The Man in the Iron Mask
Chapter Fourteen
I couldn’t help myself as I burst out in silent laughter at the situation before me. Sylvessa and I again ducked beneath the bushes outside the castle’s main entrance after having pelted the guard there with yet another swollen, purple berry.
“This is fun, Madeline, but if we’re caught… If I’m caught…”
“You won’t be caught. He has no idea where we are and he can’t leave his station.” I took another berry from the basket I used to collect them in each day and got ready, focussing on hitting his once clean, white shirt again. I threw, but we didn’t get to hear his frustrated grunt. I almost screamed in sheer shock as Loki caught the berry in mid-air, then threw it back towards me at twice the speed.
“Ouch!” I wailed, as it hit me on the arm and left a purple smear.
“What are you doing!?” he hissed, approaching us. Sylvessa shrunk back into herself, her eyes adverted to the ground. Loki’s fury seemed to be entirely focussed on me, something I was for once thankful for. “If you’re caught doing this you’ll be spending a week in the stocks, and that’s only IF Odin-Father is feeling kind!”
“What do you care what happens to me?” I asked, rhetorically, but he decided to answer, anyway.
“I care what happens to you because it’ll impact upon me! I’m not being locked up for your stupid actions! Give those here.” He snatched the basket from me, and handed it over to Sylvessa. In a low tone he whispered to her, “You will take these to the kitchen for Madeline. You will attend my chambers tonight for punishment.” She nodded, and rushed away the instant she was dismissed by the waving of Loki’s hand.
“You’re going to punish her for something that was entirely my idea?” I asked. He was being unfair. Of course Sylvessa wouldn’t have done anything like that had I not begged her to accompany me.
“This is to punish you. The guilt is already evident in the way you speak. Next time you may think twice before choosing a slave as your friend here. It’s embarrassing, and this will be the end of it. If you do not obey me, more punishment will be required.” He looked at me with cold, dead eyes, and I dared not say a word. I walked silently back to his chambers and sat at the window with one of his books on the native fauna of Asgard, using the pictures to distract myself from my reality.
My eyes watered as I heard another slap, followed by a whimper that wanted to be a scream. I’d been hiding away in Loki’s bathroom since Sylvessa had arrived but the sound was something I couldn’t escape. He was right. The guilt was punishing me like nothing else could. I tried to think that this was probably usual practice in this part of the universe. I tried to tell myself that it was okay because she’d be used to it. But that was not okay. I wiped the tears from my eyes and put on my strongest face before I left the bathroom to approach Loki.
I stopped walking midway across the room as I found Loki resting on his lounge with a book in his hands and Sylvessa sitting beside him on the floor, cracking a riding crop against a closed leather book and whimpering to herself.
“You seriously thought I was lashing the poor girl? Oh Madeline, I’d hate to know what you really thought of me.” He smirked. I figured my reddened eyes and open mouth had given my emotions away. I wasn’t sure what to think as Sylvessa got up and left the riding crop and book at the end of the lounge as she left the room with haste. She mouthed a “sorry” before she closed the door, but I wasn’t angry with her. No, not with her.
“You had me believe that… you had me think you were…”
“Punishing her? Oh, she got her punishment. She feels terrible about deceiving you. You got yours as I had you believe I was hurting your little friend for… I’m not sure. How long were you hiding away in the bathroom for, hmm?” It must have been a good half hour. I suddenly felt like the worst person in existence. Without saying another word I turned around and headed back to the bathroom, closing the door and leaning against it as I slithered down to the floor in a mess of tears and frustration. Loki’s footsteps were hard to miss as they approached.
“Hey…” I heard as he tried to open the door and felt him pushing it against my back, but he didn’t try very hard. “I was only doing what needed to be done. You can’t go around messing with the guards and the way things work around here. I am higher-born and you are supposed to be my partner. You have to act a certain way if not to keep up appearances, then for your own interests in keeping your head on your shoulders.” I left him with silence and he stopped trying to push the door open.
“Take a bath. Calm down. We’ll talk. This… isn’t working. I know.” I was somewhat surprised to hear him admit to his mistakes, but it didn’t have me feeling any better. I eyed the large bath and various body washes and considered taking up his offer to take a long, hot bath. He hadn’t allowed me to do so before. He’d insisted that this was his space and I wasn’t to go around messing with it.
I let my eyes close as the bubbles made quiet popping noises all around me in the water, the steam fogging up the room and almost hiding the fact that Loki had decided to invite himself in. I took one look at him, then one look down to make sure my body was still adequately covered by the bubbles.
“Let me see your arm. The one with the burn,” he urged, stepping closer and kneeling down to get a grip on me. I didn’t do anything, still too angry and now too embarrassed in the current situation to get many words out, anyway. “My “magic tricks” as you call them are almost back at their normal capacity. I may be able to get rid of this scar for you. I haven’t tried it on myself, obviously…” I snuck a look at his face and yes, the scars from that iron mask were still evident on his face, though they had faded a considerable amount. He closed his eyes as he wrapped both his hands around my arms and I tried to pick up what he might be saying as his lips moved a tiny amount, though not enough to let out any sounds. I looked down then as I felt a warmth and as he removed his hands, a smile had already crept onto my face. The ugly scar I thought I’d have to live with was completely gone, like it had never been there. I watched as he moved his hands to his face, pulling them away to reveal his own healing. He smiled back, and got up to leave.
“Wait!” I called as he turned, and he came back to sit at my side. “You wanted to talk…”
“This is fun, Madeline, but if we’re caught… If I’m caught…”
“You won’t be caught. He has no idea where we are and he can’t leave his station.” I took another berry from the basket I used to collect them in each day and got ready, focussing on hitting his once clean, white shirt again. I threw, but we didn’t get to hear his frustrated grunt. I almost screamed in sheer shock as Loki caught the berry in mid-air, then threw it back towards me at twice the speed.
“Ouch!” I wailed, as it hit me on the arm and left a purple smear.
“What are you doing!?” he hissed, approaching us. Sylvessa shrunk back into herself, her eyes adverted to the ground. Loki’s fury seemed to be entirely focussed on me, something I was for once thankful for. “If you’re caught doing this you’ll be spending a week in the stocks, and that’s only IF Odin-Father is feeling kind!”
“What do you care what happens to me?” I asked, rhetorically, but he decided to answer, anyway.
“I care what happens to you because it’ll impact upon me! I’m not being locked up for your stupid actions! Give those here.” He snatched the basket from me, and handed it over to Sylvessa. In a low tone he whispered to her, “You will take these to the kitchen for Madeline. You will attend my chambers tonight for punishment.” She nodded, and rushed away the instant she was dismissed by the waving of Loki’s hand.
“You’re going to punish her for something that was entirely my idea?” I asked. He was being unfair. Of course Sylvessa wouldn’t have done anything like that had I not begged her to accompany me.
“This is to punish you. The guilt is already evident in the way you speak. Next time you may think twice before choosing a slave as your friend here. It’s embarrassing, and this will be the end of it. If you do not obey me, more punishment will be required.” He looked at me with cold, dead eyes, and I dared not say a word. I walked silently back to his chambers and sat at the window with one of his books on the native fauna of Asgard, using the pictures to distract myself from my reality.
My eyes watered as I heard another slap, followed by a whimper that wanted to be a scream. I’d been hiding away in Loki’s bathroom since Sylvessa had arrived but the sound was something I couldn’t escape. He was right. The guilt was punishing me like nothing else could. I tried to think that this was probably usual practice in this part of the universe. I tried to tell myself that it was okay because she’d be used to it. But that was not okay. I wiped the tears from my eyes and put on my strongest face before I left the bathroom to approach Loki.
I stopped walking midway across the room as I found Loki resting on his lounge with a book in his hands and Sylvessa sitting beside him on the floor, cracking a riding crop against a closed leather book and whimpering to herself.
“You seriously thought I was lashing the poor girl? Oh Madeline, I’d hate to know what you really thought of me.” He smirked. I figured my reddened eyes and open mouth had given my emotions away. I wasn’t sure what to think as Sylvessa got up and left the riding crop and book at the end of the lounge as she left the room with haste. She mouthed a “sorry” before she closed the door, but I wasn’t angry with her. No, not with her.
“You had me believe that… you had me think you were…”
“Punishing her? Oh, she got her punishment. She feels terrible about deceiving you. You got yours as I had you believe I was hurting your little friend for… I’m not sure. How long were you hiding away in the bathroom for, hmm?” It must have been a good half hour. I suddenly felt like the worst person in existence. Without saying another word I turned around and headed back to the bathroom, closing the door and leaning against it as I slithered down to the floor in a mess of tears and frustration. Loki’s footsteps were hard to miss as they approached.
“Hey…” I heard as he tried to open the door and felt him pushing it against my back, but he didn’t try very hard. “I was only doing what needed to be done. You can’t go around messing with the guards and the way things work around here. I am higher-born and you are supposed to be my partner. You have to act a certain way if not to keep up appearances, then for your own interests in keeping your head on your shoulders.” I left him with silence and he stopped trying to push the door open.
“Take a bath. Calm down. We’ll talk. This… isn’t working. I know.” I was somewhat surprised to hear him admit to his mistakes, but it didn’t have me feeling any better. I eyed the large bath and various body washes and considered taking up his offer to take a long, hot bath. He hadn’t allowed me to do so before. He’d insisted that this was his space and I wasn’t to go around messing with it.
I let my eyes close as the bubbles made quiet popping noises all around me in the water, the steam fogging up the room and almost hiding the fact that Loki had decided to invite himself in. I took one look at him, then one look down to make sure my body was still adequately covered by the bubbles.
“Let me see your arm. The one with the burn,” he urged, stepping closer and kneeling down to get a grip on me. I didn’t do anything, still too angry and now too embarrassed in the current situation to get many words out, anyway. “My “magic tricks” as you call them are almost back at their normal capacity. I may be able to get rid of this scar for you. I haven’t tried it on myself, obviously…” I snuck a look at his face and yes, the scars from that iron mask were still evident on his face, though they had faded a considerable amount. He closed his eyes as he wrapped both his hands around my arms and I tried to pick up what he might be saying as his lips moved a tiny amount, though not enough to let out any sounds. I looked down then as I felt a warmth and as he removed his hands, a smile had already crept onto my face. The ugly scar I thought I’d have to live with was completely gone, like it had never been there. I watched as he moved his hands to his face, pulling them away to reveal his own healing. He smiled back, and got up to leave.
“Wait!” I called as he turned, and he came back to sit at my side. “You wanted to talk…”
♠ ♠ ♠
I really, really feel like having a bubble bath now. My parents are renovating the bathroom and we've been without one for like, 3 years now. I... can't take this much longer.Listen to an audio recording of this chapter here by meguinpenguin.