Divided Chapter 99

From the opposite end of the corridor, Eidra could see people gathered before the open doors of the Great Hall and she stopped. The guardsman, realizing she was no longer keeping pace with him, paused to look at her, “Milady?”
The group milled about, casting silhouettes against the torchlight. Among them, she spied at least one Jotunn but the guard had told her Loki was restored. She started forward again, a bit slower this time, clasping her trembling hands tight together.
“Mama!”
One of the figures had broken away and was now rushing toward her, the rest turned to watch their exchange.
“Oh Mama! It is ended!” Brenna flew into her arms, “Come see. Papa is home safe again!”
Eidra clutched Brenna to her tightly before taking her by the arms and giving her a shake, “Are you mad? Running off with Mister Stark to the gods know where!”
“In my defense, I tried to make her stay here but she wouldn't listen,” Stark was beside her now, guiding her toward the group.
“A bit of firmness would have stayed her feet, Mister Stark.”
“That's your area, Milady.”
As they drew closer to the group, Eidra could make out faces. Velos, looking grim as he stood talking with Simon whose arm was ensnared by a beautiful red-headed woman, Fen hovering close to the open doorway, staring into the room, an anxious look upon his face. Still more, Midardian agents, clustered into their own group, milling about, their heads together talking in hushed tones.
She stopped, keeping her eyes averted from the open doorway and at once, she was surrounded. Fen had leaped to her side and was pulling her forward, urging her on into the Great Hall. Velos,  bowing deeply as did Simon. Behind them, she could see Silas, helmet in hand, his eyes seeming to search the air, his countenance deadly serious.
“Where is Colin?” Eidra scanned the faces, “Is he in the Great Hall?”
Brenna's hands flew to her mouth as Stark cleared his throat, “No, Ma'am. He...ah.. he never made it out of Jotunheim.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Eidra reached out her hand, found Brenna's arm, “Was he not with you?”
Stark shook his head, “He left for Jotunheim to find your husband and take the casket back and that's just what he did.”
“Mama, he was the Protector,” Brenna murmured, “He saved Papa, he saved Asgard.”
Thor burst through the doorway with a growl, “He will not listen to me, Hel and be damned!”
“Uncle! My mother is here!” Fen called to him.
Thor's scowl softened until at last he nodded to Eidra with a gesture toward the Great Hall,  “Yours is a most difficult road, Milady.”
Eidra pulled herself upright, took a shuddering breath and let go of Brenna's arm, “Nevertheless, the path is mine to tread. Silas, do close the doors after I am inside.”
“Yes, Milady,” Silas rasped with a bow.
Staring straight ahead, she stepped through the doorway into the Great hall, listening to the groan of hinges as the doors closed. She could see Loki sitting upon the opposite end of the long feast table, hunched forward, his feet in the chair before him from which hung an all too familiar cloak, the hood dangling over the edge by a few threads and she felt her heart a hammer against her ribs. The urge to turn and run from the room was all consuming but she forced her feet into motion, assessing him as she approached. He hung his head, a linen cloth pressed to his lip. Had the gray streak in his hair lightened in so short a time apart? His arms were a mass of scratches, an angry purple bruise bloomed across his ribcage.
She paused a few feet away, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence, a breath away from bolting out of the room knowing if she did not speak soon, she would lose all courage.
“We thought you were dead.”
“Hmmph.....,” he grunted, “Therein are you most unfortunate.”
When she said no more, he looked up at her, “And so 'tis the truth. It should be me lying beneath the ice of Jotunheim not....Colin.”
“Say it is not so!” screamed the voice inside her head, “Welcome him home!”
But she could not...her silence breaking his calm demeanor at last.
“Were it possible I could turn back time, I would. Then you could drive the dagger home to finish the job you started!” he cried, stepping down from the table, “Would you then be happy?”
She shook her head, her throat tight with anguish, “Too much....death...too much.” The scene coalesced in her mind of that terrifying morning, her holding the knife he'd placed in her hand, pressing the tip over his heart. The gods alone knew how close she'd come to impaling him, running for her life. She bit back a strangled sob.
“This has been entirely my doing,” he threw his hands about him, “The secret I kept from you has undone us.”
“What...secret?” she sobbed, “If I did not give voice to that which I knew must be so, does it then mean I did not know what you were? 'Twas the biggest unkept secret in the realm! The whispered gossip from the kitchen doorways, carried upon the air through the palace halls. Gods, do you still think me a weak, frightened young servant with no thought save the ones given me by my master? I did promise myself I would not talk of your heritage until the time came when 'twas necessary but whether it was known to one or many, it would have made no difference upon what has come to pass.”
He shook his head, “No, you do not ken. The secret alone is not to blame but what it made me into which has poisoned our union. I am now looked upon as a traitor to the realm for my actions, whether they be deliberate or forced upon me. I have cost my friend his life, I have brought destruction and death to Asgard by my compliance, I have lain with another woman....gods forgive me! Gods forgive me!”
“Where is the whore?” Edira croaked, “Did you leave her to freeze or have you hidden her away in the palace even now?”
“Colin charged her with delivering me back to Asgard but when we arrived in the city she was taken,” he dropped into a chair, face in his hands, “Torn from us by the people. We were powerless to stop them.”
“A pity she could not be made to suffer longer...”
He rubbed his eyes, sat back in the chair to stare at her. She cast her eyes to the floor, unable to meet his gaze.
“And now we are left with the broken pieces of our life together.”
She felt for one of the chairs beside her, pulled herself down to sit, arms folded across her stomach.
“I will not leave you destitute.”
There it was. She looked down the table at him, the divide between them nearly a palpable thing. Her chest felt tight, her heart crumbling to dust as she studied the lines of the face she'd woken to each morning for sixteen seasons until tears began to blur her vision.
“Brenna told me of the damage to the manor. Thor has promised to dispatch workmen this very day to affect repairs. He has sworn to maintain the household in the manner in which you are accustomed to. The...children,” he faltered, paused, “The children will want for nothing.”
“Save their father,” the voice in her head was but a whisper now.
“What of the children? They have lost so much. What would you have me tell them when we leave you behind?”
“Tell them what you will. Tell them there is nothing left of their father in the man I am now.”
Eidra put a hand to her mouth, “You wish me to lie to them? Break their hearts as well?”
Loki slammed a hand down upon the table, “'Tis nobler to lie than to subject my family to the stain of treason, tell them I am a traitor to Asgard, then it will be the truth if it please you.”
“What of you then? What will you do?”
A grim smile played about his lips, “I have resigned my post as adviser to the king against his wishes but were Thor to attempt to retain me, the people would rebel and rightly so. What shall I do? I do not know but come what may I know  my family will be cared for.”
“We must tend to Brynn.”
Loki closed his eyes, “My brave boy. So many lives I would trade for my own. We will see to him at once.”
He rose, picked up the cloak, draped it over his arm and started toward the doors to the Great hall, only pausing beside her chair when she whispered, “Would it make a difference were I to say I forgive you?”
“It eases my heart but it will not change my decision,” he reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, drew it back, “Because I cannot forgive myself.”
She listened to his boots tapping out the measured steps she knew by heart as he retreated, heard the doors of the Great hall open and shut with a dull thud. Only then did she curl in upon herself, rocking back and forth while her grief echoed through the rafters high overhead.




“Shut the door! Stick any rabble tries to break through it!” Perth's voice cut through the haze of agony and Eris tried to smile though her effort was cut short as Perth navigated the maze of tables in the tavern and her broken body protested at the movement.
“Sigur! Bring your pallet 'ere beside the fire. Fetch fresh linen. She's bleedin' heavy!”
The smell of roast venison reached her nostrils forcing its way through the blood flowing from her broken nose making her retch, cry out as broken bones ground together. At last she was laid down upon a straw mattress, too weak to shiver with the cold that seemed to be creeping up her limbs toward her torso.
“There now. You're safe with Perth. How many times did I tell ya, never let your reach exceed your grasp? Foolish girl.”
She forced her eyes open to look up at Perth's round face “Bad..”
A thunderous banging rang out from the tavern door and Caleb hurried back into the kitchen, “They've threatened to fetch the royal guards, what should we do?”
“Let 'em call the Allfather down  from Valhalla for all I care,” Perth took a coverlet from Sigur's arms, laid it over Eris, “Here now, I've known many a bad sort and you wasn't one of 'em, no more than was Neve, no more than Willa. Misguided is all.”
She could only smile at him. She was so tired.
“You rest now. I'm going ta take care of the crowds outside.”
Perth stood up, striding out into the tavern as Sigur and Cabel hovered in the kitchen doorway watching him. Eris looked toward the fire and her heart began to race. Squatting beside her pallet, grinning, her sharp teeth brilliant white against her coal black skin, was Neve.
“I've missed ya's.”
Eris turned her head, looked at Sigur and Cabel then back to Neve who was now standing. She  was so very tired.
“Come on,” Neve giggled, her hand out to Eris, “To your feets. We has a long way to go.”
It took a gargantuan effort but Eris raised her arm from the pallet and grasped Neve's hand. All at once, she felt fine. She rose to her feet, a bit unsteady at first until Neve tugged at her hand, “This way. Out the back door.”
Eris stared ahead of them at the rear kitchen door, open to the waning afternoon light, “I have to thank Perth for saving me.”
“Ah, he already knows his good deed. Hurry, they're waiting for you.”
With a final glance over her shoulder at Sigur and Cabel, she allowed herself to be led through the doorway and out into the snow by her dear friend.

“She's in here! Quit your shovin' afore I knock your helmet off your head!” Perth grunted as he strode through the kitchen doorway with three royal guards on his tail, scattering Sigur and Cabel to either side.
“Look at 'er. She's no harm to anyone,” Perth knelt beside the pallet, “She needs ta recover....hey now, get your filthy hands off'n 'er!”
One of the royal guardsmen had squatted down beside Eris and was now pressing his fingers to her neck. He put his hand before her nose and with a grunt, hauled himself to stand again, “She is dead. Recovery is far beyond her grasp.”
Perth stared at Eris' body for a moment, lifted her hand and patted it, “Poor thing, poor, poor thing. She'd not a chance from the beginning.”
“She would have received far worse had she survived to stand before the High Council,” The guardsman gestured to his fellow guards, “Bring her.”
Perth watched them lift Eris' limp body upon the pallet and carry it out of the kitchen through the tavern. Before he followed them out, the guardsman eyed Perth, “We will report this indiscretion to the High Council.”
“Hang yourself....,” Perth ignored Cabel's stare, sniffed as the guardsman strode from the kitchen, “Sigur! Get out there behind that bar! We're gonna be full soon's I open that door, Hel and be damned!”