Rightful Place (Loki Fan-fiction)

Chapter Eighteen

 *This chapter is dedicated to chrisrjohnson. This wattpad user never says a word to me, nor shows any sign that he is even there. But I am only able to notice that he likes my chapters through the notifications (when I look through them) telling me that he liked it. I want to thank you for staying with it even though I don't always have the best of chapters or that they aren't always posted in the hastiest of manner. Anyways! I hope that you enjoy the rest of the book. You are truly appreciated!*

   Erica stood in the doorway whilst staring at her future husband and her sister. She had asked Loki to go and wake Rheda for dinner. She had first thought that they simply must have found something to discuss, but the look of surprise upon their faces told her that something was up.

Rheda arose from her seat and made her way over towards Erica.

Rheda had not forgotten her dream so quickly. She wanted to confront Erica and ask her the question. Why was she intruding on Rheda’s mind whilst she was sleeping? But the current question wasn’t why or why not, it was to do or not to do.

Did she have the galls to question Erica? What if it was all in her head and nothing more? Weird dreams do sometimes make their way randomly into people’s thoughts. But if she chose not to confront Erica, how would she ever know whether or not Erica was truly playing with her mind-set.

Within Rheda’s dream, the disguised Erica had said, “I am what you dream about in your darkest of nightmares. I am the one who destroyed everything that you held dear. I am the monster that you despise with all of your being.”

It was true. Erica was the only person to ever exist that ruined everything for Rheda. But the only statement that she was beginning to question was when Erica had told her that she was “the monster that Rheda despised with all of her being”.

Yes, in the past, Rheda had truly hated Erica with her whole heart, but she didn’t despise her. Not to mention, Erica was far from a monster. Her step sister was many things, but not a monster.

     Rheda stared deep into Erica’s eyes as they stood face to face. She wanted answers, but she knew not how to obtain them. There weren’t many things that Rheda was fearful of, but being wrong was one of the very few that struck terror into her heart. She could face any foe, accept any challenge, but being wrong was most definitely a formidable opponent.

“Dinner is ready. Will you be dinning with us?” Erica asked, snapping Rheda out of her deep thoughts. She always loathed the moment when people, things, or situations in general would knock her from her important thoughts. It was relatively rude, actually.

“Depends, who will all be dinning with you?” Rheda replied in her usual monotone voice. On the outside, she was not at all interested in dinning that evening. But on the inside, Rheda was more excited than an infant who found an abandoned sting or noisy object to play with.

“Oh, the usual; the king, some priests, a few other officials just returning from battle, and me.” Rheda nodded and sighed. So many people.

She could already imagine their faces; looks of disgust, fear, and disappointment. Disgust from the warriors, fear from the priests, and disappointment from Erica.

Rheda knew the decision that would be best for not only the others, but herself as well. No matter how she felt, she knew what she had to do.  “Your offer sounds lovely, and a good meal in my stomach is most definitely in order, but I am afraid that I must turn down your offer.”

Erica’s face did not change in the slightest after hearing Rheda’s answer. She expected nothing more, and nothing less. Well, she didn’t expect it to be stated in such an amiable manner. Erica had predicted Rheda to simply say a simple “no”.

“Well, if that is truly where your heart lies, then if his majesty permits, I would ask of you to wander around the palace.” Erica glanced towards Loki, who in return nodded “yes” in his approval. “In my opinion, it would be in your best interest to get a good reminder of your home.”

Rheda’s breath stopped short. Erica’s words had struck an extremely sensitive nerve in Rheda’s heart. It might have been the fact that they were perhaps, actually rude, but Rheda knew deep down that she was only being overly defensive. She would always get this way around Erica. No matter how much she denied it, she knew that it wasn’t ever Erica’s fault, it was only hers, and that was why Rheda hated her step sister…because she was perfect.

Of course, she wasn’t perfect in the past. But ever since Rheda had been thrown in to solitary confinement, Erica had decided to turn her life around. How predictable.

“Thanks for the permission, your highnesses.” Rheda sarcastically said as she bowed to both Loki and Erica. She hated it when people told her what to do and how she should do it. Rheda was the ruler of her own life…and no one else. Perhaps that would be her undoing; self satisfaction.

     Rolling her eyes, Rheda pushed passed the two and walked out of the room. She needed air before she blew a fuse. Sometimes she could just get so aggravated by even the sight of another person. Perhaps that was because of the fact that she hadn’t been around any other living being for over four centuries; besides Erica, Loki, and a couple of guards here and there.

Now that she thought about it, Rheda had much more enjoyed solitary confinement than being in the lively, noisy, regretful, and disappointing world that she had so easily forgotten. How could she have forgotten what horrible things laid within the deep belly of evil reality.

For so long she had stared at her cell door, for hours upon end, hoping, praying that one day she could escape and receive her revenge. Rheda supposed that that hopefulness disappeared along with four hundred year of her life. What was there to hope in now? She had no kind and charismatic mother to comfort her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, which would be a lie, of course. There was no carrying father to hug her and kiss her head before bed. She had no sister who meant anything for her…there was no one. Rheda wasn’t even too sure she loved herself anymore.

What had she become? What had this Almighty One done to her? He had manipulated her into thinking that she was special. He had told her that she was too save the Promised One. Well, here he was, king and ready to be wed to the person that she hated most. What was she to do now? Live out a miserable life until she breathed her last, useless breath.

Perhaps…or maybe the Almighty One would send her a savior, but that would never happen, or so she thought.