while her lips were pressed together in a frustrated line; stiff fingers were a bloody nightmare!
Glancing around the room, Harmony checked if there was anything left she needed to do, and quickly realised the fireplace had not been laid. She immediately got down to her task, though she was dreading having to get back on her knees. They were already killing her. Stiff as a plank, the girl forced herself back down and stocked the fireplace with a soft grumble at the ache. She lit the fire after it had been set, and she found herself watching the flames intently, looking from one to the next, to the next. The reflections danced in her dark, doe eyes.
Harmony shifted into a more comfortable sitting position than kneeling, her gaze never leaving the flickering fire and, as the heat started to engulf her, it made her remember how she had always been so cold. Her cage had been just that. No heating of any kind, no insulation, no comfort. The bars never seemed to be wide enough to fit more than her arm but yet they let in every little last bit of bitter wind there was. Her flimsy little blanket had never done much for her either, but she had been grateful to have it; it would have been even worse without it.
Songs and chants began to echo in Harmony's head.
…Spirits of fire come to us, we will kindle the fire
Spirits of fire come to us, we will kindle the fire
We will kindle the fire
Dance the magic circle round
We will kindle the fire…
…Hush child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep
Child, the darkness will rise from the deep and carry you down into sleep
Guileless son, I'll shape your belief
And you'll always know that your father's a thief
And you won't understand that cause of your grief
But you'll always follow the voices beneath…
…I am the voice of the past that will always be
Filled with my sorry and blood in my fields
I am the voice of the future
Bring me your peace, bring me your peace
And my wounds, they will heal…
…Hawthorn tree, your body burns away the winter's cold
Stand by me and shade me from the sun
My eyes are old, but still can see
My eyes are old, but still can see…
… I am the firebird, I am his daughter
I am the firebird's child (I am the firebird's child)
I am the firebird, the boldest song you've ever heard
And like the flame I am wild, wild, wild, wild, wild…
Harmony remembered working herself bloody while those, and many other songs, kept her going, keeping her soul alive.
They were the binding of all the slaves. When they sang, they were one.
Out of nowhere, the doors of the prince's chambers flew open, frightening the wits out of the little slave. With a startled shriek, her head snapped in the direction of the aggressive intrusion. Shaking with rage, Thor strode in, the ground practically rumbling with his fury and Harmony scrambled to her feet, shaking herself, only with terror. Without a thought, her body shrank itself into the wall, hoping that Thor would not pay any attention to her or at least not turn his anger on her. Knees weak beneath her, Harmony pushed back on the wall for support, while chains wrapped around her torso.
Helplessly, she watched as the hulking god seized hold of his long dining table, splintering the wood in his grasp, and flipped it over with ease, accompanied by a mighty roar. The table was thrown right across the room, clattering into the wall, breaking into pieces. It was impossible for Harmony to refrain her yelp of fright. The horrible sound hurt her ears; her body instinctively flinched away from it.
So many thoughts circled frantically in her mind, so many that she was unable to focus on just one at a time, leaving them all muddled.
Harmony didn't realise that she had started to hyperventilate. Only when the cringing ballad of the broken table had finished did she start to hear her own uneven, unhealthy breathing. The girl swallowed, her lips briefly pressing together before they parted again to release another ragged breath
Thor's masculine face was contorted with nothing but anger. He needed to break something else. He needed to crush something to dust with his bare hands. He ripped off his armour, throwing it with colossal strength across the length of the room. Then, his ears picked up a delicate, feminine sound, and the god turned agonizingly slowly, his dark crystal blue orbs settling on his little mortal slave. Harmony's legs almost buckled under her.
Thor eyed the mortal carefully, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides, and his body seemed to feed off her fear and vulnerability like a drug. Here she was, so innocent before him, all his. How easily she would break beneath his strength. He could have seized her then and crushed her like stain glass. The girl's eyes were glistening with tears, her lips slightly parted and trembling.
Senses heightened, she noted his pupils dilate upon a second's glance into his eyes and it caused her to remember one of his remedies for his rage.
Could she calm him down before he reached that stage?
If that was what he wanted, she knew she would not be able to stop him…
Or could she?
Harmony thought carefully about if giving him what he wanted before he took it would soothe his beast. She couldn't do that. No, she couldn't; she could never do that, she was sure.
But it didn't mean she couldn't try to calm him. The Thor she had discovered was not the same as the one she had met. He had defended and protected her, watched over her and cared for her. If he was anything like what she thought then surely he would not harm her. So, mustering all the courage she had ever possessed, Harmony took a dangerous step forward.
Like a confused animal trying to work something out, Thor tilted his head to the side, bewildered at her movement towards him. Resistance stirred in his gut. The sane part of his mind tried to seize enough control to ward her away before he did anything reckless. His fists clenched especially tightly against his will, and he knew he may not be able to control his actions if his rage clouded his senses too much. He could see the girl shaking; a small part of him admired her for her bravery, but another cursed her for being foolish.
Taking her time and care, Harmony made herself take another step forward, harnessing her fear and keeping it caged. She wouldn't run away this time. She imagined her bones were being replaced with steel and steel did not falter. To her amazement, she found she felt stronger than the step before. But her eyes still betrayed her. Thor could still see the fright swirling in her shy dark orbs, it seemed to wrap around him, begging his rage to subside, to not hurt an innocent mortal.
Closer and closer Harmony drew.
Hands raising in a submissive gesture, she turned her palms to face the god, showing her harmless intentions to help him. He was poised in a slight crouch, like a hunter ready to spring and Harmony almost backed off. Her lips pressed tightly together, releasing and adding pressure the same way Thor was doing with his fists. Teeth sinking into flesh, Harmony thought pain might counter her fear. She was getting close to him now, soon she would be in reach of her master.
"It's okay," she whispered, voice shaking.
Suddenly Thor backed away from her, almost unbalanced. "No," he forced out, fighting an inner war with himself.
"Master," Harmony murmured. "It's okay, it's okay." She took another step closer, which could have been a very bad move.
"Stay away," the god growled. "I will crush you."
Harmony's eyes flickered to his large fists, seeing how they were trembling in need to grab something and destroy it, that something being her. Lips parted and trembling, she reached out a little with her hands, "You won't," she whispered. "Please, everything's okay."
"Harmony," he started, "get back!" his voice rose to a terrifying bellow and the maiden gasped and drew back, her heart close to giving out. "I won't allow myself to bring you harm," he said, more quietly.
Shaking her head, trying to convince herself more than he, Harmony forced her tongue to form weak words, "You won't, my lord. Everything's okay, I promise." Her approach began again, and this time Thor did nothing to stop her.
Now within his reach, the steel in her legs and spine seemed to melt away into feeble strands of silk. Swallowing yet again, Harmony willed herself another little step closer, only a foot or two away from him now. It sounded mad, but she could almost feel the anger radiating off him, choking her like thick smoke. Taking a chance, the little slave lifted her unsteady hand and touched Thor's chest with the pads of her delicate fingers. He let out a laboured breath, doing everything in his power to hold himself back.
The girl was so tiny compared to him, everything he wasn't: small, young, delicate, naïve, helpless. The width of her shoulders did not even quite match the width of just his chest, never mind his thick, broad shoulders. One single fluid movement and he could have killed her, or seriously hurt her, if she was lucky.
Harmony's fingers traced up his chest and then down his arm, towards his hand where she gripped him in a childlike manner, while her eyes pleaded silently with him. She never usually held his gaze but now she watched him intently as a hawk, as cautious as a doe, scanning his every move, every emotion in his eyes and on his face. His hand suddenly tightened around hers. Turning her head abruptly, a gasp slipping from her mouth, Harmony's eyes fixed on her hand encased in his, unsure of how to read it.
"Please," she whispered, looking back up at him. "It's okay."
Tightening her own grasp on his hand, Harmony pulled him very gently, as her instincts took control and she just stopped thinking, no longer contemplating her actions. Her legs stepped towards her master's bed, softly tugging him along with her. He was not refusing.
She held him so gently, so sweetly with her eyes but still he tried to protest with words, "I will hurt you. Stop now. Once I begin, I will not be able to stop myself," he said, and yet his body still complied.
Harmony managed to lead him to the side of his large bed. Looking up with her big eyes, she placed her hands softly on his chest and pushed him down slowly. Thor searched his mortal's orbs, reading her like an open book. His body was still burning, ready to explode into an inferno of rage. The girl was only just succeeding in keeping a lid on his temper. He chose to let her do whatever she wished; if he reacted, it could just cost him every last bit of control. He thought she intended to let him bed her but that wasn't what Harmony intended to do.
The two of them were much more even in height now that the god was sitting down, leaving it easier for them to stare intently at one another. Harmony pushed on his chest again, this time getting him to lie down. He moved his own legs for her, a soft growl building in his chest. But the girl showed no signs of backing away. She was frightened, yes, but she wasn't going to flee from this.
"What happened, sire?" she asked quietly. Timidly and cautiously, she perched herself on the side of the bed, most of her weight still held in her legs, which had held out rather impressively,
"A similar occurrence to what you saw in the training grounds. My patience was far shorter than usual today," he told her, voice stiff and only just controlled.
"Oh," she muttered, horrible memories dawning upon her. "You didn't kill them, did you?" she asked uneasily, dreading the answer.
"I do not know," Thor answered. "The healers say he may live."
Harmony nodded, somewhat relieved. "Rest now, sire," she advised softly.
Thor's anger was not subsiding though; it only seemed to be rising now that it seemed he wouldn't be getting his usual releases. Nothing to break, no woman to fuck. There was only little innocent Harmony…
As the girl turned away to return to any of her last duties, Thor's body reacted without thought, jerking upright and snatching the mortal in his arms. With a startled shriek of terror, Harmony felt her body being thrown down onto the mattress as the Thunderer turned over to land on top of her. His weight almost crushed her. It didn't help that Asgardian tissue was far denser than human tissue and Thor weighed more than 600 lbs. It was a miracle nothing in Harmony's body was broken.
Overtaken by gut instinct, her body thrashed, bucked and writhed, shoving at his chest with as much strength as she could muster. "No!" she screamed. "NO!"
Adrenaline fuelled her, racing through her blood. A choked sob forced its way from her as Thor's arms trapped her between his titan body and the bed. In a desperate attempt to clear her thoughts, Harmony suddenly realised that if she wasn't calm, how on earth would he calm down?
"Thor, Thor, please stop," she whimpered, fighting a natural urge to still her own struggles. "Calm down, please, it's okay."
So soft and begging, Thor found he could not resist her voice in his ear. She had stopped him from taking her before, she'd do it again. She continued to whisper into his ear, slowly but surely calming him. Taking a risk, Harmony pushed at his chest and he eased his weight on her. Oxygen flowed back into her lungs as she sucked in breath after breath, pausing in her whispers to her master. Her hands remained firmly planted against his chest in case he lost his control again.
"Please stop," she murmured.
Finally looking at her, Thor moved himself off her, shocked and bewildered at what she had done to him. He had never stopped for anyone before, all but her.
Delicate hands found his face. His dark blue orbs closed and he let out a long breath. He eased back a little more, barely even touching her now. Harmony waited silently. Her body was almost paralyzed, all apart from her eyes that watched every single little movement. Opening his eyes again, Thor gazed upon his slave. "Do not be frightened," he said. And he meant it. "You shall stay here tonight."
Harmony nodded, a long and shuddering breath slipping from her. She remained still as Thor adjusted them both. He lifted himself off her and removed the shirt he was wearing. Harmony swallowed nervously as the situation began to properly register in her mind. The prince settled himself beside her and engulfed her in his arms. His embrace this time was gentle but still so strong. Harmony's palms were pressed flat against the planes of his thick pectorals.
Everything felt so new.
She had been in his arms before and she had slept in his bed before but everything was so foreign to her. It was unlike anything she had ever known. Steadily relaxing into his arms, Harmony let her head rest on the muscle of his relaxed bicep, the tip of her nose grazing the smooth skin of his shoulder. Thor held her close, squeezing her gently. Her closeness soothed him.
Of her own choice, the young maiden snuggled even closer to her master's warm, huge body, pressing her cheek against his arm. Her eyes closed and her other senses took control, heightening. She took in every sound, every smell, every touch.
She could hear every breath he took, even the remains of the growl in his chest; she could smell him, his natural masculine scent that somehow managed to reassure her of his presence and his protection; and her body gladly surrendered to the feel of his firm, warm skin against hers, his closeness to her.
The arm beneath her head was long enough to reach far enough to settle in the dip of her waist, binding her to him, while his other hand was free to lay on her head, on top of her soft dark reddish-brown locks. Thor found himself stroking the mass of curls in at a slow pace, finding it helped him calm even more. Harmony let out a content, peaceful breath, and she shuffled that tiny bit closer, arching a little into Thor's touch on her hair.
For once, Harmony was completely without fear of her master. He would not hurt her, only protect her and look after her. He was completely calm.
Harmony was pleased with herself. Single-handedly, she had softened one of the most fearsome beasts in all the Nine Realms. She, nothing but a slave, had tamed the mighty Thor.
Hey there everyone, I'm so sorry it's taken so long to update. I have my GCSE's piling up on me now and have lots more work to do so I'm afraid updates will be less regularly but I promise I will whenever and as soon as I can!
Please, please review, it would really mean a lot to me and I'd love it if people shared their ideas for this story. I'm open to advice, criticism and just general comments! Anything you like!
Love and hugs xxx