Right to the Night

Chapter Forty-Three

"You have just given me the answer. Arrogance," Búri laughed. "Being king has humbled him, but what truly helped him be a better man was his wife."

Elisabete furrowed her brow and scoffed, shaking her head. He looked over at her and her expression dropped as she waited for his explanation.

"What have I done that benefitted him? He has used my good nature against me." Elisabete questioned him.

"I have judged Loki's character, heart, mind, and soul. He is a troubled man indeed, I do not deny that, nor do I deny what he had done to you. However, he helped this realm become a better place because of you, my dear. You may not know it, but he has always had his eyes set on you the second you worked here. Everything he did was to benefit you, and in turn, he created a better Asgard." Búri replied with a smile on his face.

"It's true." Loki spoke up.

Elisabete turned to look at him as everyone else in the room directed their attention towards him.

"Everything I did, it was for you. You were so kind to me during a time when I never thought people could act that way towards me again. You gave me hope that the people would trust me once more and I wanted to give you a better life. I instilled all the programs in the villages for you. In response, all I wanted was for you to continue to be kind to me. Never would I have imagined you would fall in love with me. That night we shared a bed, I lay there in shock at the fact that you loved me. You were so good to me and you helped me realize what it was like to be a good person again. You helped me to realize that my old self was a product of anger, resentment, and sorrow over something so stupid. You never knew but I never wanted to tell you." Loki confessed, spilling his heart out to Elisabete.

When he finished speaking, he put his head down and shut his eyes, expecting her to yell at him or hit him, but when it never came, he opened one eye and cocked his head to the side, seeing her just staring at him with a pained expression on her face.

"Then why kill an innocent child? Not to mention Faust was your nephew." Elisabete inquired.

"When we found out he was Thor's son, all the feelings I once had when my reputation here on Asgard was diminishing had come back to me. I still harbored hatred for Thor and I was afraid that if word got out it was his son, the people would rebel and state that Faust was to be the rightful heir after me, over any of the children we had. I wanted him gone and because I had reverted back to my old self, I wanted to get back at Thor, even though he himself did nothing to wrong me. I was just jealous that he had been given all the attention as a child and so I thought it best to have him killed. But I regretted it! I regretted it the minute he had been pushed off the Bifrost and it still makes me want to weep knowing I did that!" Loki explained to Elisabete and to everyone in the room.

"He is clearly lying. There is not one ounce of good in him." Odin scoffed.

There was a slight uproar as all the people in their seats agreed with Odin. Búri put his hand into the air and much to his liking, the room silenced almost immediately.

"You are not one to judge his character. No one here is. Only he can do that himself. And he is very judgemental. However, I have watched him these past four years and I can admit that he has changed for the better." Búri stated.

"But he has committed treason and other crimes against Asgard! How can a man like him be good?" Thor inquired, standing from his seat, hurt by Loki's confession about the murder of his son.

"I am aware of what he has done, but I don't think everyone else here is. Please, Loki, do enlighten us on what it is you've done." Búri spoke, turning to look straight at Loki, his eyes narrow and brow furrowed.