His Dove (Loki Laufeyson)

Part 30 (Mind Magic)

"I'm sorry, your highness." I said softly, gulping before I continued. "I believe it'd be quite the betrayal to share that with you without Loki's consent..."

I could feel her disappointment in that answer, but a small hint of pride showed in her eyes.

"Not willingly." I added, hoping she understood what I meant. I knew, if Frigga wanted to, she could take anything she wanted from my mind. She could likely pick me apart piece by piece if she desired it.

"If you were in this position, my position, what would you do?"

"I..." I faded before I could get more than a word out. I knew what I would do, I'd do anything I had to to know what happened to my child, in Frigga's position. But by doing so, she'd likely anger him.

"My son was locked in our dungeons for years. Even now, he is incredibly confined and scrutinized. Tell me now, if we had known what you saw in your vision, would that be different?"

My lip found it's way once more between my teeth, my chest beginning to feel hollow with anxiety. My feet tapped quietly on the floor, a futile attempt to remove some of my energy.

"If his imprisonment was dictated only by the invasion... I believe so."

Even that felt like too much to say. I felt horrible, wanting nothing more than to encourage Loki to speak with his mother himself.

But he wouldn't, that I was sure of. Loki's pride is everything to him, he would rather be viewed as evil than weak. He would always choose evil.

"Then I will take it." Frigga responded certainly, sitting back down across from me. "And you will fight it when I do. As much as you can."

I stared with a blank expression for a moment, before nodding. She waved me over to a couch against the wall.

"This will be incredibly painful." She said as she towered over me, "And it will also have some... adverse affects for you, if you fight as strongly as I believe you can. This is the price of me knowing."

"I can take it." I said quietly, taking a breath.

In all honesty, I was terrified. 'Incredibly painful' in description to an Asgardian... That had to be excruciating. My jaw was clenched just at the thought.

She nodded as her hand reached for my forehead. "You won't be joining us for dinner this evening."

'Incredibly painful'. It was a good description, though didn't seem strong enough at the moment. The pain was nothing I had ever experience before, my head feeling as though several daggers were being pierced into it simultaneously.

Frigga saw everything about the vision, and I fulfilled my end of the deal by fighting it, resisting it internally. That only made the process take longer for her, but I trusted she had a reason, even if it was just for my own plausible deniability.

I still felt as though I was betraying Loki, by even allowing Frigga to do this. Yes, in all likelihood, if I had tried to run she could have easily had guards contain me, but I knew the truth was she probably wouldn't.. Or wouldn't want to, at least.

Maybe she would. Loki was her baby; she did have a far stronger duty to protect her son than she did to leave a random girl unharmed.

When she stopped, I laid there, immobile in my pain for minutes, tears streaming down my face and the occasional whimper still escaping my lips.

"I'm so incredibly sorry for the pain, dear girl." Frigga whispered softly.

I managed to pull myself together enough to sit up, but tears still streamed down my face. It was almost as if I couldn't stop them.