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Punishments
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A searing pain pitched my head as I opened my eyes, the darkness was imploding. The only noise was a continuous ringing in my ear, I felt crushed numerous rocks were rammed on me, some piercing the skin leaving a stinging pain.
I tried moving my hand to escape, but it was no use, I didn't know which way up or down was, any move I made could cause even a tiny stone to be dislodged and I could be crushed.
Great, I'm stuck in an impossible situation again the most shit birthday ever. Settling in for a wait I closed my eyes and dozed of to a land of imagination and the unpredictable.
My eyes fit open at the sound of mumbling, well more like arguing "hello," my weak voice croaked out.
"She's here quick."
"No don't do that do you want to crush her."
"You bastered now even more rocks are coming down."
A beam of light shone though a tiny crack, I raised my fingers up to try push the remaining rock out of the way.
"Don't move or else the whole place will collapse."
Fine by me I thought, I waited for what seemed like forever, slowly but surely more and more light shone through as did my hope.
As soon as the large bolder covering me was lifted slightly a pair of comforting arms scooped me up. I looked up to see my raven haired brother holding me close as he stood up walking away from the disaster sight. After large thod of the bolder colliding with the floor again Thor soon followed.
I drifted in and out of consciousness at one point they must have switched who carried me, but I remember falling deeply asleep in Thor's arms. Thank the Lord they had god strength.
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The soft patter of water and sweet bird melodies brought me back to reality. I lay against soft dewy grass while my head was rested on some green material and I was covered in a large red blanket. As soon as I sat up my head went into a mess of dizziness trying to understand my surroundings.
"Your awake finally!" a deep voice spoke, "You know I carried you most of the way."
Thor came over and sat beside me offering a flask which I gratefully took. He pulled (what I now realised was his cape) round my shoulders more shielding me from the cold.
"Loki went to get some herbs for that head of yours, but for now I am playing nurse." he smiled finishing the contents of the flask.
"How the tables have turned," I chuckled away the pain "how's the scar coming along."
Thor unclipped his left arm protection showing a must smaller scar.
"Well, that is not impressive."
"Well, this one will be," he pointed to the gash wound on my cheek, I went to touch it, but instead of mind numbing pain it was already healing and fully scabbed over.
Thor must have noticed my confusion, "Loki healed most of them, but he said they will take time and as gone to get some herbs indigenous to these forests for the pain before we head back home."
"Home..."
"Fathers going to kill me when he finds out or he already knows and is planning my punishment now."
"You are not going to get punished look at you, your injured and have been through hell," Thor spoke giving me a side hug.
A voice came from the bushes, "Not to mention its your birthday."
"I see she is awake now," Loki pointed out the obvious.
"No shit did you get what we came here for," Thor sounded frustrated.
"Of course," Loki mixed a range of flowers and herbs in a bowl before collecting some water to turn it into a greeny soup "drink this."
"That looks almost as bad as you do," I pushed it away.
"Fine keep that splitting headache and leave your wounds to reopen and get infected," he pushed the bowl closer to my mouth.
"Fine." I sighed taking the bowl from his hands, it was the worst thing I have ever tasted, how could something liquid be so dry.
I chucked the make shift bowl on the floor, pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped myself even tighter in Thor's cape. We all just sat for a moment in peace, the first time in a while.
I broke the silence "Did they escape."
"We don't know, either they did or were crushed in the rubble," Loki answered.
"What actually happened," I asked looking over to them.
"After you calmed yourself down to much damage was done to the cliff face. You were crushed as were Arvid, Dolan and Riden along with many people who were trying to evacuate. We searched all night for you and even when we found you, you were lodged under a large bolder which could have collapsed at any moment so we spend even longer getting you out," Thor answered.
"So I killed even more innocent people."
"No Kie, don't do this to yourself, you did what you had to, if not we would be who knows where probably dead if you did not step in," Loki tried his best to comfort me.
"And your powers are super cool now you go all glowy blue," Thor added making me chuckle, silence filled the area again although I knew we were all thinking the same thing.
"So Arvid and Riden then, what a betrayal, I always said I didn't like that kid," Loki spoke everyone's thoughts "What did he do to you?"
I turned round slightly so my back was facing them "nothing," I mumbled.
"Kiara," Thor's deep serious voice made me jump.
I took a deep breath "Fine," I sighed, "we kissed a few times back home nothing much until we came here, and then that night me and him, well you know.."
"Did he force you?" Loki asked.
I replied with a firm "No."
"I regret every moment I ever bothered spending with that two faced piece of shit," I buried my head in my knees .
I heard shuffling and the two of them come and sit either side of me. I refused to look up not until the silent tears had stopped. I hated looking like a fool in front of them, they were always so good at everything they did never made any mistakes and here I am the biggest screw up out of the lot.
A warm hand rested on my shoulder, "Your not a failure Kie, we all make mistakes, but you stopped a potentially dangerous war saving even more lives including ours." curse Loki's mind reading.
"Well father won't see it that way, if he could have me killed he would, he will most likely banish me, what do you think?" I looked up at both of them.
"Neither. We will defend you and father will understand, he will be more annoyed with himself for trusting Arvid," Thor answered "Come on we must get going before night fall or before someone ambushes us...again."
Thor stood pulling me with him, I offered him his cloak back but he draped it around my shoulders. We stood in a small circle as Loki called for Heimdal. A familiar feeling rushed through me as did the blinding rainbow lights, I held the red fabric closer to my chest. We were pulled from the realm traveling back I home.
We arrived at the familiar gold dome, I slightly stumbled backwards at the impact. My eyes squinted at the sudden change of light, we started to walk out as someone announced our arrival.
"Princess Kiara has returned along with Prince Thor and Prince Loki."
A chariot was already waiting and ready swiftly taking us back to the gold palace.
"I can't do this, he is going to kill me," I spoke quietly.
"It will be fine your only a kid, besides mother will beat him if even thinks of doing anything bad," Loki tried reassuring me.
"Or he hill beat me."
"Don't say that Kie, you need to relax," Thor relaxed back stretching over one entire side.
The rest of the ride was in silence, onlookers whispered and gossiped as we passed down many streets. As we grew nearer the court I grew more nervous, anxiety ripples through me like a snake in water.
As we arrived at the entrance mother burst through the door engulfing us all in her arms.
"My dear children I have been worried sick, Heimdal told me everything, when I sent your brothers after you and you did not return I thought the worst."
"I am sorry mother I truly am I regret everything please please tell father not to be mad," I held her tight with every ounce of energy I had left.
"Ssh child I have spoken to your father and he and the other council men await you in the thrown room I have done all I can this is out of my control," mother cupped my face in her hands mouthing, "go."
Obeying my mother I handed back Thor his cape said my brief goodbyes and headed down the long halls listening to the heel of my boot collide with the floor every step I make.
I now stand before the large golden double doors, covered in blood cuts and bruises. The doors opened as if on command allowing me to enter. Each side was covered in all the asgardian nobles, council men and lords at the very centre sat proud on the throne was my father.
I knelt down in respect, praying my consequence for my actions isn't that bad.
"Rise!"
"Kiara it has been too long since I last saw you, you are quite injured and I will have the medical staff have a look at you later."
I simply nodded in response.
"You Kiara defied my first warning, by not only breaching the palace walls but travelling to another realm, starting a battle with an unknown tribe killing hundreds of innocent lives!" fathers voice boomed of the walls.
"Not only that, but now we have 3 enemies two of which were some of our most trusted men and an even further threat may face us, threatening the lives of our people."
"And for that Kiara you are charged with 5 years in asgardian prison."
"What!" I yell louder than I should.
"You will be confined for a year with the possibility of it turing into being restricted inside the palace walls, let's see if you can actually stick to it this time."
And with that his staff meets the ground and I am being dragged to prison like some common criminal. I cannot believe my own father the king would send his daughter to jail.
This is going to be a long punishment.
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I sat staring at the wall my eye following each individual pattern carved into it. I have a simple bed, sofa and table, meals three times a day and visiting twice a week, although I know that's not going to last.
I wore a long brown silk dress coming over my shoulders and draping behind, a wide baby blue satin held the dress snug against my waist. My hair down and long with it pulled back slightly out of my face.
"Kiara dear, turn around," I heard my mother's voice behind me.
I ran over to hug her, but she stopped me "this is just an illusion, if you touch it I will go away."
I sighed sitting down on the sofa behind me, mother simply standing in front of me.
"The doctors came and fixed up my injuries, although they say this scar may be here forever," I pointed to my sword mark on my cheek "it's ok though, I left an even better mark on him."
"I am sure you did," mother replied "I am proud of you Kie, you stood up for what is right, you saved your brothers and as many people as you could all the while having your heart ripped out like that."
"Not to mention you now have found the trick to unlocking your powers full potential."
"Yeah, anger and pure hatred," I replied resting my hands over my knee fiddling with the bracelet Riden gave me.
"Forget about him he is not worth it."
"Talk about giving me trust issues," I murmured to myself.
My mother chuckled and bent down to my level "we can talk about that another time."
"But for now," she opened the palm of my hand placing a small black box, I stared at her wondering how on earth she touched me and gave me an object through and illusion.
"Magic," she smiled "Happy birthday love."
I went to hug her, but she disappeared as did my smile until I opened the box and saw what was inside.
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