All Hail The King // Loki - Book 2 ✓

Chapter 8

ANNA TRAILS BEHIND THOR AND JANE while they follow Odin through the great halls of Asgard. Some of it is familiar to her, and she finds herself wishing to see Loki's face turn around the next corner rather than pay attention to the Allfather as he speaks.

Soon, the distance between Anna and the rest of them has grown enough that they disappear into the next corridor before she can follow them. This part of the palace is foreign to her, deep within the labyrinth of hallways and chambers, and she pauses for a moment before deciding to backpedal and find help.

"Lady Anna?" A clear, feminine voice calls out to her from the opposite end of the hall, and she whirls around to see Ilva, her lady's maid from her time in Asgard, walking toward her.

"Ilva," Anna smiles, glad to see a friendly face rather than a guard.

The young maid smiles, her brown eyes warm and inviting, "When did you arrive in Asgard? Does the queen know of your arrival?"

"Earlier, with Thor," she tells her. "And...I don't know. I was with Thor and the King, but I fell behind and got lost."

Ilva smiles and turns in the opposite direction, beckoning Anna to follow her.

"Come," she says. "I will take you to the queen."

Anna hesitates, glancing over her shoulder at where Odin led Thor and Jane, before deciding to follow the maid. Regardless of whether or not she wanted to follow the Allfather, it probably isn't the best decision to wander the halls of the palace unaccompanied when her presence isn't exactly desired at the moment. She catches up with Ilya quickly, only to be surprised when she halts suddenly in front of an ornate pair of doors.

"I'll leave you here, milady," she tells Anna with a dip of her head. "I hope to be in your service again soon, should your stay in Asgard be prolonged."

With that she disappears, leaving Anna alone in the empty corridor. She takes a deep breath, lifting her hand to knock on the door, and her eyes land on the knotted silver ring decorating her right hand. Pushing away the memory of Loki's oath to her, she taps on the heavy door three times. Her heartbeat races, and she can feel a lump forming in her throat while she waits to be allowed entry to Frigga's chambers. The proximity to Loki is tangible, and it is nigh unbearable to know that she is so close to the queen - and therefore potentially close to Loki - at this very moment.

"You may enter," A voice calls through the door, prompting Anna to push it open in front of her.

Frigga stands near the balcony watching the birds fly over the gardens when she turns to see Anna enter the room. Her blue eyes are downfallen, and her heart still aches over her encounter with Loki less than an hour earlier. She could see him building up walls, walls that even she could not scale, and she couldn't bear to see her beloved son isolate himself in such a manner.

"Your majesty," Anna says with an awkward cross between a bow and a curtsey. "I apologize for intruding, but I was with the King and was lost. Ilya led me--"

"Anna," Frigga interrupts her, crossing the room to greet the younger woman with a warm embrace. "I heard of your arrival, and I am glad to see you well. You are looking a bit pale, though, I think."

Anna blushes, surprised and moved by the queen's outpouring of affection, "Th-thank you. I...it's..." She takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly as a sad smile crosses her face. "It's good to see you again."

The queen nods knowingly, tucking Anna's arm into her own as she leads her across the room to a large wardrobe. Ringing a bell, two young maids hurry into the room and bow to the queen. Frigga drops Anna's arm and crosses into the wardrobe to select a gown, presenting it to one of the maids before lifting a hand to cup Anna's cheek.

"I am glad you are here, my dear," she confesses to Anna. "We must make you ready."

"Ready?" Anna asks, wrinkling her forehead in confusion. "Ready for what?"

Frigga only smiles, motioning for the maids to do their work. Soon, Anna is stripped of her still soggy clothes and clad in an elegant forest green dress. It drapes over each shoulder to create a plunging neckline in both the front and the back, and a simple sash cinches her waist. The only adornment she wears is the silver bracelet Tony made her and the knotted silver ring, which she twists nervously around her finger. Her hair is twisted into a simple braid, and soon the maids usher her out of the wardrobe and into the sitting room where Frigga awaits.

"You look lovely, my dear," the queen tells Anna while speaking in hushed tones to one of the maids.

The girl disappears in a flash, and soon she returns accompanied with a single guard. Anna clasps her fingers together in front of her, nervously rubbing the silver band while the straight-faced guard bows to Frigga. Biting her lip, she waits to hear the words she was terrified she might never hear again.

"Take her to the dungeon to see Loki," Frigga commands. 

Now Playing: "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" by Sufjan Stevens.

*****
AUTHOR'S NOTE

Two words: QUADRUPLE UPDATE.

x