Through the Glass - Part 1
Request from the lovely @rubberduckymomma: There is one maid that Loki never paid attention to, even though she served him for years. After he gets imprisoned for attacking New York, she's the only one that will still serve him.
A/N = Thanks to @rubberduckymomma I have a vague idea of where I want to go with this, but Iâm always open for suggestions!Â
Youâve worked as a maid for the royalty of Asgard since you were a teenager, because your mother insisted on it and you needed the money. You didnât mind though, because Frigga and Odin always treated you with respect. They even allowed their oldest son Thor to befriend you, his brother Loki on the other hand had no interest in you whatsoever.
Every time you entered the library to clean it, he would sit on the velvet armchair in front of the fireplace, captivated by the story he was reading and completely oblivious to your presence. It seemed like he was spending all of his free time in between walls of books, escaping into one of the many realities he could choose from, and it made you wonder if he wasnât satisfied with the one he was living in.Â
Loki was always very distant and he never talked much, but when he did, he was the only thing you concentrated on. You could listen to him all day, and you wouldnât get bored of the intelligence and mystery of his carefully chosen words, even though they were never directed towards you. Most of the time, he talked to his family and you just happened to be in the same room, but you always seemed to be the only one that actually cared about what he had to say, and you wanted to know what else he was hiding in that clever mind of his.
Over the years, you noticed his behavior changing dramatically. His only goal in life was to ascend the throne of Asgard, proving Odin, Thor and himself how much he was capable of, how much power he had. It made you curious, but âcuriosity killed the catâ and you figured it would be best to stay out of their family issues.Â
But then, he attacked Midgard.
ââââââââââââââââ
âThere he is, my majestyâ
The words of a royal guard sent shivers down your spine as he dragged Loki across the throne room, all chained up. He looked like he was in really bad condition, and you almost felt sorry for the broken man in front of you.
For a split second it seemed like he glanced over to you before you realized he was looking at Thor, who was standing by your side. Odin didnât even look at him, while Friggaâs quiet sobs echoed through the room occasionally.Â
âI have returned, father. Did you miss me?â, he hissed through gritted teeth, âI am sure Thor was there to dry your tears while I was goneâ
âTake him to the dungeonsâ, Odin said in a cold tone, before the guards pushed Loki out of the room.Â
It was silent for a moment, until the King raised his voice.
âStop staring and get back to work!â, and immediately everyone continued doing their thing, like the Prince of Asgard didnât just get imprisoned minutes ago.
ââââââââââââââââ
A few weeks went by, yet he was all you could think about. Every time you walked through the castle, you hoped Loki would be sitting in the library like he used to, reading an old book that was about to fall apart, or walking in between beautiful flower beds in the royal gardens with Frigga. But he never was.
You were tossing and turning in your bed, desperate to fall asleep, but the thought of him spending the rest of his life in the dungeons wouldnât let you. You looked at the time, it was 1 am. Great.
You remembered how your mother used to go for late night walks when she couldnât sleep, and you decided to give it a try. You rolled out of bed and got dressed before leaving the room, the golden halls of Asgardâs palace welcoming you once again.
You mindlessly strolled through the dimly lit corridors, trying to make as little sound as possible, when a sudden idea crossed your mind. The doors to the library were directly in front of you. You sneaked in, the smell of old pages and dust tickling your nose, almost making you sneeze. There were still some embers in the fireplace from earlier, softly illuminating the spines of countless books, while you searched for a story that might interest the imprisoned prince. After you gathered a few he could choose from, you returned back into the hallway and made your way to the cold dungeons.Â
It was wet and dark, the ominous silence making you feel uneasy, as you passed several cells before reaching Lokiâs. It seemed like he didnât belong here, among the most dangerous enemies of the nine realms, but yet he was destined to spend the rest of his life here in a cell, being treated like a monster.
Loki peacefully laid on his bed and stared at the wall, his hands resting on his stomach. He still wore his full armor, apparently always ready for a fight, when he jolted up and looked at you. His sudden movement made you jump, causing you to drop the books with a loud thud.
âYou should not be here in the middle of the night, Maidâ, his eyes pierced right through you.
âForgive me, your Highness. I thought you might enjoy some reading materialâ, you said while picking up the novels on the ground, feeling his gaze on you as he mustered you from head to toe.Â
Loki slowly approached the glass wall that separated the two of you, never breaking eye contact, causing goosebumps to form on your skin. The man who looked so innocent a few seconds prior became very intimidating all of a sudden, and you started to understand why Odin kept him here.Â
He could see the fear in your eyes as you backed away bit by bit, holding the books with shaky hands, and it broke his heart. Loki hasnât done anything to the woman in front of him, yet you were scared, just like everyone else. He never wanted the throne, he only wanted to be Thorâs equal, but he made a huge mistake in the process and this was the price he had to pay.Â
You were about to leave again, as his deep voice echoed from the stone walls. Â
âCome back here, Maidâ
You stopped dead in your tracks, your heart hammering against your chest. You were afraid of what was about to come, but it was an order from the Prince that you had to obey. It seemed like you caught the attention of several prisoners as you walked back to Loki, some of them whistling after you, some of them cursing you for waking them up.
âYou are Thorâs Maid, Y/N, right?â, he asked you.
âIndeed, your Highnessâ, you responded, trying to sound as calm as possible.
âI see. Your effort is very appreciated, but you cannot give these books to me without a keyâ, Loki said as he sat down on the chair next to him, âWould you read them to me, please?â
You looked at him with big eyes, uncertain if you heard him correctly. The imprisoned Prince wants you to read to him at two in the morning? He officially lost it now, you thought. But an order is an order.
âWhich one would you like to hear, mâLord?â
âWhichever you find the most interestingâ, he said in a deep, silky voice and it almost sounded like he actually cared.
You sat down onto the cold stone floor and looked through the books, before you chose âHistory of Midgardâ. How ironic of you.
It appeared to be a very old book, itâs thin pages worn out by the amount of times they have been turned, a yellowish tint spreading across them, some letters already faded. You started reading to Loki as he watched you intently from his cell, clinging onto every word, even though he knew them like the back of his hand. He used to read this book over and over again, but somehow it was so much better when you did. The torches on the wall illuminated your face in a warm glow, as your slender fingers danced over the old pages, flipping them every now and then. Strands of hair fell into your face, as your Y/E/C eyes wandered over the letters, and your beauty was the only thing Loki could concentrate on.Â
Youâve been reading for an hour, when a yawn escaped your lips.
âForgive me, your Highnessâ, you looked at him through heavy eyelids, almost falling asleep on the cold dungeon floor.
âDo not apologize, I should have noticed your fatigue earlier. I really enjoyed this and I hope you visit me again some time. Now go and get some rest, Y/Nâ
You didnât even notice him calling you by your name, as you closed the book and got up. You bowed to him before leaving the dungeons and walked back to your room, not bothered to change into your night gown before crashing onto the bed, sleep washing over you immediately.
You woke up the next morning, still confused by last night. You had to admit, you enjoyed the attention Loki gave you, and the fact that he knew your name brought a smile to your lips. All these years of serving the two Princes of Asgard, even establishing a friendship with Thor, and still Loki had to be imprisoned first to finally acknowledge you.
You got ready for the day and left off into the kitchen to grab Thorâs breakfast. The two of you became pretty close throughout the years and he never made you feel like he was above you, always showing the respect you deserved and treating you like an equal, even though he was the God of Thunder and you were just an ordinary Maid.
âGood morning, Lady Y/Nâ, he greeted you as you walked through the door with the tray in your hands. Knowing how much Thor loved breakfast in bed, you walked over to him and put it on his nightstand.
âMorning, Sleepyheadâ, you jokingly said, earning a hearty chuckle from him.
âYou look like the Sleepyhead between the two of us. Tell me, Y/N, did you not sleep well?â, he asked, before taking a bite of the asgardian pastry in his hand.
âI have to admit, itâs been a.. weird night, but donât worry. Iâm up and running, thatâs all that mattersâ
âA weird night? How so?â
Thor was a sucker for good stories and you knew that, but you canât possibly tell him what happened last night. Maids werenât allowed in the dungeons if they werenât explicitly told to do so, especially not in the middle of the night to keep the imprisoned Prince company.
âYou know, I-I kept dreaming about.. uhm.. your coronationâ
âAbout my coronation? There is nothing weird about that now, is it?â
âWell.. Loki had a deal with the frost giants and let them into the Kingâs weapon vault during the celebrationâ
âI see. Now that is truly ridiculous, Lady Y/Nâ
âRight?â, you chuckled nervously, knowing that youâve just lied to the God of Thunder.
The rest of the day went by like every other, nothing special happening. Yet.Â
It was just after dinner, when Thor approached you.Â
âLady Y/N, could you bring this to my brother? It is his favorite meal, but I cannot go myself right now. I have a meeting to attendâ, he looked at you with big puppy eyes and you nodded, earning a thankful smile.
You walked down the stairs to the dungeons, several pairs of eyes lingering on you as you made your way towards the guard in front of Lokiâs cell.
âGood evening. Thor sent me to give this to his brotherâ, you said, looking down at the tray of food in your hands. The guard looked at you in suspicion, but he eventually walked up to the metal door of Lokiâs cell and opened the little slot with his key, so you could slide the tray inside.
He sat in the chair, looking like he was waiting for you to arrive, when you met his gaze. A smile tugged on his lips as he saw you looking back at him, and you couldnât help but wonder why. Loki had realized that you were the only one who still believed there was some good left in him, and he was determined to prove you right. He didnât care much about other people, but there was something about you he couldnât explain, and he couldnât bear to see you scared of him.
âThank you, Lady Y/Nâ, he said as he picked up the tray from the floor of his cell, making your heart jump. Only Thor called you that, he insisted on it in order to show his mutual respect, but you never thought Loki would do the same. He didnât even bother looking at you before he got trapped down here, and although you enjoyed the way he treated you now, you thought he might be up to something. They called him the God of Mischief for a reason, right?
âYouâre welcome, mâLordâ, you said as you bowed to him, before hearing the guard behind you laughing.
âmâLord? Really now? Look at him, he got imprisoned by his own fatherâ, he said as you turned around, anger rising inside of you.
âI'd watch my words if I were you. He is still the Prince of Asgard and he holds more titles than you ever willâ, you snarled back at him, now Lokiâs turn to laugh.
âI like herâ, he said to the guard who was glaring at you, but decided to keep his mouth shut. You did have a point after all, and he didnât want to mess with you any further.
But wait, Loki liked you?
For all you know, there is no one, except for Thor and Frigga, who he actually liked and cared about. You turned to him, confusion written all over your face, as your eyes met his. He looked at you in admiration for being the first one, besides Thor, to ever defend him and even though youâve only known him from these awful rumors, it didnât take a second for you to snap back at the guard.
You tried to wrap your head around his behavior, but eventually brushed it off. He was probably just trying to be a better person after everything he has done, and what better way to start than by complimenting the Maid?
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