Loki: Game of Thrones

Chapter 19 - Performance Review

Loki returned in the dead of night to Kings Landing. He slipped through the streets, his hood pulled up, and his hand resting on his dagger. Loki did not remove his hand from his weapon until he was in his own chamber. Closing the door behind him, Loki pushed his hood back, freeing his black locks from their confinement. Loki ran his fingers through his hair, and removed his cloak. Hanging it on a peg, he began to take off his clothing. Loki placed boots in a corner, and opened the wardrobe to hang his shirt back up. As he reached for a hanger, he stopped moving. Counting his shirts, he saw that one was missing. One of his plainer, green ones was no longer there. Loki paused and turned around. His spell upon the room could only be broken by... "Ah!" Loki said to himself. He grinned and put away the shirt he had been wearing. "So, the little wolf paid me a visit. Fascinating."

Loki walked the halls if the Red Keep the next morning. The servants all parted for him, terrified of him. Loki smirked, and folded the black, leather collar of his duster coat, to make it crisper. His black vest was designed with golden vines, and his boots were polished. Underneath the vest, a silk green shirt peeked out, and the collar was covered with gold thorns. His black hair was partially tied up, some in a little braid, and the rest flowing free. Slight knives were hidden in his boots, under his sleeves, and inside his coat. Loki was a walking knife shop; but he preferred the small and agile, to the large and slow. Loki arrived at the entrance to the throne room, and the guards opened the doors for him. As soon as Loki entered, the court was a buzz. The nobles and their wives were whispering amongst themselves, looking at the handsome sells-sword. He ignored their glances, but was very aware of it. Loki soon arrived at the dais, and he bowed before King Robert. Queen Cersei was sitting in a chair on Robert's left, while Ned occupied one to the right. Prince Joffrey was a few steps beneath them on his own seat, with the Hound beside him. Ser Jaime was standing next to his sister. "You're back. At last," Robert said, stating the obvious. Loki tilted his head to one side, and smirked mischievously.

"Indeed I am, your majesty. I'm sorry of my personal business stood in the way of my summoning your visitors," Loki said, calmly hinting to the king's whores. Not that is some great secret around the palace, but nobody ever had the courage to say it to the queen's face. Cersei straightened up in her chair, and Loki's green eyes sidled over to her. King Robert looked over at Ned, and the Hand of the King stood up.

"Ser Loki Sells-sword, the council has demanded that you exhibit the skills you are famed for. If you desire to keep your position as the royal sells-sword, you must prove yourself worthy," Eddard told him. Loki smirked slightly. After a few weeks of fighting for Khal Drogo (in disguise) against his Dothraki, Loki was itching to fight men who actually wore armor. Loki bowed again.

"What is the challenge, my lord?" Loki queried. Joffrey stood up when he said this, and Loki looked at him.

"Fight all the Kingsguard!" Joffrey ordered. Sixteen men in gold armor, and white cloaks stepped up. Their hands were on their swords, and they were all giving him the cold death glare. Loki had to restrain the urge to laugh like a mad man. Instead, he tilted his head, and acknowledged the Hand of the King.

"Are you sure sixteen is enough?" Loki asked. Loki took several steps back, and waited for his first opponent to charge. Two men stepped up to take on Loki: Ser Meryn Trant, and Ser Janos Slynt. Loki eyed them, his hands not even reaching for his daggers. Both knights drew their swords, and began to advance. Ser Meryn Trant was the first to come forward, and he swung his blade. Loki brought his arm up, and he blocked it. Metal clanked against his vambrace, and Loki pushed Ser Meryn back. Ser Janos Slynt came in at that moment, and Loki dodged his first swing. Ser Janos tried again, and Loki stepped to the side. Loki easily knocked the sword away, leaving Ser Janos exposed. He brought his leg up high and hard, taking Janos out with a kick to the jaw. The court gasped. Ser Janos fell, and four other guards sprang over him. Loki took a step back, and allowed the swords to advance. Ducking down, he swung his leg out, and tripped them up. They all fell to the floor, their suits of armor making a loud clamor on the stone floor. Loki flipped over them, landing on the other side. He delivered four, precise nerve strikes to their necks, knocking them out. That still left ten more guards to take down. Without looking behind him, Loki propelled himself back and up, over the soldiers. When he hit the ground, Loki trapped a sword in the crook of his arm. Bringing his elbow down, onto one of the guard's shoulder, there was a dull crack as it broke.

"Ah!" the soldier screamed in agony, and Loki finished completely fracturing the bone by swinging him into his oncoming friends. He caught a sword in his hands a few inches from his nose, and twisted the blade out of its owner's grasp. Spinning it around, he shoved the hilt into the man's stomach. Bringing it up, he broke his nose. That was when he actually used a sword for the first time before the court of King Robert Baratheon. Holding it easily in one hand, he parried Ser Meryn Trant's attack as he tried to come up from behind. Turning around, Loki punched him in the face. The sword was then used to knock several spears to the side. Right before Loki threw it, and it pinned two men through their shoulders to a pillar. Loki moved too fast for the mortal eye to really catch a clear glimpse of him. He ran and jumped, twirling around one man's neck, and taking him to the ground hard. From there, Loki bowed his head, allowing a sword to go whizzing over him. He elbowed back, and caught Ser Janos Slynt in the groin. The knight's response to that was an undignified, high pitched squeak. Loki had to smirk as he rose up, his head hitting Slynt under the chin, and knocking him on his ass. An arm encircled his neck, and Loki simply straightened it out, putting the guard in an arm bar. From there, he flipped him up and over. Once on the ground, Loki knocked him out with one punch. The rest of the Kingsguard advanced, and Loki was pulling a dagger from his boot, when King Robert slammed his fist on the arm of his chair.

"Enough!" Everyone froze and looked at him. Those of the Kingsguard who were still standing, all knelt before Robert, while Loki rose to his feet. A little trickle of sweat slid down his neck, and his breathing started to slow down. King Robert whispered to Eddard, and the Hand of the King stood up.

"His majesty says you have more than proven yourself to him. You are capable of handling yourself, and being the royal sells-sword. Your station is assured, so long as Robert of House Baratheon, first of his name, is King of Westeros," Ned told him. Loki smirked, bowed slightly, and sheathed his dagger. With his review over, he left the throne room, the nobles in his wake.