Child Of Ice

Chapter 9

Loki laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. He was very stressed and felt like he had no energy. If being a temporary king was like this, how would Thor handle it? Loki sighed and sat up. Then suddenly he got the urge to cut, and it was too strong to resist. Loki cloaked himself from Heimdal's sight and pulled up his sleeve. After a few minutes of cutting, he was bleeding profusely. He used his magic to heal his new cuts and washed of the blood. It was satisfying to see his blood flow down the drain. He wished the pain would go away though.

You deserve this pain. You're a monster. Monsters deserve pain.

Loki shook his head and walked out the bathroom. As soon as he flopped onto bed, fatigue took over and he fell asleep.

He was standing in the throne room with Odin glaring at him from the throne. Loki attempted to speak but couldn't. He quickly realized that his lips were sewn shut! Panic rose inside him as he clawed at the thread, trying to get it out. This couldn't be happening. Not again! "You are not to speak for the next century. And you will be punished," Odin said. Punished? For what? What did he do this time?

"You will be in the dungeons where you will be tortured." Loki's eyes widened with horror. He tried to protest but couldn't for obvious reasons. Then guards grabbed him by the arms and dragged him out of the throne room. He tried to scream and fight back, but that earned him a punch in the gut. A guard grabbed his hair and yanked his head back. "Stop it, Jotun. You deserve this. You're a monster," he hissed.

Loki panicked even more. He felt like he couldn't breathe. The guards dragged him into a cell and threw him in. "Pathetic," one of the guards hissed. The guard pulled out a whip, and Loki felt his heart slam is chest. The other guard spun him around to face the wall, which had chains. He chained Loki to the wall and ripped his shirt off. As soon as he stepped away, the other guard began to whip him.

Loki tried to scream again, but it came out as a muffled cry. "How does it feel, Jotun? How does it feel to be the one in pain?" they asked. They began to taunt him as the whip continued to strike his back.

Loki shot up in his bed covered in cold sweat. His heart was slamming into his chest as he was hyperventilating. He kept running fingers over his lips, making sure they weren't sewn together. After a few long moments, Loki finally calmed down. He glanced out his window and saw that it dark out still. Loki flopped  back down on the bed and groaned.

He wasn't going to be sleeping tonight. This was the second night he'd go without much sleep since Thor was gone. He'd had trouble sleeping before, but now it was like it was amped up to 11 since Thor wasn't there. Was it because Thor made him feel safer? He shook his head and got up from the bed and went into the bathroom.

He needed a refreshing bath. Loki got up and walked into his bathroom. He turned on the water and nice warm water flowed into the tub. As it did, Loki got undressed and carefully stepped in. He sat down and turned off the water. Loki rested his head against the edge of the tub. His body instantly relaxed and he sighed a little.

Warm bathes always soothed and calmed him down. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the bath. After a bit, Loki got out of the tub and drained the tub. Loki grabbed a towel and dried off. Then he put his pajamas back on and walked out of the bathroom. Loki climbed into the bed and laid down. Once again, he was unable to sleep. "Damn it," Loki muttered.

He got up and walked to his window that overlooked the garden. The sky was clear and the moon shined brightly. All the plants glistened in the moonlight. There a tall oak tree that stood by the castle wall with vines climbing the trunk. Flowers of all colors grew in bushes or flowerbeds all over the garden. There was a beautiful pond that was by the oak tree. The water was so still and so clear that it looked like a mirror reflecting the moon.

Loki walked over to his wardrobe where his boots were. He slid them on and teleported into the garden. Loki sat by the pond and lightly tapped the surface of the water. Doing that caused it to ripple. A cool breeze gently grazed his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Loki had always enjoyed being in the garden. It was the one place he felt at peace. He then laid down and ended up drifting to sleep.

When the sun began rise, Frigga woke up and decided to take an early morning walk. She was always an early riser, and she liked walking through the garden. As she approached the pond, she was surprised to see Loki asleep by its water. He was laying on his back, one arm resting on his chest. Frigga walked over to him and kneeled down by his side. "Loki. Loki, darling, wake up." She gently shook him.

Loki groaned a little and opened his eyes. "Mother? What are you doing here?" he asked, sitting up. "I should be asking you that. Tell me, why were you sleeping by the pond and not in your own bed?"

"I couldn't sleep, and..." Loki uselessly gestured to the pond. Frigga understood and sighed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I fear I put too much on your shoulders too soon."

"Mother, 'tis alright. I'm doing my best."

"I know you are. Do you need herbs to help you sleep at night?"

"Possibly."

"Well then, why don't you get ready and join me for breakfast, hm?" Loki gave her a soft smile. "Sounds lovely."
Frigga smiled back and they both stood up. "I shall see you then." Frigga nodded once, and Loki teleported back to his room. As soon as he vanished, her smile fell. Oh, Norns. Please, help my baby boy.