Loki's Apprentice: A Tale Retold

Chapter 36: Pawns

Nessa drummed her long nails upon the farmer's old table, her impatience seemingly growing as she waited for the daughters to retrieve him.

On the other side of the table the three sons watched her with narrowed eyes. A moment ago one of them had been playing his flute, as the others laughed and dance. Now, with her sudden visit, they remained still, their stoic features making it seem as if such carefree actions could not have come from the same three boys.

She sneered at them, knowing that not even her manipulations could persuade them to trust her, she could see it in their hard expressions.

They had trusted her minimally before, when their father, drunk on the hope of seeing his daughter again, brought her as a stranger into their home to talk of the Beast and his palace.

She had promised that with the intel she would retrieve the daughter and kill the beast, so long as they did not intervene.

But things unfortunately did not go as planned, and she knew that coming empty handed had only lost the young boys' trust. They proved to be less easily fooled than their father. For that reason, they were simply of no use to her—nor their sentiments.

The daughters however, they would do quite nicely. But that would need to wait.

Nessa's patience was running thin, as the boys continued to intently watch her, as if any movement of hers could prove to be fatal. Perhaps they were sensing her impatience, for it made the prospect of strangling someone seem quite appealing.

For months she had dealt with failure, a feeling she was not accustomed to. She had consulted many ancient books, tried many spells, but still she could not tear down the wench's barrier surrounding the perimeter of Loki's palace.

She almost had remorse for killing the wench who created the spell—perhaps with a little more bodily pain she would've revealed her spell's weakness.

But Nessa disregarded that thought, the girl was full of prideful ignorance. For although she thought the spell impenetrable, time had slowly revealed her folly.

Nessa was quite confident that she would have her Prince very soon, but in order to ensure that this prize could be her own, she needed the cooperation of the farmer's family.

It was distasteful to abide in such a dreadful abode, but the prospect of the reward gave her greater pleasure.

The farmer entered the room escorted by his two daughters who trailed behind. His face was clouded with worry and hope as he greeted Nessa. The two girls sat beside their father as they waited in silence for her news, their eyes searching the room as if to see if their sister had returned. They seemed to relax once they saw that Nessa was alone.

Nessa smiled in delight.

"Have you killed the beast?" The father asked timidly. He already knew her answer, but the hope of his daughter's return overpowered his reason and took reigns of his speech.

Nessa's cold eyes turned to him, disgusted by the love that he had for the young girl. What had that love done to him but wear him down for a year with worry and grief.

A pointless sentiment, it seemed.

"The beast's magic is stronger than I've anticipated." She said calmly, watching as the eldest boy clenched his fist in frustration. "There is currently no way for me to enter the palace grounds."

"What do you mean? I was able to enter a year ago."

"The Beast knows that there now is a threat to his possession." Nessa said firmly as she leaned forward and folded her hands together on the table.