He was not suited for imprisonment. He was meant to be a King, and this was the lowest that anyone could have possibly brought him. He was a captive, but he was a well-kept captive if he was forced to admit it, even to himself. He was vaguely surprised when he was not thrown in the darkest and most inaccessible dungeon in all of Asgard. Of course it was inaccessible, but it was far from being dreary or completely unpleasant. There were no windows or ornamentation of any kind, and the furnishings were sparse but not uncomfortable which; was more than he had expected.

Loki sat, on the edge of the plain bed with his hands clasped on his knees, and he tried very hard not to think of anything. He was not chained, but the clasp that was attached to his face was still there, it was only removed when it was time for him to eat or his brother came to talk to him. Which thankfully was not as often as it once was, in the beginning when they first returned from earth his brother would spend hours with Loki; alternating between talking and yelling at him and Loki doing the same. Of course, with his brother not returning as frequently to his cell he would go days without talking to anyone. His thoughts were his only companion.

Loki lifted his head and scanned the walls of the bleak prison. Giving up on trying to sleep he got up and began to walk the circumference of the cell. He felt the rage at his imprisonment rise up inside him like a living beast, threatening to overwhelm him. He stopped and clasped his hands in front of him almost as if he was in prayer and let the rage wash over him. It was sweet, all encompassing, and he let it take him over till his vision swam red with it. He trembled as it came over him, but it gave him strength and purpose and he nursed it with care. His rage was his only friend now.

Behind him the door to his cell slid open and the serving girl came in with a tray of food. He did not turn to face her until he heard the gentle ringing metal sound of the tray being set onto the table. He unclasped his hands and turned to the table and his evening meal. The girl backed away from the table as he approached and took a seat. He put his hands on the table and straightened his back and neck and waited. Once she saw that his hands were safely on the table the girl came up to his side and began to unfasten the clasp that covered his mouth. Her hands were sure and swift and the clasp came off in a few seconds. She clasped it in her hands backed away, keeping her eyes down and remaining silent. He ignored her completely and focused on his meal.

When he was finished he placed his hands on the table and the girl came up behind him and refastened the clasp in complete silence. Only once it was completely on, only then did she pick up the tray and begin to walk out the door. Loki remained seated and did not turn to watch her leave.

The morning came slowly for Loki, there were no windows or time keeping devices so he measured time by the meals that he was served. He knew it was morning because he heard the door open and the sound of the girls skirt swishing across the room to the table, followed by the sound of the tray being set on the table. Loki remained seated on the end of the bed, eyes closed and hands clasped on his lap. The girl was silent, and Loki suddenly realized that in the weeks of his captivity that she had never uttered a word or even looked him in the eyes. That was completely fine with him. He sat there for a few minutes and did not move. He heard the rustling of the dress as the girl shifted uneasily waiting for him to move. She gave a light and slightly insistent cough, which made Loki smile beneath his clasp; it had been days since he had irritated anyone.

"You should eat," he heard a quiet voice say and his eyes snapped open. He had not expected her to speak. He turned and gave her an appraising look, like a man who was looking over a piece of meat. She still stood by the table with her eyes downcast and her hands down by her sides as if she had said nothing. Loki stood up slowly and took his time walking to the table and came right up to the girl. He sized her up, which he had never had the done before now he realized. She was shorter than him, and if she lifted her head she would just come up to his chin. Her hair was dark and her skin was pale against the dark brown of the simple and unadorned serving dress. After taking a final scathing gaze at the top of her head he sat down and waited for her to unclasp him. Her hands were as sure and swift and always and in seconds he was free and able to eat. After he was done the girl moved to fasten the clasp on his mouth again. He had forgotten to straighten up his head and neck so the girl had to lean forward to attach it which brought the length of her forearm against his cheek. It made him freeze, it was the first time in weeks that he had been touched, and more than a year since a woman had touched him even by accident. It shocked him long enough that he couldn't react so he did not have time to turn and see her leave.

When the noon came he was pacing around the circumference of his cell, waiting for his meal because it was the only distraction that he had. He began at one end of the cell and made his way around the circumference of the cell, then turned back around and began his walk again. Rage and helplessness at his situation rolled over him and he felt as if he would vomit. He chocked down his anger, if he vomited with the clasp still on his face he would probably choke and even from the afterlife the indignity of it would follow him. Instead he pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes and waited for the feeling to pass. When the door opened again he turned expectantly, any distraction from his thoughts was welcome. He was somewhat disappointed to see it was the serving girl with the noon meal, at least Thor would give him the chance to yell at him. Her eyes were downcast and as she settled the tray into its familiar place she stepped away and waited in silence. He walked over and sat down at the table as the girl undid his clasp, taking extra care to wait till he straightened his neck and avoiding any contact with his skin. When she was done he looked down at his meal and scowled. He turned around in his chair in such a swift motion that it scrapped harshly against the floor which scared the girl. She jumped and backed away from the sudden noise and she looked briefly into his eyes, and he could see that he did indeed scare her. He grinned at her even as she turned her eyes down to once again look at the floor. "I am not eating this cud, you filthy Trollope. Take it out of my sight before it sickens me," he screamed it hoarsely and Loki realized that it had been days since he had spoken. The sound of his own voice gave him some strength, and he turned just as swiftly in his chair to face the wall opposite her and ignored her completely. He sat still as she came up to him and refastened the clasp on his face. Without making a sound she picked up his tray and left the room.

It was over an hour till the girl returned with a tray of food, and when she did she put it down on the table with an air of finality. Loki was again seated at the foot of the bed with his eyes closed listening to sound of her skirts rustle. She coughed in an effort to get his attention but he remained silent and grinned behind his mask. He didn't look up when he heard the sound of her footsteps approaching him and he sensed her standing directly in front of him. He felt rather than heard her as she sat down on the bed beside him. He opened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at her. It was the first time he had the chance to look her directly in the eyes and see her face. Her face was lovely and rosy cheeked, but Loki had seen more beautiful women than her, compared to others he had seen she was not memorable. It was her eyes that were surprising, they were a deep and intelligent grey; her eyes seemed fathomless as if they were looking right through him and something deep inside him wanted to turn from her gaze. She only took a moment for him to size her up before she leaned forward quickly and removed the mask from his face. She then settled the tray of food on her lap and busied herself stirring the soup that was part of his meal. She stirred the soup in a leisurely manner, as if she had all the time in the world. Loki stood still and glared at her, at the soup, and the world (and worlds) in general that when she quickly turned to face him she jumped ever so slightly. She was holding a large spoon up to his lips, its contents still lightly steaming. She looked into his eyes and said,"If you are going to act like a child then I will feed you like one." Her voice was hoarse, as if she had used it for a long time or was perhaps getting over a cold. A combination of her finally speaking and being treated as if he were an infant made him momentarily speechless. Then in a rush of anger he slapped the spoon and stood from the bed in one fluid motion. He snarled at the girl, not yet forming words but glaring at her like a crazed animal. She let out a slight yelp and snatched back her hand, looking at his face with open fear and trepidation on her face. "Please," she said,"you have to eat something to keep your strength." Loki continued to glare at her and in a sudden wave of light headedness, of exhaustion or perhaps his own helplessness, he felt himself begin to black out and fall to the floor. He didn't lose consciousness, at least he did not believe he did, but the next thing he realized was the girl was there at his side holding his shoulders so he wouldn't hit his head on the floor. She still had fear in her eyes, but she gripped him strongly and held him steady. To Loki the room was spinning and he gripped his head in his hands as his head began to throb.

This time he did lose consciousness, because the next thing he knew he was in bed with the girl beside him. "You blacked out," she said as she gripped his wrist and pressed two fingers against it, getting a pulse. Her touch was feather light, and if he hadn't seen her holding his hand he would not have known she was there. "You need to rest, really rest I mean, your mind and body are strained from being locked up," she said as she laid his hand back down onto the bed. She even gave his hand a reassuring squeeze like you would a small child. "I am going to mix up something that will help you sleep deeply." She looked in his eyes and gave a small smile as she turned to the tray of food she had placed on the end of the bed. She picked up the goblet and reached into a pocket in her dress and pulled out a small amount of what looked like dried flowers. She held them in her hand, gave them a small sniff, then added it to the goblet after crushing them in her hand. She gave the goblet a tiny swirl and smiled into its depths as if she liked what she saw. She leaned over and held the drink over his prone form. "Here let me help you sit up." Using the hand that was not holding the goblet she reached under his head and gently raised him up. Her grip was gentle but firm; and she lightly cradled his head as if she thought he was going to break. She lowered the goblet to his lips so he could drink. He did this without complaint for he was ashamed at his own weakness; he wanted the wine and whatever was in them to take him away from reality if only for a few hours.

He drank it all in a few gulps and after it was empty she carefully laid his head back onto the pillow. Loki had always been the kind of man to respond with anger or malice at the slightest provocation, and now was no different. As the girl pulled her hand away he reached out and gripped it with surprising strength. Her eyes darted to the hand gripped on her wrist but made no move to free herself. He gripped her wrist tighter but she did not seem as if she was in any discomfort. She turned and looked him dead in the eye. He returned her gaze as he held on, he could feel her pulse beat a steady rhythm against his hand and he felt the warmth of her skin. He realized that this was the most contact he had had with another living sole in a very long time. He hadn't actually touched another person since he had fallen off the bifrost. At that realization he loosened his grip but did not let go of her. He felt very sad suddenly, and very alone and empty. All the while he felt the warm skin of the girl against his, her blood beating in her veins as he held her wrist. "It's alright," she said lightly as she finally freed herself from his grip. She laid his hand down and slipped her hand into his, giving it a light and reassuring squeeze. "You will sleep well and then you get back your strength." She smiled then, a bright smile and Loki was almost inclined to believe her as he finally slipped into a drug induced slumber.

She stayed there for a few more minutes to make sure he was really asleep. She had given him enough herbs to ensure he would sleep till morning. She checked his pulse one more time, and felt his forehead. She hesitated for a second, than she very lightly brushed a few stray hairs away from his face. After that she turned and grabbed the tray and walked out of the room without once looking back at the sleeping man.

Once outside the room she entered a long and well lit hallway with high ceilinged bronze colored walls reaching up well over 50 feet. In addition there were many armed guards patrolling or guarding the hallway, some stationed at the entrance to the cell and others interspersed at regular intervals along the its' length. The guards watched her as she walked but she kept her head straight and did not meet any of their gazes, she was not allowed to do so. When she finally reached the middle of hallway, some hundred feet from the cell, she came to a smaller door off to the right hidden inside an alcove. She walked up to the simple and unadorned door and knocked with her free hand and waited to be let inside. When it was opened she was quickly ushered inside by several armed and rough looking guards who regarded her with suspicion. In addition there were several older women who gave her slight nods as she walked up to them. One of the elderly women came to take the tray away, which freed up both her arms which she then held out straight off to her sides. She knew the drill and simply waited patiently. She was frisked quickly by the guards and her pockets turned inside out to make sure nothing had been sneaked into her pockets. After being patted down she had to remove her outer dress, even this she was not allowed to do herself, it was the job of the elder woman in front of her. The woman lifted the dress up and over her head, as gentle as possible and not unkindly. Underneath she was wearing a plain and thin linen under shirt. It covered what was necessary and not much else and it left her shivering in the cold of the room. Still, she did not complain at this. She did blush unconsciously at being so sparsely clothed and being under the scrutiny of the male guards behind her. She had known both of the men since they were all children and she was sure their gaze was not an inappropriate one, but she was still embarrassed.

The elderly woman went through a lengthy process of checking her for any kind of enchantment or other mind control. She checked her eyes, her mouth and ran her hands over her body looking for irregularities or strange bruising. Then she was handed a small glass vial that contained a dark purple substance, it was a tiny sample of truth serum, one she had to take every day before she was allowed to speak. She swallowed it quickly, it tasted like old beets, and gagged as it went down her throat. "Amora needs to make a better tasting serum," she said as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I will make sure she takes that into consideration next time," the elderly woman said with a slight laugh. "Now tell me Sigyn, was there any speaking or physical contact with our Prince," she asked lightly. Sigyn nodded. "Yes, today was the first day he has spoken to me since his imprisonment. Also, I had to touch him to take his pulse and he also grabbed my hand." The woman raised her eyebrows but said nothing. "I suppose that this should be a sign of improvement," the woman said as she searched Sigyns' eyes. "I hope it does, I would like if he began to speak more, even if it is just his snide remarks," Sigyn said with a somewhat hopeful voice. "Should I try to talk to him again or wait for him to initiate the conversation?" The other woman continued to look into Sigyns' eyes, and then when Sigyn thought she would not answer the woman nodded her consent.

In the morning, or what passed for morning in his imprisonment, Loki returned to consciousness with reluctance. He felt worn down and still deeply tired, almost as if he had not slept at all. He must have woken in the night at some point because he had stripped down to his pants only. When he began to rise from his bed he realized that he was bare chested and the cold in the room made him shiver. He rubbed his head and shook it in an attempt to clear away the sleep left in his head. It wasn't until he heard a small cough that he turned his head to look at his surroundings. The girl was there standing beside the table with a full plate of food. She even looked directly into his face and smiled which was new. Instead of keeping her head down and not meeting his eyes she looked into his expectantly. "You seem to have slept better," she said as she looked him over. "You will seem groggy for awhile, it's a sides effect of such strong herbs, but it will wear off." She smiled again and gestured to the tray of food sitting on the table,"I knew you would be famished so I prepared more food than usual." He looked at the table and indeed it was piled high with food, complete with a pitcher full of either wine or water instead of a single goblet. Loki realized with a start that he was famished. He struggled to get out of bed but was still woozy from whatever she had given him. Suddenly he felt an arm on his shoulder, the girl had come right up to him without him noticing. "Please, let me help you," she said as she gently took his arm. If she was still afraid of him she did not let it show. She seemed eager to help. She gripped his left arm and helped to ease him out of bed and direct him to the table. "You must pardon me my prince," she said as she led him across the floor to the chair. "The herbs I gave you last night were really meant to be eaten with a meal." She guided him to the chair and he sat down heavily. "I even forgot to replace your mask from last," and she pointed to his face. He felt along his jawline, he hadn't even realized that it hadn't been put back on last night. "It's no matter, you don't need to wear it anymore," she said as she released her grip on his arm. She stepped back and watched him expectantly waiting for him to speak.