When Darkness Falls - LOKI - Book One (Editing)

9. Innocent ✓

     Athelia watched patiently as Frigga flipped through the pages of her war stories. She couldn't find it in her to read the nightmares herself, but she was desperate to know what the people of this world thought they knew about her darkness.

     Frigga was the last person she had ever expected to go to with such an issue, but the older woman had made quite clear upon her arrival to Asgard that she would be more than a queen. She was her ally. They often met in the gardens. However, Frigga was rarely ever alone, always accompanied by her guards and, on occasion, her personal fabrician, who had spent most of their time together discussing gown designs and attempting to educate Athelia on Asgardian fashion, as if she thought it mattered to the Goddess.

     Athelia had spent this time wishing she was somewhere else.

     Though today, she was the one to seek out The Queen because she knew if there was anyone on this planet that cared about the young prince, it had to be her - and that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to help her understand this.

      "Where did you find this, dear?"

     Athelia was hesitant to tell her that she had visited her son, but Frigga was already well aware of her visit and made it known. "Well, you are alive, so I assume things went well."

     She almost laughed. "Well, it is not for lack of trying."

     Frigga's lip turned slightly, and she handed the book back to Athelia, who was hesitant to take it. "Loki is The God of Mischief, Athelia. That book is nothing more than a fabrication of his many tricks." Athelia, baffled by the revelation, flipped through the pages. Her eyes widened as she watched the ink fade away, leaving nothing more than old tatter pages of emptiness. "I am quite surprised you did not see it for what it was."

     Athelia, feeling like a fool, slammed the book shut, causing the table to shake. She wanted to go back and shove his dagger through his own throat, but as Frigga placed her hand on her arm, she fell out of her murderous thoughts and managed a small smile before standing.

     "Thank you, Frigga," she muttered. "I apologize for any mistrust I have given you."

     Frigga stood as Athelia made her way toward the garden gates and called her back, and though she was hesitant, Athelia obeyed.

     "You do not need to fear our people, Athelia," she insisted. "Your victory on Vanaheim has settled well with them. I apologize for what Loki has done to sway our people against the use of magic, but when the time comes for you to sit beside Thor on the throne, you will be their Queen, and they will accept for who you are. Not for who you pretend to be."

     "They are kind words." Athelia smiled. "But I don't fear your people. I fear that they fear me. I have watched kings and queens fall because of misplaced trust, and the damage of a simple rumor could be quite catastrophic if placed in the right ear."

     Frigga only nodded, knowing her words to be true. "Thor would never let anything happen to you. He has a way about him. Some find him a bit headstrong, but he is still loved by our people, and as long as he accepts you, then there will be nothing between you and the throne."

     "You must think me a selfish child."

     "Wanting what is rightfully yours is not selfish, Athelia." Frigga insisted, placing her hands over hers. "Even in the land of the Gods, we still live in a man's world, and you must fight for what you want, or you will never get it."

     "Spoken like a true queen."

     "Well, Odin didn't only claim me as his wife because of my beauty." She laughed, but it faltered as she saw the horrified look on Athelia's face. "No need to look so frightened, Athelia. Odin is a good man, and so is Thor. I know you will grow to love him as I did his father."

     Athelia nodded uncomfortably, hoping that the conversation would change. Marriage and love were never a part of Athelia's future until now, and it hurt as freshly as it didn't the day her father made that choice for her.

     "Can I ask you a question, Athelia?"

     "Of course."

     "Why did you visit my son?"

     "I did not seek him out," she told the queen. "He was simply there, and I took advantage of his restraints to try and find out how he managed to block himself from my magic."

     Frigga gave her a quizzical look. "I don't understand?"

     "He lied to me," she explained. "Unless you wear a stone, like the one around your neck, it is not possible to do. I am the Goddess of the Truth. There is nothing I can not find out."

     "And he is the God of Mischief, Athelia. He lies to everybody. Of the Gods or not."

     Athelia glanced around at the guards that circled the small pavilion. "I've wielded this power for as long as I can remember, and never in my thousand or so years has anyone ever been able to block me without a shielding stone. Not even the almighty Odin. How is it possible that someone who was not born with magic, but learned it, could do such a thing?"

      Athelia still was not sure if she was doing the right thing by confiding in her with such a delicate matter, but it was better than a distrust falling between the two of them. Loki lying to her was more than just an annoyance, it was a danger, and she couldn't stress it enough to the queen.

      The queen did not answer and leaned back into her chair, questioning the occurrence herself. "What could this mean?" 

     "I don't know your son. I don't know whether or not he was capable of decimating an entire planet on his own, but I know magic, and I know power." Athelia sat back in her seat, staring down at the book before placing her hand over the cover. She could feel Loki's magic as if it were tickling the palm of her hand, but it was nothing compared to what she felt while she sifted through her mind. It was as if it were from two different people. 

      Frigga watched as Athelia's eyes widened. "What is it?"

      "What if he did not tell me because he could not tell me? Maybe he knows what he did, but maybe he does not know why?"

     "Are you referring to mind control?" 

     Athelia's brows furrowed. That particular thought had never crossed her mind before, but it made sense now. "If not complete control, then at the very least, a strong mental blockade. After all, it is not possible to share a secret you do not know you possess." 

      "I must speak to Odin," Frigga exclaimed as she stood, but Athelia lurched forward and grabbed hold of the Queen's arm, causing a frightful yelp to escape her thin lips. Athelia let go almost instantly and stood to her own feet, causing the Queen to step back.

     "I apologize. I did not mean to frighten you," Athelia exclaimed as Frigga clenched her reddened forearm. "Please forgive me, but I do not think it would be wise to speak of this to anyone," Athelia told her, wishing the woman wasn't wearing a stone so she could simply just make her comply. 

     Frigga shook her head. "If my son was being controlled, then he is innocent and will not be locked up like the monster claims he is."

     "I understand that Frigga, I do. But this is only a speculation," Athelia said as she stepped forward. "Unless I can break through the wall, then I have no way of being certain if he was or if he still is. The amount of power in your son is tremendous, unlike anything I have ever encountered. It will take time, and he has already tried to kill me once. If he does so again, I fear you may not have a son left to save."

    Frigga gently grabbed hold of Athelia's hand. "Do what you must. Just bring back my son."

  EDITED. 6/30/21 ✓