The Brightest Star

Chapter 21 - Snake Root

(Loki's POV):
At the sound of the knock on the door, Kára pulled away from me and I collapsed back onto my bed. Anger bubbled up inside me directed to whoever it was that had interrupted before I could meet her touch. Kára's magic had helped diminish the pain and discomfort, however I knew that the feel of her lips on mine would cure me more than any other type of magic could.

A guard walked into the room with a tray of food, causing my stomach to flip. I was really not in the mood for food, especially after I had forced myself to eat breakfast but then found it impossible to keep it down. Kára must have noticed my discomfort because she stood and addressed the guard, "thank you, however I am not sure that he should be eating something so heavy with his illness. I can eat this and then make him some toast when he starts feeling slightly better."

"I am sorry, Lady Kára, but the kitchens specifically requested that this meal be for Loki," the guard firmly stated, refusing to give the plate Kára. "Do you not think that it would be wise to feed him, regardless of his illness? You would not want him to lose his strength."

"Yes, but if he is feeling nauseous then what is the point of forcing him to eat? It is wiser to give him liquids instead of solid foods and if I were to give him solid foods, I would chose something lighter. I am perfectly happy going to the kitchens and getting my own meal, but would it not be better not to waste food?"

"This is the palace, Lady Kára, we are perfectly capable of wasting food and it does not hurt anyone."

Kára's eyes flashed, "do you know how many people out there cannot afford to throw away a good meal, why are you so insistent that Loki and only Loki can have this meal?"

"I am merely following the orders I received from the kitchen, perhaps it is something that he really enjoys or the Queen simply making sure that he eats, I know no more than I what I have been told," the guard replied, but even I could hear the lie in his statement.

I had not considered anything off when he first came in, but under Kára's questioning I was becoming just as suspicious as Kára clearly was. Suddenly she gasped and her eyes grew dark with anger as she produced chains from thin air. She wrapped them around the guard before he had a chance to realize what was going on, tying him down to one of the chairs that sat in my room.

"Kára, what are you doing?" I asked in confusion as I watched her work.

"He has been poisoning you, that is why you are ill. He has been hiding white snakeroot in your food, but I do not think that he has been working alone," she explained, her murderous eyes not leaving the guard. After a moment, in which I assumed that she was reading his mind once again, she turned to me, "do you mind if I have the Queen come pick up this traitor and his accomplices? I will be sending a few clones to search the library for books related to this poison and do not want to risk over-exhausting myself by having another clone escort him to the prisons, a place I do not actually know my way to. I really do not want to leave your side while you are ill and I cannot trust any of the other guards to escort him."

"No, I- that is perfectly fine with me," I replied, watching her in admiration. She had shown no hesitation in restraining the guard after discovering his secret, nor had she shown any sort of strain while reading his mind, proof that she was one of the most talented sorceresses I had ever encountered, her position threatened only by my mother.

She gave me a small smile and created a number of clones, which then left the room headed to the library. She, herself, sat down next to me and placed her hand upon mine in a comforting gesture and asked how I was feeling. I was not even able to respond by the time Frigga appeared in my room after a flash of green light.

"My dear, I received a message from your maid that Loki had been poisoned and that you needed to see me in his chambers, what has happened?" She asked hastily, looking at me in concern.

"It appears that this guard here along with three of his colleagues, two members of the kitchen, and Loki's chambermaid have decided that it is their responsibility to wield the ax of justice and punish Loki for his past crimes with death," Kára explained as I was in no condition to explain myself, nor did I truly know what was going on. I found myself drifting a bit out of consciousness while Frigga and Kára continued speaking, but realized that my mother was leaving with the prisoner as Kára turned back to me.

She ran her fingers through my hair, causing more pleasure than I would admit to ripple through my body, "I am so sorry that this had to happen to you, Loki. I do not understand what you have done that is deserving of attempted murder."

"Have I never told you?" I questioned, looking up at her. She shook her head and I took a deep breath, knowing it was unlikely that she would retain whatever admirable feelings that she held towards me by the end, "I am not truly the son of Odin and Frigga, I am a frost giant that Odin stole from Jotunheim when I was a baby and then raised as an Asgardian. My entire life I spent believing that I was Loki Odinson and then, after Thor's banishment following his failed coronation ceremony, Odin was forced to confess the truth. I was tired of living in Thor's shadows, of being second best, and the truth of my ancestry, or rather the fact that Odin had lied about for years, only added fuel to the fire raging inside of me. I decided to make Thor's banishment permanent so that I could remain on the throne instead of him, sending the destroyer to kill him and the Warriors Three on Midgard. That plan failed and Thor returned to Asgard while I was attempting to destroy Jotunheim, and consequently my origins, with the bifrost. He was forced to break the rainbow bridge to foil my plan and noting my loss, I let myself fall from the wreckage of the bridge in hopes that I would simply fall into the void of space. If only I were that lucky."

I studied her face as I paused in my story, but instead of the repulsion that I had expected, her eyes seemed soft and filled with sympathy. As my words came to an end however, her eyes hardened and a certain realization passed through her eyes. Partway through she had placed her hand atop of mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze, but now she removed it and placed it atop her lap, her lip trembling slightly as she tried to repress whatever emotions were running through her.

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(A/N): what do y'all think is up with Kára? Hope you've enjoyed this chapter! Now I'm going to go continue crying over Tony's death