When the two awoke, it was the next day. As Loki stretched, a maid arrived with their measly breakfast and he rushed towards her.
"Please, I ask of you to do me a favor and get us a healer to look after my wife. She has bled badly for several minutes yesterday and she needs attention." Loki whispered.
The maid nodded her head and exited the cell, walking back down the hallway. As Loki sat down to eat his breakfast, a few guards entered the cell and his eyes widened as they came stalking towards him. Elisabete furrowed her brow at their entrance and cowered seeing the menacing look on their faces.
"You think asking a maid to get help will do you any good?" The first guard asked.
"My wife needs help. She was bleeding for a long time yesterday. She's pregnant." Loki explained.
"Why should we care what happens to your wife? She's just a prisoner...and maybe we should treat the disgraced queen of Asgard as a prisoner." The second told them, turning to face the first guard with a smirk on his face.
Loki quickly stood from his seat and went rushing towards Elisabete only to have the first guard wrap his arms around his body from behind. He struggled in the guard's grasp and watched as Elisabete cowered on the bed as the second guard advanced towards her.
"Leave her alone! Don't you dare touch her!" Loki yelled.
"Why should we do as you say? We don't take orders from you." The first guard whispered in his ear.
Loki panted heavily as he did his best to escape his grip. However, the tight hold he had on his body made his arms dig into his wounds and he was trying to hide the pain as he focused on Elisabete.
She moved back from the second guard and panicked as her back hit the wall. She froze in place as she kept her eyes on the man's. She knew she should have run, but where? She had nowhere else to go. She jumped as he climbed onto the bed and moved closer to her. She shut her eyes and held her breath as he placed his hands at either side of her. She wanted to vomit as she felt his breath on her neck, but it wasn't until he licked up the curve of her neck to her jaw that she allowed the tears to fall.
"Get off of her! You have no right to touch her like that!" Loki shouted.
The second guard then smacked Elisabete across the face and she cried out in pain.
"Stop it!" Loki yelled.
And again, the guard hit Elisabete. She wailed as she put her hands over her face.
"If you keep interrupting me, I'm going to do far worse to her!" The second guard exclaimed angrily.
Loki looked down at Elisabete and saw blood pool in the corner of her mouth. When she opened her eyes, she saw the guard unsheath his dagger from his hip and she panted heavily, not knowing what he was going to do. Loki wanted to scream at the man to stop but didn't want him to hurt Elisabete anymore. The guard placed the dagger right at her belly and she began to panic.
"To save you the trouble of getting a healer, why don't I take care of your problem for you?" The guard chuckled.
Elisabete shook her head as she stifled her cries. He then ran the tip of the dagger up her body and placed it underneath her chin, laying it flat against the skin to raise her head up to look at him. She kept her eyes on his and tried to steady her breathing as she watched Loki in the corner of her eye struggle against the other guard to get to her. He then put his dagger back into his belt and scoffed as he stood from the bed.
"She's no fun. I want to see the fear." The second guard huffed.
"Hold him down. I can get some fear out of her." The first one replied.
Loki thrashed at the second guard as he wrapped his arms around him, purposefully digging his nails into his skin, causing him to grunt in pain. Elisabete's eyes widened as blood began to stain the bandages where the guard's fingers were. She then turned her attention to the first guard as he walked up towards her and jumped on the bed. He quickly gripped her wrists and pinned them down, causing her to struggle.
"Mmm. I like it when you struggle. I've always wanted to be this close to the king's whore. You know, that other one...Sanit was it? She was a beauty. I remember going to bed and envisioning her in there with me and we'd go to town on each other. I'd heard of the dirty things she and him would do to each other in the night. Now, I wonder if you're anything like her?" The first guard told her as he hovered above her.
She shook her head and kicked at him. She cried out for him to stop as he pressed himself against her through his trousers. As he looked down at her, he saw the blood and moved back a little with his brow furrowed.
"Is it your monthly bleeding? Well...that doesn't bother me." The man chuckled.
He began moving against her through the fabric of his trousers and Elisabete burst into tears, begging for him to stop.
"If you've fucked him, you must like this." The man laughed.
"Let her go! Stop this!" Loki yelled.
The first man then gripped Elisabete's throat and began choking her. She gripped his arm with one hand as the other pushed against his chest.
"What did we say if you spoke up?" The first laughed, keeping his gaze on Elisabete.
In the blink of an eye, Elisabete gasped as she saw Loki jump on the man, somehow escaping the other's grip. He wrapped his arms around his neck and tackled him to the ground. The second guard rushed towards them and stopped in his tracks once Loki rushed towards Elisabete, sat on the bed in front of her, and pointed the first guard's dagger at the both of them.
"You get out and leave us alone right now. You will get us a healer and that is final." Loki seethed.
The two guards quickly left the cell and ran down the hall. Once they were out of sight, he placed the dagger on the nightstand. As soon as he turned to face her, his eyes widened as she threw herself at him, sobbing into his chest. He cradled her head to him and held her like his life depended on it. He laid his cheek against her head and hushed her, trying to calm her down. But before he could say anything, Elisabete pushed him away and moved back against the headboard. He reached his hand towards her and furrowed his brow as she shook her head.
"Get away from me." She cried.
"Elisabete, please, I just want to comfort you. What they did was-"
"I don't care! They only did what they did because of you! This is your fault, Loki. If I hadn't been tied to you in such a way, they would have left me alone! This is your fault and no one else's!" She yelled at him.
"Elisabete, let me just-"
"No! Get away from me! I don't want to look at you right now." She sobbed.
"I just-"
"I said get away from me! Don't touch me!" She screamed at him.
Loki quickly jumped off the bed and watched as she curled into a ball and wept into the pillow. He slowly back away from her and began to cry as he felt so helpless. She was right. Everything had been his fault. He seated himself on the lounge chair and just listened to her cry.
As the hours passed them by, she was still crying when Eir finally arrived at the cell. She rushed inside and was about to go check up on Elisabete when she noticed that Loki's bandage on his chest was bleeding. She walked over to him and smiled weakly while carefully reaching out towards him.
"Let me look at your wound." Eir spoke.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. She needs your attention." Loki told her.
"You're bleeding. Let me quickly fix-"
"I said I do not require your assistance! Go help her!" Loki exclaimed angrily.
Eir stood up straight and nodded her head as she walked over to Elisabete. She sat down next to her and noticed the blood on the sheets.
"What's the matter?" Eir asked softly.
"She was bleeding for several minutes." Loki replied.
Eir looked over at him and sighed when he kept his gaze out towards the hallway. She then looked back at Elisabete and began her examination. She used her seidr on her to check on the baby. Upon checking on the baby, she too noticed the strange protection around it but was luckily able to see through it. After a few minutes, she smiled and ran her hands through Elisabete's hair, trying to soothe her in the state she was in.
"The baby is alright." Eir announced.
"How?" Loki gasped, turning to face them.
"The baby was just distressed. But I see no problems. Besides, we still do not know how these pregnancies go with you being a Jotun." Eir explained.
"So everything is alright with her and the baby?" Loki asked.
"Yes. She is still pregnant. Can I attend to you now?" Eir replied.
Loki nodded his head and once she had finished, she exited the cell and went back to the healing rooms. He remained on the lounge chair as he listened to Elisabete quietly weep into the sheets. For a second, he looked over at her and his eyes then fell upon the dagger on the nightstand. He stared at it for a few moments before turning away. He couldn't do it. However, he inhaled deeply and looked over at it once again, furrowing his brow when he did not see the dagger. He then quickly gazed over at Elisabete and noticed that she was barely moving and he couldn't register her breathing. He stood from the chair in a panic and rushed towards her. He gripped her wrists tightly and fought with her as she thrashed at him, not letting go of the dagger. He squeezed her wrists as tight as possible to make her drop the dagger, but she wouldn't budge.
"Let me go!" She exclaimed.
"No, I'm not letting you hurt yourself! Drop the dagger!" Loki shouted.
"No! I want it gone!" Elisabete cried.
"I know you want what happened to be out of your head but this isn't the answer." Loki told her.
"No, Loki! I want it gone!" She wailed.
His eyes widened as he registered what she said and he let go of her hands, not wanting to touch her any longer. He watched as her chest heaved with every breath and sob she made. She shook her head and leaned forward, laying her hand on the mattress as she sat knelt down on the bed.
"Why? Why would you want our baby dead?" He questioned her, his voice soft like a child's.
"Knowing what you have done, I don't want to bring this child into the world knowing that you will be its father. I want it dead to spite you! I was hoping I was having a miscarriage, Loki. I wanted it dead so you would hurt even more And it won't even matter because it's going to die when they chop off my head." She explained to him.
Loki was taken aback by her words. He had never known, or seen, Elisabete to be this hateful towards another person, although he knew he deserved her hate. He flinched as she threw the dagger across the room and sat on the edge of the bed next to her as she cried into her hands. She slowly turned her head to look up at him.
"I want to hurt you." She whispered.
"You will. Don't worry." Loki whispered back.
He smiled weakly as she crawled towards him and laid her head in his lap. He took the liberty of running his hand through her hair and sighed with relief when she didn't pull away.
"I want to hurt you the same way you've hurt me." She told him.
"There will come a time when you will. I haven't forgotten our promise for you to hit me when I'm healed." Loki spoke.
He felt his spirits be lifted when he heard Elisabete chuckle softly before wiping at her nose.
"I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I know you don't want to hear it. I did it because I was a coward. I vow to you that from now on, I will be honest with you. I promise to never lie to you as long as I will continue to live...even though that time frame will soon be shortened." Loki told her.
He looked down at Elisabete as she laid on her back, gazing up at him. He grinned upon seeing her face and hated the open cut on her bottom lip. He ran his finger over her lips as the two kept their eyes on each other. Before he could say anything, he watched as Elisabete took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. She smiled weakly and he felt his heart ache since he was not able to tell if the smile was genuine or forced.
The following morning, Loki awoke from his sleep on the lounge chair just as Elisabete was waking up on the bed. They were expecting breakfast but were met with Odin and Thor standing in front of their cell with a few guards behind them. Loki made his way to Elisabete and helped her off the bed and they walked towards the barrier. Thor looked over at Elisabete and was taken aback by her appearance. She had only been in the cell for two days and she looked like she had been there for years.
"We are ready for your trial." Odin announced.
"Now?" Loki asked.
"Yes, now. We have come to escort you to the throne room where you will be tried for treason." Odin replied.
He cast down the barrier and Loki and Elisabete stepped down towards them. Each were taken by a guard and all four of them made their way through the halls of the palace. Some places were still ruined yet others had been cleaned up. The walk to the throne room seemed to take forever. Elisabete's feet dragged along the stone of the floor. She didn't have the energy to deal with this today. She had too many other thoughts going through her mind to focus on her argument.
Once they entered the throne room, Elisabete watched as all eyes turned on them. She looked over the faces of several of the court members she conversed with. She remembered all of their faces, having always seen them at parties and other festivities. They were all glaring at her and Loki. She felt horrible and also felt that she let everyone down. If she had known the truth, she could have warned them all. She could have done something to help. As she stepped onto her platform, she spotted Ugo sitting very close beside her. She placed her hands on the podium before her and smiled weakly at him, earning a smile in return. She then turned her head to the side to see Loki taking his place beside her. Not once did he look at her. He couldn't bring himself to do so.
Odin took his seat in front of them with Thor standing at his side. Elisabete felt sick as she looked around the room, seeing everyone's eyes on her. Odin banged his staff into the ground and it signaled the start of the trial.
"Loki Laufeyson and Elisabete Ranvirdottir, you are both accused of committing treason against Asgard. You have betrayed your people with your lies and tricks and today we will see what we see fit should happen to the both of you after your explanations. First, I would like to hear from Loki." Odin announced.
Loki took a deep breath and stood up straight as he licked his lips before speaking.
"Allfather, I know everyone here is aware of what I have done in the past and I have no excuse for it. But, what I have done in these past four years, I regret it all. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not Elisabete. I have done unspeakable things to others and I wish I could go back and re-do it all. I know I must pay for what I've done and I did it all because I was a coward...because I was afraid over something so small. I just wanted to regain the truth of my people. I have strived to do that during my reign as king. It was the only thing I cared about when I was ruling and that was helping everyone around me to...to...I guess to redeem myself in some way. Now, I know that what I've done can never forgiven but all I can say now is that Elisabete has no fault in this. I misled her and she has done no wrong. It is my fault she is in this mess with me. I beg with you to spare her when it comes time to make your decision." Loki explained to him.
Odin bowed his head and then turned to look at Elisabete.
"My lady...what do you have to this?" Odin inquired.
"Allfather, I started here as Loki's personal maid. My family and I swore our loyalty to him by signing an oath he sent around to the villages and cities. Now that I think about it, we only signed it because we were just lowly citizens who needed someone to follow, no matter who they were. But as I worked there, things in Asgard were better. He truly helped to make it what it is today," Elisabete explained to Odin. "But he made it what it is by his lies and deceit. He told us you died and Thor abandoned us and he was the only one left to rule. In the beginning and during my marriage to him, I was an idiot. I was blind and couldn't see past him at all. I just believed him because I trusted him to be sure he was doing what was right. He always told me he could never lie to me. He never said he would though, just that he couldn't. I loved him so much I birthed him a daughter and it almost killed me. Thinking back to that, I don't understand why I could have ever let it get that far. I was naive I was willing to die for this man. The same man that had lied not only to me throughout the four years I've known him, but to everyone in this room as well as the entire realm. I stand here today before you and everyone stronger than I ever was. I have learned and educated myself. I am not the same girl I once was. I was just a stupid girl who loved a man so much I couldn't will myself to see the true man he was. However, I do not wish to beg to you to spare my life. I will accept whatever decision you see fit for me. The reason I stand here today by his side, and as his wife, is because I am still the queen until you say I am not and I will stand up for my realm as its queen to ensure he gets what he deserves."
Odin could not help the smile that formed on his face. He admired her, and this was his first real conversation with her. Nonetheless, he cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes.
"And what do you think he deserves, Elisabete?" Odin questioned her.
"Everyone in this realm believes he deserves to die. But that simply isn't the answer to this. He deserves to live." Elisabete replied.
Upon her reply, there was uproar in the crowd as Loki finally looked at her with his eyes wide. Odin had quieted the room down and furrowed his brow as he looked down at Elisabete.
"Why?" He chuckled.
"Please, Elisabete, I know what I deserve and that is death. I have wronged everyone on this realm and I regret everything. I deserve to die for what I've done!" Loki told her.
She snapped her head in his direction and laughed loudly, shaking her head before turning back to look up at Odin with a possessed look on her face.
"No, he doesn't! What he truly deserves is to live out the rest of his life in misery and suffering for what he's done. He'll have to live out the rest of his life with the memories of the crimes he's committed against this beautiful realm. Killing him would be too easy a punishment. I promise you allfather I can make his life a living hell if you were to spare him. I know ways of doing so. I know him better than any other person. I know his weaknesses and his fears. Do not kill him. It would be far too easy for him. Do not buy into what he wants." Elisabete explained to him.
Odin narrowed his eyes as he thought about what to say. As much as he admired her, she was still attached to him and wanted to give the people what they wanted. He hated what he was going to say but knew it had to be done to satisfy his people.
"I have come to a decision." Odin announced.
He stood from his seat and Elisabete and Loki gave him his full attention as they held their breaths.
"Tomorrow, mid-day, I declare that both of you be executed in the courtyard. Elisabete will be first and Loki will be second. This is my decision." Odin spoke loudly.
Loki broke down into sobs as Elisabete remained calm and collected, not once batting an eye. In her mind, she always thought the idea of death and dying would scare her, but she somehow felt free knowing she would dead tomorrow. The entire room cheered and shouted hateful comments at them. She turned to look at Loki and felt her heart ache seeing him fall to his knees, heaving violently as he wailed. He resembled a child in her eyes and she took a deep breath as she looked back up at Odin. Before he could bang his staff into the ground, everyone heard someone call out above the chattering noise.
"Wait!"
Elisabete was shocked to see Ugo stand from his seat and walk towards her podium.
"Allfather, may I please intervene for Elisabete's sake?" He asked.
Odin furrowed his brow and scoffed as he stared at him. Thor pulled his father aside and whispered in his ear.
"Let him speak. You and I both know Elisabete does not deserve to die."
Odin sighed and gestured for Thor to step away. He walked up towards Ugo and squinted, trying to get a better look at him. There was something about his face that felt familiar to Odin.
"I swear it will not take long." Ugo stated.
"Ugo, please, you don't have to do this." Elisabete sighed.
"I have to. This is all wrong." Ugo told her.
Loki looked over at Ugo with a confused gaze as he willed himself to stand.
"Alright. I grant you the floor." Odin stated.
There was another uproar from the crowd, calling Ugo to sit back down. Odin made them cease their yells and shouts and motioned for Ugo to start speaking.
"I fear I have not been completely honest with everyone here, especially Elisabete." Ugo began.
"And why is that?" Odin inquired.
"My name is not Ugo. It never was. And you, Odin, never knew who I was because your father thought me dead for so long." Ugo told him.
"What are you going on about?" Odin questioned him, growing hostile at the mention of his father.
Ugo turned around to look at Elisabete and hated seeing the shocked expression on her face. He then turned his whole body to face her and Loki and smiled brightly.
"I am not Ugo..." He trailed off.
Elisabete and Loki watched as a bright white light surrounded itself around Ugo from his hands. The two covered their eyes and once they put their hands down, they were met with the sight of an old man who appeared to be centuries old. Once she registered his face, she inhaled sharply, not being able to believe her eyes.
"I am Búri." He beamed happily.
Elisabete shook her head and took Loki's hand in hers, squeezing it tightly, not knowing what to make of the situation.
"You...You were him." Elisabete spoke.
"Who was he?" Loki inquired.
"How do you know this man?" Odin questioned her.
Elisabete shook her head as she began to laugh softly, smiling as brightly as possible. He mirrored her smile and she felt safe.
"He was the priest I spoke with." She replied.