Silent Cellmate

4. Learning To Trust

Ash's POV:

It had been a few weeks since I was tossed into this cell. Odin had looked at me with disdain when he passed my sentence. I am certain that he wished nothing more than for me to drop dead at his feet.

I remember the words of my guards Arvid and Garth as they dragged me down to the dungeons. Telling me how Loki was a monster and that I should pray for a swift death. They made me fear the torments that would lie ahead if he chose to keep me alive due to boredom.

I have spent most of my life terrified and in pain so the idea of torture was nothing new to me. However, the guards laughed at my outwardly calm demeanour and assured me that if he chose to cause me pain, it would be far worse than any I had previously experienced.

This is what led me to be petrified by the time we arrived at his cell. For a few moments, I allowed myself to hope that maybe the guards were talking rubbish. That is until Loki referred to me as 'something to play with'. I was certain that my remaining time alive would be spent in unbearable torment.

However, to my bewilderment, he has shown me more kindness than I have received in my entire life. That being said, it's only been roughly 22 years since the day I was born so I guess the torment can't have been as bad as what others have experienced.

I was originally from Earth, or Midgard as they call it here. I haven't set foot on that planet since I was 10, and now I know for sure that I never will again. I am terrified of the day Loki discovers my true origins. I have been told that he detests humans and thinks them beneath him. He will likely become so enraged that he wasted his time on one that he kills me on the spot.

But for now, I will savour every moment of his kindness. It is an odd feeling knowing that somebody cares for you, but it isn't something that I am ready to relinquish.

Every day the desire to speak to him grows, but I know I must remain silent. Nothing good can come of me opening my mouth after keeping it shut for so long. I would likely irritate and bore him.

Not to mention I love to sit and listen to him talk for hours on end or read to me as I fall asleep. I wouldn't want to spoil those moments with my useless words and broken voice.

Despite the fact I am locked in a cell I feel free for the first time in my life. The AllMother even followed through on her promise of sending us two portions of food at each meal. I am forever grateful to her, I couldn't bare to make Loki suffer just to spare myself some discomfort.

This abundance of food has led my body to change. My bones no longer protrude as angrily as when I first arrived here. Even my ribs are starting to disappear as I am able to get my fill of food every day.

In all honesty, I am worried about gaining too much weight. Gods appear to be bottomless pits when it comes to food, but I need to keep up with him in order to avoid suspicion.

I doubt Loki would be best pleased if I got so large I began to take up more than half of the bed. Due to its small size, we snuggle up each night to make sure that neither of us falls off. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself anyway.

I love the feeling I get when he holds me and takes care of me. Almost treating me like a child, but still respecting me as a woman. From what I can tell he seems to enjoy taking care of me as well.

I just hope that one day he will feel comfortable enough to open up to me so that I can care for him in the same way. I see his old soul wounds despite the fact he tries his best to hide them.

Sometimes I wake in the night when I feel him shift in fright. He would be loathed to discover that I knew about his nightmares. But I just gently hum old Earthen lullabies in his ear and he quickly falls back into a peaceful slumber.

I know that one day he will discover my secrets and my happiness will end as swiftly as it began. However, that is inevitable, for now, I will just enjoy the peace while it lasts.