Can You See Me? (A Loki FanFiction)

Chapter Eight

In the few days after my meeting with Loki, I had still not been taken away in shackles. In fact, very little had happened at all. On the day after the festival, everyone had been too exhausted from the night before to do much of anything. Thor had practically given me the day off, rolling back over in bed and hugging Jane tighter when I arrived in the morning.

Feeling too terrified to go anywhere in the palace in case of running into Loki, I scurried back to the library to read, curling up in the darkened corner behind the staircase leading to the second story. Still on edge, I jumped at every small sound, frightened in case it was the guards coming to take me away.

At around noon, I glanced up from my book when I heard the door creak open. Luckily, the staircase blocked me from view but I still held my breath in fear and shuffled further into the shadows when the figure stepped into the room, closing the door quietly behind him. My view was slightly obstructed but I already knew who it was. I froze in my curled up position and didn't even dare to move as Loki glanced around the room, his eyes searching the area. He was looking for me.

To be honest, he looked dreadful. His face was paler than usual, he had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, and his black hair was messy and tangled, as if he had been anxiously running his hands through it. With his hands behind his back, he took slow steps around the room until finally stopping in the centre, his back facing me.

"I know you're in here," he said in a raised voice, yet not a threatening one.

I stayed silent, not even daring to breathe. When the room stayed still and silent, Loki bowed his head and sighed in defeat. For some reason, I felt on odd stab of pity at the sight of him. I had never seen him this way before; he was always so proud and well dressed, yet now he stood with slumped shoulders and dishevelled clothing. And his expression; he looked almost...remorseful. Before I could ponder this thought any more, Loki turned on his heel and swiftly retreated out of the room, plunging it into an empty silence again.

I only dared to breathe again when I knew for certain that he was gone and not lurking behind the door. Leaning my head back against the wall, I frowned, wondering why he looked so anxious. What was even more confusing was why he had told nobody of our encounter last night.

Loki did not return to the library that day.

That night I had gone to Thor and asked to be excused from attending dinner. When he asked if everything was all-right, I simply replied that I was feeling unwell and needed to rest, but secretly it was really that I was terrified of encountering Loki again. I took to sleeping in the library for the next few nights, knowing that it was often empty and that nobody in the knight's quarters would miss me.

There was something about the room that comforted me, perhaps it was being surrounded by so many of my favourite books, and I found sleeping easier when I was curled up in the large armchair by the fire.

On the third morning after the festival, I went to visit Kari again. We had not met for a few days and she was undoubtedly getting worried for me. I had found her in the laundry room, washing the mountains of bed sheets, and her face had immediately fallen when she spotted my disheartened expression.

Grabbing my hand, she had led me secretly out of the laundry room, out into a concealed corner of the back yards where we sat on a bench by the wall. When she had asked me what was wrong, I broke down in tears and told her everything; about Frigga finding out and about my encounter with Loki on the night of the festival. Kari had held me tightly to her chest as I wept, rocking me gently and whispering that everything would be fine. I wanted to believe her, I truly did, but there was still that huge part of me that knew everything would not be fine.