Wrong Prince || Loki

Chapter 14

Thor takes Elsa to his room. She takes a seat on the bed and tries to forget what just happened.
"Is it true? Did he kill people?" she asks

"Yes..." Thor answers. Elsa buries her face in her palms as she takes a deep breath.
This is my fault...

She hears Thor groan so she looks up again. He was taking his uniform off but there was blood on it.
"Are you injured?" she goes to help him

"Yes, Loki stabbed me. But it's nothing" he exposes the wound on his side
Loki stabbed him?

"Get in bed and I'll be right back" she says and goes to the bathroom. She fills a small container with warm water and adds some disinfectant and healing oils. She returns to Thor and sits next to him on the bed. He is laying there shirtless so she immediately starts cleaning his wound with some clean cloths dipped in the warm water.

None spoke. Elsa was consecrated on her job and Thor looked at her moves closely. She wrapped the bandages around his waist gently and then helped him put a shirt back on.

"Loki and I had a pretty heated argument before this. I tried to convince him to stop the madness and come home but he refused" Thor says disappointed

"Did he say why he did it?" Elsa asks avoiding eye contact

"He did mention a few things. A throne... A bigger plan... You..." he replies

"Me?" she chuckles trying to hide her panic

"Yes. He said that I get to have everything, and he is always the afterthought. Why can't he have a wife first. Why can't you be his wife instead of mine" he repeats Loki's words.
"At first, I thought he just liked you but then I saw the way you looked at him back there when father announced his sentence. Is there something going on between you two?" he finally asks.

"Of course not" Elsa answers immediately

"You don't have to lie to me. I promise, I won't be angry" he reassures her.

"He and I spent plenty of time together during the last couple of months. Almost immediately there was this attraction, I can't quite explain it. But it doesn't matter anymore. You are a great person, a hero, and any girl would kill to be in my position" she chuckles in the end.

"Do you want to see him before the wedding?" he suggests after a small pause

"What?" she asks surprised

"I can sneak you in the dungeon for some time" he explains

"Thank you, thank you" she says immediately and hugs him.

A few hours later, Thor headed downstairs and ordered the guards that were guarding the dungeons to step out for a bit. He brings Elsa inside and leads her to Loki's cell.

Her heart almost stopped when she saw the condition in which he was in. Everything was broken and he was on the floor. His hair was messy, his eyes red from crying and he looked exhausted.

"Loki..." Elsa whispers as she approaches the golden wall

"What are you doing here? Take her away from me!" he yells at Thor.

Thor looks at her
"It's fine" she reassures him

"I'll give you some time" he says and walks away.

"You should go" Loki says without bothering to move from his seat on the floor

"No. I needed to see you" she replies.

"Why? You pushed me away... I threatened to kill you..." he reminds her

"I know. But something tells me that wasn't really you. It was like I was talking to a totally different person" she suggests. Loki doesn't answers and just looks away.
"Earlier, you said to Odin that if he planned to kill you, he should just do it. Actually you said 'Just swing it'. You wanted to die..." she remembers

"And look at me now..." he replies, keeping his gaze down.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't lied to you so brutally, you wouldn't be here now" she apologizes again.

Loki laughs through his tears
"Oh dear... No. My actions brought me here. My anger. In the end, my father was right, I am the villain" he sounds ashamed.

Elsa walks to the control panel and brings down one of the protective golden walls of his cell.

"What are you doing?" Loki asks but she doesn't answer. Instead, she walks in his cell and sits besides him.

"Let me tell you that in my story, I don't see you as the villain. I never saw you as the monster. And right now, I'm looking at someone who's broken. Someone who needs help. So I'm going to sit here with you, we don't have to talk if you don't want to, I just don't want you to be alone for a bit" she says, but he keeps his eyes down.

Silence takes over for a few minutes. Elsa tries to read Loki's emotions but the side of his face is curtained by his hair. Until a small sob escapes his lips. He couldn't keep it in for any longer.

"I'm sorry" he says immediately, wiping his eyes but he couldn't quite stop.

"It's ok" she replies and takes his hand. They interlock fingers and they both look down.
"Just take a few slow breaths. Inhale slowly... Hold it in for 2 seconds... And Exhale. Inhale... Hold... Exhale" she guides him through it.
"That's it. You got this" she says proudly as he calms down.

"I love you so much, Elsa. I wanted to give you everything..." he admits between his last sobs

"You don't have to give me anything. I love you" she says for the first time. His sad eyes finally meet hers.
"I mean it" she reassures him and rest her head on his shoulder. He lies his cheek against her head and smells hair hair.
"I came here because I missed you, and I wanted to see you again before... tomorrow. Despite how much I love you, I don't know if I can call it off. I'm shy, I'm weak, I'm a people pleaser and I can't go against authority, including my parents. And the truth is that I'm scared" she explains

"I know. I just wished I could made you feel sure enough when I proposed to you to run away with me" he replies

"I'm sorry" she apologizes and he kisses her head.

A prisoner from another cell walks to the corner of his cell, closer to them
"Why don't you come over here too, sweetheart? You let me out and I'll show you something you can't resist. I bet it'll make you feel really good" he says and licks his lips.
Gross...

Loki stands up immediately
"Talk to her again, and I'll break every bone of your pathetic body to ash, making sure you feel every single crack". Elsa stands up too and takes his attention again. She holds his hands and rests her head on his chest.

"You have to go" Loki reminds her and his grip loosens but hers tightens

"I'm not ready. Just one more moment" she sobs. They hug and comfort each other. None of them wants to pull away, but the strongest one has to.

Loki cups her cheeks and looks at her in the eyes. He rubs her cheeks and she holds his hands in place. She stands on her tiptoes and kisses his lips. He kisses her back for one last time.

They pull away but their foreheads are glued together.
"I love you..." Elsa whispers

"I love you more" Loki replies.
"You're going to be alright. Everything is going to work out" he reassures her as he rubs her face

"How?" she asks

"I don't know yet. But go do what you feel is right. Go get married. My brother is the good guy so everything will most likely be fine. Go be a princess. And then be the best queen this realm has ever known" he encourages her.

"Once that happens, I'll get you out of here" she promises

"Don't worry about me. Thank you for coming today" he says. They hear steps so it's time to let go. Elsa wipes her tears as she backs away.

As soon as she steps out, Thor arrives
"Everything alright?" he asks

"Yes, thank you. I think I'm gonna go sleep now, I have to wake up really early tomorrow" she answers

"Of course" he replies and lets her go.

But Elsa never made it to her room...