The Enchantress

Chapter 8: We Must Rebuild What Is Broken

Amora could feel her heart beating rapidly, she thought for sure it was going to burst out of her chest. Avoiding the guards was the most difficult part of getting back into the palace. It was bad enough she snuck out but she was dragging the prince alongside her. Thor was going in and out of consciousness as Amora pulled him through the halls and behind the pillars and columns. The magic was getting weaker and weaker as Amora panicked, she wasn't able to focus on the spell but more on the fact that this wasn't a good look for her. An Einherjar on duty outside of Thor's bed chambers almost blew her cover but luckily she was able to get past him.
Thor was a lot heavier than he looked and almost fell off his bed as Amora tossed his body onto it. Thinking quickly she placed an empty tankard next to his hand and filled it with mead. It made it look like Thor had had too much to drink and was hungover. Once Amora forced the scene she quickly made her escape back to the sorcerers wing of the palace.
Slamming the door behind her, Amora slid her back against the door with her head in her hands. Karnilla was already awake and practicing a spell, trying to ignore Amora's mumbling and meltdown.

"Amora please, I'm trying to work" Karnilla sneered.

"What am I going to do, she saw me, she saw me with him and I..." Amora was going on and on trying to figure out how she was going to dig herself out of this hole.

"Amora!-" Karnilla whipped around and looked down at her daughter who was crumpled and sobbing. "What did you do?"

Amora looked up at her mother in fear, tears streaming down her face and dripping off her chin. "Sif saw me spell Thor, I tried to do what you told me to, I tried to use the spell on him but he was too strong and she saw me and I used magic to push her away and she collided with the arena wall and she wasn't moving and-"

"What!" Karnilla was furious. "Do you understand what this means? DO YOU?"

"YES!" Amora screamed, if Odin found out what she had tried to do then the excecutioners axe would be falling on her neck.

Karnilla stormed over and grabbed a fistful of Amora's hair, pulling her to her feet. "AFTER ALL THESE YEARS AND YOU FUCK THIS UP!"

"IM SORRY!" Amora tried to get free of Karnilla's grip, clawing at her hands wrapped around her hair. "HE WAS DOUBTING MY LOYALTY TO HIM BECAUSE OF LOKI AND I PANICKED! I DIDN'T MEAN TO-"

"Loki?" Karnilla's eyes flashed with anger. "I told you never to associate with that runt! You have no idea what he is! The monster he truly is!"

"He's not a mo-"

"Why would Thor doubt your word? WHY?"

Amora looked up at Karnilla with sorrowful eyes, "I'm sorry mother..."

Karnilla had slowly realized, "You're nothing more than a common whore aren't you"

Amora began shaking her head, still crying and trying to appeal to her mother. "No, no I'm not I-"

"I have given you many chances, I trusted you with one simple task Amora, AND YOU COULDN'T DO THAT MUCH!"

Amora winced and screamed in pain as Karnilla pulled her across the carpet by her hair. Throwing her into a corner, Amora pulled her knees to her chest and covered her head with her arms.

"Please Mother, please I'm sorry-"

"No, you have proven that you can't be trusted, I will not allow my daughter to sleep around with a frost giant"

"What?" Amora looked up at Karnilla who was now standing over her.

"That runt you stay around is a creature of disgusting nature, I offered you a kingdom and in return you betray me"

"I never-" Amora was trying to lie her way out of any more abuse but it wasn't working. "Loki means nothing to me I never-"

"YET YOU LEFT THE PALACE WITH HIM! AGAINST MY WISHES" Karnilla had no remorse in her eyes, only malice. "You are the reason I'm brought to this choice Amora...."

In Karnilla's hand, Amora saw a strong orb of purple magic manifesting. It only caused Amora to beg even more, getting onto her knees and pleading with her mother. Amora dug her nails into Karnilla's purple robes in submission but it didn't change the outcome. Amora was shoved back into the corner as Karnilla placed the magic against Amora's forehead. A scream of agony erupted from Amora's vocal chords, she could feel the magic wrapping itself around her mind and body. The beautiful green of her eyes turned pure white as the magic took effect, Amora could see her memories with Loki being ripped apart. Tears continued to flow even through her unmoving state. Karnilla could see what Amora was witnessing and the young woman could feel her mother's anger and aggression ripping apart her happiness. All the feelings and love Amora had felt for Loki were being taken away, it was as it they never existed in the first place. Amora saw the morning they shared together eating breakfast and goofing off, the kiss that happened during that moment. It was being taken apart piece by piece. Amora couldn't scream out as she felt the moment vanish, the spark that she felt was no longer there. Karnilla's magic tore its way through her memories one by one, when it got to the first time Amora and Loki met it was a seething pain that Amora would never forget. Amora wanted to plead 'please leave this memory, I just want to remember him, I want to remember his kindness' but the magic wouldn't listen to her. Karnilla made sure to make Amora feel as much pain as possible, ripping apart the memory and leaving nothing for Amora to remember. Yet, what was truly painful was what Karnilla had planned next. 'No please, don't do this' Amora screamed in her mind, she couldn't speak or move with Karnilla's hold on her. All of the love and passion Amora had felt for Loki was being manipulated, new memories were being constructed by Karnilla, a new forced love. Images of Amora and Thor were manifesting, her heart belonged to him. It was always him. Why would Amora be crying? Current memories were rewritten and Amora's heart ached as the magic pulled her apart and pieced her back together.

'Thor?.....My love?' Amora thought as she saw the memories. All the moments they had "shared".

Karnilla took her time, the magic was powerful and felt like sharp knives but Amora was so hopelessly in love with her own "memories" that it didn't matter. Once Karnilla had finished she left Amora there, the green emeralds of the young woman's eyes going back to normal. Any other person would have thought Amora was dead, the way she was slumped in the corner, limbs limp and unmoving with her eyes unblinking. Amora was staring at nothing, only keeping her position before sliding down the wall and slumping onto the floor. Tears were still flowing but Amora thought they were tears of happiness, happiness from her memories. What else would they be?

"I'm going to speak with the Allfather, you should check on Prince Thor" Karnilla adjusted her purple cloak around her shoulders and left Amora alone in the quarters.

For hours Amora just laid there, unmoving and looking like a corpse. There was something in the back of her mind that felt familiar but it caused her too much pain to seek it out. There was only one thing on her mind.

Thor.