The Broken

When Loki started sharing the bed with her, Eisa had hoped things would start changing for the better. If anything, they had gotten worse. Months went by, and he had yet to show any interest in getting closer to her. He only came to bed after she was asleep; he was up and in the gym every morning before the sun was fully up. He would go days at a time, only exchanging nods for her warm greetings as she came to the breakfast table.

Despite her best efforts, her attempts to connect with him were quickly shot down. He had nightmares most nights, and any attempt she made to console him was met with bitterness.

One night, she could tell he was restless. Tossing and turning for the better part of an hour before he let out a frustrated sigh and slipped out of the dark room. She sat up and debated with herself. Does she follow him like her instincts tell her to? Or does she let him come to her if he needs something? What was a new wife supposed to do in this situation? What would a friend do in this situation?

She deliberated on it for several minutes, eventually coming to the realization that she would never be able to just lay back down and fall asleep if she didn't at least try to comfort him.

Quietly, she opened the bedroom door and crept into the main room, the light of the full moon spilled in from the large windows. The door to the balcony was slightly ajar. When she got closer, she could see Loki standing outside, his eyes closed, face raised to the night sky. He was shirtless and barefoot, wearing only a thin pair of loose pajama bottoms. His soft hair brushed across the tops of his shoulders as the light breeze danced around him.

She could only stare. Gods, he was beautiful.

Gathering her courage, she made her way outside.

"You should be asleep." He hadn't turned around.

"You should be as well."

"Go back to bed." He took a few steps away from her.

She wrung her hands in front of herself, "Will you come too?"

"No." He took a sip of his drink.

"Oh." She dropped her head and stared at her hands. He sighed and made his way to the balustrade, setting his drink down and leaning heavily on the railing. He looked so sad; she could not give up just yet. She went to stand at his side.

"I told you to go back to bed."

"I thought I might join you for a little while." She offered him a small smile, but he never looked her way.

"Do you wish to fall ill?"

Surprised by the question, "No."

"You are not dressed for the night air."

She looked down at herself, realizing that in her worried state, she had forgotten to put on her robe and slippers. The Spring weather was crisp, but she hadn't really noticed the chill in the air until he mentioned it.

"I am fine. Really. I rather enjoy the coolness on my skin." She meant to reassure him, but he flinched in response.

"I do not want your company. Go back to bed."

"I'm sorry for interrupting. Good night, Loki." She turned and quickly made her way back to their room, tears burning her eyes. She sat up in bed and hugged her knees as she rocked herself.

Why can't he stand to be around me? What is wrong with me? Am I truly so undesirable?

No. She dried her tears with her hand. No. This negative thinking was not her. She snuggled back under the covers and reminded herself that he had only been out of the prison for a few months after being isolated for well over a century. She could be patient.

She could be patient.

She could be patient, she reminded herself over and over again, until a dark shadow crept into her mind. How long could she be patient? A few more months? A year? A decade?

A century?

She could not fathom enduring with no end in sight. With that, she thought of her husband. Her beautiful, witty husband. Her dream Prince had been locked away and isolated in a damp dungeon cell all alone for all those years.

"Yes," she nodded to herself, "I can do this. For him, I can do this."

oOXOo

She had underestimated the effect that not being able to leave the apartment would have on her psyche. Although she loved it when her sisters came to visit, it made her so happy to have someone to really talk to, it was getting harder and harder to walk them to the door and say goodbye each time. They couldn't be there every day or even every week at times. None of them lived on the palace grounds, except Finna, but she still refused to come and let Eisa apologize face to face.

The hobbies she loved most slowly lost their appeal. She used to sit and sketch for hours at a time. Now she just sat with her open sketchbook in her lap, waiting for the art to bring itself forth on the page.

Uninspired.

The music she played on the piano went from fanciful and uplifting, to morose and complex.

Eisa began to sleep through breakfast, dragging herself out of bed to shower and pick at her lunch.

"You need to eat." Loki looked up from whatever it was that he was reading one day and noticed that her cheeks were becoming hollow, her cheekbones more prominent.

She looked up to him, then back to her plate, "I am not hungry."

"Stop pouting and eat your lunch."

She shook her head and set her fork down, "No, I am not hungry."

"How can you not be hungry? I haven't seen you eat a full meal in weeks."

"There is no joy in it."

"No joy?" Loki scoffed, "Stop acting like a child and eat your food."

"You are not my father."

"Worse. I am your husband."

"Only by word, not by deed."

"By law."

"By law, a marriage must be consummated, or it is no marriage. And you are no husband."

"Then end this. Tell Odin you want out of this before it is too late."

She laughed, "When will everyone stop telling me what I want? Or what I should want? At what point is someone going to ask me what it is that I want and need? When will everyone stop thinking they know what is better for me than I do?"

Eisa went to the bar, retrieved a glass and a whole decanter of wine, and shut herself in the bedroom.

oOXOo

Letters addressed to Eisa from her friends and family began piling up on the entry table. She had quit bothering to open them. In fact, she had quit bothering to get properly dressed every day, choosing to meander around the apartment in her bedclothes and a dressing gown.

Wine became Eisa's primary source of calories. She stayed in bed most of the day, coming out of the room only to refill her decanter. Loki was finishing his dinner one night when she came out of the room and went to the bar to open a new bottle. She sighed in frustration to find the wine rack empty.

She padded past Loki in her bare feet as she headed to the pantry.

"Dammit!"

"What is it?" Loki called from the dining room.

"Crates' sealed."

Loki found her in the larder, futilely trying to pry the lid off a full crate of wine. He walked over and easily lifted the top.

"Thanks." She snatched a bottle and held it close to her chest as she pushed past him.

"Is this your plan? Are you just going to drink yourself to death?"

She snorted, "'Course not."

He watched her as she decanted the wine and headed back to the bedroom. "Ima take abath."

Loki sighed, "I can't allow you to do that."

"You, mister prince, don't 'low me to do nuthin'."

"You cannot bathe inebriated; you will drown."

"Well, that would be something different then. Wouldnit?"

Stubborn wench! Let her drown.

He sat heavily on the sofa and tried to distract himself with a book. Images of Eisa's lifeless body just under the surface of the water blocked the view of the words on the page before him. He closed the book with a loud snap and set it heavily on the coffee table.

Dammit! Stubborn, stubborn girl!

Loki quickly went to stand on the other side of the bathroom door, waiting to hear when the bathtub had filled.

"Are you in the water? May I come in?"

"Do whatever you want, your princliness."

He rolled his eyes and tried the handle. It was unlocked so he made his way inside, keeping his eyes on the floor, he took a seat at her vanity. Her discarded nightgown was dropped carelessly on the floor near his feet.

"There are less dangerous ways of getting attention." He stared at his boots.

"I don't want attention for the sake of attention. Do not feel 'bliged to babysit me. I can bathe myself."

"I have no intention of bathing you."

"What are your intentions, Loki?"

He did not answer her. He kept his eyes down as he listened to the sounds of the water as she took her bath.

"I am going to wet my hair now. Don't come looking for me if I do not resurface."

"Very funny." He looked up just as she slid under the water. When she came back up, Loki focused his gaze on the window across the room from him. Trying not to watch her in his peripheral vision as she washed her long hair.

"Make yourself useful and bring me some towels," Her chin was resting on her hands folded on top of the edge of the tub, "please." She gave him a sweet smile.

With an exaggerated huff, he stood and went to the linen closet. "Can you get out of the bathtub without slipping and breaking your neck?"

"Dunno. The lavender soap is making me very sleepy."

"Yes, I am sure it is the lavender because it couldn't possibly be the bottle and a half of cabernet you've consumed today." He turned his head and held the towel open for her.

She stepped out of the large golden bathtub onto the fluffy white bathmat and wrapped the towel around her body, "Thanks." She picked up the second towel and started wrapping her hair.

Loki rolled up the sleeve of his shirt and perched on the side of the tub. "You forgot to let the water drain." He reached under the surface of the soapy water and pulled the plug.

"Oopsie."

Oopsie? Loki rolled his eyes as he shook off the excess water from his arm before grabbing a towel. He watched her rub lotion on her arms as he dried his hands. When their eyes met in the mirror, he looked away quickly, "I will leave you to it."

"Loki..."

He retreated from the bathroom swiftly, the steamy air spilling out of the room with him as he made his exit.

oOXOo

This pattern went on for days. Wake, drink, sleep. Wake, drink, sleep. Her depression had a tight hold on her, so instead of feeling sad every day, she decided to feel nothing at all and drank wine to help her sleep her days away.

Growing up in a large family, she was accustomed to affection. Hugs, kisses, holding hands. They would all squeeze together on one couch for a story or to listen while one of them played piano. Even something as simple as a pat on the cheek or a squeeze on the arm would be enough to remind her of a better time, yet Loki never reached for her. He slept as far away from her as possible. In passing, he kept a wide berth, leaving no chance to even brush against him.

She had always had someone to talk to at any time of the day or night. When she and her sisters were younger and still shared a room in their house on the outskirts of town, they would lay in their beds and laugh and talk with each other well past their bedtime. Now the only regular conversations she had were pleasantries with the servants.

It had been six months; this isolation felt vast. Endless. Her resolve to stay strong for him withered away like the soft pink blossoms of the dogwood trees as the ovate summer leaves took their place.

Loki was in the sitting room, pretending to read a book, trying to think of a way to intervene without giving her false hope. The last thing he wanted to do was lead her on, to have her think anything would come of this forced proximity.

"There's no more wine," Eisa grumbled as she emerged from the small room they used as a pantry behind their dining room. "I'm gonna send for summore," she said as she stumbled toward the front doors of their chambers, her bare feet slapped ungracefully against the marble floors.

Loki looked up from his pages, exasperated, "No, you are not."

She spun wildly on her heel, her dressing gown slipping off one shoulder. She yanked it back into place and pointed one unsteady finger in his direction. "Yes. I. Am." She enunciated each word so she would not sound as inebriated as she felt.

He scowled at her but did not stop her as she made her way over to the wall and tugged on the ornate woven bell pull. A junior maid came in through the servant's entrance shortly after.

"You rang, Your Highness?" She curtsied deeply.

"Yes, I noticed the larder was short on supply." She swayed where she stood. "Have all the vintners in Asgard given up their craft?"

"No, Your Highness." She looked at her feet.

"Then I find it unacceptable that there is no wine in my pantry." She pushed her tangled hair out of her face and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I... apologize, Your Highness. A crate was just brought up-"

"Save your breath, you stupid girl! Go and send for another crate!"

The maid looked at Loki.

"Do not look to him for approval! Do as you are told, or I will find some other moron to do your job!"

"That's enough!" Loki stood abruptly.

She glared at him. Fury stoked a white-hot fire in her veins. They stared each other down. It was Loki who spoke first.

"Please," he turned to the maid, "Please go fetch the bitch her wine."

Shock and disbelief showed on her face before Eisa screamed at the top of her lungs, she grabbed a crystal vase full of flowers and threw it to the marble floor with both hands. Shattering it into thousands of pieces. She pushed passed Loki, shoving him out of the way as she made her way to the bed chamber, slamming the door loudly behind her.

The girl immediately stooped and started picking up the bigger pieces of glass.

"Leave it and get out."

"Your Highness?"

"The Princess needs to deal with the consequences of her own actions. Leave it. Get out. I will ring for you if we need anything."

She curtsied shakily and quickly made for the exit.

Loki stood over the destruction on the floor. Water, broken blooms, and hundreds of tiny shards of crystal spread out before him.

Shattered.

Broken.

Anger and guilt racked through him. He did this. He caused this. This was his fault. She was a sweet, kind girl when they were first entombed here. But now she was becoming as damaged as he was.

This must end. It has gone on long enough.

Stepping around the mess, he made his way to the front doors of their chambers and opened them wide.

"Take me to Odin," Loki demanded to one of the men standing guard out front.

oOXOo

"Is it done, then?" Odin asked, not looking up from the scroll spread out before him.

"No, it is not done," Loki sneered.

"Then leave." He picked up a quill and made a mark on the parchment.

"Not until you hear me out."

"I will not entertain any notion you bring forth until you put a child in that girl's belly."

"Please. I cannot."

"You cannot? Has something happened to your prick? No, the healers tell me you are in peak physical condition, and your seed is rich."

Loki glared at him. "You know why I will not breed her."

"Come back when you change your mind."

"Please. She is unwell. She needs her freedom. Keep me locked up but please let her out. She is not strong enough."

"One grandchild!" Odin slammed his fist onto his desk. "You can buy both of your freedoms with one grandchild."

Loki's heart sank in his chest. "I am not your son. Your line died with Thor." He hung his head. "You... You could remarry. You could marry someone young. You could produce another heir."

"Remarry?" Odin stood and walked over to the window, turning his back on Loki. "Your mother has not even been gone a year. Do you really think I could replace her so easily?" He looked at the painting on the wall, the family portrait. Loki and Thor were young when it was commissioned.

"She was the love of my life. She was everything good in this world. You cannot just move on from something like that so easily. Her love gives me the strength to keep going. When she is ready, she will call me home to join her in Valhalla, and you will be left here. Alone." He looked back at Loki. "I am doing this for you. For both of us. You can hate me for the way things have transpired, but you and I are the only family we have left. Frigga would not want you on your own."

"She let you keep me imprisoned for over a century. In solitude."

"That was not her choice. She had no say in the matter. You are a war criminal. Justice needed to be served."

"You call that justice?"

"I did what I had to do! The other realms were calling for your head!"

"Death would have been preferable!"

A pained expression flashed across Odin's face, "A dishonorable death! We would not have all been reunited in Valhalla."

Loki looked at the portrait again. The idea of seeing Thor and Frigga in the afterlife excited him more than he cared to admit.

He had to try another tactic, "You would put a Jötun half-breed on your throne?" When he looked back at Odin, his eyes were wet.

"Yes, I would put my grandchild on my throne." He looked at him with reverence. He started to speak again but Loki interrupted him.

"But I am not-"

"I have grown tired of this conversation. I will not join you in speaking in circles." He returned to his seat behind his desk and dismissed Loki with a wave of his hand. "Return to your wife. The sooner you fulfill your duty, the sooner you earn your freedoms."

oOXOo

After he was escorted back to their chambers, Loki poked his head into their bedroom and saw her flopped down across the bed, sleeping. He quietly walked over to her. Her face was tear-stained, and her eyes were pink and puffy. She had cried herself to sleep.

What am I going to do with you?

He sighed and pushed her hair off her face. He froze as she sleepily nuzzled his palm, a contented sigh escaping from her lips. Pulling his hand back quickly, he chastised himself for touching her. He had not really decided to. It was like his hand had moved on its own accord. His pity for her motivated his actions, he decided.

He took a blanket from a nearby armchair and laid it over her, careful not to disturb her rest. She needed to sleep off the effects of the alcohol.

Loki decided that he had earned himself an early drink. He gave himself a short pour and went to sit on the balcony, looking out over the city. Odin's words kept replaying in his mind. Was this just another ploy to get him to give in? Why else would he be so insistent on him producing an heir? If there was an obvious reason, it was not coming to his mind.

He sighed as he sipped his bourbon. Deciding to put it out of his mind for now, he looked out over the city, noting how little it had changed while he was away. He chuckled to himself. Away. He had been under the palace the whole time. So close in proximity to everyone he had ever known, loved, and cared for, yet so far from their minds and hearts, he was all but forgotten.

Loki was brought out of his dour reflection by the rumble of hunger that interrupted his thoughts. He considered waking the girl and sending for an early dinner. Standing and stretching, he heard a shriek from inside. He rushed through the balcony doors to find Eisa on all fours in the broken glass. Blood had started to pool under her hands and feet onto the marble floor. The salty metallic scent of her blood flooded his nostrils.

"Norns! EISA!"

"No, Loki, stay back! I forgot about the glass." She waved him away with a bloody palm. "Do not come any closer."

"Don't be absurd." He started across the room toward her.

"No! I am all right. Please. Stay back." Trying to stand only ground the glass further into her flesh. "Ow ow ow..." she cried.

"Stop moving! Be still. Let me help you." He made his way to her side. She started to protest again, but Loki cut her off, "I am wearing boots. I will be fine."

"I will get blood on you."

"I have had blood on me before."

At that, she relented. Loki put his hands under her armpits and lifted her out of the glass like she was a small child. She instinctively wrapped her arms and legs around him, clinging to him.

"Were you not watching where you were walking, you daft girl?" He carried her into their en suite bathroom and set her on the counter between the sinks.

"No. I... I woke with a headache and a dry mouth. I was going to the pantry to get some water and fizzy tablets. I- I forgot about the glass." She hung her head. Her hair fell around her face, hiding her reddened cheeks.

Loki went into the bathroom closet and came back with clean towels. "Do not move." He warned her before he left the room.

"Are you calling for a nurse?" She yelled after him, poking at a piece of the glass in her palm with her finger. She got no reply, but Loki came back just a moment later with a crystal salad bowl.

"Let me see." He took her hand and retrieved the piece she was just poking at with the tweezers. It made a satisfying 'plink' as he dropped it into the bowl. He held her hand under running water, turning the white marble sink pink with her blood.

"Make a fist. Do you feel any more glass in that one?"

She did as she was told and winced. "Yes, I believe so."

"Show me." She pointed out the area, and he brought the tweezers down and picked up the sliver with graceful precision.

She watched him work. Fascinated at the way his hands moved. 'Plink, plink, plink.' In no time, he was finished with her hands. He rinsed them again and patted them with a fluffy white washcloth. Her blood was thin from all the alcohol she had been consuming as of late. Fresh red lines reappeared every time Loki wiped them away.

"These are going to need bandages." He said to himself, out loud.

"You can call for a nurse. I do not wish to trouble you."

"Like I have anything else to do?" He looked down at her face. She was watching his hands. "Are you ready to admit the drinking has gotten out of hand?"

She nodded, then looked up to him. "I am sorry for earlier. I was despicable." Her warm amber eyes met his.

He quickly looked back at her hands. "You will apologize to that girl." She nodded in agreement. "And no more wine before dinner."

"But I can have wine with dinner?"

"After dinner." The corner of Loki's mouth curled up as her bottom lip jutted out slightly. "And no more wandering around all day in your bedclothes. We may be stuck here but that is no reason not to bathe and dress every day."

"Perhaps if I had some new clothes, I would be more willing to get dressed again."

"Would that make you happy?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "It might provide a momentary distraction."

Loki released her hand and rinsed the cloth under the water. She was unhappy and there was nothing he could do to change that. The price for their freedom was too high. Odin will come to his senses and see reason eventually. They just had to wait him out. He retrieved a small medical kit from a nearby cabinet and bandaged her hands slowly, taking his time to make sure the bandages were perfect.

"Let me see your knees."

She nodded and pulled her blood-soaked shift up to her knees. Blood was running down her legs and dripping onto the floor from her feet.

"I need this out of the way." Loki pushed her nightgown further up her thighs. Her hands clamped around his wrists to stop him.

"I do not have... I am... bare... under this." Her cheeks flared a crimson red.

Loki swallowed thickly, and his hands automatically squeezed her thighs. He heard a sharp inhale of breath when his thumbs grazed the soft skin there, but she did not release his wrists.

"I could go get you something," he offered quietly.

She shook her head, "No. Thank you. Anything I try to put on now will get ruined." She motioned to her bloody legs, not taking her eyes off his.

"Right." He cleared his throat, "Right. Just hold this out of my way."

He released her shift at her thighs, wet the cloth, collected the tweezers and bowl then dropped to his knees in front of her. Picking up her foot in his hand, he gently wiped the blood from her calf and shin. He patted her knee so he could see where the glass had embedded. His heart rate picked up as he ran his hand to the back of her knee to bring it more level to his eyes. Always hidden under her clothes, he had never realized just how shapely her legs were before.

'Plink, plink, plink.' The only sound in the room was the glass dropping into the crystal bowl and the small whimpers that escaped as he pulled the shards from her.

"I am trying to be gentle with you." He looked at her face as he wiped the fresh blood from her knee. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were full of something. Want? Desire? Loki swallowed thickly. "I do not wish to hurt you." His voice was barely above a whisper.

She nodded her head, "I know." She licked her lips, "You should not worry so much about me. I am fine."

Foolish girl. He wanted to tell her he would have to care about her to worry about her, but the barb died on his tongue. It would hardly be convincing, kneeling between her legs, tending to her wounds the way he was.

He could have easily called for a nurse, he realized. But he had not. He wanted to take care of her. To touch her. He dropped his head in shame, realizing this act was more selfish than altruistic. Guilt and shame writhed inside him. But he kept his hands on her. He could not bear the thought of letting go. Her legs were so smooth, soft, and warm. Heat was radiating from her. From her skin in his hands and from her sweet little cunt not so far from his face. He inhaled sharply. His Jötun senses picking up a waft of the sweetest perfume.

Arousal.

Heat pooled in his lower belly, his cock stirred. No, no, no, no, no. He let out a frustrated breath and squeezed her calf involuntarily.

"Loki?"

"Apologies, I... My blood sugar is getting low. I will finish patching you up and go send for our dinner."

"Loki, look at me."

He wanted to refuse her, but his traitorous eyes rose to meet hers.

"You look frightened?" She reached for his face.

He pulled away from her touch, "Don't be daft." He quickly went back to his task.

"Sorry." Her meek voice was back. "I did not mean to offend you."

He cleaned her up and bandaged her knees and feet swiftly. He brought her a clean shift and a dressing gown and waited on the other side of the door until she was finished changing.

Loki tried not to dwell on her words. He looked frightened because he was frightened. He was terrified of letting his guard down. Of slipping up and giving in. Base desires. Biological triggers, he reminded himself. He was not tempted by her. He was simply a healthy man, his body reacting in a way that any man's would, being without carnal pleasure for so long. He was getting too comfortable in her presence, he decided. He would return to sleeping on the sofa.

For the rest of the evening, Loki carried her wherever she wanted to go. Not being able to put weight on her feet just yet. He set her on the sofa before dinner as he cleaned up the mess in the dining room.

And when she was ready, he carried her to bed that night. He sat her at the foot and waited there while she shrugged out of her dressing gown. He stood next to the bed and watched her. He scolded himself for it, but he did not look away when the neck of her shift gaped open, and he could see the motion of her bare breasts as she ungracefully pulled the robe out from under herself.

"I am sorry for being so burdensome." She handed him the robe, and he hung it on the back of the closet door for her. When he did not acknowledge her, she asked, "Are you coming to bed soon?"

"No. I am going to have a bath and then read for a while. I will sleep on the sofa tonight."

"Oh." She fiddled with the hem of her nightgown. "Thank you for tending to me." She looked up at him with her big doe eyes.

Loki quickly went to the side of the bed and turned the covers down for her. "In you go."

She tried scooting, but it hurt to put weight on her hands. She quickly realized that crawling would not work either. "I, um... I must trouble you one last time this evening."

He let out an exaggerated sigh as he scooped her up and deposited her in the bed.

"You move me about as if I weigh nothing. You are extraordinarily strong."

He ignored the compliment. "Do you need me to fetch you anything else before I go?" He asked as he pulled the covers over her.

She reached out and caught his hand in hers.

"Loki... please stay with me." When he did not flinch or pull away, she continued, "You could read in bed. The light will not disturb me. Please, I don't want to be alone."

At that, he jerked his hand away. "You do not even know what it means to be alone, you ignorant girl."

"I am sorry." She looked at her hands, "I cannot imagine what you endured. I always say the wrong thing. I do not mean to." A single tear rolled down her cheek, "I am a terrible wife."

"You have had a rough day. Get some sleep." He turned to leave.

"Loki?"

He turned back to face her slowly.

"It is going to get better soon, isn't it? Things cannot always be this way, right? I do not know how much longer I can do this."

He exhaled slowly, debating internally if he should tell her about his visit with Odin. He sat on the bed at her side, careful not to touch her. "I went to see the King today after your fit. I went to ask him to release you." He swallowed thickly.

"And he said no?"

"He is adamant I produce an heir."

She sat up in bed and looked into his eyes. "And you cannot produce an heir with me because I am so undesirable. You need to desire me for your-" her eyes dropped to his crotch.

"Eisa, stop." He sighed. "I never should have said that to you. You are a pretty girl. And you have desirable attributes. But I-"

"I do? Like what? Will you tell me?"

Loki sighed. He sat and stared at her, taking in her beauty. He knew better than to do this, but he did it anyway, "You are stunning. I would argue that you have the most beautiful face I have ever seen. Your lips are full and have a nice shape. Your eyes are warm and pretty, like summer honey. Your hair is always shiny and the most unique color, not blonde, but not red. Like the color of the sunshine in the late afternoon. And your body is..." He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Look, the issue is not that you are undesirable physically."

"I have been asking since the day we wed what I can do for you to want me. Please, let me know so I can fix whatever it is."

He looked at her with sadness in his eyes and swallowed a lump in his throat, "Can you erase the memories I have of you as a small child? Can you make yourself older? Can you make me younger? Can you undo all my crimes? Can you make me into something other than what I am?"

A tear fell from her cheek, "I cannot do any of those things. But," she tentatively reached for his hand, and he allowed her to take it, "I can comfort you when you feel overwhelmed or alone. I can listen when you want to talk. I can be your friend, Loki. We can be friends. Then maybe you will see me as someone other than a little girl. You refuse to get to know the woman I have become. Just please, please, please stop treating me as the enemy or a disease that must be avoided."

He scoffed but did not take his eyes from their joined hands, "I do not avoid you because I think you are like a disease."

"Then why? Why not spend time with me?"

"Because I do not trust myself around you. I cannot get too comfortable with you. I do not wish to hurt you. I took a vow to protect you, and that is what I must do. It is bad enough I have allowed myself to share a bed with you, knowing how willing you are, lying next to you night after night... is torture."

"How so?" He looked at her; her eyes were full of concern.

Loki shook his head, "I cannot give in. I cannot let my guard down."

"What are you afraid is going to happen?"

"You know very well what I am afraid of."

"Would it be so terrible?"

"What..."

She rubbed his knuckles, "Do you think I would be such a terrible mother?"

He scoffed, "You would welcome a beast to grow in your belly? You would give birth to a giant? You would mother a monster?"

"Being Jötun doesn't make you a monster, Loki."

"I-I cannot listen to any more of this." He pulled his hand from her and stood briskly. "I will leave the bed chamber door open. Call for me when you wake. I will be on the sofa." He dared not look at her face as he turned and left the room.

oOXOo

Later that evening, when he felt himself nodding off in his chair by the fireplace with his book on his chest, he did not retreat to the sofa. He slipped into his comfortable pajama bottoms and crawled into the bed beside his sleeping wife. She was on her side facing him, bandaged left hand lying in the center.

An offer.

An invitation. One that was getting increasingly more difficult to turn down.

He had noticed the change in her over the weeks leading up to today, and it disturbed him more than he cared for. In his efforts not to hurt her, she had gotten hurt, because of him. The cuts on her hands, knees, and feet would heal and would likely not leave a trace behind. Not physically, at least. The emotional scars were a different story.

She was not meant to be a solitary creature. The Fates had seen to that by sending her to her family, already overflowing with little girls.

This was a puzzle Loki needed to solve. How could he give her the attention she needs to keep her sanity, while at the same time making sure no troublesome attachments were formed?

Could they be friends?

He had had plenty of female friends over the years, Anina being one of his most cherished. Of course, their deepest conversations happened post orgasm, when one or the other of them had needed release from the stresses that plagued them.

But what could he and this girl possibly find to talk about? Would he be doomed to tedious small talk for millennia? She was young and had no life experience.

He watched her sleep in the moonlight. She is very pretty.

He squeezed his eyes shut. So are a lot of people. Get ahold of yourself.

With a little trepidation, he lay on his side facing her, he placed his right hand next to hers. Not touching, but close enough to feel her warmth as he looked at his mother's ring on her finger. He sent a silent prayer up to her before he drifted off to sleep.

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Author's Note: If you made all the way through this chapter in one sitting, you deserve a treat! It was a long one! 

In the next chapter, Loki makes an attempt to keep a better eye on Eisa's well-being. Loki's subconscious brings him closer to Eisa. And Eisa gains some forbidden knowledge.