Frost & Fire

Chapter 7 (Loki)

Listening to the council members talk was actually harder than being the good guy. Their voices just grated on my nerves and I wanted to stab them so badly. But I was good, I kept my cool and let them talk without hurting any of them. But it was hard work.

"We have to take into account why they are acting in this manner." One council member said.

"They are acting this way because they want the throne. That's pretty evident I would think since they kidnapped the queen." Another one said.

"We can only assume that because they took her, we don't know for sure."

It was getting to be enough of a headache I was sure I would have preferred an ice pick to the brain. I was tired of this, all of the pandering to the fools on the council who wanted to be friends with everyone and treat no one as an enemy. Slamming my fist down on the table everyone sat up straighter and stared at me. "The ones who were involved with kidnapping my wife have been dealt with as far as we know. If there were any others not at the prison camp then we need to find them and take them out."

Everyone stared at me with their mouths agape as if I had suggested something unheard of.

"When Laufey was king and ruled with an iron fist, did he not kill any who opposed him? Even his brother was not safe from his wrath, correct?" They nodded remembering the events that had transpired. "So why would I, his son, rule with any less of an iron fist? It's in my blood to make those who would oppose me pay for their crimes."

"But Sire the people only followed him because they were too afraid not to." The first council member said quietly.

"And if he were alive right now they never would have targeted his queen for anything because they know he would have ended them all. And if they won't give us the same courtesy of not attacking us then we need to strike at them hard and fast. With no mercy."

As I looked around the room at the council members gathered there I knew which ones would be willing to follow because they knew I was talking sense, and which ones would run in fear because they were pansies. Those poor excuses for frost giants would be the end of our race I was sure of that.

"Hredr will lead the search for them. There can't be too many places they'd be able to hide and when we find them they'll pay. Hredr, you have my blessing to use whichever warriors you deem fit and to use whatever means necessary to find them."

"Yes My King, I will leave at once." He said saluting before marching from the room.

I knew he was the right man for the job, he'd been head of the guard when Laufey was in charge and he'd taken to the changing of kings pretty easily. "I believe we are adjourned for now." I told them and walked away leaving them to talk amongst themselves as old hens do.

It had been long enough, I wanted to see my Kitten, to see how she was doing back home. And the longer I stayed here the harder I felt it would be to go back to that good guy I had become. The one that everyone trusted back home.

I heard her voice when I was back in my chambers. She wasn't going to be safe to come back for a while, a couple of months at least. I swear I felt my heart ache at that, there was no way I could stay away from her that long. I hated that she could talk to me but I couldn't talk to her, it really annoyed me. If we could at least talk to one another it would make this whole thing easier to deal with.

Maybe I could talk her into making something? I could just pop over for a few days while they searched for the criminals after all. When I was thinking of leaving I felt the adrenaline finally wear off and a bone deep wariness overtook me driving me back to my bed. Our bed. I would sleep on it for a night and then try to speak to her tomorrow.

*****

The following day I felt like I hadn't slept at all, yet I could feel that time had passed. I just wasn't sure how much time. Nydr was outside my room knocking to come in. "My King I bring good news. It seems Hredr was able to find one of the leaders of the rebel group. He's bringing him to the dungeon now."

That news certainly was good, now I would have a chance to find out where the rest of them were and break them. If I could break them then there was a better chance no one else would rise up and try to kidnap Abby ever again.

I dressed quickly and left for the dungeons. They were kept in the lowest part of the castle, down with the bones of the great giants of old that were killed by the previous kings to show their supremacy. It would take a while to get there and on the way I tried to puzzle out just how we could communicate with each other across the worlds. That was no easy feat I'd imagine, but one that she could probably solve if she put her mind to it.

Standing before the double doors I took a deep breath and opened the doors. It was what one would expect; frozen walls all around, torture equipment like a stretching table, a few pairs of shackles hanging from the ceiling, and even a cross to hang them from. There were enough torture instruments to make the most sadistic Dom blush.

"Get in there!" I heard Hredr yell and turned to the entrance to see him forcing another giant through the doors. He looked like he'd been worked over a good bit already and I wondered just how he'd found the man. "Sire I present to you Eingr, he hasn't told me if he's the overall leader of the rebels, or if he's just a high ranking member."

Eingr was shoved forward and I held out a hand to catch the wounded giant. "I'm sure he will tell me if I ask politely, won't you?"

The giant spat at my feet and glared at me. "I will never speak to you false king."

"Oh, we'll see about that." I said, "Chain him up there so he's hanging, I have an idea for how to make him talk." When Hredr had accomplished that I just smiled and said. "Leave us."

The guard left but I could tell from the look on his face that he didn't like it. He wanted to stay and at least make sure I was safe.

I walked to the stand with some of the torture devices laid out for use. Picking up one I pressed the SCU to turn it on and keep my body temp around the same as it was now, keeping me nice and cool. I held the awl out and touched it to his skin. It was an enchanted device that would create fire and burn whatever it touched, it was only about six inches overall but it packed a punch for sure.

As the giant screamed from the pain of it being drawn down his abdomen I did my best to not scrunch my nose up at the smell of burning flesh. No matter what your race burning flesh never smelled good.

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know?"

"Never."

"Never? Well that's certainly a long time, let's agree to disagree on that shall we?" I said as I drove the awl into his shoulder, slowly digging into the bone as he bucked like a bronco trying to get free. "Tell me what I want to know and you'll be free." I pulled the device from his wound and stared at him waiting for his answer.

"I won't tell you a thing." He spat dark blood at me and it splashed onto my boots. He grinned.

"Those were my favorite boots. Now, tell me who ordered the kidnapping of my wife!" I demanded as I drove the awl into his right pec doing my best to miss any important organs. He screamed and I pulled the device from his chest and reached down to move his loincloth to the side. "Tell me or I swear by my father's grave I will castrate you and leave you to bleed while I find your family and do the same to them."

His eyes widened and when he didn't speak I drew the awl slowly down his stomach towards his cock, down his pubic bone and drove it into the skin right above his cock making his eyes go wide with fear and pain as he shook nearly dislocating his arms.

"Are you going to talk now?"

"If I tell you he'll kill me."

"If you don't tell me I'll kill you. I can promise you that once I know who it was they'll be dead. You won't have to worry."

"It's until you catch him that I'll worry."

I pulled the device and held it near him but not quite touching. "I'll tell you what, if you tell me I'll have my guards protect you until the criminal is brought here to be executed."

When he spoke next I felt like my world was upended, the name he gave me was the last one I would have expected to betray me, to betray us.

"It's Nydr, your Castellan."