Bibbidi Bobbidi Asgard: A Cinderella AU (Loki x F!Reader)

Chapter 16: Even Miracles Take A Little Time

Warnings: injury, threat, misogyny

              "If I didn't know better, Cindy, I'd think that you didn't want to kill her," Brynjar scoffed, grabbing your jaw and examining your face. You snarled your teeth at him, even going so far as to try and bite the finger that got too close to your lips, but it did no good. His fingers dug so hard into your skin that you were sure that (assuming you survived this) there would be dark marks tomorrow.

"You'd have me take her life now?"

Brynjar roughly tilted your head to the side, examining the faded marks that scattered the length of your neck, then shook his head. "There is no need now, I suppose. The trickster was correct; the people of this pitiful kingdom will accept us far more welcomingly if she is still alive."

"She has a name," you hissed, shoving your hand against his chest to push him away. You hit the wall with a thud and drew your hands over your wound, pressing down despite the pain to try and halt the bleeding.

"And a temper, so it seems," Brynjar smirked, stretching out in Odin's throne. After he and his men had forced entry into the safe room - aided by Cinderella, who had disabled the worst of the protective spells from within - they had backed the royals into a corner with ease. The guards had stood no chance against the surprise attack and were all shot down before they'd had time to draw their swords.

Thor and Odin, the greatest warriors that the realm had seen in an age, had underestimated Brynjar's power. He managed to somehow avoided the worst of Thor's attacks and captured Mjolnir in a chest, certainly stolen from the hoards of the great dwarves. Without his weapon, it still took six of Brynjar's men to hold the prince down. Odin, on the other hand, took only three; once Gungnir had been snatched, the king was defenceless.

Frigga had moved to fight but held back when she realised it would have meant leaving Loki - barely clinging on to consciousness by now - vulnerable. She had a fire in her eyes that raged with the power of fifty men but protecting her son was more important than anything else. The throne was worthless if it meant watching Loki die. So, she stayed by his side and protected him with her own magic to keep up the work of the fallen healer.

The royals were led somewhere else in the castle, you were not told where, to await their execution at dawn next. It would be a public affair, in front of the largest crowd that had ever gathered in the city, for all to see how weak and pathetic their monarchy truly was.

Instead of being put out of your misery, or taken away to await your own execution, Brynjar had kept you in his company. He took joy from watching you suffer, a slow and painful end for the woman that had almost brought his plan to a stop on multiple occasions. In his eyes, it was nothing more than you deserved.

And, of course, instead of leaving you to die in peace, he intended to drag out every second of your suffering.

"Tell me, wench, why do you do this to yourself? You must see that these great men are not worth your blood," Brynjar said, his disgust for the royals evident in his acidic tone. "They put up no fight. Without their fancy weapons and soldiers to protect them, they were powerless to our forces. How can you believe that they will lead our great civilisation into a better time?"

"They are good people. More deserving of the crown that you will ever be."

"Of course, with their legendary valour and honour. True to the ones they love and never swayed by a pretty face. Oh, wait." He looked over to Cinderella, who at least had the decency to look a little bit ashamed. "That's right. Both Odin and Loki had their heads turned by my sister. Tell me, wench, how can men so easily led be left in charge as something as important as running a kingdom and protecting their people? You would never believe the secrets they divulged after bedding her."