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(( post-this ))
It hadn't taken long to put his plan into action, to engineer a betrayal. It was disgustingly easy, actually. A guard that was up in the roster to be his guard for the next fortnight. A disguise, a bribe, a weak will and a greedy heart, and all was as Loki expected. The man had never liked him, had always considered Loki to be a blight on the honor and name of the royal family.
And unlike others, who might dare only to speak poorly of him in an undertone, this man was willing to kill.
It'd come surprisingly close, actually, for all that Loki himself the one who had orchestrated the attack. He hadn't expected it to come when it did, and the guard did have two weeks with which to work. So it's only due to Loki's actual reflexes and instinctive spell-casting that he'd avoided the worst of the potentially fatal wounds.
As he waited in the Healing Wing, Eir working her magic over him, he'd fought with his father, Thor and their mother both supporting Loki in his demands. This, at least, was as he planned. And within a night, James was once again the captain of Loki's personal guard.
It hadn't taken long to put his plan into action, to engineer a betrayal. It was disgustingly easy, actually. A guard that was up in the roster to be his guard for the next fortnight. A disguise, a bribe, a weak will and a greedy heart, and all was as Loki expected. The man had never liked him, had always considered Loki to be a blight on the honor and name of the royal family.
And unlike others, who might dare only to speak poorly of him in an undertone, this man was willing to kill.
It'd come surprisingly close, actually, for all that Loki himself the one who had orchestrated the attack. He hadn't expected it to come when it did, and the guard did have two weeks with which to work. So it's only due to Loki's actual reflexes and instinctive spell-casting that he'd avoided the worst of the potentially fatal wounds.
As he waited in the Healing Wing, Eir working her magic over him, he'd fought with his father, Thor and their mother both supporting Loki in his demands. This, at least, was as he planned. And within a night, James was once again the captain of Loki's personal guard.
[ Jim steps into attention as he is let inside. Something about this whole situation seems odd. But not impossible. And his first duty was to Loki, not the questions buzzing in his head. He was still surprised to be reassigned, but he knew who he had to thank for that ]
Hey, tough guy.
Hey, tough guy.
I didn't actually go anywhere, you know.
I was stationed at Vanaheim for a bit with Spock, but I heard all about it.
What happened, Loki?
What happened, Loki?
[ The teasing expression slips away, and Loki's left with his very real irritation and troubled thoughts as he replies: ]
It seems the men are less loyal to me than they'd like to have us believe. That, or they're more easily bought than expected. Or both. My guard tried to kill me.
[ he specifies because, to loki, there is no doubt they'd have given their life for thor. ]
It seems the men are less loyal to me than they'd like to have us believe. That, or they're more easily bought than expected. Or both. My guard tried to kill me.
[ he specifies because, to loki, there is no doubt they'd have given their life for thor. ]
Did he confess?
[ He grabs a seat next to Loki, sitting down comfortably ]
[ He grabs a seat next to Loki, sitting down comfortably ]
Huh.
[ Why would someone want to kill Loki? To scare the royal family, to send a message? The motives are numerous ]
Is that why the All-Father somehow magnanimously decided to have me back?
[ Why would someone want to kill Loki? To scare the royal family, to send a message? The motives are numerous ]
Is that why the All-Father somehow magnanimously decided to have me back?
Thor did? The surprises just keep coming.
[ He blinks. Sure, they were pretty chill with each other, but he doubted Thor wanted to . . . steal him away. ]
Well, that won't happen.
Well, that won't happen.
Then why are you lying around in the hospital wing?
[ That, he has no answer to because it had been dangerous, to be attacked when he was naked and unarmed, surrounded by slick stone and tile. but loki is never fully unarmed, not when he has his seidr, and that was how he'd survived. ]
An over-reaction.
An over-reaction.
Yours or theirs?
[ He was surprised that Loki was still here ]
[ He was surprised that Loki was still here ]
Theirs, naturally.
[ Only half a lie. He isn't sure he'd have actually survived, if Thor had not stormed in upon hearing the ruckus when he'd arrived for his own bath. Loki had near killed his assailant, yes, and the man was no more a danger to him, but he had also been bleeding heavily into moving water. ]
I'm fine, James.
[ Only half a lie. He isn't sure he'd have actually survived, if Thor had not stormed in upon hearing the ruckus when he'd arrived for his own bath. Loki had near killed his assailant, yes, and the man was no more a danger to him, but he had also been bleeding heavily into moving water. ]
I'm fine, James.
. . . Good. It's -- I'm glad I heard that from you.
[ He moves his chair as close as he can. ]
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