CASTLE ↝ Loki Laufeyson | 2

↳ CHAPTER FOUR

NOVA NOR LOKI were strangers to grief, but the experience didn't count as impeccable abilities to handle heartbreak — the latter was on the verge of falling apart and Nova had no reassuring words to speak in the eerie air of the abandoned dungeons. The repercussions of the attack of the Dark Elves were evidently in the air, as every other cell except theirs were empty and bloodstained, and right above them, dozens of people had laid down their lives for Asgard, including the former queen of Asgard. Nova rarely stuck around for the aftermath of chaotic events, as she was usually the one causing them and then moving onto the next target, but now that she had no other choice but to remain right where she was, all the losses the castle had suffered didn't seem so enjoyable. Maybe it was the disheveled presence of Loki that made it so difficult to revel in the destruction.

Then again, bad habits died hard, and that was why it hadn't taken Nova long to amuse herself with the idea of eventually getting her hands on Olympia, and how Asgard would have to suffer yet another loss and be imprinted with the reputation of losing their queens. Possibly then, no one else but Nova would dare to take the throne.

Sadly, though, the dream she nursed hourly seemed more distant than ever, their plans regarding an epic escape forgotten with Loki's mourning. Nova was caught between disappointment and trying to understand, the deeper connection between the two of them giving her the motivation to empathize. She couldn't speak of it, she didn't even know how to, so she settled for the domineering silence and waited for Loki to take initiative.

And, after all, should his confidence dry out, she'd plot release with or without him and, perhaps, as the queen of Asgard, she could free him from confinement. Leaving him behind wasn't ideal, but the unexpected care in her heart didn't run deep enough for her to risk her freedom for the sake of any man or woman.

"This feels kind of unfair!" Nova shouted into the hallways, hoping to catch the attention of one of the guards as she lounged on her bed with her legs swinging over the edge. "Everyone else got out!" she reminded bitterly, an annoyed huff escaping her mouth as she inspected her strands of hair, devoid of gloss and life, just like her pale skin with dark circles surrounding her eyes. The skin-tight dress she had been stuck in for days now was swallowing her whole, her weight having gone down since being locked up, and she didn't enjoy the abundance of flaws in the slightest.

Unlike Loki, however, she wasn't attempting to hide her appearance. Of course, she didn't have magic, but she still couldn't help but wonder the extent of Loki's anguish as he had covered his true self with illusions. The sight of a cool, collected man pacing back and forth in the cell was nothing more than an act, a front to protect the fragile, beaten reality Nova had caught a glimpse of. And no doubt, he had only gotten worse since.

The utter peace in the dungeon was finally broken by the familiar sound of the creaking doors, and quick to react by jumping to sit up on the bed, Nova's eyes widened and her hands rubbed together in satisfaction. Sooner or later, someone was bound to give her attention — the last thing she expected, though, was a quiet, sneering chuckle rising from Loki's throat after hours of complete silence. The Amodei remained seated on the uncomfortable bed, but Loki, on the other hand, trekked to the window with his lips curled into a smile that was anything but sincere.