Down below

Chapter 7.

  There was a knock on the door and a servant announced Loki.

'Tell him to wait.' Frigga said and then walked to the bathroom door. 'Dear, everything alright?'

   Elianah had just finished taking a bath, washing the dirt and blood off. After the adrenaline wore off, she felt every bruise and cut. She was spent and had a hard time casting the illusion. Keeping it up took a lot of effort, but she practiced day and night and eventually got used to the strain. This was the reason why she had trouble using other magic. She had to learn the cloaking spell on her own and she didn't know how to tap into her energy properly. She dried herself and put on a gray nightdress, wrapping herself in a white bathrobe.

'I'm fine. Just a few bruises.'

'Let me take a look at you.' Frigga answered through the door.

Elianah stepped outside.

'It's really nothing. Been through worse.' she answered quietly with a sad smile.

Frigga sensed the hint of past trauma behind her words and returned her smile.

'Alright then. Loki is outside bringing news of the interrogation. Would you like to talk to him or shall we leave it for tomorrow?'

'I'd like to find out what happened.'

'Very well.' Frigga said.

   The door opened and Loki strolled in. He was still wearing his blood soaked clothes and he had a few cuts on his face. He bowed to both of them.

'I'm afraid I have bad news. The prisoner's mind was wiped clean by the time we got to the dungeons. We could not get anything valuable out of him, however his attire was similar to a hired assassin from Svartalfheim. Some of the dark elves were known to be able to manipulate people's minds from afar. The amulet we found on the prisoner seems to support that theory. Father asked Lady Sif to head the investigation and she will report to me directly to figure out who ordered the kidnapping.'

'We need fast results and keep this under wraps. The Annual Celebrations start in four days. We can't have an incident like this overshadow it. It would make us look weak.' Frigga said.

'I agree, Mother. I will ensure we get answers as soon as possible.'

'I know you will.' Frigga smiled at him warmly.

'Anything you noticed that might help, Elianah?' Loki asked.

'Nothing of relevance, I'm afraid. Everything happened so fast. And also, thank you, Prince Loki.'

Loki looked at her and a small smile flashed through his lips before it disappeared.

'I thank you for your help. You fought well.'



'Let's leave, so Elianah can get some rest. You can talk more tomorrow.' Frigga cut in.

'Meet me at the library, usual time?' Loki asked and she nodded.

   He bid good night to them and went to talk to Sif. They discussed the first steps and he was pleased to find out that the Warriors Three were already going through the clothes of the dead assassins and two of the healers were inspecting their bodies for any clues. Sif informed their people in Svartalfheim about the attack and dispatched spies to snoop around who commissioned Loki's kidnapping. The prisoner was definitely an Asgardian. He might have been taken captive and brainwashed to submission.

   Loki left them to it and returned to his quarters. He dismissed Fren after she drew his bath and got out of his dirty clothes. He grabbed a glass of wine and sank into the tub, letting out a satisfied sigh. He took a big sip from his glass, playing through the attack in his mind to find something, anything that could help. He had a feeling that this was just a test, probing at the security of the palace ahead of the Annual Celebrations. The guards arrived fairly quickly, not that the two of them needed their help. His mind wandered to Elianah. He was concerned for her at first, she seemed so delicate. He could easily take on three or four men at the same time, but that still left Elianah defenseless. Or so he thought. She turned out to be a skilled fighter, really good with a dagger. The way she stabbed the first one in the neck without hesitation after he released the energy wave was truly impressive. The girl had shown a great presence of mind and was clearly well trained. A tantalizing image of her flashed through his mind as she was kneeling on top of one of the assassins with her dress ripped at the sides, her toned thighs revealed, pushing in the dagger with her hands. He shook his head and exhaled loudly, thinking "Get yourself together. You've known her for a week. She's a guest. Maybe it's time to visit the Red Carriage. It's been a while." and he sank under the water.