Utter Devotion

Every Knee Will Bend

"Loki DO IT! Do not hesitate!"

But hesitation was all that poured out of their connection, as Loki pressed the tip of his knife against Ratana's throat.

This Loki loved this man, Thor the golden prince, she shifted the weight of her sword into one hand and reached for Thor, she needed to feel more their connection to see what she could exploit.

Thor flinched as she pressed her fingers to the back of his impossibly sweaty neck, ah a familial bond, brothers then, shrewdly she looked him over, they were complete opposites.

Yet totally loyal to one and other, she could find no crack no weakness to exploit against one and other, other than the others life.

She pressed her fingers deeper into Thor's skin and released her gift.

Thor visibly relaxed as she took hold of his loyalty, "Tell your brother to let her go, and surrender. "

She pulled her sword away and sheathed it, willinging Thor to stay on his knees, Loki's eyes darted between them, as Ratana relaxed too, seeing Thor's compliance.

"Brother, let the girl go and surrender."

"What have you done to him?!"

Loki's head whipped looking in-between Thor and her.

Surrender is not in his nature!"

Loki threw Ratana away from him and angrily strode forward, towards his brother, she stepped in front of Thor, her hand on her sword.

"Stand down Sorcerer, or you will receive the same treatment."

Loki didn't stop, his knife was in his hand already swinging down towards her when a blast of golden magic separated them both.

"ENOUGH!"

A familiar figure ran forward, Frigga, the Allmother pulled Loki's arm back, "We will of course surrender to the forces of Vanahiem."

A rush of relief raced thru her, "Vanahiem accepts Asgard's surrender. Ratana?" Ratana raced forward unwilling to meet Frigga's eyes, "Your seidrs will be bound and you shall be locked in your chambers till King Njord, sees fit to you. Any attempt to escape or attack will be seen as treason and punishment shall fit the crime."

With a series of waves, Ratana's magic encased both Loki and Frigga.

"They are bound Nait."

"Good. Now soliders please take them to their rooms, I want four guards in the rooms with each of the princes and four outside, Ratana and Sagira you will go with the Allmother, and I want four guards outside her room as well."

She turned only for Loki to lunge at her again, shoving her against a golden column, his face frienzed with madness, his hand wrapped around her neck, pressing against her windpipe, "What did you do to him? Undo your spell witch!"

"No," she managed to croak, the metal from her armor groaned as Loki pushed her harder against the column.

"I beg your pardon."

His hand tightened around her throat, her vision darkened dangerously as the blood roared and pounded in her ears,"I said no. Now do as I have told you or I will make you my mutt just like I did him."

Distantly she heard the twang of Sagira's bow, as she and Loki stared each other down as she started to run out of what precious little oxygen she had left.

"Let my sister go!"

"Sister?"

Loki's hand loosened ever so slightly, as his other hand came up and lifted her healm off her head and threw it to the ground.

Her vibrant coppery locks spilled out around her shoulders, swishing over the metal of her armor.

Shock ran across Loki's features, his hand dropped back to his side.

Frigga's arm wrapped around his middle and pulled him back from her as she coughed her own hand coming up to massage the soreness.

"Get them out of here."

She hissed hoarsely towards her soliders.

Lokis hands were wrapped in manacles this time and he was dragged backwards as he stared at her, Thor plodded along behind, needing nothing but the smallest prod from her to send him to his room, he didn't even truly need the guards, Frigga gave her a soft glance as she stood in the doorway, the guards not daring to touch her, "What has become of you, Ciannait?"

Ciannait jerked her head up towards the Allmother, she felt the smallest pull of a connection to Frigga.

It had been over a thousand years since she had seen Frigga, a lifetime ago, when she had still held hope for a happy future.

She had been a small child, an only child at the time, brought to the royal court of Vanahiem for the first time with her mother and father, Njord had been terrifying as she all but hid behind her mother's skirts, till she had met his sister, Frigga.

"I became a monster."

Frigga gazed her with sad eyes as she left, the weight of judgment she felt, for what she had done crashed around her and her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Nait."

She felt rather than saw her sisters arms wrap around her, as she cried.

"Well done my daughters."

Hastily she wiped her tears before turning to face Njord as the strode into the golden hall.

The glee on his pale, sleek features was sickening to her, he lied to everyone, spreading falsities that Asgard was preparing to destroy Vanahiem, bringing an end to the long held peace between the two realms, but he couldn't lie to her.

Jealousy and greed drove him to near madness, in his dream to overtake Odin in glory, to rule the nine realms.

And he had made her into his sword.

"Victory for Vanahiem."

She brought her arm to her chest and tapped her shoulder in a gesture of fealty as Njord's cold grey eyes looked her over.

"Ciannait, are you not pleased?"

He didn't wait for her answer, she knew what was coming.

Her head snapped to the the side, her jaw cracked with the force of his blow.

"Ratana and Sagira, leave the room."

Purposefully she picked a spot on the wall and stared at it, pushing the pain from her cheek away as Njord stepped closer to her.

"Why do you force me to do this? I ask so little of you my little Ciannait."

She closed her eyes, ignoring the revolting feeling of Njords fingers slipping across her face, pin pricks of pain radiated out from where he struck her.

"I only want what is best for the kingdom... and for you."

Bitting down on the inside of her cheek, she tasted blood as she fought back tears as Njord slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"If you would just submit yourself, give me your loyalty, I would make you the most powerful woman in the nine realms, every knee would bow to us."

Njord used his fingers on her cheek, forcing the images into her head, of absolute power, of every knee bent to her.

It disgusted her.

"No."

His cold fishy grey eyes glared down at her.

"You will say yes to me. Maybe not today but one day you will."