As she paced down the hall, she couldn't help but sob violently as she went to get her family. However, she was fully processing what had just taken place and she had had enough. She pressed her back against a pillar and slid down the floor as he held Adelina to her body, never wanting to let her go. Her heart was broken and she felt utterly helpless in that moment. She hated herself for believing Loki so blindly. She wished she had questioned him more and stood up for herself and what was right. She would never have fathomed for him to have deceived her in such a brutal and violating way. She felt empty and used. He had killed innocent people in the belief that he would be protecting her. He had gone against everything she wished for not for her protection but his own. She realized he killed and tortured to save himself in the end. The entire time she knew him, he had always been lying to her and because of her good nature and ability to trust, he had ruined her. She hated the fact that Loki kept these secrets from her because he wanted her to remain in the shadows. She truly saw him for what he was. Loki was a deceitful man but she did not hate. She hated herself for having ever fallen for him. His feelings for her seemed genuine in her eyes and she could not help herself.
Elisabete had been blinded by the lavish lifestyle at court that she believed she herself did not want to know the sick truths Loki was hiding from her. She thought this was why she easily backed down from him when he would get angry with her prying into his personal business. She knew there was something horrible lingering within but pushed that thought into the back of her, not wanting to know about it. He threw all the gifts, parties, clothes, and jewelry in her face to distract her. She realized that his love for her had been the ultimate distraction. His kisses to her lips were nothing but a mere diversion. He used her feelings for him against her. She heard him reply that his love had always been true, but she didn't know what to believe anymore. And now, here she was, the queen of Asgard who had everything she could ever want here, but that was all coming to an end. She could hear the rioters outside getting closer and closer with every second that went by. An attack was imminent and she knew she had to leave.
Although she was upset with Loki, she loved Adelina. Despite having him as her father, she loved her no less than the days before and she knew she would love the next child she would birth by him. However, she knew they couldn't live a proper life if they did not get out of the palace quick enough. She willed her body to stand but a part of her told her to stay. She preferred this life in the palace as the queen, having everything at her fingertips and she was unsure if she wanted to go back to a life of a peasant. Her silly desire for the vanities here at court had ruined her. Before any of this, she remembered how she would daydream of wearing the finest clothes and jewelry the palace had to offer by wrapping blankets around her waist and twirling about while she used a bowl as her crown. Now that she had it, it wasn't as fun to pretend anymore. But she knew if she stayed she and her family would be killed. Elisabete calmed herself down and took a deep breath before telling herself she had to go back to her life in the village and live out her final days with her family that truly loved and appreciated her. She enjoyed her life as queen but all good things must come to an end. She had lived the dream and it was time for her to wake up.
Just as she was standing up, she saw Thor and Sif rush towards her down the hall.
"Stay away from me!" She yelled at them.
"We mean no harm." Sif spoke to her.
"I do not care. Leave me alone." Elisabete told the two.
She cowered in fear as Thor stood before her. He smiled down at her and his softness towards her confused Elisabete. This man was the same man she was told to hate. This was the same man that slept with Sanit, the woman Loki had once loved. This man was the same man she was told abandoned and betrayed his people. She believed he would be mean and horrible to the people around him, but he was smiling at her.
"I must talk to you very quickly. But what is your name?" He asked.
"Elisabete." She replied.
"And the girl?" He inquired.
"Adelina. His daughter." Elisabete told him, whispering 'his'.
"A rebellion is soon to take place here in these very halls. The rioters outside will soon enter and destroy the place wanting both your and Loki's head. They want justice for what Loki has done, but I can see that you are innocent in all of this and you appear to be a very respectable and kind woman. I am sorry that Loki has deceived you just as he has done to everyone in this realm. I urge you to go pack your things and escape with any other relative you might have here. I arranged for a few guards whom I trust to take you and whoever accompanies you back to wherever it is you state. They are in the stables." Thor explained to her.
"You must go quickly though. I believe Heimdall and Odin are finishing their speeches." Sif stated.
"Why are you doing this for us?" Elisabete inquired.
"Because after everything he's put you through, you deserve much better. Now go. I would have loved to have gotten to know my sister-in-law and niece better, but I think I will be able to do so in time." Thor told her, smiling brightly as he looked down at Adelina for a moment.
"What will happen to Loki?" She asked.
"Why do you care?" Sif retorted.
"I don't." Elisabete scoffed.
"The rioters will find him and bring him to the throne room where he will be tried for treason by Odin and I. He will be found guilty and be executed. That is a given in his case." Thor replied.
Knowing he would be executed left a hole in her heart. She could not imagine him dead, not after everything she had shared with him.
"Go now. I will ensure that no one will come after you after his trial. In fact, when this whole mess is cleared up, I may even invite you and your family back to court. Besides, you are all innocent in this by being misled." Thor told her.
Elisabete nodded her head and quickly made her way to Tadeus' chamber. She knocked on the door rapidly until he opened it with a glare on his face. However, once he saw Elisabete at his door looking distressed, he ushered her inside and shut the door behind her.
"Elisabete, what's happened?" He inquired.
"Everything. Loki's a liar. He used my love for him against me and he's lied to us all." She confessed, sobbing.
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
"Thor returned with Odin. He isn't dead and he never was. Loki banished Odin, killed a guard, and used his magic on him to make him look like Odin. Then, he lied saying Thor betrayed us. That never happened. Thor left willingly." Elisabete rambled on.
"Calm down," Tadeus told her. "Is this true?"
"Yes! It's all true! And that's not even the worst part." Elisabete gasped.
Seeing how troubled she was, Tadeus took Adelina into his arms and did his best to calm her down as Elisabete paced before him.
"What else has he done?" He inquired.
"He killed Edric. He had him brought here to the palace...that's why his ring was there! He knocked it off of his body when he beat him!" Elisabete spoke, putting her hand on her chest feeling her heart beat rapidly.
"Why would he do that?" He asked.
"That's not all. Do you want to know the worst thing? He did not send Faust to live in the city." She cried.
"Where did he send him then?" Tadeus asked, not really wishing to know the answer.
"He didn't send him anywhere! He had the boy killed! He had two guards push him off the rainbow bridge to drown to death! He killed an innocent child!" Elisabete exclaimed.
At this point her body was trembling as several thoughts ran through her mind.
"Who told you this?" Tadeus gasped.
"Loki did. Once they were prying him, he confessed everything. And I left him. Now, Thor has told me that we must leave the palace for the rioters are about to raid the place." Elisabete replied.
"How?" He scoffed.
"He has two guards waiting for us in the stables to help send us off anywhere we choose. All we have to do is gather our belongings and hurry there without anyone seeing us." She explained to him.
"Let us go get the others then." Tadeus stated.
They rushed towards their parents' chambers and by the time they reached their door, they could hear faint shouting in the distance.
"We have to hurry." Tadeus whispered.
They entered their room and Tadeus explained to them that they must leave, not going into detail to save them time. They all helped pack their things and soon enough, Ugo entered the rooms.
"What are you doing here?" Elisabete asked.
"I'm here to help you. I know the ins and outs of this palace better than you do. I can escort you to the stables." Ugo told her.
"How far into the palace are the rioters?" Tadeus questioned him.
"Not too far but soon enough this place will be filled with them. We must go now." Ugo told them.
All seven of them headed out into the hallways and made their way to the stables without being noticed. Whenever she heard a loud scream or a crash, Elisabete would jump as she gripped Adelina tighter to her body.
Loki had picked himself up off the floor of his chambers and knew what was going to happen as soon as Thor and Sif walked out on him. He knew that if the rioters entered the palace, his chambers would be the first place they looked. He wiped his face of his tears and willed himself to leave his chambers. If he still wanted to have a chance at making Elisabete see his point of view and get her to stay with him, he had to survive through the attack. He then rushed down the halls to his library. He locked himself inside and knew it was the best place to be. He specifically had it organized so that there were no windows as to decrease the amount of distractions he might have when he was reading. The room was lined with bookshelves and it was easy for him to hide in it. As the minutes went by, he was actually impressed with how quickly the rioters stormed into the building as they made their progress through the palace.
The rioters split into groups to search the palace for Lok, or any sign of him. In their eyes, all they wanted was justice. They did not want to wait for a trial. They just wanted him dead and for it to be by their own hands. They destroyed almost every room they could find, going out of their way to utterly destroy his chambers. The men and women stormed his rooms, ripped and set ablaze his and Elisabete's clothes. They all wanted the palace to burn to the ground since it had been tainted by his lies. Some found their way to the armory and found even more weapons to use. In the armory, a few men found a strange lock they hadn't seen before with a foreign language on it they did not know how to decipher. Despite its different appearance, they decided to take it with them in case it came in handy. The rioters completed turned the palace on its head. Everything was being destroyed and pillaged. As Thor waited with Odin safely away from the riot, he could not help but feel terrible that he could not keep them from ruining his home. Although, as he watched it all happen, he knew it was for the best since the palace needed to be re-born again after Loki had his hands on it.
Loki hid himself in the library, using a spell to cloak himself from anyone that may enter. As he sat there listening to the destruction happening around him, he prayed to any god that could hear him to keep Elisabete, her family, and his daughter safe from any harm. Thinking about her, he remembered she told him she was with child again and for a moment, he was happy. A quick smile formed on his lips before he knew that he would most likely never see that child in his lifetime. He hated himself more than ever and, now, was lost as to why he would lie to her. He had told himself time and time again it was to keep her from discovering the truth about who he was but now that he thought about, he realized he kept the truth from her because he was a coward. He didn't want to own up to his mistakes. He knew he should have just listened to Elisabete's wishes by sending Faust to the city to live with a family and to leave Edric alone. But, his jealousies got in the way and he had seen red. He thought he was behind all that and beat himself over it. He didn't kill Faust because he could one day be heir; he did it to get back at his brother. And he didn't kill Edric because he loved Elisabete; he killed him because he felt inferior. She had said yes to another man before saying yes to him and it made his skin crawl knowing that that man was still alive. He killed because he truly was a monster, yet he never owned up to it. He was too afraid to show who he really was to Elisabete and it cost him in the end. He lost everything because he couldn't be honest with himself. But now he would do anything to have Elisabete back. His love for her was the only true and pure thing in his life. She made him happy and made him feel wanted. She gave him purpose and understood who he was. Before all this, she didn't judge him. She loved him despite what he'd done and what had happened to him in the past. She was his ray of hope and he threw it all away because he didn't want people to see him as what they already believed him to be. He tried desperately to win back their truth and to make them view him as something he was not. As he sat in that room, he cried silently knowing that no matter how much he wanted her back, he could never make amends with her. She would hate him for the rest of her life and he accepted it in his heart.
He quickly jumped to his feet when he heard the doors open. He listened to their heavy footsteps and realized that it was a group of protestors. He could hear them talking amongst themselves. Soon enough, he caught a quick glimpse of them as they surveyed the room.
"Surely he would be here if not in his chambers." One man scoffed.
"He couldn't have gotten far. He's here." Another spoke.
"This is his prized library no?" A third asked.
A few others agreed and the third man smirked defiantly.
"Then I shall show him my appreciation." The third replied.
Loki furrowed his brow and although he was cloaked with his magic, still hid himself, not wishing to know what the man was going to do to his books. Moments later, the men exited laughing and slammed the door shut. The third man held the strange lock and stopped in his tracks, examining it carefully before placing it on the handles of the library's doors. His eyes widened as he saw it quickly move on its own to cover the handles and latching onto them tightly. He then watched as it illuminated green, using a type of magic he'd never seen before to lock the doors in place. The man testing it by trying to open the doors and cried out as the magic burned his hand. In his rage, he spit on the door and went on his way.
Loki let out a sigh of relief as they left and uncloaked himself. He went to leave from his hiding spot behind one of the bookshelves and his eyes widened seeing that they had set fire to several of his books on a shelf and the fire was spreading rapidly. He paced towards the door and gripped the handles tightly. Before he could do anything, he heard the lock click and furrowed his brow. He pushed the handles forward and scoffed when they would not budge. He then kicked at the door and nothing happened. After a few more kicks and shoves, he realized that the door would not open and he used his magic to try and unlock it. However, he then realized that his magic was failing. No spell he knew of would open the door and his heart beat faster as the panic began to set in. He turned around and saw that the bookshelf was now engulfed in flames and began to move onto the next one. Loki, not caring if any rioters heard him, began banging on the door and crying out for help. He didn't want to die like this. Being burned alive was something he had always been frightened of, and knowing about his Jotun heritage, it quickly became a great fear of his. He would rather die on the chopping block than be burnt alive. He tried to put the fire out by pulling on the curtains on the wall that were there for decoration to fan the flames away, but it only made it worse. He watched as the flames ate away at his books and the paintings and tapestries along the walls. He ran back towards the door and screamed for help. In a matter of minutes, smoke was beginning to fill the room and the temperature increased, making him extremely uncomfortable. He remembered the torture Thanos put him through once he found out he was Jotun. He was kept in a cell that Thanos blasted heat into. In the room, he could already start to feel the heat surround him as his body trembled as he began beating down the door with no luck. In that moment, he knew he was going to die like this and he was truly scared.
Elisabete held Adelina to her tightly as she pressed her back against the wall as Tadeus made sure the coast was clear.
"They haven't come through here yet. They've just started rioting." Tadeus whispered.
He motioned for them to follow and they hurriedly paced down the hall to get to the stables. As they were turning another corner, Elisabete furrowed her brow upon seeing Ugo standing in front of them.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"I'm here to help you and your family get out of here." Ugo replied.
She smiled weakly and nodded her head as he held his hand out to her. He made sure to lead them down hallways that were untouched by the rioters, but, as they passed down one hallway, it was evident that the rioters were close to them and they could potentially be seen at any moment. Ugo led the family and Elisabete was trailing behind them. Having Adelina in her arms made it harder for her to run as fast as them. However, as she paced down the hall, she realized which rooms were here and she couldn't help but look at the doors of Loki's library, remembering how they were together the week after her wedding night. As she looked at it, she stopped in her tracks seeing the smoke from under the door. Her eyes widened and she somehow felt sorry for Loki, knowing he had worked hard to collect all the books in there and to know they would be ruined by the flames hurt her. She remembered how she'd dust them and sometimes even peek inside a few to read if she finished her task early. She then quickly noticed the lock on the door and the magic engulfing it. Before she could say anything, Tadeus gripped her arm.
"What are you doing? We must keep moving." He told her.
"But, the library is on fire. It's a shame." She spoke softly.
"Why do you care what happens to his library?" Tadeus scoffed.
Ugo stepped towards them and looked at the door seeing the strange lock as well. Elisabete quickly glanced at the door and saw a faint shadow of movement and her breath hitched in her throat.
"Someone's in there." She whispered.
Ugo furrowed his brow and looked at the door, seeing the movement as well. In Elisabete's mind, she found herself praying that it was not Loki in there.
"Who cares! We must go!" Tadeus exclaimed softly.
"I cannot leave someone to die when I know they are there!" Elisabete huffed.
She looked back at her family and then down at Adelina. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before kissing Adelina's head and telling her how much she loved her.
"Tadeus, take Adelina and the others to the stables." She told him.
"What?" Tadeus gasped.
"Ugo, will you help me open this door?" Elisabete inquired.
"You cannot be serious! You will die if you do not come with us. The rioters will find you and have your head." Tadeus protested.
"Tadeus, do as I say. Take her and the others to the stables and find your way to Iona's home. She has agreed to harbor you all if something like this happened. Go now." Elisabete explained.
She handed Adelina to him and he took her in his arms, hushing her as she began to fuss. Ugo stepped forward and nodded his head at Elisabete.
"We love you." Tadeus whispered.
"And I love you all," Elisabete whispered back. "Leave now."
She watched with tears in her eyes as they made their way down the hall until she couldn't see them anymore. She then directed her attention towards the door and then up at Ugo.
"Do you know what this is?" She inquired.
"It seems to be some type of magic. Nothing I haven't seen before. It'll take some time for me to find the right spell to cast it away. But, I'll try and be fast before anyone finds us here." Ugo explained to her.
For several moments, Ugo did as much as he could, but the magic would not disappear. Soon after, he grew frustrated and banged on the door. The two stood shocked, staring at the door when they heard someone banging back on the door.
"Please help me! Get me out of here!" A hoarse voice called out.
"We're doing everything we can right now! Just hold on!" Elisabete exclaimed.
"Please! Help me! Oh, gods! I don't want to die!" The voice cried.
"You will not die! We will get you out!" Ugo told the person.
Elisabete cried silently as she could hear crashing and screams of joy and amusement as the protesters ransacked the palace. Ugo muttered a few spells and grew agitated that nothing was working. He looked at the lock and began reading its inscription as Elisabete grew restless. As she cried, she hated herself for hoping that Loki was not behind those doors. She couldn't believe herself for wanting him to be safe when she knew he deserved what was coming to him. Finally, Ugo muttered a spell and the magic was cast aside as the lock fell off. Throughout the whole ordeal, the person behind the door had been banging and fussing about with the handle that once the lock fell off, the doors opened and the body fell forward onto the floor. Elisabete gasped as she covered her mouth, seeing the destruction of the library. Almost everything was burnt and destroyed. Ugo quickly pushed Elisabete away so the flames would not spread towards her. He then gripped the person's jacket and pulled them out of the room away from the fire. The two of them knelt down by him and could not identify him. His clothes were burnt off in some places, parts of his skin were exposed and bleeding or blistering from the fire, and his hair was filled with ash. As Ugo turned him over, Elisabete burst into tears, sobbing violently as she shook her head. Ugo did not understand here reaction until he truly examined the man's face, seeing that it was Loki, but the skin of his face was peeling on his cheeks, nose, and forehead as the rest was covered in ash. His breathing was shallow. He slowly opened his eyes and his vision was blurry as he tried to make out the two people hovering above him. He reached his hand out towards what he thought was an angel and smiled weakly. Elisabete saw him reach out towards her and could see that his hand was scarred with burns and mangled. She felt like she was going to be sick and forced it down as she looked over his face, the face she once loved so dearly. To see him in such a state like this made her feel bad for him.
"Why are you crying?" Ugo inquired.
"Because I'm angry." She replied.
"You have every right to be. He lied to you and to us all about how he came to power. He killed-"
"I am not angry with him!" Elisabete sobbed. "I am angry with myself for believing him!"
"Don't beat yourself over this. You didn't know." Ugo spoke softly.
"But I should have! As queen of Asgard, I should have known everything that was going on and I didn't. I should have asked questions and been more assertive towards Loki, but because I loved him with every fiber of my being and soul, I just followed him. I was the fool, not him. He doesn't deserve this!" Elisabete snapped, not even realizing what she was saying.
"Calm down, Elisabete." Ugo said.
"I feel so helpless seeing him like this. I want to hate him, ugo, I really do. I want to hate him with my guts...but I can't." She sobbed, breaking down.
Ugo took her hand in his and squeezed it as she let out all the emotions she was trying to desperately hold in.
"I hate him for what he's done but I don't hate him for who he is. I hate that I still see him as a good man. I hate what he has done to me and to everyone else around him. But most of all...I hate that I still love him." She continued to explain, heaving with every breath.
Loki blinked a few times and his vision began to clear up, but not entirely. His ears were ringing and all he could make out were muffled sounds. When he looked back up at the figures, he smiled brightly.
As she looked down at him, she could see his smile and furrowed her brow. Just looking at his face made her hate herself even more when she thought that his beautiful face would now be disfigured. She hated herself for feeling bad for him.
"Mother?" He asked hoarsely.
Hearing him speak, Elisabete wept as Ugo tried to calm her down. She could not believe he thought her to be his mother. She could not believe he thought he was dead and that he appeared happy to be thinking that. She hated herself for thinking he did not deserve to die.
"We must get him to the healers. After that, you are free to leave with your family." Ugo told her.
She nodded her head and the two very carefully picked Loki up into their arms. Before she could say anything, she watched as Ugo teleported them into the healing rooms, specifically Eir's private rooms, where she handled patients that were of a higher class. They set him down on the bed and Eir rushed towards them. Elisabete's chest heaved as she sat down in the seat next to the bed. Ugo rushed to fix her a glass of water as Eir examined Loki's body.
"How long has he been in this fire?" She inquired.
"I don't know." Elisabete replied.
Ugo returned with the water and watched as she drank it all.
"You are free to go now. Do you want me to send you to the stables to meet with your family?" Ugo asked her.
She looked up at him and then turned to look over at Eir and Loki. SHe watched as she cut up his clothes, exposing the rest of his body, and she felt so helpless seeing him distressed. He winced and cried out in pain as Eir touched his wounds, checking them to see how severe they were. She could see his tears wash away the ash and blood from his face. His hands gripped the sheets tightly as he arched his back while Eir administered an ointment onto his skin. He screamed on the top of his lungs and she remembered the stories he told her of his torture and abuse. She listened to him scream and realized this is what it must have been like for him. However, when he was there, he had no one by his side to comfort him. No matter how much she willed herself to hate him, she could not do so. She let out a deep breath before looking back up at Ugo and smiling weakly.
"As much as I would like that...a queen must stay by her king's side." She replied.