Loki x Reader - Request

She was surprised when given the duty of tending to him. She'd never been close to him, nor had she ever really spoken to the brooding, mysterious god. She'd spent her time away from the royalty, for the most part, actually. She supposed this could be a part of the reason she was assigned the task. 

She was honestly terrified of him. He had destroyed races, left behind a family who loved him, and committed unspeakable crimes, solely for power. She'd heard of his excommunication. 

Thor no longer considered him a brother, though he used the term loosely. 

He was no longer a son of Odin.

Even Frigga refused to see him, her shock and scorn for him unmistakeable. 

Odin was adamant with her. "Let no one see him. Do not do anything but clean his cup and platter, and refill them as I've told you. Do not tend his bed, nor clean his furniture. Do not open your lips even in gesture, or I will make sure you never speak again."

She felt an inexpressible fear clench it's fingers around her neck, but she managed to choke out a breath anyways. "Yes, oh great Allfather." She bowed deeply, though her knees were trembling.

She turned and walked down through the long stone hallways and through the cold, looming doorways with only a candle. She felt goosebumps rise on her arms and a shiver ripple down her back. She clenched her bare toes against the gritty steps, as if that would prevent the cold from piercing her skin.

The warm yellow lights all led down to the last one. She pressed her fingers to the wall, which was cold to the touch, unlike the others.

She had never seen someone so utterly forlorn.

His eyes flickered up to her. 

"What do you want with me, measly servant?" He barely turned his head.

She shook her head and pointed to her lips.

"Ah, yet another quiet one. Silence has grappled with your tongue now, has it? Or has Odin?" 

She glanced at him for a moment. She blinked at him, before turning to the table.

She looked at his empty wine glass, contemplating why he hadn't taken to it. She took it and dumped it into the pail she'd brought along, along with the rest of his untouched food. 

She shivered again. 

She saw him flinch.

"Cold here, isn't it?" he noted quietly. "Nothing like home, now is it? I'm freezing this whole palace, aren't I? Haven't your chambers been cold since the arrival of the outcast?"

She set the pail down on the table after a few moments and knelt beside him. She stared into his eyes for a long while, silently watching, hoping to read something, but she couldn't. 

His eyes were vacant and lost. She reached out and let her fingers trail along his gaunt cheeks. She shook her head.

"Not cold, my Prince," she whispered. 

She swore she saw a flicker of something other than emptiness in his face, but it was fleeting. 

She drew her hand away and stood up. She felt her heart racing, knowing that the guards by the door had heard. 

She had known she would give in, the moment Odin assigned her the task. 

She'd always been impartial to Loki. It was more of his magic that caught her eye, than the prince himself.  

She remembered his magic tricks, watching as the other maids were mercilessly fooled with and played like cards. She was clever enough to avoid both Loki and his contrivances, unlike most. Even Thor wasn't bright enough to escape Loki's ploys. She was amused by them. She was fascinated by the streams and flickers of magic and light that sparkled through his window at night. She would watch him on his balcony from the maids' chambers, as he whispered forbidden spells and conjured up fantastic flames. Surely he'd known.

She collected her pail and escaped quickly, trying to avoid any more confrontation.

As she lay in bed late that night, she realized how great her fortune was, to have escaped exile, possibly even death.

The sudden pounding on her door instilled the fear in her again. 

Her roommate, Eylaja, answered. The guards simple pushed past her and grabbed _________'s arms roughly. 

"The King demands your presence."

"I expected so," she whispered. 

When they made it to Odin's throne, he stared at her with a mixture of fatherly disappointment and kingly disgust. "You have not obeyed my commands."

She nodded, and bit her quivering lip. 

He nodded to a guard beside him. "Your punishment is harsh. Loki's was harsher. You will continue to serve him, though you will not speak. He must see what horrible things he has done to a simple servant such as yourself. It seems even in punishment, he cannot refrain from breaking things."

The guard stepped over to her and tilted her chin up. Before she even comprehended what was happening, she tasted blood and felt a piercing pain in her lips. 

She tried to scream, but she couldn't open her mouth without tearing it. 

The guard finished his task quickly, and tied a tight knot. 

____________ reached up to her lips with trembling hands, feeling the string of gold that held her lips together. 

"Now, as the morning light arises, you will bring him his wine. No food, not this morning."

She nodded and wiped away her tears. She bowed lowly. 

She retrieved the cup from the kitchen and ran with fleeting feet to the chamber of the prince. 

His back was covered in lacerations and bruises, obviously from being beaten with a staff. One with a blade on the end, at that.

"You foolish mortal, look what you've done." His voice was hoarse from screaming. 

She set down his goblet and turned to leave.

He turned to face her. "Look at me."

She turned back towards him.

His eyes shimmered with something she recognized as disbelief. 

"Your punishment?" he asked. 

She blinked back tears. 

He motioned for her to come closer. She refused. He stood up, with much pain and gasping and he bit his cheek hard as he did so. He pulled on his tunic and stumbled over to her.

With nimble fingers, he untied the knot at the end. 

"And who can spin and unspin lies and string like I?" he asked, as he drew the auric thread from her lips. He dangled the blood-soaked twine before her. "I shall hold onto this. Wash your lips; it is not suitable for a woman to have such wounds as this. The other maids will surely-"

"I c-care not for other maids. I prefer the company of t-those who can speak intelligently and with g-grace. Like yourself. Surely I face death now, but at this time, it is fitting that a lady die with dignity. I'd like to have died as a rebellious girl who spoke to the betrayer-prince than a simple maid."

Her lips pained her terribly.

He smiled slightly, as if he knew. He pressed his lips to hers and she let out a whimper. "Blood of innocents is never nice to have on your hands, but no one ever mentioned how sweet it would taste on your lips."