The following morning, Loki was being helped by his servants to put on his ceremonial armor for the trial. He stared at the wall in front of him, thinking back to what he witnessed last night. No matter what, it was certain that Elisabete must never find out. He had to protect her and it had been the only way. Yet, as he thought back to last night, he hated himself more than ever. He did enjoy that boy's company, but that boy, in his eyes, was the product of deceit and betrayal. Fearing he would cry, he quickly dismissed the servants and slammed the door behind them with his magic. He couldn't let them see his weakness.
Elisabete got herself ready for the day and hated how Edric and his parents would just stare at her as she went about her daily tasks. As she washed her hair in the small bowl on her vanity, she could see Edric watching her from the small, dirty mirror as he lay on the bed with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Will you be late again tonight?" He inquired.
"I have said before. My king has ordered me to stay longer nights. Yes." Elisabete replied.
"A simple yes would have sufficed. I do not need your attitude." Edric told her.
She began to dry off her hair and began putting it into the fashion, still seeing Edric watching her through the mirror.
"Your dress is different today." Edric furrowed his brow.
"Yes." Elisabete spoke.
"Why?" Edric asked, honestly curious.
"My king is holding a trial and all staff and court members are to be present and look their best. It is his rule." Elisabete told him.
"A trial? For who?" He inquired.
"His...mistress." Elisabete spoke.
"What could she have done?" Edric scoffed.
"While she was supposedly tied to Loki, she had slept with Thor and birthed his son. Even you know how my king feels about Thor. She is being tried because she was using Loki to support her son and nothing else." Elisabete explained.
"Good. It's a good thing to know that the king deals with whores appropriately." Edric smirked.
"I suppose it is." Elisabete muttered.
Elisabete went on her way to the palace and immediately felt the tension in the atmosphere. There was to be no role call as the trial was to be held early. Elisabete and the other maids took their seats in the balcony, high up in the courtroom. She gazed down as Loki took his seat in the center between all the other advisors and lawyers. For a moment, Elisabete felt bad for Sanit. She knew how everyone felt about her and was well aware of the outcome of her sentencing before the trial even began. However, as she sat in her seat next to Iona, looking over all their faces, she felt all their eyes turned on her, staring. Iona took her hand and squeezed it tightly, aware of the stares.
Once everyone was seated and ready, the guards brought in Sanit. She was bound with chains as they escorted her to the center of the room for all the members of court to gaze upon her as if she were their prey. She kept her eyes on Loki's, glaring at him as she held her head up high.
"My lady, you have been called forth to your trial as a result of being accused of treachery towards your king." One of the advisors announced.
"Your king will declare your final punishment when the evidence brought against you appears damning towards your reputation." Another spoke.
"Evidence? Ha! You have none. You burnt the letter, Loki, don't you remember?" Sanit scoffed.
"I'm afraid you are mistaken." Loki told her.
He snapped his fingers and one of the men revealed the letter to her. Her eyes widened in shock and she stuttered to reply. She shook her head as Loki smirked at her.
"You have sworn allegiance to me, your king, yet you would sleep with my elder brother and give birth to his bastard son, lying to me saying he is your nephew and using the power you had in court to try and become queen to give that brat a good life. You have sworn yourself to me, claiming you were faithful, yet, in this letter, this woman speaks of a man waiting for you in your home realm that I assume you have married and been with for some years. You have gone against your pledge and have led me to believe in false truths. Every piece of this letter is damning evidence against you. For your punishment-"
"I do not even get a chance to argue!" Sanit exclaimed.
"I have not given you permission to speak to me yet!" Loki screamed.
His voice echoed throughout the room and Elisabete shuddered feeling the sharp vibrations around her. Sanit flinched at the ferocity in his voice and nodded her head, slowly submitting to him.
"As I was saying," Loki continued. "For your punishment, you are to be stripped of your title as 'lady' and will be sentenced to a lifelong banishment to Midgard. You will be sent there without any help or belongings. You will be forced to survive on your own. As usual, the offender will receive one last wish before their sentence. What is your wish?"
"I want to see my son." Sanit declared.
Loki sat back in his seat and quickly glanced up at Elisabete. He saw the smile on her face, knowing she believed that the boy was well and alive. He looked down at the floor and licked his lips, thinking of what to say.
There were several whispers and mutters as Sanit declared her wish. She looked around the room with her eyes and scoffed, seeing the look of disgust and conceit in their faces. She then directed her attention towards Loki as he stood from his seat, gripping the counter tightly as he leaned over it. She smiled weakly, hoping that the feelings he once had were still in his heart to show her mercy.
"I bid you, please show me the same word you made me beg to scream." Sanit smirked.
The room winced and some women groaned in disgust. Elisabete blushed at her words, not knowing Loki to have been that forceful with her as he had been with Sanit. She squeezed Iona's hand, earning Iona to place her free hand over hers, the two smiling at one another and nodding their heads before turning to look down at the court. She watched as Sanit smiled brightly while Loki squirmed in his seat.
"I am sorry but that wish cannot be granted. He has been sent far away and will not be returning anytime soon. I suggest you think of something else at this time before I instate your punishment." Loki told her.
Elisabete grimaced at his tone of voice, hating how he denied her a simple request. As his mother, she deserved her final goodbye. In her eyes, she could not understand why Loki was being so horrible in showing her mercy. She hated seeing how Sanit broke down into tears, sobbing and shaking. Sanit had made mistakes in her life but to punish her by not allowing her to see her infant son was a crime in its own. Elisabete knew she would be devastated if she could not be able to say goodbye to her parents when they died. The look of despair and humiliation in her face made Elisabete shrink as she felt sympathetic towards her. Her heart yearned to give her what she wanted.
"I have no other wish but that, my king." Sanit spoke.
"Then it is settled. You shall gather your belongings you have here and you will be sent to the Bifrost where you are to be banished to Midgard. Maybe you'll meet that betraying man you took to your bed...maybe you'll even let him in it again and provide you with another bastard, if he actually loves you, that is." Loki explained.
"Oh...if I see him, I will stay as far away from him as possible, my king. I know it will please you." Sanit said softly.
"Guards, take her away so that I may never look on her again." Loki announced.
The guards led her out of the room. Elisabete watched as Sanit gave in to their tugs and followed after them. She looked weak and thin, her eyes sunken in, and her hair thin and lacking color. Her body trembled as she held back her sobs as they led her out of the room. Elisabete felt herself reaching out to her, wanting to do something. However, Iona gripped her wrist and placed it back down in her lap.
"It is not wise to do that at this time." Iona whispered.
"What will become of her?" Elisabete inquired.
"She'll be forgotten about as the years go by." Iona replied.
"Will I end up like her?" She asked.
"No. You are nothing like her, Elisabete. You are a good person. She was a demon sent from Hel to inflict pain and torture by spreading her lies and deceit throughout the kingdom. She has gotten what she deserves." Iona explained.
As she listened, Elisabete did not agree with Iona. Elisabete saw a woman madly in love with a man who she would do anything for, even if that meant lying to him. Sanit had only tried her best but made foolish decision that cost her in the end. Elisabete saw the person behind her face. She saw Sanit for who she really was. In that moment, she never once thought of Sanit as the whore she was referred to.
That night, Elisabete was called into Loki's chambers. As she walked there through the maid's quarters, she could not help but hear the comments and whispers about her from the other maids. She furrowed her brow and was shocked at the hateful words they called her. Nonetheless, she held her head up high and entered Loki's room. He was standing out on his balcony and she walked towards him.
Loki was standing by the stone railing, gripping it tightly as he surveyed the night sky. It was a dark purple mixed with a golden hue as the stars shined brightly in the night sky. The moon was larger than it had been in some time and he smiled brightly. His smile quickly vanished when he looked over the rainbow bridge. He could still hear the echoes of Faust crying as they threw him over the edge. His mind was then filled with the image of his corpse floating through the sea, his chains pulling him down until his body lay at the bottom of the sea, rotting away. For a moment, Loki regretted his decision. He wanted the boy back. Whenever he passed by his vacant chambers, he remembered how the boy was drawn to him. Faust was not scared of him, much like how Elisabete was not scared. Neither of them saw the monster he believed himself to be; they saw the man behind the mask. Loki gritted his teeth as he directed his hatred towards himself. Elisabete had been right all along...the boy had no fault in this. Loki wished he could bring him back, but his vast knowledge of magic held no power to bring back the dead. He had to live with his decision, knowing it would haunt him for the rest of his life.
He sighed softly as he felt Elisabete lay her hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her and smiled weakly. Seeing her own smile caused him to turn the rest of his body to face her as he leaned against the railing. He took her hands in his and kissed them while she blushed.
"What were you thinking about?" Elisabete asked.
"I was thinking about..." Loki trailed.
"Yes?" Elisabete inquired.
He took a moment to think of what he could say to her that would please her. She was too pure to be corrupted.
"About how it is finally just you and me here." Loki finished.
Elisabete smiled brightly but it soon faded away as she realized what he said was false.
"That is not true." Elisabete spoke.
"What?" Loki's eyes widened.
"It is not just you and me yet. Loki, I am still married." Elisabete explained.
"Divorce him." Loki scoffed.
"I have stated before that I cannot divorce him. He must request it himself." Elisabete told him.
"Why won't he?" Loki inquired.
"Because he hates me. He hates that you took my virginity, he hates my love for you, and he loathes you. He wants me to suffer more than I already am." Elisabete explained as her voice broke.
Loki took her face into his hands and kissed her forehead as he caressed her cheeks. She sniffled and chuckled as he pulled back. She gazed up into his eyes and loved seeing him smile at her.
"I know how it can really just be us." Loki spoke.
She saw a gleam in his eyes that frightened her as he pulled back from her and walked back into his chambers towards his writing desk. Elisabete quickly followed after him, waiting for him to explain more about the plan he was creating in his mind, his turbulent mind.
"What are thinking of?" Elisabete asked with a straight face.
"I can keep you here all to myself. I can order you your own chambers here so you'll never leave. All I have to do is officially present in court as my mistress. Then, you can stay here all you like." Loki spoke to her, with a wide smile on his face.
"I cannot accept those terms." Elisabete replied dejectedly.
"Why not?" Loki inquired, his face showing no expression.
"My parents are sick. I cannot leave them there. My sisters are still young and need me and Tadeus to be there for them when my parents are gone. Tadeus cannot handle them on his own. And I thought you agreed we would not let anyone know." Elisabete explained meekly.
"Well, everyone knows now, don't they? They heard that bitch call you my mistress. You've told me they have spoken to one another and gossiped about you. You will be protected under me. I will protect you. Why can't you accept this?" Loki angrily responded.
"Because I am not that type of woman, Loki." Elisabete said.
"Then who kissed me when they returned from their sour honeymoon, hmm? Who started this?" Loki asked as he stood from his seat.
"You started this." Elisabete replied.
"Me?" Loki scoffed.
He winced as he could see the rage in her eyes as she inhaled sharply, getting ready to fight back.
"You were the one who confessed your love to me! You started all of this. You came to my home and asserted your right over my own body. This was your doing, not mine!" Elisabete exclaimed.
"Do not put all the blame on me, Elisabete. You are at fault to and you know it! You gave in to me! You made me feel this way." Loki shouted.
"I did not make you feel this way! It was your own thoughts and emotions working together. You made yourself feel the way you do towards me, and I for you. I will not live here as your mistress!" Elisabete yelled.
"Then what do you want to do then, hmm? Work here while all the other maids and servants will call you a whore, a slut, and a bitch to your face!" Loki screamed.
Elisabete gasped in fright as she gripped the back of his chair. She thought for a moment on what to say and bit her lip, trying to hold back her tears as she looked up at Loki.
"Then I quit." Elisabete spoke softly.
"What?" Loki scoffed.
"I quit," Elisabete spoke, finding her voice. "I shall step down as your personal maid and maid to this palace."
"You can't do that." Loki glared at her.
"And why not?" Elisabete inquired.
"Because I will not allow it!" Loki seethed as he gripped her arm.
She pulled her arm out from his grasp as she glared up at him, clenching her jaw tightly, feeling pure hatred towards him in that moment.
"You do cannot order me around anymore because I am not your maid any longer. Good night, my king." Elisabete told him.
She stormed out of the room and Loki gripped the back of his chair, watching her leave. He desperately wanted to go after yet his feet would not move. Before she could open the door, Loki threw the chair across the room and she quickly turned to face him, finally seeing the monster Sanit had described him as.
"So what will you do, Elisabete! Run back to your tiny, irrelevant village and go back to living a bland life with a husband who will not treat you as your wife and to become an orphan very soon! You want to live a destitute life with no future! I can give you everything you'd ever want, everything you'd ever desire. I am offering you a better life. Gods, why will you not accept this!" Loki screamed.
Elisabete cried silently as she stared into Loki's eyes. The two panted heavily, just staring.
"I am sorry, my king, but we are two completely different people. My family comes before all else. My family needs me and I cannot abandon them, they-"
"They do not need you to survive, Elisabete. Your parents will die and your brother can care for your sisters. Do not make an argument out of nothing." Loki interjected.
"When you have a family...a child...you will understand how I feel." Elisabete seethed.
"Well, I can never have one so I'll never know how it'll feel. All my children will die before they can be born because of what I am. Because of this curse I have." Loki explained as his eyes welled with tears.
"I must take my leave." Elisabete gasped.
"Please, Elisabete, do not go. I beg of you, do not leave me." Loki pleaded with her.
"I am sorry, my king, I must go." Elisabete's voice cracked.
Loki ran towards her as she opened the door and she cried out as Loki slammed the door shut with his magic while wrapping his arms around her, pressing her back into his chest. She thrashed at his arms as she sobbed, begging him to let her go. She slowly began to stop when she could hear Loki sobbing, almost hyperventilating, into her shoulder. She leaned into his touch as he rocked her, shaking his head against her skin.
"Please, don't leave me. You're only good thing in my life. Don't go. Please, don't leave me here all alone. I need you, Elisabete, More than anything, I need you." Loki sobbed.
Elisabete shook her head as she cried, putting her head down.
"I love you." Loki whispered.
"And I love you...but I must be on my way. Let me go, Loki. Let me go home. It is late and my husband will not be pleased." Elisabete told him, trying to push down her sobs.
Loki's grip tightened momentarily before he gave in to her demands and released his hold on her. Elisabete inhaled sharply as she nodded her head and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I will always love you, Loki. Good night." Elisabete whispered before leaving the room.
As she walked down the hallway she broke down into sobs as she could hear Loki screaming and throwing objects around the room. She gathered her things from her station and took her leave, walking down the dirt road towards her home thinking about how she would explain to her family that she was out of a job. SHe then entered Edric's home and made her way to the bedroom, finding him in their bed, reading.
"You're early this night. Did the king send you away?" Edric asked.
"He had no duties for me, nor does he have duties for me tomorrow or the day after and the day after that one...and so on." Elisabete replied.
"What are you going on about?" Edric furrowed his brow as he set his book aside.
"I no longer work for my king." Elisabete spoke.
Edric's eyes widened as he look at her, seeing the red puffy eyes, and flushed cheeks and neck.
"Finally." Edric laughed.
Elisabete put her things down and slipped under the covers of the bed. The following morning, Elisabete woke late in the morning with her breakfast sitting on the desk a few feet from the bed. She walked over to it and found a small written note. She smiled weakly as she looked at Edric's messy handwriting. She remembered how he struggled as a youth to learn how to write and read.
Elisabete,
I did not wish to wake you after seeing how distraught you looked last night. I know you loved your job and I am appalled that the king would just throw you out since you were most likely the best maid he had. Nonetheless, I have gone to our church to see if they have any offerings for you. I know you have to support your family and you cannot support two ailing parents and a couple of young girls on a farmer's salary. Eat up and rest this day.
Edric.
Elisabete smiled at his consideration but was not pleased with his choice of going to the church to look for work. There, they spread lies. They blatantly called women who had fun with their lives whores and blasphemous creatures. She desperately tried to be a good person for her church and her family. But, being good cost her so much. She had to grow up faster than those around her, she was looked on as a role model and example of good faith. However, now, everyone in the village knew of the king taking her away and her reputation was destroyed. Despite all of this, Elisabete would never go back on her morals for her opinion of herself was the only one that mattered, and she loved who she was. She would never change who she was to please others.
Back at the palace, Loki had sat at his writing desk all night, being unable to sleep. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy as he stared at the paper in front of him. He had tried writing to Elisabete to beg her to come back yet all he had written was 'Dearest Elisabete'. He couldn't find the right words to explain how he felt towards her. He had lost everything, his mother, his reputation amongst his citizens, Faust, and how Elisabete. All the good things in his life were gone and he couldn't do anything about it.
That morning, he walked down towards the Bifrost and stopped at the edge where Faust had been thrown off. He looked down into the water, gazing at how deep it was. In his life, beforehand, he had contemplated taking his life...and here he was. He wanted to swim in the water and find the boy. He wanted to undo all his wrongs in the world and be the young man he once was, the good man that everyone admired and looked up to. He wanted to be the young man that played tricks and lived life like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately, he could not escape his own thoughts and jealousies as Thor was to be named king. He had resorted to a path of evil and deceit and ruined his reputation for what...a throne? To be a king?
He was taken from his thoughts as Fandral and Volstagg appeared in the corner of his eye. He turned to face them and smiled weakly seeing the concerned looks on their faces.
"We need you at the meeting, Loki." Fandral spoke.
Loki nodded his head and followed after them with his head down. He was once again the broken man they all knew so well.
As the weeks went by, Elisabete had said that Loki had fired her. The townspeople appeared to feel sorry for her, but laughed behind her back seeing that the king's mistress had been cast aside just like Sanit. She hated being compared to Sanit since she was nothing like her. As the nights went by, Elisabete was unable to sleep, hearing distant shouts and soft explosions. She had wondered what was going on until she went to work in the church two weeks after she left.
There, she cleaned the church of its dust, made sure a small book was placed at each pew, lit the ceremonial candles all around the building and brought her priest his breakfast. As she brought him his breakfast this day, her brow furrowed upon seeing two burly men sitting across from the priest. They turned to face her and their faces were scarred and mangled, showing they had seen their share of bad times.
"Oh, Elisabete, please set the tray down here." The priest ordered.
She did as she was told and flinched as the two men chuckled, knowing that they were looking at her like a piece of meat. Once she had finished and got everything ready for the mass, she changed into her best clothes and took her seat next to Tadeus and her sisters. Edric and his family sat front row as they sat in the back. Because of the things they spoke about her, the priest ordered they move to the back so no one could look upon them and be distracted. Tadeus held her hand tightly, not once letting go. He was appalled at how they treated her. Most had known her since she was an infant and loved her very much, but now, because she followed her heart, they ridiculed her and shunned her. She had done no wrong and Tadeus knew they would all surely go to Hel for what they've done.
Sitting in their pew, they listened as the priest gave his mass and then passed the podium over to the two men from before. As they spoke, they preached about all the terrible, and false, things Loki had done to Asgard. They called him a liar, a murderer, and a scoundrel for the things he did in the past. They spoke out about how they did not want a king like that on the throne of Asgard telling them what to do when he is no better than a thief. Many of the other townspeople in the church clapped and cheered, agreeing with them. In a moment of confusion and shock, Elisabete stood from the pew, releasing Tadeus's hand as the men announced that they were going to recruit some of the villagers to help them lead a rebellion against the palace. The whole room clapped and Elisabete stormed out of the church with Tadeus and her sisters following after her. Edric clapped loudly and smiled brightly as he turned his head. When he did not see Elisabete, his smile faded as he looked back up at the two men.
For those two weeks, Loki was an absolute mess. He had lost all sense of reason and was unsure of his decisions. He sat in his meetings with his war advisors making demands he knew he would later regret. He absentmindedly listened as they all spoke to him. It wasn't until they pointed at the large map that Loki was taken from his thoughts and actually listened.
"From an inside source, we have been given information that this town is beginning to rebel. They are recruiting townspeople from all over villages they oppose you to bring their fight here." The first man spoke.
"We see it fit you send in the army to quiet them down." The second spoke.
Loki just stared at the map, seeing it was Elisabete's village. Everyone in the room waited for Loki's reply. As the moments passed, they all looked at one another with concerned glances, not knowing why Loki was so distant from everyone there.
"My king?" The first man asked.
"Loki? Have you heard?" Sif inquired.
"I have." Loki finally replied.
"Then what do you want to do? Attack or leave them?" Fandral asked him.
"Do whatever you can to stop them." Loki spoke.