Sanit held the book tightly clasped to her chest as she hurried down the long halls towards Loki's chambers. A large smile was painted over her face as she pushed open Loki's chamber doors. He looked up at her with his brow raised, wondering why she was so happy. He then looked down at the book in her hands and his eyes widened, seeing that the book was filled with old and outdated laws from the beginning of time when Asgard had its first few rulers on the throne.
"I didn't request for you to dine with me tonight." Loki told her.
"I have good news." Sanit giggled.
"Have you been resting?" Loki asked.
"You cannot expect me to stay cooped up in my room all day doing nothing. You cannot tell me what to do. I am not your maid." Sanit snapped at him.
She pulled up a chair next to his and set the book on his writing desk. He reached over to grab it, but Sanit moved it away from his grasp.
"I will show it to you when we have finished eating together." Sanit told him.
Sanit grabbed her portions of the meal and Loki watched as she hungrily ate, leading him to believe that she hadn't followed his instructions from earlier this morning.
"You cannot expect a healthy child to be born if you do not take care of yourself." Loki muttered.
"You must stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself." Sanit scoffed.
"Well, it isn't just yourself anymore. You are carrying my child and I will not have you risk his survival in this world all because you think you know better." Loki explained to Sanit.
"Well, it is my body, Loki. You cannot control my body." Sanit told him.
"Yes, that is true. But, we have no idea what to expect. Neither I nor the healers don't know what to expect with a pregnancy of a Frost giant offspring being carried by an Asgardian. There are too many risks and complications that could occur. I hope you will take my advice when I tell you to eat and rest when you must do so. Otherwise, you could jeopardize the whole pregnancy." Loki explained to her.
"I will do what I think is necessary. I will eat when I want and rest when I want. End of discussion." Sanit exhaled sharply.
"You do not have the right to end the discussion. Only I do." Loki seethed.
Sanit rolled her eyes as she continued to eat her food. When they finished eating, they both changed into their night clothes. Loki stood by the writing desk as Sanit got under the covers.
"Come into bed, my love." Sanit smirked.
"You said you'd show me what was in this book after we ate. We finished eating now show me what is in the book." Loki demanded.
Sanit sighed as she rolled out of the bed and walked towards the table. She opened the book to the page she marked and pointed towards the paragraph Elisabete had spotted earlier. Loki looked down at the page and quickly scanned over the words. His brow furrowed as he got to the word and gave Sanit a look.
"Why is this important?" Loki asked.
"This is your way to sleeping with the girl without it being an issue." Sanit replied.
"The text makes no sense. It's in an old dialect." Loki sighed.
"Well, unlike you, I learned the old dialect while I was in Alfheim. The elves inhabiting the land where I stayed taught me. It's called Droit Du Seigneur. It translates to the right of the first night. When a lord, or a king in this case, expresses his right to the first night of a subordinate woman's wedding, he can claim her for his own. He can sleep with her and be the first to know her, just as you have expressed to me. Because it is your right as a king, no one can argue against it. It will be seen as you simply following your kingly duty." Sanit explained to him.
Loki read over the three words and smirked as he snapped his head up at Sanit. He walked towards her and chuckled deeply as he wrapped his arms around and lifted her into the air. She wrapped her legs around his waist and laughed loudly as she took his face into her hands.
"Sanit, you are a genius!" Loki exclaimed joyfully.
Sanit laid a kiss to his lips, enjoying the look of happiness on his face, knowing she was the cause of it. He made his way towards the bed and laid Sanit down on it. He was elated to finally have a reason to have his way with Elisabete. The emptiness he felt would soon be sated and he was over the moon. In his excited state, he ripped off her nightdress, along with his clothes, and ravished her body. The passion and roughness that he provided Sanit was the same he had given her when they had first slept together. Throughout most of the night, Loki had his way with Sanit. He took his time to ravish and please her body. At one point, when he ran his hand over her belly, he paused momentarily, feeling nothing. A sense of emptiness filled his heart when he himself could feel no sign of a child, yet he continued in his act.
In the hours of the early morning, the two laid in bed awake. Sanit laid on her side as Loki stared up at the ceiling. She ran her hand over his chest and abdomen, trying to soothe him to sleep. She smiled weakly as she laid a sweet kiss to his lips. Loki's eyes then gazed over Sanit's face and took in her features. She had aged in a way that made her look older than she truly was. Almost everything about her had changed. Loki knew that neither of them were the same two people when they met. They each wanted different things either for themselves or from each other. Sanit was poison to him and he would gladly cast her aside. That is what he was planning on doing, seeing that she become filled with jealousy and hatred. However, he cared more about the child in her womb than anything else. That child was his life. It would be his miracle baby, going against all odds to be born. He knew that once his child would be born, he could forget about Sanit. He would care endlessly for his son, going against everything he stood for to ensure his safety. Loki knew that his son would really have to defy the odds by being carried by Sanit. She had become too stubborn for him to handle. She was too independent of him as a person. Neither wanted to bend to the other's wishes or demands. Neither wanted to compromise on anything. Loki was aware that whenever Sanit gave in to his wishes, it was forced and didn't mean anything. He was well aware his son would be in danger if Sanit continued like this. The hatred, stubbornness, and jealousy combined could cause her to lose the child. Sanit needed to release all the tension and worry from her mind. Hopefully, Loki could give Sanit false hope into their relationship, making her believe he would be satisfied with just one night with Elisabete.
Loki smiled up at Sanit and laid his hand on her cheek, caressing the rough skin. Sanit laid a kiss to his forehead and giggled softly.
"I love you, Loki." Sanit spoke.
Loki quickly glanced up into her eyes, reading her expression. It pained Loki to see that she was being honest with her statement, or so he thought.
"Sleep now, Sanit. You need to rest for the baby." Loki told her.
Sanit's smile faded as she took a deep breath and nodded her head before laying her head down on the pillow.
"Alright. Good night." Sanit whispered.
She laid a kiss to his lips and Loki weakly kissed her back. She sighed as she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The following morning, Loki awoke to find Sanit curled around him. He winced as he pushed her onto her side of the bed. From the force of his thrust, Sanit awoke, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Loki pulled back the covers to the bed and stood up straight, stretching his body.
"Love the view." Sanit giggled.
Loki turned around to face her, remembering that he was completely bare. He chuckled softly as he shook his head and walked into his bathroom. He took a shower to get the stench of sweat off his body from the night before. She entered the bathroom after him and entered the shower, wrapping her arms around his torso from behind. Loki sighed softly as he felt her body against his and the two showered together before changing into their clothes. Sanit went to her chambers as Loki went for a walk through the gardens. He had skipped breakfast and the role call, when it came time for it. When he was about to go back inside, he saw Elisabete walking through the gardens. Upon seeing him, she let out a sigh of relief and hurried towards him.
"Is something wrong, girl?" Loki inquired.
"We were worried something had happened to you, my king. You were not present for role call." Elisabete told him.
"I am sorry to have worried you." Loki said.
"Well, what are my duties?" Elisabete asked.
"I will go to my chambers and you can fetch me my breakfast. Bring it to me." Loki instructed her.
"And after that?" Elisabete inquired.
"I will tell you after." Loki replied.
Elisabete furrowed her brow as she nodded her head and walked back into the palace. He made his way back to his chambers and seated himself at his writing desk. Moments later, Elisabete entered and placed the tray on the desk.
"Anything else?" Elisabete asked.
"Sit down." Loki replied.
Elisabete gave him a look as he pulled a chair around next to his. She chuckled nervously as she sat down in the seat. She placed her hands in her lap and kept her head down too. Loki exhaled sharply as he looked up at her. He took her chin between his fingers and forced her head to look up at him. Elisabete panted softly, swallowing the lump in her throat as she gazed into his eyes. She could get lost in his eyes, trying to decipher him by the look he gave her. Loki cocked his head to the side as he examined her face. He let his hand go and Elisabete exhaled, wishing he had kept his hand there for much longer.
She did not like to admit it, but she somewhat enjoyed his gentle and domineering touch. She liked the roughness of it and it made her heart flutter whenever he touched her. She kept her eyes on his fingers as he pulled his hand back. His voice caused her to jump and snap her head up to look into his eyes as he spoke.
"Are you aware that we have known each other for the past three years, and I bet you know more about me than I know about you?" Loki inquired.
"I am." Elisabete replied softly, not understand what he was getting at.
"It's such a shame too. You'd put your life on the line for me yet I don't know much about you as an individual." Loki chuckled.
"I am not as important as the members of court, my king." Elisabete spoke.
"On the contrary, you are the most important person in this whole palace," Loki explained. "Your job is to keep me happy and satisfied. I'd say that job is extremely vital to the well-being of this realm."
"That's not true." Elisabete chuckled.
"Of course it is. If I say it, it is true." Loki protested.
Loki began cutting into his sausage and Elisabete watched him as he ate. He wiped his mouth after he took a few bites and turned to face Elisabete.
"Do you eat breakfast in the morning?" Loki asked.
"Sometimes. I don't have much time. I spend most of my morning preparing my sisters their breakfast and lunch for school, as well as my parents breakfast. On some days, if I work fast enough, I can manage to have a fruit or a piece of toast, but most days, I don't." Elisabete replied.
Loki sighed as he nodded his head. He pushed his plate towards her and Elisabete gave him a look as she raised her brow at him.
"My king?" Elisabete asked.
"Eat." Loki replied.
"This is your breakfast." Elisabete scoffed.
"And I want you to have some. Go on. Eat." Loki told her.
Elisabete slowly took the fork in her hand and picked up a piece of the sausage. She wrapped her lips around the fork and chewed on it, savoring its taste. She moaned quietly, not having ever tasted anything so delicious. She craved to live her life in vanity. She wanted the divine food and lavish dresses. Elisabete wanted it all, but knew she'd never have it. This few instances where Loki had her dress up and was now having her eat some of his breakfast helped quench her desire.
She then put the fork down on the table and smiled as she looked up at Loki.
"One bite is not enough. Have a few more. Have as many as you like." Loki told her.
Elisabete's eyes widened and her smile widened as she took the fork in hand ate several pieces before setting the fork down and chewing into the meat, trying her best not to look like an animal. She reached for the napkin and wiped her mouth as she swallowed the food. Loki laughed softly as he watched her and her cheeks flushed red as she smiled at him.
"Thank you, my king." Elisabete spoke.
"It is amazing to me how you come to work almost hungry every morning, yet you do not steal snacks from the kitchens, like the others." Loki commented.
"I know it is wrong to do so, so I do not." Elisabete replied.
"Smart girl." Loki beamed.
Elisabete blushed at his comment and bit her lip as she looked around the room, taking it all in. She had never taken her time to really examine his bed chamber in the three years she had worked here. Compared to the extravagant ways of the court, his room was plain, something she would have never guessed.
"The only things I know about you, so far, are that you are a very loyal and trustworthy person, you enjoy to dance, and you have ailing parents." Loki told her.
"Those are true." Elisabete commented.
"And that you have walked in on me in compromising situations twice now." Loki added.
The blush from her cheeks spread down her neck to her chest as she recalled the events and Loki laughed loudly as he shook his head.
"You have nothing to feel ashamed about. It was only an accident. Besides, who in this realm hasn't walked in on someone having sex every now and then?" Loki laughed heartily.
Elisabete remained silent and Loki cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I know you do not like that kind of talk." Loki spoke.
"That is alright." Elisabete said.
"Now, tell me, how many siblings do you have?" Loki asked.
"A brother, named Tadeus, and two twin sisters, Liana and Capriana." Elisabete replied.
"Their ages?" Loki sighed.
"Tadeus is twenty-two while the girls are eight." Elisabete grinned.
"They are both very young. I suspect it will be hard on them when your parents pass." Loki told her.
"It will, I have no doubts about that, but I haved tried to explain to them so that they can understand that mother and father will not get better but will live peacefully in Valhalla. I've tried to make them understand death in a way that is comprehensible to an eight year old." Elisabete explained.
"That is very smart of you to do." Loki commented.
"I want them to know that it is the process of life and they will have passed sooner or later.I have told them that this is the gods will to take them from the realm at this time. They get that much but what they don't understand is why they would be so cruel as to take both and not just one, or none at all." Elisabete told him.
"And what did you say?" Loki asked.
"I told them that some things in life aren't always fair and they will experience that as they get older. I know I have. I told them that the gods know more than we do and have set plans out for us. To hope that we can go to Valhalla, we must pray and be good people in our lives." Elisabete replied.
"You are very motherly I see. You are the kindest person I've known, besides the late queen, my mother. You radiate pure joy and happiness in everything you do. You know, I've never seen you so happy as when you were dancing during Sanit's feast. You lit up the whole room with your smile. I was honored to be your partner." Loki told her.
"Thank you, my king." Elisabete chuckled.
"Tell me, this man you are marrying...is he a good man like yourself?" Loki inquired.
Elisabete stuttered to reply. She did not want to tell that he despised him and was not loyal, but did not want to lie to her king. With just one, little question, Loki had put her into a compromising situation.
"He is a good man. I know he will treat me right. He is madly in love with me." Elisabete replied.
"Do you love him?" Loki asked.
Elisabete widened her eyes as she looked over Loki's face, trying to read his blank expression. She then swallowed the lump in her throat and knew she would have to lie. This was the one thing Elisabete could not tell Loki. If she spoke the truth, he would surely kick her out and then she would be destitute.
"Yes." Elisabete said clearly.
"That is nice to know. It is reassuring to know that true love exists." Loki sighed.
"I guess it is." Elisabete whispered.
Loki ate the rest of the food on the plate and leaned back in his chair, crossing his right leg over his left. Elisabete sat straight up in the chair, with her hands in her lap and feet on the floor, with her ankles touching. Loki laughed loudly as he looked at her and shook her head.
"Please, do relax. Do not be so tense when you are in my presence." Loki told her.
"I am sorry, my king." Elisabete spoke softly.
"Why do you feel the need to react this way when I am near?" Loki asked.
"Because...you are very intimidating, my king." Elisabete replied with a chuckle.
"Now, that is true, but you know that I would never punish you. I would never do anything to harm you. You are always in my best interest, Elisabete. In this realm, I have few acquaintances and several enemies, but no one to truly call my friend. In you, I see a friend, and that is who I wish to become to you: a friend. You have shown me hospitality and faithfulness no other citizen of Asgard has ever shown me while I have been king. You are truly a blessing to me. I would love nothing more than to be your friend, if that is alright with you, of course." Loki explained to her.
As he spoke to her, he leaned forward and laid his hand on her knee. Elisabete glanced down at his hand and unwillingly admitted to herself that she loved the way his hand wrapped around her. She then looked up at him and saw him genuinely smiling at her, like he had during their dance. Elisabete felt like bursting into tears, but she pushed them back and mirrored his smile. She then placed her hand over his and nodded her head.
"I accept your request, my king." Elisabete told him.
"Then can I be honest with you?" Loki asked.
"Of course." Elisabete replied.
"Please, do relax yourself in my presence. You look as though you've gotten a stick up your ass." Loki laughed.
Elisabete bit her lip as she slouched forward in the seat and Loki cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry, that also was not appropriate." Loki said.
"Oh, no, on the contrary it was. I've been told that many times in my life, even by my fellow maids. I am aware of how I look, my king." Elisabete chuckled.
Loki laughed softly along with Elisabete.
"You are lucky to have found someone to spend the rest of your life with." Loki sighed breathlessly.
"Oh, I don't know about that." Elisabete spoke.
"You have found someone who loves you for who you are and is willing to spend the rest of his life with you. You are lucky. Do not deny it." Loki told her.
"I won't." Elisabete said.
"Good." Loki grinned.
After a few moments, Loki stood from his seat and held his hand out to Elisabete.
"Come and take a walk with me." Loki told her.
Sanit wandered the halls, searching for Loki, wondering where he could be. She knew he told her to rest but she needed to know where he was. As she walked, she looked out into the gardens and her blood boiled upon seeing Loki and Elisabete sitting on a stone bench near the fountain. She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better sight of them and her eyes widened when she saw the two laughing together and Loki's hand placed on her knee, inching its way up her thigh. Sanit angrily stormed down the steps of the palace and made her way towards them.
Elisabete enjoyed the time she was spending with Loki. She had shared more information about herself to him and felt extremely comfortable in his presence. He was truly becoming her friend and she saw no need to be worried around him. In time, she became familiar with him as they spoke, even poking fun at some of the laws he's instated and some of the things he has said or done in the presence of others. The hand on her leg did not bother her and she gave in to him. Soon enough, he inched his way closer to her on the bench and Elisabete felt her breath hitch in her throat as he spoke to her in a low voice that sent shivers down her spine.
"You are a truly spectacular woman, Elisabete. Do not let anyone take advantage of you." Loki spoke.
Elisabete was about to speak when they heard footsteps close by. Elisabete furrowed her brow as Loki's eyes widened as he quickly stood from the bench. Elisabete turned around and the color drained from her face when she saw Sanit glaring down at her.
"Elisabete, please leave us." Sanit spoke calmly.
"Yes, my lady." Elisabete spoke.
She hurried off back into the palace. But as she left, she heard Loki and Sanit arguing in the background. What made her feel even worse was that she knew they were arguing about her.
"You'd rather spend the day with her than the mother of your unborn son?" Sanit scoffed.
"You cannot tell me what I can and cannot do, Sanit!" Loki exclaimed.
"Oh, but you can tell me what to do?" Sanit protested.
"Yes, because I am your king and if you do not obey my commands I can throw you into the fucking streets where you belong!" Loki snapped.
Sanit 's eyes welled with tears but she held them back as she gathered all the strength she could to smack Loki across his face. In his rage towards Sanit's jealousy, he gripped her arms and pushed her back against the stone wall, holding her there until she calmed down and stopped squirming against him to get away. Sanit knew what he wanted her to do but she wasn't going to give in to him. Loki quickly gripped her neck, but not too rough as to choke her. Sanit's eyes widened at his action and she quickly stopped her movements. As the two caught their breath, Loki removed his hand and patted down his jacket.
"If you continue this poisonous behavior, I will ban you from seeing your son." Loki told her.
Sanit's eyes widened and she was about to protest when Loki stormed off. Sanit wiped her eyes as she let out a few shaky breaths and waited a few moments before entering the palace. She entered her chambers and laid herself down on her bed, staring at the wall before her.