Note from BlackLaceLamb:
Well... it's been almost a year since my last update. I'll be honest with you, things have been insanely busy and complex on my side of the world. I've graduated university, traveled internationally, have been accepted into a Master's degree and am now living in London! I'm doing my best to keep writing, but my focus is first and foremost my education. I'm going to try my best to finish this story, and it's about time you wonderful, passionate supporters got to see the next chapter!

I love you guys so much, and thank you for all your wonderful reviews and messages of support!

All characters as well as setting is (C) MARVEL

All original characters (including Seren, Kael and Nótt the Undying Queen) concepts and story is (C) BlackLaceLamb

Chapter IX: The Tipping Point

The footsteps grew louder and louder as they advanced on the bedchamber.

Seren paced her room, speaking to her handmaids in a steady, soft voice. One poured a goblet of wine and offered it to steady herself, which Seren accepted with a smile. She hushed her voice as the maids listened to her every word, nodding every so soften or asking a question.

One of the guards knocked on her door, Seren and the handmaids turned sharply, and the twin girls hid their hands behind their backs. Their fists clenched to mask their fear.

"Come in." Seren said. The guards entered and tightened their hold on their spears.

"My lady, we have been asked to escort you to the royal lounge. The king wishes to speak with you." Seren nodded and followed them silently; the handmaids curtsied as she departed.

Loki was waiting for her, with Gungir clenched tightly in his fist. The guards opened the doors for her, and she instantly locked eyes with him. Her scrutiny was unflinching as she steadily advanced on him, and after a few breaths had passed, Loki was forced to avert his gaze from her. The guards closed the doors and left the lovers alone in the spectacular lounge. Seren rested her hands together and watched as he walked towards her; he cupped her chin between finger and thumb and her eyes narrowed.

"You look at me like I am less than human." He said. "Nothing more than a disgusting insect you'd like to scrape off your boot."

"I am not repulsed by you Loki." She said firmly and quickly, it was unlikely if she'd get the chance to speak up like this again. "If you had stayed to listen, then you would have learned that I don't care where you come from, or what blood runs through your veins. What matters to me are the actions you take… and what do you do? You left me alone, without a word of explanation, and you just take off! What in the Nine Realms am I supposed to do with this knowledge?" A part of him was very pleased that she didn't care that he was a Jotun, but Loki still saw his true self as an ugliness he wanted to forget. Loki twisted his wrist and released her, knocking her head aside.

"Treat it as unimportant, you are my queen Seren, and a good queen remains silent and does not question her king's motives." She growled under her breath and slowly turned her head to look at him. Frigga would have scolded him fiercely if she'd heard that! But if he didn't want to talk about his Jotun blood, then she wouldn't linger on the distressing topic.

"Well then… as your queen, what do you ask of me?" Loki paused for a moment and turned to face her, his expression unreadable.

"You swore to serve for the protection of Asgard and its people, did you not?" His voice was commanding and cold, speaking to her as a king and not as her lover. "Yes."

"And as my queen, your duties are to your beloved's interests." Seren hesitated before answering, her hands moving to rest behind her back. Carefully she flexed her fingers, cracking her knuckles.

"…To an extent… yes…" Loki walked towards her, like a hunter closing in on a snarling beast.

"We are under the threat of war with the Frost Giants, and you will fight with me as my bow." Seren froze in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"What?!" She hissed.

"You will help me wipe those repulsive Jotuns from the edges of the Nine Realms, just as you did with that monster Jolvir and his ilk." Loki said, resting his hand firmly on her shoulder. "You did it before, and you will help me do it again." Seren stepped back, appalled by his request. She turned her gaze away and began to pace slowly, occasionally throwing a glance at Loki.

"I-I won't. You know I won't!" She cried. "Jolvir did not have a drop of human kindness within him, Laufey agreed to a truce with Odin and upheld that truce."

"Until now…" He said softly, she whirled around and glared at him.

"Do NOT think that we are discussing the same thing. They do not deserve such cruelty."

"The Jotuns are a brutal race, and their intentions were made clear when they broke into Asgard." Loki said coldly. "We need to exterminate this threat before more lives are lost."

"Ever since we returned from Jotunheim, there have been no further attacks from them! I will not be a part of this slaughter Loki, they have not sought out any further violence against Asgard." She said, trying to reason with him. "It's true that I massacred the entirety of the Parlavix, and I murdered their king, but their bloodlust would never be sated no matter how many worlds they conquered. The only course of action was to fight them, but the Jotuns are not like that… you are not like that…" She watched his face carefully as he gritted his teeth; his face was icy with disappointment and anger.

"So you will not help me?"

"No." Loki straightened up, not breaking his gaze from her fierce, defiant eyes.

"You are a traitorous queen Seren," He said. "You should be grateful of your place at my side, it is rare for a foreigner such as you to be blessed with such a role." Seren's hair flared brightly as she clenched her fists, her nails digging hard into her palms.

"'Blessed'?" She scoffed. "I earned my position in Asgard; I never asked to be acting Asgardian sovereign, you offered me that responsibility. I was born to be a fierce warrior, not a submissive queen. If you want one so badly, I am sure that there are plenty of whores in the city who would love to be on your arm." She spat coldly, pushing past him and roughly knocking his shoulder. Loki grunted in annoyance but let her pass. She moved over to a jug of water and a goblet, just below a large circular mirror. As she brought the golden cup to her lips, the gleam of Loki's emeralds caught her eye.

Seren looked at herself: her skin was white as salt, her eyes were black as pitch, and the golden gifts flashed in the torchlight. The ornaments looked beautiful, highlighting her natural radiance. But then it dawned on her.

They weren't a necklace and bracelets…

It was a collar and cuffs.

Her jaw slackened in shock as she recalled how he had yanked on it during their lovemaking, like leashing in a wild dog. In certain light, they flashed brilliant green, like Loki's ever-watching eyes. Her face paled as she recalled his words when he first gave them to her: "Everywhere you walk, all who look upon you know that you are mine… and mine alone…"

All that was missing was the muzzle.

Seren dropped the goblet, spilling its contents over the hem of her gown.

"What's wrong?" Loki asked tiredly. But he almost dropped the sceptre when he saw her. Seren was storming out of the room, tearing off the bracelets and throwing them to the floor. She didn't know where she was walking to; all she wanted was to be rid of these gilded chains.

The two lovers strode down the halls and into the throne room, Seren glared over her shoulder as he pursued her.

"Leave me alone!"

"Get back here! You're being hysterical!" She ran up the stairs to the throne and seized the necklace. Loki marched up the stairs to face her. "What in the Nine Realms is wrong with you?" But his words caught in his throat as he saw her eyes were red with furious tears.

"I have loved every moment at your side Loki…" She yanked on the necklace and the clasp snapped. "You have brought me so much happiness, and so much misery in the time that I have known you…" Seren looked down at the jewels in her hands, then back up at his eyes: bright as emeralds and just as cold.

She clenched her teeth and threw the necklace at his beloved throne, where it shattered into a hundred pieces. Gold and emeralds cascaded down the stairs of the throne… save for a slight slip of her wrist.

Loki closed his eyes as a wave of sorrow threatened to overtake him, but he managed to push it down. Instead he turned back to his lover, and looked at her with cold, dead eyes. Tears brimmed on her eyelashes; Seren's voice was firm, but threatening to break.

"The love I bear for you is so great… that it breaks my heart to stand against you… " She shuddered in pain. "…but I will not bow to a tyrant who loves his crown more than his queen." Loki's teeth were clenched and he shook with rage. He could take no more. Clasping Odin's mighty sceptre, the room trembled at his voice.

"I AM YOUR KING!" The first tears rolled down her cheeks, her jaw slack with shock. "YOU SWORE TO SERVE THE KING OF ASGARD, ON THE MOON AND THE STARS YOU CHERISH, YOU SWORE TO FIGHT WHEN YOUR KING COMMANDS YOU TO!" Seren didn't wince; instead a tiny laugh escaped her lips. Loki flinched.

"I swore… to serve Odin Allfather, not his lesser son-"

Seren's face hit the steps and she tumbled to the floor. The back of Loki's hand felt cold, but his knuckles burned where he'd struck her across the cheek.

She landed in a crumpled heap of silk and limbs at the bottom of the steps. Seren shakily rose to her knees and looked down at the polished floor, her eyes wide. Drops of blood spattered her hands. Gingerly she raised her fingertips, just as her lip and cheek began to throb with pain. There were a few drops of blood on the sharp edge of the steps, and her bottom lip was split open deeply from her fall. The sleeve of her dress was torn, as were several of her delicate underskirts from tangling in her legs.

Loki froze on the spot, still unsure that what he'd just done was real. His eyes were fixed on her as she rose to her feet and turned to face him, letting the blood run down her chin, drip onto her breasts and stain her dress, forcing him to see what he'd done to her. Her eyes were immovable from his, unflinching and fierce with fury. She smiled, her teeth stained red with blood.

"You remind me of another tyrant I knew, before I chopped off his head. Remember his tragic tale… my king." She said quietly, before giving a sarcastic curtsey and turning to leave.

Just then a swarm of guards ran into the room, no doubt hearing Loki raise his voice to her.

"Seize her." Loki said, but she was miles ahead. Reaching under her skirts, she drew a gleaming dagger from a strap on her calf. The guards closed in on her, but fell like paper dolls. Clutching at their ribs and legs, they groaned as Seren nicked at their weak spots with her biting blade to disable them momentarily. And they collapsed in a circle around her.

"If you have the gall to attack me…" She snarled as she wiped her bleeding lip. "At least have the decency to fight me yourself." Seren braced herself as her lover strode towards her, and aimed Gungir. She leapt out of the way as a beam of energy sliced through the air, swerving off course as Loki tried to steady this new power. Seren leapt at him and sliced through the air, but he blocked each one with a shuddering blow; Gungir's raw majesty easily overwhelming her flimsy dagger. Suddenly his foot struck out at her ankles and she stumbled, cursing sharply at her clumsy footwork. Spotting a moment of weakness, Loki bared his teeth fiercely as he knocked her down with the end of the spear. Seren growled as the blunt end struck her down on the floor; she tried to turn over, dagger still in hand. But he was too quick.

Loki pressed his boot to the small of her back, the blade of the spear pointed straight at her head. One twitch of his finger, and her head would be blown away. Seren held her breath, her heart racing in her ears.

"If you will not sit at my side, then you will kneel at my feet." He said softly, pushing his foot harder into her back. Seren flinched as the tip of the spear stroked the back of her neck. "I should have your hands taken for your treason. Pluck those piercing eyes that scorn me, tear the tongue from your mouth so you will never speak ill of me again…" Loki said softly. His eyes swept over the woman beneath him. He knew every muscle in her body nearly as well as his own, and they were tense with fear beneath his boot. Leisurely his eyes snaked up from her hips to her shoulders, but then he caught sight of the pool of blood by her face. He sighed softly. "But I care for you too much for such cruelties."

Another set of guards entered the room, this time there were much more, with bigger weapons. The moment they were close enough, Loki lifted Gungir from her neck.

"Take Lady Seren to her chambers, she is not to leave her room and no one is to speak to her. Pick up the pieces of my gifts and throw them in, I will come for her later." One of the guards bent down and took away her dagger; another grabbed her arm and hoisted her to her feet. Seren pulled herself free of their hold, and the guards took a step back. Among them, she saw several of the archers she had trained. None of them touched her. She raised her head and let out a slow breath to steady her temper.

"Seren. I expect you to think carefully on your choices…." Loki said to her, taking a step closer. "My mother cares for you," Her eyes narrowed. "And she would be saddened to hear of what has become of you. I know you'll see reason." He lifted an eyebrow as she continued to look at him with dead eyes. "Do you have anything to say to your lover?"

Quickly she spat a wad of bloody saliva in Loki's eye, he snarled and the guards hurried her out of the room. The doors closed on her tear-streaked, bloody face, and the lovers gave one final, despairing glare to one another before Loki turned his back on her with a sweep of his cape.

As the tarnished remains of her bracelets and necklace were thrown in with her and the doors of her chambers were locked, Seren slipped her hand into the sleeve of her dress…. and she drew out a single emerald. Quickly she had snatched it from the necklace as it broke in her hands, though she didn't know why. She wiped her aching lip, gazing down at the stone. Gently she ran her thumb over the polished surface and smiled to herself as fresh, heartbroken tears fell from her eyes.

"You're a fool Loki…" She whispered with a crooked smile. "A damn fool… and you have ruined everything you care for…"