King Loki

Chapter 7
Being an attendant was not the job she expected it to be. She half expected to clean his room, deliver his laundry, tie his boots, and the list went on. But those menial tasks were left to servants assigned to them, well aside from the tying of his boots, he at least could dress himself.
Cephera began her mornings the same. She arrived in his room once the other servants left him to his bath. She held in her arms a large tray of pipping hot breakfast and placed it on the table. She then retreated to the wall near the door to wait for him to be ready to leave his room, in which case could differ from day to day.
Cephera had hoped she'd meet up with Pepper in the kitchens, but she actually was lucky enough to find out she couldn't enter the kitchen. The kitchen staff had their own personal housing to avoid smuggling of foods and potential poisons that may bring harm to the king, if there were such a thing.
Had she not known, she could have blown her secret right away regarding her enchanted collar. It was bittersweet really. She was glad she hadn't screwed it up and sad she couldn't reach Pepper any time soon.
Once Loki was ready to leave his room the remainder of her day became vastly boring. She literally followed him like some leashed pet. Where he went, she went. Always quietly listening from a nearby wall where she was forced to stand for hours on end. When he would break for food she was allowed to quickly eat as well.
The only upside was that she got all the inside talk right from the source. No need for idle gossip now. Cephera had the real deal of information flowing in.
Every meeting Loki had with officials he wished to come to terms with to avoid further bloodshed. Every peace offering he administered. She got to hear the news of his losses and gains as well as gauge his temperament when things didn't quite go his way. Cephera quietly absorbed as much information as she could where she would later share with Lana and the two of them would brainstorm.
Lana had blackmailed the girl in the bed next to Cephera into switching beds so Agent Lana Lake was now able to talk to Cephera for a vast majority of the night. They swapped stories between what the guards were saying and what Cephera actually heard.
"What's your home world like?" Lana asked one night when they'd finished their usual gossip exchange.
"Where? Mechanova?" Cephera asked. Lana hadn't asked much about Cephera's alien home since her initial arrival.
"Yeah," Lana gave a nod in the dark. Cephera's eyes were well adjusted to see it.
"It's beautiful in a very old fashion sort of way. There are fields that run for acres, and a forest made of trees that have crystals growing on their bark. A huge lake that connects to a vast ocean. High mountains in the distance haloed by the horizon. The palace spans across many acres and all residents live there like one cohesive family. The weather is always pleasant as magic sustains the environment." Cephera felt a tug of home sickness and willed it to go away.
"Sounds like paradise. Could we escape there?" Lana asked.
"No," was all Cephera replied until Lana pushed her for more.
"Why not?" She turned to her side to look at Cephera.
"They have laws about outsiders. They can visit but cannot stay..., unless...," Cephera bit her bottom lip. "When I went there I was not allowed to stay, I was given options to choose from. I could come back here, to my birth home of Earth, but that meant leaving my sister behind. Or I could help populate their world." Cephera knew she blushed and was thankful that the dark would hide it.
"Populate it?" Lana had the undertone of disbelief mixed with curiosity.
"Their people can't have children with each other so they seek help from outsiders. To stay with my sister I chose to find myself a mate among them. A single man I was willing to commit my time to." Cephera scrunched up her nose at the description, but it was no less true. "Anyway, even if you could go there, I will not return."
"Was it that bad?" Lana reached out a hand and touched her fingers off Cephera's elbow.
"Not at first. Just after so many centuries together he became a different man. Most of his kind are free spirits. Sex is not something that's shamed. Many of them enjoy multiple partners, but not me and not him. He wanted just me but soon he showed traits of jealousy and possessiveness. He put all the blame on me for not getting pregnant even though his people are known for having difficulties regarding fertility." Cephera closed her eyes. "It's not a life I want to return to." She added.
"I'm sorry," Lana said. "It sucks than to have come to this world like it is now. I'm sure it's not the life you expected."
"No it isn't, but..., Lana do you really think this will end well if Loki is defeated. This world will never be the same with or without Loki. Now that the world is upturned in this chaos other organizations such as HYDRA will be there to try and take over. This world will not just return to its original state, those days are long past."
Cephera had been thinking of what she'd learned on Mechanova about the consequences of war and the aftermath in civilization after a complete takeovers. Taking over the whole world changes everything and disrupts so much in the balance of life that reverting back after a few years would be impossible. It wasn't like the old days where lands exchanged hands through war all the time. The people of this new age were not used to this.
"So what are you saying? We help him? We give up?" Cephera couldn't read Lana's tone, but her stomach jolted to think she might have angered her friend.
"I don't know. I'm just saying that nothing will ever be the same and there are possibly worse things out there than our current King." Lana didn't reply and Cephera wished she could get out of bed and assure Lana she didn't intend to give up, but what else could she do in the face of such a shaky future.
XxX
The tea was pipping hot, the steam rising from the delicate cup as she walked the hall with Loki's breakfast. Her talk with Lana only the night before had Cephera on edge. She feared she might have given her friend the wrong idea and yet everything Cephera said was the truth. They needed to handle Loki carefully. They couldn't just heave him from his place of power and then expect the people of Earth to just resume 'normal' life. It just wasn't going to happen.
She was almost to the room, her thoughts had led her astray from her task. Quickly looking around and seeing no Loyals, Cephera used her free hand to pull the pouch of ground herbs from her dress pocket. Lana had only been able to get her one application for the time being but had more on the way through her contacts inside the Spire. Cephera struggled to open the package with her teeth and was forced to walk slower just to give herself time.
The powder inside, just a teaspoon full, easily fell into the cup and having no other way to stir it, she used her finger. The hot tea burnt her skin but nothing major.
She didn't knock on his chamber doors, she didn't need to. her position gave her full access. She entered the parlour and continued to the interior bedroom. Loki must have emerged from his bath early, he was already half dressed and alone.
"Do you always take this long?" He sounded irritated and snapped her a sharp look.
"Sorry, my King," she replied unable to think of a quick excuse. She honestly didn't think she was that much longer than usual.
"Don't let it happen --," his words were cut short as an explosion rocked the Spire. Startled Cephera dropped the tray and all its contents to the floor. She looked down to see the tea soak into the rug and for a second her heart dropped just like her opportunity.
The second was over and a another blast shook the room. Growling, Loki used his magic to complete his outfit, armour and all. Cephera followed out of curiosity as her King threw open his balcony doors and stepped outside.
Cephera stayed inside and peered out. She couldn't see anything down below, but she could see the two Quinjets in the air firing at the Spire. Each hit caused the walls to quiver and the blast to echo.
"How tedious," Loki said as he raised his staff. She stepped back from the doorway, not wanting to be hit by any incoming fire that might be aimed at Loki.
Blast after blast of magical energy emitted from the staff and it took only one hit to send a single Quinjet to the ground smoking. The second jet reared back and to the left and out of sight.
Loki entered his bedroom smirking. "Fools," he looked pleased, though Cephera was unsure why. She could hear screams wafting in through the still open doors. "They thought Washington so easy that they dare come at me directly." Loki barked in laughter.
Cephera allowed herself a second to inhale long and relaxing. She focused her mind outward and felt the hum of magic all around her. With each scream a pulse of energy rippled through the air and she was reminded of the many Runes that graced the Spire's outer walls. It wasn't meant to keep people in, they kept people out.
She let go of her focus when she touched Loki's own power and it made her mind reel. He hadn't seemed to notice. In fact, he had gone back outside and was looking downward while firing blast at the attackers below.
He was like a child testing out his new toy. Elated that it had worked. She never really seen him smile and the smile he wore now was frightening. Like a mad man taking pleasure in the most creepiest of things.
There was a small temptation to go up to him, touch his skin and sap his energy till he fell to the floor unconscious, but if he was truly as powerful as she just felt, she knew very well her power was no match for even his smallest spell.
Again she glanced at the tea soaked rug and frowned. She would have to wait for more and she would have to be extra careful. Loki was not the man he appeared to be. Under his flesh was power far beyond anything she could have imagined, which begged the question, why didn't he just take over the remainder of the world himself through sheer force using his magic?

Notes