Liars and Loyalty Part 28

            Later that night, after dinner, the atmosphere seemed much more tense than usual. Andromeda and Caenr barely spoke, despite the fact that the princess was perfectly willing to. No one was impolite, but the air was thick with the feeling that everyone knew something, a secret. That is, everyone except Thor, who sat, smiling and looking perfectly contented on account of his full stomach.

            When Andromeda could bear no more of the stiff silence, she rose from her seat to “retire”.

            “You are retiring for the evening, Andromeda?” Caenr asked simply.

            “Yes, that I am,” she answered.

            “That sounds like a fine idea to me,” he began innocently. “Perhaps I will as well.”

            “Very well,” she said, offering him her hand. “Goodnight, my lord.”

            “Same to you, my lady,” he responded, accepting her hand and kissing it.

            The moment Andromeda opened the doors to leave, a smile lit her face at the prospect of seeing Loki one last time before she went to bed. After all, she had promised him that she would come.

            After walking all the way back to her bedroom, as always, she closed the doors and dressed in her flowing nightgown. One maid brushed her long, raven locks, while another went to the doors to the balcony and opened them. It was a warm night and it was their duty to make the temperature of the room as comfortable as possible.

            To get rid of her maids, Andromeda laid down on her bed with a convincing, sleepy-sounding sigh and shut her eyes. One by one, they each curtsied their way out of the room and shut the door behind them. Opening one eye, Andromeda looked around her now dark room, making sure that there was no one left before sighing and stretching out under her covers. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. She really was tired from all of this sneaking around that she seemed to do routinely, but she couldn’t stay and sleep. She had promised Loki that she would visit. Nevertheless, she was tired.

            I must take a rest from this routine soon, she said to herself. I am liable to become ill from lack of sleep.

            Getting up determinedly, she threw her green cloak over her and went out her window.

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            Caenr had exited the room just after Andromeda had and, without her knowledge, had trailed her back to her bedroom. After she had gone through her bedchamber doors, he had slunk back into the shadows, both hiding from the guards standing outside her door and waiting to see if the princess would come back out.

            After waiting about fifteen minutes, he saw all of her maids come out and close the doors behind them. Hiding as they went by him, Caenr watched them tiptoe down the hall and out of sight before looking back towards the doors. Now, he waited.

            And waited.

            And waited some more.

            After a few minutes, it became clear to him that she wasn’t coming out. So, he turned and headed back through the palace to his own bedchambers, very frustrated indeed. As he wound back through the hallways, he berated himself mentally. He had thought that he would have been able to catch her meeting with someone. But it would appear that she had actually gone to bed.

            All was quiet, but as the cloaked lad walked down one hallway, a soft creaking sound met his ears and he paused, waiting to hear where the noise was coming from. There was another creak then a click from a hall to his right and he quickly darted into a dark corner where he would not be seen. From his hiding place, he could hear the gentle sound of swishing fabric, but no footsteps. Whoever it was, they did not want to be heard.

            A moment later, a figure appeared around the corner that surprised Caenr greatly: it was Andromeda. Her dark hair was hanging loose to her waist and she had a dark green cloak around her shoulders, but her pale face shown in the dim light and helped him recognize her. He grinned. He had caught her sneaking off.

            He followed her down through the halls, keeping a decent distance away from her so she would not notice him, and moved swiftly and silently. Caenr looked around and took in where they were. He knew every corridor of this palace from his exploration of it when he had first arrived.

            Then where are we? He asked himself. Where is she going?

            Slowly, he began to recognize several “landmarks” and his eyes grew wider, as he shook his head in disbelief.

            No, no… She couldn’t be!

            Slowing her pace, she paused at a corner and Caenr heard her say something that shocked him.

            “Faller inn i en dyp søvn,” she whispered the spell.

            Magic, he realized in shock. She can practice magic.

            Immediately after she uttered the spell, the soft sound of snoring came from around the corner and she walked down the short hall. Caenr followed her his face widening into a grin as he rounded the corner and found the princess in front of a pair of locked doors with two snoozing guards on either side of her. He knew exactly what had been going on now and he decided to confront her about it.

            "Going somewhere, Andromeda darling?" Caenr asked, stepping out of the shadows.

            The princess spun around with a gasp. "Caenr? What are you doing here?!"

            "I was about to ask you the same thing," he responded with a sly smile.

            "I-I was... taking a walk through the palace to calm my nerves."

            He chuckled. "Why do I doubt that?"

            "I know not." She answered nervously as he walked towards her.

            "That is prince Loki's bedchambers and cell, is it not?" He inquired, motioning to the large doors. “He is a war criminal, isn’t he?” She remained silent, biting her lip. "And those guards are asleep," he indicated the lolling heads of the guards. "By means of magic." She winced, but could say nothing. "And you had your hand on the lock of that door." He looked at her accusingly. She currently looked very guilty. He tutted and shook his head. "Oh, Andromeda. What have you gotten yourself into?"

            She bit her lip and steeled herself. "I'm sorry, Caenr."

            "For what?"

            "This..."

            She suddenly raised her hands to him and opened her mouth to say a spell.

            “Gjengi ham bevisstløs!” She cried out forcefully.

            “Motstå stav!” He returned shielding himself from her magic.

            He chuckled scornfully at her astounded face as the product of her spell disintegrated. She was in no way used to having someone effectively fight her magic.

            "Dear Andromeda, all elves have magic, you know," he grinned. "It becomes instinct for us. Although, I am surprised that you have magic… You told my father you had none, did you not?”

            “I was not allowed to disclose my powers to you,” she whispered, bowing her head.

            "Oh," he began, realizing something. "Loki was once renowned for his skills in magic. Is that why you've been going to him? Has he taught you?" There was a very guilty silence, which Caenr broke with a sly laugh. "Oh, I can see it all now: the little rebel princess sneaking out at midnight to meet her tutor. Your father won't be happy to hear this, my dear. Not happy at all."

            "He'll be even less happy when he discovers how you've treated me!" She countered. "Besides, Loki is protected. That is all I care about."

            "Loki is trapped."

            "He's innocent! He's practiced no magic! He can't!"

            "Then how is it that you are freed from my spell, hmm?"

            "Wh-What spell?" She began, nervous.

            "Oh, Andromeda," Caenr began, stalking forward slowly like a fox. "You truly do not remember the things you let me do when I had you under the power of the love potion?"

            Her face drained itself of all its color. "What?"

            He chuckled. "Only small kisses, dear. I assure you. But oh how you liked them. You liked me very well, I think."

            "You... you beast!" She trembled. "You are the real traitor here, not Loki!"

            “Perhaps I am,” he moved on with a shrug, walking towards her slowly. “Now, this is how we will both proceed: I shall not tell anyone of this, you will not come here again, and you will marry me."

            "What?!" She exclaimed, her innards turning cold with horror and dread.

            "I believe you heard me. But I will only keep this a secret if you marry me without any further complications. And if you do not come here any more we need not speak of this ever again!" He smiled sweetly. "Now, isn't that reasonable?"

            "No! Absolutely not! It is unacceptable!" His smile disappeared. "And what of Loki? How can you expect me to simply abandon him?! He is my kin! And why must I abandon him in order for our union to be successful?"

            "Because, sweet girl," he stood before her, "I cannot marry a traitor. A bond between our kingdoms would never be struck," he grasped her by her shoulders and pulled her closer, hissing slightly, "and I NEED that bond!" He stared into her frightened eyes. "If you do not comply," he growled, "I will make certain that you will regret it. Now, what say you?"

            "No..." She shook her head, looking terrified but standing her ground.

            "No?"

            "No! I will not marry you! You have shown me how you truly are: manipulative, cruel, harsh... and I cannot make myself marry someone like you!"

            "You have no choice."

            "I always have a choice!" She pulled free of his grip and stumbled backwards. "My other secrets may be revealed and I may be forced to pay for my mistakes, but such a fate would be better than marrying you."

            "So. Be. It."  He hissed, whirling his cape around him as he turned on his heel and stormed away.

            She ran after him. "Where are you going?"

            "Somewhere you can't follow," he said over his shoulder as he created a magical barrier with a flick of his wrist.

            Andromeda ran into the invisible barrier and slammed her fist against it.

            "You can't trap me in here!"

            "I can't have you escaping either," he responded, disappearing around a corner. "Be grateful that I chose not to alter your memory with magic."

            Fear swelled up inside her and she turned around and ran to Loki's bedroom door, pulled it open, and rushed inside.