King Loki

Chapter 21
So far Steve had managed to gain Loki an audience with two ruling governments, Korea and Pakistan. Deals were struck and Loki was closer than ever to having everything he wanted.
The information he received from Stark reminded Loki just how volatile his partnership with HYDRA truly is. He'd known at first that they could be trouble, but after so long of loyal following it was the last thing in his mind. Now that he was back to having the right mind set, he was contemplating how to proceed.
He had an extensive talk with Captain Rogers who agrees with Cephera. Alienating HYDRA from his Spire would be a catastrophic decision at this time. All they could do was keep an eyes on them until they were secure in other matters before making a move. That was provided that Whitehall and Strucker were even working together. At this point no one knew.
Loki was disappointed in himself. He was usually so methodical and careful. Thinking of every outcome and circumstance before acting, but with HYDRA he became complacent and allowed all his other worries and duties to consume his every thought. This oversight could be his undoing.
Still, he had high hopes for the remainder of his plans for the world. Once he could prove that he planned to bring this world down from chaos and into something more happy and livable, perhaps the resistance will give up. He'd grant the remainder sanctuary if they finally bowed to him.
Then there was Cephera. She was a challenge he hadn't expected. Her near death opened his eyes. Without her, he was alone here surrounded by mortals. Her powers could give him an edge, this was true, but since her recovery Loki realized she could hold a much more important place.
His attempt to bring her completely to his side, to bend her to his whim didn't work out so well. He had attempted to impress her, to woo her. His decision to send her out had been to show her his confidence in her, his trust. Of course that backfired hard.
He wouldn't send her from his side again. The girl represented a life he'd left behind. One he'd never see again. Every King needed a queen and with a queen came successors to the throne.
If everything went downhill centuries from now at least a descendent of his would be there to pick things back up. He'd never considered this before, but lately the thought played on his mind often.
She'd once admitted to having a relationship back home in a sole attempt to have a child, but was unsuccessful. Loki wondered if her yearning for a family ran deep enough to turn her sights to him. He would see. He hadn't given up on her yet.
XxX
Her room was cooling down with the fall breeze wafting in the window. Cephera enjoyed the feeling as she finished her breakfast. It had been a few days since she'd spoken to Tony and she had no idea what Loki did with the information she'd given him, not that there had been much.
She hadn't seen the King since and she'd taken to confining herself to her room unless he called for her, which he hadn't. She was no longer forced to train, to follow him around like a favoured pet. She also was not made to have breakfast, lunch, and supper with him either.
She wondered if this was now her fate. Forever left alone to her own devices. Her mind grew weary of being alone. She hadn't seen Steve since his mind was released and she couldn't tell if that was Loki's doing or if Steve was just busy.
She'd come here to free her friends and she found herself doing nothing in the attempt. She couldn't break Tony out of his room, she had no idea how to even speak to Pepper locked in the kitchens, and she didn't have a clue where the Hulk could be. Hell she could be looking right at him and not know it.
She honestly never thought to get a picture of the guy. Tony said she couldn't miss him. Big and green, but from what Cephera understood he wasn't always looking that way. She regretted not inquiring more, but then again she had a limited time with her friend and on such a short fuse it was hard to put all your thoughts together properly.
A knock came on her door, startling her to sit up straight. She'd slowly slouched in her chair beside the balcony window and hadn't expected anyone to interrupt her.
Whoever was on the other side didn't walk in, so it eliminated anyone sent to summon her to the King. Loki would have just walked in. Perhaps it was Steve. "Come in." She called when she was sure the door was not going to open.
Loki was stood on the other side a light smile gracing his lips. "Good morning," he said to her taking a single step in.
"Morning," she replied, perplexed by his behaviour already.
"I trust your breakfast was satisfying?" He asked.
"It was." She paused to stare at him with caution. "What do you want?" She asked. The question came out rude. She had been taught better manners than that, but she just felt he was up to something.
He straightened his posture, his smile fading a tad. "I thought there might be something you'd like to see." He told her.
"What is it?" She stood from her chair feeling a small twitch of guilt at having spoken so harshly to him.
"It's a surprise," his smile returned, his hand extended her way, an offering to take it.
She was confused and curious at the same time. "Alright then," she agreed, but did not take his hand. She remembered how their last skin contact felt and she didn't need her mind jumbled with those thoughts this morning.
His offered hand dropped and instead he led her away like he normally would, him in front, and she followed. They walked back toward his room hallway, but instead went down a different, adjacent corridor. At the end was a door devoid of neighbours.
Loki opened it for her and gestured for her to go first. She did so keeping her eyes on the elaborate, narrow, spiral staircase that led her upwards. The inside of this passage was made of red brick, unlike the rest of the Spire that was made of thick white stone and marble.
Inside the staircase were more carved runes which gave it a very decorative touch. At the top she stepped through an archway and found herself in a large round room. Every wall had a shelf crafted into the brick. A hearth was lit in the center straight ahead of her. A desk down to her far left was covered in books and papers.
The windows were stained glass depicting people and places she didn't recognize. Above were exposed beams of dark wood and along the wall were stone stairs going all the way up to a hatch into what she assumed would be the roof outside.
The floor was covered in carpet, soft and supple on her bare feet.
"Welcome to my tower," Loki told her. She'd forgotten he was behind her until she felt his breath against her ear. She'd nearly jumped when he spoke.
"This place is...," she was speechless. Something about this place was enchanting in a way she couldn't descibe in a million years.
"Look around to your hearts content. You were so fascinated by my bedroom belongings I thought you might enjoy my extensive collection." Cephera looked over her shoulder and had to look away again. He was so close to her it sent her shivering.
She did as he offered making straight ahead toward the shelves near the hearth. She realized then that the carpet was actually a large rug that didn't extend the whole room. Her feet hit cold wood floors that matched the beams above.
She fingered the book bindings, unable to read their labels. She frowned. "I don't know what they say," she told him.
"Of course." Loki replied, tutting himself. "I forgot," he went to his desk and retrieved a smaller book. When he brought it back he handed it to her.
Cephera took it and opened it. The pages were blank and she thought maybe he was playing with her. Teasing her that she would never be able to truly understand the things she'd seen in his room. For a moment she felt like hurling the book at his head in frustration, but before that thought could come to pass, words in grey ink began to appear along the page. As one word appeared another would come after it and the former would vanish.
It took the movement of many words before she began to notice that they were each different languages and not just one. On and on it went as Loki flipped the page when she failed to follow through.
She flipped the next on her own and soon the words she began to see were ones she understood. It amazed her they were there at all. Mechanovians spoke many tongues to accommodate their many alliances with other worlds, and each one of those tongues were appearing before her.
She thought English would end it all, but no. The last word to appear was her home tongue, the language of the world she'd been born in to. A world she'd long left behind her. Donsk Tunga, known today as 'Old Norse'.
"Interesting," Loki said taking the book from her. "I didn't peg you to be that old." He mused. "There are many things I don't know about you." Cephera's face flushed.
"Was that a test?" She asked him.
"Not at all. You should now be able to comprehend any of these written works." He told her. Cephera turned to look at the nearest shelf and she could read the names this time. "So you are originally of Earth," Loki said as she returned to the books.
"I was born human," Cephera wasn't willing to get into her childhood with Loki, at least not right now. Perhaps he could sense her hesitance on the subject because he dropped it. "Where did you get all these? It's not like Earth had an abundant supply of this type of book." Cephera found herself staring at yet another book on magic and enchants.
She looked at the King and he seemed in deep thought. "They come to me from my mother," Loki replied at last.
"Your mother?" Cephera was shocked. She didn't know Loki had any contact with his former home. She'd heard rumours that they had abandoned him.
"Once in a while, when she is able, she uses her magic to deliver things to me that she knows I enjoy. It's her way to show she cares as she is unable to come here in person." Cephera noticed how Loki looked slightly forlorn at the thought, but his expression changed quickly. "I have things to attend to, feel free to make yourself at home."
Cephera opened her mouth to speak, but found Loki gone. Vanished from sight. She'd never seen him disappear before. She wondered what other tricks he knew that she didn't know about.

Notes