The Brightest Star

Chapter 38 - Just Leave

(Kára's POV):
I paced back and forth in my room, keeping a close eye on the chaos outside. So far I had seen a number of alien ships coming to attack, the palace shields had fallen, and the Asgardian forces appeared to be being overrun. The cuffs that I had been secured with were able to inhibit my magic so I knew my chances of escape were slim and, even if I did manage to leave my room, I would be plunging into a fight with my hands tied behind my back.

"This is completely insane, let me out so that I can help," I pleaded to the guards that remained in my room. "I am very skilled with magic and I can help protect the palace! I despise being cooped up here watching as these ships create nothing but destruction!"

"For the last time, we are not freeing you," one of my guards spat angrily, although I could tell the other one seemed to be seriously considering his options. "Now shut up and sit down, you are making me anxious."

"Oh, I am making you anxious, my apologies," I sneered. "You are the ones who took away my greatest weapon and forced me to watch helplessly as the palace around me breaks into chaos. I need to be doing something, please just trust me."

Neither guard gave a response and I groaned, checking to see how the Asgardian forces were keeping up. To my surprise, the infiltrators ships were flying away, although I could not tell why they were aborting their conquest. I stood up straight and held my cuffs out to one of my guards.

"It appears that the invasion is over and Loki did not come to me for help escaping, may I now be freed?"

Both guards rushed over to my window, giving each other confused looks as they, too, saw the retreating ships. One of them sighed, "Geir, go outside and ask Vidar to report to Odin so that we may know if we can release this witch yet."

The other guard, Geir, nodded and did as requested, stepping back inside once his task was finished. I finally sat down, hoping that I would soon be released. However as time slowly ticked by, I began to fear that the guard had been killed on his mission due to the length of time it was taking him to report back. Finally there came a knock at the door, but it was not the guard standing there.

"Get those cuffs off of Lady Kára, she is not your prisoner," Thor spoke as he stepped into the room, the look in his eyes enough to tell me that something was wrong.

I stood as the released me, "Thor, what is wrong? What has happened?"

His glance fell to the floor as he confessed, "the dark elves killed Frigga. Y-You are invited to the funeral tonight if you would like to come."

I could feel rage well up inside me as wisps of magic swarmed around my fingertips, "what happened? Why was there no one protecting her?"

"We were all distracted by the dungeons that we were unable to prepare for the attack on the palace and, once we realized what was happening, the palace was already being overrun. I tried to get to my mother, but I was too late, Malekith and the Kursed had already killed her and then they got away. They were here for the aether and my mother died to protect Jane and keep it from their grasp."

I wrapped my arms around Thor, hoping to provide some comfort to him, even though I knew it would not diminish his grief, "Thor, I am so sorry, you did all that you could."

"I should have been able to save her!" He cried out in rage. "And now father will not even allow us to avenge her death, he forbade us from bringing the fight to Malekith even though it would lessen the number of Asgardian deaths!"

I glanced around to make sure that the guards were no longer in my room before telling him, "but are you really going to listen to your father? He has been wrong about so many things, his emotion clearly clouds his judgement. If you think that you can overpower Malekith and keep your people safe, then you must find a way to disobey his orders."

"You are right, Lady Kára, my father has turned stubborn. He would not even admit to the existence of the Dark Elves until they were attacking his palace. I will wait until Frigga's funeral, but after that I shall have a plan to bring down Malekith and his dream of darkness."

Thor left the room to check on Jane and I knew that I needed to talk to Loki. After locking my door, I sent myself down to his cell, finding him perched on his bed with a book.

"You know, for someone who just witnessed the dungeons fall into chaos, you are awfully calm," I smiled at him, sitting down next to him on his bed.

"Kára, I must admit that I was not expecting to see you again today," he replied, putting the book down and focusing all of his attention on me.

My face fell, "I am sorry, Loki, but I felt that I had to tell you in person."

"What is wrong?" He asked, standing up as his face darkened with concern.

"Thor just came to visit me and he told me that the dark elves, they-they killed Frigga. Apparently Malekith and the Kursed went to get the aether and Frigga died making sure it would stay out of their hands. Loki, I am so sorry."

He fell silent, turning from me as an attempt to conceal the tears that were in his eyes, "thank you for informing me of this, you may leave now."

"Loki, if there is anything-"

"Just leave!" He yelled, causing me to flinch at his harsh tone.

I bowed my head, "I will visit you again tomorrow if you need anyone to talk to."

"I think you have done enough talking," he growled, running his hand through my body so that I would disappear.

"Loki-" I tried to plead for him letting me stay with him, but my voice broke off as I returned to my body in my room. It pained me to know that he insisted on dealing with his mother's death alone, I wish there was something that I could do for him.

However I knew I needed to give him his space if that was what he wanted. I would check on him the following morning, but I hoped that he would be alright until then. Instead, I got ready for Frigga's funeral, which was to be held in a few hours.

It was a beautiful event, a send off that she was worthy of. However in the mass of people spreading out for miles, there was one person clearly absent. Loki. I could not believe that Odin did not allow him to attend the funeral of his own mother. She may not have been his biological mother, but she was the only true parent that Loki ever had and it was insult that Odin would not let him out for one night.

I was returning from the funeral when a guard stopped me in the hallway, informing me that Odin wished to see me. After thanking the guard, I began my trek to the throne room, a path that had become so familiar to me that I could probably do it in my sleep. Unlike the previous times I had visited the throne room, however, Odin looked exhausted upon his throne. I am sure that the death of his wife had affected him greatly and I would be sympathetic towards him if he had not been such a stubborn ass to me.

I bowed before him, "you wished to see me, All-Father?"

"Yes, Kára, I have brought you here to inform you that I will be sending you back home. As Frigga is no longer here to protect you, I think it is long past time that you return to where you belong. I expect you to have moved out by tomorrow's supper."

"Is this some sort of joke?" I asked, disbelief washing over me. "Frigga just died and you are already kicking me out?"

"You have already been here for far too long, you are nothing but a mere commoner. If I see you wandering the halls after supper tomorrow, I will have you forcefully escorted out without any of your belongings, is that clear?"

I glared at him as I forced myself to respectfully got on one knee, "yes, All-Father."

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(A/N): Why did I use so many italics in this chapter? The world may never know, but I hope you enjoyed it!