Cursed
Ni
Zara stood before her mirror and watched as magic weaved her white locks into an extravagant braid. She had been in Svartalfheim for months, living in her own castle and commanding the Dark Elves where to use resources. The city had become self-sustainable and the inhabitants were content with their new ruler. Loki had granted her some freedom, allowing her to rule on the account that the second he needed her, she was to return to his side. Though she didn’t want to admit it, Zara missed him. Loki’s sense of humour matched hers wonderfully, and his intellect meant that they were able to discuss topics in great detail. Not to mention she enjoyed being around someone so powerful… Zara sighed as she recalled how she didn’t get another chance to seduce her master, and she pondered if that was the reason why he had sent her away to another realm.
Suddenly a figure appeared behind her. Zara’s eyes flicked upwards to his reflection and she gasped. Malekith! She spun on her heels with wide eyes but there was no one else in her sleeping quarters. Zara steadied her heavy breathing and commanded her hair braiding magic to continue, telling herself that she was hallucinating. She had been feeling rather frightened lately as she was alone, and she was not used to not constantly being in the presence of her master.
A hand clamped around the beginning of Zara’s braid and jerked her to her right. Zara cried out, a mixture of surprise and pain, as she was flung into a wooden cabinet. She rose from the broken pieces of wood and set her eyes on her assailant and saw Malekith. He wore all black, scars across the right side of his face from being struck with Thor’s lightening, and his pale blue eyes were far colder than Zara remembered.
“Who is your new master?” Malekith growled in Dark Elvish before he sent an energy blast from his palm. Zara was knocked back down, and instead of attempting to stand again she just waited on her knees and looked up at the towering man.
“I will not tell you,” Zara breathed and Malekith stormed over to her. He roughly grabbed onto the front of her lavender dress and pulled her to her feet, holding her close to his face.
“Who is he?” he repeated slowly. Zara shrugged and her disobedience was countered with a punch to her jaw. Before she could react, Malekith threw her across the room and she tumbled over the gigantic bed. Zara stayed hidden on the ground, using the frame as cover as she tried to think of a plan. “I thought the Asgardians broke the curse to weaken my power, but now I find out that you somehow switched owners?” Zara kept an eye on the black boots that were stalking her, slowly coming around the side of the bed.
“And you are here to command me once again?” she questioned while summoning a ball of heat in her palm.
“You are rightfully mine!” Malekith hollered as he came around the side of the bed. Zara turned around and slammed the energy into his chest. Malekith crashed into the opposite wall, creating a large dent and cracks that spiralled outwards from the impact site.
“I no longer serve you, and I will not be bound to you again,” Zara said as she rose to her feet. Malekith shook some rubble from his shoulders and steadied himself, his stare piercing through Zara.
“Tell me how I can reverse this spell. You know that I need you, and we can rule Svartalfheim together. We can put the other realms into darkness as they should be, but only if we work together,” Malekith pleaded, attempting to soften his harsh voice into a convincing tone. Zara didn’t break eye contact, but she visibly relaxed as she thought over his words. Malekith forced somewhat of a smile on his face and walked forwards. Zara kept her eyes on him, gazing up as he came to a stop right before her. Cautiously, Malekith raised his hand to cup her jaw and further coax her, but his hand travelled right through her. The illusion disintegrated and Malekith’s hand clenched into a tight fist. “Zara! I will show no mercy if you do not return this instant!”
Malekith’s fierce words echoed around the whole castle, but Zara ignored them and continued running down the staircase. Her hair fell out of its incomplete braid and her layered dress flowed behind her as she hurried towards the hidden portal to Asgard. After all, that was the reason why she had built her Dark Elf city in this region: in case she needed Loki’s help. Zara ran into a cave and continued until she found the sigils etched into the rock. She then stopped and pressed herself against the rock, which swallowed her and transported her to the realm of Asgard.
“Loki!” she called as she barged into the grand dining hall. Her voice bounced around the almost empty room, and her eyes landed on Loki who was sitting at the head of a table that seated many female Asgardians. A pang of annoyance stirred in Zara’s guts, but she continued forwards. Loki rose and met her halfway, a concerned frown on his face.
“What is it?” he questioned anxiously as he spotted wounds that she had not yet bothered to heal.
“Malekith… He has returned.”
Suddenly a figure appeared behind her. Zara’s eyes flicked upwards to his reflection and she gasped. Malekith! She spun on her heels with wide eyes but there was no one else in her sleeping quarters. Zara steadied her heavy breathing and commanded her hair braiding magic to continue, telling herself that she was hallucinating. She had been feeling rather frightened lately as she was alone, and she was not used to not constantly being in the presence of her master.
A hand clamped around the beginning of Zara’s braid and jerked her to her right. Zara cried out, a mixture of surprise and pain, as she was flung into a wooden cabinet. She rose from the broken pieces of wood and set her eyes on her assailant and saw Malekith. He wore all black, scars across the right side of his face from being struck with Thor’s lightening, and his pale blue eyes were far colder than Zara remembered.
“Who is your new master?” Malekith growled in Dark Elvish before he sent an energy blast from his palm. Zara was knocked back down, and instead of attempting to stand again she just waited on her knees and looked up at the towering man.
“I will not tell you,” Zara breathed and Malekith stormed over to her. He roughly grabbed onto the front of her lavender dress and pulled her to her feet, holding her close to his face.
“Who is he?” he repeated slowly. Zara shrugged and her disobedience was countered with a punch to her jaw. Before she could react, Malekith threw her across the room and she tumbled over the gigantic bed. Zara stayed hidden on the ground, using the frame as cover as she tried to think of a plan. “I thought the Asgardians broke the curse to weaken my power, but now I find out that you somehow switched owners?” Zara kept an eye on the black boots that were stalking her, slowly coming around the side of the bed.
“And you are here to command me once again?” she questioned while summoning a ball of heat in her palm.
“You are rightfully mine!” Malekith hollered as he came around the side of the bed. Zara turned around and slammed the energy into his chest. Malekith crashed into the opposite wall, creating a large dent and cracks that spiralled outwards from the impact site.
“I no longer serve you, and I will not be bound to you again,” Zara said as she rose to her feet. Malekith shook some rubble from his shoulders and steadied himself, his stare piercing through Zara.
“Tell me how I can reverse this spell. You know that I need you, and we can rule Svartalfheim together. We can put the other realms into darkness as they should be, but only if we work together,” Malekith pleaded, attempting to soften his harsh voice into a convincing tone. Zara didn’t break eye contact, but she visibly relaxed as she thought over his words. Malekith forced somewhat of a smile on his face and walked forwards. Zara kept her eyes on him, gazing up as he came to a stop right before her. Cautiously, Malekith raised his hand to cup her jaw and further coax her, but his hand travelled right through her. The illusion disintegrated and Malekith’s hand clenched into a tight fist. “Zara! I will show no mercy if you do not return this instant!”
Malekith’s fierce words echoed around the whole castle, but Zara ignored them and continued running down the staircase. Her hair fell out of its incomplete braid and her layered dress flowed behind her as she hurried towards the hidden portal to Asgard. After all, that was the reason why she had built her Dark Elf city in this region: in case she needed Loki’s help. Zara ran into a cave and continued until she found the sigils etched into the rock. She then stopped and pressed herself against the rock, which swallowed her and transported her to the realm of Asgard.
“Loki!” she called as she barged into the grand dining hall. Her voice bounced around the almost empty room, and her eyes landed on Loki who was sitting at the head of a table that seated many female Asgardians. A pang of annoyance stirred in Zara’s guts, but she continued forwards. Loki rose and met her halfway, a concerned frown on his face.
“What is it?” he questioned anxiously as he spotted wounds that she had not yet bothered to heal.
“Malekith… He has returned.”