In The Shadows | Loki

HE'S WORMED HIS WAY IN

 "I have never seen anything like this." I raise an eyebrow at that, watching as the healer moved the projection of my body that hovered above me around. It's empty, so completely empty that it physically hurts to look at. I take a deep breath and let my eyes close. "I believe that this is the bond." I knew what she was  pointing at, the only dot of color in the projection. It was a swirling emerald green, set right in my heart. 
        "That's all that's left?" Frigga asks as I hear her move closer to the table. 
        "All that I can find." The healer replies. It goes quiet, and the only sound in the room is the pounding of my heart, which is roaring in my ears. I keep my breathing steady, trying to block out the thoughts that threaten to make me cry. It was stupid to hold onto any sort of hope that I would get my abilities back. 
        "What if we-" Frigga stops when I sit up, the projection disappearing. The healer looks at me, a little startled as I swing my legs over the side of the table. 
        "Thank you for trying, your majesty." I murmur, sending her a small, fake smile. "I think I'd like to rest, if that's alright with you." Frigga watches me for a moment before nodding once. I slip off the table, following her out the door.
        "Sif." I glance up when Frigga calls the warrior over. "Can you take Ophelia to Loki's chambers? I would like to talk to the healers a little more." Sif nods, and Frigga reaches out to give my hand a comforting squeeze before disappearing back down the hallway. Sif waits until the queen is out of our sight to speak.
        "She's been worried about you and Loki." Sif murmurs. "She's been having Heimdal give her updates. She's hoping to help while you're here." 
        "That's kind of her." I reply, looking at Sif. "There isn't anything that she can do, though." Sif frowns, and I look away, not wanting to see any pity. "Loki's rooms are this way, right?" I start down the hallway, and it takes a second for her to follow. 
        "You seem so certain." Sif replies quietly. "You can't know."
        "If I'm certain, then I won't raise my hopes for nothing." I reply easily. "Like I just did." Sif is quiet again as she leads me around a corner, down another hallway. 
        "Loki seems calmer than he was." Sif changes the subject. "The Loki I knew before would have put up such a fight when they brought out the chains." Sif pauses, tilting her head. "The Loki I knew would never let himself care for anyone like he cares for you." a
        "We've changed each other." I reply, quiet. "My entire life, I've held people at arms length. He's wormed his way in." Sif snorts, a small smile on her face.
        "He can turn into a snake. He can get anywhere he wants." Sif replies. I crack a smile at that and shake my head, glancing around the halls. The only other people occupying them were guards and hand servants. The two of us round another corner into a hallway with several large doors. One of them has two guards outside, and I have a feeling that those are the men guarding Loki's rooms. Sure enough, Sif stops at the doors, and I send her a small smile. "I'll see you later." 
        One of the guards opens the door for me, and I step inside the large room. Loki looks up from the book he's reading when the door shuts with a boom. I watch as he quickly shuts the book and stands. 
        "Was mother able to-" I cut him off with a small shake of the head. The hope in his expression disappears, and he moves close, pulling me into his arms. "I'm sorry, Love." I shake my head again, burying my face in his neck to pull him closer. Out on Loki's balcony, a raven watches us for a moment before flying away 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

        "Those swords of yours are dangerous." I shrug, twirling one with a casual smile. 
        "You want to try them?" I ask, offering one to Hogun. He gingerly takes it, careful of the multiple blades. He tests the grip, keeping an eye on the blade that wraps around the knuckles. 
        "I am well-versed in the blade, and this makes me nervous." I let out a small laugh at that. "No, really. You must have injured yourself many times learning how to use these." Hogun hands them back over. 
        "I did." I reply with a nod. "But there are stages to learning these. First swords, then swords with the curved ends, then swords with the blades on the end," I point to the small dagger on end of the grip, "then finally the blades over the grip." Hogun nods, frowning down at the blades. "Plus, I had advanced healing. That helped a lot when I would tear my hands open." 
        "I would imagine it would help." Hogun replies with a chuckle. Across the training grounds, Fandral waves Hogun over to join him, and Hogun quickly says goodbye and leaves me on the benches. Sif was working with Thor, and there were random guards working across the grounds. I kind of wondered if the grounds were always this busy. 
        "Who convinced you to join them out here?" I stiffen at the familiar voice, quickly pushing the button that would make the blades compress back into the cylinders. I turn a little to the older man settling down on the bench beside me. 
        "Thor." I reply quietly. Odin nods, looking up to watch his son. "We all figured that this counted as enough eyes on me outside of Loki's rooms." 
        "It is." Odin agrees. We sit in awkward silence, and I'm just not sure what he could possibly want. "My wife has informed me of the reason you look so different than you did the last time you were here." What does he want me to say to that? "I am still surprised by how midgardians try to wipe out what they do not understand."
        "Well," I shrug, glancing at the king, "they're clearly good at it." Odin simply nods, not taking his eyes from the battlefield. 
        "You and my son. You're in love, aren't you?" I straighten at that, my frown growing. "And before you make some snide remark, no. I don't mean Thor." I watch Odin for a moment, and my silence makes him finally turn to look at me with his one eye. "I can see it. You've softened him."
        "I haven't softened him." I say, not bothering to hide my anger. "If anything, he softened me. I fell in love with a man who cared about me, who has suffered as much as I have. I fell in love with a person who took a chance on me. All I did..." I shake my head and look back down at my feet. "All I did was make it difficult for him. He persisted, which people don't do with me. He stuck around until I came to my senses. He sacrificed things for me, and all I did was slowly fall in love with him." I take a deep breath. "So yes, I love him. I'm in love with him, and I don't see that going away."
        Odin is quiet, and I focus on the battlefield. Sif and the others have noticed Odin at this point, and they're trying desperately not to be obvious in their observations. 
        "Come with me." Odin stands, and I give him a long look.
        "I don't have a choice in this, do I?" I ask. Odin doesn't reply, and simply watches me, waiting. I sigh and stand, stuffing the cylinders into my back pocket. "Okay. Lead the way."