The Prince's Prisoner

Chained

Warning: Yea, it gets a bit M rated around here. Not 100%, but around 90%. And I don't mean the violence and swearing.

Chapter 21 - Chained. Enjoy!

Aria lay in the small gazebo, shivering a little in the cold. She knew it was bordering on becoming too freezing for her to go outside anymore, but until she had no other choice she would continue to sit out here and let her skin fade to a musty blue.

Loki had a lot more work recently, apparently there had been an attack against him or something. She didn't think it was SHIELD, but didn't risk asking anyway.

Having nearly been here around three quarters of a year now she was learning to adapt. She hated it, but it was learn or be taught. And one involved a lot more pain than the other.

She would spend nearly all day outside if possible, he only made her eat breakfast and dinner with him, lunch if he was free for it. But he was rarely free, disappearing straight after they'd eaten in the morning, dinner becoming later and later. She had no complaints seeing him less. Yet she did grow lonely. Loki was by no means the most desirable company, but he was company. She knew this was his intention, like his story about his horse, she would be alone and feel everything for him.

"Miss?" A small voice appeared, one of the staff there to bring her in for food. This usually meant she was eating with Loki, otherwise she would just wonder in when ready, or they would offer to bring it out to her.

Hoping off the bench, her muscles were stiff from the cold and it took her a moment to stretch them before going to Loki's meeting room. They ate there when he worked to make it easier.

She had to request some trousers or something, the leggings weren't doing enough to warm her. As she turned a corner towards the meeting room, her eyes glimpsed similar ones.

Jason was watching her from down the corridor towards the stairs to the kitchen, his smile sad and eyes locked on her own.

Aria nodded his way with a small smile of her own, before rushing off before Loki got impatient.

Smiling as the girl nodded her dismissal, Aria slunk into the room and took her seat, attaching herself onto the tea in front of her. Her British birth slipping through.

"Stay inside after eating, Aria" Loki mentioned midway through their food, Aria pausing her fork and lowering it. "It is becoming too cold."

"It's fine, honestly" she tried to defend.

"Your finger tips are bright red, and shaking" he commented, looking at her for a brief second, before returning to his food.

"Maybe if I had a jumper or some trousers..." Aria trailed off when he paused his eating again but didn't look at her. "Of course, Loki."

"You can go anywhere in the house" he offered as compensation, which Aria nodded too with a resigned sigh.

This gave her a chance to explore, really scout out the house for a possible escape. Learning about her environment sure, accepting not quite.

After the food at been cleared, and Aria had grown restless, Loki let her leave. He had often stated how he would prefer she sat in the room with him, chained at his feet. But she knew he didn't want her knowing about what was going on outside these walls if he could help it. He mentioned the attack only as light conversation to appease her curious questions and explain why he had to leave so quickly after eating. The mundaneness off their relationship didn't fail either of their notice, while he treated her like a pet much of the time, he didn't lash out as much now.