Working Title : Loki & Annie

54 The Scent of Guilt

On Asgard, the Palace was humming with tension mixed with fear. Word was trickling out that the Black Prince himself had escaped his cell in the dungeon and was somewhere within its walls. Servants refused to attend to their duties while alone which meant that it took twice as long for those living within the walls to be served. There were mutterings of hate against the Prince, he had lost none of his ability to cause trouble for everyone else.

Odin was seated in his office, the room empty except for Captain Reapt who stood uneasily at attention, eyes remaining focused on a distance spot above the AllFather's head.

With his finger gently rubbing over his top lip the AllFather gave the appearance of being deep in contemplative thought. The truth was much worse. He was deciding the Captain's fate, it would be simple to quietly execute the man for having lost control of his men's tongues. The news of Loki's escape was meant to be kept quiet for longer than these few weeks. It adjusted the time schedule that Odin has meticulously planned out which now meant that he would have to adapt his course of action. Along with the fact that this time, unlike the last, he would need to make those changes without Frigga's insights.

Raising his eyes Odin made his pronouncement. "I should have you executed." The man's only response was a tightening around his mouth and eyes. "You assured me that you could control your men."

Reapt met the AllFather's gaze. "It did not come from my men, Majesty. It is my understanding that the news came from the healing halls." His next words held eagerness, he wanted to spread his fear to others, the women healers would be easy targets. And he would be able to determine who had assisted in helping that bastard steal the filthy Prince out from his deepest, most secure hold. "With your permission, I will find the traitors and bring them before you for punishment."

Odin waved a careless hand, crushing Reapt's hopes to shift blame. "You will do no such thing. The Queen holds the Healing Halls and all those within it under her personal protection." Odin swiftly stood, "I will handle them myself." He locked his eyes onto the Captain, "You will return to the dungeons and purge those who were on duty the day of the escape."

Reapt's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. "Majesty?" His voice was nearly a gasp of disbelief. Those men were some of his best, he had served with all of them in the previous wars that had led to his securing his position. Without some of these men, he would have never survived. Several he had literally grown up with, it was why he trusted them with this dark assignment in the first place.

Odin held the man's gaze. "They allowed a prisoner to escape his just punishment. Only one prisoner. Do you not think it suspicious that only one escaped? One who should have been in no condition to leave his cell." Odin gave no slack in the chains that he was strangling the man with. "Do you not believe that they deserve punishment for their failure?"

"Of course, AllFather." Reapt felt his heart stuttering in his chest, "However these men are our best. They serve you with the most loyalty of any of Asgard's men."

"Asgard's best?" Odin let a cruel lift of his lips be his only expression. "That does not speak highly of Asgard if this is an example of her best. Allowing a mere child to escape their watch." Odin pierced the man with a look. "You would excuse them."

 "No. However, if they must be punished let me find a more fitting-"

"More fitting?" Odin allowed his anger to escape in his words, he lashed the Captain with them. "More. Fitting? Allow you, you who are ultimately responsible for this situation to determine a punishment better than I? Do you believe you know better than the AllFather?" Odin let the words hang in the air.

Reapt shook his head. "No, AllFather. Of course not." And with that, he knew he condemned his men to death. 

Odin dismissed the man then turned to walk to his balcony so that he could overlook the gardens below. These gardens were his own personal ones, Frigga didn't tend them nor ever entered them. No one entered them except those few gardeners he had chosen thousands of years ago. He himself rarely walked in them, he simply didn't take the time. There were more important duties that took his attention than indulging in walking aimlessly in greenery. He stared, not seeing the beauty though he could appreciate the fact that it was there if he chose to.

"And when he learns that you orchestrated Loki's escape? When he realizes you had him put his men to death all for being a tool in your plans?" 

Odin didn't turn back at his wife's words. He had known Frigga would be near though he hadn't sensed her being in his very office. Close enough to hear the conversation. He held himself still even as he thought that this was the woman who had taught Loki all her tricks. He could only hope the boy hadn't learned all of them, or at least not learned them well. 

"As you said. They are but tools in their King's service. Is it not an honorable death to die in their King's service?"

She came to stand with him at the balcony's railing though far enough away that she didn't stand beside him. "Only if they know it." Frigga's distaste was in her voice, "They will die as traitors. Men who failed their King, not as those who fell in glorious battle." Frigga's contempt was thick in her tone, she didn't believe any life lost was ever glorious.

Odin shrugged as he turned his head just enough to see her. "You knew the plan and the dangers in it. You accepted the results when it meant the saving of your youngest." He gave the softest snort of his own imperious disdain. "Do not pretend innocence of your entanglement in this. You schemed just as deeply as I in this matter."

Frigga raised her head though her face flushed at the words pointing to her own guilt, "And yet I am not the one who changed those plans without consultation. There were no unnecessary deaths in my schemes."

"Your definition of unnecessary." A dismissive wave of his hand told Odin's thoughts better than he could have ever spoken them. "It is done. We must move on." He turned to face her slightly more, "We will move on if you wish to have both your sons returned to you in a form strong enough to face the future that is growing closer with every breath."

Frigga turned away from Odin to look down at the beauty below and wondered how one who had such darkness inside him could cause such splendor to come about. The smells of thousands of flowers perfumed the very air and yet she had a terrible taste on her tongue and in her nose. Guilt. At last, she turned to face the steady gaze of her husband and King. "I no longer believe that you will know true strength in your son if they were to strike you down with it."

Odin chuckled and it held no humor, "If they return with that amount of strength Asgard just might survive."