Thor 1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters or places.

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The frozen air tore at her lungs but the maiden did not halt her escape, finding strength amongst the pain each heaving breath caused. The forest was thick around her, the moonlight faintly streaming through the dense snow covered trees, but the branches and thorns that cut her pale skin and the rocks that dug into her bare feet would not stop her. She must listen to her mother. She must run. She must escape.

She must _live._

Booming shouts could be heard, her name slurred amongst threats, coming from the men that no doubt were charged with returning her to the village and to her death. She refused to allow her fear to cloud her mind, focusing on the pounding in her ears and in her chest rather than the destiny that she was currently fighting to escape. Her entire body was numb, with not even a scrap of clothe on her body to provide warmth against the harsh snow that fell all around her.

"**AESA**. Child, you will not be harmed."

She recognized his voice amongst the others, hearing the anger in her father's tone even from the distance between them. Even if she had not recognized her father's voice, she would always recognize the same lie that he spoke to her for every day since she could remember. Her father had prepared Aesa for her destiny since she was bore from her mother's womb, screaming and bloody just as any other of child in the village. But unlike the other children of the village, with their hair golden and eyes as blue as the sea, Aesa had been cursed with hair black as the darkness and unnaturally gray eyes. Aesa had been born a Dottir Myrkr.

Her father always had spoken lies to her, telling her that it was an _honor_, telling her that she should be _grateful_. The only truth her father had ever given her was that her death, her sacrifice, would ensure peace from the Gods. Aesa had heard the truth from her mother, just three nights ago, that she would not be sent away from the village to learn the ways of the Gods, to nurture the mystical gifts that she had been given. The lies that she had been made to believe shattered when she discovered that the Kveykva, the Light, would instead take her to her death at the hands of the Gods she so faithfully had worshipped.

Aesa had waited for the moment during the ceremony where she would be left to bathe, to cleanse the filth of the world from her body before ascending above, to make her escape. In desperation she had dug her way out of the hut with nothing but her fingers to use as tools, time closing in around her as her twenty-fifth year approached. She would have thanked the Gods for the loose ground around the huts if not for the fact that it was their bidding that created her forsaken destiny.

"**AESA**!"

Her father's voice was becoming louder, as were the shouts of the other men he had gathered to chase her down and drag her back to her death. Aesa refused to glance back, knowing that it would be her ending if she saw just how futile her escape had become. Instead she continued running, her limbs nearly useless as the cold sunk in deeper and froze her blood, hoping that she would die before her father could reach her. Her mother's tears pushed that hope from Aesa's mind, the need to survive giving the young woman one final push of determination. She steadied her body, preparing herself for the pain that running faster would bring her. She propelled her body forward, but in that same moment she felt an impact from behind as she was tackled to the ground. Aesa screamed out in agony, from both the pain the fall had caused and the realization that she had failed in her escape. She had failed her mother.

She now would die.

Her body had landed with her front buried in the snow and the man who had finally caught her sprawled across her back. She did not, she could not, move and simply allowed the hunter to have his prey. Her breath was still coming out in harsh pants and her body began to quake from the cold and the exhaustion. The man slowly, leisurely, stood, but Aesa's body had become too numb and did not notice that the weight had lifted. She did not see as the man removed his heavy cloak, nor did she notice that the angry sounds of shouting no longer rang through the forest. The man carefully turned Aesa's limp body so that he could wrap the fabric around her, his eyes showing curiosity instead of pity for the dying girl.

"Midgard truly is home to the simplest of creatures." Aesa fought to focus her eyes on the man before her, unable to make out his features or place his voice with a familiar face. The man continued to speak in a condescending tone, as if he were a parent scolding a child. "To spend your birth celebration like a savage running through the forest with no clothing to protect you from cold." If Aesa had been able to see, she would have seen the smirk upon the man's lips, she would have seen the hunger that now filled his eyes. "What secrets do you hold for me, Dottir Myrkr?"

Loki crouched down in the snow, taking hold of the dying girl's limp hand, and prepared himself for the journey back to Asgard. He let his head fall back in silence, knowing that Heimdall would be waiting for the Prince's signal that he had gathered what he needed. Barely enough time for a breath to be taken passed before the Gatekeeper allowed the Bifrost to descend, collecting both Prince and passenger in haste. It would do no good for the girl to die before her secrets could be discovered.

Once his feet landed back onto firm ground, Loki immediately stood and moved away from the mortal woman. Her breathing had nearly ceased and he could see that the skin not covered by his cloak had taken on a hue that surely had to be strange for a Midgardian. His silent observation was disturbed as three healers surrounded the girl, quickly lifting her and carrying her away. Loki watched their retreat in boredom, neither caring if the simple creature survived or if her stupidity caused her death.

The Prince casually made his way back towards the castle, intending to find his father and share the news of his success. It had been so fulfilling to see Thor's outburst when the Allfather charge the younger son with the task of retrieving the first Dottir Myrkr that Midgard had seen in centuries. Loki could imagine that Thor would have killed the men chasing the girl, destroying the entire village because of his immature rage. Strength of a different manner was needed for this task, as Odin had said. In truth, Loki had felt like a glorified wetnurse when he was told to retrieve the child. He would have refused had Thor not reacted as he did. It may have been petty and childish of Loki, but it still brought a smile to his face when recalling the pout on his older brother's lips.

Making his way through the castle and to the Throne Room Loki could feel the thrum of excitement from anyone that he passed, from the servants to the ladies of court. He did not see the excitement in having a dying, naked and fragile mortal in their realm. Even if Loki had not already seen her, it would not be excitement he felt. Annoyance, mild curiosity, thirst for knowledge, of course. But excitement because of a Midgardian? Pathetic.

Except for Odin and Frigga the Throne Room sat empty, meaning that Thor must have taken his leave to destroy something. Loki allowed the smallest of smirks to grace his features at the thought, but he quickly sobered as he arrived before his father. Odin stood to greet his son, but it was Frigga who moved to embrace her dark haired boy. Loki stood in silence as his mother pulled her body away, her hands remaining on his upper arms to keep him steady as her eyes searched his face.

"Well? Is she truly a Dottir Myrkr?" Before Loki could answer, Odin spoke for his son.

"Where is the girl?" Loki should have expected the lack of gratitude, the lack of recognition, for bringing the girl from her Midgardian home. Of course, Thor would have been greeted with an entire feast upon his return. Frigga gave Loki's arms a gentle squeeze before dropping her hands to her sides and turning to face her husband fully. Loki closed his eyes for only a moment, taking in a breath to calm the ache in his chest before answering his father, and then settled his gaze on Odin's face.

"The healers took her away upon my arrival." Loki offered no more words to his father, bowing his head in respect before turning and making a swift exit. Frigga turned her head back and watched his retreat, looking back to Odin only when Loki's form disappeared with the closing of the door.

"You could have given a word of thanks to him."

"A son needs no thanks for following orders given by his father." Frigga let out a small sigh, moving to stand by her husband's side once more. "Thor would not have required a word of thanks."

"Perhaps your one eye is failing you, but that was Loki who just stood before us, not Thor." Frigga stood close enough to reach out to Odin, but did not make the effort to bring contact between their bodies. "You could have offered any words, really."

"You coddle our sons, Frigga."

"Call it what you will, but I treat them as sons and not only as successors." Frigga bowed her head before making a slow exit, allowing time for her husband to respond. She cast a glance behind her to see that Odin was not watching her, but instead had made his way to his throne. With a small shake of her head the Queen closed the door silently, pausing a moment to collect herself before she tended to her daily tasks. She had only taken a step when she heard the commotion coming from the room behind the door that she had just exited, signaling that her words still had at least some effect on Odin. She hoped that he would acknowledge Loki as he had in the boy's youth. Before the reality had set in that only one of his son's would ascend to the throne and Odin had slowly pulled his attentions away from the younger prince.

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It had been weeks since Aesa had been delivered into the healer's care, but no word had reached Loki's ears on her condition. The excitement of having the girl in Asgard had slowly waned, but for Loki his curiosity had finally been piqued. The scrolls said very little about the origins of the Dottir Myrkr making the Prince's thirst for knowledge that much stronger. He had kept away from the activity surrounding the mortal, filling his days will battles, training and trickery, but the need to know why Odin had brought the girl here continued to grow.

The image of her dying near his feet had staying within his mind, reminding him that a mysterious source of unknown power was only moments away from him and if he had been a moment later that power would have been gone. It bothered him more that Odin knew of the girl's powers and he had chosen to keep it as another one of his secrets. Loki continued to pace his room, the thoughts running through his mind becoming maddening. The ache, the gnawing at his chest, seemed to consume him, driving him from his room and forcing his feet in the direction that the supposed Dottir Myrkr was being kept.

It was late in the evening, closer to early in the morning, and Asgard had fallen into slumber. The guards that stood before the door, between Loki and his goal, were no challenge for his magic but he still found a bit of enjoyment in the look of pure confusion on their faces as the floor beneath them seemed to disappear. A mere illusion that was more than effective for its intended purpose.

Loki entered the dimply lit room, no bigger than a closet that one would keep their weapons in, and saw the Midgardian lying prone on a simple bed in the middle of the room. There were no windows and the stone walls were bare. It was a room that the healers often used for dying men and women to be alone in their final hours, rather than leave them amongst the healthier inhabitants of the infirmary. But as Loki's eyes took in the form of the still naked girl, noticing how her chest rose and fell signifying that she had yet to die.

As he took the few steps to stand by the side of the bed, Loki was able to see more of the girl and saw that her skin had bluish glow to it. As he got closer he felt a strange tingling along his skin, instantly recognizing it as a reaction to the magic that could clearly be seen radiating off of the mortal before him. Loki looked over the girl's arms that lay bare by her sides, taking in the slope of her shoulder and the dark hair that fell about her body. It was shade to match his own and the observation intrigued him, but he ignored the thought for the moment.

Loki crouched down a bit to better examine the smallest of magical force fields he had ever seen. The bluish glow was not coming from the girl's skin, it was surrounding it. He had not seen the healers use this sort of technique before if ever. Loki straightened his body once more, his intention to leave as he would find no answers and only more questions. But when he was fully standing, he could see that the girl's eyes were now opened and her gray gaze was trained on him. In silence the two locked their gazes on one another for a moment, but as Loki made to open his mouth to speak, the girl's mouth opened in a shrill scream.

Loki quickly made to cover the girl's scream with his hands, but the moment the skin on his fingers met with her lips a wave of blue magic swept out across the room and threw him against the stone wall. His back hit the hard surface with a thud and he landed on his side on the equally as hard floor, a crack echoing through the room as his head made contact. The girl continued to scream at a pitch that burned his ears, but Loki did not have the strength to move as his body throbbed with an unexpected pain. From where he lay Loki saw that the girl was arching her body in what could only be described as pain.

"Silence." Loki did not know how the girl could hear his nearly whispered command over her screams, but as the word left his lips she obeyed and became silent. Loki slowly lifted his body, his eyes never leaving the bed as he moved. The girl's body lay limp once more upon the bed, but out of experience Loki knew to keep alert for a trap. When he was fully standing, he could see that the girl had once more fallen into slumber with the bluish glow surrounding her. The glow seemed to be more intense than before, but that could have been Loki's mind playing tricks on him. He move sideways towards the door, opening it and exiting quickly, but the girl did not move again. The guards were surprised at his exit, but he swiftly left before even a sound came from their mouths.

Loki was sure that they had heard the girl's screams, but why had they not tried to enter the room? No one seemed to be running to where the girl was once again sleeping, but with the intensity of her screams why would not one healer go to check on their patient? While Loki displayed a calm appearance on his journey back to his room, inside his mind was racing. The magic he saw and felt was not of Asgard and the girl was a source of power that could be worth possessing. Now he had more questions than before his visit to the girl, and the only way to receive answers would be to speak with his father or to wait for the girl to truly awaken. A third option came to Loki's mind as he stepped in his room, a sly smirk falling onto his lips.

Loki would be returning to Midgard.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two.

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It had taken only a few days for Loki to plot his travel to Midgard without using Heimdall or the Bifrost. Having to stay focused on that task, on solving the puzzle that he had created for himself, had succeeded in keeping Loki's mind from wandering back to the assumed Dottir Myrkr. It was not the girl that he thought about, but rather the questions surrounding her existence and her presence in Asgard. Each time he started to think of those questions, Loki would focus that much harder on how to travel to Midgard without being seen by the Gatekeeper. Even as nothing was distracting him, not five days after his late night visit to the girl, Loki stood standing on the outskirts of her village on Midgard.

He had contemplated shifting his appearance to resemble the girl, but although it would cause chaos and fun within the village it would also bring unneeded attention. Instead Loki chose to leave his appearance without change and moved casually through the village. It was only a matter of moments before he was able to find the girl's father, remembering his face as he watched the oaf of a man lumbering through the forest after the much quicker girl. Even though the day was barely half over, the girl's father was in a drunken stupor as he stumbled and fell three times before he arrived at his hut. Just as the man was pushing the animal skin flap aside to enter his meager hut, Loki made himself known.

"How long has your daughter been missing, now? Seven weeks? Eight, perhaps?" The man startled at the sound of Loki's voice, his drunken state causing him to fall to the ground before Loki's feet. Feeling a surge of power from the position, Loki reveled the moment in silence as he waited for the oaf to respond. The man did speak, but his works were slurred beyond understanding. Loki started to lift his leg, intending to roll the man over with a kick of his foot, but the flap on the man's hut shifted aside. Loki placed his foot back to the ground as the woman, shorter than he by two heads and with the golden hair and blue eyes that were common of the Midgardians of the area, opened her mouth and spoke.

"He stopped counting after the first day. He stopped counting and took to the ale and mead after the men of the village beat him for his failure. We are nothing in this village anymore. They only keep us here so that when you return you will accept us as a sacrifice and not bring a war to our lands." She sighed deeply before stepping out into the cold and starting to drag her husband inside. Loki did not move to help her and remained silent as she struggled to pull the much larger man out of sight. When she did not return, Loki entered after her and found that she had left the man on the ground just inside the hut. The woman simply stood waiting for the stranger to speak, as she knew he would. He did not disappoint, as a moment later Loki offered a smirk before he opened his mouth to ask his questions.

"You? If I am not mistaken your words were 'when you return', which indicated me."

"The Gods will reign down war upon us. A stranger in our village asking about Aesa just weeks after her twenty-fifth year can only be a messenger from the Gods." Loki was pleased to have learned the girl's name, not that it was one of the important questions but it did eliminate at least one. He nodded his head as if to agree, letting the woman before him, Aesa's mother, make the assumption as it did not matter to him.

"Tell me what you know of…Aesa."

"She…"Loki watched the woman intently as she struggled to find the words to use, a single tear escaping and creating a trail down her dirty cheek. The woman looked away for a moment, staring at nothing and everything all at once, before continuing. "The elders told of girls born with...the blackest hair and eyes that were so different. Dottir Myrkr, they called her. My husband used it…for money…food…anything she needed. But it was him that took it all. Aesa was…our hope. She would be sent to you and be returned to us with the knowledge to save us from famine…war…death. But my mother and my grandmother passed me the tales, the truth." She turned her eyes back to Loki, sadness and grief shown in her hard gaze. "You take them and you impregnate them and then you kill them. They never come back, never. Dottir Myrkr are only born to die."

Loki regarded the woman before him as her tears flowed freely down her face and she collapsed to her hands and knees. He first thought that she was worshiping him, but as sobs racked her body it was clear that she was too paralyzed by grief to continue. He was not completely satisfied by her answers, but did not want to spend too long on Midgard lest Heimdall discover his presence. He turned from the pitiful sight displayed before him and left the girl's parents to their pitiful life on Midgar. He had not taken more than three steps away from the hut before Aesa's mother called after him.

"Please, please I beg you. If she is truly alive, give her this." Loki turned to see the woman extending to him a tightly bound scroll of parchment. It was small enough to be completely concealed in the palm of his hand, and as he examined it he saw no harm in bringing it with him back to Asgard. He accepted the scroll and left the woman in silence, seeing as she had played her part and he no longer had use for the simple creatures of this realm.

The journey back to Asgard was without event and Loki strolled through the halls high off of his successful travels. The parchment crinkled under his balled fingers as he made his way back to his room, his mind turning over the little amount of information that he now had about Aesa. He turned a corner and his thoughts were interrupted as his brother, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three spotted him. They made their way towards him, all of them sporting their armor and weapons. Loki slid the parchment into his sleeve and from the distance none of them were able to see his actions. Once the group had gotten close enough, Thor embraced his brother and spoke of the adventure they were about to embark on, as he included Loki without a word from his younger brother. A nod of the head was all that Thor needed and the six warriors were off on their next adventure. Loki slid the parchment from his sleeve and safely secured it within his boot, shoving his thoughts of the Dottir Myrkr from his mind until he could return to his room or chance another visit to the girl who now had a name…Aesa.

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As the days turned into weeks once more, Loki's curiosity and frustration both grew. Healers were holding a constant watch over the girl, over Aesa, for an unknown reason. It was as if Odin had discovered what Loki had done and was thwarting the Prince without ever speaking a word directly to his son. It would only seem logical, since Odin seemed to intensify his gaze on Thor with the threat of war hanging over Asgard. Loki did not return to Midgard again, feeling as if he had received all of the answers he ever would from Aesa's mother. Loki had finally stolen a moment away to read the parchment she begged him to take, and he hoped that it would hold even more answers to Loki's questions. He had excused himself from the Great Hall in the middle of a feast, knowing that he would not be bothered for several hours as those attending the feast would soon be drinking their fill of mead and not bother with searching for him. Standing near the fire in his quiet room, Loki pulled the small scroll from his pocket and did not waste time when unrolling it. His eyes devoured the words, searching for the answers he was beginning to crave.

The scroll had been written by the Elders of the village, the intended recipient being Aesa on the night of her twenty-fifth year. It spoke of their thanks for her willingness to end her life so that they all may live. It described in detail the story that Aesa's mother had shared with Loki, lending truth to the grieving woman's words. Loki immediately spotted the discrepancy between the words he read and the ones that he had heard in regards to the impregnation Aesa's mother spoke of. The Elders wrote of an exchange of essence between the Gods that were to take Aesa but they did not warn of a pregnancy. Loki chose not to spend much thought on that piece of information, but instead he stared at the advice the Elders had left as their parting words.

_The Gods, with their frightening height, unnatural skin and eyes as red as blood will frighten you but do not fear them._

Loki immediately knew that the Elders had described the Frost Giants of Jotunheim and not those of Asgard. Thousands of potential answers ran through his thoughts, each of them more outrageous than the last but all of them revolving around his father. It was by Odin's command that the girl had been brought here, but why? Loki threw the scroll into the flames near his feet, destroying the description of the Gods that the Midgardian Elders had described. If it was made known that Odin had knowingly stolen a sacrifice meant for the Jotuns resulting in a war arriving in Asgard, it would not bode well for his father.

It was only after the scroll had become nothing more than ashes that Loki slowly paced his room. He allowed his thoughts to flow through him, searching for the missing piece to the puzzle that had now been created. It seemed that he would need to stop acting as a timid child and bring his questions directly to his father. Loki clasped his hands behind his back as he continued walking a path through his room, pausing for a moment when a faint sound fell upon his ears. Closing his eyes and straining to hear it once more, Loki focused hard as he waited. Before he could even take another breath, Loki heard it again.

Aesa was screaming.

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The more that the healers tried to restrain Aesa, the more it felt as if her skin were on fire where their hands held her arms, shoulders and legs. She struggled against the man and two women even as they spoke calming words, her ears not hearing their voices over her own shrill yells. As if a wild animal had possessed her, Aesa screamed and thrashed and fought with all that her weak body could manage. One of the women placed her hand on Aesa's mouth in an effort to dull the girl's screams. While the healer did succeed in stopping Aesa's screaming for a moment, it was only because the girl had bitten down on the fingers covering her mouth hard enough to draw blood.

And this was the sight that Loki had seen upon his entrance into the small room. Aesa had started her screams once more, continuing to struggle against those that restrained her and a small trail of blood falling from her lips. It was not with urgency that Loki approached the bed, nor was it was caution. He coolly observed the scene before him, watching as the healers tried with renewed vigor to restrain Aesa. The healer that had been bit had left the bedside for a moment, returning with a heavy net made of tightly wound chainmail that was meant to capture ravaging beasts. It seemed nearly impossible that one Midgardian was able to defend against three Aesir, and Loki would have scoffed had he not witnessed it himself. Before Aesa could be trapped under the net, Loki made his presence known with a calmly spoken command.

"Stop." Even as the girl's movements stilled and her screams ceased, the healers did not stop restraining her. The healer holding the net was about to throw it upon the girl's now prone form when Loki spoke again. "Must I repeat myself?"

The healer's arms dropped immediately and her head bowed in respect towards the Prince. All of the healers slowly moved away from Aesa as Loki approached the bed, his pace remaining leisurely. He came to stand on the left side of the bed, noticing that the forcefield was no longer surrounding Aesa's body and that her eyes were still open. He hesitated for a moment before grabbing a thick blanket that rested near his feet, bending slowly to retrieve the fabric and feeling Aesa's gaze burning into him as he stood once more. Extending the blanket towards the girl, Loki waited in silence for her to reach out and accept it to cover her still naked form. She made no such movement and so Loki finally locked eyes with the girl as he spoke in what he hoped was a soothing tone of voice.

"Cover yourself."

It was the third command that Loki had given the girl, and it was the third command that she followed without hesitation. The Prince allowed that thought to linger in his mind as Aesa lifted her hand and took the blanket from him. She brought her other hand up as well, draping the blanket over her body slowly as if the movement caused her pain. Her gray eyes had moved from Loki's face and began to properly take in her surroundings. She narrowed her eyes in the direction of the healers, who had all gathered at the foot of her bed, as she gingerly began to shift her body in order to sit up. When she sat fully on the bed, Loki turned to leave seeing as the girl had calmed. He did not know what had calmed her, thinking perhaps that the healers no longer had her restrained is what caused her change in demeanor. Before Loki had fully shifted his weight to move, Aesa's hand quickly took ahold of his. He looked from their joined hands to Aesa's face, watching as her eyes fluttered as if she were fighting sleep. She let out a small sigh before her voice, quiet and pleading, left her lips.

"Please… stay."

Loki could only assume that the girl had recognized his face or at the very least his voice from when he had collected her from Midgard. He wondered briefly if she remembered their last encounter, which had ended with her magic throwing him across her room. His eyes studied her face for a moment, taking in her disheveled appearance as his gaze roamed her body. Although it was not in a sexual manner that Loki looked upon Aesa, he still felt as the predator would when closing in on their prey. With the girl awake, Loki would now have leverage to force the answers he required from his father. If Odin would not give him the answers directly, he would use the seemingly blind trust the girl had placed into him in order to get what he desired. He tried to place a reassuring smile on his lips, but the result was more of a devious smirk that mirrored his thoughts. Loki turned to address the healers, his hold on Aesa's hand tightening.

"She will require food, water and clothing. See to it that anything she needs is brought to her. Send a handmaiden if you must."

"Shall we fetch the Allfather?"

"Obviously."

Loki's tone was a bit more biting that he had hoped, but the healers, students as he would come to find out, really should not need as much instruction as this group seemed to need. He watched their retreating forms before turning his attention back onto Aesa, the girl's grip becoming like iron on his hand. When he was once again fully focused on her, Loki could see the sudden sheen of sweat that covered her body and he could see glaze that had turned her eyes to a darker hue of gray. Loki brought his free hand up to Aesa's forehead but found that her skin did not feel heated as if from a fever. At the increased contact, Loki did not miss the slight quiver that ran through Aesa's small body.

"Your touch…" Loki made to pull both of his hands away, but after a short struggle Aesa had managed to grasp his wrists in her hands. She sat up, bringing his hands to her face and placing his fingers against her cheeks in what seemed to be a trance. Loki waited in curious silence, seeing no danger in what the girl was doing, as Aesa's eyes drifted closed once more with a deep sigh. Loki contemplated pulling away when he realized that somehow the girl was feeling pleasure from his touch, or in the very least finding relief. Before he acted on his thoughts Aesa spoke once more, her voice clearing than the last time she spoke but her eyes still closed in bliss. "What is…happening to me?"

"I believe I have an answer to that for you." As Odin's voice echoed off the stone walls of the small room, Loki pulled away and the movement broke Aesa from her trance. The Prince took a few steps back as Aesa pulled the blanket tighter against her naked flesh. Odin saw the state that the young girl was in and turned to address his son. "Come with me, Loki. We will leave the girl in peace while we discuss what these new developments mean for her…and for you."

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	3. Chapter 3

Loki had left the room without another glance at the girl, brushing past his father and the handmaidens that waited just beyond the door. His mind raced, pleased that his father was finally going to offer reasons as to why Loki needed to bring the girl to Asgard but confused as to the developments that Odin spoke up. Only when he heard his father's footsteps behind him did Loki slow his gait. Odin remained silent as he came to walk beside Loki, purposely leading the Prince to a room that was not far from where Aesa had remained. The room that they entered was much like the one they had just left, small and cold with bare stone walls but empty of any furniture. Loki followed his father into the room, instantly noticing that they had not gone more than twenty paces away from the girl that raised so many questions in his mind.

"Tell me. How did you come to be in that room, my son?" Odin kept his one eye trained onto Loki, their gazes firmly locked onto each other. Odin did not pause for Loki to respond, but instead offered another question. "How did you come to be in the…questionable position that I found you in?"

"I will answer your question if you answer one of mine."

"Loki." Odin's voice was harsh, a tone that he used only in response to what he considered Loki's childish ways. "I will not waste my time with your games." Odin took a step closer to Loki, closing the small distance between their bodies, and took hold of his son's upper arms. "It is vital that you tell me everything. Everything you have been keeping from me."

Loki wanted to smirk at his father's words. There had been so many secrets, so many things that he had kept from his father throughout his lifetime. His father was the last being in existence that he would share any of his secrets with, for that would mean the end of many of his freedoms. Loki pulled away from his father, turning his gaze away to look at his hands. They looked the same as ever, but he would not, could not, ignore the ache in his fingers when Aesa had held his hands close to her face. He flexed his fingers slowly, as if doing so would bring back that odd sort of feeling, watching as the skin grew taught around his bones.

"I was simply…curious. I meant no harm." Loki finally caught his father's gaze once more, seeing the hard look in Odin's eye but not fearing it. It had only taken Loki a small number of years to fully understand how to react to his father's moods, and the current one Odin was in would allow Loki to push him a bit farther into urgency. Then, Loki knew, his father would unwillingly share too much, share more than he would want Loki to hear.

"This was not the first time you have seen the girl."

"Father, I was the one who brought her here."

"Enough of this. Hold your sharp tongue lest you find it lashing back at you." Odin's voice held more anger in it, but still Loki did not show emotion to his father. A passing thought in his mind brought an image of Thor, yelling back or simply obeying his father immediately. How different they were, even when raised by the same mother and father. "This was not the first time you have **visited** the girl here."

"No. I had gone to her once before."

"Why?"

"I was simply curious, Father." Loki brought his hands to clasp them behind his back, straightening to his tallest height. "I entered the room one night, found the girl asleep but not dead and then left. It is not as if I held vigil over her prone body."

"Did you touch her?" Loki could not hide the startled look from his face at Odin's words. "Did you lay your hands upon her skin that night?"

"I did. Her skin was…pulsing with magic." Loki watched his father's face, hoping to see any sort of reaction. He was not disappointed when Odin's lips pulled into a tight frown. Loki continued, knowing that this was somehow important but he had yet to discover why. "She screamed from my touch but it was as if only I heard it." Loki purposefully left out that he had been thrown across the room, not wanting to share a moment of weakness with Odin. "She calmed and her eyes closed once more. I had not gone to her room again. Prior to this evening, of course." Odin was in deep thought, taking in all that Loki had shared with him, and remained silent for a moment. Loki took this as an opportunity to receive some answers. "Why did you have me bring her here, Father?"

"She is a Dottir Myrkyr." Odin spoke slowly, choosing his words with the utmost care. "You must have read the name or heard it at least once. There has not been a true Midgardian Dottir Myrkr in centuries. Not much is known of them, only that they are created by a Jotun marking a pregnant Midgardian with their essence. With part of their soul, I believe the Midgardian elders call it." Loki continued to listen intently to his father's words, the pieces of information forming together in his mind. "The Jotun would then retrieve the girl, for they are always born girls, when she reached her twenty-fifth year." Odin paused, thinking of the right words to say, but Loki did not dare to interrupt the man's quiet thoughts. Odin moved closer to his son, placing a hand onto Loki's should before continuing. "Not much is known after the girls are taken, for none of them are ever seen again. I have heard that the girls are simply slaves until they die."

"But what of the magic, Father?"

"When the Jotun gives their essence to create a Dottir Myrkr, they are both blessing and cursing the girl. She is given abilities, to which the Jotuns use to their advantage. But the magic inside the girls is…raw. Uncontrollable. They become nothing more than a catalyst for the Jotuns to gain more power."

"That is why you sent me to Midgard. To intercept her before the Jotuns could arrive. Father, do you want to start a war over a simple creature such as that? The Jotuns will find her, they probably have and are now just waiting for the right moment to bring War to Asgard." Odin squeezed his hand around Loki's should in reassurance.

"Loki, calm yourself. I have taken every precaution. And even if they do try to retrieve her from Asgard, it will do them no good."

"What are you not telling me?" Odin pulled away from Loki, walking away from his son but not yet leaving the room. "What have you done?" Odin abruptly turned back to face Loki, leaving the distance between them but raising his voice so that his son could hear his next words very clearly.

"I have done nothing. You should address that question towards yourself, Loki. What have you done? You have entwined your magic with hers, your essence now flows through that girl's very being." Loki did not understand Odin's words, did not know how he could have done what his father claimed. Odin continued, his tone filling with anger as each word left his lips. "Your simple curiosity. I ordered her to be kept alone, that no one touch her until she awaken. You have made that girl your catalyst now, Loki, in every way."

"I-I-I don't understand."

"BREEDING. The Jotuns thought that by breeding with beings possessing magic they could create an army that would enable them to rule any and every of the realms. The girls were taken, used and then thrown to die when they no longer served their purpose."

"Why have we not heard of this? The beings they created, what happen to them?"

"Slaughtered in their infancy. Many of us would not risk the chance of them growing into adults." Odin's voice had calmed once more as he looked to his son, watching as Loki remained silent in the hopes of receiving more answers. But the Allfather remained silent as well, allowing the chance for Loki to understand the implications of everything he had just been told.

Loki's mind was racing with thoughts of everything he had learned about the Dottir Myrkr, both previously and just now from his father. Some of it was clear, making perfect sense to intercept something that the Jotuns would use as a weapon, but there were still so many of his questions that had been left unanswered. He knew that the time he had with his father grew short, but Loki would not allow Odin to leave without answering at least one more of his questions.

"Father…why does she crave my touch?"

"The Jotuns, in order to control the girls, would mark them as their magic was being brought forth. Fully possessing the girl through her soul, in every way. Forcing the girl to obey them. Making the Dottir Myrkr want to obey the Jotun who had marked her."

"I only touched her."

"A simple touch, as you will come to find, can be very powerful, Loki." Odin turned from his son, not willing or ready to speak anymore on the subject. He hardly had taken a step when Loki called to him, Odin halting his movements at the slight tone of desperation in his son's voice.

"Father. How do I…undo what I've done?" Loki did not move towards his father, watching as Odin did not make a move to turn back. Instead, the Allfather only turned his head and addressed Loki over his left shoulder.

"It is impossible to undo." He turned his head forward and begin to leave once more, pausing at the door to offer Loki one last thought. "Perhaps this shall be a lesson to you. Teaching you the ability to control the _simple_ curiosity that your possess."

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Aesa sat as if in a trance as the dark-haired man walk from her room without a second glance in her direction, followed by the older man who seemingly had only one eye. As soon as the men had walked from her view, two handmaidens had entered, one carrying a bowl of food while the other carried a basin of water and what looked to be clothing. The two girls approached Aesa and she blinked the fog in her eyes away in order to get a better look at them. Both of them were blonde of hair with bright blue eyes, looking psychically similar to the people of her village but were dressed in beautiful cream colored gowns made from a fabric that Aesa could only wear in her dreams. She stared at the bottom of the gown of the shorter of the two girls as it slid across the ground in the girl's approach.

"Would you prefer to bathe yourself…?" The smaller of the girls, and younger Aesa assumed, spoke with a timid voice, trailing off as if unsure of how to speak to Aesa. The elder of the two girls quickly spoke, making up for her partner's loss of words.

"'My Lady', Finna. You should address her as 'my Lady' unless told otherwise." The elder girl offered a curtsy to Aesa, holding the clay bowl of food tightly in her arms to prevent it from slipping. The younger girl, Finna, mirrored the action. "Forgive her, please, my Lady. Finna is still just an apprentice. I am Luta."

"Aesa."She offered only her name, not entirely sure what else she was expected to say. She had been told many stories of the Gods that would take her and what was expected of her, but after her mother shared a new story Aesa did not know what was truth and what was lies. Luta, obviously the more experienced of the two girls, set the bowl she had been holding near Aesa's feet before grabbing a small shred of fabric from the water basin that Finna still held. She kept her head bowed in respect as she brought the cloth over to Aesa's arm, speaking before touching the fabric to her charge's skin.

"Lady Aesa, it is an honor to serve you."

"Those are pretty words you speak to me." Aesa continued to stare at the bowl of food near her feet as she spoke, seeing what she thought was bread and something she hoped was meat. She heard a poorly concealed snort of laughter from beside her, knowing that it had come from Finna. Aesa remembered having to speak words that she was told if someone in the village gave her family an offering or when the elders spoke to her. She had learned from a young age that speaking the words and obeying those around her would keep her left alone. It was when she had spoken her true words that she found herself with a bruised body. And here, her fate had been decided for her once more but she had doubts that they would treat her any better than her village had. Flashes of dark hair and green eyes went through her mind, a sense of calm washing over her that was not of her doing. She turned her eyes to meet Luta's shocked face. "But, please, do not speak them for my benefit. I have been made to say things to please others."

"But—"

"If you are just going to tell me that you actually mean the words you say…" Aesa put the smallest of smiles on her lips, the feeling strange as she could not remember the last smile she willingly offered. "Forgive me, I'm just very…confused. And rude."

"It is an honor to be chosen by the Allfather, himself, to serve you."

"What my sister means to say is that all the other handmaidens were too frightened." As Finna spoke, Aesa turned her gaze to the younger sister, appreciating the honesty in her words. "Everyone is curious about the Dottir Myrkr from Midgard but no one brave enough to actually come to your side."

"No…there was a man. He…left just before you entered. Three times I have seen his face in a haze, but I know he was real." Aesa watched the sisters exchange a look before Luta began washing Aesa's arm gingerly. She spoke, her voice so much softer and more timid than Finna's.

"Prince Loki is who you speak of." Luta focused on her task as she spoke, washing only the skin that Aesa had left uncovered by the blanket. "Rumors have said that he was the one to retrieve you from Midgard, that he saved you from death." Aesa watched the water as it made a path on her skin, wiping away the sweat and grime that had gathered on her body over the weeks. She felt sleep calling to her, but refused to close her eyes until she knew that she would be safe. She motioned for Luta to halt in her washing.

"What happens to me now that I am…here?"

"You are in the palace of Asgard, my Lady. What happens to you now is not for me to say. If it would please you, I can ask for an audience with the Allfather." Luta returned the cloth into the basin, Finna turning to place it on the ground while her older sister retrieved the bowl of food for Aesa.

"I think I would prefer…I would like to speak with Prince Loki, actually." Aesa accepted the small bowl from Luta, dropping it to her lap the moment her fingers brushed against the handmaiden's. She let out a small yelp of pain, startling the sisters and causing them to quickly step away from the bed. Aesa held her hands to her chest, willing the burning she felt in her fingers to stop. Flashes of pain shot through her hands and traveled into her arms, as memories of the same feeling happening when she was being restrained. The pain gripped at her mind, flashing hot and white behind her eyes and causing her to shut them tightly. She could feel her body shaking but could not focus on anything but the burning pain escalating through her body. She vaguely heard one of the handmaidens scream for help but was not sure which of the two had yelled, not able to hear clearly over the pounding in her ears.

For what seemed like an eternity Aesa shook in pain as she lay on the bed that now seemed like a dungeon, until the pain disappeared in an instant. She felt as if she had been submerged into water as cold as ice and been pulled back out and into a warm embrace. Her skin pulsed with a new feeling, seeming as far away from pain as she could feel. Opening her eyes, Aesa was met with the sight of hands wrapped tightly around hers. Her breathing quickened as her skin flushed, all thought leaving her mind except to feel more of what she was now feeling. Bringing her eyes up to meet the man that was bringing about this feeling, Aesa was met with a pair of seemingly annoyed and slightly angered green eyes. Another wave pulsed through her body, pulling a gasp from her lips and forcing her to resist the urge to close her eyes again.

As Loki watched the girl nearly writhing in pleasure before him, Odin's words rang through his mind. _A simple touch can be very powerful._ Loki looked to their innocently joined hands, feeling as Aesa's fingers clung to his tightly. He slowly pulled his hands away from Aesa's body, her arms extending and following his movement even as she remained on her bed. When he had finally succeeded in separating their hands the glaze that had filled Aesa's eyes faded away, but her breathing remained harsh for a moment longer. Her gray eyes did not leave his face, as if searching there for any sort of answer she could find.

"How?" Her question was spoken in no more than a breathy whisper. Loki watched as her naked chest heaved before him, taking in her form properly for the first time. She was small framed, hardly anything that would be considered attractive in Asgard. He slowly trailed his eyes back up to her face, seeing the delicate features and taking in hair and eyes of an exotic coloring.

"Your handmaidens. They screamed for my help."

"That…is the third time…you have-"

"Quiet, now." Loki's voice was harsher than he had intended but Aesa did not seem to notice. "Get dressed quickly. We will discuss things further in a more…comfortable environment." Loki pulled his body away from Aesa's bed, walking to the door but not leaving the room. He stood with his back towards her, more for his sake than for hers as he had already seen her in the nude nearly a handful of times. As he waited, Loki contemplated how much he should share with Aesa, knowing that he could tell her everything or nothing and the girl would blindly follow him, even against her will. In that moment, as he waited, it was not a sense of pleasure that Loki felt from that thought of Aesa being at his mercy, it was instead a sense of power that thrummed through his veins.


End file.
