Krystal

77

Days go by with no word of Thor's arrival and I've been told that I'm to remain confined inside my room until he does. I just wish he'd hurry up so I can go home.

The only people that come to see me are the servants, who barely even look at me, and there's a guard stationed outside my room at all times. I feel so isolated.

It's been so hard to sleep with my anxiety through the roof and with this damn collar around my neck, making it uncomfortable to lay down as well.

I'm worried that I might go completely mad if I'm forced to stay in here much longer with all this uncertainty looming over me.

"May I come in?" I hear after a knock at the door. The voice sounds like Skurge so I open it.

"What do you want?"

"There is still no word of Prince Thor I am afraid".

"Great" I sigh.

"Do not despair, miss".

"And how am I supposed to do that exactly? From what I've heard, the last time I was in Asgard I was feared, hated and apparently abused from what you and Loki were saying?"

"I took no part in that".

"But you saw something that was so bad you had to free Loki from his cell?"

"I did so at your request. I was under an enchantment".

"You were?"

"At the time, yes. However concealing the fact that Loki was the one that killed those guards was my idea. You did not deserve what happened and Loki did not deserve to be punished for saving you".

"What happened exactly, I want to know?"

"Those guards believed you to be the cause of the attacks throughout the kingdom, but that was entirely untrue. One evening after such an attack, the guards beat you and took you from your cell. They intended on defiling you before giving the impression that you had escaped once they had concealed your body".

That only confirms my belief that there were many deep seeded reasons behind the difficult decision to have my memories erased completely.

If my life was full of terrible memories like that one and I'd willingly inherited dark magic, that would've been like adding fuel to a fire.

"I want to go home" I can't help but cry.

"This will all be over with soon, Lady Krystal".

"What if Thor doesn't...wait, what did you just call me?"

"Apologies, miss. I forgot you go by another name now".

"But you called me Krystal?"

"That was your name before you were returned to Midgard. I assumed that Loki would have informed you of that fact?"

"Skurge, what was my relationship to Loki?"

"I have already said too much. I should take my leave" he suddenly seems nervous.

When he turns to leave the room, I snatch his sword quickly before holding the blade to his throat.

"Answer the damn question or I'll kill you slowly".

"The love you shared with Prince Loki was forbidden by the King. He had you banished to Hel after he discover you and his son had wed in secret".

"Loki's my husband?"

"Was your husband. Your marriage was never consummated and it was annulled at your request before you were stripped of your memory".

"Oh my god".

I feel a sudden tightening in my chest and drop the sword on the floor. I find myself unable to breathe, like all the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

The wife that Loki had spoken of, shed tears over, missed every single day, she was me. Little things, moments between us suddenly made so much sense.

No wonder Thor told him to keep his distance from the house when he sent him to Earth to watch over me.

He'd even gone to the lengths of faking his own death just to be there and keep me safe because he'd been in love with me before.

When I finally manage to catch my breath a thought enters my mind that I really wish hadn't.

Did Loki really have feelings for me, or was he just subconsciously clinging onto the hope that his wife Krystal would somehow come back to him?

"I am sorry you had to find out this way" he picks up his sword and attempts to comfort me by rubbing my back.

"None of this makes any sense. Why wouldn't he tell me the truth the moment he found me?"

"I suppose in his mind, the wife he loved is gone. She sacrificed herself for his freedom. It must have been painful for him to see you everyday, knowing that he can never have her back".

"So what, I'm just some cheap imitation living in his wife's body?" I get angry the more I think about it.

"That is not true".

"Before we came here he said 'I cannot lose you again', so he obviously thinks of me as still being her".

When Skurge eventually leaves, I honestly feel numb inside. As much as Loki had reassured me that who I used to be didn't matter anymore, it really did.

It made so much more sense to me now, why he'd gotten that insanely jealous and possessive when Steve was there.

Was that incredible pleasure he'd given me that night truly meant for me or for her?

Their marriage was unconsummated. Did that mean they'd never slept together at all or just after they got married?

I have so many questions I need to ask, but Loki isn't here to answer any of them.