Ásgarðrian Galdr

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/29072913.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen
Fandoms: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), Norse Religion & Lore,
Marvel
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel), Frigga | Freyja & Loki (Marvel), Loki & Odin,
Loki & Warriors Three (Marvel), Heimdall & Loki (Marvel), Loki/Sigyn
(Marvel), Asgardians & Loki (Marvel), Frigga | Freyja & Thor (Marvel),
Thor & Warriors Three (Marvel)
Characters: Loki (Marvel), Loki (Norse Religion & Lore), Thor (Marvel), Frigga |
Freyja (Marvel), Odin (Marvel), Sif (Marvel), Heimdall (Marvel), Tyr
(Marvel), Laufey (Marvel), Laufey (Norse Religion & Lore), Eir
(Marvel)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence - Thor (2011), Loki (Marvel)
Does What He Wants, POV Loki (Marvel), BAMF Loki (Marvel), Good
Loki (Marvel), Hurt Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Has Issues, Intersex
Loki (Marvel), Loki (Marvel) Feels, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Protective
Frigga (Marvel), Parent Frigga (Marvel), Odin's A+ Parenting (Marvel),
Odin's Bad Parenting (Marvel), Asgard (Marvel), Jötunheimr |
Jotunheim, Intersex Jotunn (Marvel), Jotunn | Frost Giant, Jotunn
Biology (Marvel), Parent-Child Relationship, Brothers, Brotherly
Bonding, Brotherhood, Brother Feels, Brotherly Angst, Angst with a
Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Angst and Feels,
Suspense, Family Drama, Psychological Drama, Angst and Drama,
Courtroom Drama, Powerful Loki, Punishment, Bigotry & Prejudice,
Internalized racism, Canon-Typical Violence, Betrayal, Speciesism,
Original Character(s), Yggdrasil - Freeform, Child Abandonment,
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Wordcount: Over 100.000, Body Dysphoria, Political Alliances
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of Song of the Yggdrasill
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Stats: Published: 2021-01-30 Completed: 2022-10-22 Words: 479,713
Chapters: 93/93
 Ásgarðrian Galdr
by Valerie_Vancollie

Summary

What if Loki was able to warn his past self, so he did not lose control during his regency and
was able to act as he normally would? What if he had been able to remain calm and in control
of himself, and the situation?

"How?" Loki demanded.

"Betrayal," his future self stated simply, rage clear in every syllable. "But you must control
your reaction and come to see me, or you will repeat my mistakes and we will miss an
opportunity to take control and alter things in our favor."

It would have changed everything.

Notes

First off, I'd like to reiterate that this is a fully finished fic! I started it for NaNoWriMo in
2017 and I've been working on it, on and off, ever since until I finished it in December 2020.
Since then I've been editing it, but that's now finally done!

Altogether this fic clocks in at just under half a million words at 480,121 words!

I still very much view this as my 1st MCU fic as it was started before either Ensoulment or
Mirror in the Sky. This is also the fic from which snippets have ended up on Twitter at
various points.

Note: This fic starts during the events of Thor and goes AU from there, but some events from
Avengers Assemble & Thor: The Dark World are also referenced due to the time travel. As
this fic was started before various movies came out (Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers Infinity War,
Avengers Endgame...), it will ignore them and what we learned then. So my Niðavellir &
dwarves are a bit different from what the MCU eventually showed us.

Chapters: Each chapter is ~5,000 words, ranging from 3,878-6,787, with an average of
5,136 words. So that is about what you can expect in each of the 93 chapters.

Updating Schedule: My aim is to stay as close to weekly as I can manage. I don't want to
promise it as you never know what will occur (though holidays look unlikely anytime soon!),
but my goal is a new chapter every week. It won't necessarily be on Saturdays, though, I'm
just starting on the 30th of January as it's my birthday :)

Spoilers: Thor, Avengers Assemble, Thor: The Dark World & Captain Marvel

Language: I like to use the more proper Old Norse spelling for anything related to Norse
Mythology. Hence I will have Ásgarðr instead of Asgard and Óðinn instead of Odin. The
only times I won't do so, is if I think the original spelling will interfere with recognition. So I
will use Thor instead of Þórr. I will also use a smattering of actual Old Norse words for local
color - all of them will be explained in the footnotes.

Nine Realms: As it's not entirely clear in the MCU or Norse Mythology, I thought I'd make it
explicit here which Realms I view as being within 'the Nine'. So for the purposes of this
series those are: Ásgarðr, Miðgarðr (Earth), Álfheimr, Niðavellir, Svartálfaheimr, Jötunheimr,
Vanaheimr, Niflheimr & Múspellsheimr. I leave Hel(heimr) as an afterlife, while Nornheimr
is outside the Nine in this series.

Series: Song of the Yggdrasill - I have already started work on the first of several planned
sequels.

Beta: Tallymark

Art: I have been honored by having several artists create glorious fan art for this fic. While I
linked to each piece at the end of the next chapter I posted, you can find the masterlist on my
blog. The pieces are linked to per chapter, so you can view each one as you get to the right
spot.

Warning: This fic was affected by this site's decision to limit tags. Unfortunately, a lot of my
trigger warnings died on AO3's chopping block as a result. If you found this fic using
exclusion criteria in your search, please see here for the original list of additional tags.

Translations: This fic has now been translated into Russian by JunoEclipse. The translation
is off-site and can be found here.
 Chapter 1
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

"Thank you, that is all," Loki said, dismissing the servants who had helped him dress.

He did not really need them as he could do it easily enough with his seiðr, but his mother
insisted he do things properly on official ceremony days. She felt it set the right tone for the
day and he did not feel strongly enough about it to argue with her. Still, Loki felt relieved
when the last servant pulled the door closed behind him.

As usual with official ceremonies, there was an air of excitement about which clashed
horribly with Loki's own dark mood and nerves. Thor was not yet ready to be king, not
nearly ready yet. How could it be he was the only one who could see it? Were the others truly
so blind? The oaf would mess things up beyond repair within a week if allowed to ascend to
Hliðskjálf now, Loki knew it.

Especially with Father about to go into the Óðinnsleep.

Nay, Loki had to prove to them all that Thor needed more time before 'twas too late and his
idiot brother caused irreparable damage to the Nine. He could only hope his plan worked the
way he intended it to. Normally his plans did, but Thor did possess a special ability to wreck
them.

Loki closed his eyes and forced himself to take a few deep breaths. There was nothing more
he could do now. Everything was set and would either work or not. He simply wished it did
not all hinge on the actions of a few frost giants now. The stupid beasts were more likely to
mess things up than not, but he had no choice but to include them. Besides, he knew he could
trust their rage and greed if nothing else. Not that he would ever make the mistake of truly
trusting a frost giant.

Finally feeling calmer and more in control of himself, Loki opened his eyes to take a look at
his appearance in the mirror, only to shout and jump back in shock at the sight which greeted
him.

'Twas himself, but not as he was now. Instead of his ceremonial garb, he wore his usual armor
and leather, but 'twas torn and filthy; coated in blood, dust and ash. His skin was also blotchy,
pallid and drawn, while his hair was nearly shoulder length, stringy and unkempt, as if he had
been repeatedly running his fingers through it in agitation.

Then his reflection smiled at him and spoke. "Hello, Loki."

Loki's eyes narrowed as he looked at his mirror, feeling his own shoulders draw back,
straightening his spine, even as the fingers of his right hand twitched with the desire to draw
forth one of his throwing knives. But he suppressed the impulse for now. A quick check with
his seiðr gave the most startling of responses. The other actually felt like him. A little
different to be sure, darker and more powerful in ways he could not immediately decipher,
but definitely him at the core nonetheless.

'Twas... surprising to say the least. Loki had expected for it to be someone else; someone
foolish enough to think they could trick him with an illusion. But this was unexpected, not
the least for what it implied.

"You are reaching across time as well as space," Loki declared, meeting his future self's gaze
head on.

"Hmm," his reflection confirmed, eyes sweeping over him. "The coronation?"

"It goes through then?" Loki demanded, feeling dismay and failure sweep through him.

"Nay, the jötnar do their job."

Relief and exhilaration followed swiftly and Loki savored them for a moment, before he
swept his seiðr outwards to check for Heimdallr's attention. If the gatekeeper were watching
now...

Instead of what he feared, Loki encountered a shield of his own seiðr surrounding the both of
them. It felt odd to touch it. His seiðr recognized it as self, but at the same time he was
completely unaware of it, until he touched it. The feeling disconcerted Loki more than he
would ever admit to anyone, his future self included.

"How are you doing this?" Loki demanded with a frown.

Normally he hated admitting such weakness and ignorance, as it revealed far too much of his
own vulnerabilities. But if anyone already knew of his ignorance in this matter, it would be
his future self as he would be aware of what Loki knew and did not know at present. Besides,
he realized with a start, if he could not trust himself, then who could he trust?

That... was even more disconcerting than encountering his own seiðr as he had. Loki was so
used to relying on himself that doing so with a self who was not immediately him jarred. Yet
'twas him, he had felt it himself and knew it could not be faked, not with one as trained in the
ljósálfarian arts as he had been. Besides, there had always been something distinctly unique
about his magical core which even his tutors had felt, though none could explain it or work
out precisely why. Not that he had given them much of a chance to, as he was not allowing
anyone close enough to truly try.

Loki was not so stupid.

"Seiðr," his future self replied, almost dismissively, ere a predatory smile swept across his
face at Loki's narrow eyed response to that. "You will have the means to learn it soon."

"Why not now?" Loki demanded sharply.

"The necessary tome is still out of your grasp, as is a critical piece of knowledge."

"Tell me."
"Nay, that would be altering things too far, and too unpredictably, for naught."

There it was, the reason for this little visit. 'Twas as Loki had suspected from the moment he
had realized his scrying visitor was from the future. Though he may not know precisely how
his future self was doing this, he knew enough to know it would require an immense amount
of power and skill. It would not be something to do lightly, especially not in the deplorable
condition his future self was in. Nay, this would be, if not a desperate last resort, then at least
perilously close to it.

And why would he bother trying to interact with his past self if not to attempt to change the
past?

The thought quickened both Loki's breath and heart. The sheer chaos which interfering with
time and events could cause was both boundless and catastrophic. There was a reason why
something like this was considered the darkest of all magical arts, and absolutely forbidden in
all of the Nine and well beyond besides. Both of them could be summarily executed for even
considering it, let alone the steps his future self had already taken to bridge the temporal
distance to him.

Every part of Loki loved the situation already, the power and danger of it exhilarating him.
The knowledge that something must have gone horribly wrong to put his future self in this
situation was but a slight damper on his mood, as he knew himself far too well to think his
future self would leave any possibility of it transpiring again up to chance.

"What do I need to do?" Loki finally asked, unused to doing so and meaning it.

He had not taken orders from anyone as blindly as he was willing to do now in a very long
time. Not that either his brother or father had realized it yet. His mother however... well, she
had ever seen more of him than anyone else ever had. Loki suspected she knew, not that she
had given any indication of it one way or the other. Those who wondered at where he had
obtained his crafty and cunning nature from clearly did not know the queen of Ásgarðr
terribly well.

"For right now, nothing," his future self replied, voice cracking slightly.

Loki frowned, already reaching out with his seiðr for the other. Surprisingly, his probe was
not rebuffed and Loki realized his earlier thoughts of their situation and fractured self and
trust were reciprocated.

What he found was more than enough to derail any other thoughts Loki had. Fractured was
indeed a good word to use to describe what he had become between now and whatever future
his reflection was from. Though incredibly powerful, his future self's seiðr was damaged;
splintered and fragmented in ways he did not even want to imagine what it took to achieve.
Then there was also the strain maintaining their connection was putting on his damaged self.

The vague chaos which Loki could also sense from his twin's mind made him shudder and
offer some of his own seiðr to help stabilize the connection between them. There was no way
he would allow what had transpired to his future self to repeat itself. Not again.
"Then when?" Loki demanded, knowing there had to be a reason why he had been contacted
now of all times.

He would not waste seiðr and risk death so carelessly, so neither would a far more damaged
and vulnerable, if more powerful, version of himself do so either. Loki could trust himself not
to be so foolish and stupid.

"Immediately after you leave O- Father's chambers after he has succumbed to the Óðinnsleep
which calls to him even now."

Loki's eyes narrowed suspiciously at his future self's slip. Was his father responsible for the
injuries he could see, or the psychic and magical scars he could sense in his reflection?
Despite all of his ill will towards all but his mother at times, even he would never have gone
so far as to think them capable of so heinous a crime against him as that. Had he
underestimated them so badly? Was that what had happened to his future self?

"Stop."

Both the command and the urgency in his own voice snapped Loki's eyes back to the mirror.
The reflection there was starting to flicker and waver alarmingly, even with his own seiðr
helping his twin to maintain the connection.

"'Tis not what you think and you need to act normally until the time I have said, or all could
be lost."

Loki bit back his first response to the words at the look in those eyes. He had seen a version
of it before, in this very mirror, after the disastrous 'adventure' of Thor's to Nornheimr. Yet
even that was nothing compared to the depth he saw it now, and his entire being shuddered
and recoiled from the mere sight of it. He had no desire whatsoever to experience that which
had put it there.

By the Norns, Loki did not even want to know what had caused it, though he strongly
suspected he would need to before this was all through. Despite what others said or liked to
insinuate, he was not a coward and thus would not shy away from this when the time came
for him to learn it. That did not do anything to dampen his relief at knowing the time was not
now.

"Fine," Loki said.

He would not pry into what it was which had caused them to stop viewing Óðinn as their
father, but Loki knew better than to think he would be able to stop steeling himself against
the blow, even if it were never to come now. The knowledge that it could was damage
enough, and one of the myriad of reasons why tampering with the very strands of time was
absolutely forbidden.

Unexpectedly, Loki could not help but wonder if he would be getting a personal visit from
one of the Norns for this. Almost no one ever had before, so 'twas an arrogant thought, but
none had ever attempted what he was before either.
"Good," his future self nodded once, decisively, eyes never leaving Loki's own. "Come back
here-"

"- immediately after leaving Father's Óðinnsleep chamber, aye," Loki finished with a frown.

Why was his future self patronizing him of all people? He knew more than any other how
much they hated that.

"You will be distraught, furious," his twin stated blithely. "Emotional and irrational."

The words were like daggers to the heart, and Loki flinched back. Him, irrational and
overwrought with emotion? Nay, 'twas Thor's territory, he thought things through, calculated
and schemed before taking careful and deliberate action specifically tailored to further his
own goals and achieve his desires.

"Loki."

The way his future self said their name made it crystal clear he knew exactly what was
running through Loki's head right now, and he reigned in both his disbelief and denial.
Clearly it had to be as his reflection said.

"How?" Loki demanded.

"Betrayal," his future self stated simply, rage clear in every syllable. "But you must control
your reaction and come to see me or you will repeat my mistakes and we will miss an
opportunity to take control and alter things in our favor."

That desire Loki understood only all too well and he forced himself to focus on it instead of
allowing his mind to drift to all of the implications of what else his temporal twin had told
him. It might grate to be so uncertain of what the overall plan was, but he would be damned
if he would wreck one of his own plans out of sheer stubbornness and petulance. Thor and his
stupid companions had done that oft enough in the past and he simply refused to follow in
their footsteps.

Loki could trust himself, if no one else. Besides, if this worked as his future self intended for
it to, then that version of Loki would cease to exist, thus entirely killing him and there was no
version of himself which would allow something like that to happen if 'twas not for his own
good.

"Fine, I will come here regardless of what I may wish to do or say," Loki promised.

"Good. Then I can tell you all."

With that, his future self allowed their connection to weaken and fade, and Loki was left
looking at his own reflection in the mirror.

The inadvertent backlash this caused with his own seiðr made Loki take an involuntary step
backwards, even as he centered himself. A wave of weariness and fatigue washed through
him and he reached out to one of his amulets almost instinctively. He had created a number of
amulets charged with his power as backup for precisely this type of situation. They were
scattered across both his chambers and Iðavöllr, carefully hidden from prying eyes and the
senses of people like his father, Heimdallr and even, he thought, his mother. Though even if
she was aware of them, she would never disturb them as they were a safety net for him.

His power recharged, Loki felt Heimdallr's gaze shift his way and he forced himself to act
casual as he moved to the mirror once more, before sweeping from his chambers. He had
instructed himself to act normally for now and so he would. And normal was to go wait for
his brother in the hall beside Valaskjálf, where Thor would come to await his grand entrance.
The knowledge that, at the very least, he would succeed in derailing the coronation lightened
Loki's steps, even as he forced all other thoughts of what he had learned from his mind.

Loki had been forewarned now and, with his own help, they would ensure his future was
altered for the better.

The number of conflicting emotions rushing through Loki, and their sheer intensity, was
enough to make him stumble back numbly as the guards rushed in to see to his father.
Vaguely he realized they must have overheard a certain amount of their conversation to have
heard his cries for help, but he simply could not bring himself to care.

The truth... the lies... his father's collapse before his own eyes...

'Twas all too much and with Thor gone as well... Loki still could not believe Óðinn had
banished his brother. It had never been part of his plan for that to happen, but then neither had
their trip to Jötunheimr and all it had revealed been planned either. For one blind, stupid
moment he wished it had never happened, that he had never learned the truth of what he was.

A monster.

Why had his future self not done all he could to prevent that from transpiring? Why had Loki
not protected himself from it? Surely a monster could lie to protect itself? It would have been
so easy to do. He could have come up with a reason which would have fooled his naïve self.

He could have lied to himself exactly like Óðinn and Frigga had lied to him.

Nay!

He had clearly been lied to enough, the last thing Loki needed was to be unable to trust
himself. Especially not when it came to such vitally important information which could
explain so much which he had previously been unable to find answers for.

All those years, and all of the frustration and disgust, Loki had felt at not being able to
measure up. All in vain. How could he have succeeded when he was trying to be something
he physically was not? They had set him up for failure, right from the very start, both Óðinn
and Frigga.

Rage and despair washed over him once more, all but paralyzing Loki. The screaming he had
done earlier had been cathartic in a way, but now the primary target of his anger had
collapsed it seemed pointless to continue doing so. And was that not typical of Óðinn, to find
a way to so completely avoid dealing with the issue at hand? He really should have expected
it.

"Sire?"

The voice and sudden proximity of another startled Loki from his thoughts and he looked
over to find Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, the head of the king's guard and second-in-
command of the army, standing near him.

"Shall we?" the lieutenant-general inquired, indicating.

Loki looked over to see his father had been transferred to a litter the healers had brought, and
they looked ready to move him.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, glad his voice came out far stronger and steadier than he felt.

'Twas as he stepped up alongside the litter that the title Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had used
finally registered with Loki.

Sire.

While not technically incorrect or inappropriate, 'twas not the highness or prince Loki was
used to. Not that he had interacted with his father's personal guard much as of late, other than
being able to correctly identify them on sight for security purposes. A quick glance around
failed to allow him to immediately spot Lieutenant-General Yngvarr among the others whom
had appeared to surround the litter and those walking with it.

"Óðinnsleep?" Loki inquired when Lady Eir looked his way.

"Aye, my Prince," she confirmed. "I fear he has been putting it off for far too long and has
now succumbed to it unexpectedly."

Over a millennium of having been treated by Lady Eir allowed Loki to see the tightening
around her eyes, which indicated her displeasure at both his father's stubbornness and refusal
to look after himself properly. He had seen the expression directed at himself oft enough to
instantly recognize it. 'Twas good to know that, while being king might spare his father from
having it said aloud, it did not keep Lady Eir from feeling it.

They soon made it to his father's Óðinnsleep chamber and Loki moved aside to allow the
healers to transfer his father to the specialized healing bed and properly prepare him for his
rest. Instead he turned to one of the guards who had followed them into the chamber.

"Has my mother been notified?" Loki demanded, realizing he had missed what had transpired
earlier, far too caught up in his own emotional distress.

His future self was right, he was in no fit state to be making rational and well-thought-out
decisions right now, much as Loki hated to admit it even to himself. Internally he cringed to
think what he might have done the first time around without the warning.

"Aye, Sire," the Einherjar responded.

Loki frowned, there 'twas again, the 'sire'. Twice in such rapid succession after never having
it directed at him before could not be a mere coincidence. He had just opened his mouth to
question it, when a disturbance at the door drew his attention. There was some shuffling
before Huginn and Muninn flew into the chamber, cawing loudly as they circled his father's
bed once, twice, before settling down onto their perches placed on either side of the large,
golden bed.

"What happened, is he alright?" Frigga demanded, rushing into the chamber and heading
straight for Óðinn.

"He collapsed into the Óðinnsleep in the vault, my Queen," Lady Eir explained, stepping
back.

"Will he be alright?"

"His vitals are different from normal, deeper."

Frigga frowned at that, moving back to allow one of the other healers to reach Óðinn, and
caught sight of him as she did so.

"Loki," Frigga said, moving towards him.

"Mother," Loki replied, embracing her tightly even as part of him wished to push her away
and demand to know why.

Why she had lied to him his whole life? Why had she not simply told him the truth?

Why had she decided to take a monster into her home and heart?

Why had she allowed it? Any or all of it?

"What happened? What is wrong?" Frigga demanded as she pulled back, seeing far more
deeply into him than almost anyone else ever could.

Loki tried to look away, but she raised a hand to cup his face and turned him back to look at
her.

"Loki?"

"We... argued, Father and I," Loki said carefully, well aware they were far from alone and
that their conversation was not private. "Right before he collapsed."

"Oh, Loki, 'twas not your fault. 'Twas overdue."

Of that, at least, Loki was certain. He had seen the signs of the approaching Óðinnsleep for
months now. So why did it not help him feel any less guilty about all of this? And how could
he feel both that and the blistering, almost all-consuming rage at the man who had pretended
to be his father for so long? It made no sense! The urge to shout and scream as he had done in
the vault at his fat- Óðinn rose swift and sure within him once more, and 'twas all that Loki
could do to choke it back and fight it down. His future self's warnings about his emotional
state and all of the damage it would cause were singing loudly in his ears.

Besides, the last thing Loki wanted to do was make a humiliating public spectacle of himself
before the Einherjar and healers.

"Loki, what is it? What is wrong?" Frigga questioned with a frown.

Loki's left hand clenched as he thought back on what had happened and what he had learned.

On what he was.

A monster.

"Darling?" Frigga pressed, making Loki wince at being called that within earshot of others.

"Mother," he admonished softly.

"Tell me what is bothering you so much then."

With a sigh, Loki leaned closer, so he could whisper directly into her ear. "I know," he said.

"Know what?" Frigga asked back, just as quietly.

"What I am."

His mother reared back at the words, her eyes wide with shock and a strange mixture of
disbelief and horror. It made Loki grit his teeth, his own eyes narrowing in displeasure and
anger.

"How?" Frigga asked.

"The illusion failed on..." Loki trailed off with a little wave of his hand towards the Bifröst.

"Oh, Loki."

Unable to hold her gaze any longer, Loki pulled back enough to be able to turn around,
electing instead to step a little closer to the bed so it would look like he was watching the
healers at work. In reality he was gazing past it, trying to sort it all out in his head.

How had he never noticed the fact he was shifted into a form other than his own true one?
How had no one else never noticed?

While Loki could well imagine that Óðinn could intimidate his tutors on Ásgarðr into
keeping it a secret from him, he knew 'twas not the case for all of those from whom he had
learned seiðr. Indeed, there were those among them who would have gladly given away this
kind of secret precisely because it would have angered and annoyed Óðinn All-Father. Loki
had not been too picky in his tutors if he had felt they could teach him something which he
stood to gain from.
Vaguely, Loki was aware of his mother standing behind him, though she clearly did not want
to press him while in front of others. For that he was grateful, as he was not at all certain how
he might react to any entreaty towards either forgiveness or leniency on his part at the
moment. Not after how he had reacted to his father's words, which he could not quite bring
himself to regret, but which he also did not feel the need to repeat with Frigga.

Or before an audience.

Eventually his mother moved away, walking towards Lady Eir once the head healer stepped
back and stood observing the others rather than participating any further. They spoke quietly
for a moment before Frigga moved to sit at the head of the bed, out of the way. Their eyes
met when she glanced up at him and Loki felt his heart skip a beat at the mixture of worry
and despair he saw there. Whether any of it was for him or not he did not know, but either
way he did not think he could deal with his mother's emotional turmoil on top of his own.

Loki had only just turned around when there was a shout from outside the chamber and all
the Einherjar lining the hallway lifted their right fists to their hearts in unison and fell to one
knee, heads bowed. He could only watch, eyes wide, as the head of the High Council and his
father's advisor slowly walked into the chamber, Gungnir held tight in both hands.

The realization of what was happening (and just why the Einherjar had been addressing him
as 'sire') hit Loki as Lord Ragnvaldr fell to one knee before him. Swallowing thickly, he could
only stare silently at the balding man as he held Gungnir and looked up at him expectantly.
The suddenness of it all had him furrowing his brow before half turning to look at his mother,
hardly believing this was actually happening.

"Thor is banished," Frigga stated, a look of pride in her eyes which Loki could hardly
understand given her words. "The line of succession falls to you. Until Óðinn awakens,
Ásgarðr is yours."

Shock, disbelief and horror swept through Loki like wildfire as 'twas confirmed. Him king? A
regent king to be certain, but him? Loki felt as frozen for a moment as his true physiology
made him, before understanding suddenly flooded through him. This is what had happened
the last time around which had caused everything to go as terribly awry as his future self had
indicated it had. To be so suddenly thrust out of the shadows and into the sun in a position he
had never wanted or been truly prepared for, immediately on the heels of having not only his
brother banished, but his very self-identity shattered? 'Twas a recipe for disaster, surely that
should have been obvious to anyone. How could they have let this happen?

How could his mother have?

Loki felt a flash of rage towards her, stronger even than what he had felt for Óðinn down in
the vault. And ha! He could see now why his future self had no longer seen the All-Father as
their father! But it quickly drained as he caught the look of worry and vulnerability in
Frigga's eyes as she glanced briefly back at Óðinn, before looking upon him once more.
Though not quite as wounded as him, she too had experienced some nasty shocks today and
was not at her best.
 It did nothing to quell the sense of panic and fear still shooting through him as Loki turned
back to face Lord Ragnvaldr, who merely moved to offer Gungnir up to him. Absently he
was aware of all of the eyes on him (the healers', the guards', his mother's, the servants'),
which did not help when all he wanted to do was to run and hide. With an effort, Loki steeled
himself, forcing his expression to calm and his hands to steady as he slowly reached out and
placed them under Gungnir, carefully taking its weight as Lord Ragnvaldr released it.

The man rose, backed off a few steps, before falling to his knee once more with his right fist
over his heart as the Einherjar outside had done. This seemed to be a cue as suddenly all of
those remaining standing in the chamber knelt as well.

Loki's eyes darted around, wide, wild and almost frantic as emotions far too numerous and
overwhelming to name coursed through him. 'Twas all he could do to remain where he was
and take a firmer grip on Gungnir, using it to anchor himself. His future self's warnings and
words kept echoing at the back of his mind as well, urging caution and control.

Therefore, even as Loki wanted to laugh hysterically at the thought Lord Ragnvaldr and
Queen Frigga had just put a frost giant on Hliðskjálf (and with Óðinn's blessing too given that
he had set up the line of succession!), Loki forced it down and focused instead on not
showing any of the hysteria or madness he felt with his mental shields and sense of self well
and truly shattered beyond all repair. Instead he fell back on the instincts born of centuries
worth of adhering to royal tradition and utilizing his position as a prince of Ásgarðr to garner
respect where otherwise he would have had none. It might not have worked with Thor's
friends, not after his brother had torn his respectability with them to shreds, but it generally
did with everyone else.

Automatically, his spine straightened and his chin rose even as Loki took Gungnir more
firmly in his right hand, bringing it upright and letting it hit the floor with just enough force
for the sound to ring out through the chamber, causing Huginn and Muninn to start cawing
for a moment before they settled down once more.

"Rise," Loki said clearly into the ensuing silence.

Though a part of him had always wondered what it would be like to be so effortlessly listened
to and obeyed, Loki had never wanted Hliðskjálf for himself despite what others thought.
Even now, he could already feel the anticipated claustrophobia creeping in merely at the
knowledge of how drastically curtailed his own movements had just become. A king could
not come and go as readily, or as easily, as a prince could. Nor could a king stand back in the
shadows, subtly manipulating people and situations just so, in order to achieve the desired
outcome.

Nay, Loki had never wanted Hliðskjálf himself; he had only ever wanted to be seen as his
brother's equal, both by Thor and everyone else.

Chapter End Notes

There you go, the first chapter of my massive Loki epic! I've only been working on this
for just over 3 years, so I really hope you all like it!

Regardless, do let me know in the comments below. Feedback is always appreciated,

positive or negative.

Old Norse:

galdr - "to sing" & refers to magical songs that were sung with a range of notes. Galdr is
usually associated with men's magical incantations.
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
jötnar - "frost giants" - jötunn is the singular
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Huginn & Muninn - "thought" & "memory/mind" - a pair of ravens that fly all over the
world & bring information to Óðinn

Original Characters' Names:

Yngvarr - variant of Ingvarr and essentially meaning 'warrior', 'army' or 'leader of an

army' - yes, I liked the idea of being literal here!
Ragnvaldr - made up of Ragn ('advise', 'decision', 'might') and Vald ('ruler', 'mighty one',
'powerful one') - again, nice and literal :)

The reason for some of the names being literal is because Norse mythology has a very
limited number of names to choose from. Therefore, I had to go digging into
Scandinavian ones that looked like they went back far enough to be realistic for use on
Ásgarðr.
 Chapter 2
Chapter Notes

Thanks very much to everyone who commented on chapter 1, it's greatly appreciated!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The moment the doors to his chambers closed behind the last of the Einherjar, Loki all but
collapsed against them. When the guards had requested to check his chambers before
allowing him in, it had been all he could do not to snap at them, but Loki had allowed it,
reminding himself he had to act normal.

To act sane.

'Twas a good indication of how bad things were that Loki felt like doing so was all but
impossible. He definitely no longer felt sane. It... the truth about his parentage... his
heritage... 'twas all too much to wrap his head around.

Him... Laufey's son.

Him... from Jötunheimr.

Him...

Him...

Him... a

Loki closed his eyes as he slid down the doors to the floor as he sent out an uncontrolled
burst of seiðr, knocking the furniture in his antechamber about.

Nay, it simply could not be!

He was æsir, Ásgarðrian. A prince of Ásgarðr to be exact. Or, well, a king now, apparently.

The thought sent a rush of hysteria through him and, before Loki knew it, he was laughing
aloud, well able to hear the edge of insanity to it himself. Yet, despite that, he could not bring
himself to stop, not after everything, every curse, every urge and every shout he had already
bitten back and swallowed today. He could only be thankful he had long since spelled his
chambers to prevent any noise from escaping so the Einherjar now posted outside it would
not overhear his breakdown.

Why was he feeling so out of control? Loki hardly even recognized himself right now. 'Twas
as if he had been replaced by someone other tha...
Loki sat up in shock and horror as a new thought occurred to him. A seiðmadr's magical core
was inexorably linked to their sense of self as the seiðr literally was a part of him. It could be
increased or decreased through various means, but 'twas as much a part of him as his heart or
mind was. For him, using it had also always been instinctive, so much so 'twas easy to forget
that for many their true power did not come until they had formed a far more comprehensive
sense of self than that which a mere child was capable of.

Thus he had forgotten about it. About that vital connection between his physical and magical
self.

With no little trepidation, Loki reached deep down within himself, towards his magical core,
before recoiling in horror at what he found. The connection was frayed and even looked
almost flayed; wounded, raw and festering. For the first time ever, he could also see his core
clearly. Whereas before it had always been an iridescent mix of colors, swirling from one to
the next, now it had differentiated into two distinct sets of colors. There was the emerald
green-gold Loki was intimately familiar with from whenever he worked his seiðr, but there
was also an icy blue-teal green which he did not recognize. Yet there it was, hopelessly
intertwined within his very core, less visible from here, but already he could tell that it
seemed to lie deeper than the other, being covered by it, but making up the true heart of who
and... and what he was.

The very thought utterly repulsed Loki on a deep, almost instinctive level and he could only
watch in horror as his magical connection frayed and festered even more before his very
eyes. It sparked violently, traces of raw, wild seiðr skittered along the connection, indicating
his loss of control of it. He clamped down on the thoughts immediately, but the damage had
already been done and he had no idea how to counteract it or how to even begin to heal
himself. Normally he would go to his mother with something like this, as she was far more
gifted in the healing arts than him. Now, however, not only was she currently busy with
Óðinn, but after how she had lied to him for so many years - having to know that it could
cause this when the truth came out - Loki found he did not think he could trust her enough to
help him with it at present.

A core injury.

It... Loki swallowed as he realized the seriousness of the situation and that, without his
parents, he was left with no one else to turn to. At least not while he was king and had to
appear strong and in control to not only all of Ásgarðr, but the rest of the Nine as well. They
were already on the brink of all-out war with one Realm, the last thing Loki needed was for
anyone else to think he was weak enough to open the possibility of another Realm deciding
to take a chance to attack with Óðinn indisposed and him on Hliðskjálf. There would already
be enough people who saw this as an opportunity as 'twas.

This was also not something anyone else on Ásgarðr had the training to deal with. Not with
the æsir disdain for seiðr. Nay, it would take a healer from Álfheimr, but there was no way to
summon one without word of his need leaking out.

The way his thoughts careened widely from one thought to the next, his emotions swirling
wildly within him, finally pushed Loki too far. This was not him! He did not act like this, so...
so emotionally loose and irrational. He was Prince Loki (okay king now, but still) of Ásgarðr,
renown Silvertongue and Wordsmith, the Trickster who was legendary for his cunning and
deviousness. Negotiators who had been sent to deal with Ásgarðr had been known to swear
and lose their cool when informed Óðinn had decided to allocate him instead of another
diplomat.

He was better than this. He could do better than this!

With an effort, Loki pulled himself together once more, pushing aside all thoughts of what he
had learned about himself and his current situation in favor of pulling on one of the many
masks he had perfected over the centuries. Doing so he could already feel some of his inner
panic settling, the familiar actions soothing in and of themselves. Now able to think more
clearly, Loki realized there was one person whom he could consult on his deteriorating grasp
on his seiðr. Namely his future self.

Loki frowned at the thought. He truly needed a better way to refer to his temporal twin than
the roundabout descriptors he had devised for him, yet calling him Loki simply felt odd. In a
strange way the simple problem was soothing and allowed more of his habitual calm to return
to him, as it reminded him that not only was there someone there for him, but 'twas someone
with some knowledge of how things would play out. That alone made him feel far more in
control of the whole situation.

Now, what to call his ally? Some random name simply would not do, so what did that leave?
Most of the things which came to mind were attributes he had been assigned over the
centuries by others. Wordsmith, Lie-smith, Prince of Shadows, Wizard, Second Prince,
Trickster, Dark Prince... None of those were truly any different from what he had originally
been calling his future self. So what else...

Loki smiled as it suddenly came to him. It might not be entirely appreciated, especially as he
was the younger of the two, but 'twas a name and one which would not sound odd being
spoken to what was essentially himself.

Now much calmer, Loki pushed himself to his feet and glanced about at the disarray his
earlier outburst had caused in the antechamber. He did not truly want to expend the energy
and seiðr to reorganize the mess, but he knew better than anyone how important appearances
were and, in his current precarious position, he could ill afford to allow any indication of
weakness or lack of control to show.

As soon as he had cleaned the mess, he moved to his bedchamber. Almost immediately his
reflection in the mirror wavered and shifted so Loki threw out an obscuring spell to keep
Heimdallr from seeing too much, though he dared not hide himself entirely as a king
vanishing from sight would be noticed far more quickly than a less favored second prince.
Plus the last thing he wanted was to draw any undue attention to all of this. He had no desire
to go from king to executee after all.

"Loki," his future self said as soon as the connection fully stabilized.

"Loptr," Loki replied with a twitch of his lips.

'Twas fascinating to be able to watch his own reaction to it. The way Loptr's eyes narrowed
fractionally and his lips thinned. Altogether he rather liked the way that it looked, which
pleased him greatly.

"You are the younger one and so should more aptly bear a childhood kenning," Loptr stated.

"Hmm, but you have already called me Loki," Loki countered. "You are looking better."

'Twas true. Gone were Loptr's torn, bloodied and dirtied clothes and in their stead Loptr now
wore a simpler pair of leather trousers and a green linen tunic. His hair was freshly washed
and hung far more neatly, though with a slight curl to it. Loki's breath caught as he finally
realized that Loptr holding Gungnir in his right hand was actually rather significant as he was
not a simple reflection.

"I feel better too," Loptr said, lips twitching slightly. "Not the least because of what I have
just discovered."

"Oh?" Loki queried.

Rather than reply verbally, Loptr reached out to him with his seiðr. Loki reached back, his
eyes going wide in shock and disbelief at what he felt. It seemed like Loptr's seiðr, which had
already been greater than his own, had more than decupled since they last spoke.

"What..." Loki began, exploring it further, almost recognizing it in parts. "How is this
possible?"

"'Tis Ásgarðr," Loptr replied.

"Ásgarðr?"

"Hmm, it makes sense now I think of it, but Óðinn never spoke of it and all references to it
are in the books held in the king's personal library," Loptr expanded. "I never did get a chance
to explore that the first time around, but it contains many useful tomes on seiðr, including the
one which taught me how to reach out to you thus."

The king's library, Loki had not even thought of that despite the countless times that he had
petitioned Father to be able to access it. He had always been denied.

"What is it about Ásgarðr?" Loki questioned.

"As one of the four more magical Realms, she apparently has her own magical core," Loptr
explained.

Ásgarðr, a magical core?

'Twas a truly intriguing thought and one which was not as surprising as it probably should
have been to Loki. More than once he had felt something odd when performing particularly
powerful seiðr whilst on Ásgarðr. Something ancient and incredibly powerful, but yet
strangely benign in its own way. 'Twas the only reason why he had never panicked when he
had felt it as, rather than feeling threatening, it had always felt far more like 'twas... positively
disposed towards him. Which had been disconcerting enough on its own, but Loki had only
ever felt it when he had been unable to explore it any further, far too focused on more
immediate issues. Generally such as saving either his own life or that of his idiot brother.

Loki felt his lips curl into a delighted smile. "A core which is accessible to the king," he
guessed.

"Hmm."

"How?"

"You need only find the time to meditate with Gungnir and reach out, down into Ásgarðr
herself," Loptr replied. "If I had ever had the time to do so when in your position, I would
have discovered it."

Loki did not need to be told why Loptr had not had the time to do so. Even with the
knowledge of the disaster which had transpired the first time this timeline had come to pass,
he did not think he would have found the time to properly meditate.

"'Tis what gives Óðinn the power to mortalize and banish Thor as he did, as well as to know
and see so much of what happened on Ásgarðr," Loptr continued. "'Tis the true source of the
Óðinnforce. With it, you will be able to achieve all of the same feats."

The mere thought of that was enough to send Loki's pulse soaring. Seiðr had always been his
first true passion, so the ability to not only gain so much more of it, but to also be able to do
the things that he had only been able to watch Óðinn perform in awe... 'Twas indescribable,
even if the mere thought of all which had been kept from him should have been enough to
infuriate him.

What had Father been thinking to believe that Thor would be better suited to something like
this than him?

Loki bit down on the reaction that wanted to scream out of him at the answer.

"Steady," Loptr cautioned. "Your core-"

"I know!" Loki snapped, eyes flashing.

Loptr's eyes narrowed sharply in response but, luckily, his future self did not reply. With an
effort, Loki managed to struggle his raging emotions back into some semblance of control,
though 'twas increasingly more difficult as the betrayals kept piling up.

Desperate for a distraction, Loki reached for the oddity he had noticed before. "Earlier you
said you had not discovered Ásgarðr's core the first time, implying there has been a second.
You now also hold Gungnir again, so how have you become king once more?"

"Through circumstances which will no longer apply once we have effected the necessary
changes in your timeline."

Loki frowned. "Has something happened to Thor?"

The mere thought provoked far more worry and concern within Loki than he would have
expected it to. For all that the oaf bothered and dismissed him at times, he still found himself
loving his brother for when things were okay between them. More stupid, illogical emotions.

"Nay, Thor is fine," Loptr reassured. "It... No one knows I am king once more."

"What?"

With a sigh Loptr closed his eyes before his form wavered and Loki was left looking at what
seemed, to all intents and purposes, to be Óðinn All-Father himself. He gaped at the illusion
and only just managed to snap his mouth shut when Loptr dropped it and became himself
once more.

"You are impersonating Óðinn?" Loki demanded needlessly. "How? Why?"

"I caught him off-guard," Loptr shrugged. "As for the why, it can be explained later, first we
need to focus on other things."

"What other things?"

"Treachery. Treason."

The words froze Loki to his core. He knew that the beginning of a monarch's reign was
always when they were most vulnerable. He had been specially trained to help his brother
spot and prevent exactly that in the days, weeks and months after Thor ascended to
Hliðskjálf. They had also hoped to make it far less likely by doing so while Óðinn was still
alive.

But here Loki was now. Newly ascended himself, Ásgarðr on the brink of war and utterly
alone. His brother banished to Miðgarðr, his father in the Óðinnsleep and his mother severely
distracted and distraught over his father's unexpected collapse. Instead of being surrounded
by family as they had planned, Ásgarðr's new king was isolated and alone, perfect for any
who would dare to try and betray either him or the Realm, never mind that his reign was only
ever meant to be a regency.

Combined with the recent discovery of his... that those who had raised him had been lying to
him his whole life, and Loki had never felt so alone before. Not even when faced with what
had felt like the disapproval and censure of all whom he had encountered each and every time
he had done something which made him stand out from a normal æsir.

"Whose?" Loki hissed, his rage building within him.

For now, while alone with Loptr, he could allow it - to do so before he would have to
carefully fold it away to do what needed to be done calmly and methodically. Like a good
king.

"Sif and the Warriors Three," Loptr replied.

Loki bit back his initial response, hardly surprised. They had never liked him, and Thor had
always allowed them far too much leniency and disrespect towards him. Who could expect
them to see him as their king now, after all of that?

"Heimdallr."

"Heimdallr?" Loki exclaimed, caught off-guard.

"'Tis not as if 'tis the first time he has performed a questionable act. He did allow passage to
Jötunheimr despite knowing no good could come of it and that travel there was forbidden,"
Loptr pointed out. "His pride has been wounded by the attack during the coronation. Once he
discovers you can hide from his sight or obscure your actions..."

Loki did not need Loptr to finish his sentence, he could picture it well enough on his own.
Nor could he entirely prevent Heimdallr from discovering his talents, not unless he wanted to
risk discovery of what he and Loptr were up to. Besides, removing Heimdallr would make
his life easier. Still, if he moved against the gatekeeper, he would need a very good reason to
do so or Óðinn would question his motives when his father woke.

"And reminding Heimdallr of his sworn duty?"

"Will make him follow the letter of the law-"

"But not the spirit of it," Loki concluded.

"Nay. You will need to act decisively once he allows Sif and the Warriors Idiot to go to
Miðgarðr."

Loki frowned. "Why not prevent them from doing so, now I know they will?"

"Because 'tis proof of their treason," Loptr replied, a wicked smile crossing his face. "And
dereliction of duty in a time of war."

The idea took a moment to settle, Loki being far too focused at first on it requiring Thor's
friends to successfully disobey him so publicly, but then it did and he saw the beauty of it. Up
until now, he had hardly ever been able to call any of them out on their deliberate disrespect
towards him or any of their other actions as Thor had always stood by them. But now his
brother was gone and he was king. He was the ultimate authority on Ásgarðr until his fa-
Óðinn awoke once more. If he had to put up with all of the drudgery and protocol which
came with the position, then he was damn well going to enjoy the perks which came with it
too.

And arresting Lady Sif and the Warriors Three for treason? That was one perk which was
worth a lot of unpleasantness.

"When do they go?" Loki demanded.

"After you deny their request to end Thor's banishment."

"They actually demand that of me?"

"Hmm," Loptr confirmed. "They came thinking to speak with Óðinn, then requested to see
Mother when I told them what happened, disregarding the fact I sat on Hliðskjálf with
Gungnir."

"Of course," Loki snorted.

Unfortunately he had no trouble imagining the four warriors asking him to undo his father's
last command as his first. How could they have spent so much time so close to Hliðskjálf and
yet have learned so little? On second thought, Loki knew exactly how. Any sort of logical
and strategic thinking had never exactly been his brother's forte, so 'twas no surprise Thor's
friends possessed none of it either. They would simply have continued to encourage Thor's
bad behavior had his brother ascended to Hliðskjálf.

'Twas not like he had ever been able to direct Thor away from any action they encouraged or
initiated, no matter how foolish.

A dark part of Loki almost wished he had not interfered with the coronation and simply
allowed it to go through as planned. There would have been a certain amount of satisfaction
in watching his brother fail as spectacularly as he was certain Thor would have. A pity he had
not been able to allow himself to subject either Ásgarðr or the Nine to that. If he had ever had
any true designs on Hliðskjálf, he just might have as it would have been a guaranteed way to
make Thor seen as unworthy in everyone's eyes.

"So, speak with Sif and the others when they come to see me, allow them to go to Miðgarðr
and then arrest Heimdallr," Loki concluded.

"Hmm," Loptr agreed. "And do not give into the temptation to go visit Thor. Use your new
powers to view him from afar if you must, but do not go speak with him. It serves no purpose
but to soothe your wounded pride and will actually harm you in the long run."

The implication he would act solely to appease his pride stung, but Loki forced himself to
consider Loptr's words. He knew he had acted foolishly in the past for similar reasons so,
while he might have thought he had eradicated that particular character flaw, he had to
confront the fact that, mayhap, he had not. Loptr would be the one to know as Loki had only
ever been able to see what had been driving him in those circumstances after the fact.

"How will it harm me?" Loki questioned.

"You will lie to him and it will come out when the Warriors Idiot find Thor," Loptr explained.
"If you do not contact Thor, then all he will have is their word."

"Hardly a good thing."

"True, but if you have removed Heimdallr from his post, then they cannot move against you.
Therefore you should not act any further against them either."

Loki's eyes narrowed as he considered Loptr's words. Act against them? How would he?

"The Destroyer," Loki realized with a rush. "You sent it to Miðgarðr?"

He could hardly believe the words even as he spoke them. 'Twas such a rash move that Loki
wished he could deny it would ever even occur to him, but, given the way he had already
acted and reacted earlier today, he found he could not. If he had not been expecting a betrayal
from his so-called friends and then it happened on top of everything else he had already
experienced... well he could see how he might react rashly and without thinking.

"Hmm," Loptr confirmed. "And 'tis in battling it that Thor fulfills the requirements Óðinn set
out for him to regain his immortality and powers."

"Allowing Thor to return."

While Loki had no intention or desire to remain on Hliðskjálf for any length of time, he had
already realized the possibilities his being on it now had opened up to him. At some point
Óðinn had deemed Thor more worthy of it than him and, while he now strongly suspected
that had more to do with their respective species than anything else, it still grated. Especially
given how woefully unprepared for Hliðskjálf his brother was. Therefore he wished to use
the opportunity to prove to Óðinn, Thor and everyone who had ever doubted him, exactly
how capable of it he truly was.

Which required him to maintain the regency long enough to actually do something of note.

Loki knew Ásgarðr's rules and protocols well enough to know that, once a regency was
granted, it could not be easily revoked. Thus Thor returning fully restored did not mean he
would become king in Loki's stead, but Loki was far too well aware of public sentiment
regarding the two of them to think there would not be a strong desire to have Thor do
precisely that. So, if not interfering with his brother's sentence was what it took to maintain
Hliðskjálf long enough to achieve that which he wished, then 'twas a small price to pay. He
would be able to gloat to Thor even more later as a result.

"Very well," Loki finally said. "I will leave Thor alone, allow his friends to go rile him up
and arrest Heimdallr after they have gone."

"Good. Now, we need to talk about Jötunheimr."

"Oh, I already have an idea about that," Loki replied darkly.

He knew exactly how to take care of the monsters and their Realm.

"Nay," Loptr retorted, voice sharp and full of far more command than Loki thought he could
ever have managed before. "You will not use the Bifröst."

Part of Loki wanted to demand how Loptr knew about it, but luckily he caught himself in
time. Of course his future self would know what he had planned. Clearly his thinking was
still far from as clear as he would like it to be.

"Why not?" Loki demanded, petulantly.

"Because 'tis precisely what Thor would do," Loptr snapped. "Think, Loki, think!"
The words were like a slap to the face and he struggled not to snarl back at Loptr. If it had
been anyone else, his supposed family included, he would have, but Loptr was an exception.
A singular, temporary, exception.

With an extreme struggle, Loki forced himself to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths.
His grip on Gungnir tightened involuntarily but that was okay for now, as there was only
Loptr around to witness it. That his emotions were clouding his rational mind had already
been proven time and again today. What was one more instance? Truthfully 'twas not so
much that which was bothering him, as the comparison to his brother. Thor was an idiotic oaf
who could not recognize common sense if it walked up to him and slapped him on the
forehead.

"Loki," Loptr said gently, drawing his attention back to him.

"Aye?" Loki asked, voice far more vulnerable than he felt comfortable with, even with his
future self.

"Think. What were you advising Thor to do while on Jötunheimr?"

The reminder made Loki grit his teeth, suddenly seeing where this was going. "To walk
away."

"Why?"

"Because 'twas a stupid and thoughtless way to start a war."

"And?"

"'Twas warmongering at its finest by an idiot who does not understand what he was seeking."

"Exactly."

Loptr did not need to say anymore, Loki already knew what came next. Not wanting to, he
hesitated a moment before forcing himself to continue.

"You wish for me to go back to what I advocated before."

"'Tis what you would do if not so clouded by emotions and blinded by the horror of what you
have just learned."

Loki bit back a sigh but forced himself to consider Loptr's words. He had been against
starting any kind of conflict with Jötunheimr before he had learned the truth of his heritage.
Besides, had not his whole concern with Thor becoming king been about his fears that Thor
would thoughtlessly start wars with the other Realms and devolve the Nine into needless
conflict? It grated like nothing else to think he had been on the verge of doing the same, and
all because of his emotional reaction to discovering he was not an áss.

Nay, Loptr was right. If he were in his right mind, he would never have considered utterly
destroying Jötunheimr. Loki was not stupid enough to pretend, even to himself, he had ever
had any love for the frost giants, but 'twas about keeping the Nine, and thus the Yggdrasill, in
balance.

"You are right," Loki admitted reluctantly, but grateful Loptr was here to keep him from
repeating his temporal twin's mistakes.

"Good. Trust me, you cannot even imagine how badly you would come to regret that
decision. Even above and beyond having acted more like Thor than yourself."

The fear from earlier was back, but Loki pushed it aside, knowing he had to know. If for
nothing else than to firm his resolve and stick to his new course of action.

"What happened?" Loki questioned.

Loptr looked uncomfortable for a moment and Loki could well understand why. From what
he had already heard, he knew things had gone badly, very, very badly, and all because of a
poor decision he himself had made. Well, to a certain extent anyway.

"I thought as you, to use the Bifröst against Jötunheimr, so I arranged a situation with Laufey
for him to come to Ásgarðr to try to kill Óðinn," Loptr began, tonelessly. "It succeeded, but
fully turned Heimdallr against me as he had realized he could not fully see me when I was on
Jötunheimr, speaking with Laufey."

The way Loptr said the frost giant's name was odd. Loki could detect disgust and anger there,
but there was also something else. Something...

"You have come to feel something for him," Loki realized, shocked.

Loptr closed his eyes. "I may have begun to wonder if Óðinn spoke the truth, when he told us
how we came to be with him."

Loki sucked in a breath at those words. His first reaction was to reject them outright, but
truly, he already thought Óðinn had been lying to him when they spoke in the vault. So why
not about something else as well?

"What are you thinking?" Loki asked.

"He said we were found in a temple. How many people abandon children in a sacred place of
worship?"

It... was a valid point. Well, unless runts were somehow tied up in whatever religion the frost
giants believed in.

"You want me to ask Laufey?" Loki demanded in shock.

"Nay, but I do not want you to kill him without knowing the full truth either," Loptr
countered. "Besides, it moves you from the blameless category in this whole mess, into one
of the aggressors. And that makes what you need to do in the future much harder."

"Future?" Loki echoed with dismay.

 There was more?

"Hmm. 'Tis why I have taken on Óðinn's appearance rather than simply using my supposed
death to vanish," Loptr explained. "But let me explain things chronologically. After I
arranged for Laufey to try to assassinate Óðinn, Heimdallr decided 'twas his duty to try and
kill me."

"Kill you?" Loki demanded in shock.

Heimdallr? He knew the man had never liked him, but this was worse than Loki had ever
imagined. Not to mention that it would be regicide given his current status as regent king, one
of the most abhorrent crimes one could commit on Ásgarðr. Thus to think the gatekeeper of
the Bifröst would attempt it, was nearly unthinkable.

"Hmm, he did not succeed, obviously, but it means the possibility is there he will attempt to
do so with you, so beware," Loptr responded. "As for Laufey's own regicide attempt, I used
the opportunity to kill him and then used the attack as an excuse to destroy Jötunheimr. By
sending the Destroyer against Thor, though, I had provided him with the perfect opportunity
to prove his worth, so he returned precisely in time to stop me. However I had already locked
the Bifröst onto Jötunheimr, so the only way for him to stop it was to destroy the Bifröst."

"Destroy the Bifröst?" Loki repeated in disbelief. "Why by the Norns would he do that? It
would isolate Ásgarðr from the rest of the Nine!"

"He claims to have changed and did not want to see a whole species destroyed."

"Thor did not want to slaughter every single frost giant?"

"Hmm."

The mere thought sent Loki reeling. That was almost unbelievable. 'Twas a complete change
from the oaf's earlier attitude when charging carelessly into Jötunheimr and so shortly after it
too; within days of the frost giants' attempt on the Casket of Ancient Winters. Could Thor
possibly change that much after so long? The possibility left a bad taste in Loki's mouth.
How long had he been attempting to teach his brother this exact lesson and, after all of that, it
took a mistake on his part for it to actually sink in?

Loki's hand clenched on Gungnir once more. As if he needed any further proof Thor did not
listen to him, this was definitely it.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da, chapter two. I hope you all liked it and don't worry, this scene continues in
chapter 3. Loptr still has more to warn Loki about, as well as some idea/suggestions to
pass on.
Old Norse:

seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.

wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Loptr - one of the alternative names for Loki in Norse mythology
áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur
 Chapter 3
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

"Would destroying the Bifröst not cause a magical backlash?" Loki inquired, forcing himself
to focus on the issue at hand.

"Oh, aye," Loptr confirmed. "It threw us both into the air and over the edge of the broken
Bifröst. Óðinn arrived just in time to grab hold of Thor's foot. He managed to grab Gungnir
and I caught the other end of Gungnir. I... spoke briefly with Óðinn, trying to explain why I
had done what I had, but he rejected it so I... I let go."

Horror was the immediate reaction and Loki found that words utterly failed him.

Suicide.

Suicide was what Loptr was admitting to, though not in quite so many words. There was
nothing which Loki could say. That the mere idea of it shocked and horrified him was
comforting as it proved he was nowhere near that point himself, but neither was he quite as
far away from it as he would like either. Without Loptr, and with the right emotional hits,
Loki could see himself arriving there, which was exactly where Loptr had been.

"Was the Bifröst wormhole still open?" Loki finally asked.

"Hmm."

"I did not know anyone could survive the Void."

"Most would not," Loptr stated simply, voice expressionless. "Without my seiðr, I would not
have. It... there is no way to describe it."

Neither did Loki want him to, simply the thought of it enough to chill him. Knowing he could
survive it was enough knowledge for him at present. If he required any encouragement over
the next few days to stick to his new course of action, this would definitely be it. Now he
knew exactly why he had detected a few traces of madness and mental instability within
Loptr's mind. He would put up with a lot, including Óðinn All-Father, to avoid that
splintering of the mind from happening to him.

"How did you get out of it?" Loki asked.

"I was pulled out."

The sudden emotion in Loptr's voice after the careful neutrality from before filled Loki with
dread, as it had all been negative. Anger, pain, fear he was able to recognize easily enough,
but the rest were a hopeless jumble of what he strongly suspected was agony, terror and
despair.
Loptr suddenly looked past Loki's shoulder before continuing. "The one who pulled me from
the Void was Thanos, the Mad Titan. Óðinn's old foe."

Ice crept through Loki. He knew the old stories, both those embellished and told in the
feasting halls as well as the more clinical accounts kept in the library. None were good and he
knew well what a danger to the Yggdrasill Thanos was.

"Did he know of your relationship with Óðinn?" Loki inquired softly.

"Oh, aye. As well as my own talents and skills, which was why he was particularly delighted
to capture me," Loptr continued. "He has plans for Ásgarðr, the Nine and the Yggdrasill.
Plans which involve gathering the Infinity Stones and utilizing them. And he knows that one
of them, the Tesseract, is currently located on Miðgarðr as the humans have commenced
experimenting with it."

"Fools," Loki muttered, knowing where this was going, and 'twas all he could do not to pity
Loptr. "He wanted you to use your familiarity with the Tesseract to sky walk to it from
wherever he was."

"Precisely, followed by arranging for it to be used to open a portal through which his chitauri
army could travel to invade Miðgarðr, and conquer it. He pretended he would give me
Miðgarðr afterwards."

"Of course. His goal was Ásgarðr, aye?"

"Eventually. That and all of the Nine, as well as the Yggdrasill. He asked me many questions
about the World Tree. I am not entirely certain what his intentions are, but I doubt they are
anything either of us wish to see become reality."

"Did you tell Óðinn what had happened when the invasion failed and Thor captured you?"
Loki questioned.

The twitching of Loptr's lips told Loki his future self enjoyed not having to explain the plan
he had devised to get away from the Titan. The amusement was short-lived, however, and
Loki could well understand why. He did not need Loptr to tell him what Thanos had done to
get him to the point where he would consider such a desperate plan to begin with. To say
there had been torture involved would be an understatement, he was certain. Thanos was
renown for his cruelty and sadism, so when presented with a supposed son of his old nemesis
who had bested him and who was now resisting him... Thanos had probably thought he had
found Valhöll.

"Nay, what would be the point?" Loptr sneered.

Loki could understand that point too. He had been accused of lying oft enough when telling
the truth to see how it would happen here as well. Especially when Óðinn and all the others
were so confident of their victory over Thanos. Pretty much every single account he had read
of the time had ended by saying Thanos had been either fully defeated, or beaten down
sufficiently so as to never recover. If he mentioned the Mad Titan's name in court, it would
only be seen as him grasping at straws to save himself.
'Twas not like most of Ásgarðr did not already think he secretly desired Hliðskjálf for himself
as 'twas. So why would they not think he would consider ruling another Realm as an
alternative?

"Very well, so first Jötunheimr and then Thanos," Loki stated, not quite certain if he liked
having something to focus his attention on or not.

If handled correctly, he could use both situations and manipulate them to his advantage.

"And the myrkálfar," Loptr added.

"The myrkálfar? Were they not all destroyed?"

"Apparently not."

The desire to laugh rose within Loki but he resisted, knowing it would not sound entirely
sane. Were Ásgarðr's chronologists correct about anything? Or was it simply that Óðinn's
line, both up and down, were pathologically incapable of telling the truth? And they called
him the God of Lies and Lie-Smith!

"Do we care?" Loki asked, hoping to avoid adding yet another issue for him to deal with.

"They kill Mother."

The words froze Loki in place, with only his eyes able to move, snapping up to Loptr's face.
"What?"

"They kill Frigga when they attack Ásgarðr while chasing the Aether, which infected a mortal
Thor falls in love with and whom he subsequently brought here to have Lady Eir examine
her."

Normally the fact his idiot brother actually fell in love with a mortal would immediately
capture Loki's attention and ridicule, but now it hardly even registered. Instead his entire
attention was focused on the fact Loptr knew when Mother was meant to die and how he
could keep it from happening.

"When and how?"

"About two years and six months from your time now," Loptr replied. "'Twas a mixed frontal
attack and infiltration. Their ships have a stealth mode which conceals them from sight, even
from us, allowing them to approach Ásgarðr without being detected. Heimdallr only noticed
the first one at the very last moment and he managed to bring it down, but 'twas not alone."

"And the ones inside?"

"Simply the one, I believe. He came in as a prisoner captured when Thor, Sif and the
Warriors Three put down the unrest which arose among the Nine when the Bifröst was
destroyed," Loptr told him. "I did not see all of it as I was confined to my own cell, but it
seems the myrkálfr came in disguised as a regular ruffian and then activated whatever device
makes them a Kursed soldier."
"Those accounts are real?"

"Hmm, everything they say and more. When Óðinn refused to allow Thor go after them to
save his mortal and avenge Mother, he came to me for help traveling to Svartálfaheimr. In
exchange he would give me a chance at revenge, ere being locked up once more. During the
fight, Thor faced off against the Kursed and learned the truth about them the hard way. The
idiot was helpless before him, being beaten into the ground when I interfered."

Ah, Loki could guess what had happened there. "Let me guess, you used the opportunity to
fake your own death to avoid being taken back?"

"Hmm. I ran it through with one of their weapons, knowing it would turn and pull me onto
the sword as well," Loptr explained. "But that allowed my double close enough to activate
one of their blackhole grenades."

"An effective way to kill an undefeatable soldier," Loki praised.

"I thought so."

Ah, so that was how that particular smirk of his looked to others. Loki was rather pleased
with the effect, though not quite as much as his unimpressed or darker glares, but 'twas still
more than acceptable.

"Your thoughts?" Loki inquired, knowing Loptr would at least have a plan on how to prevent
their mother's death.

"Never allow the Aether to come to Ásgarðr to begin with. Either intercept it before Thor
brings Dr. Foster here, or prevent her from finding it in the first place, though that would be
far more difficult."

"You do not know where she found it?"

"Nay, simply that 'twas not on Miðgarðr. Apparently the connections between the Nine
loosen and blur with the approach of the Convergence."

"So it could be anywhere."

"Hmm, unfortunately. And there is more, which I have only now discovered. It seems the
Aether is the Reality Stone and thus will be sought by Thanos."

"Very well, I will do what I can, but ensure Mother's safety above all else."

The way Loptr's eyes skittered away when he looked at him told Loki there was probably
more to the story of their mother's death, but clearly his temporal twin did not think it
important to pass on to him. Though a part of him wished to know what it was, the rest of
him was not certain how much more he could take. As 'twas, he already had more to take care
of than he had probably ever had to do before. At least in terms of importance. And 'twas
only an hour ago he had been overwhelmed by being crowned king of Ásgarðr!

"Oh, and Loki, one more thing," Loptr said.

"Hmm?"

"Thor does not care, at least not in the long run as I never saw his initial reaction."

Loki frowned. "Does not care about what?"

"Our heritage and what we are."

Loki almost flinched at the reminder, not even wanting to think of it. Yet, if what Loptr had
said earlier was true, then it truly was in his best interests to come to terms with it. Between
knowing and doing though... It grated that Loki now found himself in a situation where he
was reacting more like his brother than ever before, especially now he knew he and Thor
were not even actually related to each other. That alone would almost be enough to make him
overcome it. Almost. Luckily he had the draw of new and alluring seiðr to help bridge the
gap.

If he had to be a frost giant, then, by the Norns, was he going to obtain all of the benefits of
being one!

But first, the matter at hand.

"Prince 'when I am king I am going to slay them all' does not care?" Loki questioned in
disbelief.

"Not long-term, he still kept insisting we were brothers until recently," Loptr confirmed.

"Until recently?"

Loptr shrugged, but Loki could read the hurt which underlay the gesture in the other's eyes.
"Apparently the attack on Miðgarðr, and my reaction upon my return here, were enough to
change his mind. Well, at least until he thought I was dying with dignity in his arms anyway."

Loki nearly smirked at those words. He was glad to see that, no matter what had happened to
Loptr, he could still recognize himself in his temporal twin. 'Twas reassuring. And allowing
his double to die in Thor's arms after such a heroic feat as saving his brother at the expense of
his own life? 'Twas exactly what he would have done in Loptr's place, even now.

As for Thor himself, well, Loki was not entirely certain what to think. Could his brother truly
suddenly change so much in such a short period of time after centuries of not changing at all,
despite all of Loki's best efforts to teach him? It hurt to even consider the possibility, as it
implied Thor had never truly seen him as worthy of being listened to. That should not hurt as
much as it did, as 'twas not like Loki had been under any illusions as to his importance to his
brother for over half a millennium now.

"It might be a moot point," Loki said as a new thought occurred to him. "Now I know,
Mother and Father may elect to inform Thor as well."

"True," Loptr agreed. "Simply give him a chance to set the tone, if you wish to control the
situation."
Which was a nice way of telling him to keep his temper, though Loki appreciated the
delicacy as he had taken far too many shocks and hits already in the past... he was not
actually certain how much time had passed since he had stood in this very spot, preparing for
the coronation.

"I must soon go," Loptr stated, glancing over his shoulder. "Óðinn is expected to deal with
some dispute soon."

Loki could not help it, he laughed. "Any luck replicating his erratic decision-making
process?"

"Nay, honestly I have hardly even tried. And, rather than appearing suspicious, the High
Council seems pleased the All-Father has become somewhat more predictable."

"Interesting."

"Hmm, something to consider in your dealings with them."

"I think we will be rather more focused on Jötunheimr than any mere disputes, but I shall
endeavor to keep it in mind."

"Good. Now, I do not know how soon any changes you effect will ripple through the timeline
to reach me, but until such time, I will be here to help in any way I can," Loptr promised.

"I can contact you?" Loki questioned in surprise.

"Not entirely, but if you properly initiate the obsidian amulet we bought on Álfheimr, then I
will be able to reach out and connect with it. Through it, I should be able to detect when you
focus heavily on it."

Such a talisman would also give Loki a focus for any ill-considered emotions or actions
which might tempt him to act irrationally while he worked on stabilizing his core, and thus
his seiðr. Having that type of touchstone would also be a great aid when connecting with
Ásgarðr herself, as it would provide him with another anchor for his fluctuating seiðr and
sense of self.

"I will do it right away," Loki promised.

"Good luck, Loki," Loptr responded, before giving him a smile that was all teeth and
impressively predatory, if Loki said so himself. "And show both Óðinn and all of Ásgarðr
what we are truly capable of, when not spiraling out of control due to both personal and royal
shocks."

"Norns willing, I shall be able to tell you all about it before the ripples catch up with you."

With a final nod at him, Loptr cut the connection, allowing the mirror to waver and ripple
before showing Loki his own reflection once more. The transition made him frown a little as
he regarded himself. Despite seeing Loptr with Gungnir for the entirety of their conversation,
there was still something surprisingly unsettling about seeing himself as he was now, holding
the King's Spear. 'Twas not the clothing, as he was used to seeing himself in a variety of
different outfits from the very simple to the overly elaborate. So what was it?

"Ah," Loki uttered as realization dawned.

The hair.

Loptr had lengthened his hair somewhere along the line, which was quite apparent seeing as
his future self had not been wearing his headpiece. Loki tilted his head in consideration as he
tried to imagine himself with longer hair. Seeing as he had not visibly aged between now and
the time Loptr came from, 'twas not hard to do, but he was not entirely certain how it would
look with his headpiece. Probably not as good, but that was of lesser concern, given how
infrequently he was likely to wear it as king.

So, should he lengthen his hair? Loki knew only all too well how much appearances could
matter and, if he changed a key aspect of it like his hair length now, before he began
appearing publicly as king, then it would forevermore associate those two things together in
people's minds. Which meant that once he became a prince once more, and the second prince
at that, his longer hair would still remind people of the position he had once held. Hopefully
it would help him retain some of the respect which he deserved, but had hardly ever received.

It took only a simple gesture of his hand for his hair to grow to the desired length. The effort
took more out of Loki than he wanted to admit, even to himself, so he took a moment to steel
himself. With an effort, he cleared his mind of all negative thoughts regarding frost giants, his
heritage and all that he had learned about himself recently. Instead he chose to focus on what
Loptr had told him regarding the seiðr which his new status would allow him access to. 'Twas
something which rather excited him, if he were honest with himself, as there was almost
nothing he loved better than studying and acquiring new seiðr.

New seiðr like the ability to reach across space and time as Loptr had done to contact him.

Seiðr which was already changing the very fabric of what was.

Loki laughed at the thought of precisely what he and Loptr were achieving here. That which
was expressly forbidden and deemed nigh on impossible by even the vast majority of
seiðberandi. Fools, the lot of them. He knew he was starting to feel better when the thought
was not immediately followed by the desire to make them all aware of how wrong they had
been. Nay, instead he planned to guard this particular secret quite jealously. No one but Loptr
and the Norns would ever know of it.

As it had ever been, so would it be again. He would do things for himself; not for Óðinn, not
for Thor and definitely not for those who would choose to betray him at the earliest possible
opportunity.

Nay, Loki would do what he had done for centuries now. He would keep quiet about his
greatest magical achievements and utilize them to help manipulate people and situations from
the shadows. Well, he would once he could get back to actually being in the shadows. Until
then, he could take advantage of his current predicament to set things up as he needed them,
so he could then focus on the other two items which would require his complete and utter
attention.

Namely Thanos and the myrkálfar.

His earlier rage was back, only now redirected to two far less self-destructive targets. No one
imprisoned and tortured him or even threatened his mother, let alone actually harmed or
killed her. For both, Loki would ensure they paid and did so completely. By the time that he
was done with them, neither Thanos nor the myrkálfar would ever be able to hurt him and his
ever again.

A quick check of his core showed Loki that the deterioration he had witnessed earlier had
thankfully stopped, and he closed his eyes in relief. While far from good, at least he was not
getting any worse while he sought to heal himself. 'Twas a start and, right now, Loki was
willing to take what he could obtain as he slowly worked himself back up to his full strength
and capacity, at which time he could go back to demanding perfection from himself. Just
now, though, he needed to admit to himself he was in no condition to provide that, and
instead focus on survival.

So, he needed to prime the obsidian amulet for Loptr to access and meditate so he could
commune with Ásgarðr. Loki had just started moving the drawers with the amulet when
another thought occurred to him. With a quick check in the mirror to ensure he was
presentable, he turned back to the entrance to his chambers. Opening the door, he turned his
attention to Lieutenant-General Yngvarr standing outside.

"Send word to Lord Ragnvaldr, I need the High Council convened first thing in the morn to
discuss the situation with Jötunheimr," Loki ordered.

"Aye, your Majesty," the lieutenant-general replied, a gesture of his hand sending one of the
other Einherjar from the corridor with a small bow. "My Liege," the man continued when
Loki turned to retreat back into his chamber. Instead of replying, he merely glanced at the
man. "Do you require a meal?"

As if summoned by the words, Loki's stomach growled and he realized he had not eaten
anything since he broke his fast after rising, now over fifteen hours earlier. "Hmm, have it
brought to my dining chamber."

"Your Majesty."

Slightly unsettled with the attention paid even to his eating habits, Loki retreated all the way
back into his bedchamber. Beyond access to the king's library and the ability to fix the
timeline, he could not give Hliðskjálf back to his fa- Óðinn fast enough. He was not cut out
for this type of constant scrutiny. The thought reminded him of Heimdallr, and Loki
reluctantly removed the obscuring spell he had cast before speaking with Loptr. He
immediately felt naked without it as he could feel Heimdallr's gaze swinging his way not
long after, making him wonder if the gatekeeper had noticed his earlier spell work.

It hardly mattered as he already knew of the man's treasonous nature, but Loki knew the more
events changed from how they had been with Loptr, the less predictable they would be. 'Twas
the biggest drawback to altering the course of history; the outcome was never certain and the
further one moved from the original change, the more things deviated from what had come
the first time. So, to act as normally as possible, Loki used his seiðr to change into an outfit
similar to Loptr's, only without footwear, before settling onto his favorite cushion, folding his
legs beneath him. He brought Gungnir down before him, holding it with both hands as he
examined it.

Despite having grown up with the King's Staff, this was the first time Loki was able to
examine it this closely. Carefully, reverently, he ran his hands over it, exploring every inch of
that which was both a weapon and a symbol of authority. There was not a single Ásgarðrian
alive who did not immediately associate Gungnir with the kings of Ásgarðr. 'Twas rumored to
be the seat of the Óðinnforce which his father wielded. A claim Loki now knew to be truer
than he had ever believed, if not quite in the manner most meant.

Still feeling Heimdallr's heavy gaze upon him, Loki allowed his eyes to fall closed even as he
began regulating his breathing, carefully sinking into the familiar meditative state he had
practiced for most of his life. Though he normally hated to do so while being watched, he
knew he was perfectly safe at present. Heimdallr would never dare make an overt move
against him at present and, even if he would, the Einherjar guarded his door and his extensive
wards covered both that and every other possible entrance to his chambers.

All thoughts of the Bifröst's treasonous keeper fled Loki's mind as he felt the first brush of
foreign seiðr against his senses. 'Twas a coy, gentle touch, far more playful and joyful than
anything else. His forehead scrunched up in confusion as he startled, the unexpected reaction
catching him off-guard. Was that Ásgarðr? Surely she would be far more regal and reserved.
Uncertain, Loki carefully reached out with his own seiðr, running it along Gungnir, detecting
all of the spells, protections and wards tied into her ancient metal, making her hum with seiðr
to the point of becoming her own presence to any seiðberandi powerful enough to sense her.
'Twas a familiar and comforting presence which soothed his nerves even before some of the
protections seemed to react to his own fractured seiðr, and reached out in an attempt to heal
him.

Not sensing any danger, Loki allowed it, utilizing the foreign seiðr to help replenish his own
diminished stores. Then he followed Gungnir's presence down, down, down into Ásgarðr
itself. At first he sensed nothing before, with a suddenness which caught him off-guard, the
playful presence from earlier burst to life across his senses once more. If not for its sheer
power and where he was probing, Loki would have thought that he had brushed the mind of a
child, a budding seiðkona to be certain, but a child nonetheless.

His thought seemed to excite and amuse Ásgarðr, as Loki felt himself gathered up and
embraced by happy playfulness which was nonetheless tinged with ancient, powerful seiðr.

Ancient, powerful, sentient seiðr.

Or at the very least semi-sentient seiðr, since Loki could not detect a mind such as it was, but
Ásgarðr was definitely not inanimate like Gungnir or any other powerful magical object he
had come across like Mjǫlnir or even the Casket of Ancient Winters. Even if the latter had
almost felt like there should be something there.
Ásgarðr once more flooded his senses and 'twas all Loki could do to hold on. 'Twas the
strangest feeling, the presence not fully sentient and yet clearly not inanimate either, full of
delight, mischief and yet ancient beyond all belief. The latter alone told Loki he truly was
communing with Ásgarðr's magical core itself, as he did not think any living being could
become so old. 'Twas a humbling thought, to think that the Realm on which he had lived and
spent most of his life, had slowly been taking on seiðr and sentience over the millennia of its
existence until it became that which he sensed now.

The closer link with it also allowed Loki to confirm that, aye, this was the presence he had
felt on several occasions during his life, aiding him in times of dire need, either to save
himself or Thor. Or both. Knowing 'twas Ásgarðr itself explained why she had done so, even
if it still left him completely in the dark as to why she felt so thrilled to feel him here with her.

Almost as in response to his thoughts, Ásgarðr coiled herself tighter around his presence, as
if fearing he would draw back and leave her. Loki laughed, the softer emotions practically
contagious even as the thought of turning away from this was ridiculous in and of itself. The
power he felt within Ásgarðr's core was staggering, and he realized what he had felt from
Loptr was only part of what was available to his future self through Loptr's connection with
Ásgarðr.

Strangely, though, 'twas the thought of rejecting anything which was this eager to be with
him that bothered Loki the most. Normally people reacted with suspicion, at the very least,
when they encountered him; his reputation or such as it was perceived by others, preceding
him. Thus to encounter someone, or something, that had to be as aware of him as she would
be, happy, let alone excited, to see him was a novelty. Carefully he extended a tendril of seiðr
with less shielding only for Ásgarðr to wrap herself around it fully. There was more
amusement and excitement before images flashed in front of his mind's eye.

At first they went too quickly for Loki to decipher, but then they slowed and he saw countless
instances of pranks and tricks he had pulled over the course of his life, only all were from a
perspective not his own. They included all of his personal favorites as well as a host of
others, not all of them successful, but clearly each and every one had entertained Ásgarðr,
which sent a swell of pride and achievement through him. It had been a long time since
anyone had admitted they liked any of his tricks, let alone those whose only purpose was to
entertain.

Those scenes were swiftly followed by others of him learning and practicing seiðr in all
forms, along with all the time Loki had spent studying the history of Ásgarðr, her people and
the rest of the Nine Realms. Those memories seemed tinged with warmth and appreciation
rather than amusement, but Loki soaked it all up nonetheless. Despite pretending he had not
required anyone's validation, 'twas not until now he realized how good some
acknowledgement of his less æsir touted achievements and skills could feel.

It took him a while, but eventually Loki realized the excitement he had detected from the start
was because Ásgarðr was pleased at the prospect of binding with him. 'Twas almost as if she
had been waiting to do so, reaching out when things became desperate, to ensure neither he
nor Óðinn's heir died in the interim. It pleased Loki ridiculously, when he felt a distinctly
colder vibe from the Realm when he concentrated on Thor and he received a few flashes of
 some of his brother's less admiral moments, followed swiftly by humor at the failed
coronation. He could only hope Father did not discover that particular tidbit when he
reconnected with Ásgarðr upon awakening.

There was a reassuring flow of calmer emotions and Loki hoped 'twas Ásgarðr's attempt to
try and reassure him. He chose to take comfort in the fact he had never been punished for
some of the tricks which Ásgarðr clearly knew about, but which Óðinn never seemed to have
figured out. Until proven otherwise, 'twas good enough evidence that not everything which
Ásgarðr knew or saw was passed on.

A fact which Loki made a mental note to remember moving forwards.

A feeling almost like laughter rolled over Loki even as there were sparks along his
connection with Ásgarðr, and he raised an eyebrow as he realized he had made her laugh.

"I think we are going to get along very well," Loki whispered at her. "So, care to tell me how
we bond?"

Knowledge and delight flooded through him and Loki took a moment to make certain he
understood the process, before carefully dropping most of his shields and welcoming Ásgarðr
in.

Chapter End Notes

There you go, the third chapter in this epic. I hope you liked it and enjoyed meeting
Ásgarðr, as she will have a large part to play. And for those who like Loptr, don't worry,
he'll be back :)

Also, I meant to mention this in chapter 1, but Lord Ragnvaldr is seen in one of the
missing scenes from Thor (which I highly recommend!). He is the man giving Loki
Gungnir when he becomes king, with the bald patch and long white hair.

Old Norse:

Valhöll - Valhalla, "hall of the slain"

myrkálfar - "dark elves" (or "dusky elves" & "murky elves") - myrkálfr is the singular.
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
Up next week: Heimdallr's first appearance, along with a new character we will see a
few times.
 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments & kudos, they're greatly appreciated!

Anyway, here's the next chapter, with the start of several interactions/story lines.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki had no idea how long the connection with Ásgarðr took to forge, but it felt like an
eternity and no time, all at once. There was power, knowledge and that strange childlike
sentience, melding with his own seiðr in a way which gave him full access to what most
considered the Óðinnforce, and yet kept him and Ásgarðr as two distinctly different beings.
The latter was a great relief as Loki had no desire to merge with anyone or anything else, nor
did he want to consider what that might have done once Óðinn awoke. As 'twas, he was not
entirely certain what would happen with his connection to Ásgarðr when he had to give up
Gungnir.

The King's Staff, though vital for the connection to form, was wholly separate from it. Thus,
without it, Loki would not lose his connection to Ásgarðr, but he doubted he would be
allowed to maintain it either when he was no longer king. He had tried asking Ásgarðr
herself, but all he received was a possessive denial that reminded him more of a child
refusing to give up a favorite toy than anything else, which was not truly helpful even if it
flattered his battered ego nicely.

After the initial overwhelming sensation and rush of power which had flooded his entire
being when Ásgarðr had all but pounced on him, Loki had discovered to his immense relief
that the connection had settled into a comfortable hum at the back of his mind, in a corner
normally left empty. If anything, it filled a void which had always been there instead of
feeling intrusive or crowding, as he had feared it might given the stunning amounts of power
it brought with it.

Despite having felt Loptr's unbelievable increase in magical power, Loki was still left
stunned at the sheer amount of raw seiðr which now resided in his core and swirled all
around him, just awaiting his command to bend to his will. As he had hoped, Ásgarðr had
further helped to stabilize his fracturing core, but unfortunately it had not done anything to
mend the damaged and snapped sections. Those were left as raw and wounded as before,
keeping him weaker than he would otherwise be and paining him as greatly as ever. Those
injuries aside, though, his core was a sight to behold at present with strands of iridescent
purple, varying from paler lilac and lavender all the way to deep plum and wine, threaded
through his own emerald green-gold and icy blue-teal green colors.
The winter theme of the resulting display made Loki briefly uncomfortable, but Ásgarðr's
lack of reaction to it when they had connected soothed him on a deep level. If she had no
issue with him being a frost giant despite sitting on her throne, then perhaps 'twas not as big
of an issue as he had feared.

An image flashed across Loki's mind of his father, then it shifted and changed, becoming
younger and younger. It kept going until he was left looking at a little boy. Involuntarily
Loki's lips twitched as he looked at the young Óðinn. He would never admit it aloud, but the
All-Father had been an adorable child. He was starting to wonder why Ásgarðr was showing
him this when something caught Óðinn's attention and the boy turned, a huge smile lighting
up his face. In an instant the boy was on his feet, running straight into the arms of... a frost
giant.

Loki could only stare in shock as his adoptive father was scooped up by a large blue skinned
woman who swung Óðinn around before embracing him tightly to her oversized bosom.
What was this? Who was this?

The scene faded away only to be replaced by others of the same frost giant (though at times
her chest seemed oddly flat); ones of her walking through Ásgarðr, standing beside either a
young Óðinn or Borr. 'Twas with those final images and scenes that Loki finally realized who
it was that Ásgarðr was showing him. Bestla, wife of Borr, mother of Óðinn and Queen of
Ásgarðr.

Bestla, a frost giant?

The revelation was staggering and sent Loki reeling for several moments. How had he not
known this? How was this not common knowledge? Was it because of the war? Had that
altered so much of what people thought and felt?

Was it possible that, before the war, frost giants had not been deemed the monsters they were
now?

Loki found himself incredibly intrigued by the mere thought, having always been interested
in the differences between what was and how things were perceived. To think something like
a single (if bloody) war could completely have changed how the æsir viewed the frost giants
was fascinating from a psychological perspective, even if it angered him to realize if he had
been fostered earlier that he might never have learned to hate himself as he had. Or that he
would not have been left in the dark about the fact that Óðinn himself was half-frost giant.

The information did go part of the way towards explaining why Óðinn might have felt
compelled to take him when the All-Father had first found him on Jötunheimr, Loki realized.
It also made him wonder if his father even knew how completely Bestla's identity had been
erased from history, as Óðinn had seemed almost genuinely surprised at some of what he had
said during their confrontation in the vault. At least so it seemed, now he thought about it
some more.

The consideration clearly pleased Ásgarðr given Loki felt warm and content feelings
emanating from their bond. He focused on those for a moment, letting himself view their
connection, probing it with his new powers, pleased with how it bent and flexed at his touch
rather than being a rigid and thus brittle. It would be a difficult connection for anyone to
break without their consent.

Slowly Loki allowed himself to return back to him body, allowing his seiðr to flow freely all
around him to fill his bedchamber as it reached out, playful and curious, seeking to
reacquaint himself with his surroundings now he had changed on such a fundamental level.
'Twas more unrestrained than he normally felt comfortable with but, between his own
increase in power, Óðinn's rest and Ásgarðr's added watchfulness, he was less vulnerable than
normal to magical threats. But not completely wise to them, as he was immediately reminded
as soon as he had returned enough focus on his surroundings to feel Heimdallr's gaze on him
once more.

Without thinking about it, Loki turned his head and opened his eyes to meet the gatekeeper's
gaze head on, despite the distance and objects between them. 'Twas almost like watching an
electric shock go through Heimdallr, to see the gatekeeper realize Loki could, in fact, see him
as well. Their eyes caught and held for an eternal moment, green on gold, challenging, before
Heimdallr obediently lowered his eyes whispering a 'My King' in his direction.

Loki frowned slightly, noticing all too well how 'twas a far cry from the show of fealty he had
received earlier from the others upon accepting Gungnir. Loptr was right, he could not trust
Heimdallr, but the gatekeeper still had a role to play. And a grave to dig for himself.

"I have more than enough Einherjar watching over me, Gatekeeper," Loki muttered, never
removing his gaze from Heimdallr. "Your attentions are best directed elsewhere."

"I was only checking on your safety, Your Majesty," Heimdallr responded with another dip of
his head. "But I was not neglecting my other charges."

Loki merely hummed instead of replying, allowing Heimdallr to read into it what he chose to.
Given he already knew of the gatekeeper's treacherous nature, he wanted to be able to remove
him from his post sooner rather than later, though it did leave him with the dilemma of what
to do with the Bifröst and those Ásgarðrians currently elsewhere in the Nine. Who would
know of their wish to return and open the bridge accordingly? Surely there had to be a
solution to the problem as Ásgarðr's entire mode of interdimensional travel could not depend
upon one man. Or at least the mode of transport for those not able to navigate the branches of
Yggdrasill.

The response did please Loki, however, in that it told him Heimdallr was not aware he had
been able to detect the gatekeeper's gaze before now. So when he did lose his connection to
Ásgarðr, he could use that to his advantage should Óðinn decide to reinstate Heimdallr.
Hopefully his father would not though, as this was not the first instance of the gatekeeper's
inability to do his job. They would never have been able to travel to Jötunheimr otherwise.

Once he was certain Heimdallr's gaze was indeed elsewhere, Loki rose to his feet and entered
his closet. Scanning the clothes he had, he looked for something regal enough to replace his
coronation outfit. After a few days, he could perhaps go back to it and break its association
with Thor's failed ceremony, but for now he needed something else. He smiled as his eyes fell
on a set of highly elaborate robes which had been commissioned for the anniversary
celebration of the Ásgarðr-Vanaheimr peace treaty he had attended with his mother as
Ásgarðr's representatives a few years back.

Though not quite as decorative as his coronation outfit, 'twas highly elaborate consisting of
green robes, black leather highlights and gold areas, though less of the latter, the pieces being
more ceremonial than functional and expertly engraved with a mixture of the official
Ásgarðrian seals and sigils, as well as some of his own more personal ones. Those highlights
continued on his robes and leather themselves, only there they were done in gold and black
thread or green tinted inking engraved within the leather. The cape of this particular outfit
had always been one of his favorites, having been a gift from his mother's seiðkonur teachers
on Vanaheimr in advance of his visit.

The cloth had been heavily bespelled with a mixture of protective and cosmetic spells and
charms, before being tailored for him. They had left the cape in a fluctuating state between
green, gold and black; its color shifting and adapting depending on his surroundings and the
circumstances. It, too, had been heavily embroidered with the glyphs and seals of Ásgarðr's
royal family, in addition to some of his own more known designs. The use of black, green
and gold thread, though, meant that some of them seemed to appear and disappear depending
on what color his cape happened to be, in any one instance.

With a thought, Loki was dressed and he only glanced briefly at the mirror to make certain
the outfit looked as expected with his new hair length. Then he turned back to his
bedchamber and made for the dining chamber, his stomach once again reminding him of how
long it had been since he had last eaten.

Loki was surprised to find the meal was still being laid out for him as he entered the chamber.
Though it had felt like a long time, clearly bonding with Ásgarðr had been a fairly quick
affair.

"My Pri- eh, King," Livunn greeting, curtsying hastily.

"It has been a long day and 'tis not over yet, Livunn," Loki said, waving off her dismay at the
mistake. "Please simply continue on as normal within these chambers."

"Of course... Loki," Livunn replied with a hasty glance at the two Einherjar, whom had
clearly followed her into the chamber.

"What do we have?" Loki asked as he sat down.

"It appears the kitchens happened to have some of your favorites tonight."

The look Livunn shot him told Loki she was not fooled any more than he was. This had been
specially prepared after the head cook on duty had heard of his ascension to Hliðskjálf. It also
made him revise his estimate of precisely how long he had been meditating, as this meal
would have taken longer to prepare.

"Shall I draw up a bath afterwards?" Livunn inquired as she placed the last of the dishes on
the table before him.
"Nay, that will not be necessary," Loki replied. "I will not be turning in anytime soon."

"Rest is important, my Liege."

Loki smiled at the response. 'Twas one of the reasons why he had always liked Livunn and
had requested she be assigned to him. She had always been honest with him while still
remaining respectful in cases where she disagreed with him. He had also never felt like any
of her concern was faked, unlike that which he had received from some of the other servants
who worked in Iðavöllr. Plus she was comfortable with his use of seiðr, having spent part of
her childhood on Vanaheimr when her father had been assigned there to help cover his
mother's frequent visits to her brother ruling there.

"As are other things," Loki replied lightly as he began eating.

If he had needed any further proof the food had been specially prepared for him, Loki found
it immediately in the lack of helam spice, so loved by many æsir.

"Shall I have some of your items moved to the king's study then?" Livunn asked.

"Hmm, please."

'Twas something he had not even considered, but Loki was definitely utilizing the study. Not
only would it help to solidify his position, but 'twas adjacent to the king's library which he
definitely planned to use.

"So what are the rumors currently circulating around Iðavöllr?" Loki asked.

"I do not know why you always think I am aware of all of the latest gossip, Loki."

The sass made him smile once more. "Because you love knowing what is going on."

"Aye," Livunn admitted, though her face was concerned; hesitant. "'Tis not very pretty."

"I would not believe you if you said it was."

"There are a few different rumors right now, as word of your... coronation is still spreading."

"Let us start with those unrelated to that then."

"Very well, most of those concern what happened during the public coronation or to Prince
Thor. They range from saying a small group of frost giants broke into the vault and were
defeated by the Destroyer, to saying a battalion of frost giants appeared but were fended off
by a group of Einherjar bravely defending Iðavöllr and Ásgarðr's honor."

Loki merely snorted, well able to imagine how the number of frost giants had been inflated
so drastically. Æsir were nothing if not predictable in their desire for honor, especially in
battle. That there was nothing honorable in some of their tactics or embellishments of the
truth afterwards never seemed to occur to them.

"And of my brother?"
Livunn winced. "Those rumors take a darker turn. That he went to Jötunheimr with yourself,
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three is common to all, as is the fact you attempted to stop him."

That Loki was rather surprised with, actually. Generally his role in events either seemed to be
forgotten or distorted. He wondered why that did not seem to have happened here.

"From that point on, however, things start to deviate depending on the rumor," Livunn
continued. "In some, you are assigned noble intentions, seeking to prevent the breaking of the
peace treaty with Jötunheimr. In others, though..."

"I am seeking to disparage my brother's honor in a blind quest for Hliðskjálf?" Loki offered,
quite familiar with this particular twist of some rumors.

"Ah, aye. There are some variations in-between."

"And what of the events on Jötunheimr themselves?"

"In some, 'tis said there was a glorious battle in which Ásgarðr's honor has been restored."

"Of course. And in the others?"

"Most are variations on some sort of confrontation and battle, generally with a poor outcome
as Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were seen heading for the healing halls and King Óðinn
was witnessed being quite angry."

The sudden interest of the two Einherjar in his response was quite clear to Loki, though he
was pretty certain it passed Livunn by, even as observant as she was. Given that nothing
being said was confidential, he did not dismiss them, but he made a mental note to remember
to do so if he did wish something kept completely confidential. That some of the Einherjar
spoke a bit too freely was already evident in the details of the rumors Livunn had relayed.

"Not too far off," Loki stated simply. "And Thor's punishment?"

"Details are hazy at best," Livunn replied. "But most agree King Óðinn banished him for his
actions."

"True, but he has a chance to redeem himself," Loki told her, knowing 'twas best if the truth
of his brother's sentence was known.

'Twas not his intention to retain Hliðskjálf, and Loki had no desire to deal with the theories
which would flourish and spread when the news of his regency became known. For most, the
truth would make no difference as they were too used to thinking ill of him, but it would
influence some and he needed all the aid he could obtain at present.

"Oh, good," Livunn said. "May I enquire where he has been banished to?"

"Miðgarðr," Loki replied. "As a mortal."

Livunn's eyes grew wide at that and Loki had to be careful not to choke as he thought of what
Thor was going through right now. His brother had always relied on his superior strength and
position as prince of Ásgarðr when interacting with people from the rest of the Nine, and now
he had neither.

Without truly meaning to, Loki found he had reached out with his newly enhanced reach
towards his brother. Ásgarðr responded eagerly and the next thing he knew, he could see Thor
on Miðgarðr as easily as he could look through a scrying mirror. Thor appeared to be in the
company of several mortals, though 'twas clear they were rather unsure of him and his
behavior. The broken shards on the floor would imply his brother had smashed yet another
goblet of some sort.

"Loki, my Liege, are you alright?" Livunn asked worriedly.

Loki blinked. "Aye, I was merely checking in on Thor to ensure he is not in danger."

"Oh, is the prince alright?"

"It would appear my brother has fallen afoul of some mortal customs and upset them."

"Oh, I..."

This time Loki allowed her to trail off uncomfortably. For once it seemed like Thor was not
only going to be appropriately punished for his actions, but have it be publicly recognized as
well, neither of which was a bad thing as far as he was concerned. In fact, 'twas long overdue.
It would also do both Thor and Ásgarðr a lot of good in the long run as well.

"And what word of me?" Loki inquired after a few moments.

"Those rumors are far more vague at present," Livunn told him. "The news is newer. There
are some murmurs of a power grab, but with the sheer number of witnesses present, most
know Lord Ragnvaldr and Queen Frigga passed you Gungnir in accordance with Ásgarðrian
succession laws, and thus they accept you are the rightful king."

"Good. Let me know if any rumors to the contrary start to take hold."

"Of course."

His hunger finally satisfied, Loki rose to his feet and took hold of Gungnir once more, the
feeling still surreal as if he would wake up to find this had all been a dreadful nightmare.

While Livunn's words on his right to rule were not optimal, she was correct in that there had
been sufficient witnesses present to ensure the truth of the moment made it out. In fact, Loki
would not have put it past Lord Ragnvaldr to have arranged the moment precisely as it had
been done for exactly that purpose. He may not always have gotten along with his father's
chief advisor, but he had always respected the man's integrity and devotion to Hliðskjálf. If
nothing else, he could rely on Lord Ragnvaldr to ensure everything they did was done
correctly and according to Ásgarðrian laws.

Towards that end, the man would be an invaluable ally in navigating the Jötunheimr mess.

"Will there be anything else, Loki?" Livunn inquired as she began clearing the table.
"Please notify Lady Borgunna I will need to speak with her tomorrow morning after the High
Council meeting."

"Of course."

With that Loki left his chambers, finding the rest of the Einherjar waiting for him outside.

"Where to, Your Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr questioned as they fell into
formation around him.

"The library," Loki replied, seeing none of the men were the same as before except for the
lieutenant-general.

He would have to refresh himself on the shift changes of the king's official guards at some
point, when he had a moment.

Amusement shot through Loki at the thought. When he had a moment. 'Twas almost like
wishing for more respect. Not only had he been busy constantly for over fifteen hours now
with no end in sight, but he now also had an impressive list of enemies to suss out and
eventually confront as well, thanks to Loptr. He could only be thankful he was not feeling
tired yet as all of the alertness spells he knew were limited in both scope and duration, thus
the longer he could go without needing to resort to them, the better.

Though 'twas now well past midnight, Loki had no doubt of finding Lady Dagrún in the
library. For all that the woman was supposed to be responsible for interfacing between the
people who visited the library and the books and other resources it possessed, Loki had rarely
ever met anyone who seemed to like dealing with people less. Well, unless you were
someone who loved and respected knowledge and the pursuit thereof as much as Lady
Dagrún herself, in that case the woman became wonderful to work with and Loki had oft
used her to aid him with his own studies and research.

The late hour meant Iðavöllr's corridors were deserted, so they were quickly at the library,
much to Loki's relief. After a lifetime of wandering the corridors as unobtrusively as possible
unless he wanted to be noticed, doing so with an escort of Einherjar actually left him feeling
more vulnerable as he stood out. Almost glaringly so.

At first glance the library appeared deserted, so Loki immediately moved deeper into the
stacks, towards the study area set aside for those who wished to peruse the library's tomes
here.

Lady Dagrún was exactly where Loki had expected to find her and he watched as the
librarian became aware of the first Einherjar to enter the study space, Lady Dagrún's eyes
flickering from them to Loki and then to Gungnir held firmly in his hand. That the librarian
had not yet heard of what had happened was evident by how wide her eyes grew before Lady
Dagrún stepped forward, raised her right fist to her heart and bowed deeply.

"Your Majesty," Lady Dagrún greeted. "How may I be of service?"

 "I require any and all materials we have on Jötunheimr, the war and, most particularly, the
treaty formed at the end of it," Loki ordered, noticing the wariness creep into Lady Dagrún's
eyes, so perhaps some rumors had reached her after all. "Send them to my new study in the
first instance, but keep them together after I send them back, so the information is already
collated should the other members of the High Council require access to it."

"I will see to it at once and send the first set of books over as quickly as possible."

"Also let me know which one you would recommend as a standard."

The beauty of working with someone who knew him well, was that he did not need to spell
out precisely what it was he required. With what he had just said, Lady Dagrún would know
he wanted something of Jötunheimr that assumed no prior knowledge and explained
everything from that starting point. Lady Dagrún had been the one to teach him that
preconceptions could be far more dangerous than pure ignorance, and to always go back to
the beginning if in doubt.

"It would be my pleasure, Your Majesty."

"If you should find anything else on Jötunheimr or frost giants later, once you have sent
everything else, do send it over as a priority rather than waiting until later."

"Of course," Lady Dagrún said, glancing at the Einherjar spread out around them before
stepping closer and lowering her voice. "If I may, my Liege?"

"Aye," Loki replied, voice lowered to match.

"Frost giant is viewed as a speciest slur. They call themselves jötunn, or jötnar for plural.
They have always been sensitive about it."

Loki blinked and quickly thought back to his talk with Loptr, and noticed his temporal twin
had indeed always used jötunn and jötnar rather than frost giant. He had not even noticed,
viewing them as interchangeable. A dangerous mistake to make in so volatile a situation as
this.

"My thanks, Librarian," Loki said.

Chapter End Notes

Yes, I know this is a bit of a shorter chapter, but that was the best place to end the
chapter (I wrote this as one long story and only afterwards went back and broke it into
chapters). The next 2 chapters will be longer than any of the first 4, so hopefully that
will compensate for it.

Regarding both Livunn and Lady Dagrún, both will be back - though the former far
more than the latter. I hope you like them as there aren't a great deal of female characters
to play with, unfortunately, given how male dominated Ásgarðr was in the movies.
Therefore I've added my own where I can and played with mythology a little. Which
Marvel did start, to be fair, with Laufey!

Original Characters' Names:

Livunn - made up of Hlíf ('protection', 'cover') and Unna ('to love', 'to grant, bestow') -
take from that what you will :)
Dagrún - made up of Dagr ('day', 'time') and Rún ('secret', 'secret lore', 'secret
knowledge', 'magic') - another literal name, can you see a pattern here?

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace

Up next week: Loki finally gains access to the king's study... and its library. What could
he possible want that for? [end sarcasm]
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes

Another week, another chapter!

Thanks for the continued comments & kudos, they're much appreciated!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Entering the king's study in and of itself was nothing new for Loki, as he did it fairly often
either to speak with his fat- Óðinn himself, or to take part in a smaller meeting or discussion
being held here rather than Glaðsheimr. But entering it as the king to whom the study
belonged (at least temporarily), was an entirely new experience and not one that Loki had
ever expected to have. Everything looked either brighter or darker, depending on what kind
of feelings he associated with it.

One of the first things Loki noticed was the familiar tea set on the cabinet behind the massive
golden desk which dominated the chamber. 'Twas his personal one from his own private
study, along with his elaborately decorated box of tea leaves and other botanicals he had
collected on his travels around the Nine. Livunn knew him very well and, as always, had
gone out of her way to serve him. He would have to remember to reward her for it later.

"Is there anything else which you require, Your Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
asked, having remained when the others left the chamber after checking it.

"Not for now," Loki replied.

"Then we shall be right outside, my Liege."

With that, the guard left and Loki took a moment to simply enjoy the solitude. Then he
moved to the center of the study and set Gungnir gently on the floor before he reached out to
Ásgarðr.

"Where is the entrance to the king's library?" Loki questioned.

Either out of sheer habit, or because he feared Loki finding a way in if he knew where to
begin, Óðinn had never once opened the door to the king's library while his youngest was in
the chamber. Though Loki could almost understand it from one perspective (he would have
made at least one attempt to enter it if he had known where to start), from another 'twas
recklessly stupid and shortsighted. If he had not had Ásgarðr to hopefully guide him to it, he
would have been cut off from all of the knowledge and information it contained on the war he
was trying to prevent!
Instead of receiving a visual of the door's location, Loki saw a map appear in the air before
him. It slowly marked out the study he was in and the surrounding area before new and
unfamiliar lines appeared in a different color. It took him a few moments to understand it, but
he smiled with delight when he got it. Of course, keeping books and parchments in a regular
chamber would necessitate someone to look after and maintain them, to prevent age related
decay as well as cleaning. By placing the whole library in a special pocket dimension,
however, all of that was overcome. The books would remain unaffected by the passage of
time, and the chamber would require no cleaning. It also meant the library was accessible
from anywhere on Ásgarðr if he was reading the wards correctly.

'Twas clever, very clever and Loki could not help but admire the spell work which had gone
into it. Not only were the wards ingenious, but elegantly executed as well, and he could not
help but wonder who had cast them as they definitely did not possess Óðinn's particular
touch. Borr or Búri perhaps? Or had they brought in someone else just to create the library?
Its importance would have warranted obtaining outside help, after all, and there were plenty
of ways to swear someone to silence afterwards. It also explained how his father had always
seemed to be able to find answers no matter where on Ásgarðr Óðinn was. 'Twas something
Loki had wondered about more than once, especially when Óðinn had seemed stumped at
first.

Loki moved to sit on one of the study's sofas before reaching out with his seiðr. Ásgarðr met
him halfway and guided him to where he needed to be. He felt a slight shock as he connected
with the library's wards, its seiðr sliding over his own to Ásgarðr and Gungnir alike before
something shifted and Loki could suddenly sense the pocket dimension as easily as he could
his own, though it felt distinctly different. A thrill of delight ran through him as he realized
precisely how large it was and the sheer number of books and manuscripts it contained. All
he wanted to do was curl up in his chambers, on his favorite sofa, before the open fire and
explore the entire library, looking at each and every one of the books and manuscripts. He
would gladly have spent the next few decades doing so, slowly absorbing all of the new
knowledge, but alas he knew he could not.

There was a knock on the door and Loki dispelled the portal before him with a wave of his
hand.

"Enter," he intoned.

"Your Majesty," a servant said as he entered. "We have some books from Lady Dagrún."

"Leave them on the desk," Loki ordered, not realizing he had not said 'my desk' until after he
had spoken.

Even though it temporarily was his desk, Loki found he could not quite bring himself to think
of it thus. Nay, 'twas far too closely linked with his father in his mind for him to be able to do
so.

As soon as the servants were gone, Loki reached out to the library once more and mentally
focused on Jötunheimr and the jötnar. Immediately, books started coming to him and he
placed them on the sofa beside him as they did so. Among them was a heavily spelled, rolled-
up parchment which he opened to find the actual treaty between Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr,
signed by his two fathers. Next came a heavy tome which made him pause and suck in a deep
breath. 'Twas a book on jötunn seiðr and he knew that this must have been what Loptr had
used to contact him. With a twist of his own seiðr, he broke the tome's connection with the
king's library and secreted it away in his own pocket dimension. 'Twas one book he definitely
did not want to lose access to once Óðinn awoke. Not only had it been so vital in making
events turn out fortunately for him, but 'twas all about his true birthright and no one, not even
the All-Father, had the right to keep that from him.

Then he had everything and Loki suddenly felt weary simply looking at the large collection
of books, both on his new sofa and desk. How was he ever supposed to go through all of
them and prevent the war with Jötunheimr from progressing? He could not hold off on
addressing the matter until he had done all of his research, much as he might want to. Nay,
Laufey had already declared war and who knew what his birth father might be up to?

The thought made Loki blink and he reached out for Gungnir, taking it in his hand. It was
said Óðinn could see all of the Nine Realms from Hliðskjálf. Was it truly Hliðskjálf, or was it
Ásgarðr which granted him that ability? When he reached out, Loki found that Gungnir was
not pushing him towards Ásgarðr, but rather Hliðskjálf, though when he connected with it,
she gave way and suddenly Loki could see Jötunheimr, much as he had seen Thor earlier
when he had checked on his brother. Then there was a damaged but still somehow splendid
castle before he was inside what appeared to be a Council chamber of sorts, with Laufey
sitting at the head of a large table, not entirely dissimilar to the High Council table in
Glaðsheimr. The similarities unnerved Loki but he ignored them for now.

Instead he focused in on the chamber and the jötnar themselves. There were fifteen that he
could see, all male, and all seated at the oblong table that seemed to be made from darkened
ice of some kind. 'Twas odd, but not truly important at the moment, though Loki noted it for
future reference. The jötnar looked similar to those that he had seen on Jötunheimr. He did
note that the two jötnar sitting on either side of Laufey seemed younger than the rest, and his
heart skipped a beat as it suddenly occurred to him that he could actually have additional
siblings. True brothers in the sense that most people meant when they used the word.

That...

The thought brought with it emotions Loki was not ready to face right now and so he brushed
them aside. The exact composition of his blood family tree was irrelevant at present. What he
needed to do was focus on the matter at hand; namely the war. What he was seeing just now
could be anything from a war council, to a simple session called to deal with the damage
Thor had caused when the oaf had swung Mjǫlnir around in his tantrum, smashing
everything in sight. That there was vehement disagreement was obvious at a glance, as the
jötnar looked to be all but shouting, one or two rising up out of their seats and thumping the
table to emphasize their points.

Loki scowled as he watched them, wishing he knew the jötunn language enough to be able to
read their lips. 'Twas the greatest weakness of Hliðskjálf, that while it could show Óðinn, or
clearly any king, all of the Realms, it did not also allow them to hear them as well. Nay,
instead they were left with simply this, a silent pantomime of what was taking place. So were
they disagreeing about the war that Laufey had declared, or were they arguing about the best
way to go about it? Watching for a little longer showed that the two younger jötnar, who were
probably Laufey's sons and heirs, did not seem to be agreeing with their father as one shook
his head when Laufey finally spoke and the other looked down with a scowl on his ridged
face.

With an effort, Loki forced himself to break the connection and return his gaze to the study.
Óðinn had once told both him and Thor that the king had to be careful with this particular
ability, as it would be easy to remain in Valaskjálf seated upon Hliðskjálf forever otherwise,
as there was always something going on within the Realms which was worthy of observation.
Loki had not fully understood the warning at the time, but now he did. While in theory
watching the enemy was a good idea, he could waste a lot of time doing so without actually
learning anything of value if all he could do was guess at what was being said and done.
Besides, he knew Heimdallr would be watching Jötunheimr and, while he could not
personally trust the gatekeeper, he was certain of the man's loyalty towards Ásgarðr.
Heimdallr would not allow the preparation or advance of a jötnar army go unreported.

A flick of his hand and seiðr was all it took for Loki to move all of the books, manuscripts
and scrolls he had retrieved from the library to the desk. He then rose to his feet, feeling the
first faint traces of fatigue as he did so. While he normally loved research and learning, the
knowledge of why he was settling in to do so now, as well as where he was doing it, sapped
him of his usual enjoyment for the task. Simply the mere presence of the Einherjar outside
the door was enough to serve as an abrupt reminder of his new and unwanted position.
Normally he would be able to dismiss most of them, but with them officially at war, the
security around the king had been tightened, especially in lieu of the recent jötnar incursion
of the vault.

Loki laughed without humor at that. If 'twas not irony, then he did not know what was. 'Twas
not the first time a trick had backfired to adversely affect him, but this one had already done
so far more seriously than any other had done in centuries. Not since his misadventure on
Niðavellir while on the cusp of his minor majority which had led to his lips being sewn shut
before his father and brother had been able to intervene and rescue him. He still shuddered at
the mere thought and quickly banished the memories to the back of his mind where they
belonged.

As much to distract himself as to commence on his tasks, Loki seated himself at the desk,
only to pause as he felt a moment of confusion. Seeing the chamber from this angle was
almost disconcerting as it had not happened in centuries, not since Óðinn had last taken him
onto his lap when he had come to see his father here for some reason or another. But that was
long ago and, ever since, he had either sat or stood before the desk. He allowed himself a
moment to absorb the change of perspective before he pulled a loose sheet of parchment
before him and he started to write out a list of things he had to do. Not only did it help to
clear his mind, but he knew he would also be better able to make clear, rational decisions if
he had time to reflect on them before he acted.

Think, Thor, think!

The words that he had uttered so oft over the centuries came back to Loki and he clenched his
teeth, but forced himself to acknowledge that he truly deserved to hear them now, after all he
had come so close to doing thoughtlessly.

It took a while, but at the end Loki felt quite satisfied with himself as he had a plan of action
as well as a list of things he absolutely knew he had to look into prior to the High Council
meeting in a few hours. Luckily, with the first set of books from the library, Loki would be
able to start rectifying his appalling lack of knowledge right away.

As Lady Dagrún had promised, one of the books was marked with a set of colored ribbons
about halfway through, making Loki smile. 'Twas such an innocuous way of flagging the
book from the others, but that had always been Dagrún's point. Ignorance or inaccurate
knowledge could cause far more damage than almost anything else, so the librarian had
drilled into him the value of a good source book on any topic, to be used as a guide and
reference during other, deeper research into the topic. Only, since Dagrún was as loath to
mark up a book or manuscript as Loki was, the woman had taken to using colored ribbons to
easily mark pages within a book for future reference.

Pulling that book closer to himself, Loki froze as he caught sight of the author; Bestla
Bölþornbarn. His, or rather Thor's, grandmother. Thor's jötunn grandmother. The realization
that Óðinn was half jötunn and Thor a quarter hit Loki all at once. Aye, he had known what it
meant for Bestla to be jötunn when Ásgarðr had first shown him that particular truth, but
somehow it had not really hit him what that meant. Or implied.

One of the greatest and most respected men in the Nine Realms, the very representative of
Ásgarðr, was half-jötunn. That definitely put a whole new perspective on things. Especially if
one took into account the fact that Frigga was vanir, meaning that Thor, the golden crown
prince and pride and glory of Ásgarðr, was only a quarter æsir.

The thought on top of everything else was too much for Loki and he started to laugh. Oh, if
only people knew that fact! What would they say? The mere thought of the look on not only
his brother's face, but that of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, was too much and he leaned
back, simply letting it all out.

The mirth did not last long, though, not once Loki thought about why 'twas not all more
known. Or exactly how much less prejudice and malice there would be (not to mention how
much less arrogance!), if only the truth were more widely known. It would hardly hurt Óðinn
for it to be more widely known, as both he and Borr had survived the knowledge being public
before. He could only hope it had not been a deliberate erasure of facts as Loki feared that it
probably had been. 'Twas possible, though, it had been more of a slow creeping change which
developed over the course of a few centuries, as relations between the two Realms had
broken down before the war, which had no doubt accelerated things. Not that this excused
Óðinn's actions, or lack thereof.

This type of vilification had not happened with the vanir after the Æsir-Vanir War, which had
preceded the one with Jötunheimr by a few millennia.

Loki paused at the thought. Why was that anyway? Aye, the war with Vanaheimr had been
shorter than the one with Jötunheimr, but not by much and it had been about as bloody
because, while it had all taken place on the same planet, the vanir had possessed home
territory advantages of which they had made full use. They had also been far more aware of
æsir battle strategies than the jötnar had been, so their usual tactics had been utterly useless. It
had been quite the dilemma from what he had read. 'Twas part of why he had never been a
big proponent of becoming overly reliant on any one strategy (even if he simply could not
resist using the same one over and over again on Thor, simply to see how oft the big oaf
would fall for the same ploy) or mode of fighting. It meant he had been mocked for his
flightiness by his brother and Thor's friends, and scolded for his apparent lack of discipline
by his warrior tutors, but it had also saved his life on more than one occasion when his
versatility had allowed him to completely switch tactics midbattle with several opponents.

So if it had not been the length of the war, nor the number of casualties which had resulted in
the distinct difference in animosity between the æsir and the vanir versus the jötnar, then
what was?

With a thought, Loki had opened the king's library again and requested the treaty Borr had
signed with Frigga's father, Njörðr. The thought of his mother froze Loki in place for a
moment as a new thought occurred to him. Perhaps he should not really have been surprised
Óðinn had thought to take him for political reasons once Borrson had identified him as being
Laufeyson. After all, it had been the exact same thinking which had gone into arranging his
own parents' marriage. Borr had known that Njörðr was at the end of his reign, and that
Frigga and Freyr had been close. So by taking her as a new bride for his son and heir, he was
ensuring the vanir did not rise up against Ásgarðr once more.

The, then, princess Frigga had been quite popular based on what he had read. Not that it
surprised Loki in the least, not knowing his mother and both her cunning and political
acumen.

Surprisingly, much as the original discovery of the beginnings of his parents' relationship had
outraged and infuriated Loki, it now almost comforted and soothed him. Aye, he still found it
a distasteful tactic even if his mother had no longer been a child, but he of all people knew of
how genuine the love and affection between them was. Which meant that perhaps Óðinn had
not been lying when he had repeatedly claimed him as his son down in the vault. The mere
possibility made Loki close his eyes as impossible hope flared, bright and hot, deep within
him. But even so, he tried to steel himself as he knew only all too well how ephemeral and
fragile hope could be, not to mention how utterly devastating if proven illusionary or fallible.

Aye, now the thought had occurred to him, Loki could not help but hope and it irked, even as
it comforted him. Damnable emotion. He truly needed to have his core fixed so his seiðr and
emotions evened themselves out. But that was for later, after he had prevented any further
escalation of the war with Jötunheimr.

Loki grabbed a piece of parchment and opened the Ásgarðr-Vanaheimr Treaty, scribbling
notes as he went of his first impressions. Well, at least his first impressions now, as he had
looked it over once before, as an adolescent when his politics tutor had utilized it as an
example of a good treaty. Looking at it now, he could not help but see how heavily it favored
Ásgarðr, which made sense in that they had been the victors, but it did beg the question as to
how it had not led to an escalation of ill will between the two Realms. Well, other than for
people like Uncle Freyr, who had never been particularly well disposed towards Óðinn.
The thought that Freyr was not his real uncle pained Loki a surprising amount because,
unlike Thor, he had always gotten along quite well with his prickly uncle. The fact Freyr had
always favored him over his brother definitely helped, but 'twas far more than that. Just like
with Frigga, he felt connected to Freyr, feeling a far keener sense of kinship with him than he
had felt for Óðinn in centuries. To the point where both he and Thor had always figured Loki
had simply taken more after Mother's side of the family, while Thor took more after Father's.
How wrong they had both been. The only questions now were, had Uncle Freyr known the
truth, and would it matter if he had not? Loki did not want to think of the man turning his
back on him, but neither was he naïve enough to think that 'twas not a distinct possibility.

Who would want to voluntarily claim a jötunn after all?

To distract himself, Loki unrolled the treaty with Jötunheimr on the other side of him, so he
could view and study both treaties at once.

The first thing which leapt out at Loki was how much shorter the Jötnar Treaty was. Whereas
the Vanir Treaty covered everything from governance to trade and commerce, the Jötnar
Treaty was essentially an admission of defeat on the part of the jötnar on behalf of Laufey-
King, a listing of the punishment in the form of the loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters and
with it the ability of the jötnar to leave Jötunheimr, as well as a listing of promises on both
sides of what not to do in order to prevent a renewed outbreak of war. Altogether it truly was
little more than a way for Óðinn to make his victory complete and force Laufey to
acknowledge it in one final, humiliating, way. Loki could not help but wonder if Óðinn had
not felt the need to add his own acquisition on the list, as it would have been simple enough
to do. Frigga's engagement to Óðinn had been written into the Vanir Treat after all, so it
would not have been the first time that a member of the royal family from the losing side had
been taken as part of a peace treaty and become a form of either hostage or insurance.
Though he supposed it lost all of its value if the hostage was unwanted to begin with.

The thought sent another flare of agony through him and Loki closed his eyes briefly, even as
he clenched his teeth. He really should not let it bother him so much what Laufey and his
birth mother had thought of him, as 'twas not like he cared for them anyway. Still, the thought
of them having been either disgusted or disappointed enough in him to leave him out in the
cold to die... he could not lie to himself, it tore through him, hitting him right where he was
already most vulnerable.

Not wanting to deal with it, Loki opened his eyes and focused on the treaty once more. So,
admission of defeat, cost of defeat and list of actions which could restart hostilities between
the two Realms. Nothing on providing aid for the jötnar to rebuild like with the vanir.
Nothing on establishing trade or commerce routes to help Jötunheimr reintegrate with the rest
of the Nine. In fact, one of the conditions which could reignite the war was for any jötnar to
leave Jötunheimr. Not that Loki could see how they would be able to achieve it given they
had lost access to the Casket. Well, unless the ability to travel along the branches of the
Yggdrasill was a particularly jötnar trait. 'Twas one talent of his he did not think anyone else
he knew possessed, not even his father.

What Óðinn did know of, though, and might have sought to prevent in the treaty, was
traversing between Realms via the portals which existed in places where the Yggdrasill's
branches created direct connections between them. Those shifted and decayed over time, but
could still remain remarkably stable for several centuries at a time on occasion. While it took
someone either trained in seiðr or sensitive to it to purposefully find them, once found,
anyone could use them. As he had proven when he had showed Laufey where the portal to
Ásgarðr's vault which he had created was located.

The thought stopped Loki cold as he realized he had never sealed the portal as he had
originally intended to do. With a thought, he teleported straight to the vault. A quick glance
around proved that it was as empty as he thought, so he walked over to the doors, and then
just to the right of them. There, hidden from normal sight just before the wall, was the portal.

For Loki it had always been hard to understand how not everyone could find them, as to him
they were obvious. Not only because of the wild seiðr, direct from the Yggdrasill, which
marked all such portals, but also because he could hear the World Tree herself. Most of the
vault echoed with the beautiful and strangely haunting sound of the song of the Yggdrasill,
the same one he both heard and felt resonating through every fiber and thread of his being
when he walked on her luminous and evanescent boughs. It sang to his very core, resonating
deep within him until his seiðr harmonized with it and he felt almost at one with her.

'Twas an arrogant thought, but one Loki felt every time he ran along the Yggdrasill's
branches, standing in the dark of space and the firefly bright sparks and iridescent trails of the
World Tree itself. Loki could easily understand why so many people who tried sky walking
were lost. Not only was the feat of reaching Yggdrasill hard in and of itself, but her very
presence was hypnotic, luring people in and tempting them to stay. 'Twas a temptation Loki
had given into, the sensation of completeness and belonging too much to ignore. The fact he
had not succumbed was not due to his ability to resist, but rather that he seemed to gain his
fill after a certain amount of time, how long he did not know as time was fluid on the
Yggdrasill, seeming to stretch for eternity and yet his transport was instantaneous unless he
willed it not to be.

The one time he had taken a passenger, a ljósálfr elder whom requested it as payment for
teaching him the proper theory behind world walking (which had been lost as the original
masters had deemed the knowledge too dangerous to transcribe to parchment), her experience
had been entirely different from his own.

So for Loki 'twas almost incomprehensible Óðinn had not already found the portal and closed
it; that his father had needed to speak of uncovering how the jötnar had been able to breach
the vault. He had been able to hear it from the corridor outside when he had created the
portal, the Yggdrasill's sweet, haunting song drawing him in.

Loki staggered, clutching his free hand to his sternum as his other one clenched around
Gungnir.

The song... it...

Panic flared hot and fast though Loki as he thought there was something wrong with the
song; with the Yggdrasill like when he felt the disharmony that occasionally rattled through
her song if he listened carefully enough at the right times. The discordance was generally
followed by flickering in the branches themselves, like the light and wild seiðr sputtered
momentarily before recovering. Those instances always instinctively terrified Loki, but he
had never been able to figure out what caused them in order to be able to help. Reaching out
to the Yggdrasill herself had never helped for, though Loki could feel her and her seiðr
swirling and flowing all around him, he had never been able to connect with it directly.

That was likely why he had survived sky walking for as long as he had, and yet Loki could
not help but try to do so each and every time. Part of him needed to do so in a way that he did
not fully understand and would almost frighten him, if he was not so in awe of the
Yggdrasill.

So, aye, the disharmonies he heard disturbed Loki deeply and almost felt like a phantom
physical pain which could echo through him at odd times even outside of his sky walking.

The discordance Loki felt now, however, was distinctly different, feeling both greater and
lesser all at once. That it took him a moment to recognize as coming from him rather than the
Yggdrasill was yet another reminder of precisely how damaged and... aye, fragile he
currently was and Loki hated himself for it all the more. The fact that the rending of his
magical core was now directly affecting his connection with the Yggdrasill and not allowing
him to connect with her as he normally would, felt like the physical loss of a limb.

"Hello," Loki greeted, pleased he could still feel what he had always thought of as the
Yggdrasill reaching out to him.

'Twas another arrogant and self-centered thought, to imagine the World Tree cared one way or
another about him, but 'twas the only manner in which Loki had been able to classify the
sensation. It seemed to reach out to him and beckon him in, to tread the branches and settle
down in her boughs to rest and enjoy the seiðr and comfort of all that was the Yggdrasill.
Normally Loki took her up on the invite, but today the dissonance coming from within him
jarred so much he knew he would never be able to find the peace he normally did and he
almost worried at the damage he might do if he reached out with his own seiðr to the
Yggdrasill like this. Besides, he still had a war to avert and a kingdom to rule before he could
even think about looking into healing himself.

With great reluctance, Loki reached out with his seiðr to the edge of the portal and started to
urge it closed. Luckily for him, this one felt inclined to listen to him, something he had been
worried about given how new it was. The seiðr of the vault itself seemed to be working with
him and he wondered if 'twas because he was king, or because the vault was bespelled to be
as impenetrable as possible and the portal was antithetical to that. Regardless, it did not take
Loki as long to close the portal as he feared it might, nor did it require as much of his energy
as he had feared. Both very good things and he took his victories where he could find them as
he knew the others would be far more difficult.

With a thought, Loki was back in the study and seated at his new desk. Giving the two
treaties a final glance, he realized the severity of the jötnar one might work to his advantage
now as it left a lot of options open as means for him to give Laufey-King concessions as part
of a new treaty. It would not be a popular option to do so, but Thor had invaded their realm
and Loki did not even want to contemplate how many jötnar had been killed in the attack,
though he knew he would have to in order to be prepared for the negotiations. First, though,
he had to learn more about the jötnar in order to know what to expect from them, and to see
 what might be of interest to them, and therefore able to draw Laufey into peace talks in the
first place.

He already knew his birth father would demand the Casket of Ancient Winters, but surely
they must have other things of interest to the jötnar which would not involve sacrificing
Óðinn's war prize.

Or at least one of them, Loki could not help but think nastily as he turned back to Bestla's
book.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da! I hope you liked the chapter and now you might see where the title of the series
this fic is part of comes from.

Old Norse:

Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing 13 high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr - mine won't have 13 seats (too many characters!), but the
rest remains largely the same
ljósálfr - "light elf" - singular of ljósálfar
dóttir - daughter

Norse Mythology:

Bestla Bölþornbarn - Óðinn's actual mother & a frost giantess. She is the daughter of
Bölþorn, the wife of Borr and mother of Óðinn, Vili & Vé.
Borr - Son of Búri and father of Óðinn, Vili & Vé.
Búri - Father of Borr and, apparently, licked free from salty rime stones by the primeval
cow, Auðumbla - I'm not going with the latter, but it was too good not to explain :)
Njörðr - Father of Freyr and Freyja/Frigg (i.e. Frigga). He was the old king of
Vanaheimr in my fic.
Freyr - Son of Njörðr and sister of Frigga. He's the current king of Vanaheimr in my fic.

Up next week: Loki learns more of the jötnar & Jötunheimr, including some rather...
unexpected things :)
 Chapter 6
Chapter Notes

I had originally hoped to have this chapter up yesterday, but I was knackered when I
finally got home and so, alas, it was not to be. Hopefully it's a nice Saturday read,
though.

This chapter contains not only lots of new information, but also quite a few Norse words
or references to Norse mythology which will likely be unfamiliar to most people. Don't
forget that I explain them all at the end of the chapter. It's all really important for what is
to come!

I hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for those who have left comments or given
kudos!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

To say his grandmother's, or adopted grandmother anyway (and was it not odd that the one
person in his old fake family tree who was actually similar to him now actually was not
related to him!), book was a revelation was putting it mildly. Though, to be fair, Loki had
been able to admit that what he knew about fr- jötnar was skewed even before he had
commenced reading this tome. Still, even knowing this he had never imagined exactly how
rich and varied a culture the jötnar seemed to have. Which, truly, should not have been a
surprise. After all, Ásgarðr, Vanaheimr, Álfheimr... all had them, so why not Jötunheimr?
Somehow the thought had never occurred to him before and now Loki was disgusted with
himself for an entirely different reason.

How could he have been so blinded and never realized it? Why had he simply accepted all he
had been told from childhood? He who knew more than anyone else precisely how
prejudiced and inaccurate ingrained æsir beliefs could be? Simply look at how they viewed
seiðr and those who practiced it!

Frustrated with himself, Loki rose and moved to the tea set Livunn had brought to the study.
He heated the water with a flick of his fingers before opening his tea box, looking at what
leaves he had. Something which aided with alertness and concentration rather than relaxation
was needed now. Did he have any Álfheimrian red lady fingers? Aye, he did, excellent.

Loki frowned as he prepared his tea, thoughts already drifting back to all he had read about
Jötunheimr and jötunn culture. It did not fully agree with what he had seen when he had been
there himself. Aye, true, he had hardly been there for any length of time, but what he had seen
was far removed from the grandeur and refinery Bestla mentioned. Had he simply seen the
wrong part of Jötunheimr? Or had the war truly done so much damage? But it had been well
over a millennium now, surely if that were the cause they should have recovered by now, at
least somewhat even if they had not managed to regain their former glory, cut off from the
rest of the Nine Realms as they were.

'Twas a bit of a conundrum, but not his biggest priority right now, Loki reasoned. As soon as
his tea was ready, he picked up both the cup and teapot and moved both to the desk. There he
poured himself his first serving and settled back in to continue his research. A while later, he
paused as he came across an unfamiliar word, hrímþursar. Loki frowned, his forehead
crinkling as he tried to figure it out. No part of it was familiar to him so he did not think 'twas
Ásgarðrian and had simply fallen out of use, which made him think 'twas probably jötnar.
Well, he had been reading the book out of order, looking up information he had deemed of
most importance first. Perhaps that had been a mistake.

The urge to sigh or run his hands through his hair was great, but Loki suppressed both and
instead took a sip of tea, abruptly bespelling the pot to remain hot as 'twas already starting to
cool. With deliberate calmness, he flipped the book back to the beginning with the intention
to skim the pages until he found the word. Luckily he found it not far past the introduction at
the start of the first chapter.

While many people feel they know the basics of the jötnar and our culture, there are actually
many common misconceptions about us which linger, even among those who have met a
jötunn or been to Jötunheimr. The first is that they assume they know what we look like, as
the common slur frost giant implies. Though 'tis true most jötnar are giant in nature, this is
not true for all of us. The jötnar the Nine are used to seeing are the hrímþursar, but there is a
second group of jötnar, one far rarer but no less powerful in their own right; namely the
íviðjur. With a status far shorter than the hrímþursar - they average at six feet instead of
sixteen feet - they are also slimmer of build, softer of features and possess hair. 'Tis the íviðjur
who are responsible for the old myths and legends of fey beauty and wild seiðr among the
wilderness and wastelands of Jötunheimr.

Loki stared at the page of the book in shock. Íviðjur? He... was not some freak runt anomaly?
He was an altogether different type of jötunn? The thought felt surreal even as it caused a coil
of warmth deep within him to which his seiðr responded, pulsing softly and pleasantly within
him. He had not realized precisely how much being an... anomaly, even among jötnar, had
been bothering him until right now.

'Twas odd as he had no desire to be jötunn and wished he could somehow undo it and
simply... If he had to be jötunn he had much rather be a normal one than to, once again, be
completely unable to fit in as he had for so long on Ásgarðr.

The íviðjur, though, are rare, one being born only every five millennia at best to over ten
millennia at worst. They are born to hrímþursar parents and we do not know when or why
they will appear, only that they do and are always very powerful seiðberandi. Because of this,
they are raised as shamans of Mother Winter and become special advisors to the king on all
matters seiðr and pertaining to Jötunheimr's heart, the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Loki's breath caught at that. Special advisors to the king? Raised to specialize in seiðr? That
made Loki swallow thickly as he thought of how much ridicule and disapproval he had been
met with over the centuries for studying seiðr. On Ásgarðr 'twas definitely looked down upon
and deemed argr. For the first time ever, he started to feel the first inkling of regret that he
had not been raised on Jötunheimr.

And yet...

Loki was not blind to what else had been said about íviðjur. Bestla had been delicate about it,
but it still definitely sounded like íviðjur were considered argr among the jötnar in their own
way, given all the talk of beauty and 'softer features'. Still, if it afforded a respectable position
and even access to the Casket...

While Loki had always been interested in the Casket of Ancient Winters, both as a magical
object in general but also as its role in the Ásgarðr-Jötunheimr War, Óðinn had always
forbidden him study of it. His father had decided 'twas far too dangerous, which Loki had
never quite believed. Now he knew why the All-Father truly had not wished him near it!

His anger rising sharply, and his earlier disgust with it, Loki rose to his feet and began to pace
his study even as he reached up to clutch at the obsidian amulet. He rolled it between his
fingers as he paced, using it as a focal point to calm himself, feeling the strain on his magical
core. A vague sense of comfort suddenly flowed over him and Loki had to fight off the
instinct to reject it once he recognized Loptr's presence. He did not feel any accompanying
manifestations, but 'twas only as he did not require advice, simply grounding. The distraction
also helped greatly and he was finally able to calm himself enough to sit back down at the
desk.

The reference to Mother Winter intrigued Loki and he chose to focus on that. Was she some
part of a jötnar religion? He had never heard of them having one, but that was not terribly
surprising. He had only read a small part of the way through Bestla's book but 'twas already
more than clear the jötnar were far more sophisticated and complex than most æsir nowadays
realized. So likely a religion, but also one tied to seiðr somehow given the íviðjur seemed to
be shamans of Mother Winter and advisors on seiðr.

It reminded Loki of some of the ljósálfar. The more remote tribes he had tracked down and
visited half a millennium ago had also intertwined their seiðr with the belief in a powerful
maternal-like figure, only they called her Álfröðull and she seemed to be some personified
form of Álfheimr itself. The thought made Loki pause as he was suddenly hyperaware of
Ásgarðr thrumming away lazily at the back of his mind. He had always dismissed the notion
out of hand, though not visibly obviously. While with the ljósálfar he had shown their beliefs
and traditions every respect, as befitted a prince of a foreign Realm. But privately...

It shamed him a little to think of it now, but there had been no proof the beliefs had been
anything more than any other religion, besides, even they had admitted it had been
generations since anyone had actually interacted with Álfröðull, so it could simply be
nothing. Besides, the details of the álfablót they performed to her were kept strictly secret and
he had not been allowed to either observe or learn any details as to what it pertained.

Loki frowned and looked back at the book, but this chapter had ended that subject there,
going on instead to discuss a few other parts of jötunn culture. Flipping to the index, Loki
saw there was a section on Mother Winter, and quite a long one at that. However, 'twas after
one on jötnar anatomy and he knew that he should probably look at that first, simply to make
certain he understood the basics properly. Such as whether the lines he had observed on every
single jötunn, himself included, had any actual significance. They seemed to differ from one
individual to the next, including in color, but he had not exactly had the time to study them
properly either. That he possessed them seemed to indicate they were a natural part of the
jötnar form, as why would time or energy be wasted on applying them to an infant you meant
to abandon? But the jötnar would hardly be the first to apply significance to a natural trait
one could not do anything about. The æsir did it oft enough themselves after all.

The relevant section possessed some drawings which Loki looked at as he flipped through the
pages. Of most interest was a two-page spread for which he had to turn the book lengthwise.
Drawn over both pages was the large figure of a jötunn, much as the ones Loki had seen
himself before. A hrímþurs, according to the legend beneath it. Beside the hrímþurs, and not
even reaching the top of the first page, was a much smaller form. More slender and without
the harsher facial features and ridges of the taller jötunn, and possessing both proper ears and
hair. An íviðja, the legend said. Loki could not help but start to see some of himself in the
second form. 'Twas odd, the relief he felt at not being as 'obviously' jötnar clashing with the
distaste at once again being deemed more ergi.

Loki frowned as he suddenly realized both figures were male. Where were the depictions of
female jötnar? Come to think of it, he could not recall ever having seen one outside of Bestla
and, now he thought of it, she looked more like the male hrímþursar pictured before him than
anything else in all but the first few memories of her that Ásgarðr had shown him. Flipping
through to next few pages revealed no new drawings so Loki went back to the start of the
section and began to read. Most of the information, though useful, was not terribly surprising,
talking about how jötnar biology differed from æsir or ljósálfar in everything from the
digestive track through to preferred temperature ranges. It helped to explain some of his food
preferences (like fish) and aversions, but held no real surprises for Loki.

Nay, what did not only surprise him, but both shocked and stunned him was the section
entitled 'Sex & Reproduction'. He had almost skipped it as he had no real desire to even
entertain the thought of two jötnar fornicating, but he had not as he realized 'twas the most
likely place to find the answers to his question, and find it he most definitely did.

Unlike every other major species of the Nine Realms but for the múspellssynir, the jötnar are
not made up of members from two different sexes. Instead jötnar are all the same sex, what is
called hermaphroditic by other species. For us 'tis normal and the idea of only possessing a
cock or a vagina alien and abnormal. We have both and every jötnar, baring medical
abnormality or infertility, is able to both sire or bear and birth children, our mammary tissue
swelling to form breasts as and when needed at such times.

It... that...

Loki licked his suddenly too dry lips and realized he was absently clenching his thighs
together. He forced them to relax as he took several deep calming breaths. His initial reaction
was already making his magical core ache as his mind and seiðr scrambled desperately to
figure out what this new information meant for him.

Not wishing any more of himself to unravel, Loki forced himself to focus on the familiar
buried within this latest self-discovery. As a gifted shapeshifter, he had learned to alter his
gender early on as one of the steppingstones to learning how to shift his shape entirely, from
one form to another. He now recalled he had managed that initial shift far easier than most, to
the point where he had startled his tutors. Had that been because the form was not as alien to
him as 'twas to most? Regardless of the reason, once he had been able to shift into a woman,
his natural curiosity had made it almost inevitable that he would try having sex as one once
he had hit puberty. So, actually, this was not all as widely alien to him as it all could be.

Or at least so Loki tried to tell himself. 'Twas not exactly working... hermaphroditic... the
ability to carry a child... to grow breasts...

His hand spasmed tight around the amulet as he tried desperately to control his erratic
breathing. The sudden rush of calm and control which swept over him, his own and yet not,
kept Loki from losing all control and he frantically looked around for a reflective surface for
Loptr to be able to use. Simply the mirror, even enlarged, was not going to be enough, not
when he could feel his magical core unraveling further even now.

There were no larger mirrors in the study but, as with the rest of Iðavöllr, there were plenty of
smooth, gold and highly polished surfaces, which were good enough for this. Only just
remembering to throw up a block against Heimdallr, Loki moved to the nearest such wall and
reached out to it with his seiðr, guiding Loptr towards it as well. There was a shift in the feel
of seiðr around him and then Loki was looking at a more golden and distorted version of
himself.

"Breathe, Loki," Loptr said without even a second's pause. "Deep breaths."

Loki snarled as he knew he had to calm down, but 'twas not so simple! His whole sense of
self had been turned both on its head and inside out, and the shocks of exactly what that
meant simply kept coming!

"Íviðja? Hermaphroditic?" Loki snapped, barely managing to swallow down the other
poisonous words he wished to spew.

Loptr did not deserve them. He himself did not deserve them either. Not that they deserved
much of what ever happened to them, but Loki could control this while all of those others
were far out of his control.

He would not further add to their burden or strain.

Loptr winced and Loki was shocked to observe his temporal twin shift uncomfortably, well at
least to one as intimately familiar with him as he was. Absently it pleased him quite how
subtle the tell truly was. Someone would have to both know him very well and be quite
observant to catch it. Which ruled out Thor and his brother's friends. That caught him off-
guard. Up until now Loptr had seemed to be completely in control of things, or at least
mentally given Loptr's physical condition the first time they had met. So to see his older self
as uncomfortable with this new information as him was... unexpected.

"You are not any more accustomed to this than me," Loki said softly.
"I have not had much more time than you to come to terms with it," Loptr replied, a sharp
edge to his voice. "I only learned of it shortly after I first contacted you."

"After?"

"My initial focus was more on jötunn seiðr than their culture or physiology. My mistake."

Loki could not fault Loptr's choice of priorities given the difference in their positions. If he
had the luxury of time, he too would have started with the seiðr as well. His first desire upon
holding the book on jötunn seiðr had been to curl up somewhere before a fire and simply
devour it. If he had not had the war to contend with, he would have done precisely that.

"Have you..." Loki began before trailing off, unable to voice the rest of the thought.

"Have I what? Explored?" Loptr almost sneered before he bit his lip. "Pardon, I did not mean
that."

The instinctive urge to snap back had risen within Loki, but he forced it down. They were
both dealing with the same issues here and neither of them were at all well equipped to do so
in any remotely elegant or healthy way.

"You have not actually answered my question," Loki pointed out, easily detecting the evasion
for what it was.

Loptr's eyes flickered over to his, a brief glimpse of dark humor and familiarity visible before
his double's face blanked once more. "Hmm, I have."

The answer did not particularly surprise Loki as they were far too curious for their own good
at times, as Mother had told him oft enough. Still, the thought of checking that... well he was
not ready for it yet, so he would have to settle for the knowledge that 'twas, in fact, true.

"Norns," Loki swore, closing his eyes.

"No one has to know," Loptr stated. "Well not unless you were planning to tell people you are
jötunn."

Loki opened his eyes to glare at Loptr. Of course he had not planned to go around spreading
that particular bit of information. He was not suicidal, and he knew only all too well that no
Ásgarðrian worth their salt would stand for a jötunn on Hliðskjálf. Well, other than Óðinn
apparently, given the fool had put him into the line of succession, probably with the intention
of it never coming to pass. So, nay, there would be no public revelations of his true heritage.

As for the rest, well, now Loki found he could breathe again and think at least somewhat
rationally, if not entirely in an uncompromised fashion, he could put it aside to deal with later.
After the war was sorted and, hopefully, after Óðinn had awoken and was safely ensconced
back on Hliðskjálf once more. It would frighten him how quickly Loptr was able to stabilize
both his mood and his seiðr if the man were not essentially himself, and he was not so far
gone yet as to resent his own ability to do so. Perhaps given enough time and additional
shocks, but not yet.
Loki snorted at the thought, dark humor mixed with self-deprecation welling up within him,
but not so much as to be overpowering. At least not this time.

"Thank you, Loptr," Loki acknowledged, unable to resist using the old moniker.

Loptr's lips twitched despite himself and Loki took it as a win.

"I forgot to mention something earlier."

"Oh?"

"During his time on Miðgarðr, Thor made contact with a human organization called
SHIELD."

"Shield?"

"'Tis an acronym for something longer and unwieldy," Loptr explained. "Regardless, their
purpose is to defend Miðgarðr from any number of threats. Thor's arrival will alert them to
the fact that there is, in fact, life beyond their pathetic little planet."

Loki's lips twitched despite himself. It had been a while since he had last traveled the
Yggdrasill to Miðgarðr, but he had always found his visits amusing. Humans were interesting
in a way which was both innocent and bloody in turns. He had found them to be so
contradictory and chaotic as to be fascinating and appealing in a strange way, though their
short lives made any further study of them almost futile in how little time he oft possessed to
go interact with them. If there was any length of time between his visits, the mortals he had
taken a liking to would be long dead and gone by the time he returned, their memories oft
lost in the mists of time as the other humans would say.

"Father will not be pleased," Loki replied.

"'Tis his own fault for sending Thor there in the first place," Loptr stated dismissively. "But
their response to this new threat is to assemble a team of... heroes from across Miðgarðr, or at
least it will be if they are presented with an enemy stronger than SHIELD can handle on their
own."

"Very well, and?" Loki questioned, failing to see how this was of significance to him.

"'Tis merely information, should you find need of going to Miðgarðr in your new future.
Given Thanos has targeted it once and that they possess the Tesseract, 'tis likely the Mad
Titan will be drawn there once more."

"And we will need to intervene to ensure he does not obtain the Tesseract."

"Not to mention you may have the opportunity to... relieve his messenger of the Mind Stone
as well."

Oh, now there was an idea. Not that Loki had any desire to mess with the Infinity Stone
directly, not so long as it was in any way connected to Thanos. Loptr's hints of what he had
undergone at the Mad Titan's hands were still far too clear in Loki's mind for anything as
stupidly mad as that. He would leave those actions to Thor from now on, especially now he
had heard first accounts of what they could lead to for him personally. He had no desire for
that darkness and madness.

"Are any of these human heroes worth looking into?" Loki asked.

'Twas unlikely, but he had learned better than to dismiss anything outright. Simply look at
how dangerous he himself was, despite being what was essentially a jötunn runt if you put all
fancy words and titles aside. 'Twas how Laufey had clearly viewed him instead of these
supposedly valued íviðjur.

"The one who transforms into a green berserker beast is worth watching out for when
sufficiently provoked," Loptr cautioned with a wince and touch to his ribs. "But the one who
intrigued me was Anthony Stark."

"What are his powers?"

"He does not possess any, not in that manner. Nay, his skills as a warrior and his cause for
being on the team are all due to his intellect. He is deemed a genius among mortals and has
turned his skills to creating the most interesting armor."

"Armor?" Loki questioned, he did not wish to be skeptical, but it did not sound so special
even if the mention of that level of intellect intrigued him.

'Twas not often he had come across anyone who could truly challenge his mind and Loki had
always savored those special occasions when they occurred. Much to his brother's dismay at
times, especially if he had abandoned or refused to go on an adventurous quest to do so. For
this mortal, with such a short life, to have caught Loptr's eye enough for his temporal twin to
mention him to Loki now was intriguing enough. Still, he wanted to know what was so
extraordinary about this armor.

"I know it sounds mundane, but 'tis not," Loptr laughed. "It covers his entire body when
activated and it gives him the ability to fly and fight those far stronger than himself. It also
contains... a mechanical construct of some sort."

Loki's eyebrows shot up instantly intrigued. "A mechanical construct?"

"'Tis the best description I can think of. It seems to be able to think and act like a human, yet
it possesses no physical form I have seen. It also appears to be both in Stark's armor and his
tower dwelling."

Hmm. Perhaps Loki would need to contrive an excuse to convince Thor to return to Miðgarðr
once Óðinn had awoken and he was free to roam the Realms once more.

By the time light started creeping into the study, steadily advancing along the floor towards
the far wall which held a portrait of the royal family, Loki had long since traded in Bestla's
book for several others. His search had become far more focused after he had come across the
first real information on the Casket of Ancient Winters. Now he was almost frantically
looking for any other books or manuscripts which might possess additional information as
horror welled up within him. He had always heard the Casket described as the heart of
Jötunheimr but, until now, he had thought that description was based on how powerful it was
and how central to jötnar politics, being both a weapon and a means of travel. What Loki had
never realized was that 'twas also critically important for Jötunheimr itself.

For the Realm's very survival.

The first reference to it Loki had found had been so obscure he had not quite understood it
right away, but the other sources had not been quite so vague.

'Tis a pity all records pertaining to the creation of the Casket of Ancient Winters have been
lost or destroyed. As the ability to so thoroughly harness a very planet's power and seiðr is a
fantastic feat of power and skill, for it to have been lost is a tragedy of epic proportions. With
it goes the ability to replicate the feat on other planets, thereby preventing them from gaining
such fine control of nearly every aspect of their planet's seiðr, leaving it up to the natural and
oft chaotic forces of the planet itself.

What that author had not seemed to grasp was the inherent weakness which went along with
the harnessing of a Realm's very seiðr. One Loki had recognized and feared long before he
had come across it spelled out in another text.

The Casket of Ancient Winters, though an incredible achievement of magical proportions is

also a tremendous weakness for Jötunheimr at the same time. While 'tis true it allows the
jötnar king to control nearly all aspects of Útgarðr itself, it has also resulted in a disruption
of the natural processes which would normally regulate Jötunheimr's magical core. Without
these, it could leave Útgarðr in great peril should the Casket ever be lost or stolen. One fears
that it may even result in Jötunheimr slowly tearing itself apart, an event which would imperil
the entirety of the Yggdrasill and should be guarded against by all of the Nine.

Those words haunted Loki even now, several hours after reading them. Sure, on their own
they did not prove anything. but the evidence was all there. Jötunheimr's abysmal recovery
even in the millennium since the war, the jötnar's desperation to have the Casket of Ancient
Winters back (despite the fact it could plunge them back into a war they lost the last time
when they were better armed and prepared), the discordance he had detected from time to
time in the Yggdrasill's song, the sheer amount of power and seiðr he had felt when touching
the Casket, the importance the Casket had in jötnar culture... Even the careful way Bestla
talked about it, saying just enough to not be obviously avoiding it, but also not announcing its
utter and critical importance for all to learn.

Oh, the irony that in doing so she might have helped bring about that which she had sought to
avoid in the first place! Loki knew enough about Óðinn to know that his adoptive father had
not been aware of any of this when he took the Casket from Jötunheimr. Not only did Óðinn
genuinely seem to want peace, even if only on his terms, but there was absolutely no honor in
destroying Jötunheimr in this manner and honor was far too important to both Ásgarðr and
Óðinn for Borrson to have done this knowingly. The only question was, had Óðinn learned of
it since and, if so, why had he not done anything about it?
Loki could immediately think of a few answers to the question, but he was not quite certain
he could believe any of them. Aye, having to turn about and return the Casket to Laufey-King
would be an embarrassment. Or, aye, admitting he had not realized how vital it was both to
the jötnar's survival, and that of their very Realm, would be a similar embarrassment. But
surely the need to do so outweighed any such embarrassment. Given how often Óðinn had
lectured both him and Thor on how the King of Ásgarðr had a responsibility to protect and
guard the Nine Realms, surely he would not willingly allow this?

Would he?

Loki laughed, flinching at how unsteady it sounded even to himself. Even after the events of
the past day, he was still asking whether or not he thought Óðinn could do certain things. It
seemed he either could not learn, or that he willfully did not want to, his upbringing and old
desires holding him back from seeing the truth.

And yet...

And yet there was a world of difference between what Óðinn had done to him and this. With
him, Óðinn had stolen a child and a potentially unwanted one at that. Aye, it could affect the
future of two Realms, and that had clearly been his father's intention upon claiming him, but
'twas all. This however... this could adversely affect not only Jötunheimr, but had the
possibility of undermining the entirety of the Yggdrasill and, through that, imperil all Nine
Realms. Without the Yggdrasill they would all die. Surely that was a risk Óðinn simply
would not take? Hel, even the destruction on Svartálfaheimr had been regretted afterwards
for the impact it had wrought on the World Tree. Loki still shuddered at what he felt from the
Yggdrasill when he had travelled there. Even merely passing close to a branch which led to
the destroyed Realm was enough to disrupt the harmony of the Yggdrasill's song.

In fact, before now he had always assumed the disharmony he occasionally felt within the
song came from Svartálfaheimr. But what if 'twas from having one of the Nine dying within
her very boughs? Aye the myrkálfar were dead, or so they had all believed, but
Svartálfaheimr itself had not been directly impacted other than where the war had been
fought. The destruction Borr and Malekith had wrecked aside, Svartálfaheimr still lived in its
own way. It might not be in a manner the rest of the Nine might immediately understand, but
Loki was aware that this in and of itself was actually significantly important. Not all of the
Realms were the same and the Yggdrasill would not survive if they were. Nay, each
contributed something unique and important to the World Tree, holding all of the Yggdrasill
in balance. Some disruption could be tolerated as with any healthy system, but too much
would tilt it all too far and everything could be destroyed.

The mere idea of it sickened Loki and he felt Ásgarðr recoil from it. So why had Óðinn not
returned the Casket of Ancient Winters to Jötunheimr? Aye, it risked the possibility of a
second war, but surely 'twas a risk worth taking given the alternatives? It made what he had
to discuss with the High Council far easier to focus on, but he needed as much information as
he could obtain on the Casket. Was there a way to restrict its use? Perhaps to prevent Laufey
from utilizing it to travel to other Realms? Or even to ensure it could only be used to
maintain Jötunheimr's seiðr? Surely Laufey and the jötnar would be desperate enough by now
to accept something like that.
 Had it perhaps been Óðinn's plan, Loki wondered. Wait until his enemy could not say nay to
such a restriction on the Casket's power before returning it as a gesture of good will from
Ásgarðr? At least to the other Realms? If so, then it would have been smarter not to allow the
anti-jötnar sentiment to grow as bad as it had. Having a more sympathetic view would make
such a move far more acceptable to the people who would have viewed it as a mercy
bestowed upon a former enemy. Now it would be viewed with suspicion and disapproval and,
of course, all of it would fall on his head.

Loki growled at the thought. How typical, here he was, once more cleaning up a mess
someone in his family had created, and all he would get in return for it was more disgust and
scorn. True, usually 'twas not Óðinn's mess he had to clean up, but the pattern still held.
Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered.

Look as he might, though, Loki had yet to find a book which contained any real information
on the Casket of Ancient Winters. There were plenty which mentioned it, indeed not a single
book did not contain some reference to it, so tied into jötnar culture and politics was it, but
for many that was all they contained. A few went further, but even those seemed to contain
little of value, most of it recording lamentations on the lack of knowledge on the Casket or
what was, at best, repetition of rumors or stories the author had heard of it, or a best guess
based on brief encounters with the Casket or the results of its use. Such as the damage it had
wrought on Miðgarðr after Laufey had utilized it there to try and convert the Realm into a
more suitable home for more jötnar.

Loki growled in frustration.

Chapter End Notes

So, another visit from Loptr with some further information about the future. He simply
had to tell Loki something of the Avengers, they're too important to the MCU not to
have that in there somewhere. Also, I couldn't help but add the 'suicidal' mention as it
shows how far apart Loki is from Loptr around the same time, all due to Loki having
some support where Loptr didn't.

As for the status of the jötnar, well, I wanted to do something different as they are a
completely different species. The fact that all of the jötnar we saw in the movie seemed
to be the same sex was likely due to the usual sexism, but I decided to run with it.
Besides, Laufey is listed in mythology as Loki's mother, so there was already some
gender bending going on in the comics & MCU. I merely took it a few steps further.

As regards the jötnar and the whole hrímþursar & íviðjur situation, that's not all made up
on my part. Some of it is, obviously, but some of it's based on what I've learned from
Norse mythology. Several references I came across said the jötnar were described as
either "exceedingly beautiful or alarmingly grotesque", so I decided to run with that
duality. It worked well since I always knew that in a larger fic like this, I simply couldn't
allow the clear differences between the jötnar we see on Jötunheimr and Loki when
shifted into his birth form go. So this seemed the perfect dichotomy to use. There were
simply far too many differences for there not to be a reason!
In Ensoulment I went with him only being half-jötunn, while here I used the fascinating
info I found from Norse mythology. Plus it all really worked with what I wanted to do
with both this story as well as the rest of the series. The fact that Loki's marked
differences from other jötnar was never addressed in the movie always irritated me.

Beyond that, some of you may be happy to learn that I have been unexpectedly attacked
by a completely new plot bunny for this fandom. It came out of nowhere when I was
thinking of the Loki trailer and is already half written. It will be far shorter, more like
Mirror in the Sky than either this fic or Ensoulment, but quite different from anything
I've read before. It'll be called Fensalir and I'll post it as soon as I'm done with it, so
watch this space :)

Old Norse & Norse Mythology:

hrímþursar - hrím (“frost”) + þurs (“giant”); the singular is hrímþurs. As this word
seems interchangeable with jötnar, I used it for the name of the non-íviðjur.
íviðjur - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar. The
singular is íviðja.
argr - Old Norse term of insult, "unmanly, effeminate, cowardly".
ergi - Old Norse term of insult, "unmanliness".
Álfröðull - "elf-beam", "elf-disc" or "elf-glory, elf-heaven" - slightly ambiguous term
which can refer both to the sun-chariot of the sun goddess Sól and to the rider - I've gone
a different way with this, based more on the translations of the word, but you'll have to
wait to find out what!
álfablót - "elven sacrifice" - local celebration administered by the lady of the household,
of which little is known about the particular rites because they were surrounded by
secrecy and strangers were not welcome. Thought to be concerned with ancestor
worship & the life force of the family.
Útgarðr - "Outyards" - often used to refer to the area outside of which the gods and
humans lived. Also used as another name for Jötunheimr.
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell" - one of several words I'll use for the inhabitants of
Múspellsheimr
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
myrkálfar - "dark elves" (or "dusky elves" & "murky elves") - myrkálfr is the singular
jötnar - "frost giants" - jötunn is the singular
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
Up next time: The High Council convenes... (i.e. we meet a lot more people!).
 Chapter 7
Chapter Notes

Hello, everyone, here's the next chapter of my fic, I hope you enjoy it.

A continued thanks to everyone who is leaving either comments or kudos, they're much
appreciated as always!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

A knock on the door interrupted his apparently futile search and Loki leaned back in his
chair, disheartened.

"Enter," he called.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Livunn said as she opened the door.

Her eyes swept the chamber as she entered, taking in the cluttered desk and doing an
assessment of what she could see of his person. Clearly what she saw displeased her as Loki
caught the slight narrowing of her eyes and the aborted twitch of her lips. It caused his own
lips to curl up slightly and he could not help but imagine her doing the exact same even if it
were his father seated here. He almost wished it were, simply so he could see what Óðinn
would do with her. His father definitely was not used to anyone treating him like this
anymore.

Well, except for Mother, of course.

"Livunn," Loki greeted, hearing more than seeing the commotion in the hallway behind her.
"Is it time for breakfast already?"

"A little early, perhaps, but I heard you have a High Council meeting first thing and wanted
to ensure you had plenty of time to eat, given you have not slept."

Loki nearly snorted at the borderline censure in her voice and instead he merely waved a
hand in the direction of the sofas and low table standing before them. 'Twas all Livunn
needed to start having everything brought in and Loki shook his head a little before running a
hand over his face. Of course his personal servant knew his schedule for the day, she was
hardly incompetent and for all she chastised him on not getting any sleep, he had no doubt
she had not slept as much as she should either. Not given how late it had been when she had
left his chambers last night and how she had to have obtained her information on his plans for
the day afterwards.

It seemed they would both be sleep deprived until Óðinn roused from his sleep. The irony of
the situation was not lost on him.
Not waiting to be called, Loki rose to his feet and stretched before walking over to one of the
sofas. The small table was covered not by a fancy array of dishes, but instead a few smaller
ones, the biggest of which held an omelet with both vegetables and meat. Beside it was a
much smaller plate of freshly baked bread and another containing fruit and yoghurt.

'Twas almost a relief to see one of his usual breakfasts rather than whatever fancy spread he
had no doubt the kitchens had wished to make and send up. While he always had a healthy
appetite in the morning and did not do well with skipping the breaking of the night's fast,
something routine right now was sorely welcome and he was silently thankful for Livunn
once more. She was a treasure in her own way and he could not believe no one else of his
family had claimed her as their personal servant before him.

A pitcher of jojo juice was placed beside him as Loki sat, but there was no tea brought in.
Instead Livunn moved towards the teapot and box she had brought to the study the day
before.

"The vanir blossoms as usual, my Liege?" Livunn asked.

Loki shook his head as he picked up his plate with the omelet. "Nay, not today. I will go with
the queen's leaf."

'Twas an older Ásgarðrian brew named after the fact Buri's wife had been unable to start the
day without it. Livunn's lips twitched slightly but she did as requested. No doubt she was
displeased at his needing so much caffeine so early in the day, but he had to be as alert as
possible both for the High Council meeting and for the audience with Lady Sif and the
Warriors Three. If they were truly going to commit treason, then he wanted that particular
meeting to go just right, so they possessed no means of worming out of their rightful
sentences for it.

The thought of them doing so alone (and that Thor would probably fight for it as he had
always done when they had looked to be in trouble for their actions) killed Loki's appetite,
but he forced himself to keep eating. He had already not slept and was not only under high
pressure, but had a fracturing magical core and psyche, he could ill afford not eating as well.
Not without risking a collapse and then where would Ásgarðr be?

Uncle Vili was not his idea of a suitable regent, much less permanent king should Óðinn
never recover. Not to mention the added stress it would place on his mother in particular,
given how divided her focus would be between Óðinn and himself, along with also worrying
about Thor and Uncle Vili's rule. All of which was without considering what it would look
like to both Ásgarðr's enemies and allies alike.

As it was, even with him on the throne, they looked weaker and disorganized as he was not
the direct heir and Thor was supposed to have ascended to Hliðskjálf yesterday.

"Here you go, Your Majesty," Livunn said, placing the tea before him. "Is there anything else
you require?"

"Not at the moment nay, thank you, Livunn," Loki replied.

At that she stepped back to stand beside the other servant and the two Einherjar whom had
entered the study with them. It felt incredibly awkward all of a sudden and Loki missed his
mother something fierce right then, even though he was still not entirely certain how he felt
about her and all she had done. The centuries worth of lies rankled, but he could also
remember only all too well all of the times she had been there for him as a child and had
dried his tears when he had been hurt, or comforted him after a nightmare. Loki paused at the
thought of how many of these had involved feeling lost and alone, abandoned, in the cold.

A chill swept through him at the vague memories he had of those night terrors. Had they been
based on memories he possessed from when he had been cast out by Laufey? Was that what
had been plaguing him even then?

Simply the mere possibility complicated his feelings towards Frigga even further and Loki
shoved them all aside. He did not have the time to deal with any of it now. Instead he focused
on finishing his meal as he tried to organize his thoughts enough for the High Council
meeting. Hopefully they would be able to come up with a viable plan for what to do and start
to put things into motion.

As soon as he was finished, Loki rose to his feet and moved back to the desk to roll up the
parchments he would need and to collect Gungnir. When he stepped out into the corridor,
'twas to find Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. Surprised, he raised an inquiring eyebrow, causing
the man to flush.

"I... given the circumstances and the fact we need to split protection between yourself and the
All-Father, we have had to increase some shifts," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr informed him.

A likely explanation, but Loki was reasonably certain some of it was also that the man felt
better taking care of things personally, a sentiment he could well understand. Especially
considering the situation.

"Very well," Loki replied.

"Glaðsheimr, Your Majesty?"

"Aye."

Although it was still early, the corridors were busier than they had been the previous evening
and so their progress was marked by people stopping to clasp their fists to their chest and
bowing to him. 'Twas a strange experience for Loki and one he did not know what to think of.
While 'twas nice to finally receive some recognition, it was not truly for any of the reasons he
had wished it. All of these people, the servants and nobles alike, were doing it because he
was regent king right now, not because of any action he had taken or skills he possessed.
'Twas all for Hliðskjálf and the fact he was now sat upon it. Well, so to speak.

For all of that, Loki was quite glad when they reached Glaðsheimr and entered it. The
Einherjar swept the chamber before several moved to the balcony and others stepped back
out of the hall, the remaining few spreading out around the chamber. Since he was the first to
arrive, Loki moved to the head of the table, placing his notes before the seat to the right of the
one he normally sat at. The fixed seating arrangements would mean both of those beside him
would now be free, his own and Thor's, which would allow him the illusion of space.

Loki then took the opportunity to move toward the balcony for some fresh air. He stopped
beside one of the golden pillars and a slight prod from his seiðr had his cape shifting to gold,
making him slightly harder to spot to anyone entering Glaðsheimr. 'Twas not a perfect
disguise by any means, but it made him feel a little better.

The first of the High Council to arrive were his Uncles Vili and Vé, which did not surprise
Loki in the slightest. They of everyone would best understand the position he was now in and
he had been counting on their support, even if he knew better than to rely on it too much. The
recent betrayal of those whom he had thought were his parents was far too fresh in his mind
for that. The rest of the Council members followed shortly after, the overall mood noticeably
subdued, informing Loki he would have no trouble explaining exactly how serious their
situation at the moment was.

"Does anyone know what happened?" Uncle Vili asked. "I have heard rumors, but..."

"Father collapsed in the vault," Loki stated, letting his cape shift to green before he turned
around, noting who did and did not seem surprised to see him.

"King Loki," Lord Ragnvaldr greeted, bowing.

As expected, the others followed suit though they all raised clenched fists to their hearts.

"Is Óðinn alright?" Uncle Vé asked as Loki moved towards the table.

"He is being tended by Lady Eir and Mother," Loki explained. "But 'tis not a normal
Óðinnsleep as he put it off for too long."

"And you say he collapsed into it?" Uncle Vili questioned, clearly worried.

The cynical part of Loki could not help but wonder if 'twas due to concern for his elder
brother, or because it would put Loki on Hliðskjálf permanently. None of those present,
himself included, had expected him to end up on it. Still, it hardly mattered why his uncle
was concerned as Loptr's warning of what had happened to his temporal twin would make
Loki cautious in all of his dealings. He would not give anyone the opportunity to betray him.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, reaching his father's usual seat and leaning Gungnir against the
grove in the table made specially to hold it before he sat. "We were arguing when it
happened."

There was no point in concealing the fact as he had already said it where others could
overhear, and Loki was well aware the Einherjar had probably heard their raised voices from
their posts. For him not to admit it openly here and now would make it look like he might
have something to hide, as he knew there would be questions raised about his ascension to
Hliðskjálf. He had not been the heir and crown prince after all.
"Óðinn is strong and will pull through with time," General Týr stated confidently. "We
merely need to focus on keeping everything going until he does."

Simple and straightforward, but then Loki had not expected anything else from the top man
in charge of Ásgarðr's armed forces. The tall, dark skinned man had always been a tough but
fair taskmaster in Loki's experience. Well, except for the fact the man had banned the use of
seiðr in many training scenarios. Ostentatiously it was to ensure he could fight well without
it, which he could understand, but it had led the others to view seiðr use as even more argr
and dishonorable than before. He had also never understood why it had not been important
for the others to learn how to combat a battle seiðmadr so they knew what to do if they
encountered one.

"Aye," Loki agreed. "And speaking of that, Uncle Vili, Uncle Vé, until such time as either
Father awakens or Thor returns, could you please retake your former duties with the Princes'
Court, to make up for the gap currently left there?"

'Twas something which had occurred to Loki in the middle of the night out of nowhere. With
him as regent and Thor banished, no one was left to see to the lower-level offences and
disputes which needed dealing with before they escalated or clogged up the time the king
dedicated to dealing with the more complex ones, or which were taken to Óðinn in appeal of
either his or Thor's decisions. Rather annoyingly, it had always been his as of late even as
infrequent as they were. Not that it mattered as Óðinn had not overturned one of his decisions
in decades, and only amended them rarely and even then not always in favor of the
complainant.

"The Princes' Court?" Uncle Vé questioned, confused. "But Thor mentioned a few decades
ago those were not attracting disputes anymore."

Those were not attracting... Loki's eyes closed as he suddenly realized exactly why his
sessions had grown so busy and long the past few decades. If people were not going to Thor's
sessions, then that would make sense. He had heard some rather dismaying rumors of the
decisions his brother had made which he had rather hoped were more fiction than fact, but
perhaps they had not been. If it were true, then he could see how people might seek him out
over his brother if Thor truly had been oversimplifying things and favoring warriors or those
with more 'honorable' professions as he saw them. Damn his brother for it all and not learning
when Father had overturned a series of his decisions in favor of more just outcomes. It did
help explain a lot about how Thor behaved about Hliðskjálf, though, and Loki wished he had
discovered this sooner so he might have done something about it at the time.

Clearly it had come up at a High Council meeting he had missed.

"Well, I cannot speak for Thor's sessions," Loki began diplomatically. "But I can say mine are
still very well attended and those complaints will need addressing."

"Then of course we shall cover it," Uncle Vé promised.

Loki inclined his head at his uncles, hoping he would not come to regret this as they had not
fulfilled this particular role in centuries, not since Óðinn had deemed first Thor and then
himself old enough to take on those duties.
"Your Majesty, pardon if this is a sensitive topic," Lord Aðalgrímr began. "But about your
brother, might we enquire what has happened? As with Óðinn, there are many rumors."

"So I have been informed," Loki replied. "The answer is simple enough. For his actions,
which include deliberately disobeying a direct command from his king, dragging a
compliment of armed warriors to Jötunheimr and instigating hostilities there after Laufey-
King offered him an opportunity to leave, Father relieved Thor of his titles, powers and
longevity, and banished him to Miðgarðr."

Dead silence followed his pronouncement and Loki saw only shock and disbelief, with some
resignation, as he looked around the table at his six fellow counselors. 'Twas not simply the
confirmation of some of the rumors, he knew, but also what it indicated about the situation
with Jötunheimr itself. If this was true, then it made the rumors of the war far more likely as
well.

"Permanently?" General Týr finally asked. "The banishment, I mean."

"Nay," Loki said. "After he banished Thor, Father enchanted Mjǫllnir and sent it after Thor to
Miðgarðr."

"Dare I ask about the enchantment?" Uncle Vé inquired.

"It makes Mjǫllnir immovable to all but those who are worthy."

"So Thor will need to prove himself such in order to regain her and all of his titles, powers
and longevity," Lord Ragnvaldr realized.

"Precisely," Loki confirmed. "Obviously we cannot know when that might be. At present he
is with the mortals who found him after he fell to Miðgarðr. They believe him to be mentally
unstable."

Perhaps Loki received more satisfaction in informing the High Council of that then he
should, but how often was it he could be so truthful about his brother's actions and not have
them be praised as if the epitome of all that was good and just?

"It seems we will simply have to wait and see when Pri- Thor will return to us," Lord Óðr
said.

General Týr had just opened his mouth to add something when a loud cawing sounded
through the hall and Loki turned his head in surprise to view Huginn and Muninn sweeping
into Glaðsheimr on large black wings. They circled the table once, twice, before settling on
the high back of Loki's new chair where they almost always perched while in Glaðsheimr
with the High Council.

Loki felt his mouth go dry at the implication of not only their presence, but their decision to
perch themselves behind him. 'Twas simply one more indication of the rightfulness of his
ascension to Hliðskjálf. Huginn and Muninn were his father's ravens and reported what
happened in the Nine Realms directly to Óðinn. For them to be here, now, instead of
lingering at his father's bedside was one more powerful sign his regency was just. Not that it
would make a difference to Lady Sif and the Warriors Idiot or Heimdallr, but that did not
mean Loki was any less grateful for it, or any less aware of the impact it would have on
others such as Lord Óðr or General Týr, whom he knew would not tolerate his rule well.

"King Loki."

The sudden, unexpected voice in his head made Loki start visibly before he turned to his
right. "Huginn?" he questioned silently.

"Aye."

"Oh."

He had always known Óðinn could speak with Huginn and Muninn directly, but Loki had
never experienced it himself before, even though Muninn had used to spend quite a bit of
time perched on his shoulder as a child.

"News of your ascension to Hliðskjálf is spreading throughout the Nine Realms," Huginn
stated. "As are rumors of war with Jötunheimr."

Loki winced at that. "Any news or whispers of rebellion or taking advantage of the
situation?"

"Not yet, but you will be watched. Closely."

As if he had not expected that, but 'twas good to have the confirmation nonetheless.
Especially of the former, though he knew it would only be a matter of time if things remained
unstable or Ásgarðr appeared weak.

"Word of what has transpired is spreading," Loki explained when he turned back to the table
and found all eyes on him.

"How are the Realms reacting?" General Týr questioned, immediately alert.

"Cautiously. For now."

He did not need to say how quickly it could change. Everyone present here was well aware of
the dangers they currently faced.

"Now, Jötunheimr," Loki continued. "I know there are rumors about this as well, so let me be
absolutely clear if Father did not have the chance to speak with you. Laufey-King has
declared war. Father tried to dissuade him, but he was resolute."

"Is Jötunheimr even in a position to do so?" Lord Óðr inquired. "Or even to get out off of
their Realm?"

"Three frost giants managed to gain access to the vault yesterday," General Týr countered.
"Clearly they can get off Jötunheimr."

"That was true?"

"Aye."

"Do we know how?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked.

"Nay."

"Aye," Loki said, knowing if he did not explain at least the how, then too much time would be
wasted on this. "I found a portal to Jötunheimr in the vault."

"A portal?" Lord Óðr questioned. "What is that?"

"A connection between two Realms on the Yggdrasill," Uncle Vé explained. "There is some
debate on whether they can only occur naturally or whether they can be induced deliberately
by a powerful enough seiðkona, but once open, anyone who knows of their location can walk
through them."

"And there was one leading into the vault?" General Týr checked.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "It would have let them bypass all of our outer layers of security
and defenses. As clearly happened."

"So we have an open breach point for the frost giants to use?"

"Nay, I have closed the portal."

"You can do that?" Uncle Vé questioned turning large eyes to him.

Loki had always known his uncle had an interest in seiðr and he had long suspected his
father's youngest sibling had secretly studied it enough to be a weak practitioner in his own
right, but it had never been openly confirmed. It had eventually led to a certain amount of
friction between them as Loki had viewed it as cowardly on Uncle Vé's part, and he had
resented not having another adult to support him and his interest given how many others
disapproved of it and sought only to discourage or ignore him for it. He had also always
wondered if his uncle had resented the strength of his seiðr or his determination to follow
through on his studies despite the public pressure against it.

"Of course, closing a small portal, especially such a new one, is easy as they are
abnormalities in the fabric of the Realms," Loki explained, downplaying it more than a little
as he knew no one had the knowledge, much less the experience, to contradict him. "The
Yggdrasill seeks to close itself off from such easy intrusion."

"Could you tell if 'twas a natural one or created as Prince Vé suggested?" Lord Aðalgrímr
inquired.

"Nay. I do not know if 'tis even possible to tell, much less how go about doing so. All of the
portals I have encountered have felt the same."

"There are more?" General Týr demanded in dismay.

"A number to various Realms," Loki confirmed. "None within Iðavöllr's defenses, though, or
close enough for Heimdallr not to be able to warn us of approach through one of them."

"Can you not simply close them all? Your Majesty?"

"Nay, most are far too large or old for me to do so. They seem to become more established
with time."

"So this one the jötnar used was definitely new then," Uncle Vili stated.

"Oh, aye," Loki confirmed, pausing before deciding to give them a little more. "I can detect
open portals quite easily and 'twas not there the last time I was in the vault before the
coronation."

"And the odds of one simply opening there now is highly unlikely," Lord Ragnvaldr added.
"This was a deliberate attack then."

"That is not how Laufey-King will play this," Loki warned. "He gave Thor the opportunity to
walk away when we confronted him in his outdoor court. He went so far as to say Thor did
not understand the price of war, but he did."

"Mere words," General Týr dismissed.

"Words which will have power," Lord Aðalgrímr countered. "We have no proof the attack on
the vault was anything but the actions of an independent faction."

"That is what Father suspected as well," Loki told them. "He was willing to leave the issue
there, stating that those who had attacked were dead."

"Do we know how many jötnar dead there were in the... incident on Jötunheimr?"

"Not for certain," Loki replied, noting well how they danced around his involvement in the
attack. 'Twas currently to their advantage he had been present, but Loki wished he knew what
they thought of it. Did they view him as just as guilty of it all as Thor, or was it seen as him
supporting his brother and crown prince as was expected of a younger brother and second
prince? "However, I would estimate up to three hundred."

"Three hundred?" Uncle Vili repeated in astonishment.

Loki shrugged. "There were many jötnar and Thor used Mjǫllnir to smash the ice. Many did
not get away in time and went down with it."

"That is not good for us," Lord Ragnvaldr stated heavily.

"What does it matter? If Laufey wants a war, we can give him a war," General Týr argued.
"They do not stand a chance against our forces."

Loki bit back his initial response to the general's fiery words. He could easily recall his
father's own words from after one meeting centuries ago. Óðinn had stated that Týr was a
phenomenal general, but as with many such men, oft did not understand the value of
diplomacy and that war was to be used as a last resort by good kings. 'Twas a lesson Thor had
yet to learn, clearly, and he shuddered to think of what his brother and Týr could have gotten
Ásgarðr into if left unchecked together.

"What are our forces at present, General?" Loki asked. "If things do escalate past diplomatic
solutions, where do we stand? We have not been at war for over a millennium."

"We have a standing army of eight legions, and I could increase that two to three fold if we
call in all of those who have been warrior trained," General Týr began. "The problem would
be arming and armoring all of them. We have neglected those areas with funding the last few
centuries and would require more than simply what our own blacksmiths could produce at
short notice."

The familiar resentment at how funding had been allocated underlay those words but Loki
chose to ignore it, turning his attention instead of Lord Aðalgrímr.

"We may need to send a delegation to Niðavellir then, at short notice, to put in a request for
that which we cannot make," Loki said. "Would they supply?"

"Gladly," Lord Aðalgrímr answered immediately. "But if word has spread there already, we
will have to pay heftily for it."

Of course they would. The dökkálfar were nothing if not profit oriented, as Loki knew well
from personal experience.

"Very well, if it comes to it, I want you to select someone to lead the negotiations with them,"
Loki ordered. "General Týr, please calculate what we would require at the bare minimum and
what would be more ideal, so we have the information at hand if we do decide to go down
that route."

"But you do not intend to in the first instance," General Týr replied.

"Nay, an all-out war is not my first preference."

"We may not have a choice, my King."

"We may not, but we do have a lot of leverage, diplomatically."

"You mean the Casket of Ancient Winters."

Loki could tell from the general's tone of voice alone what Týr thought of the idea and his
very willingness to consider it, but he ignored it. He did not have time to get involved in petty
disputes or powerplays right now. Besides, he had watched Óðinn and Týr rip at each other
plenty over his centuries at this very table, so 'twas not exactly disrespect directed solely at
him.

"Among many other things," Loki said calmly. "Our initial treaty with Laufey-King provided
nothing of trade or anything else."

"We defeated them in a war!"

"As we did Vanaheimr, yet our treaty with them was not nearly so spartan."

"Do we have the treaties to view?" Lord Óðr asked.

Loki pulled them out of the parchments he had brought and passed them along.

"Despite all we could offer them, Laufey-King will almost certainly push for just the Casket,"
Lord Ragnvaldr warned, and paused before continuing. "And he may be right to do so."

"Nay, absolutely not!" General Týr thundered as he rose to his feet. "We cannot give them
back their greatest weapon and the ability to leave Jötunheimr at will. That is all but inviting
them to attack either ourselves or another Realm. We simply cannot allow that!"

"The Casket is more than a weapon and means of transport," Lord Ragnvaldr responded
calmly, clearly used to General Týr's more fiery temper.

"Hmm," Loki agreed. "'Tis the heart of Jötunheimr."

The look of surprise he received from both of his uncles and Lord Ragnvaldr told Loki what
he had learned in the past few hours clearly was not common knowledge. It made him feel a
little better at not having known about it before. It had been for precisely this type of
information he had always wanted access to the king's library to begin with.

The king's library...

It was with a start Loki remembered the book on jötunn seiðr he had taken and hidden away
in his own pocket dimension. He had done so in order not to lose access to it when Óðinn
awoke as he still felt it should be his by rights, given his heritage. But, because he had
squirreled it away, it had not been on the desk when he had been doing his research and
somehow he had forgotten all about it, probably because he had needed to force it from his
mind in favor of doing the task required of him instead. 'Twas a sign of how overtired he was.
Oh well, there was little he could do about it now, he would simply have to look at it later.

'Twas not like it would be a hardship to do so.

"You know of that," Uncle Vili almost whispered.

Loki frowned as he looked from his uncle to the others at the table. Other than his uncles and
Lord Ragnvaldr, the rest seemed to be confused. So, Óðinn had not shared this particular bit
of information with the entirety of his High Council. Interesting. It added some substance to
his earlier suspicions Óðinn had not been aware of the Casket of Ancient Winter's importance
to Jötunheimr until after he had already taken it.

For now, Loki merely scowled at his uncle. "I always do my research if at all possible, Uncle,
you should already know this."

"Aye, but... do not tell me you were up all night."

"We are officially at war, I think now is the time for anything which gathers critical
information."
 "What am I missing here?" Lord Óðr questioned with a deep, displeased frown.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters is far more than a mere weapon or means of interplanetary
transport," Lord Ragnvaldr began.

"Aye, you said," General Týr scowled as he sat back down. "What else is it?"

"As King Loki said, 'tis called the heart of Jötunheimr and it turns out this is far more than a
mere fancy title. A lot more."

"How?" Lord Aðalgrímr demanded.

"From what we have been able to determine, 'tis intrinsically linked to Jötunheimr's magical
core and, without it, that magical core is either breaking down or becoming so unregulated as
to essentially be breaking," Uncle Vé explained. "Which means that, should the Casket be
away from Jötunheimr for long enough, the whole Realm will become so out of balance it
will be completely unable to support life and it may eventually die entirely."

That was not quite what Loki had taken from the tomes, but 'twas close enough for their
current purpose.

"So?" General Týr demanded with a shrug. "The frost giants die, who cares? Problem solved
as far as I can tell."

Chapter End Notes

So there's the High Council, those with whom Loki will have to work to rule Ásgarðr.
Yes, I know they're all men, but I really didn't think there'd be any women involved at
such a high level from the first two movies. But don't worry, we'll see very highly placed
women elsewhere soon.

The rest of the meeting, with a few extras, will be up next week. Then it's onto petitions
in Valaskjálf the week after, and we all know who turned up to see Óðinn/Loki there in
the movie!

Norse Mythology:

Vili - Son of Borr & Bestla, middle brother of Óðinn and Vé.
Vé - Son of Borr & Bestla, youngest brother to Óðinn and Vili.
Týr - God of War, and sometimes Justice. He is described as either the son of Óðinn or
Hymir (a jötunn), who had his hand bitten off by Fenrir Lokason. - I have kept the lost
hand & God of War elements but ditched the rest. You'll have to wait and see how he
lost the hand, though!
Óðr - "Divine Madness, frantic, furious, vehement, eager" & "the frenzied one" -
Husband to Freyja and father of Hnoss & Gersemi, potentially a hypostasis for Óðinn
(Freyja & Frigg are often thought to be one) - I'm only taking some of this, but what
would be telling :)
Huginn and Muninn - "thought" & "memory/mind" - a pair of ravens that fly all over the
world & bring information to Óðinn.
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing 13 high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr - mine won't have 13 seats (too many characters!), but the
rest remains largely the same.
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace.

Original Characters' Names:

Aðalgrímr - made up of Aðal ('nobel') and Grímr ('person wearing a face mask') - would
it surprise you to know he's Ásgarðr's top diplomat? :)

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
argr - Old Norse term of insult, "unmanly, effeminate, cowardly".
jötnar - "frost giants" - jötunn is the singular
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - when
looking up dwarves I couldn't find an Old Norse word, but some sources said the
dwarves were sometimes called dark elves, so I took that word for them there are several
names for elves (døkkálfar, ljósálfar, svartálfar, myrkálfar) - remember, my dwarves will
not match what we saw in Avengers: Infinity War!

For anyone interested, I've now finished my other Thor fic, Fensalir, so it'll be up as
soon as I'm done editing it! Gotta do that on my own as my beta is still working her way
through this epic here!
 Chapter 8
Chapter Notes

Sneaking this in on the last day of the week, true, but it's still within the timeframe I'd
hoped to get chapters up. Sorry but I was distracted by another fic I'm working on
yesterday! In addition to the sequel to this fic, I've got 2 other Loki WIPs on the go right
now!

For those interested, I posted another small fic in this fandom earlier this week, called
Fensalir. It's from Frigga's point of view, but Loki plays a big part, of course :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"The problem," Loki began. "Is that this is an entire Realm we are speaking of here, one of
the Nine, not merely a species. If the Casket is as critical for Jötunheimr as Uncle Vé said,
then keeping it from there risks the very balance of the Yggdrasill itself."

"Is that not taking it a little too far?" Lord Óðr asked. "'Tis a big step from one Realm's - what
did you call it - magical core, to saying the fate of the Yggdrasill itself hangs in the balance."

"We speak of the Nine for a reason," Uncle Vili argued. "Simply plucking one of them away
will not simply be nothing."

"Since when do Realms have magical cores?" General Týr questioned. "And if Jötunheimr
supposedly has one then surely Ásgarðr should as well and I have never heard of it."

"Aye, you have," Loki replied. "We simply do not call it that as ours is not tied to an object
like the Casket of Ancient Winters."

"Then what do we call it?"

"Right now? The Óðinnforce."

That definitely garnered a reaction from everyone present and Loki abruptly wondered if his
father would be furious at him for revealing so much. But how was he supposed to know
about who knew what given how secretive Óðinn had been about all of this with even his
own sons. Or had it simply been with him that Óðinn had played things so close to the chest?
Had Thor been aware of all of this already? He had never known his brother to ask for access
to the king's library, after all, and he doubted Thor would have mentioned it if he had. What
with the oaf's complete and utter lack of interest in all things scholarly.

"And trust me when I say it most definitely connects directly to Ásgarðr's magical core,
General," Loki finished.
Óðinn could be mad at him all he wished to later on, Loki needed for this information to be
out there now. He simply refused to allow the discordance within the Yggdrasill to continue
through either inaction or ignorance.

"Very well, so we know the magical core aspect is accurate, but what about the rest?" Lord
Óðr questioned. "How do we know the Casket is actually tied into it? Or that Jötunheimr's
magical core is important to the health of the Yggdrasill? We have no sign the World Tree is
ill."

"That is not entirely true," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "Ever since we first began to suspect what
the Casket of Ancient Winters might actually be a few centuries ago, Óðinn requested we try
to monitor the health of the Yggdrasill."

This was news to Loki, but then 'twas quite clear there was a lot about this situation his father
had kept from even most of the High Council. Why was that, he wondered. Had Óðinn truly
wanted to be certain before he acted or began discussing options? Or had it been Borrson's
pride which guided his actions, not wishing to admit to his mistake before all of them?

"How did you do that?" Loki asked, curious.

"We have not found any one way that works terribly well," Uncle Vé admitted. "Therefore
instead we use a few separate indicators. It turns out that among the things which Heimdallr
is able to perceive are glimpses of the World Tree itself. These glimpses are rare and limited
in scope, but they do provide our most direct observation of the Yggdrasill itself."

"Of course he can view it," Lord Aðalgrímr muttered resentfully.

Loki's lips twitched at the clear jealousy he heard in the man's voice. If only they knew he
could go far beyond mere glimpses of the World Tree! Not that he planned on informing any
of them of the truth. 'Twas just one of the many skills he had long since decided to keep to
himself, not only to make others underestimate him, but also so no one realized exactly how
powerful and mobile he truly was.

"What has he been able to see?" General Týr requested, a hint of interest in his voice.

'Twas one of the many annoying contradictions of Ásgarðr. Seiðr was frowned upon,
especially if performed by men, except for the All-Father or when it came to things like the
Yggdrasill, when 'twas suddenly revered or looked upon with wonder. Not to mention
magical items like Mjǫllnir or Gungnir, whose use somehow was not seen as breaking any
'no seiðr in training' rules.

"Heimdallr has a hard time putting it into words, but what he has said is that at times he can
detect what he has called anomalies in the... energy of the Yggdrasill," Uncle Vili picked up.
"Some form of sporadic disruption."

"That would match my own experience near portals," Loki offered. "The reason I detect them
so easily is because they seem to emit a faint... song if you will."

"A song?" Lord Ragnvaldr repeated, brow furrowing.

"It sounds like some form of orchestral or instrumental piece, but more ephemeral or
haunting, like ljósálfar funeral music."

"And it suffers from this disruption?" Uncle Vé asked, leaning forwards across Loki's usual
seat which now sat empty between them.

"I would call it more of a disharmony that runs through it than a disruption," Loki explained.
"But 'twas far worse than I have ever heard it before with the portal in the vault."

Not strictly a lie, but not entirely true either as it heavily implied the distortion he had heard
was due to the Casket's influence rather than the degeneration of his own magical core. Loki
felt no shame or hesitance, though, as he was not risking the fate of the Yggdrasill. He would
see this situation resolved as anything else left him feeling almost physically ill and he
simply could not imagine how Óðinn had viewed it any other way.

"What are the other markers you were observing?" Lord Aðalgrímr questioned.

"The first was the monitoring of one of the portals which Óðinn was aware of right here on
Ásgarðr," Uncle Vé replied.

"We have had a number of seiðkonur spending time observing it and some of our scholars
have tried to detect it with non-seiðr means."

"How did it go?"

"Variably. The seiðkonur had the most success but even they had trouble detecting much
more than that there was a portal there. Everything they could detect, though, seems to back
up the fact there is some form of disruption or discordance which is sporadic and
unpredictable in nature."

The knowledge Óðinn had arranged for seiðkonur to monitor a portal and had still not
thought to bring him into it angered Loki and he reached up to clutch at his amulet despite
how it would look. Aye, he had never told either of his parents precisely how proficient he
had become with using portals or even that he could create small ones in certain areas, but
'twas still wildly known he was one of the most powerful seiðmenn in the Nine Realms, let
alone on Ásgarðr, so it would have made sense for Óðinn to consult him for this type of
project. So why had he not been?

Did Óðinn trust him so little?

"It does seem to be getting worse with time, though," Uncle Vili added. "When we started,
the disruptions were far fewer and more transient in nature. Now they occur more often and
are both longer and stronger."

"Which still does not prove they are due to the Casket's removal from Jötunheimr," General
Týr argued.

"I am not certain we can afford to risk it," Lord Ragnvaldr countered.

"Whereas I do not think we can afford to risk returning it."

Loki sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he forced himself to let go of the amulet.
Not only should he not require such childish means of comfort or security, but he also could
not risk having Loptr manifest here, thinking he required further guidance.

"And that seems to be the basic issue we have," Loki voiced. "Am I right in thinking this
duality is why Father never made a move to return the Casket before, despite your fears?"

"Aye," Lord Ragnvaldr confirmed. "The thought of handing Laufey-King his greatest weapon
back and the ability to leave Jötunheimr were always deemed insurmountable obstacles."

"So there we have it," General Týr stated, satisfied.

"Nay, we do not," Loki shot back, sending the man a dark look.

"Surely you cannot think now would be a better time to return the Casket?" General Týr
exclaimed. "After Laufey has declared war on us and he has even more incentive than ever
before to turn it on us!"

"Peace has brought him nothing but a slow deterioration of his people and Realm."

The statement seemed to shock the rest of the Council but Loki thought it no more than the
truth, perhaps phrased and put far more bluntly than before, but true nonetheless.

"'Tis true Jötunheimr has not recovered from the war like Vanaheimr did," Lord Óðr slowly
admitted, before tapping the treaties before him. "And these could indeed help clarify why."

"Which will have bred more resentment and hatred of us," General Týr insisted.

"Aye, but where does it end?" Lord Ragnvaldr questioned. "If we keep doing what we did
before, then we merely perpetuate the cycle."

"And perhaps make Laufey even more desperate," Uncle Vili added. "There will be a point
where he will consider any option viable no matter how distasteful or dangerous if it might
secure him the return of the Casket."

"If he has not already reached that point," Uncle Vé muttered.

"Nay," Loki argued. "Laufey-King's first reaction was to allow us a way out. To let Thor
change his mind and simply walk away. 'Twas not until the fighting had started that he
changed his mind. If he had already gone as far as you fear, then he would not have hesitated
to make full use of the situation he was provided with."

"And do what?" Lord Aðalgrímr demanded.

General Týr threw the diplomat a disgusted look. "He had both Ásgarðr's heir and second
prince in his court and, from the sounds of it, outnumbered and surrounded." Loki tipped his
head forward to indicate his assent. "He could have attempted to capture or kill one or both of
them and try to force Óðinn to swap the Casket for his hostage."
'Twas an unpleasant but very plausible scenario and Loki shuddered to think of what might
have transpired if Laufey had elected to follow that path. What would his birth father's
reaction have been if the truth of Loki's species or heritage had come out? Given how rare
íviðjur were, the discovery of one would surely have led to the realization of the other, even
if what he had read about the jötnar kin lines were not true. The fact his very identify as
Laufey's son was literally written on his skin disgusted Loki and he had to grab at his amulet
again to try to stave off the thought, even as he felt part of his magical core stretch and snap,
leaving him feeling strangely adrift and disconnected from his very body. He had a brief,
hysterical thought of good, he hated it now anyway, before he shut it all down with the aid of
some of Loptr's calm which reached out to support him as well as Ásgarðr's soothing
presence.

"So, not suicidally desperate then," Uncle Vé stated. "Yet."

General Týr snorted. "He did just declare war on Ásgarðr while far weaker than he was the
last time."

"We are not exactly as strong as we were before either," Uncle Vili replied.

Loki's eyes narrowed slightly at the words. He knew well his uncle meant it in far more than
their military capacity. 'Twas true, though, with Thor in disgrace after his failed coronation
and the disaster on Jötunheimr, and Óðinn falling to the Óðinnsleep, especially the way he
had, hardly inspired the image of strength and power which Ásgarðr normally sought to
project to the rest of the Nine.

"After what happened Laufey-King would have appeared weak not to do so," Loki said. "We
also do not know what kind of pressure he is facing from within his own court."

"Aye, his oldest son and heir is nearing his majority," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed. "'Tis entirely
possible Laufey-King is facing pressure to cede the throne to Helblindi-Princex soon or even
that there are entirely separate factions vying for power."

"We must also consider the possibility Laufey-King took the chance to declare war from a
strong position on a provocation issue simply in the hopes of bringing us back to the
negotiating table," Lord Ragnvaldr added. "Doing so in the hopes of gaining the Casket in a
new peace treaty."

It would be a risky gamble on Laufey's part, but not entirely out of the realm of possibilities
even if Loki deemed it unlikely. His birth father had not seemed nearly so calculating or
rational when he had been confronting Óðinn, but Loki had to admit he did not know the man
well enough to be able to make a truly accurate assessment of this possibility. And 'twas not
like he could do so unbiased even if he were in a position to do so.

"Then we would be giving him exactly what he wants," General Týr pointed out.

"Who cares if it could save the Yggdrasill?" Uncle Vé demanded. "If we need to let him save
face with his people, then why not aide him in that if it does not come at the expense of our
standing?"
"Perhaps we are looking at this wrong," Loki interjected. "Our biggest dilemma is that
handing back the Casket would not only allow Jötunheimr to rebalance and restore its
magical core, but also give Laufey-King access to a great weapon and means of reaching the
rest of the Nine."

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr frowned, head tilting to spill long blond hair over one shoulder.

"Well, perhaps there is a way to restrict what the Casket can do," Loki proposed. "Limit it
somehow?"

"Even if there is, it would be useless to us," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "The Casket of Ancient
Winters can only be used by a jötunn. 'Tis an inbuilt safety mechanism so it could never be
turned against Jötunheimr."

That was something which Loki had not come across and, briefly, he could not help but
wonder if perhaps this was why Óðinn had truly taken him. To have a pet jötunn who could
wield the Casket at his command.

He shoved the thought aside violently.

"Full or partial?" Loki questioned instead.

"Excuse me, Majesty?"

"Does one need to be a full jötunn to utilize the Casket or can someone who is part jötunn do
so?"

"I..." Lord Ragnvaldr frowned. "I do not know, we had not considered it before."

Of course not. Óðinn had probably been too busy trying to distance himself from his own
mother's heritage.

"We should look into it," Loki stated firmly. "Uncle Vili, Uncle Vé, would you be amenable
to trying?"

There was a brief look of panic on his older uncle's face which Loki could not help but take a
perverse flash of pleasure from, though he schooled his face not to show it. It had clearly
been a long time since anyone had so bluntly referred to their jötnar heritage. Now the
question was, would one of them take the bait?

"Of course, Loki," Uncle Vé recovered first. "However, as a magical object, I am not entirely
certain we can operate it even if it would respond to us."

Perfect.

"I will try it myself," Loki offered with a little shrug. "Alas... well..."

"Being further removed from Mother, there is less chance the Casket will respond to you,"
Uncle Vili helpfully finished for him.
Loki tipped his head forward as if in assent, while inwardly he smiled. They had provided
him with the perfect cover to utilize if he should be able to make the Casket of Ancient
Winters do as he wished, while also giving him the opportunity to observe all other members
of the High Council as his heritage was discussed. Not even one of them seemed at all
suspicious, as if they knew what was being said was untrue. Which was good for it meant
Óðinn had kept the truth very quiet if neither Uncles Vili nor Vé seemed to have any
knowledge of it. Briefly he wondered how they had explained away Frigga's seemingly
normal appearance before his supposed birth, but that could easily have been written off as a
security measure taken to help protect the pregnant queen in a time of war. Illusions were one
of his mother's known strengths, after all, and one he had learned well from her.

"If the Casket of Ancient Winters does respond to one of you, then it would open another
alternative to us as well," General Týr began thoughtfully. "Instead of outright returning it,
we could offer to bring it back at specific times, or for correction of Jötunheimr's magical
core as and when necessary while never actually allowing it out of our hands."

The suggestion surprised Loki, not because he necessarily liked it, but because 'twas an
indication the general was willing to meet them halfway rather than outright stubbornly
clinging to his idea of war the old-fashioned way. Perhaps he had spent too much time with
Thor who oft resisted any ideas other than his own. It would never work as the security issues
alone would be a nightmare and it would leave Jötunheimr under Ásgarðr's yoke which
would only build up resentment over time. Besides, if the damage to the planet's magical core
was already sufficient to have an impact on the Yggdrasill itself, then 'twas not likely to be so
easily fixed, especially not in so broken a manner.

So, nay, Loki did not think the idea viable in and of itself, but 'twas definitely one which
would aid any negotiations. They would not be negotiating if he simply went in and
resolutely stuck to his initial offer. Nay, he would start with the suggestion of trade and so,
allowing Laufey to be the one to bring up the Casket of Ancient Winters, at which point he
could offer this type of solution. In the end he planned to return the Casket if they could make
it safe, but Laufey would not know that and would give Ásgarðr things or considerations
which Loki wanted in order to get what he wanted.

A quick glance at Lord Aðalgrímr showed a shrewd, interested look on Ásgarðr's lead
diplomat's face and Loki knew his old mentor was thinking the same thing he was.

"Surely it would depend on who can use it," Uncle Vé inquired worriedly. "If 'tis only Loki
then we can hardly expect him to do so, especially while he is still regent."

General Týr frowned at the thought, clearly not pleased with it. "Do we have a seiðkona of
jötnar heritage?"

"We would need to check the archives," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "Most with blood ties back to
Jötunheimr have tried to bury the knowledge since the war."

Loki resisted the temptation to snort. He did not envy any seiðkonur they found with jötnar
heritage for if they were anything like him and Thor, then they were probably completely
unaware of that aspect of their ancestry. Well, unless they were old enough to remember the
war or the time before it. While Loki also did not fancy the thought of allowing a stranger
near the Casket of Ancient Winters, he would have to allow it to maintain the ruse.

"While you check that, we will need to send an envoy to Jötunheimr," Loki stated. "It may
take some time to convince Laufey-King to come to the negotiating table, but simply the
initial offer of it might help stall any hostilities and gain us some time to explore our options
in case we do need to resort to actual battle."

"What about Álfheimr and Vanaheimr, Your Majesty?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"What of them?"

"Should we not contact them and alert them to the situation? Officially I mean?"

"It would probably be a good idea," Lord Ragnvaldr agreed when Loki looked to him. "It
shows we are not hiding the situation and gives us an opportunity to ensure our version of
events is heard."

And even if it was not believed it would show they had not forgotten their closest allies. Or
took them for granted.

"Very well, please see something suitable is drafted and sent to them," Loki ordered.
"Meanwhile, I have asked Lady Dagrún to collate all of our tomes on Jötunheimr should
anyone need to check something."

"Do we officially declare we are at war?" General Týr asked.

"Hmm, the information will have already made it out and we gain nothing by denying it,"
Loki replied, knowing that to do so at this point would seem like cowardice. "Having it
known will also make our preparations easier."

"There are certain security protocols which come into play when we are officially at war."

Loki smiled knowingly. "Lieutenant-General Yngvarr has already implemented several of

them," he stated as he indicated the dispersed king's guard positioned around the hall. "I have
only been alone in checked and heavily warded chambers, and Father has been closely
watched since his lapse into the Óðinnsleep."

"And the queen?"

"Spends most of her time with Father. But, when she does not, I am certain Mother will
comply with all security measures requested of her."

Frigga had never seemed to be bothered by any such measures which had been necessary at
various points in the past. Indeed, Loki had several memories of admiring her unruffled
countenance when any other woman would have been annoyed or fed up with the situation.

"Good," General Týr stated with satisfaction as his eyes unerringly found those of
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr.
Loki had to wonder at how long the two men had known each other. Being head of the king's
personal guard was second only to the general of the army, so Yngvarr was Týr's second-in-
command and was not only a formidable warrior, as Loki had ample opportunity to witness in
the training arena over the centuries, but also someone whom General Týr trusted implicitly
as he had chosen him of all of his men to watch over the king's life itself.

"You will also be required to accept a guard detail once more, Prince Vili," General Týr
continued.

"Me? What? Why... oh," Uncle Vili sputtered.

Aye, oh. Loki blinked as he suddenly realized that with all which had transpired, Óðinn's first
brother was once again officially the crown prince and heir. Only now Vili was Loki's heir
instead of Óðinn's back before Thor had been born. In all actuality it truly should be Vili on
Hliðskjálf now as he was related to Óðinn by blood, but that was not how his adoptive father
had elected to set up the line of succession, and Loki was not inclined to inform them of the
truth. Not only did he have no desire to share that particular bit of information, but much as
he did not want to be king, he knew he was a far better one than Vili would ever be. Not only
had the man started to withdraw from royal life since the birth of his nephews, doing so even
further once Thor had taken over the Princes' Court, but he had always had far too big of an
eye on what Hliðskjálf could do for him rather than the other way around.

"I am afraid I must insist, my Prince," General Týr pressed.

"Aye, of course, I simply had not thought of it," Uncle Vili responded.

"What of Thor?" Uncle Vé inquired. "Is he safe?"

"Only Heimdallr and I are aware of his exact location," Loki said. "Everyone else only knows
what Realm he is on and the mortals number in the billions now."

"Billions?" Lord Óðr repeated, stunned. "Truly?"

Loki merely nodded once, well understanding the disbelief. "At this point I believe
anonymity will be his best protection. I will, however, ensure Heimdallr knows to watch him
closely and inform me the instant anything seems amiss."

"I will ensure there are some men ready should they be necessary," General Týr promised.

Loki had half a thought to request for the Bifröst to be guarded by some additional men for
security purposes, but then he dismissed it. He did not want there to be anything in the way of
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three committing their treason. Once they did, he could take care
of them once and for all rather than having them remain free to actively plot against him.

Not to mention Heimdallr. Loki stilled the impulse to frown as he felt the gatekeeper's gaze
upon him. 'Twas not as heavy as before and amusement shot through Loki as he realized
Heimdallr was attempting to be subtle to avoid detection. There was some corresponding
foreign amusement at the back of his mind and he realized Ásgarðr found the gatekeeper's
clumsy attempts amusing too. After so long of believing he could look anywhere at will,
Heimdallr was clearly out of practice at discretion, but he humored the guardian, letting him
think he was succeeding. The last thing he needed was for Heimdallr to becoming creative on
him, not now.

"Good," Loki said. "Does anyone have anything else we need to discuss?"

"Not given the circumstances, nay," Lord Óðr responded as the others shook their heads.

"Do not let anything else slip unless it absolutely has to," Loki cautioned. "Regular duties and
services must continue."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

As soon as the meeting was over, Lord Aðalgrímr excused himself to head off and start
drafting the various missives which needed preparing for Álfheimr, Vanaheimr and, most
crucially, Jötunheimr. Though Loki was sorely tempted to take the latter for himself, he knew
he should leave it to his old mentor. Not only did the man have far more experience in
general, but he had it for Jötunheimr specifically as well from the end of the last war.
Besides, he had more important matters to see to.

"Uncle Vili, Uncle Vé," Loki said turning to them as General Týr rose to his feet and
approached Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. "Do you have time to have a look at the Casket of
Ancient Winters this afternoon?"

"Aye," Uncle Vé replied after a moment. "If we head to the Princes' Court now, we should be
back in time to at least have an initial try with the Casket."

There was a slight tension in Vé's voice and Loki could not quite tell if 'twas due to fear at
the prospect, or excitement at the opportunity. He would have to try to discern which it was
later, but for now he let it go.

"Seeing as Týr is likely to make me stay in Iðavöllr once more, I shall have plenty of time,"
Uncle Vili added somewhat resentfully.

The emotion pleased Loki as it meant he was far less likely to be betrayed by his adoptive
uncle if the man so clearly did not like being thrust back into the role of crown prince.
Besides, a displeasure at so obviously having his freedom curtailed was a sentiment Loki
easily understood. Especially now of all times.

"Thank you," Loki said, more out of habit than anything else.

They were merely doing their duties as members of the royal family.

"King Loki," one of the Einherjar said, respectfully stepping forward once his uncles had
moved away. "Lady Borgunna waits outside."

"Send her in," Loki replied, rising to his feet to meet her.
"Your Majesty," Lady Borgunna greeted upon entering, giving him the same deferential
greeting as everyone else in acknowledgment to his new status. "You requested my
presence?"

"Hmm," Loki replied. "I need to know if there are any issues with Iðavöllr which I need to be
made aware of. Items which Father was handling?"

"None that I can think of," Lady Borgunna answered. "Everything is running normally at the
moment."

"Good. Security will be stepped up as we are officially at war with Jötunheimr, so you will
need to take this into account as far as it will impact on the ability and speed of your staff to
carry out their duties."

To her credit, Lady Borgunna hardly blinked at his pronouncement. "Of course, Your
Majesty."

Vaguely Loki was aware of the Einherjar who had joined General Týr and Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr leaving Glaðsheimr, but it only registered due to his heightened awareness
of his surroundings at the moment.

"Also, did Father send his condolences to the families of the two Einherjar killed in the jötnar
incursion of the vault?" Loki asked.

As he was paying attention, Loki caught the subtle shift of Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's
stance which indicated he had caught the man's attention. Which probably meant General Týr
had overheard his question as well, though the older man showed no outward signs of it.

"Uh, nay, my Liege," Lady Borgunna responded, looking uncomfortable for a moment.

"Then please convey mine," Loki stated, hesitating only slightly before continuing. "And
inform them they will receive full military funerals with war benefits."

The urge to do this was not entirely rational, but Loki gave into it nonetheless. If anything, it
would reflect well on him, indicating generosity. Only he had to know 'twas driven by other,
darker, motivations. The Einherjars' deaths had not been anticipated and, if they had stuck to
their normal routine, then they would not have happened, but the knowledge did not do
anything to make him feel any less... guilty, he supposed. It had been his actions which had
precipitated the acts which had led to their deaths even if it would have been avoided if they
had done what they were supposed to. He still did not know what they had been doing in the
vault, but it hardly mattered now.

"War benefits," Lady Borgunna repeated, startled.

"That attack is what caused Thor to go to Jötunheimr," Loki explained. "'Tis directly related
to the war. The only reason Father did not call it such was because he had hoped to prevent
the treaty from breaking, but, now it has, I see no reason why not to recognize that as the start
of the war as it would otherwise have been."
 "That is most magnanimous, Majesty," General Týr intoned, giving up the pretense of not
listening in on the conversation. "I will ensure the proper protocols are followed to achieve
it."

"And I shall inform the families," Lady Borgunna added.

"Good," Loki said.

"Ah, King Loki, there is one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"You... uh, have not taken a meal in the Great Hall."

Loki frowned, both at her hesitance and the words themselves. "I have been otherwise
occupied."

"I understand," Lady Borgunna hastened to respond. "'Tis only that I believe it would be good
for the people to be able to see their new king, even if only briefly."

'Twas a valid point and one which Loki had not considered. He had been so focused on the
war he had entirely forgotten about the fact most had not yet seen him as king. 'Twas of less
importance, but he had to eat and it would allow him to achieve two things at once. Besides,
breaking his fast alone had been awkward with simply his guard and the servants for
company.

"Very well, I shall dine in the Great Hall tonight," Loki decided.

Chapter End Notes

There you go, Loki's first High Council meeting of his reign, and he's off to a far better
start than poor Loptr ever was! Let me know what you think of this set of characters so
far!

Original Characters' Names:

Borgunna - I chose this name from a list of older Scandinavian names as the first part
translates as 'to help' in Old Norse. Besides, I just really liked the name :)

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages - seiðkona is the singular
seiðmenn - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + menn (“men”) - i.e.
wizards/sorcerers/mages - seiðmadr is the singular
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
jötnar - "frost giants" - jötunn is the singular
íviðjur - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar. The
singular is íviðja.
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr

Regarding language, yes I know a lot of wrong pronouns were used here regarding the
jötnar, but that was deliberate. A lot of the characters are either ignorant of it or
deliberately use the wrong ones. This will slowly change with time, but it's part of what
made this fic a nightmare to edit, as I had to keep thinking of who was speaking and
when in the fic we were.

You may have noticed that Helblindi's title is princex, this is one of several gender
neutral options for the prince/princess range. This is used as official titles are a lot more
important for official occasions and so are picked up faster. The reason Laufey is still
referred to as king is because the jötnar are aware having the same title for both rulers is
confusing to the other Realms and so they used their titles & conventions in All-Speak
to make the distinction clear. For them, though, both king and queen have the same title.

Up next week: Loki takes petitions in Valaskjálf and, well, we all know who turned up
then in the movie! Plus we shall see Heimdallr in person too. This next chapter is the
2nd longest of the fic, so there will be lots going on.
 Chapter 9
Chapter Notes

Hello everyone, I hope you had or are having a lovely day! Here is the next chapter for
you, with some characters many of you have been eagerly waiting for. Things also move
a bit faster here as Loki starts to implement his plans.

I've also realized that I didn't add a note to the start of the fic as I'd meant to about both
the absolute & relative ages of characters. As is the case in so much of the MCU, the
finer details are all over the place. Here is what we know from the different movies
regarding this topic:
1) Thor - Loki is, at most, 1,046 years old, as the war took place in 965 A.D.
2) Thor: The Dark World - the æsir live to about 5,000 years of age.
3) Thor: Ragnarok - Loki & Thor are twins ("... we were eight, at the time.").
4) Avengers: Infinity War - Thor is 1,500 years old.

So, yes, that all makes total sense. Particularly the bit with Thor being nearly 500 years
older than Loki (when not pretending to be twins) and not knowing Loki was adopted.
Well, unless you want to pretend Ásgarðr has super bad sexual education. Therefore I
decided to ignore points 3 & 4 (the latter which came out after I'd started this fic,
anyway) and run with 1 & 2 only, in addition to saying Thor isn't that much older than
Loki.

Since I find it almost impossible to believe that Thor could have pulled off a successful
regency while Óðinn was in a previous Óðinnsleep, I'm going with the æsir only coming
of age at 1,000 years. So Thor was still too young to be regent the last time Óðinn slept -
otherwise the first whole movie wouldn't have gone the way it did.

I hope that makes sense!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Valaskjálf suddenly felt alien to Loki in a way it had never done before. 'Twas one of the halls
he had frequented so often in his life, he could no longer recall a time when it had not been
familiar to him. Even viewing it from the vantage point of Hliðskjálf itself was not new, as he
had stood beside Óðinn oft enough as his father held court or entertained foreign dignitaries.
Therefore he was not quite certain what it was which felt so strange now, but something
definitely did.

Briefly Loki hesitated, simply looking at Hliðskjálf, before he gave himself a mental shake
and seated himself upon it. That it was a magical object was instantly apparent, as seiðr
swelled through him, connecting with both Gungnir in his hand and Ásgarðr at the back of
his mind to thrum pleasantly through his own seiðr and core. The latter felt a little strained,
but not as badly as he had feared.

"Allow people in, but separately," Loki ordered.

He did not need the entirety of the court to witness his interaction with Lady Sif and the
Warriors Three, not if 'twas anything like what Loptr had described.

Loki let out a small breath of relief when the first person to enter was not one of Thor's
friends. Then he focused all of his attention on the matter at hand. Most of it was minor stuff
and he half suspected people were finding an excuse to seek him out, simply to see if the
latest rumors were true. 'Twas not the case of all of them, though, as some seemed genuinely
surprised to find him seated upon Hliðskjálf instead of Óðinn.

"All-Father, we must speak with you urgently."

Lady Sif's voice preceded her into Valaskjálf and Loki forced his suddenly tense muscles to
unclench, taking on a far more relaxed and almost carefree pose through centuries of practice.
He was almost certain Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had noticed the transition, as the man was
watching him far too closely to have missed it, but it would be more than enough to fool
anyone else. Even those who had been amongst the people the most physically close to him
these past few centuries.

The look of shock which slowly morphed to horror and confusion as it crossed the faces of
the few people he had once hoped to consider his friends pleased Loki in a dark way, even as
it told him the news had not reached them. They had probably been far too busy plotting and
commiserating over the unfairness of Thor's punishment to bother lowering themselves to
listen or pay attention to the servants.

"My friends," Loki greeted them, almost choking on the anger which swamped him yet again
at the knowledge of what was to come.

Of what they would do to him after all of the centuries he had fought beside them and saved
their lives.

"Where is Óðinn?" Fandral demanded, all signs of the respect they had entered the hall with
gone as they drew closer.

Loki's hand tightened around Gungnir as he swallowed back all the things he wanted to say...
nay scream, at them.

Calm. Control.

"Father has fallen into the Óðinnsleep. Mother fears he may never awaken again."

Truth, but with a more negative spin than was absolutely necessary.

Take the bait little warriors...

"We would speak with her," Lady Sif demanded, as if she had every right to do so.
Interestingly enough, Loki detected a faint twitch in the posture of one of the two Einherjar
who stood before him on either side of Hliðskjálf. So, even they were upset at the disrespect
being shown him. It had been a long time since anyone seemed to notice the way Thor's
friends treated him and 'twas heartening.

"She has refused to leave my father's bedside. You can bring your urgent matter to me," Loki
replied, deciding to give them a strong push as a final consideration for all of the centuries
they had spent together. Ergo, he rose to his feet and thumped Gungnir to the ground before
him as did so. "Your king."

That finally seemed to get through to them with Volstagg being the first to clasp his fist to his
chest and kneel, but 'twas still far too slow and the others only followed after a visible pause.

"My King," Lady Sif said, voice as fake as could be, though Loki expected no less from
someone as inept at subtlety and deception as her. "We would ask that you end Thor's
banishment."

There it was, exactly as Loptr had said it would be. Loki snorted softly before he moved
closer to the four traitors-in-waiting.

"My first command cannot be to undo the All-Father's last," Loki stated, ignoring everything
from the High Council meeting in favor of the elegance it lent his words.

He paused, thought about adding more to try and drive the point home, but decided not to.
'Twas not like they would listen, and Loki would rather send them on their way faster than
have them linger here with him. Instead he went for something he knew they would not like.

"Thor will return once he has learned from his mistakes."

His words struck true and Lady Sif had risen to her feet before Fandral and Hogun could stop
her, though they managed to prevent her from taking more than a few steps forward. 'Twas
more than enough for the Einherjar, though, and Loki could all but feel the increase in tension
rolling off them. How was it all four of Ásgarðr's supposedly best warriors outside of Thor
could remain so oblivious to it?

"Aye, of course," Fandral said, almost more to break the silence than anything else.

Well, either that or to draw Loki's attention from Lady Sif's atrocious and borderline
threatening behavior. She truly was far closer to treason than he had ever even realized, at
least when it concerned him.

"Good, then you will wait for my word."

Nay, they would not, but Loki had to say it. To make it clear he expected them to remain on
Ásgarðr.

"If I may beg the indulgences of your Majesty," Volstagg began, full of fake respect and near
laughter at the charade. "To perhaps reconsider-"

"We are done," Loki snapped, his patience and tolerance gone.
His lack of submissiveness, and refusal to give them anything, clearly shocked the four and
Loki took far too much pleasure from seeing them so uncertain of themselves and at such a
loss for what to do. The Warriors Three, at least, had just enough grace left to make an
attempt at obedience, but Lady Sif glared at him outright, shaking her head ever so slightly.
Loki met her gaze head on until she finally turned away and followed the others out of
Valaskjálf. He stood there a moment longer before turning around himself to return to
Hliðskjálf, his gaze meeting the troubled one of Lieutenant-General Yngvarr as he did so.

Intrigued, Loki raised an inquiring eyebrow as he cocked his head. Although he had always
known the Einherjar in general, and the king's guard in particular, interacted with his father,
he had not ever witnessed such interactions, instead merely seeing the Einherjar standing as
silent guards. Not that he had ever forgotten they were there, unlike some people.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr took it as a sign to approach and Loki allowed it as he retook his
seat on Hliðskjálf.

"Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr began hesitantly. "They, Lady Sif and the Warriors
Three..."

Loki snorted. "To them I am nothing more than the little brother who accompanied them on
Thor's quests."

"Familiarity does not excuse their behavior and appalling lack of decorum. You are their king
now."

"They will never view me as such since they could never respect my contributions before, as
they were of seiðr rather than purely physical. Even if it has saved their lives more than
once."

The lieutenant-general did not so much as blink at the mention of his seiðr and Loki
wondered if 'twas simply because Yngvarr was an ultimate professional, or because, as the
head of the king's guard, he was more accustomed to the use of seiðr and seiðmenn. It could
be as simple as the man appreciating any skill on the part of his charge which made Yngvarr's
job easier.

"Majesty, if I may, their disrespect bordered on outright disobedience."

"Hmm," Loki hummed, looking away for a moment before returning his sharp eyes to the
lieutenant-general.

The man seemed to be an unexpected ally and, while Loki was loath to trust anyone just now,
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr did not know the truth of his heritage and had been loyal to his
father for millennia. He was also professional enough to not do anything, both out of respect
for Óðinn's choice of the line of succession and because 'twas his job, and therefore his honor
and pride.

"If you are trying to say you think they will act on their disrespect, then I agree," Loki finally
decided. He might as well take the allies where he found them. "My guess is they will
attempt to reach Thor."
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's eyes widened slightly at that. Clearly the man had not quite
thought they would go so far. Loki was glad he had not been the only one to be blindsided by
the sheer scale of their treason.

"They would actively seek to overthrow you," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr breathed in

realization.

"'Tis my fear, aye."

"Shall I have them watched, Your Majesty?"

"If you have someone who can do so subtly," Loki replied.

He was about to continue when he suddenly felt Heimdallr's gaze turn their way, and he
hesitated for a second, before throwing up a block. It would strike the gatekeeper as
suspicious, but he had no desire for Heimdallr to know the preparations he was putting in
place. He could not help but wonder at how Óðinn could stand to be secretly watched so
often. Or was his father not aware of how frequently Heimdallr did so? Surely Óðinn had to
be able to sense it too. Unless it was simply something his father had grown accustomed to
over the millennia. He himself never had, though, and Loki had actively gone out of his way
to learn how to mask his presence from the gatekeeper long ago. The mere thought of how
easily he had been watched as a child made him shudder. No wonder so many of his early
schemes of greater mischief had failed rather spectacularly.

Ironically, it had simply taught him patience and honed his skills at subtlety and deception.

"We have those who regularly train against our best," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied,
voice underscored with disgust. "Of whom, I am ashamed to say, Lady Sif and the Warriors
Three are considered to be amongst."

Oh, his former friends had truly enraged his new protector.

Loki nearly smiled at the thought. It had been far too long since anyone from Ásgarðr had
deemed them dishonorable. 'Twas something he was far more used to hearing on other
Realms, who took a very different view of what was honorable.

"Very well, then do so," Loki said. "But I want your men to observe only, even if the Warriors
Four should make for the Bifröst."

"Majesty?"

"I need to know if Heimdallr would facilitate their treason or not."

Pure and utter shock appeared on Yngvarr's face. "The gatekeeper?" he demanded before
looking around furtively.

"He cannot see or hear us at present," Loki reassured the lieutenant-general. "And aye,
Heimdallr. He allowed Thor and us passage to Jötunheimr simply because his pride was hurt
at not having seen the jötnar force which attacked the vault. I need to know if 'twas a one-
time dereliction of his duty or whether 'tis part of a larger pattern of behavior."
"Of course, Your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr bowed deeply. "I shall have the
watchers report back if Lady Sif and the Warriors Three head for the Bifröst, but allow them
to approach Heimdallr."

"Good," Loki stated. "Even if Heimdallr allows them passage, they will be stuck on Miðgarðr
until such time as we allow them to return, so they pose little threat there."

The hesitancy was back and Loki cocked his head in inquiry.

"Pardon my forwardness, Your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr began cautiously. "But

as regards Thor himself?"

This time 'twas Loki's turn to be shocked, his eyebrows shooting up as he realized exactly
what it was the lieutenant-general was asking. He felt a surprising amount of instinctive
anger at the mere thought of anyone insinuating something like that about his brother. He bit
the emotion back, though, knowing 'twas a perfectly valid question for the head of his
personal guard to ask given the circumstances, and the fact the traitors they knew about were
Thor's closest friends.

Luckily he knew from what Loptr had said that not even the truth of his jötnar heritage had
managed to turn Thor against him, so he felt relatively safe on this front. He was the little
brother, after all, much as he resented what it implied at times. Though Thor was more than
welcome to Hliðskjálf, as 'twas as confining and restrictive as he had known it would be, and
that was when he had an actual problem to keep him occupied with. He could not even
imagine what it would be like without that.

He would go mad from the sheer monotony and boredom, Loki knew. Even presiding over
the Princes' Court tried all of his patience at the best of times. People had such petty
concerns.

"Thor will not be a problem," Loki declared firmly. "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three may
rile him up to the point of brash action and harsh words, but that is all. Besides, he is mortal
at present and possesses none of his usual strength."

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr bowed his head to acknowledge his words, but Loki could still
read the concern and worry in his eyes. It amused him and he smiled briefly.

"Make your plans, Guardian, I will not stop you, but be very careful before acting upon
them."

"Your Majesty."

With a flick of his finger, Loki dismissed him before nodding at the seneschal waiting to
allow more people in to see him. He would entertain a few more petitioners before paying
Heimdallr a visit. As Lady Borgunna had said, it would do well for people to see him on
Hliðskjálf.

"You may stop restricting entrance," Loki ordered.

The need for discretion had passed and the court would do well with more information rather
than less at present. It should help to dispel some of the rumors, if nothing else.

Loki was just finishing up with a noble who had merely come to pay his respects to the new
king when Lord Aðalgrímr entered Valaskjálf, several scrolls in his hand. He indicated to the
seneschal that he was done for the day before motioning for Lord Aðalgrímr to join him as he
rose to his feet and headed out of the hall. There was a small chamber right behind Hliðskjálf
used for private audiences and Loki waited there with his Einherjar.

"Your Majesty, I have the missives for Jötunheimr, Álfheimr and Vanaheimr," Lord
Aðalgrímr informed him as soon as he entered the chamber.

"Do we need to send anything with the one to Laufey-King?" Loki asked as he held out his
hand for that scroll.

Some Realms expected particular gifts or tokens to be sent with certain types of missives.
Oddly enough, Jötunheimr's traditions had never been amongst those he had been taught. He
had not thought anything of it at the time, as there simply was no contact with Jötunheimr,
but now he could not help but wonder if it had not been a deliberate omission on Óðinn's
part. Regardless, he resented the gap in his education.

"Not given the current situation, nay," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "As 'tis, I must admit to
having some concern as to my reception when I deliver the scroll."

'Twas a valid concern given how their last interaction on Jötunheimr had ended and Loki was
not certain whether Laufey would attempt to have Lord Aðalgrímr killed out of pure spite.
Yet to send anyone else would be viewed as a slight.

"I assume General Týr has arranged for an escort?" Loki questioned as he unrolled the scroll
to look at it.

"A small one, aye," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed. "We do not wish to make it too large and risk
it being taken as anything more than an escort."

Or for Laufey to be able to pretend he saw it as such. The problem was a lot of this came
down to what kind of mood his birth father was in and whether he had any intention of
considering anything other than outright war. They could only hope the lure of the Casket of
Ancient Winters was enough to make him at least consider it. If Laufey paused long enough
to read the missive, then it probably would be as Lord Aðalgrímr had been his usual eloquent
self and made it quite clear that he, King Loki (his name was explained no doubt to make it
clear that Laufey would be facing neither his old opponent who had defeated him, nor the
prince who had invaded his home), wished to meet him at the negotiating table with nothing
placed off limits from the start. That was where the emphasis on his name and titles came
into play once more. With Jötunheimr's isolation, they were less likely to know of his
reputation as the Silvertongue and so Laufey would be more likely to view him as the more
naive and less trained brother of Óðinn's heir.
An easier target. Loki's eyes flashed and he smiled predatorily as he read the eloquent words.
Lord Aðalgrímr did always do excellent work and he noticed all of the official and polite
words and titles from Bestla's book in the missive as well.

"Is it acceptable, Your Majesty?" Lord Aðalgrímr inquired.

"'Tis excellent as usual, Lord Aðalgrímr," Loki replied, moving to the table so he could add
his signature to the bottom and seal the scroll with his seiðr, thus making it official.

He glanced quickly over the scrolls for Álfheimr and Vanaheimr before doing the same for
those as well.

"Are you heading for Jötunheimr first?" Loki asked.

"Aye, I thought it best to give Laufey-King as much time as possible to consider the option,
but also to limit any more offensive actions he might currently be planning."

"I will accompany you to Himinbjörg then," Loki said, glancing over at Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr to allow him to send word to the stables to prepare their horses. "I need to speak
with Heimdallr and I wish to know immediately how Laufey-King reacts to your presence, so
we can take appropriate action if necessary."

"Of course, my King."

Loki had to admit to being surprised at the reactions he received from the people as they rode
through the city on their way to the Bifröst. He had chosen his outfit last night to make a
regal impression on any who saw him, but he had not quite expected to be treated as
differently as he was. He had known some would greet him as those in Iðavöllr had been,
their being far too traditional to allow his presence on Hliðskjálf to persuade them to reacting
in any other way. But he honestly had not expected for anyone else to show him quite such
deference. The transient nature of their interaction allowing for it not to be a break in
decorum. Yet, instead of that, almost all of those who noticed his passage in time, paused
long enough to clasp their fists over their hearts and bowed forward at the waist.

He was not quite certain what to call the emotions this provoked, but it swelled within him
and Loki had to struggle to keep it from his face. Instead he acknowledged as much of the
deference as he could with a dip of his head, though most people did not look up in time for
him to do so.

"'Twas good of you to ride out," Lord Aðalgrímr said, drawing his horse up beside Loki's
once they reached the rainbow bridge and slowed slightly. "It reassures the people to see
you."

"Even if it confirms Thor's absence and Father's sleep?" Loki questioned.

"Aye, as it answers the question of which rumors may be true and allows them to see
Hliðskjálf is in hand despite the upset to the line of succession and the king succumbing to
the Óðinnsleep."
It probably helped that most did not know this Óðinnsleep was so very different from
previous ones. Loki did not like to think too much about it or Óðinn's potential death, but he
knew it was a possibility he could not simply ignore, much as he wanted to. Should Óðinn
die without awakening, he would be left stuck with Hliðskjálf even if Thor were to complete
whatever task Father had left for him and returned restored. The law was quite clear that if
someone was ineligible for Hliðskjálf at the time of succession, then they had no right to it
when they were restored. 'Twas meant to prevent political upheaval should one king rise to
power justly only for another old heir to show up shortly after and legally dethrone them,
potentially causing chaos. The problem here was it would lead to someone being king whom
no one wanted so long-term, himself included.

Besides, he liked chaos and would like some just now.

Not that Loki expected he would remain in power for very long in such a situation. Even
now, when his brother was both ineligible and incapable of ruling Ásgarðr, there were those
rising up against him. He could only imagine how much worse it would become once Thor
returned to full power and was back on Ásgarðr, the respect he was being shown now
notwithstanding.

Heimdallr came out of Himinbjörg to meet them as they reached it and dismounted.

"Your Majesty," Heimdallr greeted, giving a shallow half-bow like the night before.

Loki doubted Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had missed it given their previous conversation,
but the man's face gave nothing away.

"Heimdallr, Lord Aðalgrímr and his escort require passage to Jötunheimr," Loki commanded
as he walked past the gatekeeper into Himinbjörg itself, glancing about quickly as he did so.

Now he was in a far more rational state of mind, Loki was vaguely horrified at the fact he had
seriously considered turning the Bifröst on Jötunheimr. Aye, it would have ended the war, but
it would also have caused irreparable damage to the Yggdrasill, the mere thought of which
turned his stomach. And, much as he did not want to think of the jötnar, he knew well most
were innocent and there would be countless children among their number, and he had always
abhorred the slaughter of those too young to either defend themselves or unable to have
caused anyone any offense to begin with. It would take him a long time to come to terms with
the fact he had come very close to being one who would do so.

"Laufey-King is preparing for war," Heimdallr stated as he moved over to fit Höfuð into
Himinbjörg. "He may not respond well to a peace emissary."

"We know, which is why you will observe closely and retrieve them at once should it seem
they are in any actual danger," Loki commanded, turning his back on the view of the Void to
look at the gatekeeper for a moment before turning his attention to Lord Aðalgrímr. "Do not
move far from the Bifröst site. Laufey-King or his men will come to you."

"Of course, my King," Lord Aðalgrímr replied, moving into position with his escort.
Loki moved so Heimdallr could send them on their way, noting how his guard had come into
Himinbjörg with the lieutenant-general standing in the entryway, sharp blue eyes observing
everything and everyone. Briefly it reminded him of Thor and how his brother acted if
someone had threatened him and Thor was not entirely certain the danger had passed yet. It
caused a sharp tug at his heart and he briefly missed his brother something fierce, before
anger overtook the emotion. 'Twas Thor's fault he was here, like this, now. If only the oaf had
listened to him on Jötunheimr or let the insult pass, they would not both be in this situation
they were in now.

With a flash of light, Lord Aðalgrímr and his escort were gone and Loki moved towards the
edge of Himinbjörg out of a sense of horrified fascination as he regarded the Void. To think
Loptr had been lost to it and survived... 'twas unimaginable and he shuddered to even
consider it. He would not allow it to happen to him, no matter what he had to do to ensure it.

"How fares Thor?" Loki requested when Heimdallr moved to stand beside him.

He could check for himself, but the gatekeeper was more easily able to view the actions of all
of those around his brother than he could.

"He is attempting to retrieve Mjǫllnir," Heimdallr told him.

"It will not respond to him," Loki stated. "He has not yet learned his lesson."

"And what lesson is that?"

"The one Father wished for him to learn. Mjǫllnir will not respond to him until he does, 'tis
the condition Father placed upon his banishment."

"Mjǫllnir is being studied by a militarized organization, if Thor is unable to retrieve it he will

be captured."

"But he has found himself some allies, aye?"

"There are three mortals, but I do not believe they have the power or authority to overcome
the organization."

"Nevertheless, we will allow them to try unless Thor is being physically harmed," Loki
ordered, turning to face Heimdallr. "What troubles you, Gatekeeper? Do you fear for Thor
so?"

"Nay, I turned my gaze upon you in Valaskjálf earlier but could neither see nor hear you. You
were shrouded from me like the frost giants that entered this Realm."

Ah, and so here they were, not quite as Loptr had foretold it, but Loki knew that was a good
thing. He wanted things changed. Given what he knew was coming, he resisted the
temptation to lower his voice, wanting the Einherjar to hear what he said. Due to Heimdallr's
status, the more proof he had of the man's treason the better, and any witnesses to the events
leading up to the final act would be crucial to ensure word of the truth spread.
"You have great power, Heimdallr. Did Father ever fear you?" Loki decided to demand
outright.

Fancy words and subtlety were all good and well in the right circumstances, but he wanted
there to be no confusion or room for misinterpretation here.

"Nay," Heimdallr responded immediately.

"And why is that?"

"Because he is my king and I am sworn to obey him."

The present tense was glaringly obvious.

"He was your king," Loki retorted. "And you are sworn to obey me now. Aye?"

"Aye."

Reluctant and clearly hesitant. Did no one even think to mask their treasonous thoughts? Or
were they so blinded by their own conviction they did not even consider their actions as
such? Luckily for him, not everyone was so stupid.

"Then you will open the Bifröst to Miðgarðr to no one until I have repaired the damage that
my brother has done," Loki ordered, wishing he could simply sweep from Himinbjörg now, it
would be quite a dramatic exit. Alas, he had a more important matter to attend to first. "How
fares Lord Aðalgrímr and his escort?"

"They remain at the Bifröst site," Heimdallr replied after a second's pause. "They were met
by a frost giant who has run off to the castle. Your emissary remains unscratched though they
are surrounded on all sides with land by frost giants."

"Jötnar," Loki corrected absently. "And 'tis a start, at the very least."

Business now done, he walked regally back to his mare, cape fluttering where the Einherjar
fell in behind him. A quick glance at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's face as he mounted his
horse showed him the man was clearly troubled by what he had just witnessed.

Good.

"Lord Ragnvaldr and I have been discussing when to make the official proclamation of the
war with Jötunheimr," General Týr said as he followed Loki through the corridors to the
vault. "And we think it best to do so at the end of the feast tonight."

"So late?" Loki questioned.

"We had thought of doing it earlier, but I would like to get the initial assessments of our
preparedness done before people start to worry and interfere."

"So you can immediately start handing out tasks and instructions on the morrow."
"Aye, my Liege."

"Very well. At least people will have been able to enjoy themselves one last time before all of
the real worry sets in."

"That was our other reason for doing it at the end of the feast. Plus it will already have
allowed them to see you at the head of the high table."

Loki glanced at the general walking beside him out of the corner of his eye. They had clashed
so oft over the course of the past few centuries that a large part of him was still in disbelief
they appeared to be working together, even if they had clashed constantly during the High
Council meeting that morning. It probably should not surprise him as he was the king and
Týr was sworn to both serve and protect him as head of Ásgarðr's army, but with those far
closer to him betraying him, he could hardly be faulted for his doubts and lack of trust. So he
would be cautiously optimistic while still preparing for yet another knife in the back.

"Majesty," General Týr began, stopping after a quick look around.

Loki frowned and turned to look at the older man, his guard stopping around them. "Aye,
General?"

His curiosity was peaked, even more so when Týr glanced around uncertainly once more.
While he did not need yet another problem to deal with, Loki could admit to being intrigued.
At least he could not say his time on Hliðskjálf so far had been boring.

"Is it... safe to speak?" General Týr inquired, tilting his head subtly.

Given all which had already happened earlier in the day, it only took Loki a moment to
realize the man did so in the direction of the Bifröst. Oh, now he was truly interested to see
where this was going. He made a slightly more elaborate than necessary gesture with his
hand, concealing them from Heimdallr's sight and hearing.

"'Tis now," Loki stated.

"I have been informed there are concerns as to the loyalty of certain highly trusted warriors,"
General Týr came right out and said.

"It would seem there are those who are unwilling to accept seeing me on Hliðskjálf instead of
my brother. Whether they will act on that sentiment or not has yet to be seen."

Well, at least for the rest of them. Loki knew.

"And Heimdallr?"

"Lieutenant-General, your thoughts?" Loki asked, moving slightly aside to allow the man to
step forward and join them.

He did not doubt Yngvarr was the source of the general's information, but Loki did not mind.
'Twas the man's job to see to his safety and if the danger came from within, then it was the
lieutenant-general's duty to inform not only his superiors, but the one who was ultimately
responsible for the traitors as well. But, unless Loki very much missed his guess, Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr had last communicated with General Týr before they had gone to
Himinbjörg, and then probably via a missive as the man had not left his side all day.

"I have to admit I did not like his attitude earlier when we saw him," Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr said, stepping forward. "He was borderline disrespectful and he failed to greet you
properly."

The man did not know Loki had already spoken with Heimdallr since he had become king,
but, as the gatekeeper had not given him the proper fealty then either, he thought it best to let
the assumption lie.

"What concerned me most, though," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr continued. "Was how he

spoke of King Óðinn in the present, as if he were currently on Hliðskjálf and of how his -
Heimdallr's - oath is to him rather than to Hliðskjálf."

General Týr swore vehemently and Loki could well understand why. He too had been utterly
caught off-guard when Loptr had first informed him of Heimdallr's upcoming betrayal. Oddly
enough, he had found it easier to believe of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three than of the
gatekeeper. From them 'twas more a case of them favoring Thor over him, and well, he was
certain that on some level they were well aware their fortunes were tied to his brother. Should
Thor never ascend to Hliðskjálf, they would fail to gain all of the status they had probably
come to view as theirs by rights. It would be a great coup for Lady Sif in particular.

"This is not what we need at present," General Týr finally stated.

Loki quirked an eyebrow at him. "I was unaware there was ever a good time for treason."

The unimpressed look the man sent him made Loki smile coldly. 'Twas true.

"Majesty, this makes your guard even more important."

"I have not tried to avoid them, General."

Much as he wanted to. Oh, well, except for his little jaunt down to the vault last night. Oops.

"Not this time, nay."

Ah, so General Týr was still miffed at the fact he had eluded his protections in the past, when
he had felt them either unnecessary or needlessly restrictive. It probably still smarted they
had never quite figured out how he had done it. Well, given the circumstances, he could give
them a little. For his own protection.

"I have never been accused of recklessness," Loki replied as he called forth a double and
stepped away invisibly. "I am also not quite as helpless as most people like to believe I am."

As he said it, Loki had his double bring up his hand, palm up, towards the general. When Týr
hesitated, he wiggled his fingers. After a quick glance at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr,
General Týr reached out to clasp his hand. The moment the man's hand would have touched
him, the illusion was disrupted and vanished in a rather more flashy than necessary shower of
green and gold seiðr.

"Norns!" General Týr exclaimed startled as he, Yngvarr and the guard immediately began to
look around with varying degrees of shock and alarm.

"King Loki?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr questioned when they failed to spot him.

With a smile, Loki called forth another double to appear behind him and General Týr.

"Aye?" his double responded, causing the two to spin around in surprise.

"Seiðr, seiðmadr," General Týr whispered as if reconsidering both words, and Loki made his
clone hum in response. "An illusion and... invisibility?"

"Aye, though the illusion need not be singular," Loki informed them through his double even
as he called forth a few more to appear all around them.

He also allowed himself to reappear among them, curious to see if either highly observant
man would be able to see him among the fakes. Almost no one ever had before, and
definitely no one from Ásgarðr. The way their eyes were flickering from one to the next, not
lingering any longer on him than his duplicates would indicate that nay, they could not.

"I am now visible," Loki and all of his clones said.

As if unable to help himself, one of the Einherjar reached out and one of his doubles vanished
in a shower of sparks. Though General Týr's remaining hand twitched as if he wanted to do
the same, the man refrained, instead taking the time to see if he could uncover the real one
among the illusions.

"Is there any tell?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr finally asked.

"Not that Thor has yet found despite many repeated attempts," Loki replied, calling his
doubles back to himself so only he remained. "His usual solution is to strike the ground with
Mjǫllnir to knock me off my feet."

'Twas a weakness he did not mind sharing as none of those with him possessed a weapon
which could cause similar damage. Plus, if they should come across an enemy who did, 'twas
important they knew of his limitations in this area.

"I did not realize your... seiðr was so realistic," General Týr replied, surprisingly diplomatic
for him.

From one of those who had so visibly disapproved of the time he spent studying it and his
'tricks' in general, 'twas a big compliment. That the man had also avoided that particular word
now, spoke volumes for how Loki's own reaction to it in the past had been noted.

Loki held the man's dark gaze for a moment before nodding. "Few do," he stated simply.

"Good."
 If only the man knew the extent of what he hid, General Týr might not be so happy no matter
how much it might help him and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr in their tasks now.

"Heimdallr seeks us," Loki said, deliberately shifting Gungnir to let them think he got the
information through it or his new access to... the Óðinnforce.

"You wish to leave all of them at their posts for now, I understand," General Týr said, getting
right back to the point.

"Hmm. At present all they have done is display disrespect and, Lady Sif's usual temper and
aggression aside, there has been no real threat to me," Loki explained, moving toward the
vault once more. "And she along with the Warriors Three will make the perfect test of
Heimdallr's loyalties. A test which, should he fail, will place them where they cannot cause
any further damage either to me directly, or by attempting to instigate further treason."

"I wish we could take them now," General Týr growled, his fist clenching.

'Twas probably a huge blow to the man's pride and honor that so many of those deemed to be
among his best were on the verge of not only dishonoring themselves, but were actively
courting treason. Loki would not be surprised if the general went through the ranks with a
fine toothcomb after this. It would be too little, too late as far as Loki was concerned, but he
would let the man do it to soothe his wounded pride and, who knew, it might just uncover
something else. Even if not, it would cause a certain amount of chaos and that was something
he could never object to. It might not be either a known or used title of his, but he was the
God of Chaos amongst other things.

Once he was certain all conversation of treason and Heimdallr were done, he allowed his
working to lapse and immediately felt the gatekeeper's eyes snap his way. That had better
mean Lord Aðalgrímr and his men had returned or moved on to the next step of their
assignment.

Out of pure irritation, and because he now could, Loki lashed out with his seiðr at the
gatekeeper. Not harshly or with the intent to cause damage, but just enough to let Heimdallr
feel his displeasure for a while. The abrupt flinch and shock pleased him far more than it truly
should, but he had been waiting for over half a millennium to do that, so he would damn well
enjoy it.

Chapter End Notes

Game, set. Do you think they all have enough rope to hang themselves with, as Loki's
hoping they do?

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed seeing the Warriors Idiot and Heimdallr, as I've had a
lot of comments and questions about them and when they'd appear. You'll see I stuck
relatively close to the events of canon for the Valaskjálf scene in particular, but already
the changes are creeping in due to Loptr's actions. Still, I like to give little nods to Thor
wherever I can, as it's too much fun to resist, so do look out for those!

This chapter also contains the line I probably remember writing most from this fic:
Loki quirked an eyebrow at him. "I was unaware there was ever a good time for
treason."
I think it's because I can practically see Loki's face while saying this.

Old Norse:

Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Höfuð - "man-head" - Heimdallr's sword
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Miðgarðr - Earth
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmenn - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + menn (“men”) - i.e.
wizards/sorcerers/mages - seiðmadr is the singular
jötnar - "frost giants" - jötunn is the singular

And, no, I'm not making the name of Heimdallr's sword up. Ironic, right? Maybe that's
what gave the script writers the idea?

Up next week: The vault and the Casket of Ancient Winters...

 Chapter 10
Chapter Notes

Wow, such a massive response to the last chapter! I loved all the comments and
discussions, thanks :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When they finally reached the vault, 'twas to find a group of Einherjar already outside it,
most of whom he assumed were assigned to Uncle Vili as there were far more than normal.
The regular guards opened the vault door at his approach and his own men swept in to check
the chamber. Loki followed them in relatively quickly as he knew it would already have been
checked before his uncle had been allowed to enter. Indeed, only Uncles Vili and Vé were
inside, so he raised his free arm and dismissed his guard with a flick of his finger towards the
doors.

"Uncle Vili, Uncle Vé," Loki greeted as the doors were closed behind him.

"Loki," Uncle Vé replied.

Loki paused for a moment on the steps when he reached the place where his adoptive father
had collapsed, unable to stop himself from looking down and seeing it again. It had been the
absolute last thing he had expected to happen, so even now he could almost feel the shock of
the moment. Part of the reason why the Óðinnsleep had always disturbed him as much as it
did was because his father had always seemed almost larger than life; so incredibly powerful
and commanding. He had never quite come to terms with the Óðinnsleep and the need for it
and this had been with his father voluntarily entering it as he normally did.

So to see that powerful, strong man collapse into it before his very eyes...

It frightened Loki on a deep, instinctive level which had nothing to do with the fact he now
held the same power and so, theoretically, was at risk of it himself. Nay, despite all of the lies
and anger which stood between them now, both at what he had uncovered and at how he had
been treated the last few centuries, Loki could still easily recall Óðinn as the man had been
when he had been younger; when he had been more of a true father to him and it terrified him
to think he could lose him. That Óðinn might never wake once more and leave him behind
here, alone.

"Loki," Uncle Vili said softly.

With a little start, he looked up to find all three men watching him. The compassion on their
faces told Loki they had already guessed why he had become lost in his thoughts, so he did
not bother offering an excuse and instead moved to join them.
"I went to see Óðinn earlier and both Lady Eir and your mother are feeling more optimistic
than they were before," Uncle Vé told him.

"That is good, very good," General Týr stated before looking to Uncle Vili. "Has your family
been moved into Iðavöllr?"

"Aye, though my wife is not happy about it," Uncle Vili stated with a frown. "And Balðr is
pestering the servants with requests to double and triple check there is no mistletoe anywhere
near our suite."

Loki closed his eyes briefly at that, resisting the urge to roll them instead. He had warned his
cousin not to get his future read by that dökkálfr witch on Niðavellir, but the idiot had not
listened and was now not only obsessed with avoiding mistletoe at all costs, but had also all
but disowned his brother who was supposed to be the one to kill him. With mistletoe.

'Twas so utterly ridiculous Loki would laugh at it if 'twas not for the way it made practically
everyone look at his youngest cousin with outright suspicion. Even his aunt and uncle had all
but disowned him, taking the dökkálfr's word over that of their own son. As if such a
prophecy, even from the best seiðkona, was anything which was set in stone. And the
dökkálfr witch definitely was not even talented enough in seiðr to be considered a proper
seiðkona, not that anyone else seemed to care.

'Twas why he had gone to such great lengths to ensure the prophecy delivered by a far more
reliable völva about his own future had never seen the light of day. It had meant he had been
forced to alter the memories of the two nobles with him, one of whom was not even áss, but
his sense of self-preservation was far too great for him to have done anything else. Not with
the prophecy saying he would trigger Ragnarök. After seeing what everyone had done to
Lóðurr as a result of Balðr's prophecy, he did not even want to contemplate what they might
do to him in order to prevent Ragnarök.

'Twas such a pity as he had truly liked one of those nobles and could quite easily have seen
them becoming friends given more time together. Ever since the incident, though, the man
had avoided him and Loki could only guess he knew, on some deep instinctual level,
something had transpired which was not good. Loki was reluctantly impressed, even if it had
cost him a potential friendship. He still thought it worth it even if some version of the
prophecy must have made it to Miðgarðr as their myths had him tied up with Ragnarök,
though the sheer absurdity of some of their other stories should be enough to protect him if
anyone else ever bothered to look at them.

He never had been able to look at Sleipnir the same way since.

"And what of Lóðurr?" Loki asked.

Uncle Vili's face darkened and the man scowled. "I have no idea where Lóðurr is, he ran
away ten years ago and, as far as I know, no one has seen him since."

Anger swept through Loki once more at the dismissive words. How could Vili cast one of his
sons aside so easily? And, if his uncle could do it with a blood son, then how easily would
Óðinn be able to do it with him if the right situation were to arise? Loki tried to shove the
worry aside, but it lingered, insidiously creeping back into his thoughts.

"I will see what I can do," General Týr said when Loki looked at him.

"Uh, what would you like us to do?" Uncle Vé inquired after a few moments of
uncomfortable silence. "We dared not approach the Casket earlier for fear of awakening the
Destroyer."

Ah, aye, that.

Loki knew 'twas set to recognize Óðinn and his immediate family as friendly, but even he did
not know if that protection still extended towards his uncles or not. Loki also could not help
but wonder if Óðinn had been forced to implement special means to ensure the Destroyer did
not react violently to him. It would have been programmed to be especially vigilant of the
jötnar.

"Let me see what we have," Loki said, stepping forwards almost all the way up to the Casket.

There he stopped, put Gungnir to the ground and reached out with his seiðr, both towards
Ásgarðr and the Destroyer. Ásgarðr responded instantly, happily coiling around his seiðr and
helpfully guiding it to where he needed to go, faster than he would have found on his own.
He could now almost see the Destroyer before him, though 'twas still hidden in its usual
place. Then he could see through into it towards where seiðr had been woven into its essence,
and quite cleverly too. He would have to come back to study this later when he had the time
to do so. But as for the commands themselves...

"'Tis only set to myself, Father, Mother and Thor, but the Destroyer will not activate if the
king is present and has Gungnir," Loki said, deciding not to add Uncle Vili just yet.

Father had probably removed Uncles Vili and Vé for a reason, so best to leave it as it was
unless something changed.

"Do you want us to simply touch it in the first instance?" Uncle Vé asked, stepping closer.

"Hmm, but I actually want General Týr to do so first," Loki replied. "To see if it does
anything when merely touched. Unless you also have jötnar blood in your heritage, General?"

Loki already knew he did not as he had taken a quick look at the heritage books in the library,
but he wanted to start changing how taboo a subject 'twas to discuss.

"Nay, Your Majesty," General Týr responded.

"Then please, go ahead."

The lack of hesitation on the general's part when he did so was heartening for Loki, since it
proved the man at least trusted him this far. He knew from experience that his brother's
friends would not have done so without additional assurances, and occasional threats, on his
part.
Loki stepped around General Týr so he could observe the Casket of Ancient Winters closely.
Now he thought about it, he did not think he had ever seen anyone ever touch it other than
himself, and it most definitely had reacted to him even if he had been far too distraught to
pay much attention to how it had done so.

As expected, absolutely nothing happened when General Týr placed his hand on one of the
Casket's handles, letting the stump of his other arm rest gently on the opposite one.

"Can you feel anything?" Uncle Vili asked, stepping up beside the general.

"Nay," Týr responded. "Well, other than that 'tis cold, very cold, but I assume that to be
expected. King Óðinn said as much when he first took it."

"Thank you, General," Loki said. "Feel free to go if you wish to."

"Actually, if 'tis all the same to you, Majesty, I would like to remain and see what happens."

"Of course."

Loki had not truly expected General Týr to go given they were testing what the man would
view as a jötnar weapon, but it would have made things a little easier for him. Unfortunately
he could not think of a valid reason to ask the general to go.

Uncles Vili and Vé exchanged a glance as General Týr stepped back before Vili moved
forward to stand before the Casket. His uncle hesitated, but without looking at him, so Loki
assumed it had more to do with fear of what might happen due to his jötnar blood than that
Uncle Vili worried about the Destroyer reacting. Finally his uncle placed his hands on the
handles and almost immediately the Casket lit up. 'Twas not as bright a reaction as it had
been for him, but Loki could definitely see a difference, with the swirling blue glowing more
brightly.

"Well, that confirms it can tell those of jötnar heritage," General Týr commented, brown eyes
a little wider.

"Can you feel anything, Brother?" Uncle Vé asked.

"I... I am uncertain," Uncle Vili frowned, his eyes narrowing as he concentrated.

Of course not, Loki thought as he bit back the unflattering words which wished to escape. All
of the ás had been so busy ignoring seiðr they probably would not recognize it even if it
swirled all around them.

"Try focusing on the Casket and willing it to light up more," Loki offered instead.

He would tell his uncle not to think of doing anything else if he was not afraid the instruction
would do exactly the opposite instead. There were a few moments of silence as they allowed
Vili to concentrate before the man stepped back, rubbing his hands together as he shook his
head.

"I do not feel anything and it does not respond," Uncle Vili declared, looking slightly pale.
Loki let it go as this exercise was more of a front than anything else. He would allow the
Casket of Ancient Winters to visibly respond to him, while also pretending he would need
more time than he did to do so. They would write it off as a combination of his inheritance
from Bestla and his seiðr, and he would have what he needed. Simply the fact it lit up for
Uncle Vili was enough of a success for him. Now if only Uncle Vé could garner a greater
reaction from it...

"I suppose 'tis my turn then," Uncle Vé said, his voice a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"I always wished to examine it, but Óðinn would not let me as he thought it was best simply
kept down here."

Uncle Vili snorted. "You always were fascinated with it. I remember you pestering Mother
for more stories or information on it all the time."

"The concept of it is intriguing," Uncle Vé explained. "Its supposed origins are so fantastical
as to sound like something out of a myth and yet its existence is real, and most of its
attributed powers have been witnessed and confirmed."

"Its origins?" Loki questioned, realizing he might have overlooked a source of information on
the Casket if Uncle Vé had always been so fascinated with it.

Bestla may well have told her sons far more about the heart of Jötunheimr than she had ever
dared write down in her book.

"Aye, its name comes from the fact that supposedly Mother Winter herself took the might and
power of the storms and winters of Jötunheimr from before Ymir's time and imbued them
into the Casket," Uncle Vé explained. "Mind you, this is from a time when Jötunheimr is
supposed to have been far more savage, wild and unpredictable than 'tis now, as the legend
goes that Ymir tamed it when he first arrived, bringing order from chaos."

"Jötunheimr now is supposedly less harsh than it was back then?" General Týr exclaimed in
disbelief.

Uncle Vé shrugged. "'Tis how the legend goes."

There was that reference again. Mother Winter.

"Am I correct in thinking Mother Winter is some form of jötnar religious figure?" Loki
inquired. "I have only come across vague references to her."

"It seems to depend on whom you ask," Uncle Vili winced. "Mother definitely seemed to
think she was a very real figure, irrevocably tied to the Casket of Ancient Winters, I believe."

"Aye," Uncle Vé agreed. "Not only is she supposed to have created it, but 'twas deemed her
artefact and domain."

"That is why 'twas kept in a temple," General Týr mused. "I had always wondered if Laufey
had simply put it there for safe keeping."
"In a temple?" Loki breathed, his heart stopped in his chest as he could not help but wonder if
'twas the same temple as the one Óðinn had found him in.

Had he been kept with the Casket? If so, it would hardly seem to indicate he had been
abandoned. Loptr was right, a temple was an odd place to leave an infant to die, especially if
one were at all religious. It seemed almost counterintuitive. So had Óðinn lied to him or was
Laufey simply so irreverent as to do something so profane as filicide on Holy ground?

General Týr shrugged. "'Twas not exactly the first place we would have looked for it, which I
had thought might have been the whole point."

"Nay," Uncle Vé stated decisively. "That was simply where they kept the Casket of Ancient
Winters when not otherwise in use. The temple was specially built for it and dedicated to
Mother Winter. 'Tis also where the íviðjur trained and lived."

"What?" Loki demanded, head swinging over before he caught himself and tried to
backpedal. "But I thought they were advisors to the king? Surely they would live in the
palace."

"Castle," Uncle Vili corrected with a frown. "And I suppose they might have lived in both
places. A lot of this is only rumors and hearsay, though, as there had not been an íviðja born
in millennia last I heard."

"Not to mention Laufey-King was rumored not to believe in the old ways and perhaps not
even Mother Winter," Uncle Vé added. "It caused quite a scandal when he claimed 'twas not
true, as for most of the jötnar 'tis nearly gospel."

"Íviðjur?" General Týr asked.

"Smaller jötnar, more like our size and very strong in seiðr," Loki explained quickly.
"Therefore deemed advisors to the king on all matters seiðr. I suppose it makes sense given
they would be the keeper of the Casket in a way. They were the equivalent of shamans to
Mother Winter, correct?"

"Aye," Uncle Vé confirmed before he stepped up to the Casket himself. "Here I go."

With that, his youngest uncle took hold of the Casket. As before it started to glow more
brightly and Loki thought it might be responding a bit more strongly to Vé than it had for
Vili, but 'twas hard to be certain.

"Oh, that is odd, most peculiar," Uncle Vé muttered in awe. "Unless I very much miss my
guess, that is seiðr I sense. Ancient and powerful too, though 'tis hardly a surprise."

"Can you tell anything else?" Loki asked. "Like whether 'tis reaching out to you or interacting
with the environment in any way?"

"I... think it may be trying to connect to me, but I cannot be certain."

Fool had always refused to get proper training for his fledgling seiðr.
"And if you try to focus on it to make it glow brighter?"

At first there was nothing and Loki felt disappointed. While he did not need for either of his
uncles to be able to make the Casket do anything more than they already had, it would have
been nice as it would help to solidify his own cover story, especially if it had been Uncle Vé
to do it.

Then, suddenly, there was a far brighter flash of blue light from the Casket accompanied by
an odd... whine almost before it all vanished as Vé cried out and stumbled backwards.

"Brother!" Uncle Vili cried out, moving to grab Vé. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"I... I do not know," Uncle Vé stuttered. "I connected with something, I think, but it...
slithered out of my grasp and then seemed to... pulse back at me. I do not think it likes me
very much."

That... was most peculiar. While Loki had definitely heard of magical artefacts taking on
unusual and semi sentient aspects before, this seemed different. An inbuilt defense
mechanism perhaps, to prevent exactly what they were trying to do; to have half or part jötnar
utilize the ancient weapon and heart of Jötunheimr? It would make sense from a certain
perspective, as those of mixed heritage were logically more likely to have split loyalties. Not
that full jötnar could not be against Jötunheimr or loyal to another Realm. He was the perfect
example of such a one, not that he planned to turn the Casket of Ancient Winters against
Jötunheimr. Not only would it irrevocably harm the Yggdrasill, but he had no doubt the
Casket was probably protected against being utilized as such.

"Like?" General Týr questioned. "You make it sound alive."

"Mjǫllnir," Loki answered simply, before he held out Gungnir to the man. "My turn."

"Do you think it wise, Your Majesty?" Týr asked, reluctantly taking the King's Staff. "After
what happened to Prince Vé?"

"Uncle Vili was fine and I am a trained seiðmadr," Loki replied, calling forth a double which
was slightly larger than himself.

Not so much as to be visibly the wrong size, but just enough so he could hide inside of it.
Having made himself invisible, Loki allowed his double to step forward to take hold of the
Casket of Ancient Winters. He then extended his illusion in order to make the Casket glow a
little brighter, but not nearly as much as it had for either of his uncles.

"I guess this proves the blood theory," Uncle Vili commented.

"Can you feel anything?" Uncle Vé asked, stepping a little closer once more.

"Power, ancient power," Loki replied, remembering well that much. "'Tis definitely full of
seiðr and I can feel it does have properties similar to both Mjǫllnir and Gungnir. While it
would not necessarily require a seiðberandi to use it, anyone who wished to wield it would
definitely need to be trained to do so if they had no seiðr of their own."
"Do you feel this almost sentience Prince Vé did?" General Týr inquired.

"Not yet, but I have yet to reach out to it with my own seiðr," Loki replied. "I will do so
now."

With that he stepped forward and into his double like slipping on a second skin. Or was it a
third skin for him? Regardless, by doing so he ensured none would witness his own form
shift and take on the features of his birth form. He could feel it doing so as soon as he
actually took hold of the Casket of Ancient Winters. The icy feel of the change washed over
him and he forcibly ignored it in favor of focusing on the Casket this time. 'Twas not so hard
to do as he had feared as the Casket was a wonder to behold now he chose to do so.

It instantly lit up at his touch, glowing far, far brighter than it had for either of his uncles,
even when Vé had garnered a reaction from it. The light also started to spin and swirl inside
the Casket far faster than before, like a brutal winter's storm gearing up for a truly spectacular
blizzard and Loki could not help but wonder if the myths Uncle Vé had mentioned earlier
were at all accurate. It definitely felt like there was a tremendously powerful storm brewing
in the artefact and he was in no doubt of the power the Casket was capable of if unleashed.

It humbled him to have that type of power in his hands. At the back of his mind Ásgarðr
stirred cautiously and it felt surreal to feel her reaching out carefully, as if to see what this
new power was for herself. She stopped short of actually touching it, though, but 'twas close
enough for him to be intimately aware of the spark and... electricity, almost, of having two
such incredibly powerful entities so close together inside of him. It energized and drained
him all at once and Loki could not help but wonder if he were strong enough to contain it all.
He also wondered if 'twas something like this which sent his father into the Óðinnsleep, since
he could well see it draining him if given half a chance.

Almost as if aware of the thought, Ásgarðr instantly shifted back, withdrawing to the back of
his mind, but Loki could easily feel 'twas not a retreat from the Casket of Ancient Winters
itself. She had instead done it for him. Sending her his silent thanks, Loki dropped his
illusion from the Casket, making it look like he had only just succeeded in connecting with it.
Vaguely he heard the exclamations of surprise and wonder from the others, but he chose to
focus on reaching out towards it.

At first his seiðr seemed to merely skim over the surface of the Casket as one might caress a
curious cat, cautious and slow for fear of being turned on and scratched. Loki would have
smiled at the comparison but for how accurate it truly was. The Casket of Ancient Winters
did almost seem to be considering him, much as Mjǫllnir had always done. Only, unlike
Thor's hammer, which had always rejected him in the end, the Casket seemed to suddenly
give and then Loki's seiðr was sinking down into its awesome power. 'Twas comparable to
being suddenly thrust into a massive and raging storm, ice and snow and frost all around him;
all-encompassing and yet it felt protective and safe on some deep, instinctual level Loki
neither understood nor truly cared for.

He should have dearly disliked feelings of this nature as they completely bypassed his
sentient mind and wreaked havoc with his carefully honed skill and caution, leaving him with
no idea why he felt the way he did and he should have hated it. Should have, and yet his
innately contrary nature absolutely loved it whenever this happened and he latched so
instinctively onto some aspect of seiðr as naturally as he did breathing. 'Twas part of the very
basic duality of his nature; the chaos within which never failed to confuse and frustrate
others, including his own mother.

Foreign humor washed over Loki all of a sudden. Foreign humor which he knew instantly
was not Ásgarðr as she was still burning bright and cautiously delighted at the back of his
mind. So what was... with a start Loki realized 'twas the Casket of Ancient Winters which
seemed to be amused and delighted with his thoughts. Automatically he sent back his
irritations, but it merely seemed to increase its amusement, making it flash even brighter for a
second.

The feeling of a winter's storm was back, fresh and cool, though slightly less out of control
this time than it had been before. The power pulsed within him and Loki suddenly realized
that within his own magical core 'twas the other, icy blue-teal green part of him which was
responding to it the most. The rest did too on some level, but slower and not quite as strongly
as the other part of his core. Concentrating, he reached out with that only and, the instant it
connected with the Casket of Ancient Winters, it felt like a long dormant bond was blasted
open.

Knowledge, power and connection flooded through him and he was suddenly far more aware
of the Casket than he had been before and it felt much more like the Destroyer, where he
could almost see the different functions and abilities.

Fascinating as all of it was, Loki found himself quite distracted by something else which he
could feel. Just at the very periphery of the Casket's power was another presence. Something
far more powerful and ancient than even it. Something which reminded him much more of
Ásgarðr itself. The most disconcerting aspect of it, though, was the fact it resonated with
something buried deep within his own magical core and seemed to echo at the back of his
mind, much as Ásgarðr herself did, but on the opposite side.

Did this have to do with Mother Winter? Was she somehow connected with the Casket of
Ancient Winters as Bestla had told Uncle Vé? It seemed to make sense given the naming and
all, but if so, Loki suddenly doubted Mother Winter was merely a goddess figure whom the
jötnar worshipped from some ancient religion. Nay, he now feared she might be similar to
Ásgarðr herself, only more known to all of the jötnar and appropriately appreciated and
regarded as a result. It would make her the heart in the Casket of Ancient Winters and the
magical core of Jötunheimr.

So why did she or the Casket seem to recognize him? Loki was definitely picking up those
types of reactions now he had allowed the Casket to sense his true self and jötunn core. Was
it simply because he was jötunn, was that enough to trigger this? It did not truly seem to fit,
but what else could it be? He could hardly imagine Laufey taking the time to acquaint him
with it given the man was going to abandon him. Could it perhaps be because he was a
member of Jötunheimr's royal family, that it recognized him as such as various items on
Ásgarðr would do for any blood relative of Óðinn's?

"Loki!"
His eyes snapped open as Uncle Vé's voice and its urgency suddenly penetrated his thoughts.
The man was standing before him, on the other side of the pedestal upon which the Casket of
Ancient Winters stood, worry written plain on his face. Loki frowned as he glanced over at
his Uncle Vili and General Týr, only to find both looking concerned as well. The entire vault
was now awash in an eerie blue light which swirled and danced within the Casket, casting
flickering illumination over everything.

"What?" Loki asked, confused.

"Are you alright, my King?" General Týr asked.

"Hmm, of course. Why?"

"You were not responding to us," Uncle Vili explained, eyes dropping down to look at the
Casket. "We were worried that..."

"That you had become either lost within it or trapped," Uncle Vé finished for his brother.

"Oh," Loki said, releasing the Casket in order to reassure them.

He wanted to take more time to study it, but without an audience for which he needed to put
on an act and create explanations for. For now he slowly shrank his double back to normal
size and then released it entirely once he felt his skin turn back to its more usual pale, áss
color. While it felt good to be what he considered his true self, there was for the first time a
faint flicker of protest from deep within him.

"Nay, 'twas nothing as such," Loki hastened to reassure them as he stepped away from the
Casket and took Gungnir back from the general. "The Casket is extremely complex and I was
taking care to ensure I did not fall afoul of any defensive measures woven into its seiðr."

"That is possible?" General Týr asked worriedly.

Loki's lips twitched. "Of course. The Destroyer can be set off by anyone attempting to disable
it who is not the king."

Did even the members of the High Council know so little of seiðr not to be aware of such
basic things? Even when they relied on magical items every day? Why by the Nine had
Óðinn thought it a good idea to leave them all so ignorant or to become so in the first place?
Surely his own general should be more aware of what the enemy might be capable of in the
event they faced one who did not spurn seiðr as much as Ásgarðr did.

"Were you able to determine whether we can use its power or restrict its use in any way?"
Uncle Vili asked.

"'Tis going to take far more than a quick glance to determine that," Loki replied. "The Casket
is exceedingly complex, as I said, and I will require far more time to investigate it properly."

"But it did seem to respond to you," Uncle Vé stated, a look of disappointment flickering
across his face.
 "Hmm, aye, it took a few tries, but then something seemed to connect," Loki easily lied. "The
interesting thing is that it definitely seemed to have some kind of connection which leads
away from it. I could only discern the faintest traces there, but what I could detect felt similar
in nature to the Óðinnforce, so I would say the odds are good the Casket does, in fact, link up
to Jötunheimr's magical core somehow."

"And it could not be anything else?" General Týr checked.

"I do not think you quite realize how much power we are talking about here, General," Loki
replied before he snorted. "And why Father thought 'twas a good idea to allow Thor to be so
completely untrained in seiðr given that, I will never know. He would have been
overwhelmed if he had connected with it yesterday!"

"I remember Óðinn used to have to enter the Óðinnsleep far more frequently in the
beginning," Uncle Vili said. "He used to say it took him a while to truly get used to its
power."

"And he was already used to wielding seiðr," Loki pointed out. "Thor is going to have to do it
the hard way, as usual."

The words caused a quick glance among them which Loki did not miss. He nearly snorted
again, but knew it would do no good. He was well aware of the rumors which circulated
court about him and his ambition for both power and Hliðskjálf. No doubt those were running
rampant at the moment along with all kinds of theories about whether he had somehow
orchestrated events to place himself on Hliðskjálf even now. Normally they bothered him, but
he simply did not have either the time or energy to deal with them at present. People would
say things regardless of what he said or did about it, he had long since learned that particular
lesson the hard way.

"I still do not like the idea of giving it back to Laufey, especially as 'tis," General Týr finally
stated.

"Let us first see if he will even come to the negotiating table," Loki replied. "And I will keep
investigating the Casket and see what I can do about its more destructive capabilities."

"Will you do so now?" Uncle Vé inquired hopefully.

"Nay, I will check in on Mother and I promised Lady Borgunna I would attend the feast
tonight."

"We will be there as well," Uncle Vili said. "'Tis one of the perks I used to help convince
Gersemi to come to Iðavöllr temporarily."

"I will see you there then," Loki replied, knowing his uncle would use the opportunity to sit
at the high table as he used to.

Chapter End Notes

There you go, lots of new info to chew on and the answers to some questions people
have been asking... though you may not realize it yet. I also hope you enjoyed the little
show Loki put on for the others. He's slowly lining up his pieces...

As for Norse mythology, yes I did toy with it a bit here, scrambling things around. For
those who don't know, in the stories it's Loki who was responsible for Balðr's death with
mistletoe, via Höðr as an intermediary. Both Balðr and Höðr are true blood sons of
Óðinn and Frigg - something which even Thor isn't as he has another mother. Obviously
with the Marvel set-up this isn't the case, so I made Balðr a cousin instead and tacked on
Lóðurr as the brother. Höðr will also appear in this fic, but in a wholly different way as I
am keeping the fact that he's blind.

As for Loki's kids... well much as I like some of the fics out there which do manage to
make him Sleipnir's father (and the others) within the MCU, it wasn't really going to
work given some of what I thought about Thor and Loki here. More to the point, their
relative ages. That said, both Váli and Narfi will appear in one of the later sequels. I've
got quite the storyline already around them.

Norse Mythology:

Sleipnir - Loki's son, the eight-legged horse, fathered by Svaðilfari while Loki was in
mare form. He is said to be ridden by Óðinn - we see him in Thor when Óðinn arrives
on Jötunheimr. In this fic he's not Lokason.
Balðr - son of Frigg and Óðinn, whose death was foretold so Frigg extracted promises
from everything but mistletoe that they would not kill him. The gods then threw things
at/used weapons on Balðr to watch them bounce off and Loki 'helped' Balðr's blind
brother Höðr do the same, but gave him a spear/arrow of mistletoe to do so with which
killed Balðr - I have made him a cousin instead and changed some of the details around.
Lóðurr - a god who was involved in 'animating' humans.
Ymir - the ancestor of all jötnar (or more!) and a primeval being. Killed by Odin, Vili
and Vé who made Earth from the different parts of his body - I will not be going with a
very strict version of this story, but won't give too much away here :)
Gersemi - likely to be another name for Hnoss and so a daughter of Freyja and Óðr.
Ragnarök - end of the world via a great battle, during which most people & gods
(including Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr & Loki) die before the world is submerged
in water to begin anew.

Old Norse:

völva - prophetess, seeress, witch

dökkálfr - my word for dwarf, see earlier note for details.
áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural isás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur.
jötnar - "frost giants" - jötunn is the singular.
íviðjur - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar. The
singular is íviðja.
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace.
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Evening... which is when a certain group of warriors did something
treasonous in the movie. Will they here?
 Chapter 11
Chapter Notes

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well and many thanks for the continued comments &
kudos! They are much appreciated.

You may notice a few traces from Thor in this chapter when Loki goes to visit Frigga in
the Óðinnsleep chamber, as he did in the movie. While things have diverged, they're not
too separate just yet...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki stopped right outside of the door leading into the All-Father's Óðinnsleep chamber and
turned to face Lieutenant-General Yngvarr.

"I would like some time alone with my mother."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Yngvarr replied, gesturing for his men to spread out around the
door where two of his father's guard already stood.

The lieutenant-general then followed him into the chamber and motioned for his men inside
to leave. They immediately did so, silent shadows detaching from the wall all around the
chamber.

"Loki," Frigga said, rising to her feet to come embrace him.

"Mother," Loki replied, pulling her tight despite all of his conflicting emotions toward her.

She may have lied to him for his whole life and allowed him to believe horrible things about
his own species, but she had always been his rock. The only one who had always been there
for him and he could not help but relax and feel safe in her arms, with her familiar scent all
around him. It never failed to take him back to the happiest days of his childhood, when he
had spent countless hours learning seiðr under her patient tutelage.

"How are you doing?" Frigga asked, pulling back and taking his face in her hands.

"As well as can be expected, given we are at war," Loki replied.

"At war," Frigga repeated, her eyes wide.

"Did Father not tell you? Laufey refused to let the attack go, too many jötnar died, so the last
thing he said to Óðinn was to declare war."
"Nay, when your father and I argued about Thor's banishment he did not mention the war,
though I suppose it makes sense given his anger."

'Twas one way of putting it. Loki did not think he had ever witnessed Óðinn quite so furious
at either of them before, indeed the response he had garnered when he had tried to intervene
on Thor's behalf had not even been coherent. It had been more of a snarl or growl than
anything else. It made him fear what type of reaction he would get should Óðinn ever learn
he had been the one to let the jötnar into the vault. He shuddered at the mere thought and so
vowed to ensure Óðinn never did learn of it.

Loki led his mother back to her seat and then moved around the bed to take his own on the
opposite side.

"I have sent an envoy to Jötunheimr," Loki told her. "To see if we can bring Laufey-King to
the negotiating table."

The worry and compassion on his mother's face made Loki want to snarl at her. This was all
her fault to begin with, she should not now be allowed to try and make it look like she was
worried about the result.

"I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning. There should be no secrets in a
family," Frigga said.

As usual it seemed she was able to read far more of his thoughts than anyone else.

"So why did he lie?"

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different. You are our son, Loki, and
we your family," Frigga said, looking over at him imploringly. "You must know that."

Part of Loki desperately wanted to believe her; to believe his mother, but he could not. He
simply could not. And how could he possibly be expected to? Not only had both she and
Óðinn lied to him for his entire life, but they had left him to flounder at trying to be
something he was not. All of his life he had thought something was intrinsically wrong with
him which had meant he could not act, think and simply be like all good æsir should. Hel, he
had never even been able to so much as stomach their favored dish, the smell alone turning
his stomach time and time again.

All of that suffering, those struggles, self-loathing and the inevitable bullying as others
noticed his differences and disapproved of them. And all for what? Simply to find out there
was a perfectly valid reason why he was different. That 'twas not because of something wrong
or broken within him, but rather that he simply was not right; was not áss.

Was nothing but a filthy frost giant. A jötunn monster like those he and Thor had always
bragged they would wipe from the Nine when they grew up and became powerful enough to
do so.

Loki cut off the train of thought as soon as he could, as he felt the rending pain deep within
which indicated his core had taken another blow, but the essential point remained.
Unconsciously, his hand snaked up to grasp at his amulet even as his mind continued to spin
along. Never feel different indeed. Ha! Telling him the truth would have made him
understand why he felt so different! It would have given Loki a concrete reason for feeling it
instead of leaving him and others to make up their own reasons for his supposed
shortcomings.

The only reason Loki did not simply rise and walk out was because 'twas Frigga he was
speaking to. The woman he had viewed as his mother for a millennium and the only one who
had always stood by and supported him, no matter what he had done. It made her betrayal all
the greater, but even that could not somehow overcome the deep well of love, affection and
respect he had always had for her.

Frigga, mother, queen and seiðkona; the first to start teaching him about seiðr and the gift he
had for it.

Yet, despite both that and their conversation - not to mention the shock which still roiled
within him at the revelation of not only his true identity and heritage, but of his own species -
there was a part of him that was hyperaware of where he was. Óðinn's chambers with the
king himself before him, encased in the grasp of the Óðinnsleep.

"How is he doing?" Loki asked in order to distract himself. "Uncle Vili said there was some
improvement."

"There is, but I still fear. We were unprepared so our response was not as quick as it should
have been, and he has put it off for so long."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Loki reached out to take her hand and she smiled at him.

"You are a good son, but I think you have enough to worry about already," Frigga smiled
sadly. "You leave your father to Lady Eir and myself."

"Are you certain? I may only have done the same as you both before, but now I have access
to the Óðinnforce I have more seiðr and power than before."

His mother blinked at him for a moment before she squeezed his hand. "Of course, I had not
thought of that, but nay, your focus is needed elsewhere, on Ásgarðr and the war. And you
must not overextend yourself either. You are not accustomed to the Óðinnforce and it still
does this to your father with extended use even after all of these millennia."

Technically Loki already knew his exposure to, and use of, Ásgarðr's power made him
vulnerable to the same exhaustion and need for recuperation and relief as Óðinn, but he did
not feel anything even remotely like it. Instead it almost seemed like Ásgarðr's presence
rejuvenated him and it felt like a breath of fresh air after he had been cooped up inside too
long, as oft happened when he found a new topic to study and spent all of his time in a quiet
corner of the royal library. It washed over him and through him like fresh glacial water,
feeding and nurturing both his body and seiðr. It had been over thirty-six hours since he had
slept, and even then it had not been a proper rest as he had been far too anxious about Thor's
coronation and his own plan to disrupt it in order to have a good night's rest. And yet he was
not tired in the least, easily both awake and alert without having had to resort to more than a
few teas and nothing magical.

Perhaps 'twas simply how it began?

"I will bear it in mind," Loki replied instead. "And what about you, have you eaten or slept at
all?"

Frigga smiled at him once more. "Aye, Lady Eir insisted, saying she would bar me from the
chamber on the grounds I was negatively influencing your father's health if I did not."

Loki laughed despite himself. "I am glad to hear I am not the only one she can cajole into
doing what she wants."

"Oh, trust me on this, she can make your father obey if she truly bends her mind to it."

"That I would like to see."

"She always makes certain there is none other than me present when she does it."

"Which is probably part of why she succeeds. Still, I must remember to ask for tips."

"Do tell me when you plan to try using them, as I would love to witness it."

Loki pulled a face at the reaction he would no doubt garner should he ever do so, but the
main point of the statement had been to further distract his mother (and himself if he were
being honest), and make her smile again. On both of those counts he had been successful.

"Will you be coming to the feast tonight then?" Loki asked. "Lady Borgunna has persuaded
me I should."

"Nay, I shall have someone bring me something to have here," Frigga replied. "However
Lady Borgunna is correct, the people should see you and you need to relax for a little. No
doubt you have been busy all day long. Have you eaten?"

"Hmm, people seem to notice if the king has missed a meal."

"Aye, Óðinn has mentioned that."

"Livunn," Loki greeted as he spotted her right outside of the Great Hall as he approached
with his escort.

"Your Majesty," Livunn bowed before falling in beside and slightly behind him. "Dinner and
bed?"

Loki snorted and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Strange, I thought I had already
seen my mother."

"Rest is important, my Liege."

If she would have had any interest in it, Loki would have pushed her at Lord Aðalgrímr long
ago, since Livunn was able to keep a straight face while saying just about anything.

"Hmm, but so is relaxation and I was thinking of having a bath before bed."

"Of course, my King."

Any reply Loki may have made died as he entered the Great Hall and almost immediately felt
all of the attention of those already assembled swinging his way. The noise level dropped
dramatically for a few moments before slowly rising up again in the form of hundreds of
whispered conversations as people turned to their neighbors and simply had to say
something. And all about him no doubt. Loki was truly glad he had changed out of his
coronation outfit last night, as it would help with what court saw now.

As promised, both his Uncle Vili and Aunt Gersemi were already seated at the high table
along with Balðr. Of Lóðurr there was absolutely no trace, nor had he truly suspected one
given what had been said down in the vault earlier. Uncle Vé was also present along with
several other nobles who had managed to snag the other remaining spaces. He could already
tell it was going to be a long dinner, which had been part of the reason why he had avoided
eating here before.

"Majesty."

"Your Majesty."

"My King."

"King Loki."

All were said along with several other titles as Loki made his way to his father's customary
seat. He smiled and nodded at people as he went, quickly noticing who was not present,
namely Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. Due how infrequently they missed a feast while on
Ásgarðr, given Volstagg's sordid love affair with food, 'twas a conspicuous absence. A quick
glance over at Yngvarr showed the lieutenant-general had noticed as well.

The way everyone was watching made Loki want to turn around and flee. He was not used to
being observed so closely as he entered the hall. Usually he could slip in almost unnoticed
and quietly make his way to the table, this was the complete opposite of that. Hopefully it
would quickly die down as Óðinn did not have to deal with this every time his father came to
dine. Thankfully, his uncles had taken the seats on either side of his, which would allow him
a little peace, but he was certain the others at the table would use the opportunity to engage
him in conversation in the hopes of gaining some form of goodwill or a favor or two.

There was a brief moment of potential tension as Óðinn's usual server tried to push his way
in, but Loki flicked a dismissive hand at him and Livunn slipped easily into his spot. He was
not planning on suffering the attentions of someone who had never paid attention to his
preferences when he had someone who knew them inside out already present.
"Your Majesty," Lord Ítreksjóð began almost before Loki was even fully seated. "'Tis good to
see you, there have been all sorts of rumors running through the palace."

"Hmm, I am certain there are," Loki replied blandly. "You will have to excuse me for not
announcing anything right away, but there have been urgent matters which required attention
first."

"Of course, my King. I hope everything is now alright?"

"In so far as it can be. There will be an official announcement at the end of the feast by Lord
Ragnvaldr."

"Oh, good."

Not wanting to get drawn into any further attempts to draw information from him, Loki
turned his attention to his aunt.

"I am sorry about the rather abrupt change in your accommodation, Aunt Gersemi, but it truly
is rather important Uncle Vili is in Iðavöllr for the next few days."

"'Tis alright, Loki, Vili explained it all to me. While I cannot say I am terribly pleased, I do
understand."

The conversation dragged on in a similar manner while Loki ate and people shifted their seats
to look at him from the other tables. He slowly let some information about his father's
condition and Thor's punishment slip, but never too much all at once so the conversation
would not wind around to other matters. Some of the questions he outright deflected or put
off, saying it would be covered by Lord Ragnvaldr's speech at the end of the feast. At least
the food was good as 'twas clear the chiefs had once again prepared the dishes they knew he
liked over any others, so he ate more than he had thought he would.

He was about to start the dessert Livunn had placed before him when Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr melted out of the shadows to appear at his shoulder.

"Apologies, Majesty," the Einherjar whispered. "But I have just received word. Lady Sif and
the Warriors Three have approached Heimdallr and been allowed passage on the Bifröst."

Loki's jaw set as he carefully put down his fork. So, there it was, the treasonous acts Loptr
had informed him of, all neatly witnessed this time around by his men.

"I am sorry, but I have to go, something has come up," Loki apologized to the others at his
table.

"My King?" Uncle Vili questioned.

"Tomorrow," Loki replied, looking over to the table General Týr sat at, and catching the
man's eye.

With that, Loki turned around and slipped out through the door near the king's seat. He had
chosen not to enter this way as the whole reason of his attending was to be seen, but he was
through with showmanship for now. General Týr joined them a moment later.

"What is it?" Týr demanded. "Has something happened?"

"Treason, General, of everyone we feared," Loki stated.

The general cursed even as Lieutenant-General Yngvarr turned to send a guard off to the
stables.

"Nay," Loki countered. "We do this my way now and I refuse to wait any longer."

"My Liege?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked.

"Teleportation," Loki stated, as he had never quite been able to keep that particular talent
quiet since he had used it far too often in battle. "Invisibility and illusion."

"You are expecting a violent reaction," General Týr realized, face grave.

"The punishment for treason can be death," Loki pointed out. "He may not think he has
anything left to lose."

"You want to do what you did earlier, with the... illusions of yourself?" Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr checked.

"Hmm, that and making all of us invisible."

"What do we need to do for the teleportation?"

"Gather close and everyone needs to be in contact, though not all with me."

It was telling how 'twas both General Týr and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr who placed hands
on his arms, while the others touched them or each other. 'Twas slightly more than he
normally transported, but he was now more powerful than before and 'twas along a very
familiar path and not too far. If any of the Einherjar were nervous, they did not let it show
and Loki took a moment to cloak them before transporting them to right outside of
Himinbjörg. A second later an illusion of himself appeared before Heimdallr who stood just
at the end of the rainbow bridge, Höfuð stood upright before him with both hands on the top
of the hilt.

Loki could already guess how this was going to end and it infuriated him.

"Tell me, Loki, how did you let the jötnar into Ásgarðr?" Heimdallr demanded arrogantly.

Of course the gatekeeper had to say that of all things! Loki managed to contain the flash of
fury which shot through him due to the fact he was well aware of the audience they had.

"Is that what you believe happened?" Loki had his illusion ask. "Is it what you plan to use to
justify disobeying a direct order from your king? Well, I say for your act of treason, you are
relieved of your duties and under arrest to stand trial on the morrow."
"Then I need no longer obey you," Heimdallr retorted, shifting his grip on Höfuð.

Within seconds, the gatekeeper had obtained a proper hold of Höfuð and was swinging it
around into an arc straight for Loki's double. If it had truly been him, Loki would have made
more of a move to defend himself rather than making his duplicate merely startle in surprise,
but he had already managed to accomplish what he had wanted to and, when Höfuð failed to
meet anything, Heimdallr would be caught off-guard and easily overpowered by his
Einherjar.

Indeed 'twas exactly what happened when his illusion dissolved into a shower of sparks.
Höfuð was knocked out of Heimdallr's hand as the gatekeeper cried out in shock and dismay
when Loki dropped the invisibility spell and they all appeared before Heimdallr's normally
all-seeing eyes.

The gatekeeper fought at first, probably out of instinct as much as anything else, before he
seemed to realize precisely whom he was facing. At that point he deflated, golden eye darting
around to land on both Loki and General Týr, who stood beside him, the general's remaining
hand on the pommel of his sword, though it remained undrawn.

"Your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said as he stepped back towards them and held
out Höfuð.

Loki took it in his free hand and rested the tip on the rainbow bridge, much as Heimdallr had
earlier, only he did it with only the one hand. This sword, along with Gjallarhorn, were the
two big markers of the gatekeeper's position and, as such, the traitor would need them no
longer. Nay, instead they would be passed on to his successor and Loki already had the start
of an idea as to how to go about achieving that, as this position required certain special
abilities unique to the man held on his knees before him.

"Heimdallr," General Týr began, voice tight with both disappointment and fury. "If I had not
seen it for myself, I never would have believed it. You attempting regicide of the king of
Ásgarðr."

And that, right there, was why Loki had ensured this time he had plenty of venerable
witnesses present when confronting Heimdallr. He had known he would need them in order
to be able to try someone of the gatekeeper's status. For he had absolutely no intention of
letting anyone who had committed treason against him get away with it simply because they
were popular. 'Twas Heimdallr's ill luck he had long since learned what he had to do when
going up against those more popular or respected than him. Growing up with Thor had taught
him this much, if nothing else.

Heimdallr's golden gaze slid from the general to look at him, the man somehow still
managing to look regal despite having his helmet knocked half askew.

"Well played, Loki, very well played, but it merely proves I am right. You do have the power
to hide from me," the gatekeeper proclaimed.

"I am hardly the only one in the Nine with that skill," Loki replied calmly, much more so than
he felt. Inside he wanted to shout and curse, his roiling emotions seeking to lash out, but he
kept a tight lid on them, wanting to appear collected and dignified. "And simply because I
can do so hardly means I did as you claim."

"Do you even understand the seriousness and severity of what you did here, Heimdallr?"
General Týr demanded sharply, stepping between them and forcing the gatekeeper's gaze
back to him. "You tried to kill your king!"

"He is no king of mine. Óðinn is king, Thor shall be king. Loki is-"

"The rightful regent as determined by Óðinn's own line of succession!" Týr thundered. "The
very laws of Ásgarðr which you swore to help uphold and defend have placed King Loki on
Hliðskjálf. That is what determines who is king, not the personal opinion of a few honorless
warriors who would seek to plot and scheme behind their monarch's back in a vain attempt to
organize a coup."

"He let the jötnar into Ásgarðr in order to interrupt Prince Thor's coronation and claim
Hliðskjálf for himself," Heimdallr insisted.

Wait that was why Heimdallr thought he had done it? Loki fought the urge to roll his eyes at
the predictability of it. He truly should have seen it coming. Nearly everyone else thought he
lusted blindly after the kingship, so why not Ásgarðr's eminent gatekeeper? Heimdallr would
have seen and heard everyone else talking of it all the time. Any suspicions of his own had
probably been enhanced by it all. Loki had simply not seen it coming as 'twas so far from the
truth, and he had so much else to deal with it, he had not truly given any thought to
Heimdallr's motives, simply his actions.

"You keep uttering those words, but you have yet to provide any actual proof other than the
fact you failed to see it coming, which is weak at best and sounds like an attempt to cover
your own fault at worst," General Týr countered. "It makes me wonder if I should look into
your other practices and conduct. Like how you allowed Prince Thor to go to Jötunheimr
yesterday, despite travel there being absolutely forbidden. King Loki said you let them
through without even an argument, simply because you were upset you had not seen the
jötnar coming."

"Loki-"

"King Loki!"

"He has disappeared from my sight twice since taking up Gungnir."

So, Heimdallr truly was not able to tell when he merely blurred the gatekeeper's perception.
'Twas good to know as he had not been certain.

"Aye, when he was informing both myself and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr of his suspicions
concerning you! We could not have you listening in and altering your behavior."

"I think 'tis enough for now, General Týr, thank you," Loki said, stepping forward. "We shall
hold a trial tomorrow morning, at which time we can resolve this once and for all."
"Tomorrow?" General Týr asked, startled. "So soon?"

"Heimdallr holds a unique and vital position we cannot leave vacant," Loki reminded him.
'Twas true it normally took at least a few days to organize a trial, but it could be done faster,
though Lord Ragnvaldr was not going to thank him for it. He simply hoped the man would be
suitably horrified enough not to give him any grief for it. "We do have people off-world and a
potential peace negotiation awaiting a response."

"Of course, Your Majesty, forgive my impudence," General Týr replied.

Loki waved it off as he reached out to Hliðskjálf via Gungnir and then out towards Álfheimr
to observe Lord Aðalgrímr. As he had expected, the diplomat was caught up in a traditional
ceremony which would take half the night. His next target was Jötunheimr where he saw
Laufey-King once again in his Council chambers. The various jötnar present seemed to be
having a very heated debate with a lot of gesticulation and baring of teeth. With disgust he
wondered if 'twas normal, before his eyes fell on the missive Lord Aðalgrímr had taken to
them. So at least they were considering his offer, even if things did not look particularly
optimistic at present. A lot could change in a few hours though.

Lastly, he looked towards Miðgarðr, focusing first on Lady Sif and the Warriors Three who
were walking through a desert towards a small, dilapidated town. Then he sought out his
brother, only to find Thor seated at a table, feasting. Obviously Ásgarðr's crown prince was
doing all he could to prove himself worthy of Mjǫllnir in order to return to his home and
duties. His dear brother had better improve his actions or learn his lesson before Óðinn
awoke and commenced having ideas about making Loki his heir instead of Thor. He was not
becoming stuck with Hliðskjálf! He would sooner reveal his true heritage to everyone than to
be restricted and bogged down for the rest of his life.

"It does not appear anyone is in need of being brought back at present," Loki stated, turning
his attention back to those around him.

The moment they were back in Iðavöllr, several other guards were co-opted to take Heimdallr
down to the dungeons so his personal guard was only two men down. General Týr took
Höfuð and then also left to go inform Lord Ragnvaldr of what had transpired so the advisor
could commence organizing the trial.

"Your chambers, my King?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked when Loki was alone with
his personal guard once more.

"Nay, I must find Mother and inform her of what happened ere she hears of it from someone
else," Loki replied, rubbing his free hand over his face, suddenly feeling incredibly tired all at
once.

"Of course. Her guard told me she had agreed with Lady Eir to retire for a few hours this
evening, so she should be in her chambers."

An attempt on his life was not going to help her sleep any easier, but Loki knew very well
how she would react if she heard of this later, especially if 'twas from someone else, so he
resigned himself to it and headed in the right direction. Though 'twas not exactly a short
walk, by the end of it he still was not quite certain precisely how he was going to break the
news to her. As the wards had always recognized him, he went straight through the outer
receiving chamber and into his parents' private chambers beyond. He went right to the
bedchamber door before pausing and electing to knock, not pounding on the door as Thor
would, but perhaps a little louder than he otherwise might.

"Mother?" Loki called out. "Mother, I am sorry to disturb, but I need to speak with you right
away."

"Loki?" Frigga's sleep heavy voice called back, making Loki feel even worse. There was the
sound of movement before the door opened and his mother stepped out, squinting in the light
of the living chamber while pulling a robe tight around herself. "Loki, baby, what is wrong?"

He winced at the old kenning he had not heard but once or twice in nearly three quarters of a
millennium. It said how deeply asleep she had been and how worried she now was.

"I am truly sorry to wake you," Loki repeated as he guided her to one of the sofas and pulled
her down beside him. "But I thought you would prefer to hear this from me rather than
someone else on the morrow."

"Hear what? Has something happened? Of course it has," Frigga began before her eyes grew
wide. "Is it your father? Óðinn was fine when I left him and it cannot have been so long ago!"

"'Tis not father," Loki replied quickly, keeping her from rising. "He is fine as far as I know."

"Then what is it, Loki? Tell me."

"Treason."

"What?" Frigga demanded, suddenly looking far more awake and absolutely furious. "Who
dares?"

"Several people, apparently," Loki muttered, bitterly, before reigning it back in. "Earlier this
evening, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three disobeyed both Father and myself by going to
Miðgarðr to retrieve Thor, most likely with the intention of putting him on Hliðskjálf."

"Your brother would never move against you!" Frigga retorted immediately. "It may be their
intention, but Thor would never take part in such a scheme."

Loki wished he could be as certain. It had been a long time since he and his brother had been
close, and Loki could not even recall the last time Thor had deigned to listen to him and his
opinion. Nay, things had devolved to Thor telling him various versions of 'Know your place,
Brother'. Who was to say his brother would not now also see him as having usurped
Hliðskjálf? Especially with Lady Sif and the Warriors Idiot coloring the words Thor received
of it? Not that it particularly mattered at the moment as all five of them were stuck on
Miðgarðr until such time as he decided any of them could come back.

"Wait, how did they travel to Miðgarðr?" Frigga suddenly questioned.

"Heimdallr."

"Heimdallr? Truly?"

"Aye. Do not forget, he was the one to allow us passage to Jötunheimr as well. But 'tis not the
worst of it."

"I dread to ask."

Although his mother's voice had reached a more normal volume once more, her tight grasp
on his arm told Loki all he needed to know of her emotional state. It also served to remind
him she was a former shield-maiden of Vanaheimr and a warrior in her own right. Heimdallr
had been sorely mistaken if he had thought he could get away with his actions. If he had
somehow succeeded, Loki knew the gatekeeper would have had more to fear from his mother
than all of the Einherjar combined, of that at least he had absolutely no doubt.

"When we confronted him, he decided to try his hand at regicide," Loki finally told her.

Frigga froze before him at the words, her eyes narrowing to slits as they swept over him,
clearly assessing him for any damage before they met his own, absolutely furious. Loki did
not think he had ever seen his mother so enraged and it made even him swallow thickly, and
he knew without a shadow of a doubt he, of all people, was safe from it.

"He tried what?" Frigga demanded, voice low and tight in a way both he and Thor knew to
fear.

"You heard me, Mother," Loki replied simply.

"How?"

"Mother-"

"How, Loki?"

He sighed. "Höfuð."

"I will tear him apart," Frigga hissed. "I will tear him apart and feed his entrails to Níðhöggr."

"Mother!" Loki exclaimed, caught between laughter and disbelief.

"No one tries to kill one of my babies and does not suffer for it!"

"And he will. He is in the dungeons and he will be tried tomorrow morning. Lord Ragnvaldr
is organizing it even now."

"Good. I want you to take his head."

"I think you need to go back to sleep."

"You think I could sleep after this?"

 "I am fine, Mother, look, see for yourself or you can ask Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
himself, he is outside."

"That will not be necessary," Frigga tried to reassure him, though her hands reached out to
touch his chest nonetheless, as if looking for any sign Höfuð had come too close to him.

Chapter End Notes

Loki and Frigga's relationship has always intrigued me, right from the first movie. She
seems like an awesome mother & queen, even if I was slightly disappointed by some of
her words in Thor: The Dark World. But how she knows Loki and, mostly, stands by
him, has been great. So I hope you liked their interactions, there will be plenty more to
come!

Beyond that, I hope the arrival of the treason of the 5 big traitors from the movie is all I
know so many of you hoped for. This will be the main focus of the next 3 chapters as the
Warriors Idiot are now on Earth with Thor, not to mention Heimdallr's trial!

As for the name of the Great Hall, yeah, I admit I ran out of hall names I could
misappropriate to it 😄

Norse Mythology:

Ítreksjóð - one of the many sons of Óðinn in mythology - I've just used the name here as
I needed one
Níðhöggr - a dragon/serpent who gnaws at a root of the Yggdrasill, "Malice Striker" - he
appears in more detail in my fic Ensoulment
Gjallarhorn - "the loud sounding horn" associated with Heimdallr
Höfuð - "man-head" - Heimdallr's sword
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven

I'm cutting this a bit shorter than before as some of the Old Norse words I use have been
explained many times now. Let me know if you did want me to keep explaining them.

Just so you're aware, the next few chapters will be a bit shorter, but that's because they
were quite difficult to break up, given there is one very long scene in there. But I think
the content will more than make up for the slightly shorter nature of them.

Up next: Loki prepares for the trial & Thor makes his first appearance (in his pov too!).
 Chapter 12
Chapter Notes

Another week, another chapter!

I hope you enjoy it as it has the first non-Loki pov scene in it. There will be others, but
most of the fic will continue to be told from Loki's pov.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki collapsed into the first chair of his outer chamber as the Einherjar fanned out to check
the rest of his chambers for anyone who did not belong.

"Will there be anything else tonight, Your Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked,
stopping beside him.

"Just one more thing, unfortunately."

"Whatever you require."

'Twas one aspect of being king which Loki could become accustomed to.

"Could you have someone send word to Höðr Ullrson and inform him his presence is
requested tomorrow at the trial."

The way the lieutenant-general's eyes widened slightly, told Loki Yngvarr recognized the
name and well he should. Höðr had been his personal guard when he had been younger, and
the man had been gravely injured when some mercenaries had attempted to kidnap him to be
utilized as leverage in an ongoing dispute with his father. The injury had been severe enough
it had ended Höðr's career with the Einherjar despite the man's ambition to one day be good
enough to become part of the king's personal guard. Loki had never been able to properly
thank the man for what he had done, and he always made a point of it to reward loyalty as so
few ever truly had it for him.

"Of course, my King."

"I would like to see him ahead of time, so I could have a word before the trial begins."

"I shall make sure he is there."

"Good, thanks."

The other guards soon came out, giving the all clear before all but two left, those standing
right inside the outer chamber. Loki simply looked at them for a moment, before shifting his
attention to Livunn as she appeared from deeper in his chambers.

"I brought your dessert back if you still want it, Loki," she said, her sharp eyes appraising his
sprawl.

Loki laughed. Trust her to know what to say to him, and she did not even know what had
happened. "Aye, please."

"Would you like it out here?"

"Nay," Loki said, pushing himself to his feet. "I will come in."

In and away from the constant watch of the Einherjar. While he understood why he needed
them about, especially in light of the events tonight, which proved once and for all that not all
threats came from outside of Ásgarðr, he simply wished to be alone for a while.

"Your bath has also been drawn," Livunn said as they stepped into his living chamber and she
helped him remove his cape.

"Thank you, Livunn," Loki replied as he moved to sit in his preferred chair by the fireplace,
beside which his dessert plate from earlier stood along with a glass of his favorite type of
vanir wine.

Livunn truly did know him well. Loki used his seiðr to banish Gungnir to rest against the far
wall, wanting it far from him all of a sudden. 'Twas a symbol of all which had gone wrong
today and, now he did not need to have it with him at all times to prove his status and for
extra protection, he was determined to be separated from it. If Livunn thought his actions
odd, she did not so much as blink.

"Is there anything else you require, Loki, or do you wish to be alone?" Livunn asked.

"I am good, Livunn, go relax yourself," Loki replied.

"What time will you need me on the morrow?"

Ugh, he would have to rise early, both for the trial and because he would be missed if he did
not. Loki hated rising early, he far preferred to stay up late into the night, reading or studying,
and then sleep well into the morning instead.

"Early, unfortunately. I have a trial to preside over," Loki told her. "I will need to be ready
first thing."

"Shall I bring breakfast here then?"

"Hmm."

Both the court and the people would see him at the trial, so 'twas not as important for him to
attend breakfast. Besides, Óðinn oft had it with simply Frigga and Thor, so his absence would
not be a particular deviation from the All-Father's routine.
"I bid you goodnight then, my Liege," Livunn curtsied and left.

Loki looked at the closed door for a moment before picking up his wine glass and taking a
large sip, letting the rich flavor of the wine roll over his tongue as he rested his head against
the padded back of the armchair. 'Twas not a particularly popular wine on Ásgarðr, but Norns
did he love it, full of subtle flavors and hints of richness which came from the seiðr heavy
soil in which the purple grapes were grown. 'Twas a particular favorite of most seiðberandi,
and he had oft shared a glass sitting here with his mother as they discussed any number of
different topics. The memories made him smile as he basked in them for a while, letting the
heat from the fire wash over him. Eventually he picked up the dessert and made his way
through it as he finished off his wine.

He was only able to force himself out of his chair as he truly did want a bath and he knew it
was already all prepared for him; the spells he had cast on the pool ensured it stayed at the
right temperature until he drained it.

With a thought, Loki disrobed and stepped into the bathing chamber, taking his refilled glass
of wine with him. He moaned as he sank into the warm, scented water of the large sunken
bath and he let his head roll back onto the towel placed at one end for precisely that reason.
By the Nine, this felt good and had been precisely what he had needed. He gave himself half
an hour to simply soak and relax ere he reached out towards Ásgarðr, needing to check an
idea which had been percolating at the back of his mind for close to a day now, ever since his
second talk with Loptr.

Then, afterwards, he would need to gather the other evidence he would require for the trial.

Thor had finished drying the plate handed to him and had put it down on the counter, when
there was a sound behind him followed by a very familiar voice.

"Found you."

He spun around in shock to find that, aye, it had been Volstagg who had spoken and there his
friend stood, along with Lady Sif, Fandral and Hogun. There was the shattering of dishes as
his new friends caught sight of his old ones, but he was only vaguely aware of it as he
stepped forward with a large smile on his face.

"My friends!" Thor exclaimed as he reached them and clasped Fandral's hand, beaming at the
others.

"I don't believe it," Lord Selvig muttered behind him.

"Who are they?" Lady Darcy questioned.

Volstagg promptly stepped forwards and gave a little bow. "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three,"
he introduced them.

"My friends, I have never been happier to see anyone," Thor began, laying a hand on
Volstagg's shoulder. "But you should not have come, Father will not be pleased with you."
"'Tis actually why we are here to take you home," Fandral stated. "Your father has fallen to
the Óðinnsleep and Loki now sits on Hliðskjálf."

Thor looked at his friends in shock for a moment, stunned speechless.

"Loki?" Lord Selvig demanded. "The trickster?"

"Aye, precisely," Lady Sif confirmed.

"Loki is on Hliðskjálf?" Thor finally repeated, finding his voice again. "How?"

"We do not know," Volstagg replied. "We entered Valaskjálf yesterday to find him seated on it
and refusing to let us speak with the All-Mother."

"Vale- what?" Lady Darcy demanded. "Hlid- huh? Why can't you people name things
normally?"

"It's the throne room and throne, if I remember correctly," Lord Selvig informed her. "It's all
old Norse, from over a millennium ago."

"Rumor has it, Óðinn was alone with Loki when it happened," Lady Sif stated. "And the
Óðinnsleep is not normal. Even Loki admitted your father might never awaken."

"Making Loki king for good," Hogun added, speaking up for once.

Thor looked between his friends in disbelief as he listened to them speak. He could not
believe what he was hearing. Aye, he knew his little brother was second in line for Hliðskjálf,
as it was essential for a king to have several plans in place to cover any eventuality, but he
had never actually taken Loki's position as such seriously. 'Twas only ever meant to be a
precaution, like his brother officially being crown prince and heir when he ascended to
Hliðskjálf was only ever meant to be ceremonial and a placeholder until he started a family of
his own, and had a son to become the true crown prince and his eventual successor. Loki was
merely the second prince, not a future (or current) king!

Simply the thought of his little brother on Hliðskjálf made Thor angry. 'Twas a respected and
honored position, not at all for someone who would rather use tricks to avoid a fight instead
of standing fast and both battling, and winning, with honor. He had trained long and hard to
be worthy of Hliðskjálf, while Loki had wasted his time studying seiðr and choosing knives
over swords, or other honorable weapons. Besides, his little brother had not had all of those
lessons which he had been required to have with Father. Those boring and mind-numbing
hours on diplomacy and kingship.

He had put up with those for Hliðskjálf!

"What does he do?" Thor finally asked.

"We do not know, he told us to await his orders and then we did not hear from him again,"
Fandral explained.
"I know there was a High Council meeting, after which Lord Aðalgrímr was sent away,"
Lady Sif added. "Where, I do not know."

"Hopefully the Council will be able to restrain Loki from doing anything too drastic," Thor
stated.

"I am not so certain, they think him king and do not know his duplicitous nature as we do,"
Volstagg argued.

"'Tis why we are here," Lady Sif told him. "We need you. Ásgarðr needs you!"

"But he can't," Lady Jane countered, stepping forwards and placing a hand on Thor's arm,
looking up at him pleadingly. "You said it yourself, you're like a mortal now. You don't have
any of your usual strength."

"What is this?" Volstagg demanded with a frown.

Not unpredictably, Thor saw his friend had found the left-over bacon which Lady Jane had
set aside after his appetite had been less than expected. More mortal in size than before, as if
some of the changes were only now starting to catch-up with him. Though it had been quite a
while since he had last eaten, when he had first broken his fast with his new friends.

"Father made me mortal when he banished me," Thor replied regretfully, feeling the sense of
helplessness from before, when he had failed to lift Mjǫllnir. "I am now no stronger than any
human and Mjǫllnir will not respond to me any longer."

"Where is she?" Fandral asked, looking around.

"Out in the desert, where she landed. None have been able to lift her, so the humans have
built a facility around Mjǫllnir to study her."

"If you cannot fight, then what are we going to do?" Lady Sif demanded. "We cannot simply
leave Loki on Hliðskjálf, who knows what he will do?"

"Have a care, Lady Sif," Thor chided. "'Tis Loki we are having words about. He may not be
properly trained to take Hliðskjálf, but he is not a danger to Ásgarðr directly."

"Remember what Laufey said," Hogun argued. "There are traitors in the House of Óðinn."

"I remember what he said!" Thor thundered. "What are you implying with it?"

"Simply think on it, Thor. What did the attack on the vault achieve?" Lady Sif argued.

"It ruined my coronation."

"Aye, but what else? It had you banished and all right before the All-Father falls to the
Óðinnsleep! The frost giants making it into the vault led directly to Loki ending up on
Hliðskjálf!"
"You cannot possibly be suggesting Loki did it for that! He could not know Father would
banish me, or that Father would succumb to the Óðinnsleep so shortly afterwards."

"No one knows what happened in the vault, Thor. Loki and your father were alone in there
and the guards say they were arguing. They could not hear what was said, but they could hear
raised voices, or well Loki's voice, and apparently he was very angry."

"He had every right to be upset, Father had banished me! I would not be surprised if Mother
and Father argued as well."

"You think Loki would have fought for you?" Volstagg questioned.

"I know he would have," Thor declared. "He tried to in Himinbjörg, but Father was far too
furious to even listen to him."

"So why did he refuse to end your banishment?" Lady Sif demanded. "Why did he not allow
you to return, when Ásgarðr needs you so much at present?"

"I... I do not know!"

"Loki has always been jealous of you, Thor, you know this. Even before your father
succumbed, he refused to go speak with him on your behalf, regardless of what he might
have done in Himinbjörg."

"He refused?"

"Ah, aye," Fandral replied hesitantly.

"Tell me exactly what he said!"

"Thor-"

"Nay, tell me! Now."

Fandral sighed and looked at the others before a defeated look crossed his face. "He said he
loved you more dearly than any of us-"

"See, 'tis not so bad!" Thor proclaimed with a wide smile. "If, perhaps, not entirely accurate."

"- but that we knew what you are. He then called you arrogant, reckless and dangerous,
before reminding us of how you were yesterday and asking us if 'twas what Ásgarðr needed
from its king."

That was...

Thor felt rage flush through him at the assessment. Trust Loki to look at it thus. He sounded
precisely like Father; Loki would allow the frost giants to trample all over them before he
realized exactly how dangerous they were and that they needed to confront the threat head
on. Thor should have seen it coming, though, as his brother had been trying to discourage
him from going to Jötunheimr from the very start!
"I am going to beat him," Thor growled.

"Thor!" Lady Jane exclaimed, looking at him in horror.

"What?" Thor frowned, taking a step towards her.

"Please tell me you're joking!"

"Joking? About what?"

"Beating your brother!"

"Nay, he is not," Volstagg smiled, finishing off the last of the bacon. "What is this? 'Tis
exquisite!"

"Bacon," Lady Darcy told him. "It's my favorite food in the whole world."

"I can well see why!"

"He's not?" Lady Jane repeated in disbelief, before whirling to look at him once more.
"You're not? You'd really beat your brother for something he said?"

"Of course, he disrespected me before others," Thor replied, confused. "You heard what
Fandral said. 'Tis a slight on my honor!"

"And domestic violence isn't? Also, screw honor!"

"Screw honor?" Fandral repeated in shock, eyes wide. "Has Miðgarðr truly changed so much
that honor has been cast aside? But how do you function without it?"

"All appeared relatively orderly on the way in," Lady Sif added in confusion.

"I'm talking about the type of honor that begets violence, like what you're talking about or
which has men killing women in other parts of the world," Lady Jane nearly shouted ere she
turned back to him and raised a pointed finger. "And as for you, are you so insecure and
sensitive you can't take a little criticism from someone? Let alone your own brother?"

"Lady Jane-" Thor began.

"Because while I may not know the whole situation, I do know Loki was right in that
arrogance, recklessness and being dangerous aren't good traits for a king to have."

"Thor was not any of those," Lady Sif defended.

"Fine, then perhaps you should think of why Loki may have thought he was."

"As I said before, Loki has always been jealous of Thor as Thor is far more liked and
respected than he is. Plus Thor will be king, and Loki will not. Or at least he should not have
been, and indeed would not have been, if it were not for him pulling yet another of his
malicious tricks."
"In my experience, sibling relationships are rarely so one sided or simple," Lady Jane argued
as she glared at him. "And I hate to say it, but you have been arrogant at times, Thor. Like
when you first arrived, demanding information and being furious at what you saw as our
disrespect."

"I did not understand where I was or how you would thus perceive my arrival," Thor
defended himself.

"Yes, you didn't know our side of the story. Do you have Loki's?"

"Jane, be careful, we don't know the full story here either," Lord Selvig interrupted. "I know
not all of the myths are correct, but Loki is not a particularly pleasant character in most of
them."

"Have care what you say, Eric, 'tis my brother you are having words about," Thor warned.

"I merely mean to say we know him as a trickster, for all he's done and tried to do, it does go
with your friends' fears."

"Wait, a trickster?" Lady Darcy questioned. "Like Coyote or Kokopelli?"

"They are Native American versions of the archetype," Lord Selvig confirmed, before he
paused and eyed them. "Or they would be if they were all just myths."

"But tricksters are supposed to be cool and awesome," Lady Darcy protested. "Bucking
authority and getting in trouble with the pantheon heads for doing so. How can a trickster be
king? That's like... the opposite of what they are! Like... Princess Leia becoming Empress!"

Thor did not know what Lady Darcy meant with her last comment, but the first words made
him pause. Loki had always clashed with their father on various issues, but he had never truly
thought of it thus before. Was his little brother clashing with authority? 'Twas an odd thought
as at times Loki could be seen as the good son, doing what was necessary, but 'twas normally
an illusion. Thor had actually learned to be wary of those times, since they oft heralded an
upcoming trick of some sort. As for his own authority, Loki had rarely ever respected it,
instead arguing with him with no care for whom might overhear. He had oft needed to remind
his little brother to know his place. Mayhap 'twas because of what Lady Darcy said.

"Besides, wouldn't he just get bored as king?" Lady Darcy continued. "Being unable to play
tricks on anyone? I'd get bored and start to feel claustrophobic, being unable to just go
anywhere whenever I wanted to."

"You can't go anywhere you want to now," Lady Jane pointed out.

"Yes, but that's only because I don't have the money to do so. If I did, I'd travel the world and
see it all."

"You are mistaken in thinking he cannot play tricks now, my Lady," Volstagg replied. "He
could now play the greatest and most dangerous one ever. As the king of Ásgarðr, he is the
most powerful man in the Nine Realms. Few could oppose him, even in war as Ásgarðr's
warriors are the finest anywhere."

"I still do not know what you wish me to do, my friends," Thor said. "I have not my powers."

"So?" Lady Sif questioned. "No one knows of this but us and your father, and he sleeps. We
can take you back to Ásgarðr, have you dressed as before, and no one will know the
difference. You do not always have Mjǫllnir with you, and you can say you have put her
aside for Gungnir until your father awakens from the Óðinnsleep."

"Loki knows," Thor told her. "He was there when Father punished me. In fact, he might even
know more than me as Mjǫllnir was only sent down afterwards. Thus he would know what
enchantment Father placed upon her."

"I do not see how 'tis a problem, it would be his word against yours as no one else was there."

"You would have Thor lie?" Lady Jane protested. "I thought you were all about honor!"

"This would be for the good of Ásgarðr!" Fandral protested.

"Oh, I see, so it's okay if you do it, but not if someone else does? We call that hypocrisy."

"Jane!" Lord Selvig cautioned, stepping forward to take hold of her arm. "We don't know
anything about the situation. And Loki is known as the God of Lies, if he has already lied as
they seem to think, then another lie might be needed to get out of the situation."

"No, that can't be right," Lady Darcy protested. "Two wrongs don't make a right. Besides,
weren't trickster gods the ones who gave humanity fire? So they aren't always bad."

Thor felt torn, both of what Lady Jane and Lady Darcy said made sense and sounded right,
but Lord Selvig had a point as well. Had his brother lied or used his tricks to gain Hliðskjálf?
It pained him to think of it, but Loki had never been shy to use his seiðr if it suited his
purpose, and he had seen his brother do so even the other day when all a servant had done
was laugh at a harmless comment which Thor had made. 'Twas not exactly mature behavior
and, if Loki could be influenced by such petty things, then how easy would it be to
manipulate his brother into making the wrong decisions for Ásgarðr without intending to?

"There is another matter as well," Thor finally said. "The law is on Loki's side."

"What?" Volstagg demanded. "But you are heir to Hliðskjálf, the crown prince!"

"Nay, I was both. The moment Father punished and banished me, he removed me from the
line of succession."

"He would never have meant for it to be permanent!" Lady Sif protested. "Nor for Loki to
actually sit on Hliðskjálf during that time."

"Nevertheless, 'tis so and, even if I were to regain my powers now, Hliðskjálf would still be
Loki's as he was the official heir at the time Father fell to the Óðinnsleep."
"Surely the fact you are the true crown prince would mean it would come back to you once
you are restored," Fandral uttered.

"Nay, it does not," Thor replied heavily. "'Tis to prevent Hliðskjálf from shifting back and
forth too often, resulting in chaos."

"Isn't Loki the god of that as well?" Lord Selvig asked. "Chaos?"

"I have not heard of that one, but it would fit!" Volstagg laughed.

"Enough!" Thor frowned, not liking all of the disparaging commentary being made about his
brother to those who had never even met him before. "Unless you have proof Loki is doing
something bad for Ásgarðr right now, I cannot do anything without potentially making the
situation a lot worse."

"But Thor-" Lady Sif started.

"Nay, I cannot," Thor stated. "Do you know what one of the biggest fears we had before the
coronation was? Father, Mother, Loki and I? The danger of someone moving against us in the
transition. 'Tis when Hliðskjálf is the most vulnerable-"

"As Loki has proven!"

"I will not add to that uncertainty now, not like this. It would only make things worse if
anyone else should try something."

"But what about the war?" Volstagg questioned. "Ásgarðr needs a strong leader now to take
on the frost giants!"

"War, what war?" Lady Jane demanded.

"The frost giants are the jötnar, right?" Lord Selvig checked.

"Aye," Thor confirmed, moving to take Lady Jane's hand. "They are our oldest enemy, and
they used the distraction of my coronation to send a stealth attack force into Ásgarðr to
reclaim a powerful weapon of theirs, which we had confiscated at the end of the last war.
When we went to investigate with Loki, they attacked us and declared war."

"Oh, that's not good," Lady Darcy commented.

"Nay, 'tis not!" Fandral agreed. "Especially without a strong king on Hliðskjálf."

"Loki may not have experience leading men into battle, but he has never shown an inclination
to do so either," Thor said. "And you say he has met with the High Council, so General Týr
will be the one to command on the battlefield should it come to that."

"He is not you," Lady Sif persisted.

"I could hardly match his experience."

 "Nay, but you are our prince and far more of an inspiration, especially with your successes,"
Volstagg stated.

"Perhaps, but I would not risk the stability of Ásgarðr without further proof Loki is plotting
something to the detriment of the Nine Realms," Thor declared.

"Very well, but it may be too late by then," Lady Sif groaned.

"We should hurry back before we are missed," Fandral suggested. "Though we may wish to
think of an excuse if our absence has been noticed."

Chapter End Notes

I know some of you have been eagerly awaiting Thor's proper introduction, so I hope
you liked it. I can tell you that all of the Earth scenes made editing the fic a bit of a
nightmare as it meant there were some places where contractions and modern
colloquialisms were supposed to be present instead of being inadvertent slips!

I did have a lot of fun with the different pov here, as it really allowed me to show certain
things from a completely different angle. Hopefully you will realize that some of what
we had before, from Loki's pov, was just as prejudiced and slanted due to that as some
of what Thor thought here. Like Thor believing the decision to head to Jötunheimr was
entirely his own and his fear that Loki might be too easily manipulated... The question
is, where is the truth between those perspectives?

As for the Star Wars reference... I couldn't help myself. It is one of the other fandoms
I've written fic for, after all. Later on, 1 of the other 2 fandoms I've got fic for will
appear as well in a reference. I'll leave you to guess which one 😁

Norse Mythology:

Höðr - is a blind god, the son of Óðinn & Frigg. Tricked and guided by Loki, he shot the
mistletoe arrow which was to slay his brother, Baldr - I've changed most of this... but
something has been kept.
Ullr - "glory" & maybe the god of archery - I needed a name for Höðr's father and
thought this apt, even if I've changed most of Höðr's backstory!
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven

Old Norse:

seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
Up next week: The start of Heimdallr's trial!
 Chapter 13
Chapter Notes

And here we go...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The nearly full night's rest had done Loki good, and, while he would like to have slept longer,
he knew he could ill afford the luxury. Knowing the reminder of his link to the All-Father
would be beneficial today, he elected to wear his outfit from the coronation with his
headpiece, and he broke his fast quickly before heading out.

"Good morning, my Liege," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr greeted as soon as he left his

chambers.

The man looked awake and alert, though Loki had to wonder if he was any better rested than
him. He hoped Yngvarr had gone off duty as soon as Loki had returned to his chambers
yesterday. None of them would be able to keep up this pace otherwise.

"Lieutenant-General," Loki replied. "Did you manage to find Höðr?"

"Aye, he was contacted late last night and promised to be here today."

"Thank you," Loki replied, musing for a moment before he added. "Did you know 'twas his
ambition to serve under you within the king's guard?"

"Ah, nay, I did not, Your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied. "Based on his
actions while serving as your guard, he would definitely have qualified."

Of that Loki had never had any doubt. Though Höðr had never been shy about admitting to
his dreams, Loki had never felt like Höðr had resented his current position or felt any less
watched over. Indeed, if anything, the man's honesty had helped Loki feel more comfortable
in his presence as 'twas a refreshing change from the machinations of court. His own love for
books and learning had allowed Höðr to further admit a topic he himself had studied
extensively. Namely the Bifröst and the rainbow bridge. Höðr had been endlessly fascinated
by the technology and all of the opportunities and advantages it gave Ásgarðr. The man had
never failed to look delighted to be in Himinbjörg and Loki had known only his sworn duty
had prevented Höðr from exploring it further, or pestering Heimdallr relentlessly for answers
he would probably never receive.

Well, Loki did believe in rewarding loyalty, and the man had saved his life at the expense of a
crippling injury which had robbed Höðr of his dreams. While Ásgarðr staunchly supported
the action and its success, they were not kind to those no longer able to be warriors, no matter
the cause.
As soon as they turned the corner to the corridor which was next to Valaskjálf, Loki could
already spot his former guard. Höðr stood as tall as ever, his clothing impeccable, but with
the addition of a dark cloth wrapped around his face, just wide enough to cover his ruined
eyes and the injuries to the skin around them. Clearly able to hear the approach (who could
not with the noise his escort made?), Höðr turned to face them, raised a fist to his chest and
bowed deeply.

"My King, Loki," Höðr greeted. "You wished to see me?"

"I did indeed, Höðr Ullrson," Loki replied, coming to a stop before the man.

If Höðr felt unnerved by suddenly being surrounded as the Einherjar took up positions around
them, he did not let it show. Loki supposed it probably helped that Höðr knew their protocols
and procedures from before.

"Tell me, Höðr, are you still as interested in the Bifröst as you used to be?" Loki asked,
noticing Lieutenant-General Yngvarr blink in surprise next to him only because he had been
watching for it.

"I- aye, Your Majesty," Höðr confirmed, clearly startled at the question, before his face
hardened in anger. "I have heard Heimdallr was arrested last night."

Interesting, Loki would have thought the attempted regicide would have been the greater
fodder for the gossip mills.

Unless...

The only people who knew of that were his personal guard, General Týr and himself. Clearly
none of them had spoken of it with others beyond Lord Ragnvaldr. 'Twas good to know the
king's guard knew to keep their mouths shut. He knew Óðinn would have insisted upon it, but
with everything else which had happened already, he would not have been surprised if this
had slipped as well. So 'twas good to know it had not.

That Heimdallr's arrest had made it out was not a surprise since the gatekeeper would have
been seen by the regular guards as well as the servants and anyone else in the corridors at the
right time while Heimdallr was escorted to the dungeons. Plus then there had been the rushed
preparations for a trial.

"Hmm, he tried to finish that which you prevented before," Loki informed Höðr.

Loki could tell the moment his old guard understood what he had said as Höðr's face twisted
into something fierce and it took him straight back to the day they had been attacked. 'Twas
accompanied by a growl and Loki's lips twitched as he stepped forward and gently took hold
of Höðr's elbow, as he had seen his former guard's sister do to guide him along, and he started
walking again.

"Do you miss serving?" Loki asked, far more quietly.

"Of course, my Liege," Höðr replied instantly, though Loki could detect the puzzlement in his
voice.

No doubt Ullrson did not quite know what to make of his questions. Not that he was going to
give away his surprise early.

"In that case, stay near Hliðskjálf at the base of the stairs," Loki instructed, before he
motioned over a servant. "I will see you again after the trial, Höðr."

"As your Majesty wishes," Höðr responded, knowing when he was dismissed.

Loki could feel Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's curiosity as they continued on into Valaskjálf.
No doubt the man was trying to predict his actions in order to properly protect him, but in
this there was no harm in surprising even his personal guard. And, besides, he could hardly
get up to his usual mischief at the moment, so this would do nicely as a substitute.

At least for now anyway.

"Would you not say regaining a good man is always worth it, Lieutenant-General?" Loki
asked with a half-smile.

"I- aye, my King," Yngvarr replied.

"Well, you are about to."

With that, Loki stepped out far enough into Valaskjálf to become visible to those within the
hall and the noise level instantly dropped dramatically as people ceased their endless
speculation and gossiping about what had happened last night, and what was about to occur,
in favor of not missing a moment of the spectacle they had come to witness. Loki took a
moment to simply stand there, green eyes sweeping Valaskjálf and pleased to see not only
most of the court, but also a fair few members of the public who had decided to take the
opportunity of it being an open trial to come along.

Whether they did so to see him, to ensure Heimdallr had a fair hearing, or simply for the
entertainment, Loki did not particularly care. Nay, he was simply pleased 'twas well attended
as it allowed him to combine several objectives at once.

Once he had done a sweep of Valaskjálf, Loki moved forward and took his seat upon
Hliðskjálf. There were bows from everyone and the formal fist to the chest from those who
had not yet seen him since he had become king. As they did so, a servant guided Höðr into
place, not far from where General Týr stood with the rest of the High Council. From the
nearly ill look on Uncle Vili's face, he knew the man had been informed of what had
happened last night. Uncle Vé seemed to be leaning more towards anger, but 'twas clear the
incident had driven home to both of them precisely how precarious the situation was. That
Uncle Vili seemed anything but pleased to realize how close he was to Hliðskjálf reassured
Loki, but he did not plan to lower his guard around the man.

Lords Ragnvaldr and Óðr looked better, but their faces were still grave and Ragnvaldr caught
and held his eye for a moment, probably trying to determine how he planned to handle this
since he had not sought out the man for advice as his father might have. Loki, however, did
not need to be told to tread carefully here due to being a new king and a regent, one whom no
one had expected to ever sit on Hliðskjálf and not the most popular of princes even before
that. But here he was, about to try a highly placed Einherjar whom everyone in Ásgarðr knew
and respected. The biggest factor in Loki's favor was that, as much as Heimdallr might be
liked and respected, he also unnerved people as well. The very fact he could turn his gaze or
ears anywhere and everywhere meant Heimdallr could always be watching or listening to
whatever 'twas anyone did, which was a very unsettling realization people chose to ignore
most of the time. But it could work to Loki's advantage, even if he hated using such a tactic.
'Twas one which could far too easily be used against him as well, and therefore left a bad
taste in his mouth.

Loki would do it despite all of that, though, as he had never shied away from doing whatever
it took to ensure his own survival, no matter what anyone else might think of the means he
used to do so, and he was not about to start now.

"Bring in the prisoner," Loki ordered, once more silencing the whispers and susurrations
which had started up.

Unlike before, Loki sat up straight on Hliðskjálf, wanting to convey nothing but absolute
authority and confidence, even if inside he felt nearly ill with all of the attention and pressure.
Óðinn had better awaken soon or he would kill the All-Father himself for putting him in this
position in the first place.

The doors at the far end of Valaskjálf opened and in walked several guards, between whom
strode Heimdallr. The gatekeeper held his head high and proud though he had been stripped
of his formal armor and now only wore a basic linen outfit in charcoal gray. Heimdallr's
wrists were bound before him and attached to a chain that encircled his waist, from which
additional chains were attached whose ends some of the Einherjar escorting Heimdallr held.
'Twas easy at first glance to think it overkill, as the gatekeeper had no seiðr other than his
gift, but the man had been an accomplished warrior in the Einherjar before Óðinn had
realized his true potential and made him the gatekeeper of the Bifröst.

The murmuring started up again as soon as the group entered Valaskjálf and only grew louder
as Heimdallr walked almost defiantly toward the bottom of the steps leading up to Hliðskjálf.
Once in position, Heimdallr glanced up at him in open insubordination with his golden gaze.
The lack of proper greeting and respect for the king did not go unnoticed, and Loki had to
wonder if the gatekeeper even realized he was making this easier for Loki.

"Heimdallr Nineson, you stand here before Hliðskjálf accused of high treason and attempted
regicide," Loki began, before he paused at the expected exclamations and cries of both
disbelief and horror which erupted from the observers.

Uncle Vili, Loki noticed, had lost whatever color remained, and even Uncle Vé looked a bit
pale now. The rest of the High Council were either stoic or furious, with the latter reflected
on most of the high members of court, whose futures were tied very heavily with that of the
royal family. Among the rest of court and the people, though, there was more disbelief and
uncertainty, and 'twas where Loki kept most of the attention not on Heimdallr. They were the
reason why execution as a punishment had never truly been a viable option, even if 'twas the
most traditional one for this type of crime. While the restriction angered him, 'twas only
because it should not be there. He was king and Heimdallr had tried to kill him, the
gatekeeper's life should be forfeit. But, in this particular case, it actually suited his purposes
better as his punishment for Heimdallr would be far worse for the gatekeeper, even if it
would seem more merciful to most.

"How do you plead?" Loki demanded, already knowing the answer.

"Not guilty," Heimdallr declared, as expected.

Not that Loki thought any but the most devote of fanatics would admit to attempted regicide.
Not on Ásgarðr.

"Very well, on the count of high treason you are accused of disobeying the direct order of not
one, but two kings, allowing unauthorized travel via the Bifröst on two occasions, the first of
which led to Jötunheimr declaring war on Ásgarðr," Loki stated. "Do you deny this?"

"Prince Thor requested the passage to Jötunheimr."

"Aye, but 'twas King Óðinn who forbad it. Do you believe the command of a prince, even a
crown prince, outweighs that of your king?"

Silence.

Well, at least on the part of Heimdallr. The others in Valaskjálf clearly had an opinion on the
matter, some even shaking their heads.

"Well?" Loki demanded, leaning forwards a little. "I asked you a question, Gatekeeper. Do
you think Prince Thor's words outweigh those of King Óðinn?"

"The situation was not so simple," Heimdallr finally replied.

"Oh? I think it straightforward; a king's command trumps that of a prince."

"The situation had changed."

"And?"

Was Heimdallr truly going to pursue this line of questioning?

"The frost giants had invaded, using passages unseen by myself."

Aye, clearly he was, making gasps sound at the confirmation of the attack from those who
had not known for certain it had occurred. 'Twas not necessarily what Loki had wanted, but
'twas foolhardy to think they would have been able to deny it, not after the way the
coronation had been interrupted and what Óðinn himself had said when doing so.

"I see. So, with an even more precarious political situation than the one we were in when the
All-Father told you travel to Jötunheimr was forbidden, you, a mere gatekeeper, decided you
knew better than your king and allowed Prince Thor to take an armed party to Jötunheimr,"
Loki summarized.

"They invaded us!" Heimdallr insisted.

"Hmm, and our defenses activated exactly as they are supposed to, killing all three jötnar
before they were able to make off with what they came for."

"We had to know how they did so."

"We do know, there was a portal in the vault, one linking right back to Jötunheimr," Loki
stated calmly. "We did not need to travel there in order to discover this. Nay, all which going
there accomplished was for a battle to take place, resulting in the deaths of several hundred
jötnar and Laufey-King declaring war on Ásgarðr as a result. A war which was entirely
preventable if you had merely done as King Óðinn had commanded you to. By disobeying
that order, you broke not only your honor, but the All-Father's trust in you and once again
opened this peaceful Realm and its innocent lives to the horror of war."

Heimdallr's face had gone stony now and Loki wondered if the man recognized some of
Óðinn's words within his own. His father had definitely been screaming them loud enough to
be heard just outside of Himinbjörg, where the gatekeeper had been waiting when he and
Óðinn had left after Thor's banishment. What could he say? The words had resonated and
would ring true to his father's judgment, which he needed at present.

"Nothing to say now, Gatekeeper?" Loki probed. "Or do you not wish to admit to the true
reason why you let us pass?"

"I have mentioned my true reason," Heimdallr countered.

"Have you now? I distinctly recall you giving a little speech about how this was the first time
an enemy had slipped past your watch."

"And that we needed to learn how."

"Nay," Loki snapped. "You said I as in I wish to know how that happened. So tell me,
Heimdallr, was it truly a desire to protect Ásgarðr which drove you, or your own wounded
pride at having been bested by an enemy?"

"Nay."

"Do you believe your pride worth Ásgarðr's peace?"

"Nay."

"So then it was simply your belief that you knew better than the king of Ásgarðr?"

"'Tis not what I said."

Loki sat back and gestured with his free hand, palm up. "Then by all means, state plainly why
you deliberately disobeyed a direct order from your king."
'Twas an impossible question to answer, as to provide justification was to admit to
disobedience. Therefore Heimdallr kept quiet and Loki gave him a little smile.

"Very well then, we move on to the second instance of you disobeying your king," Loki said.

"You are not my king."

The words caused a minor pandemonium among the witnesses, as Loki had known they
would when they eventually surfaced. Luckily for him, he had known they would. Heimdallr
was predictably stubborn. He wondered how long it would be before the man accused him of
having let the jötnar into Ásgarðr.

"So now you know Ásgarðrian succession law better than Queen Frigga, Lord Ragnvaldr and
King Óðinn?" Loki inquired calmly, as if the accusation did not faze him in the slightest.

Losing emotional control now, before the entirety of the court and enough of the people for
word to spread quickly, would be utterly disastrous.

"Prince Thor is heir."

"Thor was renounced and banished by the All-Father until such time as he proves himself
worthy of his people and title," Loki declared.

Heimdallr's eyes widened at his words and the reaction they drew from their audience. Had
the gatekeeper truly not expected him to officially admit that in public? If so, the man had
severely underestimated him and all he would do to protect both his position and Ásgarðr.
The latter was why he himself had committed treason and created the portal to allow the
jötnar into the vault. Just as he would not see an unfit king on Hliðskjálf, so he would not
allow anyone to undermine his position as regent and destabilize Ásgarðr with them at war
with their oldest, and strongest, enemy. Even with them weakened as they were, the jötnar
were a dangerous threat since they were facing extinction and thus had nothing left to lose.
The truly desperate were always the most dangerous as they would quite happily kill
themselves if it meant simultaneously destroying their enemy if 'twas all they could achieve.

Nineson was a fool if he believed otherwise, and he should not since Heimdallr believed Loki
had done it all in order to secure Hliðskjálf for himself. In which case Loki would be even
more inclined to ruin his brother's good reputation and public image. Aye, doing so now was
a risk, but a carefully calculated one; his favorite and specialty. Not only that, but 'twas also
the simple truth.

"As you well know, having been right outside Himinbjörg when King Óðinn did so," Loki
continued, pausing briefly for effect before he turned Gungnir in his hand, making the air to
the left of him shiver and show a view from inside Himinbjörg. "Did you know, Heimdallr,
that everything which transpires in Himinbjörg is recorded for security purposes?"

The look of surprise on the gatekeeper's face was that of shock, thus Loki knew Heimdallr
had not been aware of it. Not that it seemed to stymie the man for long.
"Prince Thor's status is irrelevant," Heimdallr stated instead. "You are not king as you
committed treason yourself when you allowed the jötnar into Ásgarðr."

And there it was, the final accusation Loki had been waiting for. The reaction from the
audience was predictable, as was the fact that General Týr took a step forward, clearly at the
end of his patience with the gatekeeper. Loki simply lifted a finger and shook his head. The
general looked displeased but relented, stepping back to rejoin Lords Ragnvaldr and Óðr.

"You make bold claims, Heimdallr Nineson," Loki said. "And keep insisting on doing so.
You first uttered this one after failing to take my head on the rainbow bridge. Have we
jumped straight to your bid to excuse your attempt at regicide?"

Strangely enough, Valaskjálf was dead silent now instead of filled with the shocked and
speculative whispers and murmurs from earlier. 'Twas almost as if people feared missing a
single word of what transpired. Loki wondered what tales would spring forth from this day,
and how they would paint him as this was the first truly visible act of his reign. Not the most
aspiring way to start with the people, but definitely a memorable one.

"You are able to hide yourself from my gaze," Heimdallr declared. "And have done so several
times since usurping Hliðskjálf."

"And you feel 'tis your right as gatekeeper of the Bifröst to be able to view and hear all your
king does?" Loki demanded. "You forget your place once more, Heimdallr. You answer to the
king, he does not answer to you."

"The entry of the frost giants into Ásgarðr was hidden from me, as you have proven you can
do."

"Hmm, I can," Loki admitted. "As can Óðinn All-Father. Would you accuse him too of
allowing the jötnar in?"

Twitters from the people.

"General Týr, please inform Heimdallr of what we were discussing when I cloaked us from
his all-seeing gaze," Loki ordered.

The general stepped forward a few paces. "Of course, Your Majesty. We were discussing your
fear Lady Sif and the Warriors Three might try to commit treason and go to Miðgarðr to
retrieve Thor. You also feared Heimdallr would go along with their treasonous acts and allow
them such passage as this quest required."

Instead of speaking himself, Loki focused on Gungnir and the so far static image of
Himinbjörg suddenly came to life, showing everyone a view of Himinbjörg with Loki and
Heimdallr stood before the void of space.

"You are sworn to obey me now. Aye?" his past self demanded.

"Aye."

Even on the recording, Heimdallr's reluctance and hesitance was more than clear.
"Then you will open the Bifröst to Miðgarðr to no one until I have repaired the damage that
my brother has done."

The scene was crystal clear in its brevity and Loki turned his attention back to his general as
he dispelled the recording.

"General Týr, please inform us of what happened last night," Loki ordered.

"Lady Sif and the Warriors Three approached Heimdallr and were granted passage to
Miðgarðr."

Brevity was clearly General Týr's position here as well.

"I did not open the Bifröst for them," Heimdallr protested.

Fed up with the gatekeeper's lies and attempts at evasion, Loki merely used Gungnir to call
forth another recording from Himinbjörg. This time the view was of Heimdallr standing
beside Höfuð which was already inserted into the Bifröst mechanism. Before him stood Lady
Sif and the Warriors Idiot, dressed for battle.

"Good Heimdallr," Volstagg began clearly nervous. "Let us expl-"

"You would defy the command of Loki, our king? Break every oath you have taken as
warriors and commit treason to bring Thor back?" Heimdallr interrupted.

"Aye, but-" Lady Sif began to the loud shock of the audience.

Loki hid another smile. 'Twas what he liked most about this particular scene when he had
found it last night, when seeking footage to aid him with the trial. Ásgarðr had been most
helpful, guiding him right towards it, though it would not have been hard to find as he had
known when Thor's friends had made their run for Miðgarðr. That it allowed Lady Sif to
incriminate them all with her own voice and words was pure gold. Not that their actions did
not do so as well, but the words proved they knew the gravity of their actions and chose to
take them regardless. They would not be able to argue their way out of it when he finally had
them on trial before him.

"Good," Heimdallr stated, thereby condemning himself as well.

"So you will help us?" Lady Sif implored even as she made way for Heimdallr, who was
leaving Himinbjörg.

"I am bound by honor to our king. I cannot open the Bifröst to you," Heimdallr said.

"Complicated fellow, isn't he?" Fandral commented.

"Well now what do we do?" Volstagg demanded, clearly upset.

Lady Sif sighed, turning around before spotting Höfuð. "Look!"

The rest was without words, but then words were no longer necessary.
Chapter End Notes

Ta da, the first part of Heimdallr's trial. Do you like it so far? It's not quite a modern day
trial as it is still Ásgarðr, but at least there's evidence and eye witness testimony being
presented and Loki does need to convince others. That's about as good as you can get in
the system Óðinn Borrson has set up.

Sorry to break it up, but the entire scene was far too long to post in one go. The rest is
up next week.

Regarding Heimdallr's last name here, I couldn't find anything in mythology about his
father, but he is listed as having 9 mothers (sisters no less!). Don't ask me how or why,
but the Nineson is a little nod to that and saved me from using one of the few precious
Norse Mythology names that there are for someone else later on.
 Chapter 14
Chapter Notes

Wow, I always knew the last chapter was likely to attract a lot of responses, but thanks!
Sorry I didn't reply to all the lovely comments sooner, but I wasn't feeling great.

Anyway, here's the highly anticipated second part of the trial, I hope you all enjoy it!
Our little diva definitely did...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Two scenes," Loki began, dispelling the recording once more. "My order, your
disobedience."

"I did not open the Bifröst for them," Heimdallr defended, though 'twas weak and Loki could
see the gatekeeper knew it.

"You did not even so much as make a pretense of preventing them from doing what I had told
you was forbidden," Loki dismissed. "In addition, by leaving Höfuð, which was given to you
by King Óðinn to protect and defend with your life, you all but opened the Bifröst for them.
Not committing the full act is a mere attempt at paying lip service to obedience. Is your honor
truly so thin, Gatekeeper?"

The accusation caused a ripple of unease as 'twas a grave insult. Loki knew it well as it had
oft been levied at him in the past for his use of seiðr and so-called tricks in battles and
training.

"In addition, 'tis part of your duties to inform the king of any and all treachery and treason
you uncover," Loki continued. "Yet here you praise those whom you have uncovered
planning to do precisely that, and then aid them in their scheme to overthrow the king you
have just recognized."

Again the silence from Heimdallr, which Loki could clearly see was not earning the man any
favor from the crowd who were now casting Heimdallr distinctly darker looks than before.

"Nothing to say, Heimdallr?" Loki prodded, enjoying the rage he saw in those golden hued
eyes. "You were so quick to declare yourself innocent before."

"What am I to say if you cast aside my words and twist my actions?" Heimdallr finally spoke.

Loki sighed. "All you have said is that you believe I let the jötnar into the vault, yet you offer
no proof but for the fact I can hide my presence from you. There are a great many people
capable of a great many evil acts and yet we do not judge them by this mere ability to do so,
or there would be few left free."
"Pretty words," Heimdallr sneered.

"Hardly. Most men in this hall are highly trained warriors and thus capable of slaying another
man, but I would hardly look at any of them simply because of this capability to do so. Nay, I
would seek out further information and evidence on how and why 'twas done before acting so
rashly."

"You gained a throne through your actions!"

Oh good, Heimdallr was finally starting to lose that damnable cool of his. Loki had not even
been entirely certain 'twas possible.

Loki laughed. "I am a regent, Nineson, nothing more. I am merely here until my father
awakens from the Óðinnsleep. You must think me a master manipulator to have arranged for
the jötnar to attack Ásgarðr and then arrange for Thor to attack Jötunheimr and have Laufey-
King decide to declare war. Not to mention making Father decide to disown and banish Thor
before somehow ensuring the Óðinnsleep took Father once all of this had transpired and not a
moment before. After which, of course, somehow arranging for yourself, Lady Sif and the
Warriors Three to do precisely what I needed all of you to do in Himinbjörg.

I am flattered, Heimdallr, truly I am. But tell me, what of General Týr and Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr, both of whom can testify to my actions in this matter? Oh, nay, wait I see it
now, 'tis not only myself whom you accuse of lying and manipulating, but both of them as
well. Which makes it a grand conspiracy, I suppose, with yourself, Lady Sif and the Warriors
Three as the valiant heroes striving to defend and protect the honor of both the fallen king
and his poor, unrightfully banished heir. Is there anyone else whom you would like to
implicate in this nefarious plot against all of Ásgarðr? Princes Vili and Vé, perhaps? Or Lords
Ragnvaldr and Óðr? Or, nay, I know, Queen Frigga herself! After all, what is a good betrayal
conspiracy without at least two close traitors to the true king of the tale? All the more for the
heroes to strive against and make their ultimate victory seem the greater for."

There was outright laughter now and Heimdallr surged forwards in a rage, the Einherjar
having to physically pull him back.

"Nay?" Loki asked with a large smile. "Did I get some of the details wrong?"

"You twist my words, Silvertongue!" Heimdallr snarled.

"Oh, do I?" Loki shot back, face hardening. "Then do tell how you think I arranged for things
to go from letting the jötnar into the vault to stealing Hliðskjálf? 'Tis hardly an unconvoluted
path."

"I do not need to explain it."

"You accuse your king of high treason against Ásgarðr as justification for your own treachery
and you do not need to explain it?" Loki demanded. "You are a desperate man clutching at
phantoms in order to escape the executioner's axe."
Those words killed any merriment which remained from his earlier tale and Loki noted
critically that not as many people seemed aghast at the mention of the death penalty as he had
thought there would be. Still, 'twas a risk too far for not only were only a small fraction of
Ásgarðr's population present, but it suited his need for revenge less than his actual
punishment. But 'twas good to know that, if given a fair arena for him to have his words
heard, he could convince people to see things his way on such grave issues. It had been far
too long since he had the opportunity to do so for him to take it for granted.

"You cannot execute me," Heimdallr countered smugly. "You need me too much."

"You tried to kill your king," Loki growled, leaning forward once more. "Your arrogance
knows no bounds if you believe yourself to be more important to this realm than its rightful
ruler."

"I was doing my sworn duty and defending Ásgarðr. Only this time the threat was internal
rather than external."

"There are proper channels for such threats, of which regicide is not one."

Some sputtered laughter again.

"I could not use them."

"Oh, I thought 'twas not a conspiracy?" Loki riposted. "Yet you could not go to General Týr
with your concerns? Is the good general a co-conspirator or a helplessly manipulated puppet
this time?"

More laughter. He had definitely won them over.

"Neither, merely blind to what is happening before him," Heimdallr stated, drawing gasps at
his audacity.

"So you resorted to regicide," Loki finished for him.

"You gave me no choice."

"I see, was this a subconscious desire of mine to die for my wicked sins?" Loki drawled.
"Strange then I brought my entire personal guard, including Lieutenant-General Yngvarr as
well as General Týr."

That bit of information seemed to make the most skeptical of viewers look at Heimdallr with
venom. With those words, Loki had elevated the accusation from that of one man against
another, to a witnessed event. It should not have mattered, but he was the dark, less favored,
second prince no matter his current regency, and there were those who would never trust his
words due to his status as the God of Lies. Or from the words of those who had not been able
to see the truth in what he had said, deceived by the pretty veneer he had coated his words
with. 'Twas easier to accuse the speaker of lying than to admit to having been tricked.

"You need me," Heimdallr reiterated, avoiding the question. "Without my sight, the Bifröst
can only be used to send people away from Ásgarðr, and into the unknown, unless you set up
a rotation and timetable to open it at specific times in each of the Realms, which is far too
great a security risk to allow."

And finally, here they were, the moment Loki had been waiting for ever since the possibility
of Heimdallr's punishment had first occurred to him. He had savored the anticipation, but
now 'twas time to bring it to fruition.

Loki rose to his feet and slowly started to descend the steps before Hliðskjálf, taking great
care to have his voice come out even and without even a hint of the delight and joy he
currently felt.

"Heimdallr Nineson, your sheer arrogance is astonishing and has led you to not only commit
treason against two kings, but to feel justified in attempting to commit regicide simply
because you felt you knew better than anyone else."

The gatekeeper's mask was good, but Loki was now close enough to read the subtle signs of
tension and fear which Heimdallr currently felt. Despite all of his arrogant posturing about
being indispensable, the man knew better than not to fear him. Heimdallr probably thought
his blind lust for power would stop at nothing to punish those who had acted against him, the
consequences be damned.

Well, the gatekeeper might have had the wrong reason, but Heimdallr was correct in his
conclusion. Loki was someone to fear as he would tread where others feared to go, one could
not become a sky walker without it, but he was far more intelligent than Heimdallr gave him
credit for. Or at least when he was not out of mind with uncontrolled emotions.

"In addition, you have had a critical hand in bringing Ásgarðr to the brink of war," Loki
continued, stopping a few steps from the bottom, just enough so he could easily tower over
everyone else present. Appearances were important after all. "As a result, you are unworthy
of this Realm, unworthy of your titles and unworthy of the loyalty and regard bestowed upon
you. Therefore, with the power invested in me by my father and his father before him, I
hereby take from you your gift of All-Sight."

With that, Loki raised Gungnir and pointed it at Heimdallr, reaching out to Ásgarðr as they
had discussed the night before during his bath. Her power rose up around him, flooding
through him and channeled out through Gungnir. It hit Heimdallr hard in a beam of gold-
tinged green light, flashing out to wrap around the former gatekeeper and bringing Nineson
to his knees with a shocked sound.

The sound echoed all around Valaskjálf as people froze in shock at the sight. The power
coalesced around Heimdallr's head and eyes in particular, before fading away, making the
man slump forward to the ground, only just catching himself with his hands in time to keep
from hitting his face against the floor. Silence reigned through Valaskjálf before Heimdallr
recovered enough to make a horrified sound and whip his head up to look at Loki with wide,
disbelieving and brown eyes. Gone was the renown golden hue, and with it everything which
made Heimdallr so vital and indispensable as the Bifröst's gatekeeper.

"Nay," Heimdallr breathed softly, before attempting to lung forward at Loki. "Nay!"
Both the guards and Nineson's own shock at what had transpired served to bring him down
where he lay for a moment, whipping his head around, no doubt attempting to force his
enhanced sight and hearing back. It would not work, not unless Loki gave it back to him.

Well, either him or Óðinn, Loki thought sourly before he pushed the thought from his mind.
There was hardly anything he could do about it at present.

The Einherjar dragged Heimdallr back to his knees and left him there, swaying in shock.

"Not quite so arrogant and indispensable now, are we?" Loki asked, not bothering to wait for
a response. "The usual punishment for crimes of your nature is execution, but I hardly think
you deserve such attention. Nay, instead you will spend the rest of your life in the dungeons,
so you can ponder your lack of significance and the consequences of your arrogance."

Not to mention the, hopefully, unbearable realization that after a lifetime of having been able
to see and hear almost anything and everything in the Yggdrasill, Heimdallr would never
again see anything other than his small cell, and never hear anything other than that which
transpired in the dungeons. Personally, Loki could think of nothing worse than to be confined
and caged thus; like some wild animal. He would prefer physical torture than to be locked up
and forgotten. He was pretty certain it would be the same for Heimdallr and he looked
forward to witnessing it firsthand.

The shock of losing his gift was obviously too great for Heimdallr, as the man did not fully
react to the rest of his sentence, but Loki did not mind as 'twas due to what he had done. With
a gesture, the Einherjar dragged Heimdallr off to the side.

"Höðr Ullrson," Loki called out, cutting across the growing din as people thought the trial
was over.

Loki came down the last few steps as his old guard moved forward, using the noise Loki
deliberately made as his guide.

"Your Majesty?" Höðr inquired when he came to a stop not far from Loki.

"Over half a millennium ago, you served my father as an Einherjar in the capacity as personal
guard for the royal family, a duty you performed honorably and during the course of which
you were gravely injured," Loki began. "Would you like to serve once more?"

The question was now for the audience's benefit. Before it had been to ascertain the true
answer.

The crowd was abuzz with curiosity.

Höðr dropped to one knee. "I would be honored, Your Majesty."

"Höðr Ullrson, I hereby reinstate your position to the Einherjar," Loki began. "In addition, I
elevate you to the position of gatekeeper of the Bifröst and give you the gift of All-Sight."

The commotion which broke out coincided with Höðr's shocked startle. Loki noted both as he
lifted Gungnir once more and allowed the gift which he had been cradling (and examining)
within his own seiðr to rise to the surface once more. He sent it along Gungnir and out
towards Höðr in another beam of gold-tinged green light. As this was adding something
rather than ripping something out which Heimdallr had possessed since birth, 'twas far
gentler, though not entirely comfortable or pain free. Not that Loki thought Höðr would mind
even if it had been torturous. Not given the end result.

There was dead silence when the seiðr faded and Loki felt like no one even dared breathe. A
quick glance at Heimdallr showed even the former gatekeeper was watching his successor
with wide, disbelieving eyes. Then Höðr reacted, a strangled noise ripping from his throat
before the man reached up to pull off the cloth he wore as a cheap version of a double eye
patch. The cry of pain that followed accompanied the rising of his hands to block out the
light.

"Nay!" Heimdallr cried out again, trying to surge forward against his restraints.

The Einherjar held him back and then began pulling him away when Loki waved Heimdallr
off. The man's cries turned to shock as he was dragged away to his new home.

When Loki turned back to Höðr, his former guard was cautiously blinking open golden eyes
to look about Valaskjálf in wonder and disbelief. Loki walked up closer to the man and
instantly became the focus of Höðr's attention.

"Your Majesty," Höðr breathed in awe, his eyes darting all over Loki's face.

'Twas a break in decorum, but Loki allowed it to pass. 'Twas the first time the man had been
able to see in over five hundred years, and he had been one of the last things which Ullrson
had seen. 'Twas only natural for his guard to try and see what had changed in all of that time.

"I will see you outside, afterwards," Loki told him.

"As you wish," Höðr replied, rising when Loki moved past him to his High Council.

'Twas the signal for everyone else to break off and several people immediately headed for
Höðr, no doubt wishing to curry favor with the new gatekeeper and one so favored by the
current king. As Einherjar melted out of the shadows and moved to stand with his former
guard, Loki knew even if Höðr became overwhelmed with his returned sight, the man would
be fine.

"My Liege," General Týr greeted, bowing along with the others.

Loki hoped 'twas because of their public setting as he had no desire for them to bow each and
every time they encountered him.

"I... wa... was that the Óðinnforce?" Uncle Vé questioned quietly, gesturing towards Höðr.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed simply, pleased at their awe.

It had been the other goal here today in addition to proving Heimdallr's true nature and
treason; namely to prove to everyone exactly how powerful and useful his 'tricks' could be.
Loki would not see his talents mocked and dismissed anymore.
"I had wondered how you were going to handle Heimdallr's position," Lord Ragnvaldr
admitted. "I had thought him correct in being irreplaceable."

"Aye, 'tis a thought which had occurred to me in the past as well," General Týr added.
"Though admittedly more in the context of what to do if he were ever gravely injured or
killed."

"Which is precisely what allowed him to become so arrogant and self-important," Uncle Vili
stated, his face softening as he looked at Loki. "Are you alright? Heimdallr did not injure
you?"

"Nay," Loki reassured, slightly startled at the question. "I thought he might react violently
and so took precautions."

"Good."

"What of the Warriors Three and Lady Sif?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked. "Are you planning to
bring them back or leave them on Miðgarðr for now?"

"I would prefer to return them least they wreak havoc and damage on Miðgarðr," Loki
replied. "But it will depend on whether they are with Thor or not."

"I can place an armed contingent in Himinbjörg with Höðr so if he has the chance, he can
return them without needing to wait for reinforcements," General Týr offered.

It took Loki longer to leave Valaskjálf than expected, as several of the members of his father's
court had approached him and, after them, others had felt able to do the same. Normally Loki
would have felt annoyed, but they had all seemed pleased with what he had done, so he had
tolerated the attention for a while before making his excuses. Höðr was waiting for him
where he had been before, earlier in the day.

"My King," Höðr began, falling into place beside him when Loki motioned for him to follow.
"I wanted to thank you for your generous gift."

Loki's lips twitched. "Ásgarðr needs a gatekeeper, Heimdallr was not wrong in that. The
Bifröst cannot operate without one."

"Aye, but you could have chosen anyone for the position."

"None know as much of the Bifröst as you already do."

Loki stopped as he felt a soft, hesitant touch to his lower arm. Höðr's newly restored eyes
darted around at the Einherjar with them before his voice dropped to a low whisper. "Loki."

His own eyes darted up to meet the golden ones set in a still heavily scarred face and Loki
allowed his defenses to slip, just enough to give the man a genuine smile.

"You are welcome," Loki said, before his smile turned sly. "Not that anyone who knows our
history will doubt why you were chosen. But the other factors are true nevertheless. You do
know more of the Bifröst than anyone other than Heimdallr, and I doubt he will be
particularly forthcoming with his knowledge now."

"Nay," Höðr's face darkened at the words, the scarring making him look quite fierce. "I do
not suppose he would."

"Have you tried your new sight yet beyond simply seeing what you used to be able to?"

"I... ah, am not quite certain how to, my Liege."

"Look at the wall," Loki said, indicating the closest one. "Now look through it."

The confusion and uncertainty vanished from Höðr's face with a sharp intake of breath.
Wonder and amazement overcame the new gatekeeper and Loki could already tell Höðr
would have no trouble spending all of his time in Himinbjörg. 'Twas not something he could
do, but it had never seemed to bother Heimdallr any and Höðr had stood patiently for hours
on end when Loki had been studying in the library without something like this to keep him
entertained, so he supposed 'twas in their nature to do so.

The wonder abruptly vanished from Höðr's face to be replaced with a look of mortification,
even as the new gatekeeper's face flushed and he hastily glanced away. Loki blinked once,
before he threw his head back and laughed.

"You may wish to take care when gazing into bedchambers," Loki said, still chuckling.

"'Twas not a bedchamber," Höðr muttered.

Still amused, Loki began walking once more, making his way to the king's study.

"As regards your new position, in addition to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, we currently
also have Lord Aðalgrímr off-world on Álfheimr on a diplomatic mission," Loki informed
Höðr. "He may have already attempted to return, though I consider it unlikely as ljósálfar
feasts tend to be heavy on wines and fruit spirits."

"I shall see if he appears ready enough to have attempted a return home," Höðr promised.

"We may also have regular citizens in the other Realms in addition to our usual diplomats, so
you will need to use your discretion as to whom should be allowed back into Ásgarðr. I will
also request that Lord Óðr send you a list of Realms we have trade agreements with, and the
details thereof, so you are aware of who may rightfully request permission to enter the
Realm."

"Very well. And as regards the other traitors?"

"General Týr is to send you some men as we want all four of them back for trial. However,
Thor is to remain on Miðgarðr until he meets the requirements of Father's sentence. You will
know if he has as he will possess Mjǫllnir once more."

Despite the heavy wards on the study, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr was clearly feeling
nervous enough after last night's events to want to check the chamber personally, so Loki
allowed most of the guard to enter and remain inside. Instead he focused on Höfuð which
was leaning up against his desk. He approached and picked it up before turning to face Höðr
once more.

"Not only is this a symbol of your new position, but 'tis one of the two items which can
control the Bifröst, guard it more wisely than your predecessor."

"With my life, Your Majesty."

Of that Loki had absolutely no doubt, though he sincerely hoped it never came to that, even if
it would be a far more noble end for a warrior than what Höðr had been faced with before
when unable to fulfill his duties any longer.

"Now, as for Jötunheimr," Loki said, leaning back on his desk. "As you know, Laufey-King
has declared war on us, so I will need you to keep a close eye on that Realm and report back
regularly on what you both see and hear."

"Of course," Höðr promised, before he hesitated. "But I have heard looking into Jötunheimr
is difficult and was so even for Heimdallr."

Loki inclined his head once. "I have heard this as well, so once you have more of a feel for
your new gift, let me know what you seem able to observe of Jötunheimr and what appears to
be blocked. Any information would be useful as it may allow us to determine how Laufey-
King is able to hide and obscure our sight. I can also send out some of our seiðkonur to see if
they can aide you in perceiving more."

"Thank you."

"The other thing you may notice on Jötunheimr is a response to the missive Lord Aðalgrímr
left requesting to open negotiations with them," Loki said, before he frowned and turned to
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. "Actually, if Laufey-King does send a response, we may wish to
have additional guards in Himinbjörg to escort any emissary Laufey-King may send to
Iðavöllr."

"I will have a think on who might be best suited for such a post and send them along,"
Yngvarr promised.

Heh, good point. They could not have anyone too likely to react adversely to any benign
gesture the jötunn representative and their escort might make. It could ruin any chance of
bringing Laufey-King to the negotiating table.

"I believe that is everything for now," Loki said. "Gjallarhorn is in Himinbjörg should you
have need of it."

"Your Majesty," Höðr bowed, then looked at him once more. "And thank you."

Loki merely nodded and watched the man leave. He then sighed and thought of what best to
do next. While he wanted to go work on the Casket of Ancient Winters some more, he
 thought it probably best to have a look at the book on jötnar seiðr first, to check it for any
information on the Casket.

He moved to the sideboard to make himself a cup of tea, before he settled on the sofa and
pulled the book from his pocket dimension. The Book of Silvern Seiðr, an apt title given its
contents. Despite the haste and urgency, Loki took a moment to simply savor the moment of
having a book on new seiðr to devour. 'Twas one of his favorite things and ordinarily he
would read it from cover to cover, absorbing every little detail. Today, though, he flipped to
the index and ran a long finger down it, looking for any mention of the Casket of Ancient
Winters. He found it towards the middle of the book, and he was pleased to see 'twas a very
long section indeed.

He flipped to the correct page and settled in to read.

Chapter End Notes

Yes, yes, I admit Loki is more than a little in touch with his inner diva at the start of this
chapter and perhaps took things quite far, but can you blame him? To think he
manipulated everything just right to gain Hliðskjálf is rather ridiculous. On top of that,

🤣
he is the god of mischief and Heimdallr and the others provided him with such an
excellent opportunity!

As regards the All-Sight and Höðr, congratulations to those who saw it coming. I had
this planned long before Thor: Ragnarök came out and I'm sticking with my version of
events. What they came up with to solve the problem of the gatekeeper position is just
ridiculous and one more example of how previously established canon was brushed
aside for expediency, rather than taking the time to work out the problem properly.

Finally, regarding Book of Silvern Seiðr, I did try to think of a better title before
realizing that it comes from the same Realm that called the casket the Casket of Ancient
Winters, so clearly items are named in their titles 😄

Old Norse:

ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular

Gjallarhorn - "the loud sounding horn" associated with Heimdallr

Up next week: Lord Aðalgrímr returns and the planning continues. Lady Dagrún also
brings something to Loki's attention.
 Chapter 15
Chapter Notes

Surprise!

No, this is not a super early chapter posting, but an extra chapter for this week. There
will still be the regularly scheduled one later this week.

Why? Because you all are amazing and I've received over 1,000 kudos and favourites on
this fic! It probably happened last week, but I wasn't feeling great and so missed the
exact day. But that just means you get the bonus chapter today instead.

Also, thanks again for the lovely comments so many of you are leaving! I love and
respond to them, so do look back if you don't have an account to get an alert.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki was so absorbed in his reading he did not hear the knocking on the study door until
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr spoke.

"Your Majesty."

"Hmm?" Loki blinked, looking up.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's head tilting towards the door coincided with the next knock.

"Oh, enter," Loki called out.

A quick look out the window at the sun showed he had been absorbed in the book far longer
than he had thought. 'Twas fascinating, though, and contained far more information on the
Casket of Ancient Winters than he had ever dared hope to find.

Lord Aðalgrímr walked into the study, followed closely by Lord Ragnvaldr and General Týr.
Rather than stand, Loki motioned for them to join him on the sofas and indicated for
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr to come forwards as well.

"Did you make it back unhindered?" Loki asked Lord Aðalgrímr.

"Aye, I did, though seeing Höðr there instead of Heimdallr when I arrived was rather a
shock," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "It seems I missed a lot for the short length of time I was
gone."

"There will be another trial soon, if 'tis what you wished to see," Loki said.

"So I was informed."

The man's anger was far less affronted than that of General Týr, who felt a personal
responsibility for the actions of all of those under his command, but 'twas no less potent for
all that. Lord Aðalgrímr was far too politically astute to not understand the full implications
of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three wanting to drag Thor back here now of all times.

"What kind of reception did you receive from Laufey-King?" Loki asked.

"Cold," Lord Aðalgrímr deadpanned. "I did not see the king themself, but their oldest and
heir, Helblindi-Princex, came to meet me at the Bifröst site."

"Better than we might have expected," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"True. The princex also seemed pleased to receive the offer, but I had the impression they
was not entirely sure their father would receive it well."

"Do you think that was an early play, or a genuine concern on his part?" General Týr
inquired.

"'Tis hard to tell, as I have never met Helblindi-Princex before and I do not have a lot of
experience dealing with the jötnar," Lord Aðalgrímr answered. "As a result, I am not as good
at reading their facial expressions and body language as I am for the rest of the species in the
Nine."

Given this was not something Loki had ever been teased or bullied about while growing up,
he thought there was probably far less difference in these mannerisms than Lord Aðalgrímr
thought, though perhaps the different skin color and harsher features of the hrímþursar
hindered the realization of that. Or perhaps he had simply learned to mimic the facial
expressions and gestures of those around him well enough while growing up for no one to
have noticed the difference.

"But I did feel there was a certain amount of tension between Helblindi-Princex and another
member of their escort," Lord Aðalgrímr continued. "It felt as if that one might lean more
towards Laufey-King's point of view, from the way they interacted and reacted to news of the
proposal and the king's response to it."

Lord Ragnvaldr sighed deeply. "A split in the jötnar high command, and potentially even
within the royal family, is not what we need at present. It could make any peace negotiations
very difficult and render the result useless if one accepts only to be overthrown shortly
afterwards."

"We can hardly not proceed for fear of that, though we will need to bear it in mind," Loki
said. "Did they give any kind of reply?"

"Only that they would take it before Laufey-King and let us know," Lord Aðalgrímr replied.
"They did ask about the Casket of Ancient Winters and I said nothing was off the negotiating
table at present."

"It should at least bring Laufey in, even if he has no intention to see it through," General Týr
muttered.
"'Tis a start," Loki agreed. "And if we can bring him to the table, then we can work on the
rest."

"Did you have a chance to test your theory about the Casket?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked.

"Hmm, and it appears one does not need to be a full jötunn to be able to make it respond,"
Loki stated. "It reacted to Uncles Vili, Vé and myself, though most strongly to me once I
managed to reach it with my seiðr."

"Can you actually use it, Your Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked, eyes wide.

"That was harder to determine, and not something I wished to rush into testing," Loki replied,
before he tapped the book he had placed on the low table in front of him. "I have found
another, far more detailed, source on the Casket, and it has been most informative."

"What language is that?" Lord Aðalgrímr questioned, craning his neck to see it the right way
around from where he sat on the other side of the table.

Loki blinked and glanced at the book again. He had not even paused to consider how or why
a book on jötunn seiðr, which contained some of Jötunheimr's most precious seiðr secrets,
was written in Norse, but now he looked, he saw 'twas not. The runes were far harsher and
more... primitive, he supposed, than the Norse script, and yet somehow he could read them
with the ease born of centuries of experience reading a language. 'Twas most peculiar as he
could not remember having ever seen these runes before, now he focused on them.

"That hardly matters at this point," General Týr admonished.

"The book confirms the Casket of Ancient Winters is very much the domain of Jötunheimr's
íviðjur," Loki told them.

"Íviðjur?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr inquired.

"Hmm," Loki hummed, getting to his feet and retrieving Bestla's book from his desk. He
opened it to the page with the diagram of the íviðja and hrímþurs before handing it over to
the others to study. "While it can be used by any jötunn, it seems the Casket is more attuned
to seiðberandi than those who cannot use seiðr."

"Which explains why it reacted more strongly to you than either of your uncles," General Týr
realized.

Loki let it stand as Bestla's book was passed around and the diagram studied by all.

"I was not even aware there were two types of jötnar," Lord Ragnvaldr admitted.

"It would appear the íviðjur are rare and become shamans of Mother Winter," Loki explained.
"They also advise the king on all matters seiðr and are the main guardians of the Casket of
Ancient Winters and its official keeper."

"So why did Laufey have it on Miðgarðr?" General Týr asked.

Loki shrugged, thoughts of his abandonment flitting through his head. Was that true, had his
birth father truly cast him aside? The more he learned of the íviðjur, the less likely it seemed,
but perhaps Laufey had felt threatened by him? It seemed the íviðjur had a fair amount of
power in jötnar culture, in addition to the actual seiðr they possessed. Had that been
something which Laufey had not wanted to deal with? It would have involved giving up
control of the Casket of Ancient Winters to Loki, which might have been a step too far for a
proud king like Laufey. Honestly, Loki was not even certain Óðinn would be happy to do
something like that. All he had to do was think of how much Ásgarðr's king had hidden from
him regarding the seiðr of his home.

Though Loki had looked with almost increasing desperation, there was no mention anywhere
in the book which he had yet been able to find of any kind of rite of passage involving an
infant íviðja being left out in the cold of the temple, or anything similar. He was not even
certain why he had wished for it, since Óðinn's actions would have been far more sinister if
they had resulted in his being taken from a family who wanted him than if Óðinn had saved
him from abandonment and death. He supposed he had simply wanted to know he had not
been so hated and unwanted as to be left to die when he had been so young and had not yet
been able to do anything.

"You said these íviðjur are rare, right, Your Majesty?" Lord Ragnvaldr questioned and Loki
nodded. "So perhaps they did not have one then."

"It might be good to determine if they have one now," Lord Aðalgrímr said. "If they do, we
perhaps would not be giving the Casket back to Laufey-King, but rather to an íviðjur."

"Íviðja," Loki corrected. "'Tis the singular."

"Would it truly make a difference?" General Týr questioned. "Even if there is an íviðja, they
are still a subject of Laufey's and so would need to obey him."

"Actually, nay, they would not," Loki stated, tapping the book on jötunn seiðr. "This says a
shaman has the power to countermand the jötunn king if backed by the authority of Mother
Winter."

"Truly?" Lord Ragnvaldr demanded, shocked.

"Aye."

"Then there will be no íviðja," General Týr stated with heavy finality. "Laufey-King would
not allow it."

Lead settled in Loki's stomach as his own fears were confirmed. In some ways it felt better to
know he had been abandoned to die not because of simply being a runt or a disappointment,
but because his father had feared the power he would one day wield, but it still hurt. Laufey
would have been the one to raise him, so he would have had a big influence on him, had the
man truly thought he would not have been able to instill any loyalty into him? Although,
given what he had already done with the Casket of Ancient Winters, perhaps Laufey had been
right to fear him. Plus he doubted Mother Winter, if she was indeed anything like Ásgarðr,
would be favorably disposed towards Laufey-King.
"You think he might have killed any íviðja that existed?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked.

"Perhaps not overtly, but aye, I do," General Týr stated confidently. "I can only hope they
were an adult at the time if there was one."

The way all of the others winced at the general's words sent an odd sense of relief through
Loki. It would seem Óðinn had not been the only one to be touched and horrified by his
plight as a babe.

"If 'tis so, then he will not be particularly well disposed towards having any kind of oversight
now," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr pointed out.

"True, but the hope is that perhaps we can limit the power of the Casket before returning it,"
Loki informed him. "He would not have a choice in the matter."

"He could view it as an act of war," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"Not if we play it right," Lord Aðalgrímr countered. "While Laufey-King might want a war -
which it seems he might not - he does not have the resources to take on Ásgarðr and win. He
could fight and make it difficult for us, but he cannot win, and I think he is aware of this."

"So this is all a ploy to gain concessions from Ásgarðr?"

"It would be my guess."

"'Tis also an opportunity for us," Loki argued. "We need Jötunheimr for the health of the
Yggdrasill and this book confirms what the others alluded to. The Casket of Ancient Winters
is required to balance Jötunheimr's magical core. All of its other abilities and properties are a
direct consequence of its ability to tap into it."

"Do you believe it contains the truth?" General Týr asked.

Ever the skeptic that man. Loki did admire it about him, as it made it hard to get things past
the general.

"It also lists a few ways to access and utilize the Casket," Loki added. "Things I will be able
to test. In addition, it lists some of the safeguards built into the Casket, such as how 'tis
restricted to those of jötunn blood."

"It seems to be a comprehensive manual on the Casket," Lord Ragnvaldr commented with a
frown. "Where did it come from?"

"'Twas in the king's library," Loki replied.

"May I view it?" General Týr asked, holding out his hand.

Loki handed him the book, closing it in the process.

"I recognize this," General Týr said. "Óðinn All-Father found it in the temple with the
Casket."
"Ah, that would explain it then," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"Aye... huh."

"Something wrong?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr questioned.

"It will not open."

"What?" Loki asked with a frown.

"It will not open for me," General Týr explained, handing the book to Lord Ragnvaldr.

"Me neither," the man confirmed a second later.

The others all tried before Lieutenant-General Yngvarr handed it back to Loki. It fell open
the moment it touched his hands.

"Another security measure," General Týr nodded in approval. "We should see if we can copy
that piece of seiðr, it could be very useful, even if it can be overcome in some
circumstances."

Maybe and maybe not, Loki thought. This was one thing he would not be asking Uncles Vili
and Vé to try, as he feared the book would not open for them. If it truly was a security
measure to help protect the Casket of Ancient Winters, then he would not be surprised if this
particular one would be set only to the íviðjur, especially seeing what spell Loptr had found
within its pages. If he did not fear Óðinn would take it from him, he would have his adoptive
father try to open it, but he was not willing to lose access to this particular tome. The more he
learned of it, the more it seemed like 'twas literally part of his birthright.

"I thought seiðr was for women and tricks, General," Loki could not help but comment, all of
the man's words from his childhood coming back to him.

"I..." General Týr began, looking down before he squared his shoulders and looked back up
to meet Loki's gaze. "I may have underestimated both the scope of what is possible with seiðr
and your abilities and power as a seiðmadr."

Well, Loki had never doubted the general's courage, though few on Ásgarðr seemed to
translate that trait to the ability to admit to one's own mistakes. Loki most definitely did and
therefore found most lacking in that regard. General Týr passed this particular test, and in
such a way that Loki found him to be sincere. There was no falsity or artifice in the man's
words as there could have been with one addressing the king and therefore feeling they had to
admit to faults they did not believe or feel. He supposed the events of the past few days had
allowed him to showcase his abilities and powers in a way he had not been able to before.

Loki held General Týr's gaze for a moment longer before inclining his head to indicate he
accepted the man's apology.

"I shall see what I can utilize from this book on the Casket," Loki said. "Once we know that,
we can start to formulate a proper strategy for negotiation if Laufey-King will come to the
table."
"What of Vanaheimr and Álfheimr?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked, turning to Lord Aðalgrímr.
"What say they?"

"Neither were happy with the news, but that was to be expected," Lord Aðalgrímr told them.
"Both, however, stated they would honor their treaties with Ásgarðr and come to our aid
should it come to an outright war."

"And how did they react to it being King Loki's signature on the missive rather than
Óðinn's?"

"'Twas quite interesting," Lord Aðalgrímr shot Loki an odd look. "Your uncle, King Freyr,
seemed quite delighted with this turn of events."

Loki snorted. "He has never made it a secret he favors me over Thor, and he and Thor have
clashed quite vocally over various aspects of politics in the past."

"Queen Sága's reaction was harder to decipher," Lord Aðalgrímr continued. "She seemed
neither particularly surprised nor to express an opinion either way."

"Is there any truth to the rumors she is a talented völva?" General Týr inquired.

"'Tis difficult to tell," Loki admitted. "There have been instances in the past which have led
me to believe it a possibility, but with the ljósálfar it can be hard to tell. That she is a
powerful seiðkona I can confirm, but beyond that..."

"You have visited Álfheimr rather frequently in the past, have you not?" Lord Ragnvaldr
checked.

"Hmm, they have tomes and manuscripts on seiðr none of the rest of the Nine do."

"And you have been cordial with Queen Sága?"

"On those occasions where I interacted with her," Loki said. "She has always been quite open
to me traveling there without the need for formalities each and every time."

"Is that normal?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked, looking at Lord Aðalgrímr.

"The ljósálfar have always been different from us and the vanir," Lord Aðalgrímr shrugged.
"While not entirely in keeping with how they treat royal visitors from other Realms, they
have always been quite favorable to seiðberandi, especially those in search of knowledge. To
them 'tis the greatest mark of a person, to be an accomplished scholar. Their scholars are
viewed much as our warriors are."

Loki would have laughed at the expressions and reactions this drew from both General Týr
and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, if it were not such a good indication of how poorly Ásgarðr
viewed its scholars. Luckily, they kept any comments to themselves.

"Well at least those are two Realms we do not need to worry about," Loki stated before
looking at the head of his army. "How do we stand with supplies, General?"
"More or less as I had feared," General Týr replied. "If it does look like Laufey will not
negotiate or the negotiations are likely to break down, we will require more equipment."

"If you have a list, I can have Lord Birgir initiate contact with Niðavellir, so if we do decide
to order the additional supplies we will be able to do so quickly," Lord Aðalgrímr offered.

"Do that, but do not commit us to anything just yet," Loki decided. "Meanwhile, we can have
our own blacksmiths and weapons masters commence work on the more immediate items."

That way, if a war never materialized, then all they would have done was to stimulate
Ásgarðr's economy and obtained the army some additional equipment they would have need
of eventually, when older items wore out.

With a loud cawing, Huginn soared into the study, heading for the desk before turning and
coming to land on the back of the sofa Loki sat on.

"Huginn?" Loki asked, head tilted towards the raven.

"The traitors seek to return," Huginn told him.

"And Thor?"

"He refuses to join them."

"Good. And thanks."

With that, Huginn flew over to one of the two perches for him and Muninn located behind the
desk, where he seemed to settle in for some sleep.

"It would appear Lady Sif and the Warriors Three will return shortly," Loki informed the
others. "Without Thor."

The tension his first words had brought on was largely dissipated by his last few. No one here
wished to deal with a challenge to Hliðskjálf on top of everything else.

"I did not think Thor would want to make the situation any worse than it already is," Lord
Ragnvaldr stated, but Loki could hear the uncertainty of it.

Thor's reckless actions had caught the entire High Council other than him off-guard, and they
were no longer certain how to predict Thor's deeds. Loki knew some of the blame probably
lay with him, since he had helped cover for his brother for centuries, but he had tried to warn
Óðinn before the coronation only to have his concerns dismissed as the jealous attempts of a
younger brother to gain Hliðskjálf for himself.

Even now, months later, it stung as badly as it had when Óðinn had first uttered those words.
Did his adoptive father truly know him so little? 'Twas a very painful and distressing thought.
'Twas no wonder, almost, no one knew him or saw him accurately if even Óðinn could not.

"I will ensure they are properly imprisoned until the trial," General Týr promised.
"Speaking of which, when did you wish to hold it?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked.

"Unlike with Heimdallr, there is no urgency," Loki replied. "See when it will best fit and let
me know."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"If there is nothing else, I will return to researching the Casket of Ancient Winters and see
what we can do about making it safe."

Most of the others shook their heads and made to leave. General Týr, however, stayed where
he was once he had risen to his feet and Loki could tell from the man's expression Týr was
not looking forward to this, so Loki waited until the others bar for Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr and the Einherjar had left the study. The head of his personal guard did move to the
other side of the chamber to give them some semblance of privacy, or as much as could be
had while being guarded this closely.

"General?" Loki inquired.

"I wish to apologize, Your Majesty," General Týr replied, eyes lowered.

Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Apologize? For what?"

"The extreme acts of insubordination from my men," General Týr explained. "And woman."

Sif would not appreciate being such an afterthought, nor being separated out that way. It
amused Loki, as did the general's word choice; extreme insubordination was a mild way of
putting attempted regicide. He had no desire, however, to place blame where 'twas not truly
warranted.

"While I appreciate the sentiment and apology, none of those involved have been under your
direct supervision and control for a while now," Loki returned, rising to his feet and returning
to his desk. "Lady Sif and the Warriors Three have long since been under my brother's
command, and I know Father has taken to interacting with Heimdallr directly."

"They still remain my men and my responsibility," General Týr insisted.

Well, Loki had never thought the general anything but a man of honor, even if he had
severely disapproved of him at times.

"How about instead of wasting time on assigning blame now, we deal with ensuring it does
not happen again in the future," Loki offered.

"As you wish, my Liege."

Hmm... the man had expected to be punished. Well, mayhap Óðinn would when he woke, but
Loki felt he knew where the true blame fell here, and he refused to transfer it to Týr for
actions which had been out of the general's immediate control.
"I am not unaware of my own hand in this," Loki said, enjoying the shocked look which
flashed across Týr's face.

"King Loki," the general protested. "A king is never at fault."

Loki snorted as he sprawled back in his seat and shot Týr an amused look. "Even if that were
so, we both know I am a regent and nothing more. Hliðskjálf will never truly be mine... nor
do I wish it to be."

'Twas harder to tell what stunned the general more, not that it truly mattered.

"Nay," Loki continued. "Thor is welcome to Hliðskjálf once he is actually ready for it."

"I... I am not certain what to say, my Liege."

"How about you tell me what you think needs to change? I know I contributed to this
situation when I allowed the lack of proper respect for me and my position and title from
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three to go unchallenged. I should not have allowed that, as it led
to familiarity and then to seeing me as nothing more than Thor's little brother rather than a
prince and potential heir of the Realm in my own right."

"It should not have been your place to protest that," General Týr began and Loki bit back the
desire to protest the assertion, but he wanted to see what else the man would say. "'Twas
Prince Thor's responsibility as their immediate commanding officer. From what I have been
able to determine since first your suspicions and then their actions occurred, is that Prince
Thor treated them more as friends than subordinates."

"'Tis true," Loki confirmed when the general looked at him.

"And he allowed the same familiarity with you as he did with himself?"

"Hmm."

"This is the root of the problem as far as they are concerned," General Týr stated. "A
commanding officer must always preserve the distinction of rank on some level, even if most
of the interactions are less structured, as happens in smaller, more specialized units. That
keeps not only the chain of command intact, but prevents this type of breakdown in decorum
and understanding of who is truly in charge. The fact Prince Thor did not understand this is
my fault, I should have made certain he was better prepared for command before I gave him
such autonomy with it."

"So what do you plan to do?" Loki asked.

"Spend more time with Thor once he returns and keep a close eye on his command when he
regains one afterwards."

"Tell me if you need anything made official," Loki offered.

They both knew Thor might not react well to increased supervision from a man he might
already view as beneath him, since his brother had been on the cusp of becoming General
Týr's king and direct superior.

"Thank you," General Týr said, before hesitating. "As for what happened with Heimdallr...
well..."

"Hmm, aye," Loki conceded, knowing that one would be far trickier. "I am willing to make
the gatekeeper's position one which officially reports to you directly, but we both know
Father will be able to countermand it when he awakens."

'Twas the closest either of them could come to stating that Óðinn had been largely responsible
for Heimdallr's sense of inflated importance. By not only giving him such a strategically
important position, but having the gatekeeper report directly to him, Óðinn had circumvented
a lot of the checks which existed within the Einherjar structure.

"It would allow me to implement some important changes and lay some groundwork for
future behavior, Your Majesty," General Týr responded.

"Work with Lord Ragnvaldr to get me the proper parchmentwork and I will sign it."

"Majesty," Týr replied with a small bow before turning to leave.

A guard stepped in as the general left and Loki raised an eyebrow at him.

"Lady Dagrún would like a moment if you have the time, Your Majesty."

Lady Dagrún?

"Send her in," Loki replied, curious.

"My King," Lady Dagrún said as she entered, a rolled-up parchment in her hands. "Thank
you for seeing me."

"Is that something else on the jötnar?" Loki asked. "The other books have been most helpful."

"Nay, though I am most pleased to hear it. This is an application for consideration as regards
the King's Funds."

The King's Funds? The statement was so completely unexpected it took Loki a moment to
reorient himself. Was it truly that time of year already? Aye, he supposed 'twas as Óðinn had
gone on his visits of last year's winners right before the ruined coronation. It had completely
slipped his mind as Óðinn had never taken advice from him on who to allocate the funds to,
always telling him it was called the King's Funds as it was money set aside for him to give to
causes and groups he considered worthy. That it had gone to the same types and groups of
people year after year, had never seemed to bother Óðinn, even when Loki had pointed out
they were people who had access to money via other routes, such as the military as most were
warrior related.

"I had not realized you were so short on funds," Loki said as he accepted the scroll.
 It had been one of his few victories on the High Council, when he had won against the ever-
increasing reduction of monies going to the royal library.

"'Tis not for the palace library," Lady Dagrún replied. "But for some of the public ones who
receive little to no funds from Iðavöllr. They stopped putting in an application centuries ago,
but I thought this year it would be worth doing so."

"Hmm, of course, thank you Lady Dagrún."

And not simply for the application itself, but for reminding him of it as no one else had and
Loki's mood soured as he thought of precisely why that might be. Lord Óðr had never been at
all impressed with any of his suggestions for alternative recipients of the funds.

"I will definitely look at the application and give it due consideration," Loki promised.

"If I may be so bold as to enquire, are any of the books ready to return to the library?" Lady
Dagrún asked.

Loki nearly laughed. She had always been possessive of what she no doubt viewed as 'her'
books.

"I am finished with those ones," Loki indicated a pile on the corner of his desk.

"Thank you, Majesty."

Even before she had left the study, Loki had already pulled a piece of parchment towards him
and had begun penning a missive for Lord Óðr. He had hardly finished it when there was yet
another knock on the door.

"Aye?" Loki called out, irritated.

How was he supposed to get any work done like this? Could no one do anything without the
king's approval?

Livunn stepped into the study with one eyebrow arched in an unimpressed manner. Loki
scowled at her but motioned her on. Was it only noon? It felt so much later.

Chapter End Notes

There, I hope you enjoyed your extra chapter!

Plans unfolding along with a few more seeds that will grow to become bigger events of
their own *evil grin*.

Norse Mythology & Old Norse:

Freyr - son of Njörðr and sister of Frigga. He's the current king of Vanaheimr in my fic.
Sága - a goddess whose name might mean "seeress" and is associated with the location
Sökkvabekkr & Óðinn. There is no connection between her use here and in my fic
Ensoulment, that actually came later and I reused the name as I like it so much and there
are so few names in Norse mythology!
Birgir - from "bjarga" which means "to help, to save, to protect"
völva - prophetess, seeress, witch
hrímþursar - hrím (“frost”) + þurs (“giant”); the singular is hrímþurs. As this word
seems interchangeable with jötnar, I used it for the name of the non-íviðjur.
íviðjur - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar. The
singular is íviðja.
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
seiðberandi - sorcerers

Up next week: The Warriors Idiot want to return to Ásgarðr...

 Chapter 16
Chapter Notes

And our usual weekly chapter!

I hope you all enjoy it and thanks to everyone who's been commenting lately.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sif frowned as Thor cursed, looking through the mortal's strange magnifying glasses once
more.

"Are they still present?" Fandral inquired from where he lazed on the ground.

"Aye," Thor stated crossly.

"They do look like they're packing up though," Lady Jane said. "Hopefully that means they're
leaving."

"They may leave someone behind," Lord Selvig stated.

"One mortal we can deal with," Sif told them. "'Twas merely the sheer number which was the
problem."

Well, that and Thor somehow seemed reluctant to allow them to engage the mortals. Sif was
not quite certain why as they could take so many human warriors since they did not seem
particularly well armed, but there would be mortal casualties and it appeared to be a problem
for Thor. 'Twas odd as it had never bothered him before when there were casualties among
warriors given a chance to fight and those had not been mortal and so arguably more tragic
for the far longer lives they would have had. She did not understand it but could hardly
question Thor on it here, where she would be overheard by the mortals who seemed to have
offered Thor quite generous hospitality.

"What do you mean when you say deal with?" Lady Darcy questioned, eyes wide. "'Cause
those are federal agents and killing one carries a death penalty!"

"What is a federal agent?" Volstagg inquired. "And why are they so important?"

"It means they work for the federal government," Lady Jane explained.

"The federal government?" Thor repeated. "Is this the name of your kingdom?"

"America isn't a kingdom, we're a democracy."

"A republic, actually," Lord Selvig corrected. "The only true democracy is Switzerland."
"What is a republic?" Fandral asked.

"It's a form of government where the people elect, or choose, a leader and that leader changes
every few years, four to eight in the case of the US," Lord Selvig explained.

"How truly bizarre," Volstagg exclaimed. "Why by the Norns would you have such a strange
form of government? Why not a monarchy?"

"Because those are despotic," Lady Darcy stated. "Why would anyone want to be ruled by
someone who has that kind of power and who is chosen just because they were born to the
right parents and without any accountability to the people?"

"Darcy!" Lady Jane hissed.

"What? It's true! It's why the colonialists rebelled against the king of England."

"Your people rebelled?" Fandral checked, appalled.

Sif could well understand his sentiment. How could they violate their oaths thus? And why
had the king not crushed their little rebellion? Had he been a weak king?

"Like you can talk! You guys were all speaking rebellion and sedition earlier."

"Against a usurper!" Sif shot back, heated.

"Yeah, well, that couldn't happen with our government. All of those who'd step in if
something happened to the president are also elected officials. We don't have any of that
inherited and right of god crap."

"We are so doomed," Lady Jane muttered, hiding her face in her hands.

"I am sorry if we have caused offence," Thor interjected smoothly, before any of them could
reply.

He was? Lady Darcy was the one offending them!

"'Twas not our intention," Thor finished.

Sif wanted to growl at that. Growl and grab Thor and drag him along with them back to
Ásgarðr. She did not know what had happened in Himinbjörg or afterwards here on
Miðgarðr, but whatever 'twas had altered Thor, and not for the better. She simply wanted her
friend and crown prince back. They needed him now more than ever, and, for once, he
seemed to have lost his nerve. She was certain Loki had something to do with it and as soon
as she was back on Ásgarðr, she would prove it. She hoped the traitor had done something
which Heimdallr had been able to see, but even if not, she would not stop until she had
proven his lies and seen either Thor or Óðinn on Hliðskjálf where they belonged. Then Loki
would pay; Óðinn would be certain to punish him properly this time around after all Loki had
done. She would do everything in her power to ensure it.

"Oh, thank God, they're gone," Lady Jane suddenly exclaimed.

Sif looked over at the Bifröst site to see that aye, only two men remained. Personally, she
would have simply gone elsewhere and had Heimdallr collect them from there, but Thor had
insisted they use the same spot, something about minimizing the impact they made and both
Lord Selvig and Lady Jane had agreed, though apparently because they had managed to piece
together some instruments which were monitoring this area. Sif had not understood all of
their babble, it sounded far too much like Loki's seiðr nonsense to her.

"Okay, we'll take the car out, so they don't realize it's us until it's too late," Lady Jane said.

"A good idea," Thor agreed.

Sif hated the car. 'Twas noisy, cramped and claustrophobic. She kept her complaints to
herself, though, as she hated admitting weakness even if only to her closest comrades in
arms. She had come too far, and fought too hard, to be seen as anything other than fully
competent and capable, and fear did not fit that image. Luckily they did not have far to go
and Sif was able to burst from the car violently to take down (nonlethally) one of the two
men left behind to guard the Bifröst site.

"Oh, we're so going to jail for this!" Lady Darcy moaned as she saw the blood on the head of
the man Sif had taken out.

"He lives," Sif reassured her.

"It's still assaulting a federal agent!" Lady Darcy persisted, whirling on Lady Jane. "You
didn't say anything of this in the job description!"

"Like I knew this would happen!" Lady Jane snapped back.

Sif looked away in disgust. This was what Thor had grown so attached to? A little blood and
violence, and they turned into whining weaklings. She had hoped for more after some of the
courage shown by their ancestors the last time they had visited Miðgarðr.

"You must go quickly," Lord Selvig stated. "Before they miss a check in."

"Aye, quickly," Thor urged them.

"We will be back for you!" Sif promised.

"Only if you have proof of Ásgarðr being in danger!" Thor argued.

"Or with glad tidings of your father awakened and you pardoned," Fandral added as they
moved into position.

"That would be most welcome too."

"Take care, Thor," Hogun stated.

"You too, my friend."

"Heimdallr!" Volstagg cried out, looking up. "We are ready to return."
For a moment nothing happened, and Sif had just wondered if something was wrong before
the disorienting light of the Bifröst hit them and she was whisked away with one final look at
her exiled friend.

Even afterwards Sif could not entirely piece together what happened next. All she knew was
that within milliseconds of arriving back in Himinbjörg, she heard startled cries from her
companions before she was knocked off her feet and had her weapon ripped from her hands.
But by the time Sif realized she was being attacked and had to fight back, she had already
been disarmed and restrained. Volstagg's bellow was the loudest, but she could hear all of the
Warriors Three cursing or crying out and she knew they had all been pounced on.

"Enough! Stand down," a loud voice ordered, and Sif twisted her head around to see who had
spoken.

'Twas a man in full Einherjar uniform whom she recognized from the training grounds as one
of General Týr's lesser lieutenants. She could not immediately recall his name.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sif demanded as she felt manacles being applied to her wrists
by whom she now noticed were other Einherjar. "Do you know who we are?"

"Oh, I am exactly aware of who you are, Lady Sif," the man replied coldly. "Traitor."

"Hey now," Fandral protested as they were all pulled to their feet.

Once straightened, Sif could see exactly how many Einherjar were in Himinbjörg and she
realized they had never truly stood a chance. Not within the confined space and against an
opponent they did not really wish to harm, let alone kill. Her heart sank at the last word of the
lieutenant. So, their absence had been noticed, precisely as Fandral had feared. How typical
of Loki to overreact this way instead of coming to confront and face them himself. A coward
to the last.

"We can explain," Volstagg tried.

"I am certain you think you can if you believe as Heimdallr did," the lieutenant stated. "And
you will have the opportunity to do so at a trial, exactly as he did. Not that it helped him in
the end."

Wait, what? Heimdallr had a trial? That he lost?

Sif's eyes darted about, seeking the distinctive uniform of Ásgarðr's gatekeeper among the
slightly different ones of the Einherjar filling the chamber. She stilled in shock as she found
it, but not on Heimdallr. Instead, familiar golden eyes looked back at her from an unfamiliar
and heavily scared face, their look hard and unforgiving.

"Who are you?" Sif demanded, furious and confused.

She had not realized there was anyone else like Heimdallr on Ásgarðr. How had she not heard
of him before?
"I know you!" Fandral exclaimed. "You were Loki's guard before, back when he was still
underage."

Aye, Sif recognized him now, it had been over half a millennium since she had seen him as he
had been cast out of the Einherjar. They had no use for a blind warrior after all. So how was
he here now with Heimdallr-like eyes? Horror settled in the pit of her stomach as a thought
occurred to her. Nay, Loki was not so powerful, was he? He could not have... not to
Heimdallr!

"Take them to the dungeons and inform General Týr of their return," the lieutenant ordered.

"The dungeons!" Volstagg roared. "On whose authority do you arrest us?"

Sif rolled her eyes. Loki's, of course, this had his touch all over it.

"The authority of our king," the lieutenant snapped. "His majesty, Loki Óðinnson."

"He is not the rightful heir!" Sif called out as the Einherjar began dragging her away, but she
was ignored.

The others but for Hogun tried some variant of the truth on their escorts, but 'twas no use and
soon they were bound to the sides of the horse drawn cart which had been awaiting them on
the rainbow bridge. The Einherjar with them climbed onto the front of the cart or mounted
their steeds and then they were off, heading towards Iðavöllr. Fandral was muttering worries
under his breath, but Sif ignored him and focused instead on holding her head high and
keeping her expression stoic as they reached the end of the rainbow bridge and entered the
city itself.

Being paraded before the people she had sworn to defend and had walked amongst as a
warrior was humiliating, which had no doubt been part of Loki's plan and she swore to
herself she would make him pay for it later.

What she had not expected, and which caught Sif completely off-guard, were the reactions of
the people. Aye, she had known they would attract attention as they were being treated like
prisoners, but she had thought this would shock the people.

And anger them.

Well, she saw the anger, only 'twas not directed at their escorts, but rather at them. From as
soon as the first person had caught sight of them, venomous looks were thrown their way
along with looks of disgust and hate.

"Does anyone else feel we have missed something important?" Fandral asked.

"Loki must have said something," Sif deduced.

It took everything to keep her face stoic and Sif kept silently urging the driver of the cart to
go faster, but he either did not hear her or simply did not care.

"Traitors!" a voice from within the crowd shouted. "Oath breakers!"

Sif could not help it; she flinched.

"Cowards!" another cried out and it seemed to be all the crowd needed.

Soon most were calling out insults, and some of the worst ones on Ásgarðr. Sif felt her face
redden as she tried to ignore them and failed. Exactly what had Loki said to them? What lies
had he managed to spread now, and why were the people so eager to believe them? They had
never particularly liked the dark prince. Thor was the one they loved, so how had Loki turned
the people against them, Thor's closest companions, so easily?

"The banners!" Volstagg suddenly declared. "Look at them."

With an effort, Sif tore her eyes from the furious crowd and glanced upwards to the flags,
banners and standards which the people flew above their homes and shops. She gasped at
what she saw. Whereas before they had been almost uniformly gold in honor of Óðinn and
his color, now more than half were green.

Loki's green.

Sif was still looking at the standards in horror and never saw the projectile coming, so 'twas
not until it hit her in the jaw and knocked her back a step against her bonds that she realized
someone had thrown something.

"Sif!" Hogun cried out, looking at her with wide eyes.

His worry made Sif think she was more injured than she felt until she craned her neck down
to see red dripping onto her armor. Working her jaw did not feel so bad though.

"'Tis simply a tomato," Fandral breathed from behind them. "That is the juice you see, not
blood."

Oh, that explained it. Well at least the color, not the action itself. Sif still could not believe it
had happened or that their escort was now riding more closely beside the cart in order to
prevent a repeat of it.

"What the hel is going on?" Volstagg boomed over the noise of the crowd.

"I do not know," Fandral replied.

She did, Sif thought though she did not say it aloud with the Einherjar all around. They were
already proving to be loyal to Loki over their own comrades. Not that she entirely blamed
them, but it meant they could not speak of it now. It would have to be later, in the dungeons.
At least there they would have a little privacy.

Until then, Sif would simply have to endure and think of what would happen to Loki once
Óðinn awoke or Thor learned of what his little brother had dared to do to his companions.
'Twas hard though as the cries of the crowd echoed all around them and it seemed to grow as
more and more people joined once word of their passing spread. It slowed the progress of the
cart to a crawl, and it took nearly three times as long as it should have to get to Iðavöllr.
Finally, though, they were within sight of the main gate and Sif thought the worst was over.
She was wrong.

"Papa!" a familiar voice called out.

Volstagg moaned and Sif twisted around to see the tear-streaked face of her friend's youngest
daughter among the crowd, running after the cart.

"Papa!" she cried again.

Sif felt her own heart sink and she was happy the form of one of Volstagg's sons darted out of
the crowd, sweeping his younger sister up and turning her face away from them. Right before
they turned into the courtyard, though, the lad looked up and Sif could not help but gasp at
the mixed look of anger, betrayal and desperation which crossed the boy's face when he
looked at his father. It left her speechless even as Volstagg crumpled against the side of the
cart as if struck a physical blow.

"It will be alright," Fandral tried to soothe their friend. "We will have this all sorted out.
Either now or when Óðinn wakes or Thor returns. But it will be sorted."

Aye, but what would they have to endure in the meantime? At least the rest of them did not
have families of their own yet. True, her father and both of Fandral's parents would suffer
from this, but not like Volstagg's family who relied solely on him. Hogun was the luckiest of
them all, as his parents and siblings lived on Vanaheimr and thus would be unlikely to hear of
this until it had already been sorted.

What followed next was precisely what Sif expected it to be. She had brought back enough
prisoners to be intimately familiar with the motions. 'Twas not until they arrived in the
dungeons itself that they were confronted with the first surprise. Instead of herding them all
towards one cell as she had expected them to, the Einherjar separated her from the Warriors
Three and led her to a cell on the other side of the corridor.

"What are you doing?" Sif demanded.

"The rules are quite clear," one of the guards droned. "Female prisoners are to be kept
separate from male prisoners for their own safety."

"I can take care of myself!" Sif protested as she was shoved into an empty cell. "And they are
no danger to me. They are the Warriors Three!"

"I do not care if they are General Týr and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr themselves, the rules
are the rules, and some of us obey them."

The sharpness of the answer startled Sif and the guard had her manacles off and was out of
the cell before she recovered. Scowling, she could only watch as the rest of the guard finished
with her companions before they left them alone, in two cells across the corridor from each
other.

"Well, this is pleasant," Fandral stated, looking around the empty cell. "Think we will have
beds delivered?"
"Nay," a familiar voice stated from the left.

Since the occupant was in the cell beside that of the Warriors Three, they could not see the
speaker, but Sif could.

"Heimdallr!" she exclaimed. "Are you alright? What has transpired?"

"We heard there was a trial," Volstagg added.

"Aye," Heimdallr confirmed the latter, subdued.

"Heimdallr, what is wrong?" Sif asked, frowning as she realized the gatekeeper had yet to
look up at her, it brought back her fear from earlier. "There was someone else in Himinbjörg
when we arrived, an old guard of Loki's Fandral says."

"Aye, Höðr Ullrson," Heimdallr confirmed. "Loki made him the new gatekeeper of the
Bifröst after I was tried and found guilty of treason this morning."

"So quickly?" Sif questioned. "Normally it takes longer to organize and hold a trial. We were
not even gone a full day."

"The Bifröst," Hogun realized. "It had to be done quickly because of Heimdallr's position."

"Aye, but how did they find someone else?" Fandral asked. "Last I knew, Höðr was blind, it
happened during the attack on Loki over half a millennium ago."

Instead of replying, Heimdallr looked up and Sif gasped in shock and horror, her worst fears
confirmed.

"What?" Volstagg demanded. "What is it?"

"His eyes," Sif replied. "They are brown."

"Brown? But they are gold!"

"Höðr had gold eyes in Himinbjörg," Fandral stated.

Heimdallr nodded. "I do not know how, but Loki used Gungnir to take my All-Sight from me
and to gift it to Ullrson, so he could replace me."

That was... Sif had no words for it. Heimdallr was the gatekeeper of the Bifröst and always
had been ever since its creation. She could not even imagine it, or the rainbow bridge,
without Heimdallr in Himinbjörg. 'Twas simply wrong.

"I... I did not know Loki could do that," Fandral uttered, stunned.

"He probably could not before," Volstagg reasoned. "But 'tis like Óðinn taking Thor's powers
from him. It must be the prerogative of the king."
Sif swore. All of that power, that awesome, immense power, and all of it in the hands of Loki.
She could think of almost nothing worse. Either for them or all of Ásgarðr. If only Thor had
not been so blind and come with them instead of remaining behind on Miðgarðr!

"What I still do not understand is why the people were so against us," Fandral said. "Did Loki
say something to them?"

Heimdallr sighed. "Nay, it happened this morning at my trial. Apparently everything which
transpires in Himinbjörg is recorded for posterity, which makes sense from a security
perspective, but I was not aware of it."

"So?"

"Loki showed the footage from when you left for Miðgarðr at the trial," Heimdallr explained.
"To prove I was aware that what you were doing was treason."

Sif paled as she remembered Heimdallr's question and her own response. "I condemned us all
with my answer."

"You could not have known," Hogun offered.

"It does not matter! Loki will use it as a blatant admission of guilt and not look any further."

"Some of the blame lies with me, for asking the question in the first place," Heimdallr stated.

"It does not matter whose fault it is, simply that we are here now," Fandral interrupted.
"Heimdallr, what was your punishment? Are you slotted to be executed?"

"Executed!" Volstagg exclaimed, alarmed. "Why would you think that?"

"He said he had been convicted of treason," Sif reminded him.

They all knew 'twas one of the accepted and common forms of punishment for it. Not to
mention it would be exactly like Loki to overreact thus to what they had done. Surely,
though, he had to have known they would not simply allow him to seize Hliðskjálf as he had?
Had he truly simply expected them to fall in line because he wanted them to?

"Nay, surprisingly, I have not been sentenced to death," Heimdallr replied, looking for all the
realms depressed at this though Sif could not possibly figure out why. "Merely imprisoned
for the rest of my life."

"But that is good news, Heimdallr!" Volstagg declared. "It gives you the time to wait out
Loki's false reign until either Óðinn awakens or Thor returns. They can then undo this
atrocity."

"Did Thor not return with you then?" Heimdallr asked.

"Nay," Sif told him. "He said he required proof of Loki's intention to harm Ásgarðr or her
people before he would move against him."
"He was afraid of weakening Hliðskjálf," Hogun added.

"Ordinarily it would be a practical and worthy concern," Heimdallr said. "Alas, I fear he may
have condemned us all with his nobility. Höðr will never allow Thor to pass without Loki's
approval, and Óðinn may never awaken again. To make matters worse, Loki has already sent
an envoy to Jötunheimr and seems willing to consider the return of the Casket of Ancient
Winters to appease Laufey-King."

"He would what?" Sif demanded. "That stupid, arrogant fool! Does he not know what Laufey
will do as soon as he has the Casket?"

"Surely the High Council would never go along with it," Fandral protested.

"And what if they do not?" Volstagg asked. "Loki could simply overrule them. He is king
now."

"He is an usurper!" Sif spat.

"One with backing and at least superficial support," Fandral pointed out. "We will need to
tread carefully. He is to try us for treason, remember, and he can execute us all if he so
desires."

"He would not dare!" Sif protested. "He did not for Heimdallr. It proves he is too much of a
coward to do so. He is probably afraid of how people will react if he does. We are far better
liked and respected than he is."

"There is one more thing you must know," Heimdallr said, voice grave and defeated all at
once.

"Aye?"

"When Loki came to me after you left, he looked to be alone. As he was already speaking of
treason, and knowing what I did, I thought I had no choice but to act for the good of
Ásgarðr."

Silence followed those words and Sif looked over at her three companions with wide eyes.
Was Heimdallr truly implying what she thought he was? It seemed almost inconceivable,
both the act itself, as Loki was masquerading as king, but also because 'twas something
which had never even entered her mind. Much as she had always disliked Loki and had come
to almost hate him after he had turned her beautiful golden hair as dark as his own, she had
never truly wanted him dead. She had saved his life more than once actually, and, much as it
had always galled her to admit it, he had saved hers as well, though not always honorably.

Thus to speak of killing him - killing Loki - was a shock. Especially since as king (one way
or another), that would make it regicide.

"You said you thought he was alone," Fandral finally breathed, breaking the silence.

"'Twas an illusion, a false copy of Loki while the real him, the king's guard and General Týr
were all hidden from my sight," Heimdallr explained. "In addition to treason, they tried me
for attempted regicide."

Sif shuddered at the word, it being so antithetical to all she was and had sworn an oath to
uphold and do. But that was the real issue here, was it not? Loki had managed to so
thoroughly pervert the system so as to make it work for him in a way it had never been
intended to. So they had to take extreme measures in order to stop him and save Ásgarðr
from her mad and power hungry new king. Even if it entailed something so abhorrent and
despicable as regicide, at least in name. Sif simply was not sure if she would have been able
to gather the courage to do it herself. She had far too many memories of Loki being harmless
and unguarded, despite all of the horrible things he had also done.

"We are doomed," Volstagg moaned, sinking to the ground. "My family!"

"You can truthfully say you had nothing to do with my actions, as you should," Heimdallr
told them. "There is no need for all of us to be punished for it."

"I honestly do not think it will matter," Sif replied grimly. "Loki will find one way or another
to punish us if 'tis his intent. Even without it, given the confession he has, he can convict us
for treason, which gives him all of the leeway he needs."

"So what? We give up?" Fandral questioned in disbelief.

"Nay, of course not!" Sif snapped back. "I intend to do all I can. I am merely being realistic.
But the trial is public as per normal, right, Heimdallr?"

"Aye."

"Then, if nothing else, we may be able to convince others of the righteousness and necessity
of our actions."

"Good," Fandral stated.

"Besides, we may have the chance to gain some information before then."

"Oh?"

"This is Loki we are talking about," Sif reminded them. "When have you ever seen him not
take every opportunity that he can to gloat? He will be down here before the day is out,
simply to see us in our cages."

A loud caw was the only warning Loki received before a heavy weight settled on his right
shoulder. Turning his head slightly, Loki did not so much as slow as he made his way to the
vault from the king's study.

"Muninn," he greeted.

Though neither of his father's ravens had spoken to him before this week, Muninn had used
to spend quite a bit of time perched on his shoulder as a child. It had always bemused him
more than anything but, as she had been quiet, it had felt quite companionable and had not
bothered him.

"Loki," Muninn replied, settling in.

"Comfortable?" Loki could not help but ask even though he did not mind.

"Quite," she replied, wiggling a little before her eyes opened a bit wider to look at him. "You
are doing better."

"Excuse me?"

"You were not well before," Muninn clarified. "It made everything go poorly. Not that you are
entirely healthy now, but better."

Loki stopped abruptly in his tracks as the meaning of her words registered.

She knew.

Muninn knew.

"You know," Loki said dumbly.

Of course she knew, Muninn was memory. Still, Loki had not expected her to be able to
remember this, as it technically had not happened yet. He had altered events before they had
transpired. So how could she know?

Muninn pecked at his ear in admonishment. "You know better than to even think questions
like that."

Right, seiðr. It could work in unusual ways and did not always obey the other rules of the
universe, of which time was one.

"Why have you not said anything before?" Loki asked, his mind racing to try to figure out all
of the angles on this and what it meant for him.

If Óðinn found out what he had done... it would not matter what his intentions had been or if
it had altered things for the better. Nay, all Óðinn would see was that he had broken one of
the cardinal rules of the Nine Realms. Do not mess with time and the past. Do not change the
future and what is. That would be all Óðinn saw and cared for. Besides, his adoptive father
would only have his word, either direct or via Loptr, as to the fact he had improved matters,
and he had learned long ago that meant nothing to Óðinn. Less than even, since the man
sometimes seemed to do the opposite of what he had asked simply because it had been him
who had asked.

"You Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr questioned, hesitantly. "Is everything alright?"

"Hmm, aye," Loki replied, beginning to walk once more even as his heart thundered along in
his chest.
The punishment for what he had dared to do was severe. Death was recommended in order to
prevent one who had already proven willing (and perhaps able) to alter the timestream from
trying to do so again, and possibly succeeding this time.

"I said nothing because you have been handling things better," Muninn finally replied.

"I hardly think that is supposed to matter," Loki countered as evenly as he could, but 'twas
difficult. In communicating this way his emotions slipped through more, coloring his words.
"'Tis forbidden."

"By the laws of the living, not the Yggdrasill itself."

Loki snorted. "You serve Father, are you saying you will lie to him? We both know how he
would view this."

"I am charged with ensuring the safety and betterment of the Nine, which you are doing,"
Muninn replied. "And while I will not lie to Óðinn, neither will I tell him what I know without
his asking."

"And he will not know he has to," Loki realized.

"Not unless you give him reason to."

"Sneaky and underhanded, Muninn, I like it."

"Of course you do, mischief godling."

The diminutive kenning irked Loki a little, but he allowed it to pass. She had already been
old when he had been a child.

"What of Huginn?"

"He knows of naught. He is thought, I am memory."

"Is this why you always favored me as a child?"

"I knew you would do many great things," Muninn stated. "Plus, 'twas amusing to watch
Óðinn try and figure out why I spent time with you."

Loki chuckled at the image and caught the sideways look Yngvarr gave him.

"She has a sense of humor," Loki told the lieutenant-general, knowing it would do more to
confuse the man than anything else.

"You do love your little games," Muninn commented.

"They amuse and entertain me," Loki responded.

"Aye, and you are never more dangerous than when you are bored."

That was very true.

"Are you coming with me into the vault?" Loki asked.

"Nay, I have no desire to be so close to the Casket of Ancient Winters," Muninn said. "Take
care not to lose yourself in its seiðr. So long separated from its other half has affected the
Casket as much as it has Jötunheimr."

With that slightly ominous warning, Muninn took to flight once more and sailed off back the
way they had come.

Loki shook his head. "Crazy old raven," he muttered.

"If you say so, my Liege," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said with a twitch of his lips.

"I think I am beginning to understand why Father feels the need to sleep every few centuries.
It seems to be the only way to get away from everything."

A slightly alarmed expression crossed Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's face. "Are you feeling
alright, Your Majesty?"

"I did not mean it in that manner."

"Are you certain? The Óðinnforce, at the beginning..."

Loki turned his head to look at the lieutenant-general with narrowed eyes. "Who was it? Lord
Ragnvaldr? General Týr?" he asked, without getting a reaction. "Mother? Uncle Vili or Vé?
Ah, Uncle Vé, I see."

The expression which crossed Yngvarr's face at being so easily read amused Loki. One did
not come to be called the God of Lies for nothing, and it had as much to do with being able to
tell when he was being lied to as anything else. It also meant he was very good at reading
people, especially when in so simple a situation as this was with simple questions and only
one, rather predictable, answer.

"He was merely concerned, my King," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stated.

Loki waved him off. He understood what had driven his uncle. Oh, he could not know if
'twas simple concern or something more, but the knowledge the Óðinnforce took some
accustoming and could be tough on its owner, particularly in the beginning, were good things
for the head of his security to know, even if it annoyed him a little his uncle had taken the
initiative without first consulting him. 'Twas not like he had not done similar things to his
father either directly or by telling Mother of certain, pertinent information while knowing full
well what she would do with it.

"I will need to be alone for this," Loki told Yngvarr when they arrived at the vault.

The news displeased the lieutenant-general, who motioned for some of the Einherjar to check
the vault. Before the coronation, the fear and hesitancy over this of all places would have
seemed ridiculous, and Loki knew he only had himself to blame for it.

"The portal remains shut?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr checked, following Loki inside.
 "Hmm," Loki confirmed. "And they do not simply open within seconds. There would be
warning signs to one trained to detect them."

"Very well. We will be right outside, Your Majesty."

With that Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and the Einherjar left the vault, closing the doors
behind them.

Chapter End Notes

There you go, the 2nd chapter for this week, as promised. I hope you liked it, especially
the first foray into Lady Sif's head. There will be more to come!

For those of you who know your Norse mythology, yes I am doing a Sif & Loki hair
thing. However the details won't be quite as they are in mythology as the MCU has
made that impossible, seeing as some of the items Loki bartered from the dwarves are
already on Ásgarðr. But that just means I got to be creative 😁

As for Muninn, did anyone see that coming? I'm quite curious!
I have to admit to having had a lot of fun with Muninn in this fic, so much so a few
snippets of her and Loki's exchanges were posted to Twitter, as I simply couldn't resist.
She's snarky and has his number - just what Loki needs at times, a dose of his own
medicine!

Norse Mythology:

hel - an afterlife location. So the same as with us, really, just with a bit of a different
spelling!

Up next week: Loki works on the Casket of Ancient Winters... with some unexpected
results!
 Chapter 17
Chapter Notes

As always, thanks very much for all the lovely kudos and comments you are leaving me,
they are greatly appreciated!

The fact I've apparently also inspiring people to write fics of their own or to leave me
gifts is amazing.

I hope you all enjoy the latest chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki took a moment to simply look around the vault at all of the treasures stored here. If he
had the time, he would have examined each and every one of them as he had always wished
to, but Óðinn had ever only let him look at a specific few. His father had even moved the
Tesseract after he had managed to sneak into the vault back when he had first learned to
teleport and decided to examine it. Now he understood Óðinn's fear regarding his having
touched the Cosmic Cube, but how was he to have known, seeing as Óðinn had not told him
anything? His mother was right to say that, unlike Thor, he did better with more information,
not less.

All which Loki had time for now, unfortunately, was the Casket of Ancient Winters. Not that
being able to properly examine it was a chore, but it did remind him he was not here of his
own volition and he had a task to perform.

As he descended the steps, Loki felt a faint tugging at his seiðr and he looked up in shock as
he realized 'twas the Casket of Ancient Winters. It was reacting to his presence, welcoming
him almost, even from so far away! Could it possibly know he was an íviðja and thus its
rightful guardian? The book had said something about the Casket being able to detect
shamans, but he had been under the impression that in order to become a proper shaman of
Mother Winter an íviðja had to be presented to, and accepted by, her. Surely Laufey would
not have gone to all of that bother if his birth father simply wanted to abandon him.
Especially if 'twas at least in part because of the threat he posed to Laufey's powerbase.

So why was the Casket reacting like this? Muninn had said it could have become affected by
its prolonged separation from Jötunheimr. Could his having touched it with his seiðr
yesterday have cause it to somehow imprint on him as the first full jötunn it had encountered
in over a millennium?

Unless it affected the way he could interact with the Casket, it hardly mattered, but Loki was
curious. Then Ásgarðr stirred in the back of his mind and she seemed to surge forwards, full
of curiosity and delight as he finally stepped up to the pedestal containing the heart of
Jötunheimr. Not thinking 'twas the best idea to allow that which helped balance and control
the magical core of one Realm to interact with the magical core of another, Loki flicked his
seiðr at Ásgarðr with a hint of reproval, but she merely absorbed it before purring and
snuggling in close to him. With a laugh at the mischief and delight he felt from her, Loki
nevertheless swatted Ásgarðr aside.

"'Tis not yours to play with," Loki chided.

This time Ásgarðr pouted, there truly was no other word for it, and before Loki could wrap
his mind around the magical core of a Realm reacting thus, there was another surge of
mischief before Ásgarðr sidled close to him once more. Only this time, instead of flowing all
around him, she cuddled close to his back and shoulder, so it felt like she was doing the
equivalent of peaking over said shoulder to see what he was doing.

Loki could not help it, he laughed, and his amusement seemed to amplify her own until 'twas
passing back and forth between the two of them.

Now in a far better mood, Loki checked to make certain Ásgarðr's presence and seiðr were
shielded by his own, before reaching out to place a hand on the Casket of Ancient Winters.
Immediately, his hand turned the hated blue as he had decided not to waste any time on
illusions now he was alone. The Casket's reaction to his presence, though, quickly distracted
him from any worries and thoughts about his appearance. As he had thought earlier, it
seemed delighted at his presence and reached out with its seiðr toward his own, curling
around it in delight. The pulse of jealousy from Ásgarðr caught Loki off-guard, not used to
someone feeling that way towards either his seiðr or attention.

"This is to help prevent a war which would have æsir casualties," Loki reminded her, and she
settled back down, somewhat mollified.

The fact it did not fully appease her gave Loki a warm glow, since he was not so deluded to
be unable to admit he did not enjoy the ego boost.

The Casket of Ancient Winters, meanwhile, had grown bolder, tugging at his seiðr and Loki
allowed it, needing to delve deeper into it anyway. Any resistance he had expected seemed to
melt away before him and Loki was easily able to reach out for all of the precautions and
safeguards the Book of Silvern Seiðr had mentioned. He was able to find all of them and, as
far as he could tell, they were still active. Yet none of them seemed to view him in any way as
a threat or presence to be concerned about. 'Twas most peculiar. If he had not seen how
completely inert and unresponsive the Casket was to General Týr, he would have thought he
was misreading the signs and seeing the protections as on when they were in fact off, but nay,
that was proof he was doing this correctly.

Loki could not help but wonder if Laufey had realized precisely how vulnerable he had left
the Casket of Ancient Winters to his greatest enemy by what he had done.

Now he was certain he could not accidentally trip one of the many protections in place on the
Casket, Loki allowed himself to simply feel it. The book on jötunn seiðr had seemed to
confirm what Uncle Vé had said about the Casket's origins and, now he was exposed to the
power himself, he could feel 'twas accurate. It did feel like a storm, something he had plenty
of experience with seeing how long it had taken Thor to learn even a modicum of control
over his gift. Their adolescence had oft felt more like a storm filled haze than anything else at
times and had left no one in any doubt as to how his brother was feeling at any one time.

Despite that, this did feel different from Thor's storms. More ancient, more powerful and
much, much icier. Even in his jötunn form as he was, Loki felt the cold of the Casket of
Ancient Winters, and he could only imagine what it must have felt like to Óðinn. He would
not have been surprised if it, too, could cause frostbite in an æsir if triggered. It would
explain why he had never seen Óðinn touch it in all of the times they had been down here to
see it or look at another artefact the vault held. Despite that, the power almost felt... not tame,
but manageable, somehow. Like it could be shaped and directed, which made sense once he
thought about it as it could explain how the Casket was able to do so many different things.
'Twas also why it had been created in the first place, as íviðjur were rare and hrímþursar were
not oft blessed with the ability to do seiðr beyond the abilities which came naturally to their
species.

The question now was, would the Casket of Ancient Winters respond to Loki's attempts to
restrict and restrain what another like Laufey-King could do with it? The Book of Silvern
Seiðr said this was an ability of the íviðjur (and most likely one of the reasons why he had
been abandoned), but it did once again come down to the íviðja being a shaman of Mother
Winter.

Loki wished he had more information on this shaman position. From what he could tell, 'twas
equivalent to being a priest or priestess of Mother Winter, but 'twas where he ran into trouble
with reading the book in an unfamiliar language, much as he could make out the words and
understand their general meaning somehow.

A shaman of Jötunheimr, it said, was an íviðja who had been presented to, and accepted, by
Mother Winter, though it did say 'twas rare for one of the íviðjur not to be. Even if there was
already a shaman, another could be inducted into the order as 'twas rare for them to overlap
for significant periods of time. They then communed with, and learned from, Mother Winter
to increase their power and connection to the Yggdrasill, and learned how to use the Casket
of Ancient Winters. Shamans were oft among the most travelled of the jötnar, since they did
so to learn more about seiðr elsewhere, to increase their knowledge and expertise as they
longed for more of both.

The latter seemed to be a common trait among seiðberandi everywhere as far as Loki could
tell. To be a mage was to desire knowledge, and often power. 'Twas all so very much
intertwined and he could not help but wonder if, mayhap, it had been part of why Óðinn had
been wary of giving him too much power. It would be hypocritical of the All-Father, but
'twas something Loki had long ago learned Óðinn to often be guilty of.

To be fair to his adoptive father, this did feel very addictive in a way which normal seiðr did
not. He was not certain if 'twas because this appealed solely to one part of his magical core
instead of to all of it, or because of something else, but 'twas definitely a unique reaction.
Almost like...

Loki shied away from the thought, but then Ásgarðr was prodding him from behind and he
had always hated recognizing true cowardice in himself, since it had always been something
he had been hyperaware of, growing up the way he had and continually being bullied for it in
a myriad of different ways.

It felt like coming home in some strange and peculiar way he did not understand. The Casket
of Ancient Winters' touch felt familiar, and its cold almost translated to a warm glow in his
core, even shredded and fraying as it currently was. Loki would have feared it more, thinking
it was some form of defense or trap not mentioned in the book, if Ásgarðr had not reacted so
favorably towards it, greatly encouraging him to open himself up to it. That, combined with
how good it felt, made Loki make a snap, spur of the moment decision to simply give in. He
had always been a cautious person, planning before acting, except when it came to seiðr.
'Twas something which had always frightened his mother, as she said with their seiðr lessons
he would oft surge ahead, taking what little he had been shown and extrapolating out from
there. 'Twas part of how he had advanced so far beyond any of his tutors and mastered skills
either long since thought lost, or believed to be nothing more than myth or legend.

Loki could not quite describe why he treated seiðr so differently from any other skill he had
studied, other than that it simply made sense in a way nothing else did. He understood seiðr
and the seiðways instinctively, and, when he was acting on that, he simply gave into his
instincts. Much like how he behaved whenever he walked the branches of the Yggdrasill. The
only such impulse which he had stayed and not followed through on was the one which
sometimes arose while sky walking, urging him to visit the roots of the Yggdrasill and the
Norns themselves. Arrogant as he could be at times regarding his skill in seiðr, even he was
not so conceited as to think he had any right to invite himself there. Besides, he had a healthy
sense of self-preservation and, any time that seemed in doubt, was when people did not
understand how truly powerful a seiðmadr he was.

The Casket of Ancient Winters, though, was slightly more of a risk than normal as 'twas
linked to a part of him which Loki had not even been aware of until recently, and so he did
not truly know it in a sense. His reactions here were truly instinctual and not at all informed
by accumulated sense, logic or knowledge, and it both frightened and thrilled Loki
simultaneously. His core lit up in response to its power in a way he had never known before,
and which he suddenly suspected one of his ljósálfar tutors had noticed he did not normally
do. He could recall her muttering about his core, but he had not paid it much heed as most of
his instructors did at some point or another.

'Twas simply this one had been more descriptive than most and he distinctly recalled her
saying 'twas almost as if part of his magical core remained dark when he used it, rather than
lighting up uniformly all the time. It had been hard to know what she meant when it had been
as it always was, but now he knew. Now he could view the difference for himself. Loki half
wanted to try utilizing the more familiar part of his magical core, but he was afraid of how
the Casket might react to that, since it would be distinctly non-jötnar seiðr being utilized so
close to its own core.

As Loki explored more and became acquainted with the Casket of Ancient Winters' seiðr, he
slowly became aware of a tugging sensation, both at his seiðr and deep within himself.
Coming from the very heart of his own core. Ásgarðr fluttered excitedly behind him as he
traced it back along the Casket's own seiðr. It was with a start he realized 'twas the decayed
and atrophied connection he had sensed before, snaking off away from the Casket. It seemed
more alive now than it had been before, a single golden thread seeming to have survived deep
within it. Ásgarðr thrilled and pulsed with each gleam and glisten of the thread and 'twas
making him giddy too, a sensation he rarely felt and did not quite know what to do with, to be
honest.

"Nay!" Loki protested, sending a mental swat her way.

Instead of annoyance or any other negative emotion, Ásgarðr seemed to bask in the attention
before urging him to reach out to what he saw. Whatever the golden thread was, it had
definitely garnered a delighted reaction from her, and Loki saw no means of reigning it in.
Probing a little more closely revealed a huge sense of disbelief and deep-seated relief from
Ásgarðr. Realizing he would not win, and curious despite himself, Loki reached out for the
thread with his own seiðr. The moment he touched it, it was like his whole world exploded
into light, color and seiðr.

Wild, powerful seiðr. Ancient in ways even Ásgarðr was not, and yet weakened in a way.
'Twas overwhelming and comforting at once, racing all over him and yet being gentle and
familiar at the same time.

It washed over him and through him, nurturing him and dancing over his own seiðr; caressing
and exploring. Loki gasped, eyes wide and hands clutching at the Casket of Ancient Winters,
even as his legs gave way beneath him. Images appeared before his eyes, ice and snow, a
temple in beautiful shades of blue and white with delicate spires and engravings, all
seemingly carved into what had been one massive, solid block of ice. There was music, eerie
and haunting, but beautiful nonetheless and it brought tears to Loki's eyes and emotions
rolled deep in his chest, threatening to rise up and overwhelm him. Then the view shifted and
became more familiar, but only partly so. There were sweeping landscapes of ice and snow,
but rather than being as dreary and foreboding as they had been when Loki had been to
Jötunheimr, swatted in perpetual darkness, here there was light and freshness, beauty and
fragility.

It was breathtaking and Loki could hardly believe he was looking at the same Realm he had
been to only the other day... But then he supposed this was the proof that separating the
Casket of Ancient Winters from Jötunheimr truly had done tremendous damage. Once again,
he could not believe Óðinn had allowed things to deteriorate so badly and he could only hope
it had not been done out of a sense of misplaced pride.

Then Ásgarðr surged forwards unexpectedly, reaching out for the golden thread herself and
there was another flash of light, power, seiðr and Loki knew no more.

"Your Majesty?" a frantic voice sliced through the darkness and Loki groaned. "King Loki?
Can you hear me?"

Aye, Loki went to respond, but the words would not form. Instead, he simply groaned once
more even as he became aware of hands on his person. They ran over him and it took him a
moment to recognize the pattern as one to check for injuries. He wanted to tell them he felt
no pain and was merely...
Loki was not actually certain what he was. At first he had felt exhausted, a bone deep
exhaustion, but 'twas gone already, replaced by almost more energy than he knew what to do
with. It swirled around inside of him, snapping and crackling away merrily under his skin. It
did not entirely feel like his own seiðr, but it also felt like it wanted to settle in and become
so. Like the time he had touched wild seiðr on Niflheimr. Only far, far easier. That seiðr had
resisted until he had proven himself worthy of it after a long and arduous battle of wills. This
was different, this seemed to want to join with him; almost begging it by pressing at his seiðr,
as if seeking to tempt him.

The chill and bite of it felt strangely familiar, and Loki had instinctively welcomed it in and
accepted it before he had even consciously considered doing so.

Mayhap Thor was correct; his seiðr was going to see him killed one of these days.

"What happened?" a voice he recognized as Lady Eir's suddenly echoed through the vault.

"I do not know," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied. "We were outside and only came in at
an urgent message from Höðr. It said he had witnessed a flash of light and power from the
vault, followed by the king collapsing."

Loki could only hope he had looked áss again by that point, or he would have another
problem to deal with.

"What was he doing in here?" Lady Eir asked.

"Working on the Casket of Ancient Winters," and that was General Týr.

Wonderful, so Loki was the center of even more people's attention.

"Why?"

"I am fine," Loki stated as soon as he could be certain his voice would not fail him.

"Your Majesty!" Yngvarr exclaimed.

Loki opened his eyes to find the lieutenant-general leaning over him, only for the man to
recoil in shock.

"What?" Loki demanded, looking around and finding Lady Eir beside him as well.

"Your eyes," she said.

A quick check of his seiðr proved some of it was concentrated there.

"Let me guess," he said. "They are glowing?"

"Aye, my Liege."

"'Tis fine, simply a consequence of the seiðr surge Höðr saw."

"Are you certain you are alright, my King?" General Týr asked, approaching them.

"Aye," Loki insisted. "Bloody Óðinnforce simply does not know how to behave."

Lady Eir laughed, looking slightly more relaxed. "Your father says the same thing at times,
though he refuses to elaborate on what he actually means by it."

"I can well imagine," Loki smiled, moving to rise to his feet.

"Oh, nay, you wait until I have checked you over properly!"

"I said I am fine."

"I have heard those words from you before, my Prin- King."

Loki scowled at her but allowed Lady Eir to mutter a spell under her breath aimed at
checking his vitals. He could feel Ásgarðr slinking quietly at the back of his mind, muttering
apologies. He pinged some annoyance at her, yet given the results he could not quite
complain. He actually felt better than before, and something which he had never quite
realized was unbalanced or missing deep down within him felt restored. 'Twas an ache he
must have long since become accustomed to and accepted as normal, and which therefore no
longer registered until now 'twas gone. It made him feel far better even if he was still
painfully aware of his ever-fraying magical core.

Luckily for him, Lady Eir would not dream of performing a scan invasive enough to detect
core damage without prior permission. Or a request for it on his part, which he would not
make as Ásgarðr could not afford for its king to be known to be so weak, not at present.

Lady Eir drew in a sharp breath, looking at him with wide eyes. "I do not understand," she
whispered.

"What is it?" General Týr demanded, eyes darting all over Loki. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong," Loki directed his scowl at the general. "I already said that. It simply
seems the damn Óðinnforce and the Casket of Ancient Winters get along far better than we
do with the jötnar. What Höðr saw was the two of them bonding."

"Bonding, Your Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr requested, before looking over at the
Casket.

Loki followed his gaze and saw the Casket of Ancient Winters was still alight, as if he were
touching it. Reaching out with his seiðr, Loki tried to cut the connection, but it resisted, not
wanting to let him go. With some irritation, he tugged at it and his seiðr came free with a
little pop and the Casket dimmed back to normal once more. Or mostly so. Was it his
imagination, or was there a bit more brightness to it than before? At least in the occasional
swirl of seiðr?

Loki hummed. "Suffice it to say, I will have no trouble achieving what we had hoped."

As he said it, Loki looked from Lieutenant-General Yngvarr to General Týr.

"Not tonight you are not," Lady Eir declared.

"Aye, fine," Loki stated, pushing himself to his feet.

"So this has nothing to do with...?" General Týr checked.

With a deep sigh, Loki tried to figure out if he was annoyed or touched with all of the
concern about his health and the Óðinnsleep. He settled on bemusement instead.

"Nay, General, I am not about to imitate Father and take that particular swan dive into lucid
dreaming," Loki said.

Týr's lips twitched. "I would dearly love to see you describe it thus to his face."

"I already have, decades ago."

"And?"

"Well, I was already in trouble, so 'tis hard to say how much of my punishment was due to
my wording and how much was due to the mischief I had caused."

More than one person laughed and Loki turned to look significantly at Lady Eir.

"If anything, King Loki is far more energized, and his seiðr far stronger, than I have ever
witnessed it before," Lady Eir admitted before her expression turned stubborn. "But I would
still not recommend using the Casket again tonight, and only under supervision afterwards."

The knowledge she said it out of concern for him was all which allowed Loki to bite back the
remark which rose within him. Still, it hardly mattered anymore. Now he had truly connected
not only with the Casket of Ancient Winters, but with what he strongly suspected was Mother
Winter herself as well, it would be easy to add any restrictions to the Casket which he wanted
to. Therefore he would be easily able to cover himself with an illusion while he worked to
keep his secret from whomever might be with him.

"Fine," Loki accepted ungracefully. "But I am not resting now."

"I doubt you could with all of the energy coursing through you at present," Lady Eir
accepted. "Do you know how it manifested?"

"Nay, but if I did, I would go induce Father with it and allow him to deal with this mess."

"I am certain he would be thrilled with the wakeup call."

"Do you not have other patients to tend to, Lady Eir?"

The smile she gave him was pure evil and Loki kept himself from reacting to it, instead
simply raising a single eyebrow. Two could play at this game and he was not his father,
brother or mother, all of whom would cave to her on this. He always felt she enjoyed the
challenge.
It took some doing for Loki to convince General Týr to leave him alone, and it only worked
after he promised to do nothing more strenuous than work in his study. He did take the
opportunity to ask about Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, and was glad to hear they were
now safely imprisoned in the dungeons. He thought of them as he made his way back to the
king's study, the knowledge that he traversed right over their heads made him smile. While
their betrayal still stung, Loki could not honestly say he was terribly surprised by it, and, as a
result, he probably took far more pleasure in their current predicament than he probably
should.

Loki did not care.

No one had ever accused him of being particularly forgiving, rather the opposite in fact, since
he was known to hold onto grudges for a very long time. And this? This was the culmination
of tens of thousands of small slights accumulated over the course of several centuries of
forced companionship. Aye, he had not locked them up for anything so petty, but he could
definitely enjoy it for those reasons. He had won in the end and that mattered rather
significantly to him, even if he did not consider that made it all worth it.

He also still needed to come up with a fitting punishment for them, though, as he knew Thor
would never forgive him if he had his friends executed, much as he was half tempted to do
so. Therefore he would need to think of something, but it would be a fun contemplation and
probably wander off to wonderful and fantastical places before being solved.

Upon turning the last corner before his study, Loki saw Lord Óðr was stood there waiting for
him, several rolled up scrolls under one arm. Loki's good mood immediately darkened.

"I will need privacy for this, Lieutenant-General," Loki told Yngvarr quietly.

Even he knew better than to hold this type of conversation before witnesses. Lord Óðr's ego
would not appreciate it and, while Loki did not particularly care to stroke it, he did still need
to work with the man, and he had enough enemies as it was at present.

"My Liege-" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr began to protest.

"You can come in as soon as he leaves," Loki told him.

The lieutenant-general nodded reluctantly and signaled for two men to check the study before
the others spread out in the corridor.

"I received your missive, Your Majesty, and brought all of the items you requested," Lord
Óðr began immediately.

"Good, come in," Loki replied, sweeping into the study as the Einherjar came out.

Abruptly, Loki felt Höðr make a sweep over the area, but as 'twas quick and as he did not
care if the gatekeeper saw this, Loki did not respond to it. Wanting to be very clear, he took
his seat and failed to offer Lord Óðr one, leaving the man to stand nervously before the king's
desk.
 "Your Majesty," Lord Óðr began hesitantly, while placing the scrolls on the desk. "You
wished to view these?"

"They do pertain to the King's Funds, do they not?" Loki demanded sharply.

"Aye, my King."

"So why have I not seen them before now?"

"Ah... well, with everything going on, I thought you may have more important matters to
focus your attention on."

A lie.

It irritated Loki as 'twas not even a particularly good one. It was almost, almost, impossible to
lie to him, but most people managed a better effort than this. Instead of replying, Loki merely
raised an eyebrow and kept looking at Lord Óðr. If left with silence, most people would wish
to fill it, especially if they were already nervous.

"And we do tend to allocate the funds to the same organizations or efforts every year," Lord
Óðr babbled on. "So it seemed like an easy task for me to take on."

"The allocation of the king's funds?" Loki asked quietly, and was pleased to see the man
swallow thickly. "You presume too much, Lord Óðr."

"My King, I would never dare!"

"So this was not about ensuring the funds kept going to where you and Father thought they
should go, and which you knew I have always had issues with?"

The ensuing silence was telling.

"That is what I thought," Loki started, leaning forward. "This does not happen again, Lord
Óðr, do I make myself clear?"

"Aye, absolutely, Your Majesty."

"Because if it does, I may need to see fit to have Lord Ragnvaldr oversee your work."

"That will not be necessary, my King. I swear this was a mistake which shall not be
repeated."

Loki held the man's gaze until he was certain Lord Óðr was uncomfortable, before nodding
his head once and waving him away. The man had hardly left before Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr was in the study with most of his men. Two of the Einherjar immediately moved for
the balcony, while the others interspersed themselves along the walls.

Chapter End Notes

Well, Muninn did warn Loki about that Casket - though for Loki that was probably just
added incentive to examine it! 😁
I have to admit, if this fic had broken itself down properly, I'd have gladly ended the
chapter at the point where poor Loki fainted (don't let him tell you it was anything other
than that!).

The middle scene here is one I have always quite enjoyed and has 2 of the more
memorable lines of this fic for me. Ones I have to admit I laughed while writing down.
Can anyone guess which ones I mean?

We now also have Loki's end of the whole W4 returned to Ásgarðr scenario. Oh, did you
blink and miss it? However will those four cope with that? 😈

I wanted to leave a quite note here, I'm very likely to start posting another fic in the next
few days, so anyone who has a follow on me as an author will receive a notice of this. I
wanted to warn you that it won't be another chapter of this fic if it's early in the week.

I had hoped to finish the other fic before starting to post it, but as Loki will make it AU,
I wanted to start posting it before the first episode airs. For those interested, it will be
Loki & the Avengers, with a mostly Tony pov (can't give all of Loki's plans away too
early, now can I?).

Norse Mythology:

áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur.

Up next week: The evening feast. Loki, Frigga & Lady Eir speak. Laufey-King's reply
arrives.
 Chapter 18
Chapter Notes

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend and thanks for all the comments and
discussions!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The feast that evening was abuzz with the news of Heimdallr's trial and the fact Lady Sif and
the Warriors Three had been returned to Iðavöllr in chains. It inevitably led to speculation
about Thor and how he was doing, and Loki made a mental note to check in on his brother
later. So much had happened in the last few hours he had not had the chance to do so recently.
But for now, he concentrated on those seated beside him, who were more circumspect than
the night before. Whether 'twas because they were more used to the idea of him as king now
or because of all which had transpired, Loki did not know, but he enjoyed the change. Uncle
Vé had also dug out one of his mother's books on jötnar culture and they ended up discussing
some of it as 'twas all cultural rather than strategic.

This time, Loki made it to the end of the meal, and he stayed what he felt was a reasonable
amount of time before excusing himself. Back in his personal chambers, he settled in at his
desk with the scrolls Lord Óðr had brought him. Glancing through them, Loki found they
were nearly all as expected, the usual warrior related initiatives or programs which probably
could be funded from the main military budget, yet by applying for (and receiving) this
additional funding, they were able to double dip and receive more than what the High
Council had opted to allocate them. 'Twas easy to cast them all aside, the only problem was it
left him with only Lady Dagrún's application. Loki had just unrolled it to read it over when
the door to his study opened. He looked up to see Livunn there, a slightly exasperated
expression on her face.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked.

"Aye, actually," Loki replied, leaning back in his chair. "I have been looking at the
applications for the King's Funds and, with one exception, they are all from the areas which
Father normally supports."

Livunn inclined her head. "I have heard it said he rarely deviates from his selection and then
only for something of a similar nature, thus non-warrior related initiatives are no longer
applying."

"Which is my problem."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Simply spread the word I am open to alternative applications and am considering them now
and over the next few days," Loki said. "This could be my one chance to allocate the money
elsewhere, so I would like to be able to do so."

"Of course. I will happily let people know."

"Thanks, that will be all."

"Have a good evening then, Loki."

"Goodnight, Livunn."

One thing Loki had learned as a young child was if you could not avoid something, then 'twas
best to do it on your own terms. For instance, he knew there was no chance Lady Eir would
allow him to go the day without checking on him to ensure he truly was fine after
yesterday's... incident. Therefore, instead of attempting to avoid her and simply having Lady
Eir show up when and where 'twas least convenient, Loki decided to go see his father and
mother first thing, before the next High Council meeting. As he knew Lady Eir came by to
inspect Óðinn's health around the same time, it would allow her to see to him and then he
would be able to go about his day without having to worry she would show up at any
moment.

"Loki," Frigga greeted when she turned around at the sound of his arrival.

His mother was stood at the foot of Óðinn's healing sleep bed, while Lady Eir and two of her
healers were checking his adoptive father over.

"Mother," Loki replied as he moved forward to embrace her, holding her tight for a moment
longer than necessary. "How is Father doing?"

"He continues to slowly shift more and more to a normal Óðinnsleep, so I am hopeful,"
Frigga replied, pulling him along as one of the healers left the space where she had been
sitting. "How are you?"

"Busy."

"Aye, that much I have heard. Word of Heimdallr's trial reached even here."

"Oh?" Loki inquired, curious.

He had planned to ask Livunn about the rumors when he broke his fast this morning, but he
had instead spent the time writing a few missives to places he knew had once applied for a
portion of the King's Funds and whose application he remembered had caught his eye at the
time.

"Aye, mostly shock and disbelief," Frigga told him.

"At the fact he did it, or that I said he had?"

"Oh, the former, there does not seem to be any doubt on the latter. You did a good job
proving it."

That was good to know, even if Loki still hated he had to prove his word whereas Thor or
Óðinn's word would have been accepted without question.

"Word is you now have your brother's friends downstairs," Frigga continued.

"Hmm, they came back yesterday."

"Do you plan to try them today?"

As she said it, his mother looked him over again and Loki shook his head. As he did not have
a public appearance today, he had elected to wear one of his armors rather than a more
elaborate outfit. A more stylized and decorative armor than his usual fare, specially designed
for some ceremony or other centuries ago, but still leather and armor nonetheless. Not only
did it feel far more comfortable while still providing excellent protection should there be
another incident, but it would also serve to remind people that while his main reputation was
for seiðr and words, he was still very much a warrior in his own right. A fact he felt was oft
forgotten or overlooked.

"Nay, there is no rush and there are other matters to tend to first," Loki replied.

As if summoned by the words, Muninn soared into the chamber, making a playful dive at
Huginn who already sat on a perch in the chamber, before circling around to land on Loki's
shoulder.

"Hello, Muninn," Loki greeted, reaching up to stroke her feathers, feeling intense cold
radiating from her. "Where have you been?"

"Jötunheimr," Muninn replied. "I heard you fainted. I did warn you about that Casket."

Loki scowled at her. "Very amusing. Any news from Jötunheimr?"

"I thought so. And Laufey-King sends his reply now."

"Good news, I hope."

"That I know not. His castle is hard to penetrate and the Realm cold."

"Hmm, thank you."

With a quick, light peck at his finger, Muninn took off for the second perch on the other side
of Óðinn's bed. When Loki refocused his attention, he found his mother looking at him with a
proud and happy expression.

"What?" Loki queried, baffled.

"Nothing, simply watching you take over your father's duties and making it seem so
effortless."
"They are not."

"Oh, I know that, darling, I am merely commenting on how you make it appear."

Loki thought his mother might have said more, but right then Lady Eir approached them and
Frigga's attention shifted away from him.

"How is he doing?" Frigga asked.

"Better," Lady Eir replied, her eyes moving to Loki. "I can tell you the details later, but first I
want to check His Majesty while I have him here."

"Loki? Why do you need to check Loki?" Frigga asked, worried. "Did something happen?
You said Heimdallr did not injure you!"

"Hush, Mother," Loki said. "'Twas not Heimdallr."

"Nay, there was an incident in the vault yesterday," Lady Eir replied as she began her spell.

"An incident?" Frigga questioned.

"I was working on the Casket of Ancient Winters and it responded a little more...
enthusiastically than expected," Loki explained, well aware they were not in private above
and beyond Lady Eir's presence.

"Oh, I see. I suppose it makes sense," Frigga said. "All things considered."

Loki's eyes snapped over to her at those words, shocked and surprised Mother would hint at it
here.

A guilty look crossed Frigga's face and Loki felt his stomach drop.

"What?" Loki demanded, coldly.

"'Tis simply... well, Lady Eir knows," Frigga told him.

"What?"

Loki's eyes darted from his mother to the head healer now standing beside him. Lady Eir
tried to give him a reassuring smile, but 'twas clearly strained by the knowledge of what was
being discussed and his most likely reaction to it.

"She had to know, Loki, your health could have depended on it," Frigga rushed to explain.

"Truly? And what of my mental health?" Loki demanded before pulling away from both
women and heading for the door. Not to mention his magical health. "I need to go."

"Loki!" his mother called after him as she rushed to follow. "Your father forbad me to-"

Loki whirled around, only just remembering to drop his voice to a low hiss, though 'twas no
less venomous for it. "He is not my father!"
"Loki!" Frigga scolded, censure in every syllable.

"What did you expect would happen when the truth came out?" Loki asked. "Or did you
simply hope it never would?"

"I wanted to tell you!"

"That does not change the fact you did not. You lied to me, both of you did, for my entire life
and then I discovered the truth by accident."

"I know and for that I am truly sorry, Loki."

Loki inclined his head and was about to turn away when his mother stepped close and cupped
his face in one hand, so there was not much space between them.

"I may not have borne you, Loki," Frigga whispered. "But I could not love you more if I had.
You are my son, never doubt that, please."

By the end she was almost pleading and Loki caved, bowing down just enough to lean his
forehead against hers, even as he closed his eyes and swallowed thickly.

"Aye," Loki finally managed to get out.

"Good," Frigga stated, voice ragged. "Because I cannot lose you, Loki. You are my baby, no
matter how tall or old you get. My little Loptr."

The use of his old kenning reminded Loki of what Loptr had said her fate was in the original
timeline, and he clutched her a little tighter at the mere thought.

"The same goes for you, Mother," Loki replied.

"I am not planning on going anywhere."

"None do."

Heimdallr's words to Thor echoed through Loki's mind and he wished he could shove them
aside. After a few more seconds, Loki reluctantly pulled back.

"I truly do need to go now," he said.

"I understand, but come back when you can," Frigga requested.

"I will," Loki promised, before he turned back around.

Doing so, he realized precisely how close to Lieutenant-General Yngvarr they had been. Loki
did not think the man would have overheard anything about his heritage, but this little family
drama would definitely have been both seen and heard. Oh, well, 'twas not like the king's
personal guard did not already know something was up between him and Óðinn. Both from
the shouting they had to have heard coming from the vault, and his own admission in this
very chamber shortly before he had been made regent.
Because of his detour to see his parents, Loki was now the last of the High Council to arrive.
He caught the furtive way not only General Týr but some of the others looked at him, so he
deduced the general had spoken of what had transpired yesterday, and, while it annoyed him,
he could hardly fault the man his worry, not given their precarious situation at present. Well,
so long as no one tried to interfere, claiming he needed to rest.

"I was just informing the others of the fact we now have the rest of the traitors securely
imprisoned in the dungeons," General Týr informed him.

"Good. Have they tried anything?" Loki asked.

"Nay. The guards say they have been speaking amongst themselves and with Heimdallr, but
so far they have made no demands to speak with anyone else. There have been two external
requests, though."

"Family?" Uncle Vili asked.

"Aye," General Týr confirmed. "Lord Fandral's mother and Lord Volstagg's wife. The latter
also had a small child with her at the time."

"The dungeons are hardly the place for a little one," Uncle Vé muttered.

"I agree," Loki said. "Tell them they can visit on the usual days we allow family in, but that
the little ones need to wait until the trial is over. I want any such visits to be fully supervised,
I do not trust them not to try and pass word out to anyone they think might aid them."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," General Týr replied.

"Now, what news Jötunheimr?" Loki asked, turning to Lord Aðalgrímr.

The man blinked, looking startled. "I have only just received word. How?"

"Muninn."

"Bloody ravens, always stealing my thunder."

Loki's lips curled up. He and Thor had said many a similar thing in their childhood right up to
the point where Loki had learned the right spell to better evade the ravens' sight and ability to
home in on them.

"Right, well," Lord Aðalgrímr began, composing himself and pulling out what looked like a
rolled-up vellum. "Laufey-King has officially replied. They have tentatively agreed to a
negotiation, but they want it to be on Niflheimr."

"Niflheimr?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired. "I would have thought they would have insisted on
having it on Jötunheimr, so they would not need to rely on us for transport to and from the
location."

"'Tis surprising," Lord Óðr agreed. "Do we know why he might want it?"
"It may be to prevent a repeat of what transpired on Jötunheimr," Loki offered. "I had
accepted Laufey-King's offer to allow us to walk away from the confrontation when one of
the jötnar taunted Thor into attacking him. He may be seeking to avoid that from happening
again by limiting which jötnar we come into contact with."

"Possibly," Uncle Vili said. "And Niflheimr is a good location. It suits the jötnar temperature
requirements, already has facilities we can use from past negotiations, and has no indigenous
population to worry about."

The latter was not strictly true, but Loki had promised the natives to keep their secret if they
taught him their seiðr. He was now starting to understand why he had been able to pick it up
easier than they had expected him to, and why he had been particularly good at dealing with
the mostly frozen spells they had a little more difficulty with. He must have been
subconsciously tapping into his latent jötunn abilities.

For the first time, Loki actually felt the desire to find somewhere he could try out those
jötunn ice abilities. He had already witnessed firsthand how convenient and efficient they
could be in battle. Plus, not only would they provide him with a means of creating a blade if
he had been unarmed, but they also provided yet another means for more long-distance
damage - as Fandral had learned firsthand.

"'Tis a request I think we can easily acquiesce to," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "Especially as it
means not having to host the jötnar here, or needing to trust the truce enough to send our
people there."

"Does Laufey-King have any other requests?" Loki asked, knowing this was far too easy.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed. "They, uh, request the Casket of Ancient Winters be
present as a demonstration of our good will and proof we truly will discuss any and all
options during the negotiations."

"I do not like it," General Týr declared instantly.

"Big surprise," Uncle Vili muttered before speaking more loudly. "Why not? If we hold the
talks on Niflheimr, we will be in control of their ability to transport there and back to
Jötunheimr. We will be able to determine how many of their men Laufey brings, and prevent
them from bringing any more or from simply taking the Casket and running."

"How quickly you forget the Casket itself can allow the jötnar to travel between Realms,"
General Týr shot back. "While Laufey may not be able to bring more men, if he should get
his hands on the Casket, he could make off with it quite easily."

"Not if I restrict that ability, he could not," Loki interjected.

"You were able to check the Casket again?" Uncle Vé questioned. "You can restrict its use?"

"Oh, aye, I can block out anything we do not want the jötnar to be able to do with the
Casket."
"That is fantastic!" Lord Aðalgrímr exclaimed. "It means we are far more likely to be able to
find a solution we can all agree to."

"Laufey will not be happy with any restrictions," General Týr pointed out.

"Nay, he will not," Lord Ragnvaldr agreed. "But if the Casket of Ancient Winters is truly as
critical to Jötunheimr as we think it is, then he will have to settle for having it back, even if
restricted."

"They will haggle with us and demand other concessions or items," Lord Aðalgrímr added.

"We can work with that," Loki said. "We can even promise to reconsider the restrictions in
time. Who knows, perhaps once Helblindi-Princex is king we may even be willing to lift
some of them depending on his temperament."

"We are assuming, of course, they do not have an íviðja who will be able to reverse any
change or limitation you impose on the Casket," General Týr pointed out.

"True, we will need to see if we can ascertain this before we discuss limitations on the
Casket's use."

"I could enquire after them to see if Laufey-King would be the Casket's keeper if returned, or
if the íviðjur would be, as is traditional," Lord Aðalgrímr suggested.

"Your knowledge of them should give him a shock," Uncle Vé said.

"Not a bad thing."

"Any other requests?" Loki asked.

"Nay, that seems to be the opening ones to get them to the table."

"Can we pretend to have the Casket along?" General Týr pressed. "Create an illusion,
mayhap?"

"Nay," Loki replied, pleased the general was considering seiðr at all. "The amount of power
needed to imitate the feel of the Casket of Ancient Winters is far beyond me. I was able to
confirm yesterday that it is supposed to connect to Jötunheimr and, even now, being here for
as long as it has, there is still a sliver of a thread of that old connection. I would not be able to
replicate the feel of it to one familiar with how Jötunheimr is supposed to feel."

"I suppose we will simply have to bring the Casket along then," Uncle Vili stated.

"Aye, it does not mean we have to return it to them, but it will set the tone as being distinctly
different from before," Lord Aðalgrímr said. "There is one final thing. In addition to what I
have already told you about, there was a second missive sent, addressed directly to King
Loki."

"Oh?" Loki inquired, intrigued despite himself.

Was this some ploy of Laufey-King's to influence the negotiations in his favor already? 'Tis
what he would do if in his birth father's position.

The still sealed, second missive was passed over to him and Loki quickly scanned it with his
seiðr before opening and reading it. The hand which had written the letter was quite elegant,
surprisingly so for a jötnar, but the words were even more so, honeyed and sweet. Loki
laughed and shook his head before he passed it along to Lord Ragnvaldr.

"Laufey-King has definitely settled on a strategy," Loki told the others. "Apparently they
believe me to be quite susceptible to flattery and praise."

"The second son not expected to inherit," Lord Aðalgrímr mused. "'Tis not a bad strategy,
though perhaps showing their isolation from the rest of the Nine in not knowing your
political acumen."

"He saw some of it on Jötunheimr, limited though it was, so we should not overplay it."

"Nay, but it will help at the start of the negotiations if we play it up a little."

Loki simply was not certain how much of it would be an act. Aye, he did not particularly care
to impress Laufey, but he was intimately aware of the fact this could be his single biggest
chance to prove his own worth without Thor being around to overshadow him and his
achievements.

"What does Laufey-King mean when he refers to 'your brother's words towards you'?" Lord
Ragnvaldr asked.

Ah, aye, Loki had forgotten they were not aware of that. 'Twas not something he had planned
to advertise.

Loki sighed. "'Tis what Thor said when I tried to convince him to reconsider. I had not been
aware Thor had said them loud enough for Laufey-King to overhear. Perhaps 'twas one of his
warriors who heard it and survived."

"I hate to ask," Lord Aðalgrímr said after a moment of silence. "But what did Thor say? If
Laufey-King is already referencing it, they may bring it up again."

A very valid point.

"Know your place, Brother," Loki repeated, forcing himself not to react to the words as he
said them.

Both of his uncles winced and General Týr's hand clenched, but the reactions of the others
were almost impossible to read. In any other situation, Loki was pretty certain they would
have been neutral to approving of the words as he was the second and younger prince,
speaking to his older brother and heir before a foreign dignitary. Yet, given he had been
attempting to prevent Thor from starting a war, it changed everything and Loki was well
aware of it. That and the fickleness of such sentiment as offence for him, or indignation at
Thor's attitude.
"I can definitely see why Laufey-King has chosen the strategy he has," Lord Ragnvaldr
finally said.

"I will start formulating our own strategy based on it," Lord Aðalgrímr added.

"Did Laufey-King propose a time for the talks to start?" Loki asked as the letter to him
passed among the others.

"Tomorrow or the day after," Lord Aðalgrímr answered.

"The day after," General Týr stated. "I need time to check on the location and it will require
some cleaning, and perhaps even restoration of some areas. Even two days is hardly enough."

"Fine, send our response back, Lord Aðalgrímr, and we should formulate a personal letter for
Laufey-King," Loki said.

"I already have a few ideas, my Liege."

"Who will attend?" Uncle Vé asked.

"Not yourself or Prince Vili," General Týr instantly replied. "The succession must be
protected and your nephew is still underage."

Uncle Vé looked put out, but the general was correct. With Balðr still technically not yet of
age, it left Uncle Vé as second-in-line at the moment. He would also be the better candidate
for it, Loki knew, as Balðr had never received any formal training, being too far removed
from Hliðskjálf to have been considered for it.

"If we are thinking of playing up King Loki's inexperience, I would recommend Lord
Ragnvaldr in addition to myself," Lord Aðalgrímr suggested.

"To make it seem like I need managing?" Loki asked with a predatory smile.

"It would help."

"I will leave security to yourself and General Týr," Loki said, before looking at the latter.
"Simply remember 'tis a peace negotiation and that Laufey-King will insist on bringing
protection of his own, especially as they are dependent on us for transportation to and from
Niflheimr."

'Twas a headache Loki simply did not want to deal with. They could hash out the differences
between political appearance and security concerns amongst themselves.

"If we are done with that, I do have another issue to raise," General Týr stated.

"Hmm?"

"I have received word from Höðr that the humans have once again imprisoned Thor."

"What? Why?" Uncle Vili demanded. "And they did it before?"

"Hmm, aye," Loki confirmed. "Thor had attempted to reach Mjǫllnir, which they had
cordoned off from the public. To do so, Thor attacked several of their warriors."

"But they released him afterwards?" Lord Óðr asked.

"Aye."

"What happened now?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked General Týr.

"Höðr says Lady Sif and the Warriors Three attacked two humans while searching for Thor
and another two in order to recover the Bifröst site, all of which was seen as an attack on
their sovereignty by those in charge," General Týr explained. "The other humans helping
Thor have also been detained."

Loki ran a hand over his face and suppressed a sigh. He truly did not need this on top of
everything else.

"How are they treating him?" Loki asked.

"Good so far, though apparently they are threatening it can change if he continues to refuse to
cooperate."

"We need to intervene," Lord Óðr stated.

"And do what, bring Thor back here, still mortal?" Loki demanded.

"Can you not undo Óðinn's punishment?" Uncle Vili asked. "Return Thor to his full powers?"

"Without inspecting what Father did, I do not know," Loki said, though he was relatively
confident he could.

Ásgarðr knew what Óðinn had done and she truly seemed to like him. He had noticed it from
the beginning, but ever since the incident with the Casket of Ancient Winters yesterday, she
seemed even more delighted and had almost been buzzing all night long, letting more of her
power flow through him than before. It was surprisingly soothing and energizing all at once,
considering this was supposed to be what sent Father into the Óðinnsleep every few
centuries.

"I, for one, would feel uncomfortable ending Thor's punishment before he has learned the
lesson Óðinn felt it necessary to teach him," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "That said, however,
Thor will be unlikely to learn it if he is being imprisoned and mistreated the whole time."

"I agree," Loki said, turning to the general. "Have Höðr continue to monitor Thor and, if it
appears the humans are going to keep him locked up indefinitely or will harm him, we will
retrieve him. However, until such time, he remains. Father always has a reason for what he
does and, if he thought Thor needed to be on Miðgarðr to learn this lesson, then he may not
be able to regain his powers and Mjǫllnir here on Ásgarðr."

While Loki had no desire for his brother to be in charge while Óðinn slept, he also did want
Thor back. His brother may be reckless, thoughtless and battle hungry, but he also believed
 Thor could be a good king, if he learned to think before he acted and he stopped thinking
solely as a warrior. So it would be a while yet, but Loki did believe Thor could grow thus if
given enough time and guidance. And he was removed from the influence of his friends who
only encouraged his recklessness and did not challenge him nearly enough.

Chapter End Notes

I hope you liked the chapter, especially as both Muninn and Frigga seem to be popular!

As you can see, things are starting to really diverge more and more from the original
film, as Thor still being on Earth without the Destroyer making an appearance has made
SHIELD react differently. Plus more bits of what happened on Jötunheimr comes out of
the woodwork.

Norse Mythology:

Niflheimr - "World of Mist", "Home of Mist" - primarily a realm of primordial ice and
cold. Sometimes considered the same place as Hel.

Up next week: Another feast and Loptr makes another appearance!

 Chapter 19
Chapter Notes

Hello, my pretties, here's the latest chapter.

I hope you enjoy it - it's a nice long one!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The High Council session was followed by various meetings Loki had to attend in order to
keep the usual aspects of life on Ásgarðr running. He then took a tour of the training fields to
see not only the progress in readying the three tiers of warriors for possible battle, but also to
show his face. Though he had spent a fair amount of time with the first-tier warriors, Loki
knew well he was accepted more for being the second prince than anything else, so he knew
to ignore them would be to risk alienating them completely. Therefore some visible time
among them was necessary and it allowed him to gain a feel of their mood.

Surprisingly, Loki found it grimmer than expected. Despite all of their usual talk of battle and
glory, it seemed when actually faced with a true war, they grew far more cautious. He was
impressed. Clearly they were not all like Thor, even if he did still detect an underlying sense
of excitement and anticipation.

By the time Loki returned to his study, 'twas to find Lord Aðalgrímr ready to speak with him
and they spent the next few hours discussing their strategy for how best to deal with Laufey-
King. They also had a list from General Týr of how he thought the Casket of Ancient Winters
should be restricted and they discussed which, if any, should be negotiable and which should
not. By the time dinner rolled around, Loki was exhausted but quite pleased with what he had
accomplished during the day. He was also looking forward to dinner for once since they had
decided not to keep the peace talks quiet and he was quite interested to see the reaction to the
news.

While he knew some of the younger members of court would be disappointed, Loki thought
the older ones who remembered the last war might be more relieved. Either way, it promised
to be entertaining.

What Loki had not anticipated, and which he probably should have, was the attentions he
received after the meal, when some of his conversational partners were dragged away by their
wives for a dance as the entertainment this evening was a vocalist and band from the more
distant mountain area of Ásgarðr. He was not certain if 'twas because he had now been king
for a few days and they dared to join him, or whether 'twas simply because he had not stayed
quite so late at a feast before since Óðinn fell into the Óðinnsleep, but some of the seats at his
table had hardly been vacated before they were filled by some of the younger ladies of court,
around his age and younger.
"Your Majesty." "My King." they greeted.

"Ladies," Loki replied, looking at each one in turn. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We were wondering how you are," Lady Hnoss said with a smile.

"Aye, it must be quite exhilarating being king, my Liege," Lady Liv added, almost gushing.

Ah, they were hoping he would choose one of them to warm his bed tonight.

The realization caught Loki slightly off-guard. Not because he had ever had trouble finding
willing bedmates, he had still been a prince of Ásgarðr even if only the second and darker
one, but because 'twas rare for him to be so openly propositioned. The last time had been a
ljósálfr lord he had met on a solo trip to Vanaheimr. It had greatly amused his Uncle Freyr,
much as this was clearly amusing Uncle Vé, who was one of the high table's only original
occupants left.

"'Tis, but luckily it should not be for long," Loki replied, hoping to put at least one of them
off by reminding them he was only a regent and not the true king.

As he had feared, none of them seemed fazed and Loki was not truly surprised. It had been a
long time since they had a young king, and even longer since there had been an eligible one.
They would be more interested in bedding a king than any other prospects, as he would not
provide a crown in the long-term.

"I have heard you will be seeing Laufey-King for the negotiations," Lady Inga pressed. "Are
you not afraid he will try and attack you?"

"Nay," Loki replied, almost immediately rejecting the thought of actually considering one of
them.

It had been a while, but nay, he liked more fire in his choice of bed partners then they were
displaying. Not to mention, given all he had discovered recently, he would constantly be
wondering what they would think or say if they knew what he truly was. What he really
looked like.

"You are braver than me," Lady Liv simpered, oblivious to the pain which flashed through
Loki as his core tore even more at the thought. "I would not want to be in the same chamber
as a frost giant."

Internally, Loki winced as it caused another rend deep within him.

"Jötunn," Loki corrected, then seeing her confusion he continued. "Frost giant is language
unbecoming of a lady."

They would think him odd, but if he was to have any chance should the truth come out in the
future, then he would need for the many basic prejudices to start shifting. And right now he
had the power to be listened to. If anyone asked, then he could claim he was doing it to
prevent an unfortunately timed slip on the part of anyone involved in the negotiations.
"Did you kill many jötunns in the recent battle?" Lady Hnoss asked, leaning forwards.

With the way her dress was cut, it would have given Loki an ample view of her cleavage
should he have looked down. He kept his eyes firmly on her face. Not only had she scorned
him before, but he knew she had shared Thor's bed on more than one occasion.

"There were deaths, which is why Laufey-King declared war in the first place."

A little cough from Livunn had Loki half turning his head, as 'twas her way of letting him
know she either required his attention or that something was going on. The new position
allowed him to see his mother approaching his table.

"Mother," Loki said, rising to his feet.

As king he did not strictly have to anymore, but Loki saw it as good manners. As angry as he
was with Frigga in some ways at the moment (and he really, really was), he could not forget
all she had done for him either and that demanded his respect. That it also made everyone
else at his table rise merely amused him and he waved the table down, much to the obvious
disappointment of the ladies, as he stepped away from them.

"Come to have dinner?" Loki asked. "We can have something brought back."

"Nay, I ate," Frigga replied. "But Lady Eir insisted I take some exercise."

With a smile, Loki held out his hand. "In that case, may I have this dance?"

Frigga smiled at him, taking his hand and allowing Loki to lead her onto the dance floor
where they immediately found space, of course. 'Twas early enough in the evening for the
dances to still be slower, but not overtly romantic, so Loki was easily able to move into it
with his mother.

"Thank you," Loki said softly the moment they began to move.

Frigga smiled. "As soon as I heard there was dancing tonight, I thought you might need
rescuing."

The wording made Loki fake scowl, before a mischievous look crossed his face.

"You do know my virtue is long gone, aye?" Loki teased.

His mother removed her hand from his waist long enough to lightly slap his chest, though he
hardly felt it with the chest plate of his armor.

"You may have been for more discreet about it all than your brother, but aye, I was aware,"
Frigga laughed.

The mere thought of some of the more ridiculous situations Thor had managed to entangle
himself in, with what Loki could only term conquests, were enough to make him smile. 'Twas
a miracle sometimes his older brother had survived for so long. Surely no one could get into
that much trouble on purpose.
"I am still particularly fond of the memory of Amora's curse," Loki admitted.

"Loki!"

"Be honest, Mother, you did find it amusing when Thor was not around to witness your
mirth."

"Well... perhaps."

Loki grinned as he spun Frigga around as the dance moved into something a little livelier. No
doubt to accommodate the fact he was dancing with his mother.

A quick glimpse at those around showed quite a few people were watching them and Loki
could not help but wonder at what they saw. A king dancing with his mother? The two
acquired members of the royal family? Did anyone suspect he was not a natural part of it? He
definitely looked different enough for it to be possible, but for all of the rumors he had
overheard over the centuries, and many while invisible, 'twas not one he had ever heard
anyone say. Was it out of respect for his mother, or was it simply unthinkable to anyone? It
had been to him, but he knew his own blind spots pertained mostly to himself. Frigga had
told him of it oft enough.

"What are you thinking about, Loki?" his mother asked. "You seem far away all of a sudden."

"I am simply wondering if anyone suspects the truth," Loki replied, softly. "About the
adoption."

"Loki-"

"The rest would be far too inconceivable to ever occur to them, of course," he continued,
bitterness entering his tone. "A frost giant on Hliðskjálf itself."

"Enough!" Frigga hissed, looking around. "And do not call yourself that."

"Why not, everyone else on Ásgarðr uses it, even Óðinn."

"'Twas wrong of him, very wrong, but I am certain he did not mean to."

Loki snorted, glad the dance was one he knew well enough not to have to think about the
movements.

Frigga sighed and waited until the end of the dance to pull him aside, to where they could
speak privately with the help of a spell she quickly threw up.

"Loki, what is causing this?" Frigga asked, a worried expression on her face.

"What is causing this?" Loki repeated in disbelief, his voice a low hiss. "I was raised to think
the jötnar were nothing but savages and brutes. They were the monsters used to frighten
children into being good at night; who would come steal us away or eat us if we
misbehaved!"
Frigga's face was thunderous now and Loki blinked in shock.

"Who told you this?" she demanded.

"Everyone! The nursemaids and servants who looked after us as kids, the guards and warriors
who deigned to notice us, the parents of our friends. Father."

"Nay, Óðinn would not-"

"Aye, he did," Loki shot back. "I can think of several instances on top of all the stories he told
us of the war. Do you know what Thor said once, down in the vault when Father had taken us
to see the Casket of Ancient Winters?"

"Nay," Frigga replied and Loki could hear her worry.

"When I am king, I will hunt the monsters down and slay them all. His words, exactly," Loki
told her. "And on Jötunheimr simply a few days ago the choice word was 'cowards', to go
with his usual 'beasts' and 'savages'."

His mother's eyes were closed now, but Loki did not need to be able to see them to know she
was hurting. He felt bad for being the cause of it, especially now of all times, but he could not
seem to stop once he had started. He had been holding almost all of it in since he had
discovered the truth, with no one to have words with about it, so his mother commencing the
conversation seemed to be all he had needed for it come tumbling out.

Aware of precisely how emotional he had become, Loki tried to reign himself back in and his
hand snaked up to clutch at his obsidian amulet. It took longer for Loptr to respond than
before, but the steadying emotions and calm did come and he made a mental note to try and
contact his temporal twin soon, as it seemed like the changes might be rippling outwards
enough to affect Loptr soon.

He felt a strange wave of sadness at the thought, even though the whole point of all of this
had been to change events enough so Loptr's future would never occur. Still, it meant losing
the only other person who knew the truth, even if Muninn seemed to be able to recall
everything.

Frigga's hand coming to rest on his arm drew his attention back towards his mother.

"What Thor said and did was wholly unacceptable and I believe I am starting to better
understand why Óðinn did what he did when banishing your brother," Frigga stated. "As for
your father... well there is no excuse for what he said other than pure thoughtlessness and,
believe me, I shall be having words with him about it, commencing the very moment I have
banished my guard out of the Óðinnsleep chamber."

Oh, 'twas devious to begin Óðinn's punishment when his father literally could not speak to
defend himself. Whoever said his mother was sweet and kind clearly did not know her very
well. In truth, he had learned much of his skill in manipulation and subtle control from her.
"And Thor will receive his own lecture when he finally returns home," Frigga continued.
"But, Loki, you must know most of it is nothing more than the boasting and propaganda of
the victors in battle. Nothing glorifies a war or battle more than to vilify the losers who oft
have no means to defend themselves."

"It does not seem to have happened to the vanir," Loki pointed out.

"Not to the same extent and not long-term, nay," Frigga readily admitted. "But when I first
came to Ásgarðr, the vanir were not well liked and it took centuries for that attitude to fade
entirely."

"Vanaheimr was not as condemned as Jötunheimr, though."

"I am not saying it was. Though I hear that might be changing soon?"

Loki smiled at how obvious his mother was being. She could have tried to draw the
information from him subtly but was allowing him to know what it was she was after.

"Laufey has agreed to come to the negotiating table," Loki told her. "So we shall see."

"That is good news, but Loki, be careful around Laufey, he is not a good man."

"I know," Loki said, looking her in the eyes. "It turns out Óðinn was wrong and Laufey
probably did not abandon me for the reasons he thought."

Frigga's forehead creased as she frowned. "But you are not... uh..."

"Normally sized?" Loki offered. "It turns out I am... for the subtype of jötunn I am."

"I had no idea there were subtypes of jötnar," his mother's eyes were wide with shock.

"Only two, the hrímþursar whom everyone knows and the íviðjur, like me, who are usually
gifted seiðberandi, made royal advisors and," Loki paused for effect. "The guardians of the
Casket of Ancient Winters."

Frigga drew in a sharp breath, her hand flying to cover her mouth as realization dawned.
"You were a threat to his ability to wield it indiscriminately."

"That is the popular theory," Loki replied, before elaborating. "Well at least as far as the High
Council is concerned, seeing as Laufey-King does not seem to have an íviðja."

"I... honestly do not know if this is better or worse."

"It is advantageous since it means the Casket will listen more to me than to Laufey."

"It does?"

"Remember the incident Lady Eir mentioned?"

"Aye."
"That was the Casket being very happy to see me and, through it, Jötunheimr's own seiðr,
much like the Óðinnforce, only they call her Mother Winter."

"Of course, Mother Winter, that makes so much more sense now," Frigga muttered. "I had
wondered what Bestla was often speaking of."

"Hopefully it will make Laufey desperate enough to take the Casket with restrictions on what
it can do."

"Still, be careful, Loki. If he felt threatened enough by you as an infant to try to kill you..."

"Then he would feel even more so now, aye, I know, Mother. Do not worry, I have no
intention of his discovering the truth during the talks. I am using Bestla and my own seiðr as
my cover."

"Clever."

"I try," Loki replied with a twist of his lips.

"You do more than try," Frigga smiled, waving aside the privacy spell. "Now dance with me
some more."

After the music and ambience of the feast hall, the corridor was almost blissfully quiet and
Loki sighed with relief as he made his way back to his chambers.

"No desire for company this evening, my Liege?" Yngvarr teased as Loki glanced back to
make certain they were not being followed.

He scowled at the lieutenant-general. "Simpering and obsequious are not my preference."

His mother's company had served to keep his would-be bedmates away while she was there,
but, almost as soon as Frigga had left, they had been back, vying for his attention and favor.
He had almost dragged one of the young lads out onto the dancefloor to remind them he did
not care about the sex of his partner, ere he had decided 'twas a headache he did not care to
deal with at present.

'Twas both sad and said a lot for how exhausted he was if his usual mischief felt like more
than he could handle at present. Loki could not wait until he could hand Gungnir back over to
his father. He had more than enough of it already.

Once in his chambers, Loki dismissed Livunn quickly, opting to use a cleaning spell over a
bath, so he could have more time to speak to Loptr. He changed into his sleep clothes before
moving to his personal study with a glass of his favorite wine, deciding to utilize the large
mirror there. He had it installed nearly a millennium ago, when he had first started learning
illusion seiðr, as it helped greatly to be able to see if it was working and what effect small,
subtle changes to the seiðr effected. Settling into his seat, Loki gripped the amulet and
focused his seiðr on it, letting it pulse for a time before just relaxing and taking a sip of his
wine.
"Loki," Loptr greeted over ten minutes later, shimmering into view in the mirror.

"Loptr," Loki replied, noting how much less stable their connection was from before. "The
ripples are arriving at your time, nay?"

"Hmm, it will not be long now."

Both the words and the unemotional manner in which they were delivered unnerved Loki.

"'Tis almost relaxing in a way," Loptr glibly continued. "Plus, ever since the first signs of the
ripples arrived, I have stopped being careful."

Now that Loki could understand, and a large smile crossed his face. "What have you been
doing?"

"Only every trick we ever wanted to do but could not for any number of reasons."

"The chaos must be magnificent."

"Oh, it most definitely is," Loptr agreed. "Heimdallr is also back to his old habits."

"He tried to kill you again?" Loki demanded, his mood dimming, but not all the way.

"Technically, he tried to kill Óðinn All-Father, though people are finally starting to suspect I
may not be all I seem when pretending to be him. Well either that or they believe Óðinn to
have gone senile."

Loki laughed aloud at the words. "Well, if you have Heimdallr, allow me to tell you of the
perfect punishment for him."

"You have already tried him."

The eagerness in Loptr's voice reminded Loki of why he had instigated the connection. All he
had been able to do lately, all he had been able to prevent, both now and in the future, was all
down to Loptr. A future version of himself who soon would exist no more. Then not only
would a version of himself no longer exist, but he would have lost his one and only true
companion in this matter and everything pertaining to it. The one other person whom he
could talk to about it all without having to fear any consequences for his actions or judgments
thereof. Thus he would take the time to enjoy this properly.

"'Twas beautiful," Loki continued. "By the end everyone was well aware of his guilt and
General Týr has even brought me new legislation in order to prevent any future gatekeeper
from becoming as arrogant and self-righteous as Heimdallr. Whether or not Father will
overrule it, I cannot say, of course, but 'twas how effectively I tore him down."

Loptr's smile was wide and predatory, his eyes sparkling in a way Loki found fantastically
disturbing and delightful at once. If this was how he looked at times like this, then he could
see why he unnerved and unbalanced people. He felt quite pleased with himself.

"Future gatekeeper?" Loptr prompted.

"Ah, aye, 'twas the best part. Remember how Óðinn took Thor's power?"

"Hmm. We can do this with Heimdallr?"

"Precisely. I have had him thrown into a small cell for the rest of his miserable life. Locked in
and completely unable to see or hear beyond his immediate vicinity."

Loptr's look now was a little more mixed, though there was definitely still both wicked
satisfaction and delicious irony there. But what? Oh, of course, Loptr himself had been
locked away in those same dungeons. 'Twas easy to forget as it was something Loki had
never even considered could happen to himself up until Loptr had first mentioned it to him.
Aye, his mischief had gotten him into his fair share of trouble over the centuries, but never
had he even been threatened with time in the dungeons. Confinement to various guest
apartments (his parents knew better than to think locking him in his own chambers would be
considered a form of punishment for him), aye, more than once. But banishment to the
dungeons for any length of time? Nay, never.

"Any recommendations for how to make his time down there any worse?" Loki asked.

He figured Loptr deserved even more vengeance than him, seeing as Heimdallr had tried to
kill him twice and likely had never been punished for the first attempt.

"Aye, do not let anyone bring him anything to alleviate his boredom," Loptr began.

"Mother?"

"Hmm, books."

"Of course."

Not that he would ever wish to test the theory, but Loki did not think he could ever do
anything to make his mother abandon him. Not entirely. He would bet she had also found a
way to communicate with him in his cell, Óðinn's potential order to the contrary be damned.

"And go visit him on occasion," Loptr continued.

"What? Why?" Loki questioned. "You wish me to gloat?"

"Loki, come now, we both know you will want to. Besides, you can tell him of what is
happening outside of the dungeons. Prove life is going on without him while he is left down
there to rot."

Ouch, the emotions behind the words left Loki in absolutely no doubt of how Loptr still felt
about his own time imprisoned down there. It did go a long way to explain why Loptr had
elected to so radically alter the past, since, in a lot of ways, 'twas a form of suicide seeing as
Loptr himself would be destroyed along with everything else in the future that now no longer
would be. Even if he, Loki, would survive and thrive, Loptr would not and, to someone like
them, 'twas a crucial difference.
"I will make sure to do so," Loki promised. "And even if it will not be for long, you can do
the same to Heimdallr in your time. And regale him with tales of what you have done and his
new future."

"Oh, I had already planned to do the latter, but now I will add the stripping of his powers to
his punishment as well."

"Do me a favor," Loki said, leaning forwards. "Let him know what we are and just who is
currently sitting on Hliðskjálf."

"He already does."

"Really? How?"

"The first time he tried to kill me, I used the Casket of Ancient Winters on him."

"Ah, I see."

"What did you do?"

Loki settled back and explained all he had done, and how he had set up both Heimdallr and
his brother's friends to be caught red-handed in order to ensure none could doubt their
intentions or the gravity of the situation.

"What do you intend to do to Sif and the Warriors Idiot?" Loptr asked when Loki was done.

"I have not yet been able to come up with a suitable punishment," Loki admitted. "Thor
would never forgive me if I executed them and besides-"

"- it would be far too easy."

"Hmm, exactly."

"Did I tell you what they did when Thor needed my help to save his precious mortal and he
broke me out of the dungeons?"

"Nay."

"Sif drew her blade on me, placed it at my throat and threatened to kill me. Volstagg did not
use a weapon, though he did place hands on me ere he too threatened me."

Loki growled, his anger white hot. Would their betrayals never cease? Aye, Loptr had
admitted to invading Miðgarðr prior to this, but had no one truly sought to figure out why he
had done it? Something so wholly out of character for him? Or was everyone so truly deluded
about who and what he was as to believe him capable of anything and everything with simply
the smallest of evidence?

'Twas not a particularly encouraging thought and, briefly, he wondered why he even bothered
staying and using his knowledge to better things. Óðinn was incapacitated in the Óðinnsleep
and Thor was mortal and stuck on Miðgarðr. Even his mother was hardly paying attention. It
would be so easy for him to make his escape and never look back. 'Twas not even like they
were his true family. He had no true family. He was well and truly alone, always had been
and probably always would be. So why did he even feel obligated to remain here and take on
a thankless role he had never wanted or craved, despite what everyone thought of him? If he
ran away, he could do and be all he had ever wanted, without having to listen to or obey
anyone.

'Twas such a lovely and tempting thought, and Loki knew Ásgarðr was lucky he was not
nearly as callous or selfish as they all thought him to be.

"I am open to suggestions for their punishments," Loki finally answered, before he realized
something. "What about Fandral and Hogun? Did they not threaten you?"

"Fandral did not, though he did take the opportunity to make fun of me," Loptr stated. "As for
Hogun, I did not see either tail or hide of him. Some of the mercenaries they brought into the
dungeons shortly before the myrkálfar attack though had spoken of Vanaheimr, so 'tis
possible he was not even on Ásgarðr at the time."

Which meant Hogun was not quite as in the clear as Fandral, though Loki doubted the vanir's
threat would have been verbal if he had made one. Nay, it would probably have been a glance
or dark promise. The man had made them oft enough for Loki to be able to picture it easily
now. So easily, in fact, he knew without a shadow of a doubt Hogun would have made the
threat if he had been present at the time. So 'twas only Fandral who was in the clear, but, as
per usual, the young lord followed where the other three led, even if he never went quite as
far. For someone who spoke of honor, 'twas a surprisingly cowardly way to act, but Loki was
long since used to their hypocrisy by now and he knew better than to try to question it. They
would merely twist themselves and the situation up in knots trying to explain it all away, and
he had no desire to tangle with this particular brand of convoluted logic.

He had no wish for the headache.

"I will keep thinking on it then," Loki promised.

He would find a good solution for this. If nothing else, his own pride demanded satisfaction
for all of their slights and insults.

"Do try and let me know what you come up with as I would love to know," Loptr replied.
"But this may well be our last communication."

"What will you do for your final trick?"

"I am not entirely certain at present. But I am thinking of doing something incredibly stupid."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I have been spending some time thinking of whether what we are doing was at all foreseen,
as it will not be remembered by anyone but you."

"And Muninn."
"Wh- Truly?"

So that was what his really intrigued face looked like. Thor had been saying for centuries he
had learned how to tell it apart from his fake intrigued one. Perhaps now he could fix that as
he did notice a minute difference or two. He would need to work on it and see if he could
once again fool his brother.

"Oh, aye, she told me all about it yesterday," Loki informed him.

"Will she tell Óðinn?"

"Nay, because 'tis helping the Nine and he will not know to ask it of her."

Loptr laughed. "I knew there was a reason I always like her. 'Tis probably also why she has
remained while Huginn has vanished."

"He has?"

"Ever since I started imitating Óðinn, it has been most annoying as I have had to conjure an
illusion of him from time to time to ensure it looks like he is still around."

"Has Muninn said anything to you?"

"Nay, she has kept up the act, but she refuses to actually speak to me, even when I address
her first."

"Odd. Perhaps the time distortions are affecting her first?"

"'Tis possible, I suppose," Loptr said. "'Tis not like this has been done before for anyone to
know."

"I have been thinking of that, and if the spell is in the book, then surely it must have been
used or at least tried before. And most likely the former as the book does not say it is an
untried spell."

"I... had not thought of that. You make some very good points. Now I wonder which events
from history are the result of tweaking or wholescale alterations."

"Me too. I have made a note to brush up on my history of Jötunheimr later."

"Hmm, of course, the book is jötnar, so they would have been the most likely users. Nay, they
would have to be seeing as it requires as jötunn magical core to achieve."

"Then 'tis a good thing Laufey did not have an íviðja at the end of the war or things might
have gone very differently indeed," Loki stated.

"Good point. Do you ever plan to return to Jötunheimr?"

"Why?"
"Because if you do, and if you managed to contact Mother Winter, she may be able to tell
you."

"I will keep it in mind, but I would suggest that you go visit Jötunheimr soon."

"Why?"

"Because if you have not yet connected to Mother Winter, then you should. But make certain
you are alone when you do as the combination of her, your own seiðr and Ásgarðr is rather...
uh... explosive to say the least. 'Tis worth experiencing before..."

"Before I poof out of existence?" Loptr offered. "If you say so, then I shall, and, mayhap, it
will give me the additional power required for my little idea."

"Hmm, what was that?"

"I want to try igniting the Yggdrasill."

"You want to what?" Loki demanded, startling upright and spilling his vanir wine
everywhere. "Are you utterly mad?"

Loptr's lips twitched. "Given the sheer number of times I have been asked that question in the
past four years, I will have to say aye, I am."

Loki could only sit there stupidly and gape at his mirror while Loptr returned his gaze,
looking far too smug and self-satisfied. Igniting the Yggdrasill was a reference made in some
of the oldest remaining magical texts. The problem was that none of them ever even hinted at
what or how 'twas done. Simply that 'twas something only the most powerful of seiðberandi
could achieve and that its result would affect every single planet within the Nine Realms, but
once gain it failed to say how or whether the effects were good or ill. There were, of course,
many theories, some stemming from the fact that while the Nine supported a variety of
different life forms, all were compatible with the atmospheric conditions of the other Eight.
Others theorized 'twas a primitive reference to Ragnarök and would involve the Yggdrasill
literally igniting and burning down, and the Nine along with it. Some, meanwhile, theorized
it would be a joyful and beneficial experience, bringing prosperity to all as they saw the
ignition as a firing up of the Yggdrasill, essentially making the World Tree both stronger and
healthier, and maybe even capable of adding new Realms to her boughs. He had always
thought the latter group of scholars overly optimistic and had hoped they never gained the
necessary skills, knowledge or power to try.

Loptr, however, had all three and would soon have the latter in abundance, if he managed to
get the magical core of not one, but two of the Nine behind him.

The thought made Loki start to laugh and soon he could not stop. 'Twas stupid, 'twas mad and
'twas an utterly brilliant way to go if he and all of the Nine as he knew them were about to be
wiped from the timeline.

"I knew you would understand," Loptr stated smugly.

"You, we, are utterly mad," Loki finally managed to say before he flicked his wrist and
magicked away the spilled wine. "I only wish I could learn what you actually manage to
accomplish in igniting the Yggdrasill."

"If there is a any chance to do so, I will find a way to let you know," Loptr promised. "But
you know, I have been wondering if perhaps this is the basis for the Ragnarök prophecies
which have been dogging us these last few centuries."

Loki's eyebrows show up as he thought about it for a moment. It would be... ironic and
entirely twisted if it were true. And it would be simply one more example of how much the
Norns hated him.

"Well, we have dealt with the prophecies, so I say go for it, one of us might as well have the
chance to enact them after all of that," Loki finally stated.

"I had a feeling you would say that."

"I wonder why."

"Ah, so that is what my obviously sarcastic expression looks like," Loptr's words made Loki
snort.

Though he was enjoying this experience, he was not certain he would be able to survive
being around Loptr for any real length of time, good as it was to finally have someone who
understood him so easily.

And what did it say that even he could not stand his own company for more than short
periods of time?

"Whatever you are thinking about now, stop," Loptr snapped, drawing his attention back to
him. "Watch your magical core."

With clenched teeth, Loki tried to force the thoughts away, before making himself relax as
much as he could.

"Who did you give Heimdallr's sight to?" Loptr suddenly asked. "You are not truly shielding
us."

"Höðr," Loki replied. "And he has been good about not invading my privacy. His gaze will
sweep over my location, but only briefly and he will obey the privacy wards I throw up."

"Höðr. Good choice. I might imitate that for all of the good it will do."

"It will keep anyone from questioning you on it."

"True, true. Now, unless there is anything else, I should probably go."

"Nay, I do not think so. Good luck igniting the Yggdrasill."

Loptr smiled. "Good luck with your many tasks."

Chapter End Notes

I know some people won't like how I'm saying the ripples travel outwards from the point
of change, but as time travel isn't real yet, I figure I can toy with it how I want [fyi - it's
how I'm planning to us it in an original story!]. Especially since I came up with all of
this long before Endgame gave us some MCU version of it (not that they stuck with
their own explanation!).

So, anyone think Loptr's idea is a phenomenally bad one? Or perhaps a fantastic one? 😈
or 😇? Or just pure chaos?
I just had fun, as usual, with 2 Lokis in the room.

Norse Mythology:

Hnoss - meaning "treasure", she is one of the daughters of Freyja and Óðr in mythology.
ljósálfr - "light elf" - ljósálfar is the plural.

Original Characters' Names:

Liv - meaning "shelter" or "protection" (from hlíf), common Nordic name.

Inga - meaning "guarded by Ing", a powerful god of fertility and peace.

Up next week: Loki's sleep is disturbed... leading to some unexpected inspiration...

 Chapter 20
Chapter Notes

Surprise! Yes, this is another extra chapter and not simply an early one. Why? Because I
just realized that, between the 2 sites, I have over 1,000 followers/subscribers!!! I can't
believe that many people get alerted each time I update. So as thanks, a bonus chapter!
Enjoy.

Also, a quick reminder, this fic was written before we saw the MCU's version of
dwarves and Niðavellir, so my version of both is very different from theirs!

Finally, beware that this chapter is part of the reason this fic has the rating that it does.
There be unpleasantness ahead as Norse mythology is quite dark at times!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki ran, throwing a curse over his shoulder, but it fizzled out and spat, before dying out in a
shower of harmless green sparks. He did not know what spell he had triggered when
attempting to break into the dökkálfar vault, but whatever it was, 'twas messing with his
ability to perform seiðr and that left him very vulnerable indeed. Far more so than he would
like to admit, especially since he had not brought much in the form of other weapons in order
to be able to move both lightly and quickly.

Luckily for him, Loki never made simply one plan, he always had at least one backup should
anything go wrong.

A blast of rock seiðr flew past Loki's head, causing the wall beside him to shatter into a
shower of sharp little projectiles. Loki cursed but continued running as they stung the skin of
his face and neck. He would worry about the injuries later. He was close now to where Lady
Sif was waiting for him. She would be able to hold them off long enough with her shield and
blade for Loki to gather his own weapons, and they would be able to fight their way out and
let Queen Hreiðmarr know this particular warren had her stolen jewels. At least Loki had
been able to see them before the protective seiðr had ejected him from the vault rather
violently.

"Come on, come on!" Loki urged himself on. "Just a little further!"

There!

Loki saw the specific statue he and Lady Sif had chosen to mark where she would be hiding.
The dökkálfar halls were a veritable underground warren (Niðavellir was almost inhospitable
on the surface at certain times of year), but the colorful and varied statues they positioned all
over the place were an excellent way to orient oneself.
With a last burst of speed, Loki pushed himself on and he skidded around the corner.

"Sif, quick, they co-" Loki cut off as he looked around desperately.

There was no one.

The corridor was empty. Loki would think he had made a wrong turn despite the statue if it
were not for the distinctive bundle of his weapons lying in a darkened corner. He was
undoubtedly in the right place; Lady Sif simply was not. The sound of pounding feet and
angry shouts behind him roused Loki from his shocked stupor and he lunged at his weapons,
but those precious few seconds had cost him and the dökkálfar were on him even as he
reached his blades. Loki did his best to fight, but there were too many of them and he was on
his own without even his seiðr.

The fight did not last long and soon Loki was face down on the ground with more than one
dökkálfr on him as his arms were wrenched behind his back and thick manacles were
snapped around his wrists. A muttered word and Loki gasped as what little seiðr he had been
able to feel vanished.

Those were seiðr suppressing restraints!

Loki had heard of them before, but he had never even seen them, let alone felt them, before.
Briefly, panic swamped his mind, but he then forced it down. He had already been captured
and who knew what had happened to Lady Sif. Now was not the time to lose his faculties, it
truly would make this situation utterly disastrous.

Everything around him blurred for a moment before Loki found himself outside the great hall
of the leader of this particular dökkálfar warren. The massive doors were hauled open and he
was dragged inside, something which should have been ridiculous, his being six foot tall and
they not even four, with most stuck at a mere three foot. Yet the seriousness of the situation
made it anything but. His eyes swept the hall and Loki froze as he caught sight of Lady Sif
sitting up near the throne, speaking with the Lord Brokkr. Not only was she completely
unshackled, but she still possessed all of her weapons as well.

So, she had not been discovered and captured before Loki had reached her. It had always
been an unlikely scenario to begin with, as his weapons had still been where he had left them,
but Loki had hoped since this had been the alternative. That she had voluntarily chosen not
to be there. Rage rose swift and hot within him as Loki stumbled forward once more when his
dökkálfar escort tugged on the chains they had which attached to those draped around him,
quite effectively trussing him up in addition to robbing him of his seiðr.

The commotion made both Lord Brokkr and Lady Sif look up and, because he was watching
her so closely, Loki saw both the horror and the guilt which flashed across her face before it
all cleared off once more. Loki scowled darkly at her. He wanted to rage and rant, to demand
why she had abandoned their plan, but he knew he could not. To do so would be to implicate
her in his actions and, much as he hated to admit it, he needed her free to go summon help
since she would not be able to get him out of this. She simply did not have the authority to do
so. At least Loki knew he could still trust her to do that, as he was a prince of Ásgarðr and
his absence would be noted if she merely left him here to rot.
Nay, he would deal with her later.

Another blur and Lady Sif was gone while Loki was being held on his knees by his escort as
Lord Brokkr paced before him, speaking with one of his advisors.

"Did he see the jewels?" Lord Brokkr spat at his men.

"Aye, he got far enough despite the wards," one of the vault guards replied.

"How?"

"I... I do not know, my Lord."

"How did you get into the vault, Æsir?" Lord Brokkr demanded, stepping up to Loki.

In any other situation, Loki would find it amusing the dökkálfr still had to look up at him.

"I am a prince of Ásgarðr," Loki stated, instead of answering. "A guest of Queen Hreiðmarr,
you-"

With a roar, Lord Brokkr swung up a fist and hit Loki across the face. His head snapped up
under the force of the blow and, briefly, Loki saw stars. Carefully he tried to move his jaw
and stopped when pain flared hot and sharp from it. Likely broken. He forgot how strong the
dökkálfar could be despite their small size.

"My Lord, his actions aside, he does speak the truth," the aged vizier said nervously. "People
will come looking for him, and his companion will bring them straight here."

She had better or Loki would do even more to her than he was already considering. What by
the Nine had Sif been thinking, abandoning their backup plan?

"We caught him attempting to steal from us, 'tis well within my right to hold him!" Lord
Brokkr thundered rather impressively for one so small.

"Normally, aye, but given his father is Óðinn All-Father, Queen Hreiðmarr will likely
interfere and demand his release for weregeld."

The violence with which the dökkálfr lord reacted, knocking over a stack of golden tribute,
made Loki wonder what it was about either his father or the queen which infuriated Lord
Brokkr so much. Did he have history with one of them? If so, 'twas probably Queen
Hreiðmarr as Loki could not recall ever hearing anything other than praise for dökkálfarian
craftsmanship and the occasional story of their strangeness in his father's halls and, surely,
some kind of incident or vendetta would have been spoken of even if only in whispers,
repeated in darkened corners. And he was an expert in listening in on those.

"But we need time to move the jewels," Lord Brokkr stated, once he had himself under some
semblance of control. "If Queen Hreiðmarr finds them here, we are all dead."

"So we need a distraction," the grand vizier stated, dark yellow eyes swinging up to examine
Loki. "A punishment which will not allow him to immediately tell them what he saw."
Fear swelled within Loki, though he refused to let it show. Normally he would argue back,
say something in his own defense or attempt to persuade them what a bad idea 'twas to mess
with the son of Óðinn Spearbreaker, but his broken jaw made it impossible. It would take too
long to get the words out and Lord Brokkr stood too close. He feared he would be hit again
before he had a chance to say enough.

"We could cut out his tongue," Lord Brokkr suggested, with far too much glee.

The mere thought of being disfigured in such a way as to permanently lose the ability to
speak sent blind fear and horror surging through Loki and he was about to speak,
consequences be damned, when the vizier beat him to it.

"While a lovely idea, and I would appreciate seeing the silvertongue silenced thus, Óðinn All-
Father is likely to attack us for daring to maim his son in such a manner. May I recommend
something less... ah, permanently disfiguring, pleasant as it would be."

They were mad, Loki decided as his fear lessened a little. At least the vizier was intelligent
enough to temper Lord Brokkr to a certain extent, but he knew he could not rely solely on the
dökkálfr as he was clearly still far too bloodthirsty as well. So, much as he hated to, Loki
silently urged Lady Sif on, knowing that while 'twas her fault he was currently in this
predicament, she was also his only hope of getting out of it quickly.

Lord Brokkr turned to face him once more and Loki defiantly met the dökkálfr's gaze head on.
Unlike his grand vizier, Brokkr's eyes were a dark, muddy brown, but still clearly showed
both his bloodlust and madness. Loki could well imagine why the queen might have trouble
with this one. 'Twas probably how Lord Brokkr's hatred of her had first occurred, as she had
most likely had to put him in his place more than once.

Then Lord Brokkr's eyes dropped to the chains wrapped around his waist and a new gleam
entered his eyes. "We could use the enslavement collar, order him into silence."

A new fear shot through Loki at that. Fear and rage. Enslavement collar? Brokkr would dare
try to enslave a prince of Ásgarðr?

"While that would allow you to order him to do anything you wished-" the grand vizier
began.

Anything? Loki twitched in terror, only just managing to catch himself from making a
foolishly desperate bid for freedom. He would not make it far in his current condition and it
seemed like the grand vizier was going to try to talk Brokkr out of it. Still, the mere thought of
being controlled by someone else (anyone else!), not only terrified but disgusted Loki. He was
his own person and he absolutely refused to become anyone's puppet, but especially not a
dökkálfar lord with delusions of grandeur.

"- I would like to remind you that while Ásgarðr does not use the enslavement collar directly,
they have adapted it to an indentured servitude collar and cuffs," the grand vizier continued.
"Thus Óðinn All-Father may be aware of how to free his son from the collar. And, even if not,
he would still know enough to demand control of the collar when he arrives, at which point
he could countermand all of your orders instantly."
Relief shot through Loki once more, though he tried to temper it. He needed to keep his wits
about him now. He had to be ready for any opportunity which might arise.

Lord Brokkr growled and stomped back towards his throne-like chair. "Then what?" he
demanded.

"What we need," the grand vizier began calmly. "Is something which will silence him for long
enough to give us the time to move the jewels, but which will still not inflict permanent
enough damage, or be a grave enough insult, for Óðinn All-Father to risk offending
sufficiently Queen Hreiðmarr to provoke a war."

Silence briefly filled the chamber as they thought and Loki used the opportunity to look
about. While there were multiple exists, there were also far too many heavily armed dökkálfar
present for him to be able to do anything. Not injured and restrained as he was with his seiðr
hopelessly out of his reach.

"Oh, I know!" the grand vizier suddenly exclaimed, turning to look at Brokkr. "The
unbreakable thread retrieved from the svartálfar!"

"I do not understand," Lord Brokkr frowned. "How will that help?"

"If we use it to sew his lips shut, it will silence him and will not easily be undone."

Loki had to fight back the instinct to roll his lips back into his mouth. Luckily, the fear which
thrilled through him was not nearly as all-consuming as that provoked by either of the earlier
suggestions, though he still hated the idea. At least 'twas something more manageable, even if
he did have more than a few reservations about this unbreakable thread. The svartálfar of
Svartálfaheimr were not well known, hardly considered more than mere myth or legend by
many, but any species which were deemed 'black elves' as much because of their use of dark
seiðr as their opposing looks of the ljósálfar, and how they appeared menacing even when
compared to the myrkálfar, were not something Loki wished to deal with. So he had no real
desire to have anything of them on his person, let alone in direct contact with his blood and
wounds.

Not that it looked like he would have a choice in the matter.

There was another blur and suddenly Lord Brokkr stood before him, a thick, midnight black
thread in his hands whose color was anything but normal. Instead of being black like normal
items, it almost seemed to be actively repelling light and color away from itself which Loki
knew made no sense, but 'twas what it appeared to be doing. He shuddered to think what it
would feel like if he had access to his seiðr to do so.

Though Loki had been undecided on whether to fight and try to gain more time for his father
to arrive (surely it could not take too much longer?), or to be stoic and make it appear like he
was not bothered, his first good look at the thread and the large, sharp needle now attached
to it caused him to tip into the fighting category. For all of the good it did him. With pathetic
ease, the dökkálfar had settled him onto his back, painfully pinning his hands behind him.
Two or three of them climbed on top of him in order to pin him, down while another settled in
next to him in order to hold his head still while Brokkr approached him with the needle,
thread and a delighted grin on his face.

"Oh, I am going to love this, little princeling," Brokkr declared gleefully. "This will teach you
to sneak around where you are neither wanted nor welcome."

An angry retort was already on the tip of his tongue before Loki managed to swallow it back.
Angering the one in charge of his fate just now was not a smart idea and he was no fool. Nay,
instead he would bide his time and come back for vengeance later, as Lord Brokkr was stupid
enough to leave him alive after daring to touch him thus. Let the idiot think he had bested
Loki now and Brokkr would never see him coming later. Instead, he opted to glare at the
dökkálfr lord as Brokkr would expect some kind of reaction from him.

"What, no words from the infamous Silvertongue?" Lord Brokkr demanded, kneeling down
beside him. "That does not seem right, unless..."

Though he tried, Loki was unable to hold back a cry as Brokkr grabbed hold of his jaw
smugly, making no pretense at being gentle. The dökkálfr laughed as his fingers found the
break and Lord Brokkr dug in with them. Loki cried out again and jerked instinctively against
the hold all of the other dökkálfar had on him. He would definitely come out of this with some
very impressive bruises, that was for sure.

Lord Brokkr laughed before steadying his grip on Loki's jaw. "Now, just hold still, little
princeling," he chuckled. "This will hopefully hurt quite a bit."

'Twas the only warning Loki received before the grand vizier grabbed his lower lip and
pulled it down. Then the needle was roughly pushed through the skin at the left side of his
mouth. Despite the desire to be strong and stoic, Loki screamed the moment the needle was
pulled through and the thread began to follow, touching both his skin and the resulting blood.
It burned like a flame and Loki knew without a doubt he had been right and there was dark
seiðr woven into the thread. The reaction started at the actual wound itself, but quickly
spread and he knew this would be a torture far worse than he had feared and the poisonous
effects of the dark seiðr may well kill him given he could not fight it off himself.

"You must hurry, my Lord, Óðinn All-Father could arrive at any time," the grand vizier stated
when Lord Brokkr stopped with an almost ecstatic expression on his face.

"Nay, I will enjoy this properly," Lord Brokkr snapped back. "'Tis not every day I have an
arrogant little princeling at my mercy. This will teach them to respect and fear me!"

After the second and third punctures things became hazy for Loki as the effects of the dark
seiðr grew worse and worse with every touch to his skin and blood. He was left in a world
which was a haze of pain, pressure, fire and rough hands. Distantly, he heard laughter as he
cried out and struggled and fought to escape, but 'twas hazy at best and so far, far away. It-

With a muffled cry, Loki landed on the ground, arms and legs splayed as if braced for an
impact he had not known was coming. For a moment, past and present blended and Loki did
not know where he was before the dream grew fainter and slowly faded out entirely, leaving
Loki panting for breath and with his lips and blood tingling in remembered pain from
centuries ago.

His bedchamber, he was in his bedchamber. Beside his bed to be exact, tangled up in the
sheets and furs which he had gone to sleep under not so long ago. His new, longer hair was
twisted around him, damp with sweat and stuck to his face in places. With a small push, Loki
rolled onto his back, trying to slow his breathing and frantically beating heart.

He had not dreamt about that particular experience in at least two centuries and he had no
idea why he had done so now. Was it because he had been thinking of all the grievances he
had against Lady Sif and the Warriors Three earlier? But, if so, then this was one of the few
where he had managed to gain his vengeance against her for.

Because of the dark seiðr woven into the thread, Loki had little concrete memories of what
had transpired next (though he would never forget how he had been forced to his knees next
to Lord Brokkr's chair only for the dökkálfr to drag his head up by his hair when his father
and brother had arrived. The look of pure shock on both of their faces as they had seen his
own ruined one would stay with him forever. Not that he blamed them, the dark, dark thread
against his pale skin and the blood all around his mouth and dripping down his chin must
have made for quite the sight when combined with his hazy, feverish eyes), but it had allowed
Lady Sif to remain quiet about her own part in the ordeal and the others had taken Lord
Brokkr's words at face value.

"He tried to trick us, offering his head in a deal and then refusing to pay up when he lost,
saying he had not offered his neck and that therefore we could not touch it."

By the time he had regained full consciousness in the healing halls of the palace weeks later,
Loki had hardly seen the point in telling anyone, especially when neither his father nor his
brother had even bothered to ask him what had happened. Even now, it still angered him how
everyone had simply taken Lord Brokkr's words at face value, surely it should have been
obvious his attackers could be lying? But nay, instead they had simply been furious at what
Brokkr had done and had kept promising him Óðinn was doing all he could to get the lord
punished. Luckily for Loki, that had stalled long enough in diplomacy for him to be able to
fully recover in time to exact his own vengeance.

Loki smiled darkly as he thought of it. Naturally, he had not been able to make it obvious he
had been the one responsible but it hardly mattered since, not only had he been able to exact
his vengeance, but he had also managed to secure one of the precious jewels from Queen
Hreiðmarr's stolen treasure; the one he had been after in the first place when he had talked
Lady Sif into retrieving them for the glory it would garner them, the two outcasts within
Ásgarðr's warriors. He still had the jewel, its absolutely flawless nature making it an
extremely powerful focusing point for the more powerful spells he occasionally liked to try
within the branches of seiðr he was less adapt at naturally.

Thoughts of Lady Sif brought Loki back to the vengeance he had exacted there. Knowing
him as well as she did, Lady Sif had been far more wary of his mouth and temper, so it had
taken Loki longer to get to her, but he had in the end, cutting off her long golden locks which
she had always been so vain about, likely for all of the attention they gained her. He would
have left it thus, if she had not tried to accuse him of it instead of simply accepting her
punishment. Therefore, at that point, he had become fed up, regrown her hair at Thor's rather
violent behest and promptly undone the spell which he had long since known was cast on
Lady Sif's hair. He had always thought it had been something she had done for vanity's sake,
but her shocked and horrified expression when she had realized how dark her hair now was
had proven him wrong.

Which was truly interesting in and of itself, because if Lady Sif's hair had been spelled blond
for so long she had not even known 'twas a spell... well then that left only one person who
could have done it. Well, alright, technically two, but seeing as Lord Hermóðr had no seiðr
whatsoever and had seemed as horrified as his daughter, it truly left only Lady Sif's recently
deceased mother. And if that did not raise all manner of interesting questions, then Loki did
not know what did. Unfortunately, Lord Hermóðr had left all of that alone and Loki had not
dared to pursue it at the time, his actions having already garnered him far too much attention
as it was.

Loki half considered it now as he finally rose to his feet and dumped his bed sheets and furs
back onto the bed. He could not think of a suitable way to use it at the trial, though, so he
dismissed the thought even as he magicked away his sweat soaked bed clothes, cleaned
himself and then put on a simple pair of leather trousers and a green, linen tunic.

He knew better than to think he would be able to go back to any kind of restful sleep tonight,
tired though he may be. Nay, if Loki did not want to spend the rest of the night reliving
exactly how he had felt as Brokkr had suggested each of the possible punishments th-

Loki froze as a new thought occurred to him. Could that be why he had this particular
nightmare now of all times? Was it his subconscious' way of reminding him of what the
grand vizier had said? He snorted, if so then clearly it hated him too as there simply had to be
a better way to go about it.

He dismissed the thought as his excitement rose. After what he had been through, Loki had
done what he had always been wont to; he had researched anything he did not know. Which
included the reference to the indentured servitude the grand vizier had mentioned and he had
discovered that, aye, Ásgarðr had practiced it until the beginning of Borr's reign, at which
point it seemed to have fallen out of favor. If he remembered correctly, then Loki was
relatively certain the practice had never been deemed illegal or otherwise banned. It had
simply not been used anymore. If so, then it might just hold the key to his current dilemma
regarding what to do with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three.

Excited, Loki barely remembered to grab Gungnir as he rushed out of his chambers, startling
his night guard outside.

"Where to, Your Majesty?" one of the Einherjar inquired as they fell into place around him.

"The library," Loki told him.

While it would be officially closed, as a member of the royal family, Loki had unlimited
access whenever he should want it. He was probably the only one who had made use of it in
centuries, but he honestly liked it that way. The silence and solitude allowing him to get far
more done than during the library's official opening hours. As such, he was easily able to get
in and he headed straight for the government and law sections, already having an idea of
where to begin his search from the last time he had looked up the topic. Grabbing the five
most likely tomes, Loki walked to the nearest secluded table - knowing it would make it
easier for his guard to find good positions around him - and settled in, losing all track of time
as he started his research.

Loki had no idea how much time had passed when Livunn's voice penetrated his thoughts,
but the table was covered with books, his parchment was covered in notes and Loki was
certain his long hair was a mess from where he had absently been running his hand through it
while researching.

"See, here he is," Livunn was saying when Loki looked up from his notes.

His personal servant was leading a slightly worried looking Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and
the rest of his dayshift of guards over to where he was seated. A quick glance over at the
closest window showed that, aye, dawn had passed and the new day begun.

The way Livunn bit her lower lip to keep from smiling, and the fond look which crossed her
face, told Loki his hair truly was a mess, and he pulled his left hand from it and self-
consciously tried to smooth it down, though he knew it would likely take a spell to fully tame
it. Damn stuff had curled even when shorter and he could not imagine it being any better now
'twas longer.

"Your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr greeted as Livunn curtsied.

"Yngvarr, Livunn," Loki replied, absently aware of the Einherjar as they changed shift.

"When would you like breakfast, Majesty?" Livunn asked, eyes trailing over all of the books
on the table.

It had taken a while, and a lot of tomes, but Loki had finally found all of the information he
had been looking for. The indentured servitude was an old punishment which had been
popular when Ásgarðr was being built and when she had been in need of rebuilding after the
myrkálfar attack during the beginning of his gr- Borr's reign. It had fallen out of favor not
because of any change of opinion, but rather because it had been deemed there was simply
not enough work left for prisoners to do. Loki was certain he could overcome such a trifle
limitation as that, since his desire to see his former companions shackled, collared and unable
to do anything but obey was simply too great. Besides, the four of them had always made
such a big deal out of status and appearances, thus he found it very fitting this would render
them below even the poorest of Ásgarðr's freemen.

"I will partake of it now, as I am done here," Loki said, rising to his feet and rolling up his
parchment of notes. "Please have it sent to the study."

"Of course, my Liege," Livunn replied, before she hesitated.

"Aye?" Loki prompted, not used to her hesitating.

"Uh, 'tis simply your, ah, attire," Livunn replied, glancing down at his chest.
Looking down himself, Loki was abruptly reminded he had simply thrown on something
comfortable as he normally would to study. Which was all good and well, but as king he
could not go about dressed thus. With a scowl, he closed his eyes and concentrated on what
he had within easy reach. The first was the, now repaired, leather armor outfit he had worn to
Jötunheimr. Part of him wanted to reject it outright and, because of that, he forced himself to
don it. He refused to let Laufey have any say in dictating his life and, to cast aside an outfit
he had liked as much as this one because of what he had discovered on Jötunheimr, would be
to do so.

His appearance rippled green-gold for a moment as he magically altered his outfit, slightly
startling more than one of the Einherjar as he did so. They would either become used to his
greater propensity to utilize seiðr than his father or they would not. With another spell, Loki
ran his hands over his hair, taming it and pulling it back into a short tail to keep himself from
displaying his tiredness and unease by toying with it later.

"There, now begone, woman," Loki muttered.

"My King," Livunn bowed, her shaking shoulders giving away her mirth.

With a twitch of his lips, Loki moved to follow her out of the library, pausing only long
enough to nod at Lady Dagrún. He knew she would not be pleased with him for leaving the
books on the table, but he had other matters to attend to. He simply made a mental note to
make it up to her later. She always forgave him if he brought some new book back with him
from his travels.

"I had not realized you planned to be up so early, my King," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said
softly as the man appeared beside him.

Loki snorted and sent Yngvarr a dark look. He hated being played or prodded for answers.
Besides, it had been more than obvious to all of them he had hardly planned this.

"I neither left Iðavöllr nor ditched my guards, Lieutenant-General," Loki retorted. "I am
hardly being careless."

Nay, he was being careful and responsible. So much so 'twas starting to drive Loki more than
a little mad. If he was not keenly aware of quite how gravely he was wounded and weakened
with his fraying and fragile magical core, he would have long since done something which
would have driven both General Týr and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr to distraction. He was
being good, very good. Unbelievably good for him even. They should be thankful for it rather
than wanting more.

"Nay, of course not, Your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied.

Loki stopped and turned directly to the man. "Do you not trust your men, Lieutenant-
General?"

"What? Nay, I mean, aye, of course I do."

"Then I hardly see what the problem is," Loki stated as he began walking once more.
 He was not a little child! Óðinn owed him when his adoptive father finally decided to wake
up, not that Loki expected him to do so yet. Not until the war with Jötunheimr had been
averted anyway. And to think people believed he wanted this, any of it!

Chapter End Notes

Someone's in a snit! 😛

But there, a bit more on the Warriors Four's situation. What do you think of the plan
Loki is hatching? Is he letting his need for vengeance getting in the way?

As regards the dream, this is one of those places where I've played more fast and loose
with the myths. Yes, Loki goes to Niðavellir and has his lips sewn shut by Brokkr, but
the actual context is very different in mythology. Part of why I diverged is simply
because that story can't happen the way it was supposed to in the MCU as both Gungnir
and Mjǫllnir, which Loki acquired from the dwarves, are already on Ásgarðr in the
flashback scene to Thor & Loki's childhood. Therefore I had to change the reason for
Loki's visit (and the reason for his punishment!) quite drastically in order to still include
it somehow in my 'verse.

Also different is Sif's involvement. In mythology, she is an instigator of events in the

sense that Loki goes to the dwarves to get a replacement wig for what he did to her hair.
Since so much of the original story was already changed, and since Sif still has dark hair
in the movies, I changed her involvement as well, updating it to account for her warrior
status too. As for the spell on her hair, don't worry, we'll get back to that later...

Norse Mythology:

Hreiðmarr - a dwarf and sorcerer with a bad history with Loki - I've made them female
instead of male & promoted her to queen
Brokkr - a dwarf who challenges Loki to a bet when he overhears Loki praises the
craftsmanship of another dwarf
weregeld - man price/blood money - paid as compensatory for damage when someone is
injured or killed
svartálfar - "black elves" or "swarthy elves", singular is svartálfr - beings who dwell in
Svartálfaheimr - often interchangeable with myrkálfar, but I'm using them for a different
species from the same planet, or at least so they're rumored to be...
myrkálfar - "dark elves" (or "dusky elves" & "murky elves")
ljósálfar - "light elves"
Hermóðr - "war-spirit" - a son of Óðinn & brother of Baldr. He is often considered the
messenger of the gods - I've appropriated the name as Óðinn doesn't have nearly so
many kids in the MCU.
Up later this week: Loki prepares for the negotiations... Oh, and he's still in a foul mood
due to lack of sleep...
 Chapter 21
Chapter Notes

And the usual weekly chapter. Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By mid-morning, Loki was in an even fouler mood than he had been earlier, and he could
only thank the Nine 'twas not a petition day as he knew he could not handle dealing with
anyone's petty squabbles today on top of everything else. Simply dealing with all of the
parchmentwork was enough to drive him to distraction, but he knew well the importance of
keeping the normal workings of government going, especially in a time of war as everything
could unravel if their base was not solid and so he worked away at the large stack of
parchments which required the king's official approval to be legitimate.

"Aye, what?" Loki snapped at the knock on his study door.

"Your Majesty?" General Týr replied, entering. "Would you like me to come back later?"

Later? Oh, right, they had a meeting planned to go over anything pertaining to Niflheimr and
the security of the talks.

"Nay, nay, now is good, I have other meetings later," Loki said.

Other meetings and the applications for the King's Funds had, finally, started arriving and he
really did want to get to those. And he had yet to have any free time to figure out how he felt
about not only meeting his birth father again tomorrow, but having to play nice with the man.

The one who had elected to abandon him to die as an infant.

"Does your second-in-command ever take a day off, General?" Loki snipped in an effort to
distance himself from the pain the thought still somehow managed to cause him despite how
oft he told himself he did not care.

Laufey was just another damn frost giant after all!

With a bright flare of pain, another thin strand frayed and snapped deep within his magical
core, sending pain lancing through him.

Startled, General Týr glanced over at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr for a second before
returning his attention to Loki. "Uh, not at a time like this, Your Majesty."

How diplomatic. Clearly, Týr could be taught.

"He cannot work every day," Loki persisted stubbornly.

"We are but days away from an attempt on your life, my Liege," General Týr began. "You
can hardly expect us to be lax now of all times."

The logic grated since Loki could not argue with it as he rubbed his hand over his face, only
to look up and see concern on the general's face.

"Do I look so terrible?" Loki inquired.

Týr's "Nay, Your Majesty" overlapped with an "Aye" from near the door, and Loki looked
over to see Livunn entering the chamber.

"I do not recall saying you could enter," Loki muttered.

"The door was not fully closed," Livunn replied, as if that excused the unwanted intrusion.

"What are you doing here?" Loki asked.

"Making you tea."

As she said it, Livunn turned on his tea set and then opened his box, making it very clear
which leaves and flowers she was selecting, which only made Loki mock moan as he
recognized them as relaxants and one for irritability.

"Remind me why I have not replaced you yet," Loki said.

"Because you are quite particular and it would take too long to train a replacement," Livunn
replied cheerfully.

"Are you calling me difficult?" Loki asked, turning to look at the wide eyed general now
standing before his desk. "Is she calling me difficult?"

"I would not dream of doing so, my King," Livunn answered sweetly, adding the hot water to
his cup.

Despite himself, Loki laughed once, both at the tone and her words. As if. She had called him
difficult and worse in the past when he had needed it most. But that was then and there, in the
privacy of his own chambers. Out here, in what was essentially the public as far as his
privacy went, she would not do so, not least because he was king now.

Pointedly leaving the leaves and flowers in to stew and strengthen the concoction, Livunn
brought the cup over to his desk and placed it beside him.

"Drink up," she insisted with a small smile. "It will do you good."

The burst of irritation already gone, Loki nonetheless gave her a look.

"I already have a mother," he stated.

"Aye, and Norns bless her," Livunn retorted, startling another laugh out of him. "The kitchens
tell me lunch will be ready in an hour or so."

With that she was gone, and Loki could only shake his head as he turned his attention to his
tea and decided to leave the leaves and petals in before taking a sip. 'Twas a very pleasant
mix, even if the fact he required this particular one grated more than a little. Glancing back
up at the general, Loki found a very interested and slightly thoughtful expression on Týr's
face.

"Do not let that give you any ideas," Loki warned, knowing the man would have caught on to
how well Livunn had just managed his mood.

"Nay, of course not, my King," General Týr replied quickly.

"And it would seem I owe both you and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr an apology," Loki
added, though the words nearly caught in his throat, but he forced them out.

General Týr smiled. "Believe me, we have both had worse."

That made Loki laugh. "Hmm, that I can well believe," Loki said, thinking of his father's
recent shouting match with Thor.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" General Týr inquired.

Loki smiled. "Nay."

Not unless the man could do more about dreams than a seiðmadr. Loki had simply become
lax in raising his guard before he went to sleep. He would not make that mistake again
tonight.

"Now, how are things on Niflheimr?" Loki inquired.

After the meeting with General Týr, Loki had a quick lunch before Lord Aðalgrímr joined
him so they could finalize their strategy for dealing with Laufey-King and going over those
closest to the jötnar king. Or at least those Lord Aðalgrímr knew about. With what Loki had
been able to see via Hliðskjálf, they were able to tentatively identify a few of Laufey-King's
advisors but the rest were wild cards. In areas like this, isolating a Realm cut both ways and it
meant they were operating partially blind and Loki dared not mention what he had learned
while speaking with his birth father before, to arrange the disruption of Thor's coronation.

"We are needing to leave far more up to chance than I like," Lord Aðalgrímr admitted,
leaning back in his chair.

"I concur, but at least we know Laufey will be working with the same disadvantages, if not
more so," Loki pointed out.

"There is that, at least."

"Enter," Loki called when there was a knock on the door. "Ah, General Týr, just in time."
"Your Majesty, Lord Aðalgrímr," General Týr greeted, claiming the seat beside Lord
Aðalgrímr at Loki's gesture. "How come the preparations?"

"As good as can be considering the circumstances," Lord Aðalgrímr replied.

"I see. Before we begin discussing the Casket of Ancient Winters, there is one other issue I
feel we need to discuss."

"Hmm?" Loki inquired.

"I have spoken with Höðr again and it would seem the humans have moved on to what they
call a sleep deprivation tactic with Thor," General Týr said. "This involves keeping him
awake with loud noises and bright lights whenever he would seek to sleep."

Loki cursed and rubbed his hand over his face. "Damn, we will need to retrieve him. Lord
Aðalgrímr, who would you recommend we send to speak with the humans? Lord Birgir?"

"Aye, he would probably be best as he has always held a certain fascination with the mortals
and would be the least likely to inadvertently misstep with them," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed.
"The biggest question will be how much of an escort we give him."

"Aye, 'tis tricky," Loki said. "That they are willing to use violence has already been proven,
though not without a certain amount of provocation."

"If I may, I would recommend a smaller group," General Týr suggested. "Even if they react
violently, their weapons cannot hurt us and a smaller escort will more likely be seen as such.
Plus, Höðr will be able to extract them quickly should it become necessary to do so."

"I also believe the humans will not view us as such a great threat," Loki stated. "They have
moved away from swords and spears and view them as primitive in comparison to their
guns."

"Guns, my Liege?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"Projectile weapons which can punch a hole through the bodies of other mortals."

"But not through us?" General Týr checked.

"Nay, not the last time I was there."

That made the two of them glance at each other and Loki simply smiled. Let them think he
had been lucky enough to find a portal to Miðgarðr and had been unable to resist visiting
them. His insatiable curiosity was quite well known on Ásgarðr, though generally not looked
upon terribly well. They were far too stagnant a society to value such a trait, and all which
came with it. Not that they had not appreciated the results of his studies on more than one
occasion.

"Who will you send, General?" Loki asked.

"Assuming this will likely be done tomorrow, I would like to send Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr as he cannot accompany us with me attending the peace talks," General Týr said.

Nay, Loki could see how sending both military leaders to face an enemy, even at a truce, was
not a good idea.

"And just when he thought he had a day off," Loki teased, looking over at the man in
question.

"I would grow bored, my Liege," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said.

"Was Höðr able to provide any details as to the mortals' qualms with Thor?" Lord Aðalgrímr
asked.

"Mostly it seems to be a case of them wanting to learn more information on us as we seem to

be the first contact they can remember having with livings beings from another Realm,"
General Týr replied. "It would appear they have forgotten our previous contacts."

"Not so much forgotten as written them off as the myths and legends of more primitive
tribes," Loki commented. "Their tales of us are actually rather entertaining and oft hopelessly
muddled. To them I am apparently a father a few times over already, including to Hel."

"Truly?" Lord Aðalgrímr's eyebrows shot up.

"Hmm. They also speak of Heimdallr as the whitest of gods."

This time even General Týr looked amused, and Loki fondly recalled all of the times he had
spent in various human libraries, reading up on what they called Norse mythology. It had
been a vastly amusing, if at times disgusting, experience. He still chuckled to himself when
he recalled some of the stories. Others, however, had oft hit far too close to home to be
entirely comforting. The fact that the mortals had correctly identified Laufey as one of his
parents before he had for instance... He had simply written it off as one more instance of
wrong lineages - look at Óðinn's massive brood by human standards after all - but now, well
now 'twas far less amusing than it had once been.

"I will warn Lord Birgir of this, lest one of their myths interfere with the negotiations," Lord
Aðalgrímr said.

"A good point. But as for the negotiations themselves, if Höðr is correct, then I assume they
fear some of our warriors will appear as Lady Sif and the Warriors Three did before."

"They may even have taken their attack on some of their people as a sign of war," General
Týr added.

Just what he needed, a second war.

"Let us hope it does not come to that," Loki responded. "But give Lord Birgir the authority to
offer weregeld if necessary, and he can promise I shall include the attack among the list of
crimes I shall try Lady Sif and the others for."
"What if they ask about Mjǫllnir?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked. "As I understand, the hammer lays
where it fell when it arrived on Miðgarðr."

"It does," Loki confirmed. "Warn them that should Thor prove his worth it will return to him,
so they should not enclose it in anything they do not wish broken, but otherwise it cannot be
moved by another to harm them."

While Óðinn had muttered the 'whosoever' should be found worthy would be able to wield
Mjǫllnir, Loki knew far better than to take the All-Father's words at face value. There was
simply no way Óðinn would allow anyone else to possess either it or Thor's power. The man
was far too jealous of that type of power to simply hand it away to another, especially one not
of Ásgarðr. Óðinn would not see someone like that as worthy, so they would be ruled out that
way anyway.

Loki paused as he suddenly realized just how much of his childhood that sentiment explained
away, which at the time had always seemed random or arbitrary.

"Does Lord Birgir have the authority to claim Thor as a prince of Ásgarðr for the purposes of
the negotiations if necessary?" Lord Aðalgrímr inquired.

"Aye," Loki confirmed instantly.

He was not leaving his brother at the mercy of the humans simply because Thor was not
currently seen as such officially. The mortals would never know the difference.

"Good, it should make them aware of the gravity of the situation," Lord Aðalgrímr stated.

"It might also be good to mention to them it has been Ásgarðr's protection which has kept
other forces from encroaching upon Miðgarðr," General Týr suggested.

"It should not hurt, and it could help explain to them why they have not seen others from the
Nine before," Loki concurred. "But if Lord Birgir does utilize this argument, he will need to
word the necessity for the protection carefully. The humans like to see themselves as
advanced, telling them otherwise will prickle their pride."

'Twas an amusing feature of humanity and one Loki had quite oft been guilty of exploiting
for his own pleasure, but this was diplomacy they were discussing. Such tactics had no place
here if he wished to have his brother returned to him swiftly.

"Duly noted," Lord Aðalgrímr said.

The thing which Loki liked best about Miðgarðr was that which they excelled at beyond all
of the Nine. Their ingenuity and drive to keep advancing and bettering themselves. They
displayed none of the stagnancy so many of the rest of the Nine did, continually reinventing
both themselves and their... technology. 'Twas utterly fascinating to observe and Loki had
been meaning to return soon to see what they had managed to invent since his last visit
almost a century ago. It promised to be extensive given their recent trajectory.

"Is there any value to mentioning the current war with Jötunheimr?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.
Loki paused to consider it for a moment. On the one hand it would show weakness before
one of the lesser worlds, but at the same time it would explain a lot of things for Miðgarðr.
Such as why Thor had been mortalized and banished to their world in the first place (well if
one ignored the fact that Óðinn probably saw it as a harmless place to send his weakened
son), or why the king did not come for his brother himself. It could also serve to reveal the
gravity of the universe humanity was on the cusp of entering, since he believed they were
rapidly approaching more extended space travel give or take a century or two.

So, truly, 'twas high time to make them more aware of the seriousness of such an endeavor.

"Aye," Loki finally decided. "But keep it for if they ask why Thor was sent to Miðgarðr in the
first place, or why I have not come for him in person."

A distant caw drew Loki's attention to the balcony and so he saw Huginn soar into the
chamber. Instead of circling a few times as Muninn liked to do, Huginn came straight for him
and landed on his arm which Loki had raised for him, perching on his vambrace.

"Hello, Huginn," Loki greeted before he frowned, smelling singed feathers. "Are you
alright?"

"Simply an unfortunate encounter with a little fire demon," Huginn reassured, turning to
rearrange a feather in his tail. "I shall recover."

"Fire demon? You were on Múspellsheimr then I take it."

"Aye. News of Óðinn's sleep has reached the court of Queen Sinmara and things are
beginning to stir in the dark. Word of Surtr rises once more."

"'Tis not good. Please do keep an eye on the situation there if you can do so safely."

Huginn huffed, his feathers ruffling in offence. "Of course we can keep doing our job."

"Do let me know if a fire retardant spell would be of aid," Loki replied instead of laughing.

The raven's offence was amusing, but he had no intention of offending one of his two best
spies, particularly not given the secrets Muninn held.

"Thank you, little Loki."

Huginn had already taken flight before Loki could reply, and he was left muttering about the
benefits of plotting raven murder.

General Týr was chuckling. "Sometimes I do wish I could hear them as you now bear the
same look your father oft sports after conferring with Huginn and Muninn."

"Somehow I doubt they call him little to his face," Loki grumbled, making both of them
laugh. "More worryingly, Múspellsheimr stirs, and news of father's condition has reached the
court of Queen Sinmara."
Lord Aðalgrímr sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. Loki knew exactly how the man felt.
It seemed like each of the Nine but their closest allies wanted to try to gain a piece of Ásgarðr
in this perceived moment of weakness. Perhaps they should be glad the myrkálfar were
believed to be dead and the svartálfar liked to play dead so well most believed they had been
wiped out with the war between Borr and Malekith.

"Did the raven bring the news of gathering armies?" General Týr asked.

"Nay, nothing so concrete just yet," Loki replied, rising to his feet. "Norns willing, it will stay
that way too."

"Our war with Jötunheimr might work to our advantage here," Lord Aðalgrímr said while he
and the general rose as well, following Loki as he made for the vault. "The eldþursar and the
jötnar hate each other more than they hate us, so Queen Sinmara is unlikely to want to do
anything to help Laufey-King win."

"Aye, but they may wish to strike as soon as we have won against Jötunheimr, if it comes to
actual battle," General Týr muttered darkly.

"Let us focus on the enemy we know we have and wait to see how the rest progresses," Loki
suggested. "We are already preparing for battle, so there is little more we can do."

"Well, I may just expand the scenarios being prepared for," General Týr said. "Attack by fire
can be quite different from attack by ice."

"Fine, but do not make it so clear. We do not need word getting back to Queen Sinmara our
army is preparing to attack her."

"Norns forbid!" Lord Aðalgrímr exclaimed.

"Join us, Lieutenant-General," Loki said when they reached the vault.

'Twas more to keep the rest of the Einherjar out, but it would be good to get Yngvarr's input
as well. The man was a brilliant strategist in his own right and they needed as many people as
possible thinking of how the Casket of Ancient Winters could be used as a weapon in order to
restrict all those capabilities. Plus, unless he wanted to be the only one able to fetch and
return the Casket, he needed to adjust the Destroyer to accepting at least one of them as well.

Finally back in his own chambers later that evening, and alone after Livunn had left, Loki
sighed and sat down, unable to put off an unpleasant necessity any longer. He cleared his
mind of all else so he could turn his focus inward on himself and, while he had done this
countless times before ever since he had first started studying seiðr, this time was different.
This time he was looking for the lie which lay over his very skin.

While Loki had no desire whatsoever to poke at the illusion or shift which made him look
æsir, his talk with Lord Aðalgrímr earlier about the negotiations tomorrow had reminded him
of a jötnar custom he had once heard Óðinn muttering about centuries ago. The infamous
Ymir's sýra. 'Twas a drink served to start off the negotiations, but it turned out most other
species could not bear the taste of it. Lord Aðalgrímr had recommended he toss it back as
quickly as possible, and try not to taste it as he did so.

Loki had enough experience with other foreign delicacies which were unpalatable to know
how well that worked. Therefore he had instead wondered if he could perhaps shift his taste
buds and digestive track back to their... natural jötunn form while leaving the rest of his
appearance unchanged. It would allow him to consume the Ymir's sýra in a far more
dignified fashion which should not only serve to thwart Laufey-King (always a good thing as
far as he was concerned), but also to make an impression and that could be critically
important on the first day of the negotiations.

Mother Winter cautiously stirred at the back of his mind as he looked within himself and
Loki welcomed her in, curious to see what she felt she could offer. He had not felt much from
her since their bonding in the vault two days ago, but he had felt her at the back of his mind
ever since. Whenever he had reached out towards her, he had received back a slew of positive
emotions, but not much else. While he could tell she possessed the same intelligence as
Ásgarðr, if not more, it seemed their initial bonding had taken a lot of energy which she had
needed to recuperate. It made some sense as they were currently on Ásgarðr rather than
Jötunheimr, so any connection would be far weaker even with the Casket of Ancient Winters
so close.

At times it had been all Loki could do not to drop his other duties in favor of attempting to
explore his new connection further, or seeing if he could do anything to enhance it. Only his
own determination to make these negotiations work, and the vague sense that Mother Winter
did not wish him distracted from them, had kept him from doing so. It did mean he was
ecstatic to feel her stir within his mind now, Ásgarðr reacting joyously too.

The first area Mother Winter drew his focus to made Loki frown as 'twas his left small toe,
not exactly a part of his body he had ever considered while meditating. Which was probably
why Óðinn had selected it as his anchor point, as Loki could feel his adoptive father's seiðr
there now he focused on it. 'Twas subtle, very subtle, but there nonetheless. As he carefully
probed at it, Loki realized the reason it was so faint was because 'twas not a large spell or
working. Nay, instead 'twas a small one, just enough to prevent him from shifting back into
his birth form accidentally.

The more Loki examined it, the more impressed he was, and he could not help but feel a
reluctant admiration. All the working did was prevent any unintentional shift. It did nothing
to block intended ones, which was why both his arm and his entire body had shifted before;
when attacked or when he had touched the Casket of Ancient Winters. Though it could be
viewed as a flaw, seeing how it could allow him to discover the truth, Loki could not help but
give Óðinn the benefit of the doubt for once.

He had, after all, never thought his adoptive father wished him physical harm and that was
precisely what the lack of complete block had prevented.

True, there was a cynical part of Loki which could not help but wonder if 'twas not due to the
fact that a block would have left a greater spell signature upon him. Not to mention it would
have been suspicious if, during his experimenting with his shapeshifting abilities, he had
found himself completely unable to shift into just one particular form. Yet, despite all of that,
in this particular circumstance, Loki felt less inclined to think ill of Óðinn despite all Loptr
had told him of what the man would have done had his core snapped.

A quick glance at why showed Ásgarðr not exactly influencing his feelings, but strongly
supporting the magnanimity and he prodded at her, wondering if this was because she knew
more of what Óðinn had been thinking at the time. She seemed to flutter agreement at him
and he hummed, deciding to simply accept it for now as he neither had the time nor the
emotional capacity to truly explore the issue at present.

The true beauty and elegance of the working, though, was that it simply relied almost entirely
on his own innate seiðr, thereby preventing him from seeing it up until now. Loki truly was
rather impressed with it, and it made him reconsider Óðinn's capacity for cunning, though he
had always known his adoptive father was capable of it from some of the old battle plans of
Óðinn's he had studied. The fact Thor had studied those even more closely than him and had
never been able to see it, had always exasperated Loki.

Mother Winter swirled around the spell with an eagerness it took Loki a moment to
understand, as 'twas not the emotion he would have associated with that particular action.

She wished for him to undo Óðinn's spell.

"Nay," Loki responded, shaking his head.

Though he had never had any real trouble shifting before, once he had learned to control it,
Loki did not want to risk removing this working only to discover this, of all shifts, would be
different. Nor could he afford to at present.

Mother Winter pouted at him and it nearly made Loki laugh. 'Twas odd to think of an entity
as old as her pouting, but that was what it felt like to him. 'Twas followed by reassurance,
which he took to mean she thought he would be alright without Óðinn's seiðr, but he was
king now and 'twas no longer simply himself or a small number of people he was responsible
for, but a whole Realm directly and the rest of the Nine indirectly, including Jötunheimr.

Mother Winter relented, but Loki could feel her displeasure at the need to do so. While he
had no desire to take on his jötunn form, he could, theoretically, understand why she felt the
way she did. Not that it altered his own feelings on the matter any.

Loki soon forgot about that particular duality as he teased the edge of his shift and he came
across something odd. 'Twas something he had not seen in years, not since he had learned
firsthand the importance of ensuring he did a complete shift. Back then he had been caught
out because he had not been able to hear something all rjúfendr could hear, thus revealing
him as an imposter, even if they had been confused by his ability to shift rather than merely
creating an illusion around himself long enough for him to get away. But this...

It was with a shock Loki realized his æsir skin was almost really simply that; a skin. His shift
hardly had any depth to it at all, except in a few anatomically strategic places. While he was
particularly thankful of the latter, the feeling hardly penetrated through his shock.
It explained rather a lot, Loki finally thought once his mind was able to start processing this
new revelation. His increased sensitivity to heat, his complete and utter loathing of some of
Ásgarðr's favorite foods, and his increased hearing and better night vision. They were all
explained by this.

'Twas with a sense of dread and horror that Loki realized even like this, in his current form,
he was essentially a jötunn in æsir clothing. His core gave a sharp pang as it tore and
stretched even further, but he could not help it. Even after his discovery, he had assumed that
in this form he really was æsir in every way which truly counted. After all, when he shifted
into female form, he truly was female, all the way down to the point he could conceive and
bear children. Well, apparently, he could do it now regardless, but still, other shifters who
were not jötunn had done so before.

Perhaps he should have realized the truth earlier, since what did a newborn know of proper
shifting? But still, it had not, and Loki did not know if 'twas because he had not wanted to
realize it, or because he was still too much in shock to have thought through all of the
implications of what Óðinn had revealed before collapsing. He hoped for the latter rather than
the former because, much as he hated the truth, Loki hated being so perceptually blinded by
his own shortcomings even more. Besides, the latter made sense. He had not exactly had any
spare time to truly sit down and think of it; to carefully consider all of the angles and
implications, even if he had wanted to.

Now he did, though, Loki frowned. Much as he preferred his reproductive anatomy as it was,
how would an infant know to shift that? 'Twas not exactly something he could tell on sight
was different. Had one of his adoptive parents aided his shifting there, or had he perhaps
subconsciously done it himself as a toddler when he and Thor had always been bathed
together? It hardly mattered, but 'twas a bit of an exception to the rest of his shift which
seemed mostly based on what one could tell of an æsir on sight.

Oddly enough, Loki could also feel an additional level of shift on the top of his head. If he
did not know íviðjur had hair, he would have assumed that was why, but they did. So why
was it there? Loki called up the mental image of the illustration from Bestla's book, but he
could not recall seeing anything there which would explain it. Strange. His curiosity made
him want to explore it, endlessly fascinated despite himself, but he knew he did not have the
time to do so now. Besides, he could ill afford to try anything which might endanger his
ability to shift back since Ásgarðr could not afford to lose him now as well as his adoptive
father and brother.

Not to mention Loki had no idea how anyone else like Lieutenant-General Yngvarr or the
High Council would react if his true form and heritage were to be revealed.

It truly did not bear thinking of.

Instead, Loki focused his attention on his mouth and digestive tract. Other than an alteration
to the color of his tongue and the shape of his teeth, he found they were entirely in their
natural form. Wait, nay, 'twas not quite right. Loki frowned as he probed at it. There was
something else there, something vaguely familiar...
 It was with a start Loki realized he recognized the pattern of seiðr which lay there, even if it
did not quite match the seiðr itself. 'Twas his mother's signature, but done with his seiðr. His
forehead furrowed at it. How? A moment later realization dawned as he noticed the shift lay
over the parts of his mouth which detected temperature. Of course, a jötunn would need
alterations and protections there in eating heated food.

There was a flash of what felt like remembered pain as Loki recalled a sense of his whole
mouth being on fire, but he could not be certain whether 'twas real or imagined, induced by
the very easily pictured scenario. He would not be surprised if Óðinn had simply taken his
shift at face value, as the man had spoken of his changing when touched.

He was not entirely certain he wanted to either know or remember what had happened the
first time he had been fed warmed food. Loki winced at the mere thought and left the seiðr
alone. He could guess from the signature Frigga had stepped in to help him adjust his mouth
to be able to eat without burning all of the soft tissue, and he had subconsciously kept those
modifications exactly as she had shown him.

What all of this meant, though, was he did not need to do anything in order to be able to drink
Ymir's sýra without any ill effects, as Lord Aðalgrímr had mentioned 'twas served at chamber
temperature. Which, though lower on Niflheimr than Ásgarðr, would not be so low as to
bother the æsir any, thus he would be fine.

Goal accomplished, Loki withdrew from his meditation, not wishing to linger on his true
biology any longer than absolutely necessary.

Chapter End Notes

And that's how you manage a prickly trickster 😂

So what do you think of Huginn, now that some of his personality is shining through? I
prefer Muninn myself, but Huginn has been fun too at times. We also got the first
glimpse of Mother Winter's personality too!

And, yes, I couldn't help myself by adding our Norse mythology into the mix here. It felt
nicely meta, though I'm certain it may provide me with headaches in the future when I
try to keep track of what my canon for this 'verse is, what the human mythology is, and
what we really know.

Anyway, a few different bits and pieces necessary to keep the fic moving along and
setting things up for the next few chapters, which will have a lot of change! Besides, I
couldn't help but make things even more complicated for poor Loki. We can blame
Óðinn, though, as he seems to have pissed off every Realm at some point or other in the
mythology!

Norse Mythology:
Sinmara - a giantess, often thought of as a consort to Surtr, but could also be the wife of
Mimir.
Surtr - generally considered a jötunn, but heavily associated with fire (will engulf Earth
in flame). Mythology seems to use jötunn as a general substitute for giant, though, so
I've made from Múspellsheimr instead, which the MCU did shortly afterwards too!
eldþursar - "fire giants" - often used to refer to the denizens of Múspellsheimr - I have
used this term for the bigger of the 2 species on Múspellsheimr in this universe.
rjúfendr - from rjúfa ("to break, tear asunder") - I used this to refer to the smaller of the
2 species on Múspellsheimr.
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell" - how I'll refer to people from Múspellsheimr,
regardless of whether they're eldþursar or rjúfendr.
Ymir - the ancestor of all jötnar & a primeval being with quite the interesting creation
story. Óðinn, Vili and Vé are said to have killed him and used his body to create things
like the earth, sky... and dwarves. Needlessly to say, my version will be quite a bit
different as Earth was around before Óðinn!
sýra - a fermented milk drink - my version is made up, but basic sýra was a real Viking
drink (sounds tasty /sarcasm).

Up next week: Time to rescue the damsel in distr- uh, Thor. 😜

 Chapter 22
Chapter Notes

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend, and thanks once more for all the continued
comments & kudos!

Now, onto the damsel in distress! :P

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Thor roared as his sleep was once again interrupted by the bright lights in the small chamber
he was being held in coming on. Every single time he had either fallen asleep or been close to
it, they had either turned on the lights or filled the chamber with a screeching noise they
called heavy metal, though Thor failed to see how metal had anything to do with it. His
appreciation for humans was quickly disappearing even as he tried hard to remember the
kindness shown to him by Ladies Jane and Darcy and Lord Selvig, since he did not think his
father meant for him to learn to hate the mortals. Nay, he tried to reserve his anger for the son
of Coul and the other agents of SHIELD who kept him locked up here. He did have some
sympathy for them as four of their men had been hurt and rather worse than he knew his
friends had intended, but they were not used to such fragile bodies as humans had.

The sudden opening of the door startled Thor upright in his chair and caused him to pull at
the chains attaching his wrists to the table. 'Twas sad how this was all which was required to
hold him at present.

"How is depriving me of sleep meant to aid you in obtaining information from me?" Thor
demanded, before he realized he did not, in fact, recognize the dark-skinned man with only
one eye before him. "It will not make me have words with you."

"That's good to know," the man replied. "My name is Director Nicolas Fury and I'm the head
of SHIELD."

"You are the superior of the son of Coul?"

"What? Ah, yes, I am."

"He acts most dishonorably, telling me I am free to go only to have men follow me around,"
Thor protested. "Such behavior would not be tolerated on Ásgarðr."

"But we aren't on Ásgarðr and here I will do anything and everything in my power to protect
Earth, even using sneaky and underhanded means, if necessary," Fury stated.

Thor frowned. "You sound like my brother."

That seemed to startle the human and Thor could not help but wonder how his brother would
react to the comparison. He doubted Loki would be much pleased, though Thor was
beginning to realize it had been a long time since he had truly been able to predict Loki's
words and reactions. It made him sad as he thought about all his new friends had said and the
events on Jötunheimr. He could see now how rashly he had acted and how very nearly his
brother had managed to avoid the war. If he had only not reacted to that princess comment,
then he would not be here, and Loki would not have had to take on the burden of Hliðskjálf.

"Look, Thor, I'll be honest with you, your presence here makes me uncomfortable, very
uncomfortable," Director Fury stated. "And that of your friends even more so. In addition to
the accounts of all four of my men they assaulted, we have eyewitness accounts of people
from Puente Antiguo saying they saw them lifting a car with just one hand or overheard them
talking about how long it had been since they've been on Earth."

Oh, that was bad, Father would not be pleased to know the humans now knew so much.

"Can you see why this would make me uncomfortable?"

"Aye," Thor replied, looking at his hands. "I do not believe Lady Sif and the Warriors Three
meant to injure your men as much as they did. They are used to stronger and more durable
opponents."

"See, that is part of what worries me," the man of Fury stated. "That you are all so effortlessly
powerful. Even you were able to take out scores of my most highly trained men and Doctors
Foster and Selvig tell me you said that you are considered neutered."

"What is this word, neutered? I do not know it."

"That isn't important," Director Fury waved off. "What is important is that I've had five of
you down here in less than a week, acting as if you can just come to Earth and trample all
over us whenever you want. And the names mentioned of some of the others worries me even
more."

"Names?" Thor asked with a frown.

He had not mentioned any names to the son of Coul, he had been very careful of that.

"Miss Lewis in particular mentioned Óðinn and Loki, both of which concerns me greatly if
the myths are anything to go by."

Thor's stomach dropped as he thought of some of the stories he and his friends had told the
mortals of Loki the last time they were here. If those were still remembered...

"Father is indisposed at the moment," Thor said.

"So I've heard," Fury stated, glaring down at some notes he had. "Which leaves your...
brother, Loki, in charge, yes?"

"Aye," Thor confirmed, reluctantly.

"I have to say, the myths have nothing on your relationship. They say Loki isn't even one of
you, but a, what was the name? Oh, right, a frost giant."

"What?" Thor boomed, trying and failing to get to his feet. "Do not even suggest that! My
brother is not a monster!"

Rather than seeming to have impressed the man with his words or volume, Director Fury had
merely leaned back in his chair and gave him a look far too similar to that which he had once
oft seen on his father's face when he was younger. Thor clenched his fists and resettled
himself as best he could, given he had sent the chair backwards a bit in his attempt to rise.

"I'm just telling you what our myths say," Director Fury continued. "I understand there is
some concern over your brother's rule?"

"I..." Thor flushed, not liking how Ásgarðr's business was now being discussed by the
mortals. "Loki was never meant to be king, I was, so he has not been trained for the position."

There, that did not sound too bad, did it? Thor was actually rather proud of it.

"From what I understand, the concerns were rather more dire than that."

"Loki has done naught to warrant it. If I had listened to him, then I would not be here now."

"Something about an altercation on another planet, I heard."

Thor scowled. Why had someone told SHIELD so much of what he had told them? He had
not thought the Ladies Jane and Darcy, or Lord Selvig, liked SHIELD.

"'Twas Ásgarðrian business," Thor replied.

"It became my business when your father saw fit to send you to my planet as punishment for
it," Director Fury argued, pulling a piece of paper from his folder and putting it on the table
between them. "Now, which of these planets did you have your fight on?"

The sheet of paper had the drawing Thor had made of the Yggdrasill and the Nine Realms,
but it did not look like they had ripped it from Lady Jane's book.

"How did you get this?" Thor demanded.

"That isn't important right now, my question is."

A knock on the door interrupted them before the son of Coul stuck his head into the chamber.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Sir, but you'll want to see this," Coulson stated.

"I'll want that answer when I'm back," the man of Fury said as he gathered his folder and left.

Thor pulled the drawing close to examine it, but he did not know what to make of it. 'Twas
clearly the drawing he had made, but the parchment felt completely smooth, without any of
the... pen's indentations of the drawing. Was this a copy of it?
Uncertain, Thor put the parchment back down on the table and wished for some water. At
first they had given him regular, if small, cups, but they had stopped doing so yesterday. Or at
least Thor thought 'twas yesterday. As the chamber had no windows and they kept turning the
lights on and off, Thor could no longer be certain. He suddenly felt an intense longing for
home which he had not felt in a very long time. Aye, he had wished to go back to Ásgarðr
before, but 'twas the normal longing to return and prove to his father he had learned his
lesson and was now ready to be king.

This was different. This was a deep, gut wrenching desire to go home. To see his mother and
father again, even if only in the Óðinnsleep. To see Loki and Ásgarðr. To walk the halls of
Iðavöllr and stand atop the rainbow bridge and feel the sea breeze on his face.

It felt like back when Thor was young and he had broken a leg on one of the first solo
adventures he had not been allowed to go on, but which he had snuck out to do anyway. He
had been lost on Vanaheimr, alone in the woods in the rain and in pain, unable to call on
Heimdallr for aid due to an amulet he had stolen from Father to keep his excursion secret. He
still did not quite know how his brother had found him, but he had been eternally grateful
Loki had as he had commenced having visions of withering and dying out there all alone
without ever being found. As horrible as 'twas, the memory brought a smile to Thor's face as
'twas the first time he had discovered his little brother could teleport as he had been far too
heavy for Loki to carry back on his own and his brother had not wanted to leave him alone to
go back and fetch help.

Thor frowned as he recalled the large, genuine smile which had crossed Loki's face at his
amazement and praise of the skill. When had his brother's ability to teleport himself and
others become mundane and expected, rather than amazing and awe inspiring? And when
was the last time he had seen such a genuine and carefree smile on Loki's face? Thor could
not for the life of him remember, and it made him sad. Had they truly grown so far apart he
was not able to see his brother when Loki was happy?

A darker thought suddenly occurred, and Thor bit his lower lip as he tried to deny it. Surely
Loki still felt so carefree and happy at times? Surely he had not lost all of that. Aye, of
course, he had to. Thor simply was not able to view it anymore because... because of what?
Was it his brother not wanting to share it with him (which hurt more than Thor was ready to
admit), or had he pushed Loki aside too much for it? Though he did not wish it to be true,
Thor could immediately think of more than a few instances where he had brushed Loki off as
he was too busy or his brother had been too boring, talking about seiðr or diplomacy when he
had wanted to focus on battle or adventuring.

Or his coronation.

Thor suddenly felt small at the thought he might have inadvertently driven Loki away. How
surprised had he been, after all, to find his brother waiting for him before the coronation
ceremony? And how quickly had he accused him of insincerity? He would probably have
pulled away from himself too if he had been Loki. The question was had he broken all of his
brother's trust or merely severely damaged it? Was this part of why Loki had refused to allow
him to return after becoming king?
The opening of the door drew Thor back to the present and he looked up to see both the man
of Fury and the son of Coul entering, hard looks on their faces.

"Who are these people?" Director Fury demanded, placing a thin black device before him and
bringing up an image.

Though the image was from far away, Thor could immediately tell 'twas of a group of
Einherjar, their distinctive uniforms standing out even from afar. Then Fury moved his finger
over the image, and it was replaced by a new one, this time much closer and he could
recognize some of the people.

"Oh, I know him," Thor said, pointing to the man in the middle who wore ordinary robes.

The image changed when he touched it and Thor drew his finger back, startled.

"Who is he?" the son of Coul demanded.

"A diplomat, one of Lord Aðalgrímr's," Thor replied.

"A diplomat?" Director Fury repeated. "You don't know his name?"

"Nay, why should I?" Thor asked.

"You said you were due to be king."

"Aye."

"And you don't know the names of your key diplomates?"

"Nay, why should I?" Thor questioned, defensively. "They do the boring talking, Loki deals
with most of that as he is good at it. I am better with the warriors and so help General Týr
more."

"Who are the men with him?" Coulson asked.

"Einherjar," Thor replied, then clarified at their confused expressions. "Soldiers or guards. In
this case, the escort for the diplomat."

"Do you always send armed guards with your diplomats?" Director Fury demanded.

"Only if 'tis to a hostile Realm or one which might be. Heimdallr must have told them you
have taken me prisoner."

"Heimdallr? Who is he?"

"He is the gatekeeper of the Bifröst, he can see and hear all in the Nine Realms," Thor
replied.

"What do you mean he can see and hear all? You have the technology to spy on us?"
"Nay, 'tis Heimdallr's gift, like mine is thunder and lightning," Thor paused. "Or at least
'twas, until Father took it away."

"Is there any way to hide from this gatekeeper's sight?" the son of Coul demanded.

"Only Loki has ever managed it, as far as I know."

"How?"

Thor shrugged. "Seiðr."

"What?"

"Oh, magic."

"Magic?"

"Aye, my brother is a... mage I believe you would call it. Oh," Thor said as another image
appeared on the screen. "That is Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, head of the king's guard."

"Lieutenant-General," Director Fury mused. "That sounds high up."

Suddenly Thor realized he might have said too much, but he had been so surprised to see
Yngvarr. What was he doing here? Surely he should be with either Loki or Father. Had
something happened since Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had left?

"He would not be sent lightly," Thor responded. "Have you spoken with them?"

"No, they have requested to speak to me as the leader of those who hold you," Director Fury
replied. "And they want to see you."

Hope flared within Thor at the words. Were they here to free him? He had not expected it
given his father's punishment, but perhaps what Heimdallr had seen had changed Loki's
mind. The thought of being able to go home excited him, but he worried about what his
father would say when he woke. Would he be very mad Thor had not been able to learn the
lesson Father had intended for him to learn? He did not want to be sent back once Father
woke from the Óðinnsleep.

"I thought you said you were sent here as punishment until you learned a lesson," Agent
Coulson stated.

"I was," Thor confirmed. "But maybe my brother does not believe I can learn it thus."

"Or he is afraid of what you might tell us."

"I would never betray Ásgarðr!" Thor roared at the implication. "I am a prince of the Realm
and would never turn my back on her!"

"Sit down!" the man of Fury snapped. "We need to ask in order to know what to do."
"You will not have words with Lord... the diplomat?" Thor asked, confused.

"I am considering it."

"If you ignore them, Loki may send more to retrieve me."

"I thought you said your brother was the diplomat," Director Fury countered. "Would he
really send in an extraction force?"

Though the name was unfamiliar, Thor was nearly certain he knew what the man of fury
meant, and it gave him pause. Loki was always the one to urge caution over action, so his
brother probably would not simply send in more warriors to rescue him if SHIELD ignored
the diplomat Loki had sent. His dejection must have shown on his face as Director Fury
nodded once, before turning to the son of Coul.

"Bring him," Director Fury ordered. "And let's see what this King Loki has to say."

King Loki.

'Twas the first time Thor had heard anyone use the title before his brother's name, and it
sounded odd. Like something from a half-remembered dream completely out of context. He
wanted to dispute it as 'twas wrong and he was supposed to be king, but he knew he could
not. At present he was still ineligible even should Hliðskjálf open up again. The irony was he
now relied on his brother to make him part of the line of succession once more.

As the son of Coul led Thor out of the chamber, a woman fell into place next to him and Thor
wondered if she was a shield maiden like Lady Sif. She did not immediately look like one,
but she did look a little like the 'agents' Thor had fought, so perhaps this was how
Miðgarðrian warriors clad themselves? It seemed impractical, but Thor decided not to ask.
They had not answered any of his previous questions so far.

As with the other human buildings Thor had been in, this one was a confusing mix of narrow
corridors and small chambers, so he was soon lost. Luckily his escort knew where they were
going, thus Thor used the time to examine his shackles instead. They were similar to the ones
used to bind him to the table, but the little chain was far shorter. Unlike the shackles and
chains on Ásgarðr, though, they did not tie his hands to his waist nor to his neck and he could
immediately think of five different ways he could take advantage of that fault, should he wish
to do so.

He pushed it to the back of mind for now. His way had landed him in this mess and even now
he could hear his brother's voice hissing at him in the back of his mind. He would see if
Loki's way could get him out of it, as he would be stuck if they refused to take him back
because he had messed up the diplomacy.

They reached a door and Thor had to blink as they stepped outside, as 'twas a lot brighter on
the other side.

"Prince Thor."
Thor looked up at the address to see the party from Ásgarðr standing not too far away, near a
table which had been placed under an erected awning of sorts. He could see how it would
appeal to both parties, allowing for a quick exit on the part of the Einherjar if necessary,
while not giving away the design of their building for SHIELD.

"Lieutenant-General Yngvarr," Thor replied, acknowledging the lord whose name he still
could not recall with an inclination of his head.

His shackles were observed with a frown, but not immediately remarked upon as Thor was
led to the end of the table furthest from the party from Ásgarðr and told to sit.

"As you can see, your prince is unharmed," Director Fury stated. "And I am Director
Nicholas Fury of SHIELD, the man in charge here."

"You are the leader of the humans?" the lord asked.

"Of all humans? No, we don't have just one leader. Different countries each have their own
leader and ours is President Barack Obama. I, however, can speak for all of the humans here
and I have been given the authority to speak for the president on these matters."

"Good. I am Lord Birgir, King Loki's representative for these talks."

Ah, aye, that was his name! Thor remembered it now.

"And the men with you beyond the lieutenant-general?"

"An escort, no more, meant to ensure my own safety."

"And for that you need the head of the king's guard?"

Thor winced at the words, trying to sink down in his seat.

"You are holding a prince of Ásgarðr, and the king is currently with the head of Ásgarðr's
military."

He was? Why was Loki with General Týr? Thor had already opened his mouth to ask before
he caught himself and closed it once more, opting instead to look at those his brother had
sent. Besides Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, he did not immediately recognize any of the other
Einherjar as being members of the king's guard, so he assumed they were regular warriors. It
made him feel a little better as both Loki and their father had more need for the highly
specialized king's guard than he did.

"And your people?" Lord Birgir questioned, glancing around.

"These are Agents Coulson and Hill," Director Fury introduced, indicating the woman Thor
had noticed earlier. "They are part of my senior staff. The others are part of the protection
detail."

"Please, have a seat," Lady Hill said when it became clear Director Fury would not.
"Thank you, my Lady," Lord Birgir replied as he and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr moved
forward to do so.

"I will be honest here," Director Fury began once everyone was seated. "A lot of your people
have suddenly been arriving here and we're not happy about it at all."

"I can understand, and we are sorry for it. Lady Sif and the Warriors Three disobeyed a direct
royal decree in coming here, for which they will be punished," Lord Birgir replied.

Thor swallowed down the response which he wanted to make to the statement. Even his
friends had admitted Loki had forbidden their coming. Much as he wished to interfere and
speak on their behalf, he knew now was hardly the time. Besides, surely Loki would not be
too harsh on their friends. It had only been done out of concern for him and the good of
Ásgarðr that they had acted.

"They injured four of our people while here," the son of Coul stated.

"Four? I thought 'twas two."

"There were two in town and two at the... what do you call it?"

"The Bifröst," Thor said, knowing what he meant.

"Yes, the Bifröst site," Agent Coulson finished.

"I see, for that I can only apologize, reiterate they were not acting on official orders and offer
to pay weregeld to the men injured," Lord Birgir replied.

"Weregeld? What's weregeld?" the man of Fury demanded.

"Compensation," Lady Hill said, before looking to Lord Birgir. "It is compensation, right?
For wrongs afflicted."

"Yes, my Lady Hill, 'tis."

"Just Agent Hill, please."

"As you will."

"What kind of compensation?" Agent Coulson questioned.

"They were all four your men, working as part of the authority of your... country, aye?"

"Yes."

"And were any permanently injured in such a way as they are unlikely to recover from?"

"One may be, the others will heal."

"Then the traditional offering would be two gold bars for each of the three who would
recover and three gold bars for the one who may not," Lord Birgir explained.
"Gold bars, as in actual gold bars?" Lady Agent Hill demanded, shocked.

"Aye, 'tis the standard of weregeld for the Nine Realms."

"How long is one such gold bar?" Director Fury inquired.

Lord Birgir opened his mouth to reply, before he hesitated and closed it once more.

'Twas Lieutenant-General who replied after removing his helmet. "A full gold bar would be
about twice the weight of this."

Agent Coulson reached forward to accept the helmet and hefted it in his hands for a moment,
before passing it on.

"It would be a decent amount," the man of Coul said, looking at the director.

"It would definitely more than cover their medical costs and time off," Lady Agent Hill
added.

"And if we wanted to try and punish the perpetrators here?" Director Fury demanded.

"King Loki asked me to inform you they are to stand trial on Ásgarðr for treason and
dereliction of duty in a time of war, both of which carry far higher sentences than attacking
the warriors of a sovereign, foreign Realm. We can assure you they will be sufficiently
punished, though their crimes here will be added to the list as well and taken into account."

"What?" Thor exclaimed, astonished. "Treason? Dereliction of duty? They would never!"

"My Prince," Lord Birgir began.

"Nay, this is Lady Sif and the Warriors Three! They are heroes of Ásgarðr."

"Prince Thor," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr snapped, and Thor straightened automatically, the
response instinctive after centuries of training under the man. "Did they or did they not come
to you to take Hliðskjálf from your brother?"

"Ah, they were concerned ab-"

"Aye or nay."

Thor wanted to snap back, but he was already aware of how badly all of this made Ásgarðr
appear in the eyes of the humans. "Aye."

"That alone is treason, as was their act of coming here after being forbidden to do so. In
addition, they abandoned their posts to do so while we are at war with Jötunheimr."

"What is the punishment for treason on Ásgarðr?" the man of Fury asked.

"There can be several, depending on the severity of the crimes and those perpetrating them,
but the king can go as far as sentencing them to death," Lord Birgir responded.
Thor gulped at the words. Surely Loki would not sentence them thus. They were their friends
and had only had the best of intentions in mind, of that Thor was absolutely certain. How had
things turned so bad so quickly?

"Would it be possible for us to try them first, before they go back to Ásgarðr for the rest of
their crimes?"

"Director," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said. "If I may, the traditional punishment for a
warrior who has attacked a warrior of another Realm unprovoked, is one century per
individual attacked. We are looking at four of your people here. Even if you possessed the
means to imprison Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, would you be able to do so for so long?"

"A century per attack?" the son of Coul questioned, eyes wide. "That is four hundred years!"

"Aye."

"Okay," Director Fury said after a pause. "You may have them."

"Thank you."

"Now what about Thor?"

"Pardon?" Lord Birgir asked.

"You said the others came here without authorization and it's clear they did so to find Thor,"
the man of Fury stated. "But why was Thor sent here? From what I understand it was part of
a punishment."

"Aye, 'twas."

"Why?"

"I am afraid I cannot answer that."

"Can't or won't?"

"I am unfamiliar with the phrase, but King Óðinn collapsed into the Óðinnsleep not long after
banishing Prince Thor, and only he and King Loki were present at the time it happened."

"Convenient."

"You said it was a punishment," Lady Agent Hill said, looking at Thor.

"I believe so," Thor confirmed. "Father was angry for how I had acted and said I was
unworthy. As Mjǫllnir was sent to Miðgarðr as well, I can only assume I am meant to be
allowed to retrieve her."

"'Tis what King Loki has said. King Óðinn enchanted it so only one worthy will be able to lift
her," Lord Birgir informed them.
"So it could be anyone," Agent Coulson said.

"If they are worthy, then aye."

From the looks the humans gave each other, Thor could already tell they would have all of
their agents trying to lift Mjǫllnir. He felt anger surge through him at the thought, before it
quickly died as he recalled how completely unresponsive Mjǫllnir had been for him. Clearly,
he was not yet worthy of her as far as Father was concerned. He wondered if he ever would
be again. Father had been very angry with him.

"I have been told to warn you, if Mjǫllnir senses one who is worthy nearby, she will try to
reach them, so it would be prudent not to enclose her in a building," Lord Birgir warned.

"Can that not be prevented?" Lady Agent Hill asked.

"Nay," Thor replied. "'Tis part of the properties of Mjǫllnir, that it returns to her rightful
owner."

"Oh."

"You still haven't answered why Óðinn chose to banish Thor here," the man of Fury stated.

"I could only guess," Lord Birgir replied.

"Try."

"Well, it could be because King Óðinn felt that mortals were those best placed to teach Thor
the lesson he wished for him to learn. Or it could be because King Óðinn wished Prince Thor
to see why Ásgarðr had last gone to war with Jötunheimr."

Thor flinched at the words. He knew why the first war with Jötunheimr had started, but why
wait for the frost giants to attack another Realm before responding this time? And they
would, as they had already attacked Ásgarðr! 'Twas only a matter of time before they did so
again.

"I don't understand, why did Ásgarðr go to war with Joot..." Lady Agent Hill trailed off.

"Jötunheimr."

"Yes, them, the first time?"

"Because they invaded Miðgarðr," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied.

"Mið- wait, that's Earth, isn't it?" the son of Coul demanded.

"Aye," Lord Birgir confirmed.

"They attacked us? When?" Director Fury demanded.

"Just over a thousand years ago."

"A thousand years ago," Lady Agent Hill repeated in clear astonishment. "But you were
speaking of it as if you were there."

"I was," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied. "All of us present were alive for it, though
Prince Thor was but a small child at the end of it."

"Even Loki was born by the end, if only just," Thor smiled. "His birth pretty much coincided
with the end of the war. They were celebrated together."

"Wait, if you are still alive, then are they, these, what were they called, frost giants?" Director
Fury questioned.

"Jötnar," Lord Birgir corrected. "Frost giant is a speciest slur and considered quite offensive
to the jötnar."

"What?" Thor questioned. "'Tis?"

"Aye."

"But-" Thor broke off at the glare Lieutenant-General Yngvarr sent his way.

Part of him wanted to rebel against it, to demand the man show him the proper respect his
position demanded and deserved, only for him to remember that, officially, he was no longer
a prince of Ásgarðr. For all that Lord Birgir and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr were using the
title, his father had officially stripped him of it before he banished him. So, truly, he had no
titles and no name at present. He was simply Thor, mortal Thor. He knew he was lucky Loki
had sent anyone after him at all, and his brother was risking Father's future wrath in doing so.

"And to answer your question, Director Fury, aye, many of the jötnar who were involved in
the war still live," Lord Birgir said. "Including Laufey-King, who first invaded Miðgarðr."

"He still leads them?" the man of Fury checked.

"They do."

"Why?"

"The jötnar are a monarchy, like Ásgarðr. Unless there is an assassination, they will rule until
they die when their heir, Helblindi-Princex, will succeed them."

"Does he still have designs on Earth? If you say he is on the war path again, do we need to
worry about another invasion?"

"Nay, at present the jötnar have no means with which to leave their Realm and 'tis one of the
conditions King Loki will not negotiate on," Lord Birgir reassured them. "Miðgarðr is not the
only Realm which would be in danger should Laufey-King have unrestricted travel and
power once more."

"You said negotiate, are you implying King Loki means to speak with... Laufey-King?" Lady
Agent Hill asked.
 "Aye, he should be doing so even now."

"What?" Thor thundered, shooting to his feet. "Loki is with Laufey?"

"Prince Thor-" Lord Birgir began.

"Nay, he is not to be trusted! He will try to kill Loki!"

Chapter End Notes

Poor Thor, so conflicted on his brother, blowing both hot and cold at the drop of a hat! I
think Lieutenant-General Yngvarr might just deserve a medal before this fic is out, if he
doesn't throttle him. Or Lord Birgir. Not so easy to be diplomatic with someone like
Thor about, interjecting the whole time!

And, yes, Thor did not react well to his first bit of human Norse mythology, did he?
Which doesn't bode well given exactly what little Fury shared with him...

I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again; parts of this fic were a nightmare to edit.
This was one of those, since all the human scenes meant I couldn't simply do a find &
replace on contractions like won't, can't, don't...
Still, now a few more canon characters have entered the picture and I can say that we'll
see at least some of the fic through one of their eyes. But who will it be? Director Fury?
Agent Coulson? Or Lady Agent Hill :)

Up next week: More on the rescue attempt & the start of the negotiations!
 Chapter 23
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes

"The king is hardly with him alone," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr told him. "General Týr is
with him along with a full complement of guards, and King Loki has Gungnir as well as all
of his own seiðr. On top of that, the talks are taking place on Niflheimr, so the jötnar would
be stuck if they did attempt anything. Your brother will be fine."

The words cooled Thor's anger somewhat, but they did not extinguish it entirely. He still did
not like the idea of Loki meeting with Laufey and other frost giants without him. The
Einherjar, even the king's guards, did not know his brother and his tricks like he did. Loki
was always pulling strange and unexpected ploys, thinking his seiðr would protect him and
Thor had to interfere on most occasions to ensure Loki was not harmed. If his brother did
something like that without him there to save him... Thor hated to think of what might
happen. And instead of being there to help his little brother, he was stuck here instead.

"I think I'm beginning to see why your coronation was called off," Lady Agent Hill
commented, looking at him. "You are far too reactive to make a good leader."

The words stung and Thor physically drew back from them; shocked. He hardly even knew
Lady Agent Hill for an hour, how could she feel able to make such an assessment already?
Besides, this was hardly a normal situation! His anger rose within him, but before Thor could
give voice to it, the man of Fury was speaking again.

"So your king is seeking peace once more?"

"Aye," Lord Birgir confirmed. "A war of the kind like the last between Ásgarðr and
Jötunheimr is not what anyone needs, and it could be even more disastrous than the first war.
We may have been more punitive than we realized at the end of the last war, taking
something from the jötnar which was thought to be simply a symbol of their power and their
only means off-world. In reality, it turns out 'twas also vital for the health of their Realm and
the very survival of their species. Without it, both the jötnar and Jötunheimr have been slowly
dying this last millennium."

Thor blinked at the words, shocked. He had heard the stories of the war, countless times as he
had used to beg the warriors and his father to tell them over and over again, so both he and
Loki could act them out; being the brave æsir warriors fighting the frost giant monsters. Only
they would go all the way and slay all of them so they could never rise again.

This was something Thor had never heard before. He was certain no one had ever mentioned
that either the frost giants or Jötunheimr were dying. He knew he would have remembered it
as it would have ruined all of his fantasies! Suddenly Lady Sif's words came back to him, and
his eyes grew wide.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters," Thor whispered.

"Aye," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr confirmed, but there was also a warning in his gaze and
Thor swallowed back what he wanted to say.

"You punished them too harshly and only made the situation worse; the jötnar more
desperate," the son of Coul realized.

"Aye," Yngvarr replied. "You have experience of this?"

"Germany after World War One," Lady Agent Hill said. "We and our allies were too harsh on
them, and we made them desperate enough they elected a true tyrant to power. It led to World
War Two, which was even worse than the first."

"'Tis what we are seeking to prevent," Lord Birgir said. "Give them enough to begin to
rebuild, and perhaps create the beginnings of a new relationship which can lead to more over
the course of the next few centuries and millennia."

"And should they use the opportunity provided to attack Earth again?" the man of Fury
demanded.

"Then we will come to your aid once more," Lord Birgir promised. "King Loki will
consolidate Ásgarðr's role as protectorate of Mið- Earth. To attack you would be seen as an
attack on Ásgarðr."

"Make no mistake," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr added. "Though King Loki does not wish
for war, he will fight if Jötunheimr does more than merely declare war verbally. Prince Thor
can confirm his brother is a skilled warrior and talented tactician."

"Aye," Thor agreed, though he would not have worded it so strongly.

Battle skills were not his brother's strength.

"As I understood it, there has already been an attack on Ásgarðr," the son of Coul said.

"A mere incursion by three warriors, all of whom died in the attempt," Birgir explained. "We
have no proof they acted with official permission and the means they used to do so was
opportunistic and cannot be used again. King Óðinn was happy to leave the matter there and,
while King Loki agrees, it will be used in the negotiations as it shows the first actions were
Jötunheimr's, though 'twas not what led to the declaration of war."

"What was?"

"That would be my response," Thor admitted. "I took Lady Sif, the Warriors Three and Loki
to Jötunheimr to demand answers from Laufey. It... did not end well."

"King Loki went with you?" the man of Fury asked.

"He was not yet king and he attempted to extract us peacefully," Thor explained. "He nearly
succeeded as Laufey was initially willing to let us go."

"So what changed?" Lady Agent Hill inquired.

Thor looked down. "I responded to a provocation and battle ensued."

"I assume there were casualties."

"Not on our side, only injuries," Yngvarr said. "On their side, however, King Loki estimates
there might have been nearly three hundred slain."

"Three hundred!" the son of Coul exclaimed. "But you were with, what? Six?"

"Aye," Thor confirmed.

"How?"

"Mjǫllnir can be a powerful weapon if wielded correctly," Lord Birgir told them, reluctantly.
"And all six are skilled warriors, some of our best."

"But you would still imprison four of them with Ásgarðr on the brink of war?" the man of
Fury questioned skeptically.

"A warrior who commits treason is of no use," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stated. "And they
can do more damage than good if they refuse to obey at a critical time."

"So you want us to trust you to keep the jötnar away from us and to let Thor go?" Lady Agent
Hill checked.

"Aye, please," Lord Birgir responded.

"And how will we know if the peace talks succeed?" Director Fury asked.

"If you would like, we can send an emissary once they have been completed."

"If you promise they will not be attacked or taken captive," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
added.

"If all they do is come to speak with us, then I can promise that. Will they come here?"

"They can, or they can appear elsewhere," Birgir replied. "The Bifröst can reach any place on
Miðgarðr, you need merely tell us where as H- our gatekeeper can see where you are at the
time and send the emissary there."

"Yes, about that, we are not comfortable with an all-seeing person watching us," Director
Fury stated. "Can he not look to Earth?"

"Nay, I am sorry, but the gatekeeper is a vital position in order for the Bifröst to function. It
can only be opened from Himinbjörg and so, for people to be able to return home to Ásgarðr
or for others to visit, the gatekeeper must be able to see and hear into other Realms. Without
that ability, we would only be able to send people away from Ásgarðr and not retrieve them
without a serious security risk," Lord Birgir explained.
"'Tis also how we were able to tell Laufey-King had invaded Miðgarðr before," Yngvarr
added. "And why the other Realms have left you alone, as they knew any incursion on their
part here will be seen and met with the full force of Ásgarðr's might."

"What I don't understand is why you care about such incursions."

"We wish to see peace within the Nine Realms and, as one of the planets on the Yggdrasill,
that includes Miðgarðr."

"And if we weren't on this world tree of yours?" Lady Agent Hill questioned. "Would you
care?"

Lord Birgir smiled. "Agent Hill, the universe is vast and inhabited by countless quadrillions
of beings of all manner of descriptions. Even Ásgarðr could not hope to protect all of it, nor
would we wish to. But the Yggdrasill ties nine particular Realms tightly together and we are
all bound to one fate. Should the Yggdrasill die, we would all perish. Therefore we are
naturally more concerned with the other eight of the Nine Realms."

"I still don't understand how this supposed tree is meant to exist or work. It makes no sense."

"Ah, I am not well versed enough in the magical arts to be able to explain it."

"But you still believe it exists?" the man of Fury asked, skeptically.

"Do you only believe in that which you can fully explain? Or are you satisfied with what
someone else from your Realm can explain, and of which you have seen ample proof
yourself?"

"I can think of a few things," Lady Agent Hill admitted.

"Mostly Stark's," the son of Coul muttered, making Lady Agent Hill laugh.

"If you would like, I can inquire and see if someone more versed in knowledge of the
Yggdrasill is willing to come explain it to you," Lord Birgir offered.

"You would share that? It sounds like it would be valuable information," Director Fury said.

"Simply because you know of the Yggdrasill does not mean you can necessarily affect it.
There are very few people ever who have even been powerful enough to do so, and most are
figures of myth and legend even to us. Nay, 'tis more in the larger aspects that the Yggdrasill
is important, like Miðgarðr as a whole, and 'tis there the knowledge should be freely
accessible to all."

"And you wouldn't require anything in return?"

"An exchange would not be required, though it would be beneficial if you would like to
continue contact with Ásgarðr now it has been reestablished."

"And if we want contact with the other seven Realms? Or six if we ignore Jötunheimr."
"It could be considered, but I would caution you to think over it carefully. Once you make it
known Miðgarðr has moved on to that form of contact and communication with other
Realms, it will be hard to take it back and word will spread far beyond the Nine of your
planet."

"And you think that would be bad?" Lady Agent Hill asked.

"Even we do not know all that is out there as the galaxies are large and very well populated.
We believe some of Ásgarðr's greatest enemies of old may yet exist out there, and some of
them may see Miðgarðr as an easier and more convenient way to attempt to access the
Yggdrasill than any of the other eight Realms belonging to the World Tree."

"It sounds like you're trying to scare us into agreeing with you," Director Fury stated.

"Not at all, but there is a reason why Ásgarðr made Miðgarðr its protectorate and, though you
have evolved much in recent centuries, there are still species with far superior technology
who would not hesitate to take advantage of you," Lord Birgir replied.

"So all of this pretty much boils down to your asking us to release Thor, take your word on
the fact that those who attacked my people will be punished, get some... what was it called
again?"

"Weregeld," the son of Coul said.

"Right, weregeld, and a promise to let us know how the peace negotiations with Jötunheimr
go. Oh, and to see if someone will come explain the Tree World to us," the man of Fury
summarized.

"That sounds accurate," Lord Birgir said. "I would also add that in returning Prince Thor
now, you would also be making a gesture of good will to Ásgarðr's future king."

Thor nearly winced at the words. If he ever managed to regain his titles and powers, neither
of which was for certain at present. Besides, if Loki somehow managed to broker a new
peace treaty with Jötunheimr, Father might decide Loki would make a better king and make
him heir. It would be highly unconventional, but entirely possible. The mere thought left a
bad taste in his mouth and he could not imagine having his little brother as his king.

A small, dark part of his mind could not help but wonder if this had been Loki's plan all
along. Lady Sif had said his brother likely had a plan and it definitely rang true for Thor. Loki
always had a plan, plans within plans normally, to the point where 'twas both exhausting and
almost pointless to try to figure them all out as the very process of doing so could affect and
alter the nuances that they were.

"Very well," the man of Fury finally decided. "But you tell King Loki we are not a penal
colony and we don't want any more of your people dumped here as punishment, do you
understand?"

"I will be certain to relay the message to the king and ensure King Óðinn is informed of it
when he wakes as well."
The footsteps of Loki's security escort echoed through the empty stone halls as they walked
the corridors of the old negotiating temple on Niflheimr. Loki wore the same outfit he had the
first day of his reign, but he had put a series of warming spells on the cloak, knowing this one
was more impressive than his best warrior outfit. The royal tailors were working on another
outfit for tomorrow, but for today this would do, even if he had noticed more than one of the
others shivering when they had glanced his way. They had warmed the place slightly, but
because of the temperature range the jötnar felt most comfortable at, they could not do so any
more than they already had.

"Your Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr greeted as they entered the main hall.

"Lord Aðalgrímr, General Týr," Loki replied, glancing around the chamber.

As the temple had been designed with the jötnar and eldþursar in mind, not only were all the
ceilings high and the entryways wide, but this chamber had been built with a split-level floor.
The left half of the hall was set a good few feet lower than the right half and the main table
passed the two with a level top and different length legs so everyone could sit at it
comfortably. The chairs, of course, were of different sizes on the two halves of the chamber.
The table had been dressed with a two toned cloth. Traditionally Ásgarðr would have been
represented with his father's gold to sit alongside Laufey-King's blue, but someone had
changed the gold to green, probably Lord Aðalgrímr. Loki approved as 'twas another simple
and minimal reminder things were different now than they had been before. It also lent more
credence to the impression they wished to foster that Loki might be chafing under the weight
of being the second prince, under both his father and brother.

Elegant stone chalices stood on the table at each seat alongside empty rolls of parchment and
writing materials of various sizes and types. A smaller table stood off to the side and held a
variety of beverages and food, mostly hot on the æsir side and cold on the jötnar end. Behind
each end of the table, the wall was decked with a nearly full-length banner of each realm. The
one for Ásgarðr had clearly been made anew the last few days as Óðinn's name and sigils had
been replaced with Loki's and his eyes paused on it for a moment. It felt odd and nearly
disconcerting to see; yet something else he had never expected to transpire. A strange part of
Loki wanted to ensure he obtained the banner after the talks, as it likely would never be used
again and a lot of artists would have worked on it the last few days to ensure 'twas finished
on time. Especially since it had correctly used his favorite symbol. Loki strongly suspected
Livunn's hand in that.

Laufey-King's banner had likely been pulled out of long-term storage and Loki could only
hope 'twas still accurate. At least it still looked good, the colors bright and the silver and
white thread gleaming. Immediately underneath the banners and slightly to the side of the
heads of the table were another set of smaller tables. These oft held items pertaining to the
negotiations and 'twas here Loki moved towards, the Casket of Ancient Winters held before
him in his gloved hands. It would have been easier to put it in his pocket dimension for the
trip over, but Loki felt he had already revealed enough of his abilities to the rest of the High
Council and the Einherjar for now. So he had simply covered it for the ride to the Bifröst and
carried it from there. Niflheimr's cold gave him the perfect excuse not to touch it with his
bare hands, so he did not even have to expend any seiðr to disguise its effects on him either.
Loki placed the Casket on the small table and stepped back as two guards moved into
position on either side of it. Their job was solely to guard the Casket of Ancient Winters. If
anything were to happen, they were supposed to take it and run for the nearest exit in order
for Höðr to extract them. Loki did not think it would come to that, but it had reassured
General Týr's worries to have the plan in place, so he had not said anything. Besides, Loki
did like having backup plans in place, so he could understand the sentiment.

The blue light of the Casket of Ancient Winters cast odd shadows on his banner and Loki
appreciated the irony. All the more so because he knew it would be lost on everyone else.

"It feels very strange to see it out of the vault after so long," General Týr stated as he came up
to Loki.

"'Tis the only place I have ever seen it," Loki replied.

"Right, aye, I forgot."

Loki's lips twitched, unable to think of precisely what might be running through General
Týr's mind right now. By æsir standards, Loki was still considered very young, though he had
officially reached his majority not too long ago. Even Thor was young and had still been
underage the last time their father had succumbed to the Óðinnsleep, hence the reason his
brother had never been regent before. It would have been far better if Thor had, as then most
of the issues would have come out sooner and Óðinn would have known what his heir needed
further training in.

"Feeling old, General?" Loki teased.

"Nay," the man scowled. "Simply remembering how very young you are."

"I assume the guard chambers are ready too?"

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed. "And fully stocked with food and drinks which are jötnar
compatible."

"In theirs, ours has hot food and drinks to unfreeze our people," General Týr muttered, eyeing
Loki's cloak. "Is that warm enough, my King?"

"Seiðr, General."

"Ah, of course."

"The jötnar party should be coming now," Lord Aðalgrímr informed them.

"Let us hope this works," Loki said as he made his way to the æsir head of the table, taking
Gungnir back from the guard who had held it while he carried the Casket of Ancient Winters.

"If it does, we will be making history," Lord Aðalgrímr replied.

Loki had not even thought of that, but the man was right. If it worked, this treaty would be a
significant enough departure from Ásgarðr's policy towards Jötunheimr for it to be noted and
remembered on in the records of Ásgarðrian politics. The realization felt good, very good,
and Loki was glad his efforts would have at least some recognition for once.

Well, if this worked.

Though it made the most logical sense, Loki was not fool enough to lose sight of precisely
who his opponent was. Completely aside from the blood relation of which Laufey knew
naught, 'twas not entirely outside the realm of possibility that Laufey would either attempt
something stupid in a desperate bid to regain control of the Casket of Ancient Winters, or that
the time between declaring war and now might have hardened the man's resolve to go down
fighting. Loki had to admit a lot of their plan banked on it not being too late to reverse the
damage to Jötunheimr's magical core. If it was, then Laufey might simply want to take as
many of them down with him as he could, so Loki would need to be vigilant. Ásgarðr could
not afford to lose him now, it would be one chaotic step too far. Luckily, he could sky walk
and thus could be out of the chamber and onto the branches of the Yggdrasill with a thought
if he was properly prepared, and he was.

Both to distract himself and to occupy his mind, Loki took hold of his chalice as he reached
the table, leaned Gungnir against the seat and walked to the refreshments table. Due to the
nature of the meeting, none of the drinks were alcoholic which suited Loki perfectly well as
he was not as partial to Ásgarðr's warmed alcohol and instead much preferred the hot
sweetened ridhoban drink which he filled his chalice with now. A quick spell and it would
remain warm even in the chilled chamber. Normally there would be servants to take care of
these tasks, but relations with Jötunheimr had deteriorated sufficiently before the last war to
alter traditional rules for the talks between the two realms. Now as few people as possible
attended, both to reduce the number of those who could cause accidental offense and to
ensure there were fewer potential hostages if something did go wrong.

By the time Loki had returned to his chair, the distant sound of footsteps could be heard and
the tension in the chamber soared.

"Calm," Loki reminded them all. "We need this to go well."

"My men will hold," General Týr responded as he moved to his seat.

"Given the last time, Laufey-King may try deliberate provocation should he truly wish for
war."

General Týr scowled but did not repeat his reassurance, which Loki took to mean the man felt
comfortable enough with these Einherjar to not feel the need to repeat any of the earlier
instructions they had no doubt been given. Still, Loki knew as far as they were concerned, he
was the weak link. Anything which appeared to be a genuine threat to him would be reacted
to, and not without reason, but it meant he had to be extra careful not to place himself into a
position which might make any of them feel he needed rescuing from. Which would not be
easy as he could not appear to be shying away from Laufey-King or any of his men either.

Then the doors on the far side of the hall opened and in walked two truly impressive
hrímþursar. As far as first impressions went, they definitely made one and it gave Loki hope.
If Laufey was giving serious consideration to simply making a play for the Casket of Ancient
Winters, then he would expect his birth father to have gone for a far more subtle entrance in
order to try to lull them into a false sense of security.

Deliberately, Loki did not react until the two guards moved aside and Laufey-King himself
entered into the chamber followed swiftly by a second, far younger jötunn. A quick glance at
his kin lines as Loki rose to his feet and took hold of Gungnir, told him this was his sibling,
Helblindi-Princex.

"Well met, Laufey-King, Helblindi-Princex," Loki greeted formally as he neared the halfway
point of the chamber and the drop down in the floor. "Thank you for agreeing to these talks
and I hope we can find an agreement which will benefit both of our Realms and avoid a war
which will cost us both far too much."

As he spoke, Loki heard the door behind him open, but he ignored it, keeping all of his
attention focused solely on his birth father. He knew it would be Lord Ragnvaldr who had
awaited the arrival of the jötnar party in Himinbjörg and escorted them here with a few
guards who would have now gone back outside to secure the perimeter.

Though Laufey had to be aware of the Casket of Ancient Winters' presence in the chamber,
his birth father kept his gaze solely on him as he stepped closer and Loki felt the conflicting
desire to both turn tail and run, and to press on and ask whether he was worth Laufey's
attentions now. He shoved both aside and forced his face to remain neutral, showing nothing
of what he was thinking. This was far too important to mess up with his emotions and their
shared history, of which Laufey was ignorant. Rather than allowing it to be a liability on his
part, he would make it an advantage to use against his birth father.

"King Loki," Laufey finally intoned, stopping but a short distance away.

The gaze left his own only to sweep over him and to glance at Gungnir. Loki kept quiet, not
wanting to rush this and force Laufey's hand in any way. Unlike Thor, patience was a skill he
had plenty of experience and practice with. It was amusing how things could be learned
simply by remaining silent and letting other people fill the silence with anything and
everything which came to mind, oft without filter.

"I must admit to being most surprised to hear of your ascension to the throne," Laufey finally
continued, fishing for information. "I had not thought you heir."

"I was not," Loki replied, voice calm and seemingly controlled even as he allowed a muscle
in his jaw to twitch, as if involuntarily.

Subtlety was the key here. If he overplayed it, Laufey would realize, so he had to be careful
and lead his birth father with less rather than more.

"Thor was," Loki continued, having decided with Lord Aðalgrímr to be honest about this as it
could only work in their favor. "But after the events on Jötunheimr, Father disowned and
banished him."

The news clearly startled Laufey-King and those with him. Glancing over at them, Loki only
allowed his eyes to linger on his sibling for a few seconds, simply long enough to take in the
traditional hrímþurs features and familiar kin lines, before moving on to glance at the others.
From the descriptions of both Lord Ragnvaldr and General Týr, he was able to identify
Laufey's head of the warriors, Thrymr-General, that Lord Aðalgrímr had spoken of. Well,
unless Thrymr had fallen out of favor in the intervening centuries and someone else wore his
official attire.

"Permanently?" Laufey-King demanded.

"Nay, Thor can regain his titles and power if he learns the lesson Father intended to teach
him," Loki informed him.

"Which is?"

"That Father neglected to tell either of us," Loki replied with a twitch of his lips.

'Twas actually rather surprising Óðinn had not outright told Thor what he had to do to regain
his favor. Loki was normally the one left floundering with Óðinn, not Thor. He actually found
it both a surprising relief and not nearly as exhilarating as expected to finally see the tables
turned. Somehow it still felt wrong even if this time Thor was the one on the receiving end of
the behavior instead of him.

It figured he could not even enjoy this little pleasure which he had waited centuries to have.
Which was probably why the Norns had chosen to bestow it on him now.

"How like Óðinn All-Father," Laufey stated with what could have been a smile or, just as
easily, a baring of his fang-like teeth.

Loki was pretty certain 'twas meant both as a statement and a test. To see whether he would
snap to his father's defense as easily and as recklessly as Thor had on Jötunheimr at the first
hint of criticism aimed at Óðinn. Therefore all Loki did was tip his head forwards slightly as
'twas true. It was very much like Óðinn to do what his father had done.

"We would like to thank you for initiating and arranging these talks," Helblindi-Princex said,
stepping forward slightly, though seeming to be more aware of the Einherjar positioned all
around the æsir side of the chamber. "We had not expected a chance to truly parley."

'Twas both a compliment to him and implied criticism to Óðinn, Loki was impressed. He
would need to keep an eye on his younger sibling. Or both of them actually, for much as Loki
hated to claim any part of Laufey-King, the stark truth remained the man was his birth father
and so from whom he had received half of himself, and he could not know if his propensity
for cunning and love of knowledge came from Laufey or Fárbauti-Queen, whom he assumed
was his birth mother. If 'twas Laufey, then he could ill afford to be caught off-guard.

"Assuming the promise to discuss the Casket of Ancient Winters' return was more than
simply a lure to bring us here," Laufey-King added.

So, his birth father had no desire to play at amicability or diplomacy. Loki wondered if 'twas
Laufey's true nature or merely a ploy to try to throw them off balance. If 'twas the latter, then
Laufey would be sorely disappointed. Loki was more than used to dealing with difficult and
 uncooperative people and they had honed his ability to remain polite and diplomatic in the
face of rudeness and insincerity to a fine art. If anything, this was familiar to Loki and played
to his strengths.

"As you can see," Loki replied calmly, stepping aside slightly to gesture towards the Casket
of Ancient Winters. "We have brought it along as promised."

For the first time since entering the chamber, Laufey-King looked away from him and, in a
way, Loki was flattered. Though his birth father might have been dismissive in words, that
action alone proved Laufey did at least realize where the power lay on the æsir side of the
chamber.

The look which Laufey-King gave the Casket of Ancient Winters was almost hungry and, if
Loki was not so attuned to the Casket himself, it would worry him greatly. But he was and so
he could feel not only the power and sheer presence it radiated - and could likely be felt by
all of jötnar blood, both hrímþursar and íviðjur alike - but also how it reacted to being near
more jötnar. 'Twas an odd sensation which Loki could not fully clarify, but the Casket of
Ancient Winters could definitely tell there were more present and that made it happy. Rather
than pulling away from him as Loki might have feared, íviðja or not he had been raised æsir
and so would appear as such as often as not, it almost seemed to cling to the traces of his
seiðr he had allowed to linger on it all the more desperately.

It felt... it felt like the Casket was trying to thank him for bringing it to them. Well, so long as
it did not start to favor Laufey-King or any of the others over him, then that was fine.

"Assuming 'tis real," Laufey-King stated, glancing back at Loki who raised his eyebrow in a
silent question. "I saw your illusions on Jötunheimr. They were flawless until touched."

Chapter End Notes

Writing from the opposite pov can at times be very fun! So where Loki thinks he's
always saving Thor; Thor thinks he's always saving Loki. Round and round we go...

I hope you all enjoyed the start of the negotiations and meeting both Laufey &
Helblindi.

Norse Mythology:

eldþursar - "fire giants" - often used to refer to the denizens of Múspellsheimr - I have
used this term for the bigger of the 2 species on Múspellsheimr in this universe.

Up next week: The negotiations continue and Thor returns home...

 Chapter 24
Chapter Notes

Once again, thanks for all of the lovely comments and continued kudos, you are all
amazing!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Oh, that was clever, and the perfect excuse to come within touching distance of the Casket of
Ancient Winters. But it also revealed how closely his birth father had been watching him
before, and 'twas quite telling for someone who had preferred to be uncaring of him. Laufey-
King was clearly the observant sort who could pay attention to more than simply Thor and
his loud, brash words and actions. Well, either that or his words earlier in the confrontation
had drawn Laufey's interest. While the latter could work in their favor here, in that his birth
father could see him more seriously as someone who could and would finally talk, it also
meant Laufey was going to be far less willing to underestimate him than they had hoped.

"You flatter me," Loki replied. "To think I am powerful enough to imitate the feel of the
Casket of Ancient Winters thus, let alone the wisps of power and presence of Mother Winter."

His words definitely startled them, and Loki allowed himself a small smile. He could not
show them how good he was at disguising his true emotions. Due to their isolation, there was
a chance his reputation as a very talented liar had not reached them, even if his infamy in this
particular area was far less earned than most people realized. 'Twas astonishing simply how
many people did not have the honor to own up to the simple truth they had been tricked
rather than lied to.

And they said he had no honor.

"You can feel that?" one of the jötnar asked.

"Oh, aye," Loki confirmed. "I find it rather remarkable how many people seem to forget
about Bestla Bölþornbarn."

"Bestla?" Helblindi-Princex asked even as Laufey's eyes widened fractionally. "'Tis a jötunn
name."

"Hmm, 'tis," Loki said. "It is also the name of Ásgarðr's last queen, spouse of King Borr and
mother to Óðinn All-Father."

He did not go so far as to call her (him? they?) his grandmother, but they would make the
connection.
"Óðinn is half-jötunn?" Helblindi-Princex demanded, looking over at Thrymr-General who
nodded once.

Slowly, Loki walked over to the table holding the Casket of Ancient Winters, debating
pulling on a slightly larger double and showing his command over it. Though the temptation
was great, he resisted, knowing better than to display such a great advantage so early in the
negotiations. Still, the desire was there.

"Hence, I am aware of the presence the Casket exudes," Loki said, stepping away slightly.
"But if you believe my powers of illusion to be so great, Helblindi-Princex may come over
and verify the Casket's actual solidity."

The idea would dismay General Týr, but these types of negotiations had to be a give and take
in order to accomplish anything meaningful. Óðinn had taught him that a long time ago. And
as far as concessions went, this was not a bad one to make. Aye, it had not been planned, but
neither had they expected Laufey-King to be aware of his ability to create such good
illusions. So even if they all knew he could not replicate the Casket of Ancient Winters well
enough to fool those jötnar who had been in its presence before, this showed a willingness to
meet them partway.

It could also be seen as a sign of weakness on his part, but Loki could live with that quite
comfortably if it made his birth father underestimate him. Yet, even as he offered something,
he also controlled the situation enough to select the one jötunn who had definitely never had
a chance to use the Casket of Ancient Winters before and, thus, would be the least likely to be
able to do so quickly. It also made any kind of forcible attempt less likely as, with Helblindi
being the crown princex and heir, Loki figured Laufey-King would be less willing to risk his
second child's life. Not that he would put it past the man to do so since Laufey had already
proven himself to be more than willing to commit filicide if the circumstances made it worth
his while, but his investment in Helblindi-Princex was nearly a millennium long. Therefore,
even from a simple economic perspective, it made far less sense for Laufey to be careless
with Helblindi's life than his birth father had been with his own.

There was a brief pause before Laufey-King waved his child over and Loki stayed where he
was as Helblindi-Princex approached, needing to step up to the æsir side of the chamber to do
so. Loki pegged his younger sibling at about ten to eleven feet tall and slightly slimmer than
the other jötnar present. It made him wonder as to Fárbauti-Queen's size for her (him? they?)
to have birthed one íviðja and at least one slightly smaller hrímþurs. Was it because she was
on the slighter side, or was it all random? He doubted Laufey had been thrilled when
Helblindi stopped growing at his current height, even though it had clearly been far more
acceptable than Loki's own anticipated size.

Being this close to Helblindi made Loki wonder though how íviðjur dealt with being so small
in a world full of giants. Did they rely on their seiðr to bridge the gap in almost every way, or
were there special efforts made, and accommodations in place, for the íviðjur? The castle, at
the very least, should have them seeing as 'twas where most of them ended up in their
advisory capacity.

That Helblindi was nervous was incredibly obvious to Loki as his sibling's eyes were darting
all over the place, from one Einherjar to another and then to him before starting their circuit
over again. It made Loki wonder if Lord Aðalgrímr was wrong about his age. They had him
pegged as being quite near his majority, but they were not entirely certain as 'twas not like
there had been an official announcement to the other Realms at his birth, for obvious reasons.
Once near both him and the Casket of Ancient Winters, Helblindi-Princex paused.

"Go ahead," Loki motioned.

"I... do not know how it will react," Helblindi admitted.

Ah, he was worried of making it do something which might get him killed.

"It will not do anything harmful unless you deliberately ask it to," Loki replied.

It did not hurt to reinforce he had some understanding of the Casket of Ancient Winters
before they began the actual negotiations. It could stave off some of the more insulting ploys
which Laufey and his diplomat might have been tempted to try. It would also save him from
having to explain exactly how he knew it. At least until one of the jötnar decided to ask him
outright.

Helblindi-Princex took the final two steps forward needed to bring himself into touching
distance of the Casket. With a slight tremor in his hands, Helblindi reached out to touch
Jötunheimr's heart. Immediately, the Casket reacted, lighting up as much as it did for Loki.

Seiðr rushed out from the Casket of Ancient Winters and Loki cocked his head to the side as
he tried to read it. That Helblindi-Princex was not doing it on purpose was immediately
obvious to him, but he was not quite certain what 'twas. Or even whether it was new, because
if the Casket had done it when he had touched it he would never have known as there had
been no one else around capable of detecting the seiðr. 'Twas quite handy as an alert system,
though, and would allow Loki to learn should any jötunn manage to get at the Casket even
when he had his back to it, which he would for most of the day. They had decided it best to
leave the Casket of Ancient Winters on this particular table, both as it placed it furthest any
from the jötnar and because that placed it in Laufey-King's line of sight whenever his birth
father looked to him, hopefully providing a helpful reminder to the man as to why they were
all here.

"Oh, that is..." Helblindi-Princex said, eyes wide.

Loki merely hummed and allowed his sibling a moment before he indicated back towards the
table. "Shall we?"

It took a moment and a call from his father for Helblindi-Princex to draw himself away from
the Casket, but finally he did, retreating to the jötnar side of the chamber. Loki moved to his
own seat and took his place at one end of the table, sitting directly across from Laufey who
had the other head position. Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr sat to Loki's right with General
Týr on his left. On the other end, Helblindi-Princex went to his father's right and far closer
than anyone else. Next to him was Thrymr-General while the unknown diplomat sat to
Laufey-King's left. The other hrímþursar were spread out along the jötnar end of the chamber,
all of them dressed simply in the kilts Loki had seen when on Jötunheimr. Those seated at the
table wore fancier versions of them, with the general and diplomat also having a sash of some
kind strung across one shoulder and their chest.

Helblindi-Princex wore something similar but was further adorned by a silver torque and a
beautiful white fur. He also wore a silver circlet adorned with several ice gems of varying
shades of blue, purple and white. Laufey-King was more simplistic at first glance, his kilt of
higher quality but more militaristic and the torque and sash both in muted colors, signifying
strength without being more than basically decorative.

Loki had to wonder how the far more colorful and decorative outfits of the æsir looked to
them. Probably ostentatious and pompous, but he found he simply did not care. Nor would he
allow it to affect his outfit choices for the next few days. He was here for Ásgarðr first, and
thus he would maintain her traditions unless they directly conflicted with his goals or would
cause true problems achieving them.

Before they could begin, the door on Laufey's side of the chamber opened once more and
another hrímþurs entered the hall, holding a large pitcher. Loki could all but hear General Týr
curse and he definitely saw Laufey-King's lips twitch at whatever he read in the general's
expression. He had been warned about this by Lord Aðalgrímr the first time they sat down to
discuss the negotiations. Apparently 'twas jötnar tradition to all partake of a drink only the
jötnar seemed able to tolerate the taste of. Their history said it went back to a tradition started
by Ymir himself (herself? themself?) way back when the first jötnar had attended their first
peace talks, and now they refused to hold them without everyone partaking of the drink.
Hence 'twas called Ymir's sýra.

Lord Aðalgrímr was half convinced the tradition was continued more because none but the
jötnar seemed to like the drink and Laufey-King liked watching his enemies' expressions as
they fought to swallow it.

If 'twas the latter, then Loki would be forced to admit he was impressed and liked the move.
He would definitely pull something like that if he could. The true issue here, though, was one
of trust for simply because they would all partake of the concoction from the same pitcher,
there was no way to guarantee it had not been poisoned with something which did not affect
jötnar, but which would have dramatic effects on æsir.

Luckily, Loki had the perfect protection against such a tactic, though it would deal him an
almost critical blow to lose half of his High Council in one attack. It came down to divining
exactly how far Laufey-King would go and, while Loki knew a desperate man would do
almost anything to save himself, he did not believe Laufey had been pushed quite so far yet
as his birth father had at first been willing to let them go on Jötunheimr, whereas a
completely desperate man would have made a play for either himself or Thor in order to use
them against Óðinn.

"Ymir's sýra," Laufey said as the pitcher was placed on the table beside him. "Thjærlðsöv."

Loki's first thought was that he could now understand why Lord Aðalgrímr, who was
normally quite precise and proper, had not even made an attempt to pronounce the traditional
blessing which went with serving Ymir's sýra. Then the sounds seemed to penetrate deeper
and Loki felt his tongue already moving to say the word back to his birth father before he
caught himself. He had no idea what had triggered the impulse, but it felt both right and
natural to do so and he suddenly felt certain he would have gotten the pronunciation correct,
as it seemed to have clicked in his mind somehow.

The realization made Loki slightly uncomfortable, and he had to fight back a wince and a
twinge of panic at the hurt which radiated from deep within his core at the disgust and self-
loathing which immediately followed on the heels of those thoughts. If he kept injuring his
core thus, it would be in danger of snapping entirely... an event he would not survive intact, if
he survived it at all.

"Of course," Loki managed to force out instead, though he feared his smile might actually
seem a little more obviously false than he had hoped it would.

He and Lord Aðalgrímr had discussed the merits of performing this particular jötunn ritual
for quite a while as the risks and benefits were both so great. In the end, it had come down to
not only showing good will, but also making Loki stand apart from Óðinn quite clearly since
his adoptive father had brushed aside this particular ritual the last time Óðinn had sat down
with Laufey, before the temporary truce which had been reached had irrevocably broken
down for good.

Loki could only hope his unique and incomplete shift would be enough to protect him should
it be necessary. With a motion, one of the Einherjar stepped forward with a tray full of
additional chalices. 'Twas the one thing Lord Aðalgrímr had recommended to try and balance
out the power dynamics of this particular move; make the jötnar drink from chalices they had
not arranged or prepared. Make it a risk for them as well.

Laufey paused for a moment, meeting Loki's gaze, before motioning for his guard to accept
the tray from where the Einherjar stood at the edge of the floor drop.

"I do not know if you remember me, Laufey-King, but I am Lord Aðalgrímr, head of
Ásgarðr's diplomats," Lord Aðalgrímr said, finally entering the conversation now the initial
opening power plays had been done between the two opposing kings. "This here is Lord
Ragnvaldr, Óðinn's chief advisor, and across from me is General Týr, head of Ásgarðr's
warriors."

"I recall," Laufey replied, looking at each in turn, pausing the longest on Lord Ragnvaldr.
"My child and heir, Helblindi-Princex, you obviously know. King Loki, may I introduce you
to Thrymr-General, head of Jötunheimr's warriors, and Gunnlöð-Lairde, our main negotiator."

Loki looked at both jötnar in acknowledgement, even as he noted the lack of full title for
Gunnlöð-Lairde. He wondered if there was any significance to it.

As they had spoken, the jötunn guard had filled each chalice, removing the larger ones from
the tray before returning it to the Einherjar who brought it over to Loki's side. Not seeing
anything different about any of them, Loki took one at random and held it before him as the
others were distributed.

"To fair and fruitful talks," Laufey-King toasted once everyone had a chalice.
As he raised his chalice at the traditional words (and did they stick in Laufey's throat?), Loki
was unable to keep from reaching out with his seiðr to check the inside of his mouth,
esophagus and digestive track to ensure they truly were in his natural jötunn state. It felt like
it could not be, but the reassurance flowing from Mother Winter pushed him past any
lingering hesitations he had.

'Twas easy to maintain the direct eye contact Laufey-King seemed to want to have with him
as Loki was fairly certain the concoction, whatever it was, could not be nearly as foul to
jötnar as 'twas to others. The first sip proved him right and so he kept right on drinking,
matching Laufey's pace even as he could not help but analyzing the Ymir's sýra. His first
impression was that it was cold, which was not at all unexpected. The second was that 'twas
thick and clung to the inside of his mouth and tongue like a thick syrup, almost cloying in a
way and coating everything it touched and going down slow as a result. The flavor, all the
flavors, were unlike anything which Loki had tasted before and he was not certain if 'twas
entirely due to his unfamiliarity with the drink itself so much as 'twas due to the fact he had
never tasted anything quite like it before and so he did not know how to interpret the
messages he was receiving from his tastebuds. He did think there was a strange blend of both
sweet and tart in there, along with the expected bite from the alcohol.

Loki lowered his chalice before he was fully finished as Laufey had done so. He allowed a
small, satisfied twitch of his lips at the surprise he saw in those cold, red eyes.

"And here I thought the fruitful was solely relating to the talks themselves," Loki said, before
glancing over at General Týr at the slight gagging sound the man made. "Problem, General?"

"Nay, my Liege," Týr rushed to reply, but Loki could see how the other man's fingers twitch
towards his other chalice.

Given the thick nature of the concoction, Loki could well understand why if the taste was as
foul to the æsir tongue as he had been led to believe 'twas.

"The general has improved since his first taste of Ymir's sýra," Laufey stated with a hint of
laughter in his voice. "He did not manage to finish it the first time."

Aye, Lord Aðalgrímr had been more than willing to regale Loki with that particular tale,
supposedly in the guise of warning him of exactly how poorly some people reacted to the
taste their first time. He was not certain he fully believed 'twas Lord Aðalgrímr's main reason
in relating the story to him though.

"I admit to not fully understanding why," Loki said, swirling his remaining drink once. "'Tis
not nearly as... strong tasting as I had been warned to expect," he finished before downing the
rest of the Ymir's sýra in one go, putting the chalice down and folding his hands before him.

Laufey followed his every move closely, probably trying to determine if he was being honest
or merely putting on a good act. Not wanting to get into another staring contest with his birth
father, mostly because Loki honestly did not know what he would do, he glanced over to
Lord Aðalgrímr instead, indicating for the man to begin.
Before any of the true talks could even begin, there were all kinds of details and formalities
which had to be presented and agreed to. If they were luckily, they might come around to
discussing the sequence of events which had led them here, but Loki was not terribly hopeful
they would reach so far today.

Though he had come to enjoy part of his time on Miðgarðr, Thor was truly pleased when the
Bifröst deposited him back in Himinbjörg. The first thing he did was close his eyes and take a
deep breath, savoring the Ásgarðrian air which was, in its own way, so very different from
the Miðgarðrian air. 'Twas odd, he had been to all of the Nine Realms now and been off
adventuring frequently and often for months or years at a time, and yet he had never missed
home as much as he had this time. He wondered if 'twas solely because he had been entirely
alone this time or if it had been because he had started to fear he would never be able to
return after he had utterly failed to so much as budge Mjǫllnir when he had finally reached
her.

Not that it truly mattered, he was home now.

"Welcome back, Thor," a slightly familiar voice said, and he opened his eyes to identify the
speaker.

It took Thor a moment to realize the man wearing Heimdallr's armor, holding Höfuð and with
the gatekeeper's golden eyes was not, in fact, Heimdallr. Once Thor realized that and
managed to look past all of it, he realized who 'twas that stood before him.

"Höðr?" Thor questioned, startled.

He looked around for Heimdallr but could not see the gatekeeper anywhere, so he turned
back to Höðr. Had he not been blinded when he had saved Loki's life from the mercenary
attack?

"Where is Heimdallr?" Thor asked. "And how come you to have eyes like him, Höðr?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stepped

forward.

"Heimdallr was relieved of his duties and tried for treason, m- Thor," the man said.

"Tried for treason? Heimdallr?" Thor repeated, stunned. "Nay, he would never!"

Exactly what had transpired while he was gone?

"If you recall, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were not authorized to visit you," Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr said. "And... he tried to kill your brother, Thor."

Thor could only stare at Yngvarr in both shock and horror. Heimdallr had tried to kill Loki?
Nay, he could not believe it, Heimdallr would never do such a thing! But this was the head of
the king's guard standing before him and telling him this. Not only would Yngvarr never joke
about regicide, but as the one in charge of Loki's protection right now, he might well have
been there.

"Did you witness the attempt?" Thor asked, hoarsely.

"Aye."

Thor closed his eyes, still not able to reconcile the friendly and affable gatekeeper whom he
had almost seen as a friend as someone capable of not only trying to kill his king, but of
trying to kill Loki. Aye, his brother could be annoying and downright infuriating at times, but
to kill him? It made Thor both sick to his stomach and filled him with a boiling rage.

"Where is he now?" Thor growled, eyes flashing over to Höðr. "And how can you see?"

"King Loki transferred Heimdallr's All-Sight to me," Höðr replied simply. "Heimdallr now
has but normal vision."

Loki could do that? Thor had not realized, but then neither had he known his father could
take his own power as he had, so clearly there was much about seiðr he did not know.

"And he has been sentenced to life in the dungeons," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr added.

Good, 'twas good.

Even if part of Thor raged at Heimdallr not receiving the executioner's axe. He had tried to
kill Loki! As far as he was concerned, 'twas completely unforgivable, even if his little brother
had not been acting regent at the time.

A horrible thought occurred to Thor which he did not even want to contemplate but, given
that before he would have said Heimdallr would never have done something like this either,
he simply had to.

"Was there anyone else involved?" Thor finally asked, unable to put his friends' names in the
same sentence as anything involving an attempt on Loki's life.

"Not in that," Yngvarr replied immediately. "But as for the rest, well..."

Aye, that Thor already knew unfortunately. Not that he believed his friends had acted
maliciously, only out of concern and with Ásgarðr's best interests at heart.

Thor hesitated, but he could not help but ask. "When Heimdallr... how did he try to..."

"Thor," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr began softly.

"Please, I need to know. 'Tis still so hard to believe. It is Heimdallr, I trusted him. I always
did, without any hesitation whatsoever."

"We all did, well except for King Loki," Yngvarr explained. "I do not know what first made
him suspicious, but whatever 'twas, I am thankful for it as it made him cautious and ensured
we had precautions in place the night of the attack."
Loki was the first to suspect? In some ways it made sense to Thor as his brother had always
been both slow to trust and suspicious by nature. Though he had oft despaired of it or teased
Loki for it, now he was ever so grateful for that suspicious nature. It did not bear thinking of
what might have happened if Loki had not warned his guard. Would any of them have seen it
coming in time? He definitely would not have.

"Yngvarr," Thor said, looking at the man.

The lieutenant-general sighed and looked over at Höðr, who silently held up Höfuð and Thor
felt his blood go cold. So, not only had Heimdallr broken every oath the gatekeeper had taken
and forsaken all of his honor, but he would also have used one of the sacred relics Father had
given him in order to kill Óðinn's second born. Thor's hands curled into fists as the severity
of Heimdallr's betrayal fully sunk in, and 'twas all he could do not to charge over to the
dungeons right now and pummel the former gatekeeper's face into a bloody pulp. Who knew,
he might still do it later when all he had to do was descend down into the dungeons.

"My... uh, Thor," Lord Birgir began awkwardly, looking away as he held out a cloak.

Thor sighed and, much as it grated, he knew he had to address this now. "Please do as Father
ordered and simply use my name."

"Thank you, Thor," Birgir said. "If you will put on the cloak, we can go to Iðavöllr."

"Why do you wish me to wear a cloak?"

"We believe it would be best if not too many people know you are back," Yngvarr explained.
"Word of your banishment has spread as something had to be said when your brother
ascended to Hliðskjálf and Heimdallr voiced the issue during his trial."

Oh, of course. Shame burned through Thor as he accepted the cloak and put it on. Though he
still felt the attack on the vault had demanded some form of response from them, he was
starting to realize he had acted recklessly. The realization that everyone now knew enough
about it to know how severely his father disapproved was unpleasant. He was not used to
thinking his actions were looked on with anything other than pride or admiration. It made
him feel small and unworthy in a way he had not felt in a very long time, to think the people
might be speaking ill of him, especially so shortly after they had all come out to cheer him on
during what should have been his coronation.

Did they know his actions had brought Ásgarðr to war with her oldest enemy? Thor had no
way of knowing what his father may have told people between his banishment and Father's
collapse into the Óðinnsleep. And speaking of the war with Jötunheimr...

"Höðr, is my brother safe?" Thor asked, pausing at the edge of the rainbow bridge to look
back at the new gatekeeper.

Lord Birgir and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had told him where the peace talks were taking
place on the way back to the Bifröst site on Miðgarðr since he had been worriedly asking
them questions about it, not at all liking the idea that his brother was meeting with Laufey
without him present to protect him.
Instead of instantly replying, Höðr turned his gaze towards the Void and took a moment to
check before speaking. Thor appreciated the action, not that he did not know he could trust
Höðr, at least with Loki's life as the man had already proven he was willing to sacrifice his
own for Loki's.

"The king is well and busy discussing the minutia of peace treaty diplomacy ahead of the
actual negotiations," Höðr informed him.

"Ah, thanks," Thor replied as he pulled a face.

Perhaps, if Loki was as well protected as Lieutenant-General Yngvarr promised he was, then
'twas better if he were not there. Thor hated those types of diplomatic discussions and always
had to fight to both stay awake and appear alert. Loki was far better suited than him to deal
with this type of situation.

With that thought, Thor turned back to the rainbow bridge and mounted his stallion which he
found waiting for him. Hopefully no one would recognize him, but then they should be
making straight for Iðavöllr and he doubted anyone would pay them enough attention to take
the time to figure out 'twas his horse. They were probably usually paying too much attention
to him to notice his stallion.

As expected, they rode out swiftly and Thor spotted from afar the change in banners and
standards flying high over the homes and shops of Ásgarðr. His brother's favorite shade of
green was now liberally sprinkled in among the gold and the far more colorful ones of the
merchants and traders themselves. It felt surreal to see as those banners and standards had
always been gold for as far back as Thor could recall. He had known red ones were being
prepared for after his coronation, but not a one was in sight now and he figured they had been
put away in storage for later. He wondered what would happen with the green ones once
Father awoke. 'Twas not like they would be used again since Loki was not the heir, or he was
not meant to be if Thor regained his titles and powers.

The mood of the people once they reached the city itself seemed somewhat more subdued
than usual, but not too bad at all and Thor noticed there seemed to be an unusual amount of
hustle and bustle. He pulled his horse up alongside that of the lieutenant-general.

"What is going on?" Thor asked, indicating the people.

"Your brother has ordered all three tiers of warriors to prepare for battle as well as the
commissioning of various weapons and armor from the local merchants and blacksmiths. In
the event the peace talks fail and we are still at war with Jötunheimr," Yngvarr explained.

That made sense.

"Have we approached Niðavellir for weapons as well?" Thor asked, knowing Ásgarðr's
blacksmiths alone would not be enough. Besides, much as he hated to slight anything æsir, he
knew they could not deliver anywhere near the same standard of work as the dökkálfar could.
Mjǫllnir itself was proof enough of that.
"Nay, but Lord Aðalgrímr's team have commenced talks with them in order to expediate the
process should it become necessary," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied.

"Aye," Lord Birgir confirmed. "In fact, 'tis my next duty once I have spoken with some of
General Týr's men."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Thor asked.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr hesitated before he spoke. "We may need to test how strong you
are before seeing what you can do."

'Twas a surprisingly diplomatic way of putting it for General Týr's second-in-command.

Although, Thor mused, as one of the men who spent so much time around first his father and
now, to a far lesser extent, Loki, he supposed Yngvarr was probably one of the more
diplomatic warriors simply due to the fact the man was exposed to it on a near daily basis.
Some of it had to rub off eventually. Thor knew some of Loki's skill had on him, even if only
in their very most basic form, when he was not too upset or angry. The realization neither he
nor Loki would be in the position they were in now if he had only done so more on
Jötunheimr made him determine to try to do so more in the future.

He truly had acted poorly this time and Thor was still having some trouble wrapping his head
around all of the consequences of his actions. Who knew becoming so angry at one single fr-
jötunn could have such far reaching consequences as all of this? The simple fact it had
reached out and changed even something so fundamental as the ruler of Ásgarðr was
shocking. It truly was unbelievable.

Thor waited until they were inside Iðavöllr's gates before lowering the hood of his cloak.

"When is Loki due back?" Thor asked, looking at the diplomat.

"As 'tis the first day, I expect them to be gone until near dinner as I doubt things will get
heated enough to require a pause today," Birgir replied.

"But he will be back for dinner? There are no plans to eat with the jötnar?"

"Nay, with the talks taking place on Niflheimr, and how tense our current relations with
Laufey-King are, we did not think 'twas a good idea. Even the noon meal will be eaten
separately in the outer chambers."

"I understand, thanks."

"If you will all excuse me, I need to prepare for my trip to Niðavellir."

Thor nodded at the diplomat and watched him walk away before turning his attention to
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, aware of the two Einherjar still following them.

"What now?" Thor asked, surprisingly uncertain of both himself and what to do.

"Given we are at war and that there has already been one attempt on King Loki's life,
protection has been made mandatory for both Prince Vili and Queen Frigga," Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr began.

Uncle Vili? Why would...

Oh.

Thor felt his face pale as he realized precisely how far down the line of succession they were.
His uncle, who was normally a distant third in line, was now the official crown prince and
heir as Loki had no children. Norns, that meant his cousin Balðr was now second in line. Or
nay, wait, was Balðr not still underage? If so, that would make Uncle Vé regent of a regent if
anything happened to both Loki and Uncle Vili. Normally Thor would think the thought
ridiculous in the extreme, but given Heimdallr's earlier actions...

"By the Nine, when did things become so complicated?" Thor complained.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr gave him a very sympathetic look, but Thor thought he could
detect some censure there as well. Not that he could blame the man if there were. He had
erred badly this time and he had to wince every time he thought about his confrontation with
his father in Himinbjörg. It no longer surprised him Father had thrown him out of Ásgarðr
and down to Miðgarðr. He would have done far more if anyone dared to speak to him thus,
son or no, even as a prince, let alone once he was king.

"I know you said to treat you as your father has decreed, Thor," Yngvarr said. "But given the
circumstances, I would like to insist you accept protection, for while you may not officially
be in the line of succession or a prince of Ásgarðr at the moment, you are still both Óðinnson
and Lokabróðir, and therefore would be a target during an attack. All the more so if the
enemy were to realize your weakened condition."

"What are the odds of that?" Thor asked.

"Word will likely have spread and Laufey-King will no doubt ask why 'tis your brother on
Hliðskjálf instead of you," Yngvarr replied. "Not to mention your punishment will work in
our favor during the negotiations."

Thor sighed as he realized that, aye, knowing Father had punished him for his actions would
help to appease Jötunheimr, given the number of dead as a result of his retaliatory attack for
the frost giant incursion into the vault.

"Very well," Thor agreed, the memory of precisely how weak he currently was still all too
fresh in his mind. Not to mention exactly how naked he felt without Mjǫllnir. "Is my mother
with Father in the Óðinnsleep chamber?"

"Unless she has been ordered to rest or eat by Lady Eir," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
confirmed. "If you will excuse me, I too have some things to tend too while the king is on
Niflheimr."

"Ah- of course."
 Thor had to admit to being a little surprised at essentially being abandoned by the head of his
father's guard at a time like this, but as he himself had said earlier, according to Father's
decree he was neither heir nor a prince of Ásgarðr. He was certain the second-in-command of
Ásgarðr's warriors had far more important things to tend to in a time of war than one
disgraced son of the slumbering king.

'Twas a bitter realization for Thor to swallow and he quickly made his way towards his
father's Óðinnsleep chamber, his two guards silent shadows behind him. The few servants
and other guards they passed seemed surprised to see him and Thor avoided making eye
contact with them, not wishing to see the emotion in their eyes. He had never felt so alone
and isolated as he did now in his own home. He could not help but wonder if 'twas how Loki
felt whenever his brother had been in trouble for his mischief and the people had found out
about it. He suddenly felt a lot more sympathetic about it than he ever had before, having
always simply written it off as the just consequences for Loki's chosen actions.

Chapter End Notes

Poor Thor, things are finally starting to sink in regarding the true consequences of his
actions!

As for Loki, well he's actually quite enjoying himself so far, deliberately messing with
Laufey while also working towards his main goal as king. Always nice when you can
combine some mischief with official business :)

Norse Mythology:

sýra - a fermented milk drink - my version is made up, but basic sýra was a real Viking
drink (sounds tasty /sarcasm).
Lokabróðir - brother of Loki - apparently the i becomes an a in situations like this.

Original Characters' Names:

Gunnlöð - a (female) jötunn whose name means 'war-invitation' or 'battle-invitation' -

yeah, I totally couldn't help myself :P

Other:

Lairde - while this is a title in its own right, this is also the gender neutral version of
Lord/Lady & how I'm using it here.
Thjærlðsöv - this is a word I completely made up using some of the Old Norse
characters since I couldn't find anything appropriate in the mythology tied solely to
Jötunheimr.

Up next week: Frigga and Thor talk...

 Chapter 25
Chapter Notes

Surprise, another extra chapter!

Why? Well, I've gotten 2,500 kudos/likes between the two sites and I'm amazed at the
reception this fic has received from you all. It's been my baby for so long, with me just
writing what I'd have wanted to see or read, that to know so many other people love it
too is fantastic!

Enjoy - you're lucky, it's a long one!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The relief Thor felt at finally coming into sight of the Óðinnsleep chamber was great, and he
sped up in order to reach it all the more quickly.

"Mother," Thor said, stepping inside and seeing her seated beside his father.

"Thor!" Frigga exclaimed, looking over at him in surprise before rushing to embrace him.
"Oh, my son, I am so glad to see you."

Thor held her tight and felt everything he had hoped and wished for so desperately on
Miðgarðr. This was like fully coming home. The only person missing now was his brother
and he forced himself to focus on the fact he would see Loki later tonight.

He grunted as his mother suddenly squeezed too tightly and she pulled back at once; stricken.

"Thor?" Frigga questioned. "Are you alright? Have you not been restored?"

"Nay," Thor replied, lowering his eyes in shame.

"Then why are you returned? Does Loki know?"

"Aye, he sent Yngvarr and Birgir to retrieve me," Thor explained. "The humans had reacted
adversely to the presence of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three and were keeping me
imprisoned."

"Oh, are you alright?"

"Aye, simply exhausted."

"Come, I will walk you to your chambers so you can rest," Frigga said, linking their arms
together and steering him from the chamber.
"How is Father doing?" Thor asked, craning his neck for a quick look. "Lady Sif mentioned
'tis not a normal Óðinnsleep."

"Nay, 'tis not. Your father put it off for too long and we were caught unprepared when he
collapsed into it, but he has been doing better every day," Frigga informed him. "So I am far
more optimistic now than I was before."

"Oh, I had hoped Lady Sif was simply ill informed," Thor admitted.

The thought of his father never waking up again was frightening for a number of reasons, not
the least of which would be that the last words he had said to his father would have been
horrible ones uttered in a blind rage. But, in addition to that, was the fact he did not know if
Loki could lift their father's spell and punishment should he not figure out what it was Father
had wanted him to learn. And then there was the question of Hliðskjálf. If Óðinn All-Father
died in the Óðinnsleep now, then Loki would go from being merely regent, to full king of
Ásgarðr in his own right, even if Thor were to regain his titles and powers before that point.
Ásgarðrian succession laws were clear on this.

"Mother, how is Loki doing, truly?" Thor asked to distance himself from the thought, not
liking both the envy and horror it provoked within him.

He loved his brother dearly, but Loki would make a horrible king. No one so dishonest could
be a good ruler.

"He tries his best to hide it even from me, but your brother is stressed," Frigga replied with a
frown. "As well he should be with everything which has happened, but it pains me to see it
when there is so little I can do to help, not with your father in the condition he is currently
in."

Thor swallowed as he realized what his mother meant. With Father in so fragile a state, it
meant Mother was one of the few people with the necessary experience of the Óðinnsleep to
help Lady Eir this time around when 'twas so bad. But that left no one to stand by Loki at this
most trying of times, with him banished to Miðgarðr, Father in the Óðinnsleep and Mother
needing to tend to Father.

Thor was almost afraid to ask, but he had to. "So who has been with Loki?"

"Why, the High Council, of course," Frigga replied, patting his arm where it was looped
through hers. "They have been meeting with him a lot, given the war with Jötunheimr and
all."

"Aye, but I meant for support and well, advice on kingship and all. Loki was never trained for
this."

His mother frowned as she looked at him. "Óðinn may not have expected Loki to sit on
Hliðskjálf, but he did make certain that Loki was prepared should the need ever arise."

"He did?"
"Of course. Thor, were you worried Loki was incapable?"

The question and the tone of her voice made Thor wince, but he thought 'twas a very valid
concern. "Father took me aside for so many lessons, I had not realized Loki might have
received similar tuition. I thought those were only for me."

"I see," Frigga replied, her voice that carefully neutral tone Thor hated and normally only
heard when there were politicians around who were trying her patience. "Well, you need not
fear. From what I hear Loki is doing a very good job."

"From what you hear?"

"I have spent most of my time with your father, so much of my information is second hand,
'tis true," Frigga said. "But I have seen your brother a few times, and both Vili and Vé have
been by to see how Óðinn is doing and they have taken the time to speak with me as well."

"How are they doing?" Thor asked, normally only seeing his uncles at the High Council
meetings.

With all of the preparations for the coronation and subsequent transfer of power, he had not
really seen them in any other situation as of late, and even then it had been all crown related
work. How long had it been since he had seen either of his aunts or any of his cousins? Thor
could not immediately remember. They would have been present at the coronation and he
would have seen them afterwards, but that of course had never happened.

"Stressed. Vili has had to move back into Iðavöllr and neither Gersemi nor Balðr has been
particularly pleased with the change of situation."

"I can well imagine. Please tell me Balðr has not been obsessing and stressing out the
servants with searches for mistletoe within Iðavöllr?"

"Unfortunately, I believe he has been."

"Wonderful."

Frigga smiled. "You must see it from his point of view. If you knew what would kill you and
who, would you not take any and all precautions necessary to prevent it?"

"Aye, but they have already ensured Lóðurr is no longer near him, surely that should be
enough?"

"'Tis easy for us to judge, but we are not in his position."

Still, Thor found it all rather cowardly of his cousin. He should face his death with dignity
and honor, rather than running from anything and everything which seemed like it might be
related to it. 'Twas far more like what he might expect of Loki, though his brother seemed
disgusted with Balðr's behavior as well, surprisingly. He would have thought Loki would
have approved of it, as it seemed like the same thing which his brother would do should he be
informed of the fact he would die a certain way.
When they reached his chambers, Thor was surprised his mother's guard wished to check
them before allowing them to enter, but Thor supposed after the attack on Loki, the Einherjar
would be extremely cautious. The reminder of what had happened with Heimdallr made Thor
go cold again and he allowed his mother to pull him into his chambers once they had been
cleared.

"Are you certain you are fine, dear?" Frigga asked, concerned.

"Aye. I was merely thinking about what Yngvarr told me earlier, about what Heimdallr tried
to do."

His mother paled at the words and Thor guided her over to a seat, moving aside the cloak he
had left draped over the back of it when he had last been in the chamber.

"Sorry," Thor apologized. "I did not mean to stir bad memories once more."

"Nay, 'tis fine," Frigga reassured him, urging him down to sit on the sofa beside her and
pulling him close. "I merely still have such a hard time believing it all. Heimdallr of all
people!"

"I know, I could hardly believe it when Yngvarr told me. What was he thinking?"

"From what I have heard, at the trial it came out Heimdallr thought Loki had allowed the
jötnar into the vault and that 'twas all part of a premeditated plan in order to steal Hliðskjálf
from both your father and you."

"What? But 'tis ridiculous. Simply allowing the jötnar into the vault would by no means
assure it. Hel, if I had never gone charging into Jötunheimr, then Father would never have
banished me and it would still be me sitting on Hliðskjálf when Father fell into the
Óðinnsleep."

"I know, it made no sense to me when I first heard it and I have not been able to deduce his
logic since either, and I have had plenty of time to think on it."

"But why would he think it in the first place?"

"That is easier to understand, though still hard to follow," Frigga said. "It turns out your
brother is able to hide his presence from Heimdallr's gaze, or rather Heimdallr's old gaze."

From the tone of his mother's voice, Thor could already tell she took great pleasure in the
former gatekeeper's punishment. If he was truthful, it made Thor uncomfortable sometimes,
the almost bloodlust his mother and brother seemed to share at times like this. 'Twas so
distinctly different from the type he could easily understand and felt himself often on the
battlefield or even before a battle. Nay, this was a completely different type of bloodlust, one
which ran far colder and was much more subtle initially, until it flared to life later on and
engulfed its chosen prey, oft when they least suspected it, having long since thought the
danger past and gone. Thor had initially noticed it in his brother and only later recognized it
in his mother. Both had been a shock to him, not only because he had always viewed them
both as being far more innocent and distant from battle, but also because it seemed like a trait
he would expect to see more in an enemy rather than within two members of his own family.
He had mentioned it to his father once and Óðinn had seemed to understand exactly what he
meant, even if his father had been no better at putting it into words.

'Twas a... darkness, almost, and Thor hated using such a word when it pertained to both his
little brother and mother, though he had long since been forced to reconcile it with Loki. It
had been difficult not to when Loki had first started joining him on his adventures with Lady
Sif and the Warriors Three and had started blooding himself even if he did so in a far
different manner from any of the rest of them. The whole process had actually been made
infinitely worse due his brother's oft cowardly and almost ergi methods as it made Thor
uncomfortable to see his little brother acting so dishonorably and, what was more, seeming to
be so comfortable with it all and simply shrugging off any comments made about the issue.

Even now, Thor had to admit to oft being ashamed when Loki chose to use seiðr in battle or
fought from a distance with his knives, rather than coming in close with an opponent and
using his sword or another, more honorable, weapon. It grated as he knew Loki was trained in
the use of all of them and 'twas merely a lack of practice and determination which kept him
from excelling more at them. Thor of all people knew how well his brother was able to
master that which he put his mind to, he simply did not understand why Loki chose not to put
his mind to these honorable pursuits. He would think his brother would choose to do
something about his public image as he knew Loki was aware of how the people viewed him
and his ways. It could be no other way given how familiar Loki was with so many other
rumors and tales that made their rounds of court.

"Loki is able to mask his presence from Heimdallr's gaze? Or was rather?" Thor questioned
in disbelief. "How?"

"I do not know," Frigga admitted. "I have not had occasion to speak with Loki on it, but I
definitely intend to as I am very curious as to the seiðr involved."

Of course his mother would be. Thor would simply need to remember to ask Loki not to
teach anyone else this particular trick as they did not need more seiðkonur being able to hide
themselves from Ásgarðr's benevolent gaze at will. It would only be a matter of time before
the knowledge found its way into the hands of Ásgarðr's enemies from there. Well, if it had
not already as Thor could easily remember what Heimdallr had said on the rainbow bridge
right before they had gone to Jötunheimr. But still, to go from that to assuming Loki had been
the one to let the jötnar in, 'twas too far of a leap and he had thought better of Heimdallr than
to make such a mistake. Simply because Loki could do something did not automatically
mean he would, even his little brother would never do something like that. Besides, even if
Loki had wished to be Father's official heir, there were many essential skills required for
kingship his brother did not possess. For instance, Thor could easily remember Loki himself
admitting he was not good at inspiring loyalty or commitment in the warriors. And what was
a king without the ability to do that?

"We must see if he has taught anyone else as it may help us figure out who let the jötnar into
the vault," Thor said.

Frigga smiled at him. "Thor, I highly doubt Loki has taught anyone else how to do it. Your
brother knows well the value of such a skill and not only would he guard it jealously, but he
would probably go out of his way to ensure no one knew he was capable of it, since it would
make it all the more useful for him. Besides, once people know about his ability to do it, you
start to get suspicions such as Heimdallr's. There are a lot of people who will equate the
ability to do something, with the need to do it. They do not seem to understand that simply
because Loki can do it, does not mean he will or that he is the only one able to do so."

"Then we should ask how he learned the skill and whether someone else taught him. That
might aid us."

"That would be a good idea. But even if he learned it himself does not mean no one else
could have learned it on their own either."

"Of course," Thor said. "I..."

"What is it, dear?"

"I was simply wondering if you knew exactly what had happened? Yngvarr and Höðr told me
Heimdallr tried to use Höfuð, but that is all I know."

"From what I understand, Loki had told Yngvarr and Týr he was suspicious of not only
Heimdallr, but Lady Sif and the Warriors Three as well-"

"Why?" Thor interrupted. "'Tis part of what I do not understand of all of this!"

"I am not certain about why Loki did not trust Heimdallr, but I suspect it might be because of
the fact he allowed you all to go to Jötunheimr."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, Thor, you know travel to Jötunheimr had been forbidden by your father."

"Aye, so?"

"So, in allowing you and the others passage, Heimdallr had gone against the king's express
orders and broken his oath to obey and serve," Frigga explained.

"Aye, but I was the one who asked it of him."

"That does not matter, you were not king and so could not overrule your father's command."

That was hardly grounds to suspect Heimdallr would commit treason, but Thor kept quiet.
His mother had admitted she did not know Loki's reasons for certain and besides, it hardly
mattered on some level as his brother's fears had been proven correct in the worst possible
way.

"But as I said, I do now know Loki's reasons for being suspicious of Heimdallr," Frigga
continued. "As for Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, well, apparently they had been to see
your brother earlier in the day and had requested he end your banishment and bring you
home. From what I understand, they treated Loki ill and were borderline disrespectful right
then and there in Valaskjálf before all of the Einherjar. 'Twas only pure chance Loki had
chosen to take the petitions privately and so the rest of court was not present to witness the
spectacle."

Thor was not certain what to think of that. On the one hand, he could see what his mother
meant and how poorly it would have reflected on everyone involved if that particular
argument had taken place in full view of the court. But on the other hand, he felt his mother
was not being fair to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. They were his and Loki's friends, not
random subjects or Einherjar who had chosen to walk into Valaskjálf and disrespect their new
regent king. 'Twas not their fault if they had not yet fully adjusted to the fact Loki was now
officially, if temporarily, king rather than their friend and companion. As he had told all four
of them and his little brother long ago, there was no need for formality and ceremony
amongst friends. That was reserved for special occasions and those who were not such close
companions of theirs.

"That was it?" Thor asked.

"'Twas what first made Loki suspicious, so when he mentioned it to Lieutenant-General

Yngvarr and General Týr and they all decided to have Lady Sif and the Warriors Three
followed. They feared they might disobey your brother's orders to leave you alone on
Miðgarðr so you might learn what your father wanted you to in order for you to regain your
titles and power and return fully restored."

That made a little more sense as Thor still did not know whether Loki himself as regent could
now undo their father's punishment. At first he had not thought it would be possible, but after
hearing what Loki had done with Heimdallr's All-Sight and transferring it to Höðr, he was no
longer quite so certain. He would need to ask Loki about it, though if his brother did so then
he did still fear Father might simply undo it once he woke from the Óðinnsleep. But at least it
would allow him to properly help his brother until such time, instead of being hardly more
than a liability. Besides, if it did come to war with Jötunheimr as Thor definitely feared it
might, as he doubted Laufey-King could be trusted to hold to any kind of peace truce, then
Loki would undoubtedly need him to lead the warriors in battle and ensure people properly
listened to and obeyed him.

"I assume those spies saw Heimdallr allow Lady Sif and the Warriors Three passage to
Miðgarðr?" Thor asked.

"Aye, and 'twas when they went to confront him about it that Heimdallr attempted to kill your
brother," Frigga confirmed, her hand tightening on Thor's arm once more as she said it.

"And that was all it took?"

"From what I have heard, Loki feared Heimdallr's reaction and so cloaked all of their
presences and allowed an illusion of himself to confront Heimdallr, who thought 'twas simply
the two of them."

Thor knew those illusions of his brother's well, Loki had used them on many an occasion
when they were off traveling in the other realms. Though he was oft loath to use them, Thor
had to admit, at least to himself, that they were very impressive. He himself could not tell
them apart from his brother on those occasions when Loki elected to use them against him.
He had to resort to using methods such as striking Mjǫllnir against the ground in order to
unbalance his brother and thus disrupt Loki's concentration and the seiðr holding the illusions
in place. That was a guaranteed way of revealing which of the many Lokis was his brother.

"So he tricked him," Thor concluded with a nod.

"Nay!" Frigga scolded, sharply. "He used cunning and seiðr in order to uncover precisely
how far Heimdallr's treasonous actions would go. If Loki had not done so, then we might
never have known the full extent of Heimdallr's níð and it could have endangered us all."

His mother's use of the word níð discomforted Thor, but he had to admit that it fit the
situation well. What Heimdallr had done was truly despicable and the ultimate dishonor an
Einherjar could commit. It broke all of his oaths and was the worst possible betrayal of the
crown possible. On some level it still felt surreal to think Heimdallr of all people had been
the one to do it. It jarred badly with all Thor had thought of the man and how much he had
trusted the former gatekeeper's judgment and honor.

How could he have been so badly deceived by him?

How had Thor not seen it at all?

He would have to ask Loki exactly what it had been which had made his brother suspicious
of the former gatekeeper, so he knew what to look for in the future. Thor even had to resist
the urge to go out and question all of the Einherjar assigned to his mother, in order to be
certain there was not another traitor amongst them. Not that his mother was a defenseless
damsel, but even the best of them could be caught off-guard if in the company of those they
trusted.

"It will take time to fully sink in, I fear," Thor finally admitted. "It still seems too unreal to
me. I trusted Heimdallr!"

"So did I, and I know your father did as well," Frigga replied. "Óðinn will be furious when he
wakes up. After everything your father did for him, this is how Heimdallr repays him? By
attempting to kill his son? I have had to stop myself from going down to the dungeons more
than once and killing him myself!"

"Mother!" Thor exclaimed, shocked.

"What?" Frigga snapped, eyes flashing even as she clenched her fists. "He tried to kill my
baby!"

If the situation were not so serious, Thor would laugh. It had been a long time since he had
heard Mother call Loki that as his brother had long since complained at being called her baby
and it had been centuries since their mother had slipped and used it around either of them,
though Thor had always doubted she had given it up entirely. Though there were only a few
decades age difference between himself and Loki, the fact his brother was the younger of the
two, and that Loki had spent so much time with their mother, learning seiðr, had meant he
had always been her baby far more than Thor had ever been. Though Thor had admitted to
himself he had been somewhat envious of the close bond his mother and Loki shared, he had
never actually felt any desire to learn seiðr himself, nor to go through all of the teasing and
social disgrace Loki had gained from it all as a result.

'Twas highly ironic that the kenning should come back now of all times, when Loki was the
single most powerful man within the Nine Realms. Somehow, he did not think his brother
would be particularly amused and he would make certain to tell Loki of it later. His brother
might quite possibly need the grounding at the moment.

"I know," Thor replied. "But we cannot interfere with Loki's ruling at the trial."

"Oh, I know that, and 'tis part of what has stayed my impulse," Frigga admitted, before
smiling wickedly at him. "Besides, I would not want to deprive Heimdallr of all of the
pleasure of his full sentence."

"What?" Thor questioned, confused. "I thought Loki had sentenced him to lifelong
imprisonment rather than execution."

"Aye, exactly."

Thor felt he was missing something. Surely execution was a far worse punishment than
prolonged imprisonment? To have one's head taken in such an ignoble manner was the worst
way for a once honorable warrior to go, as it signified a complete fall from grace and honor.
He was almost afraid to ask, though, as 'twas at times like this the darkness within his mother
and brother came out the most, and he was not certain he could handle seeing it now of all
times on top of everything else which was already going on.

"Has anything else happened that I should be aware of?" Thor asked instead, feeling slightly
cowardly in doing so.

"Let me see," Frigga replied, lightly biting her lower lip. "I do not believe so. Almost
everything has been focused on the war and the attempts to bring Laufey-King to the
negotiating table."

"Yngvarr did tell me Loki has started preparing the army."

"Well he had to, in case the negotiations fail."

"Do you think they will? Birgir mentioned Loki was actually considering giving back the
Casket of Ancient Winters," Thor said in disbelief. "Please tell me that is not true! Loki
would not be so stupid, right?"

"'Tis not as simple as that, there are complications."

"Like what?"

"Well, apparently the Casket is far more than we ever realized it to be at first," Frigga
explained. "Your father first started to suspect it not long after he had taken it from
Jötunheimr."

"More? More than what? A weapon and means of transport?"

"Aye. Did you know that it was also known as the heart of Jötunheimr?"

"Nay, I do not think so," Thor frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"Well we used to think that 'twas simply another name for it, something more flowery and
fanciful than the Casket of Ancient Winters. 'Tis an incredibly ancient artefact after all, and a
magical one at that. Those tend to build up almost mystical connotations over time as well as
myths and legends. Your father thought that was all it was with the Casket as well."

"But 'twas not?"

"Nay, unfortunately not."

"Then what?"

"It seems that 'tis called the heart of Jötunheimr because the Casket of Ancient Winters is, in
fact, critical to the actual survival of Jötunheimr itself."

"What do you mean critical to the survival of Jötunheimr itself? Critical how?"

"What did you see when you were on Jötunheimr?" Frigga asked.

"See? Not much, as there was not much to see. Simply ice, snow and darkness."

"Precisely. That seems to be all that Jötunheimr has become since the end of the war and the
loss of the Casket."

"Are you saying it used to be different?" Thor asked, horrified. "That there used to be more to
Jötunheimr?"

"Aye, though it has always been one of the colder realms, it used to have far more life and
light than it has now. There were once seasons and a far richer variety of both fauna and
flora. The ice blooms and ice foxes of Jötunheimr in particular were well known and much
sought after among the other realms. Trade with the jötnar also provided a steady stream of
precious jewels, sapphires and multihued diamonds in particular, though there were a variety
of other ice gems that were popular amongst the vanir and ljósálfar in particular. Much like
the rubies and fire gems which come from Múspellsheimr now in fact."

It almost seemed like his mother was speaking of another realm entirely and Thor had a hard
time reconciling what he was being told with the cold and barren landscape he had witnessed
while on Jötunheimr. Could it truly be the realm had regressed so much simply because of the
loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters? But how could the artefact he had always seen down
in the vault be so critical to the survival of Jötunheimr?

"But, how?" Thor demanded.

"That I do not fully understand myself, but Vé said that it seems that the Casket somehow ties
into Jötunheimr's magical core and helps to balance and maintain it, so without the Casket it
has become unbalanced and 'tis that which has so badly affected the planet."
"Wait, planets have magical cores? What, like seiðberandi do?"

His mother turned to look at him with a confused frown. "Did your father not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"About the Óðinnforce and Ásgarðr?"

Thor was all confused now. What did this have to do with what they had been having words
about? "Nay."

Frigga cursed once, making Thor's eyes go wide. "It looks like I will have even more to
reprove Óðinn on then. The timing, at least, is good, since I was nearly finished having words
with him about the other issue."

"Other issue?" Thor asked, hesitantly.

Though not often, he had seen his parents argue a few times and each and every time had
been quite memorable. Thor had learned much from those instances, the most important of
which was that his mother could be a very scary woman when she wanted to be. Even his
father seemed to struggle to gain any headway with her when she was on a roll and truly
angry about something. He felt pity for his father, what with him being completely unable to
even so much as defend himself from her at the moment.

"'Tis not important," Frigga waved off. "What your father should have told you is that for all
that 'tis named the Óðinnforce, the power actually comes from Ásgarðr itself and not your
father."

"Father does not have seiðr?"

"Of course he does, but what we call the Óðinnforce is not his own, natural seiðr. 'Tis seiðr
from Ásgarðr itself, from her magical core," his mother explained. "All realms have one
though the more magical ones - Ásgarðr, Álfheimr, Vanaheimr and Jötunheimr - have the
stronger cores. The other five realms have far weaker magical cores, which is why they are
not as renown for seiðr and there are less seiðberandi amongst their people."

That made some sense. Still...

"What is a magical core of a realm?" Thor inquired.

"'Tis much the same as the magical core of a person. It is the seat of their power and the
source of it. From there the seiðr flows and it helps to sustain life on those planets, sometimes
even being the source of it. From what your father tells me, these magical cores have become
so strong as to have their own rudimentary sentience."

"Wait, Ásgarðr is alive and aware?" Thor demanded in shock.

Planets were alive?

"In a manner of speaking," Frigga confirmed. "'Tis not quite sentience like we possess it, but
Óðinn does say Ásgarðr is aware of what happens on her and can tell him things, or guide
him towards sources of information on things which he should be aware of."

'Twas a frightening prospect and Thor was not certain he liked it in the slightest. The very
thought the ground beneath his feet could think and feel on any level slightly terrified him
and it reminded Thor why 'twas that he had always tried to steer clear of seiðr and all it
involved. Not only did it feel like cheating to use it, but such possibilities had always scared
him a little.

"Why do you think Father should have told me of this?" Thor asked, still confused on that.

"Because, as king, you would have gained access to it all. To be connected to Ásgarðr
directly as your father and Loki are even now," Frigga explained.

Thor looked at her in shock. "You and Father want me to access seiðr like that? The
Óðinnforce?"

"Of course, dear. Had you not realized that would come with the crown?"

"Nay!" Thor denied sharply and slightly panicked. "I did not even know about realms having
magical cores before this."

"Aye, but surely you knew about the fact you would gain control of the Óðinnforce when
ascending to Hliðskjálf."

"Nay, how would I?"

Unable to remain seated, Thor rose to his feet and started to pace about his living chamber.
How could he not have known about something so important when he had been only a few
words away from becoming king himself? Why had his father not told him about this? Surely
he should have had some warning before having it thrust upon him! Though he had little
personal experience with seiðr, he had watched his brother perform it oft enough to know that
it took concentration and skill, neither of which he had when it came to seiðr. Nor did he have
any interest to learn it either.

"Did your tutors never make mention of it to you?" Frigga asked, worry in her eyes now.
"Though they are unaware of the source of the Óðinnforce, they should be aware that 'tis a
power passed from king to king, from father to son."

"They did not."

Or had they and he had simply not been listening? 'Twas a distinct possibility if they had
mentioned it along with any of the other boring stuff like diplomacy or the particulars of
Ásgarðr's laws. He would have others to deal with those issues for him, so why should he be
bogged down with those types of items when he would have far more important things to
deal with like wars or battles?
 When Thor looked back over at his mother, he suddenly felt like a small lad again at the look
she was giving him. 'Twas that particular cross between disappointed and disapproval, mixed
in with reprobation and that particular look which told Thor she knew he might not be being
entirely honest with her. He was not quite certain how she managed to pull it off, but when he
had mentioned it to Loki, his brother had instantly known what he meant, so he was certain
'twas an actual look.

"Thor, you were about to be coronated less than a week ago and you did not even know some
of the basics of being Ásgarðr's king?" Frigga inquired softly.

'Twas the volume which truly bothered Thor. Why could his mother not simply raise her
voice like Father did? At least then he would know exactly how angry she was with him.
Why did she have to make it about disappointment? He fought not to squirm.

"It did not seem important," Thor finally replied.

"Not important? The most powerful force on Ásgarðr and quite possibly one of the most
powerful forces in all of the Nine?"

Well, when put thus...

"The king of Ásgarðr should not need to rely on something like that," Thor replied.

Chapter End Notes

What can I say? I do not believe that strongly held beliefs go away at the drop of a hat
(or a kick to Earth). It takes hard work and a genuine willingness to change 'em - and it
definitely takes time to do so (we're only still on day 6!).

I'm off to watch the latest episode of Loki now!

Old Norse:

ergi - term of insult, "unmanliness"

níð - related to social stigma, dishonor & the status of a villain

Up next week: More of the conversation & back to the negotiations!

 Chapter 26
Chapter Notes

Wow, just wow, your response to the last chapter was amazing. Clearly I struck a nerve
there :)

Here's the continuation of that scene, along with the rest of the 1st day of negotiations.
Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Oh, Ásgarðr's king should not need to rely on Ásgarðr herself? Then how is he to know if
something is wrong? Or if there is danger approaching which no one else has detected?"
Frigga asked. "Or how is he to do what your brother did and transfer Heimdallr's All-Sight
from one who is a traitor and would-be king slayer, to a loyal former Einherjar who was
willing to sacrifice his life for the royal family, only to be severely crippled and was still
willing to serve despite all of that?"

And now Thor felt even more like a little lad than he had already been feeling. He needed to
learn how it was that his mother did this as it would be a capable weapon if harnessed
properly. Not to mention how well it would put anyone who dared to speak or act out against
him in their place. The way Loki still continued to both question him in public and try to
influence his actions proved he had yet to master a technique which worked even half as well
as his mother's did with himself and his brother. Or their father, now that Thor thought on it.
He had seen his mother manage to put Father in place with simply a few well-placed words.
It had been both entertaining and frightening to watch as his father was the most powerful
man in the Nine Realms and there she was, his mother making him seem like a naughty lad
just like himself or Loki.

"Well then, Thor, please tell me how you would have handled the situation without the
Óðinnforce," Frigga challenged.

"What, with Heimdallr?"

"Aye. Imagine you were in Loki's place, and you had to find a way to both punish Heimdallr
and ensure the Bifröst was still left with a capable gatekeeper who could ensure only those
who were worthy or invited reached Ásgarðr."

Oh, Thor had not even considered that. He had realized what it meant for Höðr to possess
Heimdallr's All-Sight, but not the fact that 'twas so very necessary and vital for the operation
of the Bifröst itself. How else would the gatekeeper know to open it for those wishing to
return to Ásgarðr after all? Or know that someone who was elsewhere was in trouble and
needed rescuing or aid?
Thor swallowed thickly as he tried desperately to think of an answer.

"Well?" Frigga demanded, sharply. "What would you have done, Thor?"

"I do not know!" Thor snapped back. "I have not had the proper time to think on it."

"Do not snap at me, young man! All I have done is challenge your assumption that you do
not need the Óðinnforce to be able to rule properly. Additional time would not make this
problem any easier to handle as there is no other viable solution short of opening the Bifröst
at predictable intervals to either every realm or those to which citizens of Ásgarðr have
traveled, both of which would present a significant security risk. What Loki did is the only
reasonable solution and 'twas one that no one else had even considered. 'Tis why Heimdallr
had become both so comfortable and secure in his position as he did. He felt unique, and
therefore irreplaceable and self-important."

The lecture and reproach made Thor glance down. How was it that when his father told him
off, he was able to rouse his anger and argue his point while, when his mother did the same
thing, all he wanted to do was sink into the floor? It did not help that he could not think of
any good counter argument at the moment. He was certain there had to be another way to
have handled the situation, one which did not rely on the use of seiðr, he simply could not
think of it at present. Nor did it help that he was as incapacitated as he was now.

"I think I am beginning to understand why 'twas your father felt the need to punish you so
severely," Frigga stated.

"What?" Thor asked, his head snapping back up in shock.

"Did you know I had gone to him after I heard of it and argued with him about it?"

"Nay, how would I?"

"Well, I did, but he refused to budge, saying he was a king first and had to think about the
future of the kingdom and that 'twas vital you learn this lesson. I am now ashamed to say I
did not agree with him then."

"But you do now?"

"Seeing how poorly you were prepared for Hliðskjálf, aye, I do."

The words stung and Thor flinched back from them, unaccountably wretched. How could his
own mother speak thus?

"What? Simply because I do not think a king should be so beholden on seiðr?" Thor asked.

"'Tis not simply that, but the fact you are allowing your pride to interfere with seeing it, does
play a role," Frigga confirmed.

"My pride?"

"What would you call it?"

"An alternative point of view."

"Oh, so now you would attempt to be diplomatic."

"'Tis true!"

"Nay, Thor, 'tis not. A true king admits when he is wrong and knows when he is not capable
of doing things the way he would most like or prefer to. A good king will use any and all
means at his disposal in order to do what is best for his kingdom and his people. Which does
not mean recklessly running off and starting a war with a hostile realm for nothing more than
wounded pride!"

"The jötnar invaded Ásgarðr!"

"A few jötnar infiltrated the vault, aye, but we have no proof they were here on Laufey's
orders or that they were anything more than a few rogue jötnar attempting to steal back the
Casket of Ancient Winters in a rather desperate attempt to save their very realm from dying.
Would you not make such an attempt if it were Ásgarðr that had lost its heart?"

"I..." Thor trailed off. "Aye, I would."

"Even if your father had ordered you not to?"

"If Ásgarðr were truly dying without it? Then aye, I would even then."

"As would I," Frigga admitted freely, startling Thor.

"You would commit treason?"

"In those specific circumstances and if Óðinn had no good reason for keeping me from doing
so, aye. But I would need for there to be a genuine chance of success, which the jötnar who
came probably thought there was when the portal appeared."

"Portal, what portal?" Thor demanded.

"I had forgotten you would not have heard. When Loki went back to the vault afterwards, he
discovered there was a portal there leading directly to Jötunheimr."

Thor almost hesitated to ask. "What type of portal?"

The sigh his mother let out made Thor hunch his shoulders. Seiðr studies were boring and
tedious, especially when there were far more entertaining and worthy things to learn, like
battle strategies or fighting techniques!

"Portals are connections that form between the Nine Realms via fluctuations and branchings
of the Yggdrasill," Frigga explained briefly. "Once they form, anyone can simply step
through them and be in the other realm as easily and quickly as they would be if they had
used the Bifröst."
Even Thor could see why his mother would have thought 'twas rather important he knew this.
Why had his tutors not made it this clear instead of bogging it all down with tedious theory
and speculation?

"Are they spontaneous or can they be made or forced into existence?" Thor asked.

"We know they can definitely form spontaneously as it has been observed. Many seiðberandi
additionally speculate it should also be possible for someone strong enough in seiðr to create
one as well, but to my knowledge it has never been proven. Well, not without the aid of an
object of great power such as the Tesseract."

"So 'tis purely random then?"

"Aye."

"So then 'twas spectacularly bad luck one opened directly into the vault," Thor stated.

"Exactly, which to me lends credence to the idea the jötnar who came through might have
done so entirely of their own volition. The simple opportunity might have been too much for
them to resist given how important the Casket of Ancient Winters is to their very survival,"
Frigga stated.

"Can anyone find a portal?"

"Anyone could stumble upon it, certainly, but to find one without such luck takes training and
knowledge of seiðr. Your brother told Vé he can hear portals as they emit the song of the
Yggdrasill."

Thor stared at her. "The Yggdrasill has a song?"

"'Tis something which Loki has mentioned before, back when he was first learning seiðr and
was very young. He said at times he could almost hear music when he was studiously
concentrating on what he was learning and reaching out with his seiðr. I did not know he had
identified a source for the music, but I do distinctly recall the expression which would
overcome him when he was able to hear it. It made his whole face go soft and it always made
me think it had to be a beautiful song indeed to elicit such a reaction from your brother."

It did indeed as Loki had always seemed quite critical of a lot of music, oft only giving praise
very sparingly even when they had some of the most renowned or accomplished musicians in
to perform for court. With vocalists 'twas a different story entirely, but with pure
instrumentals Loki had always seemed unusually picky, even for his brother. Thor could not
help but wonder now if 'twas because Loki was comparing it, either knowingly or
unknowingly, to this song of the Yggdrasill. If so, then he could understand why his brother
might have found all living music wanting in comparison to the very sound of the World Tree
itself. It made that particular quirk of his brother's so much easier to comprehend.

"Thus Loki was able to find the portal from its sound?" Thor checked.

"Aye."
"And would the jötnar have been able to do the same?"

"Potentially, or one of their seiðberandi might have another means of finding them. I believe
that Ásgarðr has guided your father towards more than one present here."

"Exactly how many portals are there on Ásgarðr?"

"I do not know, you would need to ask your father or brother."

Thor would make certain to do so. If he was to become king later, he would need to know all
places from whence potential enemies would be able to enter the realm. He assumed his
father had protections set up at each one already, but he would want to check them out for
himself. One could not be too careful when it came to the defense of the realm.

"I should leave you to sleep," Frigga stated as she rose to her feet. "You look like you could
use it."

"I do, the mortals would not let me sleep last night, I believe 'twas because I would not
answer all of their questions about Ásgarðr and our ability to send people to Miðgarðr," Thor
replied.

"I can understand how the Bifröst might be scary to them at their present level of
development."

"'Tis actually a lot further along than I had realized," Thor admitted. "Some of their people
are surprisingly knowledgeable. There was this one woman, Lady Jane, who was already well
on her way towards uncovering the science that once led our ancestors to originally creating
the Bifröst itself. They are not yet anywhere near it, but they are beginning to understand the
basics behind it."

"'Tis surprising indeed, and you will need to tell me all about it, and this Lady Jane, once you
have had some rest."

"Will you go back to Father?"

"Nay, 'twas about time for Lady Eir to come back and tell me to leave your father's chamber
for a while," Frigga replied. "She is keeping a close watch on how long I spend there and
how much I sleep and eat."

"We cannot afford to have you fall ill as well, Mother."

"I know, dear, which is why I shall go eat and partake of some fresh air before returning to
your father to give him that lecture he so obviously needs."

Thor grimaced but did not try to convince her otherwise. He had long ago learned he could
not change her mind on matters of this nature once she had determined they were necessary.

"I bid you a good day then, Mother, and I shall come find you once I wake once more," Thor
promised.
"Until then, Thor," Frigga leaned forward to kiss his cheek before taking her leave.

Suddenly weary with all he had learned, Thor started to pull off his clothes as he made his
way to his bedchamber, dropping the garments on the floor as he went. He then simply
collapsed straight on his bed, rolling just enough to be able to pull the furs over him. He did
not think he had missed his own bed this much since that particular adventure to Álfheimr
where they had been caught out in the rain and had spent several days soaking wet despite
their best efforts to find shelter. It had been a miserable time and by the end of it everyone
had been in a foul mood.

As Loki had feared, it took nearly all day to sort out the minutia of the peace talks themselves
and he was not entirely certain if 'twas the best idea to move straight on into discussing what
had caused the breakdown in the old peace treaty. Patience had already worn thin and
tempers were likely to be easily frayed as a result. However, covering this now would mean
they would be able to start the talks tomorrow on a more positive note rather than spending
the morning arguing over who had committed the worse offence.

A quick glance over at Lord Aðalgrímr showed the man seemed inclined to continue from the
subtle signal he sent Loki's way. Still, they were not alone in this.

"Shall we continue on to discussing the events of the past few days before breaking for the
day?" Loki asked, looking directly at Laufey-King.

His birth father looked at him in consideration before nodding his assent. "I believe it would
be best."

"Fine," Loki replied, taking a breath before continuing on in a neutral voice. "The first we
knew of anything was when Óðinn All-Father paused in the middle of my brother's
coronation ceremony and said 'jötnar'."

'Twas a slight lie, but Loki thought it far better than admitting King Óðinn had used the
speciest slur frost giant. That would definitely not go down well.

"Father, Thor and I then went down to the vault," Loki continued. "There we found the
remains of three jötnar and the slain bodies of two Einherjar. The Casket of Ancient Winters
had been removed from its pedestal."

"How were the jötnar slain?" Helblindi-Princex inquired.

Loki's lips twitched at the question. He wondered if 'twas a deliberate attempt to fish for
information, or simply an innocent question asked without realization of the security
implications involved.

"One of the vault's security features," General Týr replied with a slightly less neutral tone.

"This attack on your sovereignty was not authorized by me," Laufey-King stated
unequivocally.
'Twas exactly what Loki and the High Council had expected him to say regardless of whether
or not 'twas true. Unlike everyone else present on the æsir side, though, Loki already knew it
to be a lie and so merely observed his birth father's expression to see how good of a liar that
Laufey was. It turned out that he was a rather impressive one, not that Loki had truly
expected it to be anything else as a king as notorious for deception and deceit did not become
thus if he had always failed to make his lies believable. Still, 'twas better for him that Laufey
denied any involvement in the attack as otherwise it would become known there had been an
æsir involved and Loki was not entirely certain if he could believably spin things to make it
look like 'twas either Heimdallr or one of his brother's friends and the absolute last thing he
needed at present was to have General Týr instigate a hunt for another traitor. The man would
not stop until Týr thought he had unmasked the perpetrator.

Therefore Loki nodded once as if to accept Laufey's proclamation. "Óðinn All-Father had
also considered this possibility," he simply said.

What Loki would not say was that Óðinn had been willing to leave things at that. It would
lose them any leverage the attack represented in the crucial who started it question that would
inevitably follow during the actual negotiations tomorrow. The instigator would normally be
expected to provide some sort of concession to prove their contrition that the act had led to
the new declaration of war. While Loki knew better than to expect Laufey to actually offer
any kind of apology, the fact the jötnar had made the first move could be enough to make his
birth father accept a condition later on he otherwise might not without a matching concession
on Ásgarðr's part.

"But your brother did not," Gunnlöð-Lairde said, leadingly.

"Thor did not," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed, deliberately leaving out Thor's title as they had
agreed. "He decided, on his own and against his father's orders, to travel to Jötunheimr to
obtain answers."

"Obtain is such a soft word for what he did," Laufey retorted. "Come charging in, demanding
answers while insulting my people is far more accurate."

"As you say," Loki conceded, not wanting to get caught up arguing semantics at this point
when Laufey's description was far more accurate.

"They too were the actions of one acting without the authority of the king," Lord Aðalgrímr
continued. "As you say the jötnar killed in the vault were."

"There is a big difference between three nameless and faceless subjects acting in such a
manner without authorization and a crown prince and heir doing so," Laufey countered.
"Especially one who would have been crowned king but for a last-minute interruption."

And therein lay the real crux of the problem on their end. Though Loki knew well that any
one of the three jötnar who had invaded Ásgarðr could quite possibly have been easily linked
to Laufey, the efficiency of the Destroyer was such there was not enough left of any of them
to make any kind of identification possible. Thus, while the first act had been jötnar, the
bigger one had definitely been æsir. It would make the negotiations tomorrow interesting, to
say the least.
"Your brother also came looking for war," Laufey-King continued boldly.

"He came demanding answers for the attack on Ásgarðr," Loki countered immediately. "He
was concerned for his people and the safety of the Realm. If one group of jötnar managed to
reach Ásgarðr, then there was always the possibility of more following."

"I answered his questions and told him to leave, giving him the chance to walk away without
further escalating the situation any more than he already had."

"You made an accusation of there being traitors within the House of Óðinn," Loki shot back,
knowing if he avoided mentioning it entirely that he could rouse his birth father's suspicions
and he had seen enough to know he did not want that.

If Laufey were to start thinking Loki did not want it mentioned, then his birth father might
start to make connections which Loki did not want Laufey to make. 'Twas not like there were
a great many seiðberandi on Ásgarðr powerful enough to have opened a portal as he had, and
he was practically the only seiðberandi other than Óðinn who could do it. Though Loki
doubted the All-Father possessed the necessary knowledge to do so. Therefore, if Laufey
began to grow suspicious, then 'twas entirely possible the man would be able to deduce Loki
had been the mysterious Ásgarðrian who had aided him in bringing some warriors into the
vault, and 'twas the absolute last thing Loki could afford. 'Twas one thing for Heimdallr to
make seemingly baseless accusations against him, but if Laufey-King were to start saying the
same thing, well then it all might become a lot more believable to people.

"And your brother accused me of having sent those jötnar," Laufey responded, seemingly
dismissive of his former words.

Good. Loki had hoped Laufey would seek to distance himself from them because, if he did
not, then his birth father would almost have to admit to having had prior knowledge of the
attack on Ásgarðr. Otherwise, why would he know there was a traitor within the House of
Óðinn?

"As I recall, you tried to be the voice of reason for your brother but, not only were you
ignored, you were told to mind your place," Laufey continued. "Ironic then that 'tis you who
sits here before me now rather than him."

And there it was, the expected attempt to flatter him into feeling favorably towards Laufey
and the jötnar. It might have worked, too, if Loki were not quite so aware of the tactic nor so
averse to being king long-term.

"One of your men then deliberately provoked Thor," Lord Aðalgrímr rushed to add, as if
seeking to distract everyone from what Laufey had just tried.

Loki made certain to glance away as if uncomfortable at getting acknowledgement from the
enemy where he was not used to receiving it from his own family. He hoped it worked as he
was not able to see its effect on Laufey.

"A verbal insult does not justify a physical attack," Thrymm-General protested. "Thor was
the one to initiate physical violence."
"In this attack," General Týr reminded him. "'Twas during the jötnar attack on Ásgarðr that
the first casualties fell and they were æsir, not jötnar."

"You have two dead guards, while we have two hundred and sixty-four dead warriors,"
Gunnlöð-Lairde countered. "Your attack was the greater."

"Our attack was provoked and in response to your breach of the peace treaty."

"Additionally you, Laufey-King, were personally involved in the second attack," Loki added.

As the jötnar did not know how the Destroyer operated, they would not be aware Óðinn had
deliberately ordered it to attack even though it would have done so on its own if given a few
more seconds.

"My people were being attacked by invaders from a foreign Realm in direct violation of our
peace treaty with them, of course I became involved and activated additional security
features," Laufey retorted. "You would have too in my position."

'Twas not truly an argument Loki could disagree with, so he simply held Laufey's gaze for a
while instead.

"Given the peculiarities of the situation, I do not believe we would reach an agreement on
responsibility even with external mediation," Lord Aðalgrímr said, after a few minutes.

Laufey snorted and turned his head to look at the diplomat, allowing Loki to shift his gaze to
the rest of the jötnar party. Helblindi-Princex was looking at him and quickly shifted his gaze,
though Loki noted that his sibling's eyes turned to glance back in his direction shortly
afterwards. He wished he knew enough about the jötunn princex to know what they might be
thinking. As 'twas, it could be anything from surprise or disapproval to his challenging
Laufey-King so directly, to simple curiosity about an æsir king, let alone one so close in age
to Helblindi themself. The abruptness of his own rise to power and the throne could be
making Helblindi think of how quickly things could change for themself. Loki wondered if
Helblindi being king now would make things better or worse for Ásgarðr. Better, he would
think from everything that he and Lord Aðalgrímr had already observed and witnessed, but
he was not blind to the possibility all of it could be an act predetermined by Laufey-King
himself in order to lure them into some kind of trap or sense of complacency.

Loki would need to ensure they did not concede to anything over the next few days in the
hopes of appeasing Laufey-King, and then seeking to renegotiate once Helblindi-Princex was
on the throne as it could all be a ruse on the jötnar part to make them think Helblindi would
be more open to change and a lessening of tensions later when they truly was not and would
not be.

"I believe that is a fair assessment," Gunnlöð-Lairde agreed.

Not that it surprised Loki as the only alternative was to take the blame themselves, which the
High Council had known ahead of time Laufey would never do, even if it had all been
premeditated on his part. Which 'twas - with more than a little provocation and aid.
For once, even Loki was tired of all of the word games, second guessing and counter
stepping. 'Twas surprisingly tiring being the only one to know the full truth of what had
happened and balancing everything out with all the different people involved who each knew
different amounts of information and none of whom even suspected (at this point anyway!)
that he knew it all.

"Given that, may I suggest we end here for the day and reconvene tomorrow morning?" Lord
Aðalgrímr suggested.

"That would be acceptable," Gunnlöð-Lairde replied, after glancing at Laufey. "The same
time?"

"Unless you would prefer a different one."

"Slightly earlier would be preferable, to take into account the increasing time shift between
our two Realms."

"Very well, shall we say two hours earlier then?"

"Aye."

'Twas all very accommodating and, to some extent, it surprised Loki even though he knew
Laufey had not initially wanted a war, though his birth father had not hesitated to declare one
after Thor had attacked even when Óðinn had pressed for peace. Loki could understand that,
however, given the number of jötnar casualties. When all was said and done, Laufey still had
subjects who expected him to stand up for them to some extent. Still, the cooperation here of
Gunnlöð-Lairde, at least, showed Laufey was still amenable to peace, though he did not
doubt that his birth father would try his utmost best to obtain as much from Ásgarðr over the
next few days as 'twas possible to get.

Loki almost looked forward to that particular part of the negotiations, as he knew Laufey
would almost certainly be forced to accept things which his birth father did not want to and
Loki would take all the pleasure he could from that without feeling guilty. The man had left
him to die as a helpless infant for nothing more than being íviðja, so 'twas only right for him
to get his revenge wherever he could obtain it.

"You will bring the Casket of Ancient Winters back tomorrow?" Laufey suddenly asked.

"'Twas my intention," Loki replied.

He could have used it as leverage to gain something, but he and Lord Aðalgrímr had agreed
against General Týr's protests that it would be another gesture of goodwill on their parts if the
jötnar had been behaving themselves, and Loki could not say they had not. All of their
clashes so far had been mostly civil and only veered off course a few times and then never
too far, all things considered. Overall he would term today a huge success, given all of the
pitfalls they had navigated thus far.

"Good," Laufey stated.

With that his birth father rose to his feet, which seemed to be the trigger for everyone else to
do so as well.

"If you would meet me back in the corridor outside, I shall escort you back to the Bifröst
site," Lord Ragnvaldr said, looking at Gunnlöð-Lairde as he did so.

"Very well," Gunnlöð-Lairde replied.

"King Loki."

Loki looked over at the call and found Laufey motioning for him to join him near the center
of the hall. He tilted his head for a moment, catching General Týr's concerned look out of the
corner of his eye along with their prearranged signal to be careful and consider precautionary
tactics such as utilizing a double or preparing to teleport himself. He had taken great
satisfaction at having his former teacher and seiðr doubter wishing to rely on such tactics and
powers now.

Curious despite himself, Loki moved forwards to join his birth father, forgoing the use of an
illusion for now as it would indicate fear on his part should it be discovered. Besides, 'twas
not like Laufey could burn him with his touch and, while a direct physical attack was
possible, he was not entirely certain Laufey would have sat through a whole day of tedious
talks simply to so blatantly kill him at the end of it. Or try to do so.

"Laufey-King," Loki acknowledged as he stopped not far from his counterpart.

The jötunn king took a step closer and Loki could almost feel the Einherjar stiffen from
across the hall. The amused twitching of Laufey's lips told him that at least one of his guards
was not as subtle at disguising his concern as he could be.

"Your guards are frightened for you," Laufey noted quietly.

"We are further down the line of succession than anyone ever seriously thought we would
be," Loki replied, voice pitched to match his birth father's tone and volume.

He saw no reason to sugar coat things, not when they all knew exactly why there was so
much concern for him.

"Aye, and here you stand facing one of your oldest enemies, well within striking distance,"
Laufey said, responding with the same brutal honesty.

Loki gave him a predatory smile. "The same can be said for you, and I guarantee, my striking
distance is far longer than yours."

"Is it now, little fox?"

The kenning nearly undid all of Loki's composure as dark hatred swelled hard and fast within
him and nearly rushed in over his rational mind. He shifted and moved his free arm behind
him so he could clench his fist and force it still. 'Twas kept out of sight from his own people
as well as his birth father by his cape.
"'Twas not my intention to offend," Laufey said a moment later, and Loki realized something
must have slipped through, most likely on his face. "I have seen your skill in battle with
knives after all."

That was a concession, Loki realized dimly, and he forced the hatred down. Laufey was very
much attempting to regain the Casket of Ancient Winters the peaceful way, and the man
clearly understood he could only do so through him. Loki simply had not expected for his
birth father to be quite so upfront about it. Or at least so blatant, he supposed. But 'twas his
own fault for allowing their past history to cloud his thinking on the matter. Laufey knew
naught that the king he was trying to woo now was the same person as the infant he had left
to die in the ice and snow of Jötunheimr well over a thousand years ago. And why would he?
Laufey had probably long since thought that child dead and gone. 'Twas quite possible he had
never even returned to the temple to check and see if his plan had worked. And why would
Laufey? 'Twas impossible for a mere babe to survive something like that.

"Am I to take it you simply enjoy teasing my guards then?" Loki finally asked.

Laufey let his lips twitch upwards ever so slightly. "'Tis a small pleasure, to be sure."

Despite himself, 'twas a sentiment Loki could sympathize with as he had done it himself
before, simply to see his guards or those of his father twitch. Thor had also been quite fond of
it in his youth as well, oft attempting to see if he could break the concentration of the
Einherjar meant to stand along Valaskjálf with a straight face. Most had outlasted his easily
bored brother, but there had been a few memorable times when Thor's legendary
stubbornness had kicked in and he had refused to leave until at least one of the Einherjar had
cracked and reacted in one way or another.

"Besides, I do genuinely think we can achieve something," Laufey continued. "As I

mentioned earlier and in my letter to you before, it did not escape my notice that, had you
been in charge of the excursion to Jötunheimr, that there would have been no attack or
casualties that day."

"There would have been no excursion to begin with," Loki retorted.

"Even better."

"In that case, I look forward to tomorrow's discussions."

Laufey's eyes went past Loki to where the Casket of Ancient Winters stood, before returning
to him. "Me too, King Loki."

"Laufey-King," Loki nodded back, before turning and walking over to the Casket of Ancient
Winters.

"Everything all right?" General Týr asked, coming over to stand beside him.

"Aye," Loki reassured as he watched the jötnar gather together and leave. "He was simply
attempting to further ingratiate himself with me ahead of tomorrow."
 "Of all the tactics he could have chosen to use, 'tis one of the better ones from my
perspective, at least."

"You only say that as it makes him less likely to make an offensive move against me in the
interim."

"True, but it also indicates Laufey might actually think negotiation will gain him what he
wants," General Týr said. "It makes me more hopeful than I was before that this might
achieve something."

"Such optimism, General," Lord Aðalgrímr teased as he joined them. "You may want to be
careful, or we will think you possessed."

Loki laughed at the expression that crossed Týr's face at the mere suggestion.

"I merely point out that Laufey is not one to put this much effort into a deception," General
Týr protested. "He is more direct in his actions."

"And as such the current ploy makes more sense," Loki concluded. "Aye, I do realize that
and, if Laufey-King has not learned any new tricks, then 'tis a good sign indeed."

"But you do not want to take it for granted," Lord Aðalgrímr guessed.

"Nay, and besides, even if it means what we think it does, that does not preclude him from
attempting to gain each and every advantage he can on the morrow," Loki added as he picked
up the Casket after handing Gungnir to General Týr.

"Aye, the real work is only just about to begin," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed.

"I hate negotiations," General Týr groused.

Chapter End Notes

Poor Loki, needing to remember who knows what and about what, while pretending he
knows nothing on most of those topics! And then dealing with Laufey who's trying to
play games of their own...

Also, remember I had decided on the whole Höðr/Heimdallr/All-Sight thing well before
I saw Thor: Ragnarök and how they handled the Bifröst issue. I still say their way was a
cheap copout that doesn't work with what was said in previous movies like Thor: The
Dark World. So, yes, I didn't alter Frigga and Thor's opinions on the problem in this
chapter.

Up next week: Loki returns to Ásgarðr and he & Thor meet...

 Chapter 27
Chapter Notes

Finally Thor and Loki meet in this fic... it only took nearly 140k words!

I hope you enjoy it! :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By the time they had returned to Ásgarðr, Loki was ready to turn in for the day, but he knew
his work was far from done yet. Still, it felt good to return to Himinbjörg and find Höðr
waiting for them. His old guard's eyes immediately scanned him over, assessing him and his
health as Höðr had so oft done in the past, even though Loki had felt the man's eyes on them
quite frequently throughout the day. Not that he blamed Höðr, his king had been in an off-
world meeting with Ásgarðr's greatest enemy after all. Höðr would have been remiss in his
duties as gatekeeper of the Bifröst if he had not kept a protective eye on him at almost all
times.

"Has Lord Birgir successfully retrieved my brother?" Loki asked.

"Aye," Höðr replied. "They returned about mid-morning, Your Majesty."

"Good, and where is Thor now?"

Höðr's golden gaze swung towards Iðavöllr for a moment before replying. "He seems to have
reawakened and is with the queen once more."

That made things easier for him as Loki had promised his mother he would let her know
when he returned.

"Thanks, Höðr," Loki said, before he swept from Himinbjörg to the horses which were
waiting for them out on the rainbow bridge.

The return to Iðavöllr was relatively uneventful and Loki had to smile as he found
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr waiting for him at the stables when they arrived.

"Does he ever miss a beat?" Loki asked General Týr as they dismounted.

"Nay," Týr replied with a grim look. "And I would replace him if he did so now of all times."

Loki's eyebrows rose at the harsh words. "Well, I can attest he has not done so in the
slightest."
It seemed he was not the only one in need of some rest. He could only hope General Týr
would have more time to find it than he did.

"Your Majesty, General," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr greeted as they stepped over to them.
"I hope the first day went well?"

"There were no overt attempts on our lives other than with that Norns bedamned drink,"
General Týr stated. "Thus, I believe it went well."

Loki chuckled. "You truly do not like the Ymir's sýra, do you?"

"I do not understand how you were able to maintain such a straight face. Were you serious
about the fruitful comment or was it simply to disappoint Laufey?"

"'Twas truthful and I did not find it quite so bad, unusual perhaps, but not enough to make me
want to gag."

"I would wonder if we had the same drink if I did not see it being served myself," Lord
Aðalgrímr commented as he joined them. "I am with General Týr, 'tis only necessity which
makes me able to swallow it."

"And for that, Ásgarðr is thankful," Loki teased before he handed the Casket of Ancient
Winters over to the general to return to the vault. "Now if you will all excuse me, I have a
promise to keep to my mother. I shall see you both shortly in Glaðsheimr."

"Your Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr and General Týr said nearly in unison.

That would never grow on him, and Loki felt the urge to flee rise up within him at exactly
how tied down and restricted he was at the moment. 'Twas only the knowledge of how truly
desperate things would become if he did so which restrained the impulse, but 'twas an ever
growing one and Loki could only hope he was able to resist the temptation long enough for
his father to awaken. And if Óðinn did not awaken then Loki would track him down
regardless of where he had gone and drag him back to the land of the living, kicking and
screaming if need be. He would not be saddled with Hliðskjálf forever!

The walk to his father's Óðinnsleep chamber was quick and silent, Loki lost in thought about
the next day's negotiations, but those musings left him as he entered the chamber and caught
sight of his brother. Thor was sitting across from Mother on the other side of where Óðinn lay
as he slept. 'Twas both wonderful and disconcerting to see Thor again. It had only been a few
short days since the attack on Jötunheimr, and yet it almost felt like decades had passed. Was
it his imagination or did his brother look frailer than before? Surely it should not be so
immediately visible that Thor was now mortal. Or did it show to one who knew the affected
person well? Regardless, Loki could not shake the impression.

"Loki," Frigga greeted with a smile as she looked up and caught sight of him.

"Mother," Loki replied, stepping forward to embrace her when she rose to greet him.

"I am glad you are back. Did things go well on Niflheimr?"

"As well as could be expected," Loki replied, pulling back and turning to his brother who had
also risen.

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed, immediately crowding close.

The exuberance caught Loki a little off-guard and it took him a moment to realize someone
must have informed his brother of Heimdallr's assassination attempt. He figured he should be
pleased this was Thor's reaction to it rather than outright denial and demands for him to fix
the situation immediately. The only thing which was incredibly disconcerting was the fact
that for all of his brother's elation and effusion, Thor's actual grip was shockingly weak and
felt more like a gentle squeeze rather than the rib crushing embraces he was accustomed to.

"Thor," Loki replied, being careful of how much strength he used when he returned his
brother's embrace. "How do you fare? Höðr informed us of the mortals' treatment of you."

"I am well, thanks to you for retrieving me," Thor replied, pulling back. "Can we have words,
Brother?"

"That depends on how long it will take. I have a High Council meeting to discuss today's
progress with Jötunheimr and to plan for tomorrow. I was going to avoid having dinner in the
Great Hall tonight, though, so if you wish to join me in my study, we could have words then."

Thor seemed to almost hesitate for a moment. "Do you mean the king's study, or the one in
your chambers?"

"The former," Loki replied, startling at how easily he spoke of it now.

Had it only been four or five days since he had first started using it? It felt like at least a few
years. If this was how mortals experienced days, then Loki could well understand how they
might not be so discontent with only having a mere handful of decades. The conversation
also inevitably made him glance over at Óðinn, wondering what he thought of all of this. It
had always disconcerted Loki that his father was still both awake and aware to a certain
extent while in the Óðinnsleep. That the man could not see everything, he had long since
confirmed as he would have gotten into a great deal of trouble one particular time if Óðinn
had been able to see what he had been up to when his father had slipped into the Óðinnsleep
while he had been on Vanaheimr and so he had not known to be cautious until it was already
far too late.

"May I..." Thor began hesitantly, and it almost made Loki squirm to observe it. "May I join
you for the High Council meeting? I would like to help out however I can."

"I am not certain how much there is you can do like this, and I do not want to distract you
from being able to learn whatever lesson 'twas that Father wished you to learn," Loki began,
furiously attempting to think through the ramifications of allowing Thor to sit on the High
Council as a mortal.

"Aye, but is it even possible here? For all we know, the lesson might require something
specific to Miðgarðr which I will not be able to learn here."
"I am more inclined to think you were sent to Miðgarðr as, without your powers, you are
more akin to their levels of strength and would not be accidentally injured should someone
here forget to curb their strength or enthusiasm around you," Loki countered.

On the one hand, letting Thor sit in on a High Council meeting was not the same as granting
his brother his full membership back on it, Loki knew. But, on the other hand, it risked
blurring the lines between what currently was and what nearly everyone would see Thor as,
automatically. Still, it would allow his brother to catch up on what was going on with
Jötunheimr without him needing to waste time repeating himself or explaining things
multiple times.

"Please, Brother," Thor pressed.

"Very well, but you are not a full member right now, Thor, as both mortal and... well, you
cannot be."

The way his brother looked away told Loki that Thor had known exactly what he was
initially going to say. It made him feel a little bad for his brother, but at the same time it felt
refreshing and good to actually see Thor pay for his actions, for once, instead of always being
able to get away with blatantly flaunting the rules and escaping completely unscratched and
unpunished for all of it.

"I understand," Thor replied. "And thank you, Loki."

Mother smiled at both of them. "Do be careful Thor, your brother is correct that Ásgarðr is
not used to someone with a mortal's stamina and strength," Frigga said, embracing him once
more before she moved to do the same to Loki. "And I am so proud of you, Loki," she
whispered in his ear.

Loki held her tight for a moment, taking comfort from her presence and love before he
stepped back once more and smiled at her. "Make sure you get some rest as well, Mother."

"I will, but do not worry about me, Lady Eir is already keeping a close eye on me, and you
have far too many other things to be concerned about at present."

"Come, Thor," Loki said, turning and sweeping from the chamber.

His brother followed silently after him and Loki could not help but wonder what was going
through Thor's mind as the Einherjar fell in around them as they headed towards Glaðsheimr.
He had almost been far too busy lately to spare his brother much thought beyond the
occasional moment to check in on him remotely, or to wonder how he was doing on Miðgarðr
with the mortals. Thor, on the other hand, would have had little but time to think about what
he had done to lead him to that position. Or at least, Loki very much hoped his brother had
used all of the time he had while being held in one chamber or another, be it in with the
healers or the warriors, to contemplate what he had done. But Loki knew Thor far too well to
know 'twas guaranteed that was what the time had been used for, as his brother hated
contemplation and looking back over past actions. Nay, Thor was far more of a looking
forwards person, always wanting more adventure or another quest rather than spending time
studying or thinking about how things might have gone better on the last quest had he only
done things differently.

After all, Thor did not always assume that simply because they had fought something or
someone that things had gone awry. Nay, Loki was pretty certain if an adventure ended
without a battle that his brother probably thought it a failure on some level. He had noticed
the time between quests was always shortest when Thor had not been able to fight something
on a previous one.

"Brother, what does the High Council know of what happened before?" Thor inquired.

"Before what?" Loki asked. "You mean on Jötunheimr and what transpired in Himinbjörg
immediately afterwards?"

"Aye, both of those."

"Almost everything," Loki replied, glancing over to view his brother's reaction.

Thor pulled a dismayed face at the words, embarrassment following swiftly afterwards.

"'Twas necessary," Loki explained. "Either for them to understand how and why Laufey-King
had declared war, which Father was never able to tell them of ere he collapsed, or because of
what Laufey-King said in his missive."

"Missive? What missive?" Thor demanded, sharply.

"The personal one he sent me along with his official reply to our request to hold peace talks."

"He sent you a personal missive outside of the official communications?"

"Aye, though they came together, obviously, as he has no other means with which to contact
me, luckily," Loki replied.

"And what did he want that he could not say otherwise?"

Loki smiled. "Why, to try to flatter me, of course. 'Tis a negotiation tactic, Thor, attempting to
use what they assume is my naivety and inexperience to their advantage."

"Of course," Thor laughed. "They do not know you well enough to realize how good you are
with words, or your kenning."

Wordsmith. Liesmith. Loki wondered which one his brother was referring to. Knowing Thor,
it could be either.

"Exactly, but it necessitated the disclosure of additional information to the Council when I
passed the missive on to them."

"How so?" Thor asked.

"Because of what it referred to. Your words actually, from just before the battle on
Jötunheimr."

"My words?"

"Aye, Laufey's missive said that he would not be as dismissive towards me as 'your brother's
words towards you indicate that he is'," Loki quoted.

"I am not dismissive towards you!" Thor protested. "What words was Laufey referring to?
We were hardly able to have proper words on Jötunheimr, there was not enough time."

Of course his brother would not remember them. 'Twas not like 'twas anything new to Thor,
nay, his elder brother had been using them, or some variant of them, for quite some time now,
so Thor probably no longer understood precisely how bad they could look to others. Or how
disrespectful they were to Loki himself.

"Nay?" Loki questioned as neutrally as he could, stopping to face Thor. "'Know your place,
Brother.' That was what you said and what he either heard or was told about and it now forms
the basis of Laufey-King's strategy in these negotiations. We are lucky I am not stupid
enough to be played by them, as 'tis not a bad strategy to use given the circumstances."

Thor looked stricken for a moment, but Loki was far from certain 'twas for the right reasons.
Rather than it being because his brother realized exactly how poorly his words reflected on
Loki and his own experience and status as a prince of Ásgarðr, he was pretty certain Thor
was horrified that 'twas his own words and actions which were being viewed as a means by
Laufey to influence Loki.

If only Thor knew the full truth! A part of Loki suddenly wanted nothing more than to pull
Thor aside, out of earshot of the Einherjar, and tell him the truth about his heritage and the
fact they were not, in reality, brothers. That Thor's actions on Jötunheimr had actually
allowed a damn frost giant onto Hliðskjálf itself. Oh, the look on his fake brother's face! Loki
could picture it only all too easily and, for a second, he savored it before he shoved it all
aside. Not only did they not have time for it, but it would be a stupid, reckless thing to do for
a whole host of reasons, but the one which mattered most to Loki was that 'twas exactly the
sort of thing which Thor would pull and that normally exasperated him.

Loki was thankful he had regained enough presence of mind to realize it on his own without
outside help, though he did almost instinctively reach up to touch his amulet with his free
hand. It served to remind him of Loptr's words as well, that Thor was one of those few who
would, in the long run, accept him despite the truth so long as he did nothing stupid to mess it
all up. And, despite all else, - everything Thor had ever done to hurt him either emotionally
or physically, despite all of the sharp words and careless actions - he did love his brother. The
hapless oaf was important to him and Loki would sorely miss him if he ever lost Thor,
regardless of the means. So he curbed his self-destructive desires for now and shoved them
deep down, instead turning and continuing on towards Glaðsheimr, leaving his brother behind
to scramble to keep up.

"Loki, Brother," Thor said, rushing back to his side. "Those words, I had no idea they could
be overheard."
'Twas not the point, Loki bit back. But then, he had already known Thor would not see them
for how hurtful they truly were. Nor how they were indicative of the whole way Thor treated
him. Like he was lesser, simply another sycophant who followed his brother around like Lady
Sif and the Warriors Three, instead of an equal, someone to be respected in his own right and
for his own reasons. And it hurt, damnit! It hurt like a knife to the heart and 'twas all he could
do not to turn around and lash out at Thor, to show him how much it hurt. But, unlike all of
the other emotional attacks he had to deal with recently, this was one he had plenty of
experience processing and hiding away, so he did so now, only feeling its weight because of
everything else he held back at present.

"And what circumstances did you mean?" Thor added.

"What circumstances? Norns, Thor!" Loki exclaimed. "The ones we are in right now with me
on Hliðskjálf! Laufey-King knows well enough 'twas never meant to happen. As Lord
Aðalgrímr put it, the second son not expected to inherit. 'Tis a great position for Ásgarðr to be
in as far as Jötunheimr is concerned. We are lucky none of the other Realms have tried to take
advantage yet, though Huginn tells me there are mutterings on Múspellsheimr, so it may not
be long.

And all of that is without taking into account both Heimdallr's actions and those of your
friends. Once word of that gets off of Ásgarðr, and trust me 'tis only a matter of time now, we
will be facing further scrutiny. Remember what Father feared the most before your
coronation? What he wanted us prepared for the most?"

"Aye," Thor replied, wide-eyed.

"That will be nothing compared to what we might be facing if he does not wake up soon."

With that, Loki swept into Glaðsheimr, glancing around the hall as he did so. All of the others
were already here, which he was not surprised at as word of their return to Iðavöllr would
have spread. In addition to the Council members, though, there were a few others present -
Lady Borgunna speaking with Lord Ragnvaldr, Lord Birgir speaking with Lord Aðalgrímr,
and Lady Dagmær speaking with both of his uncles - thus Loki moved towards the balcony
of Glaðsheimr so he could take a few moments to compose himself once more before they
commenced.

Norns, but his brother was always able to set him off like no one else! 'Twas a weakness Loki
had long since been aware of but had yet, despite all of his best efforts, been able to properly
correct in himself. Thor simply seemed to worm his way past any defenses or blocks Loki
tried to throw up to shield himself from the stupid oaf's oft callous words and actions. 'Twas
as if his brother simply did not realize what he was saying or doing half the time. Surely Thor
could not truly be so utterly blind? And yet how could his brother say things like that and
then still pretend or act as if they were best friends and confidants the next instant? 'Twas
irrational and confusing and Loki absolutely hated it!

Despite that, he still could not imagine his life without Thor in it. More fool he, apparently.
Loki clutched at his amulet again as he thought of Loptr and what his temporal twin had said
about having finally found a way to almost completely push Thor away. He was not certain if
he fully believed it because, if the truth of his heritage and exactly what he was had not been
enough to do so, then it seemed almost impossible to contemplate anything truly could. Still,
the knowledge there might be something out there which could terrified Loki and he half
wanted to turn around, find his brother and clutch him tight. Which was probably precisely
why he now found himself in this situation because, no matter how utterly furious Thor could
make him, he somehow always forgave his brother, leaving Thor free to do it all over again
the next time.

So, aye, more fool he.

Loki released the amulet to rub his hand over his face as his other one tightened on Gungnir.
Forget wanting to achieve a peace treaty with Jötunheimr to prove his mettle, he was ready
for Óðinn to wake up now to reclaim both Hliðskjálf and Gungnir, this was not worth it.

Which Loki knew was not true because, if he did not find a way to prove his own worth and
self now, then he never would and he would always be relegated entirely to the shadows, both
now and in the history books, and he deserved better, damnit! He was not asking for
Hliðskjálf or anything else so unreasonable. Simply to be recognized for his own worth and
as Thor's equal. For now. He understood well that once his brother ascended to Hliðskjálf it
would all be over, but until such time surely 'twas not so unreasonable to be recognized for
all he did and achieved rather than having those things dismissed and brushed aside for each
little accomplishment and achievement his brother had.

With forced, deliberate breaths, Loki calmed his breathing, glancing down over Ásgarðr as he
did so. It took a few seconds for what he was seeing to fully register as he was still too
distracted, but when it did, Loki missed a breath, eyes widening in shock. The banners and
standards! They were...

Green.

Well, not all of them, but some of them were green. And not simply any shade of green, but
his green! Loki moved right up to the edge of the balcony, his free hand falling to rest on the
banister as he stared down at Ásgarðr in stunned shock. Other than on a few special
occasions, he had never seen those banners and standards as anything other than gold. He had
noticed them on many an occasion as he had always found it distasteful, the gold on gold on
gold of his home. 'Twas as if Ásgarðr and Óðinn could not think of another color scheme
other than the single most ostentatious and expensive one, making Ásgarðr seem like little
more than a gilded edifice to Óðinn's power at times.

But now...

Now there was green in the mix. A quick glance about at all of Ásgarðr which Loki could see
from his current position, and he pegged it at nearly thirty percent of the banners and flags
being in his color now instead of Óðinn's. 'Twas...

Loki was not quite certain what to make of it, nor why it had happened. He had only been
regent for a few days and during that time he had hardly been able to do more than a few
things which the public would be aware of. Aye, he had sat in petition on the first day, but
that had been because 'twas one of the two normal days each month for his father to do so. He
had hardly done anything special by taking over that particular duty. Nor would his news and
commandments have been of particular joy to the people as they were announcements of war
and calamity. True, they were necessary and urgent, but not news which should have garnered
him this type of attention.

So why?

Heimdallr.

The realization almost sent Loki reeling. Heimdallr, the attempt on his life and the former
gatekeeper's trial. That had to be it. Ásgarðr may have no love for him as a person, but he was
their prince and now their regent king, they would take offence, and great offence at that, to
anyone attempting to kill him when he stood for them. So, truly, it made sense someone had
thought to change their banner and, once one had, well, others would have liked the idea and
followed suit. It should not really be so surprising. But still...

He was seen.

Loki clenched his hand around Gungnir that much tighter. Much as he had hoped that being
regent might do this, this was proof he was actually being seen. Aye, 'twas not for the reasons
he had hoped for or even wanted, but 'twas a start and from there more could grow if he was
careful and played this opportunity right. He needed this before he could achieve anything
else.

It made joy and hope flutter alive within him for the first time in far too long and he smiled a
genuine smile. 'Twas small, to be certain, but it felt wonderful nonetheless and he
immediately felt Ásgarðr respond to his change in mood, surging up within him and stoking
both emotions, playfully nipping at his seiðr and buoying up his mood even further, clearly
delighted he felt happy.

He loved her and Loki could already tell he would miss Ásgarðr like a lost limb when Óðinn
made him sever his connection to her when his father woke. Loki shoved the thought aside in
order to be able to enjoy the moment. There was no point in focusing on that which he could
not change, most especially not when there was something far more pleasant to center his
attentions on.

"Loki."

His brother's voice pulled him from his contemplations and Loki sighed, his head dipping
forwards for a moment before he turned to look at Thor who was standing in the archway of
the balcony, looking at him with an uncertain expression on his face. Absently, Loki noted
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stood right next to the door on the balcony. As quiet and
unobtrusive as the man had been, the knowledge he had been watched just now grated and
Loki had to push it aside as he could only focus on one thing at a time.

"Loki, are you alright?" Thor asked, stepping closer to him with concern on his features.

"I am fine, Thor," Loki replied, wondering precisely what had shown on his face.
"Are you certain? You look..." Thor trailed off, peering at him closely. "Surprised,
disbelieving."

It never ceased to amaze Loki how well that his brother could read him at times. Especially
considering how much that Thor could miss at other times. It made no sense, and he could
only put it down to his brother not caring to notice him most of the time.

"'Tis nothing," Loki tried to brush off.

Thor smiled. "I would hardly consider anything which can catch you off-guard this badly
nothing."

Of course Thor was not going to let this go.

"'Tis simply the banners," Loki said, motioning out over Ásgarðr.

"What? The fact so many are green? You are king, Loki, of course the people would do it.
They were preparing red ones for me."

His brother, the oblivious idiot. Oh Thor. The only thing about what he had learned of his
heritage which made any sense to Loki was the fact that it meant he and Thor were not
actually related. Though it stung greatly, and the thought currently caused a burning sensation
deep within his magical core, he had to admit that it answered the question he had asked
countless times over the centuries. Namely, how could they be related? It turned out the
answer was absurdly simple; they were not.

"That is different," Loki argued. "Yours was meant to be a permanent transition, while I am
simply regent. Besides..."

"Besides what, Brother?" Thor asked with a frown.

"You are loved, Thor. The people adore you. I am not."

"'Tis not true!"

"Aye, 'tis," Loki shot back. "I am neither deaf nor blind, Thor. I know what they think of me,
what they call me when they believe I cannot hear. I am the Dark Prince, the Liesmith and
Trickster. The second prince who is tolerated but not liked, much less loved."

"Loki-"

"Do not lie to me, Thor!" Loki snapped, causing his brother's mouth to click shut for a
moment though a mulish expression crossed Thor's face.

"They do not know you like I do, Brother."

"They do not care to."

Thor sighed, looking dejected. "You do not give them the best impression all the time."
 "Aye, aye, I know, 'tis all my own fault."

"'Tis not what I meant!"

"Is it not?"

"Nay!"

"Then what was, Thor?"

"I-" Thor began, before his shoulders slumped. "Your tricks can put people off."

"I have a meeting to start," Loki stated, turning away from his brother.

As he stepped away to reenter Glaðsheimr, Loki caught sight of Yngvarr once more. The
lieutenant-general would have heard everything, there was simply no way he could not have,
and Loki felt a hot flash of embarrassment and anger wash through him. He hated this! Being
constantly watched and guarded made him feel like a prisoner in his own home, which he
almost was right now, really.

Norns, how could anyone think he wanted this? Let alone so badly he would blindly lust after
it enough to move against his own family?

Only they were not his own family, now were they? The thought sent pain through him again
as Loki could feel part of his core rend at the disgust and self-hate which raced through him
at the thought. Ásgarðr responded quickly and protectively, her power and concern washing
through him so he only stumbled a little, quickly catching his balance once more with
Gungnir. A furtive glance around showed that the only people who seemed to have noticed
were some of the Einherjar who were scattered throughout the hall. One of them raised an
eyebrow at him and he made a negative gesture with his free index finger.

He did not need to have any attention called to this now. Not when there was still no one on
Ásgarðr who could help him. Loki would simply have to keep dealing with it himself until
Óðinn finally decided that he had rested enough and finally woke up. At least now he had
some outside aid as Ásgarðr's power definitely helped to bolster him and whatever she did
dulled the pain to far more manageable levels.

Chapter End Notes

Oh, Loki and Thor. Always bickering if they're not outright fighting. I know it's a sibling
thing, but those two really have a lot to sort out that isn't normal sibling rivalry. That
said, they are a lot of fun to write in cases like this.

And, yes, only a tiny fraction of everything they need to say to each other was covered.
You didn't think it would all happen at once, now did you?
Poor Loki's starting to feel pretty alone, though. So many secrets and plots to keep track
of, and his one good moment is interrupted :(

Up next week: The Council meeting...

 Chapter 28
Chapter Notes

Another week, another chapter.

I know a lot of you have been quite looking forward to this council meeting, so here you
go!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Is everyone ready?" Loki asked as he took up his new seat at the head of the table.

All of the guests from earlier seemed to be gone except for Lord Birgir, who was stepping
away from Lord Aðalgrímr.

"We are done for now," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed as he approached the table.

The others who were not already seated did so, and Loki looked over to see Thor stepping
hesitantly back into the hall from the balcony. His brother glanced around at the seats as if
uncertain where to sit. Out of habit, everyone but himself had still seemed to be claiming
their usual seats before, but Loki noticed that today his uncles had shifted into the seats
normally used by himself and Thor in the past. That left Uncle Vili and Vé's chairs open and
his brother slid himself into Uncle Vili's old spot. Loki sent a thankful look at both of his
uncles, knowing they must have spotted Thor and realized the delicate predicament they
found themselves in. By shifting their seats, they were making it visually clear things had
changed even with Thor's return.

"As everyone can see, Lord Birgir and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr were successful in
securing Thor's release," Loki said.

There were a few verbal greetings which Thor returned before Lord Ragnvaldr asked the all-
important question.

"Have you managed to regain your powers yet, Thor?"

"Nay," Thor replied, glancing down. "I was able to reach Mjǫllnir at one point, but she would
not respond to me."

Lord Ragnvaldr glanced between the two of them before speaking again. "As a mortal and
one without a title," he began delicately.

"We know," Loki replied, grateful he would not need to be the one to raise the matter. "Thor
is not here as a full member of the Council, but rather to help where he can at present."
"So noted," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

Grateful, Loki nodded once at him, glad that 'twas now officially on the record as all of the
meetings were transcribed for posterity. He should have known he would be able to count on
Lord Ragnvaldr to ensure the full letter of the law was followed.

"Where do we stand with Niðavellir and the dökkálfar?" Loki inquired as he looked at Lord
Aðalgrímr.

He knew if he started with the events on Niflheimr and the war, that they would most
probably not have time to address the other important issues.

"Lord Birgir has initiated contact and begun speaking with Queen Hreiðmarr," Lord
Aðalgrímr replied. "As always with the dökkálfar, it will take a few days of ceremony and
traditions before we will be in any position to actually commence negotiations for placing an
order."

"But there have been no indications they would not be interested?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked.

General Týr snorted. "Why would they not be interested? They will know by now of the war
with Jötunheimr and will be well aware of what we are after, not to mention how necessary it
will be for us should the peace talks fail. They stand to gain much from this as we are not in
the best position to negotiate here."

"As General Týr says," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed. "If anything, Queen Hreiðmarr's personal
involvement indicates they are very interested."

"And they will not then be slighted at dealing with Lord Birgir instead of yourself or King
Loki?" Uncle Vili checked.

"Though the dökkálfar love their traditions and ceremonies, theirs are quite different from
ours in many ways," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "In this instance, their heavy reliance on trade
and their main exports being handcrafted, they are actually more accustomed to dealing with
those other than the actual rulers."

"They would not know the full details and specifications of what is required," General Týr
realized.

"Aye, exactly."

"Does this mean they will expect to have either General Týr or Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
join Lord Birgir once the initial ceremonies are done?" Loki asked.

"They will expect one of our warrior caste to join them, and someone relatively high up, but
not necessarily either of the leaders," Lord Aðalgrímr answered.

"I can see who would be best suited to do so should neither myself nor Yngvarr be available,"
General Týr said.
"Please do," Loki responded. "Lord Ragnvaldr, can you see how much we would be willing
to spend on this?"

"I have already obtained a copy of General Týr's requirements and commenced the process,"
Lord Ragnvaldr replied.

"Good."

Though it truly should not, it did sometimes surprise Loki how well and smoothly the High
Council could function. They were all very experienced individuals who had been on the
Council for centuries at the very least, it should be expected they would be able to make
things work well. Loki knew he was simply being too cynical, as usual.

"And how goes the Princes' Court, Uncles?" Loki questioned, shifting his attention.

"Princes' Court?" Thor asked, startled. "I thought we had stopped those sessions?"

"Aye, so I heard," Loki replied. "I must have missed that meeting as I would have said I have
never stopped receiving people. If anything, it has increased over time."

"Truly?"

At least his brother seemed genuinely surprised, so Loki did not think Thor had been lying
about no one showing up. Which only begged the question of why and he did not particularly
like the answers which came to him, for if 'twas because the people did not like Thor's
judgments, then what did that say of how his brother was at carrying out his legal duties?
'Twas quite worrying and not an area which Loki had known Thor might need further
instruction in.

"Mine have been well attended, although I did take over Loki's sessions," Uncle Vili stated.

"Mine have too," Uncle Vé added. "Well, after the first one which was all but empty."

"They are going well," Uncle Vili said. "Much as I remember them with nothing out of the
ordinary worth mentioning."

"The same for me."

Thor's expression was a study in confusion and bewilderment, and Loki wondered how long
it would take for the possibility to occur to his brother that people might have been
deliberately avoiding his sessions of the Princes' Court. He did not have the time to deal with
it at present though.

"I saw Lady Borgunna was here earlier," Loki said, looking to Lord Ragnvaldr. "Is everything
alright?"

"Aye, my Liege," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "There were merely a few lingering items from the
coronation ceremony which needed sorting. Excess food orders and so from the further feasts
which had been planned."
Right, there had been the intention of holding further celebrations after the first day to allow
all of the different guilds and leagues to have a chance to commence their new working
relationship with Thor. He had forgotten all about those with everything else which had been
taking place. Though he did wonder if it had been the guilds and leagues who had cancelled
or someone on their end. It made sense, of course, but he was curious.

"What did you do with the food?" Loki inquired.

"I told her to send what we could not use to the local poor houses and orphanages," Lord
Ragnvaldr said.

"Good."

A glance around the table showed that Thor was leaning back in his chair as if wishing to
avoid drawing attention to himself, and Loki wondered if his brother was already regretting
coming to the meeting.

"Is there anything else which we need to discuss before we move on to the situation with
Jötunheimr?" Loki asked. "Anything from within Ásgarðr itself, perhaps? Lord Óðr?"

"Nay, Your Majesty, everything is going well," Lord Óðr said. "There will be the renewal of
the trading rights in a few weeks, but 'tis not open for applications or challenges until shortly
beforehand."

"Actually, we already have some of the parchmentwork started," Thor said, leaning forwards
slightly. "Father thought it might be time to try something new and he wanted me to do the
initial groundwork for it."

"Alright, if Father has not yet awoken closer to the time we can start there," Loki said. "Do
you mind walking Lord Óðr through what you had planned?"

"Aye, sure," Thor said, looking brighter.

At least it would give his brother something to do and, if Father had been involved so far,
then Loki was certain it could not be anything too radical since Óðinn was a man set very
much in his ways and trying to convince him to change anything was a task in and of itself.

"If there is nothing else, then we will move on to the meeting today with Laufey-King," Loki
said. "Lord Aðalgrímr, can you please bring everyone else up to speed?"

While Lord Aðalgrímr did so, Loki used the opportunity to jot himself a few quick notes
about the first few items of the meeting, so he would not forget to check on things later.

"So Laufey-King continues to try to ingratiate themself with you, Loki," Uncle Vé said.

"Hmm," Loki replied. "And 'tis a strange mix of condescension and flattery."

"Condescension?" Uncle Vili asked.

"When they asked to speak alone, they called me little fox, though they backtracked quickly
and claimed to have not meant any offense by it when they saw my reaction."

"Fox?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked, and Loki nodded. "Hmm, I will need to see what they mean to
the jötnar to see if we can uncover what Laufey-King might have been thinking."

"Foxes are cunning, are they not?" Thor asked.

"To us, aye, but that does not mean 'tis the same for the jötnar. In fact, I hope 'tis not."

"It would mean we may need to rethink our strategy," Loki agreed.

"Oh, right," Thor said with a smile. "They view you as more naive."

"We can hope," Uncle Vé added. "As for foxes, I recall Mother talking about the ice fox on
several occasions. I think they might even have mentioned it in one of their books."

"Lady Dagrún has already compiled all of the books we have in the library on the jötnar and
Jötunheimr," Loki informed them. "So she should be able to find it quickly. If not, it will be
because I have the book in my study. Simply let me know if 'tis the case and I can get it out
for you."

"Thank you, Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr said.

"Did Laufey-King say anything else in their conversation with you?" Uncle Vili asked.

"Merely that they thought the negotiations could achieve something and that they knew the
attack would not have happened had I been in charge then."

Loki noticed the uncomfortable way his brother shifted in his seat out of the corner of his eye
at those words.

"What about you, Lord Ragnvaldr? Did Laufey-King or the others say anything to you when
you escorted them to Niflheimr and back?" General Týr asked.

"There were a few questions from Helblindi-Princex on what he could see of Ásgarðr from
Himinbjörg, but nothing suspicious, simply some innocent questions from someone who has
never left his own Realm before," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "There were some more on
Niflheimr, focusing mostly on its differences from Jötunheimr."

Loki could not imagine being as old as his jötunn sibling was and never having left the
Realm before. 'Twas something to be grateful to Óðinn for. Although, even if he had grown
up on Jötunheimr with all of the restrictions, he still would have left the Realm because as
soon as he had learned how to sky walk, he would have done so. And he would have learned,
somehow, someway, he would have learned, of that he was absolutely certain even if he had
required ljósálfr help to do so this time around. Both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter seemed to
agree with him based on how they almost gurgled away happily at the back of his mind.

"Beyond that there were a few questions about King Loki," Lord Ragnvaldr continued.
"Oh?" Loki asked. "Do tell."

"Most were simply about your age and experience. Nothing too specific as they were trying
to keep up appearances of making small talk."

"How did they do so with those types of questions?" Lord Óðr asked.

"They were using Helblindi-Princex as a comparison as he is only a little younger than King
Loki."

It seemed like his birth parents had wasted little time trying to replace him. Though it made
sense in a way. After the type of defeat Laufey had experienced, he had probably been
looking for something which could be celebrated. Like the birth of an heir. How his birth
father must have been hoping for a hrímþurs the second time around.

"Did you obtain any feel for Helblindi-Princex themself?" Loki inquired.

"Nay, frustratingly," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "Though 'twas quite interesting as Laufey-King
did not let him too far from his side."

"Overprotective?" General Týr questioned.

"I do not think so. It felt more like Laufey-King was afraid to let him come too close to me."

"We did think there might be some friction within the jötnar royal family," Lord Aðalgrímr
said. "Perhaps Laufey-King fears their child might stray from the plan or is more sympathetic
to us."

"Aye, but what does he think allowing Helblindi-Princex close to Lord Ragnvaldr would do?"
Lord Óðr asked. "'Tis not like we can convert him with a touch."

"'Tis worrying even if it might be good news for the future," Loki said.

"The disputes around the events which started the war worry me the most," General Týr
stated. "I fear Laufey-King will push for us to admit Ásgarðr broke the treaty and will need to
pay reparation for it."

"We did not!" Thor protested, loudly. "They made the first attack, so they broke the treaty."

Loki sighed. "Laufey-King denies all association with, and knowledge of, the warriors who
carried out the attack."

"Of course, he would!"

"Aye, but we cannot prove otherwise."

"So?"

"The point, Thor," Lord Aðalgrímr said. "Is without the ability to prove 'twas an officially
sanctioned attack, it must be viewed as the actions of rogue elements from Jötunheimr,
something which the old treaty specifically says does not count as a violation thereof."

"Why not?" Thor demanded.

"Because at the time there were still far too many rogue elements about on both sides and the
treaty would have been broken within a year if that particular clause were not included,"
General Týr explained. "I feared this at the time, but there was nothing we could do about it
back then."

"So they simply get away with it?"

"Nay, we will use it in the negotiations, but it will not carry as much weight as their
arguments and we need to acknowledge that and work around it now," Lord Aðalgrímr stated.

"What about weregeld?" Uncle Vé asked. "It would be costly, but Jötunheimr definitely needs
the gold so Laufey-King might be accepting of it, especially if we tell them we are willing to
renegotiate the trade barricade to Jötunheimr."

"We are what?" Thor demanded, stunned.

"'Tis something which is being considered, Thor," Loki said.

"Why?"

"Because we need to concede some things if we expect to achieve a new peace treaty," Lord
Aðalgrímr explained.

"I thought that was what the Casket of Ancient Winters was for," Thor said. "Are we truly
going to give them back everything?"

"Nay, of course not, but we cannot do what we did before," Loki replied.

"Why not? It worked then!"

"We had just won a devastating war with them, Jötunheimr had no choice but to accept the
treaty," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "We do not have the same advantage this time. Besides, we
did not know then exactly how vital the Casket of Ancient Winters was to Jötunheimr's very
survival."

"Is it truly so bad? Mother mentioned something of it."

"Come, I will explain," Uncle Vé said, rising and motioning Thor aside. "And how Loki has
been able to restrict the Casket's power."

Loki shot his uncle a grateful look as Vé passed him before looking back at the rest of the
High Council.

"What do we think of Uncle Vé's suggestion?" he asked.

"'Tis definitely an option and it need not be as expensive as he fears if we use diplomatic
precedent for war time weregeld," Lord Aðalgrímr stated.

"And it would be less costly than fully arming all of the warriors," Lord Ragnvaldr added.
"Or the cost in æsir lives if we do go to war."

"I do worry we will end up playing security escort to anyone who wishes to trade with
Jötunheimr," General Týr said. "As I assume you are not thinking to allow the jötnar off-
world in the first instance."

"Nay, well not beyond an initial few forays to remind people what Jötunheimr has to offer in
trade," Loki replied. "Lord Aðalgrímr and I had thought to perhaps allow a few traders to
attend the Harvest Festival here in autumn and, potentially, the subsequent one on Álfheimr if
Queen Sága will allow it."

"I do not expect any resistance from the ljósálfar as they never had a personal quarrel with
Jötunheimr and were always big consumers of the jötnar ice gems," Lord Aðalgrímr added.
"These two would hopefully be enough to rekindle interest in trade with Jötunheimr for
traders to obtain their own security to travel there on specific, prearranged days."

"'Tis clever as it would be in Laufey-King's best interest to ensure no harm comes to any of
them, as who would want to travel to Jötunheimr for trade if 'twas not safe to do so?" Uncle
Vili nodded. "And some initial gold to help get them start trading again would be beneficial
and could almost be written off as foreign aid funds."

Trust his uncle to find a way to shoehorn funds into the existing budget. Loki did have to
admire his creativity at times, even if sometimes it grated how problems could be swept away
invisibly by the same process rather than actually being solved.

"It could work," General Týr began. "So long as Laufey-King does not view it as charity, then
he will reject it outright."

"That is my job," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed. "I will simply need you to look suitably
unimpressed with the whole affair."

Which would probably not be terribly hard for Týr as Loki was still half convinced the
general would rather simply fight it out with the jötnar. Though, the lack of either public or
private protests made Loki a little uncertain about it. 'Twas not like General Týr to go along
meekly with something he disagreed on.

When Thor and Uncle Vé rejoined the table, his brother looked pensive, and Loki hoped
'twas a good thing. His uncle, at least, looked unconcerned.

"Very well, so we can try to offer Laufey-King weregeld for his dead and see how it goes,"
Loki said. "We already have our strategy regarding the Casket of Ancient Winters. Was there
anything else anyone wished to discuss now or have addressed?"

"What if Laufey-King wishes to have Jötunheimr's isolation from the rest of the Nine
reconsidered in other areas?" Lord Óðr asked. "He may try to bring it up during the trade
talks, requesting to allow trade in routes other than the Bifröst."

"Gunnlöð-Lairde may well attempt that," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed.

"My Liege, may I advise against that?" General Týr said. "Between the Casket and the lifting
of full trade restrictions, we are already significantly altering the terms of the initial treaty.
With the addition of weregeld for their dead, that more than proves our willingness to alter
what has been done before. Anymore and it might seem like Jötunheimr dominated the
negotiations."

"Not with the restrictions on the Casket's power it will not," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "But
that may not be known right away though word will leak out once the jötnar do not utilize it
to travel elsewhere."

"'Tis a point well made," Loki agreed, knowing what else the general was not saying.

The treaty would reflect on him as a king and, while Loki did not mind as he knew many in
the Nine would greet the easing of the punitive measures against Jötunheimr, if Óðinn did not
recover and he was stuck as king, then it could cause problems for Ásgarðr. Others could
view it as a means to try and gain more favorable treaties with them as well. The impression
would not last long as Loki knew he would be able to twist them to his advantage easily
enough, but still, 'twas not a headache any of them needed if it could be avoided.

"Does anyone else have any further points to raise?" Loki asked once Lord Aðalgrímr had
finished scribbling his notes. "Nay? Then we are adjourned until tomorrow after the
negotiations, or midafternoon if they break early."

"Can I have a moment, Loki?" Uncle Vili asked, voice pitched low.

"Of course," Loki replied, turning towards him and leaning forwards. "What is it?"

"I simply want you to be extra careful with Laufey, I do not like their interest in you, even if
it makes political sense."

Did his uncle know the truth of his heritage? Had everyone but him and Thor known?"

"Is there any specific reason you have for being concerned?" Loki asked, not wanting to
reveal anything should Vili not know.

"Óðinn never liked Laufey, said they was slippery as an eel and twice as tricky," Uncle Vili
explained. "At the end of the war, Óðinn seemed particularly angry with them, as if Laufey
had done something to personally offend him. I believe it might have fed into the severity of
the treaty."

"Did Father ever tell you what had happened for him to become so angry with Laufey?"

"Nay and your mother merely scowled darkly at me when I asked her, saying Laufey
deserved everything Óðinn did to them and more. I remember it quite clearly as I have rarely
ever seen her so angry and yet 'twas only her face which showed it, since she held you and
her touch never hardened."
Ah, so it had been about him but his parents, his adoptive parents, had clearly never told
Uncle Vili. It made sense as the more people who knew of a secret, the less likely it would
actually remain secret.

"I promise to be careful, Uncle Vili," Loki said, but only because it appeared his uncle had
asked out of genuine concern for him.

Well, unless Uncle Vili had absolutely no desire whatsoever to gain Hliðskjálf himself either.
Which was entirely possible. But while Aunt Gersemi might be dismayed to move to Iðavöllr
temporarily for safety reasons, she might not at all object to doing so to become queen of
Ásgarðr. They were very different things after all.

"Good," Uncle Vili said, rising to his feet.

"Your Majesty," Lord Ragnvaldr said from Loki's other side. "As requested."

With that, the man handed him a folded piece of parchment and lightly shook his head when
Loki opened his mouth to inquire what it was. With a frown, he took it.

"Thanks," Loki said instead, just as Thor moved up beside his chair.

"Ready to go for dinner, Brother?" Thor asked.

"Hmm," Loki replied, rising to his feet and taking hold of Gungnir once more. "I am
starving."

Thor laughed and fell in beside him as Loki left Glaðsheimr and headed towards his study
with the Einherjar all around them.

"That... that was strange," Thor said, after a few moments.

Loki merely hummed in response, knowing for Thor there would have been many firsts at the
meeting which he himself had already become accustomed to.

"How does it feel?" Thor asked.

"How does what feel?" Loki responded.

"Being king, of course."

"Stressful."

"Be serious, Brother."

Loki frowned. "I am. Why would you think me joking about that?"

"Aye, but what about everything else?" Thor pressed. "Being respected by everyone and able
to do whatever you want?"
"Even as king respect needs to be earned, Thor. It does not simply happen, and I cannot do
whatever I want. In fact, since Father collapsed, I have only been able to do what I have to
and nothing more. There has simply been far too much which requires doing, with the war
and all."

"Nothing more?"

"Nay."

"But... you are regent king!"

"You have already said that."

"Surely you can simply delegate some of the work and take the time to go view the warriors'
preparations or... do some of the reading or studying which you like to do so much."

"Nay, I cannot."

"Loki," Thor turned and stopped him, forcing everyone else to halt as well.

"This is not the place for this type of discussion," Loki pointed out, glancing around.

"You sound like you have been working nonstop for the past few days, Brother. 'Tis not
healthy."

"Mayhap, but it has been necessary. Now come, I am hungry."

With that, Loki pushed past his brother once more and forced Thor to follow him so they
would reach the privacy of his study before his brother commenced this conversation anew.
Precisely what would Thor have had him delegate to someone else? Heimdallr's trial? The
negotiation preparations? Restricting the Casket of Ancient Winters' power? None of those
were easily transferable and all of the preparations he had been forced to do for those were
not transferable either. Especially filling in the rather significant and entirely inexcusable
gaps in his lack of knowledge of the jötnar and all things pertaining to Jötunheimr.

Nay, the only item which Loki had taken on which could easily have been delegated was the
allocation of the King's Funds, and he was absolutely determined to keep that for himself no
matter how much most of the High Council might want him to do otherwise.

And speaking of other duties, Loki unfolded the parchment Lord Ragnvaldr had given him to
find a potential date and time for the trial of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. It seemed
Óðinn's advisor had been able to make the gap in the negotiations schedule fit with the
timings of the various procedures on Ásgarðr to slot it in in merely three days' time. Not
wanting to delay it any more than necessary, Loki walked right over to his desk when he
entered his study and added his agreement before passing the parchment to one of the
Einherjar to give to one of the servants who waited outside.

"Hello, Livunn," Thor said, and Loki looked up to see her entering the chamber with another
servant.
 "Thor," Livunn greeted, before looking over to him. "Your Majesty. I heard you wished to
dine here tonight with your brother?"

"Hmm, thank you, Livunn," Loki replied.

Chapter End Notes

I know some of you expected Thor to really step in it during this meeting, but I think he
was mostly in shock the whole time with everything. He's not had a huge amount of
time to wrap his head around things since his return, and to see Loki take charge the way
he did... But, never fear, there's still plenty of time for him to open mouth, insert foot...

Up next week: Loki & Thor have a peaceful dinner...

 Chapter 29
Chapter Notes

So, it came to my attention that I might have been remiss in the last chapter not to
remind people of my wording choice for some of the other species in the Nine. Since I
couldn't find an Old Norse word for dwarves, I've gone with dökkálfar in this fic (think
d for dwarf 😊). My dwarves are also different from what we saw in Infinity War, as
those parts of this fic were written long before that came out. They are short and
Niðavellir is a whole planet, not what we saw in the movie. Hreiðmarr is also their
leader & queen in this fic.

Hopefully that clears things up and sorry for not reminding you at the end of the last
chapter!

Now onto the new chapter, which is being posted much earlier in the day as I have a
friend coming over later. She wants to get into the MCU, so we're having a movie
marathon, starting from the beginning! I'm sure there will be many more to come, but
it'll probably run late tonight.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Thor felt more than a little lost as he approached his father's desk. Only 'twas not his father's
desk, not at the moment anyway. Nay, now 'twas Loki's desk, something which was
immediately obvious as the books, parchments and manuscripts were strewn across it in his
brother's typically chaotic style, rather than the far more strictly organized way Father kept it.
Additionally, there was Loki's tea set and tea box on the back table along with a few objects
he had seen before in his brother's chambers, but which he did not know the significance or
purpose of. He had long since learned the hard way not to touch anything in Loki's chambers
he did not recognize, for his brother liked to collect many dangerous things, sometimes
simply for their beauty or lethal elegance.

It had made Thor wonder more than once what went on in his little brother's mind at times.
Not that he always did so with the intention of truly knowing as he feared Loki's mind would
either terrify or scar him forever if he were able to know it so well. Not that it stopped him
from both loving and adoring his brother, but he had long ago learned to recognize Loki's
dangerous side.

Not for the first time since he had returned to Ásgarðr, Thor felt like he had been gone for a
few decades or even a century or two rather than simply a handful of days. So much seemed
to have changed and merely the sight of Loki standing behind what Thor still thought of as
their father's desk (even though it should have been his by now), was jarring enough in and of
itself. But Loki cut quite the picture standing there in his ceremonial robes, dealing with a
few business items and absently pushing a strand of long hair behind one ear.
Wait.

"You lengthened your hair," Thor noted.

He was certain it had not been so long the last time he had seen his brother. Nay, he had noted
Loki's hair as it had been as wild as his brother would let it get when they returned from
Jötunheimr. Somehow, despite the turbulent argument with his father which he had in
Himinbjörg, Thor could clearly recall the image of his brother trying to intervene on his
behalf and being silenced by a growl from Father. 'Twas an image he had clung to while in
captivity on Miðgarðr as his brother had not had to try to intervene thus. Nay, Loki could
have simply stood by and stayed out of Father's notice since his brother had advised him not
to go to Jötunheimr, had warned him no good could come of it, and he had not listened.

'Twas not the first time Thor had come to regret not listening to Loki, though never to such
detrimental consequences.

"What?" Loki blinked up at him, before Thor's question seemed to register. "Oh, hmm. It
seemed like a good time for a change."

There were times when Thor did not understand his brother at all. Their family had just been
through a massive upheaval with him disowned and banished, Father collapsing into the
Óðinnsleep with no guarantee of recovering, and Loki had decided 'twas time to change his
hairstyle? It made no sense, but then the way his brother treated his appearance had oft been
a mystery to him as Loki spent far more time and care on it than most men he knew. Well,
other than Fandral.

"Did Uncle Vé describe the situation with the Casket of Ancient Winters sufficiently?" Loki
asked, quietly.

Glancing over at the servants setting up the meal near the sofas, Thor moved closer to his
brother. "Aye," he replied, still stunned at what their uncle had told him. "I did not realize
'twas so vital to Jötunheimr's very survival. Mother had mentioned a little of it to me, but 'tis
still unbelievable."

"I was unaware of it myself," Loki replied. "'Twas quite the shock, even if it might prove very
beneficial for us."

"Aye," Thor admitted. "But still. I thought the frost giants-"

"Jötnar," Loki countered. "Frost giant is a-"

"Aye, Lord Birgir told me, it simply slipped out. But I thought the jötnar were..."

"Monsters?" Loki inquired, a strange bitterness to his voice.

"Aye," Thor admitted, not liking the almost pained look in his little brother's eyes. "'Tis what
we were taught, is it not?"

"Hmm, 'twas."
"It will take some adjusting, knowing they had a truly valid reason for seeking the return of
the Casket so desperately," Thor stated. "Though, if they were not so foul and monstrous, we
might have listened more."

His laugh died almost unvoiced as, instead of joining in his mirth, Loki actually flinched as if
hit.

"Loki?" Thor asked, stepping even closer to his brother.

"Nothing," Loki brushed off. "You may want to rethink your grand plan, all things
considered."

"My grand plan?" Thor questioned, confused.

"Do you not remember what you said down in the vault when Father took us to see the
Casket of Ancient Winters for the first time?"

"Nay," Thor frowned.

"Oh, well you said that when you were king, you would hunt the monsters down and slay
them all."

As Loki said it, Thor could recall saying it and the exuberance and delight of the moment
returned, and a smile had already crossed his face before he realized what his brother meant,
and it dimmed. The tightness he could now see on Loki's face made him feel ashamed and
merely the thought of what Lady Jane would say if she had heard that made him feel even
worse.

"That was unkind of me and uncalled for," Thor said after a moment, feeling strangely
desperate as he looked at his brother. "I was young and foolish and did not understand what I
said."

Thor did not know why he felt such an urgent need to make himself clear on the issue, but it
felt like Loki was pulling away from him even as his brother stood there before him. His time
alone on Miðgarðr had made him come to realize precisely how much he relied not only on
his friends, but on his brother as well. For all that Loki could be prickly and spiteful, sharp
tongued and untruthful, willing to do the dishonorable and cowardly, at the end of it all Loki
was still his little brother and Thor could rely on him to be there when he truly needed him
most. It might not always be the way he wanted Loki to help or save him, but if 'twas in his
brother's not inconsiderable power to do so, Loki would help him. In that, Thor could trust.

It had simply escaped his notice that over the last few centuries Loki had been drawing
further and further away from him and their friends, and Thor did not like it.

He had come to realize on Miðgarðr how much he actually missed his brother. And not
simply his near constant presence from before, but the way Loki used to confide in him,
either secrets his brother had discovered, or simple stories of things Loki had observed with
his sharp eyes and ears. His brother had always seemed to know everything which was going
on at court from who knew what, to who was sleeping or cheating on whom. Thor had
wondered why Loki had stopped telling him all about it, until he had remembered more than
one instance of his cutting his brother off or telling him he had better things to do than to
gossip like some witless maid. Truly, was it any wonder his brother had pulled back after
that?

The problem was Thor no longer knew how to mend the rift between them now and it had
been ages since he had noticed any attempt on Loki's part to do so. The mere thought of them
staying thus, or even drifting apart even further, pained Thor and he wanted desperately to
prevent that from happening.

"So, what, now you love the jötnar?" Loki demanded, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Nay, of course not," Thor denied. "But, mayhap, I have been too hasty in my assessment of
them, given they were merely seeking to ensure the very survival of their Realm and
species."

Thor was not quite certain what to make of the look which crossed his brother's face then. It
seemed to consist of many different emotions and Thor could not catch them all, but he was
certain longing, hope and disbelief were amongst them.

"Loki?" Thor inquired gently, unused to this display of raw emotions from his brother and it
scared him a little.

The emotions vanished as Loki reigned himself in and while part of Thor felt relieved, a
greater part of him felt disappointed, like he had lost something precious. There had been a
time once, back when they were young, when Loki had shared all of his emotions with him
and Thor found he missed it now, annoying as he had found it at one point. Had he been the
one to drive Loki away every single time? That seemed to be all he could remember right
now.

"I... I am simply surprised to hear you say that, Thor," Loki said, softly. "Perhaps Father was
right to send you to Miðgarðr."

Anger was Thor's first response to those words, but then he had to admit the shock of being
both disowned and banished had forced him to rethink a lot of his behavior as of late. Plus,
the free time had made it impossible for him to avoid facing all that which was unpleasant.

"It does not seem to have been enough, though," Thor pointed out.

"Nay, but perhaps you are closer to learning your lesson than you think," Loki replied, gently.

"Do you know what Father wished to teach me, Brother?"

"He did not confide in me, nay."

"But you can guess?"

Loki paused. "Based on what he said to you and what he said as he spoke to Mjǫllnir, before
he sent her after you to Miðgarðr, I strongly believe you are on the right track."
"How?"

"You no longer blindly believe the only way to handle the jötnar is through battle and war."

Thor snorted. "I still do not trust Laufey."

"Good, you would be a fool to do so, Laufey is both dangerous and power hungry."

"But you still feel it important to do the treaty?"

"The whole Realm does not deserve to perish for one king's stupidity," Loki declared.
"Besides, the possible effects on the Yggdrasill of one of the Nine dying..."

"It does not bear thinking about."

"Nay, it does not."

His brother's gaze drifted past him, and Thor turned to find Livunn standing close by.

"Your dinner is ready," she said, motioning towards the sofas.

"Come, let us eat," Loki said, stepping past him. "My lunch, at least, was not very satisfying."

"Very well, but I must warn you, Brother, my appetite is not what it was before," Thor
admitted sadly. "I fear we will have many leftovers."

Loki shrugged as Thor joined him and he had to admit, the familiar smells made his stomach
growl. Perhaps he would be able to eat more than he had managed on Miðgarðr with some of
their unfamiliar foods, particularly with SHIELD. Thor was not certain what they had done
with it, but it did not taste as fresh as Lady Jane's food had.

The first part of their meal passed in silence and Thor could see his brother had not been
lying when Loki had spoken of being hungry as his brother ate with a gusto Thor had rarely
witnessed as of late. He was glad for it because, now that he looked, he saw Loki was far too
thin and he could not immediately recall if 'twas a new thing or not.

"Will you go back to Niflheimr tomorrow?" Thor finally asked.

"Hmm, we have negotiations planned for both tomorrow and the day after," Loki replied.

"But not the day after that?"

"Nay, the shifting of the days between Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr means we need to catch up
somewhere and it coincides with the traditional day of mourning for the jötnar, so we will
skip that day if we have not yet reached a new truce."

"Day of mourning, for the war?" Thor asked, warily.

"Nay, thankfully not as that would not help if 'twas focused solely on the dead of the last war.
Nay, this is apparently something far older, a day dedicated to all who have died. A
remembrance day if you will."

"Even for those who died dishonorable or ignoble deaths?" Thor demanded, startled.

"Hmm. Apparently the jötnar do not place the same emphasis on honor we do."

How strange. But then, if they were more like the æsir, there probably would never have been
a war between them, Thor supposed.

"So, what will you do that day?" Thor asked. "Finally rest a little?"

Loki sighed, looked at his unfinished plate, before setting it aside. Thor frowned at the action.
Though his brother had eaten, it had hardly seemed like enough, even for Loki who had never
had quite the same appetite as he or the others had. Well, at least as either Hogun or Fandral
had as no one could match Volstagg's appetite, not even he himself at his hungriest!

Before Thor could even think to comment, his brother had squared his shoulders and looked
up at him. He could already tell from the look on Loki's face he would not like what came
next.

"Nay, Thor, I will not rest on that day as 'tis when Lord Ragnvaldr has arranged for Lady Sif
and the Warriors Three to have their trial. It needs doing sooner rather than later, seeing as
they are currently simply being held in the dungeons," Loki stated.

Thor felt his earlier good mood vanish at the reminder of his friends and their current
situation. Mother had told him they were currently in the dungeons, but she had not known
anymore and, strangely, had not seemed upset about their situation, though he had figured
'twas probably due to almost all of her focus being on Father and his precarious position.
Otherwise, Thor was certain, she would be properly upset over it too.

"I wish to have words with you over that," Thor stated, trying to curb his anger.

"Aye, I had thought you would," Loki replied, before looking past him. "That will be all for
dinner, Livunn."

"You have not yet finished, Brother," Thor protested.

Given how hungry Loki had said he was, his brother had not eaten nearly enough. Hardly
even more than him with his newly decreased mortal appetite.

"I find I am not hungry anymore," Loki replied, rising to his feet. "Say what you must, Thor,
and be gone. I have more work to do."

Thor scowled at that, his anger driving him to his feet as well. "How can you be so callous
about this, Loki? These are your friends we are talking about!"

"Your friends, Thor, not mine. Never mine."

"What are you talking about, Brother? Of course they are your friends!"
"Thor, they only ever tolerated me and my presence because you wanted me there. Otherwise
they would not have given me the time of day."

"That is not true!"

How could Loki say that? After all of the centuries they had all spent together, fighting,
laughing and confiding in each other?

"Then how do you think we are in this position to begin with?" Loki demanded. "The
moment you were out of sight, they disobeyed a direct order to remain at their posts and left
in an attempt to usurp Hliðskjálf."

"I do not know," Thor admitted. "But you know them, they would not do it maliciously. They
thought they were acting in Ásgarðr's best interests."

"Ásgarðr's best interests?" Loki spat, incredulous, and Thor took a step back in surprise; not
having witnessed his brother so angry in a very long time. "By destabilizing an already
precarious position? Nay, Thor, they did not even care to look at the situation, they merely
acted as they always have, making assumptions and doing what was in their own best
interests."

"What? Nay!" Thor turned away from his brother to try to control his temper.

"Aye," Loki argued. "They knew they would not find the favor with me they enjoy with you,
and thus acted to regain it by seeking to place you on Hliðskjálf."

Thor whirled around at that and took a few frustrated steps towards his brother, hands raised
to grab Loki and shake some sense into him. His brother took an instinctive step back before
Loki's hands flew up. Thor flinched, expecting a spell before he realized his brother's hands
were flung outward; fore and middle fingers raised, thumb folded in.

'Twas a hold-stay gesture.

Startled, Thor looked around to find several of the Einherjar posted around the study had
moved forwards, hands on the pommels of their swords. Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
amongst them.

"What? But..." Thor stammered out, shocked, as he stumbled back, realizing what they had
thought he was about to do. "I would never!"

Loki. They had thought he was going to attack Loki!

That he would hurt Loki!

The realization made him feel ill even as he caught sight of the wide-eyed gaze of the serving
girl who had been helping Livunn wait on them during dinner.

"Thor, you fool," Loki muttered, as he waved back the Einherjar.

Anger quickly swamped back in as Thor turned to face his brother.

"I am a fool?" he demanded, before he whirled on the head of the king's personal guard. The
man who should have been reporting to him by now and protecting him. "How could you
possibly think I would hurt Loki? He is my brother!"

"Oh, for the Nine- Think, Thor, think!" Loki interjected.

"What?"

Thor's staring contest with the stone wall for all the emotions he showed that was Yngvarr
was interrupted as Loki stepped up beside him and shoved him hard enough to regain his
attention.

"We are four days away from one regicide attempt from a most trusted individual and now
here you are, arguing in favor of traitors who sought you out to replace me with," Loki
snapped. "You will not reprimand Lieutenant-General Yngvarr for doing his job, not in these
circumstances and not with the precedent within so many royal families."

The words made Thor blanch. Was that truly what he had looked like to the Einherjar? 'Twas
not what he had meant! How had things become so horrible so quickly? Only a few days ago
he was preparing for one of the biggest and best days of his life and now here he was; his
little brother on Hliðskjálf, his father potentially on the brink of death, his friends imprisoned
for treason and Ásgarðr at war with her greatest enemy, all because of him and his emotions.

He did not know what to say. Clearly, he had not been able to explain himself properly so far
and now Lady Sif and the Warriors Three would pay for it. He would need to think on it
some more so he could do a better job of explaining it all at their trial, so they were not
sentenced and punished for something they had not done. Even if Father could overrule it
later, the damage to their reputations would be done, if it had not already.

"As for you, Lieutenant-General," Loki continued, turning to Yngvarr. "Please do remember
this fool is now essentially mortal and I could probably hurt him by breathing too strongly."

"You could not!" Thor protested. He was not so weak! "Ow!" he exclaimed when Loki
jabbed him, hard, with merely one finger.

"Want to bet that will bruise?" Loki asked.

Thor scowled and rubbed his bicep petulantly, unused to his brother being the one with
superior strength. He did not think it had ever been the case before.

"Out," Loki ordered, arm sweeping to include both the Einherjar and the servants.

"My Liege," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr protested, and Thor felt all of two inches tall.

Did the man truly feel he was a threat to his brother? Was that all he had become? 'Twas an
ugly thought and he could not make it fit even with all Loki had said. Aye, if one only looked
at the history of royal families within the Nine, the biggest threats always came from within,
even he knew that, but surely Yngvarr of all people should know them better than that! He
had been around for as long as Thor could remember, which meant the lieutenant-general had
known both him and Loki since they were mere lads.

What had ever given Yngvarr the impression they could possibly turn on each other? Thor
could think of nothing. Aye, he had not seen Heimdallr's treason coming, and he had trusted
the man with his life and even Loki's life, but he was a far cry from family, no matter how
trusted. Both himself and his brother would be dead a dozen times over if it had not been for
the other, or Lady Sif and the Warriors Three for that matter. 'Twas sheer madness to think
they would just turn on each other, especially for something so stupid as a throne! They were
worth far more to each other than that!

"Yngvarr, Thor is no threat to me," Loki stated and Thor felt a swell of relief. "Well, at least
not physically. Mentally is another tale altogether."

"Loki!" Thor protested with a glare.

His brother, the bastard, merely glanced at him and raised a single eyebrow.

"As if you need me to claim madness," Thor muttered.

With apparent great reluctance, the Einherjar and servants filtered out of the study leaving
only him and Loki. When Thor looked over at his brother once more, Loki looked both tired
and stressed, and Thor suddenly felt ashamed. He himself had been saying his brother was
taking on too much, and here he was adding more stress, but they were talking about the
future of their friends' lives!

"I am not simply planning to lock them up without a trial," Loki said, sinking back down into
one of the sofas next to the leftovers of their dinner. "They will have a chance to have their
say."

"Everyone has been acting like the outcome is already decided," Thor replied, careful to keep
his tone even.

"Because they have already seen part of the evidence at Heimdallr's trial," Loki explained.
"Lady Sif pretty much outright admitted to everything."

"She was not even there!"

"Nay, I meant before. You know everything in Himinbjörg is recorded, right?"

"What? Nay, why?"

"Father told us about this, Thor."

"I do not remember. And you did not say why."

"So, if anyone were ever able to come in via the Bifröst, we would know how and how many
of them there were."

Aye, that made sense. "And?"

"And 'tis on one of these recordings that Lady Sif admitted to everything. Here, let me show
you."

As Loki said it, he stretched across the sofa to reach Gungnir. The spear in hand, Loki closed
his eyes and the air above his brother shimmered. Thor stepped close as an image revealed
itself and he could soon see Heimdallr standing with Höfuð sheathed into place in the Bifröst
mechanism. Across from him, arrayed in a line, stood Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. They
looked very nervous for some reason Thor could not fathom. Had Heimdallr done something
else he was not aware of?

"You would defy the command of Loki, your king?" Heimdallr demanded. "Break every oath
you have taken as warriors and commit treason to bring Thor back?"

Thor winced as he started to see where this was going. He also could not believe Heimdallr
had asked them all of that.

"Aye," Lady Sif began.

"Good," Heimdallr stated, cutting her off, moving across Himinbjörg.

"So you will help us?" Lady Sif asked.

"I am bound by honor to our king. I cannot open the bridge to you."

"Complicated fellow, isn't he?" Fandral stated.

"Well now what do we do?" Volstagg questioned.

"Look!" Lady Sif exclaimed as she turned around to see Höfuð, not only still in the Bifröst
mechanism, but already activating it.

With another movement of Gungnir, Loki dismissed the recording and looked at him.

"That is why most people already consider Lady Sif and the other traitors," Loki explained.
"They will still be allowed to speak for themselves, of course, but this will be hard to recover
from."

"They only had the best intentions!" Thor protested.

"Damnit, Thor! Treason is never in the best intentions of anyone but those plotting it!"

"Loki-"

"And what if they had been needed? They abandoned their posts without a word to anyone.
What if I had need of them and they were not there? What if someone else had been relying
on them to be there?"

"They would never have done that."

"They did!" Loki shouted, rising back to his feet. "'Twas an admission of high treason you
heard, Thor. One way or another, this will not end well for your friends, and you had better
start to realize it now. I cannot let treason of this nature go, not now of all times."

Thor growled but forced himself to pace away from his brother rather than towards him.

"Loki, this is Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun we are discussing here!" Thor implored.

"If anything, that only makes it worse," Loki snapped back. "They are close enough to us to
know the rules of succession better than most, so they should have been less likely to pull
something so stupid. Nay, this merely proves what I have thought all along, that 'tis me they
dislike."

"Brother-"

"You keep protesting it, but then how would you explain it? And if you dare say they thought
'twas for the best of Ásgarðr, you had better be willing to explain how in a way which does
not prove my point."

"I..." Thor began, words suddenly fleeing him.

He had never been great at winning arguments with his brother since Loki was far better at
words than him, a proper wordsmith and flyting expert. There had been times when his
brother had been able to twist his words around so thoroughly that even Thor had become
confused, and he did not want that to happen here. Not with his friends' very freedom and
futures at stake!

"First, I want to make it clear I do not agree with what they did," Thor said. "'Twas wrong
and I told them this when they came to me."

"Seeking you to overthrow me, right?" Loki asked.

"Brother."

"'Tis a valid question and one that I, as king, could ask at the trial and probably should."

Thor felt stricken at the words. Much as he wished to deny them, Loki was correct. As a king
who had the person of interest of those accused present, and not as a hostile participant, Loki
should question him on what Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had wanted from him. For a
moment he considered refusing to answer, but he knew he could not. As a prince of the realm
and its future king, he simply could not do anything which would look like he was perverting
the course of justice.

"Loki," Thor pleaded, desperately.

"Nay," Loki stated, finger flying out and up to point at him. "Do not ask it of me. 'Tis not my
intention to use you against your friends, but I will not promise you anything. I may not have
taken the oath you were in the process of speaking at the coronation ceremony, but that does
not mean I am not aware of it, nor mean to do anything but follow it."
The reminder of the oath made Thor flinch once more as he started to fully realize the
predicament his brother was in.

"Thank you," Thor said seriously, making certain to catch his brother's eyes.

Loki nodded at him before raising an eyebrow. "Well, your explanation."

"Ah, aye. Like everyone else, they had expected me to be on Hliðskjálf by the end of the day
of the coronation day."

"Yet only they and Heimdallr reacted treasonously."

Loki would not be his brother without his cruel and poisonous words, always aimed to wound
or kill. Thor did not think Loki understood the ability to use his words in any other way.

"And they knew how long I had prepared for it," Thor continued. "All of the training and
time spent with Father. Without all of that, I believe they might have feared you would not
know everything involved in kingship."

"So 'twas incompetence they feared rather than a personal dislike of me," Loki concluded.
"Me, who spent far more time studying anything including law and government than you
ever did!"

That angered Thor once more. "I spent long and hard preparing to take Hliðskjálf from
Father!"

"Time you did not spend before, when we were taught all of it."

"I will not argue this with you, Loki," Thor stated. "I am merely explaining what they were
thinking."

"'Tis still not an excuse, especially before I had even had the chance to do anything. 'Tis not
up to random Einherjar to decide whether the king is qualified to be king."

"They are not random Einherjar."

"They were until you selected them to be part of your little group, but they are still officially
Einherjar and as such are part of the normal chain of command. If they had a problem, they
should have taken it to General Týr in light of your absence, but even he could not overrule a
direct order given to them by me, which I did."

As Thor had feared, he could not make headway with Loki using words. He needed to
consult with the others to formulate a proper strategy in order to best explain it all to his
brother.

"'Tis getting late," Thor began. "And you said you had other work to do, aye?"

Loki nodded once, looking at him warily.

"Can we speak of this again later, before the trial?"

 "Fine."

"And..."

"Spit it out, Thor."

"Can I go visit them?"

Thor hated having to request permission to do something like this of his little brother -
especially when Loki's whole countenance simply shut down at his words - but he knew he
needed the king's approval to do so when the accused were in the dungeons for treason.

"And you wonder why the Einherjar reacted the way they did," Loki sneered. "Here I am,
dealing with a war you started, stuck in a precarious political situation with the rest of the
Nine, newly out of a regicide attempt and with five warriors accused of treason, and you want
permission to go consort with the traitors! Have you even thought of how this will appear to
anyone else? Have you?"

Thor reared back at the slew of venom and anger from his brother. Gone was all of the
decorum and finesse which Loki normally possessed, and, in its stead, there was an almost
wild creature with wide eyes and uncontrolled emotions. 'Twas entirely unlike his normally
composed and elegant brother and it left Thor speechless.

"I-" Thor started, scrabbling desperately for something to say to make all of this better.

How had things come so wildly off-track in so little time?

"Fine, go see them for all I care, 'tis not like you can do anything else at present."

"Loki!"

"Get out."

"Brother-"

"I said get out!"

The last was all but screamed and Thor knew the only reason the Einherjar did not rush into
the study was because 'twas magically sound proofed unless the king wished otherwise.

Not certain what to do with this wild and uncontrolled version of his brother, Thor took a few
steps back, watching Loki closely. Was it better to do as his brother asked and give Loki time
to calm down and regain control? It seemed to be the best option, so Thor turned around and
quickly left the study before his brother could change his mind on letting him go and visit his
friends on the morrow.

Chapter End Notes

So there, a very peaceful dinner, right? 😈

The explosive argument so many of you were expecting, just a little later than you might
have thought. I really wanted this first one to be from Thor's pov, so that we can see
some of his reasoning for things a lot of people weren't going to understand very well
otherwise. Plus we know Loki's opinion on a lot of what was said already!

And, yes, I know what Loki says about treason only ever being in the best intentions of
those plotting runs counter to his own thoughts on the matter when he did so. But, hey,
he is the God of Lies, and it isn't exactly in his best interest to admit there can be other
reasons for acting thus. Not given the circumstances in question here.

Finally, yes, poor Loki isn't able to control himself as well as he'd like around his
brother, no matter how much he tries. He's injured and Thor is just so... argh!

Up next week: Loki turns his attention back to the King's Fund applications...
Warning, this will be the 2nd shortest chapter of the fic!
 Chapter 30
Chapter Notes

Welcome to another chapter, everyone, and many thanks to all of you who leave such
wonderful comments and kudos. It means a lot to me, especially when I do get the
occasional nasty comment.

Also, today, August 1st, is the Feast of Loki & Sigyn. Or at least so I've found in a few
places. It's pretty much the only date I could find associated with Loki, though someone
has since pointed me towards the forerunner of April Fools' Day; Prettarsdagr.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

As soon as Thor was out of the study, Loki strode over to his desk and collapsed into the
chair. Unbelievable, his brother was absolutely unbelievable at times!

Could he go visit his friends?

Now? With everything which was going on and Thor wanted to go and visit his friends? Loki
had his hands buried in his hair before he knew it and he wanted to ignore the knock when it
came, but he recognized it as Livunn's, and he knew after what had happened earlier both her
and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr would be worried. Especially if Thor had simply stormed
out past them without a word.

"Come in," Loki called out, letting the words pass through the silencing wards.

As he had expected, Livunn was the first to enter, followed quickly by Yngvarr. What was
surprising was that the lieutenant-general closed the door behind him rather than being
followed in by any of the other servants or Einherjar. Loki simply looked at them for a
moment before sliding his hands to cover his face and letting his hair fall forward in a loose
curtain around his hands.

Thor had been in the study for less than an hour and yet Loki felt like it had been a day. He
had been all over the place emotionally, from his brother's near confession of how not all
jötnar were bad, to outright questioning him and defending those who had deliberately sought
to dethrone him. Why did Thor always have to drive him this mad?

Why could he not simply hate Thor as he so badly wanted to at times? It would make his life
so much easier if he could simply write Thor off and never care for what his brother said or
did ever again. Yet, somehow, he could not. Nay, every time he tried, Loki was reminded of
all the times Thor had said or done something nice or kind and, no matter how many bad
times there were, those simply seemed to shine through for him at times like this.

Loki hated it.

Just like he hated Thor.

The sound of movement and dishes being shifted near the sofas returned Loki to the present,
and he pulled his hands back to look at the lieutenant-general who had come to stand before
his desk.

"I have told Thor he can visit his friends tomorrow," Loki all but spat the word 'friends', the
anger and betrayal from earlier welling up within him once more.

He really should not have been surprised though. After all, how many times had Thor sided
with them over him throughout the centuries? Loki had long since lost count, more out of a
protective measure because of how great the number was becoming, rather than anything
else. So, aye, he truly should have seen this coming. Still, with all the other changes Loki had
witnessed in Thor since his brother had returned from Miðgarðr, and the sheer enormity of
their current situation, he had somehow come to expect more from his brother. Óðinn had
thought Thor was ready to be king and, while he had disagreed with that assessment, even he
had not thought his brother's inadequacy was quite this great.

"I shall see the dungeon guards are informed," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr reassured him.

"What? No questions as to whether 'tis wise?" Loki asked.

"I do not know all of the particulars of the situation. Besides, I have found that sometimes it
helps to be confronted with things as they truly are, rather than what we think or would wish
them to be."

That... that was very true and quite sound advice actually, even if letting Thor down to visit
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three would cause gossip. Loki could only hope it did not come
back to haunt him too badly. Not that he truly thought he had much choice in the matter. Thor
had never listened to him well at the best of times and now was hardly that, even if now he
officially outranked his brother as much as he could ever hope to. It had been Óðinn whom
Thor had been disobeying when he had run off to Jötunheimr, after all, and if his brother
would not respect his own father enough to listen to him, then what hope did Loki have?

Nay, 'twas best if he had officially sanctioned Thor's visit to the dungeons than to end up in a
situation where his brother did so anyway and went against orders not to do so. That would
truly be the last thing Loki needed even if this would cause him trouble anyway. 'Twas the
amount of trouble he had to decide on, not the presence or lack thereof.

"We can only hope," Loki finally replied, brushing back his hair and keeping it there with a
quick touch of seiðr.

"If they act anything like Heimdallr did at his trial, then they may well do your task for you,"
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr continued.

Loki snorted at the thought. Much as he wished he could believe it, over half a millennium of
experience told him otherwise. If Thor was so easily able to see the faults within his friends,
they would not be here where they were now. Nay, he was done hoping as far as his brother
was concerned, it had cost him too much in the past and he simply did not have the emotional
space to deal with any more of it now.

"You go ahead and wish for that," Loki said, before tilting his head. "No worries about what
they may try to convince him of?"

"I have never felt doubt for Thor's loyalty to both Ásgarðr and Hliðskjálf, but I simply cannot
ignore any form of physical intimidation towards my king," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
replied. "Particularly now of all times."

"Hmm, well, Thor has always spoken as much with his fists as he has his words. It simply
had not even occurred to him he could not continue to do so now."

That seemed to worry his lieutenant-general and Loki wondered if he could do anything right
at present. It had been a simple truth and one meant to reassure rather than to worry. Luckily,
he was saved from having to pry into it by Livunn's approach with a plate he was certain
contained more food than when he had abandoned it earlier. And he had definitely not yet
selected any desserts, yet she had a large one on a smaller, second plate.

"Livunn," Loki began.

"You need to eat," Livunn interrupted, a determined look on her face. "You have been busy
nonstop for the past few days, and you need to keep your energy up if you want to continue
to do so."

Loki wanted to argue, simply for the sake of it, but the logic was sound and had he not
essentially told his mother the very same thing merely a few hours ago? He was many things,
most of them unappealing to the vast majority of æsir, but hypocritical was not one which
Loki aspired to. In fact, 'twas something he quietly hated quite passionately as 'twas a trait
Óðinn displayed frequently, and almost always to Loki's detriment. He would almost eat
simply to keep himself from being hypocritical. Besides, he could all but see Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr wanting to pipe in as well.

"Fine," Loki muttered, flicking his closest hand to envelope the dinner plate with just enough
seiðr to keep it warm until he got to it.

"Thank you, Loki," Livunn said, placing the plates on his desk and putting her hand on his
arm briefly.

A quick glance over towards the sofas revealed exactly how much food was left. Thor had
not been lying when he had said his appetite was greatly reduced as a mortal.

"Help yourself if you have not yet eaten, Yngvarr," Loki offered and continued when the
lieutenant-general hesitated. "You can bring the others in again if you want. All I have left
today is parchmentwork."

That seemed to soothe whatever worried Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, and the man moved
back to the door as Loki focused his attention on the scrolls which lay on his desk. Absently,
he picked up the fork Livunn had left and made himself eat a little more as he began to read
the applications for the King's Funds. Once he started, Loki found he was still, in fact,
hungry, and most of his plate was soon gone as he worked. The number of applications was
surprisingly great considering how short of a time the people had to submit them, and they
covered a wide range of areas. Though he read them all, Loki quickly cast aside most of the
warrior ones, knowing how much money was already allocated to the training and boarding
of the warriors. Plus, they were currently spending more on upgrading their armor and
weapons, in case the peace talks broke down.

So, nay, they did not require any additional funding from this particular pot of money. The
only application of its type which Loki hesitated on was one from one of the further reaches
of Ásgarðr, which spoke of seeking funding to train up all those who showed warrior
potential and not simply those who would normally be selected for the training. Though he
himself had no great love for fighting, Loki would admit he knew intimately what it felt like
to go against the grain in Ásgarðrian culture, and thus this one warrior application was put
aside for further consideration. He and Lady Sif might have had their fair share of
differences, but Loki could admit she was a great warrior in her own right, and she had saved
his life on more than one occasion.

The problem was that many of the others also made good arguments for their funding
requests and Loki knew that it would be difficult to narrow down the list, even with the not
inconsiderable sum of money he had to allocate. Part of him was beginning to understand
why Óðinn may have liked to simply renew old funding decisions year after year. It would
definitely make this whole process a lot easier. Luckily, there were some which were clearly
ill considered or nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt at obtaining money, and he was
able to cast those aside quickly.

'Twas one of the ones requesting funding for basic infrastructure repair which made Loki
frown. Surely this could not be right. It had to be a lie, and yet 'twas one far too easily
discovered to truly be worth it. Looking up, he glanced about the chamber, noting the remains
of dinner had been removed from the table and that the Einherjar were once again spread
around the study.

"Is anyone from the eastern edge of Ásgarðr city itself?" Loki asked. "Or has been there
recently?"

There was a moment of silence before one of the Einherjar shifted self-consciously, taking a
half step forwards. "I... my sister lives over that way, Your Majesty," he said.

It amused Loki the man could spend almost all day around him and still be this nervous in
having to actually address him. Surely he had not been so intimidating recently. If anything,
he would have thought it to be rather the opposite, seeing how often and completely his
composure had slipped the past few days. He would have thought it must have made him
seem far less regal and lofty to them, who had witnessed almost all of it. Now more bemused
than anything else, Loki beckoned him over with a finger as he picked up the parchment and
turned it around so the man could read it from the other side of his desk.

As the Einherjar reached him, Loki indicated a particular passage. "Is this accurate?" he
inquired.
To his credit, the man actually took the time to properly read the passage, glancing up a bit
further to gain the proper context of what he was looking at.

"Aye, my Liege," the man said. "'Tis accurate, if perhaps a little understated, based on what I
have seen."

"Understated?"

"It says the road is almost unpassable by cart, while I would argue that 'tis actually
unpassable, in parts at least. Though, I suppose, one could try if they were willing to risk
damage to the axels."

Loki had to admit to being shocked any part of the city could have basic infrastructure in
such abysmal disrepair. How was this not known? Not that Loki could say he had been aware
of it, far from it in fact, but surely this was something Óðinn should have been informed of.

"How did it get to be in such a state of disrepair?" Loki asked. "Surely they receive the same
basic funds as any other part of the city."

"I cannot say for certain, Your Majesty," the Einherjar replied, glancing away.

Oh, Loki knew that look.

"But you know something," Loki prodded.

"Only rumors and speculation."

"So noted. Tell me."

You would think from the conflicted look on the man's face Loki was requesting something
far more delicate or worrying than some mere rumors. Though, if they were particularly
unflattering of Óðinn or the government in general, then he could perhaps understand the
Einherjar's hesitance.

"I will not fault you for anything the people may be saying," Loki promised.

"Do you remember the flood a few decades back, my Liege?" the man asked.

"Aye," Loki replied.

It had been the result of civil unrest on Múspellsheimr spilling over to Ásgarðr when a fire
seiðmadr had come and tried to set parts of the city ablaze for what he perceived as Óðinn's
involvement in the root of the argument that had led to the current unrest millennia ago, back
before Óðinn had even been king. The action of one of the seiðkona responding to the
resulting fires had been to try to use water seiðr to put out the blaze, but the seiðkona's grasp
on seiðr had not been strong enough for what she sought to do, and so she had lost control.
This had resulted in flooding to huge parts of the outer edge of the city, which had done far
more damage than the original fires had.
It had been a nightmare to deal with it all, not only because Loki, as one of the only battle
seiðberandi on Ásgarðr, had been forced to deal with the fire seiðmadr, but also because of
the backlash which had resulted against all seiðberandi throughout Ásgarðr. His position as
prince of the realm had protected him from anyone either trying to do anything to him or
saying anything to his face, but he had heard mutters amongst the court of the bad example
he set for the people, dabbling as he did in seiðr.

Even now, those comments were enough to enrage Loki if he were to allow them to. For a
whole host of reasons. Therefore he shoved them aside and focused on the present instead.

"Well, 'tis said that when the All-Father's inspectors came, they missed parts of the damage
and so the emergency funding they received was insufficient to cover the costs of restoring
and repairing the damage," the Einherjar explained. "The rumors say all requests for
additional funding were seen as excessive and due to a misuse of the originally allocated
relief money, and so were denied."

"Meaning the councils were forced to utilize funds from other areas, like road repair, to fix
the damage," Loki realized.

"That is what they say, Your Majesty."

"And are those the only rumors?"

There was that cagey look again, but Loki maintained his gaze, knowing he could outlast the
man.

"There... ah, might be some whispers that... uh, there is insufficient money being allocated to
the area in general... on account of it not being home to the nobility. My Liege."

Aye, Loki could definitely see why the Einherjar might be highly uncomfortable reporting all
of this to him. He knew at least that none of the others in this study would speak of the man's
name in association with this information, and Loki himself had no intention of giving away
his source if he ever spoke of this with the High Council or Óðinn.

"Thank you," Loki said to reassure the man.

Clearly knowing he was being dismissed, the man bowed before moving back to his post.

Loki turned his gaze to Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. "I think we shall be making a small
detour on the way back to Iðavöllr from Himinbjörg tomorrow."

Quite predictably, Yngvarr approached his desk. "May I know the details of where exactly,
Your Majesty?"

Loki merely held out the unrolled parchment. "To view that. It sounds like it meets the
specifications of a project I have in mind, but I need to view it in order to be certain."

If he was right, then this particular issue would be resolved, but not with the King's Funds.
Nay, rather with free labor on the part of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three via their indentured
servitude status. It made him want to smile, simply thinking of it. If the Einherjar was right,
and he had no reason to think he was not, then this would help dispel some of those rumors
that the royal family did not care for those parts of the city which had no nobility housed in
them. And it would make the punishment that much worse for Lady Sif and her stuck up
companions, all of whom he had seen thoroughly enjoying the perks of being the crown
prince's chosen companions on many an occasion. Even those where rightfully they should
have stood down or sat with their fellow warriors, rather than join him and Thor at their table.

'Twas not hard to see where they had come into their ideas of grandeur from now Loki looked
for causes. In fact, 'twas actually rather surprising it had taken quite this long for this type of
incident to occur. He could only attribute it to his brother having laughed off or simply
overlooked earlier ones which could have resulted in them being disciplined. 'Twas what
Thor was trying to do now as well, only this time Loki would not allow his brother to do so,
since this time 'twas being done when he was in charge whereas before the final authority had
always rested with Thor, both as their commanding officer, but also as the first prince and
heir.

The rather startled and vaguely horrified look which crossed Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's
face as he read the application made Loki feel better at having been completely unaware of
the situation. What was worrying, though, was the fact that so many of them seemed to have
been completely unaware of it, and, what was more, that the people living in the affected area
almost seemed to think this was normal. It should not be, not on Ásgarðr and Loki was even
more thankful he had pushed back against Lord Óðr when the man had tried to simply
reallocate the King's Funds to the normal recipients. Aye, it would have made things far
easier for him, but then he would have missed discovering things like this.

"I will find us the fastest and safest route to this part of the city," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
promised.

Loki nodded and placed the parchment into a new pile when 'twas handed back to him. If he
were particularly lucky, he would find a few more applications which could be allocated to
the same pile as that would allow him to address more issues while not splitting the money he
had too much. By the time he had read through all the applications, Loki had completely
finished his dinner and half of the dessert Livunn had left him. While he was not feeling
better per se, he was not feeling any worse and he knew that when this was all over, he would
need to find something or some way to thank her for having put up with him while he was in
such foul moods. Of everyone, she would be the person who would be dealing with them the
most.

With a feeling of accomplishment, Loki rolled up all of the rejected applications together and
wrote a note on the outside for Lord Óðr to take care of contacting those who had made the
applications. Normally he would take care of it himself, but Thor had been correct about one
thing. A king did need to delegate, and he found a perverse sense of satisfaction in making
Lord Óðr be the one to write out these letters to all of the people the man would have funded.
A pause, hmm, perhaps he would need to ask to see the letters before they went out. He
added that to the note with the excuse that he would sign them, before putting the roll aside to
be given to a servant later.
 He then quickly checked the pile he had definitely decided he would fund and tallied up the
numbers to see how much it would use of the money he had available to allocate.
Surprisingly, it did not use up all of it, so Loki turned his attention back to the pile that had
the applications he was not certain about. There were one or two which he thought might be
able to be put towards the indentured servitude punishment if he was creative about it, but he
would need to run it by Lord Ragnvaldr and General Týr after the trial to see what the two of
them thought.

A few more were added to the rejected lot, being rolled up tight and inserted into the middle
of the roll, before Loki was left with the last few, including the one warrior application he had
allowed to move past an initial reading. With Lady Sif's upcoming trial, Loki was afraid it
would be seen as confirmation of the fact that women could not be warriors and so used as an
excuse to block all future women from entering training. His mother's own prowess with her
knives from her days as a shield-maiden on Vanaheimr, along with all of the worthy female
warriors he had encountered on Vanaheimr, Álfheimr and even Múspellsheimr made it a
deeply uncomfortable thought for Loki, so he added it to the accepted pile.

The final few applications gave Loki a far harder time and, in the end, he decided to fund
three of them partially rather than selecting only one to fund fully. Unfortunately, that added
two others to the rejected pile, but he would keep them in mind moving forwards if any
money ever became available anywhere else. He added the necessary notes to the three he
was part-funding so Lord Óðr knew exactly what he had planned, before he rolled all of the
accepted ones up and added another note so Lord Óðr would know these were the ones he
was to move forwards with. He was not actually certain if drafting these letters might be
more painful for the man than the rejection letters, but, either way, Loki liked assigning them
to him.

Finally, Loki moved the applications he thought could be used for the punishment of Lady Sif
and the Warriors Three to one side to be dealt with later, after the trial. With a sigh, he leaned
back in his chair and simply took a moment to close his eyes. Then, remembering his
unfinished dessert, he pulled it towards him and quickly finished it off. There was, of course,
more he could do but none of it was urgent and he felt both dirty and tired. 'Twas best if he
retired for the night and made certain he would be sharp tomorrow for the negotiations rather
than exhausting himself any further.

Chapter End Notes

There you go, Loki's view on how the dinner went and some more on the King's Funds.
I know it was shorter, but this was the only chapter other than the shortest one to be
under 4,000 words.

Plus, there's another bonus for you as Lilituism, who has done an amazing illustration
for Pretoogjes, has now done 2 for this fic!
The 1st can be found here and is of Loki with Muninn.
The 2nd can be found here and is of Loki and Loptr's talk in chapter 19.

Both are amazing and I'm so excited to be able to share them with you all! Do let her
know what you think of them and check out the other drawings in that 'fic'.

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages

Up next week: Thor goes to speak with the only other person he can about his friends;
Frigga...
 Chapter 31
Chapter Notes

Ladies and gents, we are now a third of the way through this fic! A third, so that means
there's still double to come, but it feels rather significant.

Just how much more trouble can find Loki do you think? :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Although Thor had initially planned to be up early enough to see his little brother off to
Niflheimr, after Loki's petulance last night, he decided to stay in bed until he knew the
negotiation party had left. On some level, he was still angry with his brother and so, despite
being back home and able to sleep in his own bed, Thor had lain awake for most the night,
tossing and turning incessantly.

Why was Loki so determined to always see the worst in people?

'Twas something Thor had noticed on more than one occasion over the centuries. It was
almost as if his little brother simply could not see the good in people or that Loki was
determined to view everything negatively. It meant Thor had ignored warnings from his
brother more than once when he probably should not have, but if all Loki said was doom and
gloom, then how was he to know when some observation or warning of his brother's was
actually worth listening to? Nay, he could not live thus and so he had learned to tune out that
part of Loki's personality. Perhaps 'twas why he had not noticed it had grown so much lately.

Or perhaps Lady Sif had been right when she once noted there were some people who simply
went dark once granted power. Perhaps Loki was one of those? Had being named king, even
if only as regent, gone to his brother's head? Thor had always ignored the rumors which had
been about for as far back as he could remember; that Loki was envious of him and his
position as crown prince. He had never noticed any difference in their interactions after he
had been officially recognized as heir, but then they had both always known it would be the
case despite what some people thought.

But could it be Loki had been put off balance a bit by the sudden rise to power? His brother
had never expected to be king, after all, and so would not have adequately prepared for the
rush as Father had warned him about, pointing out 'twas easy to let it all go to his head once
people started bowing and calling him 'Your Majesty' all of the time. He swallowed as he
thought back to the previous day with his brother being addressed thus. Due to all of the
preparations for the coronation, and his own mental preparations to respond to being called
by all of those titles, he had almost reacted to them more than once and had barely managed
to catch himself from making a very embarrassing mistake.
Your Majesty. My Liege. My King.

They were all titles which Thor had expected to be his by now and yet here he was, faced
with the possibility he might never be king at all. If Father never woke, then Loki would, by
all rights and laws of Ásgarðr, be the next king, even if Thor regained his titles and powers
between now and then. 'Twas a quirk of the rules of succession and one he had always agreed
with before, but that had been then. Now they actually found themselves in a position where
it could cheat him of Hliðskjálf, he found he was no longer so understanding or forgiving.

'Twas all supposed to be his! He was the crown prince and he had been the one specially
prepared to bear Gungnir and sit on Hliðskjálf. Loki had not. Loki had been prepared to be an
advisor and confidant, someone who would stand by him and help him rule, but never to rule
in his own right.

And yet, the issue with their friends aside, it seemed as if his brother was doing a surprisingly
good job, Thor had to admit. The High Council meeting yesterday had been quite informative
and watching his brother lead it had been interesting. Loki did not do it quite like Father did,
but it had run smoothly nevertheless, with everyone being able to have their say but still
moving on without getting stuck on any one item for too long.

If it were not for the fact Loki had thrown their friends into the dungeon, and all of this had
happened right when he should have been crowned king, Thor would have been very proud
of his little brother. Loki had taken up a very large responsibility with no warning and had
managed to keep everything running, if not entirely smoothly.

Suddenly his brother's words from the night before came back to him, the listing of all Loki
was currently dealing with, and Thor felt ashamed. He had already felt like he had fled a bad
situation by the time he had reached his chambers, and now the feeling intensified.

Not wanting to think about it, Thor threw the sheets and furs back and rose. He meant to
spend most of the day with his friends in case Loki decided to withdraw his permission once
he returned from Niflheimr, but first he had to go visit his parents and see how Father was
doing. Since he would simply be staying in Iðavöllr and he was more likely to feel cold than
before, he threw on something far more casual, but warmer than normal. He found food
waiting for him in the dining chamber as requested so he could break his fast, and he ate as
much as he could before heading off.

The two Einherjar assigned to protect him followed him like shadows and actually served to
make Thor feel all the more lonely. He was used to interacting and laughing with his
companions when they were with him, but he did not know these two Einherjar and he was
not in the mood to do the small talk required to become properly acquainted with them. He
was glad when Father's Óðinnsleep chamber came into view, and he might have hurried
forward a little faster.

"Good morning, Mother," he greeted as he entered the chamber and caught sight of her.

"Thor," Mother smiled, rising to give him an embrace and a kiss before she frowned. "Did
you not sleep well?"
Was it so visible? She normally could not tell when he had one bad night. Perhaps it showed
more on mortals.

"Nay, I did not," Thor admitted.

"Why not? What is wrong? Are you worried about your father?"

"Aye," he replied, but then continued at the look on her face, she could always tell when he
was not being entirely honest with her. "But also, Loki and I argued."

"Oh, Thor."

"I know, I know, but it simply happened. I did not mean to argue with him."

"Aye, but dear, Loki already has so much to worry about at present, he does not need you
adding to it."

"Why do you assume 'tis my fault?" Thor demanded. "He is the one being unreasonable!"

"Hush, Thor, keep your voice down," Mother admonished, glancing about. "The guards."

"So, what?"

"So, they do not need to see how much chaos and upheaval we are in at the moment. 'Tis bad
enough already with everything which has happened and then Heimdallr's actions and what
those traitors have done as well. When word of all of it starts to leak out, your brother may be
facing even more challenges or attempts to capitalize on Ásgarðr's perceived weakness."

Thor gaped at his mother in disbelief. "Those traitors?" he repeated, dumbly. "Mother!"

"What?" she asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Those are my friends you are speaking of."

"Your friends? You would still claim them as such?" Mother demanded. "After all they have
done to act against your brother and Ásgarðr?"

"They were doing what they thought was right!"

"Thor Óðinnson! You were taught far better than that."

"Why is everyone so quick to write them off? They have stood by my side, and Loki's I might
add, for over half a millennium. That is five centuries of friendship, brotherhood and
companionship, and you simply want me to cast it aside, just like that?"

"Nay, not just like that. They betrayed Loki, Thor, and that should mean they have betrayed
you as well. Do you not care about that?"

Thor could not believe this. Why was everyone so determined to see Lady Sif and the
Warriors Three as villains? Why could they not understand they might simply have been
doing what they thought was right and in the best interests of Ásgarðr? He had oft enough
gone against one rule or law if 'twas in the greater interests of the people or of Ásgarðr. He
had done so for the people as well when cases were brought before him in the Princes' Court.
He had always felt justice was greater than any one law or ruling which had come before it,
and had refused to allow those things to be used to punish the very people they were
supposed to protect and rule.

"Mother..." Thor began, not quite certain what to say.

Frigga frowned at him. "Why is this so hard for you to understand?"

"But... They are my friends, Mother, they have stood by me through countless things and
saved not only my life, but that of Loki as well. Multiple times."

"That does not excuse what they did, dear. Heimdallr once saved Óðinn's life in the past as
well, but that does not give him the right to try and take Loki's without fear of reprisals."

"Nay, of course not!" Thor exclaimed, horrified she was using that as a point of comparison.

Even now, with nearly a full day to come to terms with the news, it still made him ill to think
of. Simply the thought of his little brother dead was unbearable. Loki had been with them so
long he could barely remember life before his brother, which he liked as it allowed him to
remember Loki as an infant and all of the wonder and excitement he had felt at becoming a
brother and being able to hold him in his arms that first time. He had known even then he
would always love Loki and that they would always be together. 'Twas a playmate and
confidante, a brother and a friend for life, all in one tiny, green eyed little package. He had
not been able to wait for Loki to grow big enough to actually be of some use.

Their relationship had evolved and changed over the course of the past thousand years, but
Loki was still his brother and still one of the three most important people in his life. How
could anyone, let alone his mother, think otherwise? She who knew them both so very well.

"Mother!" Thor protested, dismayed. "'Tis Loki! He is my brother! I... Nay!"

"Hush, shh, I am sorry, dear," Frigga rushed to reassure him, stepping closer to embrace him
once more. "I am sorry, I should not have said that to you."

"Did you truly think I would not find it horrible?"

"Nay, of course not, I was not thinking. You and Loki are not the only ones who have been
under extreme stress lately."

"I know, but he is my brother, and I could never hurt him, much less wish him dead," Thor
declared fiercely, all but clinging to his mother, breathing in her familiar, comforting scent
deeply.

"I know, dear, I know," Frigga soothed. "I should never have said it. 'Twas callous and
unthinking of me. But the thought of losing your brother to Heimdallr thus, and with Höfuð
too..."
Thor clutched her even tighter, knowing that, for once, he did not have to think about his
strength as there was simply no possibility of hurting Mother no matter how tightly he clung
to her. If anything, she was the one holding him a little too tightly, but he could not find it in
him to protest the embrace. Now he had thought of the attempted regicide again, 'twas as if
all of his fears had surfaced once more and what he truly wanted to do was go straight to
Niflheimr and make certain his brother was still hale and whole. The knowledge Loki was
now in the same chamber as Laufey-King was not helpful at all, even if it somehow did not
cause the same sense of panic and desperate fear within him as Heimdallr's attack had done,
and still managed to invoke.

'Twas odd, but Thor thought that perhaps it had to do with the fact that, though he disliked it,
he was at least somewhat used to the thought of Loki being in danger in certain situations. He
had been forced to become familiar with it when his brother had commenced joining him on
his quests and adventures. So the situation with Laufey-King slotted itself quite comfortably
into that category of danger for, while 'twas not a quest in and of itself, it was related to one.
The one he had started by charging off to Jötunheimr to find answers to the jötnar attack on
the vault in order to retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters.

Heimdallr's attack, however, most definitely did not slot itself into that particular category,
nor into any other. Up until only yesterday, Heimdallr had always been a friend and fellow
shield-brother, even if they had never gone adventuring or questing together. So Loki should
have been safe and that meant it represented an entirely different kind of danger. One he had
merely been peripherally aware existed, but more in the abstract sense as in it could happen
and as royals was a theoretical danger. But one which had never materialized in all of his
long years of existence.

So, therefore, 'twas new and unexpected and managed to chill Thor to his very core.

He could have lost Loki!

The worst would not even have been that he had trusted Heimdallr with his life and that of
everyone else in his family, but the fact he would have been away when it had happened.
Away on Miðgarðr, all but helpless without his powers and Mjǫllnir. And, while he had
struggled and wallowed in self-pity, angry at everyone and most particularly those left behind
on Ásgarðr, Loki would have died while filling a position which should have been his to bear.

Thor had to fight back the nausea welling up within him and he suddenly wished he had not
taken the time to break his fast earlier.

"'Tis not the same," Thor finally whispered, needing to distract himself. "What Heimdallr did
was unforgivable. But they did not know, Mother, I can promise you that. When they came to
me, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had no idea what Heimdallr would attempt to do. They
spoke of Loki in the present tense, and of me taking over from him, not of him dead."

Frigga pulled back from him and Thor wanted to clutch her tighter and hold her forever. "'Tis
good to hear, but Thor, you must see how what they did was also unforgivable."

"But why? They were doing what they thought was right, what was in Ásgarðr's best
interests!"
"How? How could usurping Hliðskjálf from Loki possibly do anything but destabilize
Ásgarðr?"

"I think they feared what Loki might do, the decisions he might make."

"He did say they had never trusted him and only tolerated his presence because of you,"
Frigga replied.

"'Tis not true! Loki said the same thing last night, but I have no idea where he drew the idea
from. They are our friends, as in both of us."

"Are you certain, dear?"

"Of course I am!" Thor insisted. "Why would you doubt it? You know how Loki can
misconstrue things."

"When it comes to himself, aye, his perceptiveness can fail him rather more than I think he
realizes," Frigga admitted. "But I am not simply basing my questions on what your brother
has said, 'tis also based on what I have observed."

Thor frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your friends have frequently been around, so I have seen them regularly over the past half
millennium, and not always when they were with you. It has been my observation that, when
you are not around, they are far more dismissive or abrupt with your brother."

"What? Are you certain?"

"Aye."

"Why did you never say anything?"

"At first, I thought they had simply had a falling out and I did not want to embarrass your
brother and interfere, but later Loki said something which made me think it might be more
regular than that. With some more observations, the pattern became a lot easier to see."

Thor did not quite know what to make of it. It had never even occurred to him that Sif,
Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg were not Loki's friends as much as they were his. To him, they
had simply always been one big group of friends who knew each other very well and all liked
one another. It simply had never even occurred to him it might not be the case, and it actually
hurt to realize he might have been wrong in this. When it had been only Loki saying it, he
had been unsure, certain 'twas merely another example of his brother's negative thinking
interfering with how Loki interpreted reality. But, if his mother was also telling him the same
thing...

Could it be he had been the one who had been unable to perceive the truth? If so, then why
had Loki gone along with them for all of those centuries? Had it been merely because of him?
It made him feel bad in a way, but then Loki could have simply told him the truth instead of
keeping quiet about it. How was he supposed to know if his brother did not tell him?
"I will be certain to ask them of it," Thor finally said.

"Ask them? Thor, they are being kept in the dungeons," Frigga replied.

"I know, I am going down to speak with them when we are done."

"You are... Thor, you cannot simply go down to visit them!"

"I have Loki's permission," Thor defended, the words nearly becoming lodged in his throat.

Frigga sighed. "He should not have done that."

"Wh- Mother!"

"Thor, this will seem like-"

"Loki is aware."

"He is aware?"

"Aye, he was telling me off for asking to see them."

"And he still gave you permission?" Frigga checked, and Thor nodded. "He has always had
trouble saying nay to you."

"I- what?"

"Your brother has always had trouble telling you nay, whether you wanted him to go off on
an adventure when he wished to stay in and study, or you wanted to do something like this
and go visit your friends despite the appearance of discord and strife it will sow."

Thor flinched at the words. They were far too close to what Loki had said for it to be a
coincidence. "But all I want to do is see my friends. The last time I saw them things were
quite rushed, and the time before was when we returned to Himinbjörg after the battle on
Jötunheimr when both Fandral and Volstagg were injured, Fandral quite severely."

"Aye, but 'tis entirely their own fault and by their own choices, Thor," Frigga stated. "Though
I have not seen it myself, I am told there is a recording from Himinbjörg which shows they
were entirely aware of the implications of what they were electing to do. This is not a case of
them thinking they were doing one thing while accidentally doing something else or not
realizing the full implications of their decision."

"I know, Loki showed me the recording."

"And you still want to visit them?"

"I need to speak with them, Mother, to hear from them exactly what they were thinking, their
reasoning. I know what they said on Miðgarðr, but there were others present, the Ladies Jane
and Darcy as well as Lord Selvig, so they may not have wished to tell me everything then,"
Thor explained. "Therefore I want to go visit them, both so I can see for myself they are truly
hale and whole, and to ask them to explain everything to me."

"And what will it achieve? They will still need to pay for their crimes."

"But what if those are not what we currently think they are?"

"Oh, Thor," Frigga said, a sad look passing across her face. "I fear you will not find the
answers you are looking for, but if Loki has given you permission then there is naught I can
do to stop you. Simply make certain you obtain everything you need now, so you do not need
to go back. Each time you visit, it will make things appear worse, and right now appearances
matter a great deal."

Not wanting to discuss this anymore as he had not found the ally in his mother he had hoped
and expected to, Thor decided it best to change the topic of discussion.

"How is Father doing today?" he asked, looking past Mother to his father's still slumbering
form.

It suddenly occurred to him that, if the Óðinnforce was something he was to inherit along
with Hliðskjálf, then was the Óðinnsleep something which lay in his future too? The
Thorsleep? It sounded so wrong Thor did not even want to contemplate it, and yet the
thought simply would not leave his mind now it had occurred to him. He had always hated
the Óðinnsleep as it had made his father so still and vulnerable, the opposite of everything a
good strong warrior should be, to the point where it had horrified him so much as a child he
had nightmares of it. It would make him feel worse if he did not know it had caused Loki
unrest as well. An admission his brother had whispered to him once, when they had crawled
into bed together as children after visiting this very chamber shortly after Father had
succumbed to the Óðinnsleep, though in a far more planned and prepared fashion than this
time.

"As ever, a little better, but 'tis still far too soon to say definitively things will be alright,"
Frigga replied. "Though his continued progress gives me great hope, as it does Lady Eir who
has started being more optimistic herself."

"That is excellent news indeed," Thor stated. "We must not let him go so long without
sleeping anymore."

"Oh, trust me, I have lectured your father on the very topic already."

Thor laughed, knowing 'twas not the first time his mother had used the opportunity an
Óðinnsleep presented in order to make her thoughts known to Father. Father had complained
to him and Loki about it once, saying 'twas one of the worst aspects of the Óðinnsleep; to be
so thoroughly told off without the opportunity to defend himself. Personally, he thought his
mother sometimes used it a little too often, not that he had ever dared tell her that, of course.
The thought of doing so now unsettled him even more now he knew she might well be sitting
by his side in the future, much as she currently sat by Father's.

Oh, Norns.
Loki was also trained in how to deal with the seiðr balancing aspects of an Óðinnsleep and
had done so when Father had gone to sleep once while Mother was away. Which meant 'twas
entirely possible that, in the future, it would be his brother sitting by his side while he was in
the Thorsleep. Thor honestly did not even want to think about what his brother might use that
particular opportunity to lecture him about, 'twas more than a little terrifying. Though,
mayhap, it would help him as 'twas sure to send him into an even deeper sleep if 'twas at all
seiðr related.

"What?" Frigga asked.

"Huh?"

"You made an odd face."

"Oh, I merely realized that if I am to gain the Óðinnforce, then I will probably experience the
Óðinnsleep, aye?"

"Aye."

"Which means Loki may well be able to do to me what you do to Father."

His mother actually had the audacity to laugh and, if Thor was not so glad to hear such a
pleasant sound from her after all of the stress he had seen her deal with the past day, he would
be offended.

"Perhaps it means you should think about how much you annoy your brother between now
and then," Frigga suggested.

"But it would be never ending as 'tis something I will do perpetually moving forwards!"

"True, but depending on how long it takes your Father to wake up, you may be able to do it
once to him as well."

What? Oh. OH.

Thor had not thought of it, but 'twas true. If Loki now used the Óðinnforce, as his mother had
said he did, then 'twas possible Loki would succumb to the Óðinnsleep (Lokasleep?) before
he had to relinquish the Óðinnforce once more.

He sucked in a sharp breath at the next thought which occurred to him.

"Mother," he began, urgently. "How long does it take for the Óðinnsleep to occur the first
time? How long would Loki need to use it?"

Frigga sighed, all traces of mirth gone. "'Tis something which we are not entirely certain of,
but your father has said he has needed it less as time has gone on, well until recently. Now he
is older, it seems to be taking a heavier toll than before. But 'tis something which we have
worried about."

"We?"
"Your uncles, Lady Eir and myself. We have warned General Týr and Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr so they can help us keep a close watch on Loki, but, so far, your brother does not
appear to be showing any of the early warning signs of it. If anything, Lady Eir reports he
seems to be doing the opposite."

"The opposite? Mother, he did not look fantastic the last time I saw him."

"Aye, but 'tis the stress of being regent king at a time like this. The actual energy levels which
Lady Eir has determined can measure the encroaching of an Óðinnsleep seem to be
increasing within Loki rather than decreasing," Frigga explained.

"How is that possible?"

"We do not know for certain, and we cannot explore it at the moment, but I think it may have
something to do with the Casket of Ancient Winters."

"The Casket? Uncle Vé told me Loki had been looking into it and, to some extent, using it,
but I did not know it could affect Loki thus. Is it safe for him to be using it if it does?"

"I do not know if your brother had much choice in the matter given what needed to be done,
but I do know there has been an incident."

"Incident? What kind of incident?"

"I only know what Lady Eir told me, but when Loki was working on the Casket it seems its
power interacted with that of the Óðinnforce and did so rather... explosively."

"Explosively?" Thor questioned, alarmed. "But Loki was still alright?"

"It seems to, apparently he said 'twas not a bad interaction as Lady Eir claims Loki said the
two powers get along far better than we do with the jötnar."

"So, 'twas all alright?"

"In the end 'twas so, but when it happened the incident caused a flare of seiðr and, when Höðr
looked over, 'twas right in time to witness your brother collapsing. Needlessly to say, it
worried a lot of people, especially when they entered the vault to find Loki still unconscious."

"He was alone?"

"Aye."

"Why?"

Frigga hesitated here and Thor did not understand why. "'Tis complicated, but the first time
he interacted with the Casket of Ancient Winters there were others present and your brother
suffered no ill effects, so 'twas not that Loki was acting carelessly."

"Nay, but I am starting to understand why Yngvarr has been so edgy."

"Edgy?"

"Aye," Thor confirmed, looking away in shame. "When Loki and I argued yesterday, I may
have reacted poorly at one point and he thought..." he trailed off, still too horrified at the
mere thought anyone would consider him a threat to his own brother. "All of the Einherjar
thought I was going to attack him."

His mother's eyes were wide and her hand flew up to her mouth before she reached out for
him. "Did they-?"

"Nay!" Thor rushed to reassure her. "Loki realized what was happening and stopped them,
but simply the fact they thought I would do that..."

"A lot has happened these last few days and everyone is reacting more severely than normal
as a result."

"As I have come to find, to my detriment," Thor said, wryly. "But if there was this scare on
top of what Heimdallr did, it does start to make more sense to me. Even if I do not like it."

"Hopefully, it will all be over soon."

"Aye, with any luck," Thor replied, before he tilted his head while looking at his father.
"Mother, about what you just said."

"Aye?"

"If Loki was energized by using the Casket of Ancient Winters, then is there any reason why
we should not try it with Father? I mean if it helped Loki to deal with the Óðinnforce."

His mother bit her lip as she looked away, an odd expression crossing her face.

"What is it?" Thor inquired. "What is wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, 'tis simply the situation is more complicated than that."

"Complicated? How?"

"I cannot explain it all now, but trust me when I say there are differences between Loki's use
of the Casket and your father's."

"How so?"

"'Tis a seiðr thing," Frigga replied, looking uncomfortable. "I promise I will explain it more
later, when your father is awake, but suffice it to say I do not think it will work. Besides, with
your father being unconscious, at least largely so, I doubt it would work even if all else were
equal. Your Uncle Vé told me Loki has to concentrate on the Casket of Ancient Winters to
make it react to him the way it did. Without the ability to do so, your father probably could
not work it quite like Loki does."

"Oh."
"Aye, I know, but 'twas a good thought. If the matter with Jötunheimr is resolved before your
father awakens, and once Loki has had a chance to rest, then Lady Eir and I were going to ask
him to take a look at Óðinn and see if he cannot help your father achieve anything like what
he has."

"Very well, but about Loki, does this mean that he will not require the Óðinnsleep to restore
himself from using the Óðinnforce?"

"I do not know," Frigga admitted. "I do not fully understand what happened when Loki used
the Casket of Ancient Winters, nor what it means for its power and the Óðinnforce to have
met. I would be far more worried if not for Lady Eir's report of his health or the fact I have
seen him since with my own eyes and witnessed he truly is alright. But as for whether 'tis a
long-term effect or merely a short term one, there is no way to know."

"So we will simply have to wait and see, and hope for the best," Thor concluded. "I do not
like it, especially if it means Loki might succumb to the Óðinnsleep before either Father
recovers or I manage to regain my titles and powers. It would mean Hliðskjálf goes even
further down the line of succession to Uncle Vili."

"I know, but do remember there was a time when your uncle was the crown prince and heir.
In fact, 'tis what he was for most of the first few centuries after I met him, since your
grandfather died not long after your father and I married, and Vili remained as such up until
your birth."

"True, I guess it simply seems strange to me as I have only ever truly known him to be third
in line for Hliðskjálf."

"Aye, but he is essentially like your brother, since Loki will one day move down the line of
succession when you have your first child, and then even further if you have any others."

Thor shuddered slightly at the thought of having children, but he did take his mother's point.
Strange as 'twas to consider, particularly now of all times with Loki on Hliðskjálf, Thor knew
his little brother was technically as close to Hliðskjálf as he was ever likely to be. As the
second son, Loki was ever only meant to be a back-up or safety to the line of succession until
such time as Thor had been crowned and produced an heir of his own. The fact his brother
was currently on Hliðskjálf showed things were dire indeed, and it suddenly hit him just how
badly that meant things were for Ásgarðr at the moment. Not because of Loki's inability or
ability to lead, but simply because it meant they had hit a situation where a safety net had
been needed and, more importantly, was being used to keep things under control.

It made Thor pause in a way both Loki and his mother's words earlier had not managed to do.
If his parents had not decided to have a second child, then his uncle would be on Hliðskjálf at
present with Balðr as second in line, though Uncle Vé would be the one to actually ascend to
Hliðskjálf should anything happen to Uncle Vili. It made his head hurt to think of the
convoluted line of succession it would be and all of the regencies it would require.

How had they come to this?

How had Ásgarðr?

 It suddenly made Thor far less worried about the present situation and his brother being the
one on Hliðskjálf. However unprepared Loki might be to rule, Thor was confident his brother
was better for Ásgarðr than his uncle, no matter how long Vili might have been the official
crown prince and heir before his own birth.

Besides, there was one other advantage to Loki having been on Hliðskjálf when he himself
did ascend to it. Thor would be able to use the fact his brother had not done a bad job to help
delay the need for he himself to produce an heir, since 'twas not like he was risking leaving
Ásgarðr without a competent ruler should anything happen to him in the interim. Not that it
would, but 'twas a convenient excuse to use nonetheless.

Chapter End Notes

Slowly Thor is learning, even if it's one step forwards, two steps back at times. Just so
you know, I do think there are some accurate observations in there, even if Thor took
them to the wrong conclusions or misused the information.

Beyond that, who else can see all of the mischief Loki could get up to while watching
over Thor in a Thorsleep? 😈
Yes, Loki would likely need to act as regent then, but I'm certain he could find the time
to spend at his brother's bedside!

Up next week: The second day of negotiations begins...

 Chapter 32
Chapter Notes

Thanks for all the lovely comments and kudos!

I hope everyone had a good week and nice weekend.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Did you have any luck discovering what Laufey might have meant when he called King
Loki a fox?" General Týr asked Lord Aðalgrímr as they walked down the corridor on
Niflheimr towards the negotiating hall.

"Ah, aye," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "Prince Vé was correct about there being an ice fox on
Jötunheimr. They used to be quite popular in trade, both as furs and as kits, since they are
considered quite beautiful with pristine white fur and a surprising range of eye colors."

At least Loki could be reassured that Laufey had not been making a comment on his
appearance, as he knew from the comments various warriors who had served in the war had
made that the jötnar found them almost as repulsive as they found the jötnar. Loki grit his
teeth as he realized he had gone from being on the low desirable end of the æsir beauty
spectrum to the outright repulsive. The pain and ripping sensation deep within him were
almost expected by now and he did not even so much as stumble, though he did try to shove
the thought aside. He could not afford to be distracted now of all times.

"And what do the jötnar think of them?" Loki inquired, genuinely curious now.

"Although the description of the ice foxes did make me think of many of the traits which we
would call cunning, the jötnar seem to focus on it all differently," Lord Aðalgrímr explained.
"The ice foxes are by far the smallest of all of Jötunheimr's predators and are admired by the
jötnar for their tenacity and ability to survive the harsh conditions despite their small size."

"I assume that size has also kept them safe from being seen as a source of food for the
jötnar," General Týr commented.

"Aye, if anything it has also made them useful in the eyes of the jötnar, since it has meant
they are able to hunt the smaller vermin which can infest the jötnar homes due to the shelter
they provide," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed.

"So, they live in a form of symbiosis," Loki concluded.

All things considered; it could be worse.

"Aye. There was one more note in Queen Bestla's book that might be of interest. The large
winter wolves of Jötunheimr, which are oft viewed with a mix of savagery and admiration by
many in the Nine, are also quite tolerant of the ice fox."

"They are?" General Týr questioned in surprise.

"It seems they too make use of the fox's ability to keep their dens clear of vermin," Lord
Aðalgrímr explained. "What is interesting is that the jötnar see this as the fox utilizing the
wolves more than the other way around. Apparently, the wolves oft follow the fox to new
locations rather than the fox always following the wolf."

"But that is not how 'tis normally seen," Loki said as they entered the meeting hall.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed. "Which makes me wonder precisely what 'tis in all of this
Laufey-King sees in you."

Aye, 'twas the question, especially if the elements the æsir saw as cunning were still in there.

"Well, the symbiotic aspect cannot be bad," General Týr offered. "To me it sounds like he
feels he can work with you."

"I agree, though I do wonder about the dual aspects of the ice fox's interactions with the
winter wolves, which can easily be seen as your father and Thor," Lord Aðalgrímr stated.

'Twas an easy connection to make as Óðinn used to have Geri and Freki for centuries before
the pair of winter wolves had died in Loki's youth. He did still miss them on occasion since
they had been there from as far back as he could remember.

"Ruined," General Týr muttered, before he seemed to realize what he had said and the
general's eyes widened and flew to Loki.

Rather than taking offence, Loki chuckled. It had been a long-standing debate between his
mother and the general regarding Geri and Freki. The two wolves had always been very taken
with Loki and had preferentially spent time with him, much to General Týr's dismay and that
of various others, Óðinn included, who had seen it as having them ruined as ferocious
deterrents. Yet some of their final acts of extreme protectiveness had proven they were far
from ruined or defanged.

The question which now occurred to Loki was, had Geri and Freki been able to sense what he
truly was? Had it been part of why they had always favored him so? Some of his early
shapeshifting attempts had not succeeded because he had failed to take into account various
aspects of himself that needed to be thought of and changed. Like his smell or sense of taste,
so 'twas entirely possible that, at that point, he had still smelled jötunn and they had known it.
If so, Óðinn truly had no grounds to complain about their favoritism towards him as his
father had been the one to bring him into the family unit and with them, rather than the other
way around.

"Actually, speaking of the winter wolves, there have even been observed cases of ice foxes
saving wolf cubs," Lord Aðalgrímr said.
"Truly?" Loki questioned, surprised.

Why would they risk themselves thus?

"Queen Bestla seemed to think 'twas in order to protect a den from moving," Lord Aðalgrímr
added. "The foxes' mate and litter a little later, so if the den does not remain, the foxes will
lose a den for their kits."

"So, what does Laufey-King think?" Loki asked, both amused and a little fearful. "That I am
defending Father's den and his Thor-cub while Father cannot?"

Could it be that Laufey could tell he was not the same species as the others? That he was not
æsir? His blood went cold as he wondered if his birth father knew.

Could it be someone had witnessed Óðinn take him and told Laufey? Had his birth father
witnessed it himself and simply not cared? Or had Loki done something during the
negotiations yesterday to give himself away? He knew his shift into his áss skin was
imperfect, but no one had ever been able to tell before. Which did not preclude it being so
now, but he was relatively certain he had not given himself away by some other means.

Perhaps his little trick with the Ymir's sýra had been a step too far. Loki had wondered if he
should have resisted that, but he had thought the impression it would make on the jötnar
would be worth it, but maybe that had been his pride and vanity talking. His mother was
always saying he should watch them as he allowed them to overrule his common sense far
too often.

Loki tried to shove the fear aside. Surely Laufey-King would have said something if he either
knew or strongly suspected the truth, besides none of the æsir seemed to suspect anything
amiss, so the Ymir's sýra thing could not have been so bad of a misstep.

With a few strides, Loki was by the back table, and he placed the Casket of Ancient Winters
upon it. He then used the opportunity to adjust his new cloak before accepting Gungnir back
from General Týr. The palace tailor had come through with the first of his new outfits
yesterday, so Loki had worn it today rather than resort to his coronation outfit.

Given the conditions on Niflheimr, the main parts of the outfit were fur lined, though Loki
had noted it had been made so as to be removable should he wish to wear it somewhere else.
The main body of the ensemble was black and green rather than the elaborate gold his father
preferred and for that Loki was infinitely grateful, and he strongly suspected that he had
Livunn and Dagmær to thank as he had not had time to speak with the tailor himself.

His preferred pleated style was also present, but for all of that there was nothing somber
about the overall outfit. All of the base colors and style were overlaid with a multitude of
details from both silver and gold thread, to the metallic highlights he requested on his usual
outfits, to hidden sections or swaths of shimmering fabric that revealed themselves when he
moved only to vanish once more when he stilled. The overall effect was beautiful more than
ostentatious, and Loki loved it.
Given the nature of the negotiations, the whole ensemble was slightly more militaristic in
nature with vambraces and cleverly disguised places for his knives to be hidden and armor
beneath the leather and cloth. The vambraces, additionally, had been engraved and Loki had
instantly been able to recognize Brynjarr's handiwork. It normally took months for the smith
to take and finish an order, occasionally even a year, so he was well aware of the honor of
receiving them, especially such detailed work. They made his other pair look plain with both
snakes and wolves dancing and twisting over the highly polished surface.

What had astounded him most, though, was the third creature he had found among the
designs. It occurred just once, on the inner arm of each vambrace, there was a small, bushy
tailed fox. It occurred near the swirly bit of one of the wolves, but 'twas unmistakably a fox.
He had been struck almost speechless when he had found it, desperately trying to work out
how Brynjarr had known. The fox was not something he had used before despite its
reputation for cunning among the æsir. He had been compared to one on more than one
occasion though, but there had been a phase when he had been called a magpie too, after he
had been caught trying to acquire a magical artefact which just so happened to be gold and
one of the courtiers had decided 'twas why he had tried to acquire it.

In the end, he had only been able to explain it by assuming that Brynjarr had used a
predictive spell to determine which design to use, or what creatures to add, as no one who
knew of the fox reference would have mentioned it to Brynjarr. Given that these vambraces
were not a traditional commission where he had gone in and described what he had wanted, it
made sense that Brynjarr would have utilized other means to acquire the details. And
Laufey's comment aside, he had always liked the fox references despite how sneeringly they
might have been uttered.

They were very cunning animals and Loki liked them even if most of Ásgarðr looked down
on the trait, which was probably why there was only one fox on each vambrace.

The outfit was completed by a beautifully detailed and fur lined cloak with a large cowl that
he had raised for their arrival on Niflheimr. Now 'twas pushed back to reveal the green lining
as the outside of the cloak was midnight black with a shimmering silvery pattern that only
showed when he moved. 'Twas Welwynian marsel from beyond the Nine, it had to be, and
Loki could only assume the basic raw weave had been acquired for Thor and not yet dyed
and color spelled by the time of the coronation, and so had been diverted for his use instead.
And now it would always be his even after his regency ended as, once sealed and the color
spelled, they were permanent and would not ever fade.

The inside also had a golden pattern woven into it which, at first glance, seemed random, but
on closer inspection he had found were protection sigils and actually made the cloak almost
shield-like in some ways. The discovery had surprised him, since this was not the type of
thing which Livunn would have known to request. Nay, it would have taken someone with
more seiðr knowledge, and he suspected his mother's hand in it. She might even have drawn
up these patterns before the coronation as Thor would never have realized what the sigils
meant, if his brother had ever even noticed them.

Despite all of that, simply the knowledge that his mother had chosen the sigils, glyphs and
runes made Loki feel safe as Mother truly knew her protection seiðr.
A quick glance around the chamber showed that the servants had been by to clean and
replace everything, and Loki could not immediately spot anything which was out of place.

"This is going to be another long day," General Týr muttered as the man paced the chamber.

Loki's lips twitched. "Let us hope so, otherwise something will have gone wrong."

Out of the general's line of sight, Loki could see Lord Aðalgrímr smile and it fully brought
out his own smile as General Týr grunted some more at his words. No doubt Týr was running
through battle strategies in his mind, trying to determine the best way to attack Jötunheimr
should it come to that. The twitching of the man's arms and the way his right hand massaged
the stump of his left showed his agitation, and sheer morbid curiosity made Loki want to see
it. Everyone on Ásgarðr had heard the stories of how General Týr had lost his hand defending
Óðinn from the attack of a trained winter wolf during the war. Now the stump was always
covered in cloth, held in my place by his vambrace, but 'twas rumored to be hideously scarred
and Loki knew that it had to be true as, otherwise, General Týr would wear the battle wound
with pride rather than perpetually hiding it away.

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Loki out of his reverie, and he turned his
attention towards the doors on the opposite end of the hall. The entry of the jötnar party was
much as it had been the day before, with several guards entering first, before Laufey-King
and his delegation.

"Laufey-King," Loki greeted, before his eyes shifted to the left. "Helblindi-Princex."

"King Loki," Laufey rumbled in reply as he approached the center of the chamber.

Loki suppressed a frown at the move since he had expected his birth father to go straight for
his seat at the table to begin the talks. Laufey, it seemed, had other plans. A quick glance at
the other king's hands showed that Laufey held only what appeared to be a fur, so Loki bit
back a sigh and his own frustrations, and approached the jötunn. It felt strange meeting thus,
as the design of the hall put them almost on level, but that only served to emphasize exactly
how large his birth father truly was. Loki shuddered to think what it would have been like to
grow up as the runt in a world of giants. Íviðja he may be, but he would still have been the
exception, expected or not.

As Loki approached, Laufey raised the fur he held and Loki realized it had to be the pelt of
an ice fox as he could now see it had a bushy tail.

"A token of apology to prove my words yesterday meant no ill will," Laufey explained.

Well, either that or an indication his birth father wanted to skin him.

Loki found he actually rather liked the thought, for all of the frustration it would imply on
Laufey's part and 'twas definitely something which Loki could stand to be for the man who
had left him to die as a helpless infant.

"Thank you, but it truly was not necessary," Loki replied, knowing this was more about
buttering him up than an apology.
Give him something now so he might be more inclined to give Laufey something back later.
Foster a sense of reciprocation and goodwill, if not friendship. Whether as a test or in order to
further the manipulation, Laufey's fingers brushed Loki's as he reached out to accept the gift.
Luckily for Loki, it happened under the fur and was brief, but it still sent a shudder of
revulsion through him, though he managed to contain his reaction this time as he had known
'twas a possibility.

"Then see it as the first gift between kingdoms," Laufey replied, stepping back.

Loki thanked him once more as he marveled at the incredible softness of the fur. 'Twas hard
to believe something so delicate feeling could come from so harsh a climate as Jötunheimr.
But then, he knew only all too well how deceiving appearances could be. Still, Loki could not
stop his fingers from combing through the pelt as he made his way to his seat. He could
easily understand why the ice fox fur had been highly sought after before, if this was a
representative sample.

At his seat, Loki draped the pelt over the left arm of his chair, both so he could indulge in his
desire to touch it and so as to foster the appearance of being more smitten with the gift than
he actually was.

"Thank you for returning today," Lord Aðalgrímr began once everyone was seated. "I know
we were not able to resolve everything yesterday to all of our satisfaction."

Loki noted the way Thrymm-General almost rolled his eyes at that, though the rest of the
jötnar held their expressions back. He could well imagine they had heated talks after the
meeting yesterday and he wished he knew exactly how precarious things were. Lord
Aðalgrímr stated Helblindi-Princex had seemed more enthusiastic about the chance to
negotiate than Laufey would be when they had first met, but all he had seen from his birth
father had been in favor of continuing the talks. Had Laufey been talked around? Or was he
merely putting on a show to make it look like he had tried?

Or was this all a diversion?

'Twas a thought which had occurred to Loki before and General Týr had been by to discuss it
too. The problem was they could not see how it could be. Aye, Týr feared the portal might not
have been coincidental, but Loki already knew 'twas one thing they did not need to worry
about. Which left him at odds to think of just how this could be a diversion as he simply
could not see how Laufey could organize any kind of sneak attack, but that did not mean that
'twas impossible to do so. Simply that he could not see how. But nor could General Týr,
which helped to reassure Loki he was not simply overlooking something obvious.

"Despite that, we are hoping we will still be able to reach a new peace treaty here over the
next few days," Lord Aðalgrímr continued. "One which will allow us to avoid any further
loss of life than that which has already occurred."

"'Tis easy for you to say regardless of how you view recent events, you only lost two men, we
lost over two hundred and fifty," Thrymm-General growled.
And so it begins. Not that Loki would have either respected the general or trusted Laufey if
they had not argued this point. 'Twas a very valid one even if Jötunheimr had been the first to
break the treaty.

With a little help and prompting from himself, of course.

Loki almost had to smile at that. For all his claims to Thor that treason was only ever in the
best interests of the traitors, he truly had Ásgarðr's best intentions at heart. The fact he also
had no desire to live in an Ásgarðr ruled by his brother while Thor was still as unprepared for
kingship as he was now, was secondary. Still, he knew only all too well no one would believe
him if the truth were to come out, so 'twas imperative for Loki that it never did.

"We understand, which is why we are willing to agree to considering war time weregeld
compensation, in the third degree," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "As per the rules set forth at the
Nine Conference here eleven thousand years ago."

Actually, they would be willing to pay to the second degree, but they had to allow Laufey his
little victories, so they had gone one lower.

"Weregeld?" Laufey-King almost blinked and, for a brief moment, Loki could tell they had
completely caught his birth father off-guard.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed. "For all of your men, minus two."

"Why to the third degree?" Gunnlöð-Lairde questioned, recovering first. "We were not the
aggressors in that attack."

"'Twas hardly a peace time situation by the time of your warriors' deaths."

"That rules out the first degree, but not the second. 'Twas your crown prince who started the
violence and attacked, not to mention that 'twas your warriors who violated the treaty and set
foot on Jötunheimr."

Lord Aðalgrímr pursed his lips and glanced at the rest of the jötnar delegation before looking
over at Loki. They had already decided this, but did not want it to appear too premeditated
and determined. Loki would not put it past Laufey to be stubborn and refuse a deal simply to
thwart them if his birth father felt like they were winning and attaining what they wanted,
even if 'twas also in the best interests of the jötnar and Jötunheimr. Óðinn had oft spoken his
rival's pride and, while Loki had no means of knowing how accurate an assessment 'twas, he
did not want to take the risk either, not with a situation as delicate and politically volatile as
this one. Both his and Ásgarðr's positions were far too weak within the greater context of the
Nine right now to risk it.

"You would argue the second degree is more appropriate?" Lord Aðalgrímr returned.

"The second degree is more appropriate!" Gunnlöð-Lairde stated.

"And you would rest the matter of your dead there?"

It would rule out one complication, though Loki knew better than to expect it to be the end of
Thor's attack. That would still be used as often and as advantageously as both Gunnlöð and
Laufey could, but they could settle the matter of the dead here and now.

Well, if the jötnar agreed anyway. From what little Loki could read of them, Gunnlöð-Lairde
and Helblindi-Princex were surprised but glad at this development. Laufey-King was almost
impossible to read, his red eyes narrowed as he in turn observed all of them. Thrymm-
General, meanwhile, was far easier to read. His displeasure was all but palpable and his
fingers twitched ever so slightly, as if the jötunn wanted to clench his fists or pound them on
the table in protest.

"Thrymm-General?" Laufey questioned, clearly having caught sight of the actions too.

"Your Majesty?" Thrymm-General asked, turning his head to look at Laufey.

"What do you think of this proposal?"

"I think 'tis a pretty gesture to placate us," Thrymm-General stated, not mincing his words at
all.

Loki could appreciate it, even if he would have severe words with General Týr if the man
ever spoke thus at a peace conference like this before the enemy. Although Loki could see it
as being a front to make the jötnar delegation seem more fractured than it actually was in a
bid to make them offer the jötnar more in order to secure the treaty. 'Twas a ploy to consider
and Loki made a quick note on his parchment and passed it on to Lord Ragnvaldr. The
advisor frowned as he read it, nodded once at him and passed it on to Lord Aðalgrímr.

"But even if second degree war time weregeld is a good deal," Thrymm-General continued,
his tone making it clear what he thought of weregeld as a whole. "What good does it do us?
Money with nothing to spend it on is hardly any good or a true compensation of any sort."

"Thrymm-General makes a fair point," Laufey-King said.

"He does," Loki agreed easily, knowing that after all of this, their first true opposition or
resistance later would come as a bit of a shock. "However, I am open to discussing a
loosening of the complete trade embargo on Jötunheimr."

Complete and utter shock flooded Laufey's face for a moment before 'twas wiped clean, but
as Loki had been looking right at his birth father, he had caught it. Both that and the way
Laufey's eyes had darted down to look at his fingers, still combing through the fox pelt once
again. Helblindi-Princex was not truly so skilled at hiding his emotions and Loki could read
the hope there as well as the shock right up until his sibling turned his attention to Laufey.

The uncomfortable feeling from before was back, where Loki could not help but wonder how
he would have felt growing up on a ruined and dying planet, his very birthright, the Casket of
Ancient Winters, having been stolen by the enemy almost at birth.

"You would consider allowing us to trade with the rest of the Nine once more?" Laufey
finally demanded.
"'Tis on the table," Loki confirmed, not wanting to get sidetracked by the details of it now.

Nay, first they had to agree on the weregeld issue.

Gunnlöð-Lairde passed a note to Laufey, and they leaned close to discuss it for a moment,
before they sat back in their seats.

"Pending trade possibilities, we are happy to accept war time weregeld in the second degree,"
Gunnlöð-Lairde stated.

"Good," Lord Aðalgrímr replied as Lord Ragnvaldr noted it down for later review. "Shall we
move on to trade next given it has already been raised?"

"Nay," Laufey countered. "Let us not dance around the main issue here, namely the Casket of
Ancient Winters. Without its return there can be no treaty."

"Not even if you gain other items such as trade?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"Not even if."

As Laufey spoke, his eyes tracked over Loki's shoulder towards the ancient magical artefact
in question.

"We need the Casket returned to us," Laufey declared. "Without it, Jötunheimr will not
survive."

It probably hurt his birth father to admit it out loud, but Laufey no longer had any options
available to him even if it gave them the upper hand in the negotiations.

"We know," Loki said.

"You know?" Helblindi-Princex demanded. "You knew and you took it anyway?"

"Nay," Loki countered calmly, looking at his sibling. "We were not aware of how critical the
Casket of Ancient Winters was to Jötunheimr when we took it. That has only been learned
since then."

"So you realize we need it back."

"Unfortunately, 'tis not so simple. While the Casket was clearly designed to reach
Jötunheimr's seiðr and to help balance her magical core, it has also been used to transport
your people off Jötunheimr-"

"A right we have!" Thrymm-General interrupted.

"Not if 'tis to invade other Realms and make war," Loki retorted. "In addition, the
considerable power of the Casket has also been used directly as a weapon against people
under Ásgarðr's protection."

"How easily you speak of things you have no personal experience of," Laufey commented.
Loki looked back over to his father and paused, simply meeting his red gaze for a moment.

"Sometimes 'tis preferable to have those involved who are further removed from the initial
conflict," Loki said simply, after a moment.

Laufey smiled at his words, but 'twas all teeth and Loki would rather have gone without the
sight. It made it abundantly clear the jötnar were predators and meant for a meat-based diet.
He absently wondered how they did not perpetually cut their tongues on those fangs of teeth.

"Hmm, I do not see your father bringing us all to Niflheimr for these types of talks," Laufey
conceded.

"I am not my father," Loki replied as evenly as he could, though the furtive glance General
Týr sent his way told him he might not have been entirely successful.

Nay, he definitely was not his father. Either one of them. Though it pained his core, Loki
could not help but wonder if either of them would be proud of him if they knew the full truth
of precisely who he was and all he had done. He sincerely doubted it. So 'twas a good thing
he had learned to stop caring about that a long time ago.

"Indeed, you are not," Laufey said, assessing him carefully. "So, where does that leave us?"

"Where indeed?" Loki replied, before folding his hands together on the table and leaning
forwards after a quick glance at Lord Aðalgrímr. "Do you currently have an íviðja?"

The question hit the jötnar delegation like an electric shock, causing either sharp intakes of
breath or widened eyes. Laufey gave away the least, though the hardening of his birth father's
face could have meant more than one thing, of course. At present Loki would have given a lot
to be able to read minds. What was Laufey thinking? Had the jötunn ever regretted
abandoning him? Did Laufey regret it now when it looked like it might block his ability to
reclaim the Casket of Ancient Winters?

Loki knew better than to wonder if his birth father regretted it on a more personal level. One
did not abandon an infant the way Laufey had lightly, so clearly there had been no personal
feelings of a positive nature there to begin with.

"I see Bestla was quite talkative," Laufey finally replied, voice a forced neutral.

"Hmm, aye, her book was most informative," Loki agreed.

There was another moment of silence before Helblindi-Princex shifted and sighed. "Nay, we
do not currently have an íviðja. Unfortunately it has been well over eight millennia since we
have been blessed with the birth of one."

Interesting. His sibling sounded completely sincere so either Helblindi was a far better liar
than Loki had thought, which he found highly doubtful, or they simply did not know. Had
Laufey not told their other children what they had done to their first born? Would they have
cared that they had murdered their elder sibling if Laufey had? And what of his birth mother
in all of this? Loki hardly knew more than that their name was Fárbauti and that they had
seemed to vanish after having been seen fighting at the start of the war. That made more
sense to Loki now, as it seemed even the monsters would not let a pregnant... jötunn fight.

"Oh," Loki replied simply. "'Tis a bit unusual, is it not?"

"What does it matter how normal 'tis or not?" Thrymm-General demanded. "Helblindi-
Princex has already told you that we do not have one."

"I would say it matters a great deal, seeing as the íviðjur are the actual keepers of the Casket
of Ancient Winters," Loki responded.

"I am the keeper of the Casket," Laufey shot back. "I am king and 'tis a vital part of keeping
my kingdom hale and whole."

"And yet you have wielded it as a weapon against the others of the Nine in the past. You must
understand our concern over returning it to you now."

"Thus you would allow us to perish?"

Loki's eyes narrowed as he met his father's red gaze head on. "As you probably know from
the events of a few days ago, and perhaps from rumors or whispers which have made it to
Jötunheimr before, I am a seiðmadr and quite a powerful one," Loki declared, knowing now
was not the time for modesty or to underplay his talents, even if he had no intentions of
revealing his full range of abilities. "At times I can even hear the very song of the Yggdrasill,
a song which has a growing disharmony to it. I am perfectly aware of not only Jötunheimr's
deteriorating condition, but also the impact that losing her would have on the Yggdrasill
itself."

"Then you know we must have the Casket back," Gunnlöð-Lairde tried.

"I know something must be done," Loki countered, eyes flashing to the diplomat. "But I will
not act recklessly and endanger the rest of the Nine in the process."

Loki half expected Laufey to promise they would not use the Casket to attack anyone again,
but his birth father did not, and he could not help but wonder if that was because Laufey still
had those kinds of plans and ambitions, or whether his father did not want to risk having their
word questioned so blatantly.

"So where does that leave us?" Gunnlöð-Lairde questioned.

"There we have a few options," Lord Aðalgrímr said, drawing attention back to him.

"Have we now?" Laufey-King asked, suspiciously. "Do tell."

"First, we retain possession of the Casket and bring it over for scheduled recalibration of
Jötunheimr's seiðr," Lord Aðalgrímr began.

"Absolutely unacceptable," Laufey declared, immediately. "The Casket of Ancient Winters is

ours and is vital to our very survival, I will not agree to any treaty which sees it in Ásgarðr's
control."
"Option two, the Casket is passed to another intermediary and brought over as before."

"Nay."

"Would you allow your very survival to depend on the whims of another Realm?" Gunnlöð-
Lairde questioned. "We would be at the mercy of whoever possesses it."

"I will not all but hand over my throne and people to another Realm, be it Ásgarðr or not,"
Laufey declared, firmly.

Not stated implicitly, but clearly still implied, was the fact that Ásgarðr could not afford to
play hard ball here either, not if they had an interest in the Yggdrasill. It had been a risk of
revealing what he had, but Loki knew the truth cut both ways. Aye, it had been admitting that
an ultimatum could work, Laufey threatening to deny them all for spite, yet, by admitting
how much a treaty was needed, would also work for them as the jötnar would realize they
could gain concessions from him and so Laufey would stay at the table whereas otherwise
they might not have, not expecting to gain anything else.

"Which leaves us with the third option," Lord Aðalgrímr continued, calmly.

"Giving us back the Casket?" Thrymm-General inquired.

"In a way," General Týr replied.

"In a way?" Helblindi asked. "You either give it back or you do not. There is no halfway,
Laufey-King has already made this clear."

"And we have made it clear we cannot risk a repeat of what transpired before," Lord
Ragnvaldr said, speaking up for the first time, making Laufey look over at Óðinn's special
advisor with narrowed eyes.

"No one asked you," the other king growled. "'Tis clear your time has waned, Advisor."

Loki's eyes narrowed. Is that what it appeared like to the jötnar? He had not realized precisely
how little the man had contributed here lately, or even in other matters, until now. It had not
been a deliberate omission and Lord Ragnvaldr had not said anything about it, though the
man must have noticed. They had originally included Lord Ragnvaldr in the talks to make it
look like Loki needed more advice than he did. Though, he supposed, 'twas not necessarily a
bad thing if it seemed like he was ignoring Óðinn's council, or as close to it as he could
receive at present.

Still, he could not simply leave Laufey's words be.

"My advisors are mine to reprimand, Laufey-King," Loki said, even as he moved one of his
hands back to the fox pelt. "And Lord Ragnvaldr does raise a valid concern on our part."

"So what is the third option?" Gunnlöð-Lairde asked.

"To understand that, you must first realize something else," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "As
King Loki stated earlier, he is a powerful seiðmadr, and he is of jötnar heritage."
 "Aye, from his granddam," Gunnlöð-Lairde said. "What of it?"

"It appears that, combined, these two facts have a rather... unusual effect."

With that, Lord Aðalgrímr looked pointedly over at him. Loki had already reached out
towards the Casket of Ancient Winters with his seiðr and now, for dramatic effect, he held up
three fingers, then two, one, before pointing back at the Casket as he allowed his seiðr to
touch it.

The Casket flared brightly.

Chapter End Notes

Dun dun dun...

Just so you all know, I don't condone the killing of animals for their fur, but it fits with
the aesthetic set up for Ásgarðr and the Nine Realms in the MCU. Not to mention it's
use in Viking times.

And, yes, I know my pronoun use for Loki regarding the jötnar was all over the place
here. That was deliberate as he's still trying to adjust to the fact they are hermaphroditic.
Not to mention that Loki's still hung up on the fact that Laufey is his father, which
automatically makes him think of Laufey as male.

Norse Mythology:

Geri and Freki - two wolves that accompany Óðinn.

áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur
Fárbauti - a jötunn often said to be Loki's father, the name usually translates to
'dangerous striker', 'anger striker', or 'sudden-striker'.

A quick additional point: Týr's lack of hand comes from mythology, only there he lost
his hand to Fenrir, one of Loki's creature sons, after he and the other gods tied Fenrir
down.

Original Character Names:

Brynjarr - made up of Bryn (goes to brynja = 'coat of mail', 'armour', 'protection',

'breastplate') and Her (goes to -arr = 'army', 'warrior') - elsewhere said to be 'warrior in
armour' - hence a blacksmith for armour :)

Up next week: More negotiations & Thor visits his friends...

 Chapter 33
Chapter Notes

Hey everyone, it's that time of the week again!

I hope you enjoy the chapter :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The shock of the jötnar was obvious, particularly Laufey's. It pleased Loki greatly and the
desire to say something he truly should not rose within him, but he ruthlessly fought it down.
Not only could it serve to derail the entire negotiations, but it could also endanger him
personally, not to mention his already precarious position. Still, the impulse remained, his
inherent desire and need for both chaos and mischief exceedingly unhappy at being not only
denied here, but being so severely curbed for so long. 'Twas part of why he had never truly
desired the throne; he would have to either deny far too much of his true self, or risk rebellion
and disorder if he did show his true self while seated on Hliðskjálf.

In order to provide himself with a little relief, and to help drive their point home of course,
Loki started tapping the table with one finger, timing it with little spikes of his seiðr which
caused the Casket of Ancient Winters to put on a bit of a light show.

"How?" Thrymm-General demanded.

Loki shrugged carelessly. "As I understand it, your íviðjur are particularly gifted seiðberandi,
with my own seiðr and heritage, well..."

"It sees you as an íviðja," Helblindi-Princex realized.

"'Tis our best guess," General Týr answered.

Loki saw the realization dawn on his father's face, and it filled him with a particularly vicious
sense of satisfaction. Laufey had left him to die to avoid exactly this type of situation. Only
then he would have been raised by them and been sympathetic to both Laufey and
Jötunheimr. Now he was neither, all he truly cared about was preventing the deterioration of
so vital a part of the Yggdrasill.

Except that was not entirely true, Loki realized as he felt a hesitant and hopeful touch at the
back of his mind alongside that of Ásgarðr. Both were more muffled here on Niflheimr and
without direct physical contact with the Casket, but 'twas still unmistakably the touch of
Mother Winter. Much as he hated the truth of his heritage and his still very mixed feelings for
the jötnar themselves, Loki found that he had no such hesitation, hatred or mixed feelings for
her whatsoever. Nay, she was nothing but pure bliss and enjoyment. Like a balm to his very
wounded and mutilated core.
Loki could say he loved Mother Winter as intimately and completely as he did Ásgarðr, and
he had absolutely no idea why. Not that he truly cared. Though he was naturally a suspicious
and untrusting bastard, when it came to seiðr, he had always had a tendency to go with his
instincts and they had never served him wrong before. Indeed, he would not be able to walk
the very branches of the Yggdrasill if he had not trusted his own seiðr when everyone else
had said something was suicidal.

"What is it, exactly, you are proposing?" Gunnlöð-Lairde inquired, tearing his eyes from the
Casket.

"That King Loki uses his affinity with the Casket to... restrict its abilities that we are
concerned with," Lord Aðalgrímr explained. "After which we would return the Casket to you
to use as necessary to restore Jötunheimr."

By now, Laufey's face was an unreadable mask, so Loki was unable to tell what his birth
father thought of the proposition. Given why he had most likely been left to die, though, Loki
did not think Laufey would be at all pleased with it. Thrymm-General's face had hardened,
but 'twas difficult to say whether that was because of Loki's affinity for the Casket - given
that he was the king of Ásgarðr and so the enemy - or because of the idea itself.

Helblindi-Princex was slightly easier to read. Perhaps 'twas the shock from earlier or his
sibling was simply more able to think of Jötunheimr's future, but Helblindi actually looked
hopeful. 'Twas unfortunate then that the decision was not up to them. Not that Loki would
trust Laufey to keep to the agreement if Helblindi were to have made it as a regent. The only
reason Loki knew that he did not have to worry about the same issue was because of how
determined Óðinn had been to prevent war. And what his adoptive father's own council had
told him.

"You wish to control us," Laufey accused, looking at Loki directly.

"Nay, I wish to give you back what you need to save your Realm, with a few precautions
added to safeguard the rest of the Nine from a recurrence of what happened before," Loki
countered.

"Such as?"

"Such as preventing the Casket from being able to transport people off planet-"

"You have said that you were willing to discuss allowing us to trade once more!" Gunnlöð-
Lairde protested.

"And the ability to utilize the Casket as a weapon," Loki continued.

"You mean to leave us defenseless," General Thrymm stated.

"It would be no different than you are at present," General Týr retorted. "And that seems
quite capable to me."
This was getting a little out of hand, but Loki had not truly expected the jötnar to be terribly
pleased with his idea. It did solve all of their problems, though, while still allowing for the
return of the Casket of Ancient Winters.

"Enough," Laufey growled as both of their people opened their mouths once more before
they turned blood red eyes on Loki. "You believe you can control the Casket enough to
accomplish what you speak of?"

Instead of replying, Loki allowed his seiðr to remain in prolonged contact with the Casket of
Ancient Winters, making it flare up brightly and bathe the whole hall in ethereal blue light
that sparked and danced as the storms within the Casket raged on strongly. The display of
power made Laufey clench their jaw and Loki eased off, knowing he had made his point.
Wanting to appear more harmless once more, he leaned back in his chair and allowed his left
hand to drift back to the ice fox pelt.

"What of the trade you promised us before?" Laufey finally asked, and Loki forced himself
not to sag in relief.

If his birth father was asking for more details, then at least Laufey had not dismissed the
whole idea outright as there had always been the possibility they might. It would risk
dooming their entire Realm, but Loki was not convinced that his jötunn counterpart was
entirely sane anymore. Maybe Laufey never had been, but after their utter defeat at the hands
of Óðinn, Laufey had then had over a thousand years to nurse their hatred and wallow in
defeat as their Realm slowly crumbled and died around them. It would have been trying for
the most stable of kings.

"We are willing to allow tradesmen to come to fairs in Ásgarðr or to provide Bifröst transport
to ones elsewhere if another Realm is interested. Álfheimr has a Harvest Festival in several
months' time and might be honored to host your people for the event," Lord Aðalgrímr
replied. "With the lifting of the barricade, others would also be allowed to come visit
Jötunheimr to trade with your people."

"And you think that will be enough?" Gunnlöð-Lairde questioned.

"You had a flourishing trade with the rest of the Nine before your invasion of Miðgarðr,"
Lord Ragnvaldr said. "Many of the items only Jötunheimr can provide have been missed
since. I believe there are many who would be most eager to have access to them once more.
The ice gems and furs, in particular, as well as live ice fox kits and ice blossoms."

"The ice blossoms are all but gone since the loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters," Gunnlöð-
Lairde informed them.

"Then surely they should come back with the return of the Casket," Loki said, calmly.

"And for our defense?" Thrymm-General demanded.

"You have declared war, General," Týr smiled coldly. "Do you now truly expect us to believe
you are worried about your ability to defend yourself from those who have not sought
hostilities with you in millennia?"
Oh, a good point well made, Loki was impressed. The way that Thrymm's jaw clicked shut
told him the jötunn had realized the same.

Laufey shifted their large bulk, glancing over them all before returning their eyes to Loki,
gaze far more assessing now than it had been before. They may have gotten all that they
could out of the jötnar as far as their belief in his naivety and inexperience was concerned.
Hopefully, it had been enough.

"What makes you believe you have the right to manipulate Jötunheimr's most precious
artefact thus?" Laufey finally demanded.

Loki's lips thinned. "I am attempting to find a way to return that which you require to save
your Realm without leaving Ásgarðr, Miðgarðr or the rest of the Nine open to the kind of
attack which you have launched before."

The very air in the hall chilled and Loki wondered if 'twas Laufey's displeasure making itself
known, or whether one of the other jötnar was responsible. He hoped 'twas his father, as he
would love to be the one responsible for making them lose control thus.

"You would seek to control Jötunheimr henceforth while appearing to treat with us," Laufey
said.

"Restricting the Casket of Ancient Winters is hardly controlling you," Loki countered.
"Unless you believe me capable of accessing it from Ásgarðr, in which case I thank you for
the compliment, but I am not quite so powerful as that."

General Týr's lips twitched once at those words and Loki felt pleased with himself. It would
take a powerful seiðmadr indeed to be able to manipulate even a magical object like the
Casket of Ancient Winters from such a distance. Indeed, he did not believe it possible for
something like this. He still had a hard enough time believing even an Infinity Stone like the
Tesseract could be utilized from such a distance, let alone as far away as Loptr had implied
he had used it from. But it hardly mattered since the Casket of Ancient Winters was no
Infinity Stone, powerful as 'twas in its own right.

"As for henceforth," Loki continued. "Anything can be negotiated in the future."

That gave his birth father pause, before Laufey shared a look with Gunnlöð-Lairde.

"Would you be willing to stipulate a timeframe for such a renegotiation into the treaty?"
Gunnlöð-Lairde asked.

'Twas a risk, because if not worded correctly it could offer up the whole treaty for debate at a
future time point, but Loki did not see how they had much choice but to attempt to navigate
it.

"Aye."

Now they simply had to agree on the timeframe, not to mention the exact details of the trade
and any other items which Laufey-King and Gunnlöð-Lairde might wish to discuss and add
onto the treaty.

Loki's very fingers itched to cause some form of chaos or mayhem. It had been far too long.

Despite his earlier concerns, Thor found he could not help but feel excited as he made his
way down to the dungeons. He was excited to see his friends once more, even in these
horrible circumstances. Besides, once he had been able to speak with them about why they
had done what they had, then he could see about sorting this whole mess out.

The trek, though, seemed to take forever and Thor wondered if 'twas because he could not
wait to arrive. Normally when he came down here, 'twas on far less pleasant business and he
was usually accompanied by either his brother or one of his friends, as they normally were
down here with a captive or to retrieve one. He would also normally have Mjǫllnir with him
too.

Thor felt the loss of his hammer once more and he had to force himself not to reach down to
his belt for her presence. It made him feel almost naked not to have Mjǫllnir with him,
especially when walking into the dungeons, even if he knew he had no need for it now. Both
because he was not going to interact with dangerous prisoners and because he had his own
personal guard shadowing his every step. He hated the latter, it made him feel weak and
vulnerable in a way being made mortal alone had not. Or was it simply because he was on
Ásgarðr once more where his training alone would not help him as it had when dealing with
the shielded men?

Regardless, Thor was happy when he reached the guard post and he was able to abandon
those thoughts.

"Prince Thor," the head guard on duty greeted, rising to his feet.

"I am here to see Lady Sif and the Warriors Three," Thor replied, not wanting to correct the
man's mistaken use of his title.

Hopefully, he would officially have it back soon enough, so 'twas not truly worth the effort of
explaining it to the man.

"Aye, of course," the Einherjar replied. "They are in the cells at the end of the main corridor."

"Cells?" Thor asked, confused.

"Procedure dictates male and female prisoners are not to be housed together, my Prince."

Thor could not help but flinch at the word 'prisoners', as if his friends were the usual riffraff
the dungeons housed. Did no one have any respect? Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were
not only some of the best warriors Ásgarðr had, but they had done countless acts of bravery
and heroics in her service, not to mention all of the blood they had spilt and how oft they had
risked their very lives!

"Very well," Thor replied, clenching his fist.

He could argue the point the Warriors Three were no danger to Lady Sif, but it would delay
his ability to actually see and speak with his friends, so he left it for now. He could ask Loki
to correct this misunderstanding later.

"Do you require additional men?" the Einherjar asked.

"Nay, I shall not be opening the cells," Thor responded, moving past the guard post.

Much as he might wish to do so and end this ridiculous charade, Thor knew better than to try
it. If he allowed his friends out without his brother's permission, then not only would they
simply be reimprisoned once more, but Loki would no doubt rescind his permission to see
them again. Though it grated to be so reliant on his brother's word, Thor did know the
importance of ensuring the king's authority was not questioned needlessly, or challenged so
boldly and openly. Especially now of all times, when both Loki and Mother had mentioned
their standing within the Nine was precarious. Personally, Thor wished to go out and teach
any who were so foolish to make the mistake of thinking Ásgarðr weak, even at a time like
this, but alas he could not.

It had been part of his mistake in going to Jötunheimr.

The walk was quiet, most of the cells along the main corridor being empty and Thor could
not help but wonder if the other prisoners had been moved to the side corridors in order to
separate his friends from the rest. 'Twas probably a good thing, since it would allow them
more peace and quiet in the evening, rather than being continually disturbed by the noise of
the very criminals they had helped track down and imprison.

"Thor!" Lady Sif exclaimed, and Thor looked up to spot her in a cell on the left.

"Lady Sif," Thor greeted, then looked to the right. "Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun! How are you,
my friends?"

A slight scuffing behind him reminded Thor of his guards, so he turned to look at them. "I
need some time here with privacy."

The two Einherjar glanced at each other before looking down the corridor. They then moved
back down the way they had come, before taking up positions well out of earshot, but within
easy viewing distance.

"Thor," Fandral greeted when Thor turned back around, the paramour now closer to the cell's
energy door than before. "You are back!"

"Where is Mjǫllnir?" Volstagg asked, frowning.

Thor flinched. "I have not yet regained her, or my powers."

"Then how are you here?" Lady Sif asked. "Loki had said he would not bring you back."

"It had not been his intention, nay," Thor confirmed. "But after you left, the humans took me
prisoner once more and they were not treating me well."
"What? Why not?" Volstagg demanded, coming forwards himself.

"They were angered by the attack on their men and wished to know about the Bifröst and
how we travel between Realms," Thor explained.

"So Loki retrieved you?" Lady Sif questioned, disbelief obvious on her face and in her voice.

"Of course," Thor frowned. "Why would he not?"

"He had refused to allow you to return before."

"He did not wish to interfere with Father's lesson for me."

"Are you certain 'twas all it was?"

"What Sif means is that as long as you were gone, Loki was king," Fandral hastened to add.

"And so he still is," Thor frowned. "As I said on Miðgarðr, the rules of succession are quite
clear. I was removed from the line when Father banished me."

"But you are the heir!" Volstagg protested. "You were about to be crowned king and would
have been if not for the frost giant attack!"

"Aye, but I was not."

Thor hated having to admit that. It still both shamed and angered him greatly to think of what
had happened. He should have been king by now!

"Because of Loki's machinations."

Thor froze at the voice, for 'twas none of his friends, though he still recognized it instantly.

Heimdallr.

But where? Thor strode further down the corridor to look into the last cell and there, indeed,
was the former gatekeeper of the Bifröst. It startled Thor badly to look at the man and to be
met by brown eyes instead of golden ones, but it only served to remind him of exactly why
Heimdallr was here.

Not that Thor thought he could ever forget. Not something like that. Not regicide.

Not against Loki!

"Heimdallr," Thor spat, fury in every note. "You have a lot of nerve speaking to me."

Surprise flashed across Heimdallr's face, and the man even had the gall to open his mouth in
complete confusion before seeming to regain his wits.

"My Prince," Heimdallr started. "I-"

"I do not want to hear it," Thor snapped.

"Thor?" Volstagg questioned.

"He tried to kill Loki!" Thor thundered, glaring at his friend briefly before returning his
furious gaze to the would-be assassin. "You tried to kill my little brother!"

The confusion now evident on Heimdallr's face only served to further enrage Thor. Did the
man truly think he would have supported his actions? When he had tried to kill Loki?

"I was only doing my duty, my Prince," Heimdallr said.

Thor snorted. "Your duty is to protect the king, not to try to kill him!"

"Loki had usurped Hlið-"

"Usurped? Usurped? Loki is king by the rules of succession."

"Is?" Lady Sif demanded. "You do not mean to challenge his claim to Hliðskjálf, even now
you are back?"

"Of course, I do not," Thor replied. "As I said earlier, I have not yet regained my titles and
powers. And even if I had, Loki would still remain king as he was the rightful heir when
Father fell into the Óðinnsleep."

"But Loki-" Heimdallr began.

"I thought I already told you I did not want to hear it," Thor stated, glaring into those
disconcertingly brown eyes. "In fact, right now I do not even wish to see you, who would be
the slayer of my kin."

With that, Thor stepped forwards and hit the isolate button on the control panel of
Heimdallr's cell, which made the entrance become opaque and muted all noise in both
directions, fully cutting Heimdallr off from the rest of the dungeons.

Thor looked at the cell for a moment, trying to control his anger before he turned back to his
friends. Then, because he knew that his mother would want him to, he steeled himself for the
question he knew he had to ask.

"Please tell me you did not know what Heimdallr had planned," Thor asked, looking at each
cell in turn.

"Nay, of course not!" Fandral exclaimed, clearly shocked.

"We only learned of it when Heimdallr told us after we were imprisoned here," Volstagg
added.

"The last thing he said to us before we left for Miðgarðr was that he could not send us there
as he was honor bound to Loki not to," Fandral added. "Thus, we had no suspicions he would
do anything, let alone try his hand at regicide."
"Very well, good," Thor replied, relieved. "And, aye, now you mention it, I do recall him
saying that to you."

Lady Sif frowned. "How do you know what he said to us?"

"Oh, ah, well..." Thor began uncomfortably, even if 'twas the perfect opening for him to
commence speaking of why he was here. "Loki showed me your conversation with Heimdallr
in Himinbjörg, moments before you left for Miðgarðr."

"Well, he did not waste any time," Lady Sif muttered.

"What?" Thor asked.

"In trying to turn you against us."

"'Tis not like that, I had merely asked why so many people seemed to be decided against you
and he said 'twas because of what was shown at Heimdallr's trial."

"People are still so against us?" Volstagg questioned. "What people? Simply the palace
guards and servants, or even the common people? I had hoped it would be a temporary
reaction."

"What does it matter?" Lady Sif snapped, irritably. "If Thor is not regent, then the decision is
Loki's, and we all know he has already made up his mind about us!"

"What? Nay!" Thor protested. "You will have the chance to explain your side."

"Thor," Lady Sif began. "This is Loki we are speaking of."

Thor scowled, darkly. "Why are you all suddenly so against each other? You speak as if you
cannot trust Loki to do the right thing, and he says you were never his friends but only mine
and you merely tolerated his presence to please me."

The way Lady Sif's eyes suddenly skittered away from his made Thor's stomach drop, and he
quickly turned to look at the other cell. There, both Volstagg and Hogun looked
uncomfortable, neither of them quite able to meet his eyes. Only Fandral could do so, and his
gaze was not entirely guilt free.

Nay, it could not be! Loki could not be right about this! Surely, he would have noticed
something at some time!

"Nay," Thor finally voiced his denial, shaking his head. "It cannot be."

"I have considered Loki a friend," Fandral said, softly. "But Thor, his mischief is not always
so innocent and..."

"And he has always been jealous of you, Thor," Lady Sif added, forcefully.

"But... but we have been together- fought together- for over half a millennium!" Thor
protested.
"'Tis not just us," Volstagg said. "He has never liked us very much either."

Was that true? Thor felt he could no longer be certain of anything anymore. Not now he
found exactly how wrong he had been about so much which he had never even thought to
question before.

His very friends and brother, his closest companions for so long 'twas hard to think of a time
when things had been different... did not truly get along and did not even like each other!
How could he have been so very blind?

If he kept thinking of this now, he would be completely depressed Thor realized, and there
were other things he had to do.

"You are wrong, Sif," Thor said, pushing all else aside. "Loki himself told me that you will
have a chance to speak and give your side of the story."

Lady Sif looked shocked. "He has?"

"Aye."

"When?"

"The day after tomorrow."

"It will be an official trial?" Hogun asked.

"Aye," Thor confirmed. "Lord Ragnvaldr has arranged it himself."

"Good," Volstagg nodded. "But why then and not today? Why are we made to wait?
Heimdallr's trial was held right away."

"That was unusual and due to the fact he was the gatekeeper of the Bifröst," Thor explained,
face darkening as he glared at Heimdallr's cell. "Ásgarðr could not afford to be without a
gatekeeper."

Lady Sif snorted. "You mean Loki could not."

"Nay, Ásgarðr could not," Thor retorted with anger. "And I would still be imprisoned on
Miðgarðr if Loki had not held the trial when he had."

"Were they truly so upset with you?" Fandral inquired. "The humans? You did not attack their
men at the Bifröst site."

"They did not differentiate between the two, saying you were there because of me. And it
would appear attacking a warrior of the government can be punished by lifelong
imprisonment or even death."

"They would not dare!" Volstagg stated. "Kill the crown prince of Ásgarðr? It would be a
declaration of war."
"I am not the crown prince at present," Thor reminded them. "And I do not believe they fully
understand precisely how much less powerful they are. They have a strong and fierce fighting
spirit. At least among the warriors."

"How did you get away if they kept you?" Lady Sif asked.

"Höðr saw what was happening and informed Loki, who sent Birgir and Yngvarr to negotiate
my release."

"There, see, I told you things were not so bad," Fandral stated, looking at Lady Sif.

She merely scowled back at him.

"Thor, did Loki say why the trial is the day after tomorrow instead of today or tomorrow?"
Volstagg asked. "I know it takes time to organize, but surely today or tomorrow is not so bad?
We have been here nearly four days already."

"I am sorry, my friend," Thor replied, realizing Volstagg had to be worried about his family
and how they fared in his absence. "But the negotiations take priority, so the trial has been
planned for the day without talks."

"Negotiations with Miðgarðr?" Lady Sif asked. "Surely those must be done by now?"

"Nay, not Miðgarðr, Jötunheimr."

"Jötunheimr?" Fandral repeated, shocked. "Those preparations actually worked? Loki is truly
negotiating with Laufey?"

"Aye, Aðalgrímr and Loki were able to convince the jötnar to come to the negotiating table,"
Thor confirmed.

The news seemed to shock his friends speechless, and well it should, as Thor knew from all
Father had said over the centuries that bringing Laufey in to talk peace was no mean feat. He
was actually rather proud Loki had managed to accomplish it, even if he still had many
mixed feelings on the actual process itself. Part of him still wanted to simply go to war with
Jötunheimr and show them how strong Ásgarðr was, but it clashed with the other half of him
which had started to change on Miðgarðr. He knew Lady Jane would be very disappointed
with him if she knew any part of him sought the glory of battle, especially when it could be
avoided.

If it could be avoided. Thor was still not strictly convinced it could be as he did not trust
Laufey to hold true to his word. At least he knew Loki well enough to know his brother
would not easily be taken in by the jötunn king. Nay, Loki was far too distrustful and
suspicious at the best of times for that.

"So, 'tis true then," Lady Sif stated, fists clenching. "Loki means to give the Casket of
Ancient Winters back to Laufey to use as he will against Ásgarðr or any other Realm."

Thor frowned. "Who told you that?"

 "Heimdallr knew some of it."

"Clearly not enough. If the Casket is to be returned, its powers will be greatly reduced in
order to ensure it cannot be used again as such."

"Laufey will never agree to that," Fandral said, looking genuinely worried.

"He may have to, Mother and Uncle Vé have told me that without the Casket, Jötunheimr
will die," Thor explained. "Indeed, the Realm is already deteriorating from what I have been
told."

"Die?" Volstagg questioned. "How can a Realm die?"

"Seiðr," Hogun answered, rising to his feet.

"Aye," Thor confirmed.

"I do not follow," Fandral admitted.

"There are legends, ancient legends I had always assumed to be nothing but tales," Hogun
began. "They speak of seiðr so old 'tis part of a Realm itself, in this case Vanaheimr, of
course, but they say many Realms have it. They say that without it, the Realms would wither
away and die, becoming nothing but barren rocks devoid of all life."

"Seiðr keeping a Realm alive?" Lady Sif questioned in disbelief. "That sounds like something
Loki would believe in."

"According to Mother, Father thinks it may be true as well," Thor said carefully, knowing he
probably should not mention the truth of the Óðinnforce, given how unknown it seemed to
be.

"Why would such information be considered a legend?" Fandral asked. "It hardly seems
worthy of that status."

"The stories do not merely state that," Hogun explained. "They go on to speak of individuals,
of seiðberandi powerful enough to feel Vanaheimr's own seiðr and use its power to do
wonderful or terrible things. Those seiðberandi are attributed with the best and worst of
Vanaheimr's history and myths. There are also other legends of one yet to come, a seiðmadr
of such great seiðr and power he will be chosen by the Nine Realms themselves and blessed
by the Norns with an unparalleled connection to the Yggdrasill."

"Ah, now that is an actual legend," Volstagg laughed.

Hogun simply tilted his head once in acknowledgement.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da!

Was the resolution of the cliffy what you expected it to be? And we finally got to Thor's
dungeon visit too, so lots going on.

On a separate note, I've finally managed to go visit my parents in Belgium (it's been a
looooong process as England is on Belgium's red list!), so if there's ever a time when I'll
slip and miss an update, it's now. Not because I don't have the time to do one, but simply
because I lose track of what day it is. Apologies in advance if this happens!

Old Norse:
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: The next part of Thor's visit & Loki goes to investigate the claims made
in that one application for the King's Funds...
 Chapter 34
Chapter Notes

Up a day early while I have some time, to ensure I don't forget to do so tomorrow!

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Thor was not quite certain what to make of his friend's words. While there seemed to be some
elements of truth woven into the tales based on what he had recently learned, the rest seemed
so fantastical as to be pure whimsy. A seiðmadr powerful enough to be chosen by a Realm?
From what his mother had said, some of them did seem to have some rudimentary sentience,
but only the magical ones, which meant the other five did not. So how could they choose
anyone, let alone a seiðmadr?

'Twas ridiculous, but then legends oft were, taking small elements of truth and spinning them
off into impossible feats and mystical talents. 'Twas probably what had happened here. After
all, if he did not know any better, he would have assumed even the part of a Realm having
seiðr of its own as impossible, so starting with that, 'twas hardly surprising people had made
up and added more fantastical elements to the tales. Skálds oft embellished stories to try and
outdo each other and gain favor from kings or lords in order to be the ones to grace their halls
with their presence.

"Thus, Loki thinks if he does not give the Casket back, Jötunheimr will die?" Fandral
checked.

"Aye, and most of the High Council seem agreed with it," Thor added.

"I still do not like it," Volstagg growled.

"Nor do I," Thor admitted. "But 'tis this or war."

"I am not surprised Loki would choose to avoid battle," Lady Sif sneered, sitting down on the
floor.

Thor's anger flared at her continued jabs at his brother who was not even here to defend
himself. Had she always been thus and he simply had not noticed? Surely not.

Right?

A few remarks immediately came to mind, but so did laughter as the rest of them saw the
humor in it. Though, now he thought of it, he could not recall his brother laughing. Instead,
Loki had usually turned away or lashed out at them. They had clearly been said in jest, or so
he had thought at the time, but his brother's reaction seemed to indicate otherwise.

The implications made Thor's stomach cramp unpleasantly, for if Loki had not seen it the
same way as him, then his brother would have taken his laughter as approval of the torment.
That left him feeling ill and 'twas with a start Thor realized he could not instantly remember
the last time he had seen Loki laugh, at least not that long genuine one of his. Nay, instead all
he could think of was the short burst which was there and gone, like right before the
coronation, and he winced as he thought of some of what he had said to his brother then.

"'Tis what Father wanted too," Thor finally replied, shoving the thought aside. "And my blind
desire to seek out battle is why he called off the coronation and banished me."

"'Tis?" Fandral asked, in surprise.

"Aye, he said a king does not blindly seek out battle or war, but instead seeks to prevent
them."

"But it will make us look weak to the other Realms!" Volstagg protested.

"Aye, 'twas my reaction as well. Father did not take it well."

"Thor," Lady Sif began, hesitantly. "Were you angry when you spoke?"

Thor winced. "Aye."

"Was this when you were banished?" Fandral asked quietly.

Thor merely nodded once.

"What did the All-Father want then?" Volstagg wondered.

"Peace, I assume," Thor shrugged. "So, in that, Loki is doing him proud."

"But Thor, returning the Casket of Ancient Winters?" Lady Sif questioned. "How do we
know they will not simply be able to undo whatever restrictions we place upon it?"

"'Tis a concern of mine as well," Thor admitted. "But the rest of the High Council seem to be
in agreement. Even General Týr is not violently opposed to it."

That seemed to surprise them, as Thor could well understand. When Loki and General Týr
were in agreement, things tended to be going either very well or very ill, and no one was
under any illusions as to which it was here.

The silence reminded Thor of why he was here and, much as he wanted to ignore it, he knew
he could not. Even if Loki was still prissy and refused to talk to him, he knew his mother
would question him on it after their heated conversation this morning.

"My friends, I must ask," Thor began, glancing at each cell in turn. "Why did you come to
Miðgarðr?"
Fandral frowned. "We already told you; to bring you back."

"Aye, but why? You had a direct order to leave me be, and 'twas the All-Father who punished
me in the first place, not Loki."

"Without knowing what would happen," Lady Sif stated. "He banished you while he was still
awake and king."

"So?"

"So, clearly, he did not mean for Loki to end up on Hliðskjálf."

"My father was well aware of the approaching Óðinnsleep, Sif," Thor replied. "He had been
putting it off for a while. He would have known that there was a possibility it would happen
before I returned."

"But 'tis Loki!" Lady Sif protested.

"I believe what she is attempting to say, is that he has not been prepared and trained to rule as
you have," Volstagg hastened to add.

"Mother assures me Father saw to it that he was," Thor stated.

"Your mother?" Fandral began, delicately. "Ah, she and Loki..."

"Are close, aye," Thor agreed. "But I had wondered the same thing and she said Father would
not have left my brother without it, since he was in the line of succession."

"What is this about, Thor?" Hogun frowned.

"I was hoping to explain things to Loki and, mayhap, clear this up without a trial," Thor
explained. "But for that, I need to know why you acted the way you did."

"We already told you," Lady Sif retorted. "You are the rightful heir and thus the rightful
regent. Loki is not and his decision to leave you on Miðgarðr was made solely to jealously
guard his newfound power."

"How many times do I have to tell you the rules of succession do not work the way you seem
to think they do?" Thor demanded, his own anger spilling out. "Even if Loki had immediately
allowed me to return, he would still be king!"

"Well he should not be!" Lady Sif shot right back.

"Are you saying Father was wrong to put him in the line of succession?"

Those words seemed to give her pause at least, Thor was happy to see. If she had been
willing to outright question his father as she seemed willing to do with Loki, then he was not
certain he could have taken it. Though he could completely understand his friends' worry
about having his brother on Hliðskjálf and the possible consequences for Ásgarðr, they had
acted without any proof of unsuitability on Loki's part. And even if there had been, this was a
regency they were talking about, 'twas never meant to be permanent from the start.

Well, unless his father never recovered from his Óðinnsleep, a possibility Thor would
honestly rather not even think about, much less consider. Nevertheless, his friends had not
even mentioned that as a cause for acting the way they had, so he doubted they even knew of
that particular aspect of Ásgarðrian succession law. It would have surprised him more if the
past few days had not shown him how little of it they knew.

"Loki is not suited for such power," Volstagg declared stubbornly, drawing Thor's attention
from Lady Sif. "Additionally, he does not command the loyalty of the warriors."

That at least was true, much as General Týr's current seeming support of his brother confused
Thor. He knew well Loki was not particularly popular with their fellow warriors, but 'twas
entirely his little brother's own fault. If only Loki would fight with a sword or axe and with
honor, then he was certain things would not be thus, but ever the trickster used knives and
seiðr instead, fighting from a distance and without honor or valor.

"We were thinking only of Ásgarðr," Fandral assured him.

"Of that I have no doubt, Fandral," Thor replied. "But the recording from Himinbjörg does
not look good, nor would my testimony should Loki call me as a witness."

"What?" Lady Sif demanded, rising to her feet once more. "What are you speaking of?"

"As everyone knows you came looking for me, it would be well within reason for Loki to
demand my account of what you came to Miðgarðr for."

"It would be seen as pure treason against Hliðskjálf," Hogun realized, his words ringing in
the ensuing silence.

"Aye," Thor finally agreed after a few moments.

"You would do this?" Lady Sif asked.

Thor's temper flared to life once more. "What would you have me do?" he demanded. "Lie
before court when I am to sit on Hliðskjálf one day and enforce justice within all of the
Nine?"

A brief silence followed his words, and for that Thor was thankful. He still could not quite
believe Lady Sif had needed it explained at all. Surely they had to realize the position he was
in? Loki had.

The reminder of his brother made Thor flinch at the thought of all that both Loki and his
friends had told him. How had he been so very blind? And if he had missed the way that
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had felt about his brother, did it mean that Loki was correct
about how he was viewed by others? Thor had always dismissed it as his brother's negative
thinking, but what if that had not been the case?

The thought made Thor feel vaguely ill. Could Loki truly be so disliked?
"Where does this leave us?" Fandral asked.

"Well, we hope Loki does not feel the need to ask for my words," Thor replied.

Volstagg frowned. "He might not?"

"I do not think he feels he will need to. Though he refused to promise me he would not."

"Of course not," Lady Sif muttered.

Thor scowled darkly at her. "If you would but tell me why you acted the way you did, then I
might be able to help!" he snapped.

"We have told you!" Lady Sif shot back.

"Nay, all you have given is stuff I cannot use."

"What more do you want us to say?" Volstagg demanded.

"A valid reason for why you disobeyed a direct order from your king!"

"Loki is not our king," Lady Sif stated.

The words shook Thor. Loki was not their king? She would say that even now, after he had
clarified the rules of succession for them?

"Loki is king by rule of law," Thor reiterated.

"He always was good at twisting words and laws to suit his needs," Lady Sif countered.

"How?"

"Laufey said there were traitors in the House of Óðinn," Hogun reminded him.

"You would use Heimdallr's argument?" Thor questioned in disbelief.

"'Tis one we had considered before we even spoke to him," Fandral explained.

"So you would use Laufey's words to defend yourselves? Need I remind you of what else he
said of my father?"

"Nay, but Thor, it makes sense. They must have had help to break into the vault," Lady Sif
argued.

"There was a portal between Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr which opened directly into the vault."

"Convenient."

"You have still not given me anything but vague words and suppositions," Thor pointed out.
"And they do not even make sense. What are you claiming? That Loki allowed the jötnar in,
then somehow manipulated me into going to Jötunheimr and made me start a battle - while
acting to stop it I might add! - before manipulating Father into banishing me? And what of
Father's collapse, was it also Loki's doing?"

Fandral, at least, had the good grace to look away while Volstagg and Lady Sif almost
seemed to be considering whether 'twas all possible! Thor could hardly believe it! Hogun,
meanwhile, was as inscrutable as always.

"When you put it thus, it does sound rather farfetched," Fandral finally admitted.

Lady Sif scowled. "'Tis Loki, when are his plans and manipulations ever not complex?"

"True, but they do not normally leave so much to chance," Fandral replied.

"Precisely," Thor stated. "Which means I am back to asking you why you disobeyed a direct
order from your king."

"I have already answered this," Lady Sif replied, turning her back to pace away from him in
her cell.

"Your explanations seem to come down to your not liking having Loki on Hliðskjálf."

"So?"

"So, 'tis not a good enough reason for disobeying him!" Thor thundered.

The startled way his Einherjar guard looked over at him had Thor lowering his voice
immediately. "It means you have no valid defense for your actions, making them treason."

"Thor!" Volstagg protested as they all paled dramatically. "We were only thinking of
Ásgarðr!"

"Aye, but you had no reason to fear for her. Loki had done nothing to give you cause for
concern as he had not yet done much at all when you acted."

"So we acted preemptively," Lady Sif argued. "What does it matter, we were doing our duty!"

"What? Like Heimdallr?"

"'Tis not the same! We were not going to harm Loki."

"Your argument would only work if Loki had done something bad since," Thor pointed out, a
headache building along with his disappointment.

How could he have been so very wrong about his closest friends? He had been so certain
when defending them from both his mother and brother. Surely he should have known them
better than either of them, especially in light of all Loki had said about his interactions with
Lady Sif and the Warriors Three.

"I assume it has all been fine then?" Fandral asked.

"Aye, occasionally different, but fine," Thor explained, still a little surprised himself. "The
High Council has no concerns about his rule thus far."

Was it hypocrisy if he himself had entertained the same doubts of Loki's competency for
Hliðskjálf? But nay, Thor knew 'twas different as he had not acted so rashly on those fears.
Indeed, he had even resisted the urging of his friends to do so.

"In fact, people have even started putting up green standards despite the fact Loki is only a
regent."

"Aye, we saw," Fandral said.

"We also saw furiously angry people," Lady Sif muttered, rubbing her jaw.

"That I do not know anything about," Thor replied. "I have been staying in Iðavöllr with my
guard since I have not yet regained my strength."

"Why do you have guards?" Volstagg asked, looking in the direction the two Einherjar had
gone, though Thor doubted his friend could see them from his position.

"Heimdallr," Thor responded, glaring at the traitor's cell.

"Are you certain 'tis all?" Lady Sif glowered.

Thor sighed. "Seeing as Mother, Uncle Vili and Loki are constantly watched as well, aye, I
am."

"Then there is nothing we can do but wait?" Hogun demanded.

"Not unless you have a better reason for what you did which you have yet to tell me."

They did not.

Höðr's face was a most welcome one when the Bifröst deposited them back on Ásgarðr, and
Loki nodded at his former guard.

The talks had dragged on until even Loki was exhausted of it all. But they had made progress
at least and, while Laufey still did not like the idea of a restricted Casket of Ancient Winters,
at least his birth father had not outright abandoned the talks yet, so Loki was hopeful
Helblindi and Gunnlöð could keep them on course.

Loki made a mental note to inform Óðinn of his suspicions regarding Helblindi-Princex. If he
was right, then it would provide some hope for the future. Well, if Thor could be reasoned
with anyway. How ironic would it be if Jötunheimr's king turned peaceful only for Ásgarðr's
to be more warlike?

It did sound like precisely the kind of thing which the Norns loved to saddle Loki with.
Not that it seemed like Óðinn would allow it, for all that his adoptive father had gone through
his own bloodlust stage when he had first been king.

"King Loki," Höðr greeted with a little bow. "General Týr, Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr."

"Höðr," Loki replied. "How fare the Nine?"

"Vanaheimr, Álfheimr and Svartálfaheimr are much as usual, though the first two are,
mayhap, somewhat more nervous than normal," Höðr began.

'Twas only to be expected given they had been alerted to the possibility of a war they would
not wish to see happen.

"Miðgarðr continues to remain concerned about Ásgarðr, or at least those aware of our
existence do."

Hmm, Loki looked over at Lord Aðalgrímr. "We will need to remember to send a messenger
back after the trial."

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed. "I have also asked Lord Birgir to work on putting together
some additional proposals based on what both he and Thor saw while on Miðgarðr. It may be
time for us to officially alter our stance with the humans."

Loki was not certain what Óðinn would make of it, but he would see what Lord Birgir came
up with. Besides, if his adoptive father disliked it, then 'twas Óðinn's own fault for banishing
Thor there. Lord Birgir's information might also help Loki in preventing the Lady Jane from
becoming host to the Aether.

"What of Niðavellir and Múspellsheimr?" General Týr asked.

"The initial festivities have ended on Niðavellir and the displays of the different tribes and
their wares have commenced," Höðr replied. "As for Múspellsheimr, I am less certain. My
sight there is more obscured."

Höðr frowned as he admitted it, but Loki did not think 'twas in affront as it had been with
Heimdallr the first time the old gatekeeper had admitted as much to Óðinn. Nay, Höðr, Loki
was certain, was more frustrated at being unable to do his job as well as he felt he should.

"Múspellsheimr has long been able to hide from the All-Sight," Loki informed them. "We
believe 'tis something one of their seiðberandi discovered and passed on to all of those able to
wield seiðr in the employ of the queen."

It had also been where Loki had learned the basics of this particular skill, though he had long
since improved and perfected it.

"With your intel from Huginn, 'tis most concerning," General Týr stated.

Loki hummed in agreement. "I shall ask Huginn and Muninn to go back and see what they
can learn. Thank you, Höðr."
As they stepped out of Himinbjörg onto the rainbow bridge, Loki smiled to see Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr and the rest of his personal guard waiting.

"You are not returning to Iðavöllr right away?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired.

"Nay, there is something I must do first," Loki responded as he handed the Casket of Ancient
Winters to General Týr and took Gungnir and the ice fox pelt back in exchange. "I believe
you will wish to witness this as well, if you have the time, Lord Ragnvaldr."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"And before I forget, I would have words with you after the High Council meeting."

Loki could see the curiosity in the eyes of his father's advisor, but now was not the time or
place to discuss the issue. Instead, he turned as one of the Einherjar had his horse brought
over. He handed the man Gungnir, took a moment to stroke his mare's nose, before he swung
himself onto the saddle and took the King's Spear back. The pelt he draped over the saddle
before him.

"Lead the way, Lieutenant-General."

After the cold and dark of Niflheimr, the sun and late afternoon heat was a pleasant change,
even if Loki did have to cast a quick spell to keep from overheating with his fur lined outfit.
The hood and cloak at least could be thrown back and streamed behind him as they rode.

Since he was neither leading nor last, Loki was able to pay more attention to those around
him than usual while riding, since his mare would follow the horses of the Einherjar. As they
were not on the usual route from the Bifröst to Iðavöllr, people were not used to seeing him
or a royal party passing, so their presence made more of an impact than usual.

Surprisingly, some people cheered, and Loki had to remind himself to smile or nod in return.
In the past, he had occasionally waved at some of the children, but between Gungnir and the
reins, he had his hands full. He had never before thought of how annoying it would be to
carry a staff everywhere as his father had simply always had it with him, or at least almost
always so. Loki half wished he felt secure enough in his position that he could just put it
away in his pocket dimension, but with his precarious position he did require the physical
reminder of his power to keep everything running smoothly.

The shift in wealth was obvious the further from the city center they rode, and Loki frowned
at how downtrodden it became as they approached the eastern edge of the city. 'Twas an area
he rarely visited, but he would never have expected for conditions to be this poor so close to
Iðavöllr.

Then their pace slowed and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr dropped back to come up beside
him.

"We are near the area from the application," Yngvarr told him.

"Is this the road?" Loki asked.

"Aye, but I believe it changes council boundary lines right about here."

At first 'twas not immediately obvious, but slowly it became more apparent as the cobbled
stones became increasingly uneven and more than simply the occasional cobblestone was
missing. The ruts from the paths the carts took were deeper and more furrowed than
elsewhere and, when it coincided with missing or generally more uneven road, Loki could
see why the Einherjar he had spoken to might not have felt carts could pass safely without
axle damage. Even the horses had to slow even further in order to carefully pick their way,
lest they suffer an injury.

Loki scowled as he took it all in. This was the kind of disrepair which could seriously impact
trade and the livelihood of the residents, and it should never have been allowed to happen on
Ásgarðr, let alone in the main city itself. A quick glance over at Lord Ragnvaldr told Loki his
father's advisor, at least, had been unaware of the situation.

"How did this come to be?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked, looking to him.

Loki shrugged. "All I have is rumors and hearsay of inadequate flood damage repair funding
eating into the local council's budget."

"I will look into the situation at once and let you know what I find," Lord Ragnvaldr
promised. "How did you find out about it now?"

"They put in an application for the King's Funds."

"To pay for the labor, perhaps, but the supplies should come from the emergency funding. We
have done so before, for other parts of Ásgarðr to keep the local economy running."

"Ah, excellent."

"You will fund the labor?"

"Nay," Loki replied, smiling as he caught the man's startled look out of the corner of his eye.
"I have another plan for that."

By this point they had attracted quite a lot of attention and Loki could see people dressed in
more official attire arriving. Clearly, news of his presence had spread. He signaled for the
Einherjar to stop when he caught sight of an older woman in the dark purple robes of a city
councillor. He motioned for her to approach even as he directed his mare more towards her.

"Your Majesty," she greeted, bowing low.

"Councillor Vör?" Loki hazarded a guess.

"Aye," she blinked in surprise, before realization dawned. "Our application."

Loki nodded once in confirmation. There were few enough female counselors for it to have
been a pretty safe bet she was the one who had submitted the application.
"Is this representative of most of the road?" Loki inquired as he indicated some of the
damage.

"Aye, my King," Councillor Vör confirmed.

"And the worst areas? How bad are those?"

"Significantly worse, unfortunately."

Completely unacceptable for the heart of Ásgarðr.

"How much further are those?" Loki asked.

"There is one right around the bend," Councillor Vör replied, indicating where the road
wound out of view not too far ahead of them.

A quick glance around showed that, while they had attracted a crowd, his guard did not seem
particularly on edge or worried, so Loki made a quick decision and dismounted. It would
make things easier and he would be better able to inspect the damage. Lord Ragnvaldr
followed suit, as did a few of the Einherjar, though most remained on their horses.

"Show me," Loki instructed after he had handed the reins of his mare to one of the guards.

"Of course."

"How did it get so bad?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked as they walked.

"We have had no money to repair the road for nearly a decade now," Councillor Vör
responded. "Not since our budget was thrown off after the flooding which followed the fire
seiðmadr's attack."

"'Tis said," Loki began, not wanting to drag this out if she was too shy to say it right to his
face. "That you were inadequately compensated from the emergency funds for repairing the
damage wrought during the attack and flooding."

The relief which crossed her face was almost palpable and Loki disguised a scowl. If Lord
Ragnvaldr was unable to track down whomever was responsible, then he would after he had
managed to hand Hliðskjálf back to Óðinn. He was all for chaos and mischief, but he hated
corruption in the system, especially when 'twas by those who already had plenty. He himself
had been sneered at by enough entitled idiots who fit some Ásgarðrian ideal to relish the
chance to grind one into the dust. In that sense, he almost hoped Lord Ragnvaldr did not
succeed, but the man was far too efficient for it to be likely.

"There were sections of our area which were not properly assessed," Councillor Vör hedged.
"And others where the full extent of the damage was not immediately obvious."

"I will need access to all of your records from the time and since," Lord Ragnvaldr stated as
they reached the bend in the road.
"Aye, of course," Councillor Vör immediately agreed. "I will make certain you have full
access to it or have them sent over to Iðavöllr."

"Here will be good," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, looking at Loki.

They were agreed then, the easy cooperation being offered along with the relief would
indicate the corruption was unlikely to be at this end of the process, though Loki knew his
father's advisor well enough to know the man would comb over the records and ensure all
was in order before following the trail back towards Iðavöllr and all of those involved in the
initial emergency assessments.

"This is one of the worst areas, Your Majesty," Councillor Vör said once they rounded the
bend and more of the road came into view.

There was absolutely no need to ask what she meant, as 'twas immediately obvious. Before
them now was a section of road where the cobblestones were missing entirely, exposing not
only the dirt below, but also some of the pipes which transported water all around the city. If
the road deteriorated anymore right here, it would become a far bigger problem.

Loki's lips thinned as he pressed them tightly together, taking in the damage both there and
along the next stretch of road which was now visible. He would see those responsible for this
lose their jobs at the very least. He also definitely agreed with his guard. This road could not
truly be called passable by cart. 'Twas even dangerous for horses.

"Councillor Vör, what is employment like in the area?" Loki asked.

"Employment? People have it, if 'tis what you mean, my King."

"Thus you would not immediately have a supply of labor to effect the necessary repairs?"

"Nay, but we had hoped once we had funding to attract those in need of a job."

"Your application did not pass," Loki replied, but hurried straight on not to worry her
unnecessarily. "However, the cost of the supplies will come from the emergency funding, like
it should originally have done."

The gratitude and relief which crossed her face was great, even though Loki could tell she
was still worried.

"And the labor?" she inquired, softly.

Loki smiled wickedly. "It will be taken care of. You should hear more by the end of the
week."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Please start to draw up plans for the repairs," Lord Ragnvaldr instructed. "As the money will
be coming from the emergency funding, we will require detailed reports to be filed on the
project."
"Aye, of course. We will provide everything you require."

As Lord Ragnvaldr and Councillor Vör continued to discuss some of the specifics, Loki
stepped away to assess the damage some more. This would be the perfect first project for
Lady Sif and the Warriors Idiot. Not only was it something which was urgently needed, but
'twas in an area of the city that would irk the high and mighty traitors. Plus, it should gain
enough exposure for others to hear of the scheme and to come forward with additional
projects for Ásgarðr's new indentured servants to do after they had completed the work Loki
had already found for them.

'Twas only because Loki was in full camouflage mode due to his position - and the fact he
was acutely aware of the crowd watching him - that he did not jump when he felt a tug at his
cloak. With the new paranoia of Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and the Einherjar at the
moment, he had not expected anyone to be able to sneak up on him.

A quick glance back, and then down, informed Loki as to why his accoster had been allowed
to approach him unhindered. He was no expert in young children, but she could not be any
older than three hundred and fifty years, coming less than halfway up his thighs, her dark hair
pulled into cornrows and her brown eyes wide as she looked up at him, almost as if she could
not believe her own daring.

"Hello," Loki said as he turned around properly and crouched down to be on level with her.
"And who are you?"

"Gróa, King Loki," she replied, looking down, suddenly shy.

"'Tis nice to meet you, Gróa," Loki responded, even while he quickly scanned the crowd, not
seeing anyone who seemed to be with her. "Where are you parents?"

"Mama is in the store," Gróa pointed slightly behind them.

Well, they were within clear view of the entrance, so Loki figured Gróa would be quickly
spotted when her mother realized she had slipped out.

"You snuck away, hmm?" Loki asked with a slight smile.

His own mother still readily complained of all the times he had done the same as a child. His
near insatiable curiosity driving him on to wander away and explore whatever had caught his
eye.

Gróa nodded, looking back up at him with an excited smile. "Mama says you use seiðr."

Loki's eyebrows rose in surprise, but he nodded. "Aye, I am a seiðmadr. Do you like seiðr?"

"Aye!" Gróa exclaimed, eyes lighting up even as she fairly vibrated with excitement, leaning
closer to him. "I have seiðr too!"

"Gróa!"
Loki was only vaguely aware of the cry and merely glanced up long enough to ensure Gróa's
mother had caught sight of them, before turning his attention back to Gróa herself. Her
mother's wide eyes, caught between shock and horror, only faintly registered.

"You do?" Loki inquired, suddenly far more interested.

"Aye."

"Show me."

Gróa suddenly looked a little more subdued while she bit her lower lip, quickly looking over
at her mother. "Mama says I should not, as 'tis naughty."

"Truly?" Loki replied, a wicked smile crossing his lips as she nodded, a familiar gleam of
mischief in her eyes. "Show me anyway."

Loki could almost hear his mother's admonishing voice in the back of his mind, telling him
not to encourage such behavior, but he could not help himself. He had been far too good
lately and what harm could a little mischief cause?

Clearly Gróa agreed, as it took no further encouragement for her to raise a hand and twist her
whole face into an adorable look of intense concentration. There was a burst of silver seiðr
and then Loki felt it washing over him, clumsy and ham-handed, scrabbling at his form. He
allowed it to seep into him and it concentrated on his hair, only just catching slightly before it
fizzled out.

There were chortles and laughs from the crowd, along with what sounded suspiciously like a
loud groan from Gróa's mother. Those alone would have informed Loki of Gróa's success,
even if her delighted expression had not. Tipping his head forwards, he allowed his hair to
swing into view and his smile grew as he caught sight of its new silver color. 'Twas by no
means perfect, ranging from almost ivory to a more steel gray, but most of it was a shining
silver and 'twas quite an accomplishment for a child of her age.

"Well done," Loki praised, making her giggle and all but bounce in place.

A quick scan revealed she was rather more gifted than the average seiðkona from Ásgarðr. It
nearly made him frown, since seiðr studies were not exactly cheap here due to how most
Ásgarðrians looked down on the art, and he would hate to see so much natural talent wasted.

A quick check of his pocket dimension proved his memory correct, and Loki called forth the
first book on seiðr his mother had ever given him. He had long since outgrown it, but he had
kept it in one of his few displays of sentimentality.

Gróa went very still at his little display, her brown eyes wide once more with his simple use
of seiðr so very far beyond her level.

"This was my first book on seiðr," Loki said, holding it out to her.

"For me?" Gróa questioned in disbelief.

"Only if you promise to take good care of it and study it carefully."

Gróa was already nodding vigorously, even before he had finished speaking and Loki knew
he had made the right decision. She took the book with both hands and clutched it tightly to
her chest as if someone would try to steal it away at any moment. The thought gave Loki
pause and he added a quick enchantment to ensure it came back to her if anyone did take it
from her.

"Thank you," Gróa said.

"You are welcome," Loki replied, before he looked over at her mother who now seemed
caught between mortification and uncertainty. "Now, I think we should go speak with your
mother."

Almost as if he had released her from a spell, Gróa shot back to her mother, calling for her to
look at her new book. Loki rose and followed at a more sedate and royal pace. He caught
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's amused glance as he did so and he merely shrugged when the
man's eyes flashed up to his hair.

"Your Majesty," Gróa's mother began, bowing deeply. "I am so sorry!"

Loki waved it off immediately. "Nay, nay, I asked her to show me. 'Tis impressive seiðr for
one so young."

"I... 'tis?"

"Oh, aye. Your daughter has quite a lot of potential."

"Mama, Mama!" Gróa exclaimed, pulling at her mother's skirt. "King Loki gave me a book
on seiðr to learn more!"

"Aye, baby, I saw," her mother replied, before looking back to Loki. "I do not know what to
say, Your Majesty."

"I would hate to see such potential wasted for lack of resources," Loki said. "This will allow
her to learn more and see if she is truly interested in taking up seiðr seriously. Besides," he
began with a wry smile, "it should also help with any uncontrolled seiðr outbursts she might
be experiencing."

"Oh, thank the Norns!"

Loki laughed, well able to recall all of the purely unintended chaos he had caused as a small
child before he had learned some basic control over his seiðr. And if he had used it as an
excuse for a little longer than strictly necessary, well, only his mother knew the truth on that
particular score.

"What do you say, Gróa?" her mother prompted.

"I did say thank you!" Gróa protested.

 "She did," Loki confirmed. "Now, if you will excuse me."

"Of course," Gróa's mother replied, curtsying and stepping back.

Loki moved back to his horse, seeing Lord Ragnvaldr was finishing up with Councillor Vör.
He nodded to acknowledge some of the bows he was receiving, but soon they were all ready
to return to Iðavöllr.

Gróa and her mother were still present, though, and Loki simply could not help himself. He
had been far too good for far too long.

"Gróa," Loki called out.

He waited until he had her attention before making an overly dramatic hand gesture,
complete with green-gold sparks, turning her hair green. The crowd laughed, but it had
nothing on Gróa's shriek of delight when her mother pulled out a pocket mirror for her to see.

Chapter End Notes

Thanks again to everyone who comments or leaves kudos! You are all amazing and help
when coming up against the toxicity that exists within fandom.

Now, I have to admit, I had planned to get this chapter up earlier this week as a surprise.
Unfortunately, those plans were derailed by AO3 who brought in changes to the number
of tags fics are allowed to have and that meant I was unable to update when I wanted to
as the site refused to let me do so. Luckily, someone had already told me about the
change, so I knew it was coming, but I'd hoped to get one more chapter in before I had
to deal with it. Alas, it was not to be and I didn't have the time to deal with it then.

As for the fic itself, I really hope Gróa was a nice, little surprise. Her appearance is more
set-up for the sequels, but I really enjoyed writing her interaction with Loki. Not only
was it a chance for a wee bit of innocent mischief, but it was so completely different
from anything else Loki has had to deal with lately. Plus, you know, silvery hair! 😁

Finally, Lilituism has done yet another amazing illustration for this fic, which can be
found here. Do check it out as it's simply awesome, showing off not only both sides of
Loki and all he's dealing with, but his connection to the Yggdrasill too!

Old Norse & Norse Mythology:

skáld - a poet who composed skaldic poetry

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
Miðgarðr - Earth
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven

Original Character Names:

Vör - "the careful one" or "aware, careful" - a goddess associated with wisdom.
Gróa - "growing" - a völva (seeress) & practitioner of seiðr.

Up next week: The High Council meeting & Thor and Loki talk again...
 Chapter 35
Chapter Notes

I hope everyone had a great week and thanks to those of you who keep commenting and
leaving kudos, it's greatly appreciated!

Onto the new chapter...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki could almost feel his brother's eyes snapping towards him as soon as he swept into
Glaðsheimr.

"Uh, Loki?" Thor asked, eyes darting up to his hair.

Loki looked over at his brother and forced himself to smile despite the anger he still felt over
their last argument. This was neither the time nor the place to deal with the fallout from it.

"'Tis a gift from a budding young seiðkona I found in the eastern part of the city," Loki
explained.

Rather than remove the spell as soon as they were out of Gróa's sight, Loki had decided to
leave it on. Not only was it not terribly strong, but it should cause a fair bit of amusement, not
to mention consternation for those more averse to seiðr. Besides, he had longed for Óðinn to
give even the smallest of acknowledgements to his own seiðr use for far too long not to
intimately understand how much even something so small could mean to Ásgarðr's few
seiðkonur, and even the odd seiðmadr. He was also starting to realize he needed to do it for
his own sanity as well. Besides, it would be long gone by the end of the High Council
meeting.

"'Tis about time you had the... pleasure of being on this side of that particular trick," Uncle
Vili laughed.

"Oh, she is enjoying the pleasure of green hair right now," Loki replied.

"How come you were in the eastern part of the city?" Uncle Vé inquired as they all took their
seats.

"I had to check on an issue raised in one of the applications for the King's Funds," Loki
replied, waving off the question. "Lord Ragnvaldr can explain later as he will be following up
on it. We have other matters to discuss today which I fear may take quite some time."

"Did the negotiations not go well?" Lord Óðr asked with a frown.
"They went as well as could be expected given we informed Laufey-King of my ability to
affect the Casket of Ancient Winters today."

Those not present on Niflheimr winced and Loki wanted to tell them they did not truly
understand the half of it, but that would not be particularly helpful. "Lord Aðalgrímr, would
you mind giving the others an overview of where we stand?"

The next part of the High Council meeting was starting to remind Loki of the negotiations
since they spent over an hour debating the same items, trying to figure out if their plan was
likely to succeed or if they required an alternative should Laufey come back tomorrow with a
harsher stance. Loki was simply glad the days on Jötunheimr ran ahead of those on Ásgarðr
at present, or it would be far later than it already was. Even if it meant he had to rise earlier
and earlier to compensate.

"I still say that if Laufey will not accept even the most basic restraints on the Casket, then we
need to call the negotiations off," General Týr stated. "We simply cannot give it back
functioning normally."

"For what 'tis worth, I agree," Thor stated. "If they can travel freely and easily, we would be
facing a real war, and not necessarily on Jötunheimr."

"Maybe, but I am not entirely convinced," Lord Aðalgrímr countered. "Laufey-King seems to
have learned from his previous actions as he did give you the chance to walk away at first.
That said, I too would not be in favor of giving him an unrestrained Casket, not when it
seems like the jötnar's own internal checks on its use are not in place."

"Especially not if Laufey-King is most likely the one behind that particular situation being
the case," Lord Ragnvaldr added.

"I believe we are all against the return of the Casket without any safeties," Uncle Vili said.
"The question is how we convey that, as it could end the negotiations right then and there if
done incorrectly."

Loki observed them all as they continued to debate, finally understanding why his father was
oft so silent at this point during discussions. 'Twas easier to sit back and watch, than to
actively participate. It allowed him to measure what everyone said against his own opinions
and make a final decision rather than needing to focus on making certain his own opinion
was heard.

"Loki?" Thor finally asked, when they all seemed to have said what they wished to.

"I completely agree that we cannot return the Casket of Ancient Winters without any
restrictions," Loki began. "But Uncle Vili is correct in that we need to make that position
without ending the negotiations early. I do not wish to know what would happen to the
Yggdrasill should we lose Jötunheimr."

"Surely we already know this from Svartálfaheimr," Thor responded. "We survived that."
"'Tis not the same," Uncle Vé said. "Though Father destroyed the myrkálfar, Svartálfaheimr
itself was not affected."

"Well, I would not go quite so far," Loki protested. "But Uncle Vé is right, the damage to
Svartálfaheimr itself is minor. With Jötunheimr, 'tis the planet itself that is dying, a different
matter altogether and we would lose the whole Realm."

"Shall I draw up a few different options based on what we have discussed, so we know how
to proceed depending on Laufey-King's reaction tomorrow?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"Hmm, please do so," Loki agreed.

"Are we past the point of Loki being able to lead Laufey-King along with an innocent act?"
Uncle Vili inquired.

"I believe that time may have passed," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "Though we will need to see
since we have given more than Óðinn ever did, and Laufey did start the meeting with a
personal gift."

"About that," Loki began. "Should we reciprocate, or leave it as is?"

"I have been thinking on it and I believe it best to reciprocate, even if they intended it as an
apology and means with which to try to manipulate you," Lord Aðalgrímr said. "It would
indicate we are serious and have put some thought into the negotiations beyond the mere
cessation of war. 'Tis also a chance for us to remind them of all they have been unable to
obtain while cut off from the rest of the Nine."

"Could that not simply serve to remind them of their suffering and make them blame us all
the more?" Lord Óðr asked.

"I do not think so," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "From everything they have said during the
negotiations, 'tis clear they have not forgotten."

"It might be wise to give a gift to Helblindi-Princex too then," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "Make
it look like an exchange between royal families as it would be in any other situation."

"Which brings us to the question of what," Loki said. "Is this something which you can
solve?" he asked, looking first at Lord Ragnvaldr and then at Lord Aðalgrímr. "I fear this is
one area neither Thor nor I will be much help in, having never interacted with Laufey or the
jötnar before recent events."

"I am certain we can find something fitting based on what used to interest Laufey-King in
past trade with Ásgarðr," Lord Aðalgrímr promised.

"Good. If there is nothing else, then I suggest we end there. We can discuss other items
tomorrow after the negotiations or after the trial the day after."

Thor, Loki noticed, flinched at his words, but not quite as badly as he would have expected.
Perhaps his brother's visit down to the dungeons today had done some good after all. 'Twas
not like Lady Sif and Warriors Three had any good reasons for their actions, only very similar
ones to Heimdallr and he was certain Thor had already discussed those with Mother.
Therefore, he did not fear them as Mother would have disabused Thor of their validity
already.

"Loki, can we have words?" Thor asked, stepping close once everyone else rose.

"I need to speak with Lord Ragnvaldr first, but I will be attending the feast tonight
afterwards," Loki replied, dreading another confrontation like the one from last night.

"A little more private, mayhap?" Thor pushed.

"Fine, in here, after Lord Ragnvaldr has left."

Thor nodded and moved towards the balcony as the others said their goodbyes and exited
Glaðsheimr.

"You wished to see me, my King," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"Aye," Loki motioned for him to move closer. "'Twas concerning what Laufey-King said to
you today."

"I took no offence from it," Lord Ragnvaldr reassured him. "He was attempting to strike at
me as I have caused him difficulties before."

Loki smiled. "Of that I have no doubt. But it did serve to make me realize I may have been
remiss in how I have been treating you."

"Nonsense."

"I have not exactly been calling on you as oft as I know my father does."

"True, but neither have you been interfering with my duties, or acted like you did not think
me capable of handling them. Besides, you have been focusing on a far more narrow set of
issues than your father normally would, but with good reason given the circumstances. And
in these issues you have sought out those most capable of aiding you."

"Heimdallr's trial, though, falls within your area," Loki pointed out.

"And you asked for me to organize it," Lord Ragnvaldr responded, immediately. "The only
other part Óðinn normally would have sought my advice for would have been in regard to the
punishment he planned to deliver. With Heimdallr, however, circumstances were far from
normal due to his position and I cannot think of a solution other than the one you found. Nor
would I have been able to aid you in devising it."

Loki studied the other man for a moment, trying to ascertain whether he was being entirely
truthful with him. "It must be different though," he tried.

Lord Ragnvaldr smiled. "I would be worried if it were not. You are not Óðinn, nor should
you be. Things inevitably change when a new king ascends to Hliðskjálf and, while we were
not expecting for it to be you, a change in rulers was expected. I had known things would
change from as soon as Óðinn first announced Thor's coronation date. I am your father's
advisor, 'twas expected your brother would replace me sooner or later with one of his own
choosing."

That made sense, but Loki frowned at the significant look Lord Ragnvaldr cast him. It
reminded him of how many had always expected for it to be him. Ever since they were
children and Thor had been officially chosen as heir - though Loki now knew it to have been
inevitable - there had seemed to be the idea he would be his brother's closest advisor. Why, he
had never known, as 'twas not like either Uncles Vili or Vé were his father's chief advisor, but
it had been there. More fool he for believing it to be true.

Loki looked away. "Thor never made any indication of what you think," he informed the
other.

"Thor had not approached you?" Lord Ragnvaldr frowned.

"Nay. He must have chosen another."

"Then he is a fool."

The words made Loki's head whip back around to look at the advisor in shock. "Lord
Ragnvaldr!" he hissed, glancing quickly towards the balcony.

"I stand by what I said," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "You compliment your brother well and have
far more experience in several key areas of kingship which Thor seems to have overlooked."

"That may be, but if he will not deign to listen to me, then I would be useless as an advisor."

The man seemed to have no answer to that and Loki glanced away once more, still shocked at
what Ragnvaldr had said. 'Twas not often he heard anyone criticizing Thor, much less so
bluntly as his father's chief advisor had just done. Was this simply the result of the war Thor
had dragged them into, or did people feel more able to speak about it with Óðinn asleep and
his brother so powerless to act against any slight he might overhear?

"Might I enquire about the upcoming trial?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked a moment later. "Do you
know what you intend to do with them?"

"I have an idea," Loki replied.

"Execution?"

Loki shook his head. "Though 'tis the traditional punishment and they may deserve it, I am
not certain if it would be a good idea given my rather tenuous position at present."

"That might be true."

Loki was rather surprised at how hesitant Lord Ragnvaldr's answer was. He would have
expected the old advisor to be more forthcoming with his opinion. He had seen the man do so
with Óðinn oft enough to know Lord Ragnvaldr was perfectly capable of it and felt secure
enough in his position to not fear doing so when necessary.
"I am not unaware of my lack of... popularity with the warriors," Loki stated, narrowing
green eyes at Ragnvaldr.

"I believe you may underestimate your standing with them, my Liege. Or the fact you have
saved many of their lives in the past on various excursions."

"With seiðr," Loki snorted.

"Ah, but 'tis far more acceptable for Ásgarðr's king than one of its princes, as I am certain
you have noticed in the past."

Hmm, so he had not been the only one to note that particular double standard.

"Are you advising I execute four of the most accomplished and popular warriors Ásgarðr
has?" Loki questioned.

"Maybe not quite as popular as you may think," Lord Ragnvaldr countered.

Wait, what?

"Oh?"

"You would see how they are treated when either yourself or Thor are present, both known to
be companions of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three," Lord Ragnvaldr explained. "I have seen
and heard some of what is said and done when neither of you are present. I believe there may
be a certain amount of resentment and affront at the liberties they take with their positions in
regard to the both of you, and the arrogance it has spawned within them."

That was... very interesting to say the least. Loki had to admit he had not had any inkling of
it. Normally his forays into stealthy intelligence gathering had focused more on seeing how
he was perceived or on obtaining information necessary for his next plot. He had oft tuned
out news relating to his brother's friends, not wanting to hear more about their exploits or
accolades for their deeds. Perhaps he had been remiss in doing so.

"Even so, I am not certain I wish to test how far they are willing to follow my rule," Loki
admitted. "Nor am I at all certain of how Thor would react if I did so."

"Given all which has transpired, I can understand the sentiment, but I must advise you to also
bear in mind that not sentencing any of the traitors to execution can have its own detrimental
consequences."

Loki nodded. "Acknowledged. But I hope what I have in mind will not seem like a light
sentence. Tell me, Lord Ragnvaldr, have you heard of the old practice of indentured
servitude?"

"Indentured servitude?" Lord Ragnvaldr frowned, before he smiled. "Aye, I believe I do

recall it. I assume this is what you meant when you said the labor for the repair works would
come from an alternate source?"

"Indeed."
"And once 'tis done?"

"I have a few more projects in mind, all of which came in via applications for the King's
Funds, but if you have any other suggestions, I am happy to add them to the list."

"I will think on it and see if my investigation into the lack of emergency funding uncovers
any other areas of the city which were insufficiently compensated at the time and could have
led to similar issues to what we saw today."

"Good. Thank you, Lord Ragnvaldr."

"My pleasure," Lord Ragnvaldr said, glancing about at the Einherjar quickly before lowering
his voice and reaching out to place a hand over one of Loki's own. "And, Loki, I think you
are doing an excellent job in very difficult circumstances. I have no doubt you are making
your father very proud, though he cannot say so himself at present."

"I..." Loki began, not quite certain what to make of the unexpected compliment, especially
with everything else he felt towards Óðinn at present.

'Twas all twisted up inside of him alongside the shredded and mutilated shards of his magical
core. Loki knew he did not have the time to even attempt to untangle it all at present, but
despite everything, Lord Ragnvaldr's words still managed to warm him. He had been striving
to make Óðinn proud of him for so long they could not help but do anything else. Now, if
only he could believe they were true. He had been here often before, thinking he had finally
managed to achieve something which would make Óðinn proud, only to discover exactly
how very wrong he was in that particular assessment.

Lord Ragnvaldr's encouragement helped Loki believe it a little more, but he knew better than
to place too much hope on the words. After all, his mother had oft thought he had done
something which his adoptive father would be proud of, only to be wrong in her assessment
as well. Did he truly dare hope Óðinn's chief advisor knew his adoptive father better on that
score than his mother did? Loki was not certain he could.

"Now, there is one more thing I would beg your attention on before I leave you to your
brother," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"Hmm?" Loki asked, pushing his emotions aside.

"Lord Óðr."

Loki made a face. "I have already had words with him about his actions as of late."

"I am aware, he came to me afterwards," Lord Ragnvaldr stated.

Anger flared to life within Loki, the nerve of the man! But, on some level, he was almost
resigned to it. He had always known he could not carry the necessary authority to be king of
Ásgarðr without being questioned at every turn. This, and everything else which had
transpired, was merely proof of it.
Yet, at the same time, there was a small part of Loki which wished he had been able to
witness the conversation Lord Ragnvaldr was alluding to, for he knew his father's advisor far
too well to doubt how it had gone. Lord Ragnvaldr was a stickler for proper procedure and
etiquette, and such disrespect towards Ásgarðr's king would not have been tolerated. If
anything, Loki could not understand why Lord Óðr had not realized the same thing.

"Let me guess, he is displeased with how I have chosen to allocate the King's Funds," Loki
replied.

"Aye. I have reminded him they are yours to dispense as you please and that his place is not
to question it or you," Lord Ragnvaldr continued. "I merely wished for you to be aware of
this."

"Thank you. I have already requested he return the official responses to me before they are
sent out, supposedly so I can sign them."

"But you fear he might not do as you wish," Lord Ragnvaldr realized before he nodded. "I
shall ensure someone keeps an eye on his work and lets you know if we do need to take any
further action."

"Thank you, Lord Ragnvaldr."

"Your Majesty," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, bowing once he had risen to his feet.

Loki watched the man leave Glaðsheimr before he rubbed his face, taking a minute ere he
forced himself to his feet and approached the balcony. Desperate for at least some small
modicum of privacy, he gestured for his guards to remain where they were. It would not be
true privacy, but at least there would be less chance that his and Thor's words would be
overheard, which was the best he could hope for at present.

His brother was standing near the edge of the balcony when Loki stepped out, feet planted
shoulder width apart, hands on the golden banister and head hung low. The sight made Loki
pause for a moment, not used to seeing his brother look so defeated. Thor had always been
almost larger than life and three times as irrepressible. While he had long wanted for his
brother to learn some humility and to have to face the consequences of his own actions, he
had never truly expected for it to actually happen.

Anger flashed through Loki at the knowledge that, after centuries of his trying to make Thor
learn this particular lesson, it had taken a few humans a mere handful of days to do so. If he
had ever needed proof Thor did not listen to him, this was it.

"Thor," Loki finally said, voice totally even and devoid of any of the turbulent emotions he
currently felt.

Thor spun around. "Loki. Done with Lord Ragnvaldr then?"

"Hmm."

"Good, that is good," Thor began, before falling silent.

Loki sighed. "You wished to speak with me privately?"

Thor nodded but still did not speak and Loki raised his free hand to rub his face. He was
exhausted, his core was a constant throbbing agony now, and he knew his sleep would likely
be plagued by nightmares all evening. He truly did not need any added aggravation from his
brother.

The rustling of clothes made Loki look up to find his brother standing much closer to him, a
worried expression on his face.

"You look exhausted, Loki," Thor said, his hand coming up to clamp his neck.

Loki closed his eyes at the familiar gesture and had to fight the urge to lower his head on his
brother's shoulder. He could feel the difference in Thor and knew he could not rely on his
brother's support while Thor was thus. Not to mention all which still stood between them, but
most especially that which his brother knew nothing about.

"When I am king, I will hunt the monsters down and slay them all."

The haunting words came back to Loki and 'twas like receiving an electrical shock, as Thor
had sometimes done in the past when they were still children. It served to jolt him enough he
dislodged his brother's hand, and he used the opportunity to step aside, fear flooding through
him.

Would Thor truly wish him dead or even harm should his brother learn the truth of what he
was? Loki honestly was not certain, but his own thoughts on putting down one of the
monsters sent another jolt of agony through him.

"Loki, Brother?" Thor asked.

"What did you wish to have words about?" Loki questioned rather than replying.

For a moment it looked like Thor might protest his evasion, but then his brother sighed and
Loki was grateful for it. He was hungry and tired and not at all in the mood for another
argument. 'Twas bad enough he had to attend the feast tonight as he truly just wanted to
return to his chambers and relax.

"I... I wanted to apologize," Thor began, clearly ill at ease.

Loki could only stare at his brother, hardly believing what he had just heard.

Thor wanted to apologize?

"Brother?" Thor asked after a moment and Loki realized he was staring.

"Sorry," Loki said. "I was waiting for Ragnarök to start."

"Loki!"

"What? You never apologize!"

"I do!"

"Name one time you have apologized."

"I..."

Loki merely raised his eyebrow and Thor scowled at him.

"Simply because I cannot think of an example right now does not mean I do not apologize to
you," his brother protested.

"Nay, of course not."

Thor smiled. "It merely means I normally do not have the need for it."

Or that he simply did not see the need for it. Loki was already well aware of his brother's
utterly different opinion on what was and was not acceptable when it came to specific topics
like seiðr, cunning or craftiness.

"What did you want to apologize for?" Loki inquired, stepping past his brother to stand at the
golden banister.

There were more green flags than before, and a large part of Loki still could not believe it. He
had gone either unseen or resented for so long 'twas difficult to believe anyone would wish to
fly his color.

"For not believing you when you said Lady Sif and the Warriors Three were not your
friends," Thor said.

Loki blinked in surprise. "Finally admit that, did they? I am surprised."

"Aye," Thor shifted uncomfortably beside him. "But... Volstagg said you had never truly been
theirs either."

Of course he did.

"Thor," Loki began, turning to look at his brother. "Other than perhaps Fandral, I may never
have considered them my friends, but I did try in the beginning."

"You did?"

"Hmm, of course. They were your friends."

His brother was peering closely at him, probably to see how truthful he was being and, for
once, Loki was not either annoyed or exasperated with it. Thor had only recently discovered
how deceitful his friends had been, so naturally his brother would be feeling rather uncertain
at the moment. But Loki, at least, was being truthful this time. While he may not have
particularly liked any of Thor's friends right away, he had not deliberately antagonized any of
them until they had made the first remarks.
Thor finally nodded, muttering what sounded like a 'very well' as he did so.

"Shall we go for dinner now?" Loki asked, though part of him wanted to ask what else his
brother had learned.

"Aye!" Thor exclaimed, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Let us go feast!"

The trip from Glaðsheimr to the Great Hall was quick even with his escort and Thor's spirits
seemed to lift more and more the closer they drew.

"I wonder if Mother will make an appearance tonight," Loki said as they neared the back
door of the hall closest to the head table.

"She has not every evening?"

"Nay, she has spent almost all of her time with Father. But she did come three nights ago
when I attended, if only briefly."

"Well, tonight you have me, Brother," Thor stated as they entered the hall.

It will not be the same, Loki thought, but some of his worries fled upon seeing both of his
uncles and aunts seated at the head table, along with Balðr. Though he did not particularly
like his cousin, 'twas better than having to spend dinner next to one of the more simpering
courtiers whom he was certain would have loved to claim one of the best seats at the high
table.

"Loki," Aunt Ilmr greeted as he took his seat.

"Aunt Ilmr," he replied with a smile. "How are you?"

The first part of the evening went quickly with the food and drink appearing, making
conversation light and easy.

Loki limited how much mead he had, wanting to stay sharp for what was still to come. It did
mean he had to stop Thor from having his glass refilled the whole time, but luckily his
brother ceased rather quickly.

"Now, for the fun part," Thor said once their aunts and uncles had wandered off to speak with
others.

"For you, perhaps," Loki replied.

He was actually rather surprised at how well Thor was behaving. Had it been his friends who
had always made his brother so raucous at feasts? Or was Thor simply subdued due to the
fact they currently languished in the dungeons?

"Come on, Brother, you simply need to relax a little more," Thor stated, waving his goblet
around as if to demonstrate. "Look around you, there is food, drink, music and beautiful
women!"
"I have no desire to spend time with any woman who merely seeks the prestige of my status."

Thor chuffed. "You have always worried so about that."

"With good reason. You should be more careful of it too, Brother."

"'Tis not so bad," Thor scoffed.

Loki sighed. "Lady Hnoss was all but begging to hang off my arm two nights ago."

"Lady Hnoss?" Thor repeated, shocked.

As well his brother might be. She had never made any attempts to disguise her clear
preference for the elder prince. Not that Loki had particularly cared. He preferred for his
lovers to have more fire and passion than she did, but it made his point fairly well.

"I..." Thor began, clearly confused.

Loki rolled his eyes. "You were crown prince and heir, Thor. I am now king and, as Mother
put it, both young and eligible. For a small few, 'tis all they care about."

The way his brother's shoulders sagged made Loki feel a little guilty. He was challenging a
lot of Thor's assumptions all at once. He had to be careful not to break his brother, even if he
did not know how long he had before Thor stopped listening to him once more. Probably
only as long as he was regent.

"But did I not hear you had been spending time with a mortal woman?" Loki asked.

"Aye!" Thor brightened, immediately. "Lady Jane and her friends, Lady Darcy and Lord
Selvig."

"Were they the ones who found you?"

"Aye, Lady Jane was out, performing research. You would like her, Loki, she is very smart,
and she is studying mortal science in the hopes of understanding the Bifröst."

"They knew of the Bifröst?"

"Nay, they have another name for it, but 'tis the same and she is doing rather well."

It had been a while since Loki's last trip to Miðgarðr, so he was uncertain how to take Thor's
words. What did his brother mean when he said she was doing well? Surely she could not be
even remotely close.

Yet, Loki did remember being greatly impressed at exactly how much progress the mortals
had made between his last two visits, so he would have to reserve judgment for now.

"She sounds impressive," Loki said, before he had to suppress a frown. "Here come the
ladies."
Chapter End Notes

I'm really happy I remembered to update today as I started my new shift pattern at work
when I got back from holiday, so my weekend this week will be Wednesday & Thursday
instead of yesterday & today!

Now, if anyone would like to see Loki with his lovely silver locks, then you're in luck.
Lilituism as done a gorgeous illustration of it for the last chapter, which can be found
here. Do let her know what you think of it if you go have a look!

Finally, a little warning. My laptop has been acting strange lately, so I fear it may be
near the end of it's life. Everything is backed up, so if it dies on me, I won't lose any of
this fic, but updating it might become temporarily more difficult as I've never attempted
to do so from a tablet before and my older laptop is no longer internet capable (hence the
reason for the replacement, in addition to half the keys deciding not to work anymore!).
If this happens, I'll post a notice on Twitter (@VEVancollie), so you can check there if I
miss an update unexpectedly. Fingers crossed it doesn't happen!

Old Norse :

myrkálfar - "dark elves" (or "dusky elves" & "murky elves") - myrkálfr is the singular.
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall, located in Iðavöllr on Ásgarðr
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Original Character Name :

Ilmr - a goddess of unknown associations.

Up next week: The feast, with a side of politics & a lady whose presence Loki isn't so
unhappy with 😉
 Chapter 36
Chapter Notes

I felt like updating today, so I ran with it as there's always a chance I might forget
tomorrow now that I work most weekends.

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Luckily, some of the younger male courtiers were among the group, but Loki was still not
looking forward to having his attention quibbled over like a child's favorite plaything.

At least the whole situation should show Thor exactly how superficial and fickle some of the
high nobles could be.

"King Loki," Lady Hnoss led the charge, taking the prized seat directly across the long table
from him. "And Prince Thor, I had not heard you had regained your powers."

"Ah, I... have not, my Lady," Thor stammered out, uncharacteristically somber.

"Oh, I see."

Loki could already see her focus shifting back to him, when one of her companions burst out
with her own question to draw his attention towards her.

There was no way to know for certain how long he was stuck there, but it felt like an eternity
before Loki heard a throat being cleared from just over his left shoulder, followed by a polite:

"Ah, Your Majesty?"

He turned around in surprise to check that, aye, 'twas actually Lord Kvasir's voice.

"Lord Kvasir," Loki said, rising to his feet.

Despite how desperately he wanted to escape his situation, Loki actually rose more out of
respect for the other man than anything else. Lord Kvasir had been one of his tutors and,
more importantly, was the father of his longest lover; Lady Sigyn. Indeed, if the family had
not all moved to Álfheimr, Loki would not be surprised at all if he and Sigyn would still be
together, even now.

"Could I beg just a moment of your time, my King?" Lord Kvasir asked, glancing at the table
behind Loki.
"Certainly," Loki replied, motioning towards the area a little further back, where the servants
who waited on the head table often stood. "I had not known you were back," he continued,
seeing the man was still wearing Álfheimrian clothing, though suited for the occasion.

"We only came back earlier today," Lord Kvasir explained. "I am currently here at the behest
of Queen Sága."

"Oh?" Loki questioned, his gaze shifting back to the man from where he had started to scan
the hall to see if 'they' included Sigyn.

"Aye, she had a message to pass on and asked for me to bring it, rather than one of her own
diplomats," Lord Kvasir expanded. "She did not say why."

Nay, she would not. Not for the first time, Loki wondered if that was because Queen Sága
knew more than she could say, or whether 'twas because she liked to keep an air of mystery
about her. With the ljósálfar, you could never quite be certain.

"I understand," Loki replied.

Though he was a little annoyed, 'twas not Kvasir's fault and besides, he liked the man too
much to take out his frustration on him. Unlike many others, Kvasir had never judged him
unfairly based on the rumors which flew about court. Nor had he tried to interfere when Loki
and Sigyn had started seeing each other and, for that alone, he would always be thankful.

From his robes, Kvasir pulled a small, sealed package and Loki quickly ran his seiðr over it
before accepting. Although 'twas purported to come from the queen of one of Ásgarðr's
closest allies, he would not take any chances.

"Thank you," Loki said once he had taken it and secreted it away in his pocket dimension. "I
will look at it this evening."

"We will be here until tomorrow afternoon, Your Majesty."

"There you are, Kvasir, we had wondered where you had wandered off to."

Instantly recognizing the voice of Lord Kvasir's wife, Lady Snotra, Loki turned towards it
with a smile. It only widened as he caught sight of her and saw Sigyn was with her.

"Lady Snotra, Lady Sigyn," Loki greeted. "'Tis good to see you both again."

His hand twitched with the urge to reach out and take each of theirs in turn, and kiss them as
he normally would, but Loki was all too aware of the multitude of eyes on them. If he did
that with them, he would have to either do it with all of the ladies or have them marked out as
special, and, with Lord Kvasir's position, that could be dangerous, politically.

"King Loki," Lady Snotra replied, warmly. "I hope you are well."

"As well as can be, given the circumstances."

"Ah, aye, we have heard of your negotiations on Álfheimr," Lady Sigyn said, returning his
smile. "How ever did you manage to bring Laufey-King to the table?"

"I believe he has less appetite for war than he has let on, and he has naught to lose," Loki
replied. "He might also have seen me as less experienced than I am."

Lord Kvasir chuckled at that. "Do they still believe so?"

"Alas, I fear that illusion has been thoroughly shattered by now."

Sigyn laughed. "I am certain you made the best use of it."

"Not as much as I could have given the circumstances, but, aye," Loki replied.

"Queen Sága told me that if things work out, we might see more jötnar on Álfheimr soon,"
Lord Kvasir said.

"Aye, we had hoped she might be willing to host some of their merchants during the Harvest
Festival," Loki explained, before he frowned. "More jötnar?"

"Oh, aye, I had been unaware of this before moving there, but it turns out there are two or
three small jötnar communities in the north of Álfheimr," Sigyn explained. "They fled
Laufey-King's reign before the war and thus were not on Jötunheimr when it ended and travel
to and from the Realm was forbidden."

"I did not know of that," Loki admitted. "Are they looking forward to being able to see
others, do you know? Or would they rather remain isolated from them?"

"Though they ran from Laufey and their rule, I believe they may look forward to a chance to
see friends and family again," Lady Snotra said. "They speak of those they have left behind
when they fled."

"You have spoken with them?" Loki was surprised, he of all people knew well of how the
æsir hated the jötnar.

"Aye," Lady Sigyn began.

"Sorry," Lord Kvasir interrupted. "If you will excuse me, Your Majesty, I see that Lord
Aðalgrímr has arrived and I must speak with him."

"Naturally," Loki replied, nodding his head when the man bowed, and then again when Lady
Snotra curtsied and took her husband's arm to be led away.

Loki's lips twitched as he watched them go, wondering if he and Sigyn had been purposefully
left alone. Turning back to his old lover, he could tell from her smile and the way she shook
her head Sigyn thought the same.

"I think they still feel somewhat guilty for inadvertently breaking us up," Lady Sigyn told
him.
"'Twas not their fault, your father was assigned to Álfheimr," Loki replied.

"I know, but I do not think either of them ever saw anyone else for as long as we did, except
for each other."

"Ah."

"Aye."

"Speaking of which, how are your studies going?" Loki asked.

"Good, very good, actually," Lady Sigyn replied, her whole face lighting up.

It made her blue eyes sparkle and Loki would have asked simply for that, even if he was not
also interested in the answer. Sigyn's own ready use of seiðr had been what had first drawn
his attention, and all of their early interactions had revolved around the topic. Their strengths
lay in different areas, but they both loved learning and so had spent countless hours on the
topic discussing theory and how best to utilize the different types to achieve what they
wanted to do.

"Where are you at?" Loki asked.

"I have now finished learning about the other species."

Loki's eyebrow rose. "You did not have any of that here?"

"Only vaguely and absolutely nothing on the jötnar."

Luckily for Loki, Sigyn had glanced away at the right moment to miss his flinch. He sent a
silent thank you to whoever had caused the well-timed burst of laughter.

"Nay, I would imagine not," Loki said. "Is that why you were visiting the jötnar settlement?"

"Aye," Lady Sigyn confirmed, brushing a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear. "They...
They are not at all like what I had thought."

"Nay," Loki agreed, feeling something ease deep within him at the complete lack of judgment
in her voice. "It seems we were not very well informed when it came to the jötnar."

"I..." Lady Sigyn hesitated. "I did not know about Queen Bestla."

Loki laughed. "Would you believe that I did not either?"

"Truly?"

"Hmm. Father never mentioned it, nor did Uncles Vili and Vé."

"Well, that explains your brother's attitude towards them."

"Aye. I have not yet had time to tell him of my discovery."

Sigyn winced. "That will not be pretty."

Loki grimaced at the mere thought, but he knew it must be done. Not only was ignorance
never helpful, but the way Thor took the news would also help Loki estimate how his
adoptive brother might react to him when Thor learned the truth of what he was.

The thought had Loki looking back over to the head table and he had to hide a wince as he
saw Lady Hnoss rising to her feet and looking his way. Clearly, their privacy was about to be
invaded and he was not yet ready to give it up.

"May I have the honor of a dance, Lady Sigyn?" Loki asked, holding up a hand.

Sigyn blinked, obviously startled by the sudden offer, before a happy smile crossed her face.
"I would love to."

'Twas something they had both always enjoyed and been quite good at. Indeed, Loki had
never enjoyed attending feasts more than when they had been together, as they had always
spent a large portion of it on the dance floor.

By leading Sigyn left around the table, they were able to avoid Lady Hnoss altogether,
though Loki was already aware of all of the eyes which shifted towards them as he led Lady
Sigyn onto the dance floor. Acutely aware of the attention, Loki kept more distance between
them than he otherwise would have.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"'Tis hardly your fault," Lady Sigyn replied, easily adjusting to the slightly more formal
position.

She had always been both a beautiful and elegant dancer.

"So what are you studying now?" Loki asked.

She had always excelled most with the living and healing magicks, but Sigyn had never quite
been content with the idea of simply being another of Ásgarðr's healing seiðkonur. When her
father had been assigned to Álfheimr, she had used the opportunity to study from the ljósálfar
healers, who took a far broader and more encompassing approach to healing than did even
Lady Eir.

When Sigyn had reached her majority and would thus have been able to come back to
Ásgarðr on her own, Loki had actively encouraged her to accept the prestigious
apprenticeship she had been offered with one of the ljósálfar's more renowned healers. 'Twas
a rare opportunity and, much as he missed her, Loki did not want her giving it up on account
of him. He was certain she would come to regret it if she did.

The smile that graced her face made Loki want to lean forward and kiss her, but he resisted
the impulse.

"I have finally been able to start my core healing training!"

"Oh?" Loki questioned, feeling the pain radiating all the more from his core at the mention of
healing. "Have you been able to do any practical work yet?"

"Norns, nay!" Sigyn laughed. "It will be at least a few years before I am allowed near anyone
with an injured core."

The brief, stupid hope that had flared within Loki died back out just as rapidly. It would have
been far too good luck, but Sigyn was someone whom he would have trusted to heal him if
she had possessed the right training to do so. Not that his parents had full, formal training (no
one on Ásgarðr had, hence the importance of Sigyn's training), but his mother had trained as
a healer as part of her shield-maiden training, plus she knew his magical core better than
anyone else, and his father had more knowledge and experience with core seiðr than anyone
else on Ásgarðr. Thus, while not perfect, they were the best Ásgarðr could currently offer.

"But you are still enjoying it," Loki said as he twirled her around.

"Oh, aye, definitely," Sigyn agreed. "In fact, I believe some of my books may fascinate you,
even if the healing itself may not be your strength."

"I shall have a look at them then when you come back," Loki paused. "If you still plan to?"

"Aye!" Sigyn shot back, looking right up at him, before her eyes darted around to their
surroundings and her voice lowered. "Aye, I do, Loki. That has not changed."

Relief and joy rushed through Loki and 'twas all he could do to keep his smile from growing
too large.

"Oh, no ljósálfr have tempted you?" Loki teased.

They had, after all, officially separated due to the length of their parting, but Loki had not
seriously considered another. Not for more than a few nights.

"Not for anything but short-term curiosity," Sigyn admitted, looking back up at him. "It did
show me where you learned a trick or two."

Loki could only chuckle softly. 'Twas true, his visits to Álfheimr and the time with various
lovers there had taught him a lot. Especially when compared to the far more reserved æsir
and vanir.

His eyes snapped back to Sigyn as another thought occurred to him. "Never when we were
together. 'Twas all before we started seeing each other."

"Of that I never had any doubt," Sigyn reassured him.

"Good."

He might never match her level of faithfulness (unlike others he was not arrogant enough to
think he could match the goddess named for it), but even the mere thought of stepping out on
her was abhorrent to him. God of lies and chaos he may be, but he had learned long ago the
value of having someone who knew they could trust him absolutely, and whom he could trust
in turn.

"Join me tonight," Loki asked, realizing the song was drawing to a close and not yet ready to
separate from her.

"Why, Your Majesty," Sigyn teased lightly, before becoming more serious. "The guards you
came in with..."

Loki instantly realized what she meant as she trailed off. 'Twas so easy to forget his current
situation with how familiar and right it all felt having Sigyn in his arms again.

"I could come collect you from your chambers later," Loki offered.

Though there were some like Lady Hnoss who did not care, and indeed preferred, for all to
know where they spent the night, he and Lady Sigyn had always been far more circumspect
until they had been together for long enough to realize this was no short fling. Her reputation
deserved nothing less.

Sigyn's smile was both suggestive and coy as Loki twirled her one last time before the song
ended.

"Aye," Sigyn replied, looking up at him through her lashes as she curtsied.

'Twas all Loki could do not to whisk her away then and there, appearances and politics be
damned, but he resisted.

Later, later...

"My Lady," Loki said formally, once he had escorted her off the dance floor.

He had done so deliberately near Lord Aðalgrímr, so the diplomat could easily snag him once
he stepped away from Lady Sigyn, and his fellow council member did not disappoint.

"Your Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr greeted.

"Lord Aðalgrímr," Loki replied, before looking at the two men who accompanied the man.
"Lords Birgir and Kvasir."

"Loki," Thor said, suddenly appearing at his side and handing him Gungnir as the other two
men greeted him.

Loki accepted the King's Spear even as he wondered at his brother's sudden appearance.
Normally by this point during a feast, Thor would be well into his cups and raucously
enjoying himself. Instead, his brother seemed almost desperate in a way now, crowding
closer to Loki, whereas before Thor would have fled the company he currently kept,
especially at a feast.

"I have completed the scenarios we discussed and had them delivered to your study," Lord
Aðalgrímr informed him.
"Thank you," Loki replied, glancing towards Lord Birgir. "And how are the negotiations with
Niðavellir coming along?"

"Slowly," Lord Birgir frowned. "They seem to wish to dispute each and every point we
raise."

Loki's brow furrowed. "Is that normal?"

"Nay," Lord Birgir replied. "I believe they may be trying to utilize Ásgarðr's need to their
advantage."

"Do not tell me we are going to allow them to get away with that!" Thor scowled. "We should
be dictating the terms, not them."

"Alas, we cannot when our need is greater," Lord Aðalgrímr explained, calmly. "But this may
be used to our advantage."

"How?" Thor demanded surly.

"By extending the discussions," Loki stated. "Normally, that would be to our disadvantage
during times of war but, with Laufey currently negotiating with us, we may have no need for
the additional weapons and shields at all."

"In which case it would be helpful if we have not yet finalized anything," Lord Birgir
finished.

"Oh, aye, I see," Thor stated with a frown.

Loki had to bite his tongue not to make a sarcastic comment. With any luck, they would
neither require the weapons nor be locked into an agreement to acquire them. The dökkálfar
would not be very pleased, but 'twas merely a bonus to Loki.

The next two hours were spent dealing with various courtiers and diplomates, and Loki
managed to successfully arrange things so he was not drawn back onto the dance floor
without obviously avoiding any of the ladies. He simply managed to ensure he provided the
necessary opening to another supplicant whenever it looked like someone might try to draw
him away. Thor, surprisingly, remained close and while 'twas familiar in one sense, 'twas also
utterly alien as well as he was the one whose attention was being sought and whose good
opinion was being curried rather than his brother's.

It made Loki feel like he was in some surreal dream, and he could only imagine how Thor
felt.

"Done?" Thor asked wearily, when there finally seemed to be a lull in the number of people
wishing to see them.

"Norns, aye!" Loki hissed under his breath. "Quick, least someone change their mind."

Thor chuckled but immediately moved towards the closest exit.

Loki made a small gesture with his fingers and, instantly, Einherjar around the hall shifted
and moved. 'Twas by no means subtle, but 'twas final, and anyone who might have thought to
detain him at the last minute would be far less likely to do so now 'twas obvious to all he was
leaving.

"I cannot recall the last time I found a feast so boring and tedious," Thor said as they waited
in the corridor for Loki's guard to reform.

"You did not have to stay with me," Loki pointed out.

Despite the complaint, he found his mood lifting at finally being out of the Great Hall, and
the knowledge Sigyn had agreed to see him.

"I can hardly eat and drink as before," Thor explained as he pouted, looking deeply disturbed.
"And I saw what you meant about the ladies, or some of them anyway. Lady Hnoss would
hardly take her eyes off you the entire time you were with Lord Kvasir and Ladies Snotra and
Sigyn."

Ah, Loki could see how this realization would make Thor nauseous.

"Brother, tell me truthfully," Thor began. "Have they all been thus?"

"What, the women you slept with?" Loki asked, and then continued at his brother's nod.
"Nay, I am certain 'twas not all, but your crown and title will have been an incentive for some
of them."

'Twas probably more truthful than Thor had wanted, but his brother had asked and if it made
Thor think in the future, then Loki saw no harm in it.

"Then how will I know?"

"By being more careful and seeing what they truly seem interested in," Loki replied, moving
as soon as Lieutenant-General Yngvarr seemed happy his guard was complete.

"Will you help me, Brother?" Thor asked. "I do not wish to... and especially not later..."

"Later?"

"Well, when I marry... eventually."

Loki nearly laughed at the look that crossed Thor's face at the word.

"You assume you will have a choice in the matter," Loki said.

It had always been one of his greatest fears; that Óðinn would arrange a political marriage for
him and that he would be stuck with whomever provided Ásgarðr with the greatest
advantage. And perhaps even that he would have to leave Ásgarðr as a result, though it might
be a lesser concern depending on where he would end up.

Thor threw him an odd look. "Why would I not?"

"Why would you..." Loki began. "Thor, if Father decided a political marriage were prudent,
do you truly think either of us would be able to say nay?"

"A political marriage?" Thor blinked in horror. "Nay, he would not!"

"Why not? His is."

And clearly Thor had not known that based on the look of shock which crossed his brother's
face.

"Mother and Father's marriage was arranged?" Thor demanded, incredulously.

"Hmm, as part of the Æsir-Vanir Peace Treaty," Loki replied. "Do you not remember from
our politics lessons?"

"Nay!"

Loki could not think of a good way to answer that, so he did not.

"Can you not simply outlaw all such marriages now?" Thor asked a moment later.

Loki laughed. "Nay."

"But-"

"As if Father would not simply be able to overrule it later if he wished to."

Thor scowled. "Tonight's feast was horrible. We need more feasts like the one over half a
millennium ago, where the flock of geese somehow made it into the Great Hall, do you
remember it?"

"Remember it?" Loki asked, incredulously, even as he laughed. "Who do you think let them
in?"

"Wait, that was you?"

"Of course."

Thor's booming laugh only set Loki off once more, even as he caught sight of Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr's frown.

"What's wrong, Lieutenant-General, surely even you could see the amusement in the way
some of the courtiers reacted," Loki teased.

"I am more concerned with how you managed to achieve it," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
replied. "We never were able to determine how 'twas done."

"Loki, stumping the Einherjar at such a young age!" Thor laughed. "Only you, Brother."

"Precisely, only me," Loki replied. "Surely you do not expect me to reveal all of my secrets,
Yngvarr."
"If there is a gap in Iðavöllr's security, Your Majesty..."

"There is not, or at least not one anyone else could exploit," Loki reassured him. "Not only is
it very complex seiðr, but it requires the wards to recognize and accept the seiðmadr, which
are only set as such for Father, Mother and I."

"You mean to use it again, do you not, Brother?" Thor questioned.

Loki glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye. "Maybe."

Thor, clearly forgetting about his reduced condition, tried to bump their shoulders
companionably, but only succeeded in bouncing off of Loki's shoulder, causing Thor to
stagger in the opposite direction. Loki could not help himself and laughed as one of the
Einherjar had to steady his brother.

"Ow, 'tis not funny," Thor protested, glaring at him as he rubbed his shoulder. "My other arm
still has a tri-colored bruise from where you poked me!"

That only served to increase Loki's mirth. "Take it as payback for all of those times you either
knocked me off my feet or made me have to brace myself when you were overly enthusiastic
and forgot to modulate your strength."

"That has not happened in centuries!"

"The former, perhaps, but not the latter," Loki shot back. "That can happen whenever you
drink too much or become overly excited."

A pause. "Truly, Brother?"

Loki merely sighed at the small tone of Thor's voice. He was not necessarily trying to show
his brother all of his faults at once, 'twas simply he was so used to being either ignored or
having his words dismissed out of hand, that Loki did not fully realize how often he said
certain things until now. Or how fully unaware of various realities his brother was. It merely
served to show how completely Thor normally disregarded him.

Mayhap 'twas for the better his brother had settled on having someone else as his advisor,
regardless of what Lord Ragnvaldr thought. An advisor who was so easily and readily
ignored was not worth having at all.

"I am sorry, Loki," Thor continued, without waiting for an answer.

Thor always was if he realized that he had done something wrong, which unfortunately was
not often. But Loki was in far too good a mood right now to care, so he quirked his lips up.

"I know," Loki replied, simply.

"Good," Thor stated as he crowded close once more, flinging an arm over Loki's shoulders,
leaning close and, for once, lowering his voice dramatically so even the Einherjar could not
overhear them over all of the noise their little procession made. "So, why are you heading
back to your chambers alone?"
 "Thor!" Loki protested, though he could not help but laugh.

His brother was quite predictable at times.

"What?" Thor asked. "Even ignoring those who clearly had other intentions, there were
several maidens with whom you have slipped away with before."

Loki blinked, surprised his brother had noticed those instances. Not that he had tried to hide it
from Thor, but still. Perhaps he was not always completely ignored or unseen.

"Not to mention Lady Sigyn," Thor added. "Whose presence you clearly noticed. Why did
you not invite her back to your chambers?"

"Goodnight, Thor," Loki said, making his brother realize they were near said chambers.

"Loki," Thor pressed.

He shook his head and slipped free from his brother's hold.

"Goodnight, Brother," Thor conceded.

Just because of how quickly and graciously his brother did that, Loki turned back around
after he had taken a few more steps. "Oh, and Thor?" he called out. "I did."

Loki accompanied the words with a little hand gesture they had worked out long ago to
indicate teleportation, either that he was going to do it or that Thor thought he should. Loki
knew his brother would understand what he meant given the circumstances. The way Thor
threw his head back and laughed, told Loki he had been right.

Chapter End Notes

So, some of you were correct in guessing who the lady would be. I hope you're happy
with Sigyn's portrayal so far. I had wanted Loki to have someone else in his corner, but I
knew I needed a good explanation for why we hadn't seen any trace of her in the first
movie. The easiest was to say she simply wasn't on Ásgarðr, and there really wasn't
enough time during those events for her to get back there.

🤣
And can't you just see Thor bouncing off of Loki's shoulder? Or the high courtiers, in
their fancy clothes, running around amidst a flock of geese? 😂

Norse Mythology:

Kvasir - born of the saliva of the æsir and vanir, he is considered very wise & worldly, a
teacher who was killed & drained of his blood. The blood was mixed with honey,
resulting in the Mead of Poetry, which imbued the drinker with skaldship & wisdom,
and gave mankind poetry. He was also critical in capturing & binding Loki.
Sigyn - "victorious girlfriend" - Loki's wife & mother to 2 of his children, she is there
after Loki is bound with a snake dripping venom onto him.
Snotra - "clever" - a goddess associated with wisdom.
Sága - a goddess whose name might mean "seeress" & is associated with the location
Sökkvabekkr & Óðinn.

Old Norse:

ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular

dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Queen Sága's package & Loki and Sigyn...

 Chapter 37
Chapter Notes

Hello my lovelies, the latest chapter for your reading pleasure!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

He still had a grin on his own face when he turned back around and caught the look on
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's face. Loki gave the man his best innocent expression, but it
only caused Yngvarr's eyes to narrow suspiciously and he had to chuckle at that. The man
was starting to get to know him far too well. Which could be a problem in the future.

Or a challenge.

Hmm, it could be interesting as a challenge. Just think of all of the potential chaos...

Something of his thoughts must have shown on his face as Loki thought Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr looked even more suspicious, but it could simply have been his imagination.

Then they were at his chambers and Loki pulled Queen Sága's missive out while he waited in
his antechamber for the Einherjar to check the rest of his chambers. The wax seal was
magical in nature but broke open easily at his touch, its defenses fading away. Loki would not
be surprised if it also allowed its castor to know he had received the missive.

The parchment unfolded easily and Loki was left looking at the beautiful calligraphy of the
ljósálfar, and the usual, wonderful decorations around it. Unless this turned out to be an
important official document which needed to be filed away in the king's library, he was
keeping it for his own collection as 'twas far more intricate than any example he had already
managed to obtain before.

The missive itself started with the usual greetings and courtesies between royalty and rulers
of two different Realms. It still felt surreal to have those titles and pleasantries directed at
him. Loki had seen them countless times while reading missives to his father, but to know
they were directed at him personally was... altogether different, not the least of which was
because he had never expected for it to happen.

Loki blinked in surprise as he actually realized what the missive itself was saying. 'Twas a
request to relay a message to Laufey-King; an offer for a large trade agreement to be set up
even before the first jötnar left Jötunheimr to attend the various Harvest Festivals, including
the one on Álfheimr. The fact it had come through him, with a token offer to provide him
with a mage's bundle for his trouble, allowed him to see it for what it truly was. Further
incentive to sweeten the pot and help convince Laufey to accept the new treaty. As such 'twas
expertly worded and the second parchment to pass on to Laufey-King had all of the proper
makings of a new trade agreement with the option to expand in the future.
This was... 'twas political gold and Loki felt his heart beat faster. Not only did this provide
definitive proof to Laufey and their people that Loki had actually spoken to the other Realms
about the change in terms of the treaty with Jötunheimr (which, cut off as they were from the
rest of the Nine, they could have cause to doubt), but it also proved people would still be
interested in what Jötunheimr had to offer. It would mean Laufey would be able to return to
their people, not only able to declare peace and the return of the Casket of Ancient Winters,
but with the first order of jötnar goods as well, proving in one go that their new treaty was
already providing both money and work for Jötunheimr.

In addition to all of that, 'twas also proof of either Queen Sága's favor towards him, as well as
her commitment to stand by him on the matter. Aye, Álfheimr did not want war, but this went
far beyond merely that, verging towards an outright declaration Queen Sága stood with him,
and not simply Ásgarðr, as an ally. The implications and political ramifications of it were not
lost on Loki, and he could not help but wonder if Sága's fabled sight was at play here. 'Twas
either that, or she had been more favorably disposed towards him than he had known, or
anyone else in Ásgarðr had realized.

'Twas an interesting thought in and of itself and Loki was curious to know what Óðinn would
make of it once he woke.

"My King?"

The voice drew Loki from his thoughts, and he blinked as he looked up at Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr.

"Hmm?" Loki inquired.

"Was there anything else which you required or wished to do this evening?" the lieutenant-
general asked.

"Oh, nay, I will be responding to this missive and then turning in for the night," Loki replied.
"You may go, thank you, Yngvarr. All the way out tonight."

He did not want to run the risk of one of the Einherjar overhearing anything with Sigyn
spending the night.

"My Liege," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr protested.

"Do you know how many wards and other magical defenses are woven over, and extend
around, my chambers?"

"I... nay."

"More than around the All-Father's or even the vault."

No one had ever accused him of being trusting or foolish.

"Truly?"
"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "I have had to specially modify them to accept you and your men.
Before there were only four people who had standing permission to enter other than myself."

"Four?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked, before his eyes moved past Loki. "Oh, of
course."

Loki did not have to turn to know Livunn had entered the chamber.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr frowned. "Even before, the others were not allowed to enter?
The Warriors Four?"

Loki scowled darkly. "Nay, I had never trusted them that far."

A few emotions flashed lightning quick over Yngvarr's face, not all of which Loki could
catch, but he was quite certain surprise, dismay and displeasure were amongst them.

"I would still feel better if two of my men were in this outer chamber," the lieutenant-general
stated.

"So noted," Loki replied evenly.

He could understand the man's concern, but Loki would not budge on this. Not tonight.

He would not risk Sigyn's reputation or put up with needing to be careful the whole time she
was here.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr gave a shallow bow before motioning his men out of the
chamber.

"Loki," Livunn greeted once they were alone. "Was there anything else you required
tonight?"

"I need to write a quick message for Lord Aðalgrímr which will need delivering, but that will
be all," Loki replied, leaning Gungnir against the wall as he headed deeper into his chambers
for his study.

"Very well," Livunn said, shadowing him at a distance.

In his study, Loki duplicated both the missive to him and the document to Laufey in order to
send them to Aðalgrímr, before he made a few quick notes on a separate sheet of parchment.
While Ásgarðr's top diplomat would no doubt be resigned at receiving a message from him at
this hour, Loki had no doubt its contents would please Lord Aðalgrímr greatly.

"Thank you," Loki said as he handed the duplicates and message to Livunn.

"The same time tomorrow morning as today?" Livunn asked.

Loki sighed. "Alas, nay, an hour and a half earlier, I am afraid. Not only will I need a quick
word with Lord Aðalgrímr, but the increasing time disparity with Jötunheimr means we need
to start earlier each day to have enough time."
"Of course, Your Majesty."

With that, Livunn took her leave and Loki locked down his wards for the night. Now even his
mother, Thor and Livunn would not be able to simply enter unless there was an emergency.
With a thought, Loki banished his robes for something far more comfortable and informal
before he moved to the far back corner of his study. There, woven ever so carefully into the
wards and stonework was a slightly different version of a pocket dimension. Actually, now he
thought of it, Loki realized 'twas far more like the king's library than his personal pocket
dimension, even if it did not possess the ability to be accessed from anywhere on Ásgarðr.
Not that he would want it to be, as it would merely be an added vulnerability which was the
last thing he wanted given the contents.

Loki untangled the many and varied defenses he had erected, before calling forth two of the
bottles of mage wine he kept stored within. Placing them aside, he restored the defenses
before he allowed himself to enjoy the raw seiðr which emanated from the bottles. It crackled
along the edge of his senses and he longed to reach out and partake of them both, but he
resisted.

For now.

The differences in how the two bottles felt in his hands was such that Loki could have
identified which was his and which was Sigyn's even with his eyes closed. His own (and the
true mage wine as he liked to tease Sigyn), called to his seiðr, longing to be rejoined with it.
Sigyn's, on the other hand, was far more coy and playful, in addition to being mead and thus
not technically mage wine. Not that the ljósálfr who had pointed it out to his lover had held
his ground in the face of her displeasure.

The memory made Loki laugh before he abruptly sobered as he recalled what they had said
of his mage wine. A winter wine, those select few he had allowed to partake of it had said.

At the time, Loki had not thought much of it and had even been rather proud to be so
obviously different from the others. Besides, he had always particularly enjoyed winter, and
thus he had viewed it as an extension of his preferences and personality.

Now... now it made Loki feel vaguely ill and he had to clamp down on the thought as he felt
something tear deep within his core once more. As he was alone, Loki took the opportunity to
visibly react to it. He carefully placed the bottles aside before doubling over, his arms
wrapped tightly around his middle as he rode out the pain. Ásgarðr rushed to his aide once
more, helping him to stabilize his core as much as possible. There was also the cool tentative
touch of Mother Winter, her connection still tenuous at best, but Loki readily let her in and
exhaled in relief as her freezing touch soothed the pain. He was surprised she was willing to
help given what had triggered the damage, but all he felt from her was concern and... at first
he thought 'twas pity, but then he realized 'twas grief. He could only assume 'twas for how he
saw his true form.

Not wanting to think of it, Loki rose once more and picked up the two bottles. He placed
them on the low table in the living chamber before retrieving two wine glasses. If they had
not just come from a feast, he would have added something small to eat, but 'twas
unnecessary. He opened both bottles to let them breathe before he nodded in satisfaction. The
anticipation of the night to come reminded him to cast a quick spell on himself to ensure he
could not impregnate Sigyn, before Loki closed his eyes and reached out with his seiðr
towards the palace guest quarters, even as the scent of the wine and mead filled the air.

His was heavier, rich with winter spices, plum, moonflower nectar and the opulent taste of
the darker red grapes, and yet it also held a hint of winter's bite; a chill which had always
delighted and teased at the edge of Loki's senses, tantalizing them.

Sigyn's, meanwhile, was far lighter, sweet with the scent of lavender fed bee honey, summer
berries and the teasing seiðr of the white grapes of Andlàngr. It all swirled with a hint of what
Loki could not say was physical, but which he still associated with her; the scent of the ocean
breeze in the starlight of a warm summer's eve.

Both also had the ever so slight hint of iron to them, that was due to their blood which had
gone into the making of them, as was required for all mage wines. 'Twas why he had the
bottles so carefully hidden, for not only did the inclusion of their blood make it rather potent
as a weapon which could be used against them by those with nefarious intentions, but mage
wine as a whole was also looked down upon by Ásgarðr. They saw it as a Dark Art to be
banned like so many other areas of seiðr which they did not properly understand, or which
possessed the potential to be powerful. In this case, through temporarily boosting the power
of the seiðberandi who consumed it, particularly if 'twas made with their own blood.

Of course, it had been for that exact reason Loki had been drawn to mage wines after he had
first learned of their existence.

Luckily for both himself and Sigyn, her father was the leading expert on Ásgarðr on mage
wine due to his time on Niðavellir back before he had married Lady Snotra. It had meant they
had been able to raid Lord Kvasir's library for the information when both Kvasir and Snotra
had been from the home as, naturally, Kvasir had not been able to teach them about it given
how frowned upon the practice was on Ásgarðr. With that initial information, Loki and Sigyn
had been able to learn the rest from the dökkálfar and ljósálfar.

Once Loki was certain Sigyn was alone in her guest chambers, he teleported himself there
with a thought, taking care not to appear too close to her lest he startle her in the process. He
also made certain to ensure his arrival was preceded by a subtle sense of seiðr, as a way to
announce himself.

"Loki," Lady Sigyn smiled brightly as she turned to face him.

"Sigyn," Loki replied, absently noting she too had changed into a far simpler dress.

Then she had stepped closer and, this time, Loki followed his impulse and leaned forwards to
kiss her. Sigyn met him halfway, one hand sliding along his face and into his hair, while the
other slid along his chest and over his shoulder.

All of the old emotions came rushing back to him and Loki could only hang on as it all
washed over him. Her familiar scent and the tingle of her seiðr brushing along his own
reignited the burning desire for more, now and refreshed the haunting pain of their separation
and her loss. He moaned at it all and moved to renew the kiss as soon as it ended. Sigyn,
however, moved her head just enough so his lips slid along her cheek instead.

"Sig," Loki complained, nuzzling at her skin instead, before nipping her earlobe.

The way Sigyn's breath caught, and her head tilted to give him more access, told him she was
still as sensitive as ever there.

"Loki," Sigyn breathed, a hitch in her voice. It made Loki smile and pull her closer. "Stop."

Loki huffed and leaned his head forwards against her for a moment before drawing back with
a pout to see what she wanted.

Sigyn chuckled as she caught his expression. "Oh, hush, I simply will not be responsible for
keeping you away from your guards for any longer than absolutely necessary."

The sentiment sobered Loki a little and he became aware of his surroundings enough to feel
another gaze on him.

"Technically, I am not unguarded at present," Loki returned with a wry smile, before
continuing at her puzzled look. "Höðr."

"Oh," Sigyn said, biting her lower lip.

Loki was briefly concerned, thinking she was worried at his former guard's knowledge of this
present dalliance, before he realized she was trying not to laugh.

Why? Oh.

"Vanaheimr," Loki realized and chuckled himself, eyes glancing over to the right to meet
Höðr's.

The current gatekeeper blinked in surprise before inclining his head respectfully, though the
twitch of his lips indicated he, too, recalled the events in question. Though Loki was certain
Höðr had already been aware his and Sigyn's relationship had progressed past that of friends
to lovers, that particular incident had left no doubt in anyone's mind.

The only question was who had been more mortified, them or Höðr. Loki was fairly
confident it had been his guard.

"Very well," Loki said, smiling at Sigyn. "My chambers 'tis then."

"Thank you," Sigyn replied before he teleported them.

Within seconds of their arrival, Loki could feel Höðr's attention shifting away from them, and
he knew he did not need to worry about it returning anytime soon.

'Twas curiously refreshing and nice not to have to worry about being spied upon relentlessly.
Loki had never fully realized precisely how draining Heimdallr's dislike and suspicion of him
were until he no longer had to worry about it all.
"Now we can continue," Sigyn said, pulling him closer for another kiss.

Loki moaned and just took the time to enjoy simply kissing Sigyn. It had been so long, and
the easy intimacy of even relatively chaste kisses was one he missed greatly.

"I have missed this," Sigyn whispered as they pulled apart only as much as necessary to
breathe.

"Hmm, me too," Loki admitted, nuzzling her once more.

Her fingers carded through his hair before tugging gently on the longer locks.

"This is new," Sigyn said. "I like it."

"You do?" Loki asked, pulling back a little.

"Aye."

He had initially done it as he knew a change associated with his regency would
subconsciously remind people of it after Óðinn had woken and taken Hliðskjálf back. So,
truly, it should merely be a happy coincidence Sigyn appreciated it too, but Loki knew
himself well enough to realize his vanity would have overruled all else if she had expressed a
preference for his old hairstyle. The desire to appear best to one of the few who genuinely
appreciated his appearance was simply too strong.

"Are you going to grow it even longer?" Sigyn inquired.

"I had not thought of it, but perhaps," Loki replied.

Sigyn hummed, drawing a few strands forward to see exactly how long they were, and Loki
smiled at her. Because he was observing her so closely, he saw the exact moment Sigyn
registered the scent of the mage wines. Her nose twitched adorably and her eyes opened
wide.

"Is that?" she questioned, looking around.

"Aye," Loki confirmed, offering his arm and leading her to the sofa. "Would you like a
glass?"

"Must you even ask?"

"Given what I would like to do later, aye."

Sigyn gifted him with his favorite of her smiles. 'Twas softer and gentler than the others but,
he felt, far warmer and more intimate. As well it might, given the effects of mage wine were
quite potent even when freshly made, and they only grew stronger as it was aged and theirs
was two and a half centuries old. Once consumed, neither of them would be fully capable of
giving consent.

"Aye," Sigyn said, looking him right in the eye.

His anticipation swelled as Loki pulled the two cut crystal wine glasses closer to himself. Not
only did mage wine give the drinker's own seiðr a buzz and a temporary increased boost of
power, but it also made the drinker more languid and sensitive to touch and another person's
seiðr. So, when combined with being both physically and magically intimate with another
being, it generated a greatly elevated and pleasurable experience.

"Single or mixed?" Loki asked as he pulled her mead towards him.

"Mixed," Sigyn replied, her breath ghosting over the back of his neck as she brushed his hair
aside to nip at the skin where his shoulder met his neck.

Loki automatically tilted his head to give her more access even as he poured the mead into
both glasses. Strange as it was, they had discovered long ago that their wines combined rather
nicely, and the power boost was only increased by mingling the two.

"What have you been doing lately, other than being regent?" Sigyn inquired, soothing the
bruise she had no doubt left with a kiss.

"My regular duties," Loki began, corking and putting down the bottle with her mead and
picking up his own to top off their glasses. "I have also been looking into a new spell I have
heard of."

"Oh?"

Loki hummed, handing her a glass before taking his own. "May e'er the waters flow, and the
sands blow," he said while raising his glass, carefully pronouncing the ancient toast to the
Norns.

"May e'er the Yggdrasill grow, and the Three Ladies glow," Sigyn completed.

They each took their first few sips and Loki allowed his eyes to slip closed as he savored the
rich taste that sparked to life across his tongue, accompanied by the heady prickle of seiðr
unfurling within him, mixing with his own as it went. The delicious contrast of own and
foreign only heightened the effects.

"Norns, I have missed this," Sigyn moaned.

"Do you want me to collect another of your bottles for you?" Loki offered.

In order to prevent them from losing their rather large stock, which they topped up every few
years, most of the bottles were kept in a cavern deep within a mountain on Miðgarðr. Everest,
Loki believed the mortals now called it. There it could age and remain safe from anyone who
might wish to steal it, as 'twas deeper than most would dare teleport without having prior
knowledge of their destination.

"Nay," Sigyn replied, placing her glass on the table before taking his and doing the same.

Loki regarded her with half-lidded eyes as she turned and moved to straddle him, her weight
settling comfortably in his lap as her arms did on his shoulders.
"Hey," she whispered, leaning forwards to rest their foreheads together.

"Hey," Loki replied, lips twitching as he brought his own arms to settle around her waist.
"Oh, I must warn you."

"Warn me?"

"Aye, for when you reach for me with your seiðr. The response will be stronger than before."

Sigyn's eyebrows shot up. "You found a way to significantly enhance your seiðr?"

"I became king of Ásgarðr," Loki explained, observing her closely.

It took a few seconds, but then her eyes grew wide. "The Óðinnforce," Sigyn breathed.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed.

"That would be a significant boost."

"To put it mildly."

Sigyn laughed. "How does it feel?"

"Indescribable," Loki replied, before kissing her again.

She instantly responded and deepened the kiss, no doubt chasing the taste of the mage wine.
'Twas also why Sigyn pulled away a few minutes later as she twisted to the side and reached
for his glass. Loki placed his hands on her hips to stabilize her even as he took the
opportunity to nibble on her neck. Sigyn moaned, arching into his touch before Loki felt the
stem of his glass being bumped against his hand. He pulled back enough to accept it and took
another drink while Sigyn retrieved her own glass. This time they put their glasses on the
small table beside the sofa for easy access.

Loki then allowed himself to be pushed down to lie lengthwise on the pillows while Sigyn
stretched out atop him, her arms coming to rest on either side of his head while her hair fell in
a wave of gold around their faces.

"Allow me to pay proper homage to my new king, Your Majesty," Sigyn breathed, her breath
ghosting over his face.

Loki could only lay there and watch as Sigyn reached out with her seiðr. Arousal, alcohol and
seiðr singing strong through his veins. The first brush of Sigyn's seiðr against his own was a
cool rush of clean air and like coming home. Loki moaned, never taking his eyes off her and
therefore saw the shock which pulsed through them when Sigyn realized precisely how
powerful he had become.

Then Loki could not resist anymore and pulled her down into another searing kiss even as he
reached back for her with his own seiðr, letting the two tangle up with each other as surely as
they soon would physically. Their hands roamed everywhere as the mage wine truly started to
take effect. Though the mix of foreign and aged seiðr enhanced arousal and other sensations,
 it also mellowed the drinker, making them languid, allowing them to draw out the experience
and Loki loved the slow burn of it all, the arousal curling in his belly.

He half dreaded needing to move in order to be able to drink more, but apparently the pillows
under his back elevated him just enough not to need to. Nor wanting to twist his arm up to
reach the table, Loki blindly lowered his glass to the floor, watching Sigyn drink with half-
lidded eyes. He waited until she had put aside her glass before he reached out with his seiðr
and traced it across her own just so to make her moan and shake with a full body shudder at
the same time.

"How do you do that?" Sigyn demanded once more when she regained enough breath to do
so, voice rough with pleasure.

"A gentleman never tells," Loki retorted with the familiar tease.

"One of these days, I will make you tell me," Sigyn threatened.

And he looked forward to it, but for now, Loki laughed though it hitched at the end as Sigyn's
clever fingers undid the fastenings of his tunic and pushed it to either side.

"Give me your best attempt," Loki challenged, all but purring as her hands ran over his chest.

"I will," Sigyn promised. "Simply not today."

With that, she leaned forwards to nip at the skin just above his heart. Loki moaned, letting his
head fall back though he buried his fingers in her hair.

Sigyn proceeded to lick and nip at his skin while moving down his body until she was able to
nuzzle at his sternum. Her seiðr flared again and Loki felt a rush of panic at having her so
close to his wounded and shredded core, not because he did not trust her with it, but rather
because he did not want her to discover what had happened as he knew she would stop and
insist on his being seen to at once. But then it faded as he remembered that, close or not, one
had to reach out into another's core to feel it clearly enough for that.

Calming, Loki reached out and teased her seiðr again, making her moan against his skin. He
pulled her back up his body so they could kiss once more and he brushed her lips with his
tongue, seeking entrance. When they separated after, Sigyn handed him his glass and he
finished it in two large swallows, eager to move on now. Sigyn clearly agreed as she finished
her glass in one long swallow, her smoldering eyes never leaving his own as she did so.

As soon as Sigyn had put her glass down, Loki sat up once more, capturing her lips even as
his hands ran down her back to her rear. Understanding what he intended, Sigyn wrapped her
arms around his shoulders and her legs against his waist. With a bit of help from his seiðr,
Loki rose to his feet and carried her into his bedchamber.

Chapter End Notes

😉 ...

No, this fic will not change rating in the next scene, it picks up again the following
morning. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter and all of its little bits. The mage wine is
something which will be expanded upon a bit in one of the sequels.

Old Norse:

Andlàngr - 2nd heavenly realm which stretches between the 1st, containing the halls of
the gods, and the 3rd, Víðbláinn - or the 2nd moon of Álfheimr in this fic
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages

Up next week: A busy morning for Loki & Thor and Frigga talk.
 Chapter 38
Chapter Notes

Sorry this chapter is a bit late, after midnight here in Belgium, but it's been a very bad
week.

I do hope you all enjoy the chapter, it's a nice long one!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki woke slowly, sleep leaving him reluctantly but his body knew 'twas time to waken, as it
always did. He groaned, not wanting to rouse yet, burrowing further into the warmth and
softness surrounding him instead. It took his sleepy mind a few seconds to realize he was
spooned up alongside another body. Then the memory of last night returned and Loki
tightened his arm around Sigyn's waist and nuzzled his nose further into her hair, inhaling her
familiar scent even as he reluctantly cast off the last vestiges of sleep. Though he would
never admit it to Thor or any of the other warriors, Loki had always enjoyed holding his
lovers close and simply basking in the easy intimacy of it.

Much as he wished he could keep doing so now, Loki knew he could not. If he was to have
time to wash and do what he must before departing for Niflheimr, he had to rise now.

With great reluctance, Loki untangled himself from around Sigyn, his resolve nearly breaking
at the sleepy sound of protest she made. Luckily though, Sigyn did not actually wake, and
Loki was able to rise and call forth a robe. He did not actually need it temperature wise, but
with servants normally able to wander in now he was awake, 'twas a habit he had long since
formed. Though he would dearly have liked to linger in bed, Loki felt far more rested than he
had expected to be, and he knew he had slept both deeply and solidly. Sigyn's presence
warding off the nightmares.

The thought of last night had Loki detouring to the living chamber to collect both bottles of
mage wine so he could return them to their storage place, before he moved to the bathing
chamber to take care of his ablutions. He smiled as he looked into the mirror and caught sight
of the kiss mark Sigyn had left on his collarbone. He had long ago learned how to use his
seiðr to keep those marks from healing too quickly as he liked to savor them. Sigyn had
therefore taken to leaving them lower, where they could be easily hidden by his formal attire.
Loki liked that his seiðr still automatically acted to keep them even after nearly a century
apart from Sigyn. He also could not help but smile at the memory of the first time his mother
had seen one.

He had changed out of his formal attire, not knowing she planned to visit, and his new outfit
had a wider collar. It had allowed Mother to catch sight of the edge of the bruise, which she
had of course immediately felt the need to check. Even now, Loki could still recall the feel of
her seiðr brushing along his skin as she sought to heal it, only to find the resistance of his
own seiðr.

That, of course, had told her far more than if he had spoken aloud.

"Loki," his mother had breathed, looking at him in shock.

Loki had simply looked back at her with a helpless smile and shrugged.

Frigga's eyes had grown wide and a hand had covered her mouth for a moment before
coming to rest on his cheek.

"My baby's in love," she had whispered.

He had not responded as there had been no need to.

The memory made him smile before Loki moved back into his bedchamber once he was
ready, heading for his closet. Stepping inside, he was startled to find yet another new outfit
prominently displayed. Exactly how much time and effort were the palace tailors going to
spend on him? He would need to question Lady Borgunna when he saw her next as he only
planned to be regent for a finite amount of time. Not that he disliked the new outfit, indeed
this one seemed as stunning as the one had worn yesterday and he was prideful enough to
always turn out well dressed, but 'twas still a lot of effort and cost.

This newest outfit consisted mostly of a shimmering dark, dark green base fabric which was
almost black in appearance and would seem more green or black depending on the light. As a
result, there were more gold and silver highlights, but 'twas still far less than for his
coronation outfit, so Loki was quite pleased with the overall result. Next to it, Livunn had
also laid out a new... he would have said helmet, only 'twas not. At least not strictly speaking.
Loki picked it up to examine more closely. Like his current headgear, it was golden and had
his horns, but unlike it there were inlaid green highlights and it did not encompass his head
entirely. Instead there was a band around the back of head along with two sides which came
down to frame his jaw, but that was it. At first he was confused, but then he realized it had
been made to accommodate and show off his new hair style.

He put it on and glanced towards the mirror. As expected, it fit perfectly, molding to the
contours of his head and face to a rather pleasing effect. He would have to have Livunn pass
on his compliments to the palace tailors. And to Lord Brynjarr for the vambraces. Speaking
of which, Loki saw none with the outfit, but that made sense as he had enough pairs not to
need a new pair for each outfit. Besides, he knew well how terribly busy Lord Brynjarr
already was, not to mention what the black smith charged for such detailed work as his latest
pair.

The cape for this outfit was lined in white fur which provided a startling contrast, while the
main fabric was an icy blue on the inside and a dark, wine purple on the outside and,
together, it reminded Loki of his poor, flayed core and he wondered what had inspired it. The
elaborate stitching on the main body of the outfit was done in various hues of fire red and
orange, which were far more fluid and whimsical rather than runic or symbolic in nature. He
rather liked the effect as it reminded him of the patterns of raw seiðr; more chaotic and wilder
rather than the standard and ordered patterns of written language.

Loki would suspect Livunn's influence, except she did not know much of seiðr of this level,
so instead he wondered if perhaps there was a member of the palace tailors who had
apprenticed in another Realm and was utilizing the opportunity of his regency to experiment
with new methods and styles. He rather liked the thought as he had oft feared Ásgarðr was
becoming increasingly stagnant in its ways, to the detriment of all who lived there. Besides,
he rather liked the look of the stitching, even if 'twas not in his usual colors. He was nearly
certain that once he actually wore the outfit and was moving in it, the effect would be fire-
like in nature and well, while 'twas not known, he was the God of Fire.

The thought made Loki frown as he wondered how, by the Nines, a jötunn could be a fire
god. Surely it should not be possible? Yet he had plenty of experience to tell him otherwise.

'Twas not one of his known kennings, but 'twas one that Loki loved nonetheless. Besides, he
did not see it as wholly removed from one of his other ones; namely chaos. For what was fire,
if not chaotic? Both vital to modern life and yet destructive by its very nature at the same
time. Flames had fascinated him for as long as Loki could remember, and he knew he had
terrified one of his nannies once by nearly crawling into a hearth as a small child when she
had turned her back on him for a minute. He knew of the incident more through recountings
than actual memory, but it still never failed to make him smile.

He could well imagine himself doing exactly that as a toddler if fire had been at all as
fascinating for him then as 'twas now.

The sharp contrast of it with his true nature made Loki frown, though for once when he
contemplated his jötunn nature, there were no twinges from his core. This was neither
negative nor hateful, simply a contemplation of a conundrum which made no sense. 'Twas a
mystery and Loki did so enjoy those, even if he had no time to investigate this one properly
now. Mother Winter was stirring at the back of his mind, so he suspected there might be some
form of explanation for this anomaly, but for now he would simply have to accept it and
move on.

Besides, Loki could easily live with it being yet another facet of his chaotic and unpredictable
nature. He did so love to confound and frustrate others and their expectations.

With a thought, he had replaced his robe with the outfit, shifting it slightly by hand to make
certain everything was positioned correctly. It took very little for it all to sit right and Loki
was quite pleased with the effect when he looked back up at the mirror. The horns gave him
some additional height which, while not necessary on Ásgarðr, would be appreciated when
dealing with the jötnar.

In the closet, the main part of his outfit appeared more black than green, but 'twas still a
striking effect and a quickly thrown up weird light showed him how it would look when it
took on a more metallic green hue. 'Twas very fine, but, he noted, not one for fighting in as
the looser robes could get in the way (though Loki was nearly certain he could compensate
for it if necessary), and the lack of leather and armor meant he would have no protection.
Well, not of that nature, anyway, as he had sensed the seiðr when dressing himself and a
quick check showed some protection runes stitched into the reverse of the fabric with the
colored thread.

The discovery delighted Loki as it meant the thread was both wild and fiery on one side, and
calm and ordered on the other. Chaotic indeed. He would have to discover which of the
tailors was responsible and ensure all of his future outfits were made by them.

Almost instinctively, Loki secreted his knives on his person in the hidden sheaths he
discovered within his outfit before he turned and moved back into his bedchamber. The faint
clinking of metal and china told Loki Livunn was already next door with everything
necessary for him to break his fast, so he moved back towards the bed where Sigyn was
curled up on one side.

The sight made him smile as Loki crouched by the bed and reached out to brush back a few
strands of hair which had fallen onto her face.

"Morning," Loki said softly when she made a sleepy sound before opening her eyes.

"'Tis too early," Sigyn complained with a yawn.

Loki chuckled. "'Tis at that, alas I need to go soon and I wanted to check whether you wished
me to return you to your guest chambers or if you want to stay here and leave later."

"The Einherjar?"

"Will all leave with me. Only Livunn will remain."

Rather than reply, Sigyn snuggled down further, pulling the sheets and furs to her chin and
Loki mock scowled, though it faded back to a fond smile as she turned her head to kiss the
palm of his hand. Reluctantly, Loki rose to his feet, though he leaned over, intent on a last
kiss before he left. He paused as he remembered his new headgear and stopped to pull it off,
making Sigyn laugh low, her voice still rough with sleep.

"No one ever said fashion was practical," she said, after he had stolen a few kisses. "But I
like it, it goes well with the longer hair."

"I believe 'twas the intent."

"You believe?"

"I have not exactly had time to think of fashion or new clothes," Loki smiled. "They have
simply been appearing."

"Well someone has excellent taste, they look good on you."

"Thank you, now sleep some more," Loki urged, kissing her forehead before he straightened
and donned his new headpiece once more.

Breakfast was quick but hearty and Loki took the opportunity to question Livunn on the
current palace rumors and gossip once more. 'Twas all a lot more positive than what he had
been expecting, especially from outside Iðavöllr's walls.

"Loki, is it true you spent some time with a child in the city yesterday?" Livunn asked.

Loki smiled. "Aye, little Gróa. She slipped right past my sentinels, demanding my attention
before not knowing what to do with it."

"Well, 'tis being spoken of, a lot. Particularly the fact she turned your hair silver. I understand
half the court were quite disappointed not to have had the chance to view it for themselves."

The words startled a laugh out of Loki. When Livunn moved to collect one of the plates with
fruit, he reached out to cover her hand with his, careful to angle it right so his actions were
out of sight of the two Einherjar who had come in with her. Livunn looked up at him in
confusion and Loki gave the most minute shake of his head, he then deliberately looked her
in the eyes before flickering his gaze to the bedchamber door which he had closed behind
him this morning. An action which had already caught her attention as he normally liked to
air out his chambers during the day.

Combined with his actions now, 'twas enough for Livunn to realize what he meant and her
lips curled up even as she reached past the fruit dish for his empty plate, the movement only
slightly stilted.

"Aye, well, Gróa is young and inexperienced, her seiðr still weak so her spell did not last very
long," Loki continued as he rose to his feet. "Anything else of note?"

Livunn hesitated in covering the remains of his breakfast, the kitchens did always send far
too much food lately and Loki wondered if 'twas due to his father's habit of occasionally
holding meetings while he broke his fast, or simply some desire on their part to build him up.
He had long since given up on that, but they might still hope he would gain more áss bulk.
His true heritage did make Loki wonder as the jötnar were normally quite bulky themselves.
Was it an íviðjur trait, or was it solely him?

"There is some talk surrounding the fact Prince Thor apparently went to visit the traitors in
the dungeons," Livunn said, carefully.

Of course there was. It angered Loki, but there truly was no reasoning with his adoptive
brother at times.

"Do I want to know what is being said?" Loki inquired warily.

"Oh, 'tis nothing reflecting ill on you," Livunn replied. "If they mention you, 'tis only in
reference to how Prince Thor should be standing with you and not them."

"Truly?"

Loki found that hard to believe. People not siding with Thor?

"Aye. By standing with them, they whisper, he is betraying his family and Hliðskjálf."
The news made Loki close his eyes in dismay. While he desperately wanted his brother to
experience what it felt like to be on the wrong end of public sentiment, betrayal of Hliðskjálf
was definitely taking it too far. If nothing else, it might lead to some requesting that he be
made heir instead of Thor after Óðinn awoke, and he would not be saddled with this prison
sentence for the rest of his life.

Oh, well, he may simply need to pull a few tricks after handing Gungnir back to his father to
remind everyone of who he was.

"Your Majesty," Livunn began, wringing her hands. "Loki... I..."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think it likely the negotiations will succeed? 'Tis simply, I have a younger brother
who has been called to stand by and I fear..."

She did not need to finish her sentence for Loki to know what she meant. Noble as 'twas for a
warrior to die in battle, that was not necessarily as comforting for the family left behind as
most would like to pretend it was.

"I am hopeful," Loki said, touching her shoulder briefly.

"And you have no desire for glory through battle."

'Twas said softly, more like Livunn was trying to reassure herself, but Loki nodded
nonetheless.

"Though victory or death in battle may be honorable, war simply for the sake of it is both
wasteful and childish. People's lives are worth far more than that."

"Thank you," Livunn smiled at him. "And I believe for all of people's talk of glorious battle,
that far fewer actually have an appetite for it now we are officially at war. Especially with an
enemy who cost us such great casualties the last time, even if we did emerge victorious."

Now that was interesting. And hopeful.

Loki had assumed most of the warriors would be like his brother and the Idiots Four, but
mayhap such a great desire for battle was only found among the younger generation who did
not recollect the last war and the æsir cost of it.

Not long after Loki arrived in his study he was joined by Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr, but
he had enough time to look over the scenarios and strategies Lord Aðalgrímr had detailed.
They had a quick discussion about the best ones and settled on a plan for the day.

"Did you manage to have a chance to look over Queen Sága's missive?" Loki asked, shifting
the topic slightly.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr replied, sharing a look with Lord Ragnvaldr.

"What?" Loki inquired, looking between the two.

"We are not quite certain what to make of it," Lord Ragnvaldr responded.

"Queen Sága normally does not interfere in foreign affairs thus," Lord Aðalgrímr added. "For
her to do so now, is perplexing."

"We are not certain if we should be concerned about it," Lord Ragnvaldr finished.

Huh. Loki leaned back in his chair to look at both of the lords better. That they had discussed
this matter together ahead of time was clear. He simply was not certain if 'twas merely due to
the nature of their concerns over the missive, or if they feared he would need handling on the
matter as well.

"What is it, exactly, you fear?" Loki finally asked, looking at Lord Ragnvaldr.

"I am not certain," the man replied, looking uncomfortable to do so. "Álfheimr is our ally,
and they have promised to stand by us should it come to outright war, but..."

"But even then, Queen Sága and her predecessors have both been more difficult to work with
historically," Lord Aðalgrímr picked up. "We had always assumed it had something to do
with the ljósálfar renowned reticence and distant nature. This sudden, dramatic change in
policy concerns us, especially coming now of all times."

Loki hummed to acknowledge Lord Aðalgrímr's concerns even as he thought.

"I suppose," Loki finally said. "That you are wondering whether this change is due to me
being on Hliðskjálf, Ásgarðr's weaker position or concern about another war which might
cost ljósálfar lives."

"Aye, Your Majesty."

"You said before you had some previous interactions with the queen?" Lord Ragnvaldr
prompted.

"Aye," Loki confirmed. "But there is nothing which truly stands out. Perhaps we spoke a bit
more at official functions, but I have always ascribed that to my greater interest in Álfheimr
than Thor. Their understanding of seiðr is great and they have always been quite willing to
share their knowledge."

Lord Aðalgrímr frowned. "You have not found them distant or aloof?"

"Only initially. Once they saw my interest and desire to learn was genuine, they became quite
convivial."

Not to mention familiar. Not that he would inform either lord of such. His sex life was his
own and he did not need to be judged for it, especially when he had almost always preferred a
far more... active and creative one than most æsir. 'Twas actually rather ironic his longest bed
partner was an ásynja, but then Sigyn had always been more open minded and adventurous
than most æsir.
"Perhaps King Loki has passed some sort of test or standard Óðinn never did," Lord
Ragnvaldr offered.

"Perhaps," Lord Aðalgrímr allowed, though his frown indicated he was far from happy with
the assumption.

"There is still also Queen Sága's supposed foresight to consider," Loki stated. "While it has
never been confirmed, as far as I am aware, rumors of it have persisted and it might offer
another explanation for her uncharacteristic behavior."

"You think, with it, she might know how the negotiations will turn out without this offer?"

"Hmm."

"Or she merely wishes to make a good first impression with Laufey-King," Lord Ragnvaldr
said. "The ljósálfar were always their biggest trading partners."

"Not to mention Queen Sága may also be hoping Jötunheimr's rejoining the Nine will make
the jötnar on Álfheimr consider going home," Loki suggested.

"Jötnar on Álfheimr?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked.

"Aye, Lord Kvasir mentioned those to me," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "Refugees from Laufey-
King's rule before the war."

"Oh, I see. With Laufey still on the throne I would not consider it likely, even if they have
been unable to go home for over a thousand years."

"Did you think we should not pass on Queen Sága's offer?" Loki asked.

"We were not certain," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "It's worth is indisputable; we were merely
concerned at why the ljósálfar would suddenly be so cooperative."

"I would hate not to use it if 'twas offered to help ensure a successful treaty," Loki stated.

"There is that risk," Lord Ragnvaldr agreed.

"I suppose if Queen Sága has a greater motivation, then we can deal with it after we have
averted the war," Lord Aðalgrímr conceded.

"'Tis good to keep it at the back of our minds though," Loki said, rising to his feet. "Shall we
go? General Týr will meet us at Himinbjörg with the Casket of Ancient Winters."

"Thor," Frigga said in surprise as she entered the Óðinnsleep chamber only to find her eldest
seated at his father's bedside. He did not look good. "How long have you been here?"

"Oh, I woke early and could not go back to sleep," Thor replied, moving to greet her.

"Was there something specific bothering you?" Frigga asked.

"My friends," her son replied, looking down.

Frigga's first thought was of their argument the day before. She could still not quite believe
Thor was having such a hard time standing by Loki after what they had done. Aye, she
understood they were his friends and had been for centuries, but they had gone against both
Thor's brother and their king. Both alone should have made the choice clear, let alone
together.

Still, she had to be patient. Thor both thought and reacted more based on emotions, rather
than logic and reason as did Loki.

"How did your visit with them go?" Frigga finally asked.

"Less well than I had hoped," Thor told her.

Frigga briefly looked up at him as she took her seat at Óðinn's side, reaching out to slip her
hand into her husband's lax one. A quick sweep of her seiðr showed the situation was still
slowly improving, with her husband's own seiðr aligning more and more with how it had
been during previous Óðinnsleeps. It made her more hopeful than ever he would pull through
and come back to them once more. If so, she was never allowing him to put off an
Óðinnsleep as he had now ever again.

"In what way?" Frigga inquired.

"They seem to have no greater reason for what they did other than the fact 'twas Loki on
Hliðskjálf," Thor said.

Frigga sighed. "Would there truly have been a good reason for what they did?"

"Nay, I suppose not. I... simply... I do not understand."

"Oh, Thor," Frigga replied, her heart breaking at the lost and broken tone of his voice.

Much as she wished to rise and move over to her eldest to embrace him, she knew the gesture
would not be appreciated, not with all of the Einherjar present in the chamber. While Thor
would still allow affection in private, it had been a long time since he had accepted them in
public, for which she blamed Óðinn and his insistence that a king always appear strong and
unassailable. Though he would at times protest them, at least Loki still allowed her affection
in public. But then her baby had always been far more affectionate and tactile, and she had
wondered more than once if 'twas a jötnar trait of his showing through or - and the reason
which never failed to both infuriate and concern her - if 'twas the result of having been
abandoned in the cold as an infant. Could there be some part of Loki which still remembered
that and therefore sought out reassurance he was wanted and loved now?

Frigga ached at the thought and it made her want to stab Laufey. Repeatedly.

How Loki could calmly sit through talks with the king she did not know, but she knew herself
better than to think she could. Not when she could still so easily picture Loki as a tiny,
malnourished baby. That anyone could abandon an infant for being too small or a threat to
them was beyond her, but she had never had a particularly high opinion of Laufey to begin
with, even before the war. She had heard too many despicable things of their rule while
growing up on Vanaheimr to do so. 'Twas a wonder her baby had turned out so well given the
blood which ran through his veins.

"Oh, Thor," Frigga repeated, focusing back on the son before her. "You have a very good
heart, but sometimes I fear it can be a little too good and blind you to the darker side of other
people."

"So I am finding."

"Oh, has something else happened?"

"Loki and I attended the feast last night and some of the ladies I had previously... uh..."

"Spent time with?" Frigga offered, trying not to laugh.

Despite all of the millennia she had spent on Ásgarðr, she was not certain she would ever
become accustomed to how shy the æsir were when it came to sex. Normally she enjoyed
unsettling her eldest in this regard, but it seemed there were more important things to discuss.

"Aye, that," Thor agreed. "They all but ignored me in favor for trying to gain Loki's
attention."

"Ah, I see," Frigga replied.

She was aware of some of Loki's muttered complaints that Thor had previously brushed off
some of his brother's cautions on this very point, so she did not doubt that her little knife had
taken the opportunity to point it out to Thor. Not after all of the things her eldest had put Loki
through in the past. Her baby could nurse a grudge longer than anyone else she knew, Óðinn
included. While it pleased her in that she would not need to worry about Loki being caught
off-guard by an old enemy he had thought dealt with, she was well aware of the fact he could,
and often did, take it too far. To the point of pettiness, especially if Loki felt otherwise
threatened or ignored. The latter of which seemed to have been increasing as of late given
some of his recent behavior.

"How... how am I to tell the difference, Mother?" Thor asked. "Loki has promised to help, but
I fear..."

"Fear what, darling?" Frigga questioned.

"Well, Loki does see ill everywhere. Although, as of late, I must wonder if perhaps 'tis I who
do not see enough of it."

Frigga sighed, her displeasure growing. "Similarly as I have said you can sometimes have too
good of a heart to see what is truly in other people's hearts, so too can Loki be too suspicious
of others. At times that can be best, like at present, but it can also mean he does not make
friends or allies as quickly and easily as you can."

"But it may be the only reason he is currently alive," Thor replied.

The reminder of Heimdallr and his actions made Frigga clutch Óðinn's hand rather more
tightly than intended, but she doubted he would mind given the topic.

"'Tis why I have never been able to do more than warn him of the dangers of taking it too
far," Frigga informed him. "The best thing would be a balance of both of you. Which is why I
have always been pleased the two of you have traveled together so often."

Now her eldest looked even more uncomfortable and Frigga resisted the impulse to frown.
Although not as difficult to draw information from as Loki when her baby chose to be
stubborn, Thor could still make her work for it.

"Thor," Frigga said in the tone which had always worked best on him.

Once it had worked on her little imp too, but Loki had long since built up a resistance to it.
Besides, gentleness had always worked far better on him, something Óðinn had never learned
or been willing to accept.

"'Tis simply I fear I... I have not always treated Loki as well as he deserves," Thor admitted.

"You have not been alone in that," Frigga smiled. "I can immediately think of countless times
Loki has treated you ill or made you the target of his tricks."

"'Tis not what I meant," Thor argued. "Loki has always said Lady Sif and the Warriors Three
were only my friends and not his."

"Aye, we discussed this. Do you believe he was right now?"

"They admitted it."

Her son was no longer looking at her, but instead gazing off into the distance. Frigga felt torn
between remaining where she was and getting up to go comfort him. The mother in her
wished to do the latter, not wishing to see either of her sons in pain, but the queen within her
knew Thor had to learn this lesson and soon. Perhaps if she had not so oft allowed the mother
to win out over the queen, then her eldest would have been far better prepared to become
king than he so obviously had not been. 'Twas easy to regret things afterwards, of course, and
perhaps if Óðinn had allowed the father in him to at least occasionally win out over the king,
then she would not have felt the need to overcompensate so often. Especially with Loki.

"They admitted it," Thor repeated, looking at her. "Lady Sif even went so far as to state that
Loki had always been jealous of me in addition to repeatedly implying that simply the fact he
was on Hliðskjálf was cause enough for them to do what they did."

The words made Frigga's eyes narrow and she felt herself reevaluating the shield-maiden.
She had always had a soft spot for Lady Sif as she could easily understand her desire to
become a warrior, as 'twas one she herself had felt as a maiden. Luckily for her, though, she
had grown up on Vanaheimr, where 'twas not considered either abnormal or ridiculous.

But this... it negated all of that. Not only was it treason at the highest level, but 'twas slander
against her youngest, both of which were wholly unacceptable.
"And the worst thing is, I cannot stop thinking of times when they made jokes or comments
at Loki's expense and I laughed with them," Thor continued, eyes going desperate. "Loki's
comments and tricks have progressively grown more mean and cruel, and I always wrote it
off as him changing and becoming more bitter, but what if 'twas because I always sided
against him with them, not seeing how much I was hurting him?"

The thought made Frigga pause. She too had noticed the change in her youngest's actions and
intent, but she had been unable to attribute them to a cause and it had worried her greatly.
Having an inkling of the reason gave her hope as it meant she might be able to do something
to either slow or reverse the changes before they became too great and Loki did something
truly unforgivable.

"I was not there, obviously," Frigga began slowly. "So I do not know what transpired, but if
you believe you might have acted ill and hurt your brother, then you need to apologize."

Thor snorted. "Mother, you know how well he takes those."

"He may react as if he does not care, but words have power, Thor. You must know that."

As the one who had most frequently been on the sharp end of Loki's oft caustic tongue,
Frigga was certain of it.

"However," Frigga continued. "Words without action to back them up would be

meaningless."

Her son inclined his head, but Frigga could see he was doing so in contemplation rather than
as a thoughtless gesture to indicate he heard her. The hard part would be to actually
accomplish it as it would require breaking a routine, but hopefully without his friends around
to reinforce the bad habit, Thor would be able to do so. Though Frigga would be certain to
have a word with her youngest too, in order to ensure Loki gave his brother a fair chance.
Otherwise all of Thor's genuine efforts might be wasted if Loki had already made up his mind
and was not truly listening.

While Frigga loved her sons greatly, there were times when she wondered if they would ever
grow up. Not that either of them was far past their majority, much as Thor no doubt liked to
pretend he was. All things considered, Óðinn had been rather quick to try to pass on his
responsibilities to Thor, though she knew how the burden of them and the Óðinnforce
weighed on him.

"Speaking of actions," Thor finally said a while later. "Has Loki spoken to you at all of what
he plans to do at the trial?"

Frigga bit back her first impulse to ask if this was truly the best thing for him to think of, but
then she realized that until 'twas over, the trial would be on Thor's mind, one way or another.

"Nay," Frigga said aloud. "I have not had much time to speak with your brother as of late.
Have you not seen more of him? You mentioned attending last night's feast together."
"Aye, but I could hardly speak to him about it there and before we had the High Council
meeting," Thor replied. "Besides..."

"Besides what?"

Thor sighed. "Loki looked exhausted, Mother. And stressed."

Frigga closed her eyes at the words, her guilt at not being able to be there for her baby flaring
to life once more. 'Twas something she worried about at night, or during the quiet periods
when she helped settle and guide Óðinn's seiðr back into alignment. There was only so much
she could do and her husband's need for her was far more pressing at the moment, but it
mattered little to her heart which knew exactly how stressed and difficult a time Loki was
facing at present, and without the support of any of his family members. She could only be
grateful for the fact Óðinn had assembled a group of competent and trustworthy advisors and
counselors around him and that her baby had the good sense to use them, otherwise the whole
situation could so easily have been a complete and utter disaster.

The knowledge of which only made her feel worse, but Frigga knew better than to think there
was anything she could do about it.

"I do not think there is much we can do about it other than to support him as and how we
can," Frigga said.

"I know, and it makes me feel so helpless!" Thor exclaimed, rising to his feet to begin pacing
about the chamber. "This is all my fault and I can do naught to rectify it until I learn whatever
lesson 'tis Father feels I need to. If only he had told me what it was!"

Frigga laughed without humor. "Would you have listened, Thor?"

"What? Of course!"

"Truly? After the fight I heard you had in Himinbjörg?"

"I..." Thor hesitated, looking sheepish as he glanced down at his slumbering father before his
shoulders slumped. "Nay."

Good, Frigga thought as she nodded in approval. She did not much care for self-deception in
anyone.

"A lesson is never learned so well as when 'tis learned the hard way," Frigga stated, repeating
her own mother's advice.

"Were that 'twas simply me who suffered for it," Thor lamented.

"You are the son of a king, rarely will anything you do affect only you."

'Twas a difficult aspect of royal life, but one which Frigga had long since thought her eldest
knew. Clearly, she too had been wrong about many things.
 Instead of replying, Thor heaved a deep sigh before reaching out to take Óðinn's other hand
as he sat back down. "Let us hope I can learn Father's lesson on Ásgarðr and I do so soon."

Frigga was not certain hope had much to do with it, but her telling him that would be no more
helpful than if Óðinn had told Thor what to do. She could only pray to the Norns he would
get there on his own and soon.

Chapter End Notes

Yes, yes, I know that Logi is the Norse god of fire rather than Loki, but the two are often
confused and I wanted to play with the idea of a jötunn being the god of fire. It's so
chaotic and will tie into something in the sequel.

Regarding Loki's headpiece in this chapter, I was thinking of the one he had in Thor:
Ragnarök.

I hope you enjoyed Frigga's pov!

I also had another fantastic art piece for this fic, this time by ijouno of the scene between
Loki and Gróa. It can be found here!

Old Norse:

áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás

ásynja - female of áss, plural is ásynjur
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: More negotiations & Thor and Vé deal with the King's Funds
applications...
 Chapter 39
Chapter Notes

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a good week. I'm posting today as I'm travelling home
again tomorrow.

Enjoy, this chapter has two of the secrets I've been keeping and trying not to spoil in the
comments!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki was still silently laughing when they arrived in the hall on Niflheimr at Höðr having
blandly enquired whether he had a good night. 'Twas one of the many reasons he had always
been well disposed towards Höðr; the man had an actual sense of humor and grasp on
sarcasm.

"What do we have for whom?" Loki questioned Lord Aðalgrímr after the Casket of Ancient
Winters had been positioned in its usual place.

Lord Aðalgrímr placed the box he had carried on the table and pulled out the two items it
held. "For Laufey-King, we have a very nice bottle of dökkálfar beer from the Lömm region
whose soil is said to add a very particular flavor to the wheat grown there."

Dökkálfar beer? Loki crinkled his nose at the thought. His birth father, apparently, had no
taste, not that 'twas particularly surprising. Still, it begged a question.

"Do the jötnar overall like dökkálfar beer, or is it simply Laufey-King?" Loki asked.

"From the lack of large orders in the past, I assume 'tis more to Laufey's tastes in particular,
though alcohol of all varieties was always welcome at the end of negotiations or trade."

Which made sense given Loki did not think Jötunheimr grew anything which could easily be
fermented into alcohol. At least not which was grown in sufficient quantities to do so; hence
the reason the jötnar resorted to fermenting milk to create Ymir's sýra.

"And what did you select for Helblindi-Princex?" General Týr inquired.

"We had to guess there as we have never had any formal interactions with the princex before
now," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "But we decided something exotic would probably be best, so
we went with a Múspellsheimrian fire ruby."

"What?" Loki teased. "No alcohol?"

"Not without knowing if they allow their children to drink, nay."

Oh, that was right.

"Helblindi-Princex is still underage," Loki remembered.

"By jötnar standards, so are you, Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr stated, causing Loki's eyes to
flash up to him in shock. "You would be somewhere in their adolescent period, I believe."

Their...

He was still an adolescent?

He could hardly contain his complete and utter shock to react somewhat normally. If Lord
Aðalgrímr was right, then he was a lot younger, relatively speaking, than anyone had been
treating him as, his parents included. Not to mention he had been sexually active for several
centuries, ever since his supposed áss puberty. Though that had been far less dramatic and
troublesome than Thor's, which at least made some more sense now.

The only thing which gave Loki any kind of comfort about the news, was how it at least
helped to explain why Loptr had acted and reacted the way he had. They were still very much
in the period where emotions oft ruled the day rather than knowledge or intellect. It made him
feel much better about being nearly overwhelmed at times.

But wait.

"How long do the jötnar live?" Loki asked.

'Twas not something he had thought to check.

"About twice as long as we," General Týr responded.

"Truly?" Loki demanded, letting his shock show this time.

He might live twice as long as Thor? 'Twas an unsettling thought, to say the least.

General Týr nodded. "Laufey is significantly older than Óðinn, and he started his reign when
your grandfather was still on Hliðskjálf."

The thought made Loki frown. If his birth father was so old, why had Laufey waited so long
to produce an heir? And why make such a stupid mistake so late into his reign as attacking
Miðgarðr? Or was it precisely because of that? Had Laufey been displeased to have so little
while Óðinn, who was so much younger, had so much more? Was it petty jealousy which had
caused his birth father to go to war?

"I must have missed that part of Grandmother's book," Loki replied.

"You were not told of this before?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked with concern.

Loki snorted. "I was not even aware of my jötnar heritage. I still do not know how to inform
Thor of it, since he will not react well."
"Surely it will not be as bad as all of that?" General Týr frowned.

"Did you know he once boasted that, when he was king, he would slay all of the monsters?"
Loki asked, knowing they did not. "And what he said of them on Jötunheimr was no better."

His two advisors shared a worried look and Loki knew he could not leave it there. "Not that I
was much better, mind you."

"You have not shown it," Lord Aðalgrímr said.

"Because I know the value of diplomacy. But the word monster is one I have regularly used."

"Why?"

"Why not? Thor and I were raised on stories of the war, and in those the jötnar are little more
than savages or mindless beasts hel bent on war and conquest. We were also told as children
that if we did not behave, the frost giants would come eat us."

"They would come eat you?" General Týr repeated in disbelief, looking horrified.

Loki inclined his head.

"'Tis little wonder you both thought ill of them," Lord Aðalgrímr stated faintly.

"It has been quite a shock to realize precisely how wrong we were," Loki admitted. "'Tis also
why I knew we had to do better with this treaty. Complete isolation breeds nothing but lies,
mistrust and hatred."

"Clearly," General Týr looked very ill at ease. "I never realized. The others of your age, are
they the same?"

"From what I am aware, aye."

"You are thinking of the army?" Lord Aðalgrímr deduced, looking over at the other man.

"Aye," General Týr confirmed. "I will have to ensure supervision for any jötnar trade
delegation falls to those without such prejudices, but who also did not suffer particularly bad
losses during the war."

"It will all be a very careful balancing act," Loki agreed. "But worth it in the long run.
Perhaps for more than the health of the Yggdrasill, too."

Any further conversation on the topic was aborted as the far doors opened and the jötnar
delegation entered. Picking up both gifts, Loki made his way towards the center of the
chamber.

"Laufey-King, Helblindi-Princex," he greeted. "May I offer a few tokens from Ásgarðr in

return for your generous gift yesterday?"

"King Loki," Laufey replied as they moved to meet him.

From the way his birth father's eyes moved in so quickly on the bottle he held, Loki knew
Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr had made a good decision. Although a forced abstinence of
almost a thousand years would no doubt have helped as well.

"The first gift exchange, then?" Laufey inquired when they drew level with Loki.

"Aye. To many more to come," he replied, holding out the bottle.

He angled it deliberately so the bottom was closest to his father, while he himself held the
neck. Loki did not want to risk their fingers brushing, lest Laufey notice what that did to his
disguise. He could only imagine the explosive reaction that would garner. Not to mention he
could not even begin to guess how his own guards might react. In every possible outcome,
things did not end well for him, even if he sky walked to safety.

"This is not æsir beer," Laufey commented as he accepted the bottle.

"I am uncertain if we make beer anymore," Loki replied, easily. "And we favored preference
over self-pride."

Not to mention that, as ruler of the Nine Realms, Niðavellir like all of the others, now
officially fell under his rule. 'Twas something Loki had not truly thought of, but clearly either
Lord Aðalgrímr or Lord Ragnvaldr had, as they would not have selected the presents they
had otherwise. The final decision to go with non-æsir products had been Lord Aðalgrímr's,
though, as he knew the man would have remembered his own mutterings on the topic when
Óðinn had elected to stick with æsir products for the visit of the ljósálfar delegation three
centuries back, when a Múspellsheimrian fire gem would have been infinitely preferable. Nor
had it been the only such incident, and he had always thought it foolish of his adoptive father
to favor Ásgarðr so in those instances. It caused resentment and discord among the other
eight Realms, since Ásgarðr claimed to be ruler of all. 'Twas a sentiment he could understand
well, especially now he was in a very similar situation in a lot of ways, as a non-æsir
foundling Óðinn had taken in and decided to raise... only not as well as his own, æsir, son.

The large, oversized bottle which had looked so out of proportion for both himself and Lord
Aðalgrímr, still appeared outsized, but now in the opposite direction, for Laufey. Luckily, his
birth father would not miss out as dökkálfar beer was notoriously strong, and thus one did not
drink proportional amounts as of other alcoholic beverages.

Laufey's sharp, red eyes were laser focused on his face and Loki was sorely tempted to drop
his own illusion enough for his birth father to see his own red eyes, but he fought back the
urge. It would be such a Thor-like thing to do; to derail the peace negotiations now of all
times.

But, oh, the chaos it would cause!

There was a large part of him which longed for it, and Loki had never been terribly good at
denying that part of himself at the best of times. Hence the reason he had become the god of
chaos and mischief, and now the urge for it was worse than ever before. 'Twas so great, in
fact, Loki was starting to suspect it might be more than simply a case of repeated desire
denied. Could it be he needed it in order to help heal himself? Both traits were such a deeply
intrinsic part of himself after all, so perhaps they stemmed from his very core.

'Twas an intriguing thought and one he would have to explore with Sigyn when he next saw
her.

With a sharp whine, the Casket of Ancient Winters flared brightly, breaking the sharp
observation Laufey had him under as his birth father was distracted. Taking a few steps back
to distance himself from the man who had already tried to kill him once, Loki turned just
enough to be able to observe the Casket himself.

The storms inside roiled violently and Loki's forehead creased as he reached out towards it
with his seiðr, to figure out what was going on. His connection to Mother Winter sparked,
flaring to life much as the Casket itself had done. She was clearly agitated and reached out to
him across their weak link, clinging to him protectively. Loki was not certain what had set
her off, but he did his best to soothe her. It seemed to work as she settled, making the storms
within the Casket of Ancient Winters die back down so the light within dimmed back to its
usual, flickering glow.

General Týr met his eyes and raised a dark eyebrow in concern, but Loki merely gave him
one of the warrior hand signals he had been taught. Hold. They would discuss it later, if
necessary.

When Loki turned his attention back to his birth father, 'twas to find Laufey's red eyes on him
once more.

"Problem?" Laufey inquired.

Loki hesitated, trying to decide if the truth could be beneficial here or not. "I did not cause
that," Loki admitted. "The... sentience within seems unrestful."

"Sentience?" Helblindi-Princex queried, eyes lighting up. "You can sense Mother Winter?"

"Helblindi," Laufey warned.

"Sorry, my King."

Uncertain what that was about, Loki glanced between the two before deciding to give his
sibling part of an answer.

"I can sense something," he said, before turning his tongue to the lies he was so well known
for. "But I know not what."

'Twas actually quite surprising how certain he was that what he sensed was Mother Winter,
Loki mused. He had not thought to question it before as he had been so certain. But mayhap
he should have. It had been instinctive, though, which was when he did his best seiðr.

"My thanks," Laufey finally said, raising the bottle slightly.

With that, Laufey stepped back in order to allow Helblindi to approach him, though Loki did
note his birth father did not move away entirely. Was it out of genuine concern for their child,
or simply worry for their heir? Though Loki personally had trouble believing the former, he
knew he could not rule it out. Simply because Laufey had left him to die, did not mean the
man could not truly care for their other two children. Helblindi and Býleistr were not the
same threat to their power that Loki had been. Besides, Laufey had to know they would not
live forever and so would require an heir to continue their legacy.

Hmm, mayhap 'twas why his birth father had waited so long to reproduce. Maybe 'twas
simply a necessity for them rather than a joy in and of itself to have children. It would
certainly explain a lot, but Loki was well aware of his own biases in the situation.

"Not knowing any of your preferences from before, we have had to guess at what you might
like," Loki began, as he faced his younger sibling. "But I hope we have guessed correctly."

As he spoke, Loki opened the jewel box once more, both to allow Helblindi to view what he
was receiving, but also to increase the size of the box. This way he could hold the lid while
Helblindi could take the base.

Loki's eyes flickered over his sibling's outfit as he stepped forward once more and offered the
gift. As before, Helblindi's outfit consisted of an elaborately embroidered and fur lined kilt.
Their arms, biceps and neck were adorned with gold hued jewelry, richly adorned with
Jötunheimr's jewels from sapphires to multitudes of ice gems which glittered and gleamed in
the flickering fire light from the torches. On their head, Helblindi-Princex today wore a gold
and silver circlet intertwined around particularly large gems, the central one being a deep
purple in color. Loki could easily see why Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr had felt this gift
so fitting, especially given the jötnar's eye color.

"'Tis beautiful," Helblindi-Princex said, while they accepted the box. "What is it?"

"A fire ruby from Múspellsheimr," Loki replied.

They stood close enough for Loki to see the flicker of delight in his sibling's eyes and he felt
strangely pleased at knowing he had managed to obtain that reaction from his newfound
sibling. It also made him curious for the first time about Laufey's youngest; Býleistr. Would
Loki also feel some kind of strange kinship with them too, despite the centuries they had
spent apart and his still highly ambiguous feelings towards the jötnar in general, and his own
heritage in particular?

"Thank you," Helblindi-Princex said, looking back up to him.

Loki inclined his head, holding his sibling's eyes briefly, before glancing back to Laufey-
King as he pulled Queen Sága's missive from his robes and held it out.

"A communication from Queen Sága of Álfheimr," Loki began, knowing his birth father
might not be aware of her ascension to the throne. "I was asked to pass it on to you."

Laufey blinked in surprise as he stepped forwards once more to accept it.

"We shall give you a little time to look it over," Loki said, before he drew back.

"Uncle Vé," Thor said to announce himself as he paused at the open door to his uncle's study.

He had to forcibly stop himself from thinking of the man as one of his father's advisors, as
currently he was clearly Loki's. It made Thor think of the rest of the High Council, and Lord
Ragnvaldr in particular, who was his father's chief advisor. He could not help but wonder if
his brother would keep the man on should Father never wake, or if Loki would replace him
with someone else. 'Twas a morbid thought, but Thor found he had no idea whom his brother
might choose if it came to it. Loki generally tended to keep his own council and, the few
times he went elsewhere, it tended to be to their mother.

Thor paused as he could not help but wonder if Loki would dare put Mother on the High
Council. On the one hand, 'twas an utterly ridiculous thought - there had never been a woman
on the council - but, on the other hand, Thor could already see it now. His brother did so love
to cause chaos and truly, in the grand scheme of things, this would be more mischief than true
chaos. Even if it would cause a scandal of sorts among the elders. But then, so had Lady Sif's
acceptance among the Einherjar and Thor had loved that.

Oh. Perhaps there was something to Loki's love of disrupting and unsetting certain traditions
simply for the sheer fun of doing so.

"Thor," Uncle Vé greeted. "Please, come in. What can I do for you?"

"Actually," Thor replied, shifting uncomfortably. "I was hoping I may be able to aid you."

Without his strength and titles, a lot of his regular activities and duties had fallen away and he
was left without anything to do. Not wishing to sit idle when there was so much going on,
Thor had gone looking for his eldest uncle only to be informed Vili was out checking on the
army with Lieutenant-General Yngvarr before he would be attending the Princes' Court.
Hearing of the latter was still enough to give him a nasty shock as he had genuinely not
thought there enough interest to continue those. 'Twas not something he wished to
contemplate now.

"At loose ends, are we?" Uncle Vé asked, sympathetically, before his father's youngest
brother looked at his parchment strewn desk. "There is something you could do to help me,
though 'tis not terribly exciting."

"At this point, I am looking for anything which will occupy me," Thor replied, hoping he
would not regret it.

He normally hated this type of work, but Thor hated boredom more. Especially now, when all
it would do was give him time to think of why he was bored, and that would not lead to
anything good. He had already spent enough time doing so on Miðgarðr to know he was not
going to learn what Father wanted him to simply by thinking about his situation. Besides,
both his parents had now said he had not been ready to be king and, while he disagreed with
them, he knew the best way to prove them wrong was to show he could do the job, and all of
the associated tasks.
Additionally, Thor had earlier also overheard some of the servants speaking of him and he
had not liked what he had heard. They had spoken of his visit to his friends and worried it
demonstrated a lack of commitment to his family and Hliðskjálf. Somehow, he had managed
not to confront them about their words, but Thor knew it had more to do with the fact he
knew his guards had overheard them than anything else. Well, that and he could not help but
hear the echo of both his mother and Loki's words from during their arguments about his
decision to visit his friends in the first place. They had feared something like this might
happen and he had not wanted to draw any more attention to the fact it had.

For once, Thor felt ashamed of his actions, and it made him uncomfortable. Therefore, he
would much rather do boring parchmentwork than be left to his own thoughts about the
whole situation.

"Very well," Uncle Vé said as he motioned for Thor to pull over one of the chairs, while he
himself lifted a stack of parchments. "These should be the letters for those whom Loki has
elected to allocate some of the King's Funds to, and these," he continued, lifting another set
of parchments. "Are the letters for those who were unsuccessful."

"I see," Thor replied slowly, with a frown. "What do I need to do with them?"

"Check them against your brother's list."

Thor blinked in surprise. "You think you made a mistake?"

"I did not write them, Lord Óðr did and, in addition to attempting to allocate the funds
himself without consulting your brother, he has vocally protested how Loki did so," Uncle Vé
explained.

Thor scowled as his anger flared within him. How dare the man attempt that! 'Twas named
the King's Funds for a reason. No wonder his brother looked so exhausted all of the time if he
had things like this to deal with on top of the negotiations. At least Loki had others like their
uncles to help him with issues on Ásgarðr while he was busy on Niflheimr with Lords
Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr as well as General Týr.

Father's warnings of how a king was never weaker and more vulnerable than at the beginning
of his reign echoed in Thor's ears even as he could not believe exactly how much trouble
Loki had been dealing with. Normally, in this type of situation, he would be tempted to ask
his brother what he had done to cause it, but this time Thor knew better than to assume 'twas
all Loki's fault. His friends had already taught him that particular lesson this week. Not to
mention all of the sheer idiocy Heimdallr had spouted in his own defense.

"Did Lord Óðr have an excuse for his actions?" Thor demanded, darkly.

Uncle Vé looked him over for a moment, an odd expression on his face before he spoke.
"Lord Ragnvaldr told me he claimed to have done it to help lessen the burden Loki was
carrying. Personally, I think he did it as he knew he would not like how Loki would allocate
the money and he felt that, as regent, it should not be your brother's decision to make."
His uncle's reasoning sounded reasonable given how often Loki and Lord Óðr had clashed
over funding allocations of all types at the High Council meetings in the past. But 'twas no
more than Loki had clashed with either Father or himself on such matters.

'Twas with a start and a sudden sense of dread, that Thor knew he would not like the
parchments he was about to read. He knew Father allocated most of it to a variety of very
worthy warrior or military applications which would receive insufficient funds through the
usual channels due to people like Loki, Lord Aðalgrímr and Uncle Vé directing some of it
elsewhere. Somehow, he could not see his brother continuing this tradition despite their need,
not after all of the times Loki had attempted to convince Father to change his mind on the
topic.

A quick glance at the stack of parchments in the refused pile confirmed Thor's fears and he
groaned in dismay.

"Problem?" Uncle Vé inquired.

Thor could tell from his uncle's face, Vé knew exactly what he did not like.

"These applications need the funds," Thor stated.

"So do the others."

"They already receive funding from what you direct away from the army!"

"Pittance in comparison."

"As it should be, the warriors are Ásgarðr's main defense!"

"Thor, do you know what Lord Ragnvaldr told me the other day?" Uncle Vé asked, his tone
suddenly far softer and less argumentative.

"Nay, what?"

"That he and Loki had been to the eastern edge of the city to see a road. A main road so bad
'twas difficult to navigate by horse, let alone cart."

"What?" Thor demanded in disbelief.

Nay, 'twas not possible. Not in Ásgarðr. On one of the other Realms, certainly, but Ásgarðr
was too rich for anything like that.

"And do you know what the worst part of it is?"

"Nay," Thor replied warily, not certain what could be worse than the fact any part of Ásgarðr
had a road in such disrepair.

"The fact they did not even feel comfortable applying for the necessary funding through the
King's Funds, let alone normal channels," Uncle Vé stated. "'Twas not until Loki made it
known he wished for more than the usual applicants that the request came in."
If he had been horrified before, 'twas nothing compared to how Thor felt now. This road was
all but unusable and they had not felt able to request help? On Ásgarðr?

"Truly?" he finally demanded.

"I am as shocked as you are. From what I understand, there was an initial request which was
denied when it should not have been, which Loki has Lord Ragnvaldr investigating."

"Good."

Uncle Vé hesitated, before he continued. "Thor, what you also need to know is that,
supposedly, they also suffered from the belief that, since they were not an area where the
warriors lived or worked, that they were deemed unimportant by Iðavöllr."

Thor could only stare at his uncle in shock at those words. He was not certain what he felt as
it all seemed unusually muffled and numb, but there was horror and dismay in there. Aye, he
had always strongly advocated for the army and warrior related activities to have greater
funding as they were so critical for Ásgarðr's defenses and did not receive nearly enough
funding, but he had never wished for it to be at the expense of such essential things as basic
road repairs. Or for the ordinary people to feel unappreciated or valued. He wanted to see
them protected and safe!

"Is that application in here then?" Thor inquired as he waved at the accepted parchments.

"Nay, it will be funded from where it should have been initially, but I merely wished to point
out the types of applications and requests which came in when people realized the funds were
not necessarily going to automatically go to the same places as before."

It irked Thor to see some of the programs and initiatives he had successfully campaigned for
his father to consider selecting for funding rejected, but he could also understand the
importance of people feeling able to request to be considered as well. Especially if it
prevented such atrocities as the one Uncle Vé had mentioned. If he had the ability to do so at
present, he would ride out there to view it for himself. Not because he mistrusted Loki or
Lord Ragnvaldr, but because as future king he needed to understand firsthand what people
had not felt comfortable or able to report.

"I understand," Thor finally replied.

All he had to do was remember that Father was doing better every day, so 'twas unlikely Loki
would remain on Hliðskjálf for long. Therefore, next year, they could refund any projects his
brother had elected to drop this year.

Not able to resist, Thor turned his attention to the lists he had been given. The applications
selected for refusal contained every single one Father normally funded and Thor had to grit
his teeth against the urge to protest. Not only had Uncle Vé warned him, but the man could
do nothing about it. 'Twas all Loki's fault.

A quick glance at the list of approved applications and Thor had to admit to being somewhat
surprised. Beyond the expected funding for such trivialities as libraries and parks, there were
some for things he would never have expected. Like one for an archeological survey in the
mountains, and another for the renovation of an orphanage. Thor was also surprised to note
there was funding allocation for one warrior application. 'Twas one he did not recognize,
though, and he dug through the associated parchments until he found the one he wanted.

As he read it, Thor could see why it might appeal to Loki as it dealt with nontraditional
means of fighting. 'Twas because of everything which had transpired lately that Thor caught
it when his mind went to automatically scoff at some of the methods listed. Knives were on
the list and, if his brother had proven anything, 'twas exactly how deadly a trained warrior
could be with those. It also made Thor uncomfortable how much his mental voice scoffing at
it had sounded like Lady Sif. Had she truly been the one to disparage Loki's skills the most?
Not that Thor felt he himself was not guilty of doing so as well, his mind had been steadily
supplying him with what felt like a nonstop parade of such examples lately, but there had to
be a reason why his mental voice in this instance sounded like Lady Sif.

To make matters worse, Thor saw this particular application would also favor nontraditional
warriors, which most definitely meant ladies like Sif herself. It heartened Thor to see his
brother was not taking his anger at her out on others like her, but he could not help but
wonder why he had never seen this application before. The background information on the
project proved 'twas by no means new. So, had they never applied for funding before? If that
was the case, why not? Normally, he would suspect they had been asked to progress to such a
point as they could provide sufficient proof as to the feasibility of the project, but he knew
the costs involved in arming and training warriors, so he doubted 'twas the case. Surely it had
not been as Uncle Vé said, that they had not felt they could successfully apply and so had
never bothered to do so.

The thought made Thor frown.

Aye, he had not liked the idea earlier, but now to know it had also prevented the submission
of military applications appalled him even more. It made him realize that always selecting the
same recipients could be detrimental even to the areas he loved most. A quick glance at the
parchments for the ones his father had always chosen showed they had far less supporting
evidence and justification for the funding than the others did, some of which had itemized
lists of how they would use the funds. Was it out of sheer arrogance - because they did not
feel the need to do so? - or because they did not require it for the same basic necessities as
some of the other applications?

'Twas not a comfortable thought and Thor realized that this time his mental voice sounded far
more like his brother, and he paused, not wanting to dismiss it as he had Loki so often lately.
The question felt vaguely treasonous and he felt dirty to suspect it, but the events of the past
few days had irrevocably proven there was a time and place for such things, much as he
might not want for them to be.

Besides, looking into this, or areas he knew well, would be good practice and it would help
prove to Loki that he did hear him, even if it had not always been clear he had been listening.

"Can I keep hold of this for a while?" Thor asked, holding up the applications as he looked at
his uncle.
 Vé blinked as he glanced up from the scroll he was reading. "Is that an accepted or a rejected
application?"

"Rejected."

"Then certainly, but it has to come back to be filed away with the others," Uncle Vé said.

"Filed away? We keep the failed applications?"

"For a few decades, aye."

Huh. It would allow Thor to look back and see whether this year truly had resulted in more or
different types of applications. Not to mention to see whether the older applications for
Father's selected projects had originally contained more details.

'Twas not what Thor wanted to be doing with his time, but 'twas clear he had not been as
prepared for his coronation as everyone had thought, so this was a good place to start. With
that decided, Thor turned to the task he had actually been given, trying to ignore the oddness
of his sitting here and checking his brother's orders were being carried out rather than the
other way around.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da! Two of the big secrets I've been keeping about the jötnar (& why I've not shown
anything from their pov): Loki is still underage & they live far longer. I figured this
made sense with some of Loki's behaviours seen in the movie.

And also a few more details on which King's Funds applications Loki accepted. For the
rest you'll need to wait until the sequel I'm afraid.

Old Norse & Norse Mythology:

dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur
ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular
sýra - a fermented milk drink - my version is made up, but basic sýra was a real Viking
drink
Býleistr - the brother of Loki in mythology
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Just so you know, Lömm is a word I made up entirely. It's not from mythology or from
Old Norse, I just made up a word using one of the special characters.

Up next week: More negotiations, with a lunch break to decompress...

 Chapter 40
Chapter Notes

Hello, my pretties, sorry I've not yet responded to all of your lovely comments, but I
have been reading them as they came in and I appreciate them very much.

Here's the next chapter. Warning, Loki's feeling a wee bit mischievous 😂

See the end of the chapter for more notes

By the time they paused for lunch, Loki was all but ready to give up on the negotiations and
simply stab his father to death. It would serve the man right.

It did make Loki suspect Queen Sága had prophetic powers, though, because if Laufey was
this difficult with such a solid trade offer on the line, he did not want to consider what his
birth father might be like without it.

"Are you certain you do not simply wish to invade Jötunheimr?" General Týr asked when
they entered their break chamber. "It would probably be easier."

Loki laughed, eyes flashing to the man and well able to tell 'twas meant in jest. "And make
all of this entirely worthless?"

The general groaned at the mere idea. "Point," Týr admitted.

"Nay, I was thinking more of killing Laufey and leaving the decisions up to Helblindi," Loki
said.

"Oh, now there is an idea."

"Nay," Lord Ragnvaldr interrupted, though his own voice was rife with amusement. "There
will be no killing of foreign dignitaries."

"Not even if your king commands it?" General Týr questioned.

"Can you imagine the chaos it would cause?"

"I like chaos," Loki pouted as General Týr, the pushover, caved.

"Of that I am very well aware," Lord Ragnvaldr retorted, warily.

Aye, the man would as he had no doubt Óðinn had complained to him more than once over
the centuries about his youngest's behavior. Loki flashed the man a large smile and was
heartened to see Lord Ragnvaldr looking slightly worried, probably wondering if he had
utilized the wrong argument to keep Loki's mischief contained.

"He is playing you," Lord Aðalgrímr stated as he walked past them towards the table.

Loki wanted to truly pout at having his fun curtailed, but he resisted, scowling instead at his
old mentor's back. True, mayhap 'twas not the most mature or regal way to react, but he
needed some relief. The constant observation and confinement made him wince, and would it
not simply be like the Norns to have him go mad from doing everything he should precisely
as he would have if he had not been well behaved.

Hmm, on second thought, maybe 'twas the Norns. He had dared to mess with time and alter
not only his life thread, but that of countless others as well. They were probably furious at the
interference with their living tapestry.

"Please do not frighten me thus," Lord Ragnvaldr pleaded. "I am not certain my heart can
handle the strain."

Loki huffed. "You have been using that excuse for far too long for me to believe it. Besides,
according to common knowledge, you are too stubborn to die and will outlive us all."

Both General Týr and Lord Aðalgrímr laughed, and Loki felt rather pleased with himself. All
the more so since 'twas his own words which were still commonly being whispered behind
the advisor's back in Iðavöllr's gilded corridors.

"The mere thought of that is far more discomforting than any of you younglings can
comprehend at present," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, ere his eyes flashed over to meet Loki's. "I
would simply be happy to see another royal wedding or two."

Oh, Loki knew exactly what the old man was trying to do there. Unfortunately for Lord
Ragnvaldr, he was trying to best the silvertongue at a game of words.

"One of those may not be as far off as you might think," Loki retorted, reveling in the
shocked look which flashed over Lord Ragnvaldr's face and the sudden sputtering he heard
from behind him, which indicated General Týr had swallowed something wrong.

The rush of chaos in the chamber thrummed pleasantly along his seiðr and Loki took a
moment to simply savor it as he would a fine wine. He did so love the feel of chaos, it never
failed to thrill him on a deep, instinctive level which made him feel truly alive.

"Your Majesty!" Lord Aðalgrímr finally managed to say. "What are you... I mean, do you
mean..."

He had, of course, been thinking of Lady Sigyn and how they were still closer than most
people realized, but there was no need to inform them of that.

"Oh, had you not heard?" Loki began, innocently. "Thor met a mortal woman on Miðgarðr
whom he is quite taken with."

"A mortal!" Lord Ragnvaldr exclaimed.

"Hmm, aye. Why, just last night at the feast he was telling me how smart she was and that he
thought I would truly like her," Loki continued happily, their looks of shock and disbelief
egging him on. "Of course, she is already over thirty years old and, while mortals live
significantly longer than they used to, that still places her at over a third of her lifespan, so
Thor would need to act quickly if he truly wishes to spend any time with her."

"I... my King, please tell me you are jesting," General Týr pleaded, desperately glancing at
Lord Aðalgrímr.

It amused Loki the general felt his old mentor might be able to read him better. It said a lot
for how confident General Týr felt in his own ability to read all of Loki's tells, which pleased
him greatly. He had put a lot of time and effort first into learning to uncover and then control
them. This proof he had succeeded so well was heartening.

His delight only increased when Lord Aðalgrímr shrugged helplessly.

"Thor claims he learned a lot from her," Loki continued, blithely. "Some of which I have
been attempting to teach him for centuries."

Oops, was that bitterness?

"Plus," Loki added, before he paused significantly. "All of this despite her being a brunette."

That definitely seemed to shake his companions, as well it should. Loki did not think he had
ever seen his brother look twice at such a dark-haired woman before and, with his own
sensitivities in that regard to æsir beauty standards, he would definitely have noticed if his
brother had done so. Altogether, Loki was not at all certain what to make of Thor's current
infatuation with this mortal.

"I think I need a drink," Lord Ragnvaldr finally stated, eyes still wide.

"We have jojo juice," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "Well, unless you have now decided killing
Laufey-King is not such a terrible idea, in which case you can probably steal back their beer."

Loki laughed at the face his father's main advisor pulled at the mere thought of beer, before
he moved towards the lunch table himself. As Lord Aðalgrímr had said, there was jojo juice
as well as cold meats, vegetables and little parceled finger foods which did not require
heating.

"Have they brought any ratan sauce today?" General Týr asked as he moved to stand beside
him, looking at the table hopefully, before scowling.

Loki pulled a face, he hated ratan sauce, it burned his tongue quite painfully.

"Loki does not like it," Lord Aðalgrímr said as he poured himself some juice.

"I did not say anything to the kitchen of it," Loki protested.

"As if that matters at present."

"I know," Loki replied, plucking his new headpiece off to put on the table. "My favorites
simply seem to appear, just like all of my new clothes and I am certain all manner of other
items I have yet to notice."

"There has been a request to alter the mural in Valaskjálf and the tapestries in the main
corridor," Lord Ragnvaldr added helpfully.

Loki paused in selecting his food to groan.

"Shall I take that as a nay then?"

"Nay to the mural, definitely," Loki replied. "It would hopefully not even have truly started
before this is all over. As for the tapestries..."

Well, he had wanted to change some of them ever since he had overheard a vanir diplomat
muttering about how seriously they could take Ásgarðr's words of peace and protection if
they so obviously celebrated subjugating other species. He had not thought twice of the
depictions of captive jötnar or defeated vanir before, but he could easily understand what the
diplomat meant, especially since they were scenes all foreign visitors to the king saw and
were forced to walk past.

"Hmm, aye, replace the ones depicting defeated or captured enemies or allies with the
tapestries from the southeast corridor leading to the library," Loki decided.

"Here, here," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed, raising his newly filled glass.

"Of course," Lord Ragnvaldr replied.

General Týr's lack of response made Loki think the man might not be aware of which
tapestries hung in the southeast corridor, and he wondered if Týr would say something once
he saw them outside of Valaskjálf. For all of those tapestries depicted, and celebrated, great
feats of seiðr performed in the service or defense of Ásgarðr.

It would probably cause a minor scandal, but Loki was of the firm opinion that court needed
a little scandal every now and then to keep it from growing too stagnant. Or even more
stagnant as it simply - like all of Ásgarðr - seemed to be allergic to change and progress of
any kind. 'Twas enough to drive Loki mad at times. Truly, Óðinn should be glad it had not
happened before. Not that his adoptive father would ever learn how close he had come this
time.

"Have you truly had no say in your new wardrobe?" Lord Aðalgrímr questioned with a
frown. "It suits you well."

Loki hummed in agreement. "I believe 'tis mostly due to my personal servant and Lady
Dagmær, both of whom know my tastes very well. Plus I was fitted for Thor's coronation, so
they have my current sizes."

They lapsed into silence as they ate and Loki allowed his thoughts to drift to his sibling,
Helblindi. He had not been wrong to suggest that if they were facing Helblindi in these
negotiations that they would already have reached an agreement. His sibling seemed far more
reasonable to accepting restrictions on the Casket of Ancient Winters' power than Laufey
was. Whether that was the result of a different temperament or a better understanding of
precisely how dire Jötunheimr's situation was, Loki did not know, but, nevertheless, it
remained an intriguing fact and one which might be interesting to look into further later if
peace was achieved.

As for his birth father, well, Loki was not quite certain what to think, but 'twas becoming
increasingly clear to him exactly what General Týr had meant when stating that Laufey
would never have accepted the presence of an íviðja. The man seemed to have a near
pathological need to be in full control, even if doing so was to their own, or their people's,
detriment.

Not that Óðinn was entirely innocent of this trait himself, but his adoptive father did not
possess it nearly as badly. Still, there were times when Loki had been unable but to wonder
precisely how far Óðinn would go to remain in power, or in the good opinion of the public.
The latter in particular had always worried him, even before he had discovered he was not
truly Óðinn's son. Surely now he was all the more vulnerable to being cast aside if he did
anything his adoptive father considered a step too far.

"What do you think, Lord Aðalgrímr?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked once they had all selected food
and seated themselves at the table. "Do you think Laufey-King will agree to a new peace
treaty?"

"I am loathe to state anything for certain, but I believe so," Lord Aðalgrímr replied.
"Otherwise, why else would they waste so much time trying to tweak all of the details?"

"Thank the Norns!" General Týr exclaimed, before he stopped and frowned. "Unless, of
course, he is stalling to gain time for something else?"

"I had considered the same," Lord Ragnvaldr admitted. "But Höðr's reports do not indicate
the jötnar forces are doing anything more than we would expect of them given the
circumstances. There seems to be no furtive attempts to hide anything from his sight, or
unusual activity which cannot be explained by what he can see."

"Would it be like Laufey-King to play such a long game?" Loki asked.

He would like to think his birth father would be clever and patient enough to do so, but 'twas
not the impression he had received of them. Nor did it fit with all of the comments he had
overheard from Óðinn of Laufey. Not that either of them were exactly unbiased observers in
this particular case.

"Nay," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "But it has been over a millennium since our last significant
interactions, and they could have learned more patience and subtlety after how the last war
ended."

Thus, probably not, but they could not be certain either.

Which was helpful.

"Let me see if we cannot try to bring it all together by the end of this afternoon's session so
we can use tomorrow to write out a draft treaty," Loki decided. "Norns know we will have
more of the same at that point."

"I hate politics," General Týr grumbled.

Loki was quite certain Laufey and Gunnlöð-Lairde's strategy was to wear them down through
sheer boredom and desperation, as the jötnar diplomat turned the conversation back to the
desired restrictions on the Casket of Ancient Winters as soon as one particularly picky detail
on trade protections had been negotiated. He, at least, was ready to scream and, he could tell
from General Týr's increasingly frequent eyebrow twitches, he was not alone in this.

He would never admit it to Lord Aðalgrímr, but Loki's concentration had actually started to
waver during the rapid fire back and forth between the two diplomates, which he knew was
dangerous in the circumstances, but 'twas such a tiny little detail and he had felt an ever
increasing... pressure from his connection to Mother Winter at the back of his mind.

Due to the fact he was neither on Jötunheimr, nor in direct contact with the Casket, he had
needed to concentrate in order to strengthen his connection with her enough in order to
attempt to understand what it was she wanted his attention for. 'Twas a nuisance but, without
being more closely bonded with her, 'twas the best he could manage to do.

The familiar, icy presence had pulled his attention towards the Casket, her insistence making
Loki focus on it enough to be able to see into it and its components. From there, Mother
Winter drew his attention to one particular part he had not yet had the time to explore.
Looking at it more closely now revealed it to be...

Oh, now that was interesting.

Loki sent his gratitude and delight back at Mother Winter as he fought to keep the grin that
wished to escape well contained.

"- that type of limitation on our most precious artefact," Gunnlöð-Lairde was saying when
Loki tuned back in.

"And we cannot take the risk of not having it," Lord Aðalgrímr reiterated. "We have given
you many concessions on trade and communication to compensate for the loss in your ability
to leave Jötunheimr. Not to mention the fact you require the Casket of Ancient Winters for
your very survival."

"Am I correct in understanding the Casket is the providence of the íviðjur based on the fact
'tis an artefact created by Mother Winter and they are her chosen shamans?" Loki interrupted
before Gunnlöð-Lairde could reply.

"If you believe the myths," Laufey-King intoned, gaze and attention suddenly swinging to
Loki.

Oh, and was that not both interesting and telling at the same time.
Could Laufey's resistance to both having an íviðja child and any restrictions on the Casket
now not only be because the man craved power, but also because they simply did not believe
in Mother Winter at all?

It reminded Loki of what Lady Snotra had said of the jötnar communities on Álfheimr. How
they had fled Laufey-King's rule. Could that have been because of differences in how they
viewed Mother Winter and all the accompanying customs and rituals?

The slight wince which crossed his sibling's face also did not escape Loki's notice, and he
could not help but wonder what that meant. Was there a divide within the royal family
regarding whether or not they believed in Mother Winter? Given what he now knew of the
magical cores of Realms, he was no longer tempted to call it a religious divide, but in a lot of
ways 'twas similar and those had the possibility of becoming very nasty and messy indeed. It
could definitely create great fissures in the jötnar royal family, fissures which would be open
to exploitation.

Normally, Loki would be loath to poke at something so volatile in a new... ally, but Laufey
had left him out to die and any revenge he could garner for that would be greatly savored
indeed.

"Well, given that, perhaps we should let her decide who should wield it," Loki offered.

The wide-eyed look he received from Lord Aðalgrímr (likely only when the man had faced
away from the jötnar), told Loki how badly he had just startled and worried his own people.
What they did not know, though, was the history involved here, or the fact that he was
Mother Winter's chosen and always would be.

Loki may not yet understand all there was to know about his newfound heritage or his special
position within jötnar society, but there was no mistaking the way Mother Winter reacted to
him. Not to mention the recognition he had felt upon first connecting with her told him that,
on some level, they had already bonded when he had been only an infant. He had been left in
her temple, after all, and if he was her chosen and she had not wished for him to die, she
might have taken steps to prevent it.

"What, exactly, are you suggesting?" Gunnlöð-Lairde inquired when Laufey-King remained
silent.

His birth father had narrowed their eyes and was watching him closely, very closely. Was
Laufey starting to recognize him on some level, Loki wondered. He had not actually seen
himself in his jötunn form, so he did not know how closely his face at the moment mirrored
his... true one. A tactical oversight, he now realized, and he hoped it did not cost them dearly.
He had assumed the fact Laufey thought him dead would be enough to prevent his discovery,
but if he looked similar enough to his birth mother...

"Merely that I have been taking a closer look at the Casket of Ancient Winters and found the
original command which set it to the íviðjur," Loki explained, leaning back in his seat. "If
you say there is no current íviðja, I could trigger this command and see if it selects a new
master."
On some level, offering this alternative was a gamble as the jötnar did not know the Casket
would always choose him as he was the rightful guardian of it, but 'twas a calculated gamble.
He was almost certain Laufey would never allow it as the odds of them not gaining control of
the Casket were far too great, but it provided the man with a choice and forced them out of
their current stalemate.

"A new guardian might be able to overcome your restrictions," Gunnlöð-Lairde pointed out,
confused.

"Perhaps," Loki shrugged, ensuring he appeared to be supremely unconcerned with this

possibility. "I am more inclined to believe the Casket or Mother Winter, or whomever you
believe is in control, will be more concerned with ensuring Jötunheimr's survival than
whether or not you are able to leave your Realm, especially when Jötunheimr's magical core
is so damaged."

'Twas a similarity between them which Loki had not yet thought of, but 'twas rather striking
now he did. Who knew he would have such a commonality with his home Realm? 'Twas
something they both could have done without.

Gunnlöð-Lairde and Laufey-King exchanged a significant glance and leaned closer to

momentarily confer with each other.

"New function?" Lord Aðalgrímr questioned softly, leaning towards him.

"Hmm," Loki hummed, not taking his eyes off of the jötnar. "I only just discovered it. The
Casket guided me towards it."

"Do you think we can trust that?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired.

"I sense no malice from it for me. Indeed, the only negativity from it has all been aimed
towards Laufey-King," Loki replied.

"That is interesting," Lord Aðalgrímr stated. "If mayhap a little worrying. If it should not
perform for them when we give it back..."

"They will believe I am responsible for it, aye, I am aware," Loki replied. "However, I do not
think it will be a problem if Laufey-King intends to utilize it to restore Jötunheimr."

"I am rather more concerned with how 'tis responding to you, my King," Lord Ragnvaldr
declared, worry heavy in his voice.

"Me?" Loki questioned, surprised, turning to look at his advisor.

"Surely even with your heritage and seiðr, it should not be responding to you so strongly.
'Twas intended as a purely jötnar artefact after all. I simply worry at something so closely tied
to Jötunheimr's core responding so well to Ásgarðr's king."

"You fear it means to harm me," Loki realized, stunned.

He had not even considered the possibility as Loki knew the real reason why the Casket of
Ancient Winters reacted to, and obeyed, him. But, for someone who did not and who was
aware of the possibility of some level of sentience, no matter how limited, 'twas a very valid
concern. It showed just how close to the situation Loki was that the possibility had not even
occurred to him.

Well, that and 'twas proof he was overworked, overtired and severely injured.

"The thought had occurred to me," Lord Ragnvaldr admitted.

Loki was not quite certain what to make of that as he was unused to those outside of his
family worrying about his wellbeing on more than a superficial level as a prince of the
Realm.

How best to handle this without dismissing the advisor's concern outright?

"Remember what happened in the vault?" Loki asked, making Lord Ragnvaldr's face turn
even more grave.

"Aye."

"That was the Óðinnforce getting along better with the Casket than expected. It still is."

"And it would... know?" Lord Aðalgrímr checked.

"They are very similar in many ways."

"'Tis not necessarily as comforting as it might be," Lord Ragnvaldr stated, looking back
towards the jötnar briefly.

"I prefer to view it as a sign we could learn to get along as well," Loki replied, unable to
believe he was being the optimistic one.

He was generally viewed as the pessimist, though he had always seen it as being realistic.
Hopefully he was still being so at present, Ásgarðr definitely believed so, therefore he would
keep on his current track.

"Let us hope so," Lord Aðalgrímr said.

"So, restrictions on the ability to travel and utilizing the Casket of Ancient Winters as a
weapon," Gunnlöð-Lairde checked once they had returned their attention to the jötnar
delegation.

Clearly, Laufey did not wish to take the risk of not being deemed the Casket's rightful
guardian so publicly.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed.

The way it was asked, though, did make Loki wonder if there was some vital function he had
overlooked in restricting, but the Book of Silvern Seiðr had listed all of the Casket's abilities
and there was nothing else worrying on the list. Well, unless Laufey was hoping he would
miss one of the ways the Casket could be used as a weapon. He had not exactly specified
after all, nor had his birth father asked.

"Fine," Gunnlöð-Lairde stated.

"Do we have a treaty then?" Loki asked, not quite daring to hope.

"Pending no problems with the final wording, aye," Laufey-King declared clearly.

Relief and satisfaction rushed through Loki, though he knew this was by no means the end.

"Simply beware that any additional incursions of your people into Jötunheimr until such a
time as the treaty is signed will be viewed as an act of war and will be acted upon as such,"
Thrymr-General warned.

"There will be no such incidents," Loki promised, knowing he could trust Höðr to prevent
them if anyone else did take the notion into their heads.

"Shall we draw up the draft treaty and send it to you?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked.

Not only would it give them control over the initial wording and implications, but it would
allow Laufey to nitpick, which his birth father seemed to enjoy doing. Loki also wanted to
write the first draft as it would allow him to ensure 'twas written on the proper seiðr rich
parchment to ensure it could not be altered or tampered with after it was signed and sealed.

"That is acceptable," Gunnlöð-Lairde agreed. "Would you also deliver a response to Queen
Sága for us?"

"Of course," Loki replied, pleased they seemed to have decided to accept her offer. Now, for
him to extend his own show of good faith. "As soon as you have your reply ready, simply call
for Höðr and he will ensure either your missive or envoy is given passage to Álfheimr."

Quite predictably, General Týr's hand twitched slightly, and Loki did not need to ask to know
Höðr would have company in Himinbjörg until the jötnar's message had been delivered to
Álfheimr and back. He could understand the man's concern as 'twas allowing some jötnar into
Ásgarðr, but Höðr would see who and how many ahead of time and such a show of good
faith was essential if they were going to get to an actual signed, final treaty. Besides, if this
was going to result in anything similar to Ásgarðr's relationship with Vanaheimr today, then
they had to start opening the relationship more.

"Höðr," Laufey-King repeated, and Loki could feel his old guard's attention focused on them.
"Is it the name of your new gatekeeper?"

"Hmm," Loki agreed, suppressing a frown as he caught the look of confusion which crossed
his sibling's face while Laufey's eyes narrowed and Gunnlöð-Lairde tilted his head in
consideration.

Had he done something wrong?

"Heimdallr was removed from his post in part for allowing Thor and his party to travel to
Jötunheimr," Lord Aðalgrímr explained.

Not only would the jötnar learn the full story soon enough, but it helped to prove they took
what had happened seriously.

"Interesting you had two people with such a unique and handy talent," Thrymr-General
stated.

Loki gave the man a smile which was all teeth, knowing well the general was fishing, but it
would only prove his power to give them the truth. "We did not. Until five days ago, Höðr
was blind from an injury. I tore his current gift from Heimdallr when the old gatekeeper was
sentenced, and I gave it to Höðr."

Besides, hopefully knowing Ásgarðr's king could transfer the All-Sight gift at will might
make Höðr less of a target if it did ever come to war with any Realm. Not that his old guard
would not still be a target, his position made it impossible, but if 'twas known others could
fill it, then 'twas no longer such a big feat for them to kill the gatekeeper.

"We will call for him when we are ready to send Álfheimr a reply," Gunnlöð-Lairde stated.

"And we will send a draft of the treaty as soon as we have it ready," Lord Aðalgrímr
promised.

"How soon after the signing of the treaty could we expect the Casket of Ancient Winters to
be returned to us?"

"I would be happy to bring it along when we sign the treaty and hand it over as soon as that
has been done," Loki declared.

He wanted the damn treaty and a new, better peace between Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr. He saw
no need to keep playing pointless games. Not only would they be viewed as nothing but a
power play, but it would not help foster better relationships between them.

Not to mention now that Loki was so close to an official resolution to this whole war, he
wanted it all sorted as soon as possible lest Óðinn wake up and ruin his glory or be the one to
sign the official treaty and then gain the credit for it later. As soon as 'twas signed and
finished, his adoptive father could wake up and take back Hliðskjálf, he did not want it, but
first he wanted to prove he could do it and that he was worthy of his own respect and
recognition, even if he did not do everything the normal æsir way.

"We look forward to seeing the draft treaty then," Laufey-King intoned.

Oh, Loki was certain his birth father was. Just as he was certain the man would have the
Casket of Ancient Winters examined by whatever seiðr experts Laufey had in order to try to
undo the restrictions Loki had placed upon it. But that was alright as he knew they would
never be able to succeed. The Book of Silvern Seiðr had been quite clear on the fact that only
Mother Winter superseded an íviðja's claim and power over the Casket, and she was clearly
on his side on this.
"Will there be others to witness the treaty signing?" Helblindi-Princex suddenly asked,
almost eagerly.

'Twas an interesting question and one Loki had not given much thought to, having been far
too focused on making it through the negotiations in the first place. But large treaties of this
nature which would affect all of the Nine were oft witnessed by representatives of the other
Realms, or those who elected to send them.

Loki shared a quick glance with both Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr. The last jötnar-æsir
treaty had not had this ritual, but given the nature of the treaty 'twas not terribly surprising.
This treaty was different, though, and was meant to reintroduce Jötunheimr to the rest of the
Nine.

"I am happy to send out invitations to the other Realms," Loki replied, not wanting to speak
for who might or might not respond and send a representative.

"Thank you!" Helblindi-Princex exclaimed, clearly excited.

"You must excuse my child, they has never met any not of jötnar heritage other than
yourselves," Laufey-King said.

'Twas far more polite than Loki had expected from his birth father given they were the reason
why Helblindi-Princex lacked this experience.

"'Tis fine," Loki replied, before he looked at his sibling. "One piece of advice, if a ljósálfr
shows up, do not comment on their ears."

There was a quick bark of laughter from Lord Aðalgrímr before his old mentor caught
himself, though 'twas still quite clear the man was amused at the memory.

"They do not like it?" Helblindi-Princex asked, confused.

"Nay, nay, they do not take offense, but it will launch them into a whole, long lecture on all of
the differences of ljósálfar society based on the different cultural norms they believe stem
from their ears," Loki explained, still well able to recall how he had needed rescuing after he
had made that particular mistake.

"But what if I am interested in it?"

"For hours on end?" Gunnlöð-Lairde inquired.

"Oh."

"Exactly," Loki confirmed with a genuine smile.

"You did this?" Helblindi-Princex asked, seemingly surprised.

"King Loki was but a wee, little one at the time," Lord Ragnvaldr told him.
Loki scowled at the advisor. "As I recall, you could have sprung me from that particular
conversation far earlier than Lord Aðalgrímr did."

"Ah, but would you have learned from it?"

What Lord Ragnvaldr was quite diplomatically not saying was how he had been warned
beforehand to be careful what he said but, in his youthful arrogance, Loki had thought he
knew better than his tutors. It had been a painful two hours learning better, though it had
given him the first hints of how erogenous ljósálfar ears were, so it had not all been wasted.

"Ah, King Loki learns best like my children do then," Laufey-King commented with humor.

Rage flashed through Loki so hard and fast 'twas only his long experience at diplomacy and
tricks which allowed him to mask almost all of it. He was unable to prevent the way he
clutched his hand around Gungnir, which he had reached for earlier in preparation to rise.

How dare Laufey make such comments?

Of course, Helblindi, Býleistr and he were similar in certain ways, they were siblings and
ones by blood too! Rather than him and Thor who had preciously little in common at times.
Instead of allowing himself to dwell on it and do something stupid as Loptr had already
proven he was prone to while emotional with a fractured core, Loki focused on his younger
sibling and smiled at them.

"It might be painful or tedious at times, but the end result is acceptable," Loki told them,
garnering a grin in return he had to fight off a shudder from.

Did he too have fangs like those?

The self-disgust caused a familiar rending pain deep within him and, a moment later, Loki
was thankful he was seated as this time as 'twas accompanied by a wave of dizziness and
nausea. A quick check showed that aye, over half of his core was now fully shredded and in
tatters, mutilated beyond recognition almost. 'Twas actually uncomfortably close to three
quarters and Loki knew he would no longer be able to do all that he normally could with his
seiðr anymore, so he would need to be careful. Both so as to avoid embarrassing himself, but
also to keep from arousing Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's suspicions. The man was eagle
eyed and would probably notice and question why feats of seiðr which had appeared so easy
as to be thoughtless only a few days ago, now seemed either impossible or very difficult.

While Loki was certain he would be able to come up with some reasonable sounding excuse,
he was not entirely certain he would be able to successfully deceive Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr for very long. The man had simply spent far too much time with him lately and
spent nearly every waking moment observing him and his surroundings.

Besides, the far greater danger lay in how close his core was to snapping entirely. If that
occurred, then madness was the best Loki would be able to hope for. An entirely
unacceptable outcome, though preferable to death, of course.
Chapter End Notes

Being an advisor to Loki is a bit stressful at times as he just can't help himself. To be fair
to Loki, it was only a little mischief at lunch and could have been faaaaaaar worse! 😂

During the meeting, though...

Finally, for those of you who read all the comments left on this fic know, there has been
some discussion of how Mjölnir might get back to Thor should he prove his worth while
on Ásgarðr. ijouno has done a hilarious illustration of a potential scene between Loki
and Thor on how that particular conversation (& its consequences) might go. You can
see it here.

Old Norse:

ljósálfar - "light elves" - ljósálfr is the singular

Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: In-person negotiation wrap-up & Thor learns of his grandmother's
species...
 Chapter 41
Chapter Notes

Skirting in quite close to the end of the week, but it's been a bit hectic!

Thanks for all of your continued comments and kudos, I love them all and will reply
eventually, I promise!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The moment the jötnar delegation left the hall, Loki slumped back in his chair, falling into a
sprawl rather than the more regal pose he had been keeping to for the talks.

"By the Norns, I cannot believe it," General Týr exclaimed. "We have all of the makings of a
peace treaty!"

The words made Loki laugh and he rolled his head to look at Lord Aðalgrímr. "Do you wish
to tell him, or should I?" he asked.

"Tell me what?" General Týr demanded, looking worried.

"How long the process can still take," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "Simply because we have a
verbal agreement and confirmation does not mean everything will go smoothly, or quickly,
from here on out."

"But we have agreed on all of the terms and details!"

"Tentatively and over several days, Laufey-King may decide to change his mind when he
sees everything together in one document."

"I hate politics," General Týr muttered as he dropped his head into his hand.

Loki snorted. "I suppose we have to get up now?"

"Not necessarily," Lord Aðalgrímr said. "You are king. If you decide to stay here for a few
hours, no one will say anything."

Well, at least not to his face anyway. Loki had overheard enough whispered comments and
criticisms of his father over the centuries to think 'twas not happening now as well.

"I fear if I do not do so now, it may well be more than a few hours," Loki stated. "And 'tis not
nearly warm enough here for that."

"Hel nay!" General Týr agreed, pushing himself to his feet. "What time is the trial
tomorrow?"
"Late morning," Loki replied as he too rose to his feet, pleased to find the dizziness had
passed.

"Not rising early if you do not need to?" Lord Aðalgrímr teased while Loki moved to take the
Casket of Ancient Winters after handing Gungnir to General Týr.

"Nay," Loki agreed, seeing no point in denying it.

His old mentor would recall his habits well enough from before.

"Shall I commence drafting missives to all of the Nine but for Miðgarðr regarding the treaty,
so they are ready to be sent once we know when the signing ceremony will be?" Lord
Aðalgrímr asked as they left the hall and made for the Bifröst site.

"Hmm, it will give them as much time as possible to select representatives if they wish to do
so," Loki agreed. "Who do you expect will send one?"

"Vanaheimr and Álfheimr for certain, Niðavellir is also very likely-"

"If for nothing else then to ensure it actually happens and is not a ploy on our part to make
our need for weapons and armor seem less urgent," General Týr interrupted.

A very good point.

"What of Múspellsheimr?" Loki asked.

Lord Aðalgrímr hesitated. "Normally I would be inclined to say nay, but given their... special
relationship with Jötunheimr, I am uncertain."

"Not to mention their current tension if Huginn and Muninn are correct," General Týr added.

Loki sighed. Aye, he had almost forgotten about those reports.

"That might make it all the more important to invite them," Lord Aðalgrímr stated. "So they
can see our success and realize we are not as..."

"Desperate? Weak?" Loki offered, knowing his old mentor might be hesitant to use the
words.

"As you say. This is a victory to flaunt, not hide away."

Loki bit back the impulse to snark that he had not been the one to hide away his victories and
achievements.

"Will you need to make any adjustments to the Casket in order to meet the terms of the
treaty?" General Týr asked.

"Only a few minor adjustments," Loki replied, and then continued before the man could ask.
"I will not be in the vault alone when I do so."
"Thank you, Majesty."

The desire to roll his eyes was great, but Loki suppressed it. Any irritation Loki felt was
short-lived as Mother Winter's joy and relief at the tentative agreement to a treaty were highly
infectious and 'twas all Loki could do not to vibrate with it all himself. He tried batting at her
in annoyance, but she merely purred and rolled with it making Loki want to moan in despair.
Between her and Ásgarðr, he saw a disgusting amount of unnatural cheerfulness in his future.

Mother was going to love it.

Caught deep in the miasmic currents of Ásgarðr, the Yggdrasill and his own seiðr, Óðinn
relaxed a fraction. The verbal confirmation of a peace treaty allowing him to release some of
the tension he had felt since collapsing in the vault.

With it went his ability to force himself partially awake, but also what kept him from slipping
into a more normal sleep.

Thor motioned for his guard to remain outside as he reached the king's study. After he had
finished his task of checking over Lord Óðr's work, he had offered to bring all of the
parchments to Loki's study.

The fact he had done it only partially to aid his uncle made Thor feel bad, but he knew Loki
would approve of the slight deception, so he tried not to feel too bad about it. Now he was in
the study, though, leaning back against the closed door, Thor felt another flush of guilt. While
Father had only ever restricted access to his study for both him and Loki on a small handful
of occasions, it did raise the possibility of his brother not wanting him in here for official
reasons. But Thor was familiar enough with Loki's wards to know that if his brother truly
wished for him, or anyone else, not to be in here, then they would not have a hope of gaining
entrance.

A quick glance around the chamber and Thor was already laughing. For all that Loki was far
more organized and better turned out than him, his brother never failed to make a complete
and utter mess of his living or work areas. They almost never failed to be anything other than
pure chaos, something Thor had oft teased his brother about to both of their amusement. Or at
least it used to have been so. Thor's smile slipped and faded as he recalled a few incidents
with his friends when his brother had not laughed. In fact, the look Loki had thrown him the
last time tore at Thor's heart now, though he had not thought much of it at the time. But
looking back at it now, he realized it had been the last time Loki's area of their camp had been
anything other than strictly and rigidly organized. Like his brother's work or living areas
when Loki expected company or otherwise felt he had to hide himself for the sake of
appearances.

The realization was like a sword pommel to the gut.

Loki had felt unable to be himself around him and his friends?
The mere idea he had helped make his little brother feel like he had to hide himself away
made Thor feel ill.

Part of him wanted to rail and demand why Loki had not said anything to him, but Thor
already knew the answer. After all, how often had his brother once come to him with some
concern about his friends which Thor had brushed off as nothing more than petty jealousy? It
made him ache to think of now, and how had he never seen the growing distance between
them?

Precisely how long had it been since he had simply sought out Loki merely for the pleasure
of being in his company? To do nothing more than to tease and pester until he had his
brother's full attention, so he could bask in being at the center of that sharp intelligence which
never failed to amuse and entertain Thor? If he could not immediately think of the last such
occasion, then it had clearly been far too long and he could not believe he had not noticed or
felt its loss. He could easily think of thousands of instances when it had been just the two of
them and he had never wished for anything more.

So when had it started to change? When he had gained his friends? Or had the process
commenced before that, when Loki had begun to devote more time to his seiðr studies? Thor
could definitely remember being left at odds after his brother had spurned an invitation to go
hunting. Or to go sparring. Or to travel to another Realm to gain glory fighting off some
beast.

Thor's mood soured as he thought of all the times Loki had not wanted to be with him and he
could now recall meeting first Fandral, and then the others, when he had sought alternative
companions for his endeavors. So 'twas not like his brother could complain that he had not
attempted to spend time with him. Thor had, it had been Loki who had declined all of his
offers. What more could he have done?

Still, the distance bothered Thor now he had noticed it and he resolved to try to bridge it once
more. Loki was his brother and the mere thought of what Heimdallr had nearly done was
more than enough to remind Thor of exactly how much he loved his little brother.

"Even if you do make a literal mess of things," Thor muttered fondly as he looked from the
desk to the table before the sofas.

Father would have a conniption at the chaotic state, but Thor had no doubt Loki knew exactly
where everything he needed was. Which left Thor with the question of where to leave the
King's Funds parchments. Approaching the desk, Thor confirmed that, nay, there did not
appear to be enough room free to put them in a separate pile. Rather than moving anything
and risking his brother's ire (he had made that mistake before!), he elected to place it all on
top of the book which lay open to the left of Loki's chair.

Loki's chair.

It felt strange to Thor how quickly he could call it thus. For all of his life it had been Father's
chair, and just a few days ago he had been preparing for it to become his chair. So for him to
now so easily think of it as his brother's, well it probably helped he had seen Loki using it.
Plus the desk was so clearly his brother's right now, Thor supposed it helped too.
Still...

It irked on some level and Thor sat down in the chair in a fit of rebelliousness. After all, 'twas
not like he was sitting on Hliðskjálf or being observed. At least he hoped he was not as Höðr
probably would tell Loki.

The thought was enough to make Thor think of rising before he paused, his eyes having
fallen on the parchments strewn immediately in front of him.

Was that a farming report? And that one on trade? Why by the Nine was Loki dealing with
such mundane issues when he had peace talks to negotiate and a trial to hold? Surely all of
these other matters could wait until there were no more pressing matters to see to. Or more
interesting ones. 'Twas not like a delay would do the farmers any harm and 'twas good to
keep a few reminders of the structure of society. He had noticed the farmers often became
quite vocal when it came time for the budget, complaining at how much the warriors
received. If they wished for that share of funding, they should have become warriors, nothing
was more important than Ásgarðr's defense!

A quick glance at the rest of the parchments and tomes on the desk revealed they fell into
three categories; mundane aspects revolving around Ásgarðr's governance, items pertaining
to Jötunheimr, and what seemed to be reports on the rest of the Nine. Thor could understand
the latter and he was pleased to see information on Ásgarðr's army and preparedness among
the documents pertaining to Jötunheimr, but what he found odd was the preponderance of
information on the jötnar. Aye, he knew Loki had to prepare for the negotiations, but this
seemed to be far more than that. It was...

Thor pulled the book in question closer to check that, aye, it seemed to be on jötnar biology.
Why would his brother care about their physiology? How could it affect what Loki had to
do? Was it-

Hermaphrodites?!

That meant they were... right? Aye, a quick look down proved it meant exactly what he
thought it did.

It...

Thor tried to think of any of the jötnar he had seen as bearing a child, but he could not. Nay,
surely it would only be the submissive partner who would do so regardless of the fact all of
them could do it. Aye, that made far more sense. He nearly chortled at the thought of Laufey
pregnant. That would be the day!

It did explain why he had not seen any female jötnar, though. Not that Thor had ever wanted
to anyway, as he was certain they would be just as unsightly as the males, but it still
explained the lack of sightings. Involuntarily, he wondered at how they fed their young then
and, almost as if by chance, the word breasts leapt off the page and Thor could not stop
himself from reading the answer with growing horror.

He had never been so pleased to be æsir his whole life!

The thought made Thor wonder who had bothered to learn enough about the monsters to
write this book and he flipped to the cover, even as he heard the study door open.

Best- Grandmother?

Thor could only look at the cover in shock. Why had his grandmother written a book on the
jötnar? Had she actually gone to Jötunheimr for some reason? But who would want to go
there?

"Thor?"

It took a moment to realize his name had been said, but, when he did, Thor looked up to see
his brother walking towards the desk, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"I... why did Grandmother write a book on the jötnar?" Thor asked.

"Ah, aye, that," Loki said, pausing before he turned and moved towards the sofas. "Come
over here."

"Why are you avoiding the question?"

"Come ov-"

"Loki."

"Thor," his brother replied, eyes flashing to him as Loki seated himself. "Come here."

Thor frowned, before he suddenly recalled where they were and precisely what seat he had
taken.

Oh.

'Twas not the first time he had sat here, nor had Loki's coronation marked the first time his
brother had sat at this desk. They had both used the seat to scribble missives to Father when
the man was not around, but Thor did not need to be told why this could be viewed
differently.

"Sorry," Thor said, rising to his feet and moving to join his brother.

Loki waved it off and waited for him before giving him a tight smile. "Father and Uncles Vili
and Vé neglected to tell us something while growing up."

"Huh?"

"About Bestla."

"Oh, what?"

Loki hesitated and it made Thor nervous. His little brother normally seemed to almost relish
giving bad news to people. 'Twas a trait Thor himself had never quite understood.
"Loki," Thor implored.

"Bestla was jötunn."

Thor blinked, not quite certain what he had just heard. Had his brother truly said what he
thought Loki had?

Nay, it could not be.

"'Tis not funny, Loki," Thor scowled.

"'Twas not meant to be," Loki replied. "I was dead serious."

"Bestla was not jötunn!"

"Aye, she was."

"Grandfather would not have married a frost giant!" Thor declared, rising to his feet and
beginning to pace.

It could not be true! It would mean that Father was-

Nay!

"Thor!" Loki scolded. "Jötunn or jötnar, not frost giant."

"What do you care anyway?" Thor demanded, turning to glare at his brother. "Why this
newfound love for the frost giants?"

Because he was watching his little brother, Thor caught the way Loki flinched. 'Twas minute,
most of his brother's true reactions these days were, but 'twas definitely there and it confused
Thor.

Why would his words bother his brother so much?

"'Tis not about love, Thor, but basic good manners," Loki snapped back before Thor could
question it. "Besides, do you realize how much damage you of all people could do
diplomatically by using such a slur?"

Of course Loki would think of that. Did his brother not realize all of the other implications of
this?

"But... how?" Thor asked. "And if... Bestla was, then..."

"Then what? We both have jötnar blood? Aye, Thor, we do," Loki stated. "Does that make
you hate yourself? Hate Father?"

"What? Nay! I simply... cannot believe it. Why did Grandfather..."

"Marry Bestla? Love, I suppose, though it could have been an arranged marriage, I do not
know."
Thor could not understand how his brother could be so calm about all of this, seeming to
shrug it off without a care in the world. This was their family!

Their very species and blood.

Speaking of which, Thor had to sit down again as another thought occurred to him.

"I cannot believe Father is half jötunn," Thor said dumbly.

"'Twas a surprise," Loki admitted.

"You have a gift for understatement, Brother," Thor snorted. "It will take some adjusting to,
knowing Father is half jötunn. Though it does explain why his temper can be so foul."

His laughter died almost unvoiced as, instead of joining in his mirth, Loki actually flinched
as if hit.

"Loki?" Thor asked, leaning closer to his brother.

"I... Father is not the only one with jötunn blood, Thor."

Ah, aye, of course. Loki was worried about what it meant for them.

"We are only a quarter jötunn, I am certain the effects are diluted by the æsir blood we
possess," Thor reassured his brother.

"Vanir."

"What?"

His brother's frown gave nothing away when Thor glanced over at Loki. 'Twas rather odd.

"The word you are looking for is vanir, Thor," Loki explained. "You are more vanir than
either æsir or jötnar, which you are in equal parts."

His first impulse was to protest that, but the words died on Thor's lips as he realized that, of
course, 'twas true. Mother was vanir. But that meant he was only a quarter áss.

It...

Thor felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under him. He had always thought of himself
as áss; æsir. So to find out he really was not... 'twas truly disturbing.

"When did you find out?" Thor finally asked, rubbing his hands over his face before he
looked back at his brother.

"The first night," Loki replied. "Grandmother's was the first book I looked at."

"Norns, so you had your whole sense of self upended right after losing me and Father
collapsing on you!" Thor realized.
The look which crossed Loki's face at the words worried Thor even before his brother threw
his head back and laughed. But 'twas not a pleasant sound, instead 'twas an awful sound, and
he cringed away from it instinctively. Or at least he wanted to, but Thor was far too worried
about his brother to fully do so.

"Loki?" he asked worriedly, glancing over at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr.

The man seemed as perplexed as Thor, so he moved closer and reached out to touch his
brother's shoulder. The look Loki gave him did nothing to comfort him. Wanting to pull his
brother closer, to muffle that horrible sound if nothing else, he reached up and plucked Loki's
new cow horns off. He glanced at the piece briefly, liking the new style, before he deposited
it on the parchment strewn table.

Before he could turn back and pull his brother close, Loki had already dropped his head onto
his shoulder. Thor raised his hand and placed it at his brother's neck even as he tilted his head
so he could rest his cheek against Loki's head. The horrible laughter had died down but Loki
was still breathing oddly, taking in sharp, almost gasping breaths. His brother's hands were
also fisted in his clothes in a way which reminded Thor far too much of how Loki would
come to him in tears when they were very young, clearly upset about something.

'Twas all the more unnerving now as Thor did not know what to do to make it better. Loki
was normally the calm one, always in control of himself.

"Loki?" Thor tried again.

Though his brother did not respond verbally, Loki made that odd humming sound deep in his
throat which Thor had never quite been able to replicate, though he had tried as a child. He
tightened his fingers on the back of Loki's neck in response.

Any anger Thor had felt earlier at some of the choices his brother had made about the
allocation of the King's Funds had vanished. He also started to feel the first stirrings of anger
at his friends. They were partially responsible for this; for all of the stress and pressure which
Loki now faced. Though he still did not want to doubt their intentions, he was starting to
resent the fact they had simply assumed his brother would fail or handle things ill. Aye, he
would admit to himself he had his own doubts, in the beginning, but he was proud of the fact
he had refused to act when they had urged him to. He had enough to regret and make up for
as 'twas, he did not need what would no doubt have seemed like an attempt to usurp
Hliðskjálf on top of everything else.

"I am sorry," Thor finally whispered, unable to keep it all in.

This was all his fault. He had been the one to insist they go to Jötunheimr despite his
brother's protests for him not to. He had been the one who had thrown aggressive words at
Laufey and then his hammer at that jötunn. If he had not done all of that, then Loki would not
be in the position he was now.

"Sorry?" Loki asked, the words muffled against his clothing.

"Aye," Thor said. "For not listening to you about not going to Jötunheimr. For starting this
war."

His brother took a deep breath before pulling back. Part of Thor wanted to resist the
movement and keep Loki close, but he reluctantly let his brother go. Because he had moved
so close earlier, though, they were still very near with little space between them.

Loki used the opportunity to peer closely at him. "You mean it," his brother finally said.

"Aye, of course," Thor replied, confused. "Why would I not be honest?"

"Besides the fact you hardly ever apologize and I have now had two in rapid succession?
How about the fact you have always wanted to go to war with the jötnar?"

Thor laughed before he could stop himself at the memory which immediately surfaced. Loki's
reminder of his old words in this very chamber recently had brought it all back to him more
than once lately. Despite the current situation, he could not help but look back on that
situation fondly. It had been quite an exciting day and the exhilaration of it had caused him
and Loki to go romping about afterwards, resulting in Mother reprimanding them for being
far too raucous and rambunctious.

Loki's face now, though, quickly sobered Thor.

"Sorry, I was only remembering what we did after on that day, while playing."

It at least served to make his brother smile, and Thor felt victorious at achieving that at least.

Could he now turn it into a laugh?

"Do we have to go to the High Council meeting today?" Thor asked. "We could simply skip
it."

His brother laughed. Victory.

"Nay, Thor, the king cannot skip the meeting."

"Pity, I was hoping to repeat the kitchen raid we did that one time."

"When Father tanned our hides?"

Now Thor laughed. "Aye, but he is asleep right now."

"And, what, you do not think I could step in to match?"

Thor could tell from Loki's tone his brother was teasing, so he rose to the challenge, leaning
back enough to properly appraise Loki before raising an unimpressed eyebrow. Right on cue,
his brother flared his hand, making green seiðr spark along his long fingers.

The familiarity and comfort of the routine served to make Thor feel better. Right up until
Loki opened his mouth anyway.
"Not that I would need seiðr at the moment, not with the condition you are in."

"You could not help but ruin it," Thor protested with a scowl.

"I am sorry, did you expect me to fight fair?"

'Twas a familiar retort and part of another exchange they had countless times before, but now,
suddenly, Thor was aware of the bitterness coloring Loki's words.

Had it always been there?

"But why do we need the meeting today? Why can we not have it tomorrow?" Thor asked,
instead.

"Because there is too much to do, and we have the trial tomorrow as well," Loki replied,
watching him as he reached for his cow horns.

Thor winced at the reminder of his friends' predicament and, while the urge to argue with his
brother about the trial rose up within him, the way Loki had been clutching at him earlier
made him pause and think for a moment.

"Do you know what you will do with them?" Thor finally asked instead, trying to be neutral.

He knew he would not be able to keep quiet if his brother was thinking of executing them.

"You mean if they have no good excuse for their actions?" Loki asked.

"Even Father does not hold trials lightly and you would be even less inclined to do so," Thor
retorted, giving his brother a look.

Loki met his eyes head on. "I will listen."

"I did not say you would not."

"I have an idea which I have run past Lord Ragnvaldr and he seems to like it, though he has
warned me not executing any of the... those who have committed treason could be viewed as
a weakness."

Both Loki's near slip and the words themselves made Thor wince. He could understand the
sentiment and he knew himself well enough to know that if he did not know Lady Sif and the
Warriors Three so well, he might agree with it. The realization and thought pained him. It
also forcibly reminded him of one of the warnings Father had given him during one of their
many sessions together.

"There will be times, my son, where you will have no good options available to you. Where no
matter what you do, you will be condemned or criticized by someone for your actions."

Thor could honestly say he had not fully understood the implication of those words until now.

He found he did not envy Loki his position all of a sudden.

 "Imprisonment, then?" Thor asked quietly as they rose.

"Not entirely," Loki replied. "They will still be of service to Ásgarðr, though I doubt they will
view it as such."

With those cryptic words, his brother donned his horns and moved away, leaving Thor to
ponder their meaning with a light degree of hope. Surely the ability to leave the dungeons
would be welcomed by his friends.

Chapter End Notes

Did you catch that I recycled a line or two from the movie? I quite like doing that,
especially when I can twist it around to have a bit of a different meaning or connotation
from in canon. Or to be said to the person who originally uttered it 😊

And poor Thor, he can be a bit naïve at times. Thinking it was entirely his decision to go
to Jötunheimr, or that his friends might like what Loki has in mind. I do so love writing
from alternative povs sometimes, as they can be so very different from Loki's!

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur

Up next week: The ignition of the Yggdrasill...

 Chapter 42
Chapter Notes

The ignition of the Yggdrasill!

Anyone have any guesses as to what that means before we begin? :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

As they walked towards Glaðsheimr, Loki tried to pull himself together sufficiently in order
to be able to make it through the meeting.

There would be dinner afterwards, but Lady Borgunna had caught him earlier to inform him
the entertainment would actually be the renown skáld, Lord Bragi, who was gracing Iðavöllr
with his presence in a surprise visit.

So, not only would he not have to worry about avoiding any of the ladies who wished to
dance with him, but Loki was actually looking forward to the evening as he would be able to
speak with Lord Bragi. Lady Borgunna had wished to check if he desired to honor the skáld
with a spot of honor at the high table. He had immediately accepted and ensured she would
give Lord Bragi every courtesy of an honored guest on Ásgarðr.

Now all he had to do was actually make it to dinner.

Easier said than done.

Thor's earlier comment of having had his whole life turned upside down still rang far too
true, even if all the oaf had meant was discovering he was part jötunn. How would his
brother deal with learning Loki was fully jötunn?

The other things Thor had raised...

Loki shoved it aside, feeling both his core and sanity start to slip.

"How did the negotiations go?" Thor asked.

"Good," Loki said, leaping on the opportunity to think of something positive.

It helped that Mother Winter was still abuzz with delight and joy, which were clearly
infecting Ásgarðr as both of them were giddy and excited. Helpfully, they had quieted down
earlier when he had so very nearly lost control of his emotions. But now he seemed receptive
to more positive emotions they came flooding back in, bolstering his ever-fraying core as best
they could.
"We are actually at the point of writing the treaty," Loki said.

"'Tis agreed?" Thor asked in surprise.

"Verbally," Loki cautioned. "We still need to see if it will hold once we have everything
written down."

"And there are always arguments as to the wording," Thor recalled, shoulders drooping.

It made Loki smile as 'twas so like his brother. "Aye, but that we managed to come this far
has me very hopeful."

"As it should. Father has spoken often enough of the difficulties of working with Laufey on
anything for even me to know how big of an achievement this is."

The words warmed Loki and he was not quite certain how to react. He could not recall the
last time his brother had spoken so highly of him.

"Let us now hope it does not fall through," Loki said instead.

"What would be the point? The time spent in negotiation has allowed us to prepare as much
as it has Jötunheimr, so it does not even make sense as a diversionary tactic," Thor countered.

"True."

There was a faint twitch and ripple of seiðr as they entered Glaðsheimr, and Loki gave a
small frown as he looked around. Nothing seemed amiss. He was on the cusp of dismissing it
when he felt it again, only slightly stronger this time and more familiar.

Loptr.

As unobtrusively as possible, Loki reached up to touch the obsidian amulet even as he tried
to work out what Loptr might be hoping to achieve.

He did not think 'twas an attempt to reach out and speak with him as it... felt different from
before. Fainter and far more distant. 'Twas why he had not recognized his own seiðr at first.
In fact, even now 'twas extremely faint, almost beneath even his notice.

So, nay, Loki did not think 'twas an attempt to converse with him. Then what was it?

A final goodbye?

The possibility unsettled Loki deeply and all of his earlier thoughts of his twin's demise came
back to him. Sentiment. He tried to push it aside as there was naught he could do about it and
his current condition was... fragile enough without another emotional shock in addition to
everything else.

"I hear congratulations are in order," Uncle Vili said when the man caught sight of them.

"We are not entirely there just yet," Loki cautioned.

"Oh, I know that, but seeing as we never thought before we would ever come this far, 'tis well
worth recognizing nevertheless."

Never thought? Had they doubted him and his abilities?

"'Tis one of the reasons why Óðinn put it all off for so long," Uncle Vé added, perhaps due to
Loki's confused expression. "He feared we would commence the process only for it all to fall
apart long before there was even a verbal agreement in place."

"Oh," Loki said.

That was...

Pride and delight welled up within Loki alongside a deep sense of satisfaction. If nothing
else, he had already accomplished that and the whole of the High Council knew of it.

Loki sought out Lord Aðalgrímr with his eyes and tipped his head towards him. "Well, we
did have some very persuasive leverage, did we not?"

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr agreed. "But we would not have dared use it without the restrictions
you placed upon it."

Also true, and Loki was not going to deny it. Not when his accomplishments in general, and
those with seiðr in particular, were normally overlooked or swept aside as if they were
nothing.

"I have warned Lady Borgunna we will most likely wish to hold a celebratory feast about a
week hence," Lord Ragnvaldr said as they all began to seat themselves.

Hopefully an aversion of war would be viewed as celebratory by most, though Loki was now
well aware not nearly as many people as he had always thought actually wanted a war.

"I have instructed Lord Birgir to stall the negotiations with Niðavellir as much as possible,"
Lord Aðalgrímr added. "It should not be terribly difficult as they are still finishing up the
celebratory sessions and are on the part where the different regions display their wares and
boast of their skills and specialties."

Loki's lips twitched as he thought of exactly how easy it would be to draw those out. Even
the slightest hint of criticism or praise for any one area would motivate the others to prove
their worth even more, lengthening the whole process considerably. Normally it would be
exhausting as the dökkálfar had very sensitive egos, but for once it could be used to their
advantage. Besides, Loki truly liked the idea of their egos losing them this commission. It
would serve them right.

A rush of... electricity almost, flared through him unexpectedly, causing Loki to rush in a
sharp breath and shudder once, violently.

What was that?

"Loki?" Uncle Vili demanded, sharply. "Are you alright?"

"I..." Loki began, tilting his head sideways and trying to determine what that had been.

It had felt like one of the little shocks Thor had used to give off, before his brother had found
some measure of control over his gift. But where had it come from now?

Ásgarðr and Mother Winter both seemed to recognize it as neither was particularly
concerned, though Ásgarðr seemed slightly worried and was attempting to cradle him in her
power; protectively. He allowed it for now.

"Brother?" Thor questioned, worriedly.

"I do not know," Loki admitted with a frown. "I... felt something, but I am not certain what."

"Felt?" General Týr inquired. "You mean seiðr?"

"Aye."

Then the feeling was back, stronger than before, only this time Loki recognized it. 'Twas the
Yggdrasill. 'Twas a severely diluted version of what he felt when he allowed himself to
meditate and almost sink into the World Tree's seiðr when resting in her boughs.

"Oh," Loki said right as he could start to hear snatches of the Yggdrasill's song.

"Loki-" Thor began.

"What is that?" Uncle Vé interrupted, glancing around. "Where is it coming from?"

Loki's eyes snapped to his uncle, the look of wonder and confusion on Vé's face telling him
all he needed to know.

His uncle could hear it too. Which meant...

Loptr.

Excitement rose sharp and swift within Loki at the realization. His future self had found a
way to do it.

To ignite the Yggdrasill.

Delight and anticipation shot through Loki. The reactions of both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter
tempered down on any fear he might have felt, allowing his natural curiosity to rise up
instead. A part of him had been envious of Loptr for being able to have the chance to attempt
to do this. So the fact he might be able to experience the consequences? He was not giving
that up.

"What is what, Prince Vé?" Lord Óðr questioned.

"That... music."

"What music?"
"You cannot hear it?"

"Nay, Brother," Uncle Vili confirmed.

"'Tis the Yggdrasill," Loki stated. "I can hear it too."

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr was beside him in a flash, not that Loki could say whether the
man had already been approaching him or not.

"The Yggdrasill, like when a portal is nearby?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr demanded.

Oh, of course, the possibility would greatly concern his guards.

"Nay, 'tis different," Loki hurried to reassure. "'Tis hard to explain, but the other signs are
absent."

There was another burst of electricity and this time Uncle Vé yelped, jumping to his feet.
Shock briefly flitted across his uncle's features before they became serene once more.

"Oh," Uncle Vé whispered, before collapsing.

"Brother!" Uncle Vili exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

Luckily for Uncle Vé, one of the Einherjar who had been approaching the table was able to
grab one of his arms, so his head did not hit the marble floor.

Loki rose to his own feet as the music grew louder and there was another snap of power in
the air around him. Both Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and General Týr were instantly at his
side and Loki had to fight the urge to flinch back. Thor had also risen but seemed torn
between approaching him or helping Uncle Vili check over Uncle Vé.

"Majesty, how are you feeling?" General Týr asked, hand twitching out as if the man wished
to take hold of Loki's arm.

"Brother?" Uncle Vili demanded, shaking Vé before turning to look at Loki. "What happened
to him?"

"He was overwhelmed," Loki said, seeing how Ásgarðr sought to keep him from the full
extent of power rushing through the World Tree just now.

He was starting to understand why 'twas called igniting the Yggdrasill.

"Is it an attack?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr demanded. "How do we stop it?"

"I do not think 'tis an attack. Not unless someone has found a way to affect the Yggdrasill
itself," Loki replied.

"Norns, I hope not!"

"Hmm," Loki hummed, before a new thought occurred to him as a guard was sent to fetch a
healer. "Thor," he exclaimed. "Mother!"

His brother's head whipped around. "What?"

"Any seiðberandi will be able to feel this. If Mother is not with Father right now..."

His brother's eyes grew wide but, rather than rush off to tend to her, Thor hesitated, looking
from the door to him.

"Brother," Thor said, clearly torn.

Loki rolled his eyes. "I will be fine and I know what is going on. If Mother has collapsed, her
guard will not."

That finally seemed to convince his brother and Thor left. His concern did touch Loki and he
tried not to linger on it, but all of the seiðr assembling in the air made it hard. His emotions
did always become more volatile when he used his seiðr, which probably helped to explain
why Loptr had gone mad so fast.

"General," Loki said, turning to Týr. "I am uncertain whether this wi-"

Loki cut off with a gasp as another surge of seiðr shot through the Yggdrasill, rocking him
back on his heels. Almost immediately there were steadying hands on his back and arm, and
he did not even have to look to know they were Yngvarr's.

"Are you certain there is nothing we can do, my King?" the lieutenant-general demanded
urgently.

Loki merely nodded, eyes still on General Týr. "As I was saying, I am uncertain whether this
will affect Höðr, but, if not, he should be able to inform us how the seiðberandi in other
Realms are faring."

"I can go," Lord Óðr offered when Týr hesitated.

Though the threat was 'magical' in nature, 'twas clear both Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and
General Týr were wary of dispersing his personal guard too much.

Loki left the decision up to them as he allowed his eyes to become half lidded as he sought to
focus on the seiðr itself. Perhaps he could...

"Loki, is it your training?" Uncle Vili asked, breaking his concentration. "That allows you to
resist it better?"

"Training and power," Loki replied, looking at Uncle Vé, whose head was now cradled in his
brother's lap.

The cape of one of the Einherjar had also been draped over Uncle Vé's prone form.
The next surge of electrified seiðr came so hard, and was so powerful, Loki's vision whited
out even as he felt his knees buckle. Thankfully, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had not yet
released him and Loki also vaguely felt another hand on his other arm, lowering him to the
ground. There was a buzz of noise, but he could not quite make it out over the song of the
Yggdrasill.

If he did not take action, and soon, then he would end up like Uncle Vé, Loki knew. Which
was unacceptable. Through sheer force of will, he forced his attention back to the present and
his body. He was down on his knees with the two heads of Ásgarðr's army crouched beside
him, clearly concerned. They were far too professional to be alarmed at a time like this.

Loki's eyes flicked over to General Týr. "Gungnir," he ordered.

The general leapt up and Loki focused on moving into a more dignified position, Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr steadying him as he shifted his legs until he had them crossed before him.

"Your eyes are glowing again," Yngvarr informed him once he was in position.

"Harmless seiðr discharge," Loki explained, before he looked pointedly at the man's hand on
his arm. "It may soon become less harmless if it keeps building in power."

The lieutenant-general was clearly reluctant to let him go, but Yngvarr did so and settled
back on his haunches once he seemed certain Loki would remain upright.

Gungnir was handed to him and Loki immediately took it with both hands, laying it
lengthwise across his lap. The relief was instantaneous as he began to channel some of the
seiðr through the King's Staff. He also reached out towards both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter,
trying to siphon off additional seiðr through them. It worked, but the strength of the
Yggdrasill's song was almost as strong as if he were on the World Tree and its seiðr hung
heavy in the air, sparking all along his skin.

Could he?

Loki took a deep breath and then reached out to see. Normally this would not work for him,
not unless he had gathered enough seiðr to sky walk, but just now reality melted away and he
was left with a view of the Yggdrasill. The World Tree was alight in a way he had never seen
before, bright and shimmering like the stars, but also sparking with seiðr and electricity. The
Yggdrasill looked alive in a way he had never witnessed, as if the World Tree itself was a
living, breathing entity.

"Majesty?" General Týr's voice drifted across to him.

"Do not," Loki warned, the worry in the man's voice allowing him to guess what came next.

He was too late, however, and briefly felt a hand on his shoulder before it was jerked away
with a curse.

His eyes readjusted to reality and Loki glanced over at the general apologetically. Týr was
shaking his hand out, a disgruntled expression on his face, but Loki could not immediately
spot any damage, so it must have been a lighter shock.

"Are you experiencing that the whole time?" General Týr questioned, worried.

"'Tis different for me," Loki replied, even as excess seiðr crackled along his arm, pulsing into
the air. "You may wish to move further back."

They did so reluctantly and Loki tried not to drift again, but 'twas hard with all of the seiðr in
the air around him. It was becoming so thick he could almost see it everywhere. The whole
chamber was taking on a psychedelic glow of luminous colors and Loki had to forcibly
remind himself he was not actually on the Yggdrasill as 'twas starting to feel that way. The
seiðr was also separating into... it looked like threads and his breath caught in his throat at the
mere thought.

Nay, those could not possibly be the threads the Norns wove and cut... could they?

Loki twitched as there were suddenly sharp little claws on his back and shoulder, followed by
an all too familiar chattering sound.

"Ratatoskr?" Loki breathed, craning his neck to look at his left shoulder.

"Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked, his blue eyes growing wide as if he had seen
a ghost when Loki's hair suddenly moved.

Well, that answered the question of whether Ratatoskr was visible to the others, as Loki was
certain Lieutenant-General Yngvarr would not have that shocked look in his eye if he could
see the squirrel playing with his hair.

"What are you doing here?" Loki whispered to his little friend.

He had first encountered Ratatoskr in the early days of his sky walking, while exploring the
many branches of the Yggdrasill. At first the little critter had seemed afraid of him, staying
well back and spending a lot of time simply observing him. But, over time, Ratatoskr had
grown bolder, slowly coming closer and closer until, one day, he had awoken from a nap to
find the little creature sitting on his knee. From then on it had become a fairly common
occurrence for Loki to have Ratatoskr on his shoulder while walking the Yggdrasill.

Ratatoskr chattered back at him, not pausing in his exploration of Loki's new, longer hair. It
probably made it seem like he was experiencing some air current the others could not feel.
The ripples of shock caused by the chaos lapped at Loki, but he could not fully enjoy them
due to all of the effort he had to expend to keep some semblance of control over the seiðr
rushing through him to avoid going down like Uncle Vé.

"Loki!"

The cry caught his attention and Loki slowly turned his head to look at General Týr, absently
noting exactly how far away the man was crouched. It made him aware of the almost blanket
like wave of green-gold seiðr which all but covered him.

"Hmm?" Loki inquired.

"We have received word, all of the healers and the queen have also collapsed," General Týr
told him.

Loki nodded. "Aye... 'tis too strong for most... overwhelming."

He was forced to close his eyes and focus all of his energy as the next wave of seiðr and
energy hit, washing over him and trying to drag him under. Loki tightened his hands on
Gungnir and focused more seiðr through it, absently aware of how it glowed gold when he
opened his eyes once more.

A cawing drew his attention upwards to find both Huginn and Muninn circling the air above
him. Seemingly undisturbed by all of the seiðr washing off of him, they landed on his
shoulders.

"We had not thought to find you still awake and aware," Huginn stated.

Loki scowled. "Thanks. I assume you have news?"

"Aye, the Yggdrasill has been ignited, or so Queen Sága declared before she fainted."

Pride and satisfaction welled within him at the knowledge he had outlasted she who was
wildly believed to be one of the strongest seiðkonur alive.

"How?" Loki asked, knowing it would be odd if he did not.

Besides, he was curious to see what others thought.

"That they do not know," Muninn snipped absently.

With a frown, Loki glanced over at her to find Muninn was more focused on his neck than on
him. Or nay, not his neck, but rather Ratatoskr who was hidden in his hair and clearly poking
his head out enough to chatter angrily at the raven.

"Why is there a squirrel in your hair?" Muninn asked, glancing at him.

"Because he does what he wants," Loki replied, ere he looked back to Huginn. "Is there any
Realm not affected?"

"Not within the Yggdrasill. Outside of its boughs, there seems to be no sign of it. At least not
as far as we dared go."

"Thank you, Huginn. Any idea of how long it will last?"

"Want to avoid another faint so soon after your last one?" Muninn teased.

Her dignity took a knock a second later when Ratatoskr darted out with an angry chatter,
forcing Muninn to relocate to his knee with a squawk.

"That, no one mentioned," Huginn replied.

From his tone, Loki would almost guess he was exasperated by Muninn's behavior, and it
made his lips twitch.

"Is this affecting Father?" Loki asked.

"He would have been unable to shield himself, so he would have gone under right away,"
Huginn stated, before taking flight.

"The ljósálfar say this is the Yggdrasill igniting," Loki told the others. "Every one of the Nine
Realms is being affected."

"Is that Ratatoskr?" Muninn suddenly demanded in shock.

Damnit. If she had figured that out, then...

"How did you come to have Ratatoskr in your hair?" Muninn continued.

"Does it look like I have any control over him?" Loki shot back as Ratatoskr tugged at a few
strands of his hair, pulling some out. "Ow!" he exclaimed, reaching back to swat at Ratatoskr,
who darted away, chattering, with several long, dark strands clutched tightly between his
teeth.

Muninn was laughing now and Loki turned his scowl on her before he narrowed his eyes,
focusing some of the raw seiðr. It responded surprisingly well and Muninn squawked again
before taking wing, but not without a peck of protest at his fingers.

Loki scowled as she sailed out of the balcony. "Bloody ravens," he muttered.

"Uh, King Loki?"

The words were slow to penetrate the haze of seiðr and electricity around him - Loki was
having a hard time staying present rather than drifting out onto the Yggdrasill - but they
finally did. Slowly, he turned to look over at Lord Aðalgrímr.

"Aye?" he asked.

"You said all of the Nine are affected," Lord Aðalgrímr began. "Does this mean Queen Sága
is similarly affected?"

"Huginn said she had already succumbed," Loki replied, his vision flickering back to the
Yggdrasill. He could see Ratatoskr sitting not too far away from him, the few dark stands of
his hair now held tightly in one of the critter's front paws.

'Thief,' Loki thought, eyes narrowing in annoyance. 'That is my hair.'

"Oh," Lord Aðalgrímr's voice drifted to his ears despite the fact Loki could no longer see the
man.

The World Tree was brighter than he had ever witnessed it before and Loki thought igniting
was truly an appropriate way to describe it, in all meanings of the word. It really did look like
'twas on fire. Ablaze with more seiðr and connectivity than he had ever seen it before and
'twas glorious.

It also felt better. Not fully as it should since Loki could still hear the growing disharmony
within its song, but better somehow. More vital and...

"My King, does this extend beyond the Nine?" General Týr's voice ghosted through the air.

Loki was just thinking of responding when he was hit by a wave of emotions.

Wonder, amazement, delight, joy and such a deep, heart wrenching sense of satisfaction and
completion that it bowled Loki over, even sat down as he was.

"Your Majesty!" "My Liege!" "Loki!"

The voices blurred and overlapped, their individual characteristics lost on Loki as he
remained folded over, head resting on Gungnir as he discharged seiðr and electricity all
around him, almost as if he were trying to imitate an adolescent Thor in the midst of his
brother's worst temper tantrums.

Loptr.

The emotions had come from Loptr, coming to him both through the amulet and from the
Yggdrasill directly. He did not understand how the latter was possible, but of one thing Loki
was absolutely certain; his alternative future self was dead, but he no longer felt any sense of
sadness or loss at that fact, not after what he had just experienced. 'Twas clear Loptr had more
than found what he had been looking for in the end, and Loki could only hope he would be
able to do the same when his own time came.

He would have to find an alternative way of doing so, though, because stealing his last act,
even from himself, would be very poor form indeed.

"Nay," Loki finally said when the last of Loptr's emotions had faded and, with it, the worst of
the magical onslaught.

The Yggdrasill had peaked.

"Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr inquired as Loki pushed himself back into an upright
position.

"It did not go beyond the Nine," Loki explained, slowly relaxing. "'Twas restricted to those
Realms tied to the Yggdrasill."

"Is it fading?" General Týr inquired.

"Hmm."

"Are you feeling well, Loki?"

Loki turned his head to look at his uncle. "Aye," he glanced down at Uncle Vé. "He should
wake up as soon as the excess seiðr fades away."

"And he will be fine?"

"He may have a headache as he comes down from the seiðr rush. It will be as if he has
overindulged," Loki explained. Which raised another point and he looked about. "Lord
Ragnvaldr?"

"Aye, my King?" the man's voice came from behind Loki, accompanied by the sound of a
moving chair.

Ah, of course. Lord Ragnvaldr was older even than Óðinn and starting to feel his age just as
his adoptive father was.

"As Uncle Vé proves, this will have affected everyone with seiðr, whether trained or not,"
Loki said. "Can we send out word so people do not panic any more than necessary?"

"I have already commenced writing a notice," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, holding up the sheet
of parchment he held.

Of course the man had. Loki smiled.

"And if 'tis possible to discover where she lives, please send someone to Gróa's parents."

"I will do my best."

The song of the Yggdrasill faded as the last of the excess seiðr died away and Loki slumped
forwards a little, somehow feeling both drained and energized all at once.

"Would you like to move to a chair, Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked, moving
closer once more.

"Aye," Loki said, taking the offered hand to pull himself up once more.

The head of his guard stuck close to him as he moved back to his seat, but for once Loki did
not find it stifling.

"Do we know how Mother and Father are?" Loki asked, once seated.

"Thor sent word that your mother had also succumbed, as you had feared," General Týr
replied. "Alas, without any of the healers awake, 'tis harder to check on Óðinn's condition,
though he does not appear adversely affected."

"Huginn did not seem overly concerned, but I would like him checked as soon as Lady Eir
has sufficiently recovered herself."

"Of course."
A moan drew Loki's attention back to his uncles and he watched as Vili coaxed Vé back to
full consciousness. He tuned out once he was certain his youngest uncle was alright and
started asking Vili about what had happened.

"Lady Eir will wish to check you over," General Týr began.

Loki snorted, knowing who truly wished to have him checked. He had no qualms about it,
though, as he was curious as to the effects of what had transpired since he could still feel
excess seiðr within him, but unlike the rest, it showed no signs of leaving. He would love to
incorporate it into his own core, but it had never been this easy before to acquire additional
seiðr and he was loath to simply accept that it might be so this time.

"Do you still wish to hold the trial tomorrow, my King?" Lord Óðr asked, moving forwards,
surprising Loki as he could not recall when the man had returned. "I can have it moved if you
prefer."

Instead of simply replying out of hand, Loki took a moment to consider it. He felt fine and
the exhaustion was fading as his own seiðr rebalanced. His core still pained him, of course,
and left him weaker than he would otherwise have been, but there was no way to fix that
now. So that left public appearances. That something had happened would be obvious to
everyone even without Lord Ragnvaldr's announcement, so it would undoubtedly be best to
go ahead and prove all was well.

"Nay," Loki finally replied. "We will hold it as planned. Lord Aðalgrímr," he continued.

"Aye, my King?"

"Please reach out to our allies, see what they know or are willing to share with us of how this
affected them."

"And how it affected you?"

Hmm. Did he want that known? Preferably Loki would not but, given the number of people,
present it would be all but impossible to keep it quiet.

"If they ask, go ahead and let them know," Loki decided.

Lords Aðalgrímr and Óðr bowed and left Glaðsheimr, leaving Loki alone with his uncles and
guards, as well as General Týr.

"Are you well, Uncle Vé?" Loki inquired.

"Beyond feeling like I partied as hard as I did as an adolescent, aye," Uncle Vé replied,
looking over at him gingerly. "I wish I had not succumbed so soon and missed such a historic
event."

"You experienced more of it than most did."

"True."
'Twas hardly fair recompense, Loki knew, but it had been his uncle's own choice not to be
better trained and this was a direct consequence of that decision, so he could not find it in
him to feel truly sympathetic.

"Let us head for the healers before Thor sends out a search party," Loki said, rising to his feet
once more.

The trip was quick and, if his personal guard stuck closer to his side than normal, Loki made
no comment on it. In this situation, at least, he would not be viewed as weak since it seemed
like he may have been the only seiðberandi who did not succumb. Though it did raise an
interesting question.

"Were you aware of anything, Uncle Vé?" Loki asked.

"After I collapsed? Nay, well, at least I do not think so," Uncle Vé replied. "There may have
been a sense of... something, but I would not be able to define or identify it."

Huh. Loki would need to ask his mother about her experience and see if she could explain it
better, given she actually knew how to utilize her seiðr.

"Loki!" Thor boomed as soon as they entered the healing halls.

He had just enough time to brace himself (and then remember he did not have to), before his
brother was upon him and Loki was pulled into an embrace, one of Thor's hands instinctively
finding his neck as always.

"I am fine," Loki said, his eyes finding his mother over Thor's shoulder and smiling at her.

Frigga's responding smile was somewhat strained and Loki had to fight back a laugh at the
thought of her experiencing a hangover. 'Twas something he had never witnessed before.

"What?" Thor asked as he pulled back to look him in the eyes. "No headache?"

"Nay," Loki confirmed. "I did not succumb."

"Truly?" Lady Eir demanded, suddenly beside him as well, while Uncle Vili led Uncle Vé to
a bed. She peered at him closely and Loki could see the strain she herself felt at the corners of
her eyes. "Everyone else seems to have."

"Hmm," Loki replied. "It came close, but I remained conscious."

"Mostly," General Týr muttered.

"Mostly?" Frigga questioned sharply, rising to her feet.

"Mother, remain seated," Loki chided, moving around Thor and Lady Eir towards her. "I
remained awake, I was simply not fully aware of everything around me the entire time."

"He may also have reacted to things we could not see," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr added.
It made Lady Eir frown, but Loki scowled at the lieutenant-general.

"And my hair moving the way it did was caused by what?" he questioned.

"I did not say those things were not there," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied.

Amusement shot through Loki at the words. They were technically true.

"Your hair?" Frigga asked.

"Muninn called it Ratatoskr," Loki said.

Also technically true.

"Ratatoskr? As in the Ratatoskr?"

"Hmm," Loki scowled and reached up to rub the back of his head. "Damn creature pulled out
and stole some of my hair."

His mother gave him an odd look before beginning to laugh and laugh. It did not quite sound
right and Loki was about to inquire if she was alright when Thor prodded him in the shoulder.

"Maybe I should call you Ratatoskr instead of cow," Thor laughed.

Oh, nay. Thor was not going to use that kenning for him. 'Twas Sigyn's and Sigyn's alone and
he would not have it ruined by his brother!

Loki brought up his free hand and allowed some of the excess seiðr to spark along his
fingers, instantly drawing Thor's attention.

"Do not tempt me, Brother," Loki said. "I seem to have plenty of excess seiðr just now, all
itching for a way out."

"I am mortal, you would not," Thor stated, though he looked far less certain than he sounded.

Loki merely raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Boys," Frigga chided, her hand coming to rest on his raised one.

Reluctantly, Loki conceded and turned to study her instead. "Did you hear it before you went
under? The song of the Yggdrasill?"

His mother's eyes went wide and then a little distant. "Is that what it was? 'Twas beautiful."

"Hmm, Uncle Vé said his... unawareness... was not entirely normal."

"Nay. Lady Eir and I were discussing it before you arrived. There was something there, a
connection of sorts, and on the other end something quite alien. Soothing in a way, but
undeniably powerful and ancient."

"Like a presence?"
"Of sorts."

'Twas very similar to how Loki had first thought of the Yggdrasill, back when he had initially
connected to it. Now he felt it was less of a presence in some ways and more of an entity.
Undeniably powerful and alive, but not in any way sentient like Ásgarðr or Mother Winter
were. It... was hard to explain.

"What about you, Your Majesty?" Lady Eir queried as she came to stand before him once
more. "What did you experience?"

"Power," Loki said, choosing his words carefully. "Raw power on a level I have never
experienced before. 'Twas... nearly overwhelming and, without both Gungnir and the
Óðinnforce to channel some of it away, I would most likely have succumbed as well. But
there was also seiðr, the song and threads."

"Threads?"

"Of seiðr. I could see them everywhere, weaving all over and connecting items and people,
twinning together."

There was silence then, and Loki knew his earlier thoughts were being mirrored by the
others.

The Norns were said to weave and cut the threads of life.

"And Ratatoskr?"

"Suddenly there," Loki shrugged. "I know not how or why, but he seemed to fascinate
Muninn and her him."

"And it stole your hair?"

'Twas not quite censure or disbelief, but more... a professional detachment. Necessary to
ensure he was not hallucinating.

Loki looked to Lieutenant-General Yngvarr.

"His hair did move as if something were burrowing into it," the lieutenant-general confirmed.

"And Muninn was distracted by something we could not see," General Týr added.

"I see," Lady Eir said.

"Let me guess," Loki began, seeing Lady Eir's expression. "You want me in the soul forge."

"It would put my mind at ease, my King."

Hers and everyone else's, Loki knew. 'Twas why he moved over to the soul forge without
complaint, since Ásgarðr had enough to worry about at present without everyone also
worrying about his health. Besides, the soul forge, like Lady Eir's spells, was not designed to
 detect the condition of his magical core. There were, at times, some advantages to living in a
society which did not view seiðr as terribly important.

The scan itself was quick, his resulting hologram far brighter than normal, but 'twas easily
accounted for by his new possession of both the Óðinnforce and all of the excess seiðr.

"Well?" Thor asked, coming to stand beside Lady Eir as Loki sat upright on the soul forge.

"He does not display any of the symptoms the rest of us are, but there is something," Lady
Eir said.

"Excess seiðr," Loki replied.

"Aye. You did not actively seek it out?"

"Nay."

"Strange."

"Worrying?" Thor asked.

"Nay, simply peculiar."

"So, nothing unusual for Loki, then?"

Loki scowled at his brother and flicked just a small spark of excess seiðr at him, making Thor
yelp and jump.

"Mortal!" Thor complained, rubbing his arm.

"As if I could forget," Loki replied.

Chapter End Notes

Ugh, I promise that I'll get to all of those lovely comments you've been leaving on the
last few chapters! I've just been distracted by stuff IRL and then I had to do the final
edits on some science writing before it got posted online, ahead of big presentation I had
to give. Doing that over Zoom? Not nearly as great as when I can see my audience, as
the presentation mode means I only see my slides and the moderators.

But onto the fic, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter as I had a lot of fun with it.
Particularly Loki interacting with both Muninn and Ratatoskr. Several snippets of that
made it onto my Twitter account when I was writing and editing as I couldn't help
myself :D

Norse Mythology:
Bragi - the skaldic god of poetry in Norse mythology.
Ratatoskr - "drill-tooth" or "bore-tooth" - a squirrel who runs up & down the Yggdrasil
carrying messages between the eagle and the serpent/dragon Níðhöggr - considered
quite a mischievous little creature who stirs up trouble & is associated with Loki as a
trickster character.

Old Norse:

skáld - poet who composed skaldic poetry

dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
ljósálfar - "light elves"
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages

Up next week: Reactions to the ignition & skáld Bragi...

 Chapter 43
Chapter Notes

Happy Halloween everyone, this is my favorite holiday! 🎃👻🍁🧛🧙♀🦇🕸🧟💀

🧚♀
And it's the eve of NaNoWriMo too :)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The rest of the afternoon was spent with a mixture of doing parchmentwork and dealing with
the fallout of what had occurred. For all of that, Loki managed to accomplish a surprising
amount of work. The fact his brother had already checked over the King's Funds application
responses helped, and it meant he could simply sign them and send them off. He was a little
surprised Thor had not mentioned anything to him about his choices, though he supposed his
brother might have been sidetracked by Loki's breakdown earlier in the afternoon.

Most of the members of the High Council also stopped by at one point or another to report in
on the various tasks he had assigned them.

"It would seem Huginn and Muninn were correct," Lord Aðalgrímr said, as he took the seat
Loki had indicated. "The ljósálfar believe 'twas the ignition of the Yggdrasill."

"Did they say why they thought so?" Loki asked, genuinely curious.

"Apparently, they have records of previous such occurrences and today's incident matches all
of the signs thereof," Lord Aðalgrímr explained. "The music you yourself and Prince Vé
mentioned, the fact every single seiðberandi was affected, and the excess seiðr in the air.
Then they had a few others. They said known portals leading to other Realms became visible
to all and emitted the... song of the Yggdrasill for all to hear, not simply those trained as
seiðberandi."

"Truly?"

"Aye. I sent a message to those King Óðinn has standing watch over the portal we were
examining, and they reported the same."

"Interesting."

"Additionally, the ljósálfar say it strengthened existing portals and grew new ones."

"General Týr is going to have a field day with that particular piece of information."
Lord Aðalgrímr smiled at the comment. "He already has a group of Einherjar searching the
vault even now."

Of course the man did. General Týr was predictably paranoid if nothing else. In this instance,
though, Loki would allow him to search the vault. It would put the general's mind at ease and
it would save him having to reveal precisely how much he knew of portals, which could lead
to all manner of uncomfortable questions as to why.

"Were there any other signs of the ignition?" Loki asked instead.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr frowned. "Lord Kvasir said something of a living model of the
Yggdrasill?"

"Ah, of course. It looks like a hologram of the World Tree, but 'twas somehow connected to
the Yggdrasill when it was created. No one knows how 'twas done anymore, but it seems to
be accurate. At least when Svartálfaheimr was wiped clean of almost all life, it dimmed on
the model."

"You have seen this model?" Lord Aðalgrímr questioned with wide eyes.

Loki smiled at the memory. "Only the once, a very long time ago. I had just passed one of the
bigger milestones in my ljósálfarian seiðr studies that few non-ljósálfar do, and Queen Sága
showed it to me as a reward."

"'Twas generous of her."

"It had come up during my studies and I had asked about it. Apparently differently from how
others did."

"I see," Lord Aðalgrímr paused. "I have to admit, Your Majesty, I was not aware of the extent
of your connection with Álfheimr before... now."

Before his coronation. Which was odd.

"Father was aware of most of it," Loki said, though he could not immediately recall if he had
mentioned the living model of the Yggdrasill.

He had intended to, but if he recalled correctly there had been some celebration about to start
for some feat of Thor's, so he may never have had the chance to mention it. He knew he had
spoken of his seiðr accomplishment, but it had been brushed aside, so 'twas entirely possible
he had kept the rest to himself. Aye, Loki was almost certain that is what had happened now
he thought on it. He had kept news of the model to himself out of spite at being ignored once
again.

Oops.

Well, he had said 'most' rather than all. Thus, 'twas not strictly a lie.

"I am uncertain why he did not inform you of it," Loki continued, easily.
"'Tis of no matter," Lord Aðalgrímr replied politely. "But now I know who to come to with
questions on the ljósálfar."

"I will do my best, but even I am no expert on their ways," Loki laughed.

The ljósálfar could be quite odd at times.

"Duly noted," Lord Aðalgrímr smiled. "But that was what Álfheimr reported. As Huginn and
Muninn said, even Queen Sága succumbed to the effects of this ignition of the Yggdrasill."

Loki hummed in response. "And what of Vanaheimr?"

"They reported similar instances as here, with everyone succumbing including your uncle."

"No one else remained awake?"

"Nay, but the really interesting thing is Queen Sága apparently outright asked if you had
managed to remain awake."

'Twas odd and yet further evidence to Loki that Álfheimr's queen may be prophetic. Or at the
very least far more knowledgeable in various aspects of seiðr than she let on to most. Their
respective statuses had always irked him as it had prevented him from approaching her to
request an apprenticeship. He knew many others had tried and failed, so he knew his own
chances would have been quite slim, but he still would have appreciated the opportunity to
officially do so. Alas, he already knew what his father would say to the mere suggestion of it,
so he had never bothered to ask.

Abstract rejection was somehow easier to deal with than outright rejection. If not by much.

"Truly?" Loki asked. "I am beginning to think she knows something we do not."

"The thought had occurred to me as well," Lord Aðalgrímr admitted. "You have no idea what
it could be?"

"Beyond the fact she may be a seer who has some idea of what is to come? Nay."

And 'twas true even. Sure, Loki knew she may be interested in his ability to sky walk if she
were aware of it, but this was more, or something far bigger than that. Could it be she too
knew of what he and Loptr had done? But if so, how? She was not like Muninn, who was the
embodiment of memory. Unless...

Unless Sága had seen the future as it should have originally been, and now things were
clearly different. It would still make her knowledge of his involvement a little harder to
explain unless she had seen what Loptr had done as well. It would be a lot of seeing of
precisely the right things, but 'twas theoretically possible.

Loki wished he were alone so he could curse and swear and throw a bit of a temper tantrum
rather than needing to remain composed. Everyone had already witnessed him being erratic
and weak enough to not need that on top of everything else.
If Heimdallr and the Idiots Four had acted now, Loki could have almost understood it. He
was definitely not the most composed or dignified king Ásgarðr had ever had. At least he was
certain to have made enough of a mark to be remembered as having been king, even if only a
regent for such a short spell. Well, hopefully.

"Then I shall keep an eye on it," Lord Aðalgrímr stated, before he hesitated. "If I may ask a
more personal question, my King?"

Oh, now Loki was intrigued.

"Aye."

"You used to date Lady Sigyn and you danced with her again, recently."

"I did."

"Ah... your relationship with Lord Kvasir?"

Oh.

"I did not break his daughter's heart, if 'tis what you are concerned about," Loki informed
him, knowing this was all Heimdallr's fault. Otherwise Lord Aðalgrímr would never have
thought to question Kvasir's loyalty. "We parted on amicable terms due to her father's
assignment to Álfheimr. There is no ill will towards me on anyone's part there."

"Thank you, Majesty. In that case, I will inform Lord Kvasir and ask him to see if he can
uncover why Queen Sága appears so interested in you."

"Thank you, Lord Aðalgrímr. Is there anything else?"

"Merely a question. Does Miðgarðr have any seiðberandi as far as you are aware?"

Loki blinked at the shift in the conversation. "A few, none very strong last I was there, most
of their cultures had... abandoned seiðr. Why?"

"Lord Birgir and I have been discussing our next communication with the humans, collating
some information we promised them, and he asked if we should inform them of what
happened to the Yggdrasill."

"Ah, of course," Loki responded. "We promised to share more information, did we not?"

"Aye."

"Then I would inform them. If they are aware of any seiðberandi, it will explain what
happened to them and, if they do not, then they will either not believe us or know we are
keeping them updated on matters which affect them."

"Not believe us?"

"The last time I was on Miðgarðr, several cultures had started relegating seiðr to the realm of
fantasy."

The smile already spreading on his old mentor's face told Loki Lord Aðalgrímr knew exactly
all the fun he had been able to have with that particular lack of belief.

"Can I inquire as to what punishment Lady Sif and the Warriors Three are likely to receive
tomorrow? For preparatory purposes."

"Preparatory?" Loki retorted as there was a knock on the study door. "Enter!"

"It would allow Lord Birgir and me to finish our missive to Miðgarðr."

The door opened and Lord Ragnvaldr entered, hesitating as he saw Lord Aðalgrímr. Loki
waved him closer.

"I am certain you can prepare it almost in its entirety without that information, you know the
charges," Loki told his old mentor.

"I can come back later if it would be more optimal," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"Nay, nay, Lord Aðalgrímr was ready to leave," Loki said, before he raised an eyebrow.
"Unless there was something else?"

"Nay," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "Simply that."

Loki could not fault the man his curiosity, he was far too aware of all of the trouble his own
had managed to get him entangled in.

"Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr bowed and left.

"How are you doing?" Lord Ragnvaldr questioned as he took his customary seat.

"Better," Loki replied.

'Twas true too. He had been slowly assimilating the excess seiðr into his own while he
worked. Normally he would have been long done, but, with his core as badly damaged as
'twas, the process took time even with the ease with which the wild seiðr blended with his
own.

"Good," Lord Ragnvaldr said. "I do not think we can take many more shocks of that nature."

There had been rather a lot of scares lately.

"Hmm," Loki agreed, eyes flickering over to where the head of his guard stood. "Otherwise, I
shall be responsible for making Lieutenant-General Yngvarr gray prematurely as well."

"As well?"
"Father still swears I am the cause of his gray," Loki groused. "Which would be more
believable if I could remember him not being gray."

Lord Ragnvaldr laughed. "I can confirm he was gray before your birth." The man's voice
dropped to a whisper. "He went gray rather early."

"Let me guess, I did not hear it from you?" Loki asked.

"Hear what?"

A hunger pang reminded Loki 'twas nearly time for dinner, so he decided to move things
along. To that end, he picked up the King's Fund parchments he had signed and handed them
over to Lord Ragnvaldr.

"Thank you for having them sorted," Loki said.

"From what I hear, it was passed along to a few people," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

"Delegation is important."

"Aye, and speaking of which, I have sent word to various areas of Ásgarðr regarding what
happened and I was able to find Gróa's address."

As he said it, his advisor handed over a small piece of parchment which Loki took and placed
aside.

"Thank you," Loki replied. "Should I say something tonight?"

"I believe it would be best as people know you would have been affected, so seeing you are
well enough to attend the feast and address people will go a long way to alleviating any fear
or anxiety which might have sprung up as a result of what happened."

"Do we know if our guest was affected?"

"He was, but luckily he was in his chambers and one of the servants found him and ensured
he was lying comfortably for most of it."

"Good. Is there anything else which is urgent or can it all wait until after the trial tomorrow?"

"There is nothing which will not keep other than one item, but I am still awaiting some
information on it."

"Excellent," Loki said as he rose to his feet. "Will you be joining us at the feast?"

"If you have need of me, I can be there."

In other words, Lord Ragnvaldr did not want to be there tonight. A closer look showed the
man did appear tired and it had been a frantic and stressful few days for all of them.

"Nay, 'twas simply a question," Loki said.

"In that case, I believe I shall retire early tonight, my Liege."

The Great Hall was packed as always, but Loki could detect the subtle change in the
atmosphere as he entered the hall from behind the high table. 'Twas not a noticeable dip in
volume, but rather a shift in attention and many people glanced over at him.

A quick look around showed why as those who possessed seiðr, whether trained in how to
utilize it or not, were either absent or visibly under the weather. Compared to them, he would
look radiant even with his now near chronic lack of sleep. He made certain to smile
reassuringly as he moved to his seat.

Loki was happy to note Lady Borgunna had decided to place Lord Bragi next to him on the
left, Uncle Vé and Aunt Ilmr's absence easily allowed for the extra room, but the placing
pleased him since he had not had the opportunity to speak with this skáld before.
Unfortunately, despite the man's excellent reputation, he had never before performed on
Ásgarðr to Loki's knowledge. If he had seiðr, that could explain part of the reason why.

Not to mention, Loki liked to flatter himself, why the other had chosen to come here now of
all times.

As he approached the head table, Loki waved down those who would rise. Instead, he moved
to his chair and waited. The hall quieted almost immediately as people realized he wished to
speak.

'Twas an aspect of kingship he could become used to.

It still did not make all of the rest worthwhile. Luckily, he had other objectives which did.

"I am certain you are all aware there was an event late this afternoon which affected all of
those with seiðr. I myself felt its effects as well," Loki began, eyes sweeping the hall. "The
cause of it is something which has not happened for several millennia and 'tis known as the
ignition of the Yggdrasill."

Murmurs of worry and alarm.

"Nay, 'tis not something which adversely affects the World Tree," Loki hastened to add. "In
fact, it seems to have done rather the opposite, revitalizing and energizing the Yggdrasill.
What those sensitive to seiðr felt today was the excess energy and seiðr which rippled
through the World Tree and all Nine Realms borne by it. So what we felt was shared by all of
those living in the Nine, but not beyond.

While I know the aftereffects are somewhat painful to deal with, particularly for the very
young for whom this might be their first experience with these symptoms."

A ripple of laughter as most æsir children overindulged at some point after their minor
majority. So the effects of overindulgence were not commonly unknown.
"Take heart in the fact you have now experienced something few normally do," Loki said,
feeling the sharpening interest of people as he spoke. "The music you heard at the start?
'Twas the song of the Yggdrasill, normally heard only by the most powerful of seiðberandi."

There was a wave of shock, disbelief and, aye, the first stirrings of jealousy as Loki finally
took his seat. Let them be jealous of those with seiðr for once, it happened precious little and
Loki was all for ensuring those who had mocked him before suffered for it now.

"Loki," Thor said as soon as he was seated, gesturing towards the man on his other side.
"This is Skáld Bragi."

"Ah, aye, I had been informed you were gracing us with your presence today," Loki said,
turning to the man.

He was shorter than the average áss with blue tinged brown hair, oddly shaped ears Loki
could not immediately place, pointed at the bottom rather than the top, and eyes somewhere
between gray and purple.

"The honor is all mine, King Loki," Lord Bragi replied. "I must say, your Lady Borgunna has
extended me every courtesy since my arrival and she had even offered for one of your bands
to accompany me later, if I had so desired."

"Your reputation precedes you," Loki stated. "And I do not believe you have visited Ásgarðr
in an official capacity before."

"Nay, I have not. My interest has always been more in seiðr than anything else, so I was not
certain I would find a ready welcome on Ásgarðr. But your reputation precedes you as well,
King Loki, and I thought to use the opportunity of your regency to visit the eternally golden
city."

Loki bit his lower lip at the latter. 'Twas a slightly negative title for Ásgarðr born in its title of
the Eternal Realm and the fact Óðinn, and most æsir, liked gold more than was natural. 'Twas
a sentiment Loki on the whole agreed with, and it never failed to amuse him when the words
were used and went right over the heads of any æsir present. Like now.

The way Lord Bragi's eyes flickered, though, made Loki think the skáld had realized he knew
of the darker meaning. Loki had to say he enjoyed the hint of wariness which appeared in
those oddly colored eyes. He had no doubt 'twas his own reputation putting it there rather
than any fear inspired by his current status.

Among magical circles, he was known to always exact his vengeance if slighted or wronged.
Creatively.

Loki was rather proud of the latter as he despised doing the same thing over and over again.
Not only was it boring, but 'twas predictable as well and the latter could be deadly for
someone in his position.

"So your tales are more magical in nature?" Thor asked, his disappointment evident though
Loki was relatively certain his brother was actually trying to hide it. "None are of battles?"
Loki rolled his eyes. "The two are not mutually exclusive, Thor."

"Nay, indeed not," Lord Bragi agreed. "Some of the biggest battles fought in the history of
the Yggdrasill were won mostly with seiðr. I thought, given the tapestries outside of
Valaskjálf, this might be more known here than I had originally assumed."

"Those have only just been moved there," Loki replied, surprised at how quickly it had been
done. "Only the last few were replaced," he hastily added before his brother could protest.
"Those post battle."

Hopefully Thor would understand what he meant, Loki did not want to come right out and
state it with a foreign visitor present.

There was a brief lull in the conversation as the food and drink were brought out, and plates
and drinking horns were filled.

"Your Majesty, if I may inquire, you spoke earlier of the ignition of the Yggdrasill," Lord
Bragi began once they had commenced eating.

"Aye, 'twas the ljósálfar who first identified it, but all of the signs point to them being
correct," Loki replied. "My own experiences correlate with what little is known of the
ignition of the Yggdrasill."

"As does my own. I am actually rather pleased I was within the Nine for it. 'Tis not
something I would have wished to miss, despite the aftereffects."

"Do you often travel outside of the Nine?" Thor asked.

'Twas something neither of them had as much opportunity to do aside from Nornheimr, which
they visited more often by virtue of its proximity to the Yggdrasill, and it therefore being the
most strategic landing point for anyone wishing to attack the Nine.

"Aye, my father was quasmori and so half of my family live beyond the Nine Realms," Lord
Bragi explained.

"Does this mean you can perform non-Yggdrasilli seiðr?" Loki questioned.

'Twas something he had always greatly desired to learn more of, but tutors in it were quite
rare within the Nine as 'twas so much easier to do Yggdrasill based seiðr here. Still, his
never-ending curiosity drove him to learn what precious little of it he could. Well, within
reason. Even he had balked at the type of attention the Grand Master of Sakaar had seemed to
want in exchange for helping him do so when Óðinn had taken him and Thor along on a
diplomatic trip several centuries ago. 'Twas one of the last times he had retreated to the safety
of the guards, and some of the Einherjar must have either sensed it or noticed something
amiss with the Grand Master's behavior, as he had perpetually had two shadows for the rest
of their stay there.

"What little of it I can do," the skáld replied. "Alas, quasmori seiðr is blood based and, being
of mixed heritage, my abilities are sadly limited."
"That is a pity," Loki said absently, wondering what Óðinn would have done if Ásgarðr's
seiðr had been bloodborne.

He feared his adoptive father would have simply left it and pretended he had none. Loki
shuddered at the mere thought. His seiðr was him; he could not imagine being without it.

"Aye, but there is nothing I can do about it," Lord Bragi shrugged.

"I wonder, will what happened today make every seiðkona as picky about instrumental music
as you, Brother?" Thor mused.

"What?" Loki asked.

"Well, you seem to hardly like even the best musicians who have come to perform here.
Mother and I thought 'twas because you have been hearing this song of the Yggdrasill for
centuries."

An interesting theory, but his brother simply had to voice it before one of the best known
skálds in the Nine. Although, if Lord Bragi thought it special enough to mention elsewhere,
well, Loki could do worse than to be spoken of by a skáld focusing on seiðr.

The more Loki thought of it, the more he liked the idea. Even if it clashed horribly with the
part of him which urged him to keep his magical skills secret.

Still, the desire to be sung about by a skáld...

"This was not the first time you have heard the song of the Yggdrasill?" Lord Bragi asked,
completely abandoning his dinner to focus those peculiar eyes on Loki.

"Nay," Loki replied, taking a sip of his mead and savoring both it and the man's riveted
attention. "I have heard it on and off since I first started studying seiðr as a child."

"So young?"

"Hmm."

"So what do you think, Skáld?" Thor asked. "Will you now be pickier about music than
before?"

"I will definitely never forget it, but my exposure to it was fleeting at best," Lord Bragi
replied. "Nay, I believe it shall haunt me in my dreams or tease at the edge of my awareness
as I fall asleep, rather than act as a measure of comparison for other music. Besides, 'twas
very otherworldly, distinctly different from anything else I have ever heard before, here or
outside of the Nine."

Loki thought there was something very poetic to the first part of the skáld's words. He rather
liked the image of the World Tree's song haunting others thus. It almost made up for the fact
he was no longer nearly alone in knowing what it sounded like.

Almost.
Well, other than for his mother, of course. Or Sigyn.

The temptation to reach for Gungnir and check to see if she was alright rose hard and fast
within him and Loki had to fight it off. Sigyn was on one of the Realms which was best
situated to deal with the effects of this. She would be fine.

Still, the thought of her injured due to something he had done... it made Loki feel vaguely ill.

"Do we know how long it went on for?" Lord Bragi asked.

"Nearly half a candlemark," Loki replied.

"That is a very specific response."

Loki smiled. "Blame my overprotective guards. They are rather certain of precisely how long
it took."

Lord Bragi laughed.

"I do not think you understand quite how frightening 'twas for the rest of us," Thor protested.
"And I did not even see you at your worst with the light show you apparently put on."

"Light show?" Lord Bragi asked, eyes brightening in curiosity.

Well, Álfheimr and Vanaheimr already knew, so what could it hurt to let a skáld know?

"I managed to avoid succumbing to the effects by discharging the excess seiðr," Loki
explained.

"Thus creating a light show, aye," Lord Bragi realized, before his expression turned wary.
"But you say it as if 'twas so simple. The excess seiðr."

False modesty had never been his thing. 'Twas a trait Loki knew he shared with Thor, but,
well, he had been raised as an Óðinnson and a certain level of arrogance simply came with
that.

"I would not say 'twas simple," Loki replied instead, trailing off.

"But not impossible either."

"Obviously not."

Loki could not help it, he preened somewhat at the level of awe in the skáld's voice. 'Twas so
rare for him to draw this kind of attention due to his seiðr, he could not help but savor it.

"I would ask for advice, but that would require having been aware long enough to have been
able to implement any of it. Alas, I was pulled under almost before I knew something was
transpiring."
"You dedicate so much of your talents to seiðr when you yourself have so little of it?" Thor
questioned in confusion.

"Thor," Loki admonished, wishing he could not believe his brother had uttered those words,
but knowing better.

He doubted Thor even realized the insult he had given.

"Nay, 'tis alright, Your Majesty," Lord Bragi said. "'Tis a question I am often asked and I can
understand why. But it stems from a false premise when it comes to the regard seiðr has
within so much of the Nine."

"A false premise?" Thor frowned.

"Aye. When it comes to seiðr, many seem to believe as you do, that one must be talented at it
in order to appreciate it. Yet we do not do this with so many other things."

"Like what?"

"Great feats of strength and battle prowess, for instance."

Oh, Loki could see where the skáld was going with this and he was intrigued to witness his
brother's reaction to it.

"Those are noble deeds, worthy of such praise," Thor started, making anger flash through
Loki.

The immediately obvious implication of his brother's words was that great feats of seiðr were
not such noble deeds.

"Why?" Lord Bragi demanded, bluntly. "Why are they noble deeds and worthy of such praise
while great feats of seiðr are not?"

"Because the use of tricks in battle is dishonorable and-"

The way his brother abruptly cut off told Loki Thor had, for once, realized what he was
saying before the words had fully left his mouth. He was impressed, for his brother 'twas true
progress.

Not that it took any of the sting out of Thor's words. Alas, 'twas nothing new. Loki was well
aware of how most of Ásgarðr viewed his use of seiðr.

Absently, he noted the somewhat awkward silence which had fallen over the whole of the
high table, all of them waiting for him to react. Yet, what could he do? He had tried
protesting their views often in the past and it had never gained him any favor or headway,
simply further insults and pain. He found he did not have the energy or will to do so now, far
too exhausted for this type of battle on top of everything else, even if it made him look weak
before the others. Instead, he considered his half empty drinking horn for a second before
tossing the rest of the mead back in one go.
"I see, so you consider your father dishonorable then?" Lord Bragi asked calmly.

Loki's eyes snapped over to the skáld, wondering if the man had a death wish or simply did
not realize he was taking his life into his own hands.

"You dare dishonor my father!" Thor thundered, starting to rise to his feet.

With a sigh, Loki reached out and pulled his brother back down.

"Loki!" Thor began in protest.

"Oh, shut up and listen for once," Loki snapped. "He merely asked you a question."

"One that implied Father-"

"He did not imply anything, rather you did."

That seemed to shut his brother up, Thor's mouth clicking closed audibly.

"Good," Loki said, glancing around the table quickly and catching the slight smile on Uncle
Vili's face. Clearly, he was not the only one who knew where this was going. "Now, use your
words instead of your fists."

A dark flush came over his brother's face and Loki saw Thor's fists clench, but he did not
care. Being subtle with Thor did not work and he was fed up with his brother's unthinking
anti-seiðr attitude. He would not stand for it as king.

"You implied my father had no honor," Thor hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at the
skáld.

"Nay, I merely asked if you thought he had none," Lord Bragi correctly, calmly.

"Nay, of course not!"

"Yet you said only those who had none fought with seiðr. Surely you are aware Óði-," Loki's
eyes flashed at Lord Bragi in warning. "Sorry, King Óðinn, has used his seiðr in battle on
many an occasion, including in all of his greatest victories."

"I..." Thor began. "Nay, he did not."

"Ymir, Malekith, Surtr, Thanos-"

Loki had to fight not to flinch at the name, all that Loptr had said (and quite clearly not said)
the Man Titan had done to him flashing across his mind. Though he knew he could never
picture how bad it had been (Loki had long since learned things could always be worse), his
imagination nevertheless was determined to try.

"- and Laufey," Lord Bragi finished.

"Wait, Laufey?" Uncle Vili questioned. "He used no seiðr there."

 "Nay?"

"Nay, I saw the whole fight myself."

"I see," Lord Bragi paused. "Then pray tell, Prince Vili, what King Óðinn did use in that
battle."

"Gungnir."

"This Gungnir?"

The skáld moved a hand towards the staff which Loki had automatically placed between
himself and Thor. Despite how far from Gungnir Lord Bragi still was, Loki felt his seiðr and
muscles tense at even the gesture towards his most obvious, and currently strongest, weapon.
He was not certain how he might have reacted had Livunn not chosen that exact moment to
lean forwards and refill his drinking horn with mead, forcing the skáld to lower his arm.

Crazy, overprotective woman. Loki truly was fond of her.

"Aye, of course that Gungnir," Uncle Vili retorted. "Do you know of another?"

"Nay," Lord Bragi answered. "'Tis merely that Gungnir fairly glows with seiðr, so I would
like to know how you claim your brother did not use seiðr in the fight if he used his spear."

Loki could see it the moment his uncle understood what the skáld was saying. The mixed
looks of horror and shock on the table's occupants were truly wonderful and he basked in the
ripples of chaos which washed off of them.

He had known the evening would be good and Lord Bragi had not even truly begun.

"Unless you mean to tell me he used it solely as a spear," the skáld continued. "Though 'tis
not what I have heard."

"I... but... nay," Thor denied.

"Gungnir is a weapon forged in seiðr and strong with it," Loki confirmed, curious whether
Lord Bragi would dare to take his opening to its logical conclusion.

He just so thought the skáld might.

"As is Mjǫllnir," Lord Bragi stated.

Chapter End Notes

...
Just how do we think Thor will react to that? So many notions of his to dispel in so little
time...
 🤣
Not to mention our favorite little diva trying to convince he wouldn't want to be sung of
😂

And this chapter has pretty much the only reference to Ragnarök that this fic will
contain. Most of that film couldn't be worked into this 'verse, but the Grand Master was
someone who could given how long he's lived and how his existence doesn't rely on
anything else from the movie being true.

I think this chapter also held my favorite word swap found to date while editing this fic:

🤪
Word Tree instead of World Tree! I love the imagery it inspires and wish I had enough
talent to actually draw it

The wonderful Lilituism has once again provided us with some fantastic artwork for this
fic. And not just 1 illustration this time, but 2! One for each of the last 2 chapters. They
can be found here. Do be sure to let her know what you think of them if you view them.
I just love the ghostly little Ratatoskr on Loki's shoulder!

Happy Halloween & best of luck to any fellow NaNoers!

Old Norse:

skáld - poet who composed skaldic poetry

ljósálfar - "light elves"
áss - "one of the gods/æsir"
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðberandi - sorcerers

Up next week: The tale of Thanos...

 Chapter 44
Chapter Notes

Nearly missed this update as I'd completely lost track of what day it was!

Luckily, someone mentioned the update in a new comment that came in earlier, thereby
reminding me!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki could almost kiss the skáld now and the biggest reason why he did not was because he
could not tear his eyes away from his brother's slack jawed face. Thor seemed caught
somewhere between disbelief, outrage and shock. 'Twas interesting how instead of
automatically protesting, Thor turned wide, and slightly desperate, eyes to him as if seeking
him to deny this. Loki would have been far more sympathetic, if it were not for the implied
insult of the fact that having seiðr was so bad.

Therefore, he was less than sympathetic.

"Others hardly are able to command thunder and lightning as you are, Thor," Loki chided.

"But... I was not affected by the ignition of the Yggdrasill!" Thor protested.

True, and a rather interesting fact. Loki turned to meet the skáld's gaze as he considered it.

"Elemental seiðr?" Lord Bragi offered.

Oh, now there was an interesting theory.

"It would fit with the fact I was notified of little to no effects on Jötunheimr and few on
Múspellsheimr," Loki replied.

"Elemental seiðr is quite different from seiðr as we normally understand it, right?" Uncle Vili
questioned.

"Hmm. 'Tis noticeably distinct in a number of different ways, so those with it not being
affected by the ignition would not be terribly remarkable."

"I thought elemental seiðr was stuff like fire and ice," Thor frowned.

"Typically, aye, and they are most common given they can be species-specific as with the
jötnar, eldþursar and rúfendr," Lord Bragi confirmed. "But other forms such as air, earth,
thunder and lightning can and do exist. As do fire and ice outside of those hailing from
Jötunheimr and Múspellsheimr."
"But I never studied seiðr like Loki."

"'Tis one of the ways in which elemental seiðr differs from the traditional, and why the
presence of it in no way implies the ability to do broader seiðr."

"Oh."

Rather than looking bored or merely politely interested, the rest of the table seemed
genuinely curious and Loki wondered if 'twas the allure of the forbidden drawing their
attention, or whether they had always been curious about this and had simply not dared to
seek out answers before.

"Are there seiðkonur who can do both?" Uncle Vili asked.

"Aye. They are rarer, but they do exist," Lord Bragi answered. "In fact, the jötnar produce
such a seiðberandi every eight to ten millennia."

"The íviðjur," Loki said, surprised the skáld knew of them.

Had he been in the dark about them simply because of Ásgarðr's hatred of all things jötnar
and its distaste for seiðr? If so, he resented the gap it had left in his education.

"Precisely," Lord Bragi replied. "'Tis a pity there is none at present as they are quite
amazing."

Loki frowned. There was something about the skáld's voice as he said it. Something odd
and...

"You are speaking from personal experience," Loki realized.

"Aye, I had the honor of meeting Gerðr while she was still alive."

"She?"

The skáld shrugged. "Norse does not have good gender-neutral terms and Gerðr always
preferred the feminine pronouns over the male ones."

"Gender neutral?" one of the ladies asked.

"The jötnar do not have different sexes," Loki replied. "They are all both male and female."

The aghast and horrified looks this garnered him made his core ache and Loki abruptly
reached up to rub at his sternum in lieu of anything else he could do. If only they knew what
they were having dinner with!

"Now, I believe we were discussing fallacies when it came to thinking of seiðr," Lord Bragi
stated, pushing his empty plate back.

Thor frowned. "I thought we did."

"Nay, we were distracted by your definition of honorable battle. What I originally wished to
address was the implied suggestion that great feats of seiðr were not worthy of respect."

"And?"

The cautious tone to his brother's voice made Loki smile. So, Thor could be taught.

Well, either that or his brother was still too in shock about the earlier revelations. Either was
possible.

"And yet you think great feats of strength and battle prowess should be of interest to others."

"Those require power of will and years' worth of training!" Lord Ítreksjóð protested.

"So does mastery of seiðr," Lord Bragi shot right back. "Centuries to reach the level of both
of your current kings."

That shut Lord Ítreksjóð right up. Not that it could do anything else at present, seeing as he
was here, but Loki savored the moment nonetheless.

"So, aye," Lord Bragi continued on. "I find collecting and preserving the tales of great feats
of seiðr both fascinating and important. 'Tis part of our history as citizens of the Nine and in
our very blood. After all, what is the Yggdrasill but seiðr?"

What indeed? 'Twas a question which Loki had still not found a satisfactory answer for,
despite all of his attempts to uncover it. That the World Tree was seiðr was undeniable as it
crackled and glowed with it; seemed to consist of it. And yet... yet there was still something
else there. Something which Loki could not name, describe or explain, but he felt it deep
within him, in his bones, seiðr and deep, deep within his core.

He understood it on a level he could neither explain nor understand, but 'twas there
nevertheless. As known and certain as he knew his name and himself. Or more so, apparently,
given recent events.

"I had never thought of it thus," Thor admitted.

Nor had most people at the high table based on the looks on their faces. Loki merely wished
he could take credit for thinking to bring the skáld here.

"What will you be entertaining us with later?" Loki inquired as their plates and the food were
cleared and dessert brought in.

Oh, they had the wild berry tarts he so loved.

"I had not quite decided yet, Your Majesty," Lord Bragi admitted. "I wanted to see if there
were any specific requests."

The words made Loki pause as everything Loptr had mentioned came back to him, about
Thanos, the myrkálfar and the Aether. He had not thought much about any of them, choosing
to focus on the more immediate matters of the war and his regency, but this was a golden
opportunity to start learning some more about one of those enemies, as both the war with
Svartálfaheimr and the initial conflict with Thanos had been seiðr heavy battles.

Which to ask about?

The war against Thanos had been more seiðr heavy and he knew there was less on it in the
library. Yet the war with Svartálfaheimr had clearly been mistakenly recorded on Ásgarðr as
they believed both Malekith killed and the Aether destroyed. But would the skáld truly know
another version of it if Malekith and his surviving soldiers had been in hiding the entire time?

"Someone recently spoke to me of the Mad Titan, Thanos," Loki began, seeing how his uncle
shuddered at the name. "And I realized how little I knew of that war. Is it one you have a
good tale of?"

He would still have to do his own research, but it would be a good starting point to learn
more. Not to mention it would allow him to do it while attending to his duties as king and
host.

"Oh, now that is a tale I do not tell often," Lord Bragi stated. "Aye, I think it will do nicely
indeed."

The rest of the meal was spent in pleasant conversation and 'twas not long ere Lord Bragi
excused himself and moved over towards the area the band normally used.

"Thanos, Loki?" Uncle Vili questioned.

Loki shrugged. "'Tis less known to me, but still a great battle so should be of sufficient
interest to both the court and the warriors."

And if it spoke of one of the greatest feats of seiðr in battle, well then Loki had promised
himself he would not perpetuate his father's disregard for all things seiðr unless it suited
Óðinn to do otherwise.

"Thanos was an enemy of Father's, right?" Thor asked.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "An old foe from around the time of his ascension to Hliðskjálf."

"He is also the one responsible for Father's death," Uncle Vili stated.

Loki's head and eyes snapped to his uncle's face, his focus sharpening abruptly. He could feel
both his muscles and seiðr tensing in preparation of use at the sudden alertness he mostly
only felt upon entering a battle situation. His core panged its displeasure at him painfully, but
he shoved it aside.

"I thought Grandfather was killed by Bölverkr," Thor stated, voicing Loki's own thoughts.

"He was," Uncle Vili confirmed as Aunt Gersemi took his hand. "But Bölverkr was sent by
Thanos in an advance attack to test our defenses and reactions."
Just as Thanos had used Loptr to lead an advance attack. It made Loki wonder if Bölverkr
had also had an additional motivation or task like Loptr's orders to obtain the Tesseract for
the Mad Titan.

He would need to look into it.

All of this merely validated Loki's decision to learn more about Thanos' first attack on the
Nine. If the Mad Titan was going to reuse old tactics, then it could be invaluable knowledge
for Loki. Well, so long as he did not allow it to blind him to other avenues of attack.

The noise in the Great Hall dimmed noticeably as Lord Bragi took his seat on the raised
podium. Lady Borgunna had ensured there was a goblet of water and a drinking horn of mead
present for the skáld to wet his lips as necessary, and the man took a sip of the former,
making everyone wait impatiently. Loki had to smile at the tactic; the man knew well how to
command an audience.

"Your King Loki has requested I tell a very specific tale tonight," Lord Bragi began, voice
pitched exactly right to ring through the Great Hall, ensuring all could easily hear him. "'Tis
of an old foe of Ásgarðr's," a pause. "His name was Thanos, otherwise known as the Mad
Titan, and he hailed from Titan, a wonderful Realm full of life and laughter. They built
beautiful statues unlike any seen elsewhere beyond, and enjoyed a rich culture full of
traditions and education."

Loki hid his smile behind his mead horn. 'Twas likely most of the listeners did not think
much of this and would find it odd to hear it praised thus.

"But, like all Realms, Titan had its troubles," Lord Bragi continued, voice deepening and
hands rising to gesture as he spoke. "There were tensions between the people who lived in the
cities and those who lived in the country as their population grew, and soon there was more
demand for food and living space. The two needs were in conflict and the interests of the two
groups had long diverged with neither side willing to listen to the other."

Now Loki furrowed his brow as he thought of how familiar some aspects of that were, even
on Ásgarðr.

'Twas not a good sign.

"Both sides allowed emotions to rule them, and negative emotions at that. Rather than love
and hope, they traded on fear and hate, seeing the other as enemies rather than those who held
divergent views from their own. Brother and sister, parent and child, and best friends became
enemies and new leaders promising to win for their side were chosen."

A big weakness of the governments which allowed the people to choose their rulers.

Not that their form did not possess its own weaknesses or Loki would not be here, now, like
this.

"The rift grew and grew until one group moved from rhetoric to action," Lord Bragi's voice
dipped and rose, captivating his audience, particularly now he had moved on to conflict. "We
know not who launched the first weapon but, when it went, others followed. The sky and seas
filled with poison, and the beasts and plants began to die. Food grew scarcer but, rather than
halting their madness, this only drove the obsessed further into war, each determined to win
or take out the other in their own defeat."

Though Loki had known Titan was a lost Realm, he had not been aware of the details. To
think a Realm had destroyed itself thus was too horrible to contemplate, even to one as well
aware of the dangers of civil war as he.

"The rest fled, but they were far and few in number, with most remaining behind on Titan to
perish when the poisoned air became too much to breathe," Lord Bragi paused, allowing
them to take in what he had said. "Among the survivors was one whom had offered his own
solution to the problem when food first became scarce. An idea so radical and horrific, 'twas
not even considered, instead being dismissed outright. The idea was quite a simple one;
randomly assign half of Titan's population to death."

A ripple of horror and disbelief washed through the hall.

"No exemptions to be made for status, education, skills, nor even age. Simple, random
chance for every titan to determine whether they were one of the lucky ones to live or die.
Pure, simple, horrific."

The dipping of Lord Bragi's voice made more than one person lean forward to catch his every
word, atrocious as they were.

"This titan was called Thanos, son of A'lars and Sui-San, brother of Eros, and the only titan
left alive in the universe today," Lord Bragi continued. "Most of his origins are lost in the
mists of time, but 'tis said he was deemed mad even before he proposed this despicable
solution to his Realm's desperate situation. There are rumors he attempted to implement his
solution personally, moving from house to house, executing half the inhabitants of each
before moving on to the next."

Even knowing what he already did, Loki could not help but feel disgusted at what he heard.
How had such a being been allowed to become as powerful as Thanos was now? Why had
not the titans put him to death? Had they not believed in executing prisoners? He knew there
were Realms and people who did not believe in such punishments, but in war such sentiments
often gave way to more practical solutions, even for those populations. And, clearly, the
titans had long since passed most compassionate norms in their civil war.

"He was cast out and it may be why he survived Titan's end," Lord Bragi said. "And, rather
than learn from his Realm's fate, Thanos took its destruction as proof he had been correct in
his proposition, and that the failure of either faction to implement it was the true reason for
his people's demise."

"How did such a madman become a very real threat?" Thor questioned.

"The mad may pose the greatest threats as they use methods and means the sane would not
dare consider," General Týr replied, face grave.
Loki's eyes flickered down to where the general's right hand rubbed at the stump of his left
wrist. He had heard the tale of the Jötunheimr beasts which had been unleashed during the
war and how the, then Lieutenant-General, Týr had lost his hand to one while defending
Óðinn. Many had deemed the jötnar mad for their use of the beasts, as 'twas said they had
stormed across the battlefield, trampling all in their path, but Loki had always been skeptical
of those claims. Surely even Laufey would not have willingly sacrificed their troops to such
beasts.

He was still doubtful, even with what he now knew his birth father was capable of. A king
did not last if the people did not feel safe from them.

"More crucially for the rest of the universe, Thanos also deemed his solution the best one for
every other Realm," Lord Bragi's voice deepened, taking on a more ominous tone. "For he
saw Titan's fate in that of all planets across the universe. He believed 'twas only a matter of
time before they, too, faced the same tragic end as that of his people, so he determined to
spare them all Titan's fate."

The ripple which spread through the hall was of shock this time as people realized what the
skáld meant.

"Towards that end, Thanos set out on a quest with a very specific purpose. Namely to wipe
out half of all life in the universe."

Even Loki, practical as he liked to flatter himself he often was, could not wrap his mind
around such a thought. Nor could he understand how Thanos was meant to be intelligent and
yet think the fate of one single Realm amongst all of those in the entire universe could
somehow predict that of every other Realm.

"At first, his success was small despite his ambitions," Lord Bragi continued. "But he soon
began to attract followers and 'tis said he kidnaps children from the Realms he has decimated
to raise to become trusted lieutenants for his legions. Perfect servants to carry out his work
and aid him in his quest for the Infinity Stones."

The revelation of the kidnapped children startled Loki badly, and 'twas only the fact everyone
was so focused on the skáld that his physical reaction to it was not noted. The disgust and
horror caused him to feel nauseous and he had to focus on his breathing to ensure he did not
lose control. Both Mother Winter and Ásgarðr rushed to his aid, helping him to push it all
aside for later, when he was alone and he could afford to let down his guard.

The reaction had cost him, though, and Loki realized he had lost track of Lord Bragi's tale.
He had no idea how much he had missed, nor could he risk asking Thor.

"- 'tis thus his attention swung towards the Yggdrasill and the Nine Realms she bears," the
skáld was saying, waving the drinking horn he held about before taking a sip of it. "Alas,
news of his actions had not reached the rulers of the Nine in anything other than rumors of
death and destruction in far off Realms, and thus seemed nothing more than tales meant to
frighten unwary explorers."
Loki nearly snorted at the polite wording. Likely, Borr and his fellow rulers had not deemed
it worth their notice. After all, the Nine had not oft had much care for the universe beyond the
Yggdrasill, believing it to be beneath their notice. Indeed, he could recall only a small
handful of individuals whom Óðinn had seemed to consider worthy of his attentions even
after all which had transpired.

The æsir did not learn easily.

"Therefore, none were prepared when Thanos sent an advance force led by Bölverkr, a jötunn
angered by King Borr's marriage to Bestla Bölþornbarn, whom they had loved."

"Grandmother?" Thor questioned in disbelief, turning startled eyes to meet Loki's own.

It... that...

Loki could well understand his brother's shock. He had been entirely unaware of this
particular connection between Bölverkr and Bestla, though it made more sense in light of
what he had learned of Óðinn's mother.

"Aye," Uncle Vili confirmed, softly. "'Tis why we did not suspect the attack was more ere
Thanos himself arrived. We had thought Bölverkr's anger their own, twisted by the loss of
their love."

What had his adoptive family attributed Loptr's actions to, Loki could not help but wonder.
Madness caused by falling into the Void? Or, nay, jealousy most likely, as they seemed to
think him so capable of it already.

The bitterness did not help his wounded core, and Mother Winter's irritation reached him
even as she sought to bolster him. It almost made him wish to smile. Almost.

"Aided by the Space Stone, Bölverkr managed to arrive deep within the Nine unexpectedly,
at the head of an army," Lord Bragi continued to his near spellbound audience. "'Tis said they
was sent not only to conquer the Nine, but also to obtain another of the Infinity Stones."

A frown crossed Loki's face as he pondered this. Could it have been that Thanos had learned
of what the Aether truly was? If so, all knowledge of its location would have perished with
Borr's death, so the Mad Titan's scheme had not gone to plan.

"There is much speculation as to which Infinity Stone it was that might have been hidden
within the Nine, though none yet live who know for certain," Lord Bragi said. "Many
speculate it might have been the Soul Stone, the most obscure and powerful of the six Infinity
Stones, though others think it was Time, the one Stone which would allow Thanos to attack
any Realm however many times it took to be successful, thus defeating any enemy."

"Norns, why have we never heard of these Infinity Stones before?" Thor asked, leaning close.

"I know not," Loki whispered a reply.

All he knew had come from his own studies and not from any tutor they had been assigned.
Loki could guess, though. Oh, he could guess, yet even he would not have thought Óðinn's
arrogance so great. Did the All-Father truly believe the Mad Titan posed no threat anymore
while Thanos still lived? Or was this another instance where he had not been informed of
work Óðinn was having carried out? Thor's ignorance made it less likely given his idiot
brother had been on the verge of being crowned king of Ásgarðr, but not impossible.

Loki hoped this was the case rather than that Óðinn had already dismissed the threat that was
Thanos.

Wait, had Bragi not mentioned something of a gauntlet? Loki had a vague recollection of it
from when he had been distracted, before. At first it had meant nothing to him, but now he
recollected the massive gauntlet stored in the vault. He had never paid it much attention
before; mayhap that had been remiss of him. He would need to investigate it after the All-
Father had awoken once more.

"Regardless of what treasure Bölverkr sought for their master, 'twas Ásgarðr they set their
sights upon, attacking without warning. Though the army they brought with them was but
poorly trained in comparison to the æsir warriors they faced, the surprise nature of the battle
resulted in many casualties and much damage," the skáld's voice had turned grave now, the
elaborate gestures from earlier gone. "Additionally, the power of the Space Stone within its
casing allowed Bölverkr to move unpredictably and, once their chosen enemy arrived, they
appeared well behind the æsir, within striking distance of King Borr himself."

Movement from further down the table made Loki look towards his uncle, who had turned
his face away. A pang of sympathy made him wish to reach out to Vili, but he could not. His
uncle would have been involved in that particular battle alongside both Óðinn and Uncle Vé,
and Loki had no idea if any of them had witnessed their father's death or not. Most tales he
had heard of that day had focused on both Borr's heroic battle with the coward Bölverkr, and
his grandfather's subsequent death. The other tales focused on Óðinn's own victories and his
success in driving back Bölverkr's forces after he had slain the jötunn.

Loki now wondered if this had been part of what had led to the later Æsir-Jötnar War, despite
the fact that Bölverkr's army had not been jötnar.

"The tale of that fight is well known on Ásgarðr, so all I shall say here is Bölverkr's fall led to
the Space Stone falling into æsir hands where it was named the Tesseract," Lord Bragi stated.
"News of his army's defeat took a long time to reach Thanos as the survivors were not able to
travel back as they had come, but when he learned of it, Thanos' rage was great as it had
resulted in the loss of the Space Stone."

How much greater had the Mad Titan's rage been when Loptr had repeated history and lost
Thanos another Infinity Stone? Loki could not help but delight in the thought. More fool
Thanos for not only attempting the same plan twice, but for thinking he could control the
God of Chaos.

"Unaware of the greater motivation behind Bölverkr's attack, neither Ásgarðr nor the rest of
the Nine knew of Thanos' approach," Lord Bragi informed them. "What saved them was the
fact that without the Space Stone, the Mad Titan had to approach the Yggdrasill as any other
army does. His inability to pass any living Realm without slaughtering half of its inhabitants
was another act of arrogance on his part. It allowed for word of his approach to spread along
with Thanos' anger. This time the Nine were not to be caught off-guard, and King Óðinn
wrangled treaties from the other Realms capable of fighting, to form a united front against
Thanos' army and the Mad Titan's unspeakable goals."

There was a part of Loki which could not help but wonder if Óðinn had not viewed the
opportunity as a great one. To have a second chance to confront the enemy whose actions had
resulted in the death of his father and provide him with a chance to prove himself before the
rest of the Nine? If he did not know better, Loki would have suspected Óðinn to have
engineered it himself.

For all the All-Father now spoke of peace and protecting the Nine, Loki was not fool enough
to believe Óðinn had always thought thus. The wars of his reign and those Óðinn had
partaken in while Borr sat on Hliðskjálf spoke for themselves. 'Twas easy to speak of peace
once one had conquered all they wished to and secured their own dominant position within
the Nine.

"King Óðinn now also possessed the Tesseract and had been learning how to utilize its
awesome power," Lord Bragi said. "Unfortunately, 'twas not to be the key to a swift victory
as many had hoped as Thanos came armed with another Infinity Stone of his own, namely the
Power Stone. 'Twas an unpleasant surprise for the ljósálfar whom Thanos attacked first,
having kept it hidden in an orb throughout his journey to the Nine.

Luckily, King Óðinn was able to transport the combined armies of the rest of the Nine to
Álfheimr and its moons, to meet the Mad Titan's army and 'tis here the Battle for the
Yggdrasill took place. Each Realm involved has tales of the smaller battles which took place
then; the dökkálfar of attacking the chitauri on Andlàngr, the vanir and rúfendr of battling the
outriders on Víðbláinn, and the others of joining the ljósálfar on Álfheimr itself."

Oddly enough, no one seemed to notice how Lord Bragi had lumped the æsir in with the
jötnar and eldþursar as 'others'. 'Twas proof of his skill as a skáld, as Loki knew otherwise
such an insult would not be missed.

"Those battles, though great and providing many a warrior with claims to heroics and fame,
all pale in comparison to the fight between King Óðinn and Thanos himself," Lord Bragi
continued, in one fell swoop casting aside the tales normally told in the Great Hall of that
time.

'Twas an omission which Loki knew would be lamented later, but for now the æsir present
seemed far too enthralled by the tale Lord Bragi spun to be distracted from it. This was one
fight they knew little of for all 'twas vaunted as a great victory for Óðinn. He wondered if that
had been deliberate on the All-Father's part, or whether 'twas the natural consequence of
Ásgarðr's disregard for seiðr.

"That particular battle was fierce and awesome to behold," Lord Bragi stated, leaning
forward. "And 'twas as much a fight between the Space and Power Stones as it was between
King Óðinn and Thanos. The Infinity Stones are said to possess a quasi-form of semi-
intelligence and are not predisposed towards warring with each other, being of a similar
nature, so their own reluctance must be overcome when wielding them against one another."
 Loki stilled at the words. Quasi-form of semi-intelligence. Did this mean they were similar to
Ásgarðr and Mother Winter in a way? Or were they more, having been created at the dawn of
time itself? 'Twas something he would need to look into, particularly if he were to handle any
of them himself. It could be critical to not only defeating the Mad Titan, but protecting
himself from any malicious influence the Infinity Stones may themselves hold.

"Their battle ranged far and wide over Álfheimr and onto the ships of both sides, the
Tesseract allowing King Óðinn to open portals to shift their location and keep Thanos wrong
footed," the skáld continued. "Thanos, meanwhile, wielded the Power Stone to great effect,
causing massive amounts of damage and forcing King Óðinn to use all of his power from the
Óðinnforce to stand his ground."

Oh, of course. Loki was not certain why he had not thought of it before, but Ásgarðr herself
would be a source of information he could tap to learn more of the Infinity Stones!

"Observers to this great battle speak of impossible feats and unimaginable power, giving
credence to the tales that whomsoever should hold any two Infinity Stones would be the most
powerful being in the universe," Lord Bragi stated. "And to think, Thanos sought all six."

"Norns," Thor muttered beside him and Loki looked over at his brother.

While he did not know how he could warn Thor of Thanos' impending return, he was at least
heartened to know his brother would take the threat the Mad Titan possessed seriously when
he did hear of it. If for that alone, his decision to request this particular tale was worth it.

A sip of mead Loki was certain Lord Bragi did not need, caused a brief pause in the tale,
precisely when the skáld's entire audience seemed desperate for more. A quick glance about
proved even the servants were intrigued, huddled near the doors to the kitchens.

"With the fight dancing from one location to the next, the details of it are sketchy and oft
exaggerated," Lord Bragi finally said. "But this we know for certain; King Óðinn emerged
victorious. Whether he trumped the Mad Titan purely with the combined power of the Space
Stone and the Óðinnforce, or whether another weapon was involved we know naught, but
win he did. Thanos, powerful in his own right even without an Infinity Stone, King Óðinn
cast out of the Nine, as far as the Space Stone would allow him to banish the last remaining
survivor of Titan. The now fractured and leaderless army was sent through a dozen portals,
scattered far and wide across the stars to perish far from their homes.

As for the Power Stone, well its fate remains a mystery even to this day. Some say King
Óðinn claimed it to place in his vault alongside the Tesseract, while others fear 'twas lost to
the vastness of the Void in its orbed casing, banished alongside its former master to become
as lost as the other four gems. We may only hope whatever its fate, that the Power Stone has
been sequestered safely for 'tis said that, in the far reaches of the universe, the Mad Titan stirs
once more, obsessed as ever with Death and the Infinity Stones."

Chapter End Notes

I have to admit that the bulk of this chapter gave me a lot of trouble when writing this
fic. Normally I always a fic in order, to ensure that character growth is smooth and even,
but here I left a gap which I can back to far later. It was because this tale of Thanos was
so hard to get right, not only because chunks of what the MCU went on to do was so
ridiculous (overpopulation, really?), but also because I didn't want to write myself into a
corner for the later fics in this series (I'm considering the name Álfheimrian Encore as a
possible title for one of the later sequels...).

For those less familiar with some of the Marvel background: A'lars, Sui-San & Eros are
Thanos' actual family in the comics. I'm unlikely to dig into them any further in this
series, I just needed some background and, as A'lars had already been mentioned in the
MCU, I just went with it.

Also a quick note. In editing this chapter, I realized that I had allowed a mistake to slip
past me in chapters 5 and 24, as I still had Bestla down as Bölþorndóttir instead of
Bölþornbarn, which is really what they would have used if authoring a book on the
jötnar. I've gone back and fixed that mistake now.

Norse Mythology:

Gerðr - a jötunn goddess & the wife of the Freyr. Said to have a 'shimmering beauty'
and it often lists Freyr as having to wait to marry her - I think you can already see where
I went with some of this.
Ítreksjóð - a son of Óðinn - I'm ignoring this, I just needed an Old Norse name!

Worker' or 'Evil Deed' 👀

Bölverkr - an alternative name of Óðinn in mythology meaning 'Bale-Worker', 'Evil

Andlàngr - one of the heavens in Norse mythology - I've used this as the name of one of
Álfheimr's moons.
Víðbláinn - another of the heavens (Gimlé is another) - another moon for Álfheimr here.

As for the tale of Týr and his hand, that's been modified, but is based on actual myth. In
the original tale, it was Loki's son, Fenrir, that bit off his hand. Týr is also predicted to
be eaten by monstrous dog Garmr come Ragnarök. Poor guy has a problem of the canine
variety!

Old Norse:

eldþursar - "fire giants" (alternatively eldjötnar or eldthursar) - one name for the
denizens of Múspellsheimr - I'm running with this Realm having 2 species, this being
the giant species
rúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - also a word for denizens of Múspellsheimr - I'm
running with this Realm having 2 species, this being the smaller species
barn - child
skáld - poet who composed skaldic poetry
myrkálfar - "dark elves" (or "dusky elves" & "murky elves")
ljósálfar - "light elves"
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarve
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðberandi - sorcerers
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: Breakfast with Lord Ragnvaldr & the long awaited trial begins!
 Chapter 45
Chapter Notes

Yes, it's finally here; the start of the trial of Lady Sif & the Warriors Three!

I know that some of you have been waiting for this moment for a very
loooooooooooong time. Sorry, but that's just how the fic turned out. Loki had far too
many things on his plate, poor guy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When he first woke, Loki savored the fact he did not immediately need to rise in order to
head to Niflheimr and have to deal with his birth father. Not to mention he would also be able
to deal with his brother's friends today and punish them for all they had ever done to him,
only made him feel even better.

Combined with the fact he had slept as well as he had, it all put Loki in a particularly good
mood indeed and, when he rose, 'twas without any of the dread and unusual exhaustion of
most of the past few days. The only damper on the situation was the bright ball of agony deep
within him which was his magical core. Yesterday's events had taken their toll on him and
overtaxing his already weakened core was now coming back to haunt him. Luckily, his
punishment for today's trial, while magical in nature, would not require seiðr use on his part.

It spoiled his good mood somewhat, but Loki clung to some of it as he performed his
ablutions and moved to his closet, curious to see if something new had appeared. There was,
and it had clearly been designed with today in mind as 'twas stylized after the outfits Thor's
ancestors wore in their official portraits. 'Twas still customized to his personal tastes and
build, but it clearly harkened power, a fact echoed in the ancient golden runes filigreed on top
of the black and dark green layered leather tabard laid over the silver tunic underneath. 'Twas
finished off with a green cape. He truly would need to speak with the tailors at some point, as
these were the ancient runes only a trained seiðkona should know and, even then, only one
who had studied the arcane. What was someone like that doing working with the palace
tailors?

Loki donned the robes with a thought and then added his new headpiece. The overall effect
was truly impressive, and he admired how much emulating a simple style of outfit could
confer on him so much authority in and of itself. He looked forward to utilizing it to the
fullest after the end of his short reign. He was also certain Thor's friends would not fail to
notice the complete and utter lack of armor on the outfit. While they would normally scoff at
it, in this case he was certain they would not fail to receive the true message.

He did not require armor to face them now. Not anymore and never again.
Loki did so love when clothing and his appearance could say so much without any words
whatsoever. 'Twas one of the things Thor had yet to learn; the power of appearances.

With a smile, Loki took off his new headpiece and carried it out to his meal.

"Majesty," Lord Ragnvaldr greeted, standing near the Einherjar in Loki's dining chamber. "I
was wondering if I could have a few moments?"

Loki motioned towards the table as he moved to his usual seat. "The kitchens keep sending
me far too much food."

"Thank you."

Oddly, despite the different location, having the advisor present for this meal did not feel so
strange as Lord Ragnvaldr had joined them often enough when Loki had broken the fast with
his parents. 'Twas also nice not to be the only one seated when there was more than simply
him and Livunn in the chamber.

"Did you have a good evening, Loki?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked while they selected their food
from what had been sent.

"Hmm, quite," Loki replied. "Skáld Bragi's reputation is well earned."

"Aye, I heard 'twas quite... enlightening for a lot of people."

Unsurprisingly, it seemed the ancient advisor had a well-honed information network, and
Loki looked over and smiled at the knowing look he received.

"Lord Bragi's specialty is seiðr," Loki explained. "I thought that particular tale might be of
more interest to most than some of the others."

"While also still nicely showcasing the true power of a well-trained seiðmadr."

Loki tilted his head in acknowledgement as he took a bite of egg.

They ate in silence for a few moments before Lord Ragnvaldr unrolled one of the parchments
he had brought and laid it between them. A quick glance informed Loki 'twas a decree of
indentured servitude for Lord Hogun, already prefilled with the date, a list of offences and the
sentence declared. All he had to do to make it official was to sign and seal it with his seiðr.

"I have drawn up one for each of the accused based on the old templates," Lord Ragnvaldr
explained. "I will have them sent to your study for you to complete after the trial."

"Thank you," Loki said. "I believe there are special... accoutrements we shall require."

"'Tis actually why I wished to speak with you this morning rather than waiting until later,"
Lord Ragnvaldr said. "All of the old documents said we possessed these accessories."

"And we do not?" Loki asked with a frown.

"Nay, we do, but it would seem they require activation, and a certain amount of maintenance
on the spells."

"I see. And?"

"And at present the only ones we have which are fully initiated are ones the dökkálfar have
enchanted, which I am told means only they can activate and maintain them."

"Aye," Loki confirmed.

The dökkálfar were quite particular and secretive when it came to their seiðr, much to his
annoyance even if 'twas one of their few traits Loki could understand well.

"I was, however, given this," Lord Ragnvaldr continued, unrolling another parchment and
handing it to Loki. "Lady Dagrún told me we do not have any seiðkonur capable of
performing the necessary spells, but she believed you may be able to do so."

At first Loki could not believe his eyes when he realized what it was he held, but a closer
look confirmed it. This was a complete set of instructions on how to perform the requisite
enslavement rituals, along with a list of all the possible exceptions and safety features which
could be built into it. Such as saying a victim could disobey an order if it would mean saving
their life or that of another. It seemed he would be utilizing his seiðr again sooner than
expected, but Loki could not bring himself to care. Not given this.

"I also thought it might be preferable as it gives us control over the details of the spell, if I am
reading it correctly," Lord Ragnvaldr continued.

"Hmm, it would," Loki agreed.

Given the state of his magical core, Loki knew he really should not be doing seiðr of this
level, let alone four times, and not to mention dökkálfarian metal seiðr which he had never
performed before, but he knew himself better than to even try to resist the impulse. Seiðr was
his greatest weakness when it came to willpower and always had been. Besides, it would look
odd if he refused now of all times to take the opportunity to perform such seiðr.

Not to mention the power it would give him over Lady Sif and the Warriors Idiot later if 'twas
his seiðr powering the enchantments. Besides, he relished the thought of proving to them
once and for all precisely how powerful seiðr was not only in general, but his own in
particular.

"Shall I order the blacksmith to commence work on a new set of collars, cuffs and chains
then?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired with a small smile.

"Hmm," Loki replied, biting his lower lip as he looked over the instructions once more.

He would need to draw up a list of...

Blank parchment appeared out of the corner of his eye along with a quill and Loki absently
took both and immediately began to transcribe the runes which would need to be engraved
directly into either the collar or the cuffs. There were, of course, the ancient ones for power,
obedience and service. Servitude and submission were also added along with another rune
which would allow him to build in some protections and exceptions. It would not do to give
the guards too much power over their prisoners as the temptation might prove to be too great
for some, especially given what crimes Thor's friends were being sentenced for.

A careful glance over the list had Loki adding a few more runes, especially for Lady Sif's
protection. 'Twas not until he had finished his list and looked up once more that he realized
the parchment and quill had appeared from his left, while Lord Ragnvaldr sat to his right. He
sent Livunn a quick smile, though he was certain she was used to his absent mindedness by
now when it came to his studies and all things seiðr.

"A good list," Lord Ragnvaldr said, and Loki turned to find the advisor looking over his
choices.

"Any others you would recommend?" Loki asked.

"Nay, I believe this should suffice while at the same time preventing any unpleasantness. I
shall pass it on to the blacksmith so he can commence work on them as soon as possible."

"Any indication yet of the expected turnout for the trial?"

"I was informed people are already starting to arrive."

Good, Loki had been hoping for it to be well attended. Not only would it make his vengeance
all the sweeter, but the more who saw the trial itself, the better word of what had transpired
would spread, and he could use that at present. He truly did need for people to know what
Thor's idiot friends had done so they would understand why they had needed to be punished
so harshly.

Not that he had been in much doubt of the attendance today, the æsir enjoyed witnessing
justice performed. Even if 'twas only justice in name.

Loki shoved the thought aside and returned his focus to his meal.

"Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said, stepping a little closer as they walked down the
corridor towards Valaskjálf. "Will you be approaching the prisoners during the trial?"

At first, the question confused Loki as he knew Lady Sif and the Warriors Idiot would be
chained as any other prisoners were, but then he realized 'twas probably more their number
which concerned the head of his guard. Between the four of them and their guards, there
would be a lot of chains going in a multitude of different directions. Plus, their training alone
made these four prisoners particularly dangerous.

"Nay," Loki reassured him. "There will be no need for that."

"Thank you."

Loki turned his head slightly to look at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. "They will likely react
adversely."
"Given how they behaved before, I considered it likely and so have ensured their guards are
aware of the increased possibility."

Loki inclined his head in acknowledgement as they reached the back entrance of Valaskjálf.
He could already hear the buzz of the crowd and it seemed louder than it had for Heimdallr's
trail, but Loki supposed that made sense as not only had there been more warning of this trail,
but the people already knew about it from what had been said and shown at the former
gatekeeper's trial. Hopefully, he would not have to work as hard in order to both be believed
and understood this time around.

He had to admit his success with Heimdallr's trial had made him a lot more confident, even if
his personal situation was a lot worse. He had hoped the pain would die down after rising, but
after the Yggdrasilli ignition yesterday, his magical core was a bright ball of agony deep
inside of him. Loki quickly glanced down at his outfit, ensuring everything was still in place
as he wished to appear both ceremonial as well as regal. He made a few quick adjustments
before striding through the back entrance and into view near Hliðskjálf.

The sound level in Valaskjálf instantly dropped as people turned to face him. 'Twas as
exhilarating as 'twas terrifying and Loki tried not to let either emotion show.

Well, he was definitely being seen now, even if 'twas not quite how he had always wanted to
be. Despite that, he would take it as being seen now, thus, meant it was highly unlikely he
would simply vanish from view and memory again afterwards. Not with all the strife and
upheaval which he had already courted during his short reign. In a way, 'twas almost for the
best as it meant there was no time to slow down and focus on other things as people might
have been wont to do otherwise.

Besides, there was a lovely perfection to the god of chaos presiding over so chaotic a time.

Slowly, calmly, Loki made his way to Hliðskjálf, Gungnir held tall and proud in his right
hand, eyes sweeping Valaskjálf as he walked. At first glance, it seemed as full as it had on
Thor's coronation, which was more than he had dared to hope for, and he took heart in it. For
one reason or another, people wanted to be here, today, to witness this.

Well, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three would not be able to say they had not had their words
heard. Not that Loki thought they would appreciate the audience, not at the end anyway. At
the start he was certain they would delight in it, but if they truly thought they could take him
on, the wordsmith and silvertongue, in a game of words, then they were even more deluded
and stupid than he had ever taken them for. Not that he expected them to be in their right
mind for long. Lady Sif's temper, in particular, would be easily roused and soon claim what
little reason and rationality she possessed.

If six days in the dungeons nursing her anger, pride and imagined slights had not already
done so for him. Loki rather hoped not, as he wanted that pleasure for himself.

'Twas as he reached Hliðskjálf that Loki's eyes fell on his brother. Thor stood sandwiched
between Uncles Vili and Vé, and near Lords Ragnvaldr and Óðr, and he knew far better than
to think it a mere coincidence.
The group stood near the base of the stairs, but off to one side. Close enough to show
solidarity, but not so close as to draw any undue attention to Thor, though how people craned
their necks proved they were aware of his presence nonetheless. He debated saying
something, but he feared it would come across poorly, better to simply start the trial. 'Twas
what everyone was here for, after all.

"Bring in the accused," Loki ordered as he sat down.

Since he knew they would notice and be irked by it, Loki leaned back a little more than he
had during Heimdallr's trial. 'Twas a little closer to the sprawl he would oft adopt on quests
when bored or unimpressed with a conversation or speech.

He was certain they would notice.

The doors at the end of Valaskjálf were opened and in came his four former companions, all
trussed up similarly to how Heimdallr had been and each with their own little phalanx of
guards. The result was a rather large and noisy procession which drew every eye in
Valaskjálf, which Loki wished he could take credit for, but 'twas all down to normal
procedure and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's hypervigilance as he was certain both Lady Sif
and Volstagg had more guards than necessary. He wondered if Hogun and Fandral were
offended or if it had escaped their notice. Probably the latter.

The sheer size of the crowd clearly startled Thor's friends as their eyes grew wide when they
glanced around Valaskjálf, taking in all of the people. A cry from one end drew Loki's
attention and he caught sight of an Einherjar holding back Volstagg's wife, where she had
clearly made an attempt to move forward. Nearby, and urging her back, were Fandral's
parents and Lady Sif's father. Of the children, at least, there was no sign. Given Volstagg's
wife had tried to take them down to the dungeons with her, he assumed this had more to do
with how Lord Ragnvaldr had arranged the trial than anything else.

When Loki turned his attention back to the Warriors Four, he could see they had spotted Thor
and, from the looks they were giving him, Loki knew they had not fully grasped their current
situation. A prince of Ásgarðr could not stand by any accused of treason, not when it
included an attempt to usurp Hliðskjálf. Especially not if the intent had been to put the prince
in question on Hliðskjálf instead of the rightful king.

Then, finally, Lady Sif turned her head to look at him and Loki coolly met her heated gaze
head-on. She had never been particularly good at disguising her emotions (she considered it
misleading at best and deceitful or conniving at worst), and now was no exception, much to
her detriment. It allowed many of those present to witness for themselves the anger and
loathing which flickered across her face. Sif only realized her mistake too late, when the first
mutterings in the crowd drew her attention.

Once they had reached the same place where Heimdallr had stood and their guard stopped
them, Loki paused for a little longer, simply looking at each of them in turn, meeting their
gazes head-on. 'Twas a subtle power play, proving this was going to happen on his terms and
forcing them to wait on him while standing below him, clad in simple prison garments and
chained like common criminals or animals.
"Lady Sif," Loki finally began, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Lords Fandral,
Volstagg and Hogun. You stand here before Hliðskjálf and Ásgarðr accused of high treason,
dereliction of duty in a time of war, and assaulting four warriors of Miðgarðr."

There was a cry of dismay from where their families stood and, while Loki did not glance
over, he knew it had been Fandral's mother from the way the man flinched at the sound. The
rest of the crowd did not react, the charges had been known in advance and thus expected.
'Twas not the shocking revelation of Heimdallr's trial.

"How-" Loki began.

"Nay," Lady Sif retorted, cutting across him and finally drawing a more audible response
from the audience.

'Twas a grave insult to interrupt the king and something which would not aid her cause. Loki
wondered if she had even properly thought this through. He was king now whether she liked
it or not, she could not simply continue to treat him as they had before, even if they had not
lost Thor's support as completely as they should have.

The latter was the true reason why Loki did not plan to call on his brother to give evidence. If
the people were to sense Thor's ambivalence as far as his friends were concerned, then it
could seriously damage his brother's standing with them and thus Thor's future ability to rule.

"Your disrespect is telling, Lady Sif," Loki stated, curious to see if he could bait her into
outright renouncing him as Heimdallr had. "To interrupt your king so."

Though the fingers of her bound hands twitched and more than one muscle in her face
spasmed, Lady Sif held her tongue and, inwardly, Loki smiled. Good, he did not want it to be
over too quickly. After all of their centuries of bullying and insults, Loki planned to savor this
and their punishment to the fullest.

For a moment it looked like Fandral might try to speak, but then the man closed his mouth
once more. Loki wanted to sneer at him. Of the four, Fandral was the only one he felt he
could have befriended under the right circumstances, but as 'twas, Fandral always seemed to
fall into line with the others at the slightest pressure. It had always disgusted Loki and
silently he had labeled it cowardice, though he had never said so aloud as he knew well how
ás who had their honor challenged reacted, and he had never had the desire to bleed for it.

"I take it from your brief statement, you contest one of the charges?" Loki offered, turning his
attention back to Lady Sif.

"I contest all of them," she snapped back immediately.

"All of them," Loki repeated softly, before he glanced to where most of the High Council
stood. "General Týr, please convey Höðr's report on what he observed on Miðgarðr after
becoming gatekeeper of the Bifröst."

"Of course, Your Majesty," General Týr said, stepping forwards. "After being assigned to his
new post, Höðr kept an eye on Miðgarðr and personally witnessed how the human healers
tended to two Miðgarðrian warriors Lord Volstagg had assaulted who had not made an
aggressive move on either them or Thor, nor who had done anything else to warrant an
assault."

"They were spying on Thor!" Volstagg protested. "They were hidden from view and skulking
about as cowards always do."

Loki's eyes flashed at the words, more than understanding what Volstagg dared not come
right out and say. He was usually the one of their group who would do the most
reconnaissance and, thus, would have 'skulked' about. Yet again one of their little group
proved that while they had no qualms in utilizing his skills and aid when necessary, they
would continue to denigrate and ridicule both it and him for it later.

The crowd, however, agreed more with the sentiment of Volstagg's words. Ásgarðr and its
damned notions of honor!

"They feared Thor's training and our technology, which was able to deposit him on Miðgarðr,
seeming near alien to them," Loki countered, playing up their superiority and boosting their
egos. "They feared he was the first of a larger group to come and they wished to learn more
of this grave new threat. A fear you further escalated by your arrival and the subsequent
attack upon their warriors."

"A true warrior does not hide himself away, but attacks from the front," Volstagg insisted.

"An æsir warrior, mayhap," Loki conceded. "But the mortals are hardly æsir and 'tis not for
us to decide who is and is not one of their warriors. Those men work for their government,
and they have demanded justice for what could have been perceived as an act of war."

That caused a ripple of dismayed unease among the crowd, for while none feared the mortals,
as Loki knew none of them realized quite how far humans had come in recent centuries, the
threat of facing a second war while the situation with Jötunheimr was not yet fully resolved
did not sit well with people. Especially if 'twas started by someone not acting on official
orders.

"General?" Loki prompted when it did not immediately look like Volstagg would speak once
more.

"The next two assaults Höðr witnessed firsthand and were committed by Lady Sif and Lord
Hogun at the Bifröst site, leaving one so gravely injured he may never fully recover."

The startled looks which crossed both Sif and Hogun's faces proved, at least, that neither had
intended to cause such damage. Alas, intent hardly mattered now, and they should have
known to modulate their strength when facing mortals.

"Do you still contest the charge of assaulting warriors of Miðgarðr, Lady Sif?" Loki
questioned.

"Aye. Your witness is an old guard of yours," Lady Sif stated. "He could easily reinterpret
and claim to have seen whatever you need him to have."
Anger rushed through Loki once more and this time he allowed it to show, hardening his face
as he sat up on Hliðskjálf. He also tightened his grip on Gungnir once more to a full handed
grasp, rather than the looser hold he had on it before, idly turning it between his fingertips.

"Watch your words, Lady Sif," Loki ordered, voice deceptively soft but it carried clear across
Valaskjálf as everyone else present was dead quiet. "He is a highly respected and dedicated
Einherjar who has given more in defense of the royal family and Ásgarðr than you ever have
for all of your posturing and perceived self-importance. True, 'tis very well-known he has
saved my life in the past, but that hardly implies he would dishonor himself by submitting a
false statement to his king and the court.

Nay, I suspect 'tis the dishonor of your already sentenced coconspirator you miss. After all,
we already know all he was willing to do."

In this particular area, Loki knew he could say more with fewer words as memory of
Heimdallr's actions were still very fresh.

The anger from the audience proved him right.

Lady Sif looked as if she wanted to argue further, but Fandral was able to catch her eye and
subtly shake his head. The paramour was correct, 'twas not worth fighting this point. She
would not win and 'twas not a very harsh punishment for this particular crime. Plus, they
probably hoped to convince Óðinn to let them free once his adoptive father woke.

'Twas one fear Loki still possessed about his chosen punishment for them. 'Twas not, in and
of itself, permanent in the same way execution was. So Óðinn could overturn it if he so
chose, but he did not expect his father to do so. If there was one thing Óðinn took seriously,
'twas threats to Hliðskjálf and that they definitely had been when they had acted as they had.
They could have destabilized all of Ásgarðr if they had succeeded.

"Now, on to the charge of dereliction of duty in a time of war," Loki continued.

"We did not!" Lady Sif protested.

It amused Loki that she thought she stood any chance of winning here against him, where the
weapons were words and he was the undisputed master of them on Ásgarðr. Luckily, he
greatly enjoyed her attempts as it allowed him to knock her back and down. Repeatedly.

Instead of replying verbally, Loki merely raised an eyebrow indolently and motioned for her
to continue.

A master indulging a misbehaving pet.

"There had been no official declaration of war when we left for Miðgarðr," Lady Sif declared,
looking quite pleased with herself. "Only rumors and hearsay, hardly a solid foundation for
anyone to base a decision on."

Loki glanced about to see the effect of her words. They were true and, if 'twas all someone
knew of the situation, they would sound more than reasonable. Indeed, it seemed to be what
most people thought.

Fortunately, he did know more about the situation.

"I see," Loki said, before pausing for a moment as if to consider this, while he savored what
was to come. "You are correct, the official announcement did not come until the feast that
evening, after you had already abandoned your posts."

Lady Sif looked suspicious now, and well she should. She definitely knew him well enough
to recognize when he was leading someone on.

"However, you and the Warriors Three are not simply any random person on Ásgarðr, now
are you, my Lady?" Loki continued. "You are the chosen companions and fellow warriors of
Prince Thor, and as such were selected to accompany him on his ill-fated trip to Jötunheimr."

"As were you!"

"Aye, I was."

Easy admission, not what she had been expecting.

It made Loki want to grin. He did so love causing chaos and havoc by not behaving as people
expected for him to.

"You admit this even as you condemn Thor for going to Jötunheimr?" Volstagg began, clearly
nervous as he glanced around.

"I protested the idea as soon as it was raised," Loki declared, eyes flashing to Volstagg, the
man had been there. He knew.

Unless their sense of the chain of command had deteriorated so much they no longer saw it at
all.

'Twas something he had never considered before, but now it had occurred to him, Loki could
not help but think it might be right. It would explain a lot. They probably saw their unit as
Thor did; a group of friends rather than a unit with a leader, a second-in-command (him!) and
soldiers who had to obey said chain of command.

"You still went," Hogun spoke up.

"Of course, I went," Loki retorted. "My brother, who was also the crown prince and heir, was
going. Some of us follow proper procedure in these situations rather than committing treason.
I voiced my concern, and, when it was ignored, I sent word to Father, escalating my concern
up the chain of command. I was not to know that, rather than doing his duty and following
his own orders, Heimdallr would simply allow us to pass and open the Bifröst to Jötunheimr."

All true and, for once, all as a real and proper æsir would do it.

Hmm, Loki probably should have known 'twas doomed to failure for that reason alone.
"Had Heimdallr but followed his orders, we would never have made it to Jötunheimr," Loki
continued.

"You still went, even then," Hogun persisted.

What did the vanir think to gain? Make Loki look ill before all of Ásgarðr? It would take
something far more than adhering to proper protocol to achieve that.

"Of course, my brother was going and I had hoped to mitigate any adverse effects," Loki
replied evenly, though he moved right on. The people knew enough of Thor's mistakes, so to
linger on them now would only be detrimental, especially after the oaf's insistence on going
to visit his friends the other day. "But 'tis precisely because I was present, that I know you
knew Laufey-King had declared war on Ásgarðr, as you were all present when it happened."

A faint rustling from the crowd as they considered this new information.

"Óðinn never said anything on the matter," Lady Sif protested.

"King Óðinn," Loki snapped back. "Did not have to. When the leader of another Realm
declares war, then Ásgarðr is at war as to ignore it would be sheer stupidity."

"I did not think it constituted a valid threat," Lady Sif declared loudly.

"What you think does not matter," Loki stated bluntly, to some twitters from court. "You are
neither the queen, nor a princess. You are a warrior, a member of the elite Einherjar, and
therefore 'tis not your place to decide what does and does not constitute a valid declaration of
war."

"There was still no official declaration by the time we left," Lady Sif persisted, and Loki
noted her use of the word 'left' rather than 'deserted'.

"You were present for Laufey-King's declaration and knew how severely Father had punished
Thor," Loki stated. "As such, you knew the rumors were more than mere speculation based or
either hearsay or gossip. You knew 'twas all true."

"We had been given no orders," Volstagg tried instead, as heavy and ham-handed as most of
what the overweight lout did.

"Strange, I distinctly remember giving you one when you came to this very hall the day you
deserted, demanding I undo Thor's punishment."

The angry buzz from the crowd was louder this time, the situation no doubt easy to picture
given what the people had already witnessed here today.

"Demand is such a strong word, Your Majesty," Volstagg replied, and it confused Loki for a
moment until he saw the man glance over at his wife.

Ah. So Volstagg was attempting to mitigate the damage for his family's sake. While Loki was
sympathetic to the situation she would face, being left alone with five little ones, Volstagg
truly should have thought of that before he had committed treason.
 "Is it now?" Loki drawled, leaning back on the rather uncomfortable seat Hliðskjálf was.
"You came bursting in here, questioning where Father and Mother were, before demanding to
see Mother. Then, when I refused, Lady Sif requested in a voice dripping with insincerity that
I end my brother's punishment. My refusal to do so resulted in her attempting a physical
response only to be halted by Lords Fandral and Hogun, after which you made the same
request and, while not sounding quite as false as Lady Sif, 'twas not far off. Oh, and all of this
was accompanied by the fact you all refused to show the appropriate deference and respect
accorded to the king of Ásgarðr upon first entering," Loki paused deliberately. "There, was
that a better summation of the events in question?"

There was some nervous laughter from among the crowd and another groan from where the
families stood. Volstagg opened and closed his mouth a few times as if not quite certain what
to do or say.

"We could ask Lieutenant-General Yngvarr for his opinion if you wish," Loki offered, before
his eyes flashed to Lady Sif. "Unless you would attempt to impugn his honor, too?"

"We were unaware," Fandral tried to explain. "We had expected to find Ó- King Óðinn on
Hliðskjálf."

"Many were similarly caught unaware," Loki retorted. "Strange they did not react thus. Now,
back to my original point. I distinctly recall ordering you to await my command after I denied
your requests to end Thor's banishment. Therefore, you were given orders."

"False orders by a false king," Lady Sif declared loudly, causing an uproar among the
spectators.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da!

So, is the start of the trial what you'd expected and hoped for? I know it has been a long
time coming and much awaited by a lot of you. I had not intended for it to take so long
to get here, but this entire fic grew exponentially from what I had expected. This,
however, was definitely one of the big scenes that I had in my original story notes as it
was something I really wanted to include after how these 4 acted in the film.

As for the cliffhanger... well, really, what were you expecting from me by now? 😇😈

In regards to Loki's new outfit, the inspiration came from the outfit Óðinn wore in the
flashback vault scene in the first movie. It was quite a nice one, but also very different
from the other outfits we saw, so I assumed it was more of a type the kings wore when
not dealing with warrior business.

Old Norse:
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarve
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
ás - plural of áss, which means "one of the gods/æsir"
skáld - poet who composed skaldic poetry
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: The rest of the trial of the Warriors Four...

 Chapter 46
Chapter Notes

Hey everyone, the second part of the much awaited trial!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki's eyes immediately swung back to Lady Sif as he pursed his lips. He had not needed her
to be so outright defiant and treasonous, but it definitely did not hurt regardless of what she
might think. What was more interesting was how Fandral closed his eyes in dismay. One of
them, at least, was smart enough to see where their behavior was leading them. Too bad the
blond idiot had not realized it sooner. Loki felt no pity for him, not after all Fandral had either
participated in or allowed to happen through his cowardice.

A quick glance over at Thor, showed his brother had his face buried in his hands. 'Twas not
the best reaction Loki could have hoped for but, given the argument they had only a few days
ago about these idiots, it could definitely have been worse.

"I see you wish to jump right ahead to the charge of treason," Loki said calmly, allowing one
corner of his lips to twitch upwards at the look of pure fury which flashed across her face.

"We did what we thought was right!" Lady Sif spat.

"Treason is never right."

"'Tis not treason when a usurper sits on Hliðskjálf."

Though rage filled him, Loki forced himself to appear exasperated as he rubbed his free hand
over his face.

"Now you truly sound like Heimdallr," Loki replied, the dark mutterings from the crowd
indicating he was not the only one to note the similarity.

"We had nothing to do with that!" Fandral burst out, wide-eyed and panicked.

Loki regarded him for a moment, letting them fear before he inclined his head once. "In that,
I believe you."

"You do?"

"Hmm."

He could only assume the sob-like sound from the family section was meant to be one of
relief.
"Why?" Lady Sif questioned, suspiciously.

"'Tis what Heimdallr claimed, and this is not the last conversation of regicide co-
conspirators," Loki replied, using Gungnir to pull up the recording from within Himinbjörg.

'Twas not strictly necessary as its existence had already been proven and the Warriors Idiot
definitely knew what had been said, but it also did not hurt, and he knew those who had not
been present before would appreciate seeing it for themselves. Plus, 'twas part of the pomp
and ceremony of the overall trial and Loki was not one to allow such an opportunity to pass
now he had the floor. He was certain he would be back in the shadows soon enough.

As the hologram played, Loki let his eyes sweep Valaskjálf. Most people were fully focused
on the scene from Himinbjörg, either with rapt fascination (the crowd), horrified dismay (the
families), rage (Lady Sif), dismay (Fandral and Volstagg), quiet determination (the High
Council) or grim forbearance (Thor and Hogun). Loki had not honestly been certain whether
his brother would be able to control himself today despite the potential for a serious misstep
which could haunt Thor for centuries, but somehow between their first big argument upon his
brother's return and today, Thor seemed to have gained some measure of control over his
emotions. Just enough to allow some rationality in. So either Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had
been correct and the Warriors Four had done his job for him, or Mother had somehow broken
through to Thor.

Normally Loki would suspect the latter, but this time he was not quite certain. Regardless, it
gave him hope they would be able to move past this with time.

Aye, Loptr had stated even the truth of his heritage had not driven Thor away, but Loki had
no illusions regarding where he stood with his brother when Lady Sif and the Warriors Three
were involved. But this, combined with the fact that he did not plan to execute his brother's
friends, gave him hope.

"That sounded like an admission of guilt to me," Loki stated when the scene ended.

"Only because you have managed to so thoroughly warp the situation as to make the laws of
Ásgarðr work for you in claiming Hliðskjálf for yourself!" Lady Sif spat.

"Oh dear, are we back to the grand conspiracy theory?" Loki questioned, causing a ripple of
laughter from parts of the audience, much to the confusion of the traitors and his brother.
"'Tis part of what Heimdallr claimed," Loki explained, looking directly at Thor. "That I had
masterfully orchestrated the events of the past week and a half in order to gain Hliðskjálf for
myself. The sheer level of manipulation and collusion required, though, was quite staggering
and Heimdallr seemed a little uncertain as to who were the co-conspirators and who the
helpless puppets." More laughter. "Mayhap Lady Sif will be able to explain it better."

"'Tis not so difficult to understand!" Volstagg roared, jerking at his chains. "Thor is the crown
prince and heir! In Óðinn's absence or incapacity, he should be king and not you!"

"Nay, Thor was the crown prince and heir. The moment he was banished and stripped of his
power and titles, those positions passed to the next in line of succession."
"'Tis not what Óðinn would have wanted," Lady Sif added.

"King Óðinn," Loki retorted, growing bored of repeating himself. "And what, exactly, are you
claiming, Lady Sif? That you are able to commune with my father while he is in the
Óðinnsleep? Or that he was incapable of understanding what it meant to place me second in
line of succession, and what removing Thor from it would mean?"

To be fair, Loki was not entirely certain Óðinn had thought quite so far ahead when he had
banished Thor. Neither his adoptive father nor his brother had exactly been very rational at
that time, but Óðinn had, nevertheless, chosen to adopt him and place him in the line of
succession. The latter meant his regency had always been a possibility even if Óðinn had
never truly expected for it to happen. It must have been a risk his adoptive father had been
willing to take for, if something had ever happened to Thor, Óðinn would have been hard
pressed to explain why he would not want to have his supposed second born on Hliðskjálf.

"I..." Lady Sif began, her fists clenching and looking surprisingly small and delicate in the
heavy manacles and chains. "You manipulated the situation and let the frost giants into the
vault!"

This was almost becoming boring in how much it echoed Heimdallr's trial.

"Tell me, did you steal Heimdallr's ideas, or did he listen in and steal yours?" Loki asked.

"That is your answer?" Lady Sif sneered. "It sounds like an evasion to me."

"I do not need to answer spurious accusations," Loki dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I
am not on trial here."

"You should be!"

"Do you respect any authority?"

"Those who have not stolen their positions!"

"So you believe my father stole his?"

"I never said that!"

"You implied it, for when you decided to retrieve Thor, you were disobeying the orders of
King Óðinn as well as myself. One could also argue you do not respect Thor either, given the
danger you planned to place him in."

"We would never endanger Thor!" Fandral protested. "Nor you."

'Twas an afterthought and one both he and Fandral knew was quite possibly not entirely true
for all of them. Not anymore at least. Lady Sif guarded slights quite jealously and could be
petty in her vengeance. 'Twas the area in which they were most alike.

"Lord Ragnvaldr, would you please inform every one of the punishment for one banished by
the king who returns uninvited?" Loki asked.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, stepping forward until he was at the base
of the steps leading up to Hliðskjálf. "Those who return uninvited would be viewed as
criminal and would be either banished once more, either permanently or for longer than
before, or they could be imprisoned in the dungeons to serve out the remainder of their
sentence, plus a penalty for disobeying their king.

However, in a situation such as this, where the aim of the return would have been an attempt
to usurp Hliðskjálf and overthrow the rightful king of Ásgarðr, the sentence options increase
dramatically, up to and including execution of the traitor."

That caused a minor uproar around Valaskjálf as people realized the position they could have
found themselves in if Lady Sif and the Warriors Three had managed to achieve their goal.

"Nay!" Fandral exclaimed in disbelief, eyes wide but voice surprisingly firm nonetheless.
"You would not... not to Thor."

'Twas nice at least one of them knew him well enough to realize this, as 'twas more than clear
the others did not.

Loki lifted Gungnir just high enough so when he let it slip, it caused a sufficiently loud bang
as to lessen the volume within Valaskjálf once more.

"Nay, indeed, I would not have executed my own brother," Loki declared clearly. "But 'tis the
danger you exposed him to when you sought him out in an attempt to usurp Hliðskjálf from
me. Thankfully for us all, Thor refused to be a part of your machinations."

Loki had been determined to have that said loudly and clearly at some point during this trial,
as 'twas important for the people to be clear on this issue. Thor would have enough trouble
regaining their trust when this was all over without that doubt lingering in the backs of
people's minds.

"There are traitors in the House of Óðinn," Hogun stated.

Well, Loki could not worry about anyone having found this trial dull. He gave people a
moment to react to those words which were even more inflammatory out of their original
context.

"You would use Laufey-King's words as your defense?" Loki inquired, when things had
calmed down.

'Twas all starting to make sense to Loki now, why so many had been so quick to connect the
three jötnar who had attacked the vault to him. The fact that 'twas true was irrelevant in some
ways, but aye, his birth father's words would have been enough to make Hogun suspect a
connection. And if he had voiced that and Heimdallr had overheard, well, combined with his
ability to mask his presence from the famous gatekeeper, he could now see why they had
suspected him.

But to draw the conclusions they had from it?

Frankly, Loki was not quite certain whether to be offended or feel complimented they felt he
could pull off so elaborate and impossible a task. For truly, to organize the attack, manipulate
his brother, convince Heimdallr not to obey his orders, manipulate Laufey into declaring war,
have Óðinn banish Thor, and then somehow make Father collapse into the Óðinnsleep?
Really, it would be a truly magnificent trick, but one he could not even begin to plan, let
alone achieve. There were simply far too many variables to consider. Even for him with his
love of complexity and manipulation.

"He said them," Hogun stated.

"Hmm, he did," Loki confirmed. "He also called Father a liar and a thief, would you claim
those as truth too?"

There was an aborted move from where the High Council stood, and Loki glanced over to
find Uncles Vili and Vé had laid placating hands on Thor's arms. In his brother's current
condition, 'twas probably enough to restrain him. A few others had caught the actions too, but
Loki was not worried. Thor reacting adversely to anything negative said or done to his family
right now could only be beneficial.

"He may well have believed them to be true," Hogun answered diplomatically.

Loki had always known there was more going on with the vanir than was immediately
apparent. Though why Hogun would choose to follow Thor then, he had never worked out
with complete certainty, but he suspected 'twas because of the prestige. On Vanaheimr Hogun
would not ever have amounted to much, but here he could be a shield-brother to a king, or
that had probably been the original idea anyway, upon taking up Thor's offer to join after they
had first encountered the silent fighter.

"Blatant disrespect for the current king of Ásgarðr, associations with one who would commit
regicide, involvement in a plot to overthrow me, and now attempts to make Laufey-King
sound authentic." It truly was far too good of an opportunity for Loki to allow to pass
unremarked upon. "If I did not know any better, I would begin to think I needed to look more
closely for possible links between you four and Jötunheimr."

The blast of chaos as everyone reacted to those words was terrific and Loki drank it in, trying
to utilize it to soothe the ever-persistent agony of his core which was like a white-hot ball of
fire burning him from the inside out. Rather ironic, considering his true nature. Both Ásgarðr
and Mother Winter enjoyed the chaos as well, and it provided some comfort to know he
would at least still have one of them moving forward after Óðinn woke. It would not lessen
the pain of losing Ásgarðr, but it would help him cope with it.

Rather predictably, all four of his brother's friends reacted explosively to the mere suggestion
and Loki had to suppress a smile as he watched the guards work to bring them back under
control. Almost able to feel Thor's gaze on him, he looked over and met the oaf's eyes. For a
moment he simply held it before he made a small gesture with his free hand, one of their
signals.

Hold. Stay. Trust.

"Why you two-faced, conniving trickster!" Lady Sif sputtered as she struggled with the
guards. "I swear I will-"

"Sif!"

The voice cracked across Valaskjálf, and Loki's head whipped around to find Lord Hermóðr,
Sif's father, standing red faced and with fists clenched, glaring at his daughter. The man
seemed caught somewhere between mortification and fury. With a start, Loki recalled how
the lord had not been happy when Sif had joined the Einherjar. If he understood it correctly, it
had been her mother who had encouraged her and, as a result, Lady Sif had fallen out with
her father. Given all of that, Loki could well understand why Lord Hermóðr might be furious
with her now.

A rather loud commotion drew Loki's attention back to the Warriors Idiot, and he found the
Einherjar had wrestled all of them to their knees and were forcing them to maintain that
position. Fury and shame burned bright in Lady Sif's eyes and he knew she would happily
run him through with her sword right now if given half a chance. Too bad for her, 'twas not
something she would ever have again.

Fandral, though, seemed far more desperate than anything else.

"Lok-" the paramour began, but clearly catching how his gaze narrowed in warning, Fandral
cut off and began again. "Your Majesty, please!"

"Do not. It will simp-" Volstagg began.

Loki banged Gungnir against the floor once more, quieting both the audience and his former
companions alike. They were still far too well trained to respond to the sound from when his
father had used it in a similar fashion.

"I did say if I did not know any better," Loki said once he had everyone's attention. "Luckily
for you four, I do. Be grateful for it, as your actions recently would make you suspect for
such suspicions otherwise."

Rather predictably, Lady Sif was already opening her mouth to argue, so Loki twitched
Gungnir in his grip, activating the silencing spell on her collar and cutting off what she was
about to say.

"Now, do any of you have anything civil to say in your defense?"

Lady Sif glared at him defiantly and made an aborted gesture with her arms, the chain cutting
it off short.

"If your intent is to speak civilly, you will find that you are able to, Lady Sif," Loki told her.
"You are a lady of the court and such incivility is unbecoming of you."

His words only served to further her anger, but Loki did not care. He loathed vulgarities or
base language and normally only used it when he had to provoke a very specific reaction
from someone, or one of his tricks required it. Besides, 'twas more of a challenge, and
infinitely more amusing, to be unfailingly polite while he was insulting someone. There were
even times when the other party did not even realize what he was doing, but only if he had
another audience, of course. Or else where was the fun in it?

Unable to voice her displeasure, Lady Sif bared her teeth at him instead, drawing mutters and
scorn from the court.

"Charming," Loki said, before he shifted his gaze to the others. "Lords Fandral, Hogun and
Volstagg, any final words?"

"You would only twist them," Volstagg stated.

Then, because he was simply so petty at times, Loki looked at the wider audience. "Does
anyone else have any evidence or words they would like to present before sentencing?"

There was a faint shuffling from the area where the families were kept, but thankfully none of
them spoke. 'Twas a risk in opening it up, but Loki could not resist proving to the self-
important Warriors Four they had gone too far this time, to the point where Thor was
completely powerless to render them aid.

"In that case, I find you guilty on all counts," a cry of despair from the families, followed by
a strangled moan. "First, for the deplorable behavior you have displayed both here today and
over the course of the past few days, I hereby strip all of you not only of your titles, but also
of your status as warriors of Ásgarðr."

Though there were some mutters from the audience - it had been a while since anyone had
been denobled - most of them were nodding. The news clearly hit all four of Thor's friends
hard and Loki knew it would be far worse for the latter than the former, since all of them took
great pride in not only being warriors, but some of the most renowned throughout the Nine.

"You cannot do that!" Sif protested.

Loki merely raised an eyebrow. "I just did, for you are all clearly unworthy of either and
could do nothing but stain the honor of both the court and the Einherjar."

Murmurs of agreement cut off Sif's reply and her face turned an ugly puce color in anger and
embarrassment.

"Additionally, for your acts of treason against both the royal family and all of Ásgarðr, I
sentence all of you to lifelong indentured servitude so you can repay all of the opportunities
and privileges Ásgarðr has bestowed upon you and which you have betrayed and squandered
so thoughtlessly."

The general reaction was more confused now and Loki was not surprised, it had been a long
time since Ásgarðr had any indentured servants, but he was certain the knowledge would
soon spread. A quick glance at Thor showed his brother was caught somewhere between
confusion and relief, though he was certain it would not last long as Lord Ragnvaldr was
already leaning in to explain it to him.
"Indentured servitude?" Fandral questioned.

"Hmm, and your first project will be repairing the main road in the eastern part of the city,"
Loki stated.

That elicited a greater response, both from Ásgarðr's four newest slaves and the people who
had come to witness the trial. The section of the crowd which was the least well-dressed was
particularly abuzz, and Loki assumed they were either from that area or close to it.

"Road repair!" Sif muttered in horror. "We are warriors, not common laborers!"

Rather than reply, Loki waved them off and the guards immediately began to drag them away
and back down to the dungeons. A quick glance over to the family section showed a wide
range of reactions. Lord Hermóðr could not seem to retreat fast enough, his face still tinged
red with mortification. Both of Fandral's parents, meanwhile, had identical expressions of
relief and he knew their worst fear had been that he would have executed their son. As long
as Fandral was alive, they had hope. Volstagg's wife, however, had a look of utter devastation
on her face and once more Loki felt for her. She had not only just lost her husband forever,
but also the only one who was currently supporting the family. He would have to ask Lord
Ragnvaldr to ensure someone pointed her towards the meagre help services they had
available.

Mayhap watching her struggle with them would make Thor realize they required greater
funding. He could only hope as it would make something good come out of this entire mess.

Though the greater number of people in Valaskjálf made the risk to his safety higher, Loki
rose from Hliðskjálf and descended the steps as it also meant a greater number of people
would be able to use the opportunity to approach him.

Loki spent about two hours in Valaskjálf before he decided he had tried his brother's patience
long enough, and he retreated to the small chamber behind Hliðskjálf.

"Brother!" Thor boomed, coming right for him as soon as Loki entered.

He was engulfed in an embrace and squeezed tightly, Loki supposed, for a mortal.

"They will not like it," Loki warned. "And there are details to this you will not like."

"Of that I have no doubt," Thor replied, pulling back. "But Father would surely have
executed them for what they said and did today."

If not what had come before.

"Let us hope that does not come back to haunt me," Loki replied.

Though he had his own reasons for selecting the punishment he had, Loki would not
surrender the opportunity to ensure Thor fully understood the risks he was taking here by not
summarily executing all five of the traitors.
"I understand, but what you said sounded good and from what Uncle Vé told me, the eastern
part of the city is in dire need of some repairs."

"And not just there, unfortunately," Loki replied.

"I dread to ask."

"Suffice it to say several of the King's Funds requests were items which should have been
dealt with differently."

"Uncle Vé told me of that too," Thor admitted, pausing before continuing. "I cannot say I am
pleased with which applications you have chosen, but I could see you received ones Father
never did."

Loki's eyebrows shot up at that, startled. "'Tis what happens if people do not feel the outcome
is already determined."

"So I see."

Dare he? Loki knew it could trigger another fight, especially now of all times, but his brother
was already being far more understanding than Loki had expected Thor to be.

"And a lot of the applications I turned down will still go ahead, simply with the funding the
military already receives, which is very significant."

Thor frowned. "You and some of the others still divert too much away from it."

"Thor, we do not divert 'too much' away, hardly even what is needed to keep other vital
services running."

"The warriors-"

"Are not the only people on Ásgarðr and not everyone can or wants to become one!" Loki
retorted. "Nor would we want them to as we would have no one to grow the food they need,
create the weapons they use, or sustain the economy which pays for it all. Ásgarðr needs all
of its people to function, and that means supporting all of them. And part of that requires
having basic infrastructure for trade and commerce to be passible, or for those who do not
become warriors to be educated to a sufficient level to be able to run trades which can
compete against those from other Realms, or balance their books to ensure they do not spend
more than they earn."

Thor sighed. "I wish to view the road my fr- they will be working on."

It took Loki a moment to realize this was his brother's way of asking for permission to do so.
Normally it would not be an issue, they both came and went without needing to ask Óðinn for
permission for such simple things, but this was hardly a usual situation as Thor was
essentially a mortal and without all of his usual privileges as a prince of Ásgarðr.

"Of course, but take your guards," Loki replied, trying to soften the blow a little.
While they had already fought about his brother's desire to go visit his friends, that had been
the only time Thor had truly needed his permission to do anything. 'Twas one aspect of
kingship Loki had not yet truly needed to confront and one he had no desire to; the power to
order any of his adoptive family around. In his interactions with his mother so far it had not
yet come up, as they were simply continuing on as normal. But 'twas different with Thor due
to his brother's own altered status.

The one good thing of all of this was that it might make Thor think twice about ordering him
around in the future, as it had been one of the things he had been worried about before the
coronation; that his brother would utilize that particular power thoughtlessly. Now, at least,
'twas far less likely to happen.

"Aye, of course," Thor replied. "And I will think on what you said."

"Good. Simply remember, not everyone automatically has all we did growing up," Loki
replied. "They cannot all afford to be educated and trained so easily."

"Is that why you elected to fund the one warrior application?"

"Hmm, 'twas aimed at those who would not receive training from normal military funds."

"I saw."

"You read them all?"

"Most of them," Thor paused. "Some of those you rejected were ones I had previously
worked on."

"I know, but they received funding before, 'tis someone else's turn now," Loki responded.
"And besides, we are replacing and upgrading a lot of the warriors' armor and weapons now,
so there will be more of the usual budget available for other items which would normally
have been used to do so."

"I had not thought of that. I shall speak with General Týr on it," Thor stated, before he
reached back out for him. "And Loki? Thank you."

Loki tried to wave it off, but having his brother's genuine gratitude was rare as of late and so
'twas hard. He could only hope it did not come back to hurt them in some fashion.

"Do you know where to go to see what you wish?" Loki asked instead.

"Aye. When will you set them to work there?"

Loki winced. "Remember how I said there were details of this you would not like?"

"Aye."

His whole brother's tone and body were now tense and braced, and Loki was pleased. Thor
seemed to be taking this seriously.
"Well, indentured servitude has special... accessories to ensure compliance."

A muscle in Thor's jaw jumped, but his brother took a moment to think before he spoke.

"What sorts of accessories?"

"Items quite similar to what they wore today, only imbued with dökkálfarian metal seiðr to
ensure they cannot escape or disobey."

"Seiðr? Loki is that absolutely necessary, you know how they feel about seiðr."

"Hmm, this is part of what indentured servitude means. Besides, would you be able to
guarantee they would not attempt to escape or refuse to do the work assigned to them
otherwise?"

"Nay," Thor winced. "But when you say ensures compliance... ah..."

"Aye, it can mean what you fear, which is why I will build in safety precautions to ensure 'tis
not abused."

"Thank you, Brother."

Whether Thor would still thank him once his brother saw his friends and had heard their
complaints, Loki did not know, but he would take it for now while he could.

Once Thor and his guard had left, Loki took a moment before glancing over at Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr.

"Am I forgetting anything regarding military funding, do you think, Lieutenant-General?"

Yngvarr shifted forwards a little. "I strongly believe anyone given more funds will find
something to spend it on, so while we would be able to utilize it, you are correct in that we do
not require it. Well, unless the peace treaty does not hold."

"Nay, then everything will need to shift," Loki replied, before tilting his head. "Do you not
want more?"

"Not if it comes at the expense of what I saw in the eastern part of the city."

"Hmm, it did rather drive home their need."

"Additionally, I have also seen what a lack of investment in trade and commerce causes,"
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr continued. "I was on Múspellsheimr not long after their
economy collapsed."

Loki winced at the thought. He had never known Múspellsheimr as a thriving Realm, merely
as the ruins 'twas now, but Lieutenant-General Yngvarr made a good point as that was what
had happened there. Mayhap he would need to pull out the details of it all later, to show Thor
how important what his brother saw as the 'non-essentials' could truly be.
"Norns willing, Ásgarðr will never be in a similar position," Loki stated.

"Norns willing," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied, though he looked like he wanted to add
more.

Before Loki could inquire about it, though, there was a knock on the door and Lord
Ragnvaldr entered the chamber.

"Am I interrupting, Your Majesty?"

"Nay," Loki replied. "Shall we head to my study, so I can sign the parchmentwork and make
it all official?"

"As you wish," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, falling into step beside him as they left the chamber.
"I have spoken with the palace blacksmiths, and they say they will have the necessary items
ready tomorrow afternoon."

"Good," Loki smiled tightly, trying to keep his true pleasure at the thought hidden. "Have the
master blacksmith meet me in the dungeons then, for the final adjustments as we fit them."

"I will see to it. Additionally, I have been in contact with Councillor Vör and she says they
are ready to commence the repairs whenever the traitors are ready to be put to work."

Loki glanced over at Óðinn's advisor. "Did you invite her to the trial?"

"I thought it might be the easiest way for her to understand the situation."

And ensure those in charge explained it properly if questioned on it. Let it never be said Lord
Ragnvaldr was anything but a political mastermind. He could see why Óðinn had first
chosen, and then kept, the man around for so long.

"How did she react?" Loki asked, genuinely curious.

"She appeared extremely pleased, beyond merely having the necessary labor."

Aye, it could have been viewed as a disappointment as there were only four of them. But they
were four strong workers and the magical restraints would ensure they actually performed as
well as they could.

"All four have been known to make disparaging remarks about the lower classes of
Ásgarðrian society," Loki explained. "Nor were they particularly quiet when doing so. I am
not surprised word of their sense of superiority would have filtered back down to those living
in areas like Councillor Vör's."

"Ah, I see."

Let it never be said he would not do everything in his power to aid his own cause. Now he
had been able to enact his chosen punishment on the former Warriors Four for all they had
done to him, Loki would do all he could to ensure Óðinn did not overturn the sentence when
they appealed to him. And appeal they would, of that Loki had absolutely no doubt. Just as he
had none that Óðinn would see how they had endangered Hliðskjálf and all of Ásgarðr, but
he was far less certain of how his adoptive father would choose to respond to his chosen
punishment. So, by ensuring Lord Ragnvaldr knew as much about what the four had done
and how they thought, Loki hoped to help the advisor see why what he had chosen was a
particularly good punishment for them.

After all, he already knew Óðinn would not listen to him directly on the matter, as the man
never listened to him. Not anymore, if ever.

The strange feeling of restlessness Loki had felt before was back, and it made him antsy and
nervous in a way he could not quite explain. He tried to shove the feeling aside as they
entered his study, but the attempt was unsuccessful. It lingered at the back of his mind as he
looked over the forms Lord Ragnvaldr had drawn up and signed and sealed each one,
officially making each of his brother's friends an indentured servant and stripping them of all
of their titles and rights as a free citizen of Ásgarðr.

"I would not be surprised if you commence receiving requests for the use of the traitors,"
Lord Ragnvaldr said as he gathered the four parchments.

"Oh?"

"I was already approached immediately after the trial by some wishing to utilize their
services."

That was interesting.

"I assume you asked for them to submit an official request?"

"Aye."

"The question is who should oversee it. Normally I would ask it of Lord Óðr, but given recent
events, I am loathe to trust him with the task."

"May I recommend Prince Vé?" Lord Ragnvaldr suggested.

"Why?"

'Twas not whom he had expected the man to recommend, and Loki was intrigued.

"When he was younger, Prince Vé expressed an interest in Ásgarðr's history and architecture,
therefore I believe he might be particularly well placed to understand the importance of
various requests regarding areas which may have been inadequately compensated for repairs
after the múspellssynir attack."

"I was not aware of that," Loki replied. "But it sounds good, I will speak with him about it.
Now, about the report we have had from farmers in the north."

The next hour was spent in discussion on various items pertaining to Ásgarðr's economy,
none of which were particularly interesting, but all rather important. Or rather the
consequences of ignoring them would be. 'Twas an aspect of kingship Loki knew to be
 critically important, but which he found mind-numbingly dull. Which did nothing to aid him
in ignoring the restlessness he felt, and it took quite an effort to remain seated and attentive as
they worked.

From there he moved onto some other parchmentwork once Lord Ragnvaldr had left, though
'twas hard and he had to force himself to do so until there was a knock on the door.

Chapter End Notes

Believe it or not, but we're pretty much at the halfway point of this fic! So much done,
but still so much to come 😁
Also, I am completely and utterly exhausted, so I really hope I haven't made a silly
mistake somewhere, but do let me know if I have!

And, yes, Loki is being a bit of hypocritical little shit in this chapter. He's not at all
ashamed of it either. The beauty of close character pov writing...

🤣
Also, yes, Loki truly was starting become a bit bored in the middle of the trial. It's really
hard being the God of Chaos and needing constant, new stimulation 😂

Oh, just in case anyone's in any doubt, we will be seeing more of these four and their
punishment. They have not yet given up coming out on top and Loki truly can't resist
playing with dwarven magic when he really, really shouldn't. It's too shiny and new (yes,
Loki is a magpie and, yes, we will eventually see magpie!Loki in this series, I have
already written more than one scene like that. Muninn & Huginn approve and can't resist
a little mischief of their own... And why isn't there a magpie emoji? - can you tell I'm
tired yet?).

Norse Mythology:

Hermóðr - "war-spirit" - a son of Óðinn & brother of Baldr, considered the messenger of
the gods. - Once more, I needed an Old Norse name.

Old Norse:

múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell" - one of several words I'm using for the inhabitants of
Múspellsheimr
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
jötnar - "frost giants"
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Loki attends to his neglected duties, while General Týr tries to have a
talk with Thor...
 Chapter 47
Chapter Notes

Onto the second half of the fic!

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and good luck to those doing NaNo, we're in the
final days!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Enter," Loki called out, looking up.

"Majesty," Livunn greeted as she entered, a sheet of parchment in her hands. "I have an
inquiry from the palace tailors, if you have a moment?"

Loki's eyebrows shot up. "Another outfit?"

"Aye," Livunn smiled. "They are thinking of the treaty signing ceremony."

Ah, aye, such an occasion would normally require a new outfit.

"What do they wish to know?"

Livunn stepped forwards and handed him the parchment. It contained quite an elaborate
pattern and it took Loki a moment to see it actually consisted of several different patterns or
symbols, all cleverly combined into one, large pattern. What was more, he recognized sub-
patterns or symbols from Vanaheimr, Álfheimr and Niðavellir as well as Ásgarðr within it.
There were also a few which looked different enough from what he recognized to suspect
they were from either Jötunheimr, Múspellsheimr or the ancient culture on Niflheimr. There
was even an old Norse symbol in there which Loki recognized from Miðgarðr a few centuries
back.

"They would like to know if you are happy for this pattern to be sewn onto the cape they
would make for the ceremony," Livunn said.

"Aye, of course," Loki replied, brushing his fingers across the parchment.

'Twas beautiful and he knew enough about tailor notes to recognize the little symbol used to
denote the inclusion of gemstones or crystal shards, so he had no doubt the finished ensemble
would be a masterpiece, much like all of his others lately. He could only wonder if the tailors
had been sitting on this pattern for a while, in the vain hope Óðinn might one day allow it, or
whether it had been drawn up now, especially for him.
"Only please have Lord Aðalgrímr assign someone to check all of the symbols used first,"
Loki continued. "To ensure none of them are culturally sensitive or have connotations we do
not wish to be associated with."

"Oh, of course," Livunn promised, looking startled.

Loki smiled at her. "Trust me, there is a veritable minefield of possible political pitfalls here."

"Hopefully they have already looked into it, but I will ensure 'tis checked before informing
the tailors you are happy with it," Livunn ensured him.

"Thank you."

"Do you require anything else before I go?"

"Actually, speaking of the tailors, do you know if there is a new one recently?"

"Aye, a ljósálfr. Why?"

"Oh, I was simply wondering at the shift in style and details on some of my new outfits."

"Do you not like them?" Livunn frowned. "They seemed to be in your style."

"Nay, nay, they are," Loki reassured her. "They have simply had details pertaining to seiðr
and traditions not previously used."

"Shall I pass on your compliments?"

"Please."

With that and a reminder lunch would be arriving soon, Livunn curtsied and left. Loki
frowned as he watched her go. Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr's words from before, about
Álfheimr and the unusual behavior of her queen, echoed in his ears as he thought of this new
development. It could be a mere coincidence the new tailor was ljósálfar, but he was not
terribly fond of coincidences. Nor of leaving things up to chance, particularly where security
was concerned and, if Queen Sága was paying undue interest in him, then 'twas definitely a
potential security concern of Ásgarðr's.

"Yngvarr," Loki said, turning to look at the lieutenant-general.

"Your Majesty?"

"Could you please have someone check on our newest tailor?"

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's forehead creased in concern. "You fear they are not as they
seem?"

"Let us simply say Queen Sága has been paying particular attention to Ásgarðr and myself
lately."
"Understood."

"Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr are aware of the other incidents and may be able to aid you
in identifying what to look for. It may be nothing, but..."

Loki trailed off as he tried to figure out what Sága may be up to. Aye, she could know of
what he had done, but he thought it unlikely. He had oft been told to be careful of visions of
the future or prophecies, as they were notoriously unreliable and fickle. Not to mention
difficult to interpret correctly, something which was oft only possible after the events in
question had fully unfolded.

Yet, if not that, then what? Aye, Ásgarðr was far more vulnerable than normal, but Álfheimr
was a close ally of theirs. While it would not be the first time in history one of those betrayed
another, the ljósálfar had never been particularly warlike or aggressive, and it would not gain
them a terrific amount for the level of turmoil and unrest within the Nine it would cause.

So, what was her interest in him?

"I shall ensure the tailor was properly vetted and inform Lord Ragnvaldr," Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr promised.

"Good, thanks."

Unless something was found, Loki would have to leave the issue for another time. 'Twas yet
one more thing in a long list of items vying for his attention, yet which he could not do
anything about at present. It irked and made his general unease all the greater. Unable to
ignore it anymore, Loki rose to his feet and began to pace.

He suddenly wished he had some duty elsewhere that would allow him to leave his study,
which was suddenly the last place Loki wished to be. His pacing took him near the balcony
and he stepped out on it impulsively. Moving to the balustrade, he glanced out over the city
and out towards the Bifröst. The thought of what he would have done with it had Loptr not
intervened crossed his mind and Loki forced himself to look away, not wanting to think of the
Void and his apparent fall. Not after the details Lord Bragi had provided him with about
Thanos and the Mad Titan's cruelty. It had only provided his already overactive imagination
with more fuel to picture exactly what Loptr had undergone when his temporal twin had
fallen into the creature's grasp.

Loki suddenly stilled as his eyes fell on a warrior garbed in full military attire walking
through the street. There was nothing particularly unusual or surprising about it, other than
the fact 'twas obvious the man had come straight from the training fields as his armor was
caked with dust and grime. From what he had heard, General Týr was working all three tiers
of warriors as hard as possible, preparing them for potential battle. Thus, Loki was certain
what he was witnessing was a common sight on Ásgarðr at present, but it stirred a sudden
longing within him.

While the past week had not even remotely been the longest stretch of time he had gone
without training himself, 'twas different in that 'twas not due to all of his interest, attention
and curiosity being consumed by one focus. Loki realized that alone might explain his
restlessness. He was feeling trapped in the gilded cage of his regency and the lack of physical
activity was compounding the mental stress and constraint with a buildup of pent-up physical
inexertion as well.

"Lieutenant-General Yngvarr," Loki called, turning around and leaving the balcony once
more.

"My Liege?" the man inquired, stepping forwards once more.

"I will be going out to the training fields later this afternoon," Loki stated. "After my meeting
with Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr."

"To view the warriors?"

"Nay," Loki began, before realizing he probably should. "Aye, but not simply for that. I have
been inside at desks or tables too long, I need to move."

The lieutenant-general blinked before Yngvarr seemed to realize what he meant. "Of course,
Majesty."

It did raise the question of whom he would train with. Normally, he would have sought out
Thor as his brother was never not interested in training, but at present he would be far too
fearful of accidentally injuring Thor to truly be able to work off the excess energy he seemed
to possess. His only other regular sparring partners were now all in the dungeons and, while
Loki had trained with others in the past - becoming accustomed to only a few particular and
ultimately predictable styles was dangerous, after all - none were ones he felt he could
approach easily at present.

"I would be honored to aid you if you wished to test the use of Gungnir in a battle scenario,"
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr offered, solving his dilemma and postulating a brilliant cover for
those who would otherwise be inclined to sneer at the use of weapons like staffs, scepters or
spears in combat.

Loki glanced back at Gungnir and frowned as he thought of using it in a more physical fight.
'Twas far longer than any of the staffs and scepters he had utilized in the past, and so would
pose an entirely new challenge, but also a few interesting opportunities.

"I look forward to the challenge," Loki answered with a smile.

He knew from previous experience he did not need to worry about Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr holding back, since the man was far too professional to allow a charge of his to be
endangered because they had not been properly trained or tested. Despite that, Loki knew his
current status would never be far from the lieutenant-general's mind as any blows which did
reach him would need to be pulled so as not to truly injure him.

Týr's desk was piled high with parchmentwork and, while that in and of itself was not terribly
unusual - he hated all of the government forms he was required to create, file or complete -
the usual hills of parchment had turned into mountains and he knew Loki, unlike Óðinn,
would notice if he fell too far behind in his administrative duties.

He grumbled about it under his breath, but Týr knew he could not truly complain as much as
he might have thought he would if he had ever possibly been able to imagine Loki Óðinnson
on Hliðskjálf instead of his elder brother. While Týr had no doubt his new king would order
him to do the parchmentwork if it came to that, Loki was not being nearly as dogged or picky
about it as he had previously been when being petty about some argument they had during
the Council which the, then, prince had lost.

Let it never be said that Loki Óðinnson, regardless of title, could not make people's lives a
living hel even without his tricks and seiðr. Looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight,
Týr was actually rather impressed with how the young lad had wielded the administrative
rulebook as a weapon.

'Twas a memory which had oft come back to Týr in the last few days as he had, grudgingly,
been forced to admit, first to himself and then before others (damn that little trickster!), he
may have miscalculated as far as Ásgarðr's youngest prince was concerned. The seiðr he had
witnessed before, both in Iðavöllr and, to a far lesser extent, on the training fields, paled
when compared to what King Loki was now showing himself capable of. And, while Týr
fully understood their new regent had received a not insignificant power boost the day he had
ascended to Hliðskjálf, he knew there was a critical difference to having power and
possessing the skill to utilize it effectively. King Loki most definitely had the latter.

Strategically, it made brilliant sense - let the enemy underestimate you - but Týr dearly
wished Loki had been a little more forthcoming with his allies about it. Though, after the two
trials they had recently, he was beginning to understand why the young prince might have
been reluctant to do so. He himself winced as he considered some of what he had said in the
past, though some of it had been perfectly valid. Such as being able to fight and defend
oneself without the aid of seiðr, in case 'twas not there when Loki might need it most. Týr
knew enough about seiðr to know there were ways it could be blocked in a seiðmadr, and if
there was one thing he had always refused to do, 'twas to see either prince left unable to
defend themselves.

The reminder of Thor made Týr sigh. The elder... well not prince, not at the moment, would
be here soon and he was not looking forward to this particular conversation. He had done as
King Loki had suggested and had worked with Lord Ragnvaldr to draw up some new royal
decrees to ensure what had transpired this past week would not ever occur again. It would by
no means be enough in and of itself, but once he had started this and he knew whether the
new peace treaty would hold, Týr planned to go through the army from top to bottom to
ensure nothing like this could ever happen again under his command.

First, though, he had to inform Thor he would not regain his command with his titles and
powers until he was satisfied Óðinn's eldest was actually ready for it. The fact there would be
no actual storm and thunder as a consequence did little to assuage Týr, as he knew well Thor
could create metaphorical ones easily enough even without his power. He would emerge
victorious, though, as he had the backing of his king, and he knew Óðinn would not overturn
this decision given what the members of Thor's last command had done. Nay, what worried
him more was what this would do to his relationship with Ásgarðr's likely future king.

Before all of this, they had worked well together, being amicable though hardly friendly. He
had been one of the princes' personal tutors and some of that dynamic still remained in both
of their working relationships today. But on the day of the coronation, Týr could say he had
possessed no hesitation about expecting to serve Thor by the end of the day instead of Óðinn.

It merely showed him for the fool he was. The clear fact many had apparently been fooled
served as no comfort to Týr, even if Óðinn could reasonably be counted amongst them.

It merely proved he did not possess the gift of sight, but the knowledge not one, not two, not
even three or four, but five of his warriors - and those widely deemed the best of them - had
revealed themselves as traitors was almost a physical blow, and one from which Týr knew he
still reeled and staggered from. Whether or not Óðinn would agree with his son's assessment
of his own hand in the situation, Týr did not even care about. Nay, he was far too focused on
ensuring it did not happen again as long as he was allowed the capability to do so. If it meant
sacrificing his working relationship and future position on Thor's High Council, then that was
a price he was willing to pay.

Besides, Týr mused, he would once have thought he could not have worked with Loki as
king, given how heated and acrimonious their conflicts had become since the then young
prince had joined the High Council, pushing anything but the military and seeking to
undercut their funding. Týr even had to admit to thinking the second prince cowardly and
weak at times as so many of the whispers and rumors said. He knew better now, of course, as
no cowardly weakling could resist the number of blows Loki had sustained both during and
since his ascension to Hliðskjálf, and many an honorable man had crumpled under that type
of pressure. Thus, while they still might disagree on where the line lay between suing for
peace and going to war, Týr did have to admit two things.

First, he no longer doubted Loki could and would give that order if necessary. And, second,
given all he had heard of Jötunheimr's true situation, a new war would only result in a
permanent guardianship of the Realm and he knew none of the warriors would like a post
battle posting on Jötunheimr. It would be a hel of a situation and would come with mountains
of parchmentwork as tall as Jötunheimr's infamous peaks.

Týr suddenly gazed at his desk critically. He wondered if King Loki would allow him to
declare war on parchmentwork if not Jötunheimr. It should at least serve to make the young
king smile, something none of them had done much of as of late. It did remind him he had to
speak with Yngvarr later to ensure Loki was not working his way into an early Óðinnsleep of
his own. Ásgarðr could not afford to change rulers again, not now of all times.

"Enter," Týr called out at the knock on his study door.

It opened to admit exactly whom Týr had known it would, and he would actually rather be
going through his parchmentwork just now instead. Though, if it were not for Thor, he would
not be doing even that, instead being outside to help prepare for the mock battles he was
going to spend the rest of the afternoon putting the warriors through.
"Thor, thank you for coming, please have a seat," Týr greeted, trying to find the right balance
between obeying King Óðinn's final command and still being aware and respectful of the
young man's future position.

"Týr," Thor greeted as he took a seat, eyeing the mountains of parchmentwork as he himself
had been earlier. "I have to admit to being rather surprised to receive your request. Is there
something I can do to prepare the warriors after all?"

"Ah, nay, this is about a different matter."

"I see."

Much as he would rather not have to do this, Týr tackled it as he did any other problem.
Namely head on.

"We need to discuss what transpired this morning at the trial," Týr explained. "The behavior
of those sentenced was utterly unacceptable for warriors, let alone Einherjar."

Thor's shoulders slumped and he suddenly looked two millennia older. "I know. I was as
horrified as you and am well aware of how Father would likely have dealt with them."

At least the lad could admit that much, but clearly Thor did not yet understand the root cause
of the problem.

"Behavior like that does not spring up overnight, Thor," Týr stated, bluntly. "'Tis part of a
pattern which grows over time, if not properly curbed, and here it clearly was not."

"I have never seen them like this before," Thor protested, brow furrowed as he looked
directly at him.

"'Tis not what I have been told."

"Who dares?"

"That is not the point, Thor."

"But-"

"The point is this blatant lack of respect for the royal family in general, and King Loki in
particular, is part of an ongoing pattern of behavior," Týr interrupted. "I have reports from
multiple sources, many initially quite reluctant for fear of what you might say or do to them,
all reporting the same thing."

"When? Where? I do not recall it."

"We are no longer speaking of individual instances, Thor. Most say the same thing; they
cannot recall when was the last time they heard any of the former Warriors Four utilize King
Loki's proper title or address him with the respect his position deserved. All report them
simply referring to him as Loki exclusively, and some witnessed him being treated and
dismissed as nothing but a servant."
"Of course we do not use our full titles, we are fri-" mid word Thor stopped dead and seemed
to deflate before Týr's eyes. "Or rather, I thought we were all friends. It would seem I was
rather mistaken in that."

'Twas all Týr could do not to stare at the former prince before him in astonishment. It would
seem I was rather mistaken in that? Surely Thor could not be blind to all of the implications
and ramifications of this?

He might have to start the remedial training further back than he had feared.

"Thor, did you allow them to stop utilizing the proper titles?"

Thor nodded immediately. "Of course, I wished us to form closer bonds and truly come to
trust each other. I felt Loki's constant insistence on being addressed as 'prince' the whole time
was creating an obstacle to achieving that. How could we bond with all of those stuffy
formalities?"

Aye, 'twas truly so bad. Týr closed his eyes for a moment before he looked his renewed
charge dead in the eyes.

"Your brother was correct, Thor, you were still a military unit. A highly specialized and small
one to be certain, but an Einherjar unit nonetheless," Týr stated. "Which means the proper
chain of command should have been clear and reinforced at periodic intervals."

"But that would have kept us further apart!" Thor protested, his volume, quite predictably,
rising with each word.

"They were your men and unit, not a circle of friends you happened to go on adventures
with."

Týr knew he had struck a chord with Thor by the way the younger man flinched. 'Twas
another aspect of the reports which had worried him. The language the little group had
apparently used. 'Adventuring', 'quests', 'seeking glory' and many others. It would appear this
particular unit had deviated from its intended purpose quite a long time ago. Perhaps his
adversarial relationship with Prince Loki was going to come back to haunt them after all, for
Týr could not help but think if they had been closer then perhaps Loki would have come to
him with his concerns after having been ignored and overruled by his brother.

'Twas clear Loki, at least, had understood the importance of maintaining the chain of
command. Luckily, his current regent had already admitted to having made mistakes,
including this one, so Týr knew he could speak openly and freely with him on the issue.

Now, to see if he could make the other Óðinnson see his mistakes.

"You get along well with Yngvarr," Thor protested.

Týr could not help but notice the lack of his second-in-command's title. Was it simply
because they were having this conversation in private, where it was less critical, or was this
part of a pattern of behavior for Thor?
"I do and, while I would consider him a friend, we do not forget our roles and the chain of
command," Týr replied. "From what I saw at the trial, 'tis clear the latter was forgotten."

"Nay, 'twas not."

Týr bit back the first response which wanted to emerge. "Thor, the moment you were gone
and they had to listen to your brother, they committed treason. If they did this while Loki is
king, you cannot expect they would have done differently before."

"Why are we having words about Loki again?" Thor frowned.

Now Týr was confused. "You said they would obey the chain of command. I merely proved
they did not."

"In this case."

"Thor, what reason do you have to believe they would do so in another?"

"Because they have. When I fell on Nornheimr, Volstagg took over, ensuring we all escaped."

Nornheimr? Týr could not immediately think of what instance this might be, but it hardly
mattered.

"Was King Loki present?" Týr asked.

"Aye."

As his hand was below the desk to scratch an itch, Týr allowed himself to clench it. Did Thor
truly think what he was saying was acceptable?

"Thor, when you were out with the others, who was your second-in-command?"

"We did not normally verbalize it, but it worked based on who knew the area best."

"Nay. 'Tis not a chain of command."

"But-"

"'Tis not. Due to his status at the time, your brother was and should always have been in
charge when you were not there or unable to lead."

"But he is not as accomplished as the others!" Thor burst out.

"A leader is not always the one who can do any particular skill best, but someone trained in,
and capable of, command," Týr snapped back. "And the good ones know when to ask for the
advice of those more knowledgeable in a particular area than them if those situations arise.
As your brother has demonstrated by calling on Lord Aðalgrímr and myself at various points
to organize aspects of the Jötunheimr negotiations."

"Volstagg had more experience on Nornheimr."

Týr wondered if he himself was this difficult when he had been called stubborn and
immovable.

"Thor-"

"'Tis true, and besides, Loki does not listen nearly as much as you seem to think he does. I
have had to remind him of his place more than once."

"Like when he was attempting to prevent the outbreak of war on Jötunheimr?" Týr retorted.

With this, at least, Thor had the good grace to look ashamed.

"What does it matter now?" Thor questioned. "'Tis not like having words will alter what
happened."

"Nay, but we need to ensure it never happens again, and to do so I need to determine what
went wrong."

"How is this achieving that?"

"By making it clear to me I was mistaken in believing you were ready for your own
command."

For a moment, Thor simply stared at him in shock, mouth hanging open, but Týr knew it
would soon change. He was not wrong. Color rose on the elder Óðinnson's cheeks and anger
twisted his features.

"What did you say?" Thor boomed.

"You have admitted to not enforcing the proper chain of command, which undermined King
Loki's authority to such an extent your command attempted to usurp Hliðskjálf within hours
of his ascending to it."

"'Tis not my fault!"

"A leader is always at fault."

"Oh, then you claim responsibility for their actions?" Thor demanded.

"I did."

Startled, Thor opened and closed his mouth for a moment. "But... what happened?"

"That is between myself and my own superior. Suffice it to say, King Loki charged me with
determining what went wrong and recommending ways to correct it."

"By having words with me?"

"Nay, this is merely the beginning. We will meet both here and on the training fields until
such time as I am satisfied you truly do understand what it means to lead men. Then, and
 only then, will you be allowed to have another command of your own."

"Nay."

That... was not the reaction Týr had expected.

"What did you say?"

"I said nay," Thor reiterated. "I will not submit to this and you cannot force me to."

"At the moment I can, you are no prince of Ásgarðr now, Thor." 'Twas not a tactic Týr would
have wished to utilize, but 'twas true nonetheless. "And even if you were, this
recommendation comes with the full approval of your brother. If you wish to command more
Einherjar in the future, you will have to submit to the remedial training."

Thor's face was a veritable thundercloud now and Týr knew 'twas only due to his lack of
powers that there was no actual storm assaulting Iðavöllr at present.

Abruptly, Thor rose, turned about and stormed from the chamber. For a second Týr merely
sat there, confused, before his eyes widened with alarm as he scrambled after his charge.
Normally, he would not even consider the mere possibility, but if Thor did not view his
brother as a worthy leader, as now seemed more likely given the conversation they had just
had, then he may not be willing to submit to this command.

Týr rushed down the corridor and turned the corner from which he could see the door to the
king's study. As he had feared, Thor was brushing aside the concern of one of the Einherjar
stood outside and pulling open the door.

"Thor!" Týr called, attempting in vain to stop him, though he doubted it would work.

It did not.

Seeing him coming, one of Yngvarr's men held the door for him and Týr could see within.
King Loki was at his desk with Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr seated before him. All were
now facing Thor, as were the few guards Týr could see. The latter had clearly reacted to the
abrupt and unexpected entrance by moving forwards, hands already on the pommels of their
swords.

"I am sorry, General, he insisted," the guard outside apologized. "And we had no commands
to keep him out."

Týr waved it off and motioned for the door to be closed behind him. 'Twas hard for the
guards to know what to do with Thor as he was so very fragile at the moment.

Chapter End Notes

...

Well, I did warn people that progress is rarely unidirectional or without setbacks...
Thor's patience has now worn thin and his temper erupted to the surface in it's absence.
The severely wounded pride didn't help either!

Beyond that, I hope you enjoyed Týr's point of view. I had a lot of fun writing it as it
allowed me to give such a different perspective on both brothers, bringing out some little
details and being able to paint the picture of the upcoming confrontation unclouded by
anything other than shock & disbelief.

Also, sorry if there are more mistakes in this chapter than normal. I seem to have
outpaced my beta, so this didn't have her eagle eyes on it!

Old Norse:

ljósálfar - "light elves"

ljósálfr - "light elf"
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Thor confronts Loki...

 Chapter 48
Chapter Notes

The explosion!

We all knew it was coming, sooner or later 💥

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I am busy at the moment, Brother," King Loki said, eyes briefly looking to Týr before
returning to Thor. "As you can plainly see."

"What is the meaning of this?" Thor demanded instead.

"Thor," Týr hissed. "Now is not the time!"

"Well, Loki?" Thor demanded.

"Well what, Thor?" King Loki replied, rising to his feet. "I am not a mind reader."

"What is this nonsense about remedial training?"

"Ah, I see. Aye, you need it," King Loki responded, calmly.

Or at least, 'twas the impression he gave. Týr could not help but think the young regent was
merely projecting it. King Loki could not truly be so calm upon having his command
challenged yet again, and by his own brother before an audience.

"I do not," Thor stated stubbornly.

"Your whole command committed treason, Thor, if that is not proof enough you require
additional training to command, nothing is," King Loki retorted. "I will not force you to take
it as you will not learn, but if you do not, you will not gain another command."

"Jealousy is unbecoming, Brother," Thor snapped.

"What did you just say?" King Loki demanded, voice low and deceptively soft.

Týr was staring at Thor's back in horror, not fully believing what Óðinn's firstborn had just
uttered. Jealousy? How could Thor think thus after all Týr had told him not ten minutes past?
And how could Thor fail to read his brother's warning signs? Týr could sense them and he
had been accused of being entirely blind to such behavioral cues by his wife and daughter
more than once.
The young regent suddenly reminded him a lot of Queen Frigga. She, too, went still and soft
before she struck her hardest blows. 'Twas quite different from both Óðinn and Thor, so
perhaps the elder brother simply did not recognize it for what 'twas.

"You heard me, Loki," Thor boomed. "Maybe La- Sif is right to say becoming king has gone
to your head!"

Dead silence enveloped the study and Týr could only share a horrified and shocked gaze with
Lord Ragnvaldr. The man had gone pale and Týr was certain he was thinking of all manner of
ramifications of this scenario Týr could not even conceive of, but he did not have to in order
to understand exactly how bad it could be. 'Twas also making him start to understand where
the former Warriors Four had learned at least part of their attitude from. Though, whether
Thor had taught them everything, they Thor, or some combination of the two he could not
say, nor did he need to for it hardly mattered now. Nay, only that Thor possessed it did, and
what it meant for the future.

If anyone had ever asked Týr which Óðinnson brother he would prefer as king, he would
never even have hesitated. Now he was hoping Óðinn would change his mind when he woke
and make Loki his heir.

And speaking of King Loki, the man had gone very, very still, eyes narrowed and lips pressed
together in a thin, bloodless line. He was staring directly at Thor, who had either realized his
error now, or had also caught the sudden almost electric feel of the chamber. It reminded Týr
of a few days ago, with the ignition of the Yggdrasill, only this time he had no doubt where
the power was coming from. Not when 'twas the electric static of tightly controlled seiðr and
there was only one seiðmadr present. Or when power all but blazed in the young king's eyes
making them glow a poisonous green and there was some movement in his long hair, as if
stirred by a faint breeze.

Once more, Týr was reminded of the fact the skinny lad he had trained and ordered to stop
utilizing seiðr on the training fields had grown into an extremely powerful seiðmadr who had
previously shown only a small fraction of what he was capable of. For the raw power being
put on display now was sharp and strong, raising the fine hairs along Týr's arms and neck,
triggering the urge to either fight or flee within him and he had to force it back down, but the
awareness of being in the presence of a very, very powerful seiðmadr remained and Týr could
not help but wonder exactly how strong King Loki truly was.

'Twas a powerful visual and an abrupt reminder that, no matter how mild and harmless Loki
might appear compared to the warriors of Ásgarðr, he had all the making of a truly dangerous
individual who was known to hold grudges and was willing to have some measure of
vengeance for slights committed against him. Týr was suddenly uncertain whether Thor
would still be exempt from that, as he had at times seemed to be in the past.

Then he noticed Gungnir was learning up against the wall behind both desk and king.

All of this, Týr took in and thought within seconds and, when he glanced over at the king's
guards, he found them tense but holding, Yngvarr's hands still out in a hold gesture. His
second-in-command's eyes glued to both his charge and Thor.
"Know your place, Brother," the words cracked across the chamber like a whip and were cold
as ice, making Týr shiver involuntarily at the mere thought of having that attention focused
on him. "You tread dangerous ground."

The cold fury which accompanied those words swamped the air.

"I..." Thor began, faltering.

"Simply because I rescued you from the mortals does not mean I will not cast you out again
elsewhere," King Loki continued. "For clearly, you have learned nothing."

Týr's eyes grew round at those words and their implications.

Thor had openly challenged Óðinn?

'Twas now no longer a wonder to Týr why his former king had banished his firstborn at so
precarious a time. Before he had not been entirely certain, thinking it more to do with the
knowledge Thor would not be well placed to deal with Jötunheimr during the Óðinnsleep, but
clearly not.

Thor's fists clenched and Týr could only hope the boy did nothing foolish. Pushing his
brother now would not end well.

"Loki," Thor began.

"Go."

The word cracked out as the previous ones had done, leaving no room for negotiation. Thor
hesitated for a moment before turning to storm out of the study, his face when Týr glimpsed
it, a mix of anger and humiliation.

Týr sighed. Nothing good ever came from that. Then the study door closed and, for a moment
no one moved, the air still charged with raw power and the tension from what had transpired.
Then, with a soft sound, it all vanished as King Loki seemed to collapse back into his seat.

"Majesty!" Lord Aðalgrímr exclaimed even as Týr rushed forward, panic surging within him.
Luckily the king, who had covered his face with his hands, pushed them back far enough into
his hair so they could see his face.

It suddenly struck Týr once more how incredibly young Loki was; not long past his major
majority. Far too young to be bearing so much responsibility. Yet he was not much behind his
brother in age, and Týr could not help but wonder how any of them could have thought Thor
ready for Hliðskjálf given that alone.

"I am fine," King Loki stated, looking at each of them. "Simply..."

Exhausted? Týr wished to ask, but he was not quite certain how it would be received, he did
not know their regent as well as he probably should. But he knew he would be exhausted
dealing with all King Loki was at present.
Though, Týr supposed, the fact he was even seeing this vulnerability now was proof enough
in and of itself he had a certain level of trust, as he did know Prince Loki enough before to
know he did not show weakness to those threatening him. 'Twas a trait he had always
approved of.

"Tired?" Lord Aðalgrímr inquired, gently.

"Hmm, but not in the way you all fear," King Loki replied. "Lady Eir still says I am moving
away from the signs of an approaching Óðinnsleep, rather than towards it."

"Good," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "And, Loki? 'Tis normal to be tired right now, we all are."

Týr nodded in agreement as the king looked to him and the others. It had been a risk, using
their regent's first name alone so soon after a challenge to his power, but clearly Lord
Aðalgrímr knew King Loki better and was not viewed as a potential threat.

King Loki's lips twisted into a wry smile. "And to think, everyone believed I wanted
Hliðskjálf."

The words nearly made Týr wince as he had been among those who believed thus, and he had
written various comments and incidents off as such in the past. He would have to revisit those
given what he knew now.

"People will oft see what they wish to, or believe should, be," Lord Ragnvaldr said. "As the
younger brother, that implies desiring anything the elder has, since many fancy they would
like to be king themselves."

King Loki snorted. "The idealized version of king with no problems or parchmentwork,
simply power, privilege and prestige."

"Precisely."

"I would like to apologize for the abrupt interruption, Majesty," Týr said when they fell
silent.

"Stopping Thor on a rampage is nigh on impossible," King Loki laughed, without humor.
"Trust me, I would know." A frown. "Though, I suppose, physical force would work at
present."

The idea clearly did not sit well with the young regent, so Týr left it alone.

"I could order the guards to not simply allow him access," Týr offered.

"I suppose it may be necessary, if it had been Lord Óðr in here, we might have had another
problem."

The words alarmed Týr and his eyes flickered to Yngvarr. He got a tiny gesture back to
indicate his second was not fully aware of the situation. He hated it when his kings utilized
discretion at the expense of openness with certain situations. He would have to question Lord
Ragnvaldr to see if Yngvarr would need to watch the other lord.
Norns, would this situation never cease to grow ever more complex?

"I will see to it on my way out," Týr replied.

"Were you able to learn much before Thor..." Lord Ragnvaldr trailed off, gesturing in the
direction the eldest Óðinnson had gone.

Týr nodded once. "Thor possesses an incorrect and faulty comprehension of the chain of
command, which made him undercut King Loki's authority with his command on a rather
frequent basis from what I understood."

A hum was the only response Týr received as the king rose and walked over to the more
informal meeting area where what appeared to be the remnants of a meal still lay. From the
amount of food left, he thought it good King Loki was having more.

"That would explain part of how the situation with those four arose," Lord Aðalgrímr said.
"But what of Heimdallr?"

"He sees and hears all," King Loki stated from where he stood, looking out towards the
balcony. "If heard oft enough, even a lie will start to sound like the truth, if only through
sheer repetition."

Nay, surely not.

But Lord Ragnvaldr was nodding as if in agreement and it made Týr's stomach swirl. How
could they defend against that?

"He would have seen how they acted and what they said," Lord Aðalgrímr voiced.

"Them... and others," King Loki replied, turning back to face them. "Let us not pretend others
have not said some form of what our traitors muttered. I have never been terribly popular
with any but a few groups on Ásgarðr."

Much as he wished he could voice a denial, Týr could not, and he abruptly felt guilty for his
own part in it. While not large or malicious, Loki had been a prince and, until very recently,
technically still a lad. He should not have had to endure any of it.

"How do we defend against that?" Lord Aðalgrímr questioned.

"By warning Höðr of the dangers," Lord Ragnvaldr stated, decisively. "And requesting he
report to General Týr if he becomes aware of a growing sense of distrust or unease with any
member of the royal family and, perhaps, the court. That will allow us to be aware of the
situation and either take steps to ameliorate it, or investigate should the concern be rooted in
an actual event."

"You believe there may have been some warnings Heimdallr missed regarding the issue of
the emergency funds," King Loki determined, coming back to them once more, a half-eaten
pear in his hand.
"I find it hard to believe there may not have been some creative suggestions when repeated
requests for dearly needed funds were denied," Lord Ragnvaldr stated politely. "Especially
with all of the rumors which resulted."

If he had not witnessed it himself two millennia ago, Týr would think the man unable to be
moved to those 'creative' suggestions himself.

"I shall inform Höðr," Týr said.

"Not necessary," King Loki replied, taking his seat once more.

"Majesty?"

"Höðr's gaze swung this way when Thor came storming into the study. He is still watching."

"Oh."

It had always unnerved Týr a little, the knowledge Heimdallr could always be observing, but
he had tried to not think about it so much. Recent events, however, had forced him to
confront the issue once more. While King Loki might trust Höðr rather implicitly, and not
without due cause, he had looked into the man's service record and what he could determine
of Höðr's life after his discharge from the Einherjar. So far it seemed like the young king's
trust was not misplaced and he had encountered no resistance when implementing the new
command structure, though he supposed the fact the old one had nearly cost his former
charge's life after all Höðr had done to prevent it, might have helped. He had also been
surprised to find the man seemed to know more about the Bifröst than was the norm. Luckily,
Yngvarr had been able to explain why when he had mentioned it to his second.

Thor was in a foul mood as he stormed down to the dungeons, causing servants and members
of court to clear a path before him as he encountered them.

How dare he?

How dare Loki speak to him thus?

Threaten him thus?

He was the crown prince, about to become king before the frost giant attack. He should be the
one sitting on Hliðskjálf right now, not Loki! Aye, his little brother had done a fair job so far,
but this made it clear the power was going to his head.

"Know your place, Brother!"

Thor clenched his fists as he recalled the words. He was not the one who needed to do so,
Loki was! He was a regent and nothing more. A temporary king until Father reawakened and
could reclaim his rightful place on Hliðskjálf.

He stormed past the guards and down the corridor of empty cells to the ones housing his
friends.
"Thor!" Volstagg greeted once his friend caught sight of him. "What is wrong?"

The sight of his friend in the drab prison garb gave him pause, especially when he saw them
on the others as well, but then his anger flared once more.

"Loki!" Thor growled, the rest of his words choking off as he clenched his fists all the harder.

"What has he done now?" Sif questioned, rising to her feet from where she sat on the floor.

"He says I cannot have another command until I undergo remedial training with General
Týr!"

"What?" Fandral questioned, aghast. "Why not?"

"They are saying the fact all of you were found guilty of treason shows I am an inadequate
leader," Thor boomed.

"Of course, he did," Sif snipped. "Thor, Loki is jealous of you and always has been. This is
merely his way of trying to assert his control over you while he can."

Unexpectedly, the words made Thor uncomfortable rather than helping him to vent his anger
as he had hoped and thought they would. While in the past they would have felt
commiserating and companionable, now they felt distinctly disloyal. Was it because Loki was
king right now? Or because of all which had been said and done lately?

It felt like friends could speak those types of words towards each other, but confessed...
nonfriends could not. Was it truly because before Thor had thought, despite all of their
criticism, his friends had still had his brother's best interests at heart? Whereas now...

Now, Thor felt an inkling of the same protective anger he had always felt whenever someone
had spoken ill of Loki in his presence. He had beaten up others for less.

It felt odd to feel it towards Sif and he did not like it.

"They?"

All of Thor's ambivalence vanished in an instant at the sound of that familiar voice and a new
kind of anger filled him. This one definitely protective of his brother.

"Heimdallr," Thor hissed, turning to glare at the traitor. "What did I tell you last time?"

"I was not speaking of that," Heimdallr replied calmly, those odd brown eyes looking right at
him. "Merely asking what you meant with the plural."

Thor continued to glare at the former gatekeeper, fingers twitching as he tried to decide
whether or not to block off his cell once more.

He tried to kill Loki!

The rage and anger were still fresh enough, but it seemed so petty and pathetic somehow.
Especially when compared with what Heimdallr had tried to do to his brother. But thinking of
Loki made Thor frown. What was his brother thinking here? He had witnessed Loki claim his
vengeance countless times over the last millennium and his brother's definition of what was
just, or the right level of revenge, was oft far greater than his own. So why did it seem Loki
was satisfied with something so little this time? He could have chosen to have Heimdallr
executed!

'Tis what Thor would have done.

"You should be grateful the decision of how to punish you was not mine," Thor stated. "You
would not have escaped with your head."

"I performed my sworn duty," Heimdallr replied.

Thor scowled and turned his back on the traitor. He would have to ask either his mother or
Loki, since he was certain this punishment was meant to be more than he could see at
present. His brother's always were, even if they appeared benign or merciful at first.

Which begged the question, what of Loki's current edict? While humiliating, 'twas hardly as
bad as his brother could have chosen to do if Loki had truly been feeling vengeful. He had to
fight a flush as he thought of the last time his brother had sought to see him humiliated in
public. It made the current situation seem hardly worth it in comparison.

"You meant General Týr, right?" Fandral asked. "When you referred to they."

"Ah, aye," Thor confirmed, focusing back on his friends.

"You were right to say he would fold or not see what was truly happening, Sif," Volstagg
stated.

Thor frowned at the memory of what had been said at the trial. "General Týr is a highly
respected warrior."

"'Tis not his fault," Hogun said. "Loki has so thoroughly perverted the system it now works
for him. Those who obey it blindly will fall into his trap."

The words made Thor stare at his friend in shock. 'Twas the closest any of them had come to
admitting outright treason. Well, of his friends, anyway, Heimdallr had already done so quite
clearly.

"Do you realize what you are saying?" Thor demanded, yet a new anger alighting within him
at their blatant disregard for all they had done.

His brother's situation, hel, Ásgarðr's situation, had been made all the more precarious and
dangerous than it already was by what his friends had done. The war with Jötunheimr had
been bad enough, but now they would appear all the weaker to Realms such as
Múspellsheimr due to the actions of Heimdallr and his friends. The very people who should
have made them seem all the more impenetrable and strong. He could only all too clearly
recall his mother's words of worry and his father's fears from before the coronation of how
dangerous a period the transition of rulers was for a Realm.

"'Tis naught but the truth," Sif declared, confidently.

"'Tis treason, is what it is!" Thor roared, spinning to face her and thus seeing how she
recoiled at his words.

"Thor," Fandral began, surprise coloring his voice. "Surely, you do not agree with what Loki
has done?"

"Of what specifically do you refer? His ascension to Hliðskjálf? Then, aye, I do."

"But-"

"He was the crown prince and heir when Father collapsed," Thor stated firmly. "I have told
you this already more than once. Loki is the rightful king of Ásgarðr until such time as Father
awakens."

"And if he does not?" Volstagg asked.

"Then he will cease to be a regent and become king in his own right."

The words were difficult to say as it would mean the end of all he had thought would be his
and had worked so hard for all of his life, but 'twas how Ásgarðrian succession law worked.
If Father did awaken, then Thor would be able to discuss altering it, but at present they were
bound by what it was, and he was not fool enough to misunderstand exactly what it would
imply and cause should he challenge it at present.

"He should not be!" Sif insisted, hotly.

"'Tis not your decision to make, Sif," Thor replied.

"You know what he is like, Thor," she persisted. "How he insists on using seiðr and long-
distance weaponry despite the dishonor it brings him. Is that what Ásgarðr needs of its king?"

His protective anger flared once more, and Thor clenched his fists. "Watch your words, Sif.
'Tis my little brother you are besmirching with your words!"

"Thor, we are no longer speaking of a quest here, or a task we need to complete for your
father," Volstagg argued. "He is currently sitting on Hliðskjálf and ruling the Nine!"

"Aye, and doing an impressive job, by all accounts," Thor shot back.

"Thor, he manipulated his way onto Hliðskjálf!" Sif retorted.

"Is this about your idea he orchestrated the jötnar attack on the vault?"

"It did give him a throne," Fandral said, softly.

"And how do you explain everything else?" Thor demanded crossly. "Lest you forget, the
idea to go to Jötunheimr was mine."

"Was it?"

"What are you implying, Fandral?"

"Merely what we are all thinking," Sif spoke up. "Was the idea truly yours or did Loki, ah..."

"Did Loki what?" Thor growled. "Manipulate me into considering it?"

"He is silvertongued," Volstagg stated.

"He tried to talk me out of it, warned me 'twas madness and I would be going against Father!"
Thor exclaimed, angrily. "He advised me against it and I ignored him, to not only my own
detriment, but that of everyone on Ásgarðr."

"After placing the idea in your head," Hogun said.

"Enough with your slander."

"He is sending you for remedial training, Thor! You, who have been leading men for
centuries," Sif pressed.

"Not well if you truly believe all you are saying now."

"Thor!" Fandral exclaimed, shocked.

"And 'tis not only Loki stating I require remedial training, 'tis General Týr as well, a man I
still highly respect, even if you clearly no longer do."

"I never claimed I did not," Hogun spoke up. "I merely stated your brother had managed to
twist the system well enough to make it work for him."

For the first time ever, Thor found himself sympathizing with something his brother had said
long ago. Of how arguing with the Warriors Four was like running in circles, nothing he said
seemed to stick. At the time Thor had been highly offended, seeing it as a slight against his
friends and their intelligence, but now he could not help but wonder if they had always been
thus with his little brother. If so, how had he ever failed to notice it? Had they never done it
with him before, or had he merely agreed with their sentiments at the time and thus simply
not noticed the inconsistencies?

Much as Thor hoped 'was not the latter, some of the wounded looks he recalled Loki giving
him at various times made him fear 'twas so. The guilt it roused within him at the thought that
there was yet another way he had failed his brother, made him feel physically uncomfortable.
It would help to explain his brother's anger at his friends, but what did it imply about how
Loki truly felt about him? Was there a similar well of anger in his brother towards him which
he had simply not yet experienced, or was he forgiven due to their relationship?
 Surprisingly, the thought of it being the latter only served to increase Thor's feeling of guilt
rather than providing any kind of relief. Even when they had been at their worst, after their
ugliest fights, he had never felt any doubt that his brother would come to his aid should he
require it. Spitefully so, mayhap, and with every intention to either humiliate or shame him,
but there nevertheless. That had never been in doubt and Thor was starting to wonder if,
mayhap, it should have been after all he had done to Loki.

Had he simply taken his brother and Loki's loyalty for granted?

The thought frightened Thor as much as anything else as it inevitably implied that, one day, it
could not be there and that was a thought far too horrible to contemplate. He simply could not
imagine his life without Loki in it. He thought the world of his little brother and had assumed
they would always be together, fighting side by side with each other.

"Has it occurred to you at all that you may be in the wrong?" Thor questioned, glancing
around at all of them. "Even for a moment?"

"Thor-" Sif began.

"Nay, I do not wish to hear it," Thor cut her off. "I need to go see my mother so I may
determine how best to apologize to Loki for how I reacted earlier."

All five of them protested the very idea but Thor ignored them for once, striding back down
the corridor towards his waiting guards and the dungeon entrance. He could not actually
recall the last time he had left his friends in favor of his brother, and 'twas merely one more
thing to be ashamed about.

When had he and Loki drifted so far apart? They had been extremely close once, sharing all
of each other's secrets and fears. Now he could not recall the last time they had done so, at
least not honestly and that had been from his side.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da! Thor's temper tantrum has finally arrived. He has been doing very well, but real
progress is rarely unidirectional as old habits and thought patterns get in the way. Not to
mention that such change is difficult and exhausting, while reacting as you usually
would is swift and easy. He did recover within a relatively short period of time, though,
which proves that he is making progress, even if it's slow and goes backwards at times.

I think you can all see why I wanted this little scene from someone else's pov, and
someone not clouded by anger. I really wanted that visual of how Loki appeared to
others during this confrontation. Not to mention that I wanted at least some disbelief
around the thought of how simply repeating the same lie over and over again can make
people start to believe it. It's a trick politicians around the world have been using a lot
these past few years and really is something we need to be aware of as it's so easy to fall
for.
And, yes, I admit I took great pleasure in taking Thor's words from the film and making
Thor experience them. At least now he knows what it feels like to be spoken to like that
before others!

Finally, I hope you all saw that there was fact and fiction mixed up in the arguments of
the Warriors Four. It's part of the beauty of Loki's manipulations in the movie, saying
one thing while meaning another. He played Thor perfectly... and then it all got out of
hand when they were actually allowed to go to Jötunheimr. Ah, the best laid plans...

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
jötnar - "frost giants"

Up next week: Thor & Frigga talk, while Loki goes to observe the warrior training...
 Chapter 49
Chapter Notes

I nearly forgot today was a Sunday as it's my Friday! Glad I remembered in time not to
rush the posting.

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Thor frowned when he turned the corner and saw only his father's guard standing outside the
Óðinnsleep chamber. His mother's were absent, which meant this was one of the breaks Lady
Eir insisted on her taking. He briefly debated trying to find her, but he did not know whether
she would be in her chambers or out in the gardens now, so he decided to wait here as he
knew she would be back shortly.

"I wish to be alone with my father," Thor told both sets of guards. "Please ask my mother to
come in alone when she returns."

"Of course, my... uh, Thor," one of the Einherjar replied.

The man followed him in, signaled for the other guards to leave, and then Thor was alone
with his father. He stood looking at Father in his golden cocoon for a moment, simply
wondering what the Óðinnsleep was like. It had always scared him as a child and now it did
so once more, the knowledge he would be trapped thus, for days on end, completely helpless
and unable to do anything, frightening him badly. The knowledge both of his parents would
be there at the beginning helped.

As did, surprisingly, the knowledge Loki would still be around even after their parents
passed. For all of his brother's many faults and all of their fights, Loki had always been there
when Thor had needed him the most. Perhaps not always as he might have expected or
hoped, but there nonetheless. Not to mention the fact that his brother's suspicious nature
could be quite comforting and soothing whilst he was so very helpless and vulnerable. Little
managed to get past his brother, which would help to ensure his safety even if it might come
at the expense of being his brother's, quite literal, captive audience.

"Hello, Father," Thor finally greeted as he approached the bed and took a seat on the side not
used by Mother. "I hope you are feeling better today. I am told you are slowly coming more
and more awake, which pleases me to hear."

Thor lapsed into silence as he thought of what to say next. While he would have liked not to
mention his earlier fight with Loki, the simple fact was his father had probably witnessed it
all firsthand.
"I have erred again, exactly how I erred with you," Thor began, wincing as he thought of both
situations.

Though the cause was very different, his response had been the same. And 'twas a response
he was now heartily ashamed of.

"I realize it now and know you will probably be angrier with me for the second instance than
the first, even if 'twas an argument with Loki instead of you."

Thor paused, not quite certain what to say.

"I am sorry for what I said and how I acted with you, Father," he finally settled on, though it
hardly seemed enough. "And I am aware I owe Loki an apology as well."

He nearly groaned at the thought. Thor hated apologizing to his brother as he could well
recall how caustically and snidely Loki could respond to an apology from centuries past.

Though 'twas not how his brother had reacted to the ones he had given recently. Thor
frowned as he thought of it again. Nay, Loki had seemed genuinely shocked and caught off-
guard at the fact he had done so. Thor had also sensed something disingenuous in his
brother's facial expression when he had pointed out he had little need to apologize. 'Twas
another error in judgment, Thor was starting to realize.

Of course, Loki would have caught the other times Thor had felt he had managed to escape
without doing so. 'Twas not like his brother missed much, but Thor had oft felt embarrassed
or guilty and it had been simpler not to do so.

It merely added to his shame now.

"How by the Norns do I even begin to apologize to Loki?" Thor wondered aloud.

"It seems I have arrived at exactly the right time."

"Mother!" Thor exclaimed, turning to look at her in relief. "I need your aid."

"Aye, so I heard," Mother replied, approaching him. "I dread to ask."

Thor winced but forced himself to look at her as he responded. "We argued again. Nay, 'tis
not correct, I argued with him."

Rather than replying, Mother merely looked at him, face pursed. It made him want to hunch
up on himself. Mother had always been able to make him feel small when he had behaved ill
and now was no different, though she did not know what had transpired.

Or at least, Thor hoped she did not. They did not need word of what had occurred spreading,
not now after all which had already transpired.

"Did Loki see you?" Thor asked as the thought came to him.
Loki and Mother were close and, with Father asleep, she was the only other person his
brother could truly speak with regarding the issue.

"Nay, I have not yet had the chance to see your brother today," Mother replied. "He told me
yesterday he would be in meetings for most of the day as Lord Aðalgrímr was to have a draft
of the treaty ready for inspection."

Oh, had that been what he had interrupted?

"So, what happened?" Mother asked.

"I... reacted poorly," Thor began.

"To what?"

'Twas one of the reasons he hated having these conversations with his mother. She would not
allow him the luxury of evasions or delays, but rather than getting frustrated with him as Loki
or Father would, she remained calm and patient, slowly drawing it out of him. It never failed
to make Thor feel worse, and her lack of anger kept his own from growing in response as it
would to Father or Loki's own anger or behavior.

"To being told I cannot have my own command again without first undergoing remedial
training," Thor informed her, fighting not to clench his fists at the memory.

"Oh," Mother uttered, looking startled.

The reaction gave Thor hope. Perhaps he had not been quite so at fault as he had feared. Then
Mother's face cleared.

"Aye, I suppose I can understand the logic of that."

"Mother!"

"Well, you did command four of the traitors, dear," Mother replied. "I can see why this may
raise some concerns." A frown. "Did Loki tell you this?"

"Nay."

"General Týr then."

"Aye."

"And?"

Thor sighed. "And what?"

"Did he pull you aside and come out with that or did he lead up to it?"

How did she always know?

"He asked me all manner of questions about the chain of command first, but it does not
matter," Thor protested.

"I think it does as that might be how he settled on his decision," Mother argued.

"Nay," Thor countered, spinning around to pace back and forth. "Loki already knew about
Týr's decision when I- ah."

The way Mother closed her eyes and lowered her head made Thor feel like a child once
more, and he longed not to be such a continuous disappointment to her. It seemed to be all he
was, ever since his failed coronation.

"Thor," Mother breathed. "What did you do?"

"I- interrupted Loki's meeting with Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr."

"Without permission?"

"Aye."

"Did you at least ask to speak with your brother privately?"

The thought had not even occurred to him, he had been so furious. But the thought of saying
even more to disappoint his mother was unbearable, so Thor merely shook his head.

"I see," Mother's face was stern now, her lips pursed, and Thor could not help but think how
similar Loki had looked earlier. "So you stormed into a very important meeting Loki was
holding with two key Council members, both of whom you will need to work with in the
future, and you challenged your brother's authority before them and General Týr. Is that
correct?"

"Aye," Thor confirmed, looking at the floor.

"Are you trying to make things more difficult for your brother than they already are?" Mother
demanded.

"What? Nay, of course not!" Thor protested.

"Then are you attempting to sabotage things so badly you will never be able to be king?"

"What?"

"You challenged your brother before half the High Council, and not the familial half! How
are they supposed to respect your command and authority as king in the future with that?"

Thor could only stare at his mother in shock. 'Twas something he had not even considered,
only viewing it in light of how it made Loki and his brother's authority appear. Now he
thought about it, though, he had a vague recollection of Lord Ragnvaldr's horrified face as the
man looked first at him and then at something behind him. General Týr, he realized dully.
The latter had chased him into the king's study and so had been present for all of it as well.
Thor groaned and dropped his head into his hands as he contemplated this new thought. Was
he truly incapable of doing the right thing? It seemed so at present, and he wondered at how
he could ever have thought himself ready for Hliðskjálf.

"Thor," Mother said, a hand settling on his shoulder. "You need to apologize."

"I know," Thor replied through his fingers. "I will find Loki and-"

"Nay."

"Mother?" Thor asked, looking up at her.

"You cannot apologize to only Loki."

"Why not?"

"Because your fight was witnessed. With all which has already transpired lately, this type of
fight between the two of you will have caused a lot of alarm. The others need to see your
apology as well."

"But Mother-"

"Nay. They must witness it, Thor. Or do you wish for them to wonder if you will be the next
to move against your brother?"

"Nay, of course not!" Thor replied, horrified. "I would never!"

"Most of us had thought the same of Heimdallr," Mother reminded him. "After that, we no
longer have the luxury of assuming anyone is safe, especially not those in a position to gain
so much from doing so."

The mere thought made Thor feel ill. To move against his brother thus... 'Twas inconceivable
even if he could ever condone moving against Ásgarðr itself in such a measure. Which he
could not, but that would come sooner than betraying his brother. He could only hope Loki
knew it.

"You should have seen him, Mother," Thor said, thinking back on the confrontation. "Loki,
he... I have never witnessed him thus before."

"Like what?"

"So powerful and..." Thor struggled for another word. "Authoritative, I guess. He did Father
proud."

"After you have apologized, when you are in private, tell Loki that," Mother said. "'Tis
something your brother can do with hearing."

"'Twas not simply his appearance, though, 'twas the seiðr."

"Seiðr? He used it?"

Thor snorted. "He did not have to. The whole chamber was charged with it, making the hair
on my arms stand up. If I had not been so unreasonably angry, I would have been worried. I-
I have never felt anything like it before. Loki has never put his power on display thus before.
I do not know if 'tis because of the Óðinnforce or because of his position now, but if I had
been in my right mind, I would have thought twice about defying him."

The more he thought of it now, the more Thor could not help but wonder how much of that
display had been Loki's newfound power and how much of it his brother had always
possessed but simply never displayed. He knew Loki did not oft speak of his seiðr anymore
and, on many an occasion, Thor had only learned his brother capable of a particular feat
when they had need for it. It all went back to Loki's penchant for secrets. The fact even their
mother seemed surprised now merely proved it.

"I will speak with Lord Aðalgrímr of it as I know he has seen some of your brother's previous
displays of power while on diplomatic missions to Álfheimr," Mother said.

Aye, of course, they viewed that as a true sign of strength.

"Now, as for the remedial training you have been requested to take," Mother began, making
Thor groan. "Do you wish to speak of it?"

The very thought made Thor flush once more. To speak of his faults with his mother? Nay, of
course he did not wish it.

"Mother," Thor began, not certain how to phrase it.

"Very well, but promise me you will consider General Týr's words carefully. He is a very
experienced military leader and I know you used to admire him greatly."

"I know and I still do respect him, 'tis simply..."

"Hard when your pride has been wounded?" Mother offered. "'Tis a problem you and your
brother both share, learned from your father, no doubt."

Thor looked at his mother, wide-eyed, but she was now gazing at Father in his bed. Whether
Father would have words with her later for that or not, Thor did not know, but 'twas a bold
thing to say before Óðinn All-Father.

Although Thor had noticed what Mother had spoken of Loki possessing this flaw more than
once, 'twas still very difficult to know he was guilty of the same as well.

"I will do my best," Thor promised.

'Twas all he could truly say as he knew it would be difficult. But he would try, both due to his
own conclusions and what Mother had said about the implications for his own ability to rule
later.

"Good," Mother said, moving to take her usual place at Father's bedside.
They sat in silence for a little while as Thor tried to think over everything which had
happened since he had entered General Týr's study with a clearer head. The more he did so,
the more ashamed he became, but he was also beginning to see why he had reacted so
adversely as well.

"How do you cope with it, Mother?" Thor finally asked, needing to know.

She had been so calm and collected the whole time since he had been back, except for when
he had mentioned Heimdallr's regicide attempt. 'Twas almost as if having Loki as king did
not affect her at all.

"Cope with what?" Mother asked.

"Having Loki be able to order you around?"

"Oh, it has not come up."

"Not come up? You have not found you need to ask his permission for doing some of what
you wish?"

"Thor, most of my time has been spent here, helping Lady Eir look after your father," Mother
replied. "If Loki had need for me as queen, then of course I would do so, but most of our
conversations and interactions have been no different from before even if now he could
command me."

"Oh."

So why were his own interactions with his brother so different? Even during the ones which
did not revolve around his friends, they had been fraught and tense with the knowledge of
Loki's new position and authority.

"You view it differently now even when interacting with him outside of the trial," Mother
stated.

"Aye."

"And is it due to how he acts, or how you perceive the situation?"

"I do not understand."

"Is Loki truly treating you differently, or are you simply hyperaware of his being king
because you had thought you would be by now?" Mother clarified. "Or perhaps due to your
current status as a mortal?"

"He is different," Thor stated decisively, after a moment of thought. "While before he might
make a show of deference at times-"

"Deference? Thor, did you make your brother act his position even in private?" Mother
questioned in dismay.
"But you just said I had to listen to General Týr when he spoke of always respecting the chain
of command!" Thor protested, leaping to his feet in pure frustration.

Why was no one being consistent or making sense? Surely if he could not have friends due to
the chain of command, then his little brother of all people should have to respect it too!

"With your command! We are speaking of your brother, Thor, and how you act in private,"
Mother retorted, voice rising. "You know how your father and I act differently when 'tis just
the four of us."

'Twas true, and Thor had never truly thought of it as it seemed normal and natural to him.
But...

"Loki does not always do so in public either," Thor told her.

"Is this in circumstances where General Týr's concern may apply?"

"Probably."

Mother nodded once. "As I was not there, I cannot pretend to know what happened or what
your brother may be thinking, Thor, but it may behoove you to consider whether your brother
may have felt it the only way to be heard."

"What do you mean?"

"Think of the trial this morning and what was said."

"You were there?"

"Nay, but I heard enough of it," Mother replied, face darkening. "From what I can surmise,
they did not truly listen to Loki, which would have made him all the more reliant on you
doing so for his voice to be heard."

Thor swallowed thickly at the thought.

"And," Mother continued. "If you chafe and react so poorly to Loki's authority now, then how
must your brother feel if you pursue it in private rather than allowing him to treat you as
purely his brother? Your positions isolate you enough as 'tis, Thor, and you know Loki does
not make friends as easily as you do. If you will not allow him to be himself when 'tis just the
two of you, then who will?"

All of his guilt from earlier was back and Thor could not help but wonder now how he would
feel if Loki had not at least acted normally when they were out on the balcony, alone, or
having dinner together. Or at least had been before he had ruined that as well.

"I will apologize before the start of the High Council meeting tomorrow," Thor promised.

"Good. But remember, you will need to prove all you say with actions as well as words,"
Mother stated.
"I will."

And he would, of that Thor was absolutely determined. He had just lost all of his friends, he
would not all but lose his brother as well.

If he had not already done so.

The mere thought hurt more than Thor could bear, but he knew he would not be terribly
forgiving if Loki had treated him how he had his brother today. Not after all of the other
trouble he had already caused both Loki and all of Ásgarðr lately.

"Do you know what training is taking place this afternoon?" Loki asked his head of guard as
they left his personal chambers.

He had needed to change out of the ceremonial outfit he been wearing and had wanted to
wear one of the outfits he normally would for training, none of which he had in his pocket
dimension. Not only would they emphasize his position as a warrior, but he knew how
politicians in their fancy clothes could be viewed as they came to observe the warriors.
Besides, Gungnir was all the status symbol he needed with them.

"Aye, General Týr said he was going to perform several live action battle scenarios today,"
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied, before his lips twitched. "I believe he has even asked in
some seiðkonur to help simulate the sudden temperature extremes both the jötnar and the
múspellsmegir are capable of creating."

Loki's eyebrows shot up in surprise at that.

"Truly? Well, that should be interesting to witness."

For as the lieutenant-general had pointed out earlier, there was no way Loki could go to the
training fields as king at a time like this and merely practice himself. Nay, he would be
required to watch and view the progress made, and the overall preparedness of his army. Not
that he minded per se, but 'twas not a choice.

Since the training fields were on one side of the palace, they were quickly there, and Loki
stopped just out of sight for a few moments to observe the veritable hive of activity before his
presence altered it. He had rarely ever witnessed it quite so busy, only on the odd big
celebratory event or tournament Óðinn and Thor put on, but even then 'twas a drastically
different type of atmosphere from this.

Then the pattern of activity changed and Loki decided to reveal himself as it looked likely
one of the scenarios Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had mentioned was about to commence.
While there was something to be said for his observing without his presence being realized,
he thought the additional stress of knowing the king was watching might not be a bad thing
for the warriors now. It would happen in battle and he did not wish to be caught here all day.
If he observed one from the shadows first, then he would have to view a second one openly.

"Your Majesty."
Loki should not truly have been surprised by how quickly General Týr materialized by his
side, but he had still expected it to take longer given how busy the man must be.

"General Týr," Loki greeted, eyes sweeping the field. "What scenario are you simulating
now?"

"Open battle with various... uh, elemental, I believe they call it, elements."

Loki allowed a pleased smile to cross his lips, though he kept back the desire to say he had
warned the man they needed more training which included magical opponents or elements.

"Wind, fire, ice, dust, water and the like?"

"Aye, mixed up to be unpredictable and to disguise our true intentions, as discussed. Though
I was informed the fire would be quite limited as 'tis most difficult to control and they feared
injuring my men accidentally," General Týr replied.

Of course, they did. Loki resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sentiment. For all he
respected and admired his fellow seiðr users at times, there were always instances such as
these where he could not help but wonder how stupid they were. 'Twas hardly surprising they
found it hard to control fire, since they kept trying to contain its natural chaos rather than
merely seeking to redirect it.

Suddenly, General Týr's eyes narrowed and the man turned to appraise him.

"Problem, General?" Loki inquired, curious.

"Nay, I was simply recollecting your minor majority."

Ah, aye, of course.

"King Óðinn spoke of your gift for fire, much as he spoke of Thor's for lightning when 'twas
your brother's minor majority."

"Hmm," Loki replied. "I do have a particular affinity for it."

"Would you like to participate in this scenario?"

A smile crept over Loki's face as he thought of it. Not only would it allow him to utilize his
seiðr on the training fields, but it would give him a chance to create some chaos as he had
been longing to do for days now.

"The seiðkonur are over there," General Týr indicated, seeing his expression.

Rather than inquire as to the plan, Loki moved off with his guard. It would not be pure chaos
if 'twas too structured after all.

"Your Majesty," the seiðkonur echoed each other as they bowed at his approach.

"Ladies," Loki greeted, glancing from one to the next.

Though not particularly close to each, he did recognize all of them.

"Have you come to partake in today's unique opportunity, my King?" Lady Nanna inquired.

She was the eldest of the group and one of several seiðkonur tutors he had gone through in
relatively rapid succession when first learning seiðr beyond his mother's specialty. Loki
remembered some of their lessons rather fondly, and her advice had always been particularly
astute, especially on how to approach some of the other masters of seiðr within the Nine.

"I had come to observe," Loki replied. "But I have been told you are missing a good source
for fire."

"And 'tis too good of an opportunity to pass up," she teased.

"As you say. You will utilize air, I suppose?"

"Aye, the dirt of the field should create a good substance for it."

"And you, Lady Sól, will you bring night to day?" Loki asked.

'Twas a trick he was not as good at, only managing to shroud an area in twilight when he
tried. Shadows, however, responded far better to him and, if 'twas a small enough area, he
could make that suffice.

"Oh, nay, 'twas not asked for, I thought to do water," Lady Sól replied.

"Seiðr is not the general's forte," Loki stated. "Thus, simply because he did not think to ask
for it, does not mean it would not be beneficial. These training scenarios are meant to prepare
the warriors for any unexpected and different situations they may face in battle. Correct,
Lieutenant-General?"

"Aye," Yngvarr confirmed, looking intrigued. "Jötunheimr is far darker than Ásgarðr, so it
would be good for them to have some experience with how it reduces visibility on the
battlefield."

"Very well," Lady Sól nodded. "I shall shroud the area significantly once battle has
commenced."

Loki stepped forward a little and allowed his eyes to sweep the area General Týr had set up to
act as the field of battle. Each 'army' stood preparing at either end while the middle was
strewn with boulders and debris of various sizes as well as other small features, dips and rises
to simulate, as much as possible, a true battle area. He selected a few opportune spots to
target and reached within for the seiðr to set the necessary spark so he could alight them at
will. He tapped into Ásgarðr to check his power levels and was surprised at how much she
seemed to want him to reduce them.

That done, he stood back and simply observed the remainder of their preparations while
being drawn into conversation with the seiðkonur. He could easily sense their excitement at
having the king about to do such public seiðr with them, and he found it infectious, well
aware word of this would spread. He wondered what the reaction would be as 'twas seiðr, but
'twas being done in aid of the warriors, thus the reactions could go either way.

The sounding of the horn silenced their conversation and Loki was pleased to see how
seriously the seiðkonur were taking this. 'Twas quite the singular opportunity for them, and a
chance to help improve the status of seiðr within Ásgarðr and the warrior ranks. He allowed
some of the others to commence the process, before triggering the first of his fire traps with a
rather spectacular fireball which threw a few warriors back, though he had been careful to
ensure it would not injure them. The dramatic nature of fire helped make a great impression
and Loki could feel how some of the more inexperienced men were reacting far more
chaotically than desired. Hence the reason for these drills.

Then the whole area darkened dramatically, reducing the overall visibility and making the
flames of his fire stand out all the more starkly. 'Twas already clear to Loki which of the units
had the more experienced or promising leaders, as a few stood out in dealing with the
unexpected situations better than others. Loki allowed a few of the others to use their seiðr,
subtly enhancing their power through increasing the seiðr accessible to them by following
Ásgarðr's prompting. Then he triggered two more of his fire traps, allowing one to run
rapidly along a line which bisected a large part of the battlefield, though he did not allow all
of it to keep burning, making it act more like true, unguided fire would.

"Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said, appearing at his side.

"Hmm?"

"Would it be possible to cause an event towards the rearguard of the defending army?"

Curious, Loki glanced over, unable to spot what may have drawn his protector's attention.

"Lady Rán, can we have some ice to the right of Lady Nanna's dust devil?" Loki requested,
knowing they would not know enough of battle tactics to know what area General Týr's
second-in-command meant.

"Certainly, my King," Lady Rán stated.

Seconds later, the area in question began to frost over and Loki hesitated a second before
following Mother Winter's eager prompting and pushing at the ice, causing it to spike up as
the jötnar who had attacked Fandral had done. The ease with which he achieved it thrilled
Loki, but it did not prevent him from noticing how the head of that particular unit reacted.
Loki had caused some of the wooden debris there to burst into flame earlier and the man in
question quickly utilized his obstacle to overcome Lady Rán's.

"Creative," Loki observed.

"Aye, particularly for a tier three warrior," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr commented.

"Not for long mayhap," Loki smiled.

 The interested expression on his guard's face was one Loki was quite familiar with from
having witnessed the man deal with new warrior recruits over the course of the centuries he
had been training.

The battle lasted a while longer, neither side prepared to admit defeat and Loki was certain
his presence was affecting their determination, but 'twas good and Loki was pleased with how
well the army was shaping up. Hopefully they would not be needed, but if they were, he
knew they would do Ásgarðr proud. Once 'twas over, Loki moved over to the training field
closer to Iðavöllr as he knew General Týr would be busy dealing with the more immediate
outcome of the training exercise. This training field was the one Thor and his friends had
essentially claimed as 'theirs' for so long, and which had probably always been the royal one
as it had been where they had been trained from childhood.

Loki could not help but think of his former tormentors down in their cells as he was up here
about to do what they loved most. 'Twas a wonderful feeling and he savored it to the fullest
as he moved to the center of the field.

Once he had, though, Loki carefully pushed it aside and focused on his current task. Not only
did he truly wish to partake of the physical exercise, but should the peace treaty fail for some
reason, he would be required to fight with Gungnir and 'twas actually rather irresponsible of
him that he had not at least thought to acquaint himself better with the King's Spear in a
combat situation. There had been so much to do, though, all of which had been important, but
now he would focus fully on this one task.

Chapter End Notes

So, Thor is learning just how long of a way he still has to go, while Loki is enjoying
himself causing sanctioned chaos on the training fields. A rather good afternoon for
Ásgarðr, especially after so turbulent a start to it! But can it last?

Norse Mythology:

Nanna - Nepsdóttir, a goddess of joy, peace & the moon, she is associated with Baldr,
though the stories of how vary (more on this later). In some she is the mother of the god
Forseti.
Sól - the personification of the sun, seen as the sister of Máni (personification of the
moon) & daughter of Mundilfari. She is foretold to be killed by a monstrous wolf during
the events of Ragnarök (honestly, who isn't at this point?).
Rán - goddess & personification of the sea - Her husband is Ægir, a jötunn who also
personifies the sea, and they have 9 daughters, who personify waves. She is often
associated with a net, which she uses to capture sea-goers, in some stories she once
loaned it to Loki.
Old Norse:

múspellsmegir - "sons of Muspell" - like to the múspellssynir I used before

jötnar - "frost giants"
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages

🤦
Up next week: Loki & Yngvarr spar, while Thor... opens his mouth and inserts his foot,
again...
 Chapter 50
Chapter Notes

A bit earlier than normal lately, but I had my booster jab a few hours ago and really
wanted to get this up sooner rather than later, in case it hits me as hard as it has some of
my friends.

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"You always favored a staff over a full spear, aye, Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
inquired, moving to stand beside him.

"Hmm," Loki replied. "Or a scepter."

"Scepter?" his protector questioned, surprised. "The ljósálfar ones?"

"Aye, they allow for the addition of crystals or gems which aid in the enhancement or storing
of seiðr to be used in battle."

"Ah, aye, I believe I have witnessed those in some tournaments on Niflheimr when I was
young."

Loki hefted Gungnir, paying more attention to its weight and balance than he had before.
Despite the decorative head which also served to help funnel spells and blasts, he found it to
be surprisingly balanced and the slight weight difference could actually be used to his
advantage were he to swing the spear.

A few steps back gave Loki the distance he needed from Lieutenant-General Yngvarr to spin
Gungnir, being careful to hold it near the middle as he would a staff rather than down to the
base as with a scepter. As he had suspected, the good balance made it relatively easy to judge
the power and accuracy, if he kept the slightly heavier weight of the crown in mind.

Soon, Loki was performing the more complex movements he liked to utilize in a fight with
only a few false starts. Similar movement beside him made him look over to see the head of
his guard now held a regular staff.

"Shall we work through the steps?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked.

'Twas a series of moves to properly warm-up the muscles and, while Loki knew it would not
always happen in battle, he had done precious little exercise lately and so could well use it
now.
"That would probably be best," Loki agreed, shifting into position.

The familiar moves further helped Loki acquaint himself with Gungnir and soon he felt ready
to begin something a little more challenging.

"Shall I use the staff?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr offered, shifting into a fighting stance.

"Nay," Loki decided. "I am far more likely to face a sword than a staff."

Even the jötnar ice blades were more similar to swords than staffs.

One of the Einherjar stepped forward to take the lieutenant-general's staff, drawing Loki's
attention back to the others. He was pleased to see none were exclusively looking at them,
instead guarding the perimeter or paired off to practice themselves. Loki did a quick check to
ensure Gungnir's protections against damage still held as his opponent drew his preferred
weapon.

"Simple sparring?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr checked.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, twirling Gungnir seemingly lazily before him.

He knew his opponent would not fall for the ploy, but it gave him more practice and had the
added advantage of acting as a shield of sorts through which Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
would need to penetrate to reach him with his sword. Therefore, he kept his movements
uneven and without rhythm in order to keep them from becoming predictable, and thus would
be all the more easily overcome.

As Loki had expected, the lieutenant-general used the opportunity to study him rather than
rushing in blindly. They had not faced each other on the training fields in a few centuries and
thus would need to watch for changes in each other's fighting style. In that, at least, Loki
knew he had the advantage in some sense since Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had not
witnessed him fighting with staffs and scepters as much as the man had seen him fighting
with knives and swords.

Loki made the first move, shifting sideways and forcing his opponent to move in the opposite
direction if Yngvarr wished to mirror him. The lieutenant-general did, but then Yngvarr was
moving forwards, striking out with his sword. Loki deflected it with Gungnir, caught the next
blow and shifted aside the third so he could twist his body in towards his opponent, allowing
him to kick out towards Yngvarr's feet in an attempt to take him down. The lieutenant-
general quickly shuffled out of reach, so Loki followed up the move with a jab of his spear,
using the bottom to try to strike his guardian in the solar plexus. Again Yngvarr evaded the
blow, but it had given Loki some space to move. He used it to twirl Gungnir a bit more
grandly, passing it behind him and, if he had been in almost any other fight, he would have
used the opportunity to fire a bit of seiðr at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, but he had no desire
to ruin what could well be a singular opportunity to show he could fight well without seiðr.

Again Loki went on the offensive first, unexpectedly sliding his grip on Gungnir to the very
end and swinging out with it, forcing the lieutenant-general to raise his sword to block before
the man tried to grab hold of the spear. Ásgarðr flashed a warning at him and Loki slammed
down on the built-in defense Gungnir had to prevent precisely that type of action in battle.
Instead of badly burning Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's hand, it merely warmed it, making the
man jerk his hand back.

"Sorry," Loki said. "One of the defensive spells wrought on Gungnir is to burn the hand of
any who would attempt to take it unsolicited."

"Good. You were unaware?"

"Hmm. I would assume Father informed Thor of all of the defenses."

But obviously with him there had been no handover.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's next swing came suddenly, but Loki had been expecting
something as they had not officially ended the battle. They moved back and forth before,
finally, he missed a step and Yngvarr's sword slipped in to tap lightly against the chest plate
of his armor. Loki was able to knock it aside a moment later, but the damage would have
been done in a true battle. He was already bracing himself for the comments and so faltered
when Lieutenant-General Yngvarr merely retreated a few paces and seemed to move into a
ready position once more.

"Majesty?" the lieutenant-general inquired, clearly having caught his hesitancy.

"I-" Loki began, ere he shook his head. "Nothing."

His head guard was clearly not convinced, but Loki knew Lieutenant-General Yngvarr would
not press, not here and now in particular. Which was good as Loki had no desire to explain he
had expected to be ridiculed and disparaged for his 'obvious failure', regardless of the fact all
warriors were occasionally defeated in training, even his brother. Yet, whenever it happened
to him, Sif and the other three had felt free to taunt him for it.

Well, not anymore. Loki smiled as he went on the offensive, moving into a series of swings
and jabs with Gungnir which forced Lieutenant-General Yngvarr to retreat before him. Loki
still failed to get through the man's defenses but, right before he had taken his hit, he had
started to see a pattern in his protector's movements he thought he just might be able to
exploit.

Hmm, aye, 'twas there.

Slowly, Loki allowed the battle to shift so he could position himself appropriately. When the
moment came, he drew back as if to retreat, planted Gungnir firmly on the ground and moved
to swing himself up and around, coming at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr unexpectedly from
the opposite direction, feet first. He caught General Týr's second-in-command completely by
surprise with the move, kicking him in the abdomen and knocking him back, off his feet.
Loki allowed his momentum to keep him moving, rolling once before coming up near
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr with Gungnir raised and at the man's throat.

Before, with Thor and his brother's friends, Loki would have been tempted to hold the
position or warm the end of Gungnir with seiðr to flaunt his victory. But the lieutenant-
general's earlier lack of crowing made Loki back off, returning the favor.

The clapping as he rose to his feet once more was the first Loki knew they had drawn a wider
audience. Glancing over, he saw 'twas General Týr who was using the vambrace of his
injured arm to produce the sound.

"Congratulations, Majesty, it has been quite a while since I have witnessed someone take
down Lieutenant-General Yngvarr," General Týr said.

"More like bowl over," the man in questioned muttered as he rose to his feet, a hand on his
abdomen.

The potential sting was taken out of the words by the quirking of Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr's lips and Loki was glad. 'Twas hard to temper the impact made with that move as
the strength and momentum needed to successfully swing around Gungnir had to go
somewhere. 'Twas why it worked so well, but it did make it harder to practice without
accidentally injuring his opponent.

"Where did you learn that particular move?" General Týr asked.

"Múspellsheimr," Loki replied. "Or at least, 'tis where I observed it first as the rjúfendr utilize
it. It seems to work well against the eldþursar."

"I can image," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stated. "The element of surprise also helped. I
had not even considered such a move."

"Aye," Loki laughed. "'Tis not one Father could perform."

"Nor Thor, I suspect," General Týr mussed, studying Gungnir. "While he would have the
strength for it, I doubt he has the agility or proper proportions to successfully manage it."

'Twas a polite way of saying Loki was not as built as his brother, but he had long since given
up attempting to achieve that particular physic. At least now he had a pretty good idea of why
he had been unable to attain it, despite all of his early efforts.

"I assume you have also been holding back on Gungnir's seiðr abilities?" Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr questioned.

"Hmm, while they can be modulated, they are far more likely to cause injury. Especially at
present while I have access to the Óðinnforce which I have not yet been able to test in a
combat situation," Loki explained.

"We have some target dummies I was going to have disposed of as they are past their best,"
General Týr offered. "I assume they would still suffice for you to utilize for such an
endeavor?"

"Aye."

It would not do to accidentally kill an opponent he wished to capture for interrogation

purposes.
When the targets were brought out, Loki could immediately see what General Týr meant
when he had said they were past their best. Some were hardly even in one piece any longer
and most had lost at least one limb.

"May I recommend commencing at full power, my Liege?" General Týr suggested, coming to
stand beside him as the targets were arranged at one end of the training field they were on.

Loki's lips twitched. 'Twas what the general probably considered a subtle way to ascertain
Loki's true power levels at present. He was not offended, though, rather the opposite in fact.
In the past General Týr would never have stopped to even consider knowing something like
this, and Loki was not going to do anything to discourage the man's new interest in seiðr. He
was not, however, planning to show the general and, more importantly, the rest of their
audience the true extent of his current powers. Especially not since no one currently knew the
full extent of his connection with Mother Winter.

That did not mean he could not provide them with a suitably impressive demonstration,
though.

"That would not be advisable, I think," Loki replied. "Ásgarðr's power is immense and the
space here not terribly large. Let me start at three quarters power."

Truth followed by a lie, his specialty.

As soon as the Einherjar had moved out of range, Loki took a few steps away from General
Týr before he began to gather his seiðr, funneling it into Gungnir. He allowed the staff to
glow, the tip in particular even as he felt the air around him take on a charge. That was new,
even for him. While he had always possessed the ability to allow his seiðr to be felt thus, in
the past he had needed to will it so. Therefore, he had only used it sparingly, when he had an
audience to impress, as the display was a use of power in and of itself. Now, however, it
happened effortlessly, and he made a note to work on ensuring he had full control of it, least
the seiðr build up gave away his presence prematurely at a later date.

For this particular trial, Loki selected one of the dummies in better condition. Not only would
it help prevent the seiðr from moving past its intended target, but it would make the
demonstration all the more impressive, which was just as much a factor here as learning how
to modulate his newfound strength. He could do the latter alone later, if necessary, the former
he could not. And he was not fool enough to allow this type of opportunity to both impress
and impart upon Ásgarðr's warriors the power of his true abilities.

With a thought, Loki allowed a little over half of his power to burst from the end of Gungnir,
blasting the target dummy into so much useless shrapnel and blowing a not insignificant hole
into the ground where it had stood at the same time. The silence which followed the initial
exclamations was rather telling, and he tried not to allow too much of his satisfaction to
show.

"Still wish for me to utilize Gungnir and my seiðr while we spar, Lieutenant-General?" Loki
inquired, glancing over at the head of his guard.
"Ah, nay," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied, turning his head to meet his gaze. "At least
not until you feel certain of your control."

The latter was a tempting offer, but Loki knew even then he would never come close to doing
much more than mere tricks while sparring with anyone he did not wish to kill. Given the
current view of seiðr on Ásgarðr, he could only imagine the reaction should something go
wrong, and he accidentally caused either a grievous injury or the death of an opponent. He
knew it would not be treated the same as when a regular sparring session went wrong, and
even his regular status as prince of Ásgarðr would hardly protect him from the subsequent
backlash against seiðr and seiðberandi.

With the remaining training dummies, Loki changed tactics, attempting to discover exactly
how much power he had to utilize to either incapacitate or stun an opponent. The former was
made all the more difficult when General Týr thought to add a second dummy alongside the
first, which he had to try not to damage in order to simulate a battle situation where another
æsir warrior may happen to be adjacent to his target.

After all of the upheaval already so far today, Thor had actually wished for some peace and
quiet for once and had decided to use one of his brother's hiding places to achieve it. Loki did
always know the best places to squirrel himself away where none but the most determined
could find him. He had hoped utilizing one of those would also aid him in his thoughts as to
how best to go about apologizing to Loki. He knew his mother had said he needed to do so to
everyone, but the main part of his apology would still be to his brother and Loki was the one
most likely to reject it, so he deserved the most thought and attention.

It had taken a few hours, but Thor finally thought he had what would be an acceptable
apology which he would deliver at the High Council meeting the following morning. The
need for it to be witnessed meant it could not happen any earlier least he convened a session
of the Council now, or he called in both Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr as well as General
Týr, and he feared he did not possess the necessary authority to do either at present. Plus, if
he did not wish to aggravate his brother any further, it would be best not to spring a surprise
meeting on Loki, not with everything else his brother already had to deal with.

Decision made, Thor had wandered Iðavöllr's gilded corridors aimlessly for a while before
finding himself drawn towards the training fields. Though he could not participate, he still
liked to see for himself how the preparations for a potential war were progressing. What he
had found had been startling, the presence of the seiðkonur a veritable shock. He had never
witnessed any seiðr users other than his brother on the training fields, with the exception of
the healers when something had gone wrong. At first he had been rather skeptical but, after
witnessing what they had been contributing, he had been unable but to admit it could have
been helpful for Fandral and the others to have been more familiar with some of those
abilities before they had gone to Jötunheimr.

As he had been standing in the shadows cast by the late afternoon sun and the pillars around
Iðavöllr, Thor had also overheard some of the warriors who had been training earlier in the
day having words, and what they had said had been startling. His brother out on the training
fields with Gungnir? And disarming Lieutenant-General Yngvarr? Even he was hard-pressed
to win against the head of the king's guard. At least with the restrictions he fought under
when sparring with a fellow Einherjar. If he could utilize the full potential of Mjǫllnir then
the outcome would be vastly different.

As he approached the king's study once more, Thor tried to shove thoughts from earlier in the
day out of his mind. He was hungry and he knew how oft his brother skipped meals when
busy or stressed, so he would ensure that did not happen tonight. He would tell Loki he
regretted his earlier actions, that he would give him a proper apology on the morrow, and tell
his brother how he had done Father proud with his little display earlier. That way he would be
telling his brother what Mother said he needed to hear and promising the apology without
delivering it to only Loki.

Thor felt rather proud of himself as he knocked and entered the study. Given that part of the
king's guard stood outside, and more were dispersed around the study, he was surprised to not
be able to immediately spot his brother.

"The king is out on the balcony," Yngvarr told him.

"Ah," Thor replied, glancing towards the balcony before looking back at the head guard, a
smile crossing his lips as he thought back to what he had overheard earlier. "I heard you lost a
sparring match earlier today, Yngvarr."

"Aye," the man admitted, simply.

Thor frowned at the seeming total lack of an emotional response. Surely the man must be
angry at what had occurred? He was the head of the king's guard and Loki had made him
look a fool before not only his own men, but General Týr as well! He himself would have
been furious at his brother if Loki had dared to do so to him! So why was Yngvarr seemingly
so calm? Was the man afraid of his brother and what Loki might do or say were he to learn
Yngvarr had dared to voice his displeasure with what had happened?

Or was it because the lieutenant-general had been prepared to see him as king, and so did not
wish for Thor to view him as anything other than very good at his job? It would fit with what
his mother and Loki were always saying of how he was unable to see how his status could
impact how people reacted and responded to him. Combined with the fact that the one who
had trounced him was currently king, Thor could understand why Yngvarr might not feel
able to express his true feelings on the matter to him at present.

"Do not worry," Thor reassured the lieutenant-general. "I heard 'twas through the use of
dishonorable tactics and so does not truly count."

The way Yngvarr's eyes widened made Thor feel proud for a moment, thinking the man
surprised by his perceptiveness for once, but then he registered the disbelief and horror.
Before he could question it, Thor noticed how the man's eyes flickered to a spot behind him
and he turned around to find his brother standing on the threshold to the balcony. Of course
Loki would chose to come back in right in time to overhear his words!

"Loki," Thor began, floundering, all of his thoughts of how to commence this conversation
from earlier vanishing in light of the exhausted and furious expression on his brother's face.
The latter alone would have told him Loki had caught his words. He had only been
attempting to be more considerate and understanding of Yngvarr's feelings and position!

"Thor," Loki replied coldly, moving further into the study. "What did you want?"

"I- ah, wished to see if you were ready for dinner."

Even Loki should not be able to either misinterpret or malign that!

He truly should have known better; his brother could twist anything.

"Why would you wish to be seen seated with one so dishonorable?" Loki sneered. "A
veritable níðingr."

Thor flinched at the ugly word, how had he managed to mess this situation up so quickly?

"Nay, Loki, 'tis not what I meant!" Thor protested. "I am-"

"What? Sorry? You are always sorry!" Loki snapped, eyes flashing and fists clenching. "Yet it
never seems to prevent you from doing it again and again and again."

The words hit him like physical blows and Thor had to stop himself from stepping back. His
brother seemed almost crazed, the look in Loki's eyes far too similar to when they had fought
about his friends for Thor's comfort. He scrambled to find the right words to say, fearing he
would not be able to do so in time.

"Mayhap rather than criticizing others, you should instead focus on your own inadequacies
and deficiencies," Loki spat, tone scathing. "At least, if you truly wish to ever regain both
Mjǫllnir or your power."

The urge to lash out and enumerate all of his brother's own plethora of weaknesses rose swift
and hard within Thor, but 'twas accompanied by the desire to storm over to Loki and crowd
him up against the wall, and he remembered only all too well how the last such attempt had
ended. The horror that any would think him capable of hurting his brother was still strong
enough to shock him right out of his anger. The resulting clarity allowed him to see the hurt
and bitterness lurking in his brother's stormy green eyes, and it made him feel small.

He had caused this. He had provoked this anger and rage with his words to Yngvarr, belittling
and degenerating his brother to one of Loki's own men. The sudden realization made Thor
feel physically ill. This was precisely what General Týr had meant when he had spoken of his
brother's authority being undercut. He had thought the man deluded then, or exaggerating the
situation, but Thor could suddenly see it all with crystal clarity and it horrified him.

Had he done this with his friends? Was he the reason why they had started disrespecting his
little brother? Or had they done it first and he had emulated their behavior? Thor knew it
mattered little in some ways as the end result was the same, but he truly hoped he had not
been the one to commence it all. He was not certain Loki would ever be able to forgive him if
he had.
"I-" Thor began, before he squared his shoulders. "I truly am sorry, Brother," he said, trying
to ignore the hurt he felt at his brother's snort. "I bid you goodnight."

'Twas terribly formal, but Thor did now know what else to say. When Loki did not reply, he
turned and left the study, wondering how he had managed to make the situation between the
two of them even worse than it had already been.

Loki was only distantly aware of his brother's departure, most of his attention focused on
regaining control of himself. He could not believe he had lost it quite so spectacularly yet
again. At this rate his reputation would be well and truly in tatters, precisely like his flayed
core, the agony from which was not helping him any. Both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter were
doing their best to aid him, but he simply wished to find a dark corner and curl up in it, not to
rise until this whole mess had been sorted out by someone else.

Damn Thor and his brother's continued and imbecilic notions of honor!

Damn Óðinn and his stupid schemes for Jötunheimr and the rest of the Nine!

And damn Frigga for going along with it all and not informing him of who, and what, he was
far sooner!

His anger was like a live thing, roiling within him and seeking to lash out at anything and
everything. It took all of his ever-fraying control and willpower to restrain himself from
doing just that; allowing his seiðr to burst out and the consequences be damned. But, nay, he
would not become one of those seiðberandi who lost all control, he would rather his core
truly snap than to become that.

'Twas simply that it hurt so much, and his stupid brother seemed to be utterly determined to
make things that much worse! Loki knew Thor was a thoughtless idiot at the best of times,
but his adoptive brother almost seemed to be trying now.

The pain in his right palm made Loki realize he had reached up to clutch at his talisman with
enough force to make the obsidian dig into his flesh. He had found himself completely unable
to keep from wearing it even after the ignition of the Yggdrasill and Loptr's death. The
amulet still felt like his temporal twin, and it served as a potent reminder of exactly why he
was doing things this way when all his exhausted and agony ridden mind wished to do was
throw caution to the wind and simply react emotionally.

A few steps took Loki to his desk and he collapsed into one of the chairs before it. The new
location allowed him to put his elbow on the desk and press the talisman to his forehead. He
reached out to it with his seiðr, desperately seeking the comfort and reassurance from before,
when he had not been so utterly alone in this whole mess. Naturally, his quest was a futile
one and he had to fight off tears, reaching out instead towards both Ásgarðr and Mother
Winter, needing their help and support. 'Twas both frightening and shocking exactly how
close to the end of his endurance he was, feeling wrung out, and it both alarmed him and left
him completely and utterly cold at the same time.
Distantly, he knew the duality was not a good thing, but right now Loki found he could not
bring himself to care. Not when such coldness and lack of feeling was so very tempting...

A snap of power from Ásgarðr jolted him back to the present and Loki shoved the thought
aside. The faint sound of leather creaking reminded him he was neither alone, nor in a
location where he felt truly safe, not without all of his own wards, painstakingly erected over
centuries of detailed seiðr studies. Lowering his arm, he glanced over all of the parchments
strewn seemingly haphazardly across his desk, and 'twas enough to exhaust him even further.
Loki knew he simply could not continue any further tonight, not given his current condition
and he could not risk pushing himself either, not with the treaty still in such a precarious
position and both Óðinn and Thor as they were at present. The latter in particular had already
proven repeatedly that he was not ready for Hliðskjálf, just as Loki had always known his
adoptive brother was not.

With those thoughts, he rose to his feet once more, using Gungnir for support so the full
extent of his exhaustion would not be quite so visible. Though he knew retiring now would
merely serve to increase his workload tomorrow, he was certain 'twas the right decision.
Besides, perhaps he could delegate some of it, no one would dare protest if he did so and he
might as well take advantage of the situation while it lasted. Mayhap he could even dump
some of it on Thor with Uncle Vili as supervisor, it would serve his adoptive brother right and
he knew there was no better punishment for Thor than to make him do mind-numbing
parchmentwork. Particularly if 'twas an area where the important decisions had already been
made and all which was left was to complete the administrative follow up.

"Majesty?"

The voice suddenly penetrated his awareness and Loki glanced up to find Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr halfway across the study and moving towards him. It made him wonder how many
times the man had already called to him or exactly how long he had stood here, simply
looking down at his desk.

"I am retiring for the evening," Loki stated, forcing himself to move.

The head of his guard seemed to hesitate for a moment before inclining his head and moving
aside to allow him to pass, the rest of the Einherjar falling in around them as they left the
study and walked down the corridor. Loki wondered if 'twas his imagination or whether he
could truly feel the tension pouring off the men around him. He wished he could be making a
better impression on them and all of the others he was interacting with than he knew he was,
but there was only so much he could do, injured as he was.

Of course he was finally given the chance to prove himself, only for it to be ruined by
something like this. He should know better by now than to expect he could be given a fair
chance at anything. The Norns hated him.

As they entered the royal family's area of Iðavöllr, Loki was finally beginning to think he
would make it all the way back to his chambers in silence when 'twas broken.

"My King," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr began, hesitance clear in his voice. "Regarding what
Thor said. He is-"
 Loki laughed bitterly. "I am well aware of how my brother is not alone in that particular
assessment. Skulking about in the shadows like a coward is quite good for learning what
people truly think of me."

"Majesty-"

"Do no try to placate me, Lieutenant-General."

"I am not," Yngvarr protested, making Loki stop to look at him. "I cannot speak for others,
not even all of the warriors, but I have witnessed firsthand the difference a fully trained battle
seiðmadr can have on the battlefield. Therefore, I can never not be pleased to have one on our
side, and anything which makes you more likely to survive is a good thing as far as I am
concerned, as there is nothing worse for an army than the loss of its leader in battle."

The words were pretty and persuasive, but Loki knew full well how fake those could be. He
spun honeyed words oft enough to know that too well to ever forget it. Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr was not one to do so normally, though, and neither could he detect any obvious
falsehood in the words either. Not that he trusted himself as much to do so after the
devastating revelation about his true birthright. How many times had both Óðinn and Frigga
called him their son and it had never rung false in his ears?

Or had Óðinn's, at least on some level, and was it the reason Loki had felt increasingly
disconnected from the man these last few centuries? 'Twas something to consider at a later
date.

Still, he had no proof of either deception or trickery now, so Loki acknowledged the words
with a tip of his head even as he tried to lessen the suspicion he knew would be visible in his
eyes. He was in no mood to be placated even with the truth, so he elected to continue on to
his chambers, though he could not quite make himself shove aside all the lieutenant-general
had said. Combined with Yngvarr's previous lack of derogatory comments or dismissive
actions, he could not help but consider that the man might be fully honest. Pity he had not
been head of the army when Loki was growing up as then his initial warrior training may
have been quite different.

As soon as the Einherjar had retreated from all but his antechamber, Loki collapsed into the
nearest chair, which happened to be at his dining table. He used that fact to drop his head
onto his arms. He would rest his eyes for a few moments.

Chapter End Notes

I really couldn't help myself, I just had to include Loki's swinging around Gungnir in the
fic. It was too much fun as a move in the film not to, besides, the fanart that has grown

🤣
up around it has made it iconic. I will also never forget Tom Hiddleston's face when
Graham Norton showed him one piece when Tom was on his show 😂
As for Thor... well he is trying. He's started to think of how his status can impact how

🤦
people interact with him, but he's still too caught up in some of his old thought patterns
to do so correctly

And, yes, poor Loki!

Old Norse:

rjúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - my name for the smaller species from
Múspellsheimr
eldþursar - "fire giants" (alternatively eldjötnar or eldthursar)
ljósálfar - "light elves"
jötnar - "frost giants"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
níðingr - someone afflicted with the stigma of níð - a term for a social stigma implying
the loss of honour to the point of being considered a villain
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Lieutenant-General Yngvarr & General Týr talk, while Livunn looks
after Loki
 Chapter 51
Chapter Notes

In Belgium we generally open our presents on Christmas Eve, so here you go, a chapter!

Merry Christmas, everyone (if you celebrate it).

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The argument and subsequent conversation had left Yngvarr feeling unsettled and highly
uncomfortable. That this sort of exchange was not uncommon had been more than clear, and
he wondered how he had not heard of them transpiring before. The possibilities which
occurred to him did little to settle how he felt, and he knew he could not simply leave the
situation as 'twas. While he could do little if King Loki wished to brood or spend time in his
chambers, he would do what he could.

"Find King Loki's servant and inform her the king has retired for the evening," Yngvarr
ordered one of his men.

"Lieutenant-General," the man replied before heading off.

He had watched Livunn closely since the young prince had become king. At first, 'twas
because she was an unknown, but later 'twas because their interactions fascinated Yngvarr,
and he was impressed with what he had witnessed. That she had been with King Loki for a
significant length of time was more than clear, as was the fact he both trusted her and felt
comfortable in her presence. She, meanwhile, clearly knew the young king well enough to be
able to handle his temper and moods skillfully. Short of requesting Queen Frigga's presence,
Yngvarr knew Livunn was best placed to ensure King Loki was suitably looked after this
evening.

"I must see General Týr," Yngvarr told the rest of his men. "One of you is to come find me
immediately should the king change his mind and emerge from his chambers again tonight."

"Of course, Lieutenant-General."

Reassured he would be summoned, Yngvarr turned and headed towards General Týr's study,
hoping to find his mentor and friend there, working on the ever-present parchmentwork the
man was always grumbling about. Thankfully, most seemed to be at the evening feast, and he
saw only a few servants on his way.

"Enter," Týr called out when he knocked.

Yngvarr rather hoped his worry and grim mood had not been obvious to all the servants he
had passed, but that 'twas to his superior was immediately clear.
"Mead?" Týr offered after merely one look at him, already turning towards where he kept his
supply.

"Aye," Yngvarr accepted, taking the goblet as soon as 'twas offered and draining it in one go,
savoring the slight burn which indicated 'twas the stronger mead his superior preferred.

Týr eyed him warily before taking the goblet back and filling it up once more.

"Thor came by the king's study again this evening," Yngvarr finally began.

"What did he do?" Týr asked, already closing his eyes.

Yngvarr shrugged. "He heard of the sparring match I had with King Loki this afternoon. He
seemed to be attempting to condole me on having lost, before continuing on to state it would
not have happened had his brother fought honorably."

Týr's eyes snapped open and Yngvarr could already read the disbelief and dismay there.
"King Loki?" was all he asked, but 'twas more than enough.

"He was out on the balcony, but 'twas clear he overheard the comment."

His friend and superior cursed and drained his own goblet. "What is wrong with him? Was he
injured while on Miðgarðr?"

"Nay, much as I wish it were so," Yngvarr replied, ere he hesitated. If he were wrong about
this the consequences could be severe, but if he were right and did nothing... "I believe it may
be more systemic than that."

"Systemic?"

"Aye. When I spoke with King Loki of it afterwards, he thought I meant to placate him. The
contempt in his voice when he spoke of being well aware of how others thought of him was
more than clear," Yngvarr explained. "And when he spoke of others, I am quite certain he
meant warriors."

Týr cursed once more, rising to his feet in order to be able to pace. Yngvarr watched him,
knowing only all too well what his friend was feeling right now. He had felt it all himself
earlier, both while watching the original argument unfold between the two brothers and
afterwards, listening to his young king's frank and unguarded words. Though he had not
known Prince Loki nearly as well as Prince Thor, he had interacted with the young prince
often enough to know firsthand that his reputation for being both a wordsmith and
silvertongued were well earned. From what had been said, he could safely assume the rumors
of the second prince's ability to appear from nowhere were equally accurate.

He could only imagine what King Loki might have heard at those times, given all the ugly
truths which had been surfacing recently. He felt both anger and disgust at the knowledge a
member of the royal family had been treated so contemptuously, let alone that it had clearly
become frequent enough for said prince to seemingly consider it normal.

"Do you think it all true?" Týr finally asked.

Yngvarr snorted. "Given what we saw this morning?" he questioned. "Besides, if they have
been undermining King Loki's position and authority for years, then 'tis quite possible they
are no longer the only ones either thinking or saying such things."

"A lie told and heard often enough," Týr muttered, jaw clenching.

"Aye, and wounded pride may have played its own role," Yngvarr added. "For those insecure
enough, to be taken down by someone like Prince Loki who is not as built as Prince Thor, nor
whom spends all of his time training..."

"Aye," Týr agreed, frowning before turning to face him directly. "I cannot help but wonder if
I am partially to blame, however inadvertently, by having disallowed the use of seiðr on the
training fields. It left most woefully unprepared to face a seiðmadr in battle, giving them
another reason to feel threatened, which could lead them to viewing seiðr use in battle
negatively."

"It would fit with Thor's words and attitude," Yngvarr said reluctantly, hesitating before
continuing. Týr needed to know. "And King Loki called himself níðingr during the argument,
when Thor attempted to distract him with an invitation to the evening's feast."

Týr's fist clenched and, for a moment, Yngvarr thought his superior might lash out at the
items decorating the nearby bookshelf, most of which were not tomes. Then he frowned as he
realized the other implications of what his superior had said.

"The training today did not look as dire as you imply," Yngvarr said.

The word 'woefully' was rather dramatic for Týr, and 'twas not one his friend would use
lightly.

"You saw the best group, and only after quite some additional training," Týr responded. "I
truly hope the peace holds as I have discovered I have much to do with the army beyond
merely overseeing the recovery from a war and organizing an occupation."

Though somewhat surprised, Yngvarr was not as astonished as he could have been. He had
watched Týr come down progressively from his staunchly pro-war stance over the course of
the peace negotiations. Add to that the fact Týr now had several issues to deal with, and
Yngvarr knew his superior would choose to focus on those rather than on taking his men into
battle if Týr did not feel fully confident in their abilities. Even if he knew they could still win.

"We have a lot of work to do," Týr stated, before he frowned and looked Yngvarr dead in the
eye. "Though it may all become yours."

"What?" Yngvarr questioned, startled and caught off-guard.

Týr scoffed. "Come, Yngvarr, you must realize there is a good chance King Óðinn will
replace me, in which case the army will be yours."

"King Loki did not-"

"King Loki is hardly more than a child!" Týr snapped, cutting him off and making Yngvarr
raise his eyebrows. "Oh, believe me, I will follow him to the ends of the Nine if I must, but
he is barely more than a child nonetheless. Besides, King Loki is smart enough to know
replacing a military leader for something like this now would be ill advised, but after..." Týr
trailed off and sighed. "But I would not blame King Óðinn as even I am ashamed of myself
and how much control I have lost."

Though he was tempted to interject with his own views and comments, Yngvarr did not,
realizing his commander needed time. Besides, Týr could not vent thus to anyone else as he
needed to appear as calm and stoic as King Loki to most. 'Twas actually one of the most
unique aspects of his position, Yngvarr mused; the fact that it placed him precisely in this
position to witness both the public and private faces of two such highly placed men. It also
served to prove exactly how similar both Týr and King Loki were, despite all of their
differences. In some ways, he knew such venting was healthy, but Yngvarr was still
concerned for his young king. He knew how much the role could wear on King Óðinn at
times, and the elder king had a wife and two sons to aide him. King Loki had no such support
at present, far from it, in fact.

With a aggravated sound, Týr dropped back down into his seat. "And now I wonder if 'tis
merely good sense which keeps King Loki from replacing me, or whether he fears he could
not, even if he wished to."

"King Loki has made more than one comment to the effect of being aware of his lack of
popularity among the warriors," Yngvarr admitted, reluctantly.

Týr cursed. "The traitors could have been undermining his authority for years, decades or
even centuries for all I know. A member of the royal family should never have to worry about
the obedience of their own men based on anything so frivolous as popularity!"

"What will you do?" Yngvarr asked.

"Start with Thor," Týr replied. "As all of our best efforts and work will be for naught if he
cannot cease undermining his own brother."

While once Yngvarr may have argued, after all he had witnessed today, he could not help but
agree with that particular assessment of the situation. If it were only private doubt of his
brother, it would be one thing. Still not desirable by any means, but entirely manageable. The
flagrant and public arguments and challenges, however, were another thing altogether and
normally would reflect quite poorly on their king and his ability to lead. Yet nothing about
their current circumstances were normal, and 'twas hardly King Loki's fault if he came to
Hliðskjálf with a heavily undermined power base when he had not been in a position to
defend it before without challenging his brother's own authority in turn.

'Twas a mess no matter how Yngvarr looked at it and he was rather impressed nothing had
gone catastrophically wrong yet. That was a testament to King Loki's leadership and the
efforts of those immediately around him, all of whom were determined to ensure Ásgarðr
came through this whole ordeal as unscratched as possible.

"How is he? Truly?" Týr asked, softly.

"Exhausted, overworked, irritable," Yngvarr rattled off. "Isolated."

In truth, the king needed his brother more than ever and Thor was an idiot if he could not see
it. Despite himself, Yngvarr could not help but wonder if that was a trait they could afford in
their future king.

Týr snorted. "Is there anything we can do?"

"Be a united front," Yngvarr answered. "King Loki needs to know whom he can rely on, and
those who would dissent need to see it too."

"That I can promise," Týr replied. "We may have had our differences, but I will stand by my
king for as long as either Loki or Óðinn allow it."

"For what 'tis worth, I can say King Loki neither tenses nor puts on a mask when dealing with
you," Yngvarr said. "Thus, I am fairly certain he is aware of your loyalty despite your past...
ah, disagreements."

Týr smiled at the euphemism and Yngvarr was glad. They were all stretched thin lately and
'twas important to take enjoyment in the simple things.

"Dare I enquire about King Óðinn?" Týr questioned.

"When was the last time he refrained from informing you precisely of how displeased he
might be?"

"True."

They simply sat in silence for a few moments, Týr refilling his goblet and sipping from it,
much as Yngvarr did.

"I almost dread to ask, but are there any other issues I should be aware of?" Týr inquired.

"There is one thing which may or may not be of import," Yngvarr replied. "King Loki has
requested I look into our newest tailor."

"Tailor?" Týr questioned, startled.

"Aye. It would seem we have a new one from Álfheimr."

"Ah, I see."

"Someone has spoken to you of this?"

"Not of the tailor, but Lord Ragnvaldr did mention he was concerned with the level of
attention Queen Sága has been paying both Ásgarðr in general, and King Loki in particular,"
Týr explained.

"That seemed to be King Loki's concern as well," Yngvarr informed him.

"Disturbing as her sudden interest may be, I am not certain 'tis negative."

"Oh?" Yngvarr questioned.

For his superior not to immediately think the worst was rather unusual. Týr's job largely
consisted of being prepared for the most violent or damaging possibility.

"Her aid and willingness to establish a trade agreement with Jötunheimr have been infinitely
valuable during the peace negotiations," Týr admitted. "And their connection with Ásgarðr is
simply too great for them to risk anything so foolish as allying themselves with Jötunheimr
against us."

"True," Yngvarr agreed, but he could sense there was something more. "But?"

"But I cannot determine what Queen Sága's interest may be, and that concerns me."

"I may have an answer there," Yngvarr replied. "Or at least an option to consider."

"Oh?"

"Think of what we know, or at least the instances which have been reported to us. The
previous high regard for King Loki while still a prince."

"Including viewing this... Yggdrasilli model," Týr said.

"Aye, that and increased attention from Queen Sága herself when compared to Thor."

"Lord Ragnvaldr also spoke of the ljósálfar being more open and approachable to King Loki
than they were to others, including Lord Aðalgrímr who has had far longer dealings with
them."

"I was also told Queen Sága asked specifically about how King Loki fared during the ignition
of the Yggdrasill, as if she expected he might have withstood it when no one else seems to
have done so," Yngvarr added. "And then, of course, there is the aid she has been providing
us since the peace negotiations commenced."

"At first, I was tempted to view that as simply one ally aiding another," Týr admitted. "But I
have been reliably informed this is not how the ljósálfar act towards other races during
normal interactions."

"Aye, 'tis what Lord Aðalgrímr has informed me of as well," Yngvarr agreed.

"So, it would seem King Loki is the focal point of all of their uncharacteristic behavior. You
said you had a potential theory on this?"

"Aye," Yngvarr confirmed. "'Tis something King Loki said to Thor a few evenings ago. 'Twas
meant in jest and to rile his brother, I believe, but it did remind me of the possibility."

"Oh?"
"Arranged marriage."

Týr stared at him in shock for a moment or two. "Arranged marriage? What, for Queen Sága
and King Loki?"

"Nay, she is already married," Yngvarr nearly laughed. "I did not mean the queen, but rather
her daughter. Queen Sága's eldest and heir is a daughter only slightly older than both Thor
and King Loki."

"And you believe she may be looking for a match with Ásgarðr?"

"It would strengthen the existing ties between our Realms and every ruler needs a partner to
produce heirs," Yngvarr explained. "Remember, their interest in King Loki commenced long
before he ascended to Hliðskjálf, back when 'twas assumed he would never be king."

"Of course," Týr replied, catching on. "We had all assumed Prince Loki would be his
brother's advisor and thus remain on Ásgarðr, but another Realm may not be aware of that."

"Precisely, they would view Óðinn's youngest as free from the ties binding Prince Thor to
Ásgarðr and thus an excellent way to increase the ties to our Realm."

"And King Loki is very much a match with their ideals," Týr mused. "A powerful seiðmadr
and accomplished scholar, not to mention he had already expressed an interest in their seiðr
and seemed quite willing to visit Álfheimr, far more regularly so than his brother."

"'Tis but a theory," Yngvarr cautioned. "But it would seem to match what we know and, as
King Loki said, arranged marriages are far from uncommon among the royal families."

"King Óðinn and Queen Frigga."

"Aye. King Loki also mentioned something recently of Queen Bestla being jötunn?"

Týr pulled a face even as he gave a quick nod of his head. "She was, but I do not believe hers
was an arranged marriage."

"'Twas a love match?" Yngvarr questioned, somewhat startled.

It took him a moment to realize he could not quite imagine anyone wishing to marry a jötunn,
but then he had only ever known the jötnar during the times of friction leading up to the last
war and all the consequences thereof. As the recent discussions in Glaðsheimr had proven,
even the vanir had once been Ásgarðr's enemies and he found it difficult to view them as
thus, especially knowing Queen Frigga as well as he did. And, as King Loki had pointed out,
both he and Thor were more vanir than they were æsir. It had been a startling realization but
made sense once considered in context of how royal marriages were often as political as
anything else, if not more so, as had happened between King Óðinn and Queen Frigga.

Yngvarr shuddered at the thought of not being able to choose his own partner. Not that it
appeared to have adversely affected King Óðinn and Queen Frigga's marriage, but he knew
that could easily have been entirely different. Thor's reaction the other evening proved he was
not alone in his slightly negative view of the situation. King Loki's seeming resignation to the
possibility of it bothered him as well. No one should have to feel so powerless in such an
important decision in their life. 'Twas but one of many reasons he had always been glad not to
be a member of the royal family.

"I believe so," Týr answered, sounding thoughtful. "The recent talk of íviðjur has made me
wonder."

"You think Queen Bestla may have been an íviðja?" Yngvarr asked, startled.

"Nay, given what King Loki mentioned of them, I do not believe Jötunheimr would easily
allow one to leave their Realm. Or at least not prior to Laufey becoming king, but perhaps
she was descended from one? She was not as tall as most jötnar, and her features were
smoother than those I saw during the war."

"I suppose the íviðjur are as likely to have children as any other jötunn, if there are no
religious restrictions on it."

Týr suddenly huffed. "How did we come to discuss jötnar mating practices?"

The question made Yngvarr laugh and he shook his head before finishing off his mead, which
his friend immediately topped up once more. "I brought up the possibility of Álfheimr
seeking to poach King Loki."

"Aye. I suppose if that was their original intent then his regency will not have lessened their
interest," Týr replied, darkly. "If anything, it may have increased it as he will have proven
himself eminently capable of ruling a Realm through difficult circumstances."

"You do not care for the idea."

"Nay. Prince Loki was always meant to be Prince Thor's advisor, and recent events have
proven how much our crown prince could use such advice."

Yngvarr winced at the words. They were worryingly true as the entire situation with
Jötunheimr was Prince Thor's fault. Well, perhaps not the entire situation, the jötnar had
attacked first during the coronation ceremony, but from what he had heard while at his post,
that could have been the end of it had Prince Thor not taken an armed party to Jötunheimr
and ignored Laufey-King's offer to let them go without commencing hostilities. So, 'twas
mostly Prince Thor's fault and the elder Óðinnson's subsequent behavior had not improved
his opinion any either. He did wonder how much of the latter would be apparent to anyone
not in his position, as he had noticed the efforts King Loki had gone towards protecting his
brother's reputation as much as possible considering the circumstances.

The thought generated mixed emotions in Yngvarr. Though he did not believe anyone should
have every action of theirs scrutinized forever by everyone, being in such a vital position did
mean certain crucial elements of their personalities were of vital importance to the lives of all
æsir, and Thor was no longer a child. Still, Yngvarr was comforted by the fact he was certain
King Óðinn would not allow what had transpired to pass without consequences. Not after
how much it had imperiled not only Ásgarðr, but all of the Nine as well.
"While that may be," Yngvarr said, turning his thoughts back to their conversation. "I believe
the question will be whether King Loki will wish to be his brother's advisor after all of what
has transpired. It may well be he will seek to distance himself from Thor, and he has stated
more than once he has never had a desire for Hliðskjálf or to be king."

"'Tis something which could work to our advantage given Álfheimr's seeming intentions,"
Týr argued.

"Not necessarily. Remember, on Álfheimr they do not assign right to rule based on gender as
we do," Yngvarr countered. "Queen Sága's daughter would be the next ruler and her husband
would be more like Queen Frigga, able to select areas of interest to focus his attention on,
allowing him far more freedom than the main ruler while still being highly placed. Therefore,
it would almost afford King Loki the best of both worlds, should he so desire."

His words did not comfort his superior, Yngvarr could tell, but they were no less true for it.
'Twas all theoretical and based on the assumption either Queen Sága or her daughter were
looking at King Loki as a potential match, but it did fit with the information they had
available to them and he felt they should at least consider the possibility seriously, so they
were not caught off-guard should an offer for a political marriage be made to them.

"I do not like it, but I shall inform Lord Ragnvaldr of your thoughts so he may consider
them," Týr finally stated. "Let us hope 'tis not Álfheimr's intention to try to claim King Loki
once his regency ends, but it will be his and King Óðinn's decision should such an offer be
made."

"You do not wish to inform King Loki?"

"It does not seem like Queen Sága intends to approach us now, and the king already has much
on his mind."

All very true.

"Queen Sága is also unlikely to make an offer so long as King Loki is regent as it makes him
incompatible with the position they may be seeking him to take. Meanwhile, I shall continue
to look into the tailor and see if they are anyone we should be concerned about," Yngvarr
replied. "In case I am wrong and Álfheimr's interest in King Loki is more sinister."

"Aye, do so and let me know of anything you should find. I shall alert Höðr to our concerns
and request he keep an eye on Álfheimr whenever possible and to ensure that should a
ljósálfar delegation or representative come that we are alerted immediately. We should be
able to write off any additional security precautions as necessary given the circumstances and
Heimdallr's actions."

The reminder of what had so nearly happened made Yngvarr shudder. It had always been his
greatest fear as head of the king's guards; that a threat would come from an unexpected
source and potentially circumnavigate all of their security precautions. Short of isolating the
king in a chamber and not allowing anyone to interact with him, there was no way of fully
guaranteeing his charge's safety, but even then most of their defenses were designed around
the assumption those close to the king were safe. 'Twas a concern he had raised more than
once, but as King Óðinn had repeatedly pointed out, he had work to do. Still, given recent
events, he would raise the issue once more when Óðinn awoke. At least at present King Loki
was allowing the additional security features a war required, so the issue had not yet been
raised, much as he could see the constant surveillance chafed on the young king.

"The question will be what King Loki will do if the peace treaty succeeds," Yngvarr stated.

Týr scowled. "I shall endeavor to uncover the extent of the damage inflicted within the
Einherjar by the traitors before that point, so we can perform a proper threat assessment."

"We will need to take King Loki's unique abilities into account in any such assessment."

"Which would require knowing all of his abilities," Týr muttered, making Yngvarr laugh.

"'Tis the price we have paid for writing off his interest in seiðr."

"Do you believe we have seen the true extent of them now?"

"On the training fields today?" Yngvarr checked. "Given what I have witnessed of King
Loki's personality as of late, and taking into account his renown penchant for secrecy and
stealth, nay, I would say he has most likely kept some abilities back or downplayed the true
extent of his current power."

"'Twas my thought as well. At least, if he is so reluctant to inform us, then 'tis even more
unlikely he has revealed the true extent of them to another whom is not æsir."

"Not to mention they would most likely be wrong now even if he had," Yngvarr stated. "As it
would have been prior to his gaining the Óðinnforce upon ascending to Hliðskjálf."

"Thank the Norns for small mercies."

They lapsed into silence for a while as they sipped their mead.

"I hate to add more to our concerns," Yngvarr finally said. "But I believe we need to discuss
Lord Óðr."

"Aye," Týr confirmed. "I did not find King Loki's reference to him earlier comforting either.
You were not aware of the situation?"

"Not fully. I knew there has been some tension between them as King Loki demanded we
wait outside while he spoke with the man shortly after his collapse in the vault, and Lord Óðr
appeared grim when he emerged from the king's study."

"But you do not know more?"

"Not at the time," Yngvarr replied. "I sent one of my men to see if the nightshift guards had
learned of anything, and he returned with news from Thor's guards."

"Oh?"
"It seems when Thor met with Prince Vé, they discussed the need to check Lord Óðr's work
as far as the King's Funds applications were concerned, since it would appear Lord Óðr
attempted to assign the funds himself."

Týr cursed and finished the remainder of his mead. "As if we do not currently possess enough
worries."

The words themselves did not require a response from him, but they did remind Yngvarr of
something else.

"Speaking of the funds," Yngvarr began.

"If you wish to warn me of how they may be assigned, do not bother," Týr waved him off. "I
could have guessed as Prince Loki never failed to make his displeasure on the point clear."

"Aye, but what we have learned since..."

"It has given us a rather different perspective, has it not?" Týr admitted. "I still cannot believe
any part of Ásgarðr has suffered so badly and we were not aware of it."

"In regard to that, when King Loki was questioning one of my men on what they knew of that
part of the city, 'twas revealed the inhabitants believed they were being neglected as no
warriors lived there," Yngvarr informed his superior.

"Norns," Týr rubbed his face. "As if we did not have enough to worry about. At least this is
not an area we need to investigate."

"Nay, but we may need to consider how much of the King's Funds we attempt to apply for in
the future."

"King Loki will love that, but you may have a point."

"Loki? Your Majesty?"

Livunn's voice drifted into Loki's awareness along with a soft touch to his left shoulder. He
grumbled something unintelligible as he tried to gather his wits, which was more difficult
than it should be. That sent a small jolt of panic through him before he recalled his core
injury. Clearly, 'twas sapping his strength.

With an effort, Loki rolled his head where it was nestled on his arms as he recalled what had
transpired. He had sat down at the table and put his head down for merely a moment.
Obviously, he had fallen asleep. Not a good sign.

When Loki opened his eyes, he found Livunn crouched beside his chair, looking up at him in
concern.

"Are you alright, Loki?" she asked, worriedly.

"Aye," Loki lied, forcing himself to sit upright and rub his face. "Simply tired."
"Hmm," Livunn replied, clearly not quite convinced, but not seeking to call him out on it
now. "Would you prefer to go straight to bed?"

Straight to bed? Loki was about to ask when his nose caught the smell of the covered dishes
further down the table and his stomach immediately growled as hunger came alive within
him.

Hár fish stew!

"I will take that as a nay," Livunn laughed.

Loki sent her a mock scowl, but his heart was not in it. Between the trial, his meeting with
Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr, the first very public argument with Thor and the second,
more private one, he was completely and utterly drained. Loki knew he could not go on like
this, not with his increasingly festering core, but Óðinn was still firmly in the grip of the
Óðinnsleep and he was loathe to pester Lady Eir too much on his adoptive father's condition,
least he arose suspicions of his own condition. He could simply not afford to do so as he
knew he would slip in other areas and so needed his cover to remain as intact as he could
possibly keep it elsewhere.

"Did you request this?" Loki asked as Livunn moved to prepare his dinner.

"Nay," she replied. "I believe this is as much a statement of approval of the treaty with
Jötunheimr as 'tis because the kitchens are aware 'tis a favorite of yours."

Treaty? In his exhausted state it took Loki a moment to remember hár fish stew was a
specialty of Jötunheimr. He had not known that when he had first come to love it, and he had
been rather surprised 'twas served semi-regularly on Ásgarðr when he had learned of it.
However, it had apparently been a favorite of his gr- of Bestla's, which made more sense now
than it had done at the time. It had persisted after her death as Óðinn and his uncles had a
certain fondness for it, though whether 'twas due to their own mixed heritage or because of
the association with their mother, Loki did not know.

His own love of it made far more sense now he was aware his taste buds and digestive system
were still jötunn. It also explained why he had always preferred the cold version of the stew
rather than the piping hot version normally served in the Great Hall.

Loki was not quite certain how to feel about all of it now, but he was too tired to deal with it,
so he pushed the feelings aside and instead started eating as soon as Livunn placed his filled
bowl before him. He was already halfway through it before he became aware of the pleasure
and joy radiating from Mother Winter. 'Twas like a warm ball of approval at the back of his
mind and served to lull him into a sleepy, contented state despite his earlier foul mood and
the ever-present agony radiating from his core.

At any other time, he might have resisted it, but as all he wished to do after dinner was relax
before attempting to sleep, he allowed it for now, knowing none could harm him here within
his chambers with the Einherjar standing guard immediately outside his wards, and Höðr
beyond that.
Chapter End Notes

Ta da!

I hope you all enjoyed Yngvarr's point of view, I know some of you have been hoping to
see it for a while now. There will be an increase in alternative points of view in the
second half of the fic, so this is just the start.

Just so you know, I won't be updating this Sunday, as it's a bit too close to this update.
There will be an extra chapter over the holiday period, but I can't say when. Unless the
restrictions change, we are going away to another part of Belgium (I came across from
the UK earlier this week) for New Year's, and I have absolutely no idea what our
internet access will be there. So I'm aiming to update on Tuesday to ensure there's an
update for next week. After that it will depend on my access. It could be 2nd-4th,
though, just so you're aware, then again at the end of that week.

As for the chapter itself, what do people think, is Sága angling for a political marriage?
Or are Yngvarr and Týr worrying about nothing? What did you think about the rest of
their exchange?

Finally, poor Loki, conflicted about a favorite dish. At least it's a nice, trivial thing for
him to worry about given everything else.

Old Norse:

hár - mostly translated as "tall", but can also be a "spiny dogfish"

níðingr - someone afflicted with the stigma of níð - a term for a social stigma implying
the loss of honour to the point of being considered a villain
íviðjur - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar. The
singular is íviðja.
ljósálfar - "light elves"
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
Up next week: A Council meeting & a representative from Múspellsheimr arrives... (no,
I cannot give Loki more than a moment's peace!)
 Chapter 52
Chapter Notes

As promised, an earlier chapter as I may not be able to upload this Sunday.

I hope you enjoy it and thanks again for everyone who's reviewing the fic, that's always
greatly appreciated!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When his internal sense told him 'twas time to rise, Loki felt like he had hardly slept at all.
No matter how much he tried, either his mind or his core kept waking him.

He grumbled as he rose and utilized seiðr as well as cold water to rouse himself sufficiently
for breaking his fast. He elected to go back to his first outfit as king today, since he found it
fitting to wear the same when carrying out the former Warriors Four's punishment as when
they had betrayed him. 'Twas symbolic and he liked reminding them of their mistakes.
Besides, the fact the cape was not of æsir origin would anger Volstagg's sensibilities as his
wife's family were tailors.

His morning meal was quick but hearty, and Loki tried not to think of his brother as he made
his way to Glaðsheimr. Some of his restlessness last night had been about what exactly Thor
would do next. He was truly beginning to doubt Loptr was right about their potential
reconciliation. Though Loki was beginning to wonder if he wanted to. The last few days had
been nothing but harsh reminders of all the reasons why he had originally withdrawn from
his brother to begin with.

They arrived in Glaðsheimr far too soon for Loki's liking, but luckily there did not yet appear
to be any signs of Thor. Mayhap his brother would throw one of his tantrums and not attend.

'Twas a very pleasant thought.

"Good morning, Loki," Uncle Vili greeted, peering at him in concern. "How are you today?"

"Fine," Loki lied. "And yourself?"

"Recollecting why I was pleased when your brother underwent his minor majority and
commenced his official duties."

"Ah, the Princes' Court wearing on you?"

"Nothing which is not manageable or unusual, but..." Uncle Vili trailed off.
He did not need to say more, Loki knew well how wearying the cases could be. They were
probably all the more so after Uncle Vili had thought the responsibility done forever.

"I find it rather refreshing," Uncle Vé said as he joined them. "It takes me back to when we
were young."

"I am certain if you ask, Óðinn will be happy to allow you your own sessions," Uncle Vili
replied. "But do not go giving him ideas for me!"

Loki chuckled. "Father may actually be grateful if you offer to assist in supervising Thor's
sessions."

"Thor's?" Uncle Vé questioned before his eyes widened. "Oh, of course, people would not
have avoided his without a reason."

"Hmm."

A soft coughing sound had Loki looking at his eldest uncle, who glanced pointedly over
Loki's shoulder. So, no tantrum today then. Or at least not of that variety. He acknowledged
his uncle's warning, but did not turn around. He was through making things easier for his
brother as Thor did not deserve it.

"Are those the copies of the treaty?" Loki asked Lord Aðalgrímr instead, when he approached
the table and found it had rolled up parchments at most seats.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr replied, easily taking his lead from Loki. "With all of the changes we
discussed."

"Good."

The others were approaching the table now, but Thor did not come to him directly and Loki
was beginning to wonder if his brother meant to apologize at all. It would not be the first time
Thor had completely ignored an argument or fight between them and utilized some meeting
or appointment to force interactions between them once more.

It made Loki half tempted to have Thor thrown out of Glaðsheimr. His brother was not a full
Council member at present anyway.

"Lo- ah, Your Majesty, may I please have a moment to address the Council?" Thor inquired.

His brother's voice had the formal tone Mother had taught them to use during official
business, and Loki had to admit to being intrigued. The nervous undertone he detected made
him even more tempted, but he was still uncertain if he should, so he flicked his eyes to Lord
Ragnvaldr and raised an eyebrow. The advisor glanced over at Thor for a moment, appraising
him, before he looked back to Loki and nodded.

"Very well," Loki said as he took his seat.

A quick glance at Lord Óðr was all he needed to tell the man was curious. Uncles Vili and
Vé, however, looked more worried and Loki could not fault them for it. The tension between
himself and Thor would be more than obvious to them in particular, though he was certain
the rest of the Council could feel it too. As everyone settled, Thor finally approached the
table, looking more nervous than Loki could recollect his brother being in a very long time.
'Twas on the tip of his tongue to ask if Thor felt it now, but he resisted.

Barely.

He did not need even more trouble right now. His core could not take it. Nor could his sanity.
And would it not be ironic if doing everything right made him lose it nonetheless?

"Thank you, Brother," Thor said, looking at him before glancing at the others. "Yesterday
morn I behaved rather abysmally and for that I owe Loki and General Týr in particular an
apology, but Lords Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr as well for needing to witness it."

With a clearing of his throat, Loki glanced pointedly over at Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and
the rest of his guard.

"Aye, of course, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and his men as well," Thor agreed. "I was
wholly out of line and should not have acted as I did, nor said what I did. For that, I heartily
apologize and swear it will not happen again."

Well, they would need to see about that, though Loki had to admit he was impressed. That his
mother had a hand in this was blatantly obvious, but Loki did not mind as he knew well the
dressing down she would have given Thor upon hearing what had transpired.

"Loki, Lieutenant-General, I further realize I owe both of you an additional apology for what
I said yesterday evening," Thor continued, meeting his eyes head on. "I spoke without
thinking, Brother, as I am wont to do. Not only was it wrong of me to say those words, but I
know I hurt you, which was not my intention. I would never do that on purpose."

Mayhap his brother thought he truly meant the latter, but Loki knew 'twas not true. If Thor
believed Loki had broken some sacred æsir norm, then Loki knew his brother had never felt
bad in informing him of it, even though they both knew it would hurt him.

"For my part, I accept your apology," Lord Ragnvaldr began after a moment of silence. "But I
hope you appreciate the ramifications of your actions."

"Aye," Thor replied, immediately. "Mother ensured to inform me of all of those I had not
realized on my own."

Of that, at least, Loki had absolutely no doubt. Rather than replying himself, he looked to
Lord Aðalgrímr and General Týr, not wanting for his decision to influence them. Well, and to
allow his brother to stew in uncertainty for a while longer. Though he dearly wished to be
able to refuse this apology, Loki knew he could not for a variety of reasons, so this was the
next best thing, even if 'twas petty. Not that Loki cared. He would take what he could.

One by one the others accepted, though General Týr gazed at Thor long and hard first.
"You will come for the remedial training?" the man checked, and Loki wanted to smile at
him.

What better way to obtain his brother's word than demanding it now?

"I will," Thor promised, with only the briefest hesitation.

"Good," General Týr stated, before he inclined his head.

"Brother?" Thor asked.

Loki pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he declared after a moment.
"But there will be no more warnings."

"I understand."

They would see about that. Thor's greatest weakness was that he reacted without thinking.
Thus, by the time his brother remembered this promise, it would already be too late.

"Sit," Loki bid and caught the relief which crossed his brother's face before he looked further
down the table. "Lord Aðalgrímr?"

"The parchments you find before you are a draft copy of the peace treaty with Jötunheimr,"
his old mentor began. "King Loki and Lord Ragnvaldr have already looked it over, so 'tis
now ready for the rest of you to have a look before we send a copy to Laufey-King for them
and their court to examine."

"Hopefully I need not remind anyone the details of this are confidential until we have a final
treaty," Loki stated, glancing at Lord Óðr before he allowed his eyes to flicker around to the
others.

"When would you like our feedback?" Uncle Vili inquired.

"By this evening if possible, so we can send it to Jötunheimr tomorrow," Lord Aðalgrímr
replied.

"Speaking of Jötunheimr," General Týr began. "Höðr has informed me the jötnar have taken
up your offer, my Liege, and sent a party to Álfheimr to speak with Queen Sága regarding the
trade offer."

"How many?" Loki asked.

"Only Gunnlöð-Lairde and three others."

"Any of them Helblindi-Princex?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"Nay."

"Laufey-King probably does not trust us enough to allow their child and heir to pass through
Ásgarðr without themself and a full complement of guards present."
"Much as the young princex may wish to," Lord Ragnvaldr added with a small smile.

"Hmm," Loki agreed.

"We are allowing the jötnar to travel off Jötunheimr ahead of the treaty?" Lord Óðr
questioned.

"Only this particular party," Lord Aðalgrímr explained. "Queen Sága has extended an offer of
trade which we passed on to prove there would be interest in their goods and King Loki
offered them Bifröst passage to reply, as a gesture of good faith to further entice them."

"Höðr is monitoring the group closely," General Týr reassured. "He reported the ljósálfar are
not being lax with security either, ensuring none can utilize the opportunity to escape."

"It would be poor strategy," Thor added when it looked Lord Óðr might protest. "Four men,
even if all warriors, would be ill equipped to deal with the full might of Ásgarðr."

"The full details are in the treaty notes," Lord Aðalgrímr added.

"I will be certain to check them," Lord Óðr finally said.

"Good," Loki stated before turning to General Týr. "How come the preparations of the
army?"

"Our first and second tiers would be able to respond should they be needed," General Týr
replied. "I would prefer they had more time to train, but they could fight. The third tier is not
as prepared, though they could be utilized in specific situations. I would, however, prefer
even more time with them than the others."

"Norns willing, they will not be necessary," Uncle Vé said.

"Norns willing," Lord Ragnvaldr agreed. "But 'tis good to know we could respond
nonetheless."

"Aye," Loki said, glancing towards Lord Óðr. "How fare the-"

Loud cawing cut him off and Loki looked towards the balcony to see both Huginn and
Muninn soar in, the former with slightly singed and smoldering feathers.

"What happened?" Loki demanded in concern.

"He miscalculated," Muninn replied, smugly. "I warned him not to."

"Múspellsheimr sends a representative," Huginn stated with a huff as he landed on the table.

Loki reached out and ran his fingers through the raven's feathers, making certain all of the
flames and embers were fully extinguished. He also took a moment to think of healing,
knowing for Huginn it would be better than attempting the limited healing seiðr he was
capable of.
"Thank you, Loki," Huginn sighed in relief.

"What representative?" Loki asked.

"One to 'finalize' the new trade agreement for zisa," Muninn explained.

"Oh."

"Aye," Huginn confirmed. "We could not hear all, but Queen Sinmara believes you ripe for
manipulation, due to Ásgarðr's need and that you require some good news as regent."

"Then let us teach her a lesson," Loki replied with a sharp smile.

"Uh oh," Thor said. "I know that look."

Loki ignored his brother in favor of turning to look at Óðinn's advisor. "Múspellsheimr is
making their move."

General Týr immediately stiffened. "Are they preparing an attack force?"

"Nay, they are sending a trade representative to attempt to take advantage of the situation,"
Loki explained.

"A trade representative?" Lord Óðr asked.

"The zisa negotiations," Lord Aðalgrímr realized. "Majesty, Múspellsheimr has been
attempting to extort us on the price recently."

"I am aware," Loki replied, glancing back at Huginn. "Do they come even now?"

"Aye."

"We shall have to conclude this session later," Loki said, rising to his feet even as Muninn
jumped from her perch on his chair to his shoulder.

The best thing would be to ask them to utilize the time to look over the draft treaty, but Loki
knew better than to think they would be anywhere other than close by with Múspellsheimr
circling.

"My King," Lord Óðr protested when the others all also rose to their feet. "With the length of
time the current trade agreement has already taken to negotiate, our supply of zisa has run
critically low. If there were another delay, well..."

"I am well aware of our current situation," Loki replied, eyes flashing to the man before he
looked at General Týr. "Please have the representative brought to Valaskjálf. If Queen
Sinmara wants to play games, then let us give her an audience for it."

There was more than one worried glance around the table, but Loki ignored them as he turned
to leave Glaðsheimr. He had been in a foul mood since rising and this was precisely what he
needed; a chance to be as vicious and deceptive as he liked. He smiled to himself as Huginn
settled on his other shoulder. This might actually be rather entertaining.

"What is zisa?" Thor asked, as his brother sailed out of Glaðsheimr.

"What is zisa?" Lord Ragnvaldr repeated in surprise, pausing in the act of gathering his
things.

"Aye," Thor confirmed, with a frown.

Was this something he should be aware of? It did sound vaguely familiar, but he could not
place it.

"Zisa is a substance we require in order to renitrate our soil," Lord Óðr explained. "As we do
not possess enough farmland to allow some of it to lay fallow and renitrate itself, we must
add this to it every few years in order to ensure the soil remains fertile and arable enough to
sustain the food crops we require. Without it, we would be forced to purchase food from
another Realm."

Oh, right, that did sound familiar, but Thor could easily see why he had forgotten all about it.
'Twas not terribly exciting, yet he could understand why it could be a problem now if
Múspellsheimr wished to be difficult.

"Is King Loki familiar with the current state of the negotiations?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked,
looking to Lord Aðalgrímr.

"Not so far as I am aware."

The answer made Thor uneasy, but Loki had not seemed hesitant or even nervous. Indeed, his
brother had immediately known what was being discussed and he doubted the knowledge
came from either Huginn or Muninn. 'Twas yet another sharp reminder of all the ways Loki
seemed far more prepared for Hliðskjálf than him.

After his utterly disastrous visit to the king's study yesterday evening, Thor had been up half
the night thinking long and hard about everything which had transpired as of late and all that
his mother had said to him during all of their conversations since his return. It had not been a
pleasant experience, however he had come to a few unpleasant but rather important
realizations, and while Thor would not pretend to understand how or why it had all come to
pass, he could no longer ignore he had been woefully unprepared to be either king or a
military leader. The latter grated even more than the former - he had long since seen himself
as an excellent leader - but after what his friends had said when he had visited them
yesterday, he could no longer deny he had failed them terribly if 'twas truly how they viewed
their current situation.

There was still a part of him which sought to blame it on other factors, but how could he fault
them for their views and disrespect for General Týr if he sought to dismiss the man's words
and concerns himself? And 'twas not simply the head of the army who felt he required
additional training. He wished for them to all be wrong, but what if they were not? What if he
had truly helped to undermine his brother's authority? The mere thought made Thor feel
vaguely ill, particularly if Loki had realized the implications of his actions and thought he
had either not cared, or done it on purpose.

'Twas that which in the end had persuaded him to accept the remedial training. How could he
not if he had potentially helped to sow the seeds of the doubt which had led to Heimdallr's
actions? He would sacrifice his life for Loki, so this was but a pittance in comparison.

Contemplating all of that had led to other thoughts, and 'twas then he had commenced
counting all of the ways his brother had seemed more prepared than he for Hliðskjálf. He had
not even been aware of this vital need for zisa, much less the fact they were currently locked
in a dispute with Múspellsheimr over its acquisition.

"You said they were attempting to extort us?" Thor checked as he caught up with Lords
Aðalgrímr and Óðr, who seemed to be heading for Valaskjálf.

"Aye," Lord Aðalgrímr replied.

"They are no longer pleased with what they receive in return," Lord Óðr added. "They claim
Vanaheimr is charging more for the crops they wish to purchase."

"Are they?" Thor asked, already able to tell this would turn into a complicated mess of who
purchased what from which Realm and at what price.

"That we do not know for certain," Lord Aðalgrímr said.

"But Uncle Freyr-"

"Will not wish to share the details of his trade agreements with Múspellsheimr with us."

"Why not?"

"For they may have made a better or worse deal with us or another Realm," Lord Aðalgrímr
explained. "Any particular trade agreement between two Realms comes down to the skills of
the negotiators who made the deal, therefore none wish to share the details thereof, ourselves
included."

Thor groaned. This was part of why he hated all things diplomatic. 'Twas all so underhanded
and dishonorable. He much preferred true battle on the fields which resolved disputes based
on skill and honor alone.

"Thus, they wish to push Loki into finalizing the deal with them?" Thor concluded.

"Aye, to their advantage," Lord Óðr stated.

Thor's eyes narrowed at the man's tone as he recalled what Uncle Vé had said Lord Óðr had
attempted. Though he would have preferred the way the man would have allocated the King's
Funds, Lord Óðr's actions were wholly unacceptable. Knowing his brother as he did, Thor
knew Loki would have called the man on it, so he could not help but wonder if the
disapproval and concern he detected now were a result of that.
"I would not be so quick to dismiss King Loki," Lord Aðalgrímr retorted, throwing Lord Óðr
a stern look. "He is well aware Múspellsheimr will attempt to take advantage of him."

"Aye, but he was not involved in the negotiations to date," Lord Óðr argued. "So how is he to
know their current state?"

Thor hated to admit it, but 'twas a valid question and Lord Aðalgrímr must have thought so
too for the diplomat made no reply. Still, his brother had not demanded a copy of the trade
agreement as it currently stood, nor did Loki seem worried. Nay, instead Thor could say
rather the opposite. His brother had seemed almost pleased to receive the news and Thor had
been around for, or on the opposite end of, that particular smile oft enough to know what it
meant.

"Loki is no fool," Thor finally stated as they reached Valaskjálf. "He would have asked for
aid should he have felt he needed it."

Lord Óðr did not reply as they entered the surprisingly full hall for the time of day, but Thor
had always found the court could almost smell when there was something interesting to
witness, as they never failed to show up at precisely the right moment. And so they were here
now, abuzz with word of Múspellsheimr's representative. How they always knew, Thor did
not know, but he was certain word of this would spread so he hoped his brother was as
confident as he pretended to be.

And appeared.

Thor had to smile as he caught sight of his brother at the front of Valaskjálf. Loki was not so
much sitting on Hliðskjálf as lounging upon it, leaning back with his long legs kicked out,
Gungnir held loosely in one hand while Muninn stood beside his other hand. Huginn was
perched on the back of Hliðskjálf.

Father, Thor knew, would have a fit if he could see Loki at present. He knew his brother too
well to be fooled by the deception, though he knew someone as unfamiliar with Loki as this
representative would probably read his brother's posture as either arrogance, or a childish
sense of invulnerability. Mother said 'twas Loki's way of allowing people to ensnare
themselves, and Thor could see what she meant based on all he had said and done when his
brother had baited him thus in the past.

"Majesty!" a familiar voice called out, and Thor looked over to see Lady Hnoss and some of
the additional ladies from the other evening standing at the base of Hliðskjálf.

He could not hear what else they said, but he did not have to, he could recognize Lady Hnoss'
come-hither mannerisms from when she had used them on him. With a small gesture, Loki
invited them forward and they immediately complied, ascending towards Hliðskjálf with
enthusiasm.

"What is he doing?" Lord Óðr demanded, aghast. "The representative will be here soon!"

"Creating a first impression," Thor explained as he took in the tableau his brother had set-up.
"Not a good one!"

"Exactly," Lord Aðalgrímr stated with a smile, before he continued upon Lord Óðr's confused
look. "The less the representative thinks of King Loki, the more off-guard he will be, and the
easier the king's task."

And Loki was so easily underestimated.

'Twas a fact Thor could not yet claim himself free of. How impressed and awed he was at his
brother's performance as king so far proved that. Not that Loki made it easy for people to
truly know him either, what with his Norns be damned penchant for keeping secrets all the
time!

A quick glance around to help him maintain his temper, showed Thor that while there were
more people in Valaskjálf than usual for this time of day, 'twas still below a full session of
court, so it should appear as if the representative had caught Loki at an opportune time. A
handful of minutes later, there was a chime from the entrance to Valaskjálf and one of the
seneschals stepped forward when Loki glanced over.

"Lord Hrym from Múspellsheimr, my Liege," the man announced. "Representative of Queen
Sinmara."

With that introduction, a well-built eldþursar swept into the hall, his body alight with flame
rather than dressed in clothes. For one of the giant population of Múspellsheimr, Lord Hrym
was not as tall as some Thor had seen, but within Valaskjálf he was tall enough, even if the
grandeur of the hall allowed him to comfortably stand tall.

"Ah, Lord Hrym," Loki said, looking over. "We have been expecting you."

As he said it, his brother stroked Muninn's feathers with his free hand and Thor frowned.

"Why is he giving away that knowledge?" Thor asked, leaning toward Lord Aðalgrímr so he
could whisper.

Loki had always spoken of keeping sources of information secret.

"It proves Huginn and Muninn communicate with him," Lord Aðalgrímr explained. "As they
are known to be your father's, it helps to dispel any lingering perceptions there may be about
the illegitimacy of your brother's reign."

"Illegitimacy?" Thor repeated, shocked.

"The other Realms knew of your coronation, and many had representatives here," Lord
Aðalgrímr replied. "Given how quickly things changed and all of the challenges to your
brother's rule, there will be those who wonder if King Loki did not usurp Hliðskjálf."

"Or who are happy to utilize it as an excuse to meddle," Lord Óðr muttered.

"Thank you for receiving me so quickly, Your Majesty," Lord Hrym replied, bowing. "Queen
Sinmara sends her warmest congratulations on your ascension to the throne."
"Somehow I doubt their definition of warm and ours match," Lord Óðr commented, and Thor
had to bite back a laugh.

"Thank you," Loki replied.

"In honor of this, I have been tasked with seeing if we cannot finalize the outstanding trade
agreement between our Realms, as a show of good faith and so your majesty has some good
news to give his people," Lord Hrym continued.

The way Loki's attention seemed to sharpen, and his brother rose to sit more properly on
Hliðskjálf while flicking a dismissive hand at the ladies standing near him, confirmed to Thor
the manipulation behind the words. He only hoped he would have been able to see it had they
been directed at him instead. He worried, though, that, only a week and a half ago, he would
have taken them as his due and not looked any further. 'Twas one of the reasons why he
needed people like Loki around him.

Lord Óðr's displeased face caught Thor off-guard as he thought Lord Aðalgrímr had
explained his brother's motivations sufficiently, but then he noticed the man's eyes were on
the group of ladies moving away from Hliðskjálf. 'Twas with a start, Thor recalled Lady
Hnoss was Óðrdóttir. Given the man's earlier behavior, he could well understand why his
daughter's attention toward Loki might displease him.

"Oh," Loki said. "I was not aware we were so close to a final agreement."

"There were but two small disputes left, Your Majesty," Lord Hrym replied.

A snort. "I would hardly call the cost per barrel small," a voice from the left said, and Thor
looked over to find two men and a woman standing next to Lord Aðalgrímr. Both lords
looked nervous and nearly ill with worry. The lady, however, seemed rather delighted with
the current situation.

"What was the status of the agreement the last time you saw it?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"We had it down to an acceptable range from our perspective, but they kept attempting to
alter the price every time they drew up a new draft," one of the lords explained. "Lord Hrym
is honorless and not to be trusted."

"Ah, I understand," Loki replied. "You have a final version with you then?"

"Of course."

Thor did not see from where the black parchment came, but it did make sense for Lord Hrym
to be wearing some form of clothing under his flames after all, probably something made
from the same form of fire-resistant hide as the black parchment his brother had been so
fascinated with when they were both far younger.

A servant stepped forward to take the parchment from the eldþursar and walked up the stairs
to hand it to Loki. His brother unrolled it, revealing the white runes and Thor blinked at the
large writing before reminding himself it had been written by a giant.
"Should we?" the other lord asked, making a small gesture towards Loki.

"Nay," Lord Aðalgrímr's voice was sharp and firm, if not very loud.

"But-"

"If he requires aid, King Loki will ask for it."

Thor frowned at the man who would so easily doubt his brother. The lord shrank under his
gaze.

"He means no disrespect," the first lord tried. "Merely that King Loki is unfamiliar with the
treaty as it was at-"

"He knows."

This was said by the lady who had turned her back to Hliðskjálf and had a large smile on her
face.

"You spoke with his majesty of it?" Lord Aðalgrímr asked.

"Aye, I have previously worked with him during the negotiation of a trade agreement with
Vanaheimr, so when I encountered him two weeks ago, he inquired what I was working on,"
she explained. "I even asked for his opinion on the matter."

"There, see," Lord Aðalgrímr said, glancing at the other two before turning his attention back
to Loki. "All is well."

The words merely made Thor even more impatient to see what came next but, as usual, his
brother would not be hurried when reading an official document. It felt like a very long time
had passed before Loki looked up again.

"Queen Sinmara has approved this?" Loki checked.

"She has given me full authority to sign the final agreement," Lord Hrym replied.

"Clever," Lord Aðalgrímr muttered.

"Oh?" Thor asked.

"That way 'tis not her signature on the document if they were to succeed in manipulating
Loki and King Óðinn were to question it later."

Ah, of course. She would be able to blame her diplomat and Loki for signing it. Thor never
had liked the múspellsmegir much and this merely confirmed his opinion of them. He hoped
Loki would make a show of this. His brother did so love to put one on and there was a perfect
audience for it already assembled in Valaskjálf.

"I see," Loki said, calmly, before his face hardened. "So, she is aware of the fact you are
attempting to deceive me thus?"
 Ah, excellent.

Chapter End Notes

So, Loki was feeling a tad vicious here, hopefully this will teach people not to try to
play games with him. Trying to trick a trickster hardly ever ends well! The amount of
pleasure he'll get out of it, though, may be a bit excessive, but Loki deserves to take it
where he can at the moment.

Also, can't you just see our favorite little diva lounging on Hliðskjálf? Thor is right,
Óðinn would have a fit!

Norse Mythology:

Sinmara - a giantess & consort to the fiery jötunn Surtr, the lord of Múspellsheimr, but
wife of Mimir - here I'm going with the wife of Surtr and Queen of Múspellsheimr.
Hrym - a jötunn in Norse mythology (jotnar & eldþursar seem interchangeable to some
extent in the mythology), involved in Ragnarök. The name could mean "decrepit" or
"weak, fragile".
Zisa - goddess & wife of Týr according to some sources, but I had also found it on an
Old Norse site that I can't find back now, so it's just a word with no additional meaning
here.

Old Norse:

múspellsmegir - "sons of Muspell"

eldþursar - "fire giants" (alternatively eldjötnar or eldthursar)
ljósálfar - "light elves"
jötnar - "frost giants"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up later this week or next: The second part of the confrontation & Thor comes to an
important realization.
 Chapter 53
Chapter Notes

Yay, I managed to update again this week!

Enjoy the extra, holiday chapter & a Happy New Year to everyone.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?" Lord Hrym questioned, clearly caught off-guard at the
sudden change in demeanor.

"Do not attempt to play coy with me, Lord Hrym," Loki replied, lifting the parchment.
"These are not the prices per barrel which had been agreed upon in the last draft of the
agreement. In fact, they are rather significantly higher."

"Ah, aye, well-"

"Did you think to play me for a fool?"

Oh, Thor knew that particular tone and look. 'Twas the one which always told him he was in
far greater trouble than he realized, and that the worst was yet to come. It also told him Loki
was seeking his pleasure from Lord Hrym himself, rather than from the reaction of the
audience. He did not doubt his brother would savor it as well, but the main focus in this case
was elsewhere. The way that green gaze was focused solely on Lord Hrym told Thor that
much for certain.

"Nay, Your Majesty! I would never," Lord Hrym protested vehemently, raising his hands as if
in surrender. "Múspellsheimr would never treat a king of Ásgarðr thus."

"Ha!" Lord Óðr snorted, softly. "They would trample us if they thought they could."

"Then what is the meaning of this?" Loki demanded, waving the black parchment in the air
again.

"An unfortunate reality, zisa has become more expensive to acquire and those costs must be
passed on. Zisa is simply more expensive than it used to be."

"Is it now?"

Despite himself, Thor could not help but enjoy watching his brother draw the eldþursar in,
slowly making Lord Hrym dig himself further and further into a hole. He hated it when Loki
turned it on him, and he somehow tended not to see it half the time while it was happening,
but 'twas actually rather beautiful to behold as a spectator.
"Aye," Lord Hrym confirmed confidently, seeming to calm as he said it.

Which meant Loki was about to land his next blow.

His brother did not disappoint.

"From Múspellsheimr, mayhap," Loki replied, leaning back on Hliðskjálf once more,
seeming to allow some of his attention to drift.

"Excuse me?" Lord Hrym questioned, obviously confused.

"I merely point out yours is not the only Realm which possesses zisa. Niðavellir does too, and
'tis unlikely the reasons behind the increase in costs of acquiring zisa on Múspellsheimr
would apply there," Loki explained.

"Why were we not speaking to Niðavellir about zisa if they have it?" Thor asked.

"The dökkálfar view it as beneath them to acquire it," Lord Óðr replied, throwing a confused
look at Lord Aðalgrímr. "They do not wish to do so when they have far better things to sell."

Rather than reply, Lord Aðalgrímr held up a finger, not removing his gaze from Loki.

"The dökkálfar do not sell zisa for export," Lord Hrym stated, echoing Lord Óðr. "They
obtain only what they themselves require."

"Aye, ordinarily," Loki agreed, amicably. "As part of a larger trade agreement pertaining to
the creation and supply of weapons, however..."

"Brilliant," one of the lords who had taken part in the previous negotiations murmured.

Thor glanced over at the man and also noticed the pleased smile on Lord Aðalgrímr's face. It
reminded him of the one General Týr would sport when he himself managed a feat based on
the man's previous tutelage. Thor was surprised at how much he enjoyed witnessing his
brother receive it as well.

Then Lord Aðalgrímr's face fell into a far more neutral expression. Thor glanced back to find
Loki's attention had turned their way.

"Lord Aðalgrímr," his brother began. "Please inform Lord Birgir to add the need for zisa into
our requests from Niðavellir."

"Of course, My King," Lord Aðalgrímr immediately replied.

"King Loki, Your Majesty," Lord Hrym cut in. "Please, that will not be necessary,
Múspellsheimr can supply Ásgarðr."

"Aye, but for quite a steep price."

"It can be negotiated."

"It already was, then you altered it, claiming increases in costs," Loki retorted. "Ergo, I
repeat, do you think to play me as a fool?"

"Your Ma-"

"Or is this how Múspellsheimr now treats those it trades with?"

Thor had to admit to being rather fascinated with how the flames on Lord Hrym's person
were sputtering and flaring almost uncontrollably right now. It meant even he could see how
nervous and near panicked the representative was.

"Sixty-five a barrel," Lord Hrym stated. "As previously agreed."

Loki made the same hand gesture as he had when dismissing the ladies earlier. His contempt
for the offer was rather clear.

"Múspellsheimr must be badly off if 'tis truly the cost of growing and harvesting zisa, as I
know for a fact what little we produce on Ásgarðr costs forty for a barrel," Loki declared.

Thor glanced over at Lord Óðr and the man inclined his head, a rather startled look on his
face.

How had his brother known that?

"'Tis different," Lord Hrym argued. "Obtained and harvested solely for Ásgarðr with no mind
for profit."

"'Tis not so different," Loki countered. "And, at the previous negotiations, 'twas claimed the
price then was due to a temporary interruption in your ability to harvest the zisa. Combined
with this, I must wonder if your supply is quite as stable as you claim. Ásgarðr could ill
afford to unexpectedly be left without, if 'tis not."

"We have never failed to deliver before!" Lord Hrym protested, indignant.

"Hmm," Loki agreed.

"Sixty per barrel."

A snort beside him made Thor glance over to see the lady who had informed Loki of the deal
turning away with a wicked grin on her face. Thor had to admit, his brother's unimpressed
face was rather a sight to behold.

A blast of cold suddenly made Thor shiver, and he saw others react as well while Lord
Hrym's flames sputtered and died in places, revealing a mottled pinky black skin underneath.
It looked like the skin of a person who had burned to death.

"Fifty," Loki countered.

"Your-"
"And I will not inform the All-Father of what Múspellsheimr and Queen Sinmara attempted
to do here today."

This time Thor was the one who had to fight back a smile, as 'twas a trick he recognized well
from personal experience. His brother did not need to inform Father for Father to learn of it,
there were plenty of other witnesses present, all of whom would gladly do so, himself
included.

"Your Majesty, please," Lord Hrym attempted, and Thor wanted to shake his head. Appeals
to his brother's better nature never failed to do anything but annoy Loki. "Fifty-five a barrel."

"We shall consider it and reply in due course," Loki finally replied, after a moment of silence.

'Twas clearly meant to be dismissive and even Thor felt half insulted, and 'twas not even
aimed at him.

"King Loki, if I may beg your indulgence, when might you know?" Lord Hrym inquired.

A glance in their direction and Lord Aðalgrímr stepped forward.

"We are due to hear from Lord Birgir later today," the head diplomat stated. "If he returns to
Niðavellir immediately, we would be able to learn what they would be willing to offer as a
price by late tomorrow."

"You could come back two days hence," Loki said as he turned back to Lord Hrym.

No offer of hospitality, no invitation to join the evening's feast. 'Twas quite clear how his
brother intended for his message to be received. Or that Loki did not mean to allow
Múspellsheimr's aggressive moves to pass unpunished. Lord Hrym's flames, which had
pulled in tight when the temperature of Valaskjálf had plummeted so dramatically, flared
once before deflating.

"Very well, fifty per barrel," the eldþursar offered.

"With all of the terms and conditions already previously decided?" Loki checked.

"Aye."

Rather than reply, Loki rose and indicated a table set off to the right of Hliðskjálf from Thor's
perspective. 'Twas where Father would oft sign symbolic legislation, or which could hold
objects of significance during royal visits or celebratory events which took place in
Valaskjálf. Thor could only recall it being used for this purpose once or twice, but he could
understand his brother's desire to see this particular agreement signed as quickly as possible.

He watched as Lord Aðalgrímr and the other negotiators moved forwards towards the table as
well, but decided to remain back. Diplomacy had never been his strength and he did not wish
to accidentally interfere, not now of all times. Instead, Thor chose to reflect on the situation.
If Múspellsheimr had been this quick to try and take advantage of his brother, then there was
little doubt they would have attempted the same with him should Father have fallen to the
Óðinnsleep soon after his coronation, as likely would have transpired given recent events. So,
the question was, how would he have reacted to it?

Thor winced at the thought. He had learned enough about himself recently to know it would
not have been well. If the events with Jötunheimr had not occurred, he knew he would likely
have responded to Múspellsheimr's aggressive actions with demands which, had they not
been met, would have escalated to orders to simply 'take' what Ásgarðr needed. It would have
been a glorious battle to him, allowing him to demonstrate - both to Ásgarðr and the rest of
the Nine - his own skill as a warrior, and his ability and willingness to lead his warriors in
battle.

Well, either that or he would have fallen for Lord Hrym's initial ploy and then demanded
satisfaction for his lost honor, which would likely have escalated to the same. Lady Jane's
horrified face as he spoke of some of his old exploits flashed before his eyes and he felt quite
ashamed of himself.

It would not have been what Ásgarðr needed of its king, he could see that now, much as he
still longed for the thrill and glory of battle. But perhaps there were other, nobler pursuits for
those desires? There were, after all, regular excursions from outside the Nine attempting to
gain a foothold within the Yggdrasill, often through Nornheimr. Mayhap 'twas time to see
whether all remained well there. Ásgarðr could not afford any more surprises.

Or, well, if he had his usual strength and power, it would be time. The thought he might need
to inform General Týr so someone else could be sent left a bad taste in Thor's mouth but, if
'twas what was necessary for the good of Ásgarðr, then he would do it.

A sudden commotion made Thor look up and 'twas right in time to witness some flames dim
and fade away. A few steps closer showed him they had come from the black parchment and
the lack of reaction from Loki, Lord Hrym or any of Ásgarðr's diplomats led Thor to believe
this might be a normal part of signing an official Múspellsheimrian document. Those were oft
steeped in seiðr, which could have all manner of side effects.

Now, his brother's demeanor changed, not so drastically as to be obviously fake, but offers
for chambers and dinner were made, though they were politely declined, ostentatiously in
favor of ensuring the supply of zisa was restored to Ásgarðr immediately, but Thor knew
better. He had been on the wrong end of his brother's manipulations oft enough to know it left
him feeling small and humiliated, which Lord Hrym would no doubt wish to escape as
quickly as possible. Not to mention the man would need to break the bad news to his queen.
The mere thought made Thor smile, it served Lord Hrym right for having dared to try and
cross Ásgarðr and Loki. 'Twas a mistake both the man and Queen Sinmara were unlikely to
soon forget.

When Lord Hrym turned to leave, Thor found himself following the eldþursar. He was not
entirely certain why, other than that the man had attempted to take advantage of his little
brother and he felt the old protective anger he always did when anyone threatened or harmed
Loki. Or, well, at least when he had been aware of it anyway. 'Twas a sobering thought and it
simply forced Thor to reiterate his promise from last night to himself as he left Valaskjálf.
The one where he had sworn to be a better brother henceforth, as 'twas clear he had failed in
that duty rather miserably, being completely unable to understand what was going on right
before his eyes all of these centuries.

Today's events merely served to reinforce the need for his promise. 'Twas more than clear to
him now that Ásgarðr's enemies, both internal and external, were determined to capitalize on
their perceived weakness. It made all of Father's warnings before his coronation real in a way
the words themselves had not, and Thor could well recollect what Father had said their best
defense was.

Unity. Family.

He still did not particularly like how Father had looked at Loki when he had said it, but Thor
now understood the words far better. His friends' actions, not to mention Heimdallr's, had
made it more than clear that family was all they could truly trust in such a desperate time. It
truly shamed him to think of how Loki had been forced to face so much of it alone already.
Well, that ended now. He would stand by his brother until Father recovered enough for both
him and Mother to do so as well. And not only would he do so, but he would do it as Loki
wished for it to be; for it had become more than clear to him he still had a lot to learn when it
came to kingship and, much as he hated to admit it, leadership in general.

Thor was so focused on both his thoughts and shadowing Lord Hrym that, at first, he was
completely unaware of the swell of seiðr all around him. By the time he did become aware of
it, 'twas crawling up his arms and dancing all around him.

"By the Nine," Thor breathed, eyes wide as he watched it dance over his fingers, the bluish
white of lightning, before his armor began to reform around him and he felt his power and
immortality return, swelling up within him.

Thor laughed aloud in relief and joy before his eyes widened and he looked down the
corridor towards the palace entrance and, beyond that, the Bifröst. Despite knowing she was
on Miðgarðr, he could feel Mjǫllnir in that direction and, as soon as he called for her, he felt
her respond as she rushed towards him. How?

Höðr, Thor realized with a smile. It had to be. The gatekeeper must have witnessed what was
occurring and opened the Bifröst, allowing Mjǫllnir to return the fast way rather than
needing to travel the cosmic distance between Miðgarðr and Ásgarðr to reach him. Holding
out his hand, it felt like both an eternity and no time at all until Mjǫllnir returned back to his
palm, right where she belonged. Holding her had never felt so good, but then he had never
truly been separated from her like this before, not with her unresponsive to him rather than
his being unable to will her back to him.

The commotion around him brought Thor back to the present and he shook himself free from
the lingering sentiment. He had no time for it, not when he had a very important task to do.

With that, Thor turned his back on Lord Hrym and marched right back to Valaskjálf.

The feelings of elation, victory and vicious joy still sang through Loki as Lord Hrym fled
Valaskjálf and he accepted the congratulations of those present.
"Very well played, my Liege," Lord Aðalgrímr said, rolling up their copy of the trade
agreement.

"Thank you," Loki replied, ere his eyes fell on the original negotiating team. Much as he
wished to claim all of the glory, he had been on the other end of such actions far too often to
be able to ignore how it felt. "But all of the difficult groundwork was already laid by your
team."

The looks of surprise which crossed the faces of the two lords, and the gratitude on Lady
Gefjon's face, was enough for Loki to know he had done the right thing. The look of pride on
Lord Aðalgrímr's face helped too.

"Your Majesty," one of the seneschals said, appearing by his side.

"Hmm?" Loki inquired.

"There have been some questions as to whether you will be taking petitions."

Oh. He had not been planning to, but the High Council meeting had already been interrupted.

"Aye, I will take a few," Loki replied, before he turned to Lord Aðalgrímr. "Please inform the
rest of the Council to utilize the time to look over the draft treaty. I will be able to deal with
any other matters later this afternoon."

"Of course, my King," Lord Aðalgrímr bowed and moved off.

Loki took more congratulations as he moved back to Hliðskjálf. He had only just taken his
seat and motioned to the seneschal when a commotion from the far end of Valaskjálf caught
his attention. He could immediately see his guard stiffen and he had to wonder what had
transpired now.

"Is anyone willing to entertain a guess as to who this might be?" Loki queried Huginn and
Muninn. "Vanaheimr mayhap? Or, nay, we have not yet heard from Svartálfaheimr."

"The dead do not come visit the living in another Realm," Muninn retorted, coming to stand
by his hand once more.

"Are you quite certain of that? With the way my reign has progressed thus far?"

"Good point."

Loki was debating whether to swat Muninn when the people crowding near the door of
Valaskjálf moved enough and he could see his brother striding down the corridor and into the
hall. He tried not to stiffen in his seat as he caught sight of first Mjǫllnir, and then the armor.
So, Thor had finally learned Óðinn's lesson and been restored to full power.

Perfect.

He wondered if 'twas a sign of madness, just how sarcastic his own mental voice sounded.
Loki cast the thought aside as he tightened his hold on Gungnir and began to collect his
wounded seiðr to himself. Though he would dearly like to think all would be well from
Thor's apology earlier, he knew better than to rely on it; not with how mercurial his brother
could be. What surprised him, though, was the sudden tension he could sense from his
personal guard. That they would be aware of the potential danger here did not startle him as
they had been present for his brother's temper tantrums, but the fact they were so clearly on
his side did. Being loyal and obedient to him before had been one thing, being so now when
the intended heir and favorite was present and restored was another, and the relief Loki felt
was indescribable.

He was well aware he was no one's favorite, particularly not amongst the warriors. Thus, he
was glad some, at least, would not hesitate to obey proper law and protocol.

The noise in Valaskjálf quieted to a whisper as Thor approached, marching right up to the
base of the stairs leading to Hliðskjálf. Then, and only then, did his brother look up at him
and Loki's breath caught at the sheer look of determination Thor displayed. Slowly and
deliberately, his brother then shifted Mjǫllnir to his left hand before raising his right hand,
clenching it into a fist, and knelt.

"My King," Thor said loudly and clearly, his voice ringing through Valaskjálf.

The relief which shot through Loki was immense and immediate, fueling his high from
earlier.

"Prince Thor," Loki acknowledged, deliberately using his brother's title to ensure there was
no doubt about his acceptance of Thor's return to full power, and his place within his
government.

With a small gesture, Loki motioned his brother forward and Thor rose and quickly climbed
the stairs to take his usual place to the right, and slightly, behind Hliðskjálf. It put his brother
out of his view, but luckily all of his doubts had vanished with Thor's little display of fealty.
His brother did not have it in him to do so if his plan was to betray him. Nay, now he had to
focus on ensuring he did not give anyone cause to doubt this was anything but wished for.

Towards that end, Loki glanced over to the entrance of Valaskjálf, and he was not surprised to
find Lord Hrym standing upon the threshold, observing. Loki raised an eyebrow, as if
questioning whether the representative had more business. He knew Lord Hrym did not, but
it served to make the man bow and leave. He would take word of what he had seen back to
Queen Sinmara, but that was exactly what Loki wanted the eldþursar to do as it would make
the múspellsmegir far less likely to try anything else. Not after their first sound defeat and the
fact Ásgarðr would now be perceived as that much stronger with the full return of its crown
prince. It irked Loki a little, but it would not prevent him from utilizing the opportunity
presented fully.

Besides, he was in control now and Thor would have to respect that - at least publicly -
unless his brother wished to make life very difficult for both of them. And what better way to
drive that point home than to make Thor stand where he was until lunch, while Loki dealt
with those who wished to petition him? 'Twas a duty his brother had always despised.
"You did that on purpose," Thor accused as soon as they left Valaskjálf through the rear door.

"I am certain I have no idea what you mean," Loki replied, though his lips twitched and he
glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye.

"Nay, of course not," Thor groaned. "I hate petitions."

"Then be thankful you were able to phase them out," Loki retorted, the guilty look which
flashed across his brother's face confirming his suspicions.

"How did you know?" Thor demanded. "I was behind you!"

Loki laughed and looked at his brother properly before replying. "A king-"

"Never reveals his secrets, aye, I know," Thor finished one of Óðinn's favorite sayings to
them when they were children. "Pest."

"Oaf," Loki shot right back.

'Twas a familiar exchange from back when they were both underage and the familiarity of it
felt good now.

"Lunch?" Thor asked, and Loki followed his brother's gaze to find Livunn had appeared.

"Aye," Loki said. "I was thinking we should have it with Mother, let her know you are
restored."

"Good idea," Thor replied. "Outside, in the gardens?"

"Hmm, could you arrange it, please, Livunn?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," Livunn said at once. "Shall I send word to the queen?"

"Please," Thor answered, linking his arm with Loki's. "Come, Brother, you could use some
sunlight while we wait. You have been indoors too long."

This too was familiar, but as a complaint. Despite that, Loki merely rolled his eyes and
allowed himself to be led.

"I did have a few minor items to take care of," he protested, lightheartedly.

"Aye, but you could have done some of it outdoors," Thor responded. "Like the negotiations,
for instance. I am certain Laufey would not have nitpicked nearly as much had he been in the
sun the whole time."

Loki laughed despite himself.

"Though I suppose a puddle cannot sign a treaty," Thor mused. "So we would have been in
trouble had he melted."

"Thor!" Loki protested. "The jötnar do not melt."

"Are we certain? Laufey looked like he might."

His birth father was probably cold hearted enough for it, but melting implied a softening and
that Loki could definitely not see happening. Not after all he had learned of the jötunn.

"Hmm, I am certain," Loki stated, seeking to direct the conversation away from its current
topic. "But I do know what will melt immediately after lunch."

"I dread to ask."

"Your brain, when you read the draft treaty."

Thor groaned as predicted and Loki was pretty certain he would not need to worry about
mention of Laufey coming up during lunch.

"I hate you," Thor declared.

"You still need to read the draft," Loki laughed.

"But why?"

"Beyond ensuring you do not break it again? How about because you will need to abide by,
and defend, it when you are king."

"How is it you can bounce from the mischief you cause to such logic and back again?" Thor
questioned.

"Because being predictable is boring."

And chaos could hardly remain chaotic if it never changed. True chaos was calm and ordered
at times. That could be chaotic if not expected.

"That is one thing I believe we can safely say you are not, Brother!" Thor laughed.

"What? Predictable or boring?"

"Both."

"Good."

As they had gone for the private part of the gardens belonging to the royal family, 'twas
actually rather jarring to have his ever-present shadows with him, but Loki brushed it off and
leaned Gungnir against the table before placing his headpiece beside it. He then turned
around, sat on the table, and scooted back until he could easily lie down on the surface. He
hummed in satisfaction as he closed his eyes and basked in simply lying there, doing nothing.

Thor's laugh came from near his head a moment later. "Comfortable, Brother?"

"Hmm," Loki replied a little louder than before, not opening his eyes.
A shadow passed across his face before disappearing and, from the sound, he guessed Thor
had taken a seat beside him.

"It feels good to be restored," his brother said.

"I can image," Loki replied, shuddering at the thought of being without his seiðr, even with
how much it hurt at present.

Ásgarðr felt like a big, lazy cat at the back of his mind, preening and cozying in the sunlight
much like him. Mother Winter, meanwhile, felt oddly happy, excited almost in a way, and
strangely satisfied. He was not quite certain how long she had been thus as he had been rather
distracted, but he would not be surprised if it had been ever since he had routed
Múspellsheimr's attempt to entrap him. The jötnar and múspellsmegir were ancient opposites
and enemies, so it would make sense for Mother Winter to be reveling in his victory over
them.

"Mother," Thor suddenly said, rising to his feet.

"Hello, Thor, I- oh," Frigga's voice drifted over to where Loki lay. "Congratulations, Thor!"

"Thank you, Mother," Thor replied, moving over to her if the dropping of his voice was any
indication.

Loki gave it a moment before he opened his eyes and half rolled to look over at them.

"Hello, Mother," Loki greeted as she pulled away from Thor.

"Loki," Frigga replied, glancing over at him.

He gave her a bright smile when she raised a disapproving eyebrow at his position, which
merely caused her to shake her head.

"We are nearly as much in private as I can be at present," Loki replied by way of excuse.
"And it has been a long morning."

"Well, I already know of one thing which happened today," Mother said, running a hand over
Thor's arm. "What else occurred?"

"Múspellsheimr sent a representative," Thor explained.

"Oh?"

"Hmm, they wished to trick me into signing a trade agreement with highly inflated prices,"
Loki explained.

Frigga laughed. "I am certain it did not work as they had hoped."

"Nay," Loki answered simply, knowing Thor would be more than happy to step in and
explain.
His brother did not disappoint.

"You should have seen him, Mother," Thor began. "He allowed Lord Hrym to dig himself in
further and further, before showing he was aware of the agreed upon figures from the start."

Loki rolled onto his back once more and closed his eyes, letting his brother's words wash
over him and basking in the satisfaction of having been able to cause the upset and chaos to
Lord Hrym and Queen Sinmara's plan that he had. The yoyoing emotions of the court had
also been delightful, even if the lack of trust it implied irked him somewhat. But Loki was
not terribly surprised by it either, since his skills and talents had so oft been ignored or
derided, he would have been astonished if they had not caught people by surprise.

He was brought out of his reverie by the sound of his mother's voice, which was a lot closer
than before.

"Hmm?" he questioned, opening his eyes to look into her amused ones.

"I said it sounds like you taught Múspellsheimr the cost of underestimating you," Frigga said.

Her grin was sharp and proud, and Loki responded in kind, enjoying the moment of
connection. In a way, 'twas a victory for her too, as she had been the one to teach him the art
and joys of using pretty words and surface politeness to draw someone into a trap.

"Well played," Frigga praised, before she smacked his shoulder. "Now off the table."

"Mother," Loki protested, pouting at her.

He was not certain where the impulse came from, but 'twas suddenly there, strong and fierce
and all he wished to do was curl up in her arms and forget the events from the last ten days
had transpired. So he could pretend he truly was her son and not some-

The pain was hot, sharp and familiar by now, but what made him nearly flinch was the
frustration and anger Mother Winter flooded him with, though he had the oddest impression
the anger was not directed at him. It only served to make him want to curl into his mother's
touch and warmth even more.

Something must have shown, as Frigga's face softened but, as ever, she proved she knew him
better than almost anyone else when her stance and tone did not alter.

"Loki, I know I taught you better manners than this," she stated.

Loki pouted a moment longer before giving in and rolling off the table and onto his feet,
catching sight of Thor's surprised face as he did so.

"What?" he asked his brother.

"You are king," Thor stated, clearly perplexed.

"She is still my mother," Loki replied, not realizing until he said it how very true 'twas.
 Aye, he was still furious with her for having kept the truth of his heritage and very species
from him, but Loki knew now he would never not be able to see her as his mother. Now
Óðinn on the other hand...

The smile Frigga gave him was radiant and made it all the more noticeable how much her
expression darkened when she turned her attention to Thor.

"Are you implying you will no longer listen to me when you are king?" Frigga asked.

"I... Uh, Mother!" Thor sputtered.

"Well? 'Tis not like I am asking your brother to alter an important policy, or influence him
about a key decision," Mother replied. "I was merely urging him off the table."

"I-" Thor began, before his eyes lit up. "Oh, look, lunch is here!"

Loki laughed at the entirely blatant attempt to change the conversation, but he knew Frigga
would allow it as she had already made her point. Still smiling, he took a seat at the table.
While he knew they would not have long, 'twas nice to sit down with his mother and brother
before going back to work.

Chapter End Notes

So, did you all like how Loki handled Lord Hrym?

And who expected Thor to do something stupid with his returned powers? As for those
with questions on why he had it all returned to him, I remind you that the parameters for
his punishment were set by Óðinn. So it's his definition of 'worthy' that applies here, not
Loki's, nor yours or mine. Whether that turns out to be a good or bad thing, you'll need
to wait and see.

As for the final scene, well, I thought Loki could use a mini-break as his victory against
Múspellsheimr.

Norse Mythology:

Gefjon - a goddess associated with ploughing, foreknowledge, her oxen children &
virginity - I needed a name and someone associated with fertility & ploughing seemed
appropriate given the negotiations.

Old Norse:

eldþursar - "fire giants" (alternatively eldjötnar or eldthursar)

múspellsmegir - "sons of Muspell"
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Loki oversees the punishment of the Warriors Four...

 Chapter 54
Chapter Notes

I can't believe it's Sunday again! I've only just been allowed out of the house again as
my return-to-England PCR test took ages to get done.

Enjoy the latest chapter, Loki definitely did 😁

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki was still feeling the result of both the sun and his recent victory when he descended into
the dungeons with his personal guard after lunch. They had not been able to linger over the
meal for long, but it had definitely been enough to help lift his mood. Being able to send Thor
off to read the treaty had merely been an added bonus.

"Majesty, may I inquire as to the procedure of what will happen next?" Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Loki was actually rather surprised it had taken his guard so long to ask.

"We will need to deal with each of the traitors separately in order to properly fit the collar and
manacles," Loki explained. "So request as many additional prison guards as you wish to aid
in the process, since I have been informed Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun are housed in one
cell."

Personally, Loki did not mind if any of Thor's friends made an attempt to harm him, as he
was through playing nice with them. From now on he would react with the full might of his
seiðr if so necessary. Now that Thor was restored and Múspellsheimr knew, it would be best
if there were no new 'incidents' as he was tired of dealing with them.

He was rather surprised when Lieutenant-General Yngvarr merely requested one of the
prison guards accompany them, but Loki left it as he was certain the man had his reasons.

His elation from earlier returned as Loki walked down the corridor, past all of the empty cells
towards his defeated nemeses. It would have been easy to tell where Thor's friends were kept
even if he did not already know, as Iðavöllr's blacksmith was set up at the end of the corridor
with a makeshift workspace upon which lay the necessary collars and manacles.

"Your Majesty," Hólmgeirr greeted, bowing deeply.

"Hólmgeirr," Loki returned, completely ignoring the prisoners who had startled and risen
upon the blacksmith's words. "May I?" he indicated the items laying out.
"The last set may still be rather warm to the touch," Hólmgeirr replied. "I have only now
finished adding some of runes, as requested."

Ah, aye, Loki recalled the instructions had mentioned the final few runes could only be
inscribed an hour before activation, and the last immediately before it. Unfortunately, it had
not said why, which was a pity as he did not know enough of dökkálfarian metal seiðr to
know the reasoning. Picking up the first set, Loki found 'twas Sif's based on the runes
inscribed upon it. The collar was thick and heavy, made from the titanium and steel mix
unique to Niðavellir, and purely utilitarian without any of the fanciful designs many warriors
oft requested be added to their items. It would be more than obvious to anyone viewing it that
this was no ornamental piece. Not that many would view it without the chains running to the
accompanying manacles and chain belt. But still, Loki liked it.

"Great work, as always, Hólmgeirr," Loki complimented.

While the man was no artist like Lord Brynjarr, he did always produce solid, dependable
work and the man was good with his attention to detail, which was particularly important
with items such as this where the slightest deviation could render the enslavement seiðr
worthless.

"Thank you, my King," Hólmgeirr replied. "I must admit to being quite curious as to what
happens next."

"Resistance, mainly," Loki said, before he fully turned to face his former companions.
"Unless you have resigned yourselves to your fate?"

"You may think you have won, Loki," Sif hissed. "But we will emerge victorious in the end."

"I will take that as a nay."

"You have no dökkálfr with you," Heimdallr spoke up from his cell. "This punishment
requires one of the dökkálfar."

"Not if we have the instructions on how to perform the working and a trained seiðmadr,"
Loki corrected as he turned to face the former gatekeeper and his would-be assassin. "Which
we do."

'Twas disconcerting, in a way, to look into Heimdallr's brown eyes, but it thrilled Loki as
well. He had done that! Exactly as he was the reason Heimdallr was here in this cell, unable
to see or hear anything beyond his immediate surroundings.

"You mean to do the spell yourself," Heimdallr realized.

"Of course," Loki replied, eyes flickering about the bare cell. "Bored yet?"

Realization flashed in those brown eyes and Loki allowed his glee and satisfaction to show.
'Twas not like people were not already used to Heimdallr making outrageous claims about
him, so what were a few more?

"You are enjoying this," Heimdallr stated.

"What? The defeat and proper punishment of those who sought to move against me and
Ásgarðr? Aye, of course I am," Loki retorted. "'Tis always good to see justice served."

"Your idea of justice is as perverted as the rest of your claims."

Loki snorted. "You will be hard pressed to find one on Ásgarðr who does not feel that those
who would attempt regicide deserve to be punished. Most would no doubt feel I have been
far too lenient on you."

"You do not know the meaning of the word leniency," Heimdallr countered.

"So, you would rather have been executed?"

The former gatekeeper did not respond, narrowing his eyes instead and Loki smiled even
more broadly. If there was one thing he could say about Heimdallr, 'twas that the man was no
fool, most of the time, and he had little doubt Heimdallr was attempting to uncover precisely
why Loki had sentenced him to imprisonment rather than death. Especially considering he
was certain the former gatekeeper still believed quite firmly that Óðinn would reverse his
sentencing. He wondered how long it would take Heimdallr to figure it out. Probably longer
than Loki guessed, as 'twas so counter to how æsir thought and he was not certain whether
Heimdallr was self-aware enough to realize precisely how badly this type of complete
isolation would affect him.

"You will not emerge victorious from this," Sif repeated, confidently, either to distract him
and thus 'save' Heimdallr, or simply because she felt it a sufficient answer to his question.

Loki laughed, not truly caring which option 'twas as it did not truly matter. "I already have,
you have merely to realize it."

"We shall see," Hogun stated, and Loki looked over at the vanir in surprise.

They must truly believe what they said for Hogun to speak up thus. Luckily, he had the
perfect reply.

"I received a missive from my uncle this morning," Loki said. "You have been officially
renounced by Vanaheimr, Hogun, and Uncle Freyr will not protest should Ásgarðr wish to
increase the severity of your punishment."

The words clearly startled the vanir and Loki smiled. While he did not need his uncle's
approval to punish Hogun - indeed Ásgarðr could theoretically overrule the authority of any
of the Nine - he had always believed it best to work with the other rulers rather than over
them. Besides, it helped prove the legitimacy of his rule and right to punish them, and he was
smart enough to realize he could use any such additional indicators, much as he wished he
did not.

"Your uncle's help will not save you when Óðinn awakens," Sif stated and Loki rolled his
eyes.
Her words were repetitive and boring, but for once Loki did not mind. Altering her mind was
not the point of this particular exercise. He was here to try a new branch of seiðr, to see the
four of them subjugated beneath his will, and to play games with them mentally. 'Twas why
he had requested Hólmgeirr set-up down here in the corridor, where the former Warriors Four
would witness him finalizing their new collars and manacles.

'Twas a power play, the same as forbidding Thor from accompanying him down here, not that
Loki was certain his brother had truly wished to witness it. Still, it would have prevented him
from enjoying this to the fullest if Thor were present to view him and his reactions.

"Are you even listening?" Sif demanded.

"Nay, not really," Loki replied flippantly and with a smile as he glanced at her. "You have
proven to have nothing worth listening to."

Her face took on a blotchy color and Loki wondered if she was aware of how ugly her anger
made her. It revealed her true nature, he felt.

"Heimdallr is correct, you are enjoying this," Sif spat. "Beyond so-called mere justice."

"Enjoying this?" Loki asked as he stepped right up to the barrier of her cell. "Seeing you all
imprisoned here and knowing you are about to be shackled and restrained like animals? Of
course I am, after all you have put me through over the centuries."

"Thus, you admit it then?"

"I have always enjoyed revenge, Sif, you know this. Unlike others, however, who flare up
bright, quick and brutal such as yourself, reacting with mindless violence and brute strength,
I prefer to simmer slowly and take better vengeance at a more opportune time, which is far
more satisfying and longer lasting. Though even I could not have dreamt you would provide
me with such a wonderful opportunity to do so. You have brought this entirely upon
yourselves and I will savor it to the fullest."

"You can lie to yourself and to others all you want, if indeed you truly believe what you are
saying, but we know the truth," Sif retorted. "You are nothing more than a petty, spoiled child
who is jealous of Thor and his friends, whom your brother likes more than you."

Loki stared at her in disbelief for a moment, before he began to laugh. "And at whose side
does Thor stand now, Sif? Did you hear him standing up for you at the trial? He was present,
as I know you witnessed firsthand."

Since he was standing so close to her, Sif having come right up to the energy barrier in her
rage, Loki could see the impact his words had, and how she fought not to flinch. The attempt
was pathetic at best, but for her 'twas progress; progress she would no doubt have ample time
to practice once the people of Ásgarðr made their feelings for traitors to the Realm known.
He would have to visit them on occasion when they were performing their assigned duties to
observe it all. It could easily be done under the guise of ensuring their punishment was
progressing as intended, or some such excuse.
"Thor is mortal and thus powerless," Heimdallr said, and Loki turned to face him.

'Twas weak and they all knew it. Thor had never held back on speaking his mind, even when
he truly should have, when the oaf felt the need to do so.

"And?" Loki prompted, curious to see if the former gatekeeper would follow through.

"It put him at your nonexistent mercy," Volstagg declared. "What with everyone following
you blindly and your superior strength, which you could easily have used against him."

"Are you truly claiming you believe Thor was cowed and intimidated by me?" Loki asked in
amusement, before it all fled. "And, if you are so concerned with physical intimidation and
coercion, 'tis odd then how none of you considered it wrong when Thor used his superior
strength on me, before."

As this part of the dungeon was currently deserted other than for the traitors, Loki was able to
hear the sharp intake of breath behind him from either Hólmgeirr or one of the Einherjar, and
he cursed himself for saying those words. By doing so, he had revealed far more than he had
wished to. Not that they were any less true for it.

"You deserved every punishment you ever received, Trickster," Sif spat behind him, and Loki
sighed. "Particularly that of the dökkálfar."

"Sif!" Fandral protested in shock.

The looks on the faces of the Einherjar were positively murderous and Loki realized his fear
of how they would react to witnessing him carrying out this punishment had been pointless.

"We shall commence with Sif," Loki decided, his seiðr itching to lash out at her.

The greatest risk also lay with his first attempt, as once he had successfully performed it, he
would be certain how to do so. The first time, though...

Loki suppressed the desire to smile at the thought as he stepped away from Sif's cell and
allowed several Einherjar to approach. As he had known she would, Loki saw Sif shift into a
fighting stance and, not for the first time, he had to wonder at her intelligence or lack thereof.
Did she truly believe she could win here? Although it could simply be she was so terrified of
what came next, she could not help but struggle now even if she knew it would be futile.
'Twas a rather nice thought.

Then the prison guard lowered the energy barrier and several of his personal guard rushed in.
Not too many, as the restricted space would limit their efficiency, but enough to make their
greater numbers count against Sif. She struggled nonetheless, but was soon wrestled to the
ground. As the Einherjar debated on how best to pull her up and into position, Loki stepped
back to the blacksmith's table.

"Time for the final mark, my King?" Hólmgeirr inquired.

"On the first collar, aye," Loki confirmed.

He then pulled the parchment with instructions from a pocket and laid it out on a clear part of
the worktop. Loki half closed his eyes as he reached within him to his wounded core. He
received another twinge from it and knew he truly should not be doing this, before he
brushed it aside. Not only did they not have someone else to do this, but he would not allow
it even if they did. He wanted to be the one to enact this working and enslave his former
tormentors. Simply sentencing them to it was not nearly enough.

He gathered together his seiðr, feeling both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter stir within him as he
did so, both of them reaching out to bolster and aid him, though he knew neither had personal
experience with the seiðr he was about to perform. The moment Hólmgeirr handed him the
newly modified collar, Loki could detect the seiðr simmering within the metal. Though no
dökkálfr had initiated it, this collar had been created for this specific purpose and so had been
imbued with the necessary elements and basic seiðr at the time of being forged. Creating the
indentured servants (or outright slaves in the case of the more dökkálfarian use of the
accoutrements) was no simple feat and was a complicated, multistep process of which his
was but one, and would be unsuccessful without the previous steps.

His own seiðr reached out towards that in the collar and Loki focused on it and the ancient
runes of power whose arcane shapes had been etched into the metal. The very air around him
seemed to sing with the weight of them as he muttered each one, focusing all of his thoughts
and efforts towards making them real, imbibing the very metal with the full force of his will.
As he spoke each word, the corresponding rune lit up, glowing a brilliant green and Loki felt
the seiðr woven deep into the metal's very core respond, reaching out towards him. He was
careful to mold his own seiðr exactly as the instructions had told him too, making it appear as
lava, the creator and master of metal ore. It felt both antithetical and familiar at once and, for
the first time ever, he could start to understand why. Fire was his element, his gift, and had
always responded to him almost instinctively. Yet now he knew it should be anything but. As
a jötunn, fire should be contrary to his very nature and repellant.

The very chaos of it thrilled him, but he kept a tight leash on it for now as, of all of the races,
the dökkálfar were the least chaotic; the most exact. They shaped metal to precise purposes,
guiding both it and their seiðr into specific, defined tasks with their only creativity being
extraneous details requested by purchasers and only agreed upon in order to obtain their
trade.

Therefore, Loki kept his thoughts strictly focused now, putting all of his will behind the
command he issued. The instructions had spoken of focusing thoughts on the desired
punishment and laws to be obeyed. What he lacked in the familiarity of the regular discipline
of those who performed this task, he made up for in a deep seated, genuine desire to see those
he condemned and enslaved thus constrained. He hoped it would be enough to make up for
any lack of practice and discipline he possessed elsewhere.

Then the collar's seiðr relented, allowing him to mold it into the runes and Loki repeated
them, each arcane marking lighting up once more, but far more powerfully than before as he
did so. Power rose around them and then the matching symbols appeared on Sif's manacles,
the seiðr there linking it to that of the collar, all of it flaring before settling once more. Now
only two runes remained alit.
Master and Slave.

Only the final step remained.

When Loki turned back towards the cells, 'twas to find Sif on her knees before him, an
Einherjar on either side and one behind her. Though her face was still twisted into a fierce,
angry expression, she was pale as a ghost and Loki could easily read the fear in her dark eyes.
He took a moment to savor it as she so rarely showed true fear, and for once he was thankful
for the pride and arrogance of the dökkálfar as it had made their seiðr far more grandiose and
unsubtle than it could be. He did so love to put on a show with seiðr when he had an
audience. Especially now, when 'twas one who had sneered at him and his talents before.
They would see who laughed after he emerged so victoriously.

"I am not wearing that!" Sif declared loudly, eyeing the collar he still held.

Tired of her continued stubborn attitude, Loki completely ignored her words and instead
stepped forwards, opening the collar. Sif, predictably, struggled but the Einherjar had her
firmly secured.

Loki said the ancient word for slave, the sound reverberating down the corridor as he closed
the collar around her neck.

"Sif Hermóðrdóttir," he said, watching the slave rune flare and fade.

Next, Loki spoke the old word for master, which made Sif gasp and start as if shocked.

"Ásgarðr," Loki said, being very careful to think of Hliðskjálf and the government, filtering it
down through to the prison guards and city counselors.

Tempting as it may have been to lock it to only him, then he would have to be present far too
often. This way, all of those acting in an official capacity would be able to command her, in a
strict order based on governmental structure.

Or, well, almost entirely so as he had not added in the necessary rune to remove himself as
the spellcaster from the top spot. Thus, even after Óðinn awoke, he would be able to
countermand any of his adoptive father's orders should he so desire. But no one needed to
know.

The final rune glowed a brilliant green before fading away until only the normal color of the
collar showed. Sif was panting and looked drained, no doubt due to the fact she had
attempted to fight the seiðr as it wove into her very flesh and blood, down to her bones and
enslaved her heart, body and mind.

"Sif!" Volstagg called. "Are you unharmed?"

The former warrior's voice rushed into Loki's ears as if breaking a trance, and he blinked as
he looked around. His seiðr sang within him even as it ached. Both Ásgarðr and Mother
Winter were close to the surface, intrigued and curious.
Of course, this would be unfamiliar to them as well, being dökkálfar seiðr. There was almost
a certain level of bloodthirstiness from Mother Winter he had not felt before, but he found it
comforting to know he was not the only one who found this so satisfying.

"The manacles, my King?" Hólmgeirr asked from behind him.

"Aye," Loki confirmed, holding out his hand.

Now he was not so focused on the seiðr, he took a moment to look more closely at the overall
construction of the manacles themselves. Though made of metal, they were lined with one of
the fabrics he had seen on Niðavellir, something tough and durable. 'Twas not overly soft, but
should prevent chaffing which could interfere with the ability of the enslaved to carry out
their assigned duties.

"You may release her," Loki told the Einherjar.

He could see their hesitancy to do so with him standing so close, but they obeyed without
glancing towards Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and Loki was pleased. It actually took Sif a
moment to realize she was no longer restrained, but once she did so, Loki could see her
muscles tensing as she prepared to rise.

"Stay down," Loki ordered, watching in satisfaction as Sif immediately complied, shock and
horror showing on her face. "Let me guess, you did not think I could accomplish it."

"Sif?" Fandral asked, worry evident in his voice.

She glanced over at him, desperation starting to bleed onto her features. "I cannot rise."

Horror flashed across the faces of the other three and Loki savored it.

"Lo- Your Majesty," Fandral pleaded, shifting his attention to him. "I beg you to reconsider."

Loki snorted. "You have already had your trial, 'tis too late to ask for mercy now, not after
how you all behaved then."

"I hate you," Sif hissed, glaring up at him with poisonous eyes.

"My heart bleeds."

"You have no heart, no monsters do."

It took all of Loki's willpower not to visible flinch at the word, though it hit him like a
physical blow.

"Wrists," he ordered instead, taking pleasure in making Sif aid him in completing his
enslavement of her.

He closed each manacle around her wrists, marveling at the clever locking mechanism which
hid all access to the lock itself, meaning only seiðr could be used to unlock it. His in this
case.
"Rise," Loki ordered, before stepping in close. Sif's face twisted in frustration, and he smiled
wickedly at her. "There are several built in instructions within the collar, including one which
ensures you are unable to physically assault any of those who fall under the category of your
master. Naturally, those include myself and all members of the Einherjar or government."

"You would leave them defenseless," Heimdallr accused.

Loki rolled his eyes and stepped close to the former gatekeeper's cell. "I am neither naive nor
a fool. I am well aware of how this power could be abused."

"You would delight in it."

"Sif," Loki began, eyes never leaving Heimdallr. "You owe Lieutenant-General Yngvarr an
apology for what you implied of the Einherjar during the trial. Kiss his boots."

The shouts of protest from the former Warriors Three made Loki smile, but he kept his gaze
on Heimdallr.

"Rise, Sif," he ordered. "Strip."

"Nay!"

Sif's word rang through the corridor loud and clear, full of defiance and rage.

"See," Loki stated. "I have taken steps to prevent the power of the collars from being
abused."

"You are abusing it even now," Heimdallr countered.

"Says the coward who abused his position and the trust placed in him to attempt to both usurp
Hliðskjálf and assassinate his king."

"You will nev-"

Lightning quick, Loki reached out and hit the button to mute Heimdallr's cell. He left the
barrier transparent to allow the former gatekeeper to watch, but he rather liked being able to
render him voiceless.

This was potentially an abuse of power, but he doubted anyone here but for the other
prisoners would mind. Not after what Heimdallr had tried to do. For once, Ásgarðr's system
was working in his favor and Loki planned to both enjoy and utilize it to the fullest.

"So," Loki began, turning to look at the third cell. "Who would like to be next?"

Hogun and Volstagg immediately tensed and moved back to take up defensive positions.
Fandral appeared far more resigned.

"Please," the paramour tried once more.

"Fandral, then," Loki stated, then stopped to consider. "Sif, you will help subdue Hogun."
The vanir scowled darkly at him, but Loki knew he would not dare attack as aggressively as
normal for fear of hurting her.

"Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said, appearing by his side.

Knowing what the head of his security wanted, Loki stepped back, allowing the Einherjar to
deal with subduing the traitors. He focused his attention instead on the next collar, initializing
it as soon as Hólmgeirr had it ready. The process went faster this time as he knew exactly
what he was doing, so he was surprised to find Fandral being held by his side when he looked
up once more.

"I will not hurt another áss who is merely doing his job," Fandral said upon seeing his
surprised look. "Besides, we cannot win even if we were to overpower your guard."

'Twas surprisingly rational and Loki had not expected it of any of them. That Volstagg felt
himself above such concerns was evident by how the man still fought, though Hogun had
already been driven to the floor, Sif perched on his back, keeping him in place.

"A wise choice," Loki stated as he stepped close.

Despite Fandral's words and actions, Loki could see his guards were taking no chances, their
grip on the paramour firm and sure. The final words of the ritual fell from his lips, making
Fandral flinch as he closed the collar around his neck.

"Snug," Fandral commented.

"To prevent any outside tampering," Loki replied.

"Ah, aye, I can see that."

"Wrists," Loki said, to check the seiðr was working.

He glanced back up as soon as he was done, and Fandral's shoulders slumped as he met
Loki's gaze.

"Help with Volstagg?" Fandral asked.

"Aye."

It would not be quite as effective as ordering Sif to help subdue Hogun. They all still worried
about hurting her more than each other, but that would simply serve to make Fandral use
more force to fulfill his master's wishes.

Loki watched Fandral move off to help subdue Volstagg, before he turned and accepted the
next collar Hólmgeirr handed him. He walked over to Hogun who tensed at his approach
which only made Sif put her knee into the back of his kidney, making him grunt.

Not having anything to say to the vanir, Loki set right to initializing the collar. The seiðr
came even faster now and he could almost start to see individual components of it which
made him wish to sit down and study it, but he could not least he did something which
inadvertently weakened the working. He would have to see if they had any old collars and
manacles left from before, which had already been utilized or ones not yet initiated. For now,
though, he pushed his curiosity aside and completed the working, feeling how Hogun's whole
body deflated as the seiðr sunk its grip into his mind and body.

"Thank you, Sif," Loki said pleasantly, while he accepted the manacles Hólmgeirr handed
him.

"I hate you!" Sif hissed.

"I know. Now back to your cell."

With a few deft movements, Hogun was fully enslaved, and Loki motioned him back into a
corner of the cell. He rose and looked over to find Volstagg was now also on the floor,
Fandral helping to pin him down. Loki accepted the last collar from Hólmgeirr and
approached the largest of Thor's friends.

"You are a heartless, venomed, whey-face," Volstagg accused. "My family!"

Loki scowled. "We cannot sentence some criminals less harshly than others simply because
they have a family. You should have thought of them before you sought to usurp Hliðskjálf."

"Saying it will not convince me of your lies."

"Believe what you will, I care not," Loki retorted, beginning to collect his seiðr. "But I have
requested that Lord Ragnvaldr ensures someone speaks with your wife of the provisions we
have in place for those who have lost the main provider of their family."

The words seemed to stun Volstagg as well as both Hogun and Fandral. Loki scowled at
them, but he supposed he should not be surprised given everything else they thought him
guilty of.

The seiðr came very easily to him now and Loki itched to try something different, but he
persisted, already able to feel the strain of what he had done on his mutilated core. He should
not have done this, but the thrill and beauty of it uplifted him in many ways, leaving him
feeling strangely energized even as the ever-present agony sapped at his strength.

"Stay," Loki ordered the former Warriors Three once he was done with the overweight fool.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had the energy barrier back up as soon as Loki and the last of
the guards were out of the cell.

"Loki, you-" Sif began.

"Quiet," Loki ordered, enjoying how her mouth clicked shut.

If only it had ever been so easy!

"Now, there are a few basic rules," Loki continued. "Ones no one else may countermand."
Volstagg snorted. "Until we get our next orders."

"Nay, orders are prioritized according to rank," Loki explained. "'Tis part of the seiðr when
implementing the final step. From now on, you will have no choice but to follow the chain of
command."

As he kept glancing between the three cells, Loki saw the interested look on the lieutenant-
general's face, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"Was this when you said Ásgarðr?"

"Hmm."

"And this tells the collars how the chain of command operates?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
inquired.

"Partially, the rest came from me, picturing it and... willing it."

"I see."

"'Tis hard to explain if you have no background in seiðr, but 'tis largely force of will."

"So if someone like Heimdallr attempted to utilize them to harm yourself, it would not
work?"

"Nay."

"Good."

"Quiet," Loki said when he saw Volstagg prepared to speak once more. "'Tis time for you to
listen. First, you will not attempt to escape or aid in any efforts made by others on your
behalf. Indeed, should any ever speak with you about such plans, you will report them
immediately."

The glares he received for this were as dark as Loki had known they would be. Escape would
have been on their minds ever since they were first arrested. To have it removed as an option
and being forced to turn in any who would seek to aid them...

"Oh, and you will return to Iðavöllr immediately should you ever be broken free," Loki added
on. "Secondly, you will never do anything, either directly or indirectly, to harm or endanger
any member of the royal family."

He had considered amending the wording so they could not slander him, but he had decided
against it as he knew they would bore him then. Besides, their continued resentment of him,
especially if expressed as freely as he knew they would, could only work in his favor.

"Including any plot you may learn of against me or the government," Loki continued. "Next,
you will not be able to betray any confidences you hold from a member of the royal family or
anything from your duties as former Einherjar."
 It had occurred to Loki last night they still knew far more of him than most others did as
regards his seiðr and personality, things he did not necessarily wish for the people to know.

"Finally, you will perform each order you are given to the best of your ability, without
subterfuge or delay, unless it endangers your lives or the lives of others. Unless endangering
yourselves is part of saving, or attempting to save, another."

Fandral looked more thoughtful than anything else now, but the others and Heimdallr were
clearly furious. It rather amused Loki more than anything else, and that alone would have
made the renewed agony of his core worth it.

"Am I missing anything, Lieutenant-General?" Loki inquired.

"The inability to harm anyone of Ásgarðr is built in?"

"Hmm."

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr pursed his lips as he thought before he shook his head. "Nay, I
cannot immediately think of anything else."

"Very well, we are done here then," Loki said, before he glanced over at his brother's friends.
"Sit quietly and think over your actions and the consequences for half an hour. Then you may
speak and move about once more."

With that last command, Loki turned and headed back down the corridor, pleased when no
one seemed to recall he had muted Heimdallr's cell. He was petty enough to enjoy such
simple little pleasures.

Chapter End Notes

Loki's little vicious spree continues with more magic and vengeance. He's having a
grand old time here, even if most of us likely winced at more than some of it. The
Traitors Five couldn't help but continue to run their mouths, though. I suppose by this
point it's hard to see the truth as it requires needing to realize how much of this is their
own fault!

I did have fun writing the magic of this chapter, dark as it was. That's the downside to
writing a Loki with a wounded core; I can't have him do as much magic as I'd like 😞

Original Characters' Names:

Hólmgeirr - made up of Holm ('small island' or 'island') and Geir ('spear', 'staff') - meant
to a contrast to Lord Brynjarr, who is a more famous blacksmith
Old Norse:

dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
dökkálfr - "dark elf"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - "one of the gods/æsir"
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
jötunn - "frost giant"
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Týr visits the dungeons, while Thor joins Loki for breakfast... (Warning:
this will be one of the shorter chapters)
 Chapter 55
Chapter Notes

How is it another week already?

Anyway, here's the chapter, a bit shorter than normal as I mentioned, but that's what
happens with averages.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Týr had wished to head down to the dungeons several times during the past few days, but he
had known that doing so after a long day made all the harder by needing to undo the damage
done to his army by the traitors, or needing to slog through the draft treaty with Jötunheimr,
was not a good idea. Which was the only reason he had been able to resist this impulse for so
long, much as he had felt it would be better to take out his frustration and anger on those who
deserved it, rather than on those who did not. Today, though, he had risen early to be able to
come before he commenced his regular duties.

The prison guards leapt to attention at his approach. He waved them off and made his way
down the main corridor. Now the sentencing had been officially carried out, the other
prisoners were starting to be housed here once more, and several of them called out as he
passed. Týr ignored them as they were not worth his time and effort. He dearly wished the
traitors were not either, but there was one more thing he had to do before he could truly
relegate them to the back of his mind and only focus on the army and cleaning up the mess
they had made.

"General Týr!" Lor- Fandral exclaimed in surprise, leaping to his feet when the former
warrior caught sight of him.

Týr met the man's gaze but did not verbally reply as he observed the others glance over and
rise. Well, at least he still garnered that much respect. After some of what had been said and
implied at the trial, he had not been certain.

Each of the four now wore thick metal collars and manacles which looked quite cumbersome
and uncomfortable. Heimdallr, meanwhile, had moved closer to the front of his cell and,
while unadorned in comparison, the former gatekeeper's dark brown eyes were, in their own
way, far more jarring.

"Is it true Thor has regained his powers and position?" Volstagg finally asked, breaking the
tense silence.

"Aye, Prince Thor has," Týr confirmed.

The news seemed to dishearten them which confused Týr at first, they had still claimed
allegiance to him last he knew, before realization dawned.

"After everything which has transpired, you still believed Prince Thor would seek to usurp
Hliðskjálf," Týr said in disbelief. "Does your foolishness and treason know no bounds?"

"We shall see who is the fool and who is in the right when Óðinn awakens," Sif retorted, a
disdainful look on her face as she regarded him.

'Twas behavior Týr had not experienced so blatantly in a long time. 'Twas thus a good thing
he cared naught for her good opinion.

"I have never understood your antagonism towards King Loki," Týr said rather than correct
her words, as he knew better than to engage in such a pointless fight. "I had always expected
the two of you to become fast allies, if not friends."

"Me?" Sif questioned, clearly startled. "An ally of Loki? Why, by the Nine, would I have
done that?"

"Because you were both outsiders, in a way, amongst the rest of the warriors. You, a woman,
and he with his seiðr and preference for long distance weaponry."

"His cowardice, you mean," Sif sneered. "Allying myself with him would have gained me
nothing but more grief and challenges from the other warriors."

Týr pressed his lips together as he observed her in her cell. Anger and spite were written into
every line of her body, and he wondered how he had never seen it before. He had monitored
her closely in the beginning, skeptical but also willing to give her a chance after having
witnessed both Queen Frigga and some of the other female warriors of Vanaheimr in action.
He had noticed none of this hatred back then and he wondered if it had been present at the
time, and had festered and grown since, or whether 'twas a much newer phenomenon.

"I do not understand your current feelings and defense of King Loki," Fandral spoke up from
the other cell, and Týr turned to look at him.

"Why would I do otherwise?" Týr questioned, genuinely confused.

"You have never stood in his defense before," Volstagg stated. "Rather the contrary, in fact."

Týr furrowed his brow as he tried to understand the accusation and failed. "I have never
attacked King Loki, whether as king or prince. We have argued, aye, but I have always stood
by him as I would any other member of the royal family."

"The length of time you have spent in the God of Lies' company shows, General," Sif
sneered, his title coming out more as an insult than anything else. "You will have to do far
better than that to fool us, though, as we have extensive experience dealing with his lies."

While anger was his first response, Týr ignored it to focus on the implications behind their
words. 'Twas why he had elected to come visit them first thing in the morning rather than
later in the day, when he had been dealing with all manner of other difficulties which had
frayed his, admittedly short, temper. Besides, this way he would be able to work off his
frustration from dealing with them constructively, on the training fields.

Although Týr was not surprised they had expected him to be on their side, as they genuinely
seemed to believe they had been right, this particular reference was to something he had done
before. It did not imply they were correct, but it might mean they were not the only ones who
had misinterpreted one of his actions and he would take no chances in that regard, not after
all which had already transpired within his army.

"Of what do you speak?" Týr demanded as he looked at Fandral.

He seemed the least hostile of the four and had been the only one to switch to using King
Loki's proper title during the trial.

"On the training fields," Fandral replied as if surprised he needed to explain. "You called out
Prince Loki whenever he utilized his seiðr to cheat in a fight. Everyone knows of this."

"To cheat?" Týr repeated in disbelief. "That is why you believe I wished him to fight without
seiðr?"

"'Tis cowardly and argr," Sif spat. "Everyone knows this, and you have made your distain for
seiðr more than clear, even Loki was well aware of it. Why else would you refuse to allow
him to utilize it whilst training?"

"Because 'tis mine and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's responsibility to ensure the safety of the
royal family, and this means ensuring they are capable of defending themselves," Týr
retorted, horrified at how they had twisted his intentions.

Aye, he had never particularly viewed seiðr well, nor wished to see either Óðinnson utilize it
so readily and publicly, but he had never intended for it to be taken as a sign he viewed
Prince Loki as acting cowardly.

"Seiðr, while allowing that, can be blocked, and I wished for King Loki to be able to
adequately defend himself without it should such a situation arise," Týr continued.

At least, it had been his initial intention in issuing the no seiðr edict. Týr had to admit he
could not confidently state he had not also enjoyed being able to prevent what he had viewed
as simple tricks from being utilized on the training fields. What King Loki had proven
himself capable of since, however... 'Twas another category of seiðr altogether and, just as the
young king's alternative style of fighting had proven quite effective against Yngvarr
yesterday, Týr was starting to wonder if the seiðr might not be thus as well. 'Twas a thought
he would need to consider carefully and take to King Loki later if his suspicions were correct
and he had left the army vulnerable to a whole class of attacks.

"'Tis a sign of weakness," Sif insisted. "Nothing more."

"Aye, very weak, clearly," Týr retorted, looking at her collar speculatively. "Kneel."
He had hardly uttered the command before the former lady was already sinking to her knees
with a flush on her face.

"'Tis dökkálfar seiðr," Volstagg dismissed.

"The type, aye," Týr agreed. "But in the same way different styles of fighting may originally
belong to one Realm, when they are adopted by warriors of another, they are powered by
their strength."

"'Tis still cowardly and weak to resort to such a punishment!" Sif protested as she attempted
to rise.

"'Tis not very æsir," Fandral added.

"Actually, 'tis, and it has a long history of use here," Týr countered, having looked up
indentured servitude after King Loki had pronounced his sentence. "Half of Ásgarðr was built
by indentured servants."

"He will not change his mind," Heimdallr spoke when it looked like Volstagg would protest
this assertion.

"Aye," Týr confirmed. "I would rather die than dishonor myself and my family by
committing treason."

Fandral and Volstagg both flinched at his words, but Sif and Hogun remained steadfast. The
latter's role in this farce would be closely investigated, as Týr had to know whether the vanir
had unduly influenced the others in their treasonous behavior. Not to mention whether he had
ever been truly loyal to Ásgarðr and Hliðskjálf, or whether it had only ever been a very
misguided loyalty to Prince Thor himself.

"As for my initial point regarding yourself and Prince Loki," Týr said, glancing at Sif. "I will
admit to having feared what the two of you would have achieved had you worked together;
two so highly inclined to flout the norms and rules. Had you worked together, there is much
you could have achieved and gained. That King Loki rewards loyalty is abundantly clear
from his decision to promote Höðr to the position of gatekeeper, yet here you are."

"Because of Loki," Sif declared.

"Because of your own actions. Do you know what is already being said amongst the
warriors? They speak of how we should have seen it coming, allowing a woman in. They
speak of obsession and infatuation on your part with Prince Thor."

"What?" Sif exclaimed, shock and horror rushing across her face as she abandoned her
attempts to fight the seiðr keeping her on her knees.

The reaction was so genuine, Týr believed it and he motioned for her to rise, curious if a
nonverbal command would be enough to counter the previous verbal one. 'Twas.

"And we were what, persuaded to play along?" Volstagg questioned, aghast.

"I do not know what you were," Týr snapped, his anger finally flaring. "But you, Sif, are
lucky that what is viewed as your attempts to curry favor from Prince Thor and an effort to
supplant King Loki in his affections will not prevent any other women from entering the
Einherjar."

"They will not?" Fandral asked, startled.

Týr grunted. "One of the King's Funds applications King Loki has approved is for
nontraditional warriors. I have checked and they currently have three women in their
program."

"I-" Sif began, before trailing off.

"And how many utilize seiðr or dishonorable weapons?" Hogun demanded, finally weighing
in.

"We had a guest for the evening feast three days ago," Týr stated.

"A guest?" Fandral repeated, clearly perplexed.

"A skáld, quite a famous one from what I understand," Týr would be the first to admit he did
not know much of skálds, even though he did quite enjoy listening to their tales when they
spoke.

Lord Bragi's had been quite a bit different from normal and his inclination had been to leave
when he had learned of the man's specialty, but he had remained, knowing it would be
perceived as an insult, both to the skáld and his host. Rather surprisingly, Týr had been
pleased he had remained. Though he had studied the Battle for the Yggdrasill, as he had any
other great battle in Ásgarðr's long and proud history, that had focused on the overall strategy
and troop movements. It had actually contained surprisingly little on the fight between King
Óðinn and Thanos himself. Therefore, it had been quite fascinating to learn more of that,
even if most of it had related to either seiðr directly, or seiðr related objects like the Infinity
Stones.

Fascinating, and frightening.

Týr had been in the vault countless times during his time as head of the army and, somewhat
less frequently, before, and he could easily admit to himself the Tesseract had long been the
object stored there which he had liked the least. Even more so than the Casket of Ancient
Winters. While he had personally witnessed the latter's power, without a jötunn (or one with
jötnar heritage it seemed), 'twas quiescent and harmless. These Infinity Stones, however... the
thought of them being as powerful as they were as well as being indestructible... well, Týr
was no longer surprised he had never liked the Tesseract.

"And?" Fandral inquired.

"He spoke of Thanos and the battle to defeat him," Týr replied. "A battle which King Óðinn
won through the use of seiðr."
Sif snorted. "So he claims. Let me guess, Loki invited this skáld?"

"Nay, he came by uninvited and offered his services."

"Convenient."

"Thanos was defeated through the use of seiðr," Heimdallr spoke up. "All of the other Realms
tell of the tale."

"And those who were present, agree," Týr added.

"So you now agree with the use of seiðr on the training fields?" Volstagg inquired.

"I have requested it to aid in the preparation of our warriors, in the event the peace treaty
fails."

"From Loki?"

Týr snorted, unable to believe the question. "Nay, of course I did not request that the king
come to the training fields to aid in training the warriors! I did ask for the addition of fire
when King Loki came out to view our progress, but for the rest we have utilized several
seiðkonur."

"So, Loki considers himself too good to train his own army?" Sif sneered. "And you still
stand by him? Thor would be out on the fields."

"Not as king, he would not," Týr replied. "Or at least not as frequently as you imply. A king
has more important things to focus his attention on until war is inevitable."

"He insults you."

"Nay, the insult would be to not trust me to preform my duty and prepare the army."

"You refuse to see his weakness."

Týr sighed. "A weak man could not have withstood all King Loki has since ascending to
Hliðskjálf. You are the ones who will not view him as he truly is. What I do not understand,
is what caused the initial schism. He was your prince and superior, and you faced battle
together on various occasions."

He knew by this point 'twas futile, but he felt the need to say it at least once more.

"That would not excuse his usurping Hliðskjálf, even if it were true," Heimdallr stated.

Týr glanced at the former gatekeeper, unable to comprehend what had happened to the man
to bring him to this. He still found it hard to believe that hearing a lie told often enough could
come to influence a person's thoughts, but he had no other explanation for it.

"Why did you come?" Fandral asked.

"I was attempting to find logic where there is clearly none to be had," Týr replied.

"Why bother if you will not listen?" Volstagg questioned.

"Why bother? Five of those under my command committed treason, that clearly is an
indication of a problem within the Einherjar," Týr stated. "Though King Loki does not seem
inclined to remove me from my post for this, I refuse to allow such a destructive culture to
remain. I will root out the problem and see it rectified, so the honor of the Einherjar can be
restored."

With that, Týr turned about and left, ignoring both Sif and Volstagg's outraged replies.

The lack of major projects or meetings for the day meant Loki stayed in bed longer, but he
did not feel he slept any more for it. As after the ignition of the Yggdrasill, his seiðr use
yesterday had aggravated his core, but he could not regret it. Not only had it been
dökkálfarian metal seiðr, but it meant 'twas his seiðr which now enslaved the former Warriors
Four, and that was more than worth the pain and resulting sleeplessness. In fact, it still
brought a smile to his face even now as he rose.

Since he had the regular petitions later in the morning, Loki elected to wear something more
than simply his armor. Stepping out of his bedchamber, he was surprised to find his brother
waiting for him.

"Thor," Loki said. "Did I forget a meeting?"

He was pretty certain he had not, but there was so much going on at present, 'twas entirely
possible.

"Nay," Thor replied. "I was hoping we could break our fast together and I forgot how late you
like to rise when possible."

Loki mock scowled at his brother, but the fact Thor had not simply come charging into his
bedchamber to rouse him from his slumber was rather significant as 'twas a departure from
his brother's normal behavior. 'Twas too much to hope it marked the beginning of how Thor
would treat him moving forwards, but, even so, it proved Thor had thought long enough to
think of his current status and acted accordingly. 'Twas a promising step for the next few days
or weeks until Óðinn woke.

Well, if it had not been Livunn who had kept Thor out here.

"Of course," Loki replied, motioning towards the table which Livunn had already set for two.
"What do you have today?"

"'Tis one of the reasons I wished to have words with you," Thor said as he took his seat. "Did
you have need of me?"

Loki blinked in surprise, unable to believe Thor was asking for official duties. He had
expected his brother to use the excuse of the friction with Jötunheimr to spend all day on the
training fields. Mayhap Thor had been more serious than he had thought with his promise to
do better.

A part of Loki almost hated the thought it had taken matters deteriorating to such an extent
for his brother to finally deign to understand what Loki had been trying to tell Thor all along.

"We could use a royal presence along the outer towns and villages at some point over the next
few days," Loki responded.

"To reassure them all is well?"

"Hmm, and to show they have not been forgotten amidst all of the upheaval."

"I can do that," Thor nodded.

The thought of asking his brother to take up his duties at the Princes' Court crossed Loki's
mind, but he did not wish to create more work for himself should his concerns about Thor's
rulings be correct. He could ask Uncle Vé about chaperoning his brother later, if Óðinn
remained asleep long enough.

"Beyond that, I would see what General Týr may have for you," Loki continued. "I assume
there would be opportunities to help ensure everyone is ready should Laufey reject the
treaty."

Loki truly hoped his birth father did not as he knew he was in no condition to take Ásgarðr to
war, but Loki also knew he could not afford to lose sight of the fact 'twas still a very real
possibility.

"You think I could?" Thor inquired, perking up.

Loki frowned. "No one criticized your fighting ability, Thor, and the warriors do admire and
listen to you."

"This time no one has said anything, but you have before," Thor replied, and held up a hand
when Loki moved to reply. "I have done a lot of thinking lately and you were not wrong in
what you said, I do lose track of what is going on around me when I fight. Fandral's injury
was but one of many examples and I am aware you have been injured thus too."

"I have," Loki confirmed as there was no point in denying it and it might even make Thor
truly think twice the next time. "That may be all the more reason to train with the other
warriors, though."

"I do not understand."

"See how they work together in a group, what they do differently and why."

"They will hardly have the same skills as we do, even if it were simply the two of us," Thor
replied. "I have Mjǫllnir, and you, your seiðr."

The mention of his seiðr surprised Loki, but his brother made a valid point.
"Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, General Týr and I had a similar conversation on the training
fields the other day," Loki said. "Speaking of different fighting styles and weapons. I believe
Týr concluded the army may have become too used to those who fight similarly to the æsir,
with mainly swords and axes, with but the occasional spear."

"We are very good at it, though," Thor protested.

"True, but it means we are not so well prepared to handle those who fight differently."

Thor toyed with his eggs for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I have heard
some of the army have not performed as well as expected against the... elemental challenges
the seiðkonur have set them."

"Hmm, 'tis not something they have been trained for unless they are old enough to have been
involved in the last war with Jötunheimr."

"I was told those who fought with us on Nornheimr that one time performed better."

Oh, Loki recalled that occasion, the keljari had the aid of a seiðmadr versed in non-
Yggdrasilli seiðr and it had taken him some time to adjust his strategy to effectively counter
the man's attack, meaning the warriors with them had been forced to deal with the resulting
chaos in the meantime. They had lost rather more warriors than usual when quashing a
would-be invasion on that planet.

"So suggest they share this knowledge with the other warriors as you teach them what you
know of facing opponents with different powers."

"Very well," Thor replied, before pulling a face. "You do not require my aid elsewhere?"

Loki was so surprised at the offer he could only blink in shock for a moment. "Nay, thank
you," he finally replied. "Since the draft treaty is with Laufey, we have less to deal with and
our most urgent issues are ensuring the army is prepared should it come to battle, and keeping
the rest of Ásgarðr running smoothly. I fear most of today will be dealing with issues and
tasks neglected in favor of the negotiations until now."

The face Thor pulled at his words amused Loki to some extent, and he could not help
himself.

"'Tis the greater part of a king's duties," he said.

"Aye, so I am coming to see."

Loki was not at all surprised to find Lord Ragnvaldr waiting for him when he arrived at his
study.

"I hope you have not been waiting long," Loki said, leading the way in.

"Nay," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "I had one of the servants ask your servant when you were
likely to be available today."
 "Good idea," Loki chuckled. "I do not rise early if I do not have to."

"I am rather the opposite I fear, doing most of my best work done before anyone else rises."

"No interruptions and a special quality to the silence?"

"Aye," Lord Ragnvaldr seemed surprised.

"'Tis what I like about the late evenings."

"Ah, aye, I suppose they would be similar. Alas, I would fall asleep at my desk."

The thought made Loki smile. "So, what do you have for me today?"

"Rather a lot I fear, Majesty."

"I would be surprised if you did not, much has been neglected in favor of the treaty."

"Aye. First, more of a formality, but rather an important one I believe."

Loki took the scroll of parchment and unrolled it. 'Twas a short edict officially declaring Thor
restored to his full status and making his brother crown prince once more. As Lord Ragnvaldr
had stated, 'twas more of a formality than anything else, but should something happen to him
before Óðinn awakened, then Uncle Vili or someone else would be able to make a claim
stating Thor's position was precarious at best or that Loki had never officially recognized him
in the line of succession, since his brother had not been thus when he had ascended to
Hliðskjálf. Loki still had his reservations about whether his brother should be in this position,
but he was not convinced Uncle Vili would be much better. Besides, this particular decision
was not truly his as regent rather than king outright.

With a few quick movements of his quill, he had signed and sealed it, handing the parchment
back.

"I hope everything you have for me will be this quick," Loki said.

"We may commence with those, if you wish," Lord Ragnvaldr replied.

Loki resisted the temptation to groan.

Chapter End Notes

I have to admit that when I first wrote some of these scenes involving the Warriors Four
and Heimdallr, I was a bit worried that I was taking their stubbornness and inability to
see reality too far. Then the whole QAnon thing got so much bigger and I now can't see
them as being quite so out there as I felt they were before...
The rest wasn't terribly exciting, I know, but necessary to move the plot along. Besides,
we need to nice Thor & Loki moments at times.

Old Norse:

argr - term of insult, "unmanly, effeminate, cowardly"

skáld - a poet who composed skaldic poetry
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: A feast (during which a certain lady tries her luck), more treaty work &
into Sif's head we go...
 Chapter 56
Chapter Notes

Sunday, again? Felt like just yesterday. My work schedule really makes me confused
sometimes.

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

After an entire day spent either in petitions or his study, the latter with one High Council
member after another as they came to see him about all manner of different issues or tasks
which had been put off during the peace negotiations, Loki was more than ready for the
evening feast. Even if it meant dealing with some of the ladies of court. Luckily for him,
Thor's restoration to full power and his own previous disinterest served to make some of
them turn their efforts towards his brother instead, much to his delight and Thor's seeming
dismay. Not that Loki thought any of those ladies capable of seeing the latter, as his brother
was doing his best to be gallant to them.

Aunt Ilmr was also reminding him why she was his favorite aunt, remaining at the table and
thereby curbing the potential scope of any conversations said ladies may have wished to have
with either him or Thor.

"What did you do today now you are fully restored, Thor?" Aunt Ilmr asked. "Did you spend
time on the training fields with the army?"

"Aye, I spent the morning there," Thor confirmed. "But, after lunch, I went out to visit the
villages west of the city."

"Oh? Was there something particular you required from them?"

"Nay, I was merely checking to ensure all was well."

"Of course."

"Is there much transpiring out there with all of the army in the city?" Lady Liv questioned.

"Nay, the villages are rather quiet," Thor replied. "But most are busy ensuring the current
crops are well looked after, in case it becomes necessary to harvest them earlier than usual in
order to help sustain the army, should it come to war."

"Oh, I had thought war unlikely now," Lady Inga said, glancing worriedly at Loki. "What
with the peace negotiations."
"That we have verbal agreement from Jötunheimr on the treaty makes war far less likely,"
Loki reassured. "However, we must still plan for all contingencies, no matter how unlikely."

"I see."

That she seemed worried about the possibility made Loki wonder if she had a brother in the
army, but he could not immediately recall who her parents were, much less her siblings. She
was newer to court and was not someone he had interacted with prior to his regency. He did
not even know if she had previously fawned over his brother as he had long since started
ignoring the ladies around Thor, since his brother's lack of particular interest in any one lady
meant he need not concern himself with any plans they may have upon either Thor or
Hliðskjálf. And speaking of those with a particular eye on Hliðskjálf and all that it meant,
Loki could no longer immediately spot Lady Hnoss. While he was relieved she was not
attempting to capture his attention, her absence made him wonder what she was doing
instead.

'Twas as he glanced about the Great Hall to check she was not simply at another table, that
Loki caught sight of a palace guard making his way amongst the tables. The sight was
unusual as, normally, 'twas a servant who would approach any of those present at a feast. The
package held in the guard's hand was another oddity as it seemed to be wrapped in the same
type of vellum he had seen the jötnar use during the negotiations on Niflheimr, and which
had been used in their first communications.

"Loki?" Thor questioned, touching his arm.

"Sorry," Loki said, looking over at his brother.

"Is everything alright?"

"Hmm, I merely noticed the guard," Loki explained, motioning to the man as he reached
Lord Aðalgrímr and handed him the package.

"Do you think something is amiss?"

"Nay, but I believe he may just have delivered Jötunheimr's response to the draft treaty to
Lord Aðalgrímr."

"Oh," Thor pulled a face. "Will you require my presence?"

The offer touched Loki as it proved his brother truly was trying, since for Thor 'twas the
equivalent to volunteering for manual labor to most.

"Nay, that will not be necessary, Brother. This will be detailed word play."

As he watched, Lord Aðalgrímr opened the outer package, examining its contents before
glancing up at the high table, catching his eye. The somewhat excited look on his old
mentor's face told Loki he had been correct in his guess. He acknowledged the nonverbal
communication with a tilt of his head, wishing he could extricate himself from his table as
easily as Lord Aðalgrímr, who hardly even had to speak with those around him before rising
and leaving the Great Hall. Those days, alas, were long gone. At present, at least.

"If you will all excuse me," he said as soon as Lady Liv paused for breath in the middle of
her tale. "There is some urgent business I must attend to."

"But, your Majesty, you have not even finished your meal!" Lady Inga protested. "There is
still dessert to be had. Surely you can make your business wait."

"I am afraid not," Loki responded. "'Tis Jötunheimr's reply which has arrived."

"Good luck, Loki," Aunt Ilmr said, cutting off whatever Lady Inga may have said.

"Thank you," Loki answered as he rose and stepped away from the table.

"Would you still care for dessert tonight, Majesty?" Livunn inquired as she appeared by his
side when he made for the back exit of the Great Hall.

"Hmm, please have it sent to my study," Loki replied. "Oh, and Lord Aðalgrímr will be
joining me."

"Of course, my Liege."

With those words, Livunn vanished only to be replaced by one of the Einherjar of his
personal guard.

The lack of questions from Lieutenant-General Yngvarr told Loki the head of his guard had
witnessed his earlier interaction with Lord Aðalgrímr. It made him wonder if anything
escaped the man's notice. The thought made him itch to test the theory, his usual penchant for
mischief and mayhem chaffing under the myriad of restrictions he currently found himself.

Oh, but for the chance to be able to play but one good trick!

The way the mere thought only added to his general sense of exhaustion told Loki exactly
why he could ill afford to give into this particular desire, much as he might wish to. Norns,
but he was ready to hand Gungnir and Hliðskjálf back to Óðinn! Cursed things that they
were.

"My King."

The voice rang out as Loki and his escort left the Great Hall and he stopped, closing his eyes
to sigh for a moment. He had wondered where Lady Hnoss had vanished off to towards the
end of the evening. Now he knew. And to think he had hoped she had found someone else to
distract herself with.

"Majesty?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr queried, softly.

Loki shook his head subtly before he turned to face his accoster.

"Lady Hnoss," he greeted.

She seemed disappointed he said no more as she approached, moving to stand quite close to
him. Loki knew better than to say he had noticed her absence, as she was certain to
misinterpret it for interest.

"Going so soon, Your Majesty?" she inquired.

"There is still much work to be done," Loki replied.

"Work?" Lady Hnoss protested as she stepped even closer, completely ignoring the presence
of the Einherjar, as if they were alone and lovers. "But surely even a king needs to relax and
enjoy himself from time to time."

Loki's hand shot up and he caught her wrist in an uncompromising grip as she reached out to
touch his face. She winced slightly but, to her credit, she did not struggle or try to break free.

"You do not even like me," Loki admonished bluntly.

He was through being polite and silvertongued about this. He was fed up, exhausted and in
pain; his patience for the hypocrisy of some of the ladies of court was gone. No one was
forcing them to act so dishonestly and he was sick of it. He did not care if their feelings were
hurt, 'twas their own fault for their blatant hypocrisy.

"Your Majesty, there must be some misunderstanding," Lady Hnoss tried.

"Who would possibly wish to spend time with such a dishonest, pale and dark haired
seiðmadr?" Loki repeated her words from before exactly, inflection and all.

The way she flinched told Loki Lady Hnoss recollected them too. While 'twas true they had
not been said directly to him, she had made no attempt to lower her voice and ensure he did
not overhear them, so she could not even accuse him of having eavesdropped.

"I-" Lady Hnoss began, before trailing off as he narrowed his eyes, daring her to continue.

"I have no interest in those who seek me out merely for my current position," Loki stated
plainly. "Nor do I desire to bed my brother's castoffs."

'Twas cruder than he had to be, but the memory of her words had reignited his anger and
reminded him of how he had felt at the time, to be so easily and publicly criticized and
humiliated.

Anger and shame flooded Lady Hnoss' face and, Loki could tell from the way she glanced
around, she was now intimately aware of the Einherjar's presence, but 'twas all her own fault.

"Go," Loki ordered when she finally seemed to collect herself enough to attempt speaking
again.

He emphasized his words by pushing back on her arm, making her retreat a step, before he
released her. Still, she hesitated for a moment before turning tail and fleeing. A few choice
words occurred to Loki as he watched her go, but he resisted muttering them. He despised
vulgarity without a true purpose, and no such one existed here. Besides, they had far more
effect when used if he normally did not utter them.

The subtle shift of one of his guards reminded Loki of their presence and where they were, so
he turned around and headed for his study. Now she was gone, he too was acutely aware of
the fact his personal guard had overheard their entire conversation. That they had been aware
of Lady Hnoss' insistent attempts to gain his attention was not in doubt, but he was certain
they had not been aware of their history or how hypocritical her current pursuit of him was.
Looking over at the head of his guard, he could see Lieutenant-General Yngvarr seemed to be
hesitating about something.

"Problem, Lieutenant-General?" Loki asked, deciding 'twas better to discuss it and move on,
rather than leave it festering.

While with many, their current attitudes and concern for him and his wellbeing were quite
contrived, Loki could honestly say he had never been talked down to, or dismissed, by the
head of Óðinn's guard in the past. A lot of it might have had to do with the fact their paths
had not crossed as often before, but the lieutenant-general had been involved in his warrior
training, so 'twas not like the man had not possessed any opportunities to do so either.

"Ah, we can ensure you are not... troubled by certain people if you wish to furnish us with a
list," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stated.

While extremely tempting, Loki knew how such an action could be perceived.

"Thank you, Lieutenant-General, but I doubt it will be necessary," Loki replied as they
rounded the corner in the corridor and his study doors came into view.

As Loki had expected, Lord Aðalgrímr was seated in one of the chairs situated along the
opposite corridor wall from the entrance. The package the man had received was now open
and, even from here, Loki could see 'twas a copy of the draft treaty they had sent to
Jötunheimr due to the size of the writing. 'Twas but one of several accommodations they had
made for the jötnar. He knew they were unlikely to be acknowledged, but he still thought it
had been important to make them, since they would further distance him from Óðinn in
Laufey's mind, and that could only be a good thing.

"My King," Lord Aðalgrímr rose at his approach.

"Good news, I hope," Loki replied, beckoning his old mentor in with him.

Instead of going to his desk, he elected to use the sofas as they would allow both of them to
see the same sheet of parchment simultaneously.

"They are arguing several points, as expected," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "But nothing which
appears as if it would cause a complete breakdown of the treaty."

"Good."
Loki felt something relax within him at the words. Despite how far they had already come, a
part of him still feared the whole thing would collapse and reveal itself to have been nothing
but a ploy on his birth father's part to either distract them or for some other, equally nefarious,
purpose.

"I believe we have Álfheimr to thank for some of it," Lord Aðalgrímr said as they seated
themselves. "This is what Lord Kvasir sent us regarding what he has been able to learn of
Queen Sága's proposed trade agreement with Jötunheimr."

As he said it, Loki's old mentor handed him a sheet of parchment with very familiar
handwriting. Skimming it, Loki found not only the ice blossoms and gems he had expected,
but also requests for perma ice in various shapes and forms, likely both for decoration and
toys from the list of specifics.

"This is very good for our current purposes," Loki said. "But do we think such a large order
with Jötunheimr will have an impact on their trade with other Realms?"

"I cannot see it affecting our trade and, while I deem it unlikely for the other Realms, 'tis
difficult to determine without knowing the specifics of their agreements," Lord Aðalgrímr
stated, before he pursed his lips. "I may be mistaken, though, if they currently acquire items
of a similar decorative nature from Múspellsheimr."

"Hmm, there could be a switch from fire to ice gems and such, should trade with Jötunheimr
open up once more," Loki agreed as Livunn entered the study. "If for nothing other than its
relative novelty."

With her usual quiet efficiency, Livunn moved around them, bringing them each what they
would have had for dessert if they had remained in the Great Hall.

"Thank you," Lord Aðalgrímr said as Loki smiled at her.

"Will there be anything else tonight, my Liege?" Livunn asked.

"Nay, and we are likely to be here quite a while," Loki replied, knowing well how Lord
Aðalgrímr preferred to finish a project like this over waiting to finish in the morn. "You may
retire."

"Majesty," Livunn curtsied and left.

"I am inclined to think if the only likely adverse effect of Álfheimr's trade agreement is to be
with Múspellsheimr, that we need not be concerned with it," Loki said, starting his dessert.

Lord Aðalgrímr smiled. "I agree, particularly after what they attempted."

"Which reminds me, have we received the first of the zisa?"

"Aye, it arrived today."

'Twas one less thing to worry about and, while Loki had not expected Queen Sinmara to
outright reject the signed trade agreement, the possibility had existed. He did doubt he would
ever see Lord Hrym again, not after how he had failed so utterly, and he sincerely doubted
Queen Sinmara would view herself and her own actions as culpable in the outcome.

"Which parts of the treaty does Laufey-King object to?" Loki queried, shifting his attention.

The sudden brightening of the lights in her cell woke Sif and she groaned. It felt like she had
only just managed to fall asleep a few minutes ago. Not only was the ground hard and
uncomfortable, but the prisoners had been returned to the other cells down the corridor and
now there was a lot more noise than there had been the previous few nights, since Loki had
them down here.

"It cannot possibly be morning yet," Fandral moaned from across the corridor.

"It could be any time of day, we would not know," Heimdallr commented, and Sif turned to
look at him.

As she had feared, he was sat in the far corner of his cell where he had spent most of his time
since they had arrived. Sif had yet to see him sleep and she wondered how he did it, or
whether he slept even as she did. She was half afraid to ask, though, if he did not, then
mayhap he would agree to stand guard over them as it were. 'Twas part of why she was
having so much trouble sleeping, (well, beyond the inhospitable conditions though she had
experienced worse ones before); the fact that she did not feel safe here. Anything could
happen at any time, and she knew it.

Sif had never thought she would ever feel so unsafe while on Ásgarðr, let alone while in
Iðavöllr, but then, she had never conceived of the possibility of Loki being king. It had been
far too horrendous and atrocious a thought to have truly occurred to her. Oh, she had always
known that 'twas what he desired more than anything, and what drove all of his jealousy of
Thor, but she had never thought he would actually succeed in his endeavor. Not with
everyone who stood in his way and who would defend Hliðskjálf from such manipulations
and deceit.

More fool her for believing thus, apparently.

Even now there was a large part of Sif which could simply not believe any of this was real;
that Loki was truly king. By lies and deceit, of course, but king nonetheless. Oh, how the
other Realms must be laughing at them! She was certain Jötunheimr was gearing up for an
assault, even as they distracted Loki and his advisors with pretty words and claims of peace.
It would be so like the liesmith to fall victim to his own weapon of choice, no doubt arrogant
enough to believe there would be others out there who would see the value of that which he
held so dear. She could only hope he did not take down all of Ásgarðr with him.

What Sif could not understand, however, was how Thor could believe any of it. He who
knew exactly what his brother was, and the types of dishonorable tricks and cheats Loki
deemed perfectly acceptable to achieve his own ends. Had her friend been bewitched? 'Twas
an ugly thought, but one they no longer had the luxury of not considering. Thor had been
made mortal and stripped of all of his protections as Prince of Ásgarðr, so 'twas entirely
possible that Loki, venomed whey-face that he was, had taken advantage of the situation and
bespelled his brother. Who knew what manner of dark arts the trickster was capable of?
Loki's tricks had been becoming progressive darker and more malicious for centuries now.

So why not something so odious and unthinkable? He had enslaved them, after all.

"As long as they bring us food, I do not care," Volstagg stated, pushing himself into a seated
position.

Sif winced at the thought of how hungry her friend had to be at present. Given what he
normally ate, the prison portions were hardly more than a snack for him and, soon, they
would expect him, and the rest of them, to be able to perform manual labor on those rations.
She had to admit, at least to herself, that Loki had managed to find the perfect punishment
which would appear lenient and potentially even fair to those who heard of it, but which was
nothing short of despicable and torturous in reality. Simply the mere thought of how she had
been utterly unable to control her own body after Loki had enslaved her, and commanded her
obedience, was enough to make her feel physically ill even now.

So, to think of being stuck thus until Óðinn woke, 'twas all but unbearable. Particularly since
Thor had not been back to visit them since before Loki had carried out their sentence.
Normally, she would think the second prince responsible for it, but, mayhap, it had not been
anything so direct in this particular instance. Nay, the words her friend had spoken while
visiting them had been indicative enough of his enchanted state, so 'twas entirely possible
Thor thought his decision to stay away from them was entirely his own. She could only hope
he was able to break free of his brother's magical fetters now he had regained his power.
After all, Thor did not possess an enslavement collar or manacles like them, so hopefully his
bewitchment was not as strong.

"At this rate, my back will not be good enough to perform whatever labor Loki wants us to,"
Fandral grumbled as he rose to his feet.

Sif snorted. "As if he or the prison guards will care."

"There is that," Fandral paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "But I cannot help but
think of all the times we ignored some prisoner's complaints."

"'Tis not the same," Volstagg protested. "They were guilty and deserving of their
punishments."

"Not nearly as deserving as you!" a voice from beside Sif's cell called out.

"Ignore him," Sif advised when it looked like Volstagg would argue. "They are merely
reacting to having us down here."

It infuriated her as well, to have those whom they had captured now imprisoned beside them
and baiting them at all hours of the day and night, but responding would only encourage
them. She refused to allow the situation Loki had subjected them to, to break them. She
would not give him that pleasure. Nay, instead she would hold strong until Óðinn awoke and
set everything right. And, if a part of her secretly hoped to see the lying, two faced bastard
locked up down here for all he had done, well Sif could dream. Óðinn had never gone quite
so far before as to throw his youngest into the dungeons, though she had often thought Loki
deserved it, but neither had the darkling gone quite so far before either.

Surely Óðinn could not do any less for the usurpation of Hliðskjálf and the bewitching of his
eldest son and heir? She was already savoring the day in her mind, well able to picture how
poorly Loki would take the public humiliation. From king to prisoner, it would be quite the
fall from grace and all of the Nine would know of it. Even if Óðinn ever relented to Frigga's
pleas, Sif knew Loki would never fully recover from it. No matter where he would go, they
would know of his shame.

The clanging of metal alerted Sif to the approaching of the cart bearing the food for them to
break their fast. Her stomach growled involuntarily and she pulled a face, already heartily
sick of the bland mush they called food. She knew better than to hope it would be any better
today than it had been the previous few days, as she had been with Thor when he had been
asked whether they should vary the prisoners' diet and he had rejected the suggestion. He had
said the prisoners should have thought of that before they had committed their criminal acts
and she had agreed with him, never thinking she herself would ever be one of those prisoners.

She had been too naive when it came to Loki and what he was capable of, and to think she
knew him so well! 'Twas no surprise everyone else was currently being deceived by him.

"Food and a change of clothes," one of the prison guards stated as he appeared between their
cells. "You will have five minutes of barrier opaqueness."

Sif sneered at how the man looked at her when he said it. Though she would never admit it to
his face, she was thankful for the boundaries Loki had thought to put into place on her collar.
It had not been done for her benefit, she was certain, but to ensure Thor did not kill or maim
Loki should something have happened. It would have been rather difficult for him to explain,
after all.

A few buttons were all the guard had to push in order to make her barrier one directional, so
both her tray and new clothes could be pushed in. As soon as it turned opaque, Sif leapt
forward and hurried to change into the new clothes, not trusting the guard to give her the full
five minutes. The new outfit was as bland as the previous one and she pulled a face at the
thought of being paraded around Ásgarðr in it.

They would stand out for all to see, which she was certain was the intent. Sif threw her old
clothes at the barrier in anger at the thought. Given the restrictions Loki had placed on them
via the collar, the only point of the clothes could be to further humiliate them as they would
not be able to either attempt or affect an escape if that particular order was at all as effective
as the one forcing her to kneel or kiss Yngvarr's boots the other day. Her face still colored in
both humiliation and anger at the memory, though it shifted far more to anger at how Loki
had then forced her to help subdue her friends for their own enslavement.

Despite all of that, Sif was determined to fight this every step of the way. She would not give
into the dark prince so easily. She was both a warrior and lady of the court, no matter what he
claimed; a member of the elite Einherjar! She would fight and she would prevail. If for
nothing else than to prove herself better than Loki and his precious seiðr. He may have
temporarily ensnared her with it, but she absolutely refused to believe 'twas even half as
 strong as he claimed it was. 'Twas nothing but seiðr, after all, hardly good for anything but
healing and tricks. True, he had made some fancy displays yesterday, but that was when Loki
had been present and had Gungnir nearby. She did not believe for an instant that the
enslavement seiðr would be nearly so strong in his absence, especially once they had been
taken from Iðavöllr.

Perhaps once that would have worked, when the dökkálfar had come to Ásgarðr to properly
perform the enslavement ritual, but that had not happened here. Nay, instead Loki had
displayed his usual arrogance and performed the ritual himself after decades of complaining
how secretive the dökkálfar were of their seiðr. Did he truly expect for them to now believe
he had somehow found a way to both learn and master it overnight, after all of that?

He truly did believe them to be simpletons.

The thought made Sif smile as she had always known the trickster's arrogance would be his
undoing and she was delighted to be proven correct. With reluctance, she picked up her bowl
and began eating the slop as the barrier on her cell became transparent once more. After they
were out of the dungeons and away from Iðavöllr, she would inform the others of her
thoughts and they could begin to test the true limits of their collars.

Chapter End Notes

Okay, so first I need to correct a grave oversight. Last week I should have let you all
know that Lilituism made another stunning illustration for this fic. This time it's Loki
relaxing on the table in the sun from chapter 53, and it can be found here. Have a look
and let her know what you think!

Now, as for the fic itself, Lady Hnoss has made her move and been firmly rejected. Not
only is Loki well aware of her true intentions, but Thor has learned a lot about them as
well with her behaviour and attitude as of late.

Then a little Livunn, being quietly efficient and ensuring our favourite Trickster eats
enough and is properly taken care of, or at least as much as she can given circumstances.

Finally, Sif, no longer a lady. I remember having a lot of fun with this section when
writing it. There was something rather fun about being so widely off base and twisting
and turning events and history around to suite her needs. Especially while she's accusing
Loki of the same, even in the same thought at many points. It's quite easy to write once I
was in the right mindset; much more stream of consciousness, rather than the more
focused and calculating thoughts running through Loki's head as he tries to make the
most of the opportunity he has been presented with.

Old Norse:
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
jötnar - "frost giants"
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week (on my birthday & the 1 year anniversary of this fic's first chapter!): The
Warriors Four attempt to escape...
 Chapter 57
Chapter Notes

Hey, everyone! Nearly 24 hours earlier than normal, but just the 30th here, so both my
birthday and this fic's anniversary!

I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Are you certain?" Volstagg asked, drawing Sif's attention to the other cell and her friends.

"Aye," Hogun confirmed from where he sat, still dressed in his old clothes. "I will not eat it."

Now she had some more context, Sif saw Volstagg held a slop bowl even as a second lay on
the floor beside him. She could not imagine wanting to eat more of it, but, if one were
hungry, she supposed it may start to look more appealing.

"Very well," Volstagg replied, raising the bowl to his lips.

"Oi, what is going on here?" one of the guards demanded. "You, stop!"

Sif could only watch in dismay and no little horror as Volstagg's arm froze, the bowl just
short of his lips. Though she had known it likely the guards would be able to force them to do
little things while within the confines of Iðavöllr, 'twas still a horrible shock to witness. It
also brought all of her horror and terror from two days ago flooding right back to her. Not
only from when she had been forced to do things against her will, but also from when Loki
had been locking the collar around her throat and whispering his arcane words. She had been
certain she had felt his seiðr all around her before it had begun to sink into her, slithering
insidiously into her body and mind, seeping into her blood and weaving itself around her
bones.

"Is that your meal?" the guard demanded.

Say aye, say aye! Sif silently urged her friend.

"Nay," Volstagg replied.

"Then why do you have it?"

"I..."

"Answer truthfully," the guard snapped.

He was enjoying this, Sif could tell. No doubt it made him feel mighty and powerful, not only
being able to command a prisoner at will, but being able to lord it over them in particular. For
not only had they made it to the elite Einherjar where this guard had failed to do so, but they
were close friends and companions of Prince Thor, crown prince and rightful heir to
Hliðskjálf!

This guard and his brethren were never going to get closer to the royal family than this.

"Hogun does not want it and I am still hungry," Volstagg answered.

"Hogun, eat your meal," the guard ordered. "And get changed."

Sif clenched her fists as she watched Hogun rise, every movement stiff and economical,
without a single wasted effort. That alone would have told her he was fighting the collar
every step of the way and she felt both proud of, and humiliated for, him as he was forced to
comply with the guard's orders. It did also raise the worrying thought of whether she could be
forced to strip as part of a command to get changed. Up to now, the barrier had always been
made opaque, but what if 'twas not? Could the safeguards be bypassed in that manner? She
was afraid to test it, just in case, as it would be so like Loki to leave that kind of gap to make
it seem like he had made an effort while still leaving her vulnerable.

Then they were ready and could only wait for someone to come collect them for their first
day of forced labor. Even now, the mere thought was enough to make Sif sneer. Only Loki
could debase such accomplished and renowned warriors as them by performing manual labor.
They were not common peasants!

"You will attempt to escape," Heimdallr stated, looking directly at her.

"Of course," Sif replied, for how could they not? "We would take you with us if we could."

"Do not concern yourself with me. I shall be restored as soon as Óðinn awakens, and Loki
seems to have nothing more planned for me than mere incarceration here."

"Are we certain of that?" Fandral asked.

"You suspect more?" Sif questioned.

"It seems far too simple for Loki."

"He took Heimdallr's sight!" Volstagg protested.

"Aye, but 'twas for practical purposes," Fandral argued. "And we all know what Loki is like
when someone angers him."

As he said it, Fandral looked over at her and Sif had to resist the urge to reach up and touch
her hair. Even now, three centuries later, the condition of her hair still smarted. It had become
marginally better since it had grown out from the impromptu hair cut Loki had given it, but
its awful coal black color still never failed to make her wince every time she looked in the
mirror. She had possessed such beautiful golden hair once and been then envy of all the
ladies at court. She should have known 'twas only a matter of time before Loki did
something, as the jealous coward could never bear it if someone was more liked than him.

"Fandral makes a good point," Hogun spoke up.

From the way Heimdallr reacted, Sif could tell they were correct. There was another
component to the gatekeeper's punishment.

"You know what else he means to do," Sif said. "Did he tell you of it ere we arrived?"

"Nay, he did not have to be quite so direct," Heimdallr replied. "And it matters not what it is,
I can endure it until Óðinn awakens."

"If you are certain, Heimdallr," Fandral replied.

"I am."

"Very well," Sif said. "Good luck."

"And you, though I fear you will need more than mere luck to succeed."

The words made Sif frown and she wished to question them, but Hogun raised his hand for
silence, so she did not. After Loki, Hogun had always been the one in their group to hear the
enemy coming first. It had grated, this ability of Thor's little brother, but now she liked to
think of it as like being able to sense like. Loki had always been able to sense the enemy far
better than anyone else, too much so to merely have slightly better hearing. He had probably
used seiðr and simply refused to tell them.

Then one of the prison guard supervisors was there with four of his men.

"Ready for your first act of penance, traitors?" the man whose name Sif had never bothered to
learn asked.

Sif considered responding, but she did not wish to know what he might do in retaliation. Nay,
the best revenge would be to escape while his men were meant to guard them, then he would
be at fault for their incompetence.

"Nothing to say? Well, mayhap you can be taught," the man continued, and she had to grit her
teeth not to respond, seeing Fandral place a placating hand on Volstagg's arm. "Good. Now,
when we lower the barriers, you will step out of your cells and calmly follow my men to the
main courtyard, where you will get into the waiting cart for transport to your first assignment.
You will not attempt to either escape or cause any disruptions while doing so. Understood?"

"Aye," Sif found herself responding along with the Warriors Three.

The smiles the guards shared made her want to bash their heads in. Instead, Sif carefully
memorized their faces so she would be able to recognize them again later and obtain her
revenge. No one treated her like this! No one, not even Loki - spoiled royal highness that he
was - had come away unscratched from treating her thus before. Aye, she had not been the
one to punish him, but Thor had been more than willing to do so on her behalf when Loki had
turned her hair black. It had hardly been fair, but at least she had obtained some measure of
vengeance and achieved at least some blood price.

Then the barrier keeping her confined to her cell dropped and Sif stepped forwards, electing
to move under her own volition for now, rather than be forced to by Loki's seiðr. She hated
the feel of it under her skin, forcing her body to obey the guards' commands. It made her feel
dirty and she wondered how long it would take after the working was broken before she
would feel clean once more. She feared it might be never.

Was it too much to hope for Óðinn to take his son's head for this? Loki had usurped
Hliðskjálf after all, a crime which was punishable by death and normally was.

A quick glance at her companions showed only Fandral had elected to do as she and move of
their own volition. Both Volstagg and Hogun had the stiffer, mechanical motions of robots
and she felt ill at the comparison. 'Twas what Loki had reduced them down to; machines.

Even as she watched, though, Sif could see Volstagg's movements evening out and she was
glad. She could understand his anger, she too hated being obedient and doing what any of her
captors wished, but they had little choice here and now. Thus, 'twas better to conserve their
energy for a later escape attempt. Besides, some good behavior here could lull the guards into
a false sense of security for when they did act. No doubt Loki had bragged of his power and
accomplishments to them, so they would believe they had nothing to be concerned with, the
fools. They must have failed to become Einherjar for some reason, after all.

'Twas amazing how good it felt to simply leave the dungeons, something she had always
taken for granted before. The thought she would never do so again was too horrible to
contemplate, so she did not. She did not deserve to be here and 'twas only so because Loki
had done the unthinkable and betrayed not only his own family, but all of Ásgarðr as well.

Thinking of it now, Sif could not believe she had not seen this coming. She, who had always
known who and what he was, not to mention precisely how envious Loki had always been of
Thor. But then, mayhap, 'twas a good thing as it meant she did not think like a usurper and
blood traitor, but how did the good defend against the actions of those if their crimes were so
unthinkable?

The first jeers and calls brought Sif back to the present and she tried to school her expression,
to not show how much the looks and whispers of the other members of court they had just
come across on their way affected her. Though she did not know their names, she recognized
them as newer and lowlier members of court, so of course they were taking the time to gloat
at them now. It probably made them feel self-important and powerful to do so; to sneer at
ones like them who were so highly placed in comparison.

Then they were past the main corridor and down one Sif did not immediately recognize. It
took her a moment to realize 'twas a servants' corridor and one for the palace guards to move
about more effectively. She had never used them before. It meant she was not entirely certain
where they were until they joined up with a main corridor once more, through a marble wall
panel. Before she could think any more on it, they were out in the main courtyard and Sif
could see the cart waiting for them. As before, 'twas one of the bare basic ones she had used a
hundred times to transport prisoners in, and, exactly like the dungeons, 'twas not something
she had ever thought she would see the other side of.

The trickster would pay for all that he had done to them! And, if Óðinn did not execute him,
she would ensure she still obtained her own blood price. This time she would also see if she
could not exact it herself, instead of needing Thor to do it. Loki should not still have his
protections as a prince of Ásgarðr after all of this, at the very least. In her opinion, 'twas why
the trickster had become so bad. Since he had never been sufficiently punished for all of his
crimes, he kept on committing them.

"I hate seiðr," Fandral declared as he climbed onto the cart beside Sif.

"I hate seiðmenn," she shot back.

"Sif!" Fandral hissed, eyes darting about. "The guards."

"I do not ca-"

"Well you should!"

"It hardly matters, once we are far away enough from Iðavöllr, the seiðr should fail."

"What?"

"You heard Heimdallr, this is dökkálfarian seiðr," Sif said.

"Aye, and?"

"And how oft have we heard Loki complaining of how unwilling the dökkálfar are to share
their seiðr?"

"I have lost count."

"Precisely."

"You believe he will not have done it right?" Volstagg questioned.

"But then why does it work even now?" Hogun asked, motioning towards the back of the
cart. "I cannot leap out and fight as I otherwise would."

"We are still within the palace grounds and thus close to Loki," Sif explained. "With distance
it should weaken, at which point we can escape."

"'Tis what you were having words with Heimdallr about," Fandral realized. "I thought you
might have a true plan."

"'Tis a true plan!"

"One which relies on Loki performing poor seiðr, and how often have we witnessed that?"

"I can think of a few instances," Volstagg replied.

"Precisely, a few," Fandral retorted. "We may not like it, but Loki is a good seiðmadr and
renowned for it."

"So you think we should not even try?" Sif demanded hotly, her hand shooting out to grasp
hold of the side of the cart as it lurched into movement unexpectedly.

The arrogance of the guards to not even make a show of restraining them grated. They were
not a group of harmless individuals, but the renowned Warriors Four, feared in all the
Realms!

"Nay, of course not!" Fandral protested. "But we should not assume it will be so easy. This is
Loki we are contending with."

"A dishonorable coward," Hogun uttered. "Who moved against his own brother."

"But a talented seiðmadr and we are dealing with seiðr," Fandral countered, reaching up to
touch his collar. "We have already all tried to fight it and been defeated."

"Within the dungeons and near Loki!" Sif retorted.

"Aye, but you felt the seiðr as he performed it, sinking into your very flesh, did any of that
feel weak to you?"

Sif hated to admit that nay, it did not, so she merely shook her head, shuddering as she could
still clearly recall the cold sickly feel of it as it sunk its way into her. If she concentrated hard
even now, she could almost imagine she could feel it right now, polluting her very essence
with the liesmith's disgusting presence and influence.

"I can feel it in every part of me," Hogun admitted, looking down at his hands. "Even now 'tis
there, lurking just under the skin, merely waiting to burst to life and control me."

The admission made Sif swallow thickly and she tried not to think of it. Having been raised
on Vanaheimr, Hogun had been taught far more seiðr than he had ever wished to learn. She
herself had been luckier, being able to evade all of her mother's lessons thereof. She had
known from a very young age that she did not wish to be a healer like her mother, but rather a
warrior like her father, even if he had always been against the very idea.

"Here we go," Volstagg warned, and Sif looked up to see they were approaching the main
gates of Iðavöllr.

Of course, after being taken out of Iðavöllr via the servants' corridors, Loki was now having
them taken out the biggest and most public entrance to the palace grounds. The venomed
traitor!

Then they were through the gates and Sif's eyes were darting everywhere, attempting to do a
proper threat assessment. She could almost still feel where the rotten tomato had hit her the
last time. At least now, she was not chained to the cart and thus able to defend herself as she
had not been ordered not to.
It took a few moments before they were properly spotted, but once they were, a cry went up
amongst the people and soon they were the center of attention once more. The cries of
disapproval began immediately and Sif scowled at anyone who would meet her eyes. How
dare they whom had been defended by herself and her companions either judge or condemn
them? They did not realize the peril they were currently in with that pretender on Hliðskjálf!
She was certain they would learn, but she dreaded to think what would need to happen in
order for them to do so.

Luckily, this time there were less people in the streets as 'twas still quite early, so they moved
far more rapidly than before. They rode swiftly past the passage of kings and over bridges
leading to the lower levels. They soon left the more architecturally grand heart of the city
behind, moving faster and further out, the buildings becoming more and more plain. Loki had
not been wrong when he had said the eastern edge of the city.

"I do not believe I have been out this way before," Fandral said.

"Nor I," Volstagg agreed.

Why would they, Sif wondered as she wrinkled her nose. Did these people have no shame?
Who would allow their homes to descend into such a state of disrepair? No wonder they
required assistance with their road maintenance if they kept their homes thus! Rather than
pandering to them, Loki should allow them to wallow in their filth until they actually did
something about it themselves.

"Norns," Fandral muttered suddenly.

"What?" Sif asked, glancing at him.

"I think I caught sight of some of the road we will be working on," Fandral replied, gesturing
towards the left. "The next road over."

They had to wait for the next gap in the houses, but, when it came, Sif caught sight of
another, larger road and it did indeed look to be in bad shape.

"I had wondered why we took so convoluted a route over such small roads," Volstagg
commented. "Now I see why."

"'Tis their own fault for allowing it to fall into such a state of disrepair," Sif stated aloud.
"They should have to fix it themselves!"

"And deprive Loki of the chance to have us do it?" Volstagg riposted.

"At least 'tis something which actually needs doing," Fandral replied. "And not some vanity
project like erecting a statue in Loki's image."

"Do not say that in his presence!" Sif exclaimed. "Or he will wish to do it."

"I only hope my wife was able to learn of where we will be, so I can see my children again,"
Volstagg said.
If there was a silver lining to the punishment, then 'twas that, Sif knew. Either Loki or the
guards had forbidden Volstagg's wife from bringing the children to see their father, so the last
her friend had seen of them was when they had first been dragged back to the Iðavöllr from
Himinbjörg. It had not been a good last sighting.

When the cart slowed and turned left down a very narrow passage, Sif craned her neck to
peer ahead. That they were heading for the road Fandral had spotted earlier was clear, though
it looked to be in better repair here. When they came out from between the two buildings
onto the larger road, she saw a large stack of cobblestones off to their left, along with an
assortment of tools, most of which she did not know the names of, merely that they were
things used by the commoners. Speaking of which, two men who were clearly but common
laborers stood waiting beside the tools, deep in discussion with an older woman in the deep
purple robes of a city councilor. Almost as one, the three turned to look at them.

"Ah, excellent," the lady said, glancing at them before looking over to the head of the guard.
"Thank you for bring them out here, Captain."

"Councillor Vör?"

"Aye."

"Were you informed of how the collars work?"

"Prince Vé sent instructions regarding the working, aye," Councillor Vör replied.

"Good, then I shall be off. A few of my men will remain, but if all goes well, there will be but
one or two tomorrow."

"I understand, thank you for bringing them, Captain."

"Councillor."

With that, the lead prison guard motioned, and half of his men turned their horses around and
left with him, leaving but a handful behind.

"Do not test the seiðr right away," Sif hissed, quietly. "It would be too obvious at present."

"Very well," Fandral sighed, before he leapt down off the back of the cart.

Sif quickly joined him, followed somewhat more reluctantly by both Volstagg and Hogun.

"Have you been told what you will be doing here?" Councillor Vör demanded, a frown
crossing her face as she looked at them.

"My Lady," Fandral began, turning on his charm. "I do not believe we have been properly
introduced. I am-"

"One of the traitors, aye, I am well aware," Councillor Vör cut him off. "All you need to
know about me, is that I am the one who has been placed in command of this particular task
of yours."
The cold words left Sif torn. On the one hand, she always loved it when another woman did
not fall for Fandral's charm, but her words were harsh and chilling, killing most of her
amusement.

"Now, so we are clear, you have been brought here to work, but we are not heartless. You will
have access to however much water you desire, and food will be provided at noon,"
Councillor Vör stated. "There will also be respite breaks and you may use the toilets when
necessary. However, you are here to work, and I expect you to do so. If you refuse, I have
been instructed in how to make you do so. 'Tis your choice whether I utilize the seiðr to
compel your actions."

"We will work," Sif replied, not quite able to believe their good fortune.

Clearly, Councillor Vör had never been in charge of prisoners before. So much the better for
them. She felt a little guilt at the trouble Vör would no doubt be in, but it would all be made
well once Óðinn awoke and rectified the situation.

"Good," Councillor Vör replied, before she motioned to the two men she had been speaking
with. "These are the experts who will be working beside you and informing you on what
needs to be done."

Ah, Sif had wondered how they were expected to repair the road, given none of them had
ever performed such a menial task before in their lives.

"This will be hard work," the elder of the two men stated. "Harder work than you will ever
have done before in your lives."

"Ha!" Volstagg laughed. "You have clearly never been in battle before, if you think such a
repetitive task with rest and time for food and toilet breaks is hard work."

"That is oft frantic activity for a short, defined time," the younger said. "This will be
sustained work over the course of several days. There is a reason 'tis called backbreaking
labor, and why you never see a fat laborer."

While he said it, the man looked down at Volstagg's waist with a sneer. As if he had anything
to feel superior about! Sif was certain they were father and son, sharing enough features
including an overly large nose which dominated their faces and made their pale, gray eyes
almost negligible in comparison. It had been a recurring nightmare of hers as a child; to be
stuck for most of her working life with her mother, doing what all of the women in her family
had done. Healing. Nay, she had wanted to escape, break free of the cycle and make a true
difference and a name for herself.

"I am not fat!" Volstagg protested. "I am well built."

The two men shared a look and Sif could tell they were trying hard not to laugh outright.

"We shall see then, shall we not?" the father asked. "Now, we will commence with this
section of the road over here," he indicated to the right. "'Tis not as bad as some sections we
will have to work on, but it will provide a good start for you to learn the necessary skills."
With an effort, Sif followed them so she could observe as they explained their first task of the
day. They needed to lull both them and their guards into a false sense of security before they
could affect their escape. One of the promised breaks would be a good time, if the men would
be as lax as Councillor Vör. She merely wished she could easily test the seiðr of the collar,
but short of attempting to injure one of the guards or disobeying a direct order, she could not
think of a good way to do so, and both of those would alert the guards to the fact the seiðr
had failed. Which would defeat the point.

The next two hours were spent either on her knees laying cobblestones just so, or ferrying
them from where they had been stacked over to Volstagg, who was laying them along with
Hogun.

"Can you think of a way to test the collars?" Sif asked Fandral as they leaned down to collect
more cobblestones.

"Discretely? Nay," Fandral replied. "Though..."

"Though what?"

"I suppose you could attempt to deliberately drop a stone on one of the guard's feet," Fandral
mussed. "If it works, you can claim 'twas accidental, and thus not a violation of the rules."

"But we will know 'twas deliberate," Sif realized, before she pulled a face. "We are thinking
like Loki, are we not?"

"I believe so."

For that alone Sif wished to reject the idea, but she did have a better one and, if there was one
thing Loki the slippery snake was good at, 'twas being sneaky.

"Think of it as utilizing his own tactics against him," Fandral offered.

"I like that," Sif replied, rising to her feet once more. "I truly like that."

"Good, now, do you wish to do it, or should I?"

"I will, the guard by Volstagg is closer, thus it will be more believable."

"Very well."

As she walked back with her heavy burden, Sif examined the guard ahead of her. The
advantage to what they were here to do was that it meant the road was quite uneven, which
would aid them in their ruse. It truly was quite clever of Fandral, even if 'twas no doubt
something Loki would have come up with himself or approved of. Still, it did feel good to
turn such a tactic against him. Let him see how it felt, though she would always hate him for
making her stoop to such depths.

There, that was a conveniently placed raised stone and if she were to stumble over it, she
would convincingly drop her burden on the guard's foot. The thought made her want to smile
and Sif had to fight to keep the expression from her face. It would not do to give away her
 plan now, but it felt good, oh so very good, to be able to take control of her fate once more. It
had only been a little over a week, but it felt like forever since she had been knocked from
her feet in Himinbjörg and first felt the bite of cold steel around her wrists. Thus, to be so
close to freedom, and her vengeance, was exhilarating! The first thing she would do once
they were safe would be to eat something savory or sweet. She did not truly care what 'twas,
so long as 'twas not that horrible, tasteless slop she had been subsiding on lately. It-

With a cool and calm efficiency, Sif found her foot shifting to the left and missing the
cobblestone she had intended to stumble over. The sudden unexpectedness of it made her
stumble and she did drop her load as she fought for her balance, but right onto her own feet.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da! A further deep-dive into Sif's head. I hope you all liked it, since it was rather fun
to twist and turn things around.

As for why this chapter was posted so much earlier than normal, I'm going into London
to see a play for my birthday later, once I get up. I probably will only just be back before
midnight and so wouldn't get this up in time if I left it until after I went to bed tonight!

Shortly after posting the last chapter, I got a notice on Instagram to inform me someone
had tagged me in a post. I opened it to find a trio of gorgeous illustrations for this fic by
penguinofthewaddles. It's of the scene in Loki's study when Thor confronts him before
half the Council. They can be found here. Aren't they amazing?!

Old Norse:

Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðmenn - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + menn (“men”) - i.e.
wizards/sorcerers/mages

Up next week: Sif's father comes out to the work site & Fandral's parents visit him in the
dungeons.
 Chapter 58
Chapter Notes

*looks around sheepishly*

Sorry for worrying everyone, but I lost track of what day it was! My shift patterns at
work rotate around the week and my weekends so rarely fall on the actual weekend that
I didn't realize yesterday was Sunday until I got into work today and it was really a
Monday and not just my Monday. To make matters worse, I'm on the late shift, so
couldn't do anything about it until late!

Apologies!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sif cried out in agony and pulled her feet back, jumping from one to the other as she tried to
shake off the pain.

"Sif!"

She was uncertain who called out, thinking it might be all three of her friends, before Fandral
was beside her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "What happened?"

"I tripped," Sif replied, before her voice dropped to a devastated whisper. "It happened when
I tried to act to injure the guard."

"Oh," Fandral said softly. "So they do still work."

Obviously. The realization pained Sif far more than her feet. She had been so certain Loki's
seiðr would not be able to hold so far - he had always complained of the dökkálfar not
sharing their knowledge! - she had not been prepared for an escape attempt not to be possible.
She had been so focused on escaping, on being able to do something, she had not allowed
herself to truly consider it could fail and she could be stuck as a slave, unable to do anything
until Óðinn awoke. The helplessness which swamped her as a result was paralyzing.

"What happened?" one of the laborers demanded.

"'Twas an accident," Fandral replied. "She tripped over one of the uneven cobblestones."

"Do you need a healer?" a different voice demanded. "Honestly?"

"Nay," Sif replied before she had even thought about it.
"Take a break," one of their guides offered. "Then you work until noon."

"Thank you," Fandral responded.

Sif wished to sneer at him for being polite to their captors. Who was happy to utilize slave
labor? If they were proper æsir, they would refuse to utilize them. Though, then they would
be stuck in the dungeons all day and Sif was not certain she would prefer that over being out
here for most of the day, even if she had to perform menial chores. Besides, if there were no
demand for their labor, then Loki might be more able to demand their execution instead, as it
would look like he had attempted another solution. She was also no longer certain people
other than Thor and their own families would protest such a decision, ungrateful cretins that
they were.

Altogether, Sif was no longer certain how to feel about any of it.

"Come," Fandral urged, leading her back towards the cart so she could sit on it.

"You tripped?" Volstagg questioned, doubtfully, as soon as he and Hogun joined them.

"She was attempting to see if we could injure the guards deliberately," Fandral explained. "As
a means to test whether the collars worked here."

"A good means of doing so," Volstagg said.

"So, what do we do now?" Sif asked, glancing up at her friend.

"I do not believe there is anything we can do, but wait for Óðinn to awaken," Fandral replied.

"If he does."

"We must remain optimistic," Volstagg responded.

"Aye, but will Loki allow him to awaken?" Hogun asked. "He is king now and will remain so
should Óðinn die, we all heard Thor."

"'Tis too good of an opportunity for Loki to not attempt something," Sif agreed.

Helplessness swamped her once more. Here they were, being forced to perform manual labor
while Ásgarðr's true king was in mortal peril and its crown prince was bewitched to believe
all was well. 'Twas beyond frustrating!

"We are officially still at war with Jötunheimr, even with the negotiations," Fandral stated.
"Which means both Óðinn and Loki will be heavily guarded. Even Thor has had Einherjar
with him every time he has come to see us. In addition, Óðinn will be heavily monitored by
Lady Eir and, I am certain, Queen Frigga is with Óðinn as well. It would not be easy for Loki
to interfere."

"Still, 'tis what Loki has always desired, he will not sit by and be idle," Sif argued.

"There is nothing we can do."

"Well there should be!"

"Sif," Volstagg suddenly said, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Your father."

Startled, Sif turned her head to look, and she did indeed catch sight of her father approaching
them along with her least favorite aunt, the one who had pushed most for her to become a
healer like herself and Sif's mother. What was she doing here? Sif knew 'twas not to see her
as they had not spoken for centuries, so it could only be to support her brother, but why
would Father need support to come visit her? And why was he doing so here, in public?

Sif had done her best to ignore them but, ever since they had arrived, there had been a steady
stream of onlookers who had clearly come to simply witness them being punished. Their
numbers increased and decreased moment to moment, but there were always at least a few
people and, right now, 'twas closer to a dozen. She had no desire for her personal life to go on
public display even more than it already was.

After a quick word with one of the guards, her father and aunt were permitted close. The
smirk on the guard's face only raised her concern even further and now she was very
uncomfortable, but she forced herself onto her aching feet once more so she could step
forwards.

"Father," she tried to smile. "Aunt A-"

"This is not a social visit," Father interrupted. "I am here to determine precisely how far my
shame extends."

The words made her flinch even as they awakened her anger. Why could her father not
support her even once? He had not even asked her for her side of the tale, simply taking
Loki's words at face value. Did he truly not know her at all?

"Father," Sif began.

"We shall see. Sister?"

Stunned, Sif could only stare at her father as her aunt stepped forwards and orange seiðr
swelled around her fingers.

"What are you doing?" Sif demanded, but was ignored. "What is she doing, Father?"

"What I should have had her check when King Loki first professed not to have altered your
hair color, but to have merely removed an enchantment."

"He lied!"

"We shall see."

See? See what? Sif had no idea what her father thought he would find here. And what did
Loki's trick with her hair have to do with anything?
Completely confused, Sif looked over at her friends, only to find her own lack of
comprehension written across their faces as well. Beyond them, however, she could see some
of the guards and local residents, all of whom were watching closely. It made her feel oddly
naked, so she turned back to her father and aunt, the latter of whom had just finished uttering
a spell. Seiðr shot towards both her and her father, circling them once before rushing together
to intertwin, at which point the seiðr turned an angry red before dissipating.

"No match," her aunt said. "She is not yours."

Not his? Not his what?

Sif could only watch in confusion as her father's face clouded over, looking thunderous for a
moment before it cleared and became the horribly blank mask Sif associated with politicians.

"I see," he said, nodding once. "King Loki was correct then, 'twas a geas to cuckold me."

"Cuckold?" Sif repeated. "Father, what is going on? What was that seiðr?"

"'Twas a familial spell," Father stated. "Meant to test if two people are related. We are not."

"What?"

It... that... Sif blinked in incomprehension as she struggled to understand what her father had
just said. They were not related? But how could that be? He was her father!

"Nay, it must be wrong," Sif babbled as soon as comprehension dawned. "There has been a
mistake!"

"I do not make mistakes," her aunt claimed immediately. "Not with my seiðr."

"You hate me! How do I know you did not do it on purpose?"

"My sister would not lie to me thus," Father stated. "And this makes far more sense. I always
thought your mother had strayed while I was on Jötunheimr during the war. The bastard had
dark hair too, so of course she had to disguise yours, otherwise her infidelity and dishonor
would have been obvious!"

"I am not a bastard!" Sif protested.

To be born out of wedlock... 'twas a great shame.

"Normally that would have been the greater shame," her father continued on. "But, given the
circumstances, 'tis less than actually having you as mine!"

"Father!" Sif exclaimed, before a thought occurred to her. "Loki, it has to be him, he did
something to me to make the spell react as it did! He-"

"Enough! Stop blaming King Loki for all of your own faults and shortcomings, you have
been doing it for centuries."
"I have not!"

"Norns, but I am glad not to have to claim you as mine anymore. A millennium has been
more than long enough!"

The words were like a slap in the face and Sif stepped back in reflex. Nay, he could not
mean!

"Papa?" she asked, involuntarily.

"Nay, your decision to become a warrior was bad enough, your constant prideful actions even
more, but this outright treason of the present? That I could not tolerate and now I no longer
need to," he stated loudly. "Sif, formerly Hermóðrdóttir and formerly lady and Einherjar, I
hereby renounce you. You never should have been a Hermóðrdóttir and 'twas only through
the deceptions and lies of your mother, to hide her own dishonor, that you were. This ends
now and henceforth you will be known as Sif no father, unwanted and unclaimed."

"Careful now," Volstagg protested, suddenly beside her with a supportive arm over her
shoulder. "You raised her from infancy, are you truly claiming to have no bond with her,
blood or no blood?"

"None which can withstand the shame of claiming relation with a níðingr," her... Hermóðr
snapped back.

The sudden rush of commotion around her reminded Sif of their audience and she tried to
tamp down on her feelings. 'Twas hard, though, as she felt like her whole world was falling
apart. Not only was the man she had always believed to be her father unrelated to her, but he
was publicly denouncing her and utterly ruining any chance she had at ever reclaiming her
rightful status in court. For even if Loki were unsuccessful in his attempts to claim Hliðskjálf
permanently, Óðinn would never allow her to be a lady once more, not with this.

"It explains a lot, though," her aunt stated. "Bad blood always shows through."

Despite her best efforts, Sif felt her eyes fill with tears and she turned into Volstagg's
embrace, clutching at him and attempting to block out all else.

"Uncle Vé," Thor said, making Loki look up to find the man standing outside the back
entrance to the Great Hall.

"Thor, Loki," Uncle Vé greeted. "I wished to quickly inform you of something I heard
happened earlier today, in case 'tis mentioned tonight."

"Anything serious?" Loki asked with a frown.

"Not for us, but it will spread through court like wildfire and I thought Thor, in particular,
might appreciate being prewarned."

"I dread to ask," Thor said, sharing a look with Loki.

"It concerns your... friends."

Loki frowned once more. "They had their first day out of the dungeons today, did they not?"

"Aye, and 'twas when I had a report from Councillor Vör that I first heard of what happened,"
Uncle Vé explained. "It would seem that Lord Hermóðr utilized the opportunity to visit his
daughter."

"Surely 'tis allowed," Thor said, before looking at him. "Are they denied visitors?"

"Nay," Loki reassured. "And I would expect Volstagg's family, in particular, to take advantage
as children are not permitted in the dungeons."

"The only restriction we placed on it was that the visits had to occur during breaks in their
work," Uncle Vé added. "To prevent it from being used as a means to avoid their tasks."

"'Tis reasonable," Loki said. "What transpired during the visit?"

"A blood spell."

"Blood spell?" Thor exclaimed. "Lord Hermóðr tried to break her free?"

"Nay," Loki countered. "A blood spell is used to determine familial connections. Mostly, 'tis
utilized to determine paternity."

Oh.

Loki thought he might see where this was going.

"Sif is not truly Hermóðrdóttir, is she?" he asked.

"What?" Thor demanded.

"Nay," Uncle Vé confirmed. "She is not."

"But... but..." Thor sputtered.

"'Twas why she had the spell over her hair," Loki realized. "At first I had assumed 'twas
vanity, but her reaction when I removed it was far too shocked for that. This makes more
sense; her mother must have done it."

"It would seem that is what Lord Hermóðr thought as well," Uncle Vé confirmed.
"Something of a dark-haired potential lover around the time of the war."

Loki winced at the thought. Aye, he could see why Lord Hermóðr might have reacted ill to
that particular discovery. The timing was quite telling, though, and it left him in no doubt of
what else had transpired, or why Lord Hermóðr had done this so publicly."

"He disowned her, did he not?" Loki asked.

"Aye, completely," Uncle Vé said.

"But 'tis not her fault!" Thor protested.

"It hardly matters," Uncle Vé replied, softly. "His shame and dishonor are the same."

"So why reveal it now? Or seek to confirm it now, Loki removed the enchantment centuries
ago!"

Loki felt a flash of anger rush through him at the words and how easily his brother said them
now. Loki removed the enchantment. He had bled for Thor's refusal to believe 'twas all he had
done. His brother attempting to punish him for what he had dared to do to their friend. The
memory was still perfectly formed in Loki's mind as it had been when he had fully realized
exactly where he stood with regards to his brother and Thor's friends. It had been a bitter
realization and one which still hurt even now, despite knowing Thor stood with him and not
them.

"The treason, I believe," Uncle Vé said. "While she was in good standing, it would have hurt
Lord Hermóðr more for people to know he had been cuckolded, but now she has been
convicted of treason, well..."

The way Thor deflated told Loki his brother understood only all too well. As for him, well
his own feelings of victory were somewhat tainted by his sense of kinship. He knew what it
felt like to suddenly discover you were not who you thought you were and, while Sif was in
no danger as a result like he was now, the comparison remained too great. Not even the
knowledge she would have used the truth of his birth and heritage against him in the most
lethal way, allowed him to fully savor this outcome.

It mattered little in the end, though, as he had enough other victories to savor as far as the
former Warriors Four were concerned.

"I assume 'twas witnessed?" Loki asked, recalling what his uncle had said of it spreading.

"Aye, Lord Hermóðr apparently made a point of it being known."

"Thank you for informing us. How did the work itself go?"

"As well as can be expected," Uncle Vé said. "There was rather more resistance after Lord
Hermóðr's visit than before, but the collars did their duty."

"I wish they were not necessary," Thor winced.

"They are not," Loki replied. "If they cooperate, then 'tis not necessary to make use of the
collars. Were there any escape attempts?"

"None were reported," Uncle Vé replied.

Which meant they had been discrete about it. If it were not so hypocritical of them, Loki
would be impressed. For he did not doubt for an instant they had not at least made one single
attempt to either test the collars or try to escape. He almost wished he had been there to
witness it.
"Thank you for informing us, Uncle Vé," Thor said. "I would not have liked to have been
caught off-guard."

"Hmm," Loki agreed, though his reaction would have been far less telling.

Uncle Vé smiled before moving aside to allow Loki to pass and enter the Great Hall first.

As soon as they were returned to their cell, Fandral lowered himself to the ground with a
groan. Every single muscle in his body ached, much as it did after a particularly grueling
training session with General Týr. Who knew road repair could be such hard work? Surely
there had to be a better way to do it than manually? Or was that part of their punishment, to
do it this way? He would not put it past Loki to do so, yet it also seemed like a step too far if
he was not around to witness it himself.

"I want a bath," Sif stated from her cell.

Fandral laughed. "Careful or they will come hose you down."

"Ugh."

"How do they wash prisoners?" Volstagg asked.

"Sonic beams," Heimdallr's voice drifted over from his cell.

"Sonic beams? Is that not what they do on Múspellsheimr?" Fandral asked.

"Aye, 'tis where we obtained the technology, but it never became popular," Heimdallr
explained. "Except for use in the dungeons."

"Expediency over comfort or choice," Sif groaned. "My muscles have bruises."

Fandral laughed again, knowing exactly what she meant. "I think we owe the guy an apology
about laughing at his assessment of how hard we would work."

"I assume your escape attempt failed?" Heimdallr asked.

"It never started," Volstagg replied. "Sif's test of the collars utterly failed."

"That does not invalidate the attempt."

"Nay, but it does limit our options rather severely," Sif replied.

"Options? What options?" Fandral asked. "With the no escape order, anything we even
attempt is likely to end much as your attempt to merely injure a guard did."

As he said it, Fandral raised his head just enough to look at his friend and the expression
which crossed her face spoke far louder than words.

"We cannot give up," Hogun stated.

"'Tis not what I said, but we would need a plan which cannot cause us harm or injury should
the collars react adversely to it," Fandral replied. "Otherwise, who knows what will happen if
they interfere with it."

Though not cold, the ground was hard and unforgiving and soon Fandral rolled onto his side.
He wondered if there was any chance of obtaining a bed, or even simply a mattress, in the
cells. He had never seen any before, but he had not been looking for them either as the
thought had simply never even entered his mind.

"What is wrong?" Heimdallr asked.

As Sif was the only one of them the gatekeeper could see, Fandral glanced at her cell to see
her rubbing furiously at her face.

"Nothing," she lied, turning away.

"Something has clearly happened."

"I said 'twas nothing!" Sif snapped.

"Do we need to isolate you?" a new voice demanded, and Fandral was surprised to find a
guard near their cells.

Neither Sif nor Heimdallr replied, Sif not even turning around, no doubt not wishing to show
weakness, and Heimdallr was not the most verbose at the best of times.

"What do you want?" Volstagg demanded.

"You have visitors," the guard said, looking at Fandral and ignoring Volstagg entirely. "Up."

Before Fandral could even think about it, he was on his feet. Norns, that felt weird, and he
did not think he would ever become accustomed to his body obeying commands other than
his own.

"You two, stay," the guard continued, glancing at both Volstagg and Hogun.

Not wanting to be ordered around any more than necessary, Fandral moved to the energy
barrier and stepped out as soon as 'twas lowered. He then waited until the guard was ready
before walking ahead of him down the corridor. After what had happened with Sif's father
earlier, he was irrationally afraid to see his parents, though he knew they would never disown
him. Despite that, he was looking forward to seeing them, his mother in particular as all she
had been able to do the last time was cry for fear he would be executed. His father had
remained silent, though Fandral had been able to tell he was furious with him.

They soon reached the receiving chamber and, the moment the door was opened, Fandral
could see his parents waiting for him.

"Fandral!" his mother cried, moving right for him and pulling him into an embrace.

"Mother," he replied, returning her embrace.

Until he did so, he had not realized how much a part of him had feared he would never see
her again but for the trial after their last meeting. Though he had hoped Loki would not have
them executed, it had remained a possibility and 'twas not until now he realized how much he
had feared that possibility without allowing himself to acknowledge it. He briefly tightened
his hold on his mother, before he let her go.

"Father," he said, looking at the man.

"Fandral," Father replied, appraising him. "Is it true what they say of those collars? Are they
steeped in restraining seiðr?"

"Ah, aye," Fandral replied, reaching up to touch the collar self-consciously.

'Twas surprising how cumbersome the collar was, always getting in the way when he wished
to lower his head or lie down to sleep. The knowledge 'twas the cause of the guards' power
over him also made him want to tear at it until he managed to remove it, though he knew he
never could. Hogun had spent hours the first evening examining every inch of both the collar
and the manacles, desperately attempting to find some weakness or flaw to exploit.

His friend had found none.

"Are you alright?" Mother asked. "You are moving stiffly."

"'Tis merely from the labor I did today," Fandral rushed to reassure her. "Nothing more."

"Good," she replied, before she slapped him.

"Mother!" Fandral exclaimed, taking a step back as he raised his hand to his cheek. "What
was that for?"

"What was it for?" she demanded, voice rising sharply. "You committed treason and were
nearly executed for it! What by the Nine were you thinking?"

"I... but Loki-"

"King Loki!" Father thundered, eyes flashing. "Use his proper title before he changes his
mind and your mother has to watch you lose your head!"

Loki was not nearly so fickle, not once he had made up his mind, Fandral knew, but now was
not the time to mention it.

"King Loki should not be on Hliðskjálf," Fandral said.

"Again, with this nonsense! Where is this coming from?"

"Is it that woman?" Mother asked.

"Woman?" Fandral repeated. "Do you mean Sif?"

"Aye, I cannot remember the last time I saw someone so disrespectful towards a member of
the royal family, let alone the king," she replied. "Is it normal for her?"

"Remember, we spend a lot of time with King Loki and Thor."

"Prin-" his father began.

"Nay," Fandral interrupted, fed up with the near interrogation. Why could his parents not
understand? Surely what Loki had done should be obvious to everyone. "Thor has long since
insisted we do not use their titles amongst ourselves."

"Prince Thor?" Father inquired. "He decided for King Loki?"

"Of course, he is the elder."

"Is it true what they say?" Mother asked. "Is she envious of King Loki because of his close
relationship with Prince Thor? Does she fancy herself a future bride and queen of Ásgarðr?"

"What? Nay!" Fandral replied, only just realizing General Týr had not been exaggerating
earlier when he claimed those rumors were spreading. "Sif never saw Thor thus."

"Would you even know?" Father questioned.

"Even if I did not, I can say there were no signs of envy from her when we met Lady Jane."

"Lady Jane?"

"One of the mortals Thor spent time with on Miðgarðr, and one he was quite taken with."

"Prince Thor was taken with a mortal?"

"'Tis not the point," Mother argued. "If 'tis not envy, then what is behind her irrational dislike
of King Loki?"

"You do not know him, Mother," Fandral said.

"That does not matter."

"It does if he did something to acquire Hliðskjálf which he should not have."

"Again, with the conspiracy claims!" Father exclaimed. "What happened to you, Fandral?
You used to be such a loyal and honorable warrior."

The words, and their implications, made him flinch.

"Father!" he protested.

"Well, 'tis true. I never would have believed this of you if I had not been at the trial!"

"So, was it her? Sif?" Mother questioned.

"Why do you keep asking this?" Fandral asked.

"Because of how she behaved at the trial. 'Twas utterly deplorable!"

"I can see why Lord Hermóðr wished to break all ties with her," Father added. "Why would
you risk your life by standing with her?"

"We are comrades in arms."

"That does not imply you stand by when they commit treason!"

"Nothing to say?" Mother asked after a moment of silence.

"You have already said my reasons were wrong," Fandral explained.

"Did you agree with everything she said at the trail then?"

"Nay, you saw I urged her to silence occasionally."

"Whose idea was it to commit treason?" Father asked.

"We did not."

"Then whose idea was it to go after Prince Thor despite your orders to the contrary?"

Fandral sighed. He did not wish to have this particular conversation, but he knew resistance
was futile. If he avoided it, then his father would merely keep asking, either now or on his
next visit, and then the next, and the next, until he had his answers.

"'Twas a joint decision," Fandral replied.

"Who voiced it first?"

"Mother," Fandral tried, though he did not hold out much hope.

"Was it her?" Mother asked.

"We were all upset over what had happened on Jötunheimr and the results," Fandral finally
replied. "After I was released from the healing halls, we congregated in the chamber we oft
use with Thor and King Loki. Volstagg ate an enormous amount and I commented on it
which he took exception to, saying not to mistake his appetite for apathy. Sif then interjected
with a comment of us all knowing what we had to do before Hogun said we had to go."

"Thus, 'twas a combination of Sif and Hogun who raised the initial possibility," Mother said.

"What I do not understand is how you could have gone along with it so easily," Father stated.
"Loyalty to friends and shield brothers is good, but it should never supersede loyalty to
Ásgarðr and Hliðskjálf."

"It does not!" Fandral retorted. "I would never betray either Ásgarðr or Hliðskjálf."
"You already have!"

They were standing toe to toe now, glaring at each other with clenched fists. Fandral had
never thought he would ever come so close to attacking his father, but he had never expected
to have his honor and loyalties questioned thus either. Not by his own father!

"Enough!" Mother stated, pushing an arm between them and trying to push him back.

For a second, Fandral resisted before he relented, stepping back. His father's words still
stung, though. Ever since he had been but a small lad, he had looked up to and admired his
father and aspired to be exactly like him. 'Twas why he had elected to specialize in the rapier
rather than a larger full sword, though he was, of course, quite proficient at those as well.
Thus, to have his father of all people now be so disappointed in him and what he had done, to
the point of not believing him and questioning his very loyalties to Ásgarðr and Hliðskjálf...
'twas unbearable.

"'Tis quite clear you believe firmly in what you did," Mother said.

"Of course!"

"Ah!" Mother exclaimed, holding up a finger when Father moved to reply. "It will now also
be quite clear to you that few, other than your friends, see what transpired the same way.
Correct?"

"Aye," Fandral replied, reluctantly.

He still could not quite believe what Thor had said to them the last time he had visited. It had
been the first time Fandral had begun to question their actions, but it had all been right! Loki
was renowned for his trickery and deception, and Fandral had always known how envious the
younger prince felt for Thor and his older brother's position and popularity. While he had
never truly expected Loki to act on those feelings in quite such a treasonous and dishonorable
manner, the fact remained the seeds had been sown long ago.

Yet, as before, Fandral felt a stirring of unease deep in his gut. As he had said at the time in
the chamber, Loki had always been one for mischief, but this was something else entirely.
'Twas a discrepancy they had not quite managed to unravel or elucidate, and it bothered him
in the quiet moments. Why had they not done so?

"Has it not occurred to you this might be because you are wrong rather than everyone else?"
Mother asked.

"Everyone else does not know King Loki like us," Fandral replied.

"At least consider it carefully. And give some thought to how much your friends might have
influenced you not only now, but over the centuries."

"Very well," Fandral promised, not able to deny his mother something so simple.

Not when he would have a lot of free time to fill until Óðinn awoke. Or at least he very much
hoped 'twas so, and his punishment had an end date on it. The thought it might not, nearly
 made him feel ill and he resisted it. He had worked too hard and for too long to become the
warrior he was for it to end here and now, so ignominiously.

"I am certain you would not have acted thus before you met up with this vanir and that
woman," Father added. "Why Prince Thor did not notice their behavior and act to counter it, I
do not know, though I have heard whispers he is receiving remedial training with General
Týr, so perhaps this is why."

Anger was Fandral's first response, but he did not wish to spend the whole time with his
parents arguing, so he let it go. Who knew how long the guards would allow them?

"How are my sisters doing?" Fandral asked.

Chapter End Notes

Again, sorry for this chapter being late, it was an accident, but thanks to everyone who
checked in. And for all the birthday wishes, I had a great time that day and the play I
went to see was hilarious!

As for the latest chapter, I hope you enjoyed the peak into the family drama the former
Warriors Four now have to deal with. I don't have much more of this in this fic, but I
will probably circle back around to Volstagg's family in the sequel. I'm not sure about
you, but I am actually starting to feel a bit sorry for Sif at this point, but she just keeps
digging herself in further.

Before anyone asks, yes, the sexism and specism is deliberate. Whenever you get bad
actions by anyone who isn't part of the main group, prejudice comes out of the
woodwork and that would be no exception on Ásgarðr given all the prejudice we've
already seen in the movies, so I included it.

Finally, the amazing Lilituism has done it again, creating this absolutely stunning piece
for both my birthday and fic anniversary. I just keep finding more gorgeous details the
more I look at it!

Old Norse:

níðingr - someone afflicted with the stigma of níð - a term for a social stigma implying
the loss of honour to the point of being considered a villain
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Up later this week: Yngvarr and Týr have another talk & a Council meeting.
 Chapter 59
Chapter Notes

Hello again, my lovies! I remembered this time.

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Yngvarr had to admit to feeling uneasy as he observed Prince Thor following his brother
further into King Loki's chambers. Though all seemed well at present, some of the comments
he had overheard recently left him feeling uncomfortable leaving his king alone with Prince
Thor. The biggest threats could oft come from within, as Heimdallr had proven so recently.
Given the situation, he would rather err on the side of caution, even if it could cost him
Prince Thor's trust.

His duty was more important than his position.

"Be extra attentive and go in at the slightest indication something might be amiss," Yngvarr
ordered the two men he had selected to remain in the outer chamber tonight.

"Lieutenant-General," they both replied.

Though they did not say it, Yngvarr could read the curiosity in their eyes. There was less
surprise than he might have thought, though, and ordinarily it might concern him. 'Twas
entirely possible, however, they had overheard the same comments as him and followed them
to their logical conclusion. Or they might even think him reacting to Heimdallr's actions.
Regardless, their lack of surprise would make them react sooner and with less hesitation,
which was good.

With a final glance at the door which led to their young king's personal chambers, Yngvarr
left the outer chamber. Livunn, he knew, was also still within, so she could call his men if
necessary.

"I need to see if I can find General Týr," he told his remaining men in the corridor. "Send for
me should anything transpire or King Loki leaves his chambers."

With those instructions he left, hoping to still catch Týr in his study. 'Twas not a given seeing
how their preparations for war had been scaled back, but Yngvarr was mostly confident his
superior would be utilizing the time to begin his reassessment of the army. The reply he
received when he knocked on the general's study door confirmed his suspicions.

"I had not been certain you would still be here," Yngvarr said as he entered.
"Ha!" Týr replied, glancing up from the parchment he was working on. "With a king who will
notice if I fall too far behind in my parchmentwork?"

"If it makes you feel any better, he has been buried in it as well," Yngvarr replied with a
smile.

"It would depend."

"On?"

"Whether he enjoyed it."

Yngvarr laughed. "Based on the glazed look in his eyes when Lord Ragnvaldr was done with
him the past few days, I do not believe so."

"Now you are making me feel bad for him."

"Think of your parchmentwork."

Týr glanced down at it with a glare before a speculative look entered his eyes and Yngvarr
had to suppress a groan, knowing what was coming next.

"In light of the fact you may be leading the army soon, it may be good training to familiarize
yourself with some of these forms and reports," Týr said.

"I have my own parchmentwork, most of which has been left undone given the enhanced
security precautions."

"Ah, but it would appear those will soon be coming to an end."

"I would prefer to keep the additional guard on King Loki, if he will permit it."

The way the general's attention sharpened was heartening for Yngvarr, as it proved that,
despite their conversational topic, his superior did not even consider him to be attempting to
worm his way out of the additional work. In a way, he would actually prefer to do the
parchmentwork, if it meant his king was the safer for it and he did not possess such doubts as
to his king's safety.

"Has something else happened?" Týr inquired.

"Nay, nothing quite so drastic," Yngvarr hastened to reassure. "'Tis more what was said."

"Said?"

"Aye, when King Loki went down into the dungeons to carry out the punishment of the four
traitors."

"I dread to ask how they reacted."

"Much as you would expect based on the trial. There were more accusations of the king
having usurped Hliðskjálf and being envious of Prince Thor."

"The latter is a very common belief, I am discovering."

"Not to the extent they believe King Loki to have acted out of spite, I hope."

"Nay, that seems confined to those we have in the dungeons, as far as I can tell."

"Thank the Nine."

"Were they as insulting and arrogant as before?" Týr asked.

"Worse even, with all but Fandral actively resisting my men when they moved to secure them
for the ritual."

"I cannot believe I will say this, but I am very pleased to have that as otherwise their
punishment would be extremely difficult to actualize."

"I do not believe King Loki would have sentenced them thus if it were not for the ritual."

"Oh?"

"'Tis something they kept accusing King Loki of," Yngvarr explained. "Enjoying their
predicament and carrying out the punishment. Initially, he merely said ensuring justice done
was always pleasurable, but later he admitted he enjoyed exacting revenge for the wrongs
committed against him."

"Who does not? Had they betrayed me thus, as the main person against whom they acted, I
would be enjoying their situation even more than at present."

"You went down to see them," Yngvarr realized.

"Aye, in a foolhardy attempt to learn why they acted how they did."

"I assume you did not find what you sought."

Týr snorted. "Nothing but more theories on how King Loki had stolen Hliðskjálf, or
questions as to why I was allowing any of it."

"That I have not yet had," Yngvarr replied. "They seem far too focused on King Loki when
he is present to think of anyone else."

"Obsessed?"

"Aye, 'tis a good word for it."

"It would concern me if the collars did not seem to work as well as they do."

"And the basic commands King Loki gave them, which cannot be overruled, were quite
thorough in ensuring not only the safety of the royal family, but those of others as well. In
addition, it prevents them from attempting to escape."

Týr was looking at him with slightly wide eyes now and Yngvarr could well understand the
sentiment. King Loki, it seemed, was not someone to cross. He was quite thorough in his
punishments and ensuring one could not escape from them.

"I had initially thought he had gone too soft on them," Týr admitted. "But after making Sif
kneel involuntarily when I ordered her to, well, it has rather altered my perspective on it."

"It does make you pause to wonder what would be worse, execution or indentured servitude.
As I was saying, though, I believe King Loki selected this particular punishment because of
its seiðr component, since the traitors are renowned for having made many disparaging
remarks as regards to seiðr over the centuries."

"King Loki does seem to possess an interesting ability to tailor his punishments according to
whom he is punishing. Which begs the question, what is the special component of
Heimdallr's sentence?"

"I had assumed 'twas losing his sight, but King Loki did inquire whether Heimdallr was
bored yet when he saw him last."

"I see, something to consider," Týr said. "But as to your original point?"

"What? Oh, aye. During one of his exchanges with the traitors, King Loki responded to an
accusation he had utilized his superior strength against Prince Thor by stating they had never
seemed particularly concerned when his brother had used his strength against him."

It took a second, but Yngvarr could see the moment the full meaning of his words dawned on
the general. Týr's eyes widened and his mouth opened silently, once or twice.

"Are you absolutely certain 'tis what he said?" Týr asked, urgently. "There was no room for
misinterpretation?"

"Nay, none."

"Norns, how did we ever miss that?"

'Twas a question Yngvarr had been asking himself for the past two days. Over and over
again.

"All I can think of, is that King Loki hid it, he seemed rather dismayed he had uttered those
words where they could be overheard," Yngvarr finally replied. "Though the complete and
utter lack of response from the traitors indicated they did not think anything of it."

"Indicating they were well aware of the situation and approved, maybe even considered it
normal."

"It would go a long way towards explaining how they went so wrong."

"Aye, but it leaves me with a far larger problem."

"Of that, I am well aware," Yngvarr sighed. "Even now, King Loki is in his chambers with
Prince Thor. While his personal servant is in there with them, and I have two men in the outer
receiving chamber, it leaves a lot of room for something to transpire."

"King Loki showed no fear of Prince Thor?"

"Nay, none. They acted much as normal and, had I not overheard what I had, I would never
have suspected anything amiss," Yngvarr said. "Even if I now wonder that mayhap I should
have."

Týr frowned. "You believe you missed some early indication?"

"Thinking back, I do recall seeing King Loki brace himself a few times around his brother,
though mostly when seeing the prince for the first time in a while. Thor's reaction is oft a bit
more... exuberant."

"I do recall Prince Thor knocking Prince Loki off his feet more than once when they were
younger. I had always thought it to be inadvertent."

"I am not suggesting 'twas not, but mayhap it set a precedent," Yngvarr explained. "King
Loki can be very hard to read most of the time if he does not wish you to be able to do so.
Therefore, this reaction strikes me more as being automatic, and not considered something
which needs to be concealed. They even spoke of it the other evening when Thor
miscalculated a move and bounced off King Loki's shoulder when he was attempting to
simply bump it."

"He bounced off of the king?" Týr repeated in disbelief.

"Aye," Yngvarr recalled with a smile. "I do not believe he could have so much as bruised
King Loki in that state, no matter how much of his strength he exerted."

The image seemed to be too much for his superior as the general began to laugh and laugh.
Yngvarr allowed himself a larger smile, glad he could bring some pleasure along with all of
his grim news. At this rate, King Óðinn would need another sleep after he had dealt with
everything which had arisen while he was asleep! The mere thought of discovering one of his
children could be harming one of the others made him feel physically ill.

"The situation is not humorous, but the mere image of Prince Thor bouncing off of King Loki
is," Týr said.

"I believe more than one of my men had to forcibly contain their merriment, and King Loki
definitely did not even attempt to," Yngvarr replied.

"He laughed in his brother's face?"

"Aye, which is why I hesitate in my assessment."

"It may still be correct, but it would indicate the situation is not as dire as I had feared. If it
were, King Loki would not dare to so openly laugh at his brother's expense."
"There is also King Loki's apparent penchant for revenge to consider," Yngvarr added.

"There is that. If he truly wished to avenge himself on Prince Thor, he had ample opportunity
to do so which no one could have gainsaid him on. All he would have had to do was leave
him on Miðgarðr."

"So, what do you believe we are dealing with here?"

"Given what you have observed and what we know of both Óðinnsons, I am inclined to
believe it a case of Prince Thor having become overly reliant on his superior strength, and
this having become a normal component of his and King Loki's relationship."

"Would it not be visible elsewhere then?"

"Oh, 'tis," Týr stated.

"You have observed something yourself," Yngvarr realized.

"Thor has spent part of his time since regaining his power on the training fields, where I have
kept a close eye on him, even when not involved in his remedial training."

"And he used his physical strength to his advantage outside of a training scenario?"

"Not quite, but 'twas implied he could do so."

"The other gave way?"

"Aye, whether out of deference to Prince Thor's authority or for fear of the follow up to the
threat, I do not know."

"King Loki might be less inclined to do so," Yngvarr realized.

"'Tis what I now fear," Týr agreed.

"Well, if 'tis part of a larger pattern, it will make it easier for you to have words with Prince
Thor on the matter. You can begin with something less threatening than questioning him on
whether he is laying hands on his brother."

"The thought had occurred to me," Týr admitted, before he shifted. "Do you believe you will
be able to convince King Loki of the need to continue his protection without raising your
concerns of his brother?"

Yngvarr sighed. "I thought to mention Heimdallr as his actions were mostly unrelated to the
war with Jötunheimr, even if he kept attempting to claim King Loki allowed the jötnar into
the vault."

"It may work, but King Loki has historically been notoriously good at evading or abandoning
his guards. Well, other than Höðr."

"He has oft been far more mobile and less predictable than he is now, though."
"True. I simply hope he does not decide to overrule our concerns."

"Is he still as prone to that as he was before?" Yngvarr asked. "It has seemed to me, he is
listening to most of the High Council at present, even if he does not follow all of their
advice."

Týr paused for a moment, before nodding his head. "He is being more open than I would
have expected of him before."

"And you have scaled back your antagonism," Yngvarr smiled, drawing a scowl.

"One cannot quite argue with the king as readily as one does with a young, upstart princeling.
Besides, King Loki has enough to deal with without needing to question my loyalties."

The words killed Yngvarr's merriment. They were far too true, which spoke to the precarious
nature of their current position.

"What of your investigation into this ljósálfr tailor?" Týr asked. "Have you been able to
uncover anything?"

"Unfortunately, there does seem to be more than is at first apparent," Yngvarr replied. "Höðr
was able to witness her sending a small parchment through an unguarded portal to Álfheimr."

"Unguarded?"

"It appears to be quite a small one and thus deemed unworthy of investigation by King Óðinn
for his project of determining the Yggdrasill's health."

"Did you detain the tailor?"

"Nay."

"Nay?"

"King Loki decided he would rather discover what information she is after, and how she is
obtaining it."

Týr pulled a face. "While those are noble intentions, it does mean she can keep sending
Queen Sága information."

"I did mention it, but King Loki did not feel it likely to be particularly sensitive information
given Álfheimr's position as our ally."

"Allies do not spy on each other!"

Yngvarr smiled. "King Loki told me you should speak with Lord Aðalgrímr if you truly
believe that."

As he had known they would, the words made his superior grumble and mutter, but Yngvarr
knew the point was very well made. Much as none of them liked to have words on it, the
truth was all Nine Realms utilized such tactics on a regular basis. Ásgarðr included.

"Impertinent whelp," Týr finished.

Yngvarr smiled. "Please ensure I am present if you ever decide to inform King Loki of that
particular assessment of him."

"Unlike our traitorous five, I am not nearly so stupid. I assume you will utilize Höðr in your
new assignment?"

"Unless you have any objections?"

"Nay, not so long as he keeps a close eye on Jötunheimr, even after the treaty has been
signed. I would not put it past Laufey-King to attempt to undo the restrictions King Loki has
placed upon the Casket of Ancient Winters."

"You think he would attack if he is successful?" Yngvarr asked.

"I used to think so. I am less certain after all of the time and effort they have spent
negotiating the treaty, but 'tis still a very real possibility."

"Another reason I could utilize should King Loki prove resistant to the idea of being closely
guarded after the treaty has been signed."

"Logic will most likely work as well," Týr replied. "How does the king fare otherwise?"

"The same as before, though the pressure of the treaty has been greatly reduced, it seems
much of the regular tasks necessary to running Ásgarðr have been waiting to be dealt with
until now."

"I would feel sorry for him if he did not seem to relish parchmentwork in the past."

"Aye, but if it puts him in a foul mood, you may experience some of the direct fallout."

Týr pulled a face. "Why do you think I am working on parchmentwork even now? I hope to
appease him with some of it should he ask."

"I would recommend any of it which will provide him with more work be passed on to Lord
Ragnvaldr first," Yngvarr replied. "For prioritization."

His superior snorted and Yngvarr merely smiled. 'Twas a good excuse and would avoid
drawing the young king's potential ire, even if they all knew King Loki always insisted on the
proper parchment trail for any work.

Loki frowned as he glanced around Glaðsheimr. "Has anyone seen Lord Aðalgrímr today?"
he inquired, not finding his old mentor.

"I saw him briefly on my way here," Lord Óðr replied. "He said he would be a little late. He
did not say why, though he seemed rather excited."
Excited? 'Twas hard not to start speculating given that word, but Loki forced himself not to
hope. He could not afford it now. A quick glance at the others showed he was not alone in
attempting not to do so.

"Is there any business which can be seen to in Lord Aðalgrímr's absence?" Lord Ragnvaldr
asked.

"I have one item," Lord Óðr replied. "The Farmer's Guild have extended an invitation to King
Loki and the negotiating team to an outdoor feast to be held in their honor to celebrate the
renewal of our zisa supply."

'Twas a bit of a stretch to celebrate for that, but Loki knew if it had not been for the war with
Jötunheimr, that he would have already met with each of the big guilds, regent or not.

"Very well," Loki said, before he looked to Lord Ragnvaldr. "Please schedule in any others
who may wish to meet, though it would be good to remind them Father is improving and
should wake sooner rather than later."

"Of course, Majesty," Lord Ragnvaldr replied.

"Sorry I am late," Lord Aðalgrímr said as he entered Glaðsheimr, an opened package in his
hand. "But I bear glad tidings. Laufey-King and his people are happy with the final changes
we made and have asked us to draw up the final copy and arrange for the signing ceremony."

Relief crashed through Loki and he slumped back in his chair, even as beside him Thor
whooped and leapt to his feet. The sound level in the hall rose as the others reacted and Loki
allowed it to wash over him as he closed his eyes, suppressing the mad desire to simply laugh
and laugh and laugh which rose within him. He was aware enough to know it would not
sound quite sane and he was not at all certain he would be able to stop once he started.

A hand touched his left forearm and Loki opened his eyes to find Uncle Vili glancing at him
in concern.

"Are you alright, Loki?" the man asked.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "Merely relieved; very, very relieved."

"Rightfully so, but do not forget to revel in this either," Uncle Vili stated. "This is your
victory and it will forever bear your name."

The words startled Loki for a moment but then he realized that, if anyone were to understand
his position, it would be his adoptive uncles. True, they had always had each other and
neither had possessed some of the disadvantages he did. Still, Loki allowed his smile to
sharpen, and his uncle nodded in satisfaction. 'Twas odd to have someone encouraging his
more selfish tendencies, but he liked it.

"Your Majesty, Lord Aðalgrímr," Lord Ragnvaldr said, cutting over the others. "I believe I
speak for everyone when I say congratulations."
"Thank you," Loki replied, looking over at his old mentor and tipping his head at him. "How
long to draw up the full, final treaty?"

"I have already had enough of the necessary parchment prepared and the requisite inks have
been made," Lord Aðalgrímr replied. "Thus, only long enough for the scribes to transcribe
the treaty and the necessary checks to be done."

"Excellent," Loki stated, turning to look at the head of the army. "And how long would you
like to prepare the security for the ceremony?"

"Given we have already utilized the location and the jötnar had no means of traveling there
since, simply a little to check it once more," General Týr replied. "The rest will be following
well established protocols for events of this nature."

Loki was surprised given the general's normal paranoia, but the man did have a point.
Besides, Týr had been drilling his men on how to fight both the jötnar and the múspellssynir
for the past two weeks, so that matter was more than covered.

"This is all suddenly moving faster than expected," Uncle Vé stated, echoing Loki's own
thoughts.

"The sooner, the better," Uncle Vili replied.

"Hmm," Loki agreed. "Is two days hence too soon given we need to send out invitations for
the ceremony to the other four Realms?"

"Normally, I would advise giving them more time, but I believe all would be happy to work
with less time given the circumstances," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "None of them want war,
even if Niðavellir would profit from it in temporary trade."

"The invites are all ready and simply need a date and time, along with your signature, before
they can be sent," Lord Aðalgrímr stated.

"Noon, two days hence?" Lord Ragnvaldr suggested.

"Aye," Loki confirmed.

"With a large celebratory feast that evening!" Thor proclaimed.

For once, Loki did not roll his eyes at his brother's desire to feast. He had no intention of
minimizing this particular achievement. 'Twas to be the pinnacle and crown jewel of his
regency, after all. The rest were all adornments in comparison, nice to have, but not essential.

"The preparations have already commenced," Lord Ragnvaldr informed Thor.

"Shall I release the third-tier warriors back to their regular duties?" General Týr inquired.

"It would be beneficial," Lord Óðr replied. "I have had reports of other areas missing them,
which was fine under the circumstances, but if we are unlikely to go to war..."
"It would be prudent to have them returned as soon as possible," Loki agreed.

"Will we be looking for any type of trade agreement with Jötunheimr?" Uncle Vé suddenly
asked. "I know we stated in the treaty we would allow some of their merchants to attend the
Harvest Festival, but what of a larger and more official agreement?"

The question startled Loki as 'twas something he had not even considered, being far too
focused on the peace treaty itself. At a loss, he turned towards Lord Ragnvaldr.

"Did we have one prior to the war?" Loki questioned.

"We did, though it had eroded over time due to disagreements and instances of power play,"
Lord Ragnvaldr replied.

"Hmm, Lords Óðr and Aðalgrímr, find copies of the old agreements and see if there would be
interest from any guilds or market groups who benefitted from them before," Loki delegated.

"Of course, Majesty," Lord Óðr replied. "Some may seek to bring it up with you directly once
word of the final treaty spreads."

"Understood," Loki replied. "Are you able to send the draft treaty for transcription to
commence, Lord Aðalgrímr?"

"Aye," his old mentor replied, adding a note to the package before he stepped into the
corridor.

Within moments he was back, so Loki assumed Lord Aðalgrímr had requested a servant wait
for him there on his way in.

"Now," Loki began, once everyone was seated once more. "Lord Ragnvaldr."

"Majesty," the advisor replied. "As I believe most of you have heard, King Loki received a
rather unusual request for aid among the King's Funds applications. It came from one of the
eastern councils of the city, requesting funding to aid with basic road repair. It claimed the
main thoroughfare used for trade and commerce was in a dire state."

"I have heard some of this," Lord Óðr said. "Is it true how bad it actually is?"

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "Lord Ragnvaldr and I went to have a look after one of the
negotiation sessions with Laufey-King. Its condition is atrocious and wholly unacceptable for
even the outer reaches of Ásgarðr, let alone the city itself."

"How did this come to pass?" Uncle Vili demanded.

"The rumors and hearsay indicate insufficient repair funding after the rúfendr seiðmadr's
attack, leading to council funding being diverted away from their usual purposes," Lord
Ragnvaldr explained. "They also believed we did not care for the region due to a lack of
warriors living there, as all subsequent requests for additional funding were denied."

"Surely, 'tis not true," General Týr said.

"This is what I have requested Lord Ragnvaldr investigate," Loki replied. "We found the road
to be even worse than described and Councillor Vör to be very open to an audit of the
council's budget."

"The initial investigation to date has matched our records to theirs regarding what emergency
funding they received after the attack," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "We have also found detailed
records of additional expenses within the council's budget, as well as a copy of several letters
sent to Iðavöllr explaining the situation as it evolved and requesting additional aid, all of
which matches what they seem to have paid."

"It could still be faked," Lord Óðr argued.

"True," Lord Ragnvaldr agreed. "Which is why we will be contacting all of the listed
tradesmen and laborers, to see if their own records verify those of the council."

"What of our records?" Uncle Vé inquired. "Why did we refuse the additional requests for
aid?"

Lord Ragnvaldr glanced at him, and Loki's lips thinned as he recalled the advisor's initial
report to him.

"We only have a copy of the first of the letters," Lord Ragnvaldr explained. "The appended
reply states that they were compensated as per the surveyor's findings and it had been their
responsibility to spend the funding wisely."

"A blanket denial of even the possibility of an error?" Uncle Vili questioned, startled.

"Aye. And, what is worse, the figures listed on our end do not correspond to those the council
records indicate they received."

"Someone is lying," Thor concluded.

"At the very least," Lord Ragnvaldr confirmed. "All records on our end list a higher damage
count than the corresponding documents the council has. At first glance, this would seem to
indicate there was greater damage than what was initially observed, however..."

"It could also be indicative of an attempt to embezzle money from the emergency funds,"
Loki stated, darkly.

"What a mess," Thor muttered.

"Corruption always is," Lord Ragnvaldr replied.

"Are you certain 'tis deliberate corruption then?" Uncle Vili questioned. "And not merely
incompetence?"

"Aye, there are too many inconsistencies for it to be merely sloppy parchmentwork. The
problem is this is not recent, so some evidence and information has already been lost and
there is no telling at present how high this goes."
"Do we know whether 'tis simply restricted to this one instance at least?" Lord Aðalgrímr
inquired.

"I fear it may not be," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, glancing over at Uncle Vé.

"It would appear Councillor Vör may have been unique in believing your request for
additional applications for the King's Funds could be utilized to cover this type of work,"
Uncle Vé began. "Ever since the trial of the traitors and word of their sentence has spread, the
palace has been inundated with requests for use of their services."

Loki closed his eyes, his fears coming true. "And there are some among those who would
appear to have suffered from a similar underfunding?"

"Aye, so it would appear."

"From the same attack?"

"Mostly, but there do appear to be some... other irregularities."

The urge to curse and scream rose up within Loki, along with a desire to start laughing
hysterically and to never stop. As did the urge to either cry or go curl up in a dark corner and
never emerge again. Mother Winter seemed more sympathetic this time and it abruptly
reminded Loki of the difference in how long the jötnar lived when compared to the æsir, and
all that it implied. Could this be the onset of his puberty?

'Twas a surprisingly comforting thought even as Loki groaned mentally. At least it would
explain his uncharacteristic urges in a far more positive manner than the alternative. That he
truly was losing his mind, and all of both his own and Loptr's efforts to the contrary had been
in vain.

With an effort, Loki forced his eyes open once more. "You have passed the details on to Lord
Ragnvaldr?" he checked.

"Immediately," Uncle Vé confirmed.

"Do you require more people or additional resources?" Loki asked Lord Ragnvaldr as he
turned to look at the old advisor.

"Nay, I believe the less personnel involved at present the better. At least until I know who we
may trust."

Of course, it would not do to have the culprit involved in the investigation. They could
sabotage it sufficiently to ensure they never uncovered who was ultimately responsible. Or
those, plural, as 'twas unlikely a scheme of the scale as this appeared to be, could be
perpetrated by merely one person. Well, not unless there were others involved who were
exceedingly careless or neglectful. If so, he would see them punished as well for their
failings.

"Very well, but inform me immediately if there is anything you require," Loki replied.
 "Majesty."

Though he knew this particular issue was unlikely to be resolved before Óðinn woke, Loki
felt no particular desire to feel protective of it. He knew his adoptive father would feel just as
infuriated by it as him, and thus do all that which was necessary to uncover who was
responsible. But corruption was neither pretty nor of as great an interest to most people and
so would not garner the same type of response as the successful completion of the peace
treaty with Jötunheimr would. Besides, 'twas Óðinn's mess and he felt no desire to fully clean
up after Borrson, let Óðinn deal with it himself.

"Now, what other business is there?" Loki asked.

Chapter End Notes

So, lots of things covered in this chapter! Hopefully you liked it all as I know various
bits and pieces were things that people had asked about. I also had a lot of fun with the
Yngvarr and Týr conversation; they're great and being such gossips vigilant protectors,
they can discuss a wide range of things quickly.

Some of the threads covered end here for this fic, but will return in the sequels, while
other story arcs will keep going in this fic. As a whole, we are starting to shift into the
big final act of the fic as things are changing with the Warriors Four punished and
Laufey agreeing to the treaty...

For anyone interested, "today" in the fic is day 13, so just about 2 weeks on from the
start of Thor.

On a slightly unrelated note, I have recently started my own writing centric blog. I can't
be 100% certain it'll last for super long, but it's something that has kinda come to mind a
few times and then this past week it suddenly became something I really wanted to try
doing. As it'll be writing related, it would be somewhere that I could drop a note if I ever
forgot to update again, to let you all know what was happening. I've put a link in my
profile, but here's link: Scribbles & Scrolls.

So far it's been general writing related musings with some links (including to some
science based writing of mine), but I hope to pop something on about how I blend myth
with MCU for my Loki fics on there soon, so have a peak if that's of interest.

Old Norse:

rúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - my name for the smaller species from
Múspellsheimr
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"
ljósálfr - "light elf"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
jötnar - "frost giants"
Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Thor goes to the dungeons & the start of the signing ceremony...
 Chapter 60
Chapter Notes

Oh, look, it's Sunday again.

Have another chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Thor felt the strangest mix of guilt as he descended down into the dungeons once more. On
the one hand, he felt guilty for the need to go visit his friends after all they had done to his
brother and the situation which Loki still struggled with even now. Yet, at the same time, he
felt guilty for not having visited his friends in four days ever since he had stormed out of the
dungeons after his argument with them. Aye, they had deserved it, but 'twas not like they
could come to him in order to apologize. They would never be able to do so again, and while
he knew 'twas their own fault, the thought was still enough to give him pause.

Everything had shifted and changed so quickly lately, and in such a permanent fashion, that
Thor was still having trouble adjusting to it all, much less coming to terms with it. Even if
Father were to wake from the Óðinnsleep today, his life would never be the same again. Gone
were the days of going on quests and adventures with his best friends and little brother,
seeking glory and excitement. Gone were the carefree thoughts of sitting on Hliðskjálf and
ruling not only Ásgarðr, but all of the Nine as well.

Gone were his childish thoughts of wiping out the fro- jötnar and achieving fame and glory.

The latter still brought him shame each and every time he thought of it. Thor had been so
certain of his actions before and his plans for the future, that to realize they were nothing
more than the childish fantasies of a boy, were hard to accept. But he had been made to in the
most painful way possible. The precariousness of Ásgarðr's position due to his own foolish
actions had brought that home in a manner he simply could not ignore. Nor could he pretend
not to see how his own actions had imperiled those closest to him and forced them to clean
up his mess, while risking danger and death. For Thor was under no illusions of the risks
involved with meeting with the jötnar, even on their terms. Had Laufey decided there was no
true chance of saving Jötunheimr, then he could well have decided to attempt to kill Loki in a
final act of vengeance on Ásgarðr.

For all of that and more, Thor felt more conflicted than he ever had before as he descended
the familiar steps and walked ever closer to those he had always thought would be by his side
forever, exactly like his little brother. The fact they had ever either despised or disliked Loki
still sat ill with him, but 'twas a fact he would have to come to terms with. And, if he were
forced to choose between them, then there was no choice. Abandoning his friends would be
extremely difficult, but ultimately his loyalty lay with his little brother. That should never
have been in doubt to anyone and the fact that it had been to almost everyone, including
Loki, was no one's fault but his own.

He would need to make it up to Loki as the thought of them not being together was simply
unbearable. The problem was, he was not entirely certain how to go about doing so.

"Thor!" Lad- Sif leapt to her feet when she caught sight of him approaching.

"Sif," he greeted, wincing at the sight of the thick collar and manacles she wore even in her
cell. "Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun."

"Are you alright?" Fandral asked, before his eyes widened as Thor turned to face him more
fully. "I see you have truly regained Mjǫllnir!"

"Aye," Thor replied, hand dropping down to touch his hammer. "I was restored three days
ago."

"'Tis good news!" Volstagg boomed. "General Týr had mentioned it, but 'tis good to see it
confirmed with our own eyes. Is your father awake once more?"

"What? Nay, Father still sleeps, but Mother and Lady Eir state 'tis now a fully normal
Óðinnsleep, so 'tis only a matter of time before he wakes."

"You have not been by much," Sif said in a vaguely accusatory voice, making Thor sigh.

"I am sorry, but I have been quite busy. In addition to the situation with Jötunheimr and my
remedial training, Múspellsheimr has been attempting to take advantage of what they
perceived as our weakness," Thor explained. "And then Loki has required my presence in
some of the outer villages and towns."

"Busy work," Volstagg replied. "We had thought he might attempt that."

Thor frowned. "Of what do you speak?"

"Sending you out, away from Iðavöllr," Sif explained. "Loki clearly feels threatened by you,
now you are restored, and so wants you as far away as possible in order to not interfere or
make people remember your true position and demand that you take Hliðskjálf until your
father awakes."

Though Thor had truly hoped that spending some time down here in the dungeons, and out
performing their chores as indentured servants, would calm their irrational thoughts, he had
known the chances of it were slim. Still, he had not wished to give up on them entirely. They
had been his friends for so long and he had never noticed this type of obstinate and
treasonous behavior from them before. That, however, had not prevented him from
determining a course of action should things not have changed.

"'Tis King Loki to you, Sif," Thor stated, firmly.

Much as he hated making his friends address them formally, the fact remained his brother
was now king of Ásgarðr, and Thor would see them respect that. 'Twas also clear they had
taken his initial request to not be overly formal when amongst themselves wrongly, thus he
would no longer tolerate them being so dismissive of his brother. Loki had done far too much
for all of them to warrant this type of behavior.

"But Thor-" Sif began.

"Nay," Thor interrupted. "You may still call me what you wish, but you will address Loki
with his proper title!"

"Is that an order?" Fandral asked softly.

The question caught Thor off-guard before he remembered the information Lord Ragnvaldr
had supplied him on the dökkálfar enslavement collars, and which aspects Loki had elected
to incorporate into their punishment. It had been difficult to read, and he had been forced to
pace his study more than once, muttering and cursing the dökkálfar, but at the same time he
had been thankful something like this existed to provide such an effective alternative to
execution or permanent imprisonment in the dungeons. As Loki had pointed out, this still
allowed them to be of use to Ásgarðr and to serve in a manner, though he knew they would
never approve of it. Or at least, so he feared.

Even as he had read the details of the working, Thor had been well able to think of what his
friends would say to various aspects of it all. Still, he had been more than grateful at some of
the precautions Loki had chosen to incorporate into the collars, as the dökkálfar clearly
believed that slaves should not have any restrictions placed on what their masters were
allowed to request of them. The parchment had also listed the basic commandments Loki had
given his friends, which could not be overruled by any but the king. It had made him realize
that this too was something he would need to consider when he did finally ascend to
Hliðskjálf, as he had no doubt based on his friends' current behavior that they would ask him
to undo their punishment and free them.

Thor may now realize he still had much to learn about being king, but even he was already
well aware of the fact he could never do that. Not after what they had done.

"Nay," Thor replied. "But 'tis something I will insist upon if you wish to see me again."

Their shocked expressions told Thor they could hardly believe their ears and 'twas not a
decision he had come to lightly, but if he were to live up to his oath to himself to stand by his
brother and support Loki as best he could, then he had to do this.

"But, Thor!" Sif protested. "He usur-"

"Nay," Thor declared loudly. "Loki did not usurp Hliðskjálf! I do not know how many more
times I need to say it before you realize this, but my brother is king by rightful rule of law,
and I will no longer tolerate you dismissing it."

"And you would abandon us? Your friends?" Volstagg questioned.

"You are the ones asking me to choose between you and my brother."
"And you would choose him?" Sif demanded in disbelief. "Loki? Over us?"

"Of course, he is my brother."

"Thor, this is Loki we are speaking of here!"

"Of that, I am very well aware."

"I do not understand," Volstagg admitted, looking lost.

Did they truly find it so hard to understand? Thor was rather shocked that they apparently
did.

Had he truly given the impression they meant more to him than his own little brother? If so,
did Loki believe it as well? He sincerely hoped not, but he had learned better than to assume
by now. 'Twas part of how this particular situation had come to be and continuing the pattern
would not resolve it. Rather it would entangle and ensnare them all further.

"Would you have chosen us over one of your children?" Thor asked.

"Nay, they are my children!" Volstagg retorted, shocked.

"And Loki is my brother."

"And we forced you to choose," Fandral sighed, lowering himself back to the ground.

"Aye."

"Nay, we did not!" Sif snapped. "He made you choose. Between us and him, between
Ásgarðr and him, hel, between your duty and him. And you chose him."

"Sif," Thor replied, feeling four thousand years old all of a sudden. "You do not understand."

"Nay, you are the one who does not understand. He has bewitched you! Ensnared you in
some enchantment, there is no other explanation for it."

"Is it truly so difficult for you to realize you made a mistake?"

"We did not," Hogun weighed in. "He is a seiðmadr of considerable power and no stranger to
the darker arts, clearly," his friend continued, lifting his wrists to show his manacles. "It
would be but a trifle to find a second spell where he found the first."

"The first was found in the library by Lord Ragnvaldr and Lady Dagrún."

"What?" Volstagg asked.

"Ásgarðr used to have indentured servants before," Thor explained. "We obtained the spell
back then somehow, I do not know the details, but 'twas filed away in the library with the rest
of the information on its use after Grandfather ceased using the practice."

"That does not mean he has not bewitched you," Sif countered.
Thor sighed. He was not certain why, but he had hoped this would go better. That they would
have realized the error of their ways by now. But they still seemed insistent upon their idea
Loki had deliberately usurped Hliðskjálf and, while his brother himself had admitted to
occasionally being envious of him, even that still did not provide a believable explanation for
how the mere idea was even plausible. There had simply been far too many variables
involved and the whole process was far too convoluted to be orchestrated. How could they
not see this? They were neither simple nor inexperienced in the ways of the royal court.

"How long will you persist with this ridiculous notion, Sif?" Thor asked, glancing sadly at
her. "Has it not cost you enough already?"

"False imprisonment!"

"And more. I have heard about what happened with your- Lord Hermóðr."

"More of Loki's machinations!"

There truly seemed to be no more reasoning with her, Thor concluded sadly. He was loathe to
give up on such a good and old friend entirely, but nothing which he said seemed to make any
kind of impact. And neither did the words of others, apparently. He wondered if this was
what his brother had meant when Loki had made a comment on Nornheimr once, of people
being unwilling or unable to acknowledge a truth when they had believed a falsehood long
enough, as it meant admitting they had been in err, or realizing all they had lost was their own
fault. Thor found it difficult to believe, particularly with four as courageous as he knew his
friends were, but there seemed to be no other explanation for it.

"Think on what I have said," Thor said. "I will be back and then I expect you do address Loki
properly if you wish for me to return."

"How come the peace negotiations with Jötunheimr?" Heimdallr asked suddenly, right as
Thor was turning to leave.

He had been able to pretend the man was not there so far by not glancing at his cell. Should
he simply ignore the question?

"Has Laufey-King revealed his true intentions yet?"

Thor's fists clenched as he turned back towards the former gatekeeper, unable to allow the
insinuation to go uncorrected.

"The final treaty has been agreed," Thor informed them all. "The signing ceremony will be
two days hence."

"L- King Loki managed to get Laufey-King to agree to a new treaty?" Fandral questioned in
shock.

"Aye."

"'Tis a trick," Heimdallr stated. "Óðinn always said Laufey was slippery and conniving."
Unable to stand being around those whom he had always thought were his friends or trusted
servants of Ásgarðr while they spewed such nonsense and hatred towards his brother, Thor
turned around and left. He could not help but wonder why he had thought 'twas a good idea
to come visit them in the first place.

As they approached Himinbjörg, Loki could already tell there were more people in it than
merely Höðr and the extra Einherjar General Týr had arranged for the occasion. He frowned
and was about to ask Yngvarr if the lieutenant-general knew what was going on, when one of
the men stepped forward, out onto the rainbow bridge itself.

'Twas Freyr Njörðrson, King of Vanaheimr.

Loki came to a stop not far away and dismounted from his horse, handing the reins to an
Einherjar.

"Uncle Freyr," Loki greeted, looking his uncle over before stepping close.

"Loki," Uncle Freyr replied, embracing him tight for a moment, before pulling back and
placing his hands on Loki's shoulders in order to have a good look at him. "You seem well."

"As do you, Uncle," Loki replied, both surprised and happy to see the man.

Though he had hoped his uncle would come, Loki had not been certain the other king would
have the time.

"I have not been thrust unexpectedly into kingship, while simultaneously needing to prevent a
war. Let me be the first of the other Realms to congratulate you on your success, I had
honestly not been certain Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr could ever reach peaceful relations again."

"Thank you," Loki replied, ere he tilted his head back towards General Týr and the Casket of
Ancient Winters. "I did have some excellent leverage, though."

Uncle Freyr's eyes went wide as they took in the Casket, before looking back to him. Loki
was gratified, though, when they narrowed in contemplation. Of course, his mother's brother
would know better than to assume he was simply going to give Jötunheimr their greatest
weapon back without some form of protection.

"I look forward to receiving a copy of the treaty," Uncle Freyr finally said.

"As soon as every representative has arrived on Niflheimr," Loki replied.

Uncle or not, Freyr was not receiving Vanaheimr's copy any sooner than any of the other
Realms. Loki knew better than to get tangled up in those types of situations.

"There is Frigga's son," Uncle Freyr laughed while he turned, linking their arms and stepping
into Himinbjörg. "But if you expect a mere representative from either Álfheimr or Niðavellir,
then you are gravely mistaken. I am certain both Queens Sága and Hreiðmarr will have
turned out for an event of this magnitude!"
Not allowing the words to get his hopes up prematurely, Loki flickered his eyes over to Höðr
and raised an eyebrow.

"His Majesty, King Freyr, is correct," Höðr stated. "Both Queens Sága and Hreiðmarr have
already passed through here to Niflheimr."

"Did Múspellsheimr send a representative?" Lord Aðalgrímr inquired as he followed them

into Himinbjörg.

"Aye, High Priestess Járnsaxa," Höðr informed them.

High Priestess Járnsaxa.

Loki was certain that was no coincidence. Not only was she Queen Sinmara's chosen, rather
than King Surtr's, but Járnsaxa was also someone with whom Loki had personal experience
with. They had interacted when he had gone to Múspellsheimr on a diplomatic mission for
his father, which he had tried to combine with the furthering of his seiðr studies, with limited
success.

"High Priestess Járnsaxa," Uncle Freyr repeated with a growing smile. "Was she not the one
who... fancied you, Loki?"

"I hate you," Loki groaned.

"The events in question were part of an attempt to gain information from King Loki through
flattery," Lord Aðalgrímr explained.

"Are you certain?" Uncle Freyr questioned, slyly. "A political marriage would strengthen ties
between Ásgarðr and Múspellsheimr."

"Says the middle-aged, unmarried king," Loki shot back with a scowl. "High Priestess
Járnsaxa is more your age, Uncle, and Múspellsheimr having closer ties with Vanaheimr
would benefit Ásgarðr as well."

Uncle Freyr laughed. "Still as quick tongued as ever, I see. I never could win an argument
against your mother either."

"Though it has yet to prevent you from trying," Loki retorted, even as his core twisted.

Did his uncle know the truth and was this simply another lie to keep him fooled? It felt like
the truth, but after all he had learned recently, Loki was no longer certain whether he could
trust his judgement when it came to cases like this.

His parents - adoptive parents - had been lying to him for his whole life, after all, and he had
never even suspected.

"Nay, it has not," Uncle Freyr agreed.

A quick glance around showed all of his men had arrived, and it seemed like his uncle's
whole entourage was present as well.
"Ready to go?" Loki asked.

"We were simply waiting for you," Uncle Freyr replied.

Of that Loki was aware, he simply wished he could know what the main reason had been. It
could be to see him, but it could just as easily be political; to arrive together on Niflheimr
with the new king of Ásgarðr. Well, 'twas not like the other Realms were not aware of their
relationship. Or at least, what they all assumed was their relationship.

"Höðr, please open the Bifröst," Loki ordered, moving towards the departure point.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr materialized by his side and Loki had to fight off a smile. They
were heading to a planet they had secured, sent by one of their own who could see the entire
landing area, and still Yngvarr felt the need to be right at his side. It made him wonder what
his shadow had felt, allowing him to attend the negotiations themselves without him.

"I always knew you had it in you, Loki," Uncle Freyr whispered to him just before the Bifröst
opened.

Loki tried to keep the words from affecting him too much, but he knew better than to think he
would be entirely successful. Now, if only Óðinn could say the same...

A part of Loki hated himself for desiring it, but he had longed for his adoptive father's
approval for far too long to be able to cast off the desire so easily now, no matter what the
bastard had done. After all, despite all of the lies and favoritism, Óðinn had, most likely,
saved his life when he had taken him in all of those years ago.

"Ugh," Uncle Freyr shivered as soon as they arrived, pulling his elaborate robes tighter. "I
had forgotten how cold 'tis here."

Loki's lips twitched. "We are dealing with the jötnar."

"Aye, aye," Uncle Freyr muttered, before perking up. "Maybe Járnsaxa has fallen out of favor
and this is Sinmara's way of punishing her!"

Loki snorted at the thought, though he could not help but wonder how a fire demon would
fare here. Or what his sibling would make of her. At least he did not have to worry about
Járnsaxa attempting to seduce Helblindi. He was not even certain a jötunn and rjúfendr could
both survive such an encounter.

They quickly made their way inside, their entourages following but for a few guards who
walked ahead of them. One of the servants who stood outside the hall door moved in ahead of
them.

"Their majesties, King Loki of Ásgarðr and King Freyr of Vanaheimr," the servant
announced.

This might have been his uncle's motivation or secondary motivation, though Loki could not
fault the latter. He oft ensured his actions had multiple consequences, even if his primary goal
was benign or for one of his family.
A quick sweep of the hall proved they were the last to arrive. Laufey-King stood off on the
far side of the hall, deep in conversation with Queen Sága, no doubt discussing further details
of their new trade treaty. Queen Hreiðmarr and High Priestess Járnsaxa, meanwhile, stood
more in the middle of the chamber, along with Helblindi-Princex. His younger sibling was as
dressed up as Loki was, in jötnar fashion, with their new fire ruby prominently displayed in
the middle of their forehead, worked into the circlet.

This group turned to look at them and Loki moved forward to greet them, electing to leave
his birth father and Queen Sága to their discussions for now. At least with Álfheimr, he knew
it would be nothing nefarious to Ásgarðr, they were too closely allied with the ljósálfar for
that.

"Queen Hreiðmarr," Loki greeted, remembering at the last moment to only incline his head
slightly, rather than give the deeper bow-like movement he would have made as the second
prince of Ásgarðr.

"King Loki," Queen Hreiðmarr replied. "May I congratulate you on your diplomatic success."

Even if it had robbed the dökkálfar of an excellent trading opportunity. But Loki knew Queen
Hreiðmarr was politically astute enough to know war among two of the Nine was not good
for any of them long-term.

"Thank you," Loki replied, turning towards his sibling as Uncle Freyr moved in to greet
Queen Hreiðmarr. "Helblindi-Princex."

"King Loki."

Finally, he turned to Múspellsheimr's representative, who was already giving him a very
familiar smile. So, 'twas to be like that again. "High Priestess Járnsaxa."

"Your Majesty, I would congratulate you on your ascension to the throne, but I hear 'twas in
rather difficult circumstances," Járnsaxa replied.

"'Twas," Loki agreed, knowing it best to ensure this Realm, at least, knew the truth of the All-
Father's condition. "But the healers tell me Father is doing well, and 'tis only a matter of time
before he wakens."

"Oh, well, I am pleased. Queen Sinmara will no doubt wish to send her joy."

"Thank you," Loki replied, shifting aside slightly to allow his uncle to speak with her, and,
luckily, Uncle Freyr obliged.

"Laufey-King and Queen Sága seem very close," Queen Hreiðmarr said, glancing at him.

"Hmm," Loki replied. "Álfheimr has already offered Jötunheimr a new trade agreement."

"Ah, jewels and ice blooms no doubt."

The tone was vaguely dismissive, though Loki knew even the dökkálfar would want some of
the same ice gems for inclusion in their creations, since there were many beyond the Nine
who preferred the pommels of their sword to be richly adorned.

"I believe 'tis their main intent, aye," Loki replied, looking back at Helblindi-Princex. "How
are you finding your first encounter with the other species of the Nine?"

"Enlightening," Helblindi replied, reaching up to touch their gift. "High Priestess Járnsaxa
was quite curious about my having a fire ruby."

"Aye," the lady in question said, turning to look at them, the flames covering her body flaring
slightly as she shivered involuntarily. "'Twas quite a surprise to hear Ásgarðr had given it as a
gift."

Ah, aye, it would be for all of them. 'Twas not what Óðinn would have done. Luckily, their
other gift had been from the dökkálfar.

"We knew Laufey-King was particular to dökkálfarian beer, so 'twas the most appropriate
gift," Loki explained. "We had no previous experience with Helblindi-Princex, but the first
day's negotiations had shown us the jötnar fashions still included jewels, and a fire ruby was
both unique and complementary to Helblindi's coloring."

There, it sounded reasonable without addressing the additional motivations behind the gifts.
Namely, that choosing such foreign delicacies was also meant to tempt Laufey-King into
wanting to reopen trade with the rest of the Nine.

"I tried some of the beer," Helblindi said, unconsciously reaching up to touch their forehead
with a disgruntled expression on their face.

Loki could not help it; he laughed.

"I take it you did not eat beforehand or consume enough water?" Uncle Freyr asked.

"No one had told me it might be necessary with alcohol," Helblindi muttered.

"Well, both are good ideas," Loki said, wondering if his jötunn constitution might be part of
why he had never possessed as high of an alcohol tolerance as the others.

A mere babe would not think to alter its metabolism to that of æsir standards, even when
taking on an áss skin, any more than it would know to change its digestive system and palate
as Loki already knew he had not. Though the jötnar had Ymir's sýra, so they would not be
entirely unaccustomed to alcoholic beverages. Unless 'twas something reserved for special
occasions only?

"So my dam told me, afterwards," Helblindi replied, clearly still disgruntled.

Wait, what?

"Why did Laufey-King not simply warn you ahead of time?" Queen Hreiðmarr asked. "They
would be well aware of the beer's potency as it has long been a favorite of theirs."
 His sibling's words were swirling in Loki's head along with everything else he knew of the
jötnar, all of it coming to one rather startling conclusion.

But nay, it could not be!

"Dam believes such lessons are better learned through experience," Helblindi replied,
confirming Loki's revelation.

Laufey had borne Helblindi!

Laufey had borne Helblindi.

If Laufey had borne Helblindi, then had Laufey borne him as well?

The very possibility disturbed Loki on a deep, fundamental level. Despite all he knew of the
jötnar now, the mere possibility of Laufey not being his father, but rather his mother, had
never even occurred to him. It had not even been within the realm of probabilities.

'Twas inconceivable, even now, and Loki simply could not accept it without further proof.

But how?

"Dam," Loki said, almost stumbling over the very word, its sudden weight making it
awkward and cumbersome in a way it had never been before. "I had not realized Laufey-King
bore you."

That should sound innocuous enough without being too intrusive either. Right?

Loki found he could no longer be certain, his shock too great.

"Aye," Helblindi-Princex replied. "The king bears the heir."

That...

It made perfect sense, the logical part of Loki's mind decided. No room for disputes over the
potential legitimacy of an heir or even for a situation like his in Ásgarðr, where someone
altogether unrelated had been brought in. But that meant...

Laufey was his mother?

Chapter End Notes

Surprise! As far as I know, only one of you saw this coming, but I'd love to know if
anyone else suspected it. I did have to erase a response to a comment I made ages ago,
realizing after I'd written it that it gave this away. It's hard sometimes to remember what
has and hasn't already been revealed when the whole fic is finished!
The reason I went with this are twofold, the first being that it allows me to do things
surrounding Loki's birth and the circumstances of it that wouldn't be possible if Laufey
was Loki's sire. And, secondly, because Laufey is Loki's mother in mythology, so this
allowed me to correct what the MCU had said, without ignoring it entirely.

Beyond that, I've got two more things to say about this fic:
1) It is now being translated into Russian! I'll be updating the notes at the start of this fic
with a link, but if you want to see, the translation can be found here.
2) I have now also created an art masterlist for this fic on my new blog. It's where you
can find the links to all the lovely art people have drawn, listed by chapter. I chose to do
it off-site so I can keep it updated if I get anything after I finish posting this fic. I'll also
be adding a link to the list from the original story notes. If you've not yet checked out
the art, I highly recommend that you do so.

Norse Mythology:

Járnsaxa - "iron dagger" - In mythology she is said to be a jötunn (not as limited a word
as I use it here), who was a lover of Thor & mother to his son, Magni. Occasionally, she
is also described as one of Heimdallr's 9 mothers or confused with Sif (who is Thor's
wife in mythology).

Old Norse:

Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
rjúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - my name for the smaller species from
Múspellsheimr
dökkálfar - "dark elves" who dwell within the earth and are most swarthy - my name for
dwarves
ljósálfar - "light elves"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - "one of the gods/æsir" - the plural is ás, while the female equivalents are ásynja/
ásynjur
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
sýra - a fermented milk drink
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: More of the signing ceremony...

 Chapter 61
Chapter Notes

Sunday!

Have chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It... That...

The thought was so jarring and unexpected that, for a moment, Loki could not think. Aye, he
knew the jötnar used dam instead of mother, but the essence remained the same and, to him,
mother meant love, trust and an unconditional acceptance it seemed even his actions before,
as Loptr, had not been able to break. So, to now learn that the birth parent who had rejected
him so thoroughly as to decide to leave him out in the elements to die was his mother rather
than his father...

It had been easier to take when he thought Laufey was his father. He was used to
disappointing his father.

"Interesting," Uncle Freyr said. "I had never thought of it, but it does make a lot of sense."

"Aye," Loki forced his tongue into action, least he stand there gaping like a simpleton. "I
guess the titles king and queen had simply led me to making assumptions."

There, admit some fault to cover for his slip in decorum, and offer a reasonable explanation.
'Twas the best way to lie as most people seemed to believe those who lied would always
make themselves fully blameless in any given situation.

Helblindi-Princex pulled a face. "I cannot imagine being only half formed."

The comment was so sincere, Loki had to fight back a laugh so as not to embarrass his poor
sibling. Somehow, he found Helblindi's lack of diplomacy and tact endearing, whereas it had
always exasperated him in Thor. Probably because his false brother truly should know better
by now, whereas his younger sibling had never had the opportunity to truly learn it before.
Especially not with Laufey as a mother... dam.

Aye, 'twas going to take Loki some time to fully come to terms with this. Everything he knew
about Laufey simply clashed too much with all Frigga had taught him a mother, or dam, was
supposed to be.

The moment his eyes met his uncle's, Loki almost did laugh as he saw his own amusement
reflected there.
"I believe the halflings would consider it being properly separated," High Priestess Járnsaxa
said, with surprising gentleness.

It immediately made Loki suspicious, and he made a mental note to ensure she did not get
Helblindi alone.

The sudden, almost instinctive, protectiveness caught Loki completely off-guard. He had not
even known his sibling for two weeks, and then only under highly political circumstances. So
why did he suddenly feel so connected to Helblindi? He could still barely think of himself as
jötunn, let alone ponder seeing his own birth skin in the mirror, so what was it about this
blood sibling which brought out the feelings he had only ever really felt for Frigga, Sigyn and
Thor before?

The words also served to remind Loki that, while not quite like the jötnar, many
múspellssynir were able to choose their sex as each carried the ability to be either, both or a
mix of the sexes. Their affinity with fire lending them a chaotic structure more easily altered
and defined than most. Even now, he could clearly recall his fascination upon learning of this
unique ability, shared only by the multiple species living on the fire planet. High Priestess
Járnsaxa had even used it as further enticement to try and tempt him into bed with her, as a
means of control over him, dousing her flames to leave the shifting fiery red to orange and
yellow skin underneath with its sections of coal black.

It had been tempting, but even back then Loki had known better than to mix sex with that
level of political manipulation. Óðinn would have skinned him alive, not to mention Lord
Aðalgrímr. And, while that was tempting in and of itself, Járnsaxa had not exactly been subtle
in her approach of him. Still, he might have been tempted for the sheer chaos of it alone, had
there not been some innate part of himself which had felt repulsed at the mere idea. Now, he
could not help but wonder if it had been one of his jötunn instincts surfacing.

"Oh, right, apologies," Helblindi-Princex said, a faint purple hue creeping up their cheeks.

Was that a jötnar blush?

"'Tis alright," Queen Hreiðmarr smiled. "I am certain 'tis as normal to you as our way is to us.
I, for one, could not imagine being hermaphroditic."

"Nor I," Uncle Freyr added, with a little shudder.

Loki's core gave a deep pang as something shifted and tore when he could not help but think
of how he no longer had the luxury of thinking of the hypothetical there. It would have been
nice to be able to claim it, but he could not.

There was a flicker of seiðr within him from Ásgarðr, which felt like an admonishment, and
Loki caught his frown before it fully formed. He knew she did not like anything which
injured his core, but this felt different; more than what she had expressed before. When he
queried it, he got back a short flash of memory, an image of one of the times he had
transformed into a woman and wandered the main market on Ásgarðr to test whether anyone
would recognize him, or even look twice. They had not.
For a moment, Loki was confused as to why Ásgarðr was showing him this, before his own
stubbornness cleared and he knew. Truly, 'twas a thought which had occurred to him when he
had first learned of his hermaphroditic nature. Namely, that he had already experienced many
of the possibilities and options of what he had thought of as the other sex, and he had found it
to be very liberating. Being able to do seiðr so freely without anyone looking at him in
disapproval alone, had been nothing short of exhilarating.

"Do you not find it limiting?" Helblindi-Princex asked, almost despite themself based on how
the blush seemed to be growing darker.

"'Tis a matter of perspective, I believe," Loki explained. "You view it as potentially negative
and limiting since you have all of the things you would be missing. Such as being able to
bear a child yourself," as Loki had expected, his uncle's face reflected his utter lack of desire
to do so. "While we do not miss it as 'tis something which had never even occurred to us as a
possibility."

"I... see."

"Does it not affect the king's ability to rule?" Uncle Freyr asked. "Being pregnant?"

"Nay, why would it?"

His sibling's complete and utter lack of ability to even see what worried his uncle, marveled
and amused Loki. All of the gender boundaries and roles he had always struggled so hard
with on Ásgarðr simply seemed to not exist on Jötunheimr. It made sense as 'twas normal
there, but with Ásgarðr, and even Vanaheimr, the contrast was sharp. Even if Vanaheimr did
not possess Ásgarðr's particularly gendered view of seiðr and those who practiced it.

"I- ah," Uncle Freyr began, glancing over at Queen Hreiðmarr and High Priestess Járnsaxa
before looking towards Loki for aid. "But the feeding of the child?"

"'Tis not a task incompatible with ruling," Queen Hreiðmarr stated, before a sharp smile
crossed her face. "At least not for a dökkálfr, I cannot speak for a vanir."

Loki nearly laughed at the expression his uncle pulled, but it served Uncle Freyr right for
asking the question. Frigga would have had equally sharp words for her brother had she heard
them.

"Why would it be incompatible with ruling?" Helblindi questioned.

"Many of the halfling races attribute different strengths and weaknesses to each sex,
believing those of one or the other to be more capable with certain feats or tasks," High
Priestess Járnsaxa explained, though Loki did not care for her tone.

Luckily, he did not need to worry excessively about her being able to unduly influence his
sibling, for if there was one thing he was certain on, 'twas that Laufey would not deign to
allow a múspellssynir continued close contact with his heir.

"Why?" Helblindi asked.

Loki laughed. "If I knew that, I would already have sought to remedy it."

"You do not agree?"

"Many on Ásgarðr do not agree men should study seiðr," Uncle Freyr answered.

"But you are a powerful seiðmadr," Helblindi stated, glancing at Loki.

The words pleased Loki and he could only assume they came from his birth fa- mother,
though probably uttered more in frustration or resentment than any true admiration. Not that
he cared, he would far rather be a nuisance and obstacle to Laufey than anything else.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, drawing an odd look from his sibling.

"King Loki."

The words came from behind him, and Loki turned to find both Laufey and Queen Sága
approaching them.

"Laufey-King," Loki replied, politely. "Queen Sága, a pleasure, as always."

"King Loki," Queen Sága greeted. "Congratulations on your treaty."

"Thank you, 'twas a joint effort."

As he said it, Loki glanced back at his birth... mother and the man (woman? being?) grunted.

"Does this mean we may finally learn what it is which brings Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr to an
agreement?" Uncle Freyr asked.

"I, too, must admit to being eminently curious," Queen Hreiðmarr agreed. "And quite
surprised to see the Casket of Ancient Winters brought here today."

Of that, Loki had absolutely no doubt. As Niðavellir's queen spoke, he could see both Queen
Sága and High Priestess Járnsaxa looking over at the artefact in question as well. He
wondered if the ljósálfr knew as much about this as she seemed to know about everything
else as of late.

"Shall we?" Loki offered, glancing at Laufey and gesturing towards the table where the final
copy of the treaty lay, ready to be signed. Along with the duplicates for every Realm.

As they had been conversing earlier, Loki had noticed Gunnlöð-Lairde inspecting it closely.
No doubt checking nothing had been altered from the final draft Jötunheimr had agreed to.
He definitely would have had Lord Aðalgrímr doing the same had the jötnar been the ones to
draw up the final treaty.

"Aye," Laufey-King agreed, moving towards the middle of the table.

It had been a neutral zone, of sorts, during the negotiations themselves as 'twas where the
table crossed the drop in the floor. Which was precisely why 'twas now chosen for the final
signatures, as it meant both he and Laufey could easily access the parchment. Loki knew this
was the part of the signing ceremony both General Týr and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr liked
least, since it put him directly beside Laufey. Though 'twas impossible to truly disarm a
jötunn without somehow restricting their elemental powers, he was hardly powerless himself
and he was not fool enough to lower his guard, despite being on the point of a true peace with
Jötunheimr.

Indeed, even after signing the treaty he would remain vigilant. Not only because he was
generally suspicious and untrusting, but also because it would hardly be the first time his
birth fa- mother had tried to kill him.

The thought of having the word mother in that sentence was nearly enough to make Loki trip,
but he managed to use Gungnir to steady himself, not wishing to contemplate what even a
hint of his true condition would result in at present. He had to hold on only a little longer and
he would have accomplished all he had wanted to after recovering from his shock of being
thrust so suddenly and unceremoniously onto Hliðskjálf. Even if he were to succumb to his
injury before Óðinn woke, he would have achieved that which he had set out to; he would
have proven his capability as king.

The thought heartened him and Loki was able to stop using Gungnir as support as he
continued to make his way around the table. Which put him and Laufey across from the rest
of the delegation, allowing them all a clear and unimpeded view as the treaty was signed.
After today, no one would be able to say he was not Óðinn's heir due to any incapability or
weakness on his part. Hopefully, it would be enough to garner him the basic respect he had
always so desperately desired, but he knew how fickle people could be, so he would not rely
on it happening.

As he approached the middle of the table and the drop in the floor, Loki followed Mother
Winter's prompting and created a seiðr barrier of a sort he had never utilized before. He
would have to examine it later when he had the time, but for now he trusted she would know
the best way to defend against a jötunn ice blade. He still found it highly unlikely Laufey-
King would strike so publicly at the king of Ásgarðr, especially not when Jötunheimr was
about to regain the Casket of Ancient Winters and the means with which to save themselves,
but he had learned the hard way people were oft far from reasonable. He himself thrived on
precisely that type of chaos.

Though he had prepared some words, Loki glanced at Laufey-King as he reached the place
where the heavily bespelled treaty parchment lay, the bottom unrolled to the section requiring
the signatures in order to be made official. 'Twas something which Óðinn would never think
to do, assuming it his right to speak first as king of Ásgarðr and protector of all the Nine. He
knew it could be seen as weakness, but differentiating himself from his adoptive father had
worked well in his dealings with the jötnar so far, thus he had no plans to alter his behavior
now. Not until the treaty had been signed at least.

Laufey considered him for a moment, as if to see whether he was serious, before turning to
face the rest of the delegation.

"The treaty established between Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr at the end of our last great war was
broken fifteen days ago through a combination of the rash actions of a rogue group of jötnar
attacking Ásgarðr, and Prince Thor's retaliatory attack on Jötunheimr," Laufey-King began
and Loki was rather impressed his f- dam chose to work in both events, he had not expected
it. "I was certain a new war was inevitable, but King Loki's ascension to the æsir throne
offered a new path. One which will benefit both of our Realms."

Short, direct and to the point, though offering some praise for him. Loki could work with it.

"Laufey-King and I invited you here today in order to bear witness to the signing of this new
treaty, in the hopes it will provide a far truer and more lasting peace for our two Realms and
prove to be more prosperous for all of the Nine than the previous treaty was," Loki said. "I
also ask you to bear witness to Ásgarðr's return to Jötunheimr of the Casket of Ancient
Winters, the presence of which several have already mentioned."

As Loki had known it would, his words made several eyes flicker over to where the Casket
stood as it had during the peace negotiations themselves. Unlike his uncle, High Priestess
Járnsaxa was not quite able to hide her nervousness at the prospect of its return to
Jötunheimr. Queen Sága was as serene as ever, but Loki knew it to be a ljósálfar trait and not
necessarily indicative of anything more, though he suspected this element of the peace treaty
would not come as a surprise to her. Queen Hreiðmarr, meanwhile, was clearly curious.
Niðavellir's lack of historical animosity with Jötunheimr, though, would mean the dökkálfar
were hardly likely to care one way or the other about the Casket of Ancient Winter's return,
other than the fact that 'twas part of the new treaty.

This time, when he glanced at Laufey, 'twas to find his dam motioning him towards the table
and the peace treaty. Whether this was merely a reciprocation of his own earlier actions, or
whether Laufey wished to see if he would actually sign the treaty, Loki did not know, but it
hardly mattered. If Laufey feared a last-minute change of mind from Ásgarðr, then Loki was
happy to sign first to prove he was serious as he understood Laufey could feel disempowered
if he signed and Ásgarðr then failed to. For his own part, Loki feared no such occurrence. If
Laufey failed to follow through, the fact he had signed would still prove to the rest of the
Nine that he and Ásgarðr had been willing to make peace with Jötunheimr, even if they had
not reciprocated. The details of the treaty would also work in his favor as 'twas a fair
compromise, unlike the last treaty.

Loki shifted Gungnir to his left hand, stepped forwards and then leaned the King's Spear
against the table. He knew neither General Týr nor Lieutenant-General Yngvarr would
approve of his releasing hold of his greatest weapon, but he needed both of his hands to sign
the treaty properly, and, should Laufey attack, 'twas not actually his best defense. Nay, that
would be his own seiðr, laced heavily with his innate jötunn abilities, as instructed by Mother
Winter. If it were not for her confident and calm presence at the back of his mind, he would
fear he might not have faithfully replicated her instructions since he had never utilized his
elemental ice powers before. But he trusted her to alert him if he had performed the seiðr
incorrectly.

With one hand, he held down the parchment while, with the other, Loki took hold of the
smaller of the two quills laid out on the table. He signed his name with a flourish, making it
as large as possible while still remaining elegant, as it would be the smallest thing on the
parchment even with that. He then took a moment to leave his magical seal on the treaty,
initiating the underlying seiðr, the crackle of which filled the suddenly silent hall.

He then stepped back, taking hold of Gungnir once more as he offered the space to Laufey-
King. With a last, hooded look at him, Óðinn's nemesis stepped up to the table. The second
quill was significantly larger and allowed Laufey to easily sign their own name. As Loki had
known it would, Laufey's signature dwarfed his own and Loki wondered if the jötunn king
took pleasure in it. It would be a petty kind of pleasure, but he knew he must have inherited
his own sense of it from somewhere, so 'twas entirely possible it had been from Laufey. Then
his dam utilized a ring Loki had not seen before to add a magical seal to the parchment.
Whatever the ring was, the spells on the treaty accepted and the seiðr flared to life quite
visibly, flaring brightly before all of the copies laying on the table flared briefly as well,
transferring their signatures across and certifying each as a true and fateful copy of the
original treaty.

Just to be certain, Loki prodded at Mother Winter as he thought of the ring, sending her a
query. The response was slightly difficult to understand as 'twas charged with several
different emotions, including anger and betrayal, but overall 'twas reassuring so he took it to
mean the ring was acceptable as a means for someone without their own non-elemental seiðr
to sign and seal an official document.

Then the seiðr died down and there were two official copies of the treaty where there had
only been one. As they were identical in every way, Loki allowed Laufey to choose one to
roll up and hand to Gunnlöð-Lairde who had stepped forwards. Loki then did the same with
the other, handing it to Lord Aðalgrímr.

"Please," Loki said as two of the servants who had accompanied him moved to the other side
of the table. "Accept the copies for each of your Realms."

Each duplicate was tied in a ribbon corresponding to that Realm and so they were quickly
distributed. Then, only three were left, one each for Niflheimr, Svartálfaheimr and Miðgarðr.
The traditional spells used to create these official documents had been created long ago when
each of the Nine had still been a thriving Realm, therefore a copy was always foreseen for
each Realm. Now, the one for Niflheimr would be stored in the library adjacent to the hall
they were in, and the one for Svartálfaheimr would be deposited in an area on that Realm
chosen for all such treaties since the end of the great war which had destroyed the myrkálfar.

Or, at least, so everyone had thought.

Loki tried not to allow his face to darken as he remembered what Loptr had told him. In the
past, he had always liked this habit the remaining rulers of the Nine had to leave copies of
major treaties on Svartálfaheimr, as it had meant he had been able to read any of those Óðinn
had deemed for his eye only (with none knowing the issues). But now he wondered if they
were not providing Malekith with a wealth of information on the state of the Nine after so
long. It would be something he would need to consider carefully after his regency was over
and he had healed.

"The Casket of Ancient Winters?" Laufey questioned, red gaze heavy on him.
"Of course," Loki replied, signaling General Týr.

'Twas something they had discussed at length; when was the best and most appropriate time
to actually hand the Casket of Ancient Winters back over to the jötnar. General Týr had been
all in favor of delaying the inevitable for as long as possible, while Lord Aðalgrímr had
wanted to do it as soon as possible, to prove Ásgarðr was keeping its word and bond. Loki
had agreed with his old mentor, but had been concerned and wary of siding against General
Týr too often. Luckily, Lord Aðalgrímr had been able to convince the general by pointing out
that the earlier the jötnar received the Casket of Ancient Winters, the longer Týr and his men
would have to observe how Laufey interacted with it, and thus perform an assessment of
whether they thought the restrictions on it would hold.

Loki once more leaned Gungnir against the table and pulled on a double as General Týr
approached with the Casket. The Casket went from its usual dim lightshow to a brilliant blaze
of blue as soon as 'twas placed in his hands, and Loki flicked at his connection with Mother
Winter in annoyance as he heard the mutterings from the various delegations. Mother Winter
was unapologetic, though, utilizing their temporarily enhanced connection to rush at him in a
wave of seiðr and cold, which felt like an embrace from his mother. Frigga that was. Then,
she pulled back and the Casket of Ancient Winters dimmed down drastically.

"As promised in the treaty," Loki said as he stepped to the edge of the drop in the floor. "The
return of the Casket of Ancient Winters to Jötunheimr. Let it help heal the breach between
our Realms as it will help heal Jötunheimr itself."

With that, Loki held up the Casket, allowing Laufey to grasp it by the handles. 'Twas not until
his birth dam had done so, that Loki first noticed the incongruity of such an important jötnar
artefact being as small as it was. Since it had been exactly the right size for him, it had not
even occurred to him, but in Laufey's hands it appeared to be small and fragile.

Yet more proof the Casket of Ancient Winters was meant for the íviðjur and not the
hrímþursar.

Though it still remained bright, the Casket of Ancient Winters did dim once he lost contact
with it, and Loki had to fight not to either laugh or smile at that despite how both Ásgarðr's
merriment and Mother's Winter's smug self-satisfaction filled him, making him almost giddy.
Thankfully, it did not seem as if Laufey-King had noticed. He was probably far too absorbed
in experiencing the Casket's seiðr once more after over a millennium.

"Now, please, help yourselves," Loki told everyone else, indicating the back table which the
servants had been decking with a multitude of both hot and cold food.

'Twas a bit of an awkward venue for a celebratory feast, but Lord Aðalgrímr had warned
against skipping it least Jötunheimr feel offended. Loki had also liked the idea of being able
to introduce his sibling to some more foreign food and delicacies.

Laufey, rather unsurprisingly, moved off to the back of the jötnar side of the hall and placed
the Casket of Ancient Winters under his banner, beside two large guards. 'Twas excessive as
no one would seek to steal the Casket from them, but Loki could also understand their
paranoia. If Ásgarðr's very survival depended on one particular artefact, he would not allow it
out of his sight either, until he was safely back on Ásgarðr.

"Everyone has their treaties now," Uncle Freyr said, appearing by Loki's side as he had
walked back around the table. "So tell me how that is not what it seems."

His uncle's words were accompanied by a gesture towards the Casket of Ancient Winters.

"I, too, find myself most intrigued," High Priestess Járnsaxa admitted, though she looked far
more concerned than before.

Loki liked the idea that he was being a thorn in Múspellsheimr's side.

"The Casket's power and abilities have been restricted," Loki informed them, noting Queens
Sága and Hreiðmarr were also listening in as Helblindi had vanished off to their dam's side.

"Restricted?" Uncle Freyr questioned. "How ever did you manage to do that?"

"Seiðr," Loki teased.

How often did he have the rulers of three Realms focused solely on him along with the
queen's representative of a fourth Realm?

"The Casket of Ancient Winters is a jötnar artefact," Queen Hreiðmarr stated. "And can only
be utilized by them."

Loki sent her a wicked smile. "Or those with jötnar blood, apparently."

A second later, Uncle Freyr was laughing and slapping his back while Queen Sága suddenly
looked quite intrigued.

"Jötnar heritage and seiðr," she whispered. "You convinced the Casket you were íviðjur."

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, noting how abruptly his uncle's laughter had ended.

"You are far more dangerous than you let on," High Priestess Járnsaxa stated, yellow eyes
narrowed in thought.

"People do seem to enjoy underestimating me," Loki replied with a smile which was all teeth.
"I merely use it to my advantage."

'Twas the closest they would come to discussing what had happened with Lord Hrym, but
Loki was certain she would understand. He then smiled more genuinely at the others.

"Please do help yourselves to the food and drink before it goes cold," he insisted.

'Twas all the excuse High Priestess Járnsaxa required to make her escape, and Queen Sága
followed with Uncle Freyr.

Queen Hreiðmarr remained beside him and Loki turned to focus his attention on her.
"One cannot help but notice how every Realm present but Niðavellir has had the pleasure of
contact with you directly," Queen Hreiðmarr began, bluntly.

The accusation rather than the tone caused Loki's eyebrows to shoot up. The latter he was
used to from his previous interactions with the dökkálfar. As a species, they did not
particularly value education or knowledge outside of that required to become masters at their
craft. Therefore, he had often been able to trick them with a sly phrasing or crafty treaty,
making him rather unpopular on Niðavellir even before the incident with Brokkr. 'Twas
probably also why the lies of Brokkr's vizier had been so readily believed. Well, above and
beyond the propensity of everyone to continually believe the worst of him.

"I have seen neither Queen Sága nor High Priestess Járnsaxa since I became regent," Loki
replied, honestly. Without being entirely certain of what was driving Queen Hreiðmarr here,
Loki was not certain of the best way to proceed. It sounded like she was envious. "Even
Uncle Freyr, I only met in Himinbjörg earlier."

The problem was, envy made no sense. The dökkálfar had never particularly liked him, nor
he them.

"The aforementioned trade agreements?" Queen Hreiðmarr asked.

"Arranged entirely via missives with Queen Sága on Ásgarðr's end," Loki explained. "And,
while Múspellsheimr did send an emissary to Ásgarðr, 'twas not High Priestess Járnsaxa,
much as Queen Sinmara may now wish it had been."

Loki allowed himself to smile at the memory. It would never fail to be amusing.

"I see," Queen Hreiðmarr sniffed.

"Ásgarðr did approach you almost immediately after the declaration of war from
Jötunheimr," Loki pointed out, still not entirely certain what Queen Hreiðmarr was after.

'Twas unusual for him, but normally he did not meet with the rulers of other Realms while
there were so many distractions.

Nor while he was as critically injured as he was now. 'Twas a relief he had not had to power
the seiðr earlier, as his core was throbbing enough as it was at present, without any additional
seiðr use.

"A lower ranking diplomat," Queen Hreiðmarr replied.

"Hmm," Loki agreed. "I am certain you can understand we required our best working on the
peace treaty."

Loki was half wondering if he needed to signal one of the Einherjar. He had raised this very
question at a High Council meeting and been told it would not be an issue. So why was it
now?

"And your own absence?"

That question threw Loki entirely and he did raise a hand to his hair, ostentatiously to move a
lock behind his ear, but he used the opportunity to flash a warning signal while his hand was
hidden over his shoulder. It would prepare the Einherjar to respond quickly should he give
another signal. Knowing Lieutenant-General Yngvarr as well as he did by now, he would also
not be surprised if the man found some subtle way of attracting Lord Aðalgrímr's attention.

"Hreiðmarr," Loki said, nearly stumbling over saying her name without her title. "Please be
plain with me, as I know is your preference. I have only left Ásgarðr to attend the peace talks
since becoming regent. Neither you nor your Realm have been slighted, rather the contrary in
fact, as you were firmly deemed allies without the potential for any suspected betrayals."

"'Tis true you have not slighted us now," Queen Hreiðmarr finally admitted, before her chin
came out as she looked up at him. "But 'tis no secret to anyone you do not favor Niðavellir,
and rarely visit our Realm on your frequent travels."

Loki nearly gaped as he heard the words. That was what she was concerned with? He knew
the dökkálfar were a proud species who oft saw slights in the smallest of things, but he still
found this one surprising. They had never been particularly welcoming of him, so he had
thought his avoidance of their Realm to be of mutual benefit.

"I believe if you consider my last two visits, you may well find cause for me to hesitate in
visiting your Realm," Loki replied bluntly, having no desire to be accidentally
misunderstood. "Neither ended in a particularly hospitable manner."

'Twas a mild way of phrasing his treatment at the hands of Brokkr and his men, but a lack of
hospitality was rather an apt description of how his last visit had ended. A visit to see Queen
Hreiðmarr herself, and thus entirely her fault.

Queen Hreiðmarr puffed out her chest and a cross expression passed over her features. "You
came requesting a very ancient and precious book on seiðr, access to which is restricted even
among the dökkálfar."

What she did not say was that he dared to do so after the Brokkr debacle, though Loki knew
it had played a part in her decision. Or at least offered a convenient excuse. Well, Loki was
done dancing around the truth. Not only could Queen Hreiðmarr not do anything to him at
present, but he was fed up with being accused of acts he did not commit.

"Hmm," Loki replied. "Which is precisely why I had thought to provide you with the
information as to who had stolen your crown jewels and their location as my tribute when I
came to request access to your tome, but I was captured by them and they ensured I could not
speak of it until they had moved the jewels."

Queen Hreiðmarr stared at him in shock for a few moments before whispering. "Lord
Brokkr?"

"Aye."

A clear affirmative with no room for potential confusion or misdirection.

"Why did you not mention it after you had recovered?" Queen Hreiðmarr asked.

"After what he had accused me of and with no proof?" Loki asked. "Who would have
believed me?"

'Twas hard to keep the bitterness from his voice, though Loki tried his best. If Óðinn would
not believe him, then what hope did he have of anyone else doing so? Let alone a species
who already despised him for being a wordsmith.

"King Loki, Queen Hreiðmarr," Lord Aðalgrímr said, suddenly appearing at their side. "May
I suggest you avail yourselves of the refreshments? The rock cakes in particular are quite
good and currently still warm."

"Rock cakes?" Queen Hreiðmarr questioned, glancing away from Loki.

"Aye, we have specialties from each Realm," Lord Aðalgrímr confirmed, before holding up a
goblet to Loki. "My Liege."

Loki accepted the goblet, feeling its warmth, and took a sip. Heated vanir spiced wine, his
favorite of the winter ones. It briefly made him think of his mage wine before he shoved the
thought aside.

"Thank you, Lord Aðalgrímr," Loki replied, knowing his mentor would understand the dual
meaning of his words. "I do not suppose Uncle Freyr has left me any slavatka?"

"He said he did not dare deprive the king of Ásgarðr of his favored dish."

Ha! Loki knew that was not true. At least not with Óðinn, as he could recall many a time
where his adoptive father had complained of Uncle Freyr taking the last of something. Óðinn
had also always suspected the king of Vanaheimr did it on purpose, waiting until he saw
Óðinn move to select it for himself before doing so. The humor Loki could see in Lord
Aðalgrímr's eyes told him he was not alone in his suspicions.

"Come, Hreiðmarr," Loki said. "Let us not test my uncle's patience as I fear I shall find
myself without slavatka if we do."

"Majesty?" Lord Aðalgrímr inquired softly as he trailed after Loki who had allowed the
dökkálfr queen to precede him.

"I have not the slightest idea," Loki admitted. "She appeared to be envious of, or worried by,
my lack of favor towards Niðavellir."

"Displayed when?"

"Prior to my regency."

"I will converse with her later and see what I can learn," Lord Aðalgrímr promised.
Chapter End Notes

So, this marks the 2/3 point of this fic! Only 31 more chapters to go before it's over...

🤣
Probably for the better, as I'm not sure how much more of this poor Loki could take. He
already blue screened and had to reboot at the start of this chapter! 😂

And, yes, this scene isn't finished yet. It grew out of all proportion on me while writing,
but most of that was due to the fact that I already knew so much about the greater Song
of the Yggdrasill series by this point. So some of it is set-up for later and some of it is
just by-product of having spent so long ruminating on the state of the Nine and how
each Realm has it's own species, culture and traditions. Plus, you know, politics, it rarely
plays nice.

I'm delighted to say that I have received yet another fantastic piece of fan art from
penguinofthewaddles, this one of Helblindi at the signing ceremony! You can view it
here.

Finally, in addition to the art masterlist for this fic and some musings on the sequel, I
have addressed some issues or questions people had raised here on my new blog. Like
how I look up information on a character who exists in mythology (Forseti), or what I
consider when weaving stories from mythology into MCU fics (Sif & Loki: Blond or
Brunette?). If you have any similar questions, do let me know, as they might inspire me
to do a post!

Old Norse:

múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"

dökkálfar / dökkálfr - dwarves / dwarf
ljósálfar / ljósálfr - "light elves / elf"
myrkálfar - "dark elves"
jötnar / jötunn - "frost giants / giant"
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
íviðjur - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar.
hrímþursar - hrím (“frost”) + þurs (“giant”); the singular is hrímþurs. As this word
seems interchangeable with jötnar, I used it for the name of the non-íviðjur.
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
Just on a side note, slavatka is an entirely made-up word. 😊

Up next week: The end of the signing ceremony & a peak into Fury's head...
 Chapter 62
Chapter Notes

Another week, another chapter. And more art at the end of it!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Ah, Loki, here, I have been guarding this for you," Uncle Freyr said as Loki reached the
refreshment table.

"Only as you have consumed all of the others," High Priestess Járnsaxa replied, good
naturedly.

"I am a man who knows what he wants," Uncle Freyr replied.

"Thank you, Uncle," Loki said, banishing Gungnir to his pocket dimension and temporarily
putting down his goblet so he could take the plate a servant handed him with the slavatka. He
then glanced around. "Are you finding new items you like, Helblindi-Princex?" he asked as
he found his sibling nearby where the floor dropped.

"Some of them," Helblindi replied. "Others have been rather more... ah..."

"Overpowering?" Queen Sága offered.

"Hmm," Helblindi confirmed, pulling a face.

"Not because they were too hot, I hope?" Loki checked.

He had been very specific in his instructions regarding the food and drink. They did not need
any of the jötnar badly burned due to an error by one of the servants.

"Nay," Helblindi rushed to deny. "More in the flavors."

"Jötnar food has been blander since trade with the rest of the Nine was blocked," Laufey
stated bluntly from where they stood with a goblet of what Loki had no doubt was the
dökkálfarian beer Lord Aðalgrímr had ensured they had to hand for the ceremony.

"What do you recommend from the jötnar delicacies?" Loki asked his sibling. "I am quite
fond of the Hár fish stew, so I am curious as to what you have brought."

Although Ásgarðr had brought the majority of the food and drink, for obvious reasons,
Jötunheimr had insisted on providing some of it. No doubt, out of pride.
"The hrognal is my favorite," Helblindi replied. "'Tis a type of fish egg paste, not too
dissimilar in taste to some of the components of the Hár fish stew."

"Which one is it?"

The dish his sibling indicated did not look displeasing, so Loki nodded to one of the servants
who put some on a second plate along with some slices of a bread-like food. He finished the
slavatka which he had already started, before exchanging the now empty plate for the new
one.

"Is there a non-alcoholic drink you would recommend?" Helblindi asked, looking over the
array of pitchers.

Normally, Loki would have questioned what drinks his sibling liked, but he doubted he
would know any of them. Instead, he tried to recall what they had decided to serve of the cold
drinks.

"Maybe the rowan berry juice," Loki recommended, and laughed at the face his uncle pulled.

"Are you certain?" Uncle Freyr asked. "'Tis a very divisive drink."

"Hmm, but Father, Thor and I all like it, while none without jötnar heritage do."

'Twas a pattern he had only recently realized, as both Uncles Vili and Vé were quite fond of it
as well as both of his cousins.

"It has proved popular with the jötnar delegations in the past," Queen Sága agreed. "But not
generally with either vanir or æsir ones."

Tentatively, Loki tried his hrognal and he was happy to discover he did, indeed, enjoy the
taste, sharp as 'twas. It made him decide to try several of the other dishes Laufey had brought
as it would serve the dual purpose of being diplomatic and discovering if he was far less
picky with dishes from his birth Realm than those on Ásgarðr, where he oft disliked a
particular spice or combination of flavors.

"When you have had some more food, you should be able to try one of the alcoholic
beverages," Queen Hreiðmarr said, stepping forward. "I would recommend the winter mead
or chilled vanir wine, if you wish to do so."

"I shall see," Helblindi replied, carefully.

It made Loki wish to smile. Clearly, his sibling was wary of attempting anything alcoholic
again after their first experience thereof.

Conversation, and the group, drifted slightly to allow those who had not yet selected their
food and beverages to reach the banquet table. During the time, Loki paid special attention to
both Hreiðmarr and his newly discovered sibling. The former to attempt to prove he had
meant her and her people no slight, and the latter simply as he wished to know more of
Helblindi. As the conversation drifted to other topics, though, he found himself conversing
with everyone present at one point or another, even Laufey. The latter conversation was brief
and carefully worded, but still took place.

Eventually, Loki glanced around and spotted his uncle at the banquet table once more,
debating his options. Using the convenient excuse of his empty plate, he stepped away from
the others.

"Having trouble deciding what you wish to have next?" he inquired.

"I am thinking 'tis time for something sweet next," Uncle Freyr said. "The sweetbreads you
brought, mayhap, or the honey cakes."

Both had always proved popular with his uncle.

"May I ask you a question, Uncle?" Loki inquired, selecting some of the jötnar desserts.

He could not immediately tell what any of them were, and he had a strong suspicion more
than one actually consisted of either meat or fish, which was intriguing.

"Should I be afraid, Loki?"

"I am uncertain, but I could not help but notice how abruptly you ceased laughing at Queen
Sága's comment, earlier."

"Ah," Uncle Freyr said, his face closing off. "How much do you know of the íviðjur?"

"Only the basics," Loki replied carefully, not wanting his uncle to skip something, assuming
he was aware of it.

Loki could already tell this was not something the man would speak of twice.

"Well, they are rare and quite valuable to Jötunheimr," Uncle Freyr explained, face
darkening. "Or, at least, to most. Laufey always seemed less enamored with the attention they
received."

A wave of coldness and foreboding washed over Loki. Had he not been the only íviðja to
suffer at his birth mother's hands? Helblindi had said it had been quite a while since they had
been blessed with one. Given what Bestla had said, and his own age, that should not be the
case unless Jötunheimr had been unlucky with the birthing of their sorely needed seiðberandi.

"Laufey was quite insistent during the negotiations that the Casket of Ancient Winters was
theirs and not the íviðjur's," Loki replied, voice low and keeping a careful eye on the others,
lest anyone sneak up on them.

Uncle Freyr scowled. "It does not surprise me after what I was told."

"Oh?"

"I have only known one íviðja, mind, but she was quite clear on the matter of how Laufey
treated her.
"She?" Loki questioned, a broad smile crossing his face as several puzzle pieces finally
slotted into place. "Why, Uncle."

"'Tis not what you think!" Uncle Freyr protested.

"Is it not?" Loki asked, glancing over at the jötnar delegation.

He still could not imagine being attracted to one.

"Nay, you cannot look at them," Uncle Freyr said. "The íviðjur are quite different and not
only in height. Do you know what name they were given by many in the Nine?"

"Nay."

"Ice maidens, for their fair and comely appearance."

Loki had to fight not to crinkle his nose in disgust. Fair and comely? Not only did it clash
with all he thought of the jötnar, but also most of what he had ever heard of his own
appearance, definitely all of what was said on Ásgarðr. Though, his adoptive Realm was the
least likely to think well of the jötnar, even before the last war.

Still.

"Maidens?" Loki protested.

"Not entirely true, aye, but I doubt I need to explain to you how it came about."

Nay, he did not.

"As for Gerðr, she did prefer to be referred to as female," Uncle Freyr continued, voice and
face softening. "She oft chose female dress, too, when off Jötunheimr."

Ah, Loki could start to see why his uncle had ceased laughing so abruptly earlier. Or why he
had yet to marry despite the need for heirs.

"I fail to see how I was wrong," Loki teased.

Uncle Freyr made an odd, aborted move with his arm, which Loki realized had been his
uncle's desire to jostle him in annoyance, before Freyr recalled where they were and Loki's
new status.

"Impertinent whelp!" Uncle Freyr muttered instead.

Loki smiled unrepentantly for a moment, ere he sobered. "I take it from what you said before,
she vanished rather abruptly?"

"Aye."

He did not need to inquire as to whether the circumstances had been suspicious, Loki could
already tell his uncle's opinion of it from the man's manner alone.
"My condolences," he said instead.

"'Twas a long time ago now," Uncle Freyr replied. "But I will treasure what you managed to
do with the Casket of Ancient Winters. Gerðr would most definitely have approved."

Though he had never met her, Loki felt the words keenly. She was the last of those like him,
and, from the sounds of it, it seemed like she had suffered the same fate Laufey had intended
for him. If in taking his own vengeance he had been able to exact some for her as well, then
he was pleased for it.

"Well, 'twas my pleasure anyway, but now 'tis even more so," Loki said, before he became
more serious. "But you do need an heir, Uncle."

"Do I?" Uncle Freyr inquired, the mischievous expression he shared with Frigga crossing his
face. "I seem to have a very capable nephew who is half vanir."

The relief at the confirmation that his uncle did not know was immediately washed away by
the horror of his words.

"Nay!" Loki retorted sharply, raising his forefinger in emphasis.

He was not going to be saddled with a different throne! But, how best to ensure it?

"I doubt your people would want someone raised on another Realm," Loki began. "Besides,
Father could still change his mind, and then you would be stuck with Thor."

The way his uncle's eyes widened told Loki he had made his point. At least for now.

There were days when the pounding of his head behind his remaining eye made Fury almost
want to claw it out.

Today was one of those days.

It had started with a bad night's sleep and gone downhill from there, including spilled coffee,
bad traffic, a conference call with the World Security Council, and piles of paperwork. Then,
he had received a call to say Stark was up to his usual antics, causing chaos for both his
agents and the stock markets. Also, his latest report from the scientists in charge of
investigating the event which had caused the collapse of seemingly random people across the
globe a week ago, had consisted of so many big words meant to disguise the fact they had no
clue why it had happened. Or why most had reported hearing haunting music immediately
beforehand. And then his stomach had started complaining about something he'd eaten... or
not eaten as the case may be.

If he didn't fear that saying so would make it come true, Fury would say this day couldn't get
any worse.

There was a knock on his door.

Fury swore before raising his voice. "What?"

"Is this a bad time?" Coulson asked, entering with the look which Fury had heard agents call
the 'trademarked Coulson is unimpressed' expression.

It nearly made him smile. Nearly.

"That depends on why you're here," Fury replied.

He just knew his day was about to get even worse.

"The Bifröst has opened."

Fury swore.

"I've sent Hawkeye and a team to meet whoever has arrived, and to bring them back here,"
Coulson continued.

"Let's hope it's news of a successful peace treaty with this Jötyn-"

"Jötunheimr, Sir."

"That world."

"Would it make a difference either way?" Coulson asked. "Treaty or no treaty, we've no way
of knowing whether this King Laufey will honor it or come looking for war here instead of
Ásgarðr."

It was a question Fury had needed to field from everyone ranging from the president to
various members of the World Security Council.

"Which is why we're prioritizing the creation of new weapons and investing in whatever Dr.
Selvig will require for his research into the Tesseract," Fury replied. "But I've been ordered to
cultivate our relationship with the Ásgarðrians as best we can, just in case they're serious
about coming to our aid should we be attacked."

"I suppose it comes down to whether we would wish for their help or not."

Fury snorted. "As you say. Let's just hope it never comes to that."

"Hill is preparing a conference room for our guests now."

"Good," Fury locked his computer and rose to his feet. "Let's watch their arrival and see what
we're dealing with this time."

They walked through the halls of the makeshift base in silence, heading for the security
center. Though Fury had never intended for this base to last this long, he had preferred to
keep it operational even after the abrupt and rather dramatic departure of the hammer. Not
only was it remote, but by allowing the aliens to view this base, they may underestimate what
they were capable of, which couldn't hurt. Well, unless they were serious about this all-seeing
and hearing gatekeeper of theirs. The possibility still disturbed him as it had everyone else
who'd been informed of what Lord Birgir and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had said.
Was it even possible? Once, Fury would have thought not, but those days were long gone.
Between Rogers, Danvers, Banner and many others, he had long since learned that nothing
was truly impossible, merely improbable until proven otherwise. True, the ability to see and
hear clear across the universe was rather bigger than anything they had already encountered,
but they were dealing with beings who claimed to be well over a thousand years old and
whom their own ancestors had looked up to as gods. Right or wrong, it meant they possessed
superhuman abilities and Fury would not be caught off-guard just because some supposed
skill or ability seemed unlikely.

No, he could only hope most of what was recorded in Norse mythology was as wrong as this
King Loki's supposed jötunn nature, or the fact none of the myths knew Thor and Loki were
siblings, as otherwise they were in far more trouble than even Fury would like to admit. What
with sky walking, world serpents, Ragnarök and all of the rest. As if they didn't have enough
to deal with right here on Earth as it was! He could only hope King Loki was as
diplomatically oriented as Thor had claimed his brother was, if so, there was a slim chance
he'd not only achieved a peace treaty with Jötunheimr, but that it would be kept as well.

"Sir," Hill greeted as he and Coulson entered the security center. "I have prepared the room
closest to the entrance for us to meet our guests."

"Good," Fury replied. "Do we know any more?"

"Hawkeye has called in to say they have collected a party of three."

"Three?" Coulson repeated. "That's it?"

"So it would seem," Hill confirmed, bringing up an image from the camera in one of the
vehicles sent to retrieve the Ásgarðrians. "One of them is Lord Birgir, the other two are
unknown."

That much Fury could see for himself, though one of them - the other man - was dressed
similarly to the, what had Thor called them? Ah, yes, the Einherjar, another of those damned
new words he'd been forced to learn after Óðinn had deemed fit to send his son crashing to
Earth. The other was a woman, dressed quite unlike the warrior Sif who had come previously.
This woman was wearing a flowing pale gray dress with some leather and metal pieces which
seemed more ornamental rather than utilitarian, though he would not make the mistake of
assuming her safe. If her strength was at all like that of Sif, then she was quite dangerous for
that alone.

"Do we have names?" Fury asked.

"Eiríkr and Lady Nanna."

"Nanna?" Coulson asked, his eyebrows rising. "She doesn't remind me of any grandmothers I
know."

Hill smiled. "I would recommend not mentioning that to her."

"Do we have any information on either from mythology?" Fury asked, ignoring the banter.
"Not on Eiríkr, or at least nothing we could suppose referred to him," Hill replied, moving to
one of the computers. "It was a popular Norse name."

"I assume it's not spelled E-R-I-C?"

"Not even close."

"And Nanna?"

"Her, we do have something on, but, even assuming it's at all accurate, there are conflicting
narratives," Hill said, pulling up the database they had started compiling with any and all
information they could find on Norse mythology. "In one, Nanna is said to be Nepsdóttir and
is considered to be the wife of Balðr and the mother of Forseti. In this version, she was said
to have died of grief when Balðr was murdered."

"Murdered? By who?" Coulson asked.

"That's where things get a bit tricky given what we know for certain about Ásgarðr. The
popular story about Balðr, which is far more consistent, is that he's a son of Óðinn and Frigg,
so a half-brother of Thor," Hill explained.

"Wasn't he the one killed by Loki with mistletoe?" Fury questioned.

"Sort of," Hill replied. "The story is that Loki made either a magical spear or arrow of
mistletoe, which was the one living thing Frigg had not been able to extract a vow from not
to hurt Balðr, after they had both had visions of his death. Loki then gave the spear or arrow
to Balðr's blind brother, Höðr, to throw at Balðr, since apparently people had taken to
throwing things at him to watch them bounce off."

"Jesus, talk about tempting fate."

"I assume it killed him?" Coulson questioned.

"Yes, but things get even more interesting," Hill replied. "See, in another story about Nanna,
it's said she's the daughter of King Gevar and that she married Höðr instead of Balðr. In this
version, both she and Höðr are human and Balðr is considered a demi-god. Both Höðr and
Balðr apparently competed for her and Höðr won, while Balðr wasted away from nightmares
of Nanna."

"Cheerful," Fury muttered. "Is there a version which has more credence to it?"

"The first version seems to be more prevalent and is deemed more truly Norse mythology,
rather than a fable which came later or evolved from it."

"But it would paint Loki as an enemy of Nanna, even if she had survived the death of her
husband," Coulson mused.

"I would recommend assuming her story to be as inaccurate as Loki's seems to be, even
though there are elements of Thor's tales which have proven to be true," Hill said.
"Well, we shall soon find out," Fury stated as he watched the cars pull up outside and his men
get out, opening the doors for their guests. "Hill, with me. Coulson, I want you to watch from
here and monitor the situation."

With that, Fury turned heel and strode from the security center.

"There are times when I'm still not quite sure I believe I'm awake," Hill said while they
approached the meeting room. "What with speaking to representatives of another world and
all."

Fury snorted. "Makes you wish for the good old days when it was only superhumans, right?"

"Exactly. It also makes me dread to think how long it will be before this is normal."

Perish the thought, but Fury knew exactly what she meant. He would never have thought
dealing with the likes of Stark and Banner would ever be what he longed for.

"It could still be worse," Fury reminded her. "They could be visibly alien, in which case we
would have had a far larger problem when Thor first arrived."

It was something which the World Security Council had mentioned, and which Fury had
pondered and started to consider planning for. They knew, after all, that not all aliens were so
human in appearance as the Ásgarðrians, and SHIELD could not afford to be caught off-
guard and without a plan. Not when they were Earth's first and only line of defense against all
things either non or superhuman. He would have to give the Avengers Initiative some more
thought, even as they moved forwards with the Tesseract project. Just in case it didn't work,
or they needed something before Selvig made sufficient progress. The scientist had said it
would take years or decades to fully understand the cube.

And, if the peace treaty had failed...

"Let's hope for good news," Hill said as they reached the door to the room she had prepared,
an armed guard on either side.

"Lord Birgir," Fury said upon entering the room. "Thank you for returning."

"Director Fury, Agent Hill," Lord Birgir replied, turning from where he and the other two had
been examining the refreshments laid out.

Were they that fascinating?

"Thank you for sending transportation to collect us," Lord Birgir continued. "May I introduce
Lady Nanna, one of the highly respected magic users on Ásgarðr."

"A witch?" Fury asked in surprise.

It was one of the areas his analysts still struggled with. How a society which was clearly so
advanced and technologically superior to any on Earth, could still believe so heavily in
magic.
Lady Nanna winced. "Mage would be the proper term. Witches are those with little formal
training who peddle in mere potions or curses."

"Ah, our apologies," Hill said. "We are unused to magic, and so do not know all of the
differences in meaning between the many terms and names for those who use it."

"Lord Birgir has informed me thus," Lady Nanna replied. "I must admit to being surprised,
since Miðgarðr used to have a strong magical tradition."

"That has narrowed over the centuries, particularly the last few," Fury replied.

Lady Nanna smiled and Fury tried to determine her age. She appeared older than Thor or his
so-called friends, more like Lord Birgir and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. Not that it said
much, as even Thor was over a thousand years old. Still, he would peg her more as middle-
aged, if Ásgarðrians aged at all like humans when accounting for their increased lifespan.

"Would you like something to drink before we sit down?" Hill asked, moving towards the
refreshments. "We have coffee, tea or water."

Fury was surprised at the tea, though he supposed it allowed for a greater variety based on the
different colored packets.

"Tea I know, what is coffee?" Lord Birgir asked, stepping forwards.

Rather than try to explain, Hill filled him a cup. "Some people add milk or sugar to it," she
explained, handing him the mug.

Before Fury could add a warning about the heat, Lord Birgir had already taken a sip, not that
it seemed to bother him any.

"It smells bitter," Lady Nanna said. "Do you have any floral teas?"

"Uh, we have some fruit ones and, ah, yes, hibiscus, which is a flower," Hill said, holding up
a packet.

"I shall try that," Lady Nanna replied, taking it. "How does it work?"

Much as Fury wanted to start right away, he knew the value of playing nice in situations like
this and so waited until everyone was settled, and he had his own cup of coffee.

"I assume you have news of the peace negotiations?" Fury asked, wanting to get straight to
the point.

"Aye," Lord Birgir nodded, pulling a large scroll from the bag he carried. "I am happy to say
the talks were successful and here is Miðgarðr's official copy of the resulting treaty."

As soon as he touched the scroll, Fury knew that he'd been right, it was freaking parchment.
How the hell did such an advanced society like Ásgarðr still use parchment? No doubt they'd
have to file it away under the same quirks that led to them still using hammers, axes and
swords along with such primitive body armor. At least it gave him hope they might be able to
provide something to trade if it ever came to that.

"As that is an official copy, 'tis written in Norse," Lord Birgir continued as Fury unrolled the
scroll a little to find it covered in huge runes.

He was no linguist, but they looked to be ancient Norse to him. But why was the writing so
large?

"Are the jötnar very large?" Hill asked. "Is that where the... uh... speciest slur came from?"

"Aye," Lord Birgir confirmed. "On average, they are at least twice as tall as the average æsir."

"Æsir is Ásgarðrian, yes?"

"Correct."

From what Fury had seen, they seemed to be slightly larger than humans, so that was not
good. Not good at all. He could only imagine what the frost part of frost giant referred to.

"As I have been informed most of you no longer speak Norse, we have had the treaty copied
into both English and Mandarin," Lord Birgir continued, pulling out two more scrolls. "I was
informed those were the two most common languages now spoken on Miðgarðr. Do you
speak either?"

"Do we speak either?" Fury repeated in surprise. "Don't you know what language you're
speaking even now?"

"Ah, we are not speaking your tongue," Lady Nanna smiled. "Like all of the other species of
the Nine, we have the gift of All-Speak."

"All-Speak?" Hill frowned.

"It means we are able to understand and be understood by all, regardless of the actual
language being spoken."

That... would explain a lot, even if Fury was not sure he liked the sound of it.

"How the hell does that even work?" Fury demanded, brow furrowing.

One of the proposed suggestions to get around being overheard by the apparently all-seeing
and all-hearing Bifröst guardian had been to say and write confidential information in code or
another language, given the Ásgarðrians seemed to speak English. But if they didn't... would
code even work, or would this All-Speak translate that too?

"'Tis very complex magic and not fully understood even by many of us," Lady Nanna replied.
"'Tis something all of us are granted shortly after birth."

"You call it All-Speak," Hill commented. "Does that mean it works with the written word as
well?"
"Nay. That would require another working and is far more difficult as the All-Speak relies on
the power of knowing what the speaker intends to say. With written words, the writer could
be long dead or thinking of other things at the time the words are being read."

Fury rubbed at his good eye, feeling the headache behind it building. His day really had
gotten even worse.

"Fine, so this is a direct copy of the treaty," Fury said, holding up the large scroll before
indicating the two smaller ones. "And these are the translations of it."

"Aye, precisely," Lord Birgir confirmed. "Most pertinent for you is that King Loki has
managed to achieve peace and reestablished a number of privileges the previous treaty had
taken away."

"And this Casket of Ancient Winters?" Hill asked. "It seemed important but also gave them
the ability to leave their planet, if I recall correctly."

"Aye," Lord Birgir replied. "It has been returned to Jötunheimr to allow their Realm to heal,
but its abilities have been limited so it cannot be utilized for either transportation or attack."

Fury shared a startled glance with Hill. That was a rather surprising development.

"Will the limitations hold?" Fury asked.

"From what I understand, the jötnar currently do not possess a mage powerful enough to
undo King Loki's work. And, even if they found one, they would need to decide utilizing it
thus was worth the risk of a renewed war precisely when they have regained the only artefact
which can save them and their entire Realm."

So possible, but not probable.

He had worked with worse odds before.

"Very well," Fury relented. "If we have any questions after reading it, can we contact you?"

"Naturally," Lord Birgir confirmed. "Next, you will be pleased to hear all four of those who
attacked your men were found guilty of not only those crimes, but dereliction of duty and
treason as well."

"Good. Their punishment?"

"A life sentence of indentured servitude."

"Indentured servitude?" Hill repeated in surprise. "Ah... what does that mean for you? I
believe it may be different from what it means- or meant- here."

"Certainly. It means they will be forced to perform tasks for the rest of their lives, often
manual," Lord Birgir explained. "For instance, they have been put to work aiding with some
repair work in the eastern part of the city."
"You allow them out of prison?" Fury frowned. "Those who have committed treason? What's
to keep them from escaping?"

"Their collars," Lady Nanna replied. "This sentence comes with the fitting of modified
dökkálfarian slave collars imbued with metal magic."

"Slave collars?" Fury repeated, his very being rebelling against the mere idea.

"It allows the king and guards to give them orders which they cannot disobey. Such as do not
attempt to escape, or report anyone who tries to aid you in doing so."

"Mind control magic," Hill deduced.

"Nay," Lady Nanna denied. "It does not influence their thoughts or desires, only their
actions."

"There is magic which can do the other two?"

"Aye, 'tis the darkest and foulest of arts, forbidden throughout the Nine by joint decree of the
other Realms, but still used beyond the Yggdrasill."

Fear sliced through Fury and, while he had would not allow it to show, he had no qualms
admitting it to himself. Magic that could influence the mind and desires was not something
he wanted to contemplate, much less know existed.

How could they possibly defend against that?

"You are not pleased," Lord Birgir asked with a furrowed brow.

"We're not used to magic, it's startling," Hill responded. "And we have done away with
slavery long ago."

"As have we, hence the alterations made to the collars," Lord Birgir clarified. "If utilized as
the dökkálfar do, it would be true slavery. We have, however, applied restrictions and they
can only be used on those sentenced thus for high level crimes. Also, we do not extend it to
cross generations or allow citizens to utilize it."

It made Fury feel a bit better, but the mere implications were enough to make him deeply
uncomfortable even if the US did use prison labor itself. Those damn collars made all of the
difference.

It seemed to constantly come back around to magic, and he knew the World Security Council
wouldn't like it. He could just see them demanding he start a magical division of SHIELD.

"And their punishment is for life?" Hill asked.

"Aye."

"Do you know why King Loki went with this punishment rather than another?" Fury asked.
"You had mentioned other possibilities before including execution."
 "During the trial, the king said this way they could pay back Ásgarðr for their crimes," Lord
Birgir said. "I have also heard he has said it gives them no choice but to follow the proper
chain of command."

"Poetic," Fury could not help but admit.

And he could see the appeal of the collars when worded like that, though he wished he
couldn't.

"Silvertongue," Hill said, inadvertently reminding Fury of all the titles Loki had collected in
Norse mythology.

It was a fair few, more than any of the others, bar Óðinn.

Lord Birgir smiled. "'Tis a kenning King Loki has gained from the ljósálfar. On Ásgarðr, he is
often called a wordsmith."

"We also have a third name for him in our mythology," Fury stated, curious to see how they
would react.

"Related to words and ending in smith?"

"Yes."

"That would come from the dökkálfar," Lord Birgir explained. "He had dealings with some
who preferred to call him a liar rather than admit they had been deceived by his words and
had not understood his meaning."

An elegant way to put it, though Fury knew well there could often be several sides to a story,
let alone two.

Chapter End Notes

More politics and family drama, woven together! I hope you enjoyed that and have lots
of questions about what, precisely, happened around the time of the last war. I'll
definitely be coming back to all of it in the sequel 😁

As regards the whole 'ice maidens' thing, this is partly based on the needs of the fic, but
also partly on mythology. If you look at the stories, jötunn or jötnar is sometimes used to
describe giants, and sometimes exceedingly beautiful beings; such as Skaði & Gerðr,
who are married to Njörðr & Freyr, respectively. I've just taken this uncertainty and run
with it to explain some of the odd discrepancies within the MCU, and for the purposes
of this fic.

The brief interlude on Earth is added in here more to close the subplot started with Thor
being banished there, but I couldn't resist knocking on the fourth wall a bit. Rather than
tidy up the myths and bring Norse mythology in this fic universe more into line with the
MCU canon, I've decided to leave it more as it really is. That just gives me more room
to toy with it, both here and later. Therefore most of what was mentioned in the dialogue
between Fury, Hill and Coulson is real, just pulled from different sources. How much I'll
run with as being 'real' is a different matter altogether...

I'm also delighted to say that penguinofthewaddles has drawn even more fantastic art for
this fic! This time of the burning of the Yggdrasill, when Loki was channeling the
excess seiðr off through Gungnir. It can be found here. I'm being so spoiled with art!

Finally, I've answered some more commonly asked fic & writing related questions on
my blog.

Norse Mythology:

Forseti - god of justice and reconciliation [for more see the deep dive I did on him on
my blog]

As stated in the chapter, Eiríkr is just a common name, with no particular references.

Old Norse:

dökkálfar - dwarves
ljósálfar - "light elves"
jötnar/jötunn - "frost giants"/"frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
íviðjur/íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as
"giantesses"/"giantess", but I did find some sources which said they were a different,
better looking type of jötnar.
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages

Just so you know hrognal is an entirely made up word.

Up next week: Fury's part continued & the final scene of the treaty signing ceremony...
 Chapter 63
Chapter Notes

I hope everyone had a good week.

Have another chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The door to the meeting room opened and an agent's head appeared.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said, holding out a piece of paper. "Agent Hill."

She rose and stepped forward to take it, dismissing the other man.

"Thank you for the weregeld you brought," Hill said, looking up as she passed the paper to
him.

It contained some weights and rough conversions, which Fury took to calculate the monetary
value of the gold bars. It was significantly higher than he had expected. They'd be able to
fund all of the equipment Selvig claimed to need for his research from this and more. It also
meant they'd need to be careful if they ever left Earth and encountered aliens elsewhere, for if
this was the standard recompense for wrongful attacks, then it could become very expensive
very quickly if they fucked up.

"'Twas promised," Lord Birgir replied. "And I would like to apologize once more on
Ásgarðr's behalf for their actions."

"I assume Lady Nanna came along today because you promised to provide us with more
information on the Yggdrasill?" Hill asked.

"Aye."

"Before I begin, I am most curious, did anyone here experience any odd effects seven days
ago?" Lady Nanna inquired.

Seven days ago?

The day of the synchronized mass unconsciousness.

"There may have been something," Fury replied, cautiously. "Though only some people were
affected."

"They would be those with magic," Lady Nanna explained. "They heard a strange music
before losing consciousness, aye?"
Fury shared a look with Hill. Had the Ásgarðrians been behind it?

"Yes," he confirmed.

"'Twas due to the ignition of the Yggdrasill."

"Ignition?" Hill questioned in surprise. "This cosmic tree caught fire?"

"In a way," Lady Nanna replied. "'Twas not true fire, but 'twas ignited or energized."

"How?"

"We do not know. 'Twas actually the ljósálfar who identified the cause of what transpired, as
it has been so long since it occurred as to be considered more myth than reality."

Fury did not dare ask how long ago that was, since he wasn't sure he wanted to know what
those so-called gods considered mythical.

He wasn't sure his sanity could take it.

"Ljósálfar?" Fury asked instead, stumbling over the strange word.

"Light elves," Lord Birgir replied. "They are from Álfheimr."

"Why are there so many different designations for the different people?" Hill questioned. "It's
something we have noticed in our mythology."

"'Tis most likely the difference between the type of people and from whence they hail."

"I don't understand."

"When we first arrived, you said you are ordered in different... countries, I believe you called
them?"

"Yes."

"And the inhabitants of this country are called what?"

"Americans," Hill said.

"So, you are American as we would be Ásgarðrian, yet you are also human, whom we also
call mortals, while we are æsir."

"Okay, I see. Hence Jötunheimr and jötnar."

"Aye, and the vanir on Vanaheimr."

"Ljósálfar does not go with Álfheimr," Fury pointed out.

"It used to be called Ljósálfheimr, much as Jötunheimr was once Útgarðr."

"And what are the names for the others?" Hill inquired.

"Svartálfaheimr used to have the myrkálfar, whom you would call the dark elves," Lord
Birgir replied. "Niðavellir meanwhile has the dökkálfar, while we never knew the inhabitants
of Niflheimr, so we cannot know what they called themselves."

"Leaving Múspellsheimr."

"The most complex of the Nine. There are two types of sentient beings who inhabit that
Realm. I assume you have a term for anyone on... Earth regardless of country?"

"Earthlings would be the most common," Hill said.

"The comparison would be múspellssynir, while the individual species are the eldþursar and
the rjúfendr."

On some level, Fury could not believe how easily they were obtaining such valuable intel,
and he found it was an indicator of precisely how far behind they were, if all of this was
deemed common knowledge.

"And beyond the Nine?" Fury asked.

"Far too many different people, species and planets to name."

"Such as?"

"Skrull, ergons, krell, kronans, zehoberi, aakon, deonists and many more."

Well, at least he knew Birgir was being partially honest with him, as Fury knew more than
one of those from his own encounters with them.

"To get back to the ignition of the Yggdrasill, am I understanding it correctly to think we
weren't the only ones to experience these effects?" Hill asked.

"Aye," Lady Nanna agreed. "Almost all of the Nine did."

"Almost?"

"We do not believe the jötnar currently have any magic users or those with any non-species-
specific magical abilities."

"Magic users?" Fury demanded, sharply.

"They are the ones who experienced the effects," Lady Nanna stated. "Well, with the
exception of those who possess only elemental seiðr."

That... was explosive knowledge and Fury had to keep from glancing at Hill. He had no
doubt Coulson would already be actioning it to gain access to as many information sources as
possible to be used to compile a list of Earth's magic users this ignition had revealed. They'd
also need to dig deeper and see if they couldn't uncover anyone who might not have reported,
or been as open about, what had happened to them.

And he was going to end up with a damn magical division. He could hear the Harry Potter
jokes already.

If he heard one single Mad-Eye Moody reference, he was going to implement extra KP duty
for everyone.

"It must have caused chaos," Hill commented.

For some reason, this drew a smile from both Nanna and Birgir, who shared a look of their
own.

"Aye, and much consternation and worry among many a royal guard, given several of the
Nine have rulers well versed in the magical arts," Lady Nanna confirmed.

Hill leaned forward, sympathetically. "You succumbed as well?"

"Aye," Lady Nanna confirmed with a smile. "But I am glad as it allowed me to experience the
song of the Yggdrasill."

"The song of the Yggdrasill?" Fury repeated, trying to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

This was all starting to sound like hippy mumbo jumbo. Yet, strange as it was, Fury could not
immediately say it was the oddest thing he had ever heard or dealt with. Which didn't mean
he wouldn't like it all to stop. For fate not to seem like it was trying to outdo itself all of the
damn time.

"King Loki confirmed it himself, since he is familiar with it," Lord Birgir stated.

"He heard it too, before he succumbed?" Hill checked.

"He heard it, but he did not succumb," Lady Nanna said. "In fact, he is the only mage in the
Nine we are aware of who did not."

"Why not?"

"His power, most likely," Lord Birgir said. "King Loki is a powerful mage in his own right
and, with the power of the Óðinnforce at his disposal at present due to his regency, he is most
probably the most powerful mage currently alive."

"Or 'tis his contrary nature," Lady Nanna stated, laughing when Lord Birgir sent her a
shocked look. "'Tis true," she continued. "If anyone is likely to say or do the unexpected, 'tis
King Loki. And he has ever done the unusual or unexpected as far as magic is concerned,
ever since he first commenced his training."

Well, at least Fury could see why he was considered the God of Chaos if this was all true.

Now, for the delicate questions.

"We have stories of the Óðinnforce," he began. "Is it truly as magnificent as our accounts
claim?"

Though Birgir's face gave nothing away, Fury could tell the man had become more wary. As
he should, when a foreign entity asked about your leader's power source. Still, he had hoped
they might underestimate humans just enough to do so. It had been worth the attempt.

"It allows the king great power," Lady Nanna explained. "Though the specifics have been
kept carefully guarded."

For that, Fury could hardly fault them and, indeed, he might have worried if they didn't do so.

"I can explain more about the Yggdrasill," Lady Nanna continued. "I have been told most of
that knowledge has been lost to you."

"Well, what do you think?" Fury asked as soon as Coulson had joined him and Hill in his
office.

"I think we need to compile a list of everyone who collapsed seven days ago," Hill replied at
once. "Do we know how many SHIELD personnel were affected?"

It was an interesting question and Fury looked to Coulson.

"A fair few," the man replied. "But none I would suspect of secretly being witches or wizards
in their spare time."

Fury snorted. "And that's what we're talking about here, if we believe them, aren't we?"

"Not necessarily," Hill countered. "They did later say either it was either magic users or those
sensitive to magic."

"We can try to figure it out, but without a real-life Hogwarts, I'm not sure we'll get
anywhere," Coulson said.

"I'm going to end up with a damn magical division," Fury moaned, rubbing at his eye.

Despite the situation, Hill laughed, and Fury glared at her.

"Think of the benefits it could bring if we can crack magic," she said.

"I'm more worried about the fact that if magic is real, what are the odds it hasn't already been
mastered on Earth?" Coulson frowned. "People did used to take its existence for granted for
millennia."

Fury cursed. He had been trying not to think of the very possibility, but Coulson was right, it
was far more likely it had already been mastered. There were enough myths and legends of
magic wielders, after all, far more so than aliens and just look how that had turned out.
"I'll get a list compiled as quickly as possible and have it analyzed for overlap with groups,
societies or associations of any kind, whether it be the Illuminati or the damn local book
club," Hill stated.

The latter made Fury snort, but it was such a common trope among witch stories that it might
just be real after all. He'd seen stranger things, easily.

"Do we know if any of the potential Avengers had a reaction?" Coulson inquired.

"As if Stark would tell us if he did," Fury muttered.

"I'd actually be more inclined to think we'd have learned of it by now if he had," Hill
countered. "Either because of some gossip column or because he'd be investigating the
incident and pestering us for information on it."

"Or he'd be attempting to hack our servers," Coulson added.

So, it was a good thing Stark seemed unaffected. Though there was a part of Fury which
would have liked to have seen the man trying to accept that he had magical potential as Fury
unfortunately knew the billionaire enough to know how well that would go down.

Still, if Stark had turned out to be a mage, Fury had no doubt that eventually the man would
have gotten over his issues and found a way to master his full potential. If for nothing more
than to become the best and make a spectacle of himself.

"I guess the biggest problem we might have is, what to do if it turns out there is some form of
organized magical society which has been keeping its very existence secret from everyone
else," Fury said.

"Yes, given Ásgarðr's kings use magic, I doubt they'd be willing to give us any tips on how to
deal with them," Coulson agreed.

"I suppose it comes down to why they've kept to themselves," Hill reasoned. "If it's for fear
of being burned at the stake or because of their sanity being questioned, then perhaps we'll be
able to come to some sort of arrangement."

Fury frowned. "It's possible," he allowed.

It wasn't a scenario he had thought of himself, having assumed far more malicious purposes
for being hidden away, but both the US and Europe didn't exactly have great track records
when it came to how they treated suspected witches.

He should have resigned after he'd seen his first alien. Though then, of course, there had been
a clear and present danger to deal with, and after he'd been unable to turn his back on all that
he'd learned. Not after how close Earth had come to being wiped off the map. Well, so to
speak.

It was why he'd been as accommodating as he'd been so far. Though Fury knew he had the
modified pager Danvers had given him, he was also well aware that if Earth ran into trouble,
it could be far too late by the time she got back. Who knew where in the universe she was
now?

So, yes, they needed other allies if at all possible, and Ásgarðr with this King Loki seemed a
decent possibility, at least so far. The question was what would happen when Óðinn... woke.
Given he'd thought nothing of dumping his problem child on Earth just to get him out of his
hair, Fury wasn't optimistic. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers, and for now they'd have to
wait and see. They'd definitely had worse.

"What about the treaty?" Fury asked, redirecting the conversation.

"I've sent the Chinese one off to be translated so we can compare it with the English one,"
Coulson replied. "I've also had someone look into who'd be our best bet to approach for a
translation of the old Norse one."

"Good, at least it rules out any potential translation errors. What about the content?"

"I've only been able to have a quick look at it," Hill began. "But it does mention Miðgarðr
specifically, as promised, and marks it as a protectorate of Ásgarðr."

"Which is going to go down very well with most of the military who get to see it," Coulson
muttered.

"It doesn't go down well for me either, but we're hardly in a position to argue," Fury
countered.

Yet.

Or at least that was very much his goal, whether it would be possible he didn't know, but he'd
definitely do all he could to try. Hence the playing nice, since that was what would give them
the most chance of having as much time as possible.

"At least they've not started asking for a tax to cover the cost of it," Hill responded.

"Don't give them ideas!" Coulson hissed.

"And there's that," Fury frowned. "I don't like it, and neither did anyone else in the
government whose been informed of it."

"What can we do about it, though?" Hill asked. "Particularly in light of what we learned
today."

"Nothing, it seems, though we'll have to try and find some alternatives. Writing seems like a
distinct possibility."

"The silver lining is that if this Jötunheimr does decide to break their end of the treaty,
Ásgarðr will know," Coulson said. "I'm not certain I want to try seeing if we can obtain a
better deal with them."
Fury grunted, before he looked back to Hill. "Any luck discovering if what we were told
about an attack the first time was true?"

"It's hard to tell given the timeline we were given," Hill sighed. "There are definitely tales
which correspond with it, but they were told in almost the same breath as Loki being jötunn
and Thor having other brothers. So I'm not sure we could really say it's any different from
just another myth or legend."

"Fine, collate a list of potential magic users and see that everything we learned today is
properly recorded. We can then check what lines up with it in mythology and what doesn't,"
Fury ordered. "Coulson, see if we can't have some of our guys work us up a map or three-dee
representation of this Yggdrasill thing. If it's all real, then it's our best description of what's
out there, which might be helpful in the future."

"If nothing else, it gives us something to show the Ásgarðrians if they come again. At which
point they might tell us more in how we got it wrong," Hill smiled.

"My greatest aspiration," Fury replied dryly.

When had his life become this?

Not surprisingly, the jötnar delegation were the first to elect to leave Niflheimr, and their
departure seemed to be the signal for the others to begin ending their own conversations. As
Loki had been speaking with Helblindi-Princex, he was luckily not engaged with anyone
when it happened.

Though he had been aware the loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters would affect his
connection with Mother Winter, Loki had not been prepared for how badly it did so, nor what
it would feel like to have it severed as abruptly as 'twas. The shock of it made him stumble
and only Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's quick reaction kept him from falling outright.

"Your Majesty?" the head of his guard inquired, eyes sweeping over him worriedly. "Are you
alright?"

"I-" Loki began, desperately attempting to regain his wits.

'Twas difficult with his core injury and the deep, throbbing emptiness where Mother Winter's
presence had been ever since he had bonded with her in the vault. At first, it felt like she was
entirely gone, but Ásgarðr quickly guided him towards what remained of her presence. 'Twas
severely reduced and far weaker than before, but she was still there.

The relief he felt was intense and Loki almost sagged in Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's grip,
but he caught himself at the last moment, acutely aware they had an audience. And not one of
only æsir, either.

"Aye," Loki forced the word out of his mouth.

Ásgarðr was doing her best to bolster him, but 'twas more distant than normal as they were on
Niflheimr. Between that and Mother Winter's sudden reduction in strength, Loki was reeling.

"Are you certain, my King?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr checked, shifting subtly so 'twas
not as immediately obvious he still had a hand on Loki's arm.

The concern was touching in an unexpected way, as Loki stood close enough to the head of
his guards to see 'twas genuine and not merely a duty.

So, how to best explain it?

"Do you recall what happened in the vault, when I was examining the Casket of Ancient
Winters?" Loki inquired.

"Aye," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied immediately.

Indeed, 'twas an event Loki doubted the man would ever forget. Not after the fright he had no
doubt given the head of his guard when Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had found him,
collapsed and unresponsive.

"If you recall, 'twas the result of Mother Winter bonding with the Óðinnforce," he explained.
"The loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters has affected that connection between them."

Well, sort of.

"'Tis gone now?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr asked.

"Nay, 'tis still present, but far weaker than before."

"Will it adversely affect you?"

Loki shook his head, and 'twas not precisely a lie. "It merely caught me by surprise, I am well
now."

He felt like he had a hole in the very fabric of his being he did not before, but it did not affect
him physically. Or Loki would not allow it to.

When he stepped back, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr immediately released his arm, though
Loki could tell he was still being watched closely for any indication he was not as well as he
claimed to be. It would irritate him, were it not the lieutenant-general's very job to ensure his
safety and wellbeing.

"Your Majesty?" Lord Aðalgrímr's voice came from behind him, and Loki turned to face the
man. "Queen Hreiðmarr and her delegation are ready to leave."

"Thank you for the warning," Loki said, glancing about to find the dökkálfar queen.

Given what he had already heard from her earlier today, he could ill afford to offer her any
slight now. Luckily, she was easy to locate, and Loki moved towards her, Lord Aðalgrímr at
his side. 'Twas as he was approaching the dökkálfar delegation, that pure delight burst across
his connection with Mother Winter, and it took Loki but a moment to realize Laufey and their
delegation would have returned to Jötunheimr. He had forgotten about the brief stop on
Ásgarðr, but now 'twas more than clear the Casket of Ancient Winters had returned to its
rightful Realm and he could not help but smile in joy for Mother Winter.

"King Loki, thank you for your invitation," Queen Hreiðmarr said as he reached her.

For a moment, Loki was confused at her current tone given what had come before, but then
he realized she had mistaken his expression as being for her. Well, if it pleased her to do so,
then he did not mind.

The best lies were based on some truth, even if misdirected.

"Peace is always worth celebrating," Loki replied.

From there, events moved quickly, everyone keen to leave Niflheimr for warmer climes now
the jötnar had left. Loki, himself, was quite pleased when his delegation returned to
Himinbjörg.

"How fare the Nine, Höðr?" Loki questioned, looking at his old guard.

"All is well and quiet which I can see," Höðr replied.

"And Lord Birgir's party?" Lord Aðalgrímr inquired.

"They have already returned and seemed pleased with the outcome of their trip."

"Excellent," Loki said, before he stepped out onto the rainbow bridge itself and mounted his
mare.

The ride back to Iðavöllr took slightly longer than normal as they were greeted with cheers
the entire way, people also moved close to hear the final confirmation of the news. The war
was over, and they were ecstatic.

Loki allowed his pleasure at their treatment of him to show, even if it slowed their progress.
His greatest need for haste was now past and he was determined to enjoy the rest of today
and all he could as a result of his accomplishment. It would not soon be forgotten and would
earn him his place in Ásgarðr's tales and history books.

"'Tis not oft our work receives this type of recognition, but, whenever it does, it never fails to
be memorable," Lord Aðalgrímr said, drawing his horse up beside Loki's.

"Tonight promises to be even more so," Loki replied.

"Aye, it does. Not that our work is truly over regarding Jötunheimr."

"Is it ever?" Loki returned. "But that is for the morrow."

"My wife would permit no less," Lord Aðalgrímr informed him.

Loki laughed as they entered the courtyard of the palace itself.

"I hope she will be present tonight as well."

"She would not miss it."

Not many would, particularly on Ásgarðr, and, for once, Loki truly looked forward to
attending the feast. He had long waited to have one such as this held in his honor.

"Then I shall see you both tonight," Loki said as he dismounted and handed the reins to one
of the waiting groomsmen.

"Your Majesty," Lord Aðalgrímr gave a half bow, before moving off into Iðavöllr.

Loki found Lady Borgunna waiting for him as he followed at a more sedate pace.

"My King," she greeted, curtsying.

"How come the preparations for this evening?" Loki inquired.

"The Great Hall is as ready as it can be at present, and the cooks have commenced with
preparing the meats."

"Good, please ensure several barrels of mead are set aside for your staff, after they have
finished serving the guests."

"Thank you, my Liege, they will most definitely appreciate them."

Of course they would, and Loki knew well the value of doing what he could to not only
appease, but also gain the favor of, the servants. They were all over Iðavöllr and both saw
and heard much that others missed, oft forgetting the servants were present at all.

"Were you planning to make a speech before the meal as your father often does?" Lady
Borgunna inquired.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, knowing it meant the guests needed to have mead before his
entrance, which had to be arranged.

Otherwise the drink could be brought in with the food, later.

"I shall have everything prepared," Lady Borgunna promised.

Loki inclined his head before he moved past her, heading for his chambers. The signing
ceremony had taken most of the day as they had started late due to the time difference with
Jötunheimr. It had meant the múspellssynir delegation had been awake when they normally
would have slept, but even without the humans attending, it had not been possible to arrange
for the ceremony to be at an ideal time for all of the different delegates. Therefore, the focus
had been on Jötunheimr for obvious reasons, and Loki had seen no need for both Álfheimr
and himself to suffer to ensure a better timing for whomever Queen Sinmara would send.
The rest of his journey to his chambers was unimpeded as there were not many people in the
corridors, likely as they were all preparing for the feast in one manner or another.

"Loki," Livunn greeted when he entered his living chamber.

"'Tis done," he informed her, recalling what she had mentioned of her younger brother. "We
are at peace once more."

"Oh, thank the Norns!"

Loki smiled, but the urge for some peace of his own had been growing steadily within him
for the past several days. He was not used to being so constantly surrounded by others and
had oft spent long periods of time in solitude, only seeking out the presence of others when
he felt the desire for company.

"I would like some solitude now," he told her.

"Of course, would you like me to return just before the feast?" Livunn inquired, well aware
of his penchants and quirks.

"Nay, I shall see you there."

"My King," she curtsied once before leaving.

For a few moments, Loki simply stood where he was, enjoying the silence and being able to
allow all that he felt to show on his face without any filters or masks. He felt utterly drained
and exhausted, and he knew he would not be able to maintain this charade for much longer.
Hopefully, he would not have to, but now he had accomplished that which had been his main
goal, he was ready for his regency to be over.

Naturally, Óðinn would not oblige him. The All-Father only had impeccable timing when it
suited him, and now it clearly did not. Well, if Óðinn did not wake soon, then it would not
simply be Loki who suffered, but all of Ásgarðr as well and he doubted his adoptive father
would allow the latter, even if the former would be nothing to the man.

With a sigh, Loki leaned Gungnir against the closest wall and moved into his bedchamber.
Though he knew he did not have terribly long, he changed his outfit for a far simpler one so
he could sit cross legged on his bed and attempt to center himself. With everything which had
occurred as of late, he had not had the time to meditate, and, with his mutilated core, he now
felt both emotionally and physically wrecked as well as magically injured.

Finding some semblance of control was difficult at best, but Loki was skilled at doing so
under trying circumstances, so he was eventually able to force his body into submission. His
breathing and heart rate slowed, his muscles relaxed, and he allowed his mind to wander. He
was not seeking to accomplish anything in particular at present beyond taking some time for
himself. That in and of itself would do him wonders in his current condition, and mayhap
help give him the energy and strength to continue as he was until Óðinn finally deigned to
waken from his slumber.
Time was always fluid when he meditated, so Loki was not entirely certain of how long 'twas
before he felt it, but, as he was so open to his own seiðr and body, he immediately became
aware of the shift from Mother Winter. At first, 'twas purely emotional, an intense
anticipation swirling from her across their bond and infecting not only him, but Ásgarðr as
well. He received the emotion with mixed feelings of him own. He was greatly pleased she
seemed so happy, but yet it emphasized the massive reduction in the strength of their
connection all the more. With the agony of his core, 'twas all the easier to focus on that
negativity and what it signified for how empty he would feel once Ásgarðr, too, was torn
from him. Only her bond with him would be severed completely, rather than being so
drastically reduced in strength.

The burst of utter joy and delight which came from Mother Winter next was accompanied by
a surge in strength, and it took Loki a few moments to realize that, nay, he was not merely
wishing or imaging it. His bond with Mother Winter had just increased in strength once more.

But how?

A flash of an image - the Casket of Ancient Winters sitting on what appeared to be an altar of
sorts, the entire chamber aglow in beautiful blue light reflecting off of highly polished ice
walls - and Loki knew. Laufey had just returned the Casket of Ancient Winters to the temple
from which Óðinn had taken it during the war.

The temple where he had been left to die.

The thought made Loki flinch and he was nearly thrown from his meditative state, but he
clung to it through sheer force of will. He would not lose this renewed connection with
Mother Winter for something so trivial as a little emotional pain. A rush of reassurance from
Mother Winter followed and he tried not to allow it to raise his hopes needlessly. Surely it
could not mean what he wished it to?

Nay, it seemed like Ásgarðr was also pushing him towards the same conclusion. This
enhanced strengthening of his bond with Mother Winter was to remain.

'Twas not nearly as strong as their connection had been when the Casket of Ancient Winters
had been on Ásgarðr in the vault, but that was only natural. The Casket was an entire Realm
away, but clearly the restored connection between the Casket of Ancient Winters and
Jötunheimr allowed Mother Winter to reach him better than she could without it. It made him
feel better than he had since Laufey had taken the Casket from Niflheimr, as 'twas better than
he ever could have expected it to be. Indeed, it felt stronger than his connection with Ásgarðr
did when he was not on the Realm Eternal.

Hope unfurled within him and, for the first time in a long while, Loki allowed it to. The joy
and bliss which continued to radiate from Mother Winter was his doing and he was
determined to enjoy it to the fullest. Her thankfulness merged with his own sense of
accomplishment at knowing he was the one who had done this for her. He had allowed her to
start feeling whole once more after over a millennium of being torn asunder and left wounded
with neither íviðja she should have had with her.
 The feelings were so positive and warming that, for a short while at least, Loki was able to
ignore the pain in his core and simply bask in them.

Chapter End Notes

I have to admit, these scenes with Earth are a right pain to edit! Not only is Fury's an
annoying head to be in at times, but I'm suddenly using contractions again, along with
words I've been avoiding in other parts of the fic to not sound too modern. It makes it
harder to catch if one of the people who shouldn't use them is, or vice versa! But that
was it for this fic as far as Earth is concerned, but we'll be back in some of the planned
sequels!

Poor Coulson, thinking Tony would only be attempting to hack their servers. Or that
they'd know about it if he was!
And poor Fury, he's gonna end up with a magical division, isn't he? 😈

As regards the details of Norse mythology mentioned in this section, they are all things
that I found when looking up details for this fic. They just seemed needlessly complex
for most things, until this point, where it was fun to just throw them in to muddy the
waters a bit!

Finally, I have to admit to being amused at how the viewing numbers on my new blog

🙂
start to rise from about midday on Sunday. Is that people checking to see if anything will
prevent me from posting? It's quite a distinctive pattern these last few weeks

Old Norse:

myrkálfar - "dark elves"

múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"
eldþursar - "fire giants" - often used to refer to the denizens of Múspellsheimr - I have
used this term for the bigger of the 2 species on Múspellsheimr in this universe
rjúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - my name for the smaller species from
Múspellsheimr
dökkálfar - dwarves
ljósálfar - "light elves"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
jötnar - "frost giants"
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Loki and Yngvarr speak & the celebratory feast!
 Chapter 64
Chapter Notes

A bit earlier today as I actually had this Sunday off as part of my weekend!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Once, as a child, Loki had asked Frigga why special occasions were called feasts when the
normal evening meal was also called a feast. 'Twas something he genuinely had not
understood or seen the point of. In many ways, he still did not see why the evening meal
invited so many who could afford to pay for their own meal, even if he could understand the
importance of the large celebrations. 'Twas why he had ordered invitations sent out to some
of the merchants for the third level of the market, where the jötnar delegation would be
housed during the Harvest Festival, along with the other foreign traders who elected to visit
Ásgarðr for the festivities to sell their wares.

With the added importance came added ceremony and pomp, so, for the second time that day,
Loki found himself donning his newly designed outfit. He did quite like it, the cape in
particular, and he hoped to be able to wear them both again, though perhaps separately to
make the whole ensemble a little less kingly.

With Livunn already gone when Loki emerged from his bedchamber, the contrast was all the
greater when he stepped into his antechamber to find the head of the king's guard awaiting
him.

"Do not mistake my meaning, Yngvarr," Loki began. "But why are you still here? We have a
peace treaty; the war is over."

The expression which flickered over the lieutenant-general's face was there so briefly, Loki
could not be quite certain of what 'twas, but he could tell the man was not looking forward to
this particular conversation. It garnered an odd feeling within him and, right at this moment,
he felt his kingship quite keenly. It vaguely reminded him of how he had known Lords
Aðalgrímr and Ragnvaldr had discussed Queen Sága's missive together, before coming to see
him about it. Though he had long since known people would oft prepare before speaking with
him, as they knew his speed and skill with words, all of this felt distinctly different. More
significant somehow and was no doubt due to the fact that, as king, his word was absolute. If
he overruled them, 'twas final.

"Though the war was why the increased security and guards were implemented, it has not
presented the greatest threat to yourself, Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied.

Hmm, true. Still.

"You fear there may be more traitors?" Loki asked, genuinely curious.

Personally, he had no suspicions of more beyond a general ill will towards him from several
quarters. He did not, however, believe any of those would seek to attack him directly. Not
now he had Thor standing with him so openly.

"We do not know," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr answered, honestly. "General Týr has not
had time to properly investigate how far the damage caused by the former Warriors Four
goes."

Straight to the point and logical, with no appeal to his emotions, yet worded carefully enough
not to imply anything, or risk doing so, about his skills and ability to defend himself. The
lieutenant-general truly had been paying close attention to him lately. 'Twas a bit unnerving
and made part of Loki want to reject it out of hand, for that alone.

Still, the logic remained, and Loki could be honest enough with himself, at least, that his
shattering and heavily mutilated core would leave him vulnerable at best should he dismiss
his personal guard. True, there would still be men outside of his study, but he would be alone
at most other times.

"And what do you personally think?" Loki questioned, curious to see how the man would
respond.

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr sighed and glanced away for a second, at one of the tapestries
his mother had made for him. "I would like to think I am correct in believing this is as far as
it goes, however..."

"Professionally, you cannot risk it," Loki concluded, impressed with the honesty.

It did nothing to further Yngvarr's argument, and Loki was certain he himself would have
lied, but then Óðinn did not listen to him as 'twas, so he needed all of the additional help he
could attain.

"Aye, my King."

"Very well," Loki acceded, smiling when the lieutenant-general looked at him in surprise.
"You are not the only one constrained by official duties. War over or not, Ásgarðr hardly
needs any more uncertainty or instability at present."

"Thank you, Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said. "I know you do not enjoy the close
scrutiny and constant observation."

"Does anyone?"

"Not your father."

Now Loki laughed. Despite all of Óðinn's admonishments when Loki had skipped on his
guard in the past when younger, the man had hardly ever set a good example. The only
difference being that Óðinn had called them off, rather than skipping away on them.
"Will you at least assign other men?" Loki asked. "You will have more men as I doubt Uncle
Vili will remain in Iðavöllr now, and Thor will no doubt wave off his guard."

Which meant his own would stand out all the more, therefore Loki made a mental not to
speak with Lord Ragnvaldr of it, so he could see if the advisor thought they needed to do
anything about that or whether recent events would be sufficient to explain it on its own.

"I may rotate around some of my men."

Loki eyed the man, catching the unsaid implication. "Your wife will come to hate me," he
teased.

"Impossible."

Loki's eyebrows shot up at the tone and certainty of the words. From the steely look which
entered Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's eyes, he knew there was no doubt in his protector's
mind on that. It also told him this was not merely about having averted a war which would
have dragged Yngvarr to Jötunheimr and endangered him there.

"Have I met her before?" Loki asked, raking his brain for a formal introduction.

He knew he had seen her from afar, as wives and children oft came to Iðavöllr for some of
the bigger celebrations, but he could not recall anything beyond that.

"Nay, but you slew the múspellssynir seiðmadr who attacked us," Yngvarr replied.

The change in the lieutenant-general's tone was subtle, but Loki could detect it. His sharp
gaze also picked up on the way the fine muscles around Yngvarr's mouth and eyes tensed.

"You lost someone in the attack," Loki realized.

Yngvarr nodded, glancing away once more as his fists clenched. "Our youngest two were in
the school which was damaged."

Loki remembered it well. 'Twas where he had found the rjúfendr and his first priority had
been to draw him away to a better battleground.

"My son... he... he did not survive," Yngvarr continued, eyes closing. "He saved his sister,
though, thus 'twas not a bad death."

Anger flashed through Loki at the words. Damn Ásgarðr and its stupid, pointless focus on
honor at all costs!

"I imagine 'tis not always as comforting as we like to pretend 'tis," Loki said, choosing his
words carefully.

Yngvarr turned shocked, blue eyes back to him and, for a moment, Loki thought he had
misjudged the situation. Then, the lieutenant-general swallowed thickly and Loki caught how
his eyes watered, though no tears actually fell.
"Nay, 'tis not," Yngvarr admitted, softly.

Loki hesitated before he reached out to squeeze the man's arm above his vambrace.

"If 'tis any consolation, the múspellssynir did not go down easily," Loki stated. "Between his
shields and different anatomy, blows which should have felled him did not, prolonging his
suffering before I was finally able to slay him."

'Twas a bit of a gamble, but æsir were most likely to acknowledge or indulge their bloodlust
when vengeance was involved.

"Good," Yngvarr hissed, and Loki could see his face hardening with anger.

It relieved Loki as he was not at all certain how to deal with someone like the head of his
guard while emotional.

"If any of the conversations regarding the corruption investigation become too much for you,
please do leave the chamber," Loki said, only able to imagine what all of that was dredging
up. The lieutenant-general had been very professional about it, though, as Loki had not even
suspected how affected the man was. "No excuses necessary."

"Thank you, my Liege," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said. "But it will not be necessary."

'Twas the answer Loki had expected, but at least he had made the offer.

"What was his name?" Loki asked. "Your son?"

"Gisle," Yngvarr replied. "His name was Gisle."

"And the sister he saved?"

"Ástríðr."

"They are nice names," Loki said. "And 'tis clear you are a good father." Yngvarr opened his
mouth, clearly to protest, so Loki raised a finger. "What happened was not your fault," he
declared, firmly. "They were at school, where they should have been safe."

"My mind knows this," Yngvarr said instead. "But being a good father has many elements to
it."

"You clearly love them."

Now a small smile appeared on the lieutenant-general's face, though 'twas fleeting. "When
you are a father yourself, you will understand. Loving your children is automatic."

"Nay, 'tis not," Loki retorted, hurt and anger flooding through him and he ruthlessly clamped
down on both, lest they enter his voice too noticeably. "Some parents even try to kill their
children."
Clearly something had leaked through, though, as his protector was observing him closely
now. Luckily, Loki knew the man could not possibly guess the truth, so he focused on what to
do next rather than allowing self-recrimination in. He knew perfectly well why his emotional
control was in tatters.

"Those are not normal," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr finally said.

"Hmm," Loki agreed. "But they do exist, so do not forget all you clearly did and felt for your
son. You did not do anything wrong."

And now they were both emotionally unstable, but Loki did not at all like the thought of
someone who reminded him far more of Frigga than any of his other parents, biological or
adopted, thinking themselves a bad parent. Not when he could clearly be far, far worse.

"Shall we, my Liege?" Yngvarr finally inquired. "The people await."

That they did, and, as the guest of honor for tonight's banquet, it would not start without him
even if he had not been king. It gave Loki a great sense of satisfaction as they left his
chambers, the rest of the king's guard falling in around them as they made their way towards
the Great Hall. The corridors were mostly deserted, everyone already being at the feast. The
rising sound of many voices speaking at once rose the closer they came to the Great Hall,
even as the wonderful scents of a great feast reached them.

Once in the chamber behind the head of the Great Hall, Loki stepped forwards into the royal
entrance, but only a little, so he remained shrouded in shadow and could simply take a
moment to observe the atmosphere.

That 'twas boisterous was immediately obvious, and he could only hope 'twas all for the
peace treaty and not simply due to the mead and efforts of the palace staff for the feast.

"Still on duty, Lieutenant-General?" Frigga's voice came from behind him and Loki turned to
see his mother approaching, wearing an intricate, new gown in green and gold. The colors
were a signal if ever Loki had seen one, and he could not help but smile.

"Always, your Majesty," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied with a bow.

"I see, we may need to compare notes on how to persuade the king to do that which he does
not like," Frigga smiled.

"Mother," Loki chided, amused despite himself.

"'Tis quite a skill," she replied, stepping closer and looking him over as best she could in the
dim light. "The tailors are outdoing themselves lately."

"Hmm, though one may be more than they seem," Loki responded.

"Oh?"

"I will explain later, tonight is for celebrating."

"Indeed, 'tis. I am so proud of you, Loki."

Her words warmed him and Loki smiled at her, basking in the simple pleasure of it.

"Thank you for coming tonight," he said.

"And miss your big moment?" she asked. "Of course not."

Nay, she had almost never missed any of his big days. In fact, he could think of only one.

"Shall we?" Loki said, offering his arm.

Frigga slipped hers through his and, together, they stepped out into the Great Hall. As before,
the noise immediately died down somewhat as all eyes suddenly turned towards them, and
Loki could well imagine the picture they made with their color coordinated outfits.

By the time they had reached their seats, the Great Hall had quieted as much as it ever did
outside of a speech, and Loki released his mother's arm so she could seat herself. He
remained standing, though he leaned Gungnir against the banquet table.

"As I am certain everyone has heard by now, Laufey-King and I signed a new treaty earlier
today, meaning the war is now officially over," Loki began, and then paused as there was a
roar of approval and applause.

He allowed himself a small smile as he glanced around the Great Hall, basking in being the
one with all eyes on him for the moment. This was what he had been waiting for, for so long.
Recognition. Approval. Having his deeds seen and acknowledged for once. Therefore, he
allowed it to go on a little longer than he otherwise might have.

"Now, as I know how easily rumors travel, allow me to make a few things clear," Loki
continued.

He did not need any half-whispered nonsense circulating about what the treaty did and did
not contain. He was not liked nearly well enough to be given the benefit of the doubt once the
exhilaration and excitement of the celebration had passed.

"Firstly, 'tis true the Casket of Ancient Winters was returned to Jötunheimr," Loki continued,
seeing a few shocked faces. "However, its power was severely curtailed, meaning it cannot be
used for either travel or offensive purposes. Instead, it can only be used to help heal the
damage wrought both during the war and the Casket's subsequent absence, both of which are
quite severe."

There were more startled looks now, and Loki knew for most the fact Jötunheimr had not yet
fully recovered from a war Ásgarðr hardly even thought of anymore, would be shocking.
Which was why he had chosen to mention it, for he would not see his new treaty - the crown
jewel of his regency and his chance to be mentioned in the history books - ruined
thoughtlessly come the Harvest Festival.

"Therefore, I want to reassure everyone that its return will not result in any further incursions
on their part," Loki said. "However, this does not mean we will not be seeing more of the
jötnar than we did before. Part of the treaty was a loosening of the trade restrictions on
Jötunheimr, so any trader will be allowed to travel there to ply their wares should they wish
to. In order to allow the jötnar to reintroduce their own offerings, traders will be allowed to
attend the Harvest Festivals, both here and on Álfheimr."

The news was met with a chorus of murmurings as Loki had known it would be. Luckily, he
saw no outright hostility, more concern and worry. Those he could easily work with.

"I realize this may be surprising and unsettling for some of you, but let me assure you, the
traders will be closely monitored at all times and if you do not wish to interact with them,
then all you will need to do is avoid the lower level of the market," Loki continued. "For
those who do decide to interact with them, remember 'tis not only yourself you risk if you act
violently, but Ásgarðr's peace and the lives of those who would need to defend it."

Not necessarily the best argument to make to the æsir normally, but Loki had found a
surprising resistance to the idea of renewed hostilities with the Frozen Realm, so mayhap he
had been mistaken in some respects.

"Though it may be hard to remember at present, the jötnar were not always our enemies, and,
indeed, they were once our friends and family. Ásgarðr's last queen was themself jötunn,"
Loki declared, knowing that for the many of those born after Bestla's death, this may be
news.

"And for those of you who fear there may be too much bad blood between us now, I remind
you there was a time when the vanir were our enemies," Loki continued, placing a hand on
his mother's shoulder. "Then, too, it took a peace treaty and a willingness on both sides to
bring us to where we are today, with Vanaheimr as one of our closest allies."

The looks were a little more thoughtful now and, while Loki had initially thought to remind
them of their own bad eggs, if necessary, he did not think it was. Besides, as the other big
events of his regency, their trials would always remain clearly linked with this treaty.

"But those are concerns for later," Loki declared, taking the ornate drinking horn Thor
handed him. "Tonight, we celebrate our new treaty."

That was a far more popular statement, and everyone reached for their own drinking horns,
raising them as he did his.

"To peace!" Loki said.

"To peace!"

"To Ásgarðr!"

"To Ásgarðr!"

The roar was far louder now, and Loki waited a heartbeat, wondering if someone would
complete the ritual for him. 'Twas not strictly necessary and would not be noticed if no one
did, but 'twas a mark of honor. He had been hoping either Lord Aðalgrímr or Lord Ragnvaldr
might give him that, thus he was shocked when a completely different voice spoke up.

"To King Loki!" General Týr declared.

"To King Loki!"

He inclined his head in acknowledgement, even as he tried to hide his surprise. Though they
had worked together very well as of late, Loki had not expected this honor from the man.
Clearly, he had made more of an impression on the general than he had realized.

Delighted, Loki savored his first drink of mead of the night.

"Now, let us feast!" he proclaimed to a great cheer before he seated himself.

'Twas the cue the servants had been waiting for, and they immediately began bringing out
trays laden heavy with food and further barrels of mead. 'Twas also the cue for the musicians
which, along with the murmur of voices, immediately rose the sound level of the hall. But
'twas a good ambiance; festive and celebratory. Even the servants seemed cheerful, though he
was certain that also had something to do with the fact he had ensured their own fair share of
the mead.

Frigga squeezed his hand and he looked over to find a proud smile on her face.

"I always knew you could do it," she whispered, leaning close. "Now make certain you fully
enjoy your big night."

Of that, Loki had every intention. For not only did he not expect such a situation to ever arise
again, but he had no pressing business on the morrow, providing him with time to recover.
Thus, while he still had no desire to become drunk in public, he would allow himself to
indulge enough to be mildly inebriated.

Mayhap it would even serve to temporarily dull the pain in his core.

The agony of his core was back in full force when Loki woke and he groaned as he buried his
face in his pillow, desperately attempting to will the pain away.

It did not work.

Loki lingered in bed as long as he could, but as 'twas the extra petition day they had added to
discuss the opportunities of the peace treaty, 'twas not as long as he would have liked. Even if
the session had been delayed a few hours due to last night's feast. Thor had questioned its
addition altogether, but Loki knew the importance of it not only in its own right, but
particularly after so great a feast. The palace always gave food and mead to any who came
the day after a great feast, and he knew the treaty would only draw more people than normal,
not less.

It would also be a chance for those with questions or concerns to pose them to him. After all
of the effort he had put into obtaining this treaty, 'twas a small price to pay to have it received
as well as possible.

Finally, he forced himself up and prepared for the day. To help signal the end of the war and
use all the authority he had available to the fullest, Loki chose to wear the outfit he had for
the second trial. The one modeled after Búri and Borr's outfits, with the leather tabard.

Breaking his fast was a chore, but Loki did so as he wished to take the pain potion he was
provided with, and which he strengthened with the right tea leaves. Livunn gave him a
concerned glance as she knew he had not inebriated copious quantities of mead, but, luckily,
she did not question it.

Valaskjálf, when he reached it, was fuller than on his last petition day, but Loki found the
atmosphere light. The drinking horns and food he could see among the crowd no doubt
helped to achieve it, but he knew they would only go so far to quell any true unrest had there
been any. He smiled in greeting as he approached Hliðskjálf, taking a proper seat. While he
preferred to lounge, he was aware that, with the people, it would be perceived as arrogance
and a lack of interest in their concerns on his part.

"Your Majesty," one of the seneschals began. "The vast majority of people present today have
come to request more information on the new treaty and possible trade with Jötunheimr."

The latter surprised Loki, as he had thought most people would be far more focused on the
implications of the treaty in regard to jötnar being on Ásgarðr. Though, he supposed they
might have far more practical concerns and less time for the luxury of being able to look at it
from a political or normal perspective.

A quick glance about Valaskjálf showed most people were now listening, whereas petition
sessions oft had a background hum of sound as those awaiting their turn spoke quietly
amongst themselves.

"There will be trade opportunities with Jötunheimr," Loki confirmed. "The full details remain
to be worked out. What has already been settled on is the attendance of several jötunn traders
at both the Harvest Festival here and on Álfheimr. During this time, it will be possible for any
who so desire to speak with the jötnar and the trade representative who will accompany them.
Nothing further is currently planned to take place off of Jötunheimr, but we have lifted the
trade ban, so any who desire will be allowed to travel to Jötunheimr to trade with the jötnar
directly. Such visits will be closely monitored by Höðr."

One of those at the base of the stairs before Hliðskjálf hesitated, and Loki motioned for him
to speak.

"Will we have an escort for such visits, my Liege?"

"Nay, Laufey-King refused to allow warriors to travel to Jötunheimr," Loki began. "However,
they are aware that if there are any incidents, I will once again close their Realm to our
traders, and all other Realms will be informed of what transpired. This may cause them to
hesitate or cease trading with Jötunheimr as well."
 Though 'twas no absolute protection against anything, his reply seemed to mollify the traders.
While not the norm, 'twas not terribly unlike the circumstances of trading on Múspellsheimr
or on some planets outside of the Nine.

"What of tariffs and forbidden items, my King?" a woman asked next.

Loki motioned to the table at the base of the stairs leading up to Hliðskjálf, where he had
signed the zisa trade agreement with Múspellsheimr.

"That is a copy of the conditions Laufey-King's delegation provided us with on Niflheimr,"

Loki replied. "Your thoughts and comments would be appreciated, though I am uncertain
how much success we will have in altering any we may not like."

Clearly, the terms were of concern to many as they moved to form a separate line to view the
restrictions Laufey's diplomates had given them.

"What of any disputes which arise, Your Majesty?"

Chapter End Notes

Sometimes characters and scenes get away from an author. Both Yngvarr and this first
scene are most definitely an example of those. From a nameless, faceless guard in the
first draft of the beginning of this fic, to someone who is now surprisingly fleshed out,
he would not simply remain quiet. I'm really glad I just went with the flow with him,
though, as I love how Yngvarr's turned out and I already have some lovely scenes with
him all sketched out for the sequel!

And, yes, I'm aware this chapter was shorter than normal, but that's what happens with
averages, I'm afraid. The next chapter is about the same length, before we get to a more
average length chapter.

This week I'm also thrilled to announce that I have not one, but two wonderful pieces of
fan art to share with you!

First up is another amazing piece by Lilituism, who did this fantastic piece. I can say
that this will look quite interesting once we hit the sequel!

Second is a great Loki and Loptr comic by neblinadesol. It goes back to chapter 1 and
where this epic started. Do check both out as they are amazing!

Old Norse:

rjúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - my name for the smaller species from
Múspellsheimr
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"
jötnar/jötunn - "frost giants"/"frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Just so you know, both Gisle & Ástríðr are Scandinavian names that I've used. Neither
had any particular reference in Norse mythology, even if I used the Old Norse spelling
for Astrid.

Up next week: Loki catches up on the many items deprioritized in favor of the treaty.
 Chapter 65
Chapter Notes

For those wondering why my timing is a little off, the UK just had its clocks change this
morning, so we're now on summer time!

Enjoy the new chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"I heard the petitions this morning were well attended," Lord Ragnvaldr's voice preceded him
out onto the large balcony Loki was on.

Both to save more time, and because he felt the need to be outside, Loki had requested to
have lunch out here and Thor had joined him.

"Hmm," Loki replied, leaning back in his chair and motioning for the advisor to join them. "It
took the full session, but Aðalgrímr should have more feedback than he desired."

"I had rather thought he might," Lord Ragnvaldr said, accepting the plate Livunn handed him.

"How did the gifting this morning go?" Thor inquired.

"Very well, larger than normal, as we had anticipated."

"But everyone received something?" Loki checked.

"Aye. Lady Borgunna had managed to estimate things well," Lord Ragnvaldr confirmed.

"Father oft says Iðavöllr might cease functioning without her," Thor laughed.

"He is not wrong."

"Do I wish to know what you have been doing all morn?" Loki inquired, accepting the tea
Livunn gave to him to go with the berry tart he had chosen.

"Nay," Lord Ragnvaldr smiled. "But I fear you must."

Loki groaned. Though he had made certain to keep all of the most vital aspects of Ásgarðr
functioning during the negotiations, he was well aware a lot had been halted temporarily. He
could no longer afford to ignore them now.

Thor sent him a sympathetic glance. "Can I be of aid?"

His brother's continued such requests meant either Loki looked worse than he wished to, or
Thor was finally learning. Unless, of course, this was all a desperate means of seeking
distractions, given his friends were in the dungeons and his brother on Hliðskjálf.

"I am certain General Týr may like some aid dispersing the lower two tiers of warriors," Loki
responded, thinking it would not be ill for Thor to see all this entailed.

Given how thoughtlessly his brother had sought war out to begin with, it would be another
valuable lesson for him to learn. And to see precisely how many people's lives had been
disrupted by his actions.

Besides, 'twas a task Thor would infinitely prefer over some of the other Loki could assign
him, and he had neither the time nor the energy to deal with another temper tantrum. Or to
monitor his brother's work. Óðinn could deal with all of that and would, no doubt, be listened
to far better than if he were to attempt it. Given how a few mortals had been able to teach
Thor in six days what he had been unable to in the past few centuries, 'twas absolutely clear
his brother did not think much of his words or advice.

"That, I can easily do," Thor replied. "What of my trips to the further villages and towns?"

Loki glanced at Lord Ragnvaldr.

"I would recommend continuing them at present," the older man advised. "Not only will
people appreciate the additional confirmation the war is over, but, as the applications for the
King's Funds have revealed, much has been neglected, forgotten or missed which should not
have been. A royal presence out in the most affected areas can only prove we are not taking
these matters lightly while we investigate how it all came to pass."

"Shall I also speak with the councillors and see how they fare?" Thor asked.

"It could help us determine whether everyone with such complaints has already notified us or
not," Loki said.

"I fear there will be more from those who did not feel you might be more sympathetic to their
plight than those they contacted before," Lord Ragnvaldr warned.

"Norns," Thor muttered, finishing his mead in one go. "And I thought the treaty would be the
worst of it."

Loki chuckled without humor. "Nay, war can often be unifying, bringing all together to fight
an external enemy. It allows for differences to be swept aside for the greater good. This,
however... this is different factions within Ásgarðr fighting against each other."

"This will have repercussions for decades to come," Lord Ragnvaldr agreed.

"Would you like me to leave some areas for you to visit, Brother? So you may escape
Iðavöllr?"

Loki smiled at Thor's words. "Nay, though I would gladly do so, I fear there will be much
which requires my attention over the next few days."
"Aye, unfortunately 'tis true," Lord Ragnvaldr confirmed. "I believe Aðalgrímr will have
missives for both Vanaheimr and Álfheimr for you to sign this afternoon, to thank them for
being willing to stand by Ásgarðr had it come to war."

'Twas something which had completely slipped Loki's mind with everything else which had
taken place lately, but of course he understood the importance of it.

"We should also thank Niðavellir as Queen Hreiðmarr already feels slighted by me," Loki
stated.

Lord Ragnvaldr frowned. "How?"

"If you will excuse me, Brother," Thor hastily said as he rose to his feet. "I will have words
with General Týr."

How predictable, Loki thought as he watched his brother rush off. If he had possessed the
energy for it, he would have requested Thor remain, but he did not. Instead, he picked at the
fruit on his plate as he turned his focus back to inter-Realm politics.

The sun was steadily marking its passage across the floor as Loki sat in his study with Lord
Ragnvaldr. They had already covered the necessary preparatory work for the next round of
tax collection, requests from several trade guilds to meet the new king, and the day-to-day
running of Iðavöllr which had been pushed aside before.

"I have requested that General Týr report back on how much new armor was acquired for the
warriors during the negotiations," Lord Ragnvaldr informed him.

"Do you think we should adjust the military budget accordingly?" Loki asked, glad he had
insisted the king's guard remain outside after he had assured Lieutenant-General Yngvarr he
would not leave his study for the afternoon.

"I believe we should see what our expenditure was first."

"Very well," Loki replied. "I do not suppose you have heard from those Father asked to
monitor the known portals since we returned the Casket of Ancient Winters?"

Lord Ragnvaldr blinked, clearly startled at the question. "Nay, I have not, but it would be
good to check. You are hoping for some confirmation the Yggdrasill may be recovering as
Jötunheimr does?"

"Hmm, I am not as able to do so myself at present."

"I shall ensure someone makes the necessary inquiries."

"Good."

A knock.

"Enter," Loki called out, looking up to see his old mentor enter.
"Your Majesty, Ragnvaldr," Lord Aðalgrímr greeted.

"Aðalgrímr," Ragnvaldr replied.

"Are those the missives for Vanaheimr and Álfheimr?" Loki inquired, seeing the scrolls the
diplomat held.

"Aye, ready for your perusal, if you have a moment," Lord Aðalgrímr replied.

"Best to get them off as soon as possible, I think."

Loki took the first scroll and unrolled it, quickly looking it over before he signed his name
and magically sealed it. The second was just as quick as the first. 'Twas nice to be dealing
with someone truly competent.

"Excellent work as usual," Loki praised.

"The king and I were thinking we may need to send some form of communication to
Niðavellir given Queen Hreiðmarr's comments on Niflheimr," Lord Ragnvaldr said, glancing
at Aðalgrímr.

With a smile, the man held up a third scroll. "I was about to recommend the same,"
Aðalgrímr stated. "This is more of a draft, though, as I wished to have your opinion before
having it properly written up."

Loki took the parchment. The language here, while still formal, was more tempered and had
been altered to meet his own style and word choices. 'Twas a testament to how well his old
mentor knew him in this area, and it would make the letter come across as more authentic to
Hreiðmarr than anything written more like the other two missives. That would run the risk of
being viewed as political platitudes. Which this very much was, but it would be best if it were
not viewed as such.

"Did you have something else in mind?" Lord Ragnvaldr asked, clearly curious.

"Simply that our current position presents an opportunity if we wish to take it," Lord
Aðalgrímr began, before he hesitated. "Uh-"

Loki frowned, unused to seeing his old mentor hesitate so. Then the man's eyes dropped to
Loki's lips. Ah.

"Brokkr," Loki stated, voice tightly controlled.

"Aye."

A quick glance at Lord Ragnvaldr showed a pensive expression on the old advisor's face,
which Loki found heartening as he himself had never been quite satisfied with Óðinn's
response to the situation. A lot more could have been done. Still, he hardly wanted to open
that kind of conflict right now, he already almost had more than he could handle.

"Nay," he replied. "Let us not complicate matters any."

"Are you certain?" Lord Ragnvaldr queried when Loki picked up his quill to make a few
amendments to the parchment.

He did not want to seem too accommodating, after all.

"Hmm," he confirmed, handing the scroll back to his old mentor. "Brokkr, if he yet lives, has
already learned his lesson."

Both of them glanced his way sharply, and Loki allowed himself a more vicious smile as he
thought of what he had done to that particular dökkálfr once he had recovered sufficiently
from his ordeal to do so.

"Good," Lord Aðalgrímr replied, glancing over the changes. "I will have this formally drawn
up and send off the other two missives."

"What of the comments from this morning's petition session?" Loki asked.

"Good, and certain to keep us busy for a while."

Of that, Loki had no doubt as he turned his attention back to Lord Ragnvaldr while Lord
Aðalgrímr left.

"Lord Óðr has requested a meeting on the morrow, to speak with you over preparations for
the summer solstice celebrations as well as some of the advance work for the Harvest
Festival after several other Realms have already expressed an interest in having their traders
attend, given the jötnar presence."

'Twas good news the other Realms were so eager, but it still added to his workload.

"Very well," Loki replied. "Has he been cooperating with your investigation?"

As the one responsible for affairs on Ásgarðr, 'twas likely someone close to Lord Óðr was
responsible for the corruption.

"So far, aye, but we have only just begun the work," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "We have
commenced with a thorough review of Councillor Vör's records, though so far everything has
been confirmed or proven accurate."

Loki hummed an acknowledgement as he considered the situation.

"Have you spoken with either General Týr or Lieutenant-General Yngvarr about potential
protection for yourself or those involved in the investigation?"

The old advisor frowned at him. "You fear it may be necessary? We have only tentative
evidence of gold having been misplaced."

"True, but do not underestimate the worth of a reputation, especially if it can be made to look
like an accident."

His words clearly disquieted Lord Ragnvaldr, but Loki felt it merely realistic.
"They have already dishonored themselves," Loki pointed out. "Though, at present, 'tis
unknown to those around them."

"Aye," he advisor finally nodded, suddenly looking far older. "I will speak with General Týr
and see what he would recommend."

Unfortunately, 'twas an issue the head of the army would have given a great deal of thought
to recently, in light of all which had transpired since Óðinn's collapse in the vault.

"Hello, Mother," Loki greeted as he entered the Óðinnsleep chamber. "Lady Eir."

"Loki," Frigga replied, her face twisting as the smile which had started to form turned into a
frown when she saw him. "You look exhausted."

Clearly, his ability to mask his appearance was starting to slip, but Loki was loath to use more
seiðr to mask it. His core gave a pang of protest at the mere thought. He would rather look
poorly than strengthen his illusion and collapse as a result. It would be pointless.

"Everything which was put off during the war and negotiations must now be done," Loki
replied. "It has been a long day."

Obviously, the words did little to appease Frigga as she came over to stand before him,
running a hand down his face after brushing back a lock of hair. Her touch felt good, and
Loki closed his eyes as he turned his face into it.

"Oh, baby," Frigga whispered, before moving closer to properly embrace him.

Ásgarðr stirred within him as Loki returned the embrace, and he was surprised to feel her
tenderness for Frigga. Was that something she felt in her own right, or due to how both Óðinn
and he himself felt for Frigga? He hoped 'twas both as Mother had always been a wonderful
queen and deserved all the recognition for it in her own right.

Loki also had a newfound respect for her, as he knew how oft she had helped Uncle Vili rule
during his childhood whenever Óðinn had entered the Óðinnsleep. He had used to think she
should always have been regent, not yet understanding how it all worked, but now he also
realized she may well not have wished to be regent either.

Acutely aware of their audience, Loki did not allow himself to linger in the embrace for long,
though all he wished to do was clutch Frigga even tighter and never let her go.

"Your Majesty," Lady Eir greeted when they turned their attention back in her direction.

"How is he?" Frigga asked.

"Much better," Lady Eir replied. "I expect him to wake soon."

The relief which shot through Loki was immense, and he had to brace himself with Gungnir
to keep from showing it.
"That is wonderful news," Loki smiled.

"May I check on your levels, Majesty?" Lady Eir inquired. "The queen is correct; you do
look very tired."

Rather than lie, Loki motioned for her to proceed, knowing she would find naught but a
general fatigue, but one wholly unrelated to his use of the so-called Óðinnforce.

"How is he?" Frigga inquired the moment Lady Eir was done.

"He remains much the same as before regarding on Óðinnsleep of his own," the head healer
replied with a small frown.

At present, Loki almost wished it were not so. Now he had accomplished all he had desired
to with Jötunheimr and the treaty, he was more than ready to step down and allow someone
else to sit on Hliðskjálf. Only his pride kept him from allowing Thor to take his place. He did
not want his last act as king to be abandoning his duties. It would somehow become the
defining feature of his regency; he was certain of it!

"Have you been sleeping enough?" Frigga asked.

"I had petitions this morning, but I have kept the early part of tomorrow free," Loki replied.

"Good. Will you dine with Thor and me?"

The opportunity not to dine in the Great Hall was too good to pass, particularly when Loki
knew he could easily prompt Thor into recounting one tale or another, allowing him to sit in
silence for a while.

"I would love to. Your chambers?"

"Aye," Frigga responded, slipping her arm into his as they moved to leave the chamber. "I did
not have a chance to inquire yesterday, but how was Freyr when you saw him?"

"He was well and best pleased with how events have unfolded."

Frigga smiled. "I can well imagine."

"He did mention one item which I found particularly interesting."

"Oh?"

"Gerðr."

Loki observed his mother as best he could out of the corner of his eyes, so as to see how
much she knew of the íviðjur. From Óðinn's words, he thought the man ignorant of them.
Was this also true of Frigga?

"Gerðr?" Frigga repeated, with a small frown. "Oh, aye, there was some rumor not much over
a millennium ago, mentioning her, I believe. They spoke of Freyr, too, though he denied all
of it when I questioned him on it."

So, clearly, she did not know much of the situation then. It even sounded as if Frigga might
not be aware that Gerðr had been jötunn, let alone an íviðja.

"Did he admit otherwise to you?" Frigga continued.

"'Twas strongly implied," Loki smiled. "And he was halfhearted at best, in his rebuttal to my
teasing."

"I see, I shall have to speak with my brother when I see him next."

The look on his mother's face almost made Loki laugh. 'Twas the closest he had ever come to
seeing her truly disgruntled. Though, he supposed, he would definitely be if he ever
discovered Thor had kept something like this from him even for a century, let alone over a
millennium.

"He alluded to something else as well," Loki added, dropping his voice.

"Dare I ask?"

"'Twas after I reminded him of the need for an heir."

As expected, he did not need to give voice to it, Frigga realizing what he meant on her own
and turning startled eyes to look at him.

"Vanaheimr?" she checked.

"Hmm."

"Would you be interested?"

Nay, of course not, and Loki could read the belief on his mother's face, but there was
significant value and power in a situation such as this and he would be a fool not to utilize it.
Particularly with his regency about to end so soon, and Óðinn's return to power.

"'Tis not something I had ever considered before," Loki said, carefully. "I had always
assumed he would eventually marry and have children of his own."

"So had I," Frigga replied, carefully blanking her face.

What she would read into his words and actions here, Loki could not know for certain, but if
anyone could understand his motivations for it, it would be her.

Before his regency, Loki had not given his working relationship with Lord Óðr much
thought. Aye, they had disagreed on various items like the allocation of the King's Funds, but,
overall, he had neither particularly liked nor disliked the man.

Now, however...
Loki knew well he did not forgive easily, and now was no exception. What the lord had
attempted to do, had dared to do, was inexcusable as far as he was concerned and 'twas what
his mind kept coming back to as he struggled to remain focused.

He had slept poorly and his attention span, ever short when he was unable to engage in his
usual mischief and chaos, had long since frayed. Much like his core. 'Twas only sheer force
of will which kept him going now.

"Nay," Loki said as he realized what was being said. "The summer solstice is two months off;
Father will have awakened by then. The colors can remain as normal."

"And if some of the people wish to incorporate your color?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired.

The mere thought would have been enough to make Loki laugh before, but after how the
standards had been changed, he was no longer so certain.

"It will be Father's decision, but he would not keep them from selecting the colors they prefer
for their own tokens," Loki replied.

"It will make the preparations far simpler, knowing we are retaining our traditional colors,"
Lord Óðr said, clearly pleased.

Loki almost wished to demand the change, simply to vex the man.

Had Lord Óðr always been so close to this type of disloyalty, or was it new?

Or, the more likely answer, was it only for him?

Though it irritated and frustrated Loki greatly, he had long since decided to leave the matter
to Óðinn. Likely this meant Óðr would not be properly dealt with, but Loki had no desire to
commence the process of selecting a whole new Council himself. Not when he was merely a
regent.

'Twas not worth the hassle - a fact which made Loki feel old for the first time in his short life.

"I believe you had some questions and concerns about the Harvest Festival?" Loki inquired
instead, forcing his voice steady.

To aid him, he took another sip of his tea. He had made it after Livunn had left his study,
since she was too well aware of the properties of these particular flowers not to be concerned
at his choice, had she observed it. On their own, each was simply a pleasant flavor, but
combined they were a potent pain potion. Or at least, as potent as he was willing to allow
himself, considering he still had to be able to carry out his duties.

"We have received many requests for additional information," Lord Óðr explained. "They
range from queries directly relating to what the jötnar might sell, to concerns for the safety of
those attending the Harvest Festival itself."

And so, it began.

Loki wished to close his eyes and lower his head to the desk, in both exhaustion and dismay.
He did neither.

"Regarding the safety concerns, we can make it more widely known that the jötnar will be
watched closely while they are on Ásgarðr," Loki began. "As for the former, Lord Aðalgrímr
would be best placed to address such questions as he will be liaising directly with Jötunheimr
on these matters."

"We may also be in a position to help influence what will be brought to the market," Lord
Ragnvaldr added. "If there is anything in particular which people are keen to purchase, they
could inform your people, and Aðalgrímr could pass it on even as he learns whether the
jötnar may be seeking particular items from us."

'Twas an interesting point and Loki had to admit to not knowing what Jötunheimr might want
from Ásgarðr, or any other Realm. Well, beyond dökkálfarian beer, of course, and mayhap
Múspellsheimrian fire gems.

"I have also started receiving requests by traders from the third level of the market, to be
placed either near or far from the jötnar stands," Lord Óðr continued.

"We will, of course, not force anyone near the jötnar who do not wish to be so," Loki stated.
"Even if it means moving people to the second level."

"I could arrange it with the other visiting delegations, to make it less obvious why certain
traders are being shifted."

"I am more concerned with those who seek to be closer to the jötnar," Lord Ragnvaldr said.

Loki glanced sharply at the advisor. "You fear they may attempt something?"

"It would be a unique opportunity."

Very true. Loki rubbed a hand over his face before deciding 'twas not his issue to deal with.
There were certain privileges which came with being king, as Thor had pointed out more than
once since his return to Ásgarðr. Before, he had not been able to delegate as much, but items
such as these were prime candidates for it, particularly now General Týr was no longer hel
bent on war.

"Liaise with General Týr to see if he can investigate whether any of those who have
requested being placed closer may be a threat we need concern ourselves with," Loki
instructed. "It will be his warriors who are present to ensure all goes smoothly, so he will
wish to know all of this information later anyway."

"It would be a great help for us," Lord Óðr said.

"I will mention it to him when I see him later."

"Have there been many requests for market stalls?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired.
 "Aye," Lord Óðr confirmed. "We have already had an increase from both æsir traders and
those from the other Realms. We may need to consider broadening the market to other
available spaces nearby."

"Was there not once a suggestion of adding an additional upper level?" Loki asked, vaguely
recalling hearing of it.

Lord Óðr nodded. "'Twas brought up a few centuries ago, but not implemented as we felt
there was not enough need and it would cast the third level into gloom for most of the day."

"A disadvantage which may now be advantageous," Lord Ragnvaldr commented.

"Hmm," Loki agreed. "Even in autumn, I would assume Ásgarðr will be almost unbearably
hot for the jötnar, the shade notwithstanding."

"We have commenced thinking of ways to cool the lower level," Lord Óðr informed them
with a thoughtful frown. "This could aid in those efforts. I will have someone retrieve the
plans and see if we can create a temporary structure of a similar nature for the festival."

"What of the forecasted number of visitors?" Lord Ragnvaldr questioned.

Chapter End Notes

Poor Loki, so much to do even without the treaty!

Basically, time passes, and we are now at day 17 from the coronation day.

Not a huge deal else to say, other than that I'm seriously considering writing a little Loki
short story for a children's book someone on Wordpress has suggested putting together.
Something original and mythology based. I just couldn't help but let my mind go to
Loki!

Old Norse:

dökkálfar/dökkálfr - dwarves/dwarf
jötnar/jötunn - "frost giants"/"frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
íviðjur/íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as
"giantesses"/"giantess", but I did find some sources which said they were a different,
better looking type of jötnar.
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Up next week: Loki & Týr talk, and a certain someone finally awakens... 🥁
 Chapter 66
Chapter Notes

The great awakening, at last... kinda...

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Lunch had finally come and gone, though to Loki it felt like he had already been in the study
for a week since his arrival this morning. Alone for the first time, he allowed his head to drop
to the desk and moaned.

Both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter rushed in to try and soothe his throbbing core, but even all
of their efforts did little to lessen the sheer agony he felt. He was starting to realize that, if
Óðinn did not wake soon (as Lady Eir had predicted), he would be in a very great deal of
trouble. Was it time to potentially consider sending to Álfheimr for a core healer? The
temptation was very great, yet he knew well Ásgarðr could ill afford for his weakness to
become known.

Treaty or not, Laufey was not the most honorable of beings, as he knew better than most.
Besides, Jötunheimr was not Ásgarðr's only enemy, and Múspellsheimr would be all too
pleased to take advantage of the situation on Jötunheimr's behalf. And should the two find a
way past their differences in order to ensure victory... Ásgarðr was not prepared to face that
kind of threat at present, not least because Thor was far too likely to react adversely to such a
situation should Loki be unable to temper his brother's impulses.

A knock on the door made Loki groan again, and he wished he could simply ignore it along
with everything else and go back to bed. While he would likely be unable to sleep, at least he
would be on his own in the dark.

The second knock told Loki he had allowed his mind to drift, and he forced himself to sit up,
quickly checking he did not appear too poorly before he called out, giving permission for the
person to enter.

"Your Majesty," General Týr greeted. "Is now a bad time?"

Aye, but there would be no better time until the All-Father woke.

"Nay, please," Loki motioned for the man to take a seat before his desk. "How come the
lower tier warriors?"

"We are well on our way to allowing all of the third-tier warriors to return home," General
Týr replied, as he settled into his chair.
"Lord Óðr will be pleased. He was saying they needed the extra help to prepare for the
summer solstice celebrations."

"How are we so near that already?"

Loki smiled; it did feel far too soon to be thus far into the year. "Will you be releasing the tier
two warriors immediately after?"

"Prince Thor and I were hoping to be able to perform a few assessments before they were
fully decommissioned."

"Oh?" Loki inquired.

"During the preparations for war, I realized certain parts of the army were not as ready as I
would have liked them to be," General Týr admitted, grudgingly. "We worked them hard
during the negotiations and I would like to assess how much the training has aided them to
become better than they were."

A reasonable request and a good means of testing the effectiveness of their training regimen.

"Very well, but do speak with Lord Óðr so he is aware of when the rest of the men may be
returned to their regular duties. It will allow him to compensate appropriately, if necessary."

"Of course."

The general hesitated then, and it made Loki frown. He was not used to seeing Týr uncertain
of himself. Indeed, they had often clashed quite vocally in the past, so this new behavior was
a little mystifying. And concerning.

"I have not seen you so reluctant to voice your mind with me before," Loki prompted.

"We have not been in quite this type of situation before either, my Liege."

Ah.

"It pertains to our traitors then."

"Aye," General Týr replied, looking faintly surprised. "I have commenced an investigation to
ensure nothing of this nature can transpire again moving forwards."

Loki felt his face twist as he thought of the former Warriors Four. Their disrespect and
outright distrust of him had been so prevalent for so very long, 'twas hard for him to even
recollect when and how it had begun. He did not envy the general his task.

Even if he still felt 'twas too little, too late.

Despite that, he would not use the spell Loptr had found to alter something so trivial as that.
Nay, then Muninn would certainly inform Óðinn of what he had done, and he had no desire to
either join Thor's friends in the dungeons or go from regent to a traitor to be executed. Not
only was it a stupid, reckless risk to take, but it reminded him far too much of Loptr's own
position, and he had come too far and suffered too much to go back to that now.

The thoughts and his own restlessness drove him to his feet, though Loki had to wave
General Týr down when the man moved to rise as well. Stupid rules and traditions.

"You fear there may be more traitors?" Loki finally inquired.

'Twas not something he had feared or thought of aside from when Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr had mentioned it, but he was uncertain of what Sif and the Warriors Idiot may have
said to the other warriors. His reputation had been tarnished for a very long time, so it would
not have taken much to influence those already like-minded of other untruths about him.

General Týr winced. "Not traitors as such, at least not on the level we have seen recently."

"But?" Loki prompted, in no mood to be treated like a child.

"I am displeased with some of the notions and thoughts which seem prevalent amongst many
of my men."

The words made Loki turn back to face the head of the army with a frown, tilting his head as
he considered him. "You are being deliberately evasive."

His forthrightness startled General Týr, Loki could see, which was precisely why he had
elected to word it thus. Given his reputation as both a wordsmith and a silvertongue, most
people were used to needing to ponder his words to obtain their true meaning. It made
directness from him all the more startling and shocking, which was why he deliberately used
it in the right circumstances. Now was very much one of those as he was simply too tired to
play his usual games.

He did not have the energy for it.

Surprisingly, his words made General Týr smile. "There are times when you remind me of
Óðinn, despite how different the two of you can be."

For very good reasons.

The thought sent another spike of pain through his core and Loki attempted to brush it aside.

"As for my evasiveness, I am not proud of my own hand in this particular situation," General
Týr continued, all humor fading from his face.

"Ah," Loki replied, returning to his seat. "Your edict not to use seiðr on the training fields."

"Aye. I had not intended for it to become what it has."

That was harder for Loki to accept, though he supposed he had to allow for differences of
mentality and purpose.
"You have found your words twisted from their original meaning and used as weapons
against others," Loki summarized, with no little irony.

Rather than reply, the man merely looked at Loki, his jaw working. So, General Týr realized
well the situation they found themselves in.

"If this was not what you had intended, then what was?" Loki asked.

'Twas a question he had oft pondered since the other man had first indicated his displeasure
with what had become of his edict. To Loki, 'twas a rather predictable outcome of it.

"I had meant to ensure you were equipped to protect yourself should your seiðr fail, or be
otherwise rendered inaccessible to you," General Týr explained.

At first the response startled Loki, but he quickly realized it should not. As head of the army,
one of the ultimate responsibilities of the general was to ensure the safety of the royal family
at all times. 'Twas why the main duty of Lieutenant-General Yngvarr was to be head of the
king's guard. As Týr's second-in-command, there was much Yngvarr could otherwise do, but
it had long ago been determined one of the core responsibilities of the second-in-command
would be the direct protection of the king.

"Hmm," Loki pondered the thought.

It had forced him to become ever more proficient with his knives and even the sword.

Still, it left a rather obvious and critical gap in the other warriors' defenses as a result.

"At the expense of everyone else's ability to face a trained seiðmadr or seiðkona," he stated.

"So I am beginning to see," General Týr responded.

"Beginning to? General, this is hardly the first time this gap in their training have left our
warriors vulnerable to such attacks. Had I not been present when the múspellssynir seiðmadr
attacked Ásgarðr, the consequences could have been far more severe than they already were,"
Loki retorted, his anger kindling. "Not to mention the incident on Nornheimr. Thor
referenced it only recently, saying he was finding those warriors who were with us then
seemed far better prepared to handle what they might encounter on Jötunheimr than those
who did not have that experience."

The general took a deep breath, before nodding his head reluctantly. 'Twas a telling action for
so proud a man and Loki did not wish to needlessly provoke him, not when it finally seemed
like Týr was starting to realize the importance of incorporating seiðr into his warrior training
program. Still, the resentment and... hurt from centuries before lingered. Particularly when
combined with the knowledge they would not be here had circumstances not forced General
Týr to confront the truth.

That, Loki could still be bitter about. Or petty. He truly did not care which it was perceived
as.
"You are correct," General Týr finally replied. "I would understand if you wished to replace
me given this and my failures in my capacity as leader of the Einherjar."

Replace? Loki's eyebrows shot up at the idea. While he had been heavily critical of the
general in the past, he had never actually thought to replace the man. Nay, Týr was very good
at a lot of things and had helped Óðinn build Ásgarðr's physical might to what 'twas today.
True, he had made some serious errors in judgment, but Loki could now understand the man's
initial reasoning behind them.

Besides, he was hardly in a position to fault others without recourse to improvement. Loki
knew well he could be petty and spiteful as well as vengeful, but he did try not to be
hypocritical unless it suited his purposes to be so. Here, it did not.

"I am not about to start replacing Council members and, if I were so inclined, you are not the
one whom I would commence with," Loki stated firmly.

"Majesty, is there something I should be aware of regarding Lord Óðr?" General Týr
questioned, seemingly abandoning his former topic in light of what Loki was hinting at.

It did not surprise Loki the man was aware of whom he was referring to. Though he had not
called Lord Óðr out in public, or before witnesses, he had hardly done his best to keep it quiet
either. Besides, 'twas part of General Týr's job to be aware of such things, in case they
escalated into far more serious concerns.

"Hardly anything of that nature," Loki replied. "Rather, he felt he could assume
responsibilities above his station, as he knew I would make decisions he did not approve of."

General Týr's face darkened immediately. "You are certain you do not wish to replace him?"

"It hardly matters any longer. Lady Eir expects Father to wake imminently."

"I am pleased to hear Óðinn is doing so well, but I can still take action against Óðr if
necessary."

"Lord Ragnvaldr and Uncle Vé are monitoring his work, 'tis enough for now."

"As you wish."

If only it were ever so simple. Though Loki knew himself far too well to think he would be
anything other than bored. His mind might even start wanting that which he hated, simply to
be contrary.

"Now, what will you do about the situation with your warriors, given I will not replace you?"
Loki queried, curious.

He could not fault General Týr with not doing whatever was necessary once the man became
aware of a situation.

"'Tis something which I have already given quite some thought to, with the intention of
advising Yngvarr on what to do once he became head of the army," General Týr began. "As
you have said, 'tis abundantly clear we need to ensure our warriors have training in dealing
with, or at least fighting against, those trained in the use of seiðr. This is, unfortunately, where
I have encountered difficulties."

That did not surprise Loki in the slightest. Even he could predict the general's next words.

"We are rather short of battle seiðberandi, or those experienced in the use of seiðr in such
situations," Loki summed up.

"Aye. The seiðkonur who aided us in our preparations to face Jötunheimr made it very clear
they were not versed in how to aid me in training our warriors in any ways other than that
which they demonstrated then."

"They may actually be of more use than that, but they have simply never thought of how the
skills and powers they possess can be utilized for offensive, or defensive, purposes," Loki
replied.

He could immediately think of a number of different ways the ladies who had been out on the
training fields with him the day he had gone to view the warriors could help the general.
They simply did not realize it, since they had never thought of using their seiðr thus. 'Twas
like how some of the most skilled butchers on Vanaheimr had greater control of a knife or
cleaver than many an æsir warrior, but would not even last a second in battle as they had
never utilized their skills outside of their trade.

"Yngvarr has informed me of how you were able to aid some of the seiðkonur in providing a
greater challenge for our men during the training scenario you helped with," General Týr
said. "But even if they could be made to think more strategically, they would hardly be well
suited to the task."

Was the general truly going where Loki thought he was?

"You wish for me to train them," Loki deduced.

"If you are willing, and once your father has awakened," General Týr immediately stated. "I
believe you are the only fully trained battle seiðmadr on Ásgarðr."

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, leaning back in his chair.

Was this something he wished to do? His own desires might become irrelevant soon, for once
Óðinn woke, his adoptive father could well order him to do so. That was for later, though,
and if he expressed a disinclination to do so now, then the general may formulate alternative
options to present to Óðinn later.

Loki's immediate instinct was to reject the offer, having suffered far too much from the
existing prejudices amongst the warriors towards seiðmenn. Yet, at the same time, this was a
prime opportunity to alter all of that. The order would be coming from someone other than
him, which would force the warriors to at least pretend to learn, which would provide him
with a chance to prove both himself and the value of seiðr on the battlefield.
And, if he could convince his brother to aid him in a few demonstrations - though he may
have to call them matches - then Loki was certain he could at the very least leave a lasting
impression with the warriors. For if seiðr could so easily take down the mighty Thor when
applied correctly, then each of them would come to realize precisely how vulnerable they
themselves were.

"We may need to think somewhat broader than that," Loki finally responded. "Though I
know much, if all they have to train against is me, then they will remain limited in their
ability to respond to attacks of a seiðr nature."

Much as Loki knew he would enjoy contriving new and unusual ways to utilize his skills in
combat, so as to provide a ceaselessly changing challenge for the warriors, he was well aware
there were areas of seiðr he was less skilled in. Either due to a lack of practice, interest or
simple affinity for that particular branch of seiðr. Or a combination thereof.

Not to mention the fact Loki did not wish to alert anyone else to the entirety of his abilities or
power. Not even for the good of Ásgarðr, or at least those who had looked down upon him for
so long. Ásgarðr Ásgarðr was another matter entirely, though hopefully such a scenario
would never occur.

"I had considered this and was hoping you may have some contacts or names for additional
candidates whom I could approach," General Týr replied.

"There are a few I might be able to recommend, though they will all obviously be from other
Realms."

"Allies, I hope?"

"Mostly."

While Loki knew his answer worried and concerned the other man, he would not add to it
until he had given the matter some further thought. His contacts were varied and plentiful,
though not all of them were aware of his true identity, nor would they necessarily wish to aid
Ásgarðr. Some had, in fact, only deigned to train him as they knew Óðinn would neither
approve nor thank them for their actions.

"I will draw up some initial ideas and thoughts for what I believe we need and bring them to
you once your father has awakened," General Týr offered.

"Very well. Now, going back to the traitors, how is the new reporting structure you
implemented working?" Loki questioned.

Despite Höðr's return to active duty, Loki had seen little of the man as a result. Though he
would have liked further contact, he knew well the value of implementing the new command
structure immediately, so as to allow it to have some time to settle before Óðinn awoke and
either looked to alter it, or began questioning either its feasibility or necessity.

"Well, I have taken special care to come to know Höðr better, and to ensure he is fully aware
of his new duties and my expectations thereof," General Týr replied. "I would far rather be
alerted to situations and information which proves to be irrelevant, than to not be informed of
items which become important."

"I have found Höðr to be a good judge of such things, though being in a new situation will
mean he has to learn many things all over again."

"I had also not been previously aware of quite how much of what transpires within the Nine
and beyond is hidden to the gatekeeper."

"Hmm, Heimdallr had succeeded in allowing everyone to believe he was far more capable
and infallible than he actually was," Loki agreed.

"Are there means of overcoming the ability various individuals seem to possess of cloaking
themselves from his sight?"

"One of the beauties of seiðr is that anything is potentially possible, General. Much as with
many other weapons, the use of seiðr is heavily influenced by the desire of one seiðr user to
overcome that which another has accomplished."

"One of the beauties of it?" General Týr repeated. "I would think it an annoyance, for you to
never have a final answer."

The thought surprised Loki, though he could immediately understand why the other man
might think so. He did quite like things to be neat and tidy at times during the Council
meetings. 'Twas part of the contrariness of his nature which Óðinn simply could not
understand. Not that he thought the All-Father had ever truly tried to.

"I would grow bored," Loki explained. "And when I am bored..."

"We have incidents?"

'Twas rather daring of the general to say while he was king, but Loki loved it. Not only was it
true, but it showed the general felt comfortable enough in his presence not the pander to his
every whim for fear the wrong word would trigger a meltdown.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "Now, as regards your outstanding parchmentwork."

"I am working on it, my King, but with everything which has transpired as of late, it has not
been my main priority."

Obviously not, but 'twas far too good a situation for Loki to allow it to pass unremarked
upon.

"And now we are in a calmer time?" Loki questioned, with a small smile.

The general scowled at him, though Loki could tell there was little heat in it. The man was
well aware of how far behind he was and that Loki, unlike Óðinn, would notice.

"I am working on it, starting with a tally of the new armor and other items the blacksmiths
created for us during the war," General Týr said. "I am presently calculating how much of our
usual military budget might be freed up as a result."

That Loki had not been expecting, at all. Though he could not help but recall Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr's words from the other day.

"Did you go to the eastern part of the city, by chance?" Loki asked.

"Aye. After Yngvarr mentioned to me what you found, I had to go view it for myself."

Loki could well understand the sentiment, 'twas why he had travelled there after one of his
guards had first confirmed the account in the King's Funds application.

"Had you been aware some councils were in such dire straits?" General Týr queried.

"Norns, nay! If I had, you would all have heard of it far sooner."

"Despite that, you were the only member on the Council who foresaw the mere possibility,
even if you were as unaware as the rest of us of its reality. Do we have any idea of the full
extent of it?"

"Not at present, I fear. Lord Ragnvaldr is to investigate it as part of the larger corruption
investigation he is conducting," Loki replied. "We are also directing any requests for use of
our new indentured servants to Uncle Vé, so he may be aware of other deprived areas based
on what those requests entail."

"I will speak with him to ensure I am aware of where some of my men will likely be based
after the traitors are finished with their current task."

"You are keeping a guard with them?"

"It seemed prudent as on the first day my men informed me they had, at times, been required
to keep people back."

"Truly? I had not considered the possibility."

"Neither had I until I was informed of it."

"Has anyone other than Lord Hermóðr visited them?"

General Týr nodded. "Fandral's parents have gone by the dungeons more than once, while
Volstagg's wife has taken the children to visit him while they are working."

The mention of Volstagg's wife and children reminded Loki of his intention to speak with
Lord Ragnvaldr to see if they had accessed what little aid was available to them.

"There has been no one for Hogun?" Loki inquired.

"Nay, and Höðr says there have been no requests from them to come to Ásgarðr," General
Týr replied. "Though I have told him he may let them pass should they decide to visit."
"Good."

Loki may not like any of the former Warriors Four, but he would not be seen keeping them
from their families. It would not elicit him any sympathy, and he easily recalled what Loptr
had said of Óðinn's edict when he had been punished. Besides, the humiliation of having their
family witnessing them collared and chained like beasts should compensate for their being
allowed to visit.

"Was there anything else you wished to discuss?" Loki asked.

"Not at present."

The knock on his study door as Loki sat with Lord Ragnvaldr discussing the options for
Volstagg's wife was entirely unexpected. A quick glance at the advisor showed he was as
startled as Loki.

"Enter," he called out with a frown.

The Einherjar knew Lord Ragnvaldr was in here with him and would have warned any who
came to see him. Thus, whatever their purpose was, it must have been deemed important
enough to interrupt a meeting.

The servant who entered was vaguely familiar to Loki, though he could not immediately
place where he had seen the man before.

"I am sorry to interrupt, my King," the man said while he bowed. "But I come at the behest of
Lady Eir. King Óðinn has awakened."

Surprise was the first emotion to register as Loki had still had most of his mind on the
conversation with Lord Ragnvaldr and what they needed to discuss next. 'Twas quickly
followed by a relief so intense he could barely contain it. There was still a note of caution
though.

"And his condition?" Loki inquired.

"He was still coming out of the Óðinnsleep when I left the healing halls, but Lady Eir seemed
pleased with his readings thus far," the servant replied.

Loki sank back into his chair with a half laugh as he let his eyes slide closed, hardly able to
believe his entire ordeal was almost over. Vaguely, he heard Lord Ragnvaldr thanking and
dismissing the servant, but he focused instead on his connection with Ásgarðr which felt
subtly different from before. It took him a few seconds to realize that 'twas her connection
with Óðinn he felt, which had lain mostly dormant until now. Or not entirely dormant, since
the All-Father had been rebalancing himself in the Óðinnsleep, but had at least been static.

Now, 'twas alive and being used in a way it had not been before. Had his own connection
with Ásgarðr not been so great, Loki might never have realized or felt it, but he did, and it
would take a little accustoming to.
Well, if he were given the chance to.

Not wishing to consider it at the moment, Loki opened his eyes to glance at Lord Ragnvaldr
with a delighted smile. Even if Óðinn took Ásgarðr from him, he knew he had to be grateful
the man had finally awakened as his mutilated core could take little more, and he was in very
grave danger himself at present. 'Twas not a position he had ever enjoyed being in, unlike his
idiot brother and Thor's seeming love of throwing himself headlong into the most dangerous
situations he could find within the Nine and beyond.

Lord Ragnvaldr seemed as relieved as Loki felt and he could hardly fault the man. Not only
would this fully remove any lingering threat from Múspellsheimr, but Óðinn and Ragnvaldr
had been friends for far longer than Loki had been alive. For that alone, the advisor had to be
pleased at the news.

"Shall we go see Óðinn?" Lord Ragnvaldr inquired, gently.

"Aye," Loki agreed, moving to stand even as Muninn flew into the study on dark wings.
"Muninn."

"I come with news," she informed him as she landed on the vambrace of his outstretched arm.

"Of Óðinn's awakening?" Loki asked, pleased to be able to beat her for once.

She blinked at him. "Who?"

"A servant."

With a huff, Muninn flapped her wings and shifted to his left shoulder as Loki and Lord
Ragnvaldr swept out of the study and made for the Óðinnsleep chamber.

"The man did not know much of his condition," Loki offered, trying not to laugh at her clear
annoyance.

"He is well, but more confused and disoriented than normal," Muninn replied. "I do not
believe he saw all which transpired in his sleep."

Oh, now that was interesting.

And critically important for him.

"Were they merely small omissions, or larger gaps?" Loki asked.

"'Twas more than simply what you wish to keep hidden," Muninn answered the question he
truly had wanted to ask.

'Twas not in his nature to be so forthright, though, as he had long since learned that others
might be listening, and it could give him away when his actual actions might not have.

"Do you think it merely due to the manner in which he collapsed into the Óðinnsleep, or
something more worrying?" Loki was almost afraid to ask.
 With Thor clearly so unprepared for Hliðskjálf, he feared what might happen if Óðinn were
not as healthy as previously thought. Not after he had just proven his own worth so well.

Would he come to regret it?

"Lady Eir seems to believe 'tis due to the former," Muninn replied, shifting slightly.

To most that might seem to be the answer which he had sought, but Loki could see it for the
evasion 'twas. Muninn did not know, and she hoped 'twas merely as a result of Óðinn's
collapse in the vault, but she could not be certain. 'Twas strangely comforting to know he was
not the only one left floundering at present.

"Father's sleep seems to have been abnormal in more ways that we realized," Loki said aloud
to Lord Ragnvaldr, wishing to warn the man.

Óðinn was notoriously bad at communicating at times when in the wrong mood, and the All-
Father would need all of the help he could have if he were not as well rested as normal after
an Óðinnsleep. Or even still somewhat disoriented.

Loki would not see his new peace treaty destroyed because Óðinn had not been able to
witness all of the negotiations which had gone into it firsthand. He knew well how adversely
his adoptive father could react to not being fully in control of a situation.

Lord Ragnvaldr glanced his way sharply. "But he is well?"

"Physically, aye, though he appears to be somewhat disoriented," Loki explained. "Nor did he
view all as he normally does during an Óðinnsleep."

"Thank you for informing me, my Liege."

The title was a reminder that, until Gungnir had been officially handed back over to Óðinn,
he was still king. Loki's grip on the King's Staff tightened at the thought. He had been so
relieved at the news of Óðinn's awakening he had forgotten of how Uncle Vili and Mother
had oft retained their joint rule for at least a day after the All-Father's awakenings in the past
when both Thor and he himself had been underage. Given what Muninn had just informed
him of, it seemed like such an additional day would be best at present as well.

Chapter End Notes

First off, I apologize if any silly mistakes slipped past me in the final edit here. I'm still
ahead of my beta at the moment and I didn't sleep very well last night, so my attention to
detail isn't what it normally is. Do let me know if you spotted anything and I'll correct it
as soon as I can.

Now, onto the chapter itself!

I hope people enjoyed Loki's interactions with both the good general and Muninn, since
I very much enjoyed myself when writing parts of these scenes. In particular that "We
have incidents?" exchange. 😆
It's classic Loki as far as I'm concerned!

And, yes, I really left it there, it's me!

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðmenn - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + menn (“men”) - i.e.
wizards/sorcerers/mages
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: Óðinn enters stage left and spends some time with various members of
his family...
 Chapter 67
Chapter Notes

Slipping in just under the wire, sorry about that, but I'm back on late shifts at work!

Enjoy the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The bustle of activity outside of Óðinn's sleep chamber would have alerted Loki to the fact
that something was up, even if he had not already been made aware of the news. Despite that,
people parted before him and Lord Ragnvaldr, and they were easily able to enter. With the
full complement of Einherjar which still moved with him, their entrance was hardly quiet,
and Frigga immediately glanced over from where she was helping Óðinn shift in his bed. She
smiled at him, and he returned the gesture.

"Lady Eir," Loki said, seeing her closer to the door. "I understand Father's awakening has not
been entirely normal?"

The head healer looked startled for a moment, before her eyes strayed to Muninn who was
still perched on his shoulder. Loki could only imagine the figure he cut at present with her on
one shoulder and Gungnir in his opposite hand.

"Aye, but your father appears to be doing well despite the alterations," Lady Eir replied, after
a little shake of her head. "I am pleased with his readings and have no further concerns at
present beyond the fact that there were differences between this and previous Óðinnsleeps."

Better than what Loki had been expecting, but he still feared he would have to maintain
Gungnir until tomorrow as a result.

"I am glad to hear that, thank you, Lady Eir," Loki said, knowing she was probably as
exhausted as he was.

Unfortunately, neither of them would get the rest they deserved, not with his shredded core.
But, unlike him, she might at least get one night of relative peace.

With his only excuse at delay expended, Loki had no choice but to approach the foot of
Óðinn's bed, now no longer domed by the golden healing spell. Frigga had helped Óðinn to
sit propped up by the many pillows in his bed, so the All-Father was now in a seated position.
Óðinn was looking at him with an odd expression which he did not know what to make of.

"Hello, Father," Loki said, though he included Frigga in his smile. "I am glad to see you
finally awakened. We were greatly concerned for your health."
"So I have already heard," Óðinn replied, and Loki had to fight off a frown.

'Twas hardly the greeting he might have wished for, but he had long since ceased expecting
the same welcome Thor had always received with Óðinn.

Still, he had been expecting more than this after all he had done since the All-Father's
collapse in the vault.

Then, Óðinn's eye flickered to Muninn, who was still perched on his shoulder, and Loki felt a
sense of realization. Was the All-Father displeased that his condition had been reported back
to Loki? It had only been done with Ásgarðr's best interests at heart.

Better to redirect the All-Father's attention from the subject.

"In the past, you have oft wished for a day after awakening," Loki began, subtly shifting
Gungnir in his grip. "Would you like the same now?"

There, that was indicating to all 'twas no different from normal. Would Óðinn take the pro-
offered choice to regain his bearings, or would the All-Father insist upon relieving him of his
authority immediately? Loki knew Óðinn had never wished for him to be on Hliðskjálf in the
first place.

"Aye, I would appreciate the extra day," Óðinn responded.

'Twas relieving and dismaying at once. It saved him the humiliation of being the one Óðinn
had taken Hliðskjálf from instantly when the All-Father was clearly not entirely ready to do
so yet, but, at the same time, all he wanted to do was relinquish his responsibilities and go
crawl into a dark hole and not reemerge for at least a decade. If not a century.

"Unless you believe there is an urgent matter which cannot wait so long?" Óðinn continued,
and Loki was acutely aware of how laser focused the man's eye was on him.

For a moment, he thought it odd, as Lord Ragnvaldr still stood by his side and Óðinn had
always deferred to his advisor over Loki in such matters in the past. Then, he realized 'twas
not about him, but rather about Hliðskjálf and respecting the authority thereof. No matter
what the All-Father thought of him, at present even Óðinn could not help but treat him as
king, not unless he wished to undermine his own authority and power to rule.

Even if 'twas the jötunn runt who was currently holding Gungnir.

'Twas at once a heady feeling and a disheartening one. Of course, Óðinn Borrson would not
show him any respect in his own right!

The ripping and tearing deep within him had become so normal that Loki was almost numb
to it, and he was no longer certain he could properly recall what it felt like to be without pain.
Or with a strong and healthy core. One which he was not constantly aware of every second of
the day and night.

"Nay," Loki forced the word from his throat. "There are no such urgent matters."
Or at least, there were no longer any such matters. Before, he had briefly considered
mentioning them, but what was the point? Óðinn was as he had always been, and it had been
both stupid and foolish of him to think he could ever make the All-Father think otherwise.

What a child he still so clearly was.

"Then I shall take the extra time," Óðinn stated, before holding out a hand towards him.

Loki was reacting out ere he had fully thought about it, but, when he had, he forced himself
to continue. Though he might not wish to touch Óðinn at present, the facade had to be
maintained, and they were essentially out in public with all the servants, healers and guards
present in the chamber with them. In some ways, it reminded him of when he had first
become regent, which was rather fitting in a way.

As Óðinn was still not entirely recovered, Loki leaned over onto the bed to give the All-
Father a brief embrace, causing Muninn to squawk and fly from his shoulder to sit beside
Huginn on the two perches behind the head of Óðinn's bed.

"I heard you managed to avert a full-scale war with Jötunheimr," Óðinn said once Loki pulled
back and straightened once more.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "We have a new peace treaty once more."

"Well done."

Well done? That was all his tireless efforts first to bring Laufey-King to the negotiating table
and then to achieve a treaty his birth mother would sign were worth? Could he truly not
please this man?

The only reason he was able to maintain his composure was because they were before others
and 'twas a form of acknowledgement they could witness. Loki was not certain of what he
would have either done or said next had he not been spared from doing so. A commotion at
the door distracted everyone and 'twas followed by Thor bursting into the chamber.

"Father!" his brother cried out.

And, just like that, Óðinn's attention shifted away from Loki and he could only watch as a
tired smile crossed the All-Father's face at the sight of his true son.

"Thor," Óðinn greeted, voice noticeably warmer.

At least, 'twas to Loki. He doubted anyone else would notice it.

They never had before.

"Father, you have awakened at last!" Thor replied, striding directly towards the bed and the
All-Father's side.

"And I see you have regained your powers," Óðinn said. "I am proud of you, Son, it could not
have been an easy lesson to learn."
The anger and jealously coiled within Loki, snapping at the last of his control and wishing to
break free. He had been the one who had spent the last seventeen days stuck on Hliðskjálf
and looking after not only Ásgarðr, but the mess his brother had made on Jötunheimr. Thor,
meanwhile, had spent nearly half of that time languishing on Miðgarðr and avoiding all
responsibilities for his actions, as usual, leaving others to clean up his mess.

Ásgarðr and Mother Winter both reached out to try and soothe him, but Loki was in no mood
to be easily placated. He was in constant agony, he had suppressed as much of his usual urges
towards mischief and chaos as he could, he had worked long and hard to do that which was
needed of him while Óðinn could not, and was any of it recognized? Nay, of course not, as he
was not the golden child. The beloved idiot of the people.

The true son.

Agony lanced through him as another strand stretched and snapped deep within his core, and
Loki was forced to lean his weight on Gungnir to remain upright. Mother Winter snarled at
him even as her cold seeped into the new wound, slightly numbing it and Loki could only
wish it could do so entirely. He would happily drift off to ice if it meant an end to the sheer
agony of it all.

A touch to his free hand startled Loki back to the present and he turned his head slightly to
find Lord Ragnvaldr giving him a concerned glance as the old man's hand rested on the fist
Loki had unconsciously clenched his hand into. There was also a slight snap of seiðr in the
air around him and Loki immediately moved to reign it back in. He could ill afford any
unnecessary seiðr use just now, as it would only serve to deplete his reserves even further
than they already were.

With an extreme effort, Loki pulled himself back under control and allowed his fist to
unclench, going lax. Lord Ragnvaldr seemed to hesitate a moment more before the advisor's
eyes darted around the by no means private chamber and the man relented. For that, Loki was
thankful, as he did not wish to draw that particular kind of attention to himself right now. Not
after everything he had done to prove himself to the people.

"Shall we return to the study and complete those other items, so Father does not have to deal
with them on the morrow?" Loki suggested, belatedly realizing he had not said 'my' study.

How easily he was pushed aside, even in his own mind.

"If you are certain, Your Majesty," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, stressing his title oddly.

It made Loki swallow thickly, though he should not be surprised Óðinn's advisor of all people
was adhering strictly to the rules. Lord Ragnvaldr was renowned for it after all, even at times
when he really should be more flexible.

"Aye," Loki confirmed, sweeping out of the chamber after a single backwards glance at the
three other royal family members, who hardly noticed their departure.
Loki sighed in relief once he was safely back in his chambers and away from prying eyes that
evening. 'Twas nearly done, the whole sorry affair and it could not be soon enough for him.
Inside, he felt like nothing but shards of broken glass; each shifting and stabbing him with
every breath he took.

Luckily, Óðinn was awake and would take back Gungnir tomorrow, at which point Loki
could inform both him and Frigga of his fractured core. The mere thought of ending the
constant agony he was in was such a relief, in and of itself, he staggered over to the sofa
before he collapsed where he stood.

The relief quickly vanished as he thought of Óðinn's words and reaction upon seeing him
today. Loki sucked in a breath at the memory, but at least now he understood the continued
favoritism and why he could never measure up in the All-Father's eye.

He was not his son.

The stab of pain this caused was purely emotional, but 'twas enough and Loki slumped
sideways, finally allowing himself to whimper and voice his agony. Away from the near
constant observation he had been under as of late, 'twas an immense relief to do so. Both
Ásgarðr and, to a lesser extent, Mother Winter reached out to comfort and soothe him but, if
anything, it made him feel slightly worse as 'twas a stark reminder of how soon he would be
cut off from Ásgarðr. With Gungnir went the Óðinnforce, and he simply could not see his
adoptive father even considering otherwise. Not with how often the man had already seemed
to be against his seiðr use and the power he had already possessed without it.

Ásgarðr clung to him all the tighter and seemed to be trying to reassure him, but Loki knew
Óðinn. At least he would still have Mother Winter, even if his connection with her had
dimmed dramatically since the return of the Casket of Ancient Winters to Jötunheimr. It did
mean, though, that it radically altered his desire to go visit his birth Realm. Before, he had
only ever thought of it in passing, simply because 'twas the one place in the Nine he had not
yet been, but, even then, it had never excited him enough to actually do so despite the fact he
had the means to both go there and do so completely undetected by both Heimdallr and the
jötnar.

Now, however, now he had every reason to do back, though he would need to do so very
carefully indeed to ensure he did not break his own treaty. Loki had hoped to be able to wait
for a while before he did so, but the loss of Ásgarðr may push him to be a bit more reckless
than he would like. Mother Winter's delight at his desire did not aid his willpower any and
the... feel of her made him suspect that she wished for him to visit for more than merely to
temporarily enhance their connection. Nay, there was something else there, but he did not
know what.

He elected to focus on that and the possibilities it presented rather than anything else as he
undressed himself by hand. His seiðr did not feel up to even so mundane a task and Loki
knew Óðinn had woken not a moment too soon, as he knew he was near the end of his
endurance. 'Twas to the point where even without having used his seiðr for the past few days,
Loki was not at all certain he would be able to sleep for the pain. But even if he could not, at
least he would not be required to focus on anything else for at least ten hours.
"Ah, Ragnvaldr, please join us," Óðinn said when his old friend was led into the dining
chamber. "Breakfast?"

"Some of those eggs would not go amiss," Ragnvaldr replied as he took a seat, glancing at
Frigga. "Good morning, Frigga, I assume you slept quite well last night?"

Frigga smiled at him. "Far better than before, aye. You?"

"I have slept well since the signing ceremony on Niflheimr," Ragnvaldr replied, ere looking
at him. "We already knew you would recover by then."

"Speaking of the treaty, Frigga tells me we gave the Casket of Ancient Winters back to
Jötunheimr?" Óðinn asked.

Normally, he would wait until after they had eaten to cover such a heavy topic, bit 'twas
something which had been bothering him all night long.

"Aye, 'tis true then, that you did not see it all?" Ragnvaldr asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"My sleep was not normal," Óðinn explained. "I know I saw much initially, but I do not
recollect it all, and much of what happened in the end, I do not believe I saw at all."

"Ah. Well, in that case, I will ensure I have a more detailed summary of events later, though
Ki- Prince Loki is best placed to give you the most complete overview of all which
transpired."

The near slip caught Óðinn's attention as it proved precisely how long he had been asleep for.
'Twas somewhat jarring, as it did not feel quite so long to him, since he had not been as aware
as he normally was for all of it. The other reason it felt odd was because he had never
expected for Loki to hold Gungnir or sit on Hliðskjálf. Though he had raised both boys to
rule, he had never truly considered Loki as a suitable candidate to be his heir. Not only
because he was not truly his son and áss, but also because of his temperament.

Loki had never seemed suited for Hliðskjálf, either for himself or for Ásgarðr, so Óðinn had
been astounded by what he had witnessed and heard from Frigga. Then again, he would
never have expected Thor to be as unsuited as his son had proven to be either.

The mere thought of all he had to consider and look into was exhausting and made Óðinn
tired.

"I will speak with Loki, of course," Óðinn said. "But I would appreciate your opinion,
nonetheless."

"Of course, do you wish to discuss it now, or shall I come by your study later?"

"Later," Frigga replied immediately. "You have only just awakened, Óðinn, and there is no
immediate danger from Jötunheimr. Allow us all at least one meal in peace before seeking
trouble."

Óðinn smiled, glancing briefly at his friend before taking Frigga's hand. "Very well."
The pain woke Loki as it had all night long, and he moaned and rolled over; a desperate and
futile attempt to ease his suffering. He was tempted to stay in bed until someone came
looking for him, but he remembered Óðinn had awoken yesterday and so Loki would finally
be able to give back Gungnir today.

The delight and joy of the thought was enough to rouse him more fully, and Loki forced
himself from his bed. He thought of what to wear as he performed his ablutions and settled
on one of the regular leathers he would have worn before he became regent. Óðinn could
come to him at any point and he had no desire to look like he was still claiming his regency
the same day it ended. It also made him feel better, more protected, than most of his new
outfits, the vast majority of which had been designed to impress rather than protect, though
the first few had been heavily armored as well.

"Morning, Majesty," Livunn greeted when Loki stepped out of his bedchamber.

"Livunn," Loki replied, moving to sit at the table. "I am certain you have heard, but from
tomorrow we can go back to my usual routine."

"I had assumed it might be later, as you would take the opportunity to sleep in even more
than usual."

Loki laughed; she did know him far too well. "Make certain to take the opportunity to relax
yourself as well, I have not been the only one working longer and harder than normal."

"Thank you," Livunn smiled. "And we do what we must."

"Aye, we do," Loki agreed.

But that would be done soon, and he planned to do nothing other than rest and heal once he
had returned Gungnir to Óðinn's hand. Who knew how long he would have before his
adoptive father chose to try and pawn it off on Thor again. Somehow, Loki doubted it would
be terribly long. Óðinn had always been pathologically incapable of seeing his heir's flaws.
Regardless, there was little Loki could do about it, so instead he turned his mind to his
regency as he broke his fast. Overall, he was quite pleased with how it had gone. While it
could have been better or smoother, those tumultuous moments were all ones likely to make
his short time on Hliðskjálf all the more memorable. Besides, he would be lying if he said he
had not greatly enjoyed not only humiliating, but also sentencing both Heimdallr and the
Warriors Four. All five of them had been thorns in his side for far too long, and he had greatly
savored being able to have his vengeance.

Loki's mood soured as he thought back to Óðinn's reaction upon seeing both him and Thor
yesterday. He had known 'twas too much to hope for that his adoptive father would be proud
of what he had accomplished during the old man's sleep. At least now he knew why, and he
was finally able to resolve to cease his pointless attempts at gaining Óðinn's favor. 'Twas
clearly not his to be had, and he was better off focusing his efforts elsewhere. Mayhap, now
he knew Thor was not interested in having him as his advisor, he could shift his focus more
towards his seiðr studies. Uncle Freyr had always offered him the chance to study long-term
at the main vanir seiðr academy.
Before, he had not been free to accept such an opportunity, and so Loki had not allowed
himself to linger on the mere possibility. Now, however...

The mere thought of spending time on Vanaheimr, away from all of the duties and
responsibilities he held as both king and prince, was sheer bliss. Besides, it might allow him
to deceive himself into not noticing Ásgarðr's absence as much, if he was not actually on
Ásgarðr. Clearly, Ásgarðr was not a fan of his thoughts as he felt her flick seiðr at him, as if
admonishing him for the mere thought, but Loki was not certain what else he was to think.

Much as he wanted to curl his seiðr around his bond with her and never let go, he knew 'twas
pointless. As soon as Óðinn held Gungnir once more, the All-Father would be able to sever
his connection with her regardless of what Loki did to prevent it. Though he would love
nothing more than to resist any such attempt, ultimately he knew how futile 'twas now he had
personally felt the power which Ásgarðr lent her king, and he was in no condition to put up a
true fight.

Nor was he in a position to even attempt it. He was wounded enough as 'twas.

Still, Ásgarðr attempted to soothe him and Loki could now also begin to feel Mother Winter
stir at the back of his mind as well, and he knew if the two of them began to work together
that he did not stand a chance, so he attempted to distract himself.

"What rumors currently pass around Iðavöllr this morn, Livunn?" Loki inquired, opting to
forgo any of the heavier breakfast options after he had consumed some fruit.

Instead, he elected to have some yoghurt with grains instead, though a small portion of both.

"Most speak of your father's awakening," Livunn replied with a small frown, observing his
actions.

"There is much relief, I assume?"

"Aye, everyone is pleased he has awoken once more, as there were those who feared he might
never do so again after what transpired in the vault."

Loki wished to ask what those people thought when they entertained such notions. Had they
worried what it meant to have Loki on Hliðskjálf at such a time? Or had it merely been
concern for a beloved king which had driven those fears?

A chime indicated someone was at the door to his chambers and Livunn excused herself to
see who 'twas. Loki used his solitude to clutch at his chest as the agony overwhelmed him
momentarily. He would have to inform his adoptive parents of his injury today as he could
not continue thus, and he would not risk his own health any longer. Not now that Óðinn had
awakened and Ásgarðr was safe once more.

After that, well, he could see about mayhap traveling to Vanaheimr to complete his recovery,
and perhaps see what Uncle Freyr's famed seiðr academy had to offer him. He would have
liked to visit Álfheimr as well, but after Queen Sága's actions as of late, he was not entirely
certain 'twas such a good idea. Maybe 'twas time to return to Niðavellir, Queen Hreiðmarr's
 words on Niflheimr spoke of a wounded pride he might be able to manipulate to his
advantage with some careful words and strategic flattery. Miðgarðr, of course, was also an
option as any people who would lock up Thor intrigued Loki, and it had been a while since
he had entertained himself with the mortals.

They were generally far cleverer and more resourceful than most in the Nine realized.

So many possibilities...

"Who was it?" Loki inquired, sipping his tea as Livunn reentered the dining chamber.

"A messenger," Livunn replied. "He wished to inform you your father would like to see you
in the king's study at the end of the morning."

And there it was, his summons. 'Twas later than Loki had expected, but that may well be
Frigga's doing, as he knew his mother had always desired for Óðinn to take longer to recover
after an Óðinnsleep, and that was when 'twas a routine one.

"Very well, it gives me time to attend the warrior testing General Týr has planned for this
morning," Loki said.

'Twas an invitation the general had extended before he had left the king's study early
yesterday afternoon. Though it had been extended when both of them had still expected
Óðinn to be asleep today, it would be good to make one more appearance to the warriors as
king, before he went back to merely being their second prince. Besides, 'twas an easy activity
with no pressures for him to fulfill.

Óðinn could deal with all the remaining parchmentwork, he had done enough of it already.
Not to mention, the All-Father had oft spoken of the importance of allowing the warriors to
see they were supported by the king, so Óðinn could hardly complain at him doing so now
rather than anything else.

Chapter End Notes

As I mentioned above, I'm back on late shifts, so when I'm working on Sundays, the
chapters will come out right at the end of the day, BST time. And before someone asks
why there's a blog update for today when this is so late, that was meant to be yesterday's
update, but it was past midnight before I was done, so it went up nearly 24 hours ago.
But it does contain some bits of other stuff to come in the Song of the Yggdrasill series!

So, we finally see Óðinn awake. It's only taken over 2/3s of the fic to get here 😄
Now, the big challenge will be to ensure that I haven't put 'eyes' down anywhere relating
to him. I've already caught one such mistake in this chapter!

One big thing to remember here is that we are very much in the head of whomever is
leading a scene. So, when that's Loki, we're seeing things as he sees them, not
necessarily as they truly are. The same with all of the other characters; all of their biases
and prejudices play into this.

Still, I feel quite strongly about Óðinn and how he has behaved in a lot of areas, not least
when he comes to Loki, so that is definitely an area that will be heavily explored. Both
here and in the sequel, as it's not something that will be easily unraveled, or magically
sorted in a super, unrealistically short timespan!

Old Norse:

Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
áss - "one of the gods/æsir"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Loki returns Gungnir & his core injury becomes known...
 Chapter 68
Chapter Notes

Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and Ramadan Kareem to those who do that.

Onto the fic!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

While Loki had never truly enjoyed fighting as much as Thor had, 'twas not something he
had ever outright loathed either. Resented? Absolutely. Looked down upon? Frequently.
Considered a final option rather than the first one? Always. But outright loathed? Nay, to say
that would be a lie.

A lie he had oft spoken, or allowed others to infer, but the truth was Loki understood well the
need to work both his body and his mind, for one was incomplete without the other. He also
greatly enjoyed the adrenaline a good workout could produce, or the manner in which it
allowed him to work out his frustration, clearing his mind to think rationally once more.
Therefore, he had not hated watching General Týr work the second-tier warriors, testing all
they had learned during the last two and a half weeks.

It also allowed Loki to make a fairly accurate assessment of the condition of Ásgarðr's
preparedness to face an unexpected threat, which was always good knowledge to possess.
Being out in the sun and open air had also done him good, and that air of general contentment
followed him as he returned back to Iðavöllr. It slowly started to fade, though, the closer he
came to the king's study. By the time he left that particular chamber today, he would no
longer be king, nor would he have Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and his men dogging his
every step. Both of which were positives, so he should have felt better about this particular
meeting, but all he could think of was Óðinn's reaction to him yesterday.

That alone was enough to drain him of all sense of accomplishment and he simply desired for
it all to be over and done with. If he did not require both Óðinn and Frigga to heal his core,
he would depart Ásgarðr on the morrow.

Then, they were at the king's study and Loki motioned for his guard to remain outside.

He did not need an audience for what came next. Not after yesterday.

He debated knocking on the door as he and Thor normally did out of courtesy, but Loki
decided against it. He was still officially king at present, meaning 'twas theoretically still his
study until he had handed Gungnir back to Óðinn.

'Twas childish, but it pleased Loki nonetheless.

He pulled open the door and entered the study boldly, though Loki paused as his eyes fell on
the king's desk. 'Twas exactly as he had last left it; organized chaos, with his parchments and
things strewn across it. His forehead creased in confusion at the sight. Normally Livunn was
far more efficient than this, and he had expected to find the chamber cleared of his
belongings already.

Unless...

Loki's lips twitched at the thought. It would not be the first time Livunn had been slow to
clear things away when she wished to make a point. There was one instance in particular he
could easily recall, after he and Thor had gotten into a fight which had left him injured when
he had not avoided his brother's swing fast enough... Those clothes had 'accidentally' been
left out until his mother had seen the blood on them.

Sometimes it paid to be the younger brother.

There was simply something wonderful in observing Frigga giving Thor the whole
responsibility spiel once more due to Loki's injuries.

Belatedly, Loki glanced about and found Óðinn standing on the balcony, overlooking the city.
For a moment, he simply observed the All-Father, uncertain of what he felt or how he thought
of the man now. In many ways, his adoptive father's past actions made far more sense to Loki
now than they ever had before. That understanding, however, did nothing to lessen the hurt
and confusion he had felt for so long, particularly if Frigga's actions had always proven that
Óðinn could have handled things differently.

Loki still did not accept either Frigga or Óðinn's words claiming they had not informed him
of the truth in order to keep him from feeling different. He had always felt different simply by
virtue of being different. Merely because he took on another form did not make him that
form! It simply made him look like it.

He was still himself when he shifted to female form, or when he became a magpie or snake.
Was this something his adoptive parents truly did not understand, or had they believed that by
raising him as they had, that any such lingering differences would be subsumed?

"Father," Loki called out, not wishing to step out onto the balcony and risk a confrontation
there where they might be seen.

"Loki," Óðinn replied, seeming a little startled as he turned to face him.

For a moment, they merely regarded each other, before Óðinn came back into the study.

"I had not heard you enter," Óðinn stated.

Clearly not. Was the man expecting an apology? If so, he would be disappointed as Loki
would not give him one, for he had done nothing wrong. It was well within his right as king.

"Are you feeling well?" Loki asked instead, playing the dutiful son.
'Twas a role he had perfected centuries ago for public appearances, and whenever he had not
actually felt it.

"Aye, and I am much refreshed after some normal sleep and two meals," Óðinn confirmed.

"I am glad," Loki said before he moved forward, bringing Gungnir up so he could grasp it
lengthwise with both hands.

For a moment, he simply stood like that, gazing down at the King's Spear. Gungnir had
always been there as far back as he could remember, held in Óðinn's hand as a symbol of his
office and status. 'Twas something Loki had never truly expected to wield himself, even if he
might have briefly fantasized of it as a lad. Even if he had never truly wanted to be seated on
Hliðskjálf, Loki was still aware of the great honor he had been given when asked to wield
Gungnir. 'Twas also a great magical object in its own right and Loki could not help but
admire it for that alone. It thrummed with Ásgarðr's seiðr and he was going to miss that if
nothing else, even if they were still bonded at present.

Not wishing to appear reluctant to relinquish Hliðskjálf, Loki forced himself to extend his
arms and offer Gungnir back to Óðinn.

There was a flicker of seiðr deep within him as the All-Father took back the King's Spear, but
Loki could not immediately identify what it was other than that it came from Ásgarðr. Rather
than reveal it to him, she elected to flood him with affection and love instead.

Silly, emotional entity that she was.

'Twas all he could do to suppress a smile at her actions as Óðinn righted Gungnir at his side.

"Thank you for stepping up and ruling Ásgarðr while I was asleep," Óðinn finally spoke.

Loki inclined his head. "'Twas necessary and my duty," he replied.

"Aye, 'twas."

The manner in which Óðinn was observing him was odd, and Loki had trouble deciphering
the All-Father's expression. It did remind him of yesterday afternoon, but that did not aid him
in understanding it.

"As I know you are already aware, I was not able to view everything that occurred during this
particular Óðinnsleep, so we will need to cover all which transpired while I slept," Óðinn
said.

"Of course. 'Twas quite an eventful time between the declaration of war from Jötunheimr, to
Múspellsheimr testing our weaknesses," Loki replied. "In addition to several... internal
difficulties."

Óðinn's face immediately hardened and, suddenly, his adoptive father was stepping closer to
him, raising his free hand to rest on Loki's arm.

"I do distinctly recall Heimdallr's attempt on your life, Son."

That surprised Loki, but it also pleased him immensely. If Óðinn had witnessed the event
itself, then the All-Father was far less likely to overturn Loki's punishment. Altering it was
still a distinct possibility, but not undoing it. Not given this new revelation.

"I was expecting trouble and so took appropriate precautions," Loki responded. "I was
unharmed."

"Good. I do not know what possessed him to even consider it!"

"I do not suppose you saw his trial?" Loki asked.

"Nay."

Well, better what he had seen, than not. The trial Óðinn could see the recording of.

"He was rambling of not being able to see my every move, and he was convinced I allowed
the jötnar into the vault," Loki explained.

"Why?"

"There was not much logic to his tale, but he was convinced I had deliberately manipulated
the situation to usurp Hliðskjálf."

Thankfully, Loki saw no understanding in Óðinn's eye, merely confusion. As well he might,
for Heimdallr's little conspiracy theory to work, Loki would have had to manipulate and
influence decisions Óðinn himself had made, and those were actions his adoptive father knew
well to be his own.

Hopefully, it would be enough to make Óðinn dismiss the rest of Heimdallr's claims outright,
in addition to not looking too closely at precisely how the jötnar had gained access to the
vault. Not that there were any traces left of the portal to be examined, even if they had
anyone who knew enough about them to do so.

"I shall watch the trial holograms when I have some time to do so," Óðinn stated, stepping
back a few paces, though still observing him closely. "I see you managed to access the
Óðinnforce."

Loki bristled at the words and the tone they had been said in.

'Twas almost... accusatory.

Not that it surprised Loki. His adoptive father oft found fault in the smallest things he did.

"'Twas there once I meditated with Gungnir," Loki replied as neutrally as he could. "And 'tis
good that I did, as I would not have been able to transfer Heimdallr's All-Sight to Höðr
without it, which would have left the Bifröst without a gatekeeper."

The startled glance on Óðinn's face proved the All-Father had not yet considered that
particular difficulty.
"It still moves within you now," Óðinn finally said.

"Hmm, we bonded."

"Bonded?"

Loki frowned. "When I first felt her and reached out with my own seiðr, they bonded."

"Her?"

"Ásgarðr," Loki replied, confused.

"Ah, so you know its origins."

"Of course, how could I not, having felt her? There are not many possibilities with sentient
seiðr."

Had Óðinn truly thought he would not realize what that meant? Or mayhap his adoptive
father had merely hoped he would not. Both were possible as Loki knew for certain Óðinn
was not aware of the full extent of his powers, and he hoped Ásgarðr would not inform him
of them. The amusement he felt from her made him hopeful of this.

"'Tis also good I was able to connect with her, as she was able to help me with things I did
not know," Loki continued.

"I had never thought you would need to know of them," Óðinn replied.

Nay, of course not. The All-Father would never have wanted the jötunn runt on Hliðskjálf,
now would he? It would be like having allowed Jötunheimr to win the war.

The new pain felt worse this time than ever before, and Loki staggered sideways a few paces.
Luckily, 'twas right as Óðinn turned to his desk, and so his adoptive father missed it.

Loki snorted. "Because you had never allowed yourself to see how woefully unprepared Thor
was for Hliðskjálf."

"Loki-"

"Nay! I warned you about it a year ago, but you would not listen to me. Had you but done so,
then we would not have found ourselves in the position we did!"

The words seemed to hit Óðinn harder than Loki had thought they would, his adoptive father
deflating a little, and he had to stifle the impulse to step forward and check Óðinn was
alright. He had only spoken the truth. Had the All-Father listened to him when he had warned
him, then they would not have come to be in this mess.

The mere reminder of how easily he and his words had been dismissed was enough to
rekindle Loki's anger with surprising speed. The agony he was in had completely frayed his
usual control, and he was longing to lash out at someone. Anyone, let alone someone who
deserved it as much as Óðinn did.
So much for Frigga's claim everything the All-Father did had a purpose.

"I mistook your meaning then," Óðinn finally admitted.

Mistook. What a misleading word if ever Loki had heard one, and it snapped the last of his
tenuous control.

"You thought I was jealous, aye? Everyone always thinks I am jealous of Thor," Loki spat. "It
would be nice if someone would actually listen to what I am saying, rather than what they
think I am!"

A knock on the door and Loki wanted to scream at them to go away, but he was no longer
king and 'twas not his decision.

"I am busy," Óðinn called out even as the door opened and Frigga entered, followed by Thor.

"'Tis only us," his mother stated calmly, with a look at Óðinn which Loki recognized only all
too well.

Yet he did not care.

Loki was spoiling for a fight and her presence would not stop him, much as it pained him to
do so before her. Though, she too had lied to him all his life, so mayhap Frigga deserved it as
much as Óðinn did.

"You are right, Loki," Óðinn said. "I did hear that which I wanted to, and for that I am sorry."

Loki's head snapped back around, eyes wide in disbelief and he gapped, open mouthed at his
adopted father. He tried to speak, to demand that Óðinn repeat it, but his words, for once,
completely failed him. Instead, he looked back at his mother and brother, only to find his own
look of shock and disbelief mirrored on Thor's face. Frigga, though, merely looked at him
with an indulgent smile.

"I... you... what?" Loki finally demanded, looking back to the All-Father in complete
incomprehension.

Óðinn frowned at him. "I was agreeing with you. 'Tis true that I misunderstood your
intentions, for which I am sorry. You showed a level of insight of the situation and where it
could lead which hindsight has proven to be surprisingly astute, and to which I should have
listened."

He... that...

Loki was at a complete and utter loss as to what to make of that, or of how to respond to it. If
it were not for both Mother Winter and Ásgarðr's reassurances he had understood Óðinn
correctly, he would have thought he had mistaken his adoptive father's meaning.

He had never truly expected to gain an apology for how Óðinn had so easily dismissed his
warnings as nothing but the petty jealousies of a younger son, so to have this... 'Twas
stunning and Loki was not entirely certain how to handle it. But this was not merely that, nay,
there was something more to this admission and apology. Of that he was absolutely certain,
but he utterly failed to grasp precisely what it was. He was no longer regent king of Ásgarðr,
so any deference Óðinn had so clearly felt he had to display yesterday in the Óðinnsleep
chamber should already be long gone.

So, what was this?

Mystified, he glanced back at his brother, hoping for some insight. Thor, though, was already
starting to lose his startled expression for a far more pleased one.

Idiot.

If only the oaf knew to what Óðinn was referring to, Loki seriously doubted his brother
would be nearly as glad.

"Loki?" Óðinn questioned, making him look back at his adoptive father.

"I- you never admit you have erred," Loki replied, deciding to go with pure honesty for once.

Naturally, it garnered him a frown tinged with confusion.

"Aye, I have," Óðinn protested.

"Not to me," Loki countered.

And therein lay the crucial difference, did it not? To others, such as Frigga or Thor, Loki had
no doubt Óðinn had no trouble either admitting his mistakes or apologizing for them. But to
him? Nay, he could not recall the last time either had occurred. Yet why should it? He was
not a true son of Óðinn, so why should he be treated as such? He never had been before, and
he had always known it. He had simply been blind as to the true cause and so had sought out
other reasons to explain the discrepancy.

Only, even he had not been cynical or mad enough to deduce the true reason for it.

That he was not only not an Óðinnson, but also not even æsir.

Ironic how even the changeling jötunn hidden amongst Ásgarðr's royal family had been
completely unaware of its very nature.

Once more, the rending deep within him was so painful as to make Loki stumble back
drunkenly.

"Loki?" Frigga demanded, sharp and urgent as she was suddenly before him. "What is it?
What is wrong?"

His first instinct was to either deflect or lie, as Loki hated showing any form of weakness
before anyone, but most particularly to Óðinn and Thor. 'Twas tempting, oh so very tempting,
but then reason reasserted itself. He was not going to be able to fix this or he would already
have done so long ago. Nay, he needed his mother and Óðinn for this.
"Loki?" Frigga pressed, her hand coming up to cup his cheek.

"Hurts," Loki murmured, feeling all of his energy leaving him in a rush as a bone deep sense
of fatigue swamped him instead.

He had been doing his utmost best to completely ignore the overwhelming agony of his
increasingly mutilated and shredded core, as well as the physical exhaustion from both the
lack of sleep and pressing on in light of his grievous injuries, that to suddenly acknowledge
them seemed to make it hit him all at once.

'Twas with a shocking sense of clarity and suddenness, that Loki realized he had reached the
limit of his endurance.

He simply could not conceal it anymore, but nor did he have to. His mother was right here,
her concerned attention focused solely on him. Óðinn was awake once more, meaning he
himself was no longer regent, thus he could not only afford to breakdown, but do so without
drawing the attention of everyone on Ásgarðr.

The relief which swept through Loki was immense and his whole body sagged as he turned
his face into his mother's touch, feeling his remaining defenses crumble.

His core really hurt, throbbing away in time to the beating of his heart.

"Hurts?" Frigga repeated in alarm. "What hurts? Are you injured?"

Loki nodded, making a vaguely assenting sound at the back of his throat. "Core."

"Core?" Frigga reiterated sharply, horror and panic in her voice as her other arm came up and
Loki shifted to bury his face in her neck and hair.

"Mother?" Thor demanded. "What is wrong? What is a core?"

"How did you sustain a core injury?" Óðinn demanded, an odd tone to his voice as he was
suddenly at Loki's back.

"Mother?" Thor questioned. "Father? Is Loki alright?"

"How did I?" Loki laughed in disbelief as he raised his head enough to turn and glare at
Óðinn. "What is the first rule of seiðr?"

"The first rule of seiðr?" Óðinn repeated in confusion.

"Know yourse-" Frigga began, before she broke off and her eyes widened in horror.

"Hmm. Somewhat difficult to do if you do not even know what species you are, is it not?"
Loki demanded, viciously.

The mere reminder of it was enough to make Loki feel something start to give deep within
him.
"But..." Óðinn sputtered, eye wide and Loki was vaguely annoyed he could not savor such a
rare and delectable opportunity. "You learned of that nearly three weeks ago!"

Loki snorted and had just enough time to look up at his adoptive father before the connection
within him stretched to the breaking point and snapped. He gave a shout as the most intense
wave of agony he had ever experienced to date washed over him and he felt his knees buckle.

"Loki!" Thor cried out, voice rapidly approaching even as Loki's fall was broken.

The hold on him was tenuous and trembled, and Loki knew his parents would not be able to
hold him for long, not with all of his armor, but he could not make his legs function enough
to bring them back under him. Whatever had just given had to be far more vital than anything
before and he knew it should worry him more than it did. Ásgarðr and Mother Winter's panic
still clawed at the back of his mind, but 'twas a vague and distant emotion. There, but not. His
own seiðr was limp and weak within him, hardly strong enough to be called seiðr, his
connection to the rest of it simply gone.

A cold tremor raced up his spine, but even that remained distant and Loki dully realized he
was in shock; the injury far too great to bear. Darkness edged his vision, threatening to
overwhelm him, but he resisted, not certain if he would ever wake should he give into it.

"Loki!" Thor cried out, rushing forward as his brother suddenly collapsed with a shout.

Mother and Father managed to catch Loki, but struggled to keep him upright. Thor knew
from experience his brother was surprisingly heavy for his size, which, combined with the
armor Loki currently wore and the hold his parents had on his arms, would not end well.
Luckily, he reached them in time and was able to duck under his mother's hold to gain a
better purchase on Loki.

"The sofas," Óðinn ordered and Thor nodded, already shifting to carry his brother there.

The sudden and unexpected escalation of the situation had his heart thundering in his chest
and Thor felt a mixture of shock, confusion and worry.

What, by the Nine, had just happened?

What was a core and how could it be injured?

He had been around Loki oft the past few days and he had definitely not seen any signs of an
injury! True, Loki had seemed increasingly exhausted despite the success of achieving a
peace treaty with Laufey and fending off Múspellsheimr, but he had thought it the same
fatigue felt post battle when one was fully able to rest and allow oneself to feel fatigued. Had
he been mistaken?

And what had Loki meant when speaking of not knowing what species he was? Surely the
fact he was part jötunn could not have such an effect. Could it? If so, Thor would have words
with his father, as not ensuring Loki knew would have been inexcusable if it were.
The moment he had lowered Loki onto the sofa, Thor found himself pushed aside as his
mother rushed forward and dropped to her knees before his brother. Thor reluctantly pulled
back as Father moved forwards as well.

"What is going on?" Thor questioned, but was ignored as Mother placed her hand on Loki's
sternum and closed her eyes in concentration.

"Loki?" Father demanded, tilting Loki's head towards him. "Son? Can you hear me?"

Thor caught a faint smudge of green and knew his brother had not fully lost consciousness,
but an odd, garbled humming was the only response Loki made, lying limp and far too still
where Thor had placed him. He was about to repeat his question when his mother's eyes flew
open with a gasp, horror and panic clear in their depths.

"Norns, Óðinn, quick!" she cried out frantically, making Thor jump.

"Mother?" he questioned, panic flaring within him.

She was not one to frighten easily.

"Frigga?" Father asked.

"His core, 'tis almost completely shredded!" Mother replied.

The dramatic way his father paled and rushed back to his desk to retrieve Gungnir made Thor
swallow thickly.

"Mother?" he tried again. "What is wrong? Will Loki be alright?"

"Eir!" Mother snapped at him.

"Wha-"

"Fetch Eir, now!"

The shouted command made Thor jump and he could only stare at his mother for a moment
before he finally reacted, spinning around and storming out of the study. He hit the doors so
hard they flew into the corridor wall with a bang, before snapping shut behind him once
more. Absently, he noted how the king's guard jumped and reached for their swords, but then
he was past them, racing down the hall.

"Thor?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's voice rang after him. "My Prince?"

At first, Thor intended to ignore him, focused on reaching the healing halls as quickly as
possible, before he recalled how focused his mother had been. She did not need to be
distracted now of all times.

"No one goes in!" Thor ordered over his shoulder, before he turned a corner.
He ran the whole way, ignoring the startled glances of the servants, guards and nobles he
passed.

"Eir!" Thor boomed as he stormed into the main healing hall, eyes flashing about frantically
and not finding his target, but spotting two other healers. "Where is Lady Eir?"

"I... uh..." one of the ladies stammered, wide-eyed.

"Where is she?"

"I am here."

Thor whipped around to see her standing in the doorway to another chamber, looking rather
exhausted.

"Quick, come, Loki!" Thor replied urgently, almost stumbling over his words in his haste to
motion her forward.

"What has happened to K- Prince Loki?" Lady Eir asked, calmly.

"I will tell you on the way, now hurry!"

"Nay, I need to know what has happened and what kind of wounds your brother has, so I
know what to bring."

It- that made sense, but Thor made a noise of frustration nonetheless, seeing his little brother
collapsing so unexpectedly before his eyes again and again.

"There is no wound," Thor snapped back, reaching out to take her arm and trying to lead her
from the hall, but Lady Eir resisted and he all but growled. "'Tis a magical injury, I think.
Mother said something of a core?"

"A core?" Lady Eir demanded, alarm entering her voice and horror her eyes. "Are you
absolutely certain, my Prince?"

"Aye! Mother told Father to hurry as 'tis almost completely shredded."

That finally seemed to spur the healer on, as Lady Eir whirled around to face the other two
ladies present.

"Make relaxing and sleeping draughts, the strongest we have, and prepare one of the royal
chambers!" Lady Eir instructed, before she grabbed one of several kits lined up along one
side on a shelf. "Where is your brother?"

"The king's study, come," Thor replied, turning to head back the way he had come. "What is a
core?" he asked when he noticed how hurriedly the head healer moved.

His fear from earlier rose within him again. Exactly how badly injured was his little brother?

"You do not know what a core is?" Lady Eir questioned, startled.
 "Nay."

"'Tis the seat of a seiðmadr's power - the source of all of their seiðr - which, for one of Prince
Loki's caliber, is quite large."

"And how does one injure that? It sounds like it should be internal."

"'Tis, which is why injuries to them are quite rare. Normally 'tis only caused by-" Lady Eir
stopped abruptly as if frozen in place, her eyes growing very large before she turned to look
at him. "By the Nine, it cannot be! Did your brother say when this happened?"

"He said enough for Father to think it happened the day he became regent."

The words had hardly left his mouth before Lady Eir took off, outright running now and Thor
felt his heart leap into his throat. All of the remaining color had drained from the head
healer's face and now he was nearly outright terrified.

"Eir!" Thor called out as he ran after her. "What is it?"

"We need to go!"

"Aye, but-"

"It sounds like Prince Loki's core is on the verge of snapping entirely. Given how long it has
been, I cannot see how it has not already!"

"Snapping?" Thor questioned in alarm as they entered the corridor with the king's study, and
the Einherjar came into view. "What happens if it does?"

The look Lady Eir sent him chilled Thor's blood. "At best? Madness."

"Madness!" Thor exclaimed, horror thrilling through him, and he reached out to grab the
healer just as they arrived at the door to the study, which two guards were already opening.
"And at worst?"

"Death," Lady Eir replied, giving him a sympathetic glance before pulling her arm free and
rushing into the study.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry if anyone was expecting an earlier update today, but I was working, so it's the
usual time for when I'm on the late shift!

As for the chapter ending... well, I think a lot of you knew something like this was
coming. I realize I may have gone too far in the opposite direction when I revised and
thought Loki's core wasn't mentioned enough in the first draft. Oops. But, hey, the
chapter could have ended with Loki's pov!
However, that did just happen - but Loki did get to say a lot of what he's been longing to
say. And to lash out as he's been wanting to, letting his anger free after so long of
reigning it in and behaving himself. So much of what I wanted to see said and done
towards the All-Father in Thor came spilling out in this scene, it practically wrote itself.
It's a bit of a mini glimpse at the sequel, as one of the major story arcs will the Loki and
Óðinn relationship & dynamic; what has been and where they go from there. And, no,
there will be no movie magic easy fixes for it all!

This chapter also contains one of the lines I think sums up so much of Loki when it
comes to others:
"You thought I was jealous, aye? Everyone always thinks I am jealous of Thor," Loki
spat. "It would be nice if someone would actually listen to what I am saying, rather than
what they think I am!"
Poor baby 😢

And can you feel his anger and bitterness before he collapsed?

Finally, is there anything else people would like me to address on my blog? The post I
did last week where I mentioned something that's coming in this series proved really
popular from the site hit counter. I have since also spoken of story continuity using this
fic as an example. So if anyone's curious how I do that (or to get a glimpse at the
spreadsheet I have for this fic), do check out that post. But let me know if there's
anything else you're interested in that I haven't already covered. Later today, I plan to
talk about uncertainty in stories, with a potential follow-up tomorrow about the role of
culture in worldbuilding.

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here

Up next week: Loki is rushed to the healing halls...

 Chapter 69
Chapter Notes

Your savior is here!

Or not... 😈

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"My Prince?"

Thor could only stare after the head healer in dismayed shock for a moment, his mind
struggling to comprehend what it was she had just said. Loki, his little brother who had just
pulled them all - Ásgarðr and their family - through a terrible ordeal, was now potentially in
danger of dying, and all because of some stupid seiðr core... thing.

"My Prince, what is wrong?"

Nay, 'twas not true. This was all because of him. Because he had been stupid, reckless and
arrogant; he had thought he knew best, even when everyone else had tried to tell him he was
wrong. In doing so, he had set in motion the thread of events which had led them directly
here.

To Loki on the brink of either madness or death.

"Loki," Thor whispered, still unable to move, afraid if he did it would only be to find he had
taken too long and 'twas already too late.

"Prince Thor."

A hand on his arm startled Thor out of his thoughts and he turned to look at Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr, whose face was etched in concern.

"Is K- Prince Loki alright?"

Thor shook his head. "Nay, he..." his throat closed up and suddenly he wanted nothing more
than to view his brother.

To know Loki was still alive.

Unable to voice any of it, Thor moved forward, motioning the guard in with him. He only
made it far enough in to be able to view the sofas before he stopped dead once more. His
mother was now lying lengthwise on the longest sofa with Loki cradled against her, while
Father was down on his knees beside them. Both had a glowing hand on his brother's chest,
their eyes half closed in concentration, faces drawn and frightened.

Loki, meanwhile... Loki was so pale his skin was nearly translucent, almost taking on a blue
tinge due to the pattern of veins now so clearly visible. His brother also looked both thinner
and frailer as his upper armor had been removed and Loki only wore a thin green tunic,
which made his skin look all the more pallid and sickly.

The only good thing Thor could see was the smudge of green at his brother's eyes, indicating
Loki was still not fully unconscious. Though how aware his brother was, Thor could not tell
since Loki's right arm hung limp at his side, hand resting awkwardly on the floor.

Movement behind him reminded Thor of the guards and he abruptly noted how they spread
out around the chamber, taking up defensive positions.

"What happened?" Yngvarr asked with a concerned look on his face as the man came to
stand beside Thor. "Did someone manage to sneak in here?"

"Nay," Thor replied, glancing briefly at Týr's second-in-command, before looking back at his
brother. "The initial injury occurred the same day as Father's collapse."

"What? But I was with K- Prince Loki almost the entire time and I never saw anything!"

"Neither did I. Apparently, 'tis magical in nature and not visible to the naked eye," Thor
paused for a moment before continuing. "At least not the actual wound itself."

How had he missed the rest of it? There had been a time when Loki could not have had so
much as a parchment cut without him knowing of it. When had he and his brother grown so
far apart, and how had he not even noticed it?

"Majesty?"

Lady Eir's voice drew Thor's attention back to the others, and he looked over to see the head
healer had emptied her kit across the table. The books and parchments which had covered it
now lay strewn haphazardly across the floor.

"How may I assist?" Lady Eir asked.

Assist? What did she mean assist? She was the head healer! She should be leading his parents
in this!

"Do you have a relaxant or sleep draught?" Mother inquired, opening her eyes and turning to
look at Lady Eir. "Loki's magical defenses are still up, and we are having trouble accessing
his core."

"I only have the basic ones with me, though I have requested the others be made, but it will
take a little time," Lady Eir replied. "I would recommend the ruan flower one, as 'tis more
potent on seiðr users and..."

Thor frowned as Lady Eir broke off and her eyes darted about towards the Einherjar.
"It sounds good," Mother replied, holding out her free hand. "Loki, baby, can you hear me?"

Thor winced at the use of the kenning with all of the Einherjar present, but he held his
tongue. Now was hardly the time to speak of it.

Instead, Thor focused on his brother who made a faint, half-garbled humming sound. 'Twas
not, however, accompanied by any movements, which made Thor fear Loki could not
respond any further. He shuddered at the mere thought and could not help but be thankful he
had never studied seiðr actively enough to be thus afflicted. Why would anyone wish to risk
it?

Still, Thor found he simply could not imagine his brother without his seiðr. Loki was seiðr in
many ways; the two were inexorably linked in Thor's mind.

"Do you think he will choke if I try to administer it?" Mother asked, worriedly.

"Given his condition, I am afraid we shall have to risk it," Lady Eir stated as she handed over
a small bottle. "Lift him a little when you do so, and his reflexes may kick in."

Mother nodded her head once and removed her other hand from where it still rested on Loki's
sternum. Almost immediately, Father cried out in pain and jerked his own hand back, the
palm very red as Father shook it out.

"Óðinn!"

"Your Majesty!"

Mother and Lady Eir's cries overlapped even as Thor called out as well, stepping closer.

"I am fine," Father rushed to reassure them, flexing his hand. "He simply turned bitterly
cold."

Mother and Father exchanged another significant look Thor could not interpret.

"He does not feel particularly cold to me," Mother said, placing a hand on Loki's face.

"I do not think 'twas him," Father replied.

"Not him?" Thor questioned, confused. "What else could it have been?"

"I am uncertain," Father frowned. "But it felt like something rising up from within him,
similar to how the Óðinnforce moves within him even now."

"Oh," Lady Eir said, looking over at Yngvarr.

"The vault," the head guard agreed.

"You mean when Loki collapsed?" Thor asked.

"Aye, he said 'twas because the power in the Casket of Ancient Winters bonded with the
Óðinnforce," Yngvarr confirmed. "He seemed to think 'twas severed on Niflheimr when
Laufey-King left with the Casket. Is there any chance it... lingered?"

The look on Father's face was grave now, but he inclined his head once. "Without knowing
what force Loki spoke of, I cannot know for certain, but 'tis possible. He did not speak of
needing to rid himself of it?"

"Nay."

"I might have advised against it if he had," Lady Eir added. "As it seemed to counteract the
more adverse effects of the Óðinnforce and left him quite energized."

"I can see it now," Mother said, eyes half closed as she seemed to focus on something Thor
could not see. "'Tis residing within him, but it seems to be attempting to bolster his core,
much as the Óðinnforce is."

Thor frowned as he tried to understand everything which was being said, but 'twas difficult.
Only two weeks ago he had thought the Óðinnforce no more than his father's might,
magnificent and powerful, but all his father's. Thus, the fact it could be shared, much less
seem independent, somehow was still difficult for him to wrap his mind around. Let alone
consider both it and some unknown similar force of jötnar origin in his brother's body.

No wonder Loki was so deathly ill! If he ever found the jötnar had done this to his brother on
purpose, they would pay! And this time, he was certain Father would agree with him, as
Loki's position at the time would make it attempted regicide by a foreign Realm; an
assassination attempt.

Or at least, Thor sincerely hoped it would only be an attempt. The way Loki looked right
now, though, made him fear.

"'Tis why I had not heeded it much until now," Father said. "I will keep an eye on it, but if it
does not interfere more, I believe we should focus on it later."

Mother nodded once before she lifted Loki with Lady Eir's help, so he was in more of an
upright position. Thor watched as Mother moved closer to support his brother's weight,
before holding Loki's chin with one hand and putting the draught at his lips with the other. He
watched with batted breath as she started to tilt the small bottle, before he sighed in relief as
Loki's throat worked, swallowing.

"Thank the Norns," Yngvarr breathed beside him, causing Thor to add his own silent thanks
to the three ladies as well.

With a small noise, Loki suddenly tried to turn his head, but Mother prevented the movement,
making shushing noises.

"Nay, Loki," she added. "You have to drink it, please."

The words seemed to settle his brother and Thor was glad. He was about to speak when he
noticed Loki's eyes opening wider, glancing about. That his brother was not fully conscious
and aware was obvious from the glazed look in his eyes, but it heartened Thor nonetheless.

"Hello, Loki," Father said when Loki looked in his direction. "You need to drink the draught,
Son. 'Tis to help relax you so we can heal your core."

Whether his brother understood it or not, Thor could not be certain, but Loki finished off the
bottle without further protest, licking his lips when 'twas removed.

"Mother?" Loki whispered, voice hoarse, almost as if he had been screaming.

"I am right here, darling," Mother replied, lowering Loki to lean more fully against her and
running a hand through his hair.

Thor nearly laughed aloud when his brother's eyes rolled up, as if Loki thought he could see
Mother by doing so. 'Twas such a childish thing to do and he saw the humor in it, before the
full realization of what it could mean sunk in and sobered him.

"Son, your mother and I can detect a second power within you, cooler than the Óðinnforce,"
Father began. "Lady Eir and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said something about the Casket of
Ancient Winters?"

Loki blinked and then gave a subtle nod. "Mo- Mother Winter."

"Mother Winter? The jötnar belief?"

"Hmm."

"Is it hurting you?"

"Nay."

Quick, sure, firm.

Protective?

Thor frowned. Why would his brother seem to feel protective of anything jötnar?

"Are you absolutely certain?" Father checked.

The look his brother threw their father made Thor have to bite his lower lip to keep from
laughing, and he heard a slight noise from Yngvarr which made him think he was not alone.
If Loki were not so ill at present, his brother would surely be in trouble for it!

"Ás- Óðinnforce likes," Loki finally added.

"Very well," Father replied, though Thor could see him flex the hand which had been cold
shocked.
How could the Óðinnforce like something which seemed to dislike Father? Thor knew 'twas
some embodiment thing of Ásgarðr rather than his father's own seiðr, but how could Ásgarðr
not love him? Father was her king! Surely, she should be utterly devoted to him.

'Twas confusing and part of why Thor disliked seiðr.

The fact he could only observe as the others worked to aid or even save his brother bothered
Thor tremendously, but did not alter anything. He even resisted the urge to pace lest he miss
anything important.

"His defenses are lowering," Father finally said, after what felt like ages. "We should be able
to have a clearer idea of the damage soon."

"Norns," Mother moaned, a desolated look crossing her face.

Thor had already taken a step forward to ask, when he felt fingers close around his right
wrist, and he glanced back at Yngvarr to find the man shaking his head.

"Allow them to concentrate," the lieutenant-general urged. "I do not believe they can afford
to be distracted."

The words grated even though Thor knew them to be true. That was his baby brother who lay
there, potentially dying! Yet, at the same time, he did not wish to be the cause of a critical
distraction either, as he would never forgive himself!

When he glanced back at the sofas, Thor saw Lady Eir reaching forward to lay a hand on his
brother's chest and concentrate. The horrified look which crossed her face a moment later set
Thor's teeth on edge even as he clenched his fists.

"How, by the Nine, has he been able to function as of late?" Lady Eir asked, before twisting
around to regard them. "There were no signs?"

"Nay," Thor replied. "At least none which were alarming in and of themselves. He was
increasingly tired, but there has been so much work to do, I assumed 'twas merely that."

"He was also increasingly... irritable," Yngvarr added. "His moods altering rather more
quickly than normal."

"He has ever been stubborn and resilient," Lady Eir replied with a little shake of her head.
"We will need all of his fighting spirit now to overcome this."

"Is there anything we can do?" Thor asked, unable to wait any longer.

"Just now, nay, but he will need your strength and support in the coming days and months."

Months? The word chilled Thor to his very core. Was that what his parents had been talking
of earlier? But he did not possess seiðr like Loki, or at least not the same kind, his brother
had said his powers were different; elemental. Still, it started to give him some idea of how
fundamental and basic this magical core could be, and it frightened him more than he could
ever recollect being. Aye, there had been other times when either Loki or he himself had been
critically injured, but on all of those times he had understood what had occurred and he knew
what needed to be done. Now, he had neither to either distract or occupy him.

The moment his brother made a little noise, all of Thor's attention was focused on Loki once
more. Though still not fully awake or aware, his brother's eyes appeared to be opened a little
wider. Loki also seemed agitated, his head moving slightly from side to side on Mother's
chest. Then his brother's left arm, which had been wedged awkwardly between his side and
the sofa, shifted. Even as Thor watched, it made a few jerky movements before it shot up
towards Loki's chest. It did not seem as if his brother wished to dislodge or affect their
parents' touch, as Loki's hand had landed well above his sternum, closer to his neck, but Thor
had no idea why his brother would want it there.

As Thor watched, Loki's fingers spread out as if searching for something, before making a
displeased sound when he did not find it. His hand went lax before his other started to move,
twitching where it lay so awkwardly on the floor.

"What does he want?" Thor asked.

"Where is his medallion?" Yngvarr suddenly questioned. "He has been wearing it since the
coronation, despite altering every other aspect of his outfits."

Medallion? Oh, now Thor thought of it, he could recollect observing Loki wearing a necklace
as of late. He had not given it much consideration at the time, as Loki did wear jewelry from
time to time, oft items he had been gifted on one occasion or another. A quick glance around
showed his brother's armor had been cast aside on one of the other sofas, and Thor
approached it immediately. Moving aside the chest plate, vambraces and leather coat, he
found a gold chain with a medallion on the end in what looked to be obsidian.

"Here, this is it," Thor said, turning around.

Lady Eir held out her hand, so he handed it over to her, observing as she closed her other
hand over it, and closed her eyes in concentration.

"Clever," Lady Eir finally said. "He has turned it into a talisman, so 'tis a repository of his
seiðr."

"Now I think of it, I do recall him clutching at it when we spoke of something rather
unpleasant," Mother said. "He was using it as a touchstone."

"Shall I give it to him, or would it interfere with what you are doing?" Lady Eir inquired,
once more making Thor wonder why she was merely assisting his parents rather than the
other way around.

She was the head healer!

"Nay, it may allow him to anchor himself, which would permit us to focus more of our
attention on bolstering the remaining shreds of his core," Father replied. "If we can
accomplish that, we can think of moving him to the healing halls."
"Very well," Lady Eir replied, moving forward to reach out and take hold of Loki's right
hand.

She shifted it up and folded the elbow, so his hand lay near his left one, high on his chest.
Once satisfied Loki's arm would remain there, Lady Eir lowered the medallion between his
hands and Thor watched how his brother almost immediately clasped hold of it, fingers
clenching around it hard enough to whiten slightly. 'Twas more force than he had thought
Loki capable of at present, which was pleasing.

Mother's words were echoing through his head, though, and Thor could not help but think
back on all of the times he had witnessed his brother clasping the medallion over the past few
days. While there were some notable exceptions, like when he had confronted and challenged
Loki before half the High Council, almost every one of their interactions where they had
disagreed had seen his brother reaching for his talisman. Had he been making Loki worse?
Aggravating his magical injury? Though the thought made guilt rise within him, it also
ignited his anger.

Why had Loki not told him?

He would have taken care to ensure his brother was not hurt even more. Damn Loki and his
secrets! Was his brother completely incapable of speaking the truth?

Thor dropped back against the sofa he knelt beside as his own words came back to haunt him.

"You had better be careful, Brother, or your seiðr will be the death of you."

They had been spoken in jest, but now Thor regretted them deeply and he wished he could
take them back. If Loki did not survive this, he was certain he would hear those words
echoing in his own mind forevermore.

A soft sigh drew Thor's attention back to Loki, and he watched as some of the tension faded
from his brother face. 'Twas followed by a slight lessening of the tension in Mother's
shoulders and it gave Thor hope.

"Did the first phase work?" Lady Eir asked softly.

"We have managed to bolster his core," Mother replied. "It should be safe to move him to the
healing halls now, where we can administer some stronger sedatives."

"You wish to render him unconscious?" Thor questioned, surprised.

Normally, they sought to keep patients both awake and aware, lest they slip away.

"At present, 'tis best given the cause for the core damage in the first place," Father stated.
"Unconscious, Loki cannot suffer another major event, which would almost certainly be
lethal in his current condition."

The words chilled Thor and he wanted to ask why, but it sounded like moving Loki to the
healing halls was a matter of urgency.
"I shall have a litter fetched," Yngvarr spoke up, drawing Thor from his stupor.

"Nay," he countered. "I will carry him."

"Are you certain, Thor?" Mother asked. "He is not light."

"I am," Thor confirmed, rising to his feet. "Besides, he has already been divested of over half
his armor."

Not only would obtaining a litter mean they would have to wait, but this would allow Thor to
feel like he was of some use. Additionally, it meant he could touch his brother and feel that
Loki was still alive.

As soon as his father had moved aside, Thor stepped forward and knelt beside his brother on
one knee. "Will he keep hold of the medallion well enough not to drop it?"

"Good question," Mother replied, leaning forward to look. "He certainly seems to have a firm
enough grip on it."

"If the necklace opens, you should be able to secure it around his neck without needing him
to release it," Lady Eir suggested.

"Aye, I see."

Reaching around, Mother took hold of the golden chain and examined it.

"I have it," Mother declared a few seconds later, finding and opening the lock.

She had to brush aside Loki's new, longer hair in order to secure it, but 'twas quickly
achieved.

"Loki, Brother, can you hear me?" Thor asked as he leaned over the sofa to peer into his
brother's face.

"'or?" was the whisper soft reply.

Unfortunately, it did not inform Thor as to whether Loki could understand him or was simply
reacting to his presence. He had already known his brother was partially aware. There was
little for it but to attempt to alert Loki and then proceed.

"I am going to lift and carry you, Brother, so do not be alarmed," Thor tried before he slid his
arms under Loki's knees and behind his back.

With some aid from his mother, Thor was able to shift his brother's weight up against him.
Loki released the medallion with his left hand to scramble awkwardly and clumsily at Thor's
armor, before his fingers caught at the collar. Thor could not tell how strong his brother's grip
was, but it showed his brother could at least follow what was happening around him, which
could only be a good sign.
Well, unless that awareness led to another 'event' as Father had referred to. Thor desperately
hoped not!

"Hang on, Brother," Thor whispered.

Carefully, he rose to his feet before adjusting his grip slightly, so Loki was leaning fully
against his chest.

"I am ready," he finally said.

"Then let us go," Father stated, offering Mother a hand so she could rise to her feet.
"Lieutenant-General?"

With a few motions of his hand, Yngvarr had his men lined up and Thor fell into position in
the middle of the group. Lady Eir appeared on one side of him and Mother on the other.
Though the walk to the healing halls was relatively short (all things considered) given the
size of Iðavöllr, they still encountered a few servants and some members of court. Ordinarily,
Thor would not have thought anything of it, but he knew how picky his little brother could be
about his appearance due to how oft Loki had cautioned him about their perception before
others. Therefore, he knew his brother would not be pleased to be seen carried through the
corridors like this, but lying on a litter would not have been any better, Thor knew. Either
way, others would know something had befallen his brother.

The concerned and alarmed reactions their little procession drew, comforted Thor and
allowed him to take some of his mind off his worries. Loki was still deathly pale, and blue
seemed to be the strongest cooler in his skin, which he did not require Lady Eir to tell him
was not good. Only the jötnar should ever be blue. Now he thought of them, Thor noticed
something else.

"He feels very cold," Thor said.

Lady Eir immediately reached out to lay a hand on his brother's forehead.

"Prince Loki has always run colder than anyone else, but this is well below normal, even for
him," Lady Eir said, looking significantly at Mother.

"It could be certain abilities of his will fail with his weakened seiðr," Mother replied.

Certain abilities? What did that have to do with Loki feeling cold?

"I would attempt to bolster it, but I do not quite know how he does it," Father admitted.

"Nor I," Mother added. "I am not even certain Loki does, it has always been instinctive for
him, as proven the first time he did it."

"What are you talking about?" Thor asked.

"Later," Mother replied.

"I will erect the proper monitoring spells in his chamber," Lady Eir promised.
Thor's frustration from earlier had returned, but he was hardly in a position in which to
demand answers. Or rather, he was, but not without delaying his brother's treatment and,
given the apparent direness of the situation, he dared not risk it.

Then they were in the healing halls and Thor hesitated instead of making directly for the suite
of private chambers set aside for the royal family. He did not need to ask which was the one,
since the door to one was open with several ladies within, but he was uncertain as to whether
Loki needed to be examined with the soul forge first or not.

"Out of the way," Lady Eir ordered, and the path to the bed cleared.

"He does not need to go onto the soul forge first?" Thor asked as he lowered his brother onto
the bed.

"Nay, it cannot detect this type of injury."

"So that is why 'twas not caught before, when Loki was examined after the ignition of the
Yggdrasill."

"Aye, and no doubt why he allowed that examination."

Though Thor wished to protest and claim his brother would never endanger himself or
Hliðskjálf thus, he could not because, apparently, Loki had. What Thor could not understand
was why.

Why had Loki not sought help?

'Twas not like he would have been denied it, far from it in fact. And what if his brother had
collapsed earlier? From both Father and Lady Eir's reactions, 'twas quite surprising Loki had
made it so long without doing so. Therefore, the longer his brother had gone without asking
for help, the more he had endangered Hliðskjálf, as Thor knew well the chaos it would have
caused had Loki collapsed. Or how Realms like Jötunheimr or Múspellsheimr might have
reacted!

"The potions and draughts, Lady Eir," a young lady said, entering the chamber with a tray
full of small bottles.

"Sort them and place them on the table," Lady Eir instructed, before she glanced around.
"Anyone who is not needed, clear the chamber, we need room to work."

Thor watched as the guards turned and left. He shifted aside to allow them to pass, but he
kept most of his concentration on Loki. His brother's hair had fanned out on the pillow when
he had pulled his arm away, and the contrast between it and Loki's face was marked, even
more so than normal.

"My Prince."

The voice drew Thor from his thoughts, and he turned to find Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
beside him, one arm extended toward the chamber door.
"Nay, I am staying," Thor protested.

"You heard Lady Eir," Yngvarr replied. "I understand how difficult 'tis, but you will only be
in the way, and I know you do not wish to interfere with your brother's care."

Nay, he truly did not, but Thor simply could not bring himself to move, so he was infinitely
grateful when Yngvarr took hold of his arm and gently guided him from the chamber.

"You say this injury occurred the same day as King Óðinn fell into the sleep, my Prince?"
Yngvarr asked once the door was closed behind them.

"Aye," Thor replied. "In the vault, I believe."

"Was it something which got in and attacked him?"

"I do not think so, but I hardly know anything about magical cores, so I am not entirely
certain."

"Very well, I will act as if there may be a threat."

"Please," Thor replied, observing as the lieutenant-general turned to one of his men.

"Find General Týr and Lord Ragnvaldr, and alert them to the situation," Yngvarr ordered
before turning to another man. "Arrange a schedule for K- Prince Loki's chamber here until
he recovers, or King Óðinn cancels the protection detail."

"Minimal men?"

"Until the prince is mobile."

The entry of a servant to the main healing hall caught Thor's attention, and he stepped up to
the door which marked the threshold between the royal suite and the rest of the healing halls.

"Excuse me, servant," Thor said, catching her attention.

"My Prince," she curtsied. "How may I be of service?"

"Find Livunn and inform her my brother is here. He will require some sleepwear and loose
robes, and... and..."

"Perhaps something to occupy him when he wakes?" Yngvarr offered. "To prevent him from
growing bored?"

Thor smiled at the thought; a bored Loki was a perilous thing indeed, and the healers would
thank them for doing what they could to delay the inevitable. At least, for a little while.

"Aye, something to occupy him with," Thor confirmed.

"At once, your Highness."

Chapter End Notes

I'd hoped to have this up a bit earlier, but I noticed some little errors which had slipped
past my last round of editing and had to do some last minute corrections! Talk about
writing to a deadline!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and complete lack of resolution to the biggest
question. No one really thought it would resolved so quickly, now did you? I freely
admit that I took far too much pleasure in watching the comments section explode with
the last chapter. It's taken a very long time, but I was building up to that right from the
beginning, as it's what Loptr's presence was able to push back, but not fix.

Finally, sorry some of these chapters have been shorter, but after the one next week, I
promise there will be several longer ones!

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
jötnar - "frost giants"
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: Frigga & Óðinn discuss what happened...

 Chapter 70
Chapter Notes

Here you go!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Frigga was only vaguely aware of everyone leaving the chamber after Lady Eir's order, as she
climbed onto the bed beside her baby. She tried desperately not to allow his unusual coloring
to bother her, but 'twas hard due to what it signified in both the vanir and æsir. And, unlike
her husband, she had never seen Loki in his jötunn form, thus, while she knew what he truly
was, she had never seen it for herself. This made it easy to forget at times, which was the
only reason why she could think that she had not seen this coming.

Oh, certainly, there been countless arguments with Óðinn about the need to tell Loki the
truth; to not keep it a secret from him and lie as she had always known how poorly he would
take it later, especially from them. But nowhere in all of that time, or during all of those
arguments, had the possibility occurred to her, and it truly should have. Her baby's words
from their argument the other day still rang in her ears. Not only because he had outright
rejected Óðinn as his father, and she feared what that meant for how he viewed her now, but
also because of the question he had posed.

"And what of my mental health?"

It had frightened her at the time, the implications of how much he could be suffering as a
result, but even then, she had not taken the next logical step and thought of his magical
health, and for that she would never forgive herself. She who had been his first teacher in
seiðr and the one to have properly introduced him to it. She who knew more than any other
precisely how much of a magical being he was. That she had not thought of this was
unforgivable, and she could only hope the Norns did not plan to take her youngest from her
as a result.

Loki could not die.

Not like this; as a result of their own pure negligence. Though Frigga had never fully
accustomed herself to the æsir view of all deaths in battle being noble and heroic to the point
of desirability, she would far rather have her youngest die like that than with his seiðr broken
and festering thus; shattered into a million tiny pieces. Not only was it a horrible way for a
seiðmadr of his caliber to go, but from what he had admitted earlier, she knew he had
suffered greatly already so far as her little knife rarely admitted pain, for he feared how
vulnerable it would make him seem.

"Loki, baby," Frigga said as she leaned over him.

She clasped his free hand and smoothened a lock of hair from his face. It took a moment until
her youngest's glazed, green eyes flickered towards her, but 'twas the only response she
received. His hand lay limp in her own.

"Frigga," Óðinn said, drawing her attention.

Her husband stood on the other side of the bed and held the sheet. She shifted slightly to
allow him to pull it up to Loki's chest before she settled beside him, seeing Loki's boots lying
in a far corner of the chamber.

"I would recommend against covering him in furs at present, until we know whether he will
shift back or not," Lady Eir said. "We do not want him to overheat if he does."

The need to leave one of her children so uncovered when they were so clearly injured warred
with Frigga's natural instincts, but she resisted, knowing it would already be quite warm for
Loki if he did revert to his birth form.

"How are you feeling, Your Majesty?" Lady Eir asked, looking at Óðinn.

"Me?" Óðinn replied. "I am hardly the one in most need at present."

"True, but you have only just awakened from the most unusual and dangerous Óðinnsleep of
your life," Lady Eir stated. "We do not know if there may be unintended consequences of
that, nor do I want you to exert yourself to such a degree you are exhausted and need another
sleep."

"She is correct, Óðinn," Frigga added when she saw he would argue. "Ásgarðr needs you
right now, and, what is more, Loki needs you. 'Tis better for him if we take his healing a little
slower, if it means you will be able to aid me with all of it."

"Fine," Óðinn replied sourly, allowing Lady Eir to perform her spell.

Frigga tried to smile at him, but the limp feel of her youngest's hand in her own made it
impossible. Glancing down at him again, she found his eyes on her, though they were still far
from focused.

"I am not certain if you can me, darling, but if you can, I want you to relax and focus on
healing," Frigga whispered, brushing a hand over his forehead. "Lady Eir, your father and I
will take care of the rest."

"Thank you, my King," Lady Eir said.

"Well?" Óðinn inquired.

"All looks well for now, though a few of your vital signs are a little lower than normal, so I
would ask you not to do anything too strenuous beyond healing Prince Loki."

"Where do we start?" Frigga asked.

"Do we know how much pain he is in?"

"He complained of it, and he normally never does."

"Then I would recommend we start with an analgesic combined with a sleeping draught,"
Lady Eir said. "Together they will place him in a painless slumber, which will give us more
time to work and ensure he does not become any worse."

"That, I fear, may be our biggest challenge," Óðinn stated, gravely.

"What happened in the vault?" Frigga asked.

It had been weighing heavily on her mind, particularly after Loki's admission that he and
Óðinn had fought. Though her husband was wonderful at many things, maintaining an even
temper was not one of them. Combined with the encroaching Óðinnsleep and Loki's own
highly emotive and stressed state... well she dreaded to think, truth be told. Ordinarily, she
would have asked her youngest as he would normally tell her with a bit of prodding, but she
had not wished to stress him even further. Now that would seem to have been a poor
decision, but for all Loki had been named the God of Lies and others complained of his
wicked tongue and sly ways, she had never been the victim of them before. She did not enjoy
being treated to them now, though she could hardly fault her son for being circumspect with
her after all which had occurred.

Óðinn winced and looked at Loki. "I have never seen him so distraught. It... 'twas bad,
Frigga, and I fear we may yet have to fight to keep him with us, even after we heal him."

The words chilled Frigga and she clutched at Loki's hand more tightly, only realizing what
she was doing when he made a small note of protest.

"Sorry, darling," she stated.

"Let me administer the potions first, and then we can have more specifics," Lady Eir
suggested, turning to the table which was now covered in a multitude of small, colored
bottles.

"We are going to lift you, Loki," Frigga said, before she shifted to do precisely that, Óðinn
stepping forward to help.

Without all of his armor, Loki was far easier to lift, but Frigga still struggled with his weight.
It took a few moments, but eventually they had him leaning back on her so they would be
able to urge him to drink the potion.

"One for the pain first," Lady Eir said, stepping forward with a small, purple bottle.

Frigga lifted Loki's head and held him steady as Lady Eir reached out to cup his cheek and
place the bottle at his lips. Unlike before, Loki accepted the potion, and for that Frigga could
only be thankful. In his current state, her baby could be just as likely to refuse their aid, and
then they would be in real difficulty.

Loki coughed once when Lady Eir removed the bottle from his lips, and he turned his head
away, in towards Frigga.
"Shh," she soothed. "I know it does not taste nice, but it will help, just you see."

"How is he beyond his core?" Óðinn asked. "I assume you kept as close an eye on Loki as
you normally do me."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Lady Eir replied. "My main concern was how he would deal with
the Óðinnforce, since I feared his use of it over the past two to three weeks could endanger
him of falling prey to an early sleep himself, as he has used it rather spectacularly."

"But it has been countermanded by this other force? Mother Winter?"

"So it would appear. He was showing signs of energization and increased fitness after he first
bonded with it in the vault. Ever since, those levels have remained. If I had thought able to
replicate it, I would have tried to do so on yourself, Majesty."

"Loki had the same thought," Frigga informed them. "But he seemed convinced it had to do
with his heritage, rather than something which could be done to you, Óðinn."

"Nay."

The word was so unexpected and so weak that, at first, Frigga thought she had imagined it
and was hearing what she wanted to, rather than what was.

"Loki," Óðinn said, leaning closer and confirming she had not made it up. "How are you
feeling?"

"Hurts," Loki whined.

"I know, baby," Frigga replied, rubbing his arm. "But we gave you something for that, and we
also have a sleeping draught, so you are able to sleep some."

"Help?" Loki asked.

"Of course, we will aid you, darling. We have already started stabilizing your core, and, once
you are asleep, we will do some more."

"Hmm."

"Is something wrong with your foot, my Prince?" Lady Eir suddenly asked.

Frigga looked up at the question to see Loki's left foot was twitching slightly, but quite
persistently.

"Itching pain," Loki mumbled, rolling his head to look at Óðinn. "Spell. Remove."

"Spell?" Óðinn repeated, before realization dawned. "Oh, of course."

With that, her husband stepped up to the foot of the bed and Frigga watched him grasp hold
of their youngest's twitching leg through the sheet. With a little snap of gold seiðr, the subtle
movement stopped, and Loki slumped back against her with a sigh of relief. Frigga was about
to ask what spell Óðinn had cast on their son, when her breath caught in her throat as Loki's
right forearm, where the sleeve of his tunic had fallen up, darkened to a rich, deep, jötnar
blue. The color running down his arm towards his hand and fingers. Following right behind
was the slightly paler blue of the jötnar kin lines, almost spiderwebbing across his arm and
hand in delicate patterns as they curled over his skin. Loki's fingernails drew Frigga' attention
next, as they darkened to a near black, almost matching the color of the obsidian amulet still
clutched firmly in his hand.

Even as she watched the change, Frigga could feel it happening to the rest of Loki, as his
body temperature dropped where he leaned against her with only the thin protection of their
clothes between them. Knowing what was coming, she raised her eyes to look at her baby's
face and watched in fascination as the blue blossomed across first his neck, and then his face.
It felt odd to watch the familiar face morph and yet remain so similar at the same time. The
elegant lines made it a little harder to recognize her son at first glance, where they curved
over his forehead, cheekbones and jaw, but even then 'twas clearly still Loki. Merely blue and
a little different.

The most disturbing and unusual thing, though, was the dramatic change in the color of his
eyes. Gone were the white and green, replaced instead by a two toned red, the iris color
reminding her of freshly spilled blood. It drew an involuntary shiver from her.

"Mama?" Loki inquired; forehead creased in puzzlement.

He did not know, Frigga realized with a start. Clearly, Óðinn's spell preventing a shift had
been bothering him, but he was not aware enough to know what it meant to have the working
removed while he was so magically depleted and horribly maimed.

"Aye, baby?" Frigga asked, not wishing to alert him to the situation given what had triggered
his core damage in the first place. It had also, no doubt, furthered its progression after the
initial injury, too. "Do you feel better now?" she asked, seeking to divert his attention from
her momentary slip.

"Hmm," Loki hummed, eyes falling half closed.

"We do need to give you another draught before you can rest, darling."

"Hmm."

Not certain if they could elicit a better response from him than that, Frigga raised Loki once
more with Óðinn's help as Lady Eir approached with a little, green vial. Right before she
would have handed it over, the head healer paused and held the vial tightly in both hands, her
lips moving slowly. Frigga was about to ask what was wrong when grey seiðr ran over Lady
Eir's hands, before she drew them back. Frigga could now see a thin layer of frost on the
outside of the vial, and she was annoyed for not thinking of it herself. Not after the disastrous
first time she had attempted to feed Loki as an infant.

Being unable to do so herself directly as she had with Thor, Frigga had used the alternative
milk, but had made the mistake of heating it slightly. She would never forget Loki's wailing
cries as soon as he had taken his first mouthful of the milk. They still haunted her dreams
from time to time and 'twas a wonder to her he had ever learned to trust her afterwards. Yet,
he had not hesitated to take the second bottle she had offered as soon as they had healed him,
eagerly sucking it down and immediately demanding more. It still broke her heart to think of
how much he had eaten that first day, clearly starved and desperate for any form of
sustenance. It made her clutch her baby tighter to her even now.

"Here, baby," Frigga said as Lady Eir brought the vial to Loki's lips. "Please drink."

Loki's eyes opened a little wider, glancing over to Lady Eir before he complied, taking the
whole vial in one go. He licked his lips after as they lowered him back to the bed, his limbs
flopping and indicating how little control Loki had over his own body at present.

A sudden, sharp intake of breath made Frigga's eyes dart back to her youngest's face, to find
his eyes wide.

"What is it, Loki?" she asked, worried.

"I..." Loki trailed off, before his head rolled a little to look at Óðinn. "What does she want?"

"What does who want?" Óðinn replied, looking at her in confusion, ere glancing back down
at their son.

"Ásgarðr."

"Ásgarðr?"

"Hmm, she is tugging," Loki murmured, his voice growing softer. "Tugging at me."

Frigga glanced up sharply at Óðinn. "Ásgarðr is tugging at him?"

"I do not know," Óðinn frowned. "Loki, do you mean the Óðinnforce?"

"Hmm. Likes."

The sleeping draught was pulling her baby under quickly, probably due to a combination of
his condition and the pain potion they had already administered to him. Therefore, Frigga
was not quite certain what Loki meant now. Likes? What was liked? Or whom? Did he like
the Óðinnforce? She knew 'twas almost certainly true as 'twas a new type of seiðr and Loki
had always loved learning anything and everything pertaining to seiðr, soaking the
knowledge up at an amazing, and at times frightening, pace, quickly outstripping her own
mastery of the subject and she was no weakling herself when it came to seiðr. He was simply
that much more powerful and fascinated by it all.

"Loki, what is it tugging you towards?" Óðinn asked.

Her youngest's eyes were moving back and forth now, like he was reading or watching
something they could not see.

"Loki?" Frigga prodded gently.

"Oh," Loki breathed, awe in every note of his voice. "Beat'ful."

"What is beautiful, darling?"

"Yggysill. Son-"

Without any further notice, Loki's head rolled to the side, eyes sliding closed and body
relaxing.

"Eir?" Frigga questioned, alarmed.

"Excuse me, Majesty," Lady Eir said, pushing past Óðinn to lean over the bed.

The head healer took hold of Loki's wrist and felt his pulse, before checking his breathing
and, finally, opening one red eye.

"Is he alright?" Frigga asked, unable to wait any longer.

"Aye, given his condition, the draught simply took effect faster than normal," Lady Eir
replied. "'Tis also said to be potent for the jötnar, though I may have underestimated exactly
how well it works for them. Either that, or it acted faster due to Prince Loki's smaller size."

"But he will be fine?"

"This draught is perfectly safe for all species found within the Nine."

Now she was certain Loki was fine and knew a touch would no longer disturb him, Frigga
reached out to run her finger over the side of his face, marveling at the change in texture.
'Twas still far softer than she had expected jötnar skin to be, given the extreme cold it dealt
with on a daily basis, but 'twas definitely different from æsir or vanir skin. More resistant,
somehow. And hairless, she noted, reaching down to pick up one of Loki's arms, to check.

Aye, there was no hair anywhere to be seen other than on his head and around his eyes. And
that was already more than most jötnar had. Continuing her exploration, Frigga ran her finger
over some of the kin lines, spiraling along his forearm, and she found she could feel them, a
slight rise to the skin around them. They utterly fascinated her, and she wished to see more of
them. She knew she would never see Loki's complete kin lines as she could have had he
shifted while he was small, but she still hoped one day Loki would feel comfortable enough
in his true form to show her more of them.

Frigga shivered as the temperature of the chamber dropped drastically, and then she could see
her breath.

"I have been able to tie the temperature control of the chamber to Prince Loki's body
temperature," Lady Eir said. "So, if he shifts back, the chamber will warm accordingly."

"What is our best option?" Frigga asked, glancing from Lady Eir to Óðinn. "Given Loki's
current state and the unpredictability of his shifting back and forth with his core so...
mutilated."
It pained her to say it, but truly there was no better description for what she had seen earlier.
Oh, the pain Loki must have been in for it to have become so bad! And how badly he had
taken the news of his true heritage and species. The mere thought of some of what he had
said during the feast she had attended during his reign, made her feel physically ill. Exactly
what did her baby think of himself for it to have torn his magical core apart so very badly?

"We will need to tend to him for now," Óðinn replied.

"Óðinn!" Frigga scolded. "Lady Eir has just cautioned you against overworking, and you will
have much work to do as Loki cannot transition back to you properly. And both Lady Eir and
I have been tending to you these past few weeks. We cannot simply expect her to tend to Loki
alone, without aid."

"If I may make a suggestion?" Lady Eir asked.

"Aye, please," Óðinn replied.

"I know of one of the old healers who used to work in the palace, back when your mother
was still with us, Your Majesty," Lady Eir began, looking at Óðinn. "She is half ásynja and
half jötunn, I believe, and grew up on Jötunheimr. As a result, she is trained in the art of
healing jötunn patients and tended to Queen Bestla personally."

"She sounds good, but why did she leave?" Frigga asked.

"Her husband became ill, and by the time he had died, so had Queen Bestla," Lady Eir
explained. "She did not have the heart to return after, but I know she still volunteers her time
in some of the local healing halls, so she has maintained her skills."

"We could say Loki's condition has brought forth his jötnar heritage without providing any
specifics," Óðinn supposed, before he frowned. "Though, if she is half jötunn and was raised
on Jötunheimr, then she will be aware enough of kin lines in order to read them. Laufey's
would be quite well known to his people."

"Most likely, Majesty."

"We do not have much choice," Frigga said when her husband looked to her. "We need aid,
and she is eminently qualified and has a proven record of service to our family."

"If she is willing to take an oath of secrecy, then I would be happy for her to return," Óðinn
decided.

"I will send word immediately and tend to Prince Loki until such time as she replies," Lady
Eir stated. "If you will excuse me, Majesties."

With a curtsy, Lady Eir slipped from the chamber, not allowing the door to open any more
than strictly necessary for her to do so.

As soon as she was gone, Óðinn moved forwards and seated himself on the other side of the
bed. The look in her husband's eye made Frigga's heart clench.
"We will pull through this," Frigga declared, completely unable to believe anything else, even
for a second. "We will not lose him."

She was not certain if she could survive his loss. Not like this; not from something so easily
preventable.

"'Tis all my fault," Óðinn whispered, face paling. "You tried to warn me, countless times, but
I would not listen."

"Nay," Frigga snapped.

"You-"

"Aye, I counselled telling Loki the truth, but not because of this, I had not even considered
this possibility," Frigga countered. "If I had even an inkling that keeping the truth from him
could have endangered his very life, I would not have hesitated to tell him, your edicts be
damned."

Óðinn smiled briefly, but 'twas gone so fast Frigga herself doubted she had actually seen it.

"If I had thought this could have happened, I would have told him," Óðinn replied. "I truly
thought we were doing the best thing for him."

Loki's words from earlier echoed in her ears, of all that he had been told of the jötnar growing
up. Including from Óðinn. But she was getting ahead of herself. She needed to go back and
understand exactly how her baby had discovered the truth to begin with, as all he had told her
was it had happened on Jötunheimr and that Óðinn had confirmed it. And that they had
fought. Without understanding all she could learn of that, she could not even hope to begin
understanding enough of the situation to best aid her little knife.

"What happened in the vault?" Frigga inquired once more.

Óðinn sighed, reaching out to take Loki's other hand which had loosened its grip on the
amulet when he had fallen asleep.

"I was alerted to an entry into the vault, as always," Óðinn began, eye going distant as he
glanced out of the window in the chamber. "I knew 'twas Loki and that worried me given
what Thor had just done, so I went down to see why he was there."

"I know you argued," Frigga prompted when her husband fell silent. "Loki told me as much
when I first saw him after your collapse. He was quite distraught."

"Aye," Óðinn confirmed. "It... I found him standing over the Casket of Ancient Winters,
touching it."

Frigga drew in a sharp breath. What had her baby been thinking? Touching such a dangerous
artefact when there was no need to. What had happened later only proved 'twas not to be
trifled with.

"He had transformed," Frigga realized, and her husband nodded.

"'Twas the first time I had seen him thus since I first found him," Óðinn said. "I told him to
stop, and he asked me if he was cursed."

Cursed? Frigga was aware Loki knew better than that, so it said a lot for his state of mind at
the time that he had even considered it, much less inquired about it.

"I am certain he already knew the answer to that question, but I denied it regardless," Óðinn
continued.

"Do you know how he discovered the truth?" Frigga asked.

"Nay, not precisely, but now I think of it, his armor was damaged. I had not thought anything
of it when I first brought him and the others back to Ásgarðr, as he seemed unharmed and
'twas only armor, but the damage was quite telling."

"Oh?"

"'Twas that covering his left forearm," Óðinn explained. "The vambrace and leather alike
were completely gone, with the remainder of his sleeve in tatters as if it had become brittle
and snapped off."

Realization dawned. "As if subjected to extreme cold."

"Aye. My theory is one of the jötnar warriors managed to grab hold of Loki during the battle
and tried to freeze his arm."

"And you believe he shifted to protect himself?"

"He has done so before, as an infant, so we know 'tis a defensive measure for him, inborn and
instinctive rather than learned or practiced."

"So, even though he was not aware of it consciously, his body acted to prevent injury, thus
revealing the truth to him," Frigga concluded, closing her eyes for a moment.

She tried to image her son there, in the midst of battle with what he had clearly believed to be
an inferior and sworn enemy of Ásgarðr, only to have such a devastating and shocking
realization forced upon him.

"We are lucky he was not killed in his distraction," Frigga stated with more censure in her
voice than she had intended.

Yet, the fact remained. Being caught so unaware in the midst of battle was normally lethal
and she could only thank the Norns it had not been the case here. She had warned Óðinn
more times than she could recount; that they should have informed Loki of the truth
themselves, not only because her baby deserved to know, but also because there should be no
secrets in a family. Especially not with someone like Loki, whom she had noticed was wont
to devise his own reasons for such actions if left without satisfactory answers. While her
youngest was oft correct in those assessments, when he was wrong, he tended to have
attributed far darker motives to people than they actually possessed.
 "The realization had occurred to me," Óðinn said, looking centuries older all of a sudden,
before he reached for her free hand with his own. "You should have seen him, Frigga, I have
never seen Loki so... wild."

"Wild?"

"'Tis the only word I can think to describe it. He was emotional, yelling and screaming, out of
all control. 'Twas far more reminiscent of Thor at the height of his puberty than anything I
have ever witnessed from Loki before. If I had not known him before, I would have thought
him mad."

"He was confused and hurting, Óðinn," Frigga replied, forcibly reminding herself she had
seen Loki oft since that day and he had clearly not been mad. "We are not used to Loki losing
control but, given the circumstances and the fact that he had probably only just suffered his
initial core injury, I believe it would have been far more worrying if he was not utterly
distraught."

"I hope you are correct. I never wish to see him again thus."

Chapter End Notes

🥺🥶
Our poor, favorite little 🧊 is so 🤒!

A Frigga pov, as we will be seeing a bit more of now, given Loki's pov won't be terribly
helpful and she's no longer doing something we don't care as much about. I will still
show Loki's pov a bit, but there won't be a whole lot of consciousness or coherence to it.
Poor baby.

I hope that this chapter has answered a few questions as to how & why the truth was
hidden from Loki. Or at least the only such reasons I could devise as I still think it's a
mindboggling and monumentally stupid thing to have done on the so-called wise All-
Father's part!

Oh, and before anyone comments on the time frame Eir mentions, I know it's not
accurate, but to her it would have all felt longer.

Next, the great Lilituism has been at it again; there is now an amazing illustration of
Frigga and Óðinn working on Loki in the last chapter. If you check it out, do let her
know what you think of it. As always, the art masterlist for this fic has been updated if
you want to run through all of the gorgeous pieces I've had for this fic so far!

A little warning; my mother is coming to visit me this week and she will be staying for 2
weeks. While we're remaining in the immediate area, we will be doing a short trip away,
and I don't know the dates yet. So it could be on a Sunday, in which case I may need to
update on another day. I'll post something on my blog if that happens. Beyond that, it's
always easier to lose track of days when not following your usual routine, so apologies
in advance if I miss a Sunday and end up posting Monday (or far later on Monday for
those of you ahead of me).

Old Norse:

æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
ásynja - æsir woman
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Frigga and Óðinn continue their discussion & Thor demands answers...
 Chapter 71
Chapter Notes

A little early as I'm too busy tomorrow to post.

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"What else happened?" Frigga inquired.

"He asked me what he was, and he would not take my initial reassurances as an answer,"
Óðinn replied.

"What reassurances?"

"That he was my son. He pushed to know what else he was."

"Ah."

The words instantly reminded Frigga of Loki's earlier denial of Óðinn's status as his father in
the Óðinnsleep chamber. Given all which had already taken place, she did not wish to add
even more stress, but she also knew if Loki had concluded both, or either, of them were no
longer his parents in his mind, then 'twas bound to come out soon, since there was no worse
time for considered thought than when one was in pain. Besides, Loki had already proven
himself quite capable of causing very deep wounds with his words alone, and she did not
wish her husband caught off-guard should their youngest decide to do so again.

"What is it?" Óðinn asked, warily.

How well he knew her.

"You must see it from his perspective," Frigga began. "Loki feels hurt, betrayed, used and he
has not had any time to process what he has learned. Instead, he was abruptly thrust onto
Hliðskjálf within hours of discovering the truth, and within half an hour of having it
confirmed from you. Then, he had to face Jötunheimr and Laufey, and work with them to
establish a peace treaty."

"And all while horribly injured."

"Aye."

"You are trying to warn me he may still feel as he did before, in the vault, though he has
managed to gain better control over his emotions."
"Nay, I believe his emotions are as volatile and deep as before, he has merely managed to
contain them more. However, given his current state now, they may fly out of all control once
more."

"There is something else you do not wish to tell me."

Frigga took a deep breath, looking down. "He is lashing out as those whom he feels have
wronged him."

"He said something to you."

"Aye. Óðinn, he disavowed you as his father."

The words hit Óðinn hard, Frigga could tell, but there was truly no way to soften this blow,
no matter how much Óðinn may understand why Loki might have chosen to utter them. To
have your own child disown you...

"Do you believe he meant them, or were they merely uttered in anger?" Óðinn finally asked.

"I do not know," Frigga admitted. "He was angry, very angry, as he had just learned Lady Eir
knew the truth, so 'tis conceivable 'tis all it was, but I wished you prepared in case 'twas not."

"Thank you, I would not wish to be left floundering at such a time."

"'Tis not only you he is angry with," Frigga added. "I am not entirely certain he would not
have disavowed me as well, if I had pushed and asked if I was not his mother."

Shock flooded Óðinn's face, and she could well understand why. Never before had Frigga
thought there was anything which could come between her and Loki to such an extent. Even
when she had allowed herself to consider how he might feel should he ever learn the truth,
she had not thought it could be so bad. But then, she had not been aware of what he had been
taught of the jötnar while growing up. Even now, she felt ill at the mere thought. How could
she have allowed her son to come to believe such things about himself and never even have
known?

"Nay," Óðinn denied, shaking his head. "Loki would never disavow you. Me, I can
understand, we have ever had our differences and I have never seemed able to connect with
him as well as I would have wished to. But you two have always been close, to the envy of
myself and Thor at times."

The last made Frigga wince a little, but she knew 'twas true. It had not been intentional, she
loved both of her sons dearly, but she had always simply understood Loki better. Despite him
being jötunn and she vanir, he had oft been easier to relate to than any æsir she knew, even
her own flesh and blood son who was more vanir than áss.

"Nevertheless, I am not certain how he would have responded had I pushed," Frigga replied.
"We have spoken and conversed as before, but I could always tell he was hyperaware of the
difference. I am not certain he will easily trust either of us any time soon, not after this."

"I only wished the best for him."

"But did you always remember what he is?"

"I do not understand."

"During one of our conversations, he told me what he was taught of the jötnar; of how they
were nothing more than savages or brutes. Monsters used to frighten him and Thor into being
good at night, as children, or the jötnar would come steal them away, or eat them if they
misbehaved!"

Frigga was well aware of how sharply her voice rose at the end, and how hysterical she
sounded, but she could not help it. To think Loki had thought that of his own species, 'twas
nothing short of horrific, and she could tell her husband agreed by how pale he had become
and how his lips thinned in anger.

"Who told him this?" Óðinn demanded.

"Too many people to count apparently, but he did include you in the list."

"Me?"

"Something of tales from the war?"

"Nay, I would never have used those words."

"Are you certain?"

"Frigga!"

"Well, you did use the slur frost giants before all of Ásgarðr during Thor's coronation
ceremony."

"I was caught off-guard!" Óðinn protested.

"Which merely means you utilized a term which is quite natural to you," Frigga countered.
"And, during the tales, perhaps you did not say either savage or brute, but your descriptions
might have implied as much to an impressionable young boy."

"And mayhap Loki read too much into it."

"He would not be alone if he did."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He told me that, once, when you took both him and Thor to the vault to discuss the war and
the Casket of Ancient Winters, Thor declared that when he was king, he would hunt the
monsters down and slay them all."

Part of Frigga could still not believe her precious firstborn had said it, but she knew well
Thor's battle lust and desire for fame. If her eldest saw it as a path to glory and acclaim,
fueled by the conviction the jötnar were nothing more than mindless beasts which posed a
danger to all of the rest of the Nine, then she could see him thinking thus. And, if recent
events were any indication, they meant she did not know Thor nearly as well as she had
thought she did. Even now, she still did not know what he had been thinking, dragging his
younger brother and friends to Jötunheimr. 'Twas suicide and would have ended in tragedy if
Óðinn had not intervened when he had. As 'twas, it had caused no end of grief for their entire
family, and Loki was the one who had suffered the most. Both in terms of personal impact, as
well as work to clean the whole mess up.

"Aye," Óðinn admitted, after a moment of thought. "I vaguely recall Thor saying something
of that nature. I told both of them a wise king never seeks out war, but he must always be
ready for it."

Frigga's eyebrows rose. "You told him a wise king does not seek out war?" she questioned in
disbelief. "Óðinn, he had just spoken of killing his own brother and 'twas all you could say?"

"He did not mean Loki, Frigga."

"I do not care, the fact remains! And you know Thor, a few words thus would not make a
difference. Not with something which he thinks could bring him such great glory! Why did
you not investigate why he even thought genocide was an option at all? Or why he
considered the jötnar monsters?"

"He was but a child!"

"Aye, and that child is now all grown up and still thought attacking Jötunheimr and killing
any jötnar he so chose was a good idea! Clearly, your words did naught to alter his thinking!"

They were both shouting now, but luckily the private royal healing chambers were spelled to
be soundproof to all but the monitoring healer, and Lady Eir already knew enough about the
situation to be able to guess why they might be having words with each other.

"It would seem events have proven you correct," Óðinn finally admitted, after taking a few
calming breaths. "I will work with Thor to ensure any misconceptions he has left are
corrected, though he must have learned at least one lesson already to have been restored."

"You may also wish to speak with General Týr," Frigga suggested. "Thor was complaining
about how both General Týr and Loki told him he had to undergo remedial training as a
military leader after how his entire command committed treason."

Óðinn deflated where he sat and Frigga felt sorry for her husband, but the time for
consideration and gentleness was long gone. Not after the situation Loki and all of Ásgarðr
had found themselves in when Óðinn collapsed. It could have spelled the end for all of them
had Loki been any weaker, or either Jötunheimr or Múspellsheimr any more aggressive or
daring.

"There is much for me to review," Óðinn agreed. "Not least of which is this new treaty with
Jötunheimr."
"Given the entire High Council agreed to it, including General Týr and Lord Ragnvaldr, I do
not believe you will find much to worry about."

"How about the return of the Casket of Ancient Winters to Jötunheimr?"

"I know you were thinking of ways to accomplish that without allowing Laufey to go on
another war path. It would seem Loki found a means of achieving precisely that."

"In light of the fact I have received no news of any jötnar attacks, it would seem so," Óðinn
conceded. "Though, I do wish to know how he accomplished it."

"That will be a question for later, when he is far more stable."

"I would not dream of broaching the subject of Laufey with him until I know more about how
he feels towards them."

"Good. Now, what did you tell Loki when he asked what else he was?"

"I told him of how I found him in the temple, after the battle, and of how he was Laufeyson.
He did not take it well and demanded to know why I would take him after all of the jötnar I
had already killed."

"Oh, Loki," Frigga sighed, releasing Óðinn's hand to run a hand over her baby's face.

The cold was abnormal, but the gesture comforted her nonetheless for the simple fact she was
able to touch her son, cold or not.

"He was convinced there had to be a reason why I took him, and he demanded to know why."

"Óðinn, please tell me you did not inform him of what first crossed your mind!" Frigga
demanded in dismay.

"I thought the truth would be best."

"Oh, Óðinn, you know how he thinks at times. By admitting you thought, even briefly, of
purely political reasons, he will have assumed 'twas all you ever felt. Particularly with how
oft the two of you clashed and disagreed."

"I love him!" Óðinn protested immediately.

"I know that, but when was the last time you told Loki?"

"He should not have to constantly be told, Thor does not."

"Loki is not Thor, you know this. They are different and, as such, require different things
from us. For Thor, a simple well done might be enough, since he tends to think of things
positively unless proven otherwise. Loki is the exact opposite. To him, a well done means he
did not do more than that, that 'well' is all he merited. He will think the worst unless told, or
proven, otherwise."
"Once again, you were proven correct."

Norns how she wished she had not been!

"What did he say?" Frigga demanded in dread.

"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here, until you might have use of me?"
Óðinn quoted, voice cracking and breaking.

Frigga could well understand why, as they broke her own heart and she had not had to hear
them spoken live, or spat into her face. Oh, her poor baby boy. Why could Loki never quite
seem to have some good luck for once? His atrocious start to life should have been enough to
earn him a lifetime of good fortune, but it seemed the Norns had other plans for him. 'Twas
not oft Frigga thought ill of the three ladies, but right now she would happily throttle them for
all they had put her youngest through.

"Were you able to set him straight ere you collapsed?" Frigga inquired, fearing the worst.

"I tried to, but he would not listen, accusing me of favoritism towards Thor and that this must
be why," Óðinn replied. "I have the vaguest recollection there was something else in there,
about Hliðskjálf, but I cannot be certain as 'twas precisely when I succumbed."

Though she had known it would not be pretty, somehow it still felt worse than what Frigga
had been expecting. The irony was that, on some level, it mattered not. It could have been the
most polite and non-acrimonious conversation ever, but it would still have been bad if it had
served to fracture Loki's core. At least this way, they had some issues which they could work
on with their youngest, hard though the road would be.

Frigga was under no illusions about how the next few months, or even years, would go. For
Loki to hate the thought of being jötunn so much it had all but snapped his very core, meant it
would not be easy to help him come to terms with who and what he was. And 'twas necessary
in order to ensure he never suffered a relapse, which could well kill him.

A knocking on the door interrupted Frigga's thoughts, and she looked over to Óðinn in alarm.
They could not simply respond, as there was only one who knew of Loki's true heritage.

Óðinn rose to his feet and moved towards the door in lieu of calling out as he normally would
have.

"Ah, Lady Eir, please do come in," Óðinn said, when he opened it slightly.

"Father?" Thor's voice drifted in.

"Not now, Thor," Óðinn replied, shutting the door firmly.

"He will need to be told," Frigga stated. "Loki will need his support to make it through this,
and we cannot have him saying more against the jötnar unknowing of the damage he is
causing."
"I know," Óðinn replied. "But first, we must focus on Loki. Have you contacted your old
colleague, Lady Eir?"

"I have sent word and asked her to come to Iðavöllr," Lady Eir responded. "If she is so
inclined, I meant to bring her up-to-date on Prince Loki's condition and give her access to this
chamber immediately."

"Thank you, Eir," Frigga said. "What should we do next?"

"From what I observed earlier, I would recommend a few hours of rest for both of you, after
which we can do a more thorough analysis of the damage wrought to Prince Loki's core. At
that point, we can determine how best to move forwards. The draught I gave him is quite
potent and should keep his asleep until the morrow, when we can administer another dose, if
necessary."

"What of the pain potion?"

"'Tis harder to judge accurately," Lady Eir admitted. "'Twas never intended for this kind of
wound, so I do not know how long its effects will last. It could be more or less effective than
on a purely physical injury. My hope is that, as this is a core injury, Prince Loki's sleep will
allow what is left of his seiðr to replenish and its lack of immediate use will, hopefully, mean
his core does not hurt quite as much. But 'tis only a theory."

"Can you use his vital signs as per normal to monitor his pain level?"

"Pain is pain, regardless of the cause, so the fact 'tis emanating from his core rather than a
limb or his torso should have little effect on how he reacts to it. If he feels it, he will become
stressed, which will increase both his heart rate and blood pressure, both of which I have a
close eye on."

"Good, thank you, Lady Eir," Frigga said, reluctant to leave, but knowing they probably had
to. "You would probably recommend we leave him alone for now?"

"Aye. Not only are you more likely to actually relax and replenish yourselves, but your
proximity may actually make it easier for the prince to overheat in his current state."

Oh, Frigga had not even thought of that, but she had no doubt 'twas true. While the chamber
may adjust the temperature to suit Loki's needs, her own body would not, heating his skin
wherever she touched it.

"In addition, there is quite a crowd forming outside and I have been informed word is
spreading, as we were seen bringing Prince Loki to the healing halls," Lady Eir continued.

"Thank you, Lady Eir," Óðinn said. "We shall be back in a few hours."

"Yngvarr, what happened?" General Týr's voice preceded the man into the hall, and Thor
turned to see him accompanied by Lord Ragnvaldr.
"You know as much as we do," Yngvarr replied, calmly, from where he had taken up position
since they had left Loki's healing chamber. "Prince Loki collapsed earlier from a magical
injury."

"Aye, but how did it occur, and when?" Týr demanded. "Did something breach our defenses?
Or was it through another of those damn portals?"

"It happened the same day as Father fell to the Óðinnsleep," Thor stated from where he stood,
alerting them to his presence.

He had been pacing the outer royal area of the healing halls, back and forth, ever since he had
been kicked out of his brother's chamber. He did not understand how Yngvarr and his men
could simply stand by and be so still when Loki could be dying!

"Prince Thor," Lord Ragnvaldr greeted. "Do we know how it occurred?"

Thor snorted. "I do not even understand what is injured; everyone keeps talking about some
damnable core as if that means something!"

"A core?" Týr echoed, with a frown. "What is that?"

"Something to do with seiðr. Lady Eir called it the seat of a seiðmadr's power, the source of
all of their seiðr," Thor explained. "She also said that, for Loki, this means 'tis quite large, but
I do not know if that has an effect."

"It does," a feminine voice came from behind him, and Thor turned to find one of the healers
from earlier nearby. "I am sorry to interrupt, my Prince."

"Nay," Thor waved the apology aside. "Continue, how does it have an effect?"

"The larger the core, the more powerful the seiðmadr," she explained. "But also the more
which needs to be damaged when a core is injured before it snaps entirely."

"So, 'tis a good thing then?"

"It means there is more to damage, which would be painful, my Prince. But, aye, in terms of
how long Prince Loki could last before... it would be a good thing."

"What happens when a core snaps?" Týr questioned, hesitantly.

Thor winced. "At best? Madness."

"Madness!" Lord Ragnvaldr exclaimed.

"Aye."

"And at worst?"

Unable to answer, Thor glanced at the healer, who took pity on him.
"Death," she said, silencing the chamber momentarily.

"Norns," Lord Ragnvaldr finally muttered, and it told Thor how badly shocked the advisor
was, since he had never heard the man utter even that much.

"How did this occur?" Týr demanded. "How does such a core become injured?"

"There are a few methods, but most are difficult at best," the healer replied. "I do not know
enough to be any more specific. 'Tis not something I have studied at length. None on Ásgarðr
have."

"None?" Yngvarr asked. "Not even with someone like Prince Loki, who utilizes seiðr so
heavily?"

"Nay."

"Mother and Father seemed to know what they were doing," Thor stated.

"I have heard the queen may have some previous knowledge of core healing from her studies
on Vanaheimr. I do not know about the king."

"It matters little now, but it does seem to be an oversight we will need to address moving
forward," Lord Ragnvaldr stated. "Do we have any knowledge as to whether any who are
trained may be interested in moving to Ásgarðr?"

"It may not be an issue, my Lord," the healer replied. "I have heard it said Lady Sigyn
Kvasirsdóttir has been offered a prestigious apprenticeship with Álfheimr's most renown
healer, and her tuition is to include core healing."

"Sigyn?" Thor repeated in surprise. "But she was here only a few days ago! Why would Loki
not have asked her aid then?"

"My Prince, core training is said to take several years, if she has only recently commenced
her apprenticeship or the core healing, she would not yet be qualified to heal Prince Loki.
Indeed, any such attempt could inadvertently make the original injury worse."

"Oh."

"How fared Prince Loki when last you saw him?" Týr asked.

"Poorly," Thor replied, feeling utterly deflated once more. "He lost most consciousness when
he collapsed, and he had not regained it ere we were asked to leave his healing chamber.
Mother and Father did stabilize him enough to move him here from the king's study, but he
did not look physically improved. I..."

"Lady Eir was speaking of inducing a deep sleep to ensure his core did not deteriorate any
further," Yngvarr spoke up, and for that Thor was infinitely grateful.

"And no one mentioned the original cause?" Lord Ragnvaldr queried.

"They did not seem to need to," Thor growled. "Mother and Father appeared to know exactly
what he meant when Loki made some vague references to the first rule of seiðr, and Lady Eir
did not need any explanation at all. Once she knew the type of injury, she seemed able to
deduce the cause of it."

"Lady Eir!" Týr suddenly exclaimed, and Thor turned to find the head healer entering the
royal chambers from the main healing halls. "How fares Prince Loki?"

"He is gravely ill," Lady Eir replied as she moved towards them and then on to the door of
Loki's healing chamber.

"Is there anything you require from elsewhere?" Lord Ragnvaldr questioned. "Aid from
Álfheimr? We can send word."

"Thank you, my Lord, but nay. There are... certain complications to be considered in this
instance. I have already sent word to Lady Hlín for her aid."

"Lady Hlín? She used to work here during King Borr's reign, if I recall correctly."

"Aye," Lady Eir confirmed, knocking on the door. "If you will excuse me."

Then the door opened, and Thor could see his father standing there.

"Ah, Lady Eir, please do come in," Father said, opening the door a little wider, but still
blocking all view into the chamber.

"Father?" Thor called out, moving back towards the door as Lady Eir entered.

"Not now, Thor," Father replied, shutting the door firmly.

Thor gave a shout of frustration and he whirled around, but managed to suppress the urge to
hit something. He had previously been thrown out of the healing halls for doing so, and he
was not risking his ability to see his brother today because of anything so childish!

"Why did Loki not say anything to us?" Thor questioned, glancing at the others.

"I cannot begin to speculate as to what your brother may have been thinking, but there was a
lot which required our attention," Lord Ragnvaldr replied, calmly. "He may have feared
distracting us, or adding more stress to an already highly charged situation."

"But he risked madness!"

Thor would not consider the alternative option.

Besides, his little brother was simply far too stubborn to die.

"Has the rest of the High Council been informed?" Týr suddenly asked, looking to Yngvarr.

"I only sent word to yourself and Lord Ragnvaldr," Yngvarr replied. "I was uncertain who
else should be immediately informed."
"Though a worthy sentiment, 'tis far too late for it," Lord Ragnvaldr replied. "I had already
heard something had occurred before your man found me. Apparently, there were those who
witnessed Prince Loki's transfer here."

"Aye," Thor confirmed. "We saw a number of servants and some members of the court."

"This means we will need to focus on distributing accurate information, or whatever King
Óðinn wishes to be known, rather than attempting to hide what has occurred," Lord
Ragnvaldr replied. "It would not work."

"And we no longer need to fear the reactions of the other Realms," Týr added. "They would
not dare move against us with King Óðinn back on Hliðskjálf."

"Aye."

It angered Thor that so many of the problems his brother had been struggling with would not
have been issues for their father. He did not like to think of Ásgarðr made so vulnerable
simply because the other Realms did not respect Loki enough. They were lucky his brother
had a far better temper than he did, as Thor knew Loki could cause serious damage if he put
his mind to it. Though he himself was definitely the far more violent and dangerous brother
of the two, even he had to admit to being frightened or disturbed by what Loki was capable
of when his brother's ire was roused and Loki chose to strike back with the full might of his
power. 'Twas... awe inspiring in a rather disturbing manner.

The opening of the door leading to his brother's healing chamber immediately pulled Thor
from his thoughts, and he turned to find his parents and Lady Eir stepping out.

"How is Loki?" Thor demanded, moving forwards. "Is he alright?"

"We have placed Loki into a deep sleep at the moment," Mother explained with a tired smile,
though 'twas fleeting at best. "This will keep him stable until we are able to work on healing
his core."

"So he is still in danger of his core... snapping?"

"'Tis something we will need to monitor closely," Lady Eir confirmed. "As such, access to
Prince Loki's chamber will be highly restricted until he is more stable and we have managed
to discuss the initial injury with him and have been able to work towards ensuring there is no
relapse."

"I have already requested a new guard for Prince Loki," Yngvarr stated. "They can aid in
ensuring only those permitted enter the chamber."

"Thank you," Lady Eir replied.

"At present that will only be myself, Frigga and Lady Eir," Father informed them. "No one
else is permitted in, not even Thor or your men, Lieutenant-General."

"Father!" Thor protested.

"A you wish, my Liege," Yngvarr replied.

"Father-" Thor tried again.

"Nay," Father cut him off. "Given the nature of your brother's injury and its cause, it would
be far too easy for an inadvertent comment or reaction to make it worse, and Loki cannot
withstand any more."

"That he has lasted this long already, is a testament to his strength and resilience," Mother
added. "But what you witnessed in your father's study, was the last of his strength giving out.
Any further damage and his core will snap, and there is no recovery from that."

The words sent a thrill of horror through Thor. And helplessness. He was not used to the
latter. He was used to be able to do something, anything! Even if 'twas merely striking
Mjǫllnir against the ground when Loki was being particularly difficult with his illusions
during a fight between them, where his brother had decided to break the rules and utilize his
seiðr.

"How did this come to be?" General Týr asked.

"'Tis my fault," Father stated.

"Your fault?" Lord Ragnvaldr questioned, brow furrowing.

"Father, 'tis not your fault," Thor protested.

"Thor, for once in your life do not speak of things you know naught," Father snapped, and
Thor reared back, shocked.

"Óðinn," Mother chided.

"Sorry," Father said, looking at him with regret. "But do note how your mother, who knows
all, did not protest my assertion. 'Tis my fault, as I kept something from your brother which I
should not have. 'Twas done with the best of intentions, but I should have realized that, as a
seiðmadr, Loki needed to know. Alas, the decision was made when he was but a few days
old, and it never occurred to me again once he started actively training in seiðr."

"'Twas not done on purpose, and neither Lady Eir nor myself thought of it either," Mother
said, running a hand over Father's back.

"Nevertheless, it happened, and at the worst possible time."

"Why did he not tell us he was injured?" Thor asked.

'Twas the one thing he still did not understand, Loki was not one to allow injuries to go
unreported or checked. At least not without a good reason, he amended with a wince,
instantly recalling all of the times he had hurt his little brother in a temper and Loki had
hidden it.

"He could not," Father replied.

"What do you mean, he could not? He was king!" Thor boomed.

"Exactly."

"What?"

"Loki was king during Ásgarðr's most vulnerable period in over a thousand years. Me
collapsed, you banished, at war with one Realm, and with another testing our vulnerabilities,"
Father replied. "The absolute last thing Ásgarðr could afford, was for it to be known its king
was severely ill. Both Laufey and Sinmara would have taken advantage of it."

Thor could only stare at his father, even as he saw both Lord Ragnvaldr and General Týr nod,
though somewhat reluctantly.

"I am not talking of informing everyone," he protested.

"Secrets have a habit of making it out," Týr said, though his mouth was still twisted in a
frown. "Though, I would have expected Prince Loki to seek the aid of a healer."

"It would have made little difference," Mother said, with a sigh. "Only Óðinn and I are
experienced with core injuries, and neither of us are even fully trained in the art. Nay, the
only way for Loki to have been able to seek aid would have been to travel to Álfheimr, or
send for one of their core healers to come to Ásgarðr."

"Thus informing everyone of what had happened," Thor realized, deflating.

He still did not like it in the slightest - the mere thought of his little brother suffering for so
long, all alone, and all the while flirting with either madness or death, angered him - but he
himself had witnessed how Múspellsheimr had already been attempting to utilize what they
perceived as Ásgarðr's weakness against them. Luckily for them, Loki had been able to ward
them off, but how much worse would it have been if they had realized his brother had been
weak as well?

Guilt swamped Thor once more, as he thought back to how this had all come about. If only
he had listed to Loki's advice and not gone to Jötunheimr, then none of this would have
happened! He would not have met Lady Jane either, but 'twas a price he was willing to pay
for his brother's health and Ásgarðr's stability.

Not wanting to become too distracted now, Thor shook his head and focused back on the
present.

"What did you keep from Loki?" he asked instead. "Which caused all of this?"

His parents looked at each other and Thor could not quite understand their expressions.

"'Tis not important right now," Mother finally said.

"Not important?" Thor questioned. "If you say it caused all of this and nearly killed Loki,
then 'tis rather important!"
 "Thor," Father warned. "We will tell you as your brother will need your aid to heal, but,
beyond that, 'tis his secret to share or not, as I now realize it should always have been."

Oh, right, there were others present.

Thor tried not to look too sheepish, even as he sought to see how Lord Ragnvaldr and
General Týr were taking being left out so blatantly.

Neither seemed to be terribly offended or surprised, and Thor did not understand it. He hated
not knowing everything or having secrets kept from him. It had been part of what could put
Loki and him at odds, as his brother oft seemed completely incapable of not keeping secrets,
even about stupid things. It made him quite angry sometimes and had oft made him wonder if
he could even trust his brother if Loki either lied or kept so much back.

It shamed Thor now since his brother had possessed the perfect chance to betray him and take
his place, something Lady Sif had always thought Loki wanted most. Instead of doing so,
though, his brother had sent for him as soon as he had been threatened by the humans and
brought him back, even while Loki had still been dealing with the mess he had created. It
would have been perfectly within his brother's rights to leave him on Miðgarðr, and it might
even have been what his father would have done in Loki's position, as he had not yet learned
his lesson.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da! Early chapter, as I can't do the update tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed it. Apologies
if I missed anything I normally wouldn't have, but with company over, I couldn't read
the chapter aloud as I normally do during my final edit.

A lot of emotions here, but arguments are inevitable at times of high stress like this. The
All-Father is lucky that Frigga is going so easy on him!

🤣
And, isn't Thor cute in how he thinks that he's the more dangerous brother of the two of
them? 😂

Finally, to those of you with AO3 accounts, beware. Someone seems to have been
having a go at taking control of mine by attempting to have the password reset. Make
sure your password isn't an easy one to crack! Also, if anything weird appears here in
the future, that may be why. Fingers crossed, it doesn't happen!

Norse Mythology:

Hlín - a goddess associated with Frigg (or an alternative name for Frigg) - her name
probably means "protector"
Old Norse:

jötnar - "frost giants"

jötunn - "frost giant"
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - "one of the gods/æsir"
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage

Up next week: Healing, the evening feast & Thor learns the truth...
 Chapter 72
Chapter Notes

Wish it were Sunday... oh, it is! 😛

Now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head for the next week!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Frigga waited until Óðinn was right behind her before she opened the door and slipped into
Loki's healing chamber. As it had earlier, the sight of her baby so altered gave her pause, and
she wondered how long it would take to become used to his natural visage.

She feared it would be quite a while and she could only hope she was able to cease reacting
visibly before Loki recovered enough to notice. That he viewed himself, and the truth of his
heritage, negatively enough was already more than clear.

"How would you like to commence?" Frigga asked, so she could cease thinking of how badly
they had failed Loki.

"I believe we should take the time to do a full scan of his core, so we know how best to
proceed tomorrow," Óðinn replied. "We can also bolster any areas which seem particularly
weak."

'Twas what she herself would have recommended, so Frigga seated herself at the head of the
bed, beside her son. As her husband took up a similar position opposite her, she reached out
to brush the hair from Loki's face. Even like this, he looked so very young, and it made her
heart ache. How had they come to this point?

"Frigga?" Óðinn questioned gently, bringing her back to the present.

"I am ready," she said.

"Then would you like to commence? You were better able to slip past his mental shields."

Of course she was, after all of the time they had spent together studying seiðr, hers was a
presence Loki was used to near his core. 'Twas not entirely as easy as it had once been, which
told her enough of how hurt and angry Loki actually was with her, but she was still able to
view his core more clearly than Óðinn could, who was obviously viewed as more of a threat.

Frigga took a deep breath to center herself ere she reached out for Loki, sinking into his
metaphysical aura. As always, being here felt both familiar and alien all at once. She had
helped mold her baby into the seiðmadr he was, yet she had always been very aware there
was something distinctly other about her son's magical core. She had always assumed 'twas
due to his jötunn heritage, but she had never been able to look into it for fear of either her
son, or someone else, noticing and questioning her interest in jötnar seiðr and its users.

Now, though, she could hardly stand to look upon his core; 'twas so painful to behold. Instead
of the emerald green-gold and blue-teal, there were shards of glowing color, like hundreds of
broken prism splinters, lying scattered upon the floor and left to dazzle their death echoes in
the sun, forevermore.

Frigga shivered, both at the thought and the cold which enveloped her. Gone now was the
warmth and love she had always felt being this deep within her son's magical essence, and
she was not at all certain 'twas entirely due to Loki being in his jötunn form. Though they had
not argued since he had learned the truth, her baby had not had the time to do so either, and
she feared what he would do, or say, when he did.

If he did.

Nay, she would not consider that possibility and would instead take whatever words he had
for her gladly, as it would mean he was recovered enough to give voice to them.

Physical cold swirled around her and Frigga saw more of the shards and threads shift, and she
had to fight back a gasp. Though she had seen it before, then she had been far too focused on
bolstering the main part of her son's festering core to focus too much on its dismal state. Now
she could, but she did not wish to.

What it said of how Loki had suffered...

Instead, Frigga reached back and helped guide Óðinn in so they could focus on continuing
their baby's healing and ensure Loki's core would cease being so horribly mutilated as soon
as possible.

The drastic way the Great Hall quieted when they entered, immediately told Thor how far
word of what had happened earlier had spread. The way people kept looking at them, as if
waiting for Loki to appear from thin air, merely served to confirm it. The extra seat at the
High Table made Thor's heart ache at the mere thought it might never be filled again. At least
not by his little brother.

He tried to shove the thought aside immediately, but it refused to budge. Thor was
ridiculously grateful the spare seat was beside his mother, on the far side of Father, and not
next to him, where it would have bothered him all throughout the meal. He shook his head
when Uncle Vili looked set to ask him a question. Thankfully, any other attempts were
prevented by the fact Father had not sat down and instead stood beside his seat in-between
Thor and Mother.

"As you can all see, I have awoken from my Óðinnsleep," Father began. "This occurred late
yesterday afternoon, at which time my youngest, Loki, graciously offered to maintain his
regency for another day to allow me to fully recover. Gungnir was officially handed back to
me just before noon today, thereby ending Loki's regency."
The subtle glances and whispers told Thor this was not what people wished to learn, and he
could well understand their frustration. He, too, did not desire to be seated here, listening to
this, but his parents had refused to tell him what it was they had kept from Loki and which
had led to his brother's collapse. If he were not afraid of being banished to Miðgarðr once
more, and thus being completely cut off from Loki, Thor would have protested far more
strongly at being informed he had to wait until after the feast to be told.

"Now, I am aware rumors and word has spread of what may have occurred earlier today, as I
know we were witnessed rushing Loki to the healing halls," Father continued, causing a brief
rush of murmurs before the hall fell silent once more. "While I will not reveal all in favor of
protecting Prince Loki's privacy, I can say he sustained an injury pertaining to the events on
Jötunheimr which is magical in nature."

The noise swelled and Thor could see angry looks as people reacted to the news. While he
understood their reaction, he was also confused. Father had blamed himself earlier, so why
was he saying it had something to do with Jötunheimr now? Were the two related, or was
Father attempting to create a cover? He had said 'twas Loki's secret to tell. Yet, to blame
Jötunheimr when Loki had so recently achieved peace with them, did not seem to be wise
either.

Despite that, Thor hoped 'twas a mere misdirection, much as he hated those, for otherwise it
would mean he was partially to blame for what had happened to his brother. He had been the
one to cause the Jötunheimr incident, after all, so if 'twas at all related, then he bore part of
the blame regardless of what Father said. He was through not accepting full responsibility for
his own actions!

"Silence!" Father ordered, thumping Gungnir against the floor, once. "While you may not
have known of this injury, Prince Loki did, thus this does not affect the new peace treaty in
any way, and any who would endanger it recklessly will be punished most severely," some
mutters of discontent. "My son worked hard on this treaty, and I will not see our new peace
endangered now because of a need for vengeance. Trust me when I say your prince has
already exacted his own."

Now, Thor was intrigued and even more curious than before. How could Loki have exacted
vengeance for something of this nature while simultaneously negotiating a peace treaty?
'Twas not that he doubted his brother's ability to do so - 'twas Loki, after all, who could be
wickedly creative and relentless when he so desired, and vengeance always inspired his
brother thus, to his own detriment at times - but simply that Thor wished to know how. So he
could savor it himself as well.

Father's last words had shifted the mood of the hall, Thor could tell, no doubt due to the fact
most people present were no strangers with Loki's tendency to avenge any slights visited
upon him. Therefore, those last words had served to make them think of that, rather than any
thoughts of vengeance they themselves might have thought to exact, or at least fantasized of
taking.

"I notice Óðinn failed to mention exactly what injury Loki has," Uncle Vili whispered as he
leaned into Thor.
"Core," Thor replied, just as quietly.

"Core!" Uncle Vili hissed. "Norns, will he be alright?"

"I-" Thor cut off, fighting for control. "I believe 'tis too early to know for certain."

Uncle Vili clenched his fist. "He is in the healing halls still then?"

"Aye, but he is being isolated at present, even I am not allowed in."

"I will be certain to visit once restrictions are lifted."

"Thank you," Thor replied.

Though the dishes included many of Thor's favorites, as he and Father shared most of them,
he found himself simply picking at his food. Any appetite he might have had earlier in the
day, was long gone. 'Twas worse even than when he had adjusted to being mortal.

Try as he might, all he could see was his little brother collapsing in front of him. It made him
suddenly wonder how Loki had felt when Father had collapsed into the Óðinnsleep so
suddenly. The more he thought of it, the less surprised Thor was his brother had succumbed
to his injury in the end, not with all Loki had been dealing with. Rather, 'twas a wonder to
him it had not occurred far sooner.

Thankfully, his brother was notoriously stubborn. Thor did not think he had ever been more
grateful for it, far from it in fact, since it normally meant nothing but frustration and
annoyance for him. But he knew he would become far more grateful for it soon, if it helped
Loki pull through this injury now.

"You need to eat something, Thor," Father said softly, from beside him.

"I have no appetite," Thor replied in a whisper.

"We have an audience."

"As we nearly always do," Thor responded. "You have already spoken of Loki's condition,
they will understand."

Or at least, Thor sincerely hoped they did. After the recent behavior of his friends, however,
he was no longer certain of anything.

Even now, days later, he could hardly believe they had expected him to choose them over his
own brother. Or that they had even felt entitled to ask! Aye, they were his best friends and
closest companions for the past few centuries, but Loki was his brother! Despite how very
young he had still been himself, he could easily recall the day he had been called into his
parents chambers to meet Loki. The need to keep the pregnancy a secret had meant even he
had not known of it before his little brother's birth.

His parents had admitted to him since they had not been at all certain how he would react to
the sudden arrival of a little sibling, but Thor had been delighted. Iðavöllr could be a very
lonely place for a small child, so the arrival of a brother and playmate had been a delight.
Even if he had been forced to wait a few decades before Loki had been truly old enough to
play with without the need for constant supervision.

The reminder of some of the plans he had at the time for his little brother brought a smile to
Thor's lips even now, and he forced himself to eat something. Those plans alone proved how
ill-informed he had been to what it truly meant to have a sibling rather than merely another
toy, but he had learned, they both had even if it had not always been easy or smooth.
Learning to share, for instance, had been difficult for the spoiled little child he had been, but
Loki's tears the few times he had pulled a toy away too strongly and hurt his brother had soon
taught him to be more considerate.

The question he faced now was, when had he forgotten those lessons and allowed himself to
become far more callous with his little brother? Loki's words and comments over the past two
weeks had made it more than obvious he had, somewhere along the line. The mere thought of
his brother needing to brace himself for his touch if he had inebriated too much, or he was
too enthusiastic, made him wince. That he would not have considered it an issue if he had not
himself come to feel like what 'twas to come up against a far stronger force, made him feel
even worse.

When had things between them changed so much his little brother felt unable to tell him what
he did either hurt Loki, or made his brother uncomfortable? A vague recollection of La- Sif
mocking Loki for something he had said, gave Thor his answer. Or at least when they were
not alone. Did Loki think he would do the same if they were alone? Thor desperately hoped
not, but he dreaded the answer, particularly after Mother's scolding on his expectations of his
brother's behavior while in private.

The rest of the feast passed in a haze and Thor could only recall being asked a few questions
after receiving wishes for Loki's speedy recovery, ere he was following his parents to their
chambers. The journey seemed to take forever, and Thor savored and dreaded the end of it.
What secret could his parents have possibly kept from Loki to have caused this horrific core
injury of his? At first, he had thought 'twas about their heritage with Grandmother Bestla
being a jötunn, but 'twas hardly a secret to those like Týr and Lord Ragnvaldr, so he knew
'twas not thus, as otherwise Father would have informed him of it in the healing halls.

So what was it? What could it possibly be?

The complete lack of possibilities which Thor could divine was what scared him most. Could
it truly be something so horrific as to have nearly driven his brother mad and risked killing
him? It almost had to be as Thor was not at all certain how he would react if 'twas all due to
something small and insignificant.

"Three goblets of my strongest mead," Father ordered of one of the servants as soon as they
entered his parents' chambers, and it only served to make Thor's stomach cramp unpleasantly.

By the Norns, what was this secret their parents had kept from them?

"Thank you," Mother said, once their drinks had been served. "We require complete privacy
now, everyone must leave."
It took a few moments, as there were oft several servants in his parents' chambers, but then
they were alone. Thor took a rather large swallow of his drink to help calm his nerves.

"What secret did you keep from Loki?" he demanded as soon as his mouth was clear.

"Let us sit," Mother said, moving towards the sofa and two armchairs arranged before the
hearth, which was not currently lit.

"Mother!" Thor protested, annoyed.

"Do as your mother says, Thor," Father ordered, moving to take one of the armchairs.

Reluctantly, Thor moved to take the other, leaving the sofa to Mother. If anything, it
underscored the fact Loki was not here as he would normally sit beside Mother on the sofa.
'Twas a remnant from when Thor had first started to feel 'too old' to be coddled any further,
and had wished for his own seat, like Father. Loki, it seemed, had never quite felt this need,
being quite happy to remain close to Mother and be touched by her, or to simply sit very
closely beside her. The one time he had openly teased his brother for it, his mother's stern
gaze had quickly shut him up and kept him from making any further comments.

"What we are about to tell you must remain a secret unless Loki wishes it otherwise, Thor,"
Mother began.

"I know," Thor replied, impatiently. "Father already made that quite clear in the healing
halls."

"'Tis very important, dear, your brother's life could depend on it."

"His life?" Thor repeated in disbelief, looking from her to Father.

Surely, she had to be exaggerating?

"Aye," Father agreed. "'Tis part of why I had felt it best to keep it as secret as possible
originally. Only Lady Eir currently knows the truth other than Loki, your mother and
myself."

"If 'tis so important, then of course I will keep it secret," Thor stated. "I would never
deliberately endanger Loki; he is my brother!"

His words caused his parents to share another of their looks, and Thor put his goblet down
before he threw it out of sheer aggravation.

"Strictly speaking, Loki is not your brother," Mother finally said.

"What?" Thor demanded, completely and utterly shocked.

Loki not his brother? What, by the Nine, did his mother mean with that?

"I did not bear Loki," Mother continued.

Did not bear Loki? The next thought made Thor's eyes grow wide and his mouth drop open,
as he turned to his father in horrified dismay.

"Father!" Thor protested, even as his anger flared.

"Stop!" Father ordered, hand rising sharply. "I did not step out on your mother."

"But then what?"

"Thor, dear, Loki is not ours by blood. Your father and I adopted him," Mother explained.

Adopted?

The word bounced around Thor's head as he tried to comprehend it. Loki... not his brother?
Not by blood? It... did not make any sense.

All he could think of were the countless moments he had spent with Loki; playing, sleeping,
learning, training... fighting. He would not be able to name them all if his very life depended
on it. Loki had simply always been there, or near enough at least. While he could recollect
the first time he met his little brother, his memories from before that moment were hazy at
best. The most he could remember was that he had been lonely, with no one his own age to
play with.

So, to say now that Loki was not his brother? Nay, Thor simply refused to believe it. They
may not share the same blood, but that did not mean Loki was not still his little brother, it
simply meant he had come to them from elsewhere. Besides, while Thor may not be
particularly good at estimating the age of small children, he knew enough to know that Loki
could hardly have been more than a few days old, at most, when he had officially been
introduced to court, and Ásgarðr as a whole. Which meant there was not much of Loki's life
which had not been spent with them, therefore none of it mattered.

And if his little brother could not see that, then Thor would make him!

"I..." Thor began, voice weak, before he cleared his throat and raised his head to properly
look at his mother. "Loki is my brother, blood or not."

Mother smiled beautifully at him. "Aye, he is," she replied. "But we may need to give him
time to process it all and come to terms with this. Especially as there is more."

"More?"

What more could there be? Was it relating to Loki's actual parents? Did they want his brother
back now, after over a millennium? If so, then they could not have him! Loki was theirs now.

"Thor," Father began, drawing his attention. "Your brother is not from Ásgarðr."

Not from Ásgarðr? Oh, that would explain the comment.

"'Tis what he meant when he spoke of not even knowing what species he was," Thor realized.
"Aye."

"And 'tis what caused his core injury, the discovery of this?"

"Core injuries are tricky," Mother said. "What would be perfectly harmless for one seiðmadr,
could be devastating for another. So, whether 'twas the mere fact of his not knowing what
species he was, or his reaction to discovering what he is, we may never know as 'tis possible
Loki himself is not aware of what caused the initial injury."

Thor wanted to demand how 'twas even possible, but then he recalled more than one instance
of discovering he had been injured in battle, but not quite knowing which opponent had
managed to get past his defenses as he had not felt the injuries when they had been inflicted.
The rage and exhilaration of battle had dulled his sense of pain until afterwards.

"His reaction to it?" Thor asked, before he suddenly remembered the odd way his brother had
reacted when he had spoken of how he felt upon learning Grandmother Bestla was jötunn.
"Oh, 'tis why he reacted so oddly."

"Reacted oddly?" Father asked. "To what?"

"Ah, we were having words about Grandmother," Thor replied. "I had stopped by Loki's, uh
your, study to return some parchmentwork I had done, when I saw her book on your desk.
The one on the jötnar?"

Father nodded. "I believe I know which one you mean, I can recall Mother working on one,
at least. I am not certain I ever read it."

"You should. From what I understand, 'twas very helpful to Loki and the negotiating team,"
Thor explained. "I did not look at more than one page and even I learned something new. I
had not been aware the jötnar were single sexed."

"It seems much about the jötnar has been forgotten, misremembered or outright twisted,"
Mother said, softly.

"Aye, even personal history it would seem."

"What do you mean with that, Son?" Father inquired.

"I did not know Grandmother was jötunn," Thor admitted, looking back to his father.

"What do you mean, you did not know?"

"I was unaware of it. I thought she was ásynja."

"Ásynja? Mother?"

Father's shock caught Thor off-guard, and he looked over at Mother, only to see it reflected
on her face, too.

"How were Loki and I to know?" Thor questioned. "No one ever told us."
"Loki was not aware of it either?" Mother asked.

"Nay, he too discovered the truth from her book. Unlike me, I fear he was alone when he did
so. Though, I suppose if he was already aware he was adopted at that point, it would not quite
have been as shocking and dismaying."

With an odd sound, Father dropped his head into his hands. "Dismaying."

"Did you expect me to be happy to discover I am part jötunn?" Thor demanded defensively.
"Or that I am as much jötunn as I am áss?"

"Thor," Mother said. "Your brother spoke of the jötnar as monsters, and that he was told they
would come steal or eat you as children if you misbehaved."

"Aye," Thor replied, ere his shoulders hunched as the word monster brought back another
memory. "And if you are referring to what I said as a child down in the vault, I have already
told Loki 'twas wrong of me."

"Loki mentioned it to you?"

"He brought it up when I first returned from Miðgarðr. I had thought it odd, at first, but later,
when I learned of Grandmother, I assumed 'twas because he already knew. I suppose now
'twas simply him trying to prepare me for learning what I was because... oh."

"Thor?"

"Damn wordsmith!" Thor grumbled. "I only now realized his wording during our
conversation about species and blood."

"What did he say?"

"You. I was speaking of 'us' or 'we', and he replied with 'you'. Why did he not simply tell me
the truth himself?"

Mother's face grew dark as she glanced down. "I cannot know for certain, as I have only
spoken with him briefly on the issue since he discovered the truth, but I believe Loki is still
struggling with the knowledge himself. He was, and is, not yet ready to share it with others."

'Twas hard for Thor to understand, but then he thought back to the conversation where he had
first discovered his jötnar heritage, and he shuddered as he thought of how that particular
conversation had ended.

"You are probably right, Mother," Thor said. "I mentioned how difficult it must have been for
Loki to learn of Grandmother so soon after Father collapsing and he..."

"He what, Thor?" Father asked.

"He merely looked at me for a moment ere he began to laugh, but 'twas an awful laugh. A
horrible laugh," Thor explained, shuddering again. "I have never heard Loki sound like that
before, and I do not ever wish to do so again. He sounded so... broken."
'Twas a terrible thing to say, but Thor could think of no better way to describe it. A sob drew
his attention back towards Mother, only to find she had buried her face in her hands. Before
he could move to do anything, Father had already risen and stepped over to join Mother on
the sofa, drawing her close.

"Was it because of his injury?" Thor asked.

"That, and the knowledge his situation was actually far different from your own, I suspect,"
Father replied.

Aye, Thor could see that now. There he had been, condoling his little brother on discovering
they were a quarter jötunn, when Loki had only recently learned they were not even related,
and his little brother was a wholly different species.

"Wait," Thor said, suddenly realizing they had been distracted from the original conversation.
"What species is Loki? You did not say."

Father looked down at Mother, who was glancing back at him. As before, they shared
something in their gaze ere Mother nodded, turning her attention towards him.

"Jötunn," she said. "Your brother is fully jötunn."

Jötunn? Loki?

It... that...

For what felt like a full minute, Thor was not able to believe what his mother had said.
Because 'twas entirely impossible. Loki was not jötunn! The jötnar were hardly more than
beasts, stupid, brutal and cowardly. His brother was anything but, even if his continued use of
seiðr often meant people did not realize how brave Loki could be, if necessary. But he did; he
had seen it whilst out on quests and adventures. And-

Thor pulled a face as he thought of all the jötnar he had seen on Jötunheimr. They were
massive and clumsy, a far cry from Loki's swiftness and fleet footedness. There was an
elegance to his brother's movements which Thor had oft secretly envied. 'Princely', he had
heard it described once on Álfheimr, while he knew his own manner was seen as clumsy and
ham-handed by the vanir. He did not wish to know what the ljósálfar thought, since he had
been sneered at for his lack of scholarly achievements while there oft enough. All of which
made the mere thought of Loki being jötunn even more ridiculous.

Yet, neither of his parents would lie, not about something of this magnitude or import. Which
meant it had to be true, impossible as it was.

"How-" Thor began, before realizing the answer to his own question. "Oh, of course,
shapeshifter. But how could Loki not know if he was only shifted into áss form?"

"'Tis how he grew up, Son," Father said. "If you were to discover you were a shapeshifter
tomorrow, would you think to question if you ever had done so before? So early in your life
you could not even recollect it?"
"Ah, nay. But why did he shift the first time? Did you make him?"

"Nay, we think 'twas a survival instinct," Mother replied. "Thor, dear, this will not be easy to
hear, but Loki's birth parents did not want him and left him to die on the last day of the war."

"What?" Thor demanded, horrified.

His brother had nearly been killed before they had ever even met? Nay!

"How?" Thor asked, looking to his father for he knew it must have been he who found Loki if
it had been on Jötunheimr.

"Exposure to the elements," Father explained. "'Tis why we believe his shifting was
instinctive. He must have been there for hours before I found him. I was his last and only
hope, by altering his appearance to more closely match my own, it increased the chances of
my taking him with me."

"You would not have left him even if he had not shifted," Thor replied.

How could Father have? Loki had been a mere infant!

"So, we do not know who his parents are," he continued.

'Twas a pity as he would dearly like to meet them, simply so he could show them what he
thought of them. By introducing them to Mjǫllnir. No one harmed his brother, not even
Loki's birth family!

"If we were unable to read his kin lines we would not know, but luckily those are quite
distinctive," Mother said.

"Kin lines?" Thor asked.

"The marks on a jötunn's skin," Father replied.

"Oh, I thought those were scars."

"Scars?"

"Aye, 'tis what some of the warriors say. That they scar themselves and their young to appear
fiercer."

Father sighed and glanced away. "Nay, kin lines are present at birth and are inherited, thus
they tell the tale of a jötunn's family."

"Oh, and you know enough to read Loki's?"

"The lines on his forehead are quite distinctive and unique," Mother explained. "They are
called the Crown of Jötunheimr."

"The Crown of Jötunheimr," Thor repeated, with a growing sense of dread.

Surely his parents could not mean what he thought they did!

"Only the king and his closest family possess it," Father continued. "Not even the children of
the king's siblings will be born with those lines. Therefore, 'twas more than clear to me
immediately as soon as I saw Loki. He is Laufeyson."

Laufeyson.

Loki was Laufeyson?

It... nay, 'twas simply not possible!

His brother could not be the son of Laufey! 'Twas impossible.

"Nay," Thor finally found his voice. "That cannot be. You must have made a mistake, seen
the wrong thing."

"There was no mistake, Thor," Father replied calmly. "Loki is Laufeyson."

"Nay!"

"Thor-" Mother began.

"'Tis not possible. Loki cannot be Laufeyson."

"Why not?"

"Because Laufey is a monster!"

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and, while Thor regretted that
they may get him into trouble, he did believe them. Wholly. Even if all jötnar were not the
monsters he had been led to believe as a child, the stories of the war were still more than
clear as to why Laufey had gone to war, or what he had intended to do to Miðgarðr.

"He is," Mother agreed, and Thor looked at her in shock as her face hardened. "He tried to
kill his newborn child. I do not care what species you are, that makes you a monster!"

"But it does not alter the very simple fact that he is still Loki's birth father," Father stated.

"But..." Thor trailed off. "But, Loki."

"I know, dear," Mother said, reaching for his hand. "But having Laufey for a father does not
change anything about your brother. We raised him, not Laufey, so whose blood runs through
his veins does not have to mean anything unless we allow it to."

Thor did not need to be told that, for some, it would have meaning. He did not like it, but he
was certain his friends would be amongst that group. They had already proven themselves
unwilling to trust and follow Loki when they had believed him to be Óðinnson, how much
worse would the distrust be if they knew he was actually Laufeyson? His parents were right,
Loki's very life could depend on this secret being kept.
 'Twas a horrible thought, that any could seek to harm his brother simply because of who his
father was. It nearly made Thor ill, but it did raise a new question.

"Does Heimdallr know of this?" he asked. "Is this why he tried to kill Loki?"

Rage flashed across his mother's face at the mention of the former gatekeeper, and Thor was
reminded of her earlier blood lust toward Heimdallr. Once more, it served to make him
uncomfortable, even if he fully agreed with the sentiment.

"Nay," Mother stated firmly. "I was not at the trial, but from what I have heard, Heimdallr
would have revealed Loki's heritage if he had known. Nay, his actions stemmed purely from
other motives, but you can understand why we fear for your brother."

"Aye."

Chapter End Notes

Despite a few bumps along the way, I really like the Thor of this chapter. It was a nice
one to write, even in light of Loki's injuries. The combination of some of Thor's better
traits from the movies (not being able to not see Loki as his brother), with the
adorableness of a toddler (little siblings are not toys 😂), and the anger of
misunderstood implications... It always felt like it came together nicely for me. And
showed his progress, too, even with the occasionally little slips...

But as for poor Loki, well you've finally been able to see his injury more as Frigga is
forced to confront it more than Loki was. What with burying his head in the sand as
much as he could.

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
ásynja - female æsir, singular
áss - male æsir, singular
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
ljósálfar - "light elves"
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Up next week: Thor learns more & Loki reaches partial awareness...
 Chapter 73
Chapter Notes

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a lovely weekend, I'm about to start mine!

Enjoy the latest chapter, it's a nice long one.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

They lapsed into silence for a short while and Thor retrieved his goblet, needing the mead to
aid him in trying to comprehend all he had been told. The simple fact Loki was not actually
his brother, and that he was jötunn, would take a while to fully sink in. They were both so
antithetical to all he had believed and known for so long as to be almost incomprehensible.
'Twas now far easier for him to understand how this news could have come to cause Loki's
core injury.

Know yourself indeed!

There were still a few things which he did not understand, though.

"Do we know why Laufey tried to kill Loki?" Thor asked. "He is older than Helblindi-
Princex, nay? So, he would have been Laufey's heir."

"His size," Father replied.

"His size?"

"Loki did not need to alter his size to become like an æsir," Mother explained. "He is small
for a jötnar, a subtype apparently, who could lay claim to the Casket."

"A runt," Father stated, bluntly. "It would seem Laufey did not wish such an heir. He
probably feared it would signal weakness when he wished to project strength. He might have
feared a revolt after losing the war and the Casket of Ancient Winters to us."

A runt?

Loki?

Aye, his little brother was shorter than him, but barely, and Thor had once feared Loki would
overtake him in height! He had been greatly relieved when it had not happened. But even
among the rest of the æsir, Loki was considered tall, so to now learn his brother had nearly
died because was quite simply too small, seemed impossible.

"Are you certain?" Thor asked.

Perhaps Loki had only been small as an infant and had since grown to normal jötnar height,
but this fact had been hidden by his brother's shift to æsir form.

"Quite certain," Mother smiled. "Dear, the reason we have restricted access to your brother's
healing chamber is because, in his depleted seiðr state, he has shifted back to his birth form.
Loki is jötunn in appearance now, but his height has not changed."

Loki was jötunn right now?

"Can I see him?"

The question was out of Thor's mouth before he had even considered it, but, as soon as he
had, he knew he truly did wish to see his brother.

His parents shared another glance before his father nodded, rising to his feet.

"Very well," Father said. "If it will help you accept this, then we shall go visit Loki. But,
Thor, he is asleep at the moment, kept under by a powerful sleeping draught."

"I understand," Thor said.

'Twas probably for the better, as he was not at all certain what he would say to Loki now if
his brother were awake. He still did not know what it all meant, let alone how Loki would
feel about it. What he did know was that he would not have been able to do all his brother
had after discovering something like this.

"How did Loki come to discover the truth?" Thor asked as he rose. "Was it on Jötunheimr?"

"'Tis what he said," Mother replied.

"His sleeve was torn and his vambrace gone when we returned," Father said, finishing his
goblet. "Did one of the jötnar manage to grab hold of his arm? We thought they might have
attempted to freeze him."

"'Tis possible," Thor responded. "I do remember Volstagg shouting to be careful; that they
were causing frostbite."

"What do you mean, 'tis possible?" Mother demanded, stopping to stare at him.

Thor frowned. "I meant what I said."

"You mean you were not watching your brother's back?"

Oh.

"Mother," Thor began, carefully. "'Twas a rather intense battle. We were all busy, there were a
lot of jötnar."

"Because you went to Jötunheimr and attacked Laufey's court!"

"Mother-"

"If you were not watching your brother's back, then who was?"

Thor opened his mouth to reply, ere he closed it, uncertain. Before, he would have said his
friends, but, after all he had learned recently, he was no longer certain 'twas true.

"Thor," Father said, and his tone made Thor swallow thickly. "What strategy were you
using?"

"Ah, strategy?"

"How were you deployed? Who was on point? Who was at the rear?"

"Oh, Loki always covers the rear," Thor replied, happy to have one answer at least. "He
normally insists on it, not trusting the others to do so and he is most suited for it, with his
seiðr and knives."

"But who was he paired with?" Mother insisted.

"I do not know."

"How can you not know?" Father demanded. "You were in charge!"

"It all transpired rather quickly."

"Laufey claimed you started the fight."

Thor's shoulders slumped as he thought of all which had transpired since he had first thrown
Mjǫllnir. "Aye."

"Then how did it do so with you off-guard?"

"We were not off-guard, we were leaving!" Thor retorted, angrily.

'Twas not the same thing!

"Leaving?" Mother prompted, silencing Father with a sharp gesture of her hand.

"Loki had spoken with Laufey and he had told us we could leave," Thor admitted, fists
clenching in anger, but directed at himself.

If only he had kept his temper, then!

"And?"

"And one of the jötnar insulted me and I responded."

"Whilst in the middle of Laufey's court?"

"Aye."
Father swore, before looking at him angrily. "Where was your brother at this time?"

"Beside me," Thor replied.

"So, not in the rear then?"

"Ah, nay, there was no true rear at that point."

The more he thought back on it, the more Thor realized how awful their position had truly
been. There had been jötnar all around, which he had taken as a challenge, but now he was
more rational about it, he could see it had been a very bad situation for them. As proven by
the position they had been in when Father had found them. Even then, he had still been
blinded to the danger, despite how they had been hopelessly outnumbered and backed onto a
cliff. While 'twas possible Loki could have evened the odds with his fire and tricks, Thor was
not certain of it, and if his brother had just received the shock his parents thought he had...

Thor felt ill as he realized how easily it could have resulted in all of their deaths. Yet there he
had been, eager and excited for it all!

"You could all have been killed!" Mother shouted, panic leaking into her voice.

"I know," Thor admitted, glancing down.

"Do you realize the stupidity and sheer idiocy of your actions?" Father demanded. "And how
you endangered your brother's life with your recklessness?"

"Aye. I will cover it with Týr during my next session."

The man had demanded he reflect over some of his past missions and analyze how he had
commanded them and what his mistakes had been. This one would be easy, it seemed.

"Next session?" Father questioned.

Thor looked up in surprise. "When Loki asked him to reflect on how there had come to be so
many... traitors in the Einherjar, Týr found fault with my ability to lead a unit. He refused to
give me another command until I submitted to remedial training."

Surprise was clear on Father's face, ere it cleared to something more like understanding or
recollection. Mayhap someone had mentioned something to him.

"And you submitted to this?" Father asked.

"Not at first, not gracefully." It still pained Thor to think how he had acted. "But... ah, Loki
made it clear I had no choice, and Mother calmed me down enough to realize it."

"Good," Father stated. "Now, am I correct in understanding you do not know when or how a
jötunn warrior managed to lay hands on Loki?"

"Nay."
The sound Mother made at the admission caused Thor to wish the floor would open and
swallow him whole. 'Twas the simple truth, though. He had no idea when or how his brother
had lost his vambrace, so he had no idea how any of the jötnar had managed to come that
close to Loki. He could only imagine that, in the midst of the melee, one had snuck up on his
brother, though 'twas hard to imagine as Loki had the best situational awareness of them all.
Much to his chagrin during their many training sessions as children and adolescents. There
had been a lot of jötnar, though, and they blended into the ice of Jötunheimr so well with their
peculiar skin color.

Oh, Norns, their skin. Was Loki blue even now?

"Frigga, 'tis alright," Father reassured. "Loki survived the battle."

"Through no help from any of us!" Mother snapped. "All we did was make his survival far
less likely, each and every one of us. We had all better thank the Norns he survived!"

He did, oh Thor definitely did!

"I wish to see him," Thor said, not caring how small his voice came out. "I need to see him
now, please."

Thor was ready to beg if he had too. All of this talk of Loki dying, both recently and when he
had been but a helpless infant, along with the memories of how suddenly his little brother had
collapsed earlier in the day and was, even now, so close to death was all too much. He needed
to see Loki now, to be able to feel and touch his little brother and reassure himself Loki was
still alive.

"Aye," Mother said, her eyes wet. "Me too, come, we will go at once."

For a moment, Father looked like he might protest, but then he acquiesced, taking Mother's
hand and leading her from the chamber. Thor followed them in silence, seeing flashes of the
battle on Jötunheimr before his eyes. Precisely how oft during it had he seen Loki? He could
remember hearing his brother as Loki called for him to retreat. His response made him
cringe, particularly when he had not even stopped long enough to turn and confirm that Loki
and his friends were able to make their escape effectively.

There had been a few flashes of seiðr that Thor could recall, and he had known they were his
brother's as it had carried Loki's distinctive green-gold hue. He had also looked over upon
hearing what he now knew was Fandral's cry when his friend was injured, only to witness a
jötunn being struck from afar. He had immediately known it was one of Loki's blades as his
little brother was the only one of their company who carried knives which could be thrown
thus. Or the only one who could properly utilize them in such a manner. Beyond that,
however, Thor had no recollections of Loki's movements.

The fact he could not remember any more of his friends' movements or actions was no
consolation, they were not his little brother. His responsibility.

Given the hour, the corridors were relatively deserted, and they were quickly able to make
their way to the healing halls. Thor absently noted a healer working further down the main
hall, but he paid her little heed, already turning his attention towards the royal wing and the
Einherjar standing watch outside of Loki's chamber. 'Twas only two men, but they were no
longer at war and his brother was no longer king, so more was not needed. Essentially, they
were simply there to ensure no one else learned the secret of his brother's origin.

"From now on Prince Thor is to have full access to Prince Loki's healing chamber," Father
ordered.

"Aye, Your Majesty."

Then the door was opened, and Thor was hustled in. His first view of his little brother was
entirely normal as Loki lay on his side, with his back towards them, sheet pulled up high.
'Twas a massive relief to simply lay eyes on his brother and, at first, he did not notice the
cold. In fact, he might not have done so even when he did, if it had not been for how his
breath steamed the air before him, forcing him to notice it. Once he did, he shivered as his
arms were bare, but he did not need to inquire why the chamber was kept so cold. Not after
what he had been told.

The thought was enough to propel Thor forward, and 'twas after only a few steps that he saw
the proof of what his parents had told him. For there, lying on the pale white sheet, was his
brother's hand.

His brother's bright, cobalt blue hand.

Thor stood frozen in place as he stared at that very familiar hand rendered so alien by its
current skin color. Then Mother was squeezing his shoulder as she moved past him to sit on
the bed behind Loki, reaching out to touch him. When she touched his hair, it shifted, and
Thor watched as more blue skin became visible with pale... kin lines curving up the side of
Loki's neck. A horrified fascination took hold of Thor now, and he forced himself to move
once more, stepping further around the bed.

Slowly, Loki's face came into view, rendered as alien as his hand at first by the jötnar blue.
By the time Thor came to stand fully before his brother, though, he could already see the
familiar in the alien once more. That 'twas clearly his brother was immediately obvious now,
if so very different. The pale kin lines were almost worse than the skin color, their path doing
more to break up the familiar lines and planes of his brother's face, making it harder to see
Loki in it. It did draw his attention to the lines across his brother's forehead.

The Crown of Jötunheimr.

His brother, a prince, one way or another. Thor could not help but wonder if having been on
Hliðskjálf would make Loki wish to return to Jötunheimr in order to reclaim his own throne.
He was Laufey's oldest, after all, and thus the true heir to the throne of Jötunheimr. He
desperately hoped not as he did not wish to lose his brother, even if it would be good for
Ásgarðr and all of the Nine. Besides, he did not trust Laufey not to try and kill his brother, he
had already tried it once and that before Loki had caused Laufey as much trouble as he had
now.
Once he had taken his fill of simply looking at his brother, Thor stepped forward and lowered
himself to sit on the side of the bed opposite his mother. As he had seen her touch the side of
Loki's face with no trouble, Thor reached out to take his brother's lax hand. It felt cold and
the skin oddly textured, different from normal, but otherwise 'twas simply a hand. With his
thumb, he ran over one of the kin lines and felt the skin was slightly raised, but 'twas indeed
not puckered like scar tissue and Thor felt relieved. He hated to think anyone had taken a
knife to Loki's skin as an infant, though he supposed if that had been the custom, it would not
have been done as Laufey had not kept Loki long enough for it. 'Twas a pity his bother would
have to live with his birth father's marks upon his skin, though, eternal proof of exactly
whose son he was.

'Twas an odd thought, to have that written onto his very skin to be visible by all. It would
have made what happened with Sif impossible. Well, unless the seiðkona - her mother people
seemed to believe - would have been able to alter those. He would have to ask his mother
later.

Then Loki shifted, probably due to Mother's touch, and he rolled onto his back. In the
process, the sheet which had been pulled up to his brother's neck became dislodged and,
suddenly, all Thor could see was blue as it seemed someone had removed his brother's tunic,
no doubt to help keep him cool.

The unexpected sight drew Thor's attention, and he could not help but run his eyes over his
brother's altered form, fascinated despite himself. The clash of familiar and alien did little to
help, and he found his eyes tracing the elegant twists of the kin lines as they curved over
Loki's chest or spiraled up his arms. He had never thought he could associate the word
elegant with a jötunn, but his brother, even in this form, almost seemed antithetical to
everything Thor thought of as jötnar. 'Twas not merely the size, though that definitely
contributed to it, 'twas everything else as well. His brother was elegant and smooth, while he
had always thought of the jötnar as brutal and rough; uncouth.

Beasts and monsters.

The word echoed in Thor's head as he clasped Loki's hand tighter. His little brother was no
monster, no matter what species he was! Therefore, not all jötnar were monsters. Obviously.
But speaking of differences, Loki's face was literally far smoother than that of all the other
jötnar he had seen before. Was that simple variation, or because his brother was a runt? He
supposed it could be the latter.

Though...

"Why does he have hair?" Thor suddenly asked, looking back up at his parents.

The utterly baffled expressions which crossed their faces made it clear they did not have the
answer.

"I..." Mother began, before she shook her head. "I do not know. I had always thought 'twas
part of his shift to áss form. Something he gave himself after seeing all of us had hair. Have
you ever seen a jötunn with hair, Óðinn?"
"Nay, I have not," Father replied. "Though I can vaguely recall Mother once spoke of it in
some story of hers. I cannot remember the details of it, though, simply that I tried to picture a
jötunn with hair as a result."

"His face is also smoother," Thor said. "Less... grooved."

"Aye," Mother agreed with a frown. "I had not thought of it before as I am used to seeing it
thus, but you are correct."

"We can look into all of that when Loki is better," Father said. "For now, we will need to
focus on his healing, for which we will require your aid, Thor."

"My aid?" Thor asked, startled.

He had not expected to be able to partake in his brother's recovery, so the prospect rather
excited him. Thor despised being helpless while someone he loved was hurt, let alone so
close to death.

Or madness.

The later thought still made him shudder. He could not imagine Loki mad, but some of the
possibilities which occurred to him were not pleasant in the least.

"Your brother is hurting on every level right now, Thor," Mother said, running a hand over
his brother's head. "And he is no doubt very angry with your father and I. You, however, did
not know the truth and so did not lie to him. You will be the only one he can turn to and
speak about this."

His stomach dropped as Thor thought of all of their arguments since his coronation. Their
relationship was hardly in a good place right now, lies or not.

"Our arguments, Mother," Thor said.

"Will be irrelevant now," Mother replied. "Those were about petty concerns in comparison.
This is about our family and his very place in it."

"What of it?" Thor demanded, sharply.

"Thor, you are thinking too logically," Father said. "Loki may not feel he is truly a part of our
family now. Before I collapsed, he referred to himself as a stolen relic."

Thor stared at his father in shock. A stolen relic? 'Twas hard to picture his brother being so
irrational.

"What must I do?" Thor asked.

"Reassure him, tell him what you told us before," Mother responded. "That he is still your
brother, and his species and heritage does not matter."
"I can do that, but my words before, as a child, about the jötnar have not been forgotten,"
Thor reminded her.

"I know, dear, but they may prove less important to him now than your words of brotherhood
and reassurance."

"When is he due to wake?"

"Tomorrow morning, but I think it best if your mother and I see him alone with Lady Eir
then," Father said.

"Why?"

"We will need to assess his condition and mental state, so it would be best not to add more
stress to the situation by adding you."

"He may also need you more after," Mother added. "And separating you from us might be
best to assure he does not fear you knew of this all along."

He did not like it, but Thor could understand.

"Very well," he said.

"We will send word as soon as we have seen him," Mother promised.

A pervading sense of wrongness and the dull ache of a healing injury were what woke Loki
and he moaned as he did so, rubbing his face in his pillow even as he clenched at the sheets.

"Loki, darling, can you hear me?" Frigga asked, her voice coming from beside him before a
hand brushed over his head.

A garbled sound escaped him as Loki burrowed his face deeper, slipping beneath the pillow.
Misery welled up within him and he wished he had not woken, preferring to have remained
in the comforting embrace of the deep sleep he had been immersed in. Normally, the heavy
fog still shrouding his mind even now would have alarmed him, but his mother's non fearful
presence nearby reassured him there was no danger, and so he fought against rousing any
further.

Only pain and more misery awaited him, he knew on some level and Loki did not want to
face it.

"Son?"

And that was Óðinn's voice. Now Loki truly did not wish to rouse as memories of the past
few weeks flited by, and he identified precisely where the dulled pain was coming from.

His core. His thoroughly mutilated and shredded core.

Even the mere thought of it was enough to elicit another agony laden throb from it, and he
moaned again, wishing to be left alone to wallow in his complete and utter misery. He had
done his duty as regent and kept Ásgarðr from war. Now Óðinn could take care of the rest, so
why would they not leave him alone to rest? He simply wished to sleep and not have to worry
about anything else for as long as he could. Preferably forever.

"Loki," Óðinn urged, a hand coming to rest on his shoulder.

When a shrug did not serve to dislodge it, Loki made a low sound at the back of his throat in
irritation, startling himself as he had never quite heard it before, but he did not care. He
wished to be left alone!

"Go a'ay!" he muttered, turning his head just enough to be heard.

"Lok-" Óðinn began.

"Nay!" Loki snapped, the word vibrating oddly in his throat and coming out far louder than
the previous ones.

The pain was building now and not simply from his core, but from everywhere. His muscles
felt odd, and he whined at the sensation, rocking back and forth to try and shake off the
feeling, but it did not help.

"Something is wrong," Frigga said, worry in her voice and Loki nearly laughed.

Wrong? They were so very far beyond wrong!

"What is it, my Prince?" Lady Eir demanded, suddenly there as well. "What is wrong?"

The touch to the side of his neck felt hot, like a brand, and he jerked away with a growl,
flipping onto his back.

"Loki, darling, we are only attempting to aid you!" Frigga insisted.

She was suddenly there, leaning over him and reaching out to brush aside the hair which had
landed on his face. This time, when a far too hot hand touched his wrist, he merely whined
and allowed it. His eyes slid shut as a niggling sensation at the back of his mind flared, trying
to gain his attention. His thoughts were slow and sluggish at best, and now 'twas starting to
worry Loki. He was not normally this bad at thinking.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

A pitiful, repetitive whining sound drew his attention back to the present as he vaguely heard
voices speaking hurriedly above him, but Loki ignored them until he heard Mother call his
name.

"What is it, baby?" Frigga asked. "Can you tell us what is wrong? We want to help, but we
cannot unless you tell us what is wrong."

Why could they not help? They always had before.

The shock of learning exactly what he was came rushing back to Loki all of a sudden, and his
eyes snapped open in horror as the pieces finally clicked into place in his mind.

The unusual sounds he was making, the intense heat, the smear of blue as he looked at
people.

Loki tried to confirm the latter by looking down at his own nose. It seemed to be where the
blue was coming from, and when he finally remembered to close one eye to gain a better look
at it, his worst fears were confirmed. 'Twas blue. Which meant he was blue.

Nay!

He scrambled back, or tried to, pathetically. With another loud whine of frustration, Loki
pulled his hands up and stared at them in horror. Nay, nay, nay! Why was he blue? He did not
wish to be blue!

"Loki!"

'Twas wrong and bad and ugly and... nay!

"Son, please."

With an angry growl, Loki began to claw at his own hands, trying to scratch the blue off.

"Nay, my Prince!"

Off, off, it had to come off! He did not want it blue and even trying to reach for his seiðr
made him howl at the agony which shot through him. He had a last view of a blue tinged
purple blossoming across his left hand as the skin split, before his head was wretched to the
side and his mother was suddenly before him as hands grabbed hold of his wrists, the fingers
like hot brands across his icy skin.

"Stop, Loki, please stop!" Frigga begged. "Please baby!"

Loki whined and twisted, his muscles itchy, his core in agony and he did not wish his mother
to see him thus. With his monster face and red eyes. Surely, she would never be able to forget
it or look at him the same again afterwards.

Nay, nay, nay, nay, n-

With a shock, Mother Winter was there, grasping hold of his seiðr and Loki stilled, eyes
widening before he turned his attention inwards towards her insistent prodding. He could
sense her anger and despair, but also her urgency and worry. He was making the pitiful
intermittent whining sound again and he did not know why, but she seemed to, her touch
turning soothing and calming.

"Loki, darling?"

Loki relaxed into the sensation, her icy touch seeming to be exactly what his mutilated core
needed while her cool seiðr was refreshing as it washed over him.
"Has he lost consciousness, Lady Eir?"

Slowly, his muscles unclenched, though the itchy, painful sensation from before remained;
burning.

"Nay, he is still awake. Though it seems he is no longer aware of us."

Then the images began to flash before his eyes. It took Loki a moment to make sense of them
and Ásgarðr had to step in, to boost the connection between himself and Mother Winter. His
own, damaged core and her distance since the Casket of Ancient Winters had been returned
to Jötunheimr making their own connection difficult.

"Are we losing him? Is his core snapping?"

'Twas an ocean, Loki now realized, what Mother Winter was showing him. An icy, dark
ocean but filled with a rich array of life, all living well below the dark surface with its
howling winds and truly impressive, white capped waves.

"I do not believe so; his vitals have not diminished."

Then there was a beach, of sorts. Loki had never seen one like it before, the sands a strange
mix of pitch black and pale almost white, strewn together in a haphazard mix with swirls of
one or the other in places.

"What was that? He seemed to be trying to tear his own skin off!"

'Twas fascinating and Loki wished to examine it - to know what it felt or smelled like - but
Mother Winter was tugging his attention away, towards the ice and rocks further along the
shore.

"I believe we may just have witnessed a very physical manifestation of the conflict Prince
Loki feels within himself about his true nature."

The massive waves crashed upon the beach in a thunderous roar, washing far up the shore
and sweeping all they could back into the ocean with them. Loki felt the oddest desire to run
right into the waters and allow himself to be swept away.

A moan. "He hates himself so much?"

Then he was looking at some of the larger rocks, black in color with swirls of a grainy white
deposit upon them. Mother Winter seemed to be quite insisted upon them, prodding him
towards them. But why? Why was sand so important?

"Himself, or his jötunn nature, it seems."

A swat and Loki pulled back from Mother Winter, stung more than hurt by the gesture. Then
Ásgarðr was there, curling around him and pulling him back, closer to Mother Winter who
almost crooned at him apologetically.
"Norns, how could it be this bad? I know you tried to warn me, Frigga, but... by the Nine, I
had no idea it could possibly be this bad!"

Then they were both nudging him towards the white residue again. But what? If 'twas not
sand, then wh-

Salt!

The excited reactions from both of his new companions told Loki he was correct, and he felt
victory surge through him briefly. 'Twas salt! Yet, why was salt important?

"Should we give him another sleeping draught? Put him under for longer?"

There was a brief hesitation from Mother Winter before the view shifted and Loki found
himself looking at a jötunn, a hrímþurs, and he drew back instinctively.

"I fear that would only delay this situation for another day. Prince Loki will react adversely
until this issue is addressed in some form."

Patiently, Ásgarðr and Mother Winter urged him forwards once more, their sympathy
tempered by a sense of urgency and Loki resisted the urge to snarl at them too, though the
desire was there. They were only seeking to aid him somehow.

"But is it not better to wait until his core has healed more before we attempt any such
conversation?"

Then the hrímþurs was drinking something, water it seemed, but Loki knew from the
reactions of both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter he was wrong. If not water, then what? There
was a flash of the salt again, and then the hrímþurs. Salt and hrímþurs, salt and hrímþurs, salt
and hrímþurs. Over and over again. Was it drinking salt water?

The rush of jubilation and relief from Mother Winter told Loki he was right, then she shoved
back at him and he felt his body again with a rush of pain and confusion.

Loki whined, but knew what she wished him to do.

"Salt," he whispered.

"What, darling?" Frigga asked, leaning over him.

"Salt."

"Salt?"

"Salt."

"Why does he wish for salt?" Óðinn asked.

Loki mewled in frustration, forcing his head towards where he had last heard Lady Eir.
Thankfully, she was still there, bandaging his left hand.
 "Salt!" he insisted as urgently as he could given his current condition.

Lady Eir blinked at him before she nodded and rose to her feet, moving out of his line of
sight.

"Eir?" Óðinn questioned.

"There is much about the jötnar I do not know, and his vitals have been fluctuating widely
since about midnight. We have done all we can to compensate, but nothing seems to have
helped," Lady Eir replied. "Given Prince Loki's sudden seeming insistence, I am willing to
try giving him salt as I can see no adverse effects in doing so beyond dehydration, which is
easily remedied. I shall return shortly."

"Why is the salt important, darling?" Frigga asked, her hand coming to rest on his cheek as
she sought to turn his head back to face her.

Loki tried to resist with a moan, but when 'twas clear he did not possess the strength to do so,
he rolled with the movement until he was on his side and then he curled up into a tight little
ball, shielding his core in some futile, instinctive reaction he did not even care to try and
counter.

"Oh, darling," Frigga sighed, briefly touching his head before she withdrew her hand. "Lady
Eir will be right back with the salt."

"Water," Loki murmured a moment later.

"You want some water?"

A frustrated shake of his head. "Salt. Water."

"You want the salt in the water?"

"Hmm."

"We can do that," Óðinn said from behind him.

Thankfully, no further attempts to touch him were made and Loki concentrated on biting back
the little, annoying whines which sought to escape him. He had no idea why as he had never
been tempted to make them before, at least not since he had been a child. There was some
vague memory from when he had been very young, but 'twas hazy at best, so he was not even
entirely certain 'twas real. He would not make them again! He had embarrassed himself
enough for one day.

Ásgarðr and Mother Winter both protested but Loki ignored them, curling up tighter and
wishing he could simply go to sleep and only wake when he felt better.

Chapter End Notes

Poor, poor, poor 🥺 Loki, so 🤒!
Despite it's intensity, this last scene was super quick to write. It came as much stream of
consciousness as it was meant to, with the different threads and pieces all jumbled up
already for me! I don't often write like this, but I quite often enjoy it when I do. But, yes,
Loki is still very clearly a jumbled mess and there will be no quick fixes here.

Thor, meanwhile, is still being a good big brother, even if he's still discovering all of his
previous mistakes and needing to come to terms with them all!

Next, those of you who follow my blog will already know, but I've received yet another
amazing piece of fan art for this fic! This one by
BionicPocahontas/PnultimateSlugFriend and is for the last chapter, showing Loki's core
injury. Do let her know what you think of it, and all the other amazing art for this fic can
be found here.

Finally, I've recently posted a few things to my blog about this fic, including a photo
from a very basic sketch I made in my original notebook about the High Council table
when I first started writing. You'll notice a lot of the names are missing, this is because I
didn't yet have names for all of them. Instead they were down in the fic as Lord F
(Aðalgrímr), Lord ? (Óðr) or Lord K (Birgir). More on that on the blog later...

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
hrímþurs - hrím (“frost”) + þurs (“giant”) - As this word seems interchangeable with
jötnar, I used it for the name of the non-íviðjur, or ones we saw in the movies.
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: Frigga and Óðinn's reactions & the new healer arrives...
 Chapter 74
Chapter Notes

Another Sunday and, soon, another month!

Enjoy the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Frigga had to weave her fingers together and clench them tight to keep her hands to herself.
The way her youngest was curled up on himself next to her, rocking back and forth, called
out to her maternal instincts and all she wished to do was offer him comfort. Loki had already
made it clear, however, he did not wish for her touch at present, and she glanced over at
Óðinn in despair.

The look on his face made Frigga's heart break all over again, and she pulled her hands apart
so she could offer him one. She was careful to twist the other in her skirts lest she
unthinkingly reach for her son again.

The sounds he had made earlier!

They were still enough to make her heart ache and it did not help that they brought back all of
the horrible and painful memories from centuries ago, when the boys had caught the summer
fever while on holiday on Vanaheimr. Thor had fought it off easily, Loki had not. She had
been forced to rush home with her little one as 'twas clear her brother's healers did not know
what to do and she had been worried it had been because of her youngest's jötunn nature.
Even Lady Eir had struggled, and it had taken a full week to pull Loki back from the brink. A
week of those heart wrenching, pitiful, halting whines that seemed to come from deep in her
son's throat, even as he seemed otherwise completely insensible to the world.

"We will get him through this!" Óðinn declared, though the pallor of his face told Frigga
exactly how badly he had been shaken by how Loki had reacted.

Though they had expected this to be difficult, neither of them had predicted quite how badly
it would go. Simply the mere memory of the horrified and disgusted look which had crossed
Loki's face when her son had realized he had reverted to his jötunn form was enough to make
her blanch. How he had sought to injure himself afterwards... well, 'twas no longer a surprise
to Frigga how her youngest had come to have such a badly injured core. Rather, 'twas a shock
Loki had survived this long and not succumbed far sooner. She could only imagine 'twas his
immense stubbornness and irrepressible will to live which had kept him alive this long. She
could only thank the Norns for both, no matter how much the former had driven her to
distraction at times in the past.
Frigga wished to respond, to mention how poorly and instinctively, almost, Loki had reacted,
but she was well aware her son could still hear them, and she did not wish to say anything
which could worsen the situation any.

Then, the door behind her opened once more and she looked over to see Lady Eir entering
with a large bag of salt.

"He has requested it be put in water," Frigga said, grasping the opportunity for a distraction.

"I had wondered," Lady Eir replied, moving to the side table and pulling a drinking glass
over.

The large amount of salt the healer added to the glass made Frigga's eyebrows rise, but then,
Loki had been very insistent on needing the salt.

"Loki, Son, Lady Eir has returned with the salt," Óðinn said, leaning forward to lay a hand on
their son's back.

For a moment, Frigga worried Loki would reject the touch and remain as he was, but then,
slowly, he began to uncurl, and she reached out to help him upright so he could lean back
against his father.

"Water?" Loki asked, glancing at her through half lidded eyes.

"Right here," Frigga said as she took the glass Lady Eir handed her.

It smelled so strongly of salt, she crinkled her nose even as she noted the white crystals
swirling in the water and laying on the bottom of the glass. Clearly, Lady Eir had tried to
saturate it completely. Hopefully, this was what Loki wanted and needed.

Frigga reached out to steady her youngest's face with one hand as she brought the glass closer
with the other. Loki leaned forwards a little, eagerly opening his mouth and immediately
beginning to drink. When he did not so much as hesitate or flinch at the taste, she relaxed,
pleased they were finally doing something right. The speed at which he drank worried her a
little, but seeing as Loki did not choke, she simply tilted the glass higher and higher so he
could have the rest of the water until 'twas all gone.

"More," Loki demanded, licking his lips.

"Your Majesty," Lady Eir said, already offering her a second glass.

She gave the healer the empty one and then took the new glass, bringing it right to Loki's lips.
It vanished as quickly as the first and was followed by a third full glass before her son finally
seemed satisfied, leaning back against Óðinn, licking his lips.

"Does that feel better?" Frigga asked.

"Hmm."
"Can I ask how it helped, my Prince?" Lady Eir questioned, checking the results from some
of the spells woven permanently over the occupant of the bed.

"Muscles itchy, pain," Loki murmured, his stomach growling loudly.

Frigga bit back a laugh. "Hungry, darling?"

"Hmm. Meat."

Of course, meat. Whenever he felt unwell or was injured, all Loki wanted was meat. Or fish,
though 'twas far less common and only occasionally acceptable as a substitute if there was no
meat immediately available. Luckily, the predictability of it meant they had exactly the right
thing already to hand. Without a word, Lady Eir handed her the bowl they had requested from
the kitchens earlier, in order to allow the food to cool. 'Twas smaller chunks of beef in a
favorite sauce of his, which she now realized was rather salty. Though she pulled a face at the
thought of eating the food cold, they had no way to know whether the protective seiðr she
had taught Loki as an infant was still in place or not, and none of them wished to find out the
hard way.

The eager way Loki accepted the first spoonful she offered him, and the lack of any averse
reaction, relieved her, allowing her to share a hopeful look with Óðinn. If Loki was both
hungry and thirsty, let alone as insistent on obtaining that which he needed as earlier, then
their son clearly still had a strong desire to live. Which meant he would fight this injury. If
recovering meant he had to fight them too, then so be it. It would hurt beyond all reason, but
she would gladly take it if it meant Loki's full recovery.

Halfway through the bowl, Frigga began to wonder if Loki would finish it all as he slowed,
but he persisted to the end, though she noted Óðinn had to shift his hold to keep their son
upright. Clearly, the emotional reaction from earlier was taking its toll, no doubt encouraged
along by Loki now having a full belly.

"Do you need anything else, darling?" Frigga asked as Lady Eir took the bowl from her.

Loki made an odd little noise in the back of his throat, even as he shook his head slightly,
eyes sliding shut.

"Not even another pain potion?"

For a moment, Frigga thought him already gone back to sleep, ere Loki opened his eyes once
more to regard her. Then her son rolled his head just enough to look awkwardly up at Óðinn,
who gave him a small smile. When he looked back over at her, 'twas to incline his head
forwards slightly.

"The same as before, my Prince?" Lady Eir asked.

"Hmm."

The small bottle was handed over to her and Frigga brought it to Loki's lips, pleased when he
took it without complaint. Simply because he had acknowledged the need for it, did not
necessarily imply he would submit gracefully, but either he needed it too much at present, or
he was too tired to protest. She was not certain which reason she would prefer to be the truth
given how long he had already slept lately.

"And the sleeping draught," Lady Eir insisted, handing the small vial over to her next.

"Loki?" Frigga prompted when he narrowed his eyes at the head healer.

With a grunt, Loki acceded, drinking the draught down before moving to pull free from
Óðinn's hold. She reacted a little too late to prevent him from flopping back onto the bed, and
she had to bite back an admonishment. He was old enough to know the consequences of his
actions, and she was more worried at how he deemed them preferable to staying in his
father's embrace for a moment longer.

Óðinn had closed his eyes in pain at the clear sign of rejection, before he rose and moved to
stand before the window.

A few shifts and Loki was on his side once more, legs crooked slightly and one arm
vanishing under his pillow in what Frigga had always thought of as his preferred sleeping
position. Even as a child, he had often slept thus, at least when not twined around Thor.
Loki's eyes were already shut and his breathing quickly evened out as Lady Eir ran a few
final checks, seeming pleased enough with the results.

"I will be in the main healing halls should you have need of me," the head healer said.

"Thank you," Frigga replied, waiting until Lady Eir had left before letting her own mask slip.

Despite her best efforts, she had slept poorly last night and was exhausted. The worry about
Loki and how best to help him had kept her up most of the night. Yet none of it had helped
prepare her for this.

How could her baby have come to hate himself so quickly?

She found it hard to understand as she had known Loki had always been rather confident and
satisfied with himself, other than the odd occasion where her youngest had tried to measure
himself too much by either Ásgarðr's standards or against Thor. It had worried Frigga for a
while during Loki's early adolescence, that he would lose himself in the desire to be too much
like his older brother in ways she was not quite certain he could achieve, but then something
had changed and she had thought him settled. Loki had definitely seemed to grow more
confident in himself, his abilities, and what he wished for. Had it all been an illusion? A
brilliant mask meant to fool her along with everyone else?

Frigga did not think it vanity to believe 'twas not so. While her little knife had oft sought to
deceive or mislead others, she had thought herself more exempt from it until lately. Well,
unless some small mischief was involved, then Loki would most definitely attempt to fool
her along with the others, to varying degrees of success, it had to be said. But nothing capable
of resulting in this level of self-hatred.
"How did we come to this?" Óðinn asked, and Frigga looked up to find he had turned back
towards them, looking centuries older than he was.

"I was wondering the same thing," Frigga admitted. "I do not believe he loathed himself so
before the coronation."

"So this is all a result of discovering he is jötunn?"

The answer to the question was obvious, but the blatant disbelief in Óðinn's voice told Frigga
how hard 'twas for her husband to believe. She did not blame him, it baffled her too. At least
logically, emotionally, mayhap, not quite so much.

"Know yourself," she whispered. "I have always known this of seiðr, but never truly given it
much thought. More fool me, apparently."

"Nay, Frigga," Óðinn urged, coming to stand beside her and squeezing her shoulder
comfortingly. "You are not to blame here. You did all you could to convince me to change my
mind, I am the one at fault here. You warned me repeatedly, but I refused to listen, thinking I
knew better."

"My baby lies fighting for his life from an entirely preventable injury, I think we are all to
blame, all of us who knew what he truly was and kept it from him," Frigga replied, feeling
her anger from last night stir within her once more.

She tried to suppress it, knowing now was not the time to address it, not when she and Óðinn
had to work so closely together in order to heal Loki. Yet the anger remained, coiled hot and
bright within her. She had warned her husband that nothing good could come from keeping
the truth from Loki, but he had refused to listen to her time and again! Her youngest would
not be here, in this damned healing chamber if only he had!

"What do we do now?" Óðinn finally asked.

At first, it only served to spark Frigga's anger even further. After all the times he had chosen
to ignore her words and advice regarding Loki, now he wished for it? It felt like her husband
was only doing so to clean up the mess which had been created, but the moment she looked
down at her sleeping baby, all of her anger left her. He needed them, both of them, mayhap
more than he had ever needed them since Óðinn had first found Loki in that Norns forsaken
temple on Jötunheimr. She could seek to satisfy her anger and wounded pride later, when
their son was no longer in such grave danger.

But woe betide any who tried to stand in her way again when it came to either of her sons and
what she strongly felt was the right thing for either of them! No force in the Nine or beyond it
would stand in her way ever again! This she swore to herself and the Norns be her witnesses.

"We prove to him that we still love him, jötunn or not," Frigga replied.

"But we have always known what he is," Óðinn said.

A brief smile crossed Frigga's face. "For once, I do not believe we can assume Loki will be at
all rational about this. He is reacting emotionally, driven by the agony of his shredded core
and the horror of his discovery. It may be some time before he is recovered enough to think
about any of this rationally. And..."

"And you fear once he does, it will only lead to further thoughts like those he had in the
vault?" Óðinn guessed. "Where he believes it explains any myriad of imagined slights?"

"Were they imagined?"

The question was out of Frigga's mouth before she had even truly considered it.

"Frigga?" Óðinn asked, pulling back to frown down at her.

"As you said, we always knew what he was."

"And you believe I allowed this to influence how I treated him?"

"Mayhap, or perhaps you did not, when you should have."

Now, Frigga had to admit her son may not be the only one who was reacting emotionally
instead of rationally. 'Twas most definitely not the time for this particular conversation, and
yet she could not seem to stop herself either. Not when Óðinn seemed so oblivious to his own
potential hand in this situation other than the most obvious. For centuries, she had watched
the two of them struggle to maintain the close relationship they had enjoyed when Loki was a
child, though even then she had to admit there had been signs of a potential distance between
them. As evidenced by how 'Papa' had not been among Loki's first three words, despite her
husband's great efforts to make it so after both 'Mama' and 'T'or' had already been uttered.
Rather fittingly, 'se'ðr' had been the third, but 'twas still quite telling if she thought of it now.

"I do not understand," Óðinn replied, and Frigga was somewhat surprised to see no rising
anger within her husband as would normally happen if they had an argument about Loki.

Mayhap what they had witnessed earlier had shaken Óðinn even more than she had thought.
Though not particularly warm towards her either, it had not been her embrace Loki had been
so eager to escape, to the point of potentially injuring himself.

"Loki is, and always has been, different as a result of being jötunn," Frigga replied. "His
shapeshifting may have allowed us to forget it most of the time, but there will be things he
cannot overcome with it. Or which he simply did not realize he had to."

"Like his failure to adjust his palate to accommodate heated food."

"Aye, those, and the less physical."

Óðinn sighed. "Such as?"

"His most basic likes and dislikes. Looking like an áss, does not make him áss, and never
has," Frigga stated. "I have also never heard of a shifter who was able to alter that which is
most intrinsically them."
"Their mind."

'Twas something they should both have considered more carefully before. While they may
have raised Loki, and thus taught him their own values and beliefs, Frigga knew only all too
well there were some things which could not be taught; they were inborn. Her baby's flare for
seiðr was but one example. In spite of having grown up on Ásgarðr and having been exposed
mostly to their mores and norms, Loki had always been far more vanir in his choice of sexual
partners and relationships, for instance, despite not being any more exposed to them than
Thor, and her firstborn actually possessed vanir blood, while Loki did not, as far as she was
aware. The jötnar had always been far more insular, the royal family in particular, not mixing
with the rest of the Nine as much as the other species did.

Thus, there had already been signs Loki was markedly different from most æsir, but both she
and others had simply written it off as being due to her influence. After all, many had been
more vanir in nature, but this did not mean they could not also have been more jötunn in
nature, and that she had simply be unaware of it. Frigga was suddenly made quite aware of
the fact she knew precious little of the jötnar. She had meant to learn more about them, but
with a newborn infant, a one-hundred-and-sixty-year-old toddler, and a kingdom full of
warriors newly returned from a long and devastating war, there had been precious little time
and 'twas something she had never managed to come around to doing. She felt ashamed of
this fact now, but it had not felt necessary at the time as, after the initial accident with the
heated milk, Loki had seemed so easy to deal with as a baby. It had not felt important when
Loki had been reacting and growing exactly as she would have expected from her experience
with Thor.

Frigga knew she had been correct earlier, this was as much her fault as 'twas Óðinn's, though
he had made the final decision on not informing Loki of his own species and heritage.

"You will need to continue the changes which Loki has already commenced implementing,"
Frigga finally said.

"What changes?" Óðinn inquired.

"Of how we speak with about the jötnar. I have heard he has informed some of how
derogatory a slur 'frost giant' is as, apparently, many of the younger members of court were
not aware of this."

"Not aware? How can they be unaware of it?"

"If 'tis all you have heard the jötnar referred to, then how are you to know 'tis not their true
name?"

"Surel-"

"Óðinn, Loki spoke of having been told by nursemaids and servants that the frost giants
would steal into his chamber at night and eat him if he misbehaved as a child!" Frigga
exclaimed, her voice rising sharply. "If this is at all common among the rest of Ásgarðr, then
how can we possibly expect those who were not yet born, or were mere children, at the end
of the war to have any kind of true idea what of the jötnar are like?"
Óðinn's shoulders slumped once more. "So that is what he meant when referring to himself as
the monster parents tell their children about at night."

"Aye, it would seem this prejudice runs deep, far deeper than that which existed against the
vanir at the end of our last war, and we both know I had to endure more than either of us
liked as a result of that."

"Norns, how did this come to pass once more?"

"If I were to guess, the grumblings of adults with grievances and wounds who did not think
how those words would be perceived by those with no personal knowledge of the jötnar,"
Frigga theorized. "'Tis easy to imagine monsters from vague stories and half formed ideas,
particularly if they are blamed for all the evil which befell Ásgarðr when they were children."

"The renewed tension and jötnar incursion of the vault will not have improved the situation
any," Óðinn sighed, before his face firmed. "But I will do what I can to continue what Loki
has started. If we wish this new peace to last, then clearly the situation cannot remain as it has
been, particularly given the treaty allows for jötunn traders to come to Ásgarðr during the
Harvest Festival."

"Aye, we cannot afford an incident then. But 'tis also an opportunity for people to see the
jötnar are not the mindless monsters whispered about in the dark."

"It will not be easy."

"I do not expect it to be so, but we cannot allow this fact to be an excuse to keep us from
trying. Many celebrated the new peace treaty, mayhap 'tis a sign some, at least, are ready for
a change."

"I will speak with Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr and see if we may help ease the transition by
acquiring various items from Jötunheimr we have long been without."

Though Frigga did not like that such matters could make a transition easier, she was not fool
enough to not realize 'twas true. Besides, when it came to protecting her baby, she would
utilize any and all means, no matter how much she may dislike them.

There was a knock on the door before it opened and Lady Eir entered once more.

"Excuse me, Your Majesties," the head healer began. "But Lady Hlín has just arrived and I
wondered if you wished to speak with her as well?"

"Aye," Frigga replied immediately, rising after a last look to ensure Loki was still sleeping
soundly. Not that he truly could be doing anything else with the potion and draught he had
been given, but she still felt she had to check. "Óðinn?"

"I am coming," he said.

Together they left the chamber, ensuring the door was well closed behind them before
following Lady Eir to her study.
"My King and Queen," Lady Hlín greeted, rising to her feet to curtsy as they entered.

She was an older lady, indeed as she had to be in order to have served Bestla, but she did not
immediately appear as old as Frigga would have expected her to. In fact, she would have
guessed the healer was younger than her husband, which she sincerely doubted was true.

"Lady Hlín," Frigga replied, smiling. "Lady Eir tells us you were the personal healer of
Queen Bestla?"

"Aye, my Queen. I was the only healer with any knowledge of jötnar anatomy and
physiology, so I was the natural choice, particularly when the queen and I got along quite
well."

'Twas true, trust with a healer was very important. It worried Frigga a little as regards Loki
and Lady Eir moving forwards, if she were honest. Therefore, bringing in Lady Hlín, who
had no previous knowledge of her baby's heritage and species, might allow him to trust her as
he might not Lady Eir anymore.

"And how did you come to have this knowledge?" Óðinn asked.

"I learned it on Jötunheimr, where I commenced my training," Lady Hlín answered. "I am
nearly three quarter jötunn and was born there."

"Ah, I see," Frigga said, glancing at her husband in surprise.

Three quarters was more than Eir had thought, but 'twas a pleasant surprise. It meant the
likelihood of Lady Hlín possessing any of the negative attitudes towards the jötnar was
almost nonexistent. Although...

"If you were born there and are more jötunn than anything else, how did you come to live on
Ásgarðr?" Frigga questioned.

"As you can see, despite my being far more jötunn than æsir, I appear much as an ásynja at
first glance," Lady Hlín explained. "'Tis only when people become aware of my age that they
begin to suspect I am not entirely what I seem to be. It also makes me more susceptible to the
cold and, while many accommodations were at first made when I lived on Jötunheimr, this
began to change after Laufey became king. The jötnar became less tolerant of those who
were different and my sire thought it best to bring me here, since they grew up on Ásgarðr
and felt I would be safer here, where I could at least pass as an ásynja, if necessary."

Frigga had to suppress a wince as she thought of precisely how necessary that had probably
become in the last few millennia. She was actually rather surprised Lady Hlín had not moved
to either Vanaheimr or Álfheimr, both of which had always been far more tolerant of other
species.

"Your Majesties, may I enquire why I have been summoned here today?" Lady Hlín asked.
"Or why my jötunn nature is of interest?"
"'Tis a fair question," Lady Eir replied, after a glance at herself and Óðinn. "At present, I have
a jötunn patient and, in addition to not possessing anyone with sufficient knowledge of jötnar
anatomy and physiology, there is the issue of species prejudice to consider."

"Of that, I am very well aware," Lady Hlín stated crossly, but Frigga could see her interest
had been peaked. "I was not aware any of the jötnar attackers had survived the assault during
the coronation."

"They did not."

"Then where does this jötunn patient come from?"

"For that knowledge, I will require an oath of secrecy from you, Lady Hlín," Óðinn informed
her.

"An oath of secrecy?"

"Aye."

From the way Lady Hlín's face hardened, Frigga suddenly feared the healer would refuse,
based on principle. That she had already suffered abuse at the hands of both the jötnar and the
æsir was more than clear, and Frigga suddenly felt for those of mixed heritage who did not
enjoy all of the protections and privileges those of royal blood so often did. While there may
be people who did not approve of their sovereigns marrying those from another Realm, most
could understand the political necessity of it. Besides, the resulting children were often raised
quite carefully and purposefully on one Realm, as they were the future leaders thereof. In
wider society, however, that understanding may not exist, leaving those of mixed blood
without any protection from the prejudices and suspicions of both sides, belonging fully to
neither Realm or culture.

"Lady Hlín, please," Frigga begged. "We require your help and expertise, as does... the
patient. He is in a very precarious position at present and, while his main injury is not directly
related to his jötunn nature, not having that aspect of his health addressed could prove fatal.
Indeed, we have already had to rely on his word to provide him with the missing salt he
needed, something to do with his muscles aching?"

"The jötnar do require far more salt in their diet than any other species of the Nine," Lady
Hlín confirmed. "'Tis why they are able to exist at such extremely low temperatures as the
midst of Jötunheimr's harshest winters without their blood immediately freezing in their
veins. At least not for a few hours, after which it may happen even to them if left out in the
cold without shelter long enough."

"Will you help us?"

"Two questions first, if I may, Your Majesty?"

"If it does not encroach on his identity," Frigga answered.

"You keep saying he," Lady Hlín began. "You do realize the jötnar are not a sexed species,
aye?"

"We are aware," Óðinn replied. "All full jötnar are both male and female."

"They would say they are neither, as they do not recognize sexes," Lady Hlín corrected, and
Frigga was impressed with her daring to do so to the king of Ásgarðr.

She was either supremely confident of her position from before, or Lady Hlín did particularly
care if she roused Óðinn's ire. Frigga wondered if it had to do with the anger she had
witnessed hints of earlier. Given what Lady Hlín had said of Laufey and how their rule had
altered the conditions on Jötunheimr, she could not help but wonder if she blamed Óðinn for
the increased hostility towards the jötnar on Ásgarðr. If so, then learning of Loki's true
species and heritage could serve to either increase the anger, or to abate it. Potentially even a
mixture of both, as it would prove Óðinn was not so callous as to allow a jötunn infant to die
simply because of their species, but at the same time she was starting to suspect Lady Hlín
would lay the blame for her son's current condition firmly at Óðinn's feet.

It made the need for an oath of secrecy regarding Loki's identity far more important, but it
also made Frigga wonder if bringing Lady Hlín in on her son's care was the best course of
action. That the healer had issues with Laufey-King was clear, but this might work in Loki's
favor as she would be aiding someone Laufey had wished dead, and Frigga was more than
willing to obtain as much good will from that as 'twas possible to. It had already happened to
her poor baby, and so 'twas better to be given as much meaning as possible now, though she
knew it would never compensate for the fact Loki's own father had tried to kill him.

"Either way, this particular jötunn views himself as male," Óðinn stated, which Frigga was
not entirely certain she agreed with.

She had always known of the jötnar's different sexual nature, it had been something she had
learned as a child on Vanaheimr when learning of the different species which populated the
Nine. Coming to know Bestla after her marriage had acquainted her with it on a more
personal level, thus she had not been at all surprised when she had unswaddled Loki that first
time to discover her new baby possessed both a penis and a vulva. Indeed, it had been more
surprising to her when the latter disappeared a few centuries later, but she had always
assumed this was done subconsciously, after a young Loki had noticed the difference
between himself and his older brother and sought to equalize them. It had worried her briefly
at the time, as she had feared it was the first of many such equalizing changes, but when
those had failed to appear, she had allowed this one to pass unremarked upon.

How did one explain to such a young child why they had both sets of sexual organs when
they were still far to young to understand what the purpose of said organs was, let alone why
Thor might have different ones from himself? And all without informing Loki of what he
was. If she had been able to do so, then Frigga may have raised the issue a few decades or
centuries later, when her son was old enough to understand, but given that she had not, it had
been simpler to leave the issue. Particularly as it did not seem to have caused Loki any averse
reactions and being considered male in æsir society would allow him to spend far more time
with Thor, which seemed to be all Loki wished to do at that age when not studying seiðr with
her.
"Hmm," Lady Hlín hummed, not seeming to be entirely convinced. "'Tis rare, but it does
occur."

"Was this one of your two questions?" Frigga asked, seeking to bring the conversation back
on track."

"Aye. The second was whether this jötunn is a prisoner or was utilized in the peace
negotiations as a hostage against Jötunheimr?"

"Nay on both counts," Óðinn replied, immediately. "Jötunheimr is entirely unaware of him."

That this intrigued Lady Hlín was more than obvious and Frigga watched as she looked
towards Lady Eir, still not entirely convinced.

"While I cannot say mistakes have not been made," Lady Eir began. "I can promise you they
were made with the best of intentions and this situation arose of a desire to save a life, rather
than to harm or endanger it. You will not be breaking any vows you may have taken as a
healer on Jötunheimr."

Oh, Frigga had not even considered the possibility, but she could now see why it might be a
concern given what they had told Lady Hlín.

"Very well," Lady Hlín finally replied, stepping towards Óðinn and holding out her right
hand.

Óðinn swapped Gungnir from his right to his left hand and clasped hold of her forearm. The
tip of Gungnir began to glow gold as Óðinn whispered a spell under his breath, ere looking
up into Lady Hlín's eyes.

"Do you swear on your seiðr and your life not to betray the confidences about to be placed in
you regarding the identity of your new patient?"

"I swear on my seiðr and my life," Lady Hlín responded, immediately, while golden seiðr
swirled around their clasped arms, quickly joined by blue seiðr as she spoke.

"The secret is his and his alone to reveal or conceal," Óðinn continued, and Frigga could see
the shock appear in Lady Hlín's eyes at those words.

Clearly, the healer had not expected this particular condition, no doubt expecting Óðinn to
maintain control of the oath and its conditions. This would go a long way towards reassuring
Lady Hlín and calming any concerns she might have had left. Now, Frigga could only hope
her baby did not do anything foolish in his current agitated state, though she was beginning to
believe that, even if he did, Lady Hlín would not take his permission to reveal Loki's secret at
will. Nay, she seemed far more concerned with ensuring any jötunn currently on Ásgarðr was
treated fairly and respectfully.

With a final flash, the two seiðrs flared and died away, sealing the oath. 'Twas quite a simple,
but effective spell. The issue was it required consent on both ends to perform, and most æsir
 were far too wary of seiðr in general, and both seiðmadr and seiðkona specifically, to ever
enter into such a vow.

"You have your vow, Your Majesty," Lady Hlín began as soon as the seiðr vanished. "Now
please inform me who my patient is."

Chapter End Notes

Enter Lady Hlín because, of course, I needed yet another name with an accent not found
on English keyboards! I hope you like her as she will be around for the rest of the fic.
Did anyone notice anything about her? Some of you have been commenting for a while
now with some theories that will be proven correct soon...

As for Frigga, it's all starting to really sink in. She is much faster than Óðinn at realizing
all of the mistakes that she made which led them here! Oh, and did you enjoy the few
little!Loki bits I was able to throw in there?

As for my blog, new this week is some unexpected inspiration for the sequel to this fic,
some controversial writing advice & a list of my WIP Loki fics!

Norse Mythology:

Hlín - "protector" - a goddess associated with (or possibly another name for) Frigg.

Old Norse:

æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
ásynja - female æsir, singular
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage

Up next week: Frigga and Lady Hlín discuss Loki, while Lord Ragnvaldr begins to
update Óðinn...
 Chapter 75
Chapter Notes

Whee, Sunday again, if very wet and gray here.

Enjoy the chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Frigga nearly smiled at her tenacity. She would be precisely what Loki needed at present;
someone who would not be intimidated by anything he might throw at them, and who would
counter any negative information her baby might possess about the jötnar. She had also
noticed in the past that those who had the courage to stand up for themselves, without being
ill mannered or dismissive, always garnered her youngest's respect and, therefore, his
attention. In that, Lady Hlín would be perfect, even if they might both irritate each other quite
badly.

"Prince Loki," Óðinn replied.

"Prince Loki?" Lady Hlín repeated in disbelief, looking towards her.

"Aye, if you will recall, we said at the time his birth was announced that I had concealed my
pregnancy to help ensure my safety and that of the prince," Frigga explained. "'Twas a
fiction. I did not appear pregnant, as I never was. Loki is not ours by blood or birth."

"He was taken from Jötunheimr during the war."

"Not taken, nay," Óðinn protested. "Saved."

"Saved?"

"I found him, abandoned and alone, in the main temple; left to die. I could not simply leave
him there, but I knew none would react well to a jötunn living in Iðavöllr after the war we
had fought. I wished only to protect him and allow him to grow up normally, as any other
child would."

"Abandoned?" Lady Hlín repeated, aghast. "Who would do so to an infant? And why does
Prince Loki look æsir if he is jötunn?"

"He is a shapeshifter," Frigga replied. "And he shifted as soon as Óðinn picked him up. We
believe 'twas a defense mechanism; a desperate attempt to survive."

"As for whose he is, his kin lines mark him as Laufeyson," Óðinn added. "I can only assume
he was abandoned due to his small size, which has not been affected by his shapeshifting."
Pure and utter shock crossed Lady Hlín's face, and Frigga could well understand it. To learn
the king had abandoned his firstborn child was horrific enough, but for it to be simply
because he was a runt or had some special status, was even worse.

"Íviðja," Lady Hlín murmured, eyes drifting as she thought.

"Pardon?" Frigga asked.

"Nay, my apologies. What is Prince Loki's injury? 'Tis said he was wounded while on
Jötunheimr."

"A slight exaggeration to conceal the truth," Óðinn admitted. "I had decided not to inform
Loki he was either jötunn or adopted, so he would never feel different. He then discovered
the truth while on Jötunheimr. We believe one of the jötnar warriors attempted to freeze his
arm during the battle and it shifted back to protect him."

"You believe," Lady Hlín repeated, before her eyes widened. "'Tis a core injury, is it not? He
did not take the discovery of the truth well."

Óðinn shook his head. "How is it you can deduce the truth so easily?"

"For I am well aware of the public sentiment towards, and perception of, the jötnar. Being
what I am, how could I do anything but?"

'Twas a valid point and Frigga wished she had still been a healer when they had first received
Loki. Given Lady Hlín's special skills, Frigga had no doubt Lady Eir would have insisted on
bringing her into the secret in order to ensure Loki's health and safety. How much might have
been different if that had been the case?

"How was Prince Loki able to persist as long as he did without a healer?" Lady Hlín inquired.

"Pure stubbornness," Frigga smiled, if briefly. "You will find my youngest as stubborn as he
is strong."

"Of that, I have no doubt if he truly is Laufeybarn. May I ask why you are requesting my help
now, given how long he has been on Ásgarðr?"

"While Prince Loki has been here since the day he was born, yesterday was the first time he
has shifted back to his jötunn form," Lady Eir explained. "We believe 'tis because of how
severely depleted his seiðr is at present."

"I understand, may I see him?"

"Aye," Frigga replied. "Come."

"I must return to my other duties," Óðinn said. "Please keep me informed of my son's
condition, and I will be back later to aid Frigga in healing Loki's core."

"Your Majesty," both Ladies Eir and Hlín curtsied as Frigga briefly clasped her husband's
hand.
"Prince Loki is being kept in one of the chambers in the royal hall," Lady Eir said as she led
the way. "At present, access to this chamber is restricted in order to keep the secret of his true
identity."

"Who is aware of it?" Lady Hlín asked.

"Other than us? Only Thor, though he was only informed last night, so he may still be
adjusting to it if you observe him with his brother," Frigga explained. "Loki is not yet aware
his brother knows, so he may not react well to discovering Thor with him at present."

Lady Hlín frowned and glanced about. "Precisely how poorly is Prince Loki taking this new
information?"

"Verily," Frigga stated, gravely, ere looking to the two Einherjar on guard. "This is Lady Hlín,
a healer we have brought back to aid Lady Eir in looking after my son. She is to be granted
full access to this chamber."

"Your Majesty," the guards replied.

They entered the healing chamber quickly, to minimize the chance of anyone catching a
glimpse of Loki. Her baby had shifted, rolling slightly more forwards, but his long limbs
were lax and his face clear, so Frigga knew the pain potion was performing its job.

"By the Mother," Lady Hlín breathed, taking a step closer to the bed, her eyes running over
Loki. "Why is his hand bandaged?"

"As Queen Frigga said, Prince Loki is not reacting well to being in his jötunn form," Lady Eir
responded. "The initial discovery caused his core injury, which he must have found a means
of dealing with for the duration of his regency. Awaking earlier, however, to discover himself
as he is now caused him to... try to claw his own skin off."

Frigga closed her eyes at the memory of Loki reacting thus. She never wished to witness
either of her children so horrified and disgusted with themselves ever again, but she feared it
would occur again as soon as her baby woke once more. Well, unless his seiðr recovered
sufficiently to revert himself back to his æsir form. Yet, even if that transpired, she knew
'twas not an issue which would simply disappear, much as they may all wish it to. Nay, 'twas
something which needed to be addressed for Loki's own good or they risked another core
injury later on, and she absolutely refused to allow that to happen now she was aware of the
danger.

Lady Hlín's lips were pressed together in a thin line and there was anger in her eyes once
more.

"Lady Hlín," Frigga began, feeling the need to address this particular issue now, rather than
risk it festering and then escalating. "I understand you may not entirely agree with the
decisions which Óðinn and I have taken regarding Loki and the truth of what he is, but we
are his parents now and I will not allow you to aid in his care if you do anything to attempt to
stoke the flames of his anger against us."
Both of the healers turned their heads to look at her in shock, but Frigga knew what she had
seen more than once now, and she was resolute. Angry as Loki may be with herself and
Óðinn at present, he needed both of them to come through this safely. If that meant sending to
Álfheimr for another healer skilled in treating the jötnar, then so be it. They would deal with
any resulting gossip or rumors.

"Your Majesty, I will admit to being angry at what has transpired, both before and after King
Óðinn found Prince Loki, however I realize his best chance at a full recovery is with his
family, not being pitted against them," Lady Hlín finally replied. "As I am certain you are
aware, there is much talk of the royal family in the city, most of it hearsay or gossip which
alters nearly as often as 'tis repeated."

Frigga winced at the words and their truth. It had been one of the harder things for her to
come to terms with as a child growing up in the royal family, and she knew Loki had
struggled with it as a child as well. Thor had never quite seemed as bothered by it, but he had
oft been praised and lauded for his heroics and achievements. She wondered if he would
become more sensitive to it now, after both his failed coronation and the subsequent foray to
Jötunheimr. All of Ásgarðr was aware he had been the one to lead them to war.

"Despite all of that, there is one thing which is consistently mentioned," Lady Hlín continued.
"And that is the strong bond between yourself and Prince Loki. It may be spoken of
positively or negatively, but its existence and strength remain a constant in all the tales."

The twisting of her relationship with her baby into a negative was something Frigga was all
too well aware of, as it had always enraged her. Damn Ásgarðr and its notions of honor and
heroics, dictating that men had to be fully weaned and separated from their mother's skirts
when they commenced their warrior training. 'Twas why Thor had become so reticent about
her displays of affection in public, and even sometimes in private. Loki had always been far
more tolerant of them publicly, at least in most circumstances, and he had never stopped
embracing them in private, oft seeking them out.

"Has it been affected?" Lady Hlín asked.

"Aye," Frigga replied sadly, gazing at Loki's sleeping face. "I kept the secret, and he blames
me for it even if he knows I did not agree with Óðinn on the matter."

Lady Hlín nodded once to acknowledge the words, before turning back to Loki with a frown.
Dread pooled in Frigga's belly, so she braced herself as best she could.

"You know, of course, you placed a child on Hliðskjálf through this deception," Lady Hlín
stated.

"What?" Frigga demanded, caught completely off-guard. "Loki is one thousand and forty-
six!"

"Hmm, precisely. The jötnar do not come of age until they are fifteen hundred years old."

Fifteen hundred years?

Frigga glanced back down at Loki in horror. Her youngest was still a child? But... it...

She wished to say it made no sense, but even as she thought it, Frigga could immediately
think of a few instances in the lead up to the coronation where she had thought Loki had
acted quite childishly. Óðinn, too, had complained to her of it, and, while Thor had not come
right out and said it, her eldest had complained of his brother's behavior. They had all thought
him envious, Óðinn in particular, and she wished she knew what Loki had said to his father,
but Óðinn had merely muttered about an attempt to gain Hliðskjálf for himself. Frigga
thought it odd as Loki had never expressed an interest in becoming king himself, but she had
oft noted how keenly he felt any difference in how he and Thor were treated.

If Loki were still actually a child, then it would go a long way towards explaining all of it.
Not to mention, it would also help explain why they had seemingly sailed through his puberty
so smoothly. At the time, she had simply been far too thankful for it after Thor's turbulent and
stormy one to question it too much, something else to feel guilty for now.

She had helped place a child on Hliðskjálf!

'Twas no wonder Loki had collapsed under the pressure of it all. Rather, 'twas even more
impressive her baby had lasted as long as he had.

A quick glance over at Lady Eir showed an equally stricken expression on the head healer's
face. Why had they not thought of this? Frigga was well aware the jötnar lived far longer than
either the æsir or the vanir, and 'twas something which had troubled her at night when the
boys were younger. She had oft entered their nursery after they had gone to sleep and stood at
the foot of their beds, simply watching them sleep and smiling at how oft she found them
both snuggled up in Thor's bed, curled around each other, deeply asleep. 'Twas then she had
worried; of what it would be like for Loki, to lose his entire family when he himself had only
just entered middle age. 'Twas a concern Óðinn had never fully addressed, saying they had
time to think of how to deal with it.

Yet, never once in all of that time had Frigga stopped to wonder whether the jötnar matured
differently from the æsir or the vanir. Some of it was no doubt due to the fact that, while the
vanir lived a few centuries longer than the æsir, they actually matured earlier. And Loki had
never seemed like he was too vastly different from Thor in terms of reaching his significant
milestones. In some, he had actually been faster. Frigga smiled as she recalled the first time
he had spoken. It had been entirely unexpected as there had been no babbling halfwords
ahead of time, nay, instead most of Loki's early attempts at communication had consisted of a
series of hums and odd little growls made deep in his throat. Then, suddenly one day, when
they had been outside in the garden having a picnic while Thor chased dragonflies, Loki had
reached out to her with his chubby little arms and said, quiet clearly, 'Mama!'.

"What stage would Prince Loki be in, just now?" Lady Eir asked.

"Given his age and the paleness of his kin lines, I would estimate he is on the cusp of full
puberty," Lady Hlín replied. "It could, mayhap, help explain his current emotional state, if he
is entering his first hormonal storm."

"Hormonal storm?"
"Aye, jötnar puberty is far more dramatic in terms of how hard and fast the hormones can
change, but this is followed by greater lulls when nothing alters before the next violent surge
of hormonal changes."

"Hence storms, I see," Lady Eir said. "How long does this puberty last?"

"Until they come of age."

Five hundred years of puberty? Frigga winced at the mere thought. Thor's three hundred had
seemed to last forever. But wait...

"Lady Hlín, pardon if 'tis a more sensitive subject on Jötunheimr," Frigga began. "But,
regarding jötnar sexuality, ah, well..."

"If you fear to inform me Prince Loki has already been sexually active, then you need not
worry," Lady Hlín reassured her, and Frigga felt a rush of relief. If they had inadvertently
pushed Loki into anything he had not been physically ready for, she would never have
forgiven herself. "The jötnar are far more like the múspellssynir in this area than any of the
other species in the Nine. We become sexually active quite early and actually have what is
called a hormonal pre-storm upon what would be our equivalent of an æsir minor majority.
'Tis what brings the sexual organs to superficial readiness, and from which point a jötunn oft
becomes sexually active."

"Superficial readiness?"

"Hmm. It means both the penis and vulva will function properly, but for purely pleasurable
means. Neither the testes nor the womb is as yet fertile, that only occurs during the final
hormonal storms of puberty."

Meaning Loki was not yet of reproductive age.

'Twas not a particularly large concern as Frigga knew neither of her sons was at all ready to
be a father, both believing they had only just come of age, but 'twas a rather surprising fact.
She found it intriguing the jötnar actually matured the sex organs so far ahead of the time
they could actually be used to reproduce, but then each species found on the Nine had what
seemed like odd or unusual aspects to their biology compared to the others.

The ability of the rjúfendr to spawn without a partner if they so chose was one such trait. The
fact the eldþursar spent part of their puberty as pure flame before emerging as fully formed
adults was another. For her own kind, 'twas the fact the vanir could always orient themselves
to a Realm's magnetic fields, ensuring they always knew which way to head to return home.
Humans had a first set of teeth they inexplicably lost in early childhood, only to grow a new
pair. For the ljósálfar, 'twas the scent glands they had on their heads, which perfumed their
hair and was important to their courting rituals. The dökkálfar, meanwhile, had the ability to
echolocate which allowed them to, not only, navigate in their underground warrens without
light, but also gave them the ability to determine the metallic composition of rock, allowing
them to more easily find various ores. Then the myrkálfar had possessed infra-red vision to
see in their precious darkness. Finally, the æsir released a second, far more potent type of
adrenaline when aroused, which was oft credited with their increased battle lust by many of
the Nine.

Frigga suddenly paused as another thought occurred to her.

"Ah, Lady Hlín, once the jötunn womb is fully developed, does it bleed like those of the
ásynjur or vanir?"

The healer smiled. "Nay, 'tis one thing Prince Loki will not need to deal with. The jötnar do
not have set fertility cycles, both of their sets of sexual organs produce and absorb their seeds
and eggs as and when necessary."

"Oh, good."

Frigga was not at all certain of how Loki would have reacted if he had needed to adjust to
bleeding every decade in addition to all of the other changes he would already be going
through. Most adolescents had enough difficulty in adjusting to their changing bodies without
needing to take on traits of what they would have considered the opposite sex up until that
point.

"I will require full access to all of Prince Loki's health records," Lady Hlín said.

"Of course," Lady Eir reassured. "I shall have a private study provided as well, so you may
converse with the king and queen regarding the prince's health and to, ah, make decisions I
suppose, if he is indeed underage."

As she said it, the head healer glanced at her and Frigga winced. She did not relish the
thought of informing Loki he was no longer officially able to make those decisions for
himself. Particularly after she had handed him all of Ásgarðr to rule. She would need to
discuss the matter with Óðinn, but she was more inclined to allow their youngest the
authority to decide for himself, unless Loki was reacting recklessly or emotionally and
endangering himself or others. He had already proven himself capable of so much, though
she had to balance that with the need to actually allow him to be an adolescent, which would
be difficult enough given all of Ásgarðr thought him not only an adult, but would view him
as the second most powerful man on Ásgarðr now until Thor ascended to Hliðskjálf himself.
As a former regent, Loki's status would be the greater until such a time.

"Are there other elements like the salt we need be concerned with?" Frigga asked.

"In terms of additional nutrients, Prince Loki's healthy status before his collapse would
indicate he managed to find a way to acquire them all," Lady Hlín replied. "I will go over the
standard diet supplied to patients and alter it to accommodate for the differences in jötnar
requirements. In general, I would recommend allowing Prince Loki to have what he requests,
his desire for particular items will likely reflect a need for them."

"Lady Iðunn may disagree with you," Lady Eir commented, and Frigga laughed.

"Loki has an almost insatiable desire for her apples," she explained for Lady Hlín.
"'Twas going to be my next recommendation," Lady Hlín replied.

"His desire for them is not merely based on their taste and rejuvenating effects?" Lady Eir
questioned, startled.

"He may quite enjoy them for those purposes, but they are also the only food on Ásgarðr
which contains a nutrient vital to the jötnar. On Jötunheimr, 'tis relatively scarce, too, hence
resulting in a very strong desire for it. As 'tis one of the few fruits found on Jötunheimr, it has
also resulted in a very strong liking of the jötnar for all things sweet."

To that, Frigga could personally attest. Loki as a child, or, well, a smaller child, had been
hard to keep away from sweets. Her little imp had found increasingly tricky means of
obtaining them and making off with those meant for others. As with the apples, it had
resulted in him landing in trouble on many an occasion until Loki had learned some means of
control. Even now, though, he was far more likely to consume dessert than Thor, who had a
greater preference for most things savory, though there were the odd desserts her eldest found
it quite hard to resist. It had led to much teasing when the boys were younger, as it had oft
seemed like Loki would quite happily subsist on meat, fish and desserts alone, forgoing
vegetables entirely.

"That explains much," Frigga smiled. "I will fetch some apples myself. How many do you
think he will need?"

"Do we know how many he has consumed recently?"

"I can inquire with Lady Iðunn, but Loki is known for obtaining those he has not been
allowed to have."

Lady Hlín smiled. "Knowing jötnar children, this does not surprise me. I would say five or
six in the last decade total would be optimum, though more would not harm him."

"Very well. Do you yourself require any beyond what you have been allocated?" Frigga
asked.

"Thank you, my Queen, but I have friends on Niðavellir who supply me with a suitable
alternative to ensure I have sufficient amounts of the nutrient."

"And are there any foods or drink we should not be allowing Prince Loki to consume?" Lady
Eir inquired.

"The only æsir items which are problematic for the jötnar are helam, ratan and harkish," Lady
Hlín said. "Though the latter is only dangerous in larger quantities."

"Loki has complained after eating it before," Frigga remembered. "He said it unsettled his
stomach, so he never consumed it again. The ratan, meanwhile, always turned him off on the
smell alone, to the point where he refused to remain at the table if it was served."

"Are there any dangers in the food and drink found in other Realms?" Lady Eir asked.
"There are some, mostly on Múspellsheimr or Niðavellir, though there are the odd items on
Vanaheimr and Álfheimr as well. I will ensure Prince Loki has a complete list, though I
would be surprised if any were served to him as King Óðinn's mixed heritage is well known,
so many would avoid those foods for fear of unsettling a royal stomach."

Frigga might not have elected to phrase it quite as such, but she knew the sentiment was true.
Royal visits from other Realms were carefully planned and catered events, in most instances.

The desire to turn around and return to the healing halls was strong and had been plaguing
Óðinn since he had left them, but he persisted, finally arriving at his study. Entering it this
time did not feel as strange as it had the last few times since the mess which was Loki's usual
style had all been cleared and replaced with neat, orderly stacks of parchment. He hoped a
copy of the new treaty with Jötunheimr was amongst the parchmentwork, as 'twas his top
priority.

Óðinn was heading towards the bell, to summon a servant to fetch him some tea, when the
image of his son clawing madly at his own hands rose up before him once more. Without
hesitation, he detoured to the cupboard at the bottom of one of the bookshelves which lined
the walls, for his bottle of good mead. 'Twas early in the day yet, but 'twas not every day you
had to watch your own child hate themselves enough to the point of self-mutilation. The
memory of the bright purple-blue blood made him quite generous in filling his drinking horn,
and he immediately took a sip, savoring the sharp burn of it. The pleasure was ruined,
though, by the mad look he had seen in Loki's eyes, and he resisted the temptation to finish
the horn in one long swallow. Instead, he deliberately corked the bottle and placed it back
into the cupboard before moving to his desk.

That so much of the desk's surface was visible once more, helped calm Óðinn and he
wondered, not for the first time, how Loki could work in the chaotic environment his son
always had his workplaces in. He did not think he had ever witnessed one which did not look
like a natural disaster had passed through it. It had never seemed to hinder Loki's ability to
achieve what his son needed to, but surely with a little more care it would not become such a
mess and would be easier to work on? 'Twas a battle Óðinn had long since conceded defeat
on, but that did not prevent him from wincing and wondering every time he saw one of Loki's
messes.

He could not help but wonder what the High Council had made of having the king's study in
such a state.

The thought reminded Óðinn of his and Frigga's talk with Thor yesterday, and he glanced
about to see if the books Loki had been utilizing were still present. At first, he did not think
so, but then he caught sight of a large stack of them on the table by the sofas. Approaching
them to have a look, he was not at all surprised to discover some clearly came from the king's
library. Loki had petitioned him oft enough for access to it not to have almost immediately
taken advantage of it once regent. A moment later, he felt ashamed of the thought as all of the
books he could see from there were ones which he himself would have consulted if preparing
for a negotiation with Jötunheimr.
Óðinn sighed at the thought. 'Twas yet another indication of how poorly he had judged both
of his sons. When he had first fallen to the Óðinnsleep and witnessed his youngest being
crowned king, he had feared for all of Ásgarðr. He had not thought Loki capable, if he were
honest with himself, let alone during so stressful and demanding a time as Ásgarðr had been
facing when he had collapsed so suddenly with Thor banished. His youngest had proven him
wrong as surely as Thor had, when his eldest had demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubt
he was not prepared for kingship.

The thought made Óðinn feel tired, though thankfully not in the sense of feeling another
encroaching Óðinnsleep. Simply because he knew how much work lay before him ere they
could possibly even consider thinking of setting a new coronation date for Thor. It would be
a fair few centuries, at least. The only good news was that he did not need to worry about
Loki utilizing the success of his regency to make a play for Hliðskjálf, as he had seen enough
to overhear more than one comment from his youngest being disparaging towards those who
had thought him desirous of it. It confused Óðinn, since he felt Loki had made attempts to
have himself considered as the heir, but mayhap he had been incorrect in his reading of those
situations.

It left a bitter taste in his mouth, but Óðinn could now easily see how painfully accurate Loki
had been in his assessment of his brother's ill preparedness for Hliðskjálf when his youngest
had come to see him just over a year ago. At the time, he had thought it a last, desperate and
childish attempt to discredit Thor in order to gain Hliðskjálf for himself, but now he could
see it had been nothing of the sort.

How was it Loki had been the only one to see Thor simply was not yet ready?

A knock on the door distracted Óðinn from his thoughts and he glanced up. "Enter."

"Your Majesty," Ragnvaldr said as he entered the study, closing the door behind him. "Do
you have some time?"

"You save me the need of having you summoned," Óðinn replied.

"Ah, excellent timing then."

"What?" Óðinn demanded when he saw Ragnvaldr hesitate as they both moved towards the
desk.

"I was going to ask after Loki's condition," his oldest friend replied. "But I believe I already
know."

Óðinn grunted, ere he rubbed a hand over his face. "Do I look so bad?"

"I would be worried if you did not, with a child so gravely injured. And so unexpectedly, too,
after everything which has already occurred."

"You would think I would be better prepared to handle it all, immediately after a sleep."
"One preceded by such stressful circumstances as this sleep?" Ragnvaldr questioned.
"Especially, when you were already in dire need of it, and then to have your son collapse on
you so quickly after?"

"Fine, fine," Óðinn snapped, conceding the point before his shoulders slumped. "I do not
know how we came to this, Ragnvaldr."

"Alas, I fear I do not know enough of the situation in order to offer any advice or suggestions,
nor do I know anything of core injuries to be able to offer naught but common platitudes on it
either."

In another, Óðinn might think it an attempt to fish for details on either the situation, or the
secret which had caused Loki's collapse. But he did know better. His friend was merely being
honest and expressing his regret at not being able to aid him more, as Ragnvaldr normally
would.

"In this instance, I believe providing you with more details may make the situation worse
later on," Óðinn replied. "I understand now 'tis, and always should have been, Loki's secret to
reveal or conceal."

"I understand, but Óðinn," Ragnvaldr said, softly, waiting until he looked over. "Do inform
me if there is anything I can do to be of service to either yourself or Loki, whether in an
official or private capacity."

"Thank you, my friend. The offer is much appreciated, as always."

Óðinn saw the way his friend glanced at his drinking horn, but luckily Ragnvaldr did not
comment on it.

"Where would you like to start?" Ragnvaldr asked instead.

"The new treaty."

"You are concerned about the details of it."

Óðinn's shoulders slumped once more. "Am I so transparent?"

"You are king and thus used to being in command. It has not been since before your own
coronation, I suspect, since something of this import was decided entirely without your
input."

He had not thought of it thus, but Óðinn had to admit 'twas the truth. It did also raise another
issue.

"I fear how I would have reacted then, had the attack on the vault happened after I had
announced Thor king," Óðinn said.

"The thought had occurred to me as well," Ragnvaldr admitted. "I am glad we did not have to
see that eventuality."
 'Twas an eventuality which did not even bear thinking about, and yet Óðinn could not prevent
himself from doing precisely that. Not with how atrociously things would have gone for all of
Ásgarðr.

"I believe we will need to dedicate a special session to Thor and his behavior from the end of
the coronation to his regaining his powers," Óðinn said.

"Aye. It will not be pretty, Óðinn."

"So I have heard. Frigga has mentioned something of a confrontation between Thor and Loki
before some of the High Council, including yourself?"

The way Ragnvaldr closed his eyes told Óðinn all he needed to know regarding how bad it
had truly been.

"On second thought, perhaps we should commence there."

"Are you certain?"

"You approved of the final treaty, did you not?"

"Along with the entirety of the High Council."

"Then, aye, I am certain."

Chapter End Notes

Ta da! No doubt far more information on jötunn biology than some of you wanted. But it
does answer some of the question that have been asked before about his age and current
stage of development. Not to mention the little bombshell to Frigga about all of that.

As for the sexuality thing, I know it might seem a bit odd, but I really did want o make
sure pretty big changes as we're talking about a completely different species, not merely
a different flavour of human, as so often seems to happen in some fics. No, the jötnar are
an alien race, they should be different in some big ways beyond merely their looks. I do
admit that I had a rather hard time coming up with the list of unusual characteristics for
each species! It's one of those things that had a lot of question marks in it when I hit that
scene, as I'd only figured out a few ahead of time. It wasn't until the final draft that all of
them were filled in.

Óðinn is also starting to understand the full depth of what happened and Thor's folly.
Not sure how he'd fare with it all...

Some of you may remember that I spoke before of another WordPress blog (Andrea's)
looking for people to write short children's stories to her art to put together into a book. I
have now finished mine and even received the first draft of the book! The story is called
Thunderous Thor and was based on the Mad Viking drawing. For the book, Andrea has
now also drawn a Loki, but as per mythology, so he's blond! 😀

Norse Mythology:

Iðunn - goddess associated with apples, youth and spring. She is the wife of Bragi, a
keeper of apples, and granter of eternal youthfulness.

Old Norse:

barn - child - so Laufeybarn = Laufey child

íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but I did find
some sources which said they were a different, better looking type of jötnar
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"
eldþursar - "fire giants" - often used to refer to the denizens of Múspellsheimr - I have
used this term for the bigger of the 2 species on Múspellsheimr in this universe
rjúfendr - from "to break, tear asunder" - my name for the smaller species from
Múspellsheimr
myrkálfar - "dark elves"
ljósálfar - "light elves"
dökkálfar - dwarves
jötnar / jötunn - "frost giants" / "frost giant"
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
ásynjur - female æsir, plural
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: The update continues, Frigga confronts Óðinn & Loki truly wakes...
 Chapter 76
Chapter Notes

Yep, an earlier post today as it's my weekend too for once and I had to defrost my
freezer. Which was the perfect time to edit!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Very well, it took place in here," Ragnvaldr began. "Aðalgrímr and I were present to discuss
the draft of the treaty which Aðalgrímr had drawn up based on what had been discussed and
agreed upon during the negotiations. Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and most of his men were
present as well, due to the fact we were at war and Heimdallr's earlier attempt on Loki's life."

Óðinn took a very controlled sip of his mead at the mention of the regicide attempt. 'Twas
something he had yet to come to terms with, despite having witnessed the actual attempt. He
was not certain whether to consider it luck or a curse he had been glancing at his youngest at
the exact moment it had occurred, but he had been helpless to act as he had watched Höfuð
swing towards Loki's neck, not seeing enough to know 'twas an illusion and not his son in
mortal peril from someone whom he had trusted implicitly.

"How did Loki take to being guarded so closely?" Óðinn asked. "From what I saw, he was
not giving Yngvarr too hard of a time, which is rather surprising given his past contempt for
his guards. Only Höðr ever seemed to manage not being abandoned by him."

"I believe there was some friction at times but, overall, I do not believe Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr can complain, nay," Ragnvaldr replied. "As for the rest, well, I have to admit, Loki
as king was surprisingly mature in areas I would not have expected him to be."

"Aye, he seems to have been as surprising in the role as Thor was disappointing," Óðinn
admitted.

"Is it possible Loki's injury was affecting his abilities sufficiently he was more in need, or
desirous, of Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's protection?"

'Twas a thought Óðinn had not considered. "That may be possible. Core injuries affect a
seiðmadr's seiðr capabilities and, with all of the other seiðr he had to perform, it could well
be Loki wished to conserve as much power as he could."

"I still find it hard to believe how effectively he hid his injury from all of us," Ragnvaldr
lamented. "He spent almost the entire time with at least his guard and quite often with other
members of the High Council. I can understand why he felt it necessary to do so, but his
success is what amazes me. Even when he was far more irritable or short tempered than
normal, there always seemed to be another reasonable explanation for it."

"Illusions have always been a particular strength of Loki's. As has misdirection. I fear you
were all subjected to his centuries worth of experience with both, and neither of us need to be
told the stakes could hardly have been higher."

"Nay, they could not. He did you very proud, Óðinn, I hope you realize it."

"Aye, I do."

"And did you tell him so?"

"Tell him?"

"In working as closely with Loki as I did during his regency, I have come to know him better,
particularly in times of high stress when tempers flare and words are oft less guarded."

Óðinn frowned. "He said something which concerned you."

"There may have been a few instances, aye."

"And?"

"Are you certain you wish to discuss this now?"

His old friend's reticence puzzled Óðinn. Though Ragnvaldr rarely gainsaid him in public, in
private he could count on his friend being brutally honest with him. On many an occasion, he
had heard words from Ragnvaldr he had not appreciated or enjoyed, but 'twas precisely this
ability and forthrightness which made the man the excellent advisor that he was. It had been
part of why he had oft thought Loki a good candidate for Thor's advisor; Óðinn's youngest
had never minced words when he felt them necessary. A fact he himself had forgotten when
Loki had come to him regarding his concerns about Thor's ability and preparedness to rule.

"There were multiple comments pertaining to Loki's perceived popularity, or the perception
others had of him," Ragnvaldr said. "In addition, he seemed to be the only one not surprised
at the actions of all five of the traitors. Both General Týr and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr
have informed me Loki was the first to suspect all of them, and 'twas his idea to take
precautions the night of Heimdallr's regicide attempt."

That Óðinn had not witnessed, though he had known from the trial recordings that Loki had
discussed his concerns of Heimdallr and the Warriors Four with both leaders of the army
beforehand. He would need to speak with both to learn precisely what had transpired.

"Then there were your own words when you spoke with both Loki and Thor upon awaking."

"My words?" Óðinn repeated, startled. "What did those have to do with anything?"

"You may not be aware of it, but the way you spoke to them was markedly different."
"In what way?"

"Prince Thor, you greeted enthusiastically, informing him you were proud of his having
learned the lesson you intended him to and thereby regaining his powers," Ragnvaldr
explained. "King Loki, you greeted far more formally, merely telling him he had done well."

"He was still officially king, there was decorum to follow," Óðinn protested.

"You could still have said you were proud of him."

"I said-"

"That he did well, not that you were proud of him. There is a marked difference."

The fact his friend had cut him off, told Óðinn Ragnvaldr felt strongly about this. He frowned
as he tried to think back on what he had said. It had not been so different, had it?

The memory of Loki's entrance was startlingly clear given he had only just woken from his
slumber, but then he had never expected to see his youngest wielding Gungnir in his own
right and, with both Muninn on his shoulder and Ragnvaldr by his side, his son had cut quite
the picture. Óðinn could only imagine what it would have been like if Loki had been wearing
any of the new robes he vaguely recalled seeing his son in while he slept.

What came after was slightly less clear until Thor had entered, and Óðinn could recall his joy
at seeing his son restored. It proved his eldest had learned at least some of what he had hoped
Thor might on Miðgarðr.

But was it truly so different?

"Óðinn," Ragnvaldr said. "Which is the greater achievement? Thor learning to control his
temper and respecting Hliðskjálf, or Loki who came onto it so unexpectedly and had to force
Laufey to agree to a new peace treaty?"

Óðinn wanted to protest that had not been Thor's lesson, but he knew 'twas not his old
friend's point.

"Was it truly so different?" he asked.

"Aye," Ragnvaldr confirmed. "And Loki, at least, was well aware of it."

The latter caught Óðinn off-guard and it inevitably flashed him back to the vault and Loki's
words there.

"You know it all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years. Because no matter
how much you claimed to love me, you could never have a frost giant sitting on the throne of
Ásgarðr."

If that were truly how his youngest felt, then Óðinn feared what he must think now, given
Ragnvaldr's words and view of the situation.
Had he unintentionally given Loki the wrong impression? That he did not love or trust him as
much?

Óðinn wished to deny it, but 'twas what he had done before and it had proved disastrous.

"Loki came to me just over a year ago," Óðinn began slowly, wishing to keep it to himself
but knowing his advisor needed to know, even if his friend mayhap did not. "He said Thor
was not yet ready for Hliðskjálf. That he was too impulsive and impatient."

"A very astute assessment it would seem," Ragnvaldr replied. "You believed him to be
jealous?"

"Aye."

"I fear I might have thought the same in your position."

"Truly?" Óðinn questioned, startled.

"I did say before that Loki as king was surprisingly mature in ways I would not have
expected."

"He has also always been more considerate and careful in which opponents he takes on,"
Óðinn added, frowning as another thought occurred to him. "Or how he does so."

Ragnvaldr laughed. "Please tell me you saw how he took on the representative Queen
Sinmara sent to try to trick him into signing a bad treaty for Ásgarðr."

"Nay," Óðinn replied, leaning forwards.

This sounded like something he would like to hear and, if Loki did anything particularly well,
'twas turning such situations back on those who had thought to play him for a fool.

"Do tell."

The shock of what she had learned was starting to wear off when Frigga left the healing halls,
and she immediately made for the king's study.

Óðinn had better not have known of this!

Part of her was horrified at the mere thought; that she could even consider Óðinn to have
been aware of it. Yet, at the same time, he himself was half-jötunn. His mother had been fully
jötunn. How could Óðinn not have known? Had Ásgarðr already been so prejudiced against
the jötnar, even then, for one born to a jötunn to not be aware of something so basic about
them and their biology? Though, Óðinn did appear to age far more like the æsir or vanir than
Lady Hlín did. Was that down to chance, or was her increased jötunn heritage responsible for
it? Was there a certain level of jötunn blood which was required to be able to live the longer
lifespan of the species?
None of that was particularly relevant at the moment, but Frigga found her mind pondering
the question nonetheless. As if staying away from what she had learned, and its implications,
would make them untrue.

They had placed a child on Hliðskjálf.

They had placed a child on Hliðskjálf.

It made Frigga feel ill even now, knowing how it had all turned out. How could she not have
known her baby was not yet of age? She, who was so close to him and spent so much time
with him. At most, she had found some of his actions and reactions somewhat childish for his
age, but, beyond a mild scolding and a thought or two of how he should know better, she had
not given it much thought.

The guilt she felt now for that was immense and so she was not as composed as she might
wish to be when she entered Óðinn's study, finding him with Ragnvaldr.

"Frigga?" Óðinn frowned. "Has something occurred? Is Loki all right?"

"You had better not have known," she stated, before she could even think it over.

"Not have known what?"

"Ragnvaldr, apologies, but I need a moment with my husband."

"Of course, my Queen," Ragnvaldr replied, fully rising to his feet. "Shall I return after
lunch?"

"Aye," Óðinn replied.

Frigga managed to wait until the door was shut before striding forward.

"Tell me you did not know," she demanded.

"Know what, Frigga?"

"Loki's age!"

Óðinn rose and took her elbow, leading her to the sofas.

"I do not know what you speak of, Frigga," he said, softly. "Do you mean his actual age? Of
course, I know it."

"Nay, his relative age. When do the jötnar come of age?"

Now Óðinn's face grew graver, but Frigga could tell that, though he was starting to
understand her, he did not yet realize the full implications.

Which answered her question all on its own.

She felt relief flood through her even if she still could not comprehend how he could not
know the truth.

"Frigga?" Óðinn questioned and she leaned over to take his other hand.

"Did you notice how pale Loki's kin lines are?" she asked, unable to come right out and say
it.

"Aye, but there are several things about Loki which are different from any other jötunn I have
seen before," he replied. "Such as his hair as Thor pointed out. I assumed it had to do with his
being a runt."

The word still pained Frigga all of these years later, even though she knew 'twas true and that
otherwise she would never have had Loki at all.

"It does not," she replied. "Lady Hlín says 'tis a mark of his age, that they darken as a jötunn
undergoes puberty."

"Puberty," Óðinn repeated, paling dramatically. "Do you mean to say..."

"Aye, Loki is still underage."

"By how much?"

"Four hundred and fifty years."

It still felt surreal to Frigga. How could Loki yet need to live half again as long before he
became an adult?

"Please tell me 'tis all adolescence."

Frigga inclined her head. "Lady Hlín says Loki entered that state forty-six years ago, and she
believes 'tis partly why he has been reacting so poorly. He is undergoing the first of what they
call his hormonal storms."

"Norns," Óðinn muttered, pulling a hand free to run over his face. "I... He..."

"How, by the Nine, are we going to allow him to complete his childhood properly now?"

Clearly, her husband had no immediate answer to her question, and they slipped into silence
for a few moments.

"This explains a few things," Óðinn finally said.

Frigga laughed without humor. "My thoughts exactly."

"I will need to consider it and we can have words this evening."

"Very well," Frigga replied as she rose, her eyes falling on the books which now occupied the
table before them. "What are these?"
"Tomes on Jötunheimr Loki used for the negotiations."

Tilting her head, Frigga read the spines and paused on one particular author's name. "This is
the book your mother wrote, which Thor mentioned."

"Aye, I believe 'tis a general book on Jötunheimr and jötnar culture from the library."

"May I take it?" Frigga asked. "I may not have the time to read much now, but clearly there is
much we both have yet to learn about the jötnar."

"Of course."

The foul taste on his tongue of a hated sleeping draught was the first thing Loki became
aware of, and he groaned.

"Baby?" Frigga's voice drifted down to him.

It helped soothe Loki as he became aware of the agony of his core once more. He pushed his
face deeper into the pillow and what he thought was the side of his mother's leg, which meant
she was seated on the bed a little higher than him. Rather than pressure him, Frigga merely
ran too hot fingers through his hair.

That, combined with the slow return of his memories from earlier, told Loki he was still in
jötunn form. Resignation flooded through him, though both Mother Winter and Ásgarðr had a
tight grip on his seiðr, so he could not immediately tell how damaged it was. Given how he
had reacted the last time he had woken, and the agony he felt, he knew it could not be good.

Strangely, he did not feel the need to check.

Instead, Loki gave into the irresistible and rolled onto his back.

"Hello, Loki," Frigga smiled, though there was an uncertain edge to it.

"Mother," Loki replied.

"How are you feeling?"

"Drugged."

A small sound from his other side made Loki look over to find Óðinn seated there. He
frowned as he thought of that. Did the All-Father not have other things to do?

Loki was about to ask, but a surprisingly good smell distracted him, and he looked towards
the foot of the bed where Lady Eir stood with another woman who had long, graying hair.
His first reaction was to cover himself, as he had discovered he was not even wearing a tunic,
but he knew 'twas pointless. She could not have failed to notice what he was by now, so he
shoved the urge aside.
"That does not smell like a normal restorative potion," Loki said instead, glancing at the
goblet Lady Eir held.

"'Tis not, Lady Hlín has modified it," Lady Eir replied.

"The regular one contains an ingredient considered quite vile by the jötnar," the unknown
lady said, when Loki flicked his eyes to her, assuming she was Lady Hlín. "'Tis not in this
one."

"You could not have removed it centuries ago?" Loki asked Lady Eir.

She smiled sadly. "I had not realized."

"'Tis mostly my fault, I am afraid," Óðinn said, drawing Loki's attention back to him. "I have
been muttering and complaining about the draught since I first took it as a lad, so it did not
surprise Lady Eir when you disliked it too."

"Unfortunately, I did not realize your dislike was far more amplified than the king's," Lady
Eir finished.

'Twas the closest Loki had ever heard anyone, Óðinn included, come to referring to his
adoptive father's mixed status. But as to the words themselves, they made sense, particularly
when Loki considered that Lady Eir and the others probably still assumed his æsir shift was
full and complete.

"Will you try it, darling?" Frigga asked, a warm hand settling on his forearm.

"Hmm," Loki replied, his stomach growling.

He was hungry and the potion smelled good, so his usual reluctance was gone as he did not
feel he would have to fight to keep from being ill, for once.

"How are you feeling otherwise, my Prince?" Lady Hlín asked while Lady Eir handed him
the potion once he had raised himself with his adoptive parents' help. "Any residual achiness
from the salt deficit?"

"Nay," Loki said.

He gave the potion a glance before raising it to his lips. The first taste was surprisingly
palatable, so Loki quickly drank the rest of it. There was an odd aftertaste, but 'twas not
unpleasant, simply alien.

"Is that settling well?" Lady Eir asked. "Do you think you can have something more solid?"

Instead of replying right away, Loki thought about it for a moment, trying to see how his
stomach felt. It did not seem unsettled.

"Meat?" Loki asked, hopefully.

"We could request that," Lady Eir smiled. "Though I had something sweeter in mind."
As she said it, the head healer lifted something from a basket on the table and Loki blinked in
surprise as he beheld one of Iðunn's golden apples. But...

"I do not understand," Loki admitted, glancing at Óðinn. "I have had my allocation."

And his injury, though grave, was not physical.

"The golden apples contain a nutrient you require not found anywhere else on Ásgarðr," Lady
Hlín explained. "Hence your intense desire for them."

That... Loki blinked. It made a lot of sense, since even he had sometimes wondered why he
was so enamored with the apples above and beyond their taste and the fact he was not
allowed to have as many as he pilfered.

Which did not explain how Lady Hlín knew of this. Unless she had specifically studied jötnar
medicine and physiology.

"You have knowledge of jötnar healing," Loki said.

"Lady Hlín was Queen Bestla's personal healer," Lady Eir said.

Bestla's? But Lady Hlín did not look old enough to have been her healer. Unless...

"You are not fully ásynja," Loki realized. "You are part jötunn."

"Just over three quarters," Lady Hlín confirmed. "I was raised on Jötunheimr and commenced
my training there."

Which explained both why she knew so much of the jötnar and why she had been brought in
to aid with him. Still.

"Is the pale skin that dominant?"

"It varies individual to individual."

In that one, Lady Hlín had been lucky, though Loki knew better than to give voice to that
particular thought now. He did not wish to invite a lecture. It did explain why she had been
brought in now, though.

"How many can I have?" Loki asked, hopefully, as Lady Eir handed over the apple and he
immediately took a big bite, savoring the rich and delicious flavor as it burst to life across his
tongue.

"That would depend on how many you have already had recently," Frigga replied.

"Had?" Loki asked, turning to give her his most innocent look. "Simply my allocation, of
course."

He heard a half laugh behind him from Óðinn, but Loki kept his attention focused on his
mother, who was trying to guilt him into admitting the truth with a stern look. He refused to
cower, though, as 'twas about receiving more golden apples without needing to pilfer them.

"We shall see," Frigga replied, not giving him a direct answer either.

Stalemate.

He took another bite of his current apple.

"How is your core?" Frigga inquired, when the silence was starting to feel stretched.

Loki had not planned to break it, though. For all he was renowned for his ability with words
and so called lies, he knew well the value of silence. A direct question, however, he had to
answer, and not only was he still in agony, but he hated the sense of vulnerability which still
lay over him from the sleeping draught.

"How do you think?" Loki retorted, crabbily.

"Loki," Óðinn admonished.

An odd sound escaped his throat as Loki turned his head to glare at the All-Father. This was
all his fault, so he had no right to complain!

"We know you are hurting, Son," Óðinn said, seemingly unfazed by his unusual behavior and
sounds. "But, in order to help you, we need to know how you are."

"Your fault," Loki muttered, and Óðinn's face took on a stricken expression.

"I know, 'twas not my intention."

Still his fault.

Wanting to enjoy the rest of his apple rather than argue, Loki slid down in the bed and rolled
on to his other side, putting his back to Óðinn. It meant he was facing Frigga, but that was
always preferable.

"We spent some time healing you while you were asleep," she said. "Can you feel the
difference?"

Loki nodded as he chewed his mouthful. The agony was still hot and bright, but it did feel
different from before. More present, which could only be a good thing even if it meant he felt
it more. A tentative touch towards his seiðr proved he could feel it, even if he could already
tell that to even attempt to use it would be a very bad idea. After the way it had felt like a
limp, dead thing within him before, though, 'twas a vast improvement and one he would be
eternally grateful for. He did not ever wish to feel that again, it had been the worst experience
of his life. Including the incident with Brokkr.

In addition to his parents' work, Loki could also see evidence of both Ásgarðr and Mother
Winter's efforts in the bolstered connection to his core. He sent them each a silent thanks as
he finished off his apple. Their response was immediate and delighted.
"Loki, it may be better if you do not utilize any seiðr until you are more healed," Óðinn said.

"Seiðr?" Loki blinked, handing the core of the apple back to Lady Eir when she appeared
beside his bed to take it. "I am not."

"The Óðinnforce moves within you."

"Oh, 'tis her, not me," Loki replied.

Though he could not see Óðinn, the way his mother looked over told Loki they were sharing
a look. Hopefully, 'twas one to leave the issue alone for now.

"Why am I half naked?" Loki asked as he caught the way Ladies Eir and Hlín were regarding
him as they quietly conversed together.

Normally, he would not be terribly self-conscious about his chest and arms - at least not since
he had come to terms with the simple fact he would never be able to match his brother - but
his current appearance made him wish to hide himself away.

"We did not wish for you to overheat, darling," Frigga said.

"I want a top."

"Loki," Óðinn sighed.

"I want it!"

"We have some right here," Mother said, moving away from the bed to reach the drawer in
the table by the head of his bed. "Livunn brought a few complete sets of sleepwear."

Livunn. Loki's stomach dropped at the thought of her, or anyone else, having seen him thus.
A warning twinge from deep within him made him push the thought aside. Simply because
she had brought his items over did not mean she had seen him. Access to his private healing
chamber could easily have been restricted. Loki took the light linen top and eagerly pulled it
on. He immediately felt what Mother meant with her concern he might grow too hot, but he
felt better nonetheless. Yet there was something odd. He adjusted the top a few times, but
'twas still there, an unusual feeling he could not quite place as he had never felt it before.
'Twas as if parts of his skin felt the cloth differently.

"Are your kin lines itching, my Prince?" Lady Hlín inquired, drawing his attention. "It can
happen at your age."

"Nay, they are not itching," Loki replied, frowning.

Was it his kin lines he was feeling? A quick look under his sleeve seemed to indicate that
'twas his kin lines he was feeling. However, he was not quite certain how.

"I..." Loki frowned, at a loss for how to describe it.

"Kin lines have a different reaction to touch than the rest of a jötunn's skin," Lady Hlín told
him. "Ergo, the tunic would feel different to them than the rest of you."

"Why?"

"There are more nerve endings along them, much as the lips have more than the rest of the
skin of the face."

The lips?

A smile crossed Loki's face as he understood.

"Are there certain societal rules which go along with the touching of one's kin lines?" he
asked.

Lady Hlín's answering smile told him he had been correct. "Aye," she said. "'Tis generally
restricted to one's family or lovers, though the ones on the back of the hands, if present, are
exempt from that."

Of course.

"Why might they start to itch at Loki's age?" Frigga asked, her hand shifting from where it
had taken his hand earlier, after he had pulled on his tunic.

'Twas not until now that Loki realized his mother had been absently stroking one of his kin
lines with her thumb. It had felt nice and soothing, but he was not quite certain how to ask
that she did it again. 'Twas part of his jötunn form and he wished nothing to do with it.

"One of the things which happens during adolescence is that a jötunn's kin lines darken,"
Lady Hlín explained. "This process takes the full five hundred years and can cause itchiness,
but there is a simple cream for it I can make should it become necessary."

Five hundred years?

Horror was the dominant emotion Loki felt just now, as it easily eclipsed the agony from his
core. He was going to have a five hundred year puberty? 'Twas half as long as he had already
lived!

"Is it tied to the hormonal storms?" Frigga asked.

"For some," Lady Hlín replied.

Wait.

"Hormonal storms?" Loki asked, despite dreading the answer.

'Twas not the first time his near insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge had caused him
to ask questions he really did not want the answers to. As Lady Hlín explained what awaited
him, he realized that, aye, this was one of those times.
 With a groan, he rolled to bury his face in the pillows, muttering a few choice
Múspellssynirian words.

"Loki," Frigga tried for stern, but he could hear the laughter in her voice.

'Twas not amusing! He would lose his objectivity to pure emotions for large parts of the next
half millennium. And, as if that were not enough, it would be a far higher level of hormones
than that which had caused Thor to become even more stupid than the oaf normally was! Not
to mention all the risks and dangers it could pose to his core as proved by what had already
transpired.

"I know it sounds bad right now, but it will be alright," Frigga continued.

Unable to deal with it all, Loki grasped one of the spare pillows and crushed it on top of his
head. He heard Frigga's voice speaking again, but he ignored it, not wanting to talk anymore.
He was probably proving he was still a child, but he simply did not care.

Chapter End Notes

Yep, Ragnvaldr finally gave Óðinn a few home truths. Will they sink in? And that
conversation kept running off track when I wrote it. But I let it go where it wanted to as
I figured the two of them constantly being distracted by other stuff was quite realistic
given how many things happened during Loki's regency!

As for Loki, poor baby isn't feeling well and he's got rogue teenager hormones raging
away at the same time. He's not having a good time of it at all!

I'd also like to say a big thank you to anyone who has visited my blog as I recently hit a
big milestone, which wouldn't be possible without some crossover from here. Several
recent posts have been inspired by comments from here or FF.N; the ones on negative
reviews, tropes and representation. Do let me know if you want me to talk about
anything particular relating to writing of any kind.

Old Norse:

Höfuð - "man-head" - Heimdallr's sword

Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
ásynja - female æsir, singular
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
múspellssynir - "sons of Muspell"

Up next week: Loki's healing continues, while Óðinn is informed of the state of the
Nine...
 Chapter 77
Chapter Notes

Sunday, so more fic!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Loki," Óðinn's voice finally said, loud enough to draw his attention. "Before we continue
healing your core, we need to do an in-depth soul forge scan."

Loki pushed aside the pillow just enough to look at his adoptive father. "You want me to
leave the chamber. Like this?"

"We have a hooded robe and would clear the other chamber, of course," Lady Eir said.

The very thought of leaving the chamber, even disguised, terrified Loki, but he had no desire
to admit that to Óðinn, not after his collapse. 'Twas more than enough weakness for a century,
let alone a week.

"It will help us better understand what requires healing," Frigga urged.

"Fine," Loki bit out, pushing aside the pillow entirely.

"I will go clear the chamber," Lady Eir said, heading out.

"My Prince, it will grow far warmer once we leave this chamber," Lady Hlín stated, holding
out a robe as he swore. "It should not be too bad, but it may be unexpected."

'Twas not something Loki had considered, but now he looked, he could see his parents' breath
condensing every time they exhaled. Lady Hlín's, however, did not do so. He could not help
but wonder what other jötunn characteristics she might have which Óðinn did not. At first,
glance it seemed like she would live for longer than his adoptive father.

The robe was not something Loki recognized and, when he pulled it on, he found 'twas a size
too big, the sleeves hanging down past his hands. He pulled up the hood, allowing his mother
to fuss with the placement of it when she stepped close. The slight trembling of her hands
gave away her own emotional state. Loki hesitated for a moment before reaching up to clasp
her hands with his own. It made Frigga look him right in the eye and he wanted to hide from
that, but he resisted, knowing she had long since had a good view of his monster face.

The thought caused him to wince as he felt something tear deep within him once more.
"Loki," Frigga chided, reaching up to cradle his face in her hands. "Baby, please stop. I know
'tis hard for you, but you are still the person you were before. Being jötunn does not change
that."

Loki closed his eyes, wishing he could believe it and not able to bear watching the tears well
up in her eyes, while knowing he was responsible for both them and the vulnerable tremble in
her voice.

"Who you are - your mind and personality - has not changed. Those are as they always were,"
Frigga continued. "So please stop hating yourself, baby, it could kill you and I cannot lose
you. Not you, darling."

Loki squeezed his eyes shut all the more at the wet, pleading tone of her voice. His hands,
which had come to rest on Frigga's wrists, clenched tightly, but she did not seem to mind,
stepping closer to him until he could tilt his head forwards and rest it against hers.

It...

Part of Loki knew that she was right. He was still himself in the most important ways, yet it
did little to help him deal with the revulsion he even now felt inside at the mere thought of
what he was, or looked like, at present.

His breath hitched as he struggled to cope with it, trying to sort it out and he could feel his
mother shudder against him.

"You are my little trickster," Frigga murmured quietly, just for him. "My little imp. My Loptr,
my knife."

The litany of all her kennings for him made it hard for Loki to swallow, each one steeped in a
myriad of emotions and memories, all of which sought to overwhelm him.

His breath hitched as he struggled to bring his wildly erratic emotions under some semblance
of control. It took far longer than he would have liked, but eventually he felt in control
enough to pull back just enough so he could meet Mother's gaze head on.

Frigga did so unflinchingly, and Loki had to admit that, maybe, for her, it truly did not matter.
While she had always known what he was, he had thought that mayhap seeing it would drive
the truth home in a way which merely knowing had not, but, if it had, he had missed that
moment; likely been drugged unconscious for it.

Still, the fact remained that now Frigga was interacting with him and touching him as freely
as normal. Well, when he allowed her to. The thought made him think of the lies once more
and he drew back, releasing her wrists to tug at the hood of his cloak once more. He saw
resignation and guilt flash through her eyes, but Frigga stepped back, giving him his space.

A quick glance showed Lady Hlín was at the door, speaking with someone outside, while
Óðinn remained where he had been. The latter surprised Loki, as he would have expected the
man to have either left or criticized him for his emotional behavior. He was not at all certain
of how to interpret Óðinn's silence. Was it disapproval or embarrassment for how Loki had
been acting? Or had it been guilt? The latter seemed highly unlikely for his adoptive father
since Loki did not think Óðinn did guilt, but with anyone else he might have suspected it. His
own inability and uncertainty annoyed and frightened Loki as much as anything else, so he
shoved it all aside.

"Shall we?" he asked instead.

"The guards have left for an hour," Lady Hlín said. "Lady Eir also indicates the other
chamber is clear."

Not wishing to delay, Loki moved forward, Frigga coming to walk beside him. He saw her
reach for his hand before pulling back, no doubt realizing it might risk revealing his blue
skin.

'Twas odd, before this he had always liked blue and found it both a pleasing and soothing
color. No doubt, due to the fact 'twas his mother's color and one she wore frequently. The fact
it had represented love, security and acceptance for so long was not helping his mental
cohesion any, as it caused a horrible clashing in his mind, a tugging and tearing of emotions
and memories.

Once in the chamber with the soul forge, and with the door firmly closed and locked, Loki
dropped the cloak. Its removal felt good, and he could not help but wonder if it had anything
to do with the texture of it on his altered skin, or if 'twas simply due to the temperature. If
'twas the former, it could help explain why the jötnar wore so little, even on Jötunheimr.

Though he had never been officially trained, he knew enough about the soul forge's readouts
to be able to interpret them. As a result, he closed his eyes, not wishing to have to confront
the other biological changes he was now subject to other than his skin tone. In fact, he
allowed all of their talk to wash over him, and instead focused more on Ásgarðr and Mother
Winter as they sought his attention by swelling up within him.

When 'twas done, Loki only came far enough out of his meditative state to be able to walk
back to his healing chamber, knowing there was no point in properly waking, given what was
coming next. Instead, he shrugged the robe off as soon as possible, grateful for the coolness
of his chamber, though he would never admit it. Not wishing to converse with anyone else,
he crawled onto the bed and dropped facedown into the pillows.

There was some further conversation around him, before two hands came to rest on his back.
His initial, instinctive, reaction when he felt seiðr reach out and sink into him was to respond
defensively, but luckily Ásgarðr was able to help him cut the reaction off, and, instead, he
forced his remaining defenses down, one at a time, to allow both Óðinn and Frigga in. He
may still be angry with both of them, but he knew their desire to aid him was genuine.
Besides, even if he had not been certain of it, he did not have any other choice, short of
demanding an unknown healer from Álfheimr, and then he knew he would not be able to
fully lower his mental shields.

Instead, Loki allowed the healing seiðr to combine with his meditative state to lull him
deeper, Ásgarðr and Mother Winter reaching out to cradle him. He could not have said how
long he lay there thus, but the pain was noticeably lesser when he came to full consciousness
once more.

His face was still buried in the pillows, but he had long since stopped pressing down into
them. Reluctantly, he rolled onto his back.

"Feeling better, darling?" Frigga asked, running a hand down the side of his face.

"Hmm," Loki replied, still feeling languid from the meditative state he had been in. "Are you
alright?"

She looked tired, as did Óðinn when Loki looked over. It made him wonder how long they
had been at it. The sun still shone outside, but if it had been early morning before, then that
would not mean much.

"Simply tired, baby," Frigga replied.

The kenning took a moment to register, but when it did, Loki scowled. "Mother!" he
protested.

"I will cease calling you that when you cease scaring me half to death."

'Twas not a fair deal. Loki loved it, even as he hated it.

"And people wonder where I learned my tricks from," Loki retorted, with a smile.

"Flattery will gain you nothing, young man."

"Do you feel stable enough to not require a sleeping draught?" Óðinn asked, but the words
were spoken with an unusual gentleness, and Loki glanced over at his adoptive father to see
if he could gauge the man's mood.

"I do not expect to deteriorate," Loki replied. "And I would prefer to sleep naturally, 'tis more
restorative. I think."

"He will be constantly monitored with the workings," Lady Eir said. "And I would prefer not
to utilize the sleeping draught too often."

Loki pulled a face at the mere thought of being addicted to such a foul tasting, and
drowsiness inducing, draught. Yet he understood enough of the mechanisms to know 'twas
possible.

"Very well," Óðinn said, and suddenly he was grasping Loki's hand, tightly. "Please do not
allow it to come so close ever again!"

The fierceness of the words caught Loki off-guard, and they triggered something deep within
him which he could not explain. Regardless, it caused emotion to well up within him and,
before he could stop himself, he had rolled towards Óðinn, pressing his face into the side of
his adoptive father's leg. There was a moment's pause, ere Óðinn's other hand came to rest on
his head.
The contact felt good, and Loki allowed himself to enjoy it as he struggled to bring his wild
emotions under some vague semblance of control.

He was not succeeding terribly well. Luckily, Óðinn was not thus afflicted and, when he
patted Loki on the head once, he took it as his queue to withdraw.

"We will be back once we have rested ourselves," Frigga said, from where she stood at the
foot of the bed. "Sleep well, Loki."

"Goodbye, Mother," Loki replied, inclining his head at Óðinn.

Lady Eir seemed to have already left the chamber, but Lady Hlín remained, and Loki focused
his attention on her.

"I wished to see if you had any questions about yourself, or the jötnar, you wanted
answered," she said. "I have been informed of how you came to be here, and of recent events,
but only under a secrecy oath tied to your consent."

His consent?

Loki blinked as he tried to understand her words. Why would Óðinn wish for him to be able
to decide who learned the truth from Lady Hlín, and who did not? Surely, Óðinn would wish
to control that given all of the damage it could cause, not only to the All-Father's own
reputation, but Ásgarðr's position in the Nine.

"Was this before or after he learned I am still underage?" Loki questioned.

"Before," Lady Hlín smiled, ere her own expression turned serious. "You already knew?"

"Lord Aðalgrímr may have mentioned jötnar majority in passing, during the peace
negotiations."

"It must have come as quite a shock."

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "However, it did explain a few things."

"How aware are you of the differences between your two forms?" Lady Hlín asked.

"Other than the obvious?" Loki shot back, before he became more serious. "There are not as
many as you would expect, or as there should be."

"I do not understand."

"The evening before the peace talks were to commence, I sat down to investigate my shift, to
see if I could reset my taste buds or digestive track to their original forms. I had thought to do
so in order to more easily handle the Ymir's sýra."

"Aye, I have heard the æsir do not respond well to the taste."

"From what I observed, 'tis a very accurate assessment."

There was a moment of silence, before Lady Hlín spoke once more. "What did you find when
you examined yourself, my Prince?"

"That 'tis incomplete, more of an æsir skin rather than a true shift."

"You mean a partial shift?"

Loki could well understand her rising alarm. Partial shifts were something those who learned
how to shapeshift had to be very wary of, as many a fool had managed to become stuck that
way.

He shrugged. "I initially shifted as an infant, having never seen an æsir before Óðinn, in all
likelihood. How was I to know what needed shifting other than what I could see, and that
which went with those changes?"

"Skin deep, I see."

"Hmm."

"Can you describe to me what you noticed was different, and I can alert you to anything you
may need to be aware of, as a result."

"My skin, obviously, both in color and texture," Loki began.

"I assume your temperature sensitivity altered along with those changes?" Lady Hlín asked.

"Hmm, though I have found some seiðr patterns in my mouth which indicate Mother may
have had to aid me in adjusting my sensitivity to temperature there."

"Hmm, Lady Eir did mention there had been an incident with heated milk when you were
first fed on Ásgarðr."

Ah, so that is what had transpired. 'Tis much as Loki thought, and he could understand why
they may not have thought to check it ahead of time, if he had already shifted to look áss. It
should have been a warning, though, that all might not be as it seemed.

"Did any other aspects of my shift draw their attention, or alter after I was brought to
Ásgarðr?" Loki inquired.

He was far too likely to have made mistakes for it not to have.

Lady Hlín hesitated. "You are aware of the dual nature of the jötnar?"

"Sexually, aye."

Oh.

"I was still dual sexed?" Loki checked.

"Hmm, Lady Eir said it vanished sometime when you were a toddler. Apparently, the queen
thought you may have noticed the difference between yourself and your brother, and altered it
accordingly," Lady Hlín explained.

'Twas possible, Loki supposed. He knew surprisingly little of how he was able to alter his
form. Most books were written by those who were not true shapeshifters, and so had only
been able to observe such changes, rather than experience or induce them. Indeed, he had
found some rather fanciful theories in some of them. Or derogatory ones by those clearly
jealous of the ability and attempting to downplay its significance.

Those books which had been written by others able to do what he could, were few and far in-
between, and oft spoke of the same instinctiveness which Loki felt. One or two had slightly
more description, but most agreed that they drew on some inner, inherent talent when they
sought to become something else. It made it very difficult to study as a field, or to see if it
could ever be duplicated by a working in any who was not naturally blessed with the ability.
The most they had ever been able to achieve, was to use regular transfiguration or
transformation spells, which could be both unpredictable and difficult to reverse if one did
not have a firm enough grasp on who and what they were, before using the spell.

Loki had once come across a woman who had been thus unable to return to her original form
and been forever stuck in a new body afterwards. It had fascinated him at the time, as he had
not been able to understand how someone could not be fully aware of themselves in order to
return to their original, and natural, state.

More fool he apparently, given he had been wholly ignorant of his own birth form.

He forced himself to focus back on his conversation with Lady Hlín.

"One of the things I noticed when I examined myself, was that I still have a womb," Loki
informed her- them? "Wait, are you dual sexed?"

Otherwise, it might be rather impolite to inquire, but, given their current conversation and the
fact she had already offered to speak with him of the jötnar, he did not believe she would
mind.

"Nay, 'tis a trait which oft seems to vanish when the jötnar mate with those from other
Realms," Lady Hlín explained. "'Tis part of why so many on Jötunheimr do not elect to marry
anyone who is not jötunn."

"And why the royal family has not made such alliances before."

"Hmm."

'Twas not entirely unusual. The vanir had also oft gone generations without intermingling
with those from other Realms as far as the royal family went. 'Twas why both Mother and
Uncle Freyr were considered wholly vanir, as any other influence was so far back as to have
been almost entirely diluted out. Younger siblings, like Mother, oft married other royalty, but
the heirs did not.
Loki wondered if it might have been part of why Uncle Freyr had not married Gerðr.

"How were your throat and digestive tract?" Lady Hlín questioned.

"Fully jötunn, other than some slight modifications made to be able to handle heated food,"
Loki replied. "'Tis clearly why I detest some traditional Ásgarðrian foods or spices."

"I believe I know which you mean."

"Would it also account for my need of the nutrients in Iðunn's apples? Would I have not
needed them as desperately had I been áss in my shift?"

Lady Hlín looked caught off-guard for a moment. "'Tis something I fear I cannot answer,
having never had a shapeshifter as a patient before."

"Not something included in your training either?"

"Nay, your gift is not a typical one on Jötunheimr."

It answered one question, at least. He had never heard of the Frozen Realm having more
shapeshifters than elsewhere, but all contact had been cut with Jötunheimr for so long, and
been strained even before, that he had not been able to rule out the possibility entirely, either.
He liked that 'twas a unique gift, but it did mean answers were far harder to come by.

"Have you ever found you are able to sustain yourself on the diet of what you transform into
for any length of time?" Lady Hlín asked.

"I have never remained in those forms for far more than a week, thus, while I ate exclusively
what my form would have in order to maintain the illusion I was but a normal beast, 'twas
never long enough to truly answer that particular question."

"I suppose we could perform some spells to attempt to find an answer, once you are fully
healed."

'Twas an intriguing offer, but Loki would need to decide if he truly wished to have his
questions answered at the expense of another learning more of his abilities. Normally, he
would not wish to do so, but, both as a healer and one oath bound to secrecy regarding him
by Óðinn All-Father, he might just have found someone he could trust with aiding him thus.
He would need to ponder if more closely, however, before making any final decisions on the
matter.

"I shall consider it," Loki replied.

It would be good to have the knowledge, though, should he ever need to remain in some form
for a far longer length of time. In such instances, knowing this answer could save his life.

"My Prince," Lady Hlín began after a moment of silence, and Loki glanced at her.

There was something about the way she said it, which was odd. Almost as if there were more
emphasis and more... meaning. The latter seemed odd, particularly given his current
appearance.

Loki paused and reconsidered. Lady Hlín was from Jötunheimr, could it be she viewed him
as her prince because of his heritage and species, rather than in spite of it?

The very thought felt odd to him, but he supposed he was probably right in his musings.

"I do not wish to discuss that which you would rather not speak of, but when King Óðinn
informed me of how you came to be here, he said something incorrect," Lady Hlín continued.
"'Twas in relation to your size."

Ah, how interesting she would seek to inform him of the truth, and so quickly too. Loki's
estimation of her rose immediately. If she kept this up, he may even request to keep her
around as his personal healer.

"I am aware of what I am," Loki replied. "And of why my... dam abandoned me."

"Oh," Lady Hlín said, a startled look on her face. "Good. I thought you might, given what is
known of the new treaty, but I wished to be certain."

Surprisingly, Lady Hlín seemed to hold no ill will about the treaty. Or, if she did, she was
very good at concealing it.

"You are the first to know," Loki said, making a mental note to ask Óðinn precisely what the
wording of the oath had been.

"I am honored, and you can be assured of my secrecy, even if I were not oath bound."

"Are they truly as revered as described in Bestla's book?" Loki asked, startled.

"Aye, my Prince. To the point where you could overthrow Laufey-King, merely by revealing
yourself and what they did to you."

The confirmation left Loki with mixed feelings, the rush of power felt good, but the mere
thought of revealing himself in order to do so, left him feeling vaguely uneasy. Nay, he had
no intention of dethroning his mother, no matter how satisfying it would be to do so.

The consequences were simply not worth it.

Not wishing to remain at his desk any longer, Óðinn moved them towards the sofas when
Aðalgrímr arrived to join him and Ragnvaldr.

"Óðinn," Aðalgrímr greeted. "How are you?"

"Struggling to catch up with all which transpired in so short a time."

"Aye, it has been busy. How is Loki faring?"

"He was doing better when we treated him earlier, though progress is slow."
"Is he out of danger, at least?" Aðalgrímr asked. "If I understood it correctly, there was still a
danger of him worsening before."

Óðinn took a deep breath and wished he had better news to give. "Nay, he is not safe yet,
though he is being monitored closely so we will know immediately should he relapse."

Even the mere thought of what Loki had done to himself yesterday, upon first awakening
after his collapse, was enough to make Óðinn feel ill.

How could his son hate himself, or what he was, so much? Had he and Frigga missed how
much the boys had come to despise the jötnar? Or nay, not despise, they did not possess
enough personal experience with them for that, but come to think so poorly of them as to
invoke this type of response from Loki now? It seemed unfathomable, yet he had witnessed
the proof of it with his own eye, and he would never forget it, no matter how long he might
still live.

"If there is anything we can do," Aðalgrímr began.

"Nay, much as others may know more about core healing, I do not believe there are any
which Loki would allow near him at present," Óðinn replied. "Not in his current condition,
and they may inadvertently do more to harm him."

"Very well."

"If I may," Ragnvaldr spoke up. "It does not sound as rational as I might expect from Loki."

The comment brought a smile to Óðinn's lips, brief though 'twas. "While logic may normally
work on my youngest, his current injury and its cause teeters him on the edge of his usual
control. As a result, he is reacting far more emotionally than is his usual wont. I only wish I
could spare Frigga the resulting words and their emotional cost."

Both men winced, no doubt well able to imagine how stinging his youngest's words could be
when wielded to hurt.

"Now, how fare the Nine?" Óðinn asked, redirecting the conversation. "Ragnvaldr has
mentioned some of the negotiations with Jötunheimr to me, and I have read the new treaty,
but I am told there is much else to discuss."

"Aye," Aðalgrímr confirmed. "Shall we commence with Múspellsheimr?"

"Very well. Ragnvaldr informed me Sinmara attempted to take advantage of Loki's regency
to procure better terms for Múspellsheimr on the zisa trade agreement."

"You would have been quite proud of Loki for how he handled the situation, Óðinn. He
almost had the representative panicking in the end."

"And was able to garner Ásgarðr quite favorable terms."

"Better than our last agreement, and back to what it once was."
"Do we think it has actually put Múspellsheimr at a disadvantage, or merely returned us to
the true cost?" Óðinn asked.

"I have spoken with Óðr and, from our perspective, nothing about the zisa we have received
has changed," Ragnvaldr replied. "Thus, making their claims of new methods and different
ores less credible."

"My sources also make it sound unlikely there were any true alterations to their harvesting
processes," Aðalgrímr added.

"Good, then we shall see what they say when 'tis time to negotiate the next agreement,"
Óðinn decided. "Who did Sinmara send to the signing ceremony on Niflheimr?"

"High Priestess Járnsaxa," Aðalgrímr answered. "I am uncertain if you were ever aware, but
she has attempted to seduce Loki in the past in order to gain information from him."

Nay, Óðinn had not been aware of it, but nor was he particularly surprised by it either.
Seduction had a long history in diplomatic relations, and likely always would. 'Twas why he
had warned the boys of it before they had even come of age. He would not see either of them
taken advantage of in such a manner, particularly as most were jealous of Ásgarðr's position
and power within the Nine and beyond.

"Clearly, Sinmara has learned," he said.

"Not nearly fast enough," Ragnvaldr smiled.

"Thankfully for us. Was there anything else pertaining to Múspellsheimr?"

"Only some reports from Huginn and Muninn, though I do not believe they spoke of anything
more then what Sinmara did with the zisa agreement," Aðalgrímr said. "I would move to
Niðavellir next."

"Niðavellir?" Óðinn repeated, surprised. "Surely, they were only contacted regarding possible
weapons for the war?"

"Aye, but there was an odd comment from Queen Hreiðmarr during the signing ceremony."

"Qu- she came herself?"

Aðalgrímr shared a startled glance with Ragnvaldr. "The heads of all the Realms came, but
for Sinmara."

That was rather surprising. 'Twas not oft the heads of each Realm came together, and at such
short notice too...

Either they had all been very worried about the possibility of war between Ásgarðr and
Jötunheimr, or they had been there for another reason. Óðinn was not entirely certain which
option he would prefer.

"What were Hreiðmarr's words?" he asked, choosing to focus on that first.

"They were said to Loki, but she spoke of his slighting Niðavellir."

"Slighting? How could he possibly have done so?" Óðinn inquired. "I understood you treated
with Niðavellir and invited them to Niflheimr along with all of the other Realms, but for
Miðgarðr."

"It would seem Loki was able to appease her on his time as regent, but not regarding his
actions before then," Aðalgrímr explained. "Hreiðmarr commented upon his propensity to
visit other Realms far more frequently than hers."

Óðinn could only stare at his head diplomat in disbelief. Hreiðmarr was surprised Loki may
not wish to travel to Niðavellir after what had transpired to him at the hands of Brokkr? Even
with it being his son who had gone back on his word, attempting to untangle himself from a
deal he had made, Óðinn could readily understand why Loki might elect not to go back to
Niðavellir. Brokkr's action had been beyond the pale, going far further than he should have,
no matter the nature of the dispute between them.

"Do we think 'tis something we should be concerned with now Loki is no longer regent?"
Ragnvaldr asked.

"I am uncertain," Aðalgrímr admitted. "I am at a loss to understand why she is upset about it
at all. The dökkálfar have never previously indicated they felt slighted at Prince Loki's lack of
visits. Indeed, if anything, I had thought them pleased he had not joined any delegations to
Niðavellir since... since what occurred with Brokkr."

"'Tis most peculiar," Óðinn agreed. "But do we feel it important or relevant, now Loki's
regency is over?"

"I would like to understand why 'twas deemed an issue, as it may give us further insight into
what else may be occupying Queen Hreiðmarr's time and concerns."

"Very well, but I do not want for it to be a priority, or to interfere with any other dealings we
have ongoing with Niðavellir."

"As you wish."

"On the topic of unexpected reactions to Loki and his regency, may I suggest we discuss
Álfheimr next?" Ragnvaldr suggested.

Óðinn almost dreaded to ask, given everything else which he had already heard since his
awakening. "Álfheimr?"

How much more could have transpired in so very short a time span?

"Before we speak of what happened during your Óðinnsleep, are you aware of some form of
model of the Yggdrasill which Álfheimr possesses?" Aðalgrímr inquired.

"Aye," Óðinn confirmed. "'Tis said to be quite the feat of seiðr, though I believe the precise
working has long since been lost. 'Tis said to be particularly wonderous to behold, though I
have not had the honor to view it myself."
'Twas something he had oft wished to, but he knew the ljósálfar were quite protective over it,
and he had no desire to injure their relationship by demanding he be shown it.

The look shared between his two Council members told Óðinn there was something he was
unaware of.

"What is it?" he demanded, feeling his patience wane.

Between his duties as king and healing his youngest, Óðinn had not been able to either rest or
relax much since his sleep, and he was not in the mood for unnecessary games. Or for his
men to become hesitant.

"It would appear Loki was granted the honor of viewing it some time ago," Ragnvaldr
responded.

"What?" Óðinn questioned, astonished. "Loki has viewed this Yggdrasilli model?"

"Aye."

Shock was the predominant emotion Óðinn felt on hearing this. Loki had been allowed to
view the ljósálfar Yggdrasilli model? It seemed unbelievable. Why had his son never
mentioned this to him? Did Loki not understand the great honor which had been bestowed
upon him? It seemed highly unlikely, but Óðinn could not fathom why else his youngest had
not informed him of it. Particularly given that such an honor was not bestowed upon off-
worlders lightly, so Loki must have done something quite special to even be considered for it,
let alone for Queen Sága to actually decide to do so.

She had never done so for him despite, knowing of his desire to view it, and how close
Ásgarðr and Álfheimr had become under his rule.

So why had Loki been allowed to view it, and not he?

"Did he say why?" Óðinn asked.

"Aye, apparently he inquired about it once in an unusual manner, thus, when he passed one of
the bigger milestones of his ljósálfarian seiðr studies, Queen Sága allowed him to view it,"
Aðalgrímr replied.

That was all? Surely, Óðinn had done more for Álfheimr and Sága than merely learning some
of their seiðr. It made no sense. Was Sága upset with him in some manner and had therefore
elected to keep him from it? That would still not explain why Loki had been allowed to view
it, though. He would need to consider this further, but not now.

"How did this come up during Loki's regency?" Óðinn inquired.

"Do you recall what I told you of the burning of the Yggdrasill?" Ragnvaldr asked.

Óðinn nodded. "Frigga described her experience of it for me, as did Lady Eir. They also
mentioned what Loki had told them."
"Well, it would seem Sága had expected Loki, of all seiðberandi, might be able to resist being
overwhelmed," Aðalgrímr explained. "She specifically inquired if he had remained awake."

"How could she have possibly known that?"

Ragnvaldr coughed slightly. "Is it possible there is some truth to the rumors she is a gifted
völva? Loki seemed to believe 'tis possible, but he could not say for certain either way."

"I believe it to be true, there has been too much over the centuries for it to be mere
coincidence," Óðinn frowned. "But that merely raises further questions as to why Loki is of
interest to her."

"I do not know why it may be, but 'tis an interest which is potentially growing," Aðalgrímr
stated. "We have found that the newest palace tailor is ljósálfr and seems to be reporting back
to Álfheimr on a regular basis, using one of the smaller portals in the city."

The news made Óðinn sit upright as his concern grew. "Sága was able to sneak a spy in past
Heimdallr's watch?"

"So it would seem."

"What action has been taken?"

"Loki requested the spy be left for now, as he thought we may be able to gain some use out of
her ourselves."

A prudent thought, but Óðinn still did not like the idea of a spy under his roof, though he
knew 'twas all but inevitable, as king of a Realm and ruler of the Nine.

"A tailor, you said?" he asked.

"Her work has been remarkable, and seemed particularly suited towards Loki's tastes,"
Ragnvaldr commented. "There was also more integration of symbols and sigils from other
Realms into his outfits, but 'twas all very well received during the signing ceremony."

"Loki did send me the designs to be looked over before he approved them," Aðalgrímr said.
"But none were contentious. It would seem she had done her best to ensure none could cause
offense."

Which did not mean they had not served their own purpose. Óðinn would need to inquire
why Loki had decided to go along with her plans, given he was aware of what she was. He
feared it may have something to do with his youngest's tendency to wish for Ásgarðr not to
claim all of the privileges and prestige owed her as head of the Nine Realms. It had been hard
earned and Óðinn did not see why he should not enjoy the rewards of his efforts now. If they
had gained prominence, the other Realms would do the same.

"What concerns me most, is the pattern which seems to be emerging regarding a particular
interest of Sága's in Loki," Ragnvaldr stated.

"'Tis puzzling," Óðinn agreed.

"I spoke with Lieutenant-General Yngvarr recently, and he was wondering whether Queen
Sága might have an eye on Loki as a potential match for her daughter, the crown princess,"
Aðalgrímr offered.

"A marriage?"

Ragnvaldr appeared as startled as he was, but, once Óðinn thought about it some more, he
realized he could not entirely rule out the possibility. Much as he might want to, given what
he had so recently learned of Loki's true age. If Sága was truly interested in Loki thus, he
would be hard-pressed to explain why he would refuse to even consider the mere possibility
for another half millennium, even if normally it would not be an issue given Álfheimr's own
strict rules regarding children and their place in society.

None were more protective of their young than the ljósálfar.

"This is a copy of a message Lord Kvasir delivered to Loki at Queen Sága's behest,"
Aðalgrímr said, holding out a scroll.

Unrolling it, Óðinn read its contents with growing shock and surprise. "She sent this to Loki?
During the negotiations?"

"Precisely at a particularly delicate time in them, too," Ragnvaldr confirmed. "You can see
why Aðalgrímr and I grew concerned there may be more behind Sága's actions than was
immediately apparent."

"Did it work?" Óðinn asked. "Did Jötunheimr and Álfheimr form their own trade agreement
as a result of this?"

"Aye."

So, 'twas not entirely selfless, but still, 'twas not the type of action Óðinn would have
expected from Álfheimr unprompted. If he had requested it, then aye, mayhap. Yet, even
then, it would not have been guaranteed. The ljósálfar were notoriously insular and
particularly aloof when it came to matters which concerned the other Eight Realms. Had it
not been for their treaty with Álfheimr, he might even have expected them to remain neutral
had hostilities broken out with Jötunheimr. 'Twas why his treaty with Sága had been hailed as
the achievement which it was.

"I will need to think on this," Óðinn finally decided. "I do not believe we should be hasty in
determining what is likely behind this sudden generosity on Álfheimr's part. It may be as
Yngvarr suspects, though I think it unlikely."

"I will see what else I may learn from Lord Kvasir," Aðalgrímr said.

"Good. Now, I expect Vanaheimr was particularly pleased with Loki becoming regent?"

Frigga's brother had never particularly liked him, nor made a secret of it. Indeed, if Freyr
could, Óðinn was certain the other king would do all he could to spite him in ways beyond
the merely inconvenient, as he had so far. That dislike had extended to Thor but, surprisingly,
 not to Loki. 'Twas almost as if Freyr could sense his youngest shared no blood ties with
Óðinn, even as he was so close to Frigga.

"Aye," Ragnvaldr confirmed, with a smile. "Freyr made a point of waiting for Loki in
Himinbjörg on the day of the signing ceremony, so they could be seen arriving together, and
he whispered some words to Loki ere we left."

"I am also certain something important was said on Niflheimr itself, too," Aðalgrímr added.
"Freyr was urging Loki to consider something when he left, which Loki brushed off when I
inquired on it after, muttering something about middle-aged kings."

Óðinn's eye immediately darted to meet Ragnvaldr's, even as he felt dread settle in the pit of
his stomach. If recent events had proven anything, 'twas how much more work Thor required
before he would be ready to be king in his own right. Which made it all the more important
that his eldest had a strong advisor at his side. They could not afford to lose Loki, not thus!

"He would not dare," Óðinn whispered, already knowing the answer.

"They are related," Ragnvaldr countered. "And now Loki has proven himself..."

"You are speaking of succession," Aðalgrímr realized, eyes wide. "I had never even
considered it."

Neither had Óðinn. Was it because he knew the truth; that Loki and Freyr shared no blood?
Was it an oversight he had made with too much knowledge, or was it simply because of how
unsuitable Loki would be to long-term rule, no matter how much his youngest had now
proven himself at being able to do so temporarily, if necessary?

Óðinn still shuddered to think of Loki on a throne for any length of time, given his son's
propensity for chaos and mischief.

How Loki had resisted either while on Hliðskjálf, Óðinn was not certain, but he knew better
than to think it a permanent change. Not given how much his youngest seemed to love being
at the center of such attention.

"I will speak with Loki and see if any such offer was actually made," Óðinn decided. "Was
there anything further pertaining to Vanaheimr?"

"Nay," Aðalgrímr replied. "Shall we move on to Miðgarðr and what agreements we made
there?"

Óðinn nearly closed his eye in dismay. "Loki opened communications with Miðgarðr?"

Chapter End Notes

 🤣
😂 Poor Óðinn, so many changes in so short a timespan! He'll be in dire need of
another sleep soon at this rate. Hreiðmarr, Sága, Freyr...
Now, before people get too upset at Óðinn for his thoughts of Loki and long-term rule,
do remember Loki's own thoughts on the matter. They are not too far apart, thought
Óðinn may have seriously messed up how he handled the situation... as usual!

As for Loki, himself, he's getting better, but still far from healed or normal.
I hope you are all liking Lady Hlín and how she's handling everything.

Also, did you notice the chapter was a chunk longer than normal? Or did it fly by?

Oh, if any of you are interested in my fic outside of the Avengers fandom, I've been
posting some bits I did for school work years ago on my blog. These are one-offs that
were assignments, but which do count as fic since they were based on books. Beyond
that, I've done some posts on representation in fan fic, publishing and the value
judgments people make on what fic authors write about.

Old Norse:

sýra - a fermented milk drink

völva - prophetess, seeress, witch
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
jötnar/jötunn - "frost giants" / "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
dökkálfar - dwarves
ljósálfar/ljósálfr - "light elves" / "light elf"

Up next week: Thor visits Loki...

 Chapter 78
Chapter Notes

I've been looking forward to getting to post this chapter for a while now!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The opening of his chamber door roused Loki from his light slumber, and he opened his eyes
to see who was bothering him now. He dreaded another confrontation with his parents as
Lady Hlín had said she was finished with him for the day, unless he had need of her.

Much as Loki had been dreading another confrontation with his parents, he was not entirely
certain if finding Thor entering his chamber was any better. He tensed immediately as his
brother's words from before came flooding back to him.

"When I am king, I will hunt the monsters down and slay them all!"

The way his brother's smile dimmed, and fell, made Loki pause in reaching for his seiðr. Thor
was not normally so good at reading him or, if he was, his brother normally did not bother.
That the oaf did so now, of all times, was rather telling given his current form.

"You are afraid of me," Thor said, sounding like Loki had told him his goats had died.

Loki felt his hackles rise at the words, but they were hard to deny. Instead, he pushed himself
upright, allowing the sheet to slide down, revealing his very blue chest (he had been forced to
admit defeat earlier and remove his top after his parents had left), and spread his arms.
"Jötunn," was all he said.

The horrified face Thor pulled was rather fascinating, and it caused impossible hope to flare
deep within Loki, but he tried to ruthlessly suppress it. He could not count on Thor being so
understanding, not given how long it had been since they had truly connected or spent any
kind of time together while not on a quest or doing their royal duties.

"I already told you, 'twas wrong of me to say so," Thor protested.

"That was before you learned of the jötunn changeling hidden in your midst," Loki shot right
back.

"Even from himself? Mother and Father told me everything, Loki, even of how they kept the
truth from you."
There was a lump in his throat now, and Loki tried to swallow past it, and failed. But he
refused to give in so easily. His defenses had been thoroughly obliviated and he would not be
able to withstand any of his brother's false starts or so easily broken promises now. Not
without shattering, and he had fought too long and too hard to do so now after all he had
withstood. Not when he had come through the Norns bedamned regency and accomplished
all he had hoped to.

"And what of your other words, Prince Thor?" Loki spat, fear and pain mixing within him.
"Of how knowing Óðinn is half-jötunn explained a lot of his temper? Or how they are
nothing more than stupid beasts?"

He had to be certain lest he was only betrayed once more. Clearly, he could not trust his
ability to detect lies when it came to his family.

"Wrong, obviously," his brother retorted, approaching the edge of his bed, and Loki's fingers
clenched the sheets where his hands had fallen. "For you are the smartest and most clever
person I know, so clearly all I thought I knew of the jötnar is wrong."

The words, and seeming sincerity behind them, made Loki swallow thickly and he fought to
think of another argument or test. To be certain this was no trick or deception on Thor's part.
The oaf had always been so adamantly against the jötnar, speaking of the glory of defeating
or killing them all. Could all of it truly have vanished so quickly upon learning that he was
jötunn? Loki was not used to winning or being a priority when he, or something he was,
clashed with another of Thor's beliefs or desires. Particularly not something so important to
his brother as the glory and status Thor had always thought he could win by defeating the
jötnar, once and for all, in battle.

"Please, Loki," Thor said, holding out a hand, an open and earnest expression on his face. "I
could never hurt you!"

While Loki still did not believe those words, he knew them well enough to know Thor would
not utter them if he had any true intention of hurting him. Or while Thor harbored any true ill
will towards him as a jötunn.

The sudden desire to reach out and take his brother's hand warred with the knowledge of
what would be reaching back for Thor. Ásgarðr and Mother Winter both reacted within him
at the thought, admonishing him as he felt a new tear in his core, but he could not help it. He
was blue right now!

The way Thor's face started to crumple, clearly thinking his gesture was being rejected,
proved to be all the incentive Loki needed, and he raised a hand to clasp his brother's before
he could think of it. Delight blossomed across Thor's face seconds ere his brother was pulling
and Loki yelped as he was dragged across the bed and into a crushing embrace.

And, aye, he could now personally confirm Thor's strength was fully restored.

"Brother," Thor breathed into his hair and Loki could not help it, he sobbed, tightening his
own arms around the stupid, blond oaf. "I do not care if we have different blood or are
different species, you will always be my little brother, Loki!"
"Thor," Loki choked out, shifting so he was no longer sprawled awkwardly half across the
bed, but without letting go.

"You stupid idiot," Thor chided. "As if anything could tear us apart! We grew up together,
played together and fought together! You will always be my brother. Always!"

With a sense of amusement, Loki found something he actually liked about being jötunn as he
knew, normally, he would be fighting tears, but his eyes remained dry in this form. Maybe
there were some advantages to being jötunn. Occasionally.

Rather than reply, Loki curled himself around his brother as Thor leaned back to lie down on
the bed beside him. As they lay there, Loki could hardly believe his good fortune, half
expecting 'twas either a dream from which he would soon wake, or a trick. Yet, he could tell
he was not asleep, and tricks of this type were simply not in Thor's nature. Only in his, which
made a lot more sense now, though he somehow did not think Helblindi capable of it, so
mayhap 'twas simply who he was. He rather liked the thought as he liked being tricky, chaotic
and unpredictable.

Slowly, he began to relax, ignoring the way his brother felt like a furnace to simply enjoy the
fact Thor could still stand to touch him, despite knowing the truth. It made him far more
hopeful for the future than he had been before, not truly wishing to contemplate one without
Thor in it.

"Loki," Thor began, a short while later. "Please do not take this the wrong way, Brother, but
you are very cold."

Loki laughed despite himself, before a mischievous smile crossed his face as he reached out
towards Mother Winter, seeking information which she delighted in providing him, feeling
giddy and excited at the back of his mind. Worming his hand down towards Thor's stomach
was easy as, despite his brother's complaint, Thor was making no move to release him.

With a final check with Mother Winter to ensure he had not gone too far, Loki slipped his
hand under his brother's tunic and touched his stomach. Thor gave a surprised shout, jerking
against him before trying to squirm away, but Loki resisted, tightening his hold on his
brother.

"Loki!" Thor exclaimed. "Cold! Very, very cold!"

Laughing outright now, Loki dropped his body's overall temperature, drawing another yelp
from his brother.

"This means war!" Thor declared, rolling them further onto the bed.

Though his brother became warmer the further he dropped his core temperature, Loki found
it surprisingly easy to take. It felt rather like when he played with fire, and he wondered if he
could do so while in jötunn form. The thought seemed to draw interest from both Ásgarðr
and Mother Winter, but Loki pushed it aside for now to focus on his tussle with his brother.
Thor was actively cursing him now while, at the same time, trying not to brush against his
skin, an attempt made rather more difficult given Loki wore only loose trousers and no tunic,
and he was not prepared to release his hold on his elder sibling.

"Do you yield?" Loki asked in delight.

"Curse you!" Thor growled.

Loki laughed, knowing his brother would not dare utilize his lightning for fear of hurting
him. They would need to test that later, but for now he was more than content to use it to his
advantage.

"My Prince, are you- oh," Lady Hlín's voice suddenly stated.

Ah, Loki had forgotten about the monitoring spells covering him at the moment. His sudden
drop in body temperature, and rise in heart rate, must have alarmed his healer.

"Lady Hlín," Loki said, twisting his head to look towards her, even as he released Thor,
though reluctantly.

"Is everything alright, Lady Hlín?" a male voice came from outside.

"Aye," Lady Hlín replied, stepping further into the chamber and closing the door behind her.
"Are you bothering my patient, Prince Thor?"

Loki snorted another laugh at the offended expression which crossed his brother's face at the
accusation, from where Thor now sat beside him.

"I merely came by to visit my brother," Thor protested.

"And disturb him enough to send his vitals soaring?"

Oh, Loki was truly starting to like Lady Hlín!

"'Tis not my fault!"

Loki decided to take pity on his brother and prove Thor correct. Therefore, he reached out
and touched the sliver of skin he could see where Thor's thin tunic had rucked up. His brother
yelped, jerked back, and promptly fell off the far side of the bed with a shout. Loki fell back,
roaring with laughter.

He heard some mutterings from Lady Hlín's direction but, by the time he glanced over, she
had left.

"Loki," Thor growled, head appearing next to the bed. "You. Are. A. Pest!"

Loki smiled broadly and did not realize his mistake until his brother's eyes flickered down, to
his mouth. As soon as he did, he clicked it shut and raised a hand to cover his mouth, for
good measure.
"Nay! 'Twas not what I meant!" Thor said in a rush, leaning forward to pull aside his hand. "I
meant what I said before, Brother. Your species does not matter to me, but it may take some
adjusting. Please allow me to see you."

The words made Loki hesitate. "I do not know how bad they are."

"You do not kn-" Thor began, before breaking off. "You have not yet looked in a mirror?"

Loki shook his head, bracing to be called cowardly, for he knew 'twas. It made no sense to be
afraid as he could already see quite clearly he was jötunn. All he had to do was look down at
his arms and chest for that. Not to mention the fact his nose never allowed him to forget it, no
matter where he looked.

"I understand," Thor replied, and Loki's eyes flew up to his brother's face in shock. "You
forget, Brother, I have only recently learned what I am, so I know how much of a shock it can
be, even without a change in my physical appearance. I cannot even begin to imagine how
much worse that would make it."

With everything which had happened lately, Loki had forgotten about that, but 'twas true it
would give Thor some insight into how he felt. At least enough to be sympathetic rather than
as callous and oblivious as the oaf was oft wont to be, thoughtlessly.

"Besides," Thor continued. "If I understand this core injury thing correctly, then it occurred
because you did not know yourself, is that correct?"

"Hmm," Loki replied.

"Is it then not better to ensure that you do know yourself fully?"

Loki was already opening his mouth to say 'twas not quite so literal, when Ásgarðr flicked
seiðr at him, making him flinch. He tried to play innocent, but neither she nor Mother Winter
were having it and he sighed, slumping his shoulders.

"Fine," Loki said.

"Excellent!" Thor proclaimed, rising to his feet and offering Loki a hand once he had pushed
himself to the end of the bed. Rather than step away once Loki had risen, Thor stepped close
and placed his free hand on the side of Loki's neck, squeezing it. "I will be right here,
Brother."

The words managed to render Loki speechless, and he simply nodded. The feeling that his
eyes should be welling up, but were not, was back and he made a mental note to question
Lady Hlín on it.

"Are you ready, Brother?" Thor asked.

Nay.

"Hmm."
Thor may be speaking too literally of knowing oneself, but his brother was not wrong in
thinking it important Loki confront himself as he currently was, or his uncertainty and disgust
with his true form.

"Good," Thor said, turning towards the bathing chamber.

As 'twas a royal healing chamber, the bathing chamber was actually rather large, to
accommodate healers, if necessary, along with the patient. Thus far, Loki had not used the
torches, allowing himself to ignore the large mirror above the sink. Now, though, his brother
activated them as soon as he entered. Loki paused right outside of the chamber, trying to
brace himself for what he was about to see. He had begun to grow somewhat used to his blue
skin as he simply could not avoid it. But he had yet to see his own face in this form.

Or his eyes.

Loki would never admit it to Thor, but he had always been rather pleased with the color of
his eyes. Not only was it his one feature he had heard complimented on Ásgarðr, but green
was his favorite color, so for both his eyes and his seiðr to possess it had always seemed
rather fitting to him. Therefore, he was not anticipating seeing them turned red, especially not
the two-toned nature of the jötnar eyes.

When Loki looked up once more - Mother Winter coaxing him and urging him on - 'twas to
find Thor waiting quietly, just inside the chamber.

"Come," his brother said, holding out his hand. "We will do it together."

Loki had to forcibly bite back a comment of how this was not happening to them, but to him.
For once in his life, Thor seemed to be truly trying to aid him and be considerate, and Loki
appreciated it despite everything else, not to mention he desperately needed someone to cling
to and he had no other choice at present. Not after what Óðinn and Frigga had done. Besides,
he simply could not ignore the fact that Thor stood right there, offering his hand so freely
after already having personally experienced his ability to cold shock him.

The oaf was far too trusting, but he was Loki's idiot brother and he was undeniably grateful
he had not lost Thor.

With no small sense of dread and trepidation, Loki took his brother's hand and stepped into
the bathing chamber. The first thing he saw when he looked towards the mirror was blue. A
lot of blue. With only a thin pair of black sleep trousers, a lot of his skin was on display, and
all of it was the bright, jötnar blue. Absently, Loki noted how his kin lines seemed more
fanciful below the neck, but most of his attention was focused simply on accepting that 'twas
himself he was looking at. The color and kin lines made it hard to do, since they did not
match his mental idea of self.

He had some prior experience with this, of course, as he was a shapeshifter and so looking in
the mirror and seeing another face, or form, was not unusual, but what made it so very
different was the knowledge that this was not a mere shift. 'Twas not a form or disguise he
had thought interesting or useful to try. This was his true self, who he really was, and what he
had always thought of as himself was nothing but yet another mask to fool everyone,
including himself this time.

"Look up, Loki," Thor said softly, from beside him.

Loki swallowed and had to fight off the urge to flee. He was not a coward! He could do this.
Despite that resolution, he reached out towards both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter, both of
whom readily responded as best they could, which was far less for Mother Winter now the
Casket of Ancient Winters was no longer on Ásgarðr, but she was as eager and willing to
help as ever before. They both reached out to bolster his wounded core and he let out a deep
breath, steeling himself, ere looking up.

Here too, the first thing Loki saw was blue. The red came a few seconds later and, at first,
'twas not so bad. 'Twas a jötunn face, one drastically different from the other jötnar he had
seen so far, true, but jötunn nonetheless. Then, he started to recognize himself in it, and his
stomach heaved. He spun around, stumbling back and then Thor was there, steadying him
and pulling him close.

"I am sorry," Thor said, worry evident in his voice. "I am sorry, I pushed. 'Twas too much, too
fast. I apologize, Brother."

The complete and utter lack of recrimination, or even a hint of failure, helped steady Loki
and he breathed deeply, resting his head on Thor's shoulder. His brother's familiar presence
helped soothe him further and Loki reminded himself that all of his family had now seen his
true form, and none had recoiled. True, he had not witnessed any of their first reactions,
which annoyed him a little, but he could not truly blame them if they did have to look twice
the first time. He was.

"Shall we go back to the other chamber?" Thor offered, softly.

"Nay," Loki replied, coming to a decision even as he realized he was rhythmically kneading
his fingers on his brother's arms.

"You do not have to do this today."

If he did not, Loki feared he would find other excuses not to. Mother Winter's earnest
hopefulness also drove him on, though the way she seemed to try to hide it told him she did
not wish to pressure him. It only made him want to do it even more, precisely because she
was willing to leave the decision to him, despite wanting it so much herself.

"I know," Loki finally replied, before he raised his head enough to look at his brother.

If Thor could meet his gaze as easily as his brother seemed to, then he could do so too. He
also forced himself to remember this was not permanent, as soon as his core was sufficiently
healed, he would be able to shift back to his other form. Although he had worried about being
stuck before, without Óðinn's working on him, Loki could now tell it would not be a
problem. Though he did not have the seiðr to safely attempt a shift at present, he could feel
that his other form was there, just as he could always feel any other form before he took
them. Thus, while he may not like what he was about to see, he had the comfort of knowing
'twas not permanent.

Loki also pointedly refused to allow anything to come between him and his ability to perform
seiðr, including himself. By avoiding this, he was increasing the probability of further core
damage, which could hamper his ability to perform the seiðr he desired.

Whatever Thor saw on his face, it made his brother nod once, smiling.

"Very well," Thor said. "I will be here if you need me, Brother. Always."

"Thank you," Loki replied, and he meant it sincerely.

The sentiment caused a flash of pain as it reminded him of Thor's words right before the
coronation ceremony, that he was incapable of sincerity, but Loki shoved it aside. Despite all
else, his brother was here with him now, when Thor had the perfect excuse if he had truly
wished to be elsewhere.

The thought warmed him, and Loki turned around to face the mirror, and himself, once more.
As before, all he saw was blue at first, and he used the moment to steady himself further ere
he looked at his face. Aye, his eyes were hideously red, but the two-toned nature of it was
actually rather fascinating, and he wondered if there would be flecks and shades to the iris as
with his áss form. The red sclera also made it somewhat harder to tell what he was focused
on, which Loki knew he could use to his advantage. It also served to raise his insatiable
curiosity. Why were jötnar eyes like this when none of the other species in the Nine had it?

Next, Loki forced himself to look at the differences which marked him as an íviðja. Though
they were what had led Laufey to abandon him, they were also the features which marked
him as different from all of the other jötnar he knew, a definite positive as far as he was
concerned. So, his hair, the smoothness of his face, his ears, his stature.

His seiðr.

Loki tried not to allow his inability to easily call it forth to upset him, but it did so regardless.
He knew he should be both happy and grateful his core injury had not resulted in either
madness or death, that he should be satisfied, but satisfaction was not in his nature. It never
had been, except in a handful of very specific moments, and all of them with either Frigga,
Sigyn or Thor. Thus, nay, he was not satisfied and instead chafed against the restrictions his
injury placed upon him. He desperately longed to be able to use his seiðr, even if only for
something small and trivial, simply to feel it coursing through him, energizing his body, mind
and soul.

But he could not. In addition to Lady Hlín rematerializing in an instant, he knew it would
only serve to risk his core once more, not to mention the fact Loki knew both Ásgarðr and
Mother Winter would move to stop him.

So jötunn, but not a normal jötunn.

Loki did pull a face, though, as he thought of what Uncle Freyr would say if he knew that he,
Loki, was íviðja. If it were not so personal, it might be fun to find out.

"Loki?" Thor questioned, clearly watching him far too closely.

"I merely thought of something Uncle Freyr said," Loki explained.

"Oh?"

"It would seem he once fancied a jötunn."

The way his brother struggled not to pull a face, touched Loki, as he knew what Thor felt
upon seeing a jötunn form.

"Mayhap he meant a... small jötunn, like yourself," Thor said, with surprising delicacy.

But Loki knew precisely what his brother meant.

"I am not a runt."

"I did not say that."

Not directly, nay.

"Runtism does not cause hair, Thor," Loki pointed out. "Nor does it give one seiðr."

"I had wondered about the hair," Thor admitted, glancing up.

Exhaustion washed over Loki all of a sudden, and he fought not to sag. The fear and
adrenaline from when his brother had first entered his chamber were long gone and, now, so
were the exhilaration and excitement of not losing Thor despite the truth having not only
come out, but being blatantly visible. It reminded him, he was still heavily injured and in the
midst of healing.

"I will explain later," Loki said, knowing it would be alright, as Thor hardly had a curious
bone in his body half the time.

"Whenever you are ready, Brother," Thor replied. "Now, will you finish looking at yourself,
or will you leave it for later?"

Loki glared back at the mirror, regarding his own face. The rest could wait until he both felt
better and was alone. His brother did not need to know about that particular aspect of his
biology.

Resolutely, he took a few steps closer before he bared his teeth. As he had noticed with his
birth fa- mother, Loki found he had sharp, pointed teeth which were far better and more
accurately described as fangs than anything else. He tried desperately not to think anything
too negative about it, or himself, but 'twas hard.

"Are they very sharp?" Thor asked, stepping closer to him once more.
 The rather eager fascination in his brother's voice made Loki scowl at him in the mirror, but
he did bring his tongue up to lightly touch the points. He felt an almost immediate prick of
pain, ere there was a liquid in his mouth, but it took him a moment to identify it as blood as it
did not taste of copper. How peculiar, he had been able to shift that aspect of himself while
keeping other parts of himself largely jötunn due to sheer ignorance. 'Twas actually rather
amazing he had been able to live thus, half shifted between two species.

If he ever felt comfortable enough to do so, he would have to look into it more closely, since
it should not be possible. He had oft heard repeated the dangers of partial shifts and the
warnings given to those who were not as natural at it as him, and who had to therefore learn
the skill. Mother Winter suddenly felt rather smug at the back of his mind, and he wondered
if she had a hand in his initial shift, much as she clearly wished for him to remain jötunn.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed.

"Good, then you are biting through the ropes if we are ever captured and tied up again," Thor
declared, happily.

Loki shoved his elbow back into his brother's gut.

Chapter End Notes

I hope you can all see why I've been looking forward to being able to post this chapter
for a while now! I just had so much fun writing it and I've revisited it often since. Loki
and Thor being so brotherly and playful even with everything else was far too
appealing!

🤣
And can't you just see Thor tumbling off the side of the bed?
Or Loki elbowing him in the gut? 😂

Oh, and I didn't make up the goats thing when it comes to Thor. He does actually have
two of them (Tanngrisnir & Tanngnjóstr) in mythology! From a poster I saw, they may
make an appearance in Love and Thunder, but I just pulled them from the mythology.

As for my blog, I've recently posted some random pieces of old fan fic that I wrote for
school assignments. Additionally, I did a post answering a question posed in the
comments here on the Norse spellings of this fic, one on becoming a better writer, a
musing on fan fiction, and admitting I couldn't help myself and chose another of
Andrea's lovely pieces of art to do a children's story on.

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
íviðja - a word of nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but sources said they
were a better looking type of jötnar

Up next week: Óðinn and Frigga return for another healing session & Frigga and Thor
talk...
 Chapter 79
Chapter Notes

Sunday again, where has the time gone?

Enjoy!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Frigga tried to prepare herself as she and Óðinn headed for the healing halls. She had to
temper her excitement and joy at seeing her youngest again with the knowledge he might be
quite difficult once more. Even for her, 'twas hard to predict how Loki would react at present,
but Lady Hlín's revelation of precisely what developmental stage her son was at helped to
explain a lot of it. Loki's sense of betrayal and distrust served to explain the rest.

"Shall we check with Lady Hlín first?" Óðinn suggested, as they entered the healing halls.

"It would probably be best," Frigga agreed. "She might be able to tell us how Loki has fared
since we left him this morn."

Which would give them an idea of what they were walking into.

Together, they walked towards the chamber Lady Eir had given Lady Hlín, so they could
discuss Loki's condition in private. As the door was open, Frigga merely knocked as they
entered, to announce their presence.

"Your Majesties," Lady Hlín greeted, rising.

Frigga was about to tell Lady Hlín to seat herself once more, when her eyes caught sight of
the magical readout hovering over Lady Hlín's desk. 'Twas displaying vital signs and she
knew they would be Loki's. What captured her interest, though, was both the heart and
respiratory rates. They were quite high for someone in bed.

A quick glance back, showed Óðinn had closed the door behind them.

"Are jötnar heart rates faster than æsir ones?" Frigga asked, indicating the readout.

"Not under normal circumstances, nay," Lady Hlín replied as they all sat. "And Prince Loki's
old results should be quite comparable to his current ones, since it would seem his shift to áss
was not complete."

"Not complete?" Óðinn asked in surprise. "In what way?"

"He informed me that, when he investigated it a little during his regency, he found it to be
merely skin deep in a lot of ways," Lady Hlín explained. "His taste buds and digestive
system, for instance, remained jötunn, even if he discovered his sense of temperature has
been adjusted. He said he recognized your seiðr pattern to the working, my Queen."

"Aye, we had discovered he could not tolerate even lightly heated food," Frigga confirmed.

"What does this mean for Loki?" Óðinn asked. "Can it cause him harm?"

"Given how long he has been thus? I do not believe so, though I would never advise anyone
to attempt a shift like this deliberately. Can I inquire about the change to Prince Loki's genital
area? Lady Eir informed me of it and 'tis an æsir adjustment which does not strike me as one
an infant would consider to alter on their own."

"If you are referring to his sexing, then nay, he did not," Frigga replied. "He was still dual
sexed when he first arrived here, and he remained thus for a few decades, before it shifted."

"Do you know why?"

"Not definitely, but the boys were oft bathed together, so I assumed he noticed the difference
between himself and Thor, and compensated for it subconsciously."

"Quite possibly," Lady Hlín agreed. "Or someone commented on it."

"Nay," Frigga denied right away. "I always bathed them myself. I called it my ritual with
them, but truly 'twas to ensure no one else, other than Lady Eir, became aware of what Loki
was. Not that I did not thoroughly enjoy the time it gave me with both of them."

"I understand."

"If Loki's heart rate is not elevated because of his current form, then why is it?" Óðinn
inquired. "Is something amiss?"

"'Tis what I had feared at first, but nay, this," Lady Hlín said, indicating the heart rate
monitor. "Is entirely Prince Thor's fault, it seems."

"Thor's?" Frigga asked, surprised. "Are they fighting?"

"Hmm. As boys."

Boys? The word derailed Frigga's worry as she tried to understand what Lady Hlín meant by
it, the smile on the healer's face indicating 'twas meant well.

"Oh," Frigga said, understanding. "It has been a while."

"What were they doing?" Óðinn inquired with a smile.

"A version of keep away," Lady Hlín replied. "Though with Prince Loki's ability to drop his
body temperature to a point Prince Thor does not like when being touched."
Frigga's eyes darted back to the medical readout and a number she had assumed was some
reading she was unfamiliar with. Now she looked closer, she could see 'twas a temperature
reading.

"Is that his body temperature?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Hmm," Lady Hlín confirmed. "I have to admit to being impressed with his control for one so
unused to their jötunn abilities. He is controlling his temperature surprisingly well, keeping it
well within æsir tolerance range, though entirely outside of the comfort zone."

This ability did not surprise Frigga in and of itself, she had long since learned to expect the
unexpected as far as Loki and seiðr were concerned. Nay, what surprised her was that her
youngest was taking to one of his jötunn abilities so well. From everything she had already
witnessed, she knew it could not be this easy. Thus, she had to beware as this seeming
comfort with even a magical aspect of his true biology was likely hiding Loki's true feelings
regarding his jötunn form. What she had seen so far would not have gone away and was
certain to come out again at some point, and soon.

'Twas heartening, though, and Frigga allowed herself to take comfort in that. She should have
known Loki would come to terms with the elemental seiðr of his true species first. She
doubted there was any form of seiðr her baby could truly hate, no matter what. It had caused
her more than one nightmare over the centuries, since she knew what dark branches of seiðr
were out there.

"So, Thor will be unharmed?" Frigga checked, unable to help herself.

She was a mother, after all.

"He should be," Lady Hlín replied.

"Should be?" Óðinn questioned.

"I must admit, my last view of Prince Thor as I left the chamber, was of him tumbling off the
bed backwards, when he flinched back to escape Prince Loki's touch to his stomach."

Frigga could not help it, she laughed at the mental image. The fact Loki was able to get at his
brother's stomach meant both were playing, as she had watched them train far too often to
think either would leave themselves vulnerable there if they truly felt threatened. This ability
of her youngest was quite probably going to alter their dynamic somewhat, as it gave Loki
what Thor had possessed in his adolescence; the ability to strike out or retaliate with a simple
touch. Back then, Thor had delighted in the sparks and small electrical jolts he gave off,
tormenting his younger brother incessantly. He was likely to come to rue that history now.

Surprisingly, the thought cheered Frigga as it reminded her of how close the boys had been
back then, and, if they were currently tussling as they had then, she knew they would be
alright. Óðinn and her relationship with Loki might be significantly damaged, though she
desperately hoped 'twas not irrevocably so, but it pleased her to know that Thor and Loki's
relationship was not. Indeed, it sounded like this might have been precisely the type of event
they had needed to come back together. She could not regret that, even if she wished it could
have been achieved through a far less painful means.

"How else is Loki?" Frigga asked.

"As well as can be, given the circumstances," Lady Hlín replied. "He is struggling to come to
terms with what he is, but he seems better able to deal with it, or speak of it than Lady Eir
told me he did at the start."

"'Tis something at least."

"Is he still in danger of reinjuring his core?" Óðinn inquired.

"I believe 'tis still possible," Lady Hlín replied. "I have observed him coming from the
bathing chamber with the torches fully off, which I can only assume is to avoid seeing his
own reflection in the mirror. As long as he is unable to acknowledge his own appearance and
accept what he truly is, he will be in danger of further injury to his core. Particularly once he
commences using his seiðr once more."

'Twas not good news, but Frigga had not expected it to be either. If anything, the fact Loki
was utilizing any of his jötunn abilities, as he was in play fighting with his brother, was the
surprise. It showed some progress, at least, and she would rely on that as they worked to get
her baby fully healed.

"Are you here to continue his healing?" Lady Hlín inquired.

"Aye," Frigga said. "We wished to see if you had anything else to say on how today went, ere
we went in to see him."

"It has been a quiet day until now and Prince Loki spent much of it asleep, which should have
helped his natural healing abilities."

"Has there been anything else which concerns you other than the fact that it seems Loki will
not look at his own reflection?" Óðinn asked.

"Nay. He seems to be better at not flinching when he sees the skin on his arms or chest, both
of which he did before."

Frigga closed her eyes at the reminder, as 'twas something she had observed herself on
several occasions. Luckily, it seemed he was improving.

"We will inform you of how far we come with this session," Frigga said, moving back to the
door.

Hopefully, it would be further than the last time, when they had found signs of fresh damage
to Loki's core. It pained her even now to think her baby was still in a place where he so easily
rejected himself, but she knew it would take time to get past all of this. The damage had been
far too great, and the mistrust between them now too deep.

"Until later, Your Majesties," Lady Hlín said as they left her study.
"What are we to do about Loki's refusal to view himself?" Óðinn inquired softly, while they
crossed the hall towards the royal chambers.

"I am not certain there is anything we can do," Frigga replied, sadly. "I fear it may only
commence an argument and, either injure him further, or make him refuse to be treated
today."

"A childish reaction."

Frigga was certain the words had left Óðinn's mouth ere he had fully thought them through.
'Twas a good example of what they would need to change, though, as 'twas what she herself
would have thought before.

"Ah, but he is still a child," she simply replied. "And if you recall Thor's behavior on the cusp
of adolescence, you will recollect this is entirely normal."

Her husband deflated beside her, rubbing a hand over his face.

"You are right," he said. "We shall have to alter how we treat him."

"A difficult prospect, given how all of Ásgarðr now views him," Frigga responded.

She had lain awake last night, attempting to reconcile those two facts. Besides, her baby
would not react well to having his responsibilities and actions thus curtailed now. She had
also marveled once more at some of what he had already accomplished, despite his youth.

"Aye, but I believe we should consider all of that later, after he has fully recovered," Óðinn
recommended.

'Twas easier to decide than to do, but Frigga could see the logic in it. With a final, deep breath
to brace herself, she opened the door to Loki's healing chamber and stepped inside.

It took her a moment to ascertain the main part of the chamber was empty but, when she did,
Frigga's eyes immediately darted to the bathing chamber, to find both the door open and the
torches lit. She shared a quick, hopeful glance with her husband.

Had Thor already accomplished that which they were just discussing? Frigga did not wish to
raise her hopes needlessly, but it definitely appeared thus.

A sudden shout was followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

"Loki!" Thor protested.

"Oops," Loki replied, voice sugary sweet.

Óðinn laughed beside her and Frigga had to smile herself, even as she felt tears prickle at her
eyes. To hear her two boys not only getting along so well once more, but to hear her youngest
so carefree after all he had suffered lately, was all that she could ask for.

"What was that?"

Of course, 'twas Loki who had detected their presence first. Even when he should be focused
on nothing but his healing, her baby could not help but be alert. She had oft wondered if 'twas
some form of residual effect from what Laufey had done to Loki.

As usual, the thought was enough to anger her, so she pushed it aside.

"'Tis only us," Óðinn called out, ere the boys could become alarmed.

"Father! Mother!" Thor boomed as they both moved into view.

"Problem?" Frigga asked, as she noted how her eldest was rubbing his gut.

"Nay, Loki's elbow merely slipped," Thor replied, making his brother snort.

"Slipped, hmm?" she questioned, looking at her youngest with a raised eyebrow.

"His tongue slipped," Loki replied immediately, making absolutely no pretense at innocence.

If anything, he looked rather pleased with himself. It heartened Frigga to see.

"I made a good point!" Thor protested.

"I am not biting through any ropes!" Loki scowled.

Ropes?

A quick glance proved Óðinn was as mystified as she was.

"Not even if we are caught and bound?" Thor demanded.

"If you cause us to be captured again, you are biting through them," Loki retorted.

"But your teeth are sharper!"

Ah, that was why they were discussing biting through a rope. Part of Frigga wished to
chastise Thor for daring to mention certain features of Loki's jötunn form so casually, but
clearly this conversation had commenced ere she and Óðinn had entered the chamber, and all
it had garnered was an elbow to the gut for Thor. Her eldest would not have come off so
lightly if Loki were truly upset.

"How about you do not allow yourselves to be captured at all?" Frigga offered, having long
since had to accept this was an unlikely outcome to their travels beyond the Nine.

"Mother!" Thor protested at once.

Loki merely shook his head before he looked at her. The moment their eyes met, Frigga could
see that, for all of the laughter and teasing, her baby felt both fragile and vulnerable. No
doubt due to the fact he had only just confronted himself in his birth skin in the mirror.
Though she did not want to draw undue attention to that fact, she was unable to allow the
moment to pass unremarked upon, either.
As Lady Hlín had said Loki's body temperature was well within æsir tolerance range, Frigga
reached up to stroke his hair, though she braced herself for an uncomfortable cold.

When her baby neither pulled away, nor felt all that cold, Frigga moved in closer to fully
embrace him. Loki remained stiff for a moment, and she was just beginning to think she had
misjudged, when he relaxed, and his arms rose up to clutch at her.

"I am so proud of you, baby," Frigga whispered softly, only for him.

Loki sniffed, but seemed able to contain his emotion better than her otherwise, as Frigga felt
the tears she had held back earlier flow freely now. She would take a few moments to simply
enjoy holding her son, and then they could look into healing his core further.

In a few minutes.

Exhaustion tugged at Frigga as she and Óðinn left the healing halls and made for their own
chambers. Loki's peculiar mood had been difficult to deal with, though it had allowed them to
spend longer healing him, since he had not resisted them as much as he had before. She was
not certain if 'twas a conscious decision he had made, or whether his seiðr had simply
realized they were aiding him despite his current mistrust of them.

Regardless of the reason, tonight, at least, she would sleep well. Though not yet either fully
healed or entirely out of danger, Loki was doing far better, and the way he had turned into her
touches as he had drifted off, heartened her greatly.

Now, all she wished for was her bed and few hours of uninterrupted rest.

"My King, my Queen," one of her handmaidens greeted them when they entered their
chambers.

"Sól?" Frigga questioned with a frown. 'Twas late. "Is there something wrong?"

"I am uncertain," Sól replied, glancing towards the doors leading to their private gardens.
"Prince Thor come in about an hour ago, acting rather oddly. He went out into the gardens to
wait for you."

"Thor?"

Why was her eldest here now? He knew they were going to spend quite some time healing
Loki, and he had seemed fine when he had left his brother's healing chamber to allow them to
do so.

"Aye, my Queen," Sól confirmed.

"Thanks, I will see what he needs," Frigga replied.

"Would you like me to wait?"

"Nay, you may go, thanks."

"Do you wish for me to join you?" Óðinn offered, after Sól had left.

"Nay, I should be fine," Frigga replied, though she still frowned. "I wonder what 'tis he
wants."

"He, too, has had a number of shocks lately, and little time to ponder all which he has
learned."

True, but somehow Frigga did not think this was that. 'Twas not like Thor to go sit outside in
the dark to brood. Nay, 'twas her youngest's proclivity. Her eldest was far more likely to go
out to the training fields, regardless of the time, and exhaust himself until he could slumber
and thus forget whatever 'twas which was bothering him. That Thor was out in her gardens
now, told her this was about Loki in some manner, but probably not as Óðinn thought.

Nay, Thor had been interacting far too normally with Loki earlier to still be thus conflicted
about his brother's species or heritage. Indeed, for her little warrior the truth had been far
simpler to accept. Loki was his brother regardless of birth or species, and 'twas as simple as
that. She knew it would result in further clashes between the two as Loki pushed and chaffed
at such easy acceptance of something which had nearly resulted in his death due to his own
inability to accept the truth, but she loved her eldest for seeing it all so simply and clearly.

"I may be a little while," Frigga said, as she moved towards the garden door.

There was a slight chill to the air outside, which reminded her that 'twas not quite summer
yet, but 'twas not sufficient to make Frigga wish she had picked up the light blanket on the
sofa.

"Mother?" Thor's voice came from near the pond, and she moved in that direction.

"Thor," she replied, once she caught sight of him.

The moon was nearly full, so there was a fair amount of light, casting the gardens in a soft
glow. She moved to join her son on the bench, overlooking the pond. The scent of her night
blooming jasmines drifted over to them, and she took a moment to breathe in the lovely
smell. She had planted the tree shortly after Loki had first come into their lives, to mirror the
sweet william she had planted for Thor.

"What is bothering you?" Frigga finally asked, after a few moments of companionable
silence.

"Loki," Thor replied.

Frigga smiled, sadly. "This I already knew."

Her son grumbled, scowling at her, ere looking at the pond and the stars it reflected back at
the sky, thereby fully obscuring what lay within its depths. A rather fitting image to
contemplate when thinking of her youngest, Frigga mused, and just as changeable.

She was tempted to ask what exactly 'twas which was bothering Thor, but she did not think it
would make him speak sooner. Not today. Instead, she merely linked her arm with his and
took his hand into her lap, waiting him out.

"Do you recall how oft you would find Loki and I in the same bed come the morrow, when
we still slept in the nursery?" Thor finally asked.

The memory made Frigga smile.

"Aye," she said. "I oft wondered why we bothered to put you to sleep in separate beds, as you
rarely woke thus."

Whatever was bothering her firstborn was taking him far back. 'Twas a lovely time for her to
contemplate, though, when she had spent so much time with both of her sons. 'Twas back
before they had believed themselves fully grown and felt the need to spend time doing other
things than simply spending time with her, playing. She had always missed that carefree
period, and 'twas why Frigga had been so delighted that Loki's seiðr studies had allowed
them to keep spending time together, even if that too had not been as long as she could have
wished for it to be. Nay, her baby had progressed far too rapidly for her to be able to justify
remaining his only tutor.

"Loki had dreams which woke him," Thor continued, glancing down. "Ones which truly
frightened him."

"I remember," Frigga replied. "Even as an infant, he would not sleep well unless he was in
bed with Óðinn and I."

That image made her son smile, at least briefly, ere 'twas replaced by a more somber
expression when he looked up at her.

"Did he ever speak of them with you?" Thor asked.

"Nay, not truly. He was normally far too distraught, and I focused on comforting him," Frigga
answered.

In truth, she had been somewhat frightened of the cause herself. That she would not be able
to help and thus had focused on what she knew she could do.

"He would not speak of it often, but he did on occasion," Thor informed her.

"And?" she prompted when he did not continue on his own, glancing away again instead.

"It... he spoke of the cold."

A chill immediately swept through Frigga as well, along with a sense of foreboding. She
knew where this was going; what it was which Loki seemed to have, impossibly, remembered
just enough for it to disturb his slumber for centuries after the fact, and it horrified her.

'Twas everything she had once feared, before the boys had become old enough to cause her
other serious worries.
"Of being alone and unable to escape," Thor whispered, shivering once himself. "He also said
'twas dark and that he heard terrible sounds."

Frigga knew she was clutching desperately at her son's hand now, but she could not make
herself left him go or soften her grip. Not with what he was telling her.

Oh, Loki.

How could her baby possibly remember being abandoned by his father in that Norns forsaken
temple?

"He- he remembered, aye?" Thor demanded, turning back to look at her, and Frigga could see
tears in his eyes now. "He was remembering being left to die."

"Oh, my dear," Frigga choked out, her own tears spilling free as she pulled him close, rocking
them slightly where they sat.

Thor's hands immediately wrapped around her before they clutched at her dress, bunching the
fabric. Her eldest tried to fight his own tears a little longer, ere she felt them drip down the
side of her neck.

"How could he just sit there with Laufey on Niflheimr for so many days, negotiating with
him?" Thor questioned. "I would have killed him."

Once, Frigga might have thought him exaggerating, but after the events on Jötunheimr she
was no longer so certain. Not that she could blame him. She too wished to do nothing more
than to slaughter Laufey in as painful a way as she could manage for what they had done to
her little baby.

They deserved no less for it.

"Loki was king," Frigga finally managed to force out. "He had to do what was right for
Ásgarðr, and all of the Nine. But, I believe he also took some joy in it."

"Joy?" Thor demanded, drawing back just enough to be able to look at her. "How? Why?"

Frigga allowed a sharp smile to show as she thought of it. "He forced Laufey to accept his
restrictions on the Casket of Ancient Winters. Laufey could have it back, but only on your
brother's terms, and with the knowledge that Loki was the one who had hemmed them in
thus."

"But Laufey does not know Loki is the son he abandoned, does he?"

"Nay, but Loki knows."

"And is that enough for him? It does not seem like it."

On that level, Frigga could not help but agree. Much as she loved him, Loki had never
exactly been measured in his response if he felt himself slighted in the least. There were
many an unfortunate incident where that had been proven only all too well. Still, this was not
one of those instances and her baby had been working under more restrictions than normal.
Besides, she had always known he could step up if necessary.

"It had to be," she finally replied. "Besides, do not underestimate the prestige of having such
a peace treaty to his name. It will do far more for him and his reputation than any more
violent or vengeful actions would have."

If there was one thing which Frigga knew that Loki truly craved, 'twas to be seen in his own
right and for his own strengths. Her darling would have conceded a lot in order to be allowed
a chance to do precisely that. 'Twas only unfortunate his rightful chance at revenge had
needed to be one of those. Though, if Loki was ever presented with the chance to do so
without breaking his new treaty, then she knew he would do it in a heartbeat. Frigga simply
doubted such an opportunity would ever present itself.

"I... once I would have contested that," Thor began, hesitantly. "But seeing the way the
people have responded to Loki for all he did, I am beginning to understand I was wrong."

Frigga smiled as she stroked back a stray lock of golden hair. "I am very proud of you too,
Thor. What you did for your brother since your return, and your own efforts to learn, have not
all been easy."

"Not all I have done since my return from Miðgarðr is worthy of praise," Thor frowned.
"There is also much to be ashamed of."

"No one can be flawless at all times, not even your father. The most important thing is to
acknowledge when we have erred, attempt to better ourselves, and not to repeat our
mistakes."

"It sounds so easy."

"It always does, but that which is right hardly ever is without effort or difficulties. Otherwise,
we would all already be there."

Thor huffed. "Would that life were simpler."

That made Frigga laugh. "Poor Loki would be bored to death."

Her words made her son grin, and it heartened Frigga to see it.

"And then life would hardly be simple anymore," Thor replied. "For he would concoct some
elaborate scheme to alleviate his boredom."

Truth.

"I sometimes believe him incapable of being content," Thor continued, brow furrowed. "Do
we truly not make him happy?"

"Oh, my dear, I do not believe 'tis thus at all," Frigga rushed to reassure. "Everyone is
different, and your brother's character simply makes it harder for him to find that simple
contentment and be satisfied with it. His mind is always working, seeking out information
and analyzing it. For him to be still, it too must be placated. 'Tis far harder to achieve, though
there is one whom I have witnessed doing so far more easily, and regularly, than most."

"Lady Sigyn."

It spoke volumes for how important she was to Loki, that even Thor had noticed her effect on
his brother.

"Aye, Lady Sigyn," Frigga agreed with another smile as she gazed back at the star-studded
pond. "She is very good for him and seems to allow him to quieten his mind, at least for a
short while."

"I never did understand why they separated; they were good together."

"I do not believe their separation to be permanent. I believe we will see them together once
more, when she returns to Ásgarðr."

"She was here recently, did you know?"

"Nay, I had not heard."

"'Twas during one of the feasts, her father was delivering a message from Queen Sága, I
believe. They spent the night together."

Good. Loki had deserved all of the comfort and peace he could while regent, and it still
pained Frigga she had been needed to aid Óðinn so much, as it made her feel like she had
abandoned her youngest right when he had needed her most. There had been no good
solution, and in her head she knew this, but her heart had yet to accept it even now. She
would need to discuss it with Loki when he had healed some more; to make certain he
understood she would have stood by his side the entire time, had she been able to.

Or at least, as much as he would have allowed it. Even in her head, she could already hear
some of his protests if she had truly attempted to be there the whole time.

"And speaking of female companions," Frigga began, with a sly smile. "Do you have any at
present?"

"Mother!"

'Twas as much of a whine as a protest, and it made Frigga laugh. "I heard some rumor of a
human woman who drew your eye."

The way her eldest stilled told her all she needed to know, and Frigga was pleased for him,
even if the confirmation worried her at the same time. Mortals lived such short lives.

"Who told you this?" Thor questioned, attempting to distract her.

"Does it matter?" she countered. "But thank you for the confirmation."

"I did not!"

 "You would not be so adamant if it were not."

Thor opened his mouth to protest some more, ere his shoulders slumped. "Fighting with you
is as pointless as with Loki."

Oh, her poor dear. While every sibling pair faced their own set of challenges and difficulties,
she did have to admit her youngest could try anyone's patience if he truly put his mind to it.
She had personally witnessed him twisting and turning words around so much, the one he
argued with agreed to precisely that which Loki wished them to, without even realizing it.

"Consider it good practice, for when you yourself sit on Hliðskjálf, there will be many who
attempt to do the same then," Frigga offered.

"So I have seen," Thor replied, dejectedly. "Do you know what Father will do now?"

"With the coronation?"

"With all of it."

"Nay, we have not had the opportunity to discuss it, or much of anything besides Loki's
healing," Frigga explained. "And I believe he is still working with Ragnvaldr and the rest of
the High Council to ensure he is aware of all which transpired during his sleep."

"It makes it far more difficult that he did not see it all himself."

"Aye, it does."

Chapter End Notes

I'm so glad I remembered to update today! I'm on holiday right now and had feared I'd
lose track of what day it was! As it is, I've not been able to update my blog much, other
than posting the last of my old school fan fics and a post on writing while traveling. But
I will post soon on the book my original children's short story Thunderous Thor is in as
that's available now! With mischievous Loki, of course 😏

While today's chapter was technically two new scenes, in point of fact, it really was just
a long continuation of last week's chapter. They were definitely all written together as
the story just flowed so easily from one scene to the next. I hope you enjoyed it as much
as last week's chapter, as it was definitely quite popular!

Loki may be on the mend, with his mischievous side coming out to play a bit once more,
but Thor is only just starting to come to terms with all that he learned happened to his

🤣
baby brother before Loki came into his life. Even if he might still have an achy stomach
😂
Old Norse :

jötnar - "frost giants"

jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: The healing continues & Thor and Óðinn talk...
 Chapter 80
Chapter Notes

I'd intended to update sooner today as I had the day off, but it was far too beautiful
outside to spend the day inside!

Enjoy the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

'Twas not until Loki stood by the window and was able to view the position of the sun in the
sky, that he knew what time it was. Between the sleeping draughts and his own increased
propensity to sleep as he healed, he was spending most of his time asleep and so easily lost
track of what time 'twas. Let alone what day.

He raised a hand to his sternum as he thought of his injury. At the moment, his core was more
of a dull background throb rather than the sheer agony it had been the last few days of his
reign. 'Twas still far from well, but at least Loki was starting to feel like himself once more.

Well, blue skin aside.

Loki crinkled his nose as he glanced down at his hand and chest, but he did not feel the
severe revulsion of before. Mother Winter thrilled at the back of his mind, and he could not
help but smile at her sheer joy. She veritably radiated with it, not only for him and his much-
improved condition and reaction to his true form, but also at her own improvement and that
of Jötunheimr.

Though Loki could not sense the latter, he could most definitely sense the former, and it filled
him with great joy. Never having known her before the loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters
(at least not that he could remember), he had not realized quite how severely it had affected
her.

Or how much it had diminished her.

He wished he could connect fully with her now, to know her as she truly was. 'Twas not the
first time he had thought it and Loki knew that, inevitably, he would travel to Jötunheimr
once more. 'Twas only a matter of time. He would do his best to delay it, but he knew himself
too well to think his resolve would last more than a century or so.

Not with what awaited him there. Hopefully, it would be long enough to allow feelings to
settle between Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr.

A knock at his door was quickly followed by Lady Hlín entering his chamber. He was far too
likely to be asleep at present for her to wait for his response, or lack thereof.
"Ah, good afternoon, my Prince," she greeted, glancing him over. "How do you feel?"

"Better," Loki replied, honestly. "I feel much improved."

"I am pleased to hear it. Would you like me to send for anything else from the kitchens?"

She stood by the empty dishes which had contained a small meal. Though far less than he
would normally eat, it had left him satisfied.

"Nay, not at present," he replied. "Though I will likely be hungry sooner than normal."

"I will ensure the next meal is brought more quickly then. Or at least more fruit. How else do
you fare?"

"I am still tired, though I no longer wish to merely sleep," Loki replied.

'Twas why he had risen from his bed and moved to the window. He did not need to be told he
could not go far, but the small effort felt good and, at least, he was no longer laying down.

"'Tis good news, but you will still need to remain abed for a while yet," Lady Hlín informed
him.

'Twas what he had feared her answer would be.

"For how long?" Loki demanded, already feeling his usual restlessness prickling under his
skin.

It could normally be sated by a good book, but the only one he truly wished to read was
safely hidden in his pocket dimension, and so out of his reach at present. Not to mention the
fact he did not wish to read it where Óðinn might see and demand he relinquish it.

'Twas his!

"As long as it takes, my Prince," Lady Hlín responded with a smile, and Loki realized he was
being petulant.

He grumbled, making an odd sound in the back of his throat which caused her lips to twitch,
as she clearly attempted to suppress her amusement.

"What did I just indicate to you?" Loki questioned, annoyed with himself for giving so much
away.

Despite that, it also intrigued him. All differing forms of communication did, as knowledge
of them allowed him to better understand the people who used them and that, in turn, allowed
him to best determine how he could obtain from them what he wished to. 'Twas fascinating
how often a species would consider themselves and their ways too unique, or special, to be
understood by others, whom they oft viewed as lesser and so took no precautions or made no
attempts to mask their natural reactions.
"Uh," Lady Hlín hesitated. "You indicated you are still not entirely well, and short on
patience."

More like childishly petulant, Loki thought, but he could understand why she may not wish
to say so outright.

"How can I best learn the meanings of all the sounds?" he asked.

Lady Hlín looked startled at the question, and Loki feared there would be no good resource
for him. If this was something which most jötnar simply learned while growing up, then it
may not be written down anywhere or otherwise explained. Both as there was simply no need
for it, and because it meant the other species would not be able to hear what it meant for use
in negotiations or so.

Loki would hate not to be able to know what he was communicating to others. How was he
to manipulate or modulate the sounds if he simply did not know what they meant? It would
make lying well, or tricking people, far harder.

"I do not know if such a resource even exists," Lady Hlín said. "I can look into it for you."

"Thank you," Loki replied, frustrated.

Suddenly, he remembered how, at times during the negotiations and the signing ceremony, he
had received odd looks from various members of the jötnar delegation. Had that been because
he had sent them some signal he had not even been aware of?

Actually, now he thought it...

"Lady Hlín, the humming I do, is that a jötnar trait?" Loki questioned.

"Hmm," Lady Hlín replied, with a smile. "Though, obviously, 'tis something other species
can imitate to a certain extent, if not entirely."

Which was probably why no one had ever commented on it before, or even noticed it. Even
he himself had simply viewed it as a personal preference.

"I have noticed others, such as Mother, doing it at times," Loki said.

"It would not surprise me; they are all close to you?"

"Aye."

"As this is part of your very nature, they may have noticed you reacted well if they
reciprocated such sounds," Lady Hlín replied. "Your mother in particular, as jötnar children
are not vocal as early as, say, æsir or vanir children. They communicate more with guttural
sounds while young."

Now she mentioned it, Loki did recall his mother once mentioning he had not babbled
nonsensically as Thor had before speaking his first full words.
"If I am unable to find you a good resource on this, I am willing to attempt to teach you
myself. However, I must caution you I have never tried my hand at it before, and so do not
know if I would make a good teacher," Lady Hlín offered.

"That would be much appreciated," Loki replied, wondering if she offered as it had been his
first true interest in anything jötnar, or if she hoped it would aid in his healing.

Another knock and his parents entered the chamber.

"Hello, Loki, Lady Hlín," Frigga greeted.

"Mother, Father," Loki replied.

"Are you feeling better, darling?"

"Hmm," Loki replied without thought, ere he scowled.

"I believe you will find it quite hard to overcome if you wish to do so, my Prince," Lady Hlín
commented, picking up the empty dishes from his meal. "'Tis part of your nature and one you
have already grown accustomed to performing."

Which did not mean Loki had to keep doing it, though to change it might draw more attention
to it now than to allow himself to keep doing it.

"I shall be in my study if you require me, my Prince, Your Majesties," Lady Hlín said,
curtsying as best she could given her load, before leaving.

"Overcome?" Óðinn inquired, looking at him.

"The sounds I make," Loki replied, before he hummed to demonstrate.

Frigga smiled. "I am so used to that one now, I do not even consider it odd any longer."

Which implied she had at first, though Loki could well imagine both her and Óðinn had been
hyperalert at the beginning for any signs he might revert back to his jötunn form. Óðinn's
spell to the contrary be damned.

"That one," Loki repeated.

Óðinn shook his head. "Ever will you notice subtle nuances in word choice."

Loki chose to take it as a compliment, though he was not entirely certain it had been intended
as such.

"'Tis true you have made others, but none of them are particularly common," Frigga said.
"You made a whole variety of them when you were but an infant, however most slowly fell
away once you began to speak."

Was that normal, or had he done it as he was not receiving back the responses which he might
have subconsciously expected? Or because they were not garnering him what he desired?
"There have only been others on a few occasions since," Frigga continued.

"Oh?" Loki inquired.

"When you were so ill with the summer fever on Vanaheimr, you made a series of... whining
sounds while unconscious," she admitted. "You did so once more two days ago."

Loki did not like the sound of that, particularly the part where he had been unconscious when
he had done so. How was he to control and conceal his true state, if he was not even awake or
aware when he did so? Could he train himself to halt it even while unconscious? He might
need to speak with Lady Hlín on the matter, much as he wished he could uncover it on his
own."

"Any other instances?" he almost dreaded asking.

His mother's face took on a mischievous smile. "Your brother once mentioned you snarled at
him oddly. Yet, he also said it reminded him of your father, so it may have had nothing to do
with your biology."

"I do not snarl!" Óðinn protested, even as Loki laughed.

It might still be due to his biology since Óðinn was himself half-jötunn, but if it made people
think of the All-Father, then 'twas not something he needed to be concerned with.

At least not for those reasons.

"Nay?" Loki questioned, winking at his mother. "I seem to recall one in Himinbjörg when
you were reprimanding and banishing Thor."

"Or when you learned of Freyr's plans to cease suppling Ásgarðrian mead at his banquets,"
Frigga added. "Or-"

"Those are not snarls," Óðinn interjected, but Loki could see his adoptive father restraining
himself from his more vocal reaction.

"Then what are they?" Frigga questioned, sweetly. "Growls?"

"Utterances," Óðinn retorted.

"I have it on good authority such semantics mean little," Loki helpfully supplied.

It had been Óðinn's way of dismissing an argument Loki had presented which the All-Father
could not get around.

The way Óðinn's eye darted back to him, with a slightly guilty expression, told Loki he was
not the only one who remembered it.

"A wise man, no doubt," Frigga finished, and Loki merely laughed.
"Now I remember why I should not cross words when the two of you stand together," Óðinn
sighed.

'Twas as close to an actual apology as he would receive, so Loki knew to be satisfied.

Although, there was that incident in the king's study right before his collapse...

"As I said, a wise man," Frigga replied, ere she seated herself on Loki's bed. "Come, we
should commence with the healing."

Reluctant to return to bed, Loki contemplated asking they do it elsewhere, but that would
require him to move afterwards, and he was not certain he would be able to. The last thing he
needed was to be helped back to bed once more. Particularly, when so few knew the truth of
his heritage.

He crawled back into the bed, pushing aside the sheet. He was too hot for it at present. As he
settled, an unexpected sensation made him freeze.

"Loki?" Frigga inquired. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm," Loki frowned, glancing at his side.

He could have sworn he had felt something there. Almost like when Geri and Freki had still
been alive and would lay with him when he napped outside in his parents' private garden.

"I merely thought I felt a presence."

"A presence?" Mother frowned.

"Hmm, it-" Loki began, before shaking his head. "It matters not."

It felt strange, though, as if he had lost something important.

"Are you certain?" Óðinn asked.

There was something there, but as he could neither understand it, nor describe it, Loki merely
inclined his head.

"Very well, then we should begin," Frigga said. "If you are ready, darling?"

"Hmm."

The odd pang of loss persisted, though, even as Loki slipped into the meditative state which
allowed his adoptive parents better access to his core.

Now he was awake and far more aware during these healing sessions, Loki had to forcibly
lower his wards and allow them in. It took far more effort than it should, but he had always
been paranoid when it came to protecting himself, and particularly either his mind or core. It
no doubt helped to explain part of why Loptr had gone so mad. For Thanos or his acolyte to
have control of Loptr, they would have had to break all of those.
Loki shuddered at the mere thought.

"Son?" Óðinn questioned, and Loki's attention snapped back to the present.

In his moment of inattention, his seiðr had shifted, seeing the All-Father's presence so hear to
his core as a threat. He clamped down on it and forced himself to relax once more.

'Twas the other reason this was far more difficult than it should be; at present he could not
implicitly trust either of them, but most particularly not Óðinn.

Thor was in his study when his father found him, sitting near the firepit he had installed soon
after being given the study so he could perform his official duties.

He had never particularly liked his study, infinitely preferring to do as little work here as he
could. Instead, he preferred to do what he could out on the training fields or in his chambers,
but Father had insisted he have one to receive official guests and hold meetings when
necessary. 'Twas when he had the firepit installed, for he wished to be comfortable when he
was forced to endure such meetings.

Almost inevitably, though, the space had been used more by him and his friends than for any
official guests. It had not been until earlier this morn, that Thor had realized Loki had never
spent much time here with them. Was it because of what Loki had said, of how they were not
his friends? Or was it something else? Now he tried, Thor could not recollect his brother
being present much in his study at all, whether his friends were present or not.

It depressed Thor, since it indicated precisely how long he and Loki had been growing apart.
Indeed, he could not even remember a time he had visited his brother's study (or think of
where 'twas), always expecting Loki to come to him at those times, and not even realizing
when he had not.

"Thor," Father greeted, moving to join him by the fire.

The firepit was a change to the study his father had not approved of, but had heard of too late
to prevent. Loki had been greatly amused.

"Father," Thor greeted, attempting a half smile.

"I see your visit with Loki did not go so well today as your last one did."

Thor swallowed thickly at the reminder as he looked out of his open balcony, at the growing
dusk.

"Nay, it... he..." Thor began, trailing off.

"'Twas your first true indication of how wounded your brother still is," Father offered.

"Aye. I know I was there when he collapsed, but after my first visit he seemed much
improved, though he had not yet seen himself in a mirror."
Father sighed. "I am afraid this is not something which will go away so easily. Your brother
will likely struggle with this for a number of years."

"Years!"

"Aye, Thor, 'tis not a normal wound which a little time in the healing halls and some seiðr can
heal. 'Tis something far more serious."

"I am aware of that!" Thor protested.

He had not slept well since his brother's collapse, seeing it happen before his eyes over and
over again whenever he tried. Though, then there were times he could not reach Loki in time,
or others when Mother, Father or Lady Eir were unable to help, and his brother simply
slipped away.

"What I meant is that even after we heal his core, Loki will be in danger of a relapse until he
can fully accept he is jötunn without hating himself for it," Father explained.

"So long?"

'Twas not a comforting thought. Not after this morning. Thor had gone by to visit his brother,
only to find Loki in a foul mood. All of his attempts to lift his brother's spirits had resulted in
insults and comments designed to cut them both. In the end, Ladies Hlín and Eir had thrown
him out, even as they forced his brother to take a sleeping draught to halt any further damage
to his core.

"'Tis why your mother and I have said Loki will need you more than ever now," Father
replied.

"And I will be there, but 'tis difficult to think of him being in danger for so long," Thor
explained.

"I know."

Whereas before, Thor had enjoyed his solitude as it gave him time to reflect on all which had
happened and what it meant, now he did not wish for it.

"I still find it hard to believe how well Loki hid his injury from us," he said. "And I cannot
help but fear that, if we were still close, I would have seen it."

Father remained quiet for a while, simply gazing into the fire, before his shoulders slumped.

"'Tis a question I cannot answer for you," Father responded. "I can merely remind you how
gifted he has always been with illusions."

"I know, but... is this part of what awaits me?" Thor asked. "Needing to conceal all from even
my own family?"

"Nay, you will always have Loki, and it will be critically important to be honest with your
brother."
Startled at the words, Thor glanced at his father.

"We have not discussed it directly for decades, but I had always intended for Loki to be your
main advisor, since your different strengths complement each other," Father explained. "The
growing distance between you, however, had caused me to fear 'twas not to be. Yet, with
what I am witnessing now..."

"Why would it be alright for me to confide in him, when he could not do so in me? You said
before Loki had to conceal his injury from even me."

"You were both a mortal and powerless, thus in no position to either help or support Loki.
The secret I kept from you both isolated him even further," Father replied. "None of this
would be true in the future, when you are king, and Loki is by your side."

Nay, Thor supposed, it would not. Though his father did not say so, he feared the situation
with his friends, and how he had reacted to their actions, had not helped either. Even now, he
could not help but wince as he thought of some of what he had said and done.

It had been deplorable, and he could understand how Loki might not have felt capable of
confiding in him.

Which brought him to the most important question he had thought of during his
contemplations.

"Father, do you not think Loki might make a better king, given all of our actions as of late?"

"Your brother does not wish for Hliðskjálf, and his temperament is ill suited to it."

"What? But look how well he did!"

"For a short while, aye, but if left on Hliðskjálf for too long, Loki would either go mad or
wither until he was unrecognizable," Father stated. "Your brother is much wilder in spirit and
he needs to roam as he has always done."

Thor could not argue the latter. As much as he himself loved to go on quests and Loki loved
to study, his brother was actually the one who would seek to travel more. Loki could not bear
to simply enjoy what he had if his mind was not engaged with some new study.

Father shifted uncertainly, drawing Thor's attention back to him.

"I can only hope you will do better by Loki than I have, and actually listen to his advice."

Thor frowned at the tone of regret and... self-condemnation he heard in his father's suddenly
weary voice. 'Twas accompanied by an intense look of regret on his face, one which made
Father look far older than Thor felt uncomfortable with.

"Of what do you speak, Father?" Thor asked with a furrowed brow. "You always listen to
Loki during the High Council meetings."
"Hearing him is not the same as listening, or actually taking his advice," Father sighed, ere he
clearly hesitated. "A few months ago, Loki came to me with a concern. Rather than listen to
him, I dismissed it out of hand, convinced I was right and that your brother was merely
speaking out of jealousy."

"Jealousy?"

Dread curled in the pit of Thor's stomach. La- Sif had spoken enough of his brother's
supposed jealousy lately for him to fear what came next.

Surely, their own father had not thought the same?

Yet, even as he thought it, Thor felt shame, for had he himself not both listened to and
believed Sif's assertions until so very recently? He had thought his brother jealous of him, so
why should not their own father? Once, Thor might have believed it impossible for the great
King Óðinn of Ásgarðr to be thus deceived, but had not his father thought him as ready to be
king as everyone else?

Still, the thought that, even as Father had overestimated him and his skill, he had done the
opposite for Loki, left Thor feeling conflicted. Had no one but Mother thought well of his
little brother before recent events?

It made him more determined than ever to be a better brother to Loki.

"Aye," Father confirmed. "Thor, Loki came to me with concerns about your readiness to
ascend Hliðskjálf. He did not feel you were prepared; that you were too impulsive and too
easily lead and manipulated. He spoke of an eagerness for battle, war and glory."

Anger and hurt were the first emotions Thor felt at hearing those words. His initial impulse
was one of self-defense; to protest his brother's words and make both Loki and Father see
how very wrong they were, but then the image of his brother as he last saw him swam before
his eyes. Never before had Thor ever seen Loki so hurt and looking almost broken and
fragile. Indeed, his brother almost was broken in a very crucial way that would never show
on the surface, but would have left Loki irrevocably lost to them forever.

The thought served to chill Thor enough for his anger and indignation to cool, and with it
came all of his recent thoughts and realizations. Not only about his little brother, but also his
own actions and mistakes.

Much as it hurt and he hated to admit it, Loki's words to Father had been exactly right, and all
of his fears of Thor's behavior had been realized. How had it been that only his brother had
seen the truth of his unpreparedness for Hliðskjálf? How had Loki seen when no one else
had? Was it simply his brother's usual perceptiveness, or was there more? Thor hated to think
what it might be which would allow Loki to not be blinded to his weaknesses like everyone
else had been.

He had always wanted to be looked up to by his little brother, not judged for his faults. Or
should he be complimented that Loki had truly seen him, instead of some facade? 'Twas
something to consider.
"He never mentioned anything to me," Thor finally replied.

"How would you have reacted if he had?" Father questioned.

Thor winced at the mere thought. Not well, 'twas certain.

Father gave a single nod before placing a consoling hand on Thor's shoulder. "Neither did I."

"What did you do?" Thor asked in surprise.

The question made Father glance away for a moment, ere he turned back to meet Thor's eyes
with his own.

"I dismissed your brother's concerns out of hand, and outright accused him of lying in a bid
to gain Hliðskjálf for himself."

Horror and shock swelled in Thor at the words, before they turned to confusion.

"But you said that you did not think Hliðskjálf would suit Loki," he said.

"Aye," Father agreed. "But I thought Loki did not realize this."

"But you do now?"

His words made Father snort and laugh, though there was no humor in the latter, and it made
Thor wince.

"Your brother called me out on it the day he collapsed, right before you and your mother
came into the study," Father explained. "He accused me of not listening to what he said and
instead hearing that which I wished to, much like many other people did. That we all already
thought we knew what he wanted or meant."

Thor winced at the thought of both his father being lectured thusly (yet, at the same time, he
could see Loki doing it, and a horrified part of him wished he had witnessed it for himself)
and at the words themselves, for how many examples could he think of Sif and the others
doing precisely that? Or of himself being guilty of the selfsame crime? It made him wonder
exactly how many other mistakes he had made with his little brother as of late, and for how
long? He almost dreaded to contemplate.

"I fear we both owe Loki a great many apologies," Thor finally said.

Father gave a sad smile. "Aye, but we are not alone in this."

His shoulders slumped once more as Thor thought of how very true that was.

"There are some who will never do so," he replied.

The grave truth of those words rendered them both silent for a while and Thor turned his gaze
to the fire. He had arranged the reclining settees around it for companionship and ease of
conversing. With both his father and himself seated side by side, the rest were empty and
'twas an emptiness he felt keenly at present. Preferring to use other chambers and the training
fields for his official duties, his study had more oft been used by himself and his friends to eat
and relax. Loki had not often joined them here, so now the space was a potent reminder of
them, and not his brother.

Or rather of them and Loki's absence from their number.

How had he never noticed how they truly felt about his brother? Even when Loki had
attempted to inform him of the truth?

"The actions of both Heimdallr and the other traitors is not something I have looked at in
depth yet," Father finally spoke.

"Nay?" Thor questioned, surprised.

"The mere thought of what they did is enough to fill me with an unthinking rage, particularly
while Loki is still so unwell."

That, at least, Thor could understand. 'Twas part of why he had not been able to visit his
friends as of late. The simple thought of all that his brother had suffered while they had
thought him a usurper and done what they could to make Loki's time on Hliðskjálf all the
harder, was too much for him. He did not trust himself to remain civil with them and, besides,
his brother deserved his attentions at present.

"Did you see any of it?" Thor could not help but ask.

Father's face tightened as he gazed into the flames. "Heimdallr's attempt."

Nausea welled up within Thor. He was glad he had not witnessed that, much as he wished he
had been there to aid in his brother's defense.

"Though my sight was restricted by the nature of my sleep, thus I was not able to see how
Loki had hidden his true self and the Einherjar," Father continued.

"You thought him in actual mortal peril?"

"Aye."

His father appeared even older than he had seemed before, when already wearied, but Thor
could think of nothing to say to aid him. For Father to have thought he was watching Loki's
death at the hand of a trusted servant of Ásgarðr? He could not even begin to fathom how
terrible it had been, particularly given Father's complete and utter helplessness at the time.

"Thankfully, Loki had already ensured his own defense," Father eventually stated.

Now, 'twas Thor's turn to laugh without humor.

"Aye, he had," he began. "While both of us were unable to do much, Loki saved not only
himself, but us and all of Ásgarðr, despite not having been fully trained to and his being
gravely ill himself."
"I know, 'tis something I am very proud of him for," Father replied. "Though, if there is one
positive, it has given us all an opportunity to see Loki as he truly is on his own, and not
merely as seen behind either, or both, of us."

"Have you seen all of the green standards and flags the people displayed? Loki was stunned
when he first observed them."

"I have, and I now finally understand something Frigga said to me long ago, when she first
commenced Loki's seiðr lessons. That the two of us cast long shadows and Loki needed a
way to shine too."

Thor liked the image of his brother doing so and, he too, could finally understand that Loki
had not been given the chance to do so before. It shamed him to think of how incessantly, and
thoughtlessly, he had occupied the space, never even thinking his own brother might wish to
do so as well. Nay, instead he had simply enjoyed all of the attention and adulations which
went with being seen so clearly by all of Ásgarðr.

"I..." Thor began, hesitating.

"Thor?"

"I was thinking of Loki shining, and one of the means he did so was during Heimdallr's trial.
I did not witness it myself, since I was still on Miðgarðr, but I heard of it from many people."

"His punishment?"

"And Höðr's becoming the Bifröst gatekeeper."

Father looked grave, yet pleased at the same time. 'Twas most peculiar.

"'Twas a particularly good piece of seiðr on your brother's part, and an unexpected solution to
a very difficult problem," Father said.

Thor smiled wryly. "I believe I can think of where he received the inspiration for it."

"'Tis not something which has ever occurred to me, but I do believe you are correct."

"'Tis one of Loki's greatest strengths; thinking of the unexpected or applying old methods in
new ways," Thor said. "It has saved or aided us many a time off-world."

"'Tis also what made raising him as a small child such a particular challenge," Father
admitted. "Ways of keeping you safe or content hardly ever worked for Loki. He was always
discovering new means of escaping or making the innocuous dangerous."

Thor laughed. That he could very well imagine after Loki had taken some seemingly trivial
items and turned them into weapons or means of escape.

"Thus, that which could have killed him before now aids him in remaining alive?" he asked.

"So it would seem," Father agreed.

"But speaking of the Óðinnforce," Thor began. "Why had you not told me of it before my
coronation? I had not realized 'twas not simply your own seiðr."

Father sighed. "'Twas something I would have spoken with you of afterwards, once you held
Gungnir and were able to connect with it yourself."

"Why not beforehand? Did you not think it something I should know?"

"I had not realized you were entirely unaware of it until your mother informed me."

The confirmation of her words made Thor feel guilty. Was this truly something he had missed
during his studies? If so, why had it not been made clearer to him if it was so vital?

"I am uncertain if I am the best person to wield it," Thor admitted. "I know little of seiðr, and
'tis a great power."

"That you realize this, is the first and most important step towards being allowed to possess
it."

"Still, from Loki's own studies I know how long it can take to come to master seiðr properly,
and 'tis not something I have ever had an interest in learning to do myself."

Part of Thor felt uncertain making such an assertion to his father, but he felt the need to be
honest. The Óðinnforce was a truly awesome power and thus easily misused, particularly by
one uncertain in how to wield it. He did not wish to cause irreparable damage to Ásgarðr by
doing so improperly.

"Ordinarily, this would be a far greater problem," Father replied. "However, you will be able
to leave a lot of it to your brother, as I have decided not to break Loki's connection with it."

Relief rushed through Thor at the words. And not only for himself.

"Loki deserves it," he said, knowing how much his brother would love to explore seiðr of this
nature.

"Indeed, though I am not entirely certain I could break his connection to it if I tried," Father
stated, with a slight furrow of his brow.

"What?" Thor exclaimed, turning to his father in shock. "You do not think Loki will let it
go?"

"Nay, 'tis not what I meant," Father hurriedly replied. "It would seem Ásgarðr has taken a
particular liking to your brother, and I do not believe she would relinquish her connection
with him. I seem to have been replaced in her affections."

Though Father's tone was more bemused than worried, the admission still stunned Thor.
Ásgarðr now preferred Loki to their father? 'Twas not a belittling of his brother which made
him wonder at this, but rather the fact that the Realm itself could prefer anyone over the king.
It seemed... he was not entirely certain of what it meant, but he failed to understand how this
was even possible. As the king of Ásgarðr, surely his father should be Ásgarðr in a way?
"I do not understand," Thor finally admitted. "And you said she, as if Ásgarðr were alive.
Mother vaguely alluded to this, but I did not think her so literal."

"Before now, I did not either," Father replied. "Though I have long been connected to the
seiðr of Ásgarðr, I have not thought it truly sentient myself. 'Twas the power of our Realm,
much as many of the magical Realms of the Nine possess a strong well of seiðr at their very
core."

"But now you do not think of it thus?"

"Nay, not after all Loki has said of it."

"He views it differently then?"

"Aye, he speaks of it as if Ásgarðr herself is alive and able to communicate with him. In truth,
'tis unlike anything I have ever witnessed before and his connection to Ásgarðr is different;
easy and effortless in a way mine is not. Comfortable almost, connecting seamlessly with
your brother's own seiðr in a way I can hardly comprehend."

It had been a long time since Thor had heard this particular note of wonder in his father's
voice, and it stunned him. He had long known his brother's gift with seiðr was both unusually
strong and different, as Loki was constantly surprising others with what he was able to do,
but this was different. This was their own father - King Óðinn Borrson of Ásgarðr - speaking
of Loki's seiðr as if he could not truly understand or comprehend it.

"It also feels right in a way that feels wrong to break," Father continued. "And this is where I
am uncertain if I actually could. That Ásgarðr likes your brother is more than clear, as she
aided and supported him throughout his illness. I even dread to think of what might have
come to pass had neither she, nor this Mother Winter, been present."

Thor shuddered at the mere thought, immediately seeking to dismiss it as he did not wish to
linger on even the mere possibility of his brother's death.

"Do you think Mother Winter is similar to Ásgarðr then?" Thor asked. "From what Uncle Vé
told me, he seemed to suspect it was."

"Aye," Father responded. "I believe it might well be. I do not yet know as much about it as I
would like, but from what I have heard, it does sound like it may be the more sentient aspect
of Jötunheimr's seiðr."

"And it will not harm Loki?"

"It has not so far, seeming to go out of its way to aid your brother, instead," Father said, eye
going distant as he looked out the balcony windows. "I merely wish we knew more about it."

This, Thor could easily understand. Much as he was grateful for anything which had aided
Loki in his survival and recovery so far, it made him uneasy to think of anything of
Jötunheimr so close to his brother, or at least, anything so unknown. There were times he
truly considered seiðr as much of a curse as a blessing.
Chapter End Notes

Before anyone asks, yes, there's quite a bit of foreshadowing for the sequels in this
chapter 😃

What do people think of contemplative!Thor? It's not a side of him we have often seen
before. It was interesting to write, though, and required a bit of a particular mood for me
when doing so. As for Óðinn, I do not intend for him to be derogatory when speaking of
Loki's suitability for Hliðskjálf here, rather it's one of the few times that he truly does
see Loki. He would go mad or wither if tethered to one place. Which is part of why his
punishment in TDW was so cruel and counterproductive.

Oh, just so you know, this is the last of the 6,000+ word chapters. The rest will be all in
the 3,000-5,000 range. The longest of those will be in two weeks at 5,453 words, while
the shortest (at 3,878 words) will be the second to last chapter.

If anyone was interested in the opportunity that led to me writing my original short story
Thunderous Thor, the challenge is open once more. So any writers who are interested,
can have a look. I've already selected my my next drawing. This one won't be Norse
mythology inspired, but I do hope to weave some mythology into it! Beyond that, I hope
to update my blog more now that I'm back from Belgium.

Old Norse:

jötnar - "frost giants"

jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: Loki shifts back & Vili and Vé speak with Óðinn...
 Chapter 81
Chapter Notes

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well, especially any Europeans with this heatwave
that's rolling around!

Enjoy the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

From the moment his adoptive parents ended their healing session of his core, Loki could
already tell his connection with his seiðr had improved sufficiently for him to be able to use
it. It heartened him as 'twas the greatest sign so far that, not only was he improving, but that
he would be able to return to how he had once been.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Frigga inquired, running a hand over his forehead.

"Better," Loki admitted, stretching as he shook off the last fogginess of the meditative state
he had fallen into while they worked.

His connections with both Mother Winter and Ásgarðr had improved, and he felt them better
than he had since his collapse. Their delight and affection warmed him, making him turn
further into his mother's touch.

"I am pleased to hear it," Frigga smiled.

"We are making good progress," Óðinn added, squeezing his arm reassuringly.

His own improved condition made Loki softer than he would otherwise have been, and he
smiled at Óðinn. It also allowed him to focus on matters beyond his healing chamber for the
first time since he had entered it.

"How fare things?" Loki asked.

"Everything is fine, Loki," Frigga replied. "You do not need to worry about it."

"Mother," he protested.

"Though you are improved, there is still a long way to go before you are fully healed."

"And am I to be kept in ignorance the whole time?"

"Frigga," Óðinn intoned as she opened her mouth to reply, before the All-Father turned to
face Loki. "Things go well, however I am still being caught up on all which transpired while
I was asleep."
Not a particularly detailed report of how things were, but if Óðinn did not feel the need to
demand further detail of what he had been thinking in regard to various items or projects,
then Loki would not insist on them now. He was certain the interrogation and recriminations
would come soon enough on their own.

Instead, he nodded and yawned, only for his stomach to growl a moment later as the smell of
the food which his parents had brought reached his nose once more.

"I suppose that answers my next question of whether you are hungry," Frigga laughed.

"Hmm," Loki replied, somewhat embarrassed.

"I must leave as I promised to meet my brothers," Óðinn stated as he rose. "I am glad you are
doing better, Loki."

"Father," Loki said, watching him go with a small frown.

"What is wrong?" Frigga questioned as she returned to his side, holding a bowl.

"Nothing," he replied, pushing himself into a seated position.

That his mother did not believe him was obvious but, luckily, she did not press the matter,
instead handing him the bowl.

Eel in a cream sauce, Loki had suspected it would be, but he was pleased by the confirmation
nonetheless. As during his regency, he had been plied with many of his favorites prepared as
he liked them best since arriving in the healing halls. He knew why, of course, but 'twas not
exactly common, for he had not received this particular attention during his previous stays
here. Indeed, then he had, at times, outright refused to eat since the food he had been
presented with had contained what he now knew were spices his digestive system could not
handle well.

"The improvements you feel, how much better are they?" Frigga inquired, after a few
moments of silence while he ate.

"I can feel my seiðr once more," Loki replied.

"You could not before?" Frigga queried, aghast.

"Nay, my connection to most of it was gone, and what remained felt like a limp, dead thing
inside of me."

Loki still shuddered at the mere thought of it and he could see his mother do the same. He
reached out towards his seiðr now automatically, reveling in feeling as it responded and
curled around his core, cool and rich.

"I..." Frigga trailed off. "I had not realized."

He gave her a wry smile. "I was not precisely in a state to speak of it."
"Nay, you were not."

Almost compulsively, his mother reached out to touch him once more, running her hands
over whatever part of him she could reach. It felt nice and soothing, so Loki said nothing of it
as he finished his meal.

"Loki, baby, promise me that you will never allow it to go so far again," Frigga all but
begged. "Please say you will let me know if you are thus injured again."

"Norns willing, I never will."

"That is not what I asked."

"Hmm, I know, but 'tis a promise I cannot make," Loki replied. "If I am in a position too,
though, I will."

Frigga frowned, clearly not pleased with his answer, but 'twas the best Loki could give at
present. Well, unless he wished to lie to her, and he did not want to.

"Very well," she finally replied.

They both knew the pressures and responsibilities which came with being royalty and in line
to either Hliðskjálf or any other throne. In point of fact, his mother looked exhausted, and he
could not blame her. First Óðinn and now him. She had not had much time to either relax or
simply rest since before Thor's aborted coronation, as that had its own stresses to organize
ahead of time.

"How do you like Lady Hlín so far?" Frigga asked.

"She is good," Loki replied with a frown. "Did you think I would not like her?"

Was it because she was nearly fully jötunn? While his mother knew well he had been able to
negotiate with Laufey and their delegation, Frigga had not seen it herself, while she had
personally witnessed his collapse. So mayhap she thought him more averse to other jötnar?

It struck Loki as a little odd, though he could not say his own reaction to learning what he
was had been entirely rational either. Merely thinking of it made him want to wince.

"Nay, 'tis merely she was rather antagonistic with Óðinn," Frigga explained. "I had some
concerns it might affect how she treated you."

"Ah, nay, it has all been fine," Loki replied. "Óðinn allowed it?"

Frigga sighed. "He did not have much of a choice, and she has already proven her loyalty
when she took care of Bestla."

It did not escape Loki's notice how Frigga was not referring to anyone by their family relation
to him. No doubt it cost her to do so, but she did it nonetheless. It warmed him despite the
fact he knew there would be a conversation on it at some point.
Exactly as there would be one on what had happened to him and his core injury.

"Not to mention the oath," Loki added.

"Aye," Frigga seemed pleased he knew of it. "Would you like her to remain as your personal
healer once you are recovered?"

'Twas not something Loki had given a great deal of thought to, but it made logical sense now
he was aware of who and what he was.

"How will you explain it?" Loki asked.

Frigga waved it off. "I am certain we can concoct a suitable explanation, if necessary."

"Hmm," Loki responded, his mouth full.

"In that case, I shall start thinking of the best reason to give if we are ever questioned on it.
Now, how else are you? Is there anything you require?"

"Nay, Livunn brought me some of my books and I have yet to be able to read any of them."

"Good, do let me know if there is anything you need later," Frigga stated.

"Of course," Loki replied, finishing his meal.

He had not yet been given a very big portion of anything, which he found rather surprising,
but he had not yet gone hungry as a result, so he assumed there was a reason for it.

He allowed his mother to take the bowl from him as he knew she wished to be helpful, but he
rose nonetheless.

"Go rest, Mother," Loki said.

"Oh, Loki," Frigga replied with a smile, embracing him. "You need not worry about me."

"But I do."

"You are a good son."

The words made Loki squeeze her more strongly for a moment, ere he reluctantly released
her.

"I love you," he said, looking her in the eye.

"And I love you, darling," Frigga immediately replied, touching their foreheads together.

The feel of it on his kin lines felt odd, but comforting, so Loki said nothing of it. Lady Hlín
had said they would feel differently if touched by family rather than friends or lovers.

"Go sleep or relax," Loki finally urged once more.

"I will, but so should you," Frigga replied. "You are still healing, and we have a fair amount
to go yet."

"I know, but I need to visit the bathing chamber first."

"Very well, have a good night, Loki."

"Sleep well, Mother."

Frigga kissed his forehead and Loki smiled, watching her leave his chambers before he made
for the bathing chamber. He allowed the torches to come on as he entered, quickly
performing his ablutions before coming to a stop in front of the large mirror Thor had used to
make him view himself in his jötunn form only a few days prior.

Unlike then, he no longer flinched when he caught sight of his own reflection, but Loki still
did not enjoy it by any means. He was, however, slowly coming to terms that this too was
him. One fact he had noticed, though, was that the shade of blue from his skin closely
matched that which his mother oft wore, and he could not help but wonder if 'twas deliberate.
While Frigga had never witnessed him in his jötunn form until recently, it would not have
been hard for her to learn the normal color of jötunn skin, had she wished to.

He had yet to question her on it, but Loki would not be surprised if it had been a deliberate
choice on her part to make him come to associate the color with good things. If so, it had
worked as he did think of her whenever he saw it, and, all else aside, he did love Frigga and
knew that she loved him; deeply. He would need to question her on it later, when he felt more
comfortable doing so.

For now, Loki allowed his eyes to drift to the pale kin lines spidering across his skin. Their
meaning and purpose intrigued him even as he felt repulsed by the fact they spelt his
relationship with Laufey out for anyone to see. Or at least for those who knew how to read
them.

No doubt, they also spoke of his connection to his sire... Fárbauti, but Loki did not feel as
strong a reaction to that. Other than his - their - name, he did not really know anything about
them other than that they were also known as dangerous striker which, though fearsome,
could simply mean they had been a wilier opponent than the other jötnar the æsir warriors
had come across during the war.

'Twas also not a description Loki disliked, since 'twas the mark of a good warrior, and that
was something he would be able to claim on Ásgarðr, if nothing else.

He reached up and traced one of the kin lines spiraling down his arm but, as before, Loki
could not feel anything terribly different from if he touched the skin around it. He supposed
'twas much like how touching one's own lips did not generate the same reaction as if
someone else did. The only experience he had with kin lines, as a result, was from when
Frigga forgot and ran her fingers over the ones on the back of his hands. It always felt nice,
so he had never mentioned it to her or asked her to stop, but she always did as soon as she
realized what she was doing.
He had yet to be able to tell her he liked it.

His eyes were far more difficult to look at, and Loki was not certain if 'twas because he liked
the green of his áss shift so much, or whether 'twas because he had always been able to
picture the jötnar's red eyes so well when hearing tales of them as a child.

Or it could be because red was Thor's color? In truth, it hardly mattered, and he knew it.

Despite all of that, Loki found himself contemplating an idea he knew was not a good one. It
had occurred to him as soon as he had inspected his newly restored seiðr and found he was
strong enough to shift back to his áss form. Remaining in his jötunn form had never been a
choice, but a necessity until now, and it had required all manner of special precautions, such
as the guards he knew to be outside his chamber. Therefore, were he to shift back, it would
make a lot of things far easier.

Part of Loki knew the logic to be unsound, but he wished for it too, so, even as he felt the
protests from both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter, he reached out towards his seiðr. It ached like
a long-underused muscle, but he persisted, pushing past it even as he focused on the shift. It
took longer than it should have, and hurt more than he had expected it would, but then he felt
the usual sensations of part of his form shifting and changing. He had once attempted to
describe it for his mother, but 'twas difficult to express as, on some level, he was not entirely
certain what he did, simply that he did. It had always felt as natural and easy as changing
clothes with his seiðr did.

This time, though, it did not, and Loki was left gasping even as his seiðr faded back,
protesting at the overuse. He was bent over with a hand on the mirror to support himself.
'Twas a pale hand, though, rather than a cobalt blue one, and he knew he had succeeded. A
quick glance up confirmed it, and even he was surprised at how good it felt to have what he
still deemed to be his face looking back at him.

"My Prince?"

The worried call from the other chamber was followed by a flurry of movement, and Loki
cursed. He had forgotten all about the monitoring spells on him and he could only imagine
what his readings must have done when he had shifted form. Now he thought about it,
however, he would actually like to see what they had done.

"In here," Loki called out, pushing himself upright.

It hurt a little and he felt somewhat faint, but he managed it before Lady Hlín rushed into the
bathing chamber.

"My Prince, how are y-" she began, before stopping in surprise, her eyes wide.

"I am fine," Loki reassured her.

"You... I take it your seiðr has started to return," Lady Hlín commented, and Loki was rather
surprised her first words were not said in censure.
"Hmm."

"And how do you feel now you have used it?"

Loki winced. Ah, so that was how she elected to broach the subject; he was rather impressed
and began to like her even more despite himself. She would not allow him to brush off
injuries or illnesses in the future, should he decide to keep her on as his personal healer. He
could see why his mother was eager for him to do so.

Well, his mood soured, if he were to have any say in it, given his newly discovered true age.

Lady Hlín... clucked? Loki was not entirely certain what the sound she made was, but he had
to fight not to hunch as a result. Instead, he held still as she ran a basic spell over him to
check his health, followed by the more invasive one to assess the status of his core.

"Well, at least you have not done yourself any true damage," she finally stated.

Loki scowled. "I would have informed you if I had."

"Back to bed with you, My Prince," Lady Hlín replied.

"I have hardly been up!" he protested.

"Hmm, and you have already strained your seiðr."

To that, Loki had little argument and instead he held his scowl a moment longer, ere relenting
and leaving the bathing chamber.

"Of all the stubborn, reckless things to do while still thus injured!" Lady Hlín muttered while
she moved around the back of his chamber, searching through the vials perpetually kept
there.

Loki thought he knew what was coming as he climbed back into bed, but he did not care. He
was back in his preferred form and the restoration felt fantastic, even if he could already tell
he had overused his seiðr and strained his healing core.

Instead, he reached out towards his weak connection with Mother Winter, hoping desperately
for her to understand. Loki knew how she felt about his lingering distaste and rejection of his
birth form, but it had not been enough to keep him from shifting back as soon as he was able
to. Rather than shunning him as he had feared, she rushed to reassure him, wrapping him in
her love and affection. 'Twas far more soothing than any pain potion could be, and he basked
in it even as he attempted to convey his apologies.

The vague sense of sadness and underlying anger Loki felt were his only indication of her
other feelings, but he could already tell the anger was not directed at him, and it actually
reassured him more than anything else, as he was not accustomed to feeling or knowing
anyone was moved to anger on his behalf. Only Frigga had ever done so visibly, and 'twas
nice to know someone else could or would.
Loki relaxed even further as Ásgarðr curled around him too, their combined seiðr blanketing
his aching core and lulling him into a deep, meditative state. As a result, he was only partly
aware of Lady Hlín approaching him. Luckily, he already knew what she held and why, so he
took the sleeping draught easily.

"My Prince?" Lady Hlín questioned, a note of alarm in her voice.

"S'alright," Loki hastened to reassure, even as he nestled into the sheet and furs. "Mother
Winter and Ásgarðr."

Was he being coherent enough? He was not entirely certain.

"Ah," Lady Hlín replied, leaning over to see him fully settled.

Her presence made Loki think of what she must think of his shift, beyond what she had
already said. Did she blame him for abandoning his jötunn form as soon as he was able to?
She was more jötunn than anything else, after all.

"I-" Loki began, stopping to swallow.

"Shh," Lady Hlín hushed him. "I would not even dare think to judge you for that. Not only is
it not my place to, but I cannot even begin to understand what it must have been like to
discover you are jötunn after having grown up thinking yourself áss and vanir. Not with what
Ásgarðr thinks of the jötnar."

Though he had known he did not owe her anything in that regard, it helped Loki relax.

"I still stand by the fact 'twas a stupid, reckless thing to do at present," Lady Hlín continued,
sternly.

Loki huffed a laugh. He could not truly argue and so, instead, allowed the noise that wished
to escape the back of his throat to do so. It seemed to startle Lady Hlín at first, but then her
face cleared in understanding, and he assumed she recollected what he had told her of his
shift and what 'twas truly like.

Then the draught tugged him under, and he knew no more.

"Ah, Óðinn, we were beginning to wonder if you would make it," Vili said, when Óðinn
slipped into his brother's study. "Mead?"

"Aye," Óðinn replied. "Vé."

"Óðinn," Vé responded, from where he sat in a trio of armchairs.

Once both Thor and Loki had reached their minor majorities, both of his brothers had opted
to move their studies to less used parts of Iðavöllr. No doubt as a way of starting to phase out
of public life.
"How is Loki?" Vili inquired, handing Óðinn a drinking horn and joining both him and Vé in
the armchairs.

"Much improved," Óðinn replied, pleased to finally be able to deliver such news. "He will
soon be ready to receive visitors."

"Excellent, I shall do so as soon as Ilmr can come and he is ready," Vé stated. "But how long
until he is fully healed?"

"That is harder to say as we still need to deal with what caused the original injury."

"Oh, Vé has been describing the full extent of core injuries to me, I had not realized the full
implications despite knowing how dangerous they were," Vili said. "Is there anything we
should not say or discuss when we visit Loki?"

"Nay," Óðinn replied, after taking a sip of mead. "'Tis nothing so easily brought up."

At least not to any who did not already suspect the truth, and he knew neither of his brothers
did. Frigga's skill with illusions was so well known, none had doubted her ability to hide a
pregnancy from all. Not even her handmaidens.

Indeed, his wife had told him she had overheard them discussing incidents they retroactively
thought had been indications thereof.

"Then I propose a toast to Loki's continued improvement and future good health," Vé stated,
raising his drinking horn.

"To Loki," Vili agreed.

Emotion choked Óðinn as he recalled how limp and pale Loki had been after his collapse.
Unable to speak, he merely raised his own horn and touched it to theirs before they all drank.

"Now, much as I like our meetings and talks, I know this one is not merely to see how
everyone is," Óðinn said after a few moments of companionable silence. "What did you wish
to discuss?"

"The Princes' Court," Vé replied.

"The Princes' Court? I thought we had halted those a few decades ago due to lack of interest,"
Óðinn frowned.

"Aye, so had we all," Vili agreed. "But it would seem Loki was not present at that particular
High Council meeting, and he has never ceased holding his sessions."

Now Óðinn was truly confused. He knew his youngest was not enamored with that particular
duty of his.

"Why would he still hold them?" he asked.

Vili and Vé exchanged a look Óðinn recognized well, and he felt his stomach drop.
What now?

"It would appear 'twas only Thor's sessions which were not well attended," Vili explained.
"Loki says his always were, and, if anything, became busier as of late."

Which meant the people had been deliberately avoiding Thor's sessions.

Óðinn closed his eye at the realization and all it implied. It also made him think back to some
of the decisions he had overturned when people had appealed them with him. For a while,
there had been a slew of rather questionable ones, and he had been meaning to speak with
both of his sons when the appeals had ceased coming to him in so great a volume. Now, he
could not help but wonder if 'twas when the people had ceased attending Thor's sessions.

If there had been a pattern in the rules he had altered, or of those dissatisfied enough to
appeal to him, then 'twas entirely possible the people had decided to simply go to Loki's
sessions instead.

"Was Loki aware of this?" Óðinn questioned, wondering why his youngest had not come to
him.

Had Óðinn been aware of this, then he might have realized quite how unprepared Thor was to
be king. If his firstborn was not able to sit in judgment over the lower-level cases, then how
could Óðinn expect him to do so over the truly important ones?

"That we believed the people uninterested, and Thor's sessions halted? Nay, not until we
informed him of it during his first High Council meeting as regent," Vé replied. "'Twas when
he requested that Vili and I take over those duties."

"When we did so, I had almost no one attend what had been Thor's old sessions on the first
day," Vili added. "Once the people realized Vé and I had taken over these sessions, mine
were well attended."

"And mine were far less busy than the first one was," Vé said. "The first one went several
hours over, due to the sheer number of people who came."

So, 'twas a deliberate avoidance of Thor and his eldest's judgments.

"Thank you for informing me of this," Óðinn said with a sigh. "I shall look into it. For now,
are you able to continue performing this duty until Loki has recovered sufficiently to take up
his sessions once more?"

Luckily, this was a duty which the boys, and all previous princes, had taken up upon their
minor majority. So the fact Loki had not yet officially come of age was not a true concern. At
least, not anymore.

Óðinn was not certain he wished to calculate how old - or young as the case was - Loki had
been when his son had first started sitting in judgment. It did explain some of his youngest's
early judgments, though, as he recalled needing to spend more time with Loki than Thor at
the onset.
"Of course," Vili replied.

"And I am quite happy to continue for a while afterwards as well, if necessary," Vé added.
"Should you need someone to cover Thor's sessions or provide additional oversight."

"Thank you," Óðinn responded.

'Twas good to know he had more options.

"The fool actually finds he misses doing the Princes' Court," Vili muttered, glaring at Vé.

"Indeed?" Óðinn questioned, looking at his youngest brother in surprise.

Vé shrugged. "'Tis interesting, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed interacting with the
people. I find it also reminds me of how small my own problems are."

Odd, Óðinn had never considered it thus, though his own duties in this area had only grown.

"If you still feel thus after Thor is ready to hold his own court sessions once more, then do
inform me," Óðinn said. "We can always give you your own sessions to help lighten the
work."

It would allow him to ensure Loki was not overburdened for, as Frigga had said, no matter
how well their youngest may bear the burden, Ásgarðr did not believe in drafting children in
to cover an adult's work. Their position would make giving Loki the time and space he
needed, and deserved, as a child difficult enough, so if Vé wished to continue his former
duties, then Óðinn would utilize it to aid his son.

"Of course," Vé replied.

"I hope there are no further unpleasant surprises for me?" Óðinn asked, dreading the answer.

His brothers hesitated.

"Has Ragnvaldr informed you of Thor's behavior upon his return?" Vili questioned.

"Aye."

"Then I do not believe so."

"If anything, I have only good things to report from outside of the High Council incidents,"
Vé added. "Loki assigned him to me when Thor requested to help before he had regained his
powers."

That seemed more promising and Óðinn began to relax.

"Oh?" he inquired.

"Aye," Vé confirmed. "And 'twas not work he has ever been overtly partial to, either. Such as
ensuring all of Lord Óðr's responses to the King's Funds applications were as Loki wished
 them to be."

'Twas all Óðinn could do not to wince visibly, both at the reminder of Óðr's betrayal and at
the fact Thor had been made to go over those parchments. Loki had clearly had a hand in that
particular assignment, since 'twas typical of his youngest to use such an opportunity to make
his brother do that which Thor would completely disagree with. Given what Thor had said
and done, however, Óðinn could hardly fault Loki and he knew Frigga would be proud. 'Twas
precisely the type of punishment she had oft given the boys as children.

"Speaking of those, I understand you are the one to whom requests for use of the traitors are
going," Óðinn said.

Vé nodded. "It has been quite interesting, though unsettling at times."

"Unsettling?" Vili questioned.

"Suffice it to say, the eastern part of the city does not appear to be the only one which did not
receive all of the funding or aid it should have."

Óðinn rubbed a hand over his eye. "Will we need to meet with Ragnvaldr to discuss these
requests?"

"I was going to recommend precisely that," Vé responded.

'Twas a very good thing Loki's healing was progressing well, as Óðinn knew he needed all of
the time he could spare for his other duties. Particularly when there was no one left to aid him
in covering the remainder of what his youngest normally did.

It made Óðinn realize precisely how much pressure his youngest had been under, and with a
fractured core too. He could only thank the Norns Loki had survived it all. Let alone with his
sanity fully intact. Well, Óðinn smiled, as much as it ever was with his youngest.

Chapter End Notes

Poor Loki, biting off more than he could chew and his sanity questioned in his absence.
Not that the chaotic part of him would truly mind the latter, but it's the principle of it!

I wanted to give an early heads up that, in August, I will be heading to the States for
about 14 days to attend my youngest sister's wedding. My mom has gotten a small
apartment for us all to use while there (most of us live in Europe). This should have
sufficient wifi for me to be able to update while I am there, but I wanted to warn you
now in case this isn't true. As ever, I will post on my blog if so. Fingers crossed, but if
worst comes to worst, I will miss 2 updates.

Beyond that, I've done a post on the foreshadowing I use in this fic, and some of the
trials and tribulations of fic ideas. Luckily, my penchant for Norse mythology came to
my rescue this time around!

Old Norse:

Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace

Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr

Up next week: Livunn makes a reappearance & Óðinn and Frigga have dinner...
 Chapter 82
Chapter Notes

Sunday again, I can hardly believe it!

Enjoy the chapter.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Loki woke slowly, the rustling of a page making him think his mother was nearby, but it did
not feel right. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open to find 'twas Livunn who sat nearby, reading a
book. He was not certain whether to be annoyed either his parents or Lady Hlín had felt he
needed a minder, or bemused by this new side of his personal servant he was seeing.
Previously, he had seen her working on a small embroidery project when waiting on other
tasks to finish which required loose supervision.

"Is it a good book?" Loki asked, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

"Loki!" Livunn exclaimed, glancing up, startled. "How are you feeling?"

The question made Loki take stock of himself, carefully shifting his limbs, and he grunted at
what he found. Everything felt achy and sore. 'Twas not the same feeling from before with
the salt, but far more all-encompassing. Like when he was ill.

"Lady Hlín did say you might not be feeling terribly well. Something of having used too
much seiðr too quickly," Livunn said.

Loki groaned as he realized the new healer was most likely correct. In shifting back to his
preferred form, he had overexerted himself and he was paying for it now, but he would rather
this than to remain as isolated and... not himself as before.

Livunn smiled as she shook her head while closing her book and placing it aside. "Would you
like something to drink?"

Did he?

The thought made Loki realize precisely how hungry and thirsty he was, and he nodded as he
tried to rise. That made him realize exactly how weak he was at present.

"Here, let me help," Livunn said, rising and leaning over the bed to where he lay.

With her aid, Loki was able to shift himself into a seated position with some pillows behind
him. The move left him sore and tired, and he cursed his injury for making him so
incapacitated. Though Loki knew Livunn had noticed his situation, she said nothing and
instead turned to fetch him a glass from a prepared tray on the table at the far side of the
chamber.

"I am not entirely certain what this is," Livunn admitted as she returned to his side. "But
Lady Hlín said to try and drink it all, and that it would not taste as bad as it looks."

Loki could well understand the warning, as the glass contained what seemed to be a thick
liquid of a dusky pink color with what seemed to be semi solid, little lumps. He pulled a face,
though he had to admit the smell, when it reached him, was not so bad.

"I suppose if I must," Loki said, interested enough to want to try it.

"Are you strong enough to manage?" Livunn asked, hesitantly.

The very question prickled at his pride, but Loki knew he would rather admit weakness than
be forced to suffer the indignation of spilling it all over himself. Particularly when 'twas
merely Livunn, who knew him well enough to know this was only a temporary weakness.

"The glass, aye," Loki replied, before his eyes strayed back to the bowl on the tray from
which the glass had come. "The bowl, however..."

"Very well."

With that, Livunn handed the glass over to him without any hesitation, and Loki appreciated
her all the more. He knew she had been offered condolences when she had first become his
personal servant, and others had offered to try and help her break free from him. Yet, she had
never wavered or shown any inclination to leave, even when he had been at his worst.

The juice blend tasted odd, but Loki found himself craving it almost immediately and he had
to force himself not to drink it too quickly, lest he chocked.

"Apples," he suddenly realized.

"My Prince?" Livunn asked, moving back towards the bed with the bowl.

"This has one of Lady Iðunn's apples in it," Loki replied.

"Oh. Do they help with core injuries?"

"'Tis not something I have looked into before."

"But you will follow healer advice," Livunn teased.

"Of course," Loki smirked at her.

She was well aware of his penchant for the golden apples, having seen more than one of the
ones he had pilfered over the centuries.

"Well, this appears to be Hár fish stew, but 'tis cold," Livunn said.
"'Tis the proper way to serve it on Jötunheimr."

"I did not know that."

The easy way Livunn sat on the side of his bed and offered him the first spoonful, not
drawing any unusual attention to the fact she had to feed him, helped Loki ignore the shame
which prickled up his spine.

"What were you reading?" Loki asked, before he took another bite.

"A book," Livunn replied with a smile.

Loki gave her a look as he chewed.

"'Tis fiction, the first in a series I quite enjoy."

"So you are rereading it?"

"Aye."

Loki craned his neck to see the title as he chewed his next spoonful. Vanished in Death.

"'Tis of a woman who needs to uncover what has happened to the crew of a ship which
returned devoid of crew or passengers."

"Æsir?" Loki asked, curious; it did not sound like it would be.

"Vanir."

"How long is the series?" Loki asked between spoonsful.

"At the moment, nearly thirty books long," Livunn replied, ere she smiled at his obvious
surprise. "The author is quite prolific."

"And popular, clearly, to have so many available."

"The characters are good and each story compelling on its own, even as it also sees the
evolution of the overall situation and characters."

Loki hummed before he took what seemed to be his last spoonful. It had not been a very large
bowl of stew then, but he found his hunger satisfied, so mayhap it had to do with his
condition. Sliding back down far was easier than rising, though Livunn did lean in to help
him readjust the pillows, so they were more comfortably placed.

"Thank you," Loki said.

Despite feeling tired, he did not particularly have the desire to sleep, and a quick glance out
of the window confirmed it appeared to be midday. Still, the thought of holding one of his
books, which he could see lying on the stand next to the bed, felt like too much. Which left
him with but one option.
"Read me some?" Loki asked.

"Of my book?" Livunn questioned in surprise. "Or one of yours?"

"Yours, I am curious now."

Loki knew 'twas a bit of an odd request, but he was curious as to what had caught Livunn's
interest so. Besides, the thought of listening to a tale which was so clearly counter to æsir
ideals and standards, quite appealed to him. He liked the chaos of it.

"Very well," Livunn said, picking up the book and flipping it open to the start.

The words and tale washed over Loki as he lay there, taking it all in.

When the young prince's breathing shifted and changed, Livunn paused in her reading and
looked up. Loki's eyes were shut, and the hand which was not tucked under the pillow lay
open and lax. The sight made her smile slightly, as 'twas not one she was used to witnessing.
Though she had worked for Prince Loki for quite a few centuries, he was not like those
nobles or royals who required their servants in their bedchambers in the mornings to rise.

He looked younger asleep, and Livunn had to fight the instinct to reach out and pull up his
sheet as she had done with her own children when they were younger. Prince Loki would not
appreciate it and she knew the unexpected action could wake him. Instead, she marked the
place in her book with one of his leather bookmarks she had brought, in case he wished to
read or know more later. She then flipped back to where she had been before. She had only
just started reading once more, when the door to the chamber opened and in came both Lady
Hlín and Queen Frigga.

"You Majesty, my Lady," Livunn said, rising to her feet and curtsying.

"Livunn," Queen Frigga greeted with a smile, ere her eyes went to Loki and softened.

"He woke?" Lady Hlín asked, moving towards the tray with the empty dishes.

"Aye," Livunn said. "He quite enjoyed the juice and finished all of the stew."

"Of course he liked the juice, it not only had an apple in it, but some of the other nutrients his
body is trained to crave," Lady Hlín said. "But I am pleased his appetite was so good, I had
not been certain."

"Loki has always had a hearty appetite, even when ill," Queen Frigga commented. "'Tis not a
good sign when he avoids food. Well, at least deliberately."

The words made Livunn smile. For someone who ate as much as Prince Loki, 'twas rather
ironic how easily he could become absorbed enough in his studies, to the point where he
forgot to eat. She had long since learned to provide him with easy to consume food at those
times, leaving it near him to be eaten almost unconsciously as Loki continued his work.
Obviously experiencing the same urge as Livunn had earlier, Queen Frigga leaned over to
tuck the sheet and furs more tightly around her son. The way Prince Loki stirred proved her
fear of accidentally waking him. Luckily, the queen was able to calm him with a few words,
her voice soothing him immediately. 'Twas beautiful to see and not something many could, or
ever would, witness.

"How long was he awake?" Lady Hlín inquired.

"Altogether, about forty to fifty minutes I believe, maybe an hour," Livunn replied. "He
wished to eat almost immediately and then I read to him a little."

"The best way to settle him for sleep," Queen Frigga smiled, stroking Prince Loki's hair.
"Thank you for watching him, Livunn. You may go now as we shall be running some more
scans to determine how his healing is progressing, and what the best next steps are for this
evening."

"Your Majesty," Livunn replied, hesitating before deciding to leave her book.

She need not worry about the young prince damaging it, as he revered books, and she could
just as easily reread the next one in the series as she knew them all so well.

By the time Óðinn finished in his study for the day and made his way back to his chambers
for dinner, he was exhausted. Yet the day was not even done.

The knowledge wearied him, and 'twas why Óðinn had taken to dining in his chambers with
Frigga, rather than attending the evening feasts.

He required the time to rest and prepare for healing Loki later in the evening. They were
making good progress and his son was doing better every day, but 'twas still draining in
addition to his regular duties and ensuring he knew all which had transpired while he had
slept.

"Good evening, Ó-" Frigga began when he entered their chambers, before she frowned.
"What is wrong?"

His darling wife, always able to read him so well.

"Ragnvaldr and I reviewed the King's Funds applications Loki selected," Óðinn explained as
they moved towards the dining table where dinner lay prepared.

"Ah," Frigga replied, sitting as a servant began to serve her. "You do not approve of his
selections?"

"They are much as I would have expected of him, given which ones he has been nagging me
to fund since he first joined the High Council."

"So?"
"'Tis more what happened around it all," Óðinn explained with a frown, motioning for the
servants to leave them in privacy. "Starting with Lord Óðr."

His tone must have conveyed how absolutely furious he was since Frigga lowered her fork
and knife, a truly concerned expression on her face.

"What did he do?" she demanded, softly.

Dangerously.

"He attempted to allocate the funds himself," Óðinn replied.

"What?"

Óðinn's fists clenched as he recalled Ragnvaldr's words.

"It would seem he tried to claim he was aiding Loki," he said.

"He knew he would not like how Loki would allocate them himself," Frigga guessed.

"Aye."

"It explains why Thor mentioned he was aiding Vé with some of the application response
letters. I had not thought to question it at the time."

Nor should she have had to.

Óðinn was equally as furious that one of those he had selected to be on his High Council had
dared to assume so much, as he was at the actions of Thor's former companions.

The action itself was not nearly as brazen and outright treasonous, but the betrayal came from
far closer. At least for him, he was certain Thor and Loki would feel it differently.

"I do suppose, though," Frigga continued. "That he thought he was doing as you might wish.
For he knew you and Loki disagreed on how to allocate the King's Funds."

The thought had occurred to Óðinn as well, but it still did not excuse Óðr's actions. Yet, 'twas
likely why neither Loki nor Ragnvaldr had elected to deal with the lord then. Not only did
they have a war and outright traitors to contend with, but the action had not had the potential
to destabilize all of Ásgarðr.

"Regardless, I will not stand for it," Óðinn declared.

"Good," Frigga replied. "Not least because of what Loki's decisions regarding the King's
Funds have uncovered."

"You heard of that?"

"'Twas all over court after the second trial. Their punishment made people curious, and the
condition of the road in the eastern part of the city came out after."
Óðinn could understand that, even as the mere mention reignited his anger. He had hardly
believed his eye when Ragnvaldr had first handed him the parchment with that application.
His first thought had been his old friend was showing it to him to demonstrate how far some
had gone to tempt Loki away from the traditional recipients of the King's Funds.

It had seemed far more believable than the alternative.

"Ragnvaldr and I have discussed this," Óðinn replied. "I also spoke with Týr after, thinking
we might need to adjust some of his budget to account for the additional costs he would incur
as a result."

"I take it 'twas not necessary?" Frigga questioned.

"He has funds he wishes to give back for alternative purposes!"

Part of him still could not quite believe it. The head of his army wished to give funding back
to those projects Týr had originally competed with to obtain them!

"He did have additional armor made during the war," Frigga said.

Óðinn shook his head. "Nay, 'tis more than that. He said their need was clearly greater than
that of the army."

Combined with what else the general was speaking of, Óðinn was tempted to have him
checked for spells or insidious workings. It did not seem like his old friend to wish for seiðr,
or seiðberandi, to interfere with his men.

Yet, at the same time, Óðinn could see and understand where all of the unexpected changes
were coming from. Even his first reaction to the list of work Vé had already drawn up for
their new indentured servants, was that something had gone horribly wrong. How could such
vital parts of Ásgarðr's basic care have gone so badly wrong without his noticing? To the
point where a whole part of the city was on the verge of severe economic consequences due
to something as simple as basic road repair?

It shamed Óðinn to think his people and councillors had thought they could not come to him
with something as serious as this. That they so clearly felt their concerns and dire situation
would be dismissed. Ragnvaldr's words had been sharp and pointed, but his advisor had not
spared himself from their bite and even gone so far as to suggest Óðinn may wish to find
himself another advisor. The mere thought appalled him even now. He could not even think
of having someone else by his side in the way his old friend was. Even if this had gone so
badly wrong, there was plenty which had gone right. The fact this was a new development in
a long reign proved his old structure had worked, and so it could do so once more.

"What are you worried about?" Frigga asked, lowering her utensils once more.

"Ragnvaldr mentioned today that it may be time for me to appoint someone else as my
advisor," Óðinn explained.

"In his stead?"

"Aye."

Rather than reject the suggestion out of hand, Frigga seemed to actually consider it, her lips
pursing in thought.

"Mayhap you are thinking too narrowly," she finally replied.

"Oh?"

"What if 'tis not to replace Ragnvaldr, who has clearly steered you well for millennia."

"What are you thinking?" Óðinn inquired.

"What if 'tis better to simply take on another advisor who has a different perspective? One
who might cover any area you and Ragnvaldr feel he may miss?"

'Twas not something Óðinn had considered before, but Frigga was correct. It would allow
him to keep Ragnvaldr by his side, even as he took actions to keep what had so clearly gone
wrong from recurring.

"It would still require me to find another advisor," Óðinn said. "One who could cover those
areas."

"Would it?" Frigga asked, returning to her meal.

Would it? What could his wife possibly mean with that? Of course it would, he currently had
none who had rea...

"You mean Loki," Óðinn realized.

"You have said he seemed to be the only one who predicted the possibility of some of these
events. And he was the only one of us who was able to see Thor was not yet ready to be
king."

All true, but it took far more to be an advisor.

"And he is to be Thor's advisor, is he not?" Frigga continued, proving as ever she seemed
able to read his thoughts.

"Aye," Óðinn admitted. "I am simply not certain."

"Of his preparedness, or your own?"

"My own?"

"To listen to and actually hear him?" Frigga questioned. "You would not be father and son in
such a situation, rather king and advisor, and you would have to treat him accordingly."

Before, Óðinn would not have thought it a problem, now though... 'twas something which
would require careful thought.
"I will consider it," Óðinn promised.

Frigga frowned. "Yet?"

"I will no longer assume either of our sons is ready for a position without verifying it."

This clearly displeased her, but Frigga did not argue. What had so recently transpired, and
what had nearly transpired, were proof enough he needed to act more carefully.

"Speaking of Loki, there is a matter I require your advice on," Óðinn continued.

Interest flashed through Frigga's eyes. "Oh?"

"As I am certain you are aware, with Gungnir comes access to the king's library-"

"The one you have been denying him access to?"

"Frigga-"

"What?" she demanded. "Surely you cannot be surprised he used the opportunity to access
it?"

"Nay, and most of what I can tell he looked at are the same tomes I would have used."

"So?"

"There is one tome, a very rare one I found on Jötunheimr, and which may well be unique,
that has gone missing."

"Missing? Are not all of the books in that library tied to it?" Frigga questioned in surprise.

"Aye, but as king..."

"He was able to break the connection? What was the book on?"

"Seiðr, I believe," Óðinn replied and immediately continued, seeing her confusion. "I have
never been able to open it before and Týr said it seemed to be species locked."

"Species locked? How does he know of this?"

"It would appear Loki was able to convince the High Council that the Casket of Ancient
Winters and this book require jötunn blood to be utilized."

"I thought this was true for the Casket?"

"Nay, we thought one had to be fully jötunn. Somehow, with the aid of both Vili and Vé, Loki
convinced them 'twas only partial jötunn blood combined with seiðr," Óðinn explained. "To
imitate some shamanic figure tied to Mother Winter. Týr seemed uncertain as to all of the
details and I do not know how Loki accomplished it."

"Do you suppose 'twas all a trick, or that there may be something to it?"
"Regarding the book, 'twas pure misdirection as I have never been able to open it, but as for
the Casket? I do not know, that I have not attempted to wield myself."

Frigga considered this as she served herself some more pheasant.

"How do you know 'tis a tome on seiðr if you have not been able to open it?" she finally
asked.

"'Tis what Loki told them, and apparently he gleaned a lot of pertinent information on the
Casket of Ancient Winters from it," Óðinn replied. "It would explain why I found it with the
Casket in the temple."

"Which would also explain why the jötnar sought to seal it to outsiders. I assume this he did
not have Vili and Vé test?"

"Nay," Óðinn frowned. "But what has me most concerned is the fact 'tis missing. Why would
Loki have taken it?"

Frigga's laughter was as beautiful as 'twas confusing.

"Truly, Óðinn?" she questioned. "You cannot fathom why Loki might claim a rare, priceless
and one-of-a-kind tome on seiðr?"

Óðinn opened his mouth to reply but then shut it realizing that, when Frigga put it thus, it
truly was not at all so surprising.

"It may also be a good thing," Frigga continued.

"How so?"

"Well, if the tome is jötunn and will only open for one of them, then 'tis likely to contain
secrets pertaining to jötnar seiðr."

"You believe it may help him accept who, and what, he is."

"Much as the temperature play, aye. After all, what has Loki always loved most after his
family?"

"Seiðr."

It made some sense, still, Óðinn worried.

"The risk to his core, though..." he began, unable to voice it fully.

Frigga regarded him steadily, and Óðinn already knew he would not like what she said next.

"Is it truly his core you worry about?" she questioned.

Óðinn frowned. "Of course, after what has transpired, how could I not? We nearly lost him."
"Through absolutely no fault of his own," Frigga countered immediately. "When have you
ever known Loki to recklessly endanger himself through his seiðr use?"

It... Óðinn had to admit he could not think of a recent enough example so as to be relevant.
'Twas not to say his youngest did not utilize his seiðr in ways he should not - indeed of that
he had countless examples! - but not of endangering himself.

Loki was not the son to rush into the unknown so blithely.

"What are you implying?" Óðinn questioned, pushing away his finished plate.

"If anything has become clear after all which has happened, 'tis that Loki does not feel trusted
by us," Frigga stated, plainly.

Óðinn rubbed his eye as he considered this. His first instinct was to refute it, but Loki's words
from before, of people only hearing what they thought he was saying, rather than what he
was, returned to him.

Was he guilty of this more than simply when his son had come to him about his concerns for
Thor's readiness to be king?

'Twas an unpleasant thought, but Óðinn forced himself to consider it.

"We do not know what may be in there," Óðinn eventually replied.

"Nay, we do not," Frigga agreed. "But 'tis not the point. The point is whether we trust him to
be able to utilize the knowledge and seiðr responsibly."

"Beyond the odd trick or two."

Frigga smiled. "Aye, beyond that."

He smiled despite himself, already resigned to having to deal with more ice and cold related
mischief than he had before. In some ways, he knew it would inevitably remind him of his
mother.

As for the rest, Óðinn was uncertain of where he stood. Aye, his youngest had truly proven
himself and his capabilities as of late, but he could not simply forget all of the trouble Loki
had caused before, either. Nor all of the times his son had seemed to behave in a manner
designed to act against his brother.

Had he truly been wrong about all of those?

"Clearly, 'tis something you will need to give more thought to," Frigga stated, rising to her
feet, obviously displeased.

"Frigga," Óðinn protested.

"Simply remember this; had Loki not been as proficient in seiðr as he is, then Ásgarðr would
have been in very great peril indeed. For not only does Múspellsheimr know of his ability to
wield our greatest defenses, but Heimdallr's punishment would not have been possible
without it, leaving us very vulnerable where the Bifröst was concerned."

With those words, and a final disappointed glance, his wife left the dining chamber, leaving
Óðinn on his own.

Though the tone of her words and the turn of her countenance stung, Óðinn knew her words
to be true. Had Loki's prowess with seiðr not been so renown, he had no doubt Sinmara
would have done more than merely test his youngest's ability to be deceived into signing a
poor trade agreement. Not after Surtr and Óðinn's own history.

So, why was he so hesitant to allow Loki to keep the tome?

Óðinn frowned as he pondered the thought. Did he truly not trust his son, as Frigga implied?
It felt wrong, but how else was he to explain his hesitance? He wished he could say 'twas due
to Loki's apparent age, but he knew 'twas not true. He would have hesitated before he had
learned his youngest was still underage.

Thus, then 'twas a case of trust; or rather distrust.

The acknowledgement made Óðinn feel uncomfortable and he immediately sought to justify
it, yet all he could think of was what Loki had said.

"It would be nice if someone would actually listen to what I am saying, rather than what they
think I am!"

The words haunted Óðinn as he could not simply dismiss them. Not given how accurate they
were in his case, which, of course, begged the question of whether his youngest was correct
about how others did the same.

If so, then did any of them have any basis for it, or had they all been wrong all along?

Oh, Óðinn knew his son was not entirely blameless in this either. Loki did have a propensity
for lies and had been deemed the God of Lies on his Mærr Ágæti day, but had they all taken it
too far? Did they all assume his son would always lie to them? He shuddered to think what it
must be like to be so easily disbelieved and to have to prove himself constantly.

The thought made Óðinn feel vaguely ill as he considered instances where he had done
precisely that; forcing Loki to prove something rather than simply believing his son. That it
had to do with an instance where Óðinn had sought to fund a military application Týr had
asked for over more city council funding, only served to make him feel it all the more keenly.

Perhaps Frigga was correct in suggesting he take Loki on as a second advisor. His son oft
voiced very different opinions from the rest of the High Council. Seeing how many of those
had been proven to be based on fact as of late, it would behoove him to listen to them more.
He would need to discuss it with Ragnvaldr and see what his old friend thought. And it would
also be excellent training for Loki for when Thor did finally ascend to Hliðskjálf.
For now, though, Óðinn resolved to work on his own relationship with his son. That 'twas not
as he had always thought it to be, was clear, though he was at a loss as to how to mend it.

If it could still be mended.

The thought came unbidden, and Óðinn wished he could dismiss it outright. Loki's reactions
recently, however, meant he could not. In addition to clearly favoring his mother, his
youngest had sought to draw away from him, to Loki's own detriment, more than once. Those
instances still pained him greatly when he thought of them. They made it rather clear how his
son thought of him when unable to guard his emotions and actions as Loki might normally
do.

It also raised the question of precisely how much of Loki's true character, or emotions, were
normally hidden from his view.

Did he even truly know his youngest?

Did Loki even think his father wished to?

'Twas almost too horrible a thought to contemplate, but Óðinn forced himself to do precisely
that. After how abruptly he had dismissed Loki's concern about Thor's inability to be king, he
had hardly interacted with his son. Was that Loki avoiding him, or merely both of them being
busy?

Now Óðinn thought of it, he could not immediately recollect the last occasion he had spent
time with Loki outside of Council meetings. Of Thor, he could think of morning fasts broken
together, and conversations, or even watching the warriors train together. Time spent
speaking or simply enjoying each other's company. With Loki, there were no such memories,
at least none he could recall from the last two or three centuries.

It shocked Óðinn now he stopped to consider it, and 'twas no longer a surprise to him that he
did not truly known his son. How could he, given this and all he had clearly not known of
Thor, despite how much time they had spent together?

Ragnvaldr's words came back to him; of how differently he had treated Loki and Thor upon
first seeing them after he woke. Was that the result of the distance which had grown between
Loki and himself, or the cause of it? Had he driven his youngest away by unconsciously
favoring Thor? He had not meant to, but mayhap he had allowed the knowledge of Loki's
true heritage to affect him, and what he had expected, or feared, from the boy, as Frigga had
suggested. If so, then he could only imagine how confusing it might have been for Loki, to be
thus treated with no idea as to its cause, or why his father did not treat him the same as his
elder brother.

'Twas no longer a surprise to Óðinn that his youngest might have grown jealous of Thor, and,
once Óðinn had noticed that, of course it had compounded the problem even further.

And not just for himself.

 Óðinn did not need to be told how others might interpret any signs of jealousy from Loki
towards Thor, especially when his eldest was so popular while Loki and his seiðr were not.

"I- I- I am the monster parents tell their children about at night?"

If 'twas truly how those who had never personally known any fro- jötnar thought of them,
then Óðinn could start to see, with shocking clarity, how Loki might have come to think of
himself so poorly, if his son had already been keenly aware of how he was considered by
others, beforehand.

This could not stand. He would not allow it.

Loki had already done much for his own reputation since becoming regent, Óðinn knew. Not
only had Ragnvaldr spoken of it, but he himself had noted how many of the standards and
banners over Ásgarðr were green, and had remained so even after his awakening. In
solidarity of Loki's illness, one of the servants had informed him when the man had noticed
where his attention had gone. But, if it aided in his youngest's recovery and helped Loki to
come to terms with who and what he was, then Óðinn did not care if they were never
replaced with gold ones. He would far rather have his son hale and whole, than have all of
Ásgarðr display his color. Particularly if Loki had been keenly aware of the disapproval of
the people before his regency.

Besides, his son had earned their respect and support after how masterfully he had navigated
the very difficult situation Loki had found himself in. It could definitely have ended far worse
for all of Ásgarðr.

"Your Majesty?"

Óðinn glanced up to see one of the servants standing in the doorway.

"Would you like some more time?" she asked.

"Nay, you may clear away," Óðinn replied, as he rose to his feet.

He would go out to the gardens to think some more.

Chapter End Notes

Please let me know if you spotted any silly mistakes, my energy levels are not great at
the moment. I know why and I'll be getting something done about it soon, but until then,
I'm exhausted by early evening and not at my best when spotting errors! It's also why
my notes here are less than normal. But I'll still read all of your amazing comments!

For those of you wondering about the book series Livunn is reading... I'll be honest, I
had J.D. Robb's In Death series in mind when I wrote this scene. I couldn't help myself
as I love those books!
As for the Mærr Ágæti day which is mentioned in this chapter, the exact Old Norse
details are listed below, but basically it's the day on which a young æsir is given their
title. So it's the Title Ceremony. It lasts two days, really, but the main title is bestowed
on the first day and minor, additional ones on the other days. All of this is entirely made-
up on my part 😊

As for my blog, I've posted a lot about persistent plot bunnies that have been attacking
me, and how things like the recent European heatwave can be inspirational for writers.

Old Norse:

mærr - famous, glorious, illustrious

ágæti - glory, fame, renown, excellence - glorious deeds
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
jötunn - "frost giant"
jötnar - "frost giants"

Up next week: Loki is allowed into the healing gardens with Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr...
 Chapter 83
Chapter Notes

Slipping in just past midnight here in the UK. Oops, and sorry for those who have been
waiting for this chapter to drop.

I hope you enjoy it, though!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When consciousness started to return to Loki once more, 'twas slowly and with all the
associated annoyances of an artificially induced, or enchanted, slumber.

He hated sleeping draughts.

Not only did they leave him entirely vulnerable as he slept, but they muddled his senses for
hours after he woke. 'Twas like being underwater. Loki hated knowing he was so dulled and,
normally, he avoided the draughts at all costs, but he could understand why everyone was so
insistent on his taking them now.

The creaking of leather and quiet sounds of someone moving around the chamber, alerted
Loki to the fact he was not alone, and he slowly opened his eyes. As before, someone was
seated by his bed, though slightly further away. Only this time, 'twas Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr rather than Livunn. The realization caused worry to swamp him.

"What happened?" Loki asked, voice coming out weaker and hoarser than he would have
liked.

It had been loud enough, however, as the lieutenant-general immediately turned to look at
him from where he had been gazing out of the window.

"My Prince," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr smiled, ere he frowned. "What do you mean, what
happened?"

Now, 'twas Loki's turn to frown. "You are not here on duty?"

Why else would the head of the king's guard be at his bedside?

"Ah," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's confusion cleared, and he indicated himself. "Nay, I am

off-duty."

Off-duty? Loki could have groaned as he noticed what General Týr's second-in-command
meant. The man was not dressed in his uniform, but rather in plain leathers.
"But," Loki began in confusion. "Then why are you here?"

Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's eyebrows rose. "Did you wish for me to leave?"

Laughter from behind Loki.

"Believe me, Lieutenant-General," Lady Eir's voice came. "If Prince Loki does not wish for a
particular visitor, you will know."

As if he needed even more proof he was not yet fully healed, the fact he had forgotten he had
heard someone moving around earlier, was it. Loki wondered if 'twas solely because of his
illness or whether the lieutenant-general's presence had lulled him. He had been trusting the
man with his safety lately in a way he normally rarely allowed anyone to do, even Thor.

Loki rolled onto his back so he could seek out the head healer. "'Twas once, and I was
delirious at the time."

"You still made your desire more than clear," Lady Eir replied, a smile spreading across her
face. "And I will never forget the look on your brother's face."

Now that, Loki could easily believe. He could not recollect everything of the day in question,
but he did possess a vague memory of throwing things at Thor as he screamed at his brother
to leave him alone.

"He still claims I bounced a chalice off his head," Loki said, eliciting a laugh from the
lieutenant-general.

"I do not recollect what it was, but your aim was surprisingly accurate for someone who
could not stand," Lady Eir responded.

Hmm. So mayhap Thor had been telling the truth. It actually felt rather good to know he had
been aiming at the correct Thor, as there had been more than one. Not that he had ever told
his brother that.

"I half wish I had witnessed that," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr admitted.

Loki winced. "Not with what followed shortly after."

"There is not much I have not seen firsthand on the battlefield, or in the healing tents shortly
after."

Of that, Loki had little doubt. He was about to reply, when his eyes fell on the table at the far
end of the chamber. Or rather, on what was on it. Whereas before, the table had been nearly
empty, now 'twas covered in a wide variety of flowers and plants, as well as what appeared to
be small bags and brightly wrapped boxes. And cards. There were lots of cards and small
scrolls.

"I..." Loki began, pushing himself up onto his elbows to view it better. "What is all of that?"

"Well-wishes," Lady Eir explained.

"Well-wishes?"

"Aye."

"But, from who?" Loki asked, utterly baffled.

"Why, the people, of course."

The people?

Loki could only gaze at the table of gifts and well-wishes in surprise and confusion. He
would ask how they even knew he was ill, but he knew well how fast gossip and word could
spread if 'twas either salacious or alarming enough. What he did not understand, was why
anyone outside of his family would care. He had no longer been regent when he had
collapsed. Óðinn was awake once more to handle it all.

Not quite believing his eyes, Loki drew back the sheet and furs, and pushed himself to the
end of the bed, rising to his feet. He swayed slightly and there was a steadying hand on his
elbow from the left. Loki briefly looked over to thank Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, ere he
returned his gaze to the table. Now he was closer to it, he could see 'twas quite well covered
and that there were many little trinkets among the bigger pieces. Small charms, beads or
word stones from those who could probably not afford more, all the way through to lacquered
boxes which looked far more expensive.

"I-" Loki began, ere trailing off, lost. "I do not understand."

His voice betrayed far more of his emotional state than Loki would have liked, but 'twas true,
nevertheless.

"Your father had to make an announcement since we were witnessed rushing you here," Lady
Eir said, looking at him before her face softened. "The people were worried for you, my
Prince. They know how severely you were injured and decided to express how much they
wished for you to heal."

That still did not explain this. He had been injured before and had not received anything
remotely like this. Loki knew Thor had occasionally received well-wishes, but even his
brother had never garnered anything even remotely like this amount of attention.

"You were regent during a very turbulent time and once more secured Ásgarðr's peace,"
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said softly from beside him. "You have earned their respect and
admiration. This is them wishing to express their thanks as well as sending you their best
wishes for a complete and speedy recovery."

The words themselves made sense, though Loki had a hard time applying them to him. He
was so used to being ignored or simply not seen, the proof that he was now, even after his
regency had ended, was hard to believe. He took a few steps closer so he could reach out and
touch the leaves of the closest plant, a rather small little thing in a plain pot, but he could feel
something odd coming from it. Any alarm he might have felt died with Ásgarðr's delighted
reaction to it. His eyes swept the table once more, at a loss for how to react or what to do,
when a box at one end of the table caught his eye.

The box itself was elegantly decorated with an old Ásgarðrian knot design in bright green
malachite against the darker black wood, but what truly caught his attention was that he
recognized it. He had brushed his fingers over it on several occasions in Lord Brynjarr's
workshop when going for other items, debating whether to buy it and commission the set of
throwing knives 'twas meant to hold. The cost of that kind of commission, however, was
enough to make even him pause since he had a set of perfectly functional throwing knives.

Not quite able to believe it, Loki lifted the lid and his breath caught in his throat at the sight
of its contents. A set of six knives gleamed in the afternoon sun which shone in through the
window, reflecting off the highly polished metal within. It also seemed to highlight the
intricate design on the blades, shifting seamlessly into the decoration on the handles
themselves, yet not affecting their grip in any way. They were both beautiful and deadly,
function meeting design. Each one held a slightly different pattern, but their styles marked
them as one set. The design of one was also echoed in the smaller decorations of another.
There was a wolf, a raven, a snake, a fox, a squirrel and a dragon.

Almost of their own free will, his fingers reached out to carefully run over the designs, being
cautious not to cut himself on their, no doubt, razor sharp blades.

Loki was so distracted by the gift itself, he at first failed to see the small, rolled parchment at
the bottom of the box. When he did, though, he immediately reached for it to see who had
commissioned such an extravagant gift for him. The main part of the message spoke of
wishing him well, but the names at the bottom made him turn to look at Yngvarr in shock.

"I must admit with being pleased at how quickly you glanced at our gift," the lieutenant-
general said.

"I... this," Loki began, pausing to collect himself. "'Tis not a small gift or token, Yngvarr."

"Nay, but there were many who wished to add to the collection."

Loki looked down at the knives again, ere he glanced back to the head of the king's guard. He
had not missed the other two names listed alongside the mention of the Einherjar. General
Týr and Lord Brynjarr. If it had merely been a commission, the latter would not have been
mentioned separately. The fact Lord Brynjarr was, meant he had contributed to the gift itself.
Thus, either Týr or Yngvarr had gone to Brynjarr, and the blacksmith had taken their money
and added his own contribution on top, providing more than had been paid for. Normally, he
would wonder why, but Loki was well enough aware of the value of a reputation to know
what his having a set of Lord Brynjarr's knives would do for the blacksmith's business, to be
able to guess where some of the man's generosity might have come from.

"Did you know Father forbad Thor from commissioning a sword from Lord Brynjarr when he
was younger?" Loki asked, even as he reached out to pick up one of the knives.

"Nay," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr replied. "Was it because of the quality of the blade?"
"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "Father was afraid its excellence might make up for any of Thor's
weaknesses while training."

"A wise decision."

Aye, 'twas something Loki could understand now, but at the time he had been annoyed as he
had realized what it meant for him, too. Carefully, he lay the knife on the forefinger of his left
hand, unsurprised to find it perfectly balanced. Lord Brynjarr only did terrific work, after all.
With a flick of his wrist, he spun the blade around, flipping it around his hand with practiced
ease. The knife responded perfectly, obeying his every command, and Loki knew how easy it
would be to use in battle.

"Thank you," Loki said earnestly, looking at the lieutenant-general even as he held the knife
out for the other man to take and test.

"You are welcome," the man replied, trying out a few moves with the blade.

"And be certain to pass on my thanks to the others."

Not that he would not find some way of overcoming the issue with sending a thank you note
to such a large group of people, the individuals of which he did not know.

"I will."

Reluctantly, Loki placed the knife back in its box when Lieutenant-General Yngvarr returned
it to him. Absently, he was aware of Lady Eir leaving the chamber as he glanced at the other
gifts.

"I believe this one may be of particular interest," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr said, indicating
a doll in a green dress.

Surprised at the man's choice, Loki picked it up, noticing how well-worn it was, indicating it
had been much loved or used by someone, though its dress seemed relatively new. Mystified,
Loki turned it over to find a small scroll tucked into the back of the dress. Pulling it free, he
unrolled it to find the message written in huge, messy runes.

Prince Loki, I heard you were not feeling well, so I wanted you to have Dola. She always
makes me feel better when I am feeling poorly. She will take very good care of you and make
your owie go away sooner. Love, Gróa.

"'Tis a good thing I know where she lives, as I believe Gróa will miss Dola if she is not
returned once I am better," Loki said, with a small smile.

"Aye, I believe she will not have realized how much she will miss her," Lieutenant-General
Yngvarr agreed. "And I am certain another doll can be found, should you grow attached to
this one."

Loki scowled at the older man. "Remind me why you are here again?" he asked. "I am no
longer king, so there is no need to stalk me anymore."
"I have told you; I am not on duty."

"Which makes your presence all the more mystifying," Loki shot back, honestly uncertain as
to the lieutenant-general's presence. He knew the man had a family who had hardly seen him
as of late. Why was he not with them? "Have you not had enough of me after all the time we
spent together during my regency?"

The lieutenant-general frowned, which only served to confuse Loki even further. If only the
man knew what he was, then he would not be so quick to spend time with him!

Loki winced as he felt a painful shifting and stretching deep within him.

"Lady Eir!" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr called out, before Loki could stop him. "Lady Eir!"

"Nay, stop," Loki protested, even as the head healer reentered the chamber. "Why did you do
that?"

"Because some people care about your health," Lady Eir stated, moving closer to peer at him.
"What happened? Did you reinjure your core again?"

With a sigh, he gave in, knowing he would not win this particular argument. "Nay, I merely
strained it."

"How badly?"

"Not too badly. I think."

Lady Eir clucked her tongue at him, and Loki groaned before he indicated for her to perform
the spell he knew she wished to. 'Twas one which allowed for a far deeper scan of a patient
than the usual spells, and would register core damage.

"Should I send for someone else?" Lieutenant-General Yngvarr inquired.

"Nay," Loki replied, before rolling his eyes when he saw the man hesitate. "Other than
Mother and Father, there is no one on Ásgarðr who can aid me. Even Ladies Eir and Hlín can
only investigate the damage and tend the secondary side effects."

"King Óðinn has explained why you did not mention anything."

"I still could have provided some pain relief," Lady Eir said, clearly not happy with the
results of her scan, but not so much so as to send for his parents right away.

"They would have impaired my ability to think, and the knowledge could have served to split
your attention and worry you even more," Loki retorted. "It would also have led you, and
everyone else who knew, to second guess my every move and command."

He saw Lieutenant-General Yngvarr wince and Loki knew the man understood, but Lady Eir
shook her head.

"It would not have been thus," she said.

Loki laughed without humor. "It already was so. I had no less than five traitors to deal with, a
war to prevent, a rogue councillor to pull back into line, and everyone who never wanted me
on Hliðskjálf to manage as well. I did not need anything else on top of all of that, and my
core injury as well. Least of all, someone thinking my magical health might be affecting my
judgment as well."

By the end, Loki was aware of how far his voice had risen, so he cut himself off ere he could
say any more. While Lady Eir was well aware of why he was more emotional and erratic than
normal, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr did not, and the last thing he wished to do was create a
bad impression on the man now. Not after all of the progress he had already made with the
head of the king's guard.

"If I may ask, if Lady Eir is unable to do much, then why are you still here?" Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr inquired.

"Because the king and queen need to replenish their own seiðr before healing Prince Loki
again," Lady Eir said. "And, until the prince is fully healed, he cannot be left alone, lest he
suffer further damage to his core."

"Ergo, if he is accompanied, he can leave? Say for the healing gardens?"

Loki's head snapped over to look at General Týr's second-in-command in shock.

"Aye, 'tis a lovely idea," Lady Eir said. "Some fresh air would definitely be beneficial."

"Have you not had enough of me already?" Loki could not help but ask. "You will be stuck
with me for even longer, if you do this."

"Do not worry, I wish to do this," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr reassured.

Aye, but why? 'Twas what Loki did not understand.

He knew he had not been the most pleasant company to be around during his regency,
particularly towards the end when the stress and strain of his mutilated core had become
markedly worse. Yet, at the same time, he truly wished to leave the healing halls and a trip to
the gardens, though not far, sounded wonderful.

"I will need a moment to get changed," Loki said, before he paused and glanced at Lady Eir.
"If I have any clothes here?"

Normally, it would not be a problem as he always kept a few outfits in his pocket dimension
in case of emergencies, but they were out of his reach at present.

"Your servant did bring a few items, I believe," Lady Eir said, moving towards a set of
drawers Loki had not yet paid much attention to. "Aye, here."

The top drawer contained some simple leather trousers and a few of the tunics he wore if
remaining in his chambers to study or experiment with seiðr. Livunn truly did know him far
too well. With a smile, he selected the pale, sea green tunic with silver and purple embroidery
Sigyn had given him from Álfheimr, along with some dark brown leather trousers.
"I will only be a moment," Loki told the lieutenant-general, heading for the bathing chamber.

He left the door ajar as he did not need Lady Eir chastising him for leaving them unable to
know if something had befallen him. He changed quickly and drew his hair into a short tail
with a leather chord, though a lock from the front almost immediately pulled free. Since they
were only going to the healing gardens, he did not bother to redo it.

Lady Eir had disappeared when Loki reemerged, while Lieutenant-General Yngvarr stood
near the main door. Loki stopped by the table just long enough to open one of his gifts and
extract some boiled sweets on his way to the door.

"Would you like some?" Loki offered.

"I do not recognize this," Lieutenant-General Yngvarr admitted as he took two.

"Only a few are made at a time, I believe," Loki explained as they left his healing chamber.
"The main ingredient is bjórr."

"So I can tell."

Loki smiled at the surprised look on his escort's face. Though bjórr was technically similar to
beer in many ways, he had overheard various members of one particular dökkálfar delegation
calling it an abomination as they deemed it a bastardized version of beer, being far too sweet
to be the proper thing. It would definitely explain why he enjoyed both bjórr and these boiled
sweets so. The limited nature of the sweets made their giver immediately obvious, even
without reading the tag left with the bag. Their maker knew well how much he enjoyed them.

The walk to the healing gardens was short as they were deliberately kept close to the healing
halls to allow those who worked there to grow their own herbs and plants, particularly the
ones which needed to be fresh to make the potions and draughts as potent as possible. Others
had to be dried before use, but keeping the plants close meant the healers lost as little time as
possible cultivating and collecting them.

As they stepped out, Loki noted the close eye the lieutenant-general had on him, and it
elicited mixed feelings within him. He had never liked appearing weak before others,
particularly the warriors since he knew well how they already viewed him. Yet, at the same
time, Yngvarr was here entirely of his own volition. The head guard had not had to come to
his healing chamber, nor had he been forced to offer to accompany Loki to the gardens. Nay,
that had all been the man's own choice and Loki would never have expected any of this if
Yngvarr had not done it.

He had not expected anyone, other than his own family and Livunn, to either care or visit him
while he recovered.

It took Loki's eyes a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight but, when they did, he spotted a
cleared area of grass in the center of the herb beds with a few stone benches for people to
utilize. He made for the grass itself, wishing to sit directly on the ground so he could easily
lay back later, if he so chose. While he did not wish to admit it to either the lieutenant-general
or either of his two healers, he was feeling the exertion of even the short walk here. While his
body itself was not injured, the drain on his energy of both healing and sustaining his
fractured core in-between sessions with his adoptive parents, was great.

Loki did sit close enough to one of the benches for Yngvarr to sit on it if the man so wished.
He was not surprised when the lieutenant-general did not.

"Has everything gone back to normal already?" Loki asked, offering one of the two
remaining sweets before having the last himself.

"Mostly," Yngvarr replied, watching as he settled back on his elbows before he turned his
face towards the sun. "The second and third-tier warriors have returned back to their usual
work."

"All of them?" Loki teased, remembering the man the lieutenant-general had been so
interested in. "I would have thought one, at least, might have remained behind."

A small chuckle from beside him told Loki he was right, but he had no desire to see it for
himself, instead basking in simply being outside. Though he could easily spend days, or even
weeks, on end holed up in his chambers or one of the great libraries of the Nine, he had also
always felt a great affinity with the outdoors. It allowed him to feel and connect with the
natural seiðr all living things possessed. 'Twas refreshing and never failed to please him in a
very simple but deep way. This time more so than ever before, as Ásgarðr felt like a large,
purring cat basking in the sun, her joy rumbling through him in soothing waves.

"There may be one who is now completing his training to become a tier one warrior,"
Yngvarr admitted.

"Why had he not gone for it before?" Loki asked. "He seemed quite proficient on the field."

"Apparently, he had not felt 'twas quite for him. He said he had assumed being a warrior was
all fighting and no thinking."

Loki opened his eyes to peer up at the lieutenant-general, to see if he was being honest. It had
not felt like a lie, but he was no longer confident he could detect them as easily as he once
had, particularly not with his core still so wounded.

"He wished to think?" Loki questioned, uncertainly.

"He wished to be challenged; to not follow a predictable routine."

'Twas a sentiment Loki could well understand, and he could see how it would have proved
advantageous to the man when faced with the unpredictability of standing against several
seiðkonur and a seiðmadr on the battlefield.

"How will you keep him engaged?" Loki inquired curiously.

Warrior training could become quite repetitive. 'Twas why he had not oft joined his brother
and Thor's friends, as he was not so enamored with doing the same thing each and every day.
There was only so much he could take of hitting, stabbing or knocking another about in any
given month before he lost his sanity.
"The general and I have been discussing alterations we need to make to the army and how we
train our warriors," Yngvarr replied with a frown. "We will require those more open to new
ideas and willing to attempt new ways of training and fighting. I believe he may be able to
aid us in this endeavor."

Loki could only stare at the lieutenant-general in shock, rolling so he was facing the man
head on. They were thinking of introducing such great changes to the army, in addition to
ensuring the warriors were capable of facing those trained in seiðr? In all of his time since he
had first commenced his warrior training, he had never seen anything alter. Not even when he
had tried to have something changed. He had kept running into 'tradition' and an attitude of
everything being perfect and not requiring alterations of any kind.

"I..." Loki trailed off before he began again. "I do not understand."

"During the preparatory work to ensure the readiness of the army should the negotiations fail,
it became quite obvious to General Týr the army was not nearly as ready to face an enemy
such as Jötunheimr as he had thought they would be," Yngvarr explained. "Combined with
what happened to you, it has made us revise how we train and prepare our warriors."

"What happened to me? 'Twas not the fault of anyone connected with the army."

"I understand your injury was connected to the events on Jötunheimr."

The knowledge surprised Loki. Precisely what had Óðinn told people?

"Only in so far as it made me aware of something," Loki responded, tilting his head. "What
was mentioned of my illness?"

'Twas clear from the gifts and well-wishes he had received, that something had been said.
Given his trip to the healing halls had been witnessed, Loki was well aware of why. At the
time, most would still have assumed he was king, so the news would have been alarming and
Óðinn would have needed to be quite clear in his reassurances to the people to calm them.

"Your father said you had sustained an injury pertaining to the events on Jötunheimr,"
Yngvarr began.

Oh, clever, very clever indeed. 'Twas technically correct, but would misdirect the attention of
anyone who chose to linger on the information. Though, there was one major risk with what
Óðinn had said.

"This will not aid in any future visits the jötnar make here," Loki stated.

"Your father did caution people not to think of vengeance, since you had already obtained it
yourself."

Loki snorted at the words. Again, they were technically true, even if his revenge against
Laufey had been limited at best given all the... jötunn had done against him.

"A few members of the High Council, and myself, are also aware your illness was the result
of something kept from you by your father, which should not have been," the lieutenant-
 general continued. "He said 'twas his fault."

Had he now? That greatly surprised Loki, and he knew it showed on his face.

"'Twas what we were arguing about in the vault," Loki said, cautiously, frowning as he
thought back on that particular conversation. "As I said before, I had discovered the
deception on Jötunheimr and confirmed it just ere Father arrived, resulting in the shouting
you and your men heard."

"Altogether, a bad day for you," Yngvarr replied, ironically.

The words startled a laugh out of Loki, though 'twas not with any true humor, but more
because of how woefully it described precisely how badly that day had gone for him. And
from such a carefully planned start too. It would not be an exaggeration of any kind to say,
'twas easily the worst day of his life. Simply the thought of the panic he had felt when
Heimdallr had allowed them passage to Jötunheimr, not to mention what he had felt when his
hand and arm had turned jötunn blue, was nearly enough to make him shiver now. The
suspicions it had induced and their confirmation...

Loki grunted and brought a hand up to his sternum as he felt his core stretch and strain,
tearing some of the newly healed parts of it anew.

Chapter End Notes

I did think long and hard about posting this chapter as it is a two-parter and I'm not
100% sure that I'll be able to update until I'm back from my trip for my sister's wedding.
In the end, I decided to go with it, but apologies if you don't get another update until I'm
back, the weekend of the 20th! Since it's easier to update my blog from my phone while
on the go, please check there if Monday rolls around without an update. I will do my
best, but as this trip is for a wedding, I'm sure you can imagine that I won't have time to
faff about with internet cafés and the like if the wifi where I'm staying isn't up to snuff.

Beyond that, apologies if this chapter has as many little errors as the last one. I'm getting
better, but am still quite knackered, which isn't helped by all the travel prep hassle there
is these days with Covid paperwork on top of the regular stuff! There were times I had
to re-read a sentence three times!

As for the chapter itself, I hope you enjoyed the return of Yngvarr, even if Loki is
proving he really still has a long way to go to be fully healed and in a good mental
headspace. Our little chaos godling can't help himself at times! But congrats to those
who saw a little of this chapter coming 😊

Old Norse:
bjórr - beer or similar sweet alcoholic beverage (alternatively beaver - don't ask, I have
no clue!)
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkonur - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + konur (“women”) - i.e.
witches/sorceresses/mages
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
dökkálfar - dwarves
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Oh, Dola was entirely made-up, with any connections you can think of entirely
accidental.

Up next week: Loki & Yngvarr continue their conversation...

 Chapter 84
Chapter Notes

Sorry it has been such a long delay since the last chapter. I'd hoped to be able to update
while on holiday, but that clearly didn't happen.

I hope you enjoy this chapter now, though.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"My Prince!" Yngvarr exclaimed in alarm, leaning close. "Should I fetch a healer?"

"Nay," Loki grunted, feeling both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter coil around the damaged area
of his core.

"Are you certain?"

The question, and the hesitancy of it, made Loki open his eyes and glance over at the
lieutenant-general. Normally, he would have been angered to be questioned thus, but both the
tone of Yngvarr's voice and the expression of concern on his face, stilled the irritation before
it got that far.

"Aye," he said instead. "'Twas merely more of what happened ere I collapsed, minor tears or
strains of my core. Nothing so drastic as when I collapsed."

"This is what you were concealing?"

"Hmm."

"And you can tell when you are in danger of collapsing once more?"

"Now I know how much damage it takes? Aye."

The words clearly did not sit well with Yngvarr, but they were the truth and Loki wished he
were fully able to decipher the look on the lieutenant-general's face, but 'twas far too
conflicted for him to even try.

"So the pain is not constant?" Yngvarr asked.

"Not this way. 'Tis like aggravating a wound, sharp flashes."

"Before it settles back to an ever-present dull throb."

Loki was not surprised he could not deceive the lieutenant-general so easily here. Not after
all the experience the man had with all kinds of different wounds and injuries.
"Are there topics I should avoid?" Yngvarr questioned.

'Twas a fair question, but Loki was not quite certain how to word it without giving too much
away. Particularly to one who did not understand magical cores.

"Merely the events of Jötunheimr, but there are other items related to it which will not always
be immediately obvious," Loki finally replied.

The lieutenant-general hesitated and Loki tilted his head, intrigued. Normally, he would be
irritated by the questioning of something so sensitive, but the fact the head of the king's guard
noticed and was interested after being here voluntarily intrigued him, so he lifted an inquiring
eyebrow.

"I have... noticed you do not speak well of yourself at times," Yngvarr said, carefully. "And,
earlier, it seemed to cause you pain."

'Twas part of why Loki had always known the lieutenant-general was a dangerous man. He
paid attention and noticed things.

"A sense of self is very important for a seiðmadr," Loki explained, the thrill of how close he
was coming to the truth exciting him in a way true chaos always did. "And we are most
vulnerable if our whole sense of self is pulled out from under us. Or if we are not who we
thought we were."

"How can that be?"

Loki frowned. "Why do you care?"

'Twas something he could not understand. Why was the lieutenant-general even here with him
now? What had possessed the man to come visit him, let alone offer to remain with him out
here? Other than his mother, and occasionally Thor, he was not used to much attention when
Sigyn was not on Ásgarðr.

Yngvarr's face darkened, surprising Loki.

"Clearly, I will need to be blunter," the lieutenant-general began. "I admire the way you
handled the horrendous situation you found yourself, and all of Ásgarðr, in. It would have
been very easy for something to go catastrophically wrong with quite dire consequences for
all of us."

"I only did what was necessary," Loki dismissed, shifting in discomfort and glancing away.

He did not quite know why, as he had so oft longed for his contributions and actions to be
recognized thus. So why did it make him feel uncomfortable now?

Was satisfaction truly so far out of his reach and nature? Would he perpetually seek
something more or different?

"A great many people had very different ideas of what was necessary, most would have us at
war with Jötunheimr even now," Yngvarr retorted, lightning quick. "And to now know you
were injured the whole time... well, that makes it all the more impressive."

From the expression on the man's face, Loki could tell the lieutenant-general was bothered by
not having noticed his charge's injury.

"I did not gain a reputation as a trickster for nothing," Loki replied, feeling the need to flee
rise up within him. "'Tis a title I claim gladly, and one cannot be a good trickster without
being good at stealth and misdirection. You merely experienced the brunt of my skills in this
area."

"Your father said much the same."

Loki snorted, well able to imagine that. "So you may spare your concern."

He should have left it there; Loki knew that only all too well. Yet, the urge to lash out rose
within him nonetheless, not liking being so easily read when he was this vulnerable. He had
no reason not to trust Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, rather the opposite after all they had been
through lately, but Loki was not used to relying on others. Not when 'twas more than his life
at stake.

Besides, the sheer possibility for the chaos it could create if this man learned the truth... Not
to mention how it would prove the others were all wrong. How people would care once they
learned what had been in their midst, and on their throne, this whole time.

Ásgarðr and Mother Winter scrabbled within, clearly not liking his thoughts, but he ignored
them in favor for the chaos and recklessness swirling within him.

"Besides, if you knew the truth you would not only not care, but be rather horrified instead,"
Loki stated, eyes glued to the older man's face.

Oh, he had angered Yngvarr now, the way the lieutenant-general's face clouded over was a
clear indication of it.

"My Prince-"

"I am not, not truly."

"Not what?"

"Your prince," Loki retorted, a strange glee rising within him. "I am quite certain Óðinn never
filed any adoption parchments, choosing to err on the side of secrecy."

The thrill of saying the words was intense, and it greatly amplified the blast of shocked chaos
Loki felt from the head of the king's guard. He savored it, his eyes dropping to half-mast as
he did so. It felt fantastic and soothed his throbbing core in a way he could not quite describe,
but which felt better than any potion or draught either Ladies Eir or Hlín could provide.

"Adoption?" Yngvarr breathed, looking at him in shock.

"Hmm."
Loki was more than a little curious as to how the lieutenant-general would react to this
scintillating little tidbit. The scandal it could cause even without the knowledge of his species
was great, and simply the mere thought of it further thrilled a reckless part deep within him.
Even as it horrified the far more reasonable side of him.

Then, Yngvarr seemed to overcome his shock. "If the king and queen see you as their son,
then who am I, or anyone else, to counter that? Especially as everything else was official, all
the way down to King Óðinn adding you to the line of succession."

It... that...

Irritation and anger flashed through Loki but abruptly died as he tried to understand those
words and Yngvarr's reaction. How could the man make it sound so simple and
uncomplicated?

A hand briefly touched his and Loki glanced back up at Yngvarr.

"You are my prince," the man insisted.

"Even if I am not áss?" The question startled Yngvarr, Loki could tell, so he kept right on
speaking even as he gestured down at himself. "What you see, what we all see, including me
myself for the longest while, is nothing but an illusion. The result of a natural shape shifter
and a helping of Óðinn's own seiðr."

Shock was clear on the other man's face, but even as Loki watched it rapidly morphed into
something else, and he could see calculation enter those azure depths. That Lieutenant-
General Yngvarr was no fool was something Loki had learned at a young age and was the
basis of his deep respect for the man who, unlike most other warriors, had never said
anything adverse about his seiðr or his use thereof.

The thought from over a week ago, of how the man would make an interesting opponent,
returned to Loki and a sense of more playful mischief surfaced but was not entirely enough to
overcome his desire to see precisely how Yngvarr would react to the truth.

"What you are makes no difference to me, as I have come to know who you are," Yngvarr
replied firmly, looking him straight in the eye. "Besides, Queen Frigga is not ásynja and it
never interfered with her ability to co-lead Ásgarðr with Prince Vili as regent, when you and
Prince Thor were younger."

Loki laughed. "You would not be so quick to dismiss it if you knew what I truly am. What
you helped keep on Hliðskjálf."

Another flash of pain from deep within was accompanied by anger from both Ásgarðr and
Mother Winter, but Loki ignored both of them, far too much on a roll. He would prove both
Óðinn and Frigga wrong and see exactly how someone who did not either feel related to him
or was oath bound to treat him, felt about the truth.

"It does not matter," Yngvarr insisted, any relaxation long gone from his posture in favor of a
more alert and determined stance.
It did not matter? Ha, Loki truly did not believe that, and he would prove it.

In a fit of true recklessness, he reached deep within, brushing past the concerns of both
Ásgarðr and Mother Winter, and shifted. 'Twas time to show Yngvarr the monster and
remove all doubt from the man's mind.

Mother Winter roared as more of his core stretched and strained, but Loki kept his eyes glued
to the lieutenant-general's face as his skin turned jötunn blue and the kin lines spidered across
it.

Pure and utter shock flashed across Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's face and the man's mouth
dropped open soundless, eyes darting from Loki's face to his hands and back up again.

"Still think there is not a monster within?" Loki demanded viciously, ignoring the pain it
caused.

"Loki!"

He twisted around at his mother's cry to find Frigga rushing towards them across the garden,
before she dropped to her knees beside him. Loki flinched back instinctively as she reached
for him, making her face twist in pain and displeasure. It caused guilt to stir within him and
he stilled when she reached for him once more.

"Darling, you need to stop saying things like that or hurting yourself," Frigga said, her voice
almost begging even as her seiðr sunk into him, seeking to assess his core.

She scowled at the damage she found, and Loki felt his irritation rising within him once
more. This situation was not his fault!

"Why? I am only thinking as I was taught to," Loki retorted, hotly.

"I have already scolded Óðinn for that, but you are better than this, Loki," Frigga replied.
"And I know you cannot think of all jötnar as monsters, not after how fairly you treated them
during the negotiations. Even when you had to deal with Laufey, who actually is a monster."

A sudden touch to his arm abruptly reminded Loki of Yngvarr's presence, and he turned back
to the lieutenant-general warily. Unbelievably, he could find not a single trace of either anger
or horror on the man's face, instead 'twas all surprise and a slowly dawning sense of
realization.

It made no sense!

"Íviðja," Yngvarr whispered. "You are an íviðja."

Loki nodded once, confused and feeling more than slightly unmoored. How could the man
take this news so calmly?

"'Tis why you were able to use and restrict the Casket of Ancient Winters so easily. 'Twas
always yours to command."
"Hmm," Loki confirmed, resigned to the fact there would be no forth coming accusation, no
matter how logical it would be.

"Thus, Týr was right," Yngvarr continued. "Laufey-King would accept no restrictions on his
power."

None of this was transpiring as Loki had expected it to, and he did not know how to react.
Particularly not with his mother's seiðr still flooding his core, and both Ásgarðr and Mother
Winter aiding her in both calming and healing him. 'Twas messing with his ability to maintain
his irritation and anger.

Suddenly, the lieutenant-general sucked in a sharp breath and, finally, horror entered his eyes.
"I remember when you were first presented at court, you could not have been more than a
few days old at most," Yngvarr said, glancing towards Frigga. "Your tale of having concealed
your pregnancy for security concerns was a cover, then."

"Aye," Frigga confirmed, her free hand rising to stroke the loose strand of hair from Loki's
face when he briefly glanced at her.

"There is no excuse for trying to kill an infant," Yngvarr declared firmly, voice and eyes hard
as they held Loki's gaze. "None."

"There was no protection against it either," Loki replied, resigned and knowing this last
would do nothing to alter the lieutenant-general's view if nothing else so far had. "Not even
sharing Laufey's blood."

The shock was back but, to his credit, Yngvarr recovered quickly. "Filicide," he breathed.
"All of this only makes what I said before even more relevant, and your performance at the
negotiations all the more impressive."

"You were not even there," Loki countered, tiredly.

"True, but I have heard only good things from those who did not know the truth of your
relationship with Laufey-King, and the additional strain this would have placed you under. I
am not certain I could have done the same in your position," a pause. "Did Laufey know?"

"Nay, I believe they think they succeeded."

"Oh, Loki," Frigga murmured. "But you cannot continue to let this get to you. You are not a
monster!"

'Twas all too much and too unbelievable, so Loki chose to focus on the lieutenant-general
once more. "You truly do not mind I spoke for Ásgarðr at the negotiations?"

"My Prince, the treaty makes it quite clear you placed the needs of Ásgarðr and the rest of the
Nine first, ahead of Jötunheimr," Yngvarr replied. "Yet, even then, you did not allow your
own feelings to cloud your judgment and lash out at Jötunheimr in anger or for vengeance.
You treated them fairly while balancing the need to check Laufey's power."

"Loki, baby, please change back," Frigga requested, a pleading tone to her voice.
Loki turned to look at her in shock. She had been the one who kept insisting she did not care
what form he chose to take, and now she wished for him to shift?

"Darling, 'tis spring and we are in the noon sun," Frigga rushed to add when she caught sight
of his face. "Are you not burning?"

The question finally penetrated through the haze of shock and disbelief Loki was feeling, and
he became aware of the sweltering heat and Mother Winter's frantic attempts to attract his
attention. With a thought, he shifted back to his áss form, the sheer difference in how the sun
felt on his skin astonishing, but he could already tell he had stayed in his jötunn form too
long and would require a burn ointment from Lady Hlín.

"I meant what I said before, Loki," his mother stated. "Whenever you want to shift while with
me, simply do so."

Exhausted both mentally and physically, he leaned forward and rested his head in the crook
of her neck. Despite how much he had slept lately, Loki felt more than ready for another nap
and the thought of the walk back to his healing chamber filled him with dread. Rather than
worry about it, though, he allowed himself to simply enjoy the cool wash of his mother's
seiðr.

"You have a question," Frigga said after a few moments.

"I was merely wondering how the prince had discovered the truth on Jötunheimr when
Laufey had not discovered it," Yngvarr replied.

"Ah. Óðinn and I assume he was touched by a jötunn who tried to freeze him, and his body
reacted automatically to defend him," Mother explained. "Darling?"

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "They shattered my vambrace."

"You killed them?" Yngvarr questioned.

"Hmm."

"We are lucky no one else saw."

"That had occurred to us as well," Frigga admitted. "If Laufey were to find out..."

The mere thought made Loki shudder, not wishing to truly contemplate the possibility. As he
was still underage, it could raise some very tricky political questions Óðinn could not easily
deal with. Not if Laufey brought the matter to the attention of the rest of the Nine. It would
be Óðinn's word against Laufey's, and Loki did not relish being a pawn stuck between the
two, to be squabbled over like a bauble neither truly wanted but did not wish to relinquish to
the other out of pure spite.

"Is there any danger of that happening?" Yngvarr asked, and Loki nearly snorted.

Ever the protector and guard, even while off-duty. Somehow it did not trigger the general
distain Loki oft felt when he encountered warriors who seemed to live and breathe their
oaths. There was something about General Týr's second-in-command which by passed that
impulse of his and allowed him to admire the man instead. Though he wished to understand
it, there was no particular accompanying desire to overcome it as he felt comfortable around
the other man, genuinely able to trust him as he rarely did anyone.

"Nay, those who know are limited with only yourself and Thor having recently joined the
ranks without being seiðr bound not to tell," Frigga replied.

"Lady Hlín I assume?"

"Aye. Óðinn bound the knowledge to Loki's permission, so she cannot speak of it lest he
allows it."

The silence which followed was telling when 'twas accompanied by the heavy gaze Loki felt
on his back. Nay, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr was no one's fool, though the silence clearly
indicated the man knew he could not influence his actions on this matter. The thought he
might finally have found a way to ruffle the unflappable head of the king's guard was
tempered by the sudden lack of desire Loki felt to follow through on the thought. While
turning and giving the man a sharp smile would induce another blast of chaos, the knowledge
it would genuinely concern the man as well, tempered the temptation.

Loki was not used to the latter and 'twas surprising how immediately it reduced his desire to
either trick or bother Yngvarr. Was this simply due to his present exhaustion, or was it greater
than that? Thor had rarely been exempt from the people he truly desired to trick, the only true
exception being when his brother had been involved in the trick.

"Darling," Frigga began, her free hand coming up to stroke through his hair and loosening his
leather cord. "Shall we head back inside so I can examine you properly?"

Part of Loki did not wish to move, but he was well aware their current position could not be
terribly comfortable for his mother. He pulled back slightly and one look at his face was all it
took for his mother's face to soften, so he knew at least some of his exhaustion must be
showing.

"Come," Frigga said, shifting so she was more beside him, her hands on his left arm.

Ere Loki could protest, Yngvarr was on his right, and together they helped pull him to his
feet. He swayed a little at the abrupt shift in position, grabbing hold of both of their arms to
steady himself.

"My Prince?" the lieutenant-general asked.

Loki took a moment to ascertain he would remain upright on his own, before he relaxed his
grip. "I am fine, merely a momentary feeling of faintness."

Though Yngvarr released his arm, the man remained close by his side as they commenced the
walk back to the healing halls. Frigga was far less subtle, linking their arms together and Loki
could not help but smile at the show of concern. His mother had oft managed to circumvent
the irritation he would have felt had anyone else shown him the same level of either affection
or concern in public. Not even the general perception on their relationship had ever been able
to tempt him to distance himself from her as Thor had done. So, even now with all which lay
between them, her mere presence was soothing in its own way.

Despite Yngvarr's presence, the silent walk back to the healing halls did not feel
uncomfortable, and Loki was pleased as he did not feel the need to focus on anything other
than simply making it back to his chamber. That he must have allowed some of his
exhaustion to show was obvious in the occasional subtle touch of the lieutenant-general's
hand to his back, as the man clearly thought he required the additional help.

Loki roused a bit more when the voices drifting into the corridor made it clear there were
more than merely the healers in the main healing hall. He forced himself straighter, squaring
his shoulders and raising his head. Wordlessly, Lieutenant-General Yngvarr slipped back a
step, appearing more of an escort rather than a nursemaid. Loki was grateful for it as they
entered the main hall to find two nobles speaking with a healer while a third sat on a bench,
having his hand examined.

Almost as soon as they entered, all of the attention shifted their way and Loki could easily
tell the nobles were examining him for any hint of what had transpired. He tried to ignore
them as Frigga kept heading towards the royal healing chambers. A slight shift behind them
made Loki look back and Yngvarr almost clicked his heels together before bowing lower
than necessary in their direction.

"My Queen," the man said, eyes already shifting towards Loki, who could see a calculation in
their depths. "Sire."

The title startled Loki but, before he could even think to question it, the lieutenant-general
was already turning away, leaving the healing halls as if he had been merely escorting the two
of them on a walk.

Briefly, he flashed back to the vault immediately after Óðinn's collapse, as it had been
Yngvarr who had first used the title sire then, the rest of his men picking it up in the short
span between that point and Lord Ragnvaldr presenting him with Gungnir, thus officially
making him regent. While not strictly a title for a perspective king, it did carry an additional
note of respect and superiority which the alternative titles Yngvarr could have chosen to
utilize did not, so he wondered at the lieutenant-general's decision to use it now.

The man had clearly chosen it quite specifically.

"Loki, baby, can you not simply take a compliment for once without worrying over it?"
Frigga asked as they entered his chamber.

He frowned at her. "He meant something specifically with it, I saw it in his eyes."

"Mayhap he was simply determined to get it through your obstinate head that your species
does not matter to him."

Obstinate. Loki was not fooled, his mother would have used thick skull if she were prone to
such language, and the comparison with Thor made him scowl even as he sank gratefully
onto the bed. He knew better, however, than to think 'twas an argument he was going to win,
even if he were not ill.

"Oh my," Frigga commented as she glanced at the back table.

"You were unaware?" Loki asked.

"I had been informed there were gifts, but I had not realized quite how many."

"Nor how expensive some are, no doubt."

At his words he indicated the far left of the table and observed as his mother went to examine
the gift.

"Norns," she breathed.

Though they were not the long knives his mother preferred, she was still familiar enough
with all knives to recognize at once their worth and value.

"I will need aid devising the best means of thanking some of my well-wishers," Loki
commented.

"Aye, we will need to consider it carefully, but 'tis for later," Frigga agreed. "Now, I need to
see how much additional damage you caused yourself."

The words could have come across harshly, but her tone softened them considerably. Instead,
they were meant more factually, though Loki knew the reminder was still there deliberately
as his mother was disappointed he had once more reinjured himself. He considered
responding to them, but he did not wish to fight, feeling too fatigued to do so.

Therefore, he merely moved back far enough on the bed to lie down properly and allowing
his mother to sit beside him. She touched his face briefly ere resting her hand on his sternum
and Loki closed his eyes, allowing himself to slip into a light meditative trance to assist her.
Both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter rose up to greet him, though the latter did allow her
displeasure to be felt. He tried his best to placate her, but she was clearly not in the mood,
choosing to focus instead on the physical injuries he had inflicted upon himself by switching
to his birth form in the hot Ásgarðrian spring sun.

"Baby?" Frigga whispered sometime later, rousing him from his trance.

Loki made a note of protest at the use of the endearment. His mother's comment on it the
other day, though, told him he would need to work to have her drop its use once more.

"How bad is it?" Loki questioned, shifting slightly.

"'Tis not well, but the new damage is not as bad as I had feared it might be," Mother replied
with a slight frown. "I wish you would cease thinking of yourself so poorly."

This time Loki scowled more darkly at her. "I am not doing it on purpose."
"Thus, you did not set out to deliberately try to antagonize Lieutenant-General Yngvarr in a
foolish attempt to make him react adversely to you?" Frigga demanded with an arched brow.

If he had been sitting up, Loki would have slid down in his seat. Instead, he raised his chin
stubbornly and met her gaze head on.

"Well, how did it work for you then?" she questioned.

"He is being unreasonable," Loki retorted.

"Are you certain he is the unreasonable one?"

"It makes no sense!"

"Oh, Loki."

And he felt bad for bringing that particular tone into his mother's voice. 'Twas one which
could oft make him cease arguing as he so hated to hurt her.

"That is not fair," he complained instead.

"You will understand when you have children of your own," Frigga replied, running a hand
through his hair even as she shook her head. "It never ceases to amaze me how you can be so
perceptive about everyone but yourself."

Loki arched an eyebrow of his own. "Heimdallr, Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun."

He did not have to say anymore to make her face darken and awaken her anger.

"They will regret their actions for the rest of their lives," she stated.

"If Óðinn does not pardon them," Loki replied.

"Your father will not."

They would see. 'Twas not what he was most intrigued with, though.

"Do you think I should have executed Heimdallr?" he asked her.

"Though I would have liked to have seen him lose his head for what he dared try to do to
you, I do also understand why you kept him alive," Frigga said. "The knowledge that all he
will see for the rest of his life is the same three walls and whatever passes before his cell is
certain to cause him more distress than a swift execution would."

Not to mention dying of old age in the dungeons, forgotten by all, was a far more ignoble
death than even a public execution. Loki was certain Heimdallr had never thought his hugr
would pass to Hel upon his death rather than either Valhöll or Fólkvangr.

"I doubt anyone else has realized that," Loki said.

"'Tis because they do not know how your mind works as well as I do," Frigga replied with a
smile. "Nor are they quite as devious as either of us."

'Twas true, his mother had a far darker mind than most realized. 'Twas her vanir upbringing
shining through, as the æsir frowned upon such 'tricks' and 'dishonest' thinking. 'Twas why he
had oft fallen afoul of their norms as a child, unable to understand why he had to either hide
or still that part of him.

"Now, I need to go as I am expected elsewhere, will you be alright, or should I ask Lady Hlín
to bring you another sleeping draught?" Frigga asked him.

"I shall be fine," Loki replied.

"Promise?"

"Hmm, I have no desire to sleep more and wish to read instead."

"Very well. I will tell her you require a burn ointment."

Even as she said it, Mother touched his forehead and Loki turned into her hand as it felt nice
and cool compared to his now overheated skin.

"Please," Loki replied, knowing it would start itching soon.

"I will see you later," Frigga promised, kissing his cheek before she rose to leave.

"Until then," Loki said.

As soon as she had left the chamber, Loki rose to his feet and walked over to the table at the
far side of the chamber. He could still not quite believe all of these were gifts and well-wishes
were for him.

From the people.

He had always hoped that having an opportunity to truly prove himself would allow them to
see his worth, but even he had not expected this. Abruptly, Loki trailed his fingers over the
items, being careful not to dislodge any tags or parchment from the gifts. They would need to
make a careful record of whom had given what, so he could send the appropriate thank you
cards where necessary or find some other, more general, means of thanking those who had
gifted them. Lord Ragnvaldr would probably also wish a listing of what have been given, for
official purposes.

While nothing else quite compared to the knives Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and his men
had given him, Loki found that all of the other tokens and gifts touched him far more than he
might have expected anything from flowers to ribbons to have done. Inevitably, his mind was
already seeing the possibilities all of the flowers presented once they started to wilt. As gifts
and well-wishes, they would be imbued with a natural protective seiðr which could be
transferred to wards with the proper knowledge and workings. The only question was what to
ward as his personal chambers were already sufficiently covered as to make any additional
alterations problematic at best.
 He would need to think on it and see. Mayhap he could tinker with attempting to create more
mobile wards from them for his weapons or armor.

A knock.

"Enter."

"Hello, my Prince," Livunn said, holding up a bag. "I thought you might like some additional
clothing."

"Aye, thank you," Loki said, watching her eyes fall on the back table.

"Shall I bring some parchment later on?"

"Hmm."

It would be a task to keep him occupied, he supposed. For all that such routine busywork
would normally fill him with dread, for the boredom 'twas certain to cause, Loki almost
found himself anticipating it this time. And not simply for the distraction it would provide
him either.

Nay, it felt similar to his naming day celebrations and the gifts he would receive then. For he
would not be able to truly see what he had all been gifted until he had noted it all down
properly.

Much as the vast majority of it would be little more than sprigs of flowers or word stones,
they had still been gathered or created with him in mind.

It had been him the people had chosen to honor in this manner.

Loki felt surprisingly pleased by it all.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry if there are still slightly more mistakes in this than normal, I'm not yet fully
recovered from my jetlag! For future reference (not this fic!), would you rather I have
not posted the last chapter when I did, to not risk having a two chapter scene have such a
wait? It would have meant risking a longer time with no updates.

I hope that you liked this chapter despite the wait. It's one of the ones where Yngvarr
took on a life of his own. The idea for the whole scene came to me around the time his
character grew rapidly, coming to me along with the backstory of his kids and some bits
that will appear in the sequel.

As for Loki, yes I know he's not being terribly logical, but he's still injured and in pain
despite the healing so far. Without the need to keep it all together from before, his
control is not what it was earlier in the fic. His recklessness is showing, fueled by his
pain and the start of his puberty. And his inherent contrariness.

Finally, I will be changing the most likely update day for this fic to Saturdays. There
will be more details on my blog later as to why, but Sundays will not be good for me
moving forwards on most days. As always, the update day can shift a little either way on
any given week.

Old Norse :

hugr - "thought" or "mind", often meaning 'soul' before Christianity came, bringing 'sál'
with it
Valhöll - "Valhalla" & hall of the slain - where half of those slain in combat go; ruled
over by Óðinn
Fólkvangr - "field of the host", "people-field" & "army-field" - where the other half go;
meadow or field ruled over by the goddess Freyja
Hel - a world of the dead, who died dishonorably, ruler over by Hel
jötnar/jötunn - "frost giants" / "frost giant"
íviðja - a word of nebulous origin, often translated as "giantess", but sources said they
were a better looking type of jötnar
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
ásynja - female æsir, singular
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: A Council meeting & Loki and Thor learn more of Bestla.
 Chapter 85
Chapter Notes

Welcome to the new update day, hope you like it!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Thor felt odd as he entered Glaðsheimr which was, in itself, strange. 'Twas a hall he had been
in and out of regularly since his minor majority and, even before, he had occasionally visited
it when seeking his father. So, to now have it feel like he was where he ought not to be, was
most peculiar.

As there was only Lord Óðr present so far, Thor took a moment to wander around the hall,
hoping it would settle his unease. Was it because this would be the first High Council
meeting since Father had awoken from the Óðinnsleep? Was it because it would be the first
since the end of Loki's reign as regent?

Was it because his brother would not be here?

The latter made Thor shudder as it inevitably brought back memories of Loki collapsing in
the king's study before his very eyes, over and over again. He attempted to shove the thought
aside, but it would not go so easily, much as it refused to at night. He hoped it would not
linger long as he knew his brother was better, and that Loki would survive.

Mother had told him so.

Thus, why did his mind continue to plague him with thoughts and images of the alternative?
'Twas not something he had ever even contemplated before that horrible, horrible day. Life
without Loki simply was not something which had ever occurred to Thor before. He could
hardly even remember such a time, so to think of it ever recurring had never even crossed his
mind. 'Twas simply too atrocious and he thanked the Norns every eve that it did not appear to
be a reality he would have to experience.

Well, at least not at present.

'Twas the other thing which had plagued Thor's dreams; memories of all of the myriad of
times he had either taken his brother's safety for granted or - even worse - endangered it with
his recklessness. He had always known his quests were dangerous, indeed if they had not
been he would not have been able to secure the glory from them which he had sought, yet it
had never even occurred to him that he could truly lose his brother. Aye, there had been close
calls, but those had been fleeting in nature and oft subsumed by the thrill of victory or the
rage of defeat. Any true contemplation of them, and what they could have signified, had not
occurred.
All he had to do was look at the doomed trip to Jötunheimr to find such an occasion. He
could still easily hear his brother calling that they had to leave, followed by his own
dismissive words. Thor closed his eyes in dismay as he recollected them now.

"Then leave!"

He had not even given any thought as to why Loki might wish to retreat, his brother who
hated to lose as much as he. If not more given the vengeance his brother was known to
extract whenever he was wronged or lost in an ignoble way.

Therefore, he should have known there was more to the shouted instruction than he had
allowed himself to believe at the time. Loki had always been the more preceptive of injured
comrades and quick to realize the implications thereof. Thor had once considered this to be a
sign his brother cared for what he had viewed as being 'their' friends, but now he understood
it had been a far more tactical concern. That any injured companion greatened the risk to
them all. Yet, it had taken General Týr's instruction, when he had sat down with the man and
finally recounted the events of Jötunheimr in full, for him to understand it.

'Twas a skill he would need to acquire, clearly; the ability to think far more rationally during
battle and to see the broader picture instead of simply what he saw at present. Himself and
the enemies immediately surrounding him, which he would and could take on. Mayhap 'twas
a skill he had failed to acquire as Loki had always been there to do so for him. 'Twas but a
poor excuse, he knew. He also hated that Týr had hinted at the fact he and Loki were perhaps
better off separating during training and assignments, in order for both of them to advance in
areas the other was more skilled at.

After all which had so recently transpired, the last thing which Thor wished to do was to
separate from Loki, or to spend less time with him. Not when he had only just realized that,
while his brother had oft been part of his company, Thor had neglected him terribly to focus
on his friends. Nay, he now wished to have the opportunity to correct that mistake and to
focus on Loki properly. He would simply have to speak with his brother and ensure they were
both able to practice the skills Týr felt they each lacked. He had asked what the head of the
army felt Loki had to focus on, but Týr had said he wished to hold that particular
conversation with his brother ere mentioning it to him.

Thinking of how he himself would feel if Loki had been informed of his weaknesses before
him, Thor could understand the man's decision. He had merely asked to ensure he was able to
give his brother all of the opportunities possible for Loki to work on said weaknesses, so they
would never be an opening which could be used against him.

He would not see his brother fall to a weakness which had been identified and which Loki
had a chance to correct.

Such thoughts only brought Thor back to what had transpired on Jötunheimr and how Loki
had essentially been felled by a blow he had not seen coming. It angered him to think of as
this illness of his brother's had been entirely preventable, and by their parents nonetheless!
He knew 'twas not right for him to cast blame on others when he had so much to bear
himself, but he could not help it. Mother and Father had known about core injuries and that
Loki was jötunn. How had they possibly not thought this could occur given both of those?
Most of the blame lay with his father, Thor knew, as he had been the one to order Mother's
silence, but it did not remove her guilt entirely in his mind. Not when Loki could have died as
a result of said silence. Yet, Thor was well aware that, had either of them known what would
transpire, they would have informed his brother and him of the truth centuries ago. It would
have been difficult to keep the secret, however, particularly with two young children who
were not quite able to understand the need for secrecy.

Thor swallowed as he considered that need. He knew only all too well how most of Ásgarðr
viewed the jötnar, as he himself had held the same views until his trip to Miðgarðr. How
could they hope to alter the thoughts of so many people without exposing them all to what he
had experienced? He could not think of an answer and he wished to consult Loki on the
matter, as his brother was better at coming up with such answers. He did not think 'twas a
good idea, though, until Loki had healed, and even then he would approach the question with
caution, lest he cause his brother any further harm.

Mayhap Father would be the better person to consult in this particular case.

The opening of the hall doors drew Thor's attention back to the present, and he looked up to
see his uncles enter Glaðsheimr, followed swiftly by Lords Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr.

"Thor!" Uncle Vé greeted. "How fares Loki today?"

"He is again improved," Thor replied. "Though I fear he still has quite a lot of recovering to
do ere Ladies Eir or Hlín will pronounce him recovered."

"Lady Hlín? Mother's old healer?" Uncle Vili questioned, startled.

"Aye, Lady Eir recommended her involvement as she has expertise in this area."

Thor hoped that provided a sufficient answer without actually revealing too much. They
could not keep Lady Hlín's presence a secret as too many would view her in the healing halls,
so hopefully an alternative explanation would appease any curiosity raised at her return. He
felt his brother would be pleased at his thoughts and deception. Thor was finally also coming
to understand why, at times, it might not only be necessary, but critically important.

He would do whatever it took to ensure Loki's safety, particularly from those from whom his
brother should never have been in danger from to begin with.

The door opened once more and Father entered, accompanied by General Týr.

"Majesty," echoed from several places in the hall, from the three lords present.

"Óðinn," Uncle Vili said, while Uncle Vé smiled.

Realizing he stood across the hall from his seat, Thor moved back to where he should be as
Father took his seat at the head of the table. The sense of unease was back for Thor, and he
could only assume 'twas due to his having witnessed Loki sitting there for the past few
weeks. It had been quite strange the first time he had witnessed it, too.
"Before we commence, I wish to inform you of where we are," Father began. "I am aware
you all know my sleep was not normal due to the nature of the way I entered it."

Thor had to suppress a smile as he thought of the comment Loki would have made at Father's
manner of phrasing the incident. He would have to inform his brother of it so Loki could
enjoy it too.

"What you may not yet be aware of is that, as a result of this, I was not able to view
everything which transpired as I normally do," Father continued. "As a consequence, I have
been meeting with various of you to ensure I am caught up with all current events. If I have
not yet done so, I will request your presence shortly. Unless you feel there is something
urgent which must be addressed now?"

No one responded and Thor was pleased. There had been enough for them to deal with lately
that they did not need any new troubles or concerns raised now.

"I do not have a new item to add," Lord Aðalgrímr began. "But can we enquire as to how
Prince Loki was injured, or the true nature thereof? Was there anything we could have done
to prevent it?"

"Nay," Father responded immediately. "As I said in the Great Hall, the initial insult occurred
on Jötunheimr and, after that, the injury was inevitable."

"I see."

"What I can mention is that, if Loki became more irritable towards the end of his regency, 'tis
likely his injury was to blame," Father informed them. "A core injury is an extremely painful
wound to have, I am reliably informed, and it would have become progressively more so the
longer it... festered. The nature of it was also such that his emotional state would have been
affected, deteriorating rapidly. Therefore I ask that, should any of you have been on the
wrong side of my son's temper, you take this into consideration. It may have had nothing to
do with you."

"I believe I may speak for us all when I say any frayed tempers or outbursts seemed entirely
warranted at the time," Lord Ragnvaldr spoke up. "I do not believe any of us suspected
Prince Loki was injured, much less so severely. He hid the pain well."

That worried Thor greatly, for how and when would his brother have acquired such a skill?
Were there other hidden injuries in their past Thor had been entirely unaware of at the time?
What further trespasses did he have to atone for?

'Twas not a pleasant thought.

"Very well," Father stated. "In that event, we should move on to the first item I wish to
discuss. Namely the status of our farming community. Did we receive enough zisa after the
signing of the new treaty to ensure an uninterrupted planting season?"

"Aye," Lord Óðr began, as Thor wished to groan.

He hated discussing such mundane matters. At least with Loki's High Council meetings, they
had been able to focus on far more interesting matters.

The book Livunn had left him proved to be far more diverting for Loki than any of his own
tomes which she had brought from his chambers. 'Twas likely as hers did not require him to
think as much as his own did. 'Twas a story meant to entertain rather than to teach as his
were. He was certain the fact 'twas subversive as far as æsir norms went, also explained a
large part of his amusement and he would need to tease Frigga on some of what was said and
done in it. The vanir were far less restrictive in certain areas than the æsir, but this book still
went a bit further than he thought was the norm even on Vanaheimr.

Well, either that or he had not been to the right parts of his uncle's Realm.

A knock on the door was followed by Lady Hlín's entrance and Loki immediately perked up
at the scents which wafted from the tray she bore.

"Good morning, my Prince," Lady Hlín greeted. "How do you fare today?"

"Better, as ever," Loki replied, putting aside the tome. "And hungry."

"I am glad to hear it. Would you like to eat in bed?"

"Nay, I believe 'tis time to sit at a table when doing so once more."

Not only was it easier than eating in bed, but it made him feel more normal as he usually
never broke his fast in bed.

"Very well," Lady Hlín replied, setting the tray down on the left end of the table at the back
of the chamber, where there was some room next to his gifts.

She then also moved the chair into position before it, so when Loki had risen, he did not have
to do so.

"Thank you," he said, beginning to eat right away.

He had woken hungry and 'twas only his own condition which had prevented him from going
in search of food. Luckily, there was more on the tray than there had been in previous days,
and he was grateful for how well both Ladies Hlín and Eir seemed to be able to predict how
he would feel. 'Twas why he submitted to their spells as easily as he did now, allowing Lady
Hlín to examine his condition even as he ate.

"Well, will I live?" Loki questioned, amused when she finished.

Lady Hlín's lips quirked. "Alas, I fear you are dying."

Briefly, the reply confused Loki. He knew she was not serious, yet her true meaning escaped
him, but then he snorted.

"As we all are?" he asked.

"Hmm."

'Twas a poor joke, but it amused him nevertheless.

"Am I still to be confined to this chamber?" Loki inquired.

"At present, aye," Lady Hlín replied. "Unfortunately, the risk of further injury to your core is
simply too great."

Loki groaned and slid down in his chair. He was growing quite bored and did not have his
seiðr to entertain him as usual.

"Is it truly so bad?" Lady Hlín asked.

"I am bored."

This seemed to amuse her, and Loki scowled.

"Most people fear me being bored as 'tis when I tend to cause the most mischief," Loki
informed her.

"So I have heard."

"Oh?"

He knew he had a reputation amongst the æsir, but he had not thought it would be associated
with the word mischief. Most used a rather stronger word for it, with other implications.

"It may have had something to do with a certain shrub in the palace gardens," Lady Hlín
replied.

Loki laughed at the memory of that particular incident. He had been quite young at the time,
but even now he was rather impressed he had possessed enough control over his seiðr to
accomplish what he had. The reactions had also been all he could have wished for, with the
shrieks of the noble ladies and the panic of the lords.

"Father was most displeased with me," Loki finally said.

"I find that rather hypocritical of him, given all of the trouble Óðinn and his brothers were
involved in themselves as children," Lady Hlín responded.

"Oh? Do tell," Loki prompted, suddenly realizing the possibilities here.

As Queen Bestla's personal healer, Lady Hlín could quite possibly know many things which
Óðinn might not wish revealed to him, or anyone else.

Lady Hlín smiled. "There was much trouble between the three of them and they drove the
poor queen quite to distraction, though I believe Queen Bestla loved it far more than they was
willing to admit."
Now that, Loki could well understand as he had oft had the impression as a young child that
Frigga had been far more amused with the mischief he himself had caused than she had been
willing to admit. Not only because it would merely have encouraged him to cause even more
of it, but also for appearances and the image of the royal family to the rest of Ásgarðr. He had
never quite understood it then as, in his child's mind, he had felt it important the people saw
them having fun.

"The dilemma of mothers everywhere," Loki commented.

"Hmm, it likely is," Lady Hlín agreed.

A loud knock on the door was the only warning they received ere Thor stormed into the
chamber.

"Brother!" the oaf exclaimed, loudly. "You are awake."

"As you see," Loki replied, unable to keep from smiling. "Had you wished to find me
asleep?"

"Nay, but I had feared it."

Ah, so he was not the only one who was bored. It pleased Loki in an odd way, though he
knew it alone could not entertain him much.

"Then sit, Lady Hlín was about to tell me of some of the mischief Father and Uncles Vili and
Vé caused when they were young," Loki said.

"Oh! Truly?" Thor questioned, a delighted expression crossing his face as he came closer and
perched on the end of Loki's bed.

"Hmm, though I can only give a few examples as my presence is required at a meeting Lady
Eir has organized for all of the healers," Lady Hlín replied with a smile.

"Which incident came to mind first?" Loki asked, eager to commence.

"That would be the one where your father thought Queen Bestla must miss their home Realm
and he convinced his brothers they ought to do something to remind them of it," Lady Hlín
began. "Mind, this was three boys who had never been to Jötunheimr and thus did not truly
know much of the Realm."

"I suppose all they would have known was that 'twas cold," Thor guessed.

"Hmm, that and the presence of ice, lots of ice."

Uh oh, Loki thought he could see where this was heading.

"Where did they do it?" he asked.

"Valaskjálf, as they felt 'twas large enough to suite their purposes and King Borr was not to
sit in petitions that day," Lady Hlín replied. "Therefore they felt, and were proven correct,
that their work would not be noticed or interrupted until they were done."

Thor glanced between them. "What did they do?"

"First, they sealed off Valaskjálf, creating an enclosed space ere they altered the temperature
controls to make it as cold as possible, using the regular Iðavöllr mechanisms," Lady Hlín
said.

"But that would not be enough to truly mimic the conditions on Jötunheimr," Loki knew.

"Nay, but back then they were more finely tuned than they are at present, as Queen Bestla
relied heavily on them during the summers in order to be able to remain cool. This particular
incident took place during the winter, so the temperature control mechanisms had far less
resistance."

"I assume 'twas not all they did?" Thor queried.

Lady Hlín shook her head. "That would only have mimicked the temperature of Jötunheimr,
and they wished to create a more fateful replica of their dam's home Realm. So, next, both
your father and Prince Vé attempted to perform the workings which are in place on the
kitchen cold chambers, the ones used to freeze the meat."

Loki laughed as he pictured it. Trying to imagine Óðinn doing this was difficult, but 'twas far
easier to see Uncle Vé doing it. Particularly, if the spell had not turned out well.

"Dare I inquire what Uncle Vili was doing at this time?" Thor questioned.

"Covering Valaskjálf with as much water as possible," Lady Hlín responded, trying and
failing to keep a smile from her face. "To form the icicles they felt certain were within all
jötunn homes."

The image was too much for Loki and, when his eyes met his brother's, they both began to
laugh.

"How far did they get?" Loki asked, having to reach out to the table not to fall off his chair.

Lady Hlín immediately reached out to help steady him even as Thor fell back on the bed.

"Much further than anyone would have thought had they known about it ahead of time,"
Lady Hlín said. "By the time they were discovered, half of Valaskjálf was covered in ice,
while the other half was dripping wet with a sort of sludge cover on the ground. Hliðskjálf
had also been turned a most peculiar shade of blue as, apparently, Prince Vé had decided it
could not remain gold as that would not be authentic."

Thor was coming perilously close to falling off the side of the bed once more, and Loki was
now clutching at the table.

"Please tell me there is still holographic footage of this somewhere," Thor begged.
"I know your granddam kept a copy of it amongst her belongings since she had been rather
impressed with the mess they managed to make of Valaskjálf, though I do not know what
became of it," Lady Hlín replied. "As for the main security footage, I guess it would depend
on whether your father ever thought to go back and erase it once he came of age to be able to
access it."

Oh, Loki hoped Óðinn had forgotten to do so as he would dearly love to witness this for
himself. Or to have a copy to bring out when next he was accused of causing unnecessary
chaos or havoc. A quick glance at his brother, proved he was not the only one.

"As soon as you are well enough to do so, we will need to go check the archives," Thor
declared.

"Aye, absolutely," Loki immediately agreed.

"Did news of their deed spread?" Thor asked Lady Hlín.

"Aye, there were many who found it amusing and, if it had not done so on its own, their
punishment would have caused word of it to spread," Lady Hlín responded. "King Borr made
them clean the royal stables for a week afterwards."

Loki winced at the mere thought. Thankfully, Óðinn had never deigned to give them such
menial chores whenever he had punished them.

"I must go now, but I can tell you more tales later."

"You do know Father will not appreciate it," Thor said.

"Hmm, but your granddam would have informed you of them themself were they still alive,"
Lady Hlín responded. "And they would be very proud of both of you."

The words made Loki pause, the remaining laughter dying in his throat. "Would they? I am
nothing to them."

"Nay, you are her grandson," Thor protested. "She would view you as much hers as Mother
and Father do."

Of that, Loki was not entirely convinced. 'Twas an easy claim to make but, as neither of them
had ever known Bestla, 'twas an empty one. As for Lady Hlín, she was not exactly unbiased
herself either.

"They would," Lady Hlín retorted, voice stern. "And, even if you would question your
relationship via your adoptive parents, then there is still the blood connection via your birth
parents since Queen Bestla was a member of the royal family."

"They were?" Loki blinked.

He had not known this.

"Hmm, I do not recall the precise connection, but I am certain it existed," Lady Hlín
confirmed. "It may have been a cousin or so."

"Another thing for us to look into when you are better, Brother," Thor said excitedly.

"Why wait?" Loki questioned. "You should be able to fetch a tome from the library which
will allow us to determine the exact degree of our connection."

Thor's face fell rather dramatically. "You wish for me to go to the library?"

"I will take my leave for now, my Princes," Lady Hlín said, but Loki caught her smile as she
curtsied and left.

"It will not kill you to go there, Thor," Loki smiled.

"I am uncertain, Lady Dagrún does not like me," Thor countered.

"I cannot possibly imagine why."

Thor scowled. "Says her favorite."

"Mayhap because I treat the books properly and am respectful to her."

"She has publicly scolded me!"

"You were throwing tomes at Fandral."

"He had insulted me."

Loki shook his head. "If you still cannot see why 'tis not a sufficient excuse for throwing
books at him, then mayhap you are right to fear her."

"Thus, we shall wait until you are healed?"

Rather than reply, Loki turned more in his chair to face his adoptive brother. He had not
attempted this in centuries, so he was uncertain it would work, but 'twas worth a try. Instead
of words, he simply looked at Thor, opening his eyes wide and allowing his lower lip to
tremble. He felt rather ridiculous, but he could already see the expression was having the
desired effect.

"Nay," Thor protested, shaking his head. "It will not work!"

"But Thor-" Loki began.

"Nay!"

Loki allowed his shoulders to slump ere he slid further down in his chair.

"Argh!" Thor exclaimed, glancing away. "Fine, I will go find the appropriate tome!"

So, he could still do it, even as an ad- as nearly an adult.

 "But only because I wish to know precisely how we are related," Thor explained.

Of course. Though 'twas largely Loki's motivation as well, so he would allow this lie to pass.
He had long since learned that manipulating his brother worked better if he allowed Thor to
have his little fantasies about why he had elected to do what Loki wished him to.

"How have you been?" Thor asked.

"Bored."

"But you have your books!"

"I do not wish to read them," Loki replied, turning back to his plate.

"Ooo, the fried potatoes."

Rather predictably, Thor rose to help himself to his food, meaning Loki had to slap his
brother's hand away and pull the tray closer to him.

"Mine!" he protested.

"But, Loki," Thor whined.

"Nay, you can fetch your own from the kitchens, I am confined here."

Unexpectedly, this seemed to have the desired effect and, instead of attempting to wrestle the
tray from his grasp, Thor relented and reseated himself upon the bed.

"You are giving up?" Loki questioned, suspiciously.

"Aye, Mother would be severely disappointed in me if I left you hungry," Thor replied.

Very true, and so Loki felt comfortable enough uncurling from around his tray. He had
learned at a young age to be protective of his food as his adoptive brother could and would
eat everything within sight if allowed to. True, he was not quite so bad as Volstagg, but he
was not far off at times either.

"Now, what can we do today?" Thor asked eagerly. "Surely you have some idea?"

If only he were able to leave the chamber! The amount of mischief he could get up to with a
willing Thor was nearly endless.

Chapter End Notes

Playful Loki and Thor. With bonus antics from the brothers Borrson as children. I can
only imagine the amount to of trouble those three would have gotten up to in their
youth!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing the second scene of it.
That was pure indulgence on my part, but it did further a plot point and humanized
Óðinn a bit more than I might do in any other fic outside this series.

Not much else to say other than that there will be a blog post involving Yngvarr soon,
related to the quote I put up a few days ago.

Old Norse:

Glaðsheimr - a meeting hall containing high seats where the male æsir hold council,
located in Iðavöllr in Ásgarðr
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods (the other being the æsir), from Vanaheimr
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Thor visits the dungeons once more & Loki and Óðinn have words...
 Chapter 86
Chapter Notes

Another week, time's flying at this point!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Sif had never longed for a bath as much as she did these days, ever since she had been thrown
into the dungeons. Heimdallr had been correct, they did not allow prisoners down here to
wash and instead used the Múspellsheimr sonic technology on them instead.

She hated it.

Not only did it deprive her of the luxurious feeling of being able to sluice the sweat, dirt and
grim from her skin, but Sif also missed it for the sweet relief of being able to submerge her
aching muscles into the hot, soothing water to help them relax and recover from the workout
they had all day.

And 'twas a workout, no matter what she had originally thought. She would never admit it to
those common laborers, but Sif could do so to herself at least. Muscles even she did not know
she had were aching all of the time, and the worst thing was how painfully slow their
progress was. Or at least so it seemed to her, Councillor Vör had appeared rather pleased
when she had stopped by earlier today. Mayhap 'twas because Vör knew how long the stretch
of road was which needed to be repaired, while they did not. No one had informed them, and
Vör had told them 'twas none of their concern when Sif had asked.

None of their concern, when 'twas their backbreaking labor which had to repair it all? The
words still enraged Sif enough to make her fists clench. Norns, but she hated Vör! Not as
much as she hated Loki, of course, but 'twas still far more than she hated anyone else. First,
the idiot woman had squandered away her council's budget, no doubt on silly, frivolous
things, and now she was perfectly content to utilize slave labor to make up for the shortages.

Did Vör have no sense of shame or honor?

Thor had made a passing reference to an ongoing corruption investigation during one of his
infrequent visits, and Sif did not understand that. 'Twas blatantly obvious who was to blame,
so why investigate rather than simply take action as Thor would have done before? Unless, of
course, Loki was the one calling for the investigation. Vör was being a good little councillor
for him, after all, so it would not surprise Sif if the two-faced trickster was looking for
someone else to blame; to reward Vör for her subservience. No doubt some poor, hapless sap
whom Loki could lock away down here with all of his other innocent victims.
"Thor!" Fandral exclaimed in pleased surprise, rising to his feet in the cell opposite Sif's. "We
have not seen you in a while. Are you alright?" A moment of hesitation. "Is L- Prince Loki?
We heard whispers something had befallen him."

"Aye," Thor looked pained for a moment ere he brightened, but it seemed forced. "He was
dangerously ill, but he has started to recover and should be fine if we are careful. 'Tis why I
have been absent for so long; we were not certain he would make it."

A pity he had, though then Sif would not have had the opportunity to obtain the revenge
which she so desperately desired.

Loki would not escape punishment for all he had done to her!

"I am glad to hear he is doing better," Fandral replied, and Sif narrowed her eyes at him.

She was no longer certain he was saying such things in order to merely appease Thor. Nay,
Sif was starting to suspect Fandral might actually believe or mean it. She was simply at a loss
as to understand why. He had suffered greatly from Loki's dishonorable behavior. Not as
much as her, but not far off either. He should be rejoicing in the fact the Norns had seen fit to
inflict at least some punishment on the traitorous liar.

"Was he attacked?" Hogun demanded, looking over from his chosen corner of the cell.

"Loki?" Thor asked. "Aye, on Jötunheimr."

"He was not injured there!" Sif protested vehemently.

Had Loki pretended illness? The timing was right for it, since even they knew Óðinn had
risen right before the trickster's plight. Was this all some ploy to elicit sympathy for himself
and manipulate his father into not punishing him for usurping Hliðskjálf from Thor?

It would be so like the two-faced bastard to try!

"Did you ask him or check after we returned?" Thor demanded, turning to glare at her. "Did
any of you even notice his shattered vambrace and tattered sleeve?"

"I assumed it occurred during the fighting," Volstagg spoke up. "It happens."

"Aye, when one of the fr- jötnar grabbed hold of his arm to freeze it!" Thor retorted.

"Which meant he allowed one of them far too close," Sif dismissed. "He should have
defended himself better!"

"And what if it happened while he was defending me?" Fandral suddenly asked. "The frost
giant attacking me when I was impaled was thwarted by one of Loki's knives."

"Mere speculation," Sif sneered. "Besides, a frozen arm would not be life threatening. What
was supposedly wrong with him anyway?"
Thor's eyes narrowed as he looked at her, and Sif felt her heart sink. Surely, Loki was not still
able to ensnare him with his seiðr, not now Óðinn was awake once more. Without that, Thor
should certainly be able to see past his brother's lies, he knew only all too well how oft and
readily Loki did so.

"What 'tis does not matter," Thor finally replied. "But 'twas life threatening and if you had
witnessed Mother and Father's reaction upon seeing it, you would not be in doubt of that."

"Is?" Fandral asked. "You said what 'tis does not matter. Is he not healed?"

"Nay, Loki is doing better but it will take a long time for him to fully heal and, until then,
there is a risk of his relapsing."

Oh, that brilliant, conniving trickster!

'Twas at times like this when Sif could almost not believe Loki was actually related to Thor
and the king and queen. None of them were as coldly calculating or dishonorable as him. Nor
did Loki particularly look like either of Thor's parents though, if anything, that might
disprove her theory as she knew only too well how much Frigga excelled at illusions and
surely, if Loki was not truly theirs, then she would have done more to disguise him.

Regardless of how he came by his despicable traits, Sif could easily tell why Loki was doing
this now. 'Twas to elicit sympathy and to cause a distraction for all that he had done. She
clenched her teeth as she realized it seemed to be working on Thor. He had always been far
too fond of his brother, despite the fact Sif knew Thor was well aware of Loki's multitude of
faults. She had never truly understood it. If Loki had been her brother, she would have done
her best to drive him off and to distance herself from his dishonor, lest it stained her by
association.

"What manner of injury acts thus?" Heimdallr demanded from his cell, and Sif's eyes
flickered to him.

The rightful gatekeeper had grown silent the past few days and he had spent much time
simply staring at one of the walls of his cage. She had attempted to entice him into
conversation, but it had not oft worked. Sif was also oft exhausted upon returning from their
enforced labor service.

She could only hope Óðinn would come around to reversing Loki's injustices soon. None of
them deserved to be down here for a second longer than absolutely necessary. Sif could only
assume the great many things Loki had done wrong were causing the delay. She could
understand why Óðinn might focus on retrieving the Casket of Ancient Winters from
Jötunheimr first, as the damage Laufey could cause with it was unimaginable and only a
power-hungry fool like Loki could not see that.

"The most important kind for a seiðmadr," Thor retorted, anger leaking into his voice.

"A seiðmadr?" Sif repeated in disbelief. "'Tis something to do with his seiðr use?"

That... She nearly laughed at the irony of it all. Well, if it were true.
"He sustained a core injury," Hogun realized, sitting up abruptly. "How did he do so on
Jötunheimr? 'Tis not something easily achieved."

From Thor's startled reaction, Sif knew Hogun was correct. So, mayhap, 'twas not all faked.
She felt a lot better about the knowledge given its source. She could not have wished for a
better means of injury for the trickster than for his own seiðr to turn against him. Clearly, the
Norns were punishing him for all that Loki had dared to do. 'Twas only a matter of time
before the rest of the Nine knew it too.

"The how or why is not important," Thor finally replied.

"Both are crucial to knowing if 'tis a true core injury," Hogun countered.

"'Tis, that has been proven."

"'Tis still impr-"

"I am not giving you this information," Thor interrupted. "Loki would not wish you to have
it."

Once, that would not have mattered and it incensed Sif that now it did. How had Óðinn not
yet made Thor aware of what his brother had done to him?

Or was Óðinn afraid of how Thor would react once he learned the truth? Sif could easily
recall her friend's rage back when Loki had utilized his seiðr to influence another warrior. She
had been certain at the time it would teach the trickster a lesson, but she now realized he was
incapable of it. Learning that type of lesson required a consciousness and a desire to better
oneself.

Loki, clearly, lacked both.

What intrigued Sif most, though, was that Thor believed his brother would not wish them to
know the cause of his current illness. It made it much more likely 'twas a real injury, but it
also made her want to know its cause all the more. For, clearly, 'twas something
embarrassing. Although, she supposed the knowledge his precious seiðr had caused him a
deathly injury would be cause enough for humiliation. She could only hope the rest of
Ásgarðr made good use of this whenever they interacted with the traitor while she was still
stuck down here.

"Thor, we have heard your father's Óðinnsleep was not quite normal," Volstagg began, after
an uncomfortable pause.

"Aye, due to how he collapsed into it, he was not able to view all that he normally would,"
Thor confirmed.

How convenient for Loki. Surely Sif could not be the only one suspicious of this?

"He did not?" Volstagg's shoulders sagged.

"Nay, he must now review all which transpired," Thor replied. "And help to heal Loki, as he
and Mother are the only two who know how to heal a core injury."

So, 'twas why Óðinn had yet to release them from their cells! Loki was able to thwart them
even in his illness. Mayhap, Thor was not willing to share the source of his brother's illness,
because they had started to realize it might be self-inflicted. The timing of it was still far too
perfect for Sif's liking. It worked far too well in Loki's favor and elicited him far too much
sympathy, making it harder for anyone to be harsh or firm with him.

"Thor," she said. "Surely, you can see how suspicious this all is. How perfectly timed?"

Thor frowned as he turned to look at her. "Of what do you speak, L- Sif?"

The near use of her title nearly made her flinch, but Sif forced it down. She would not allow
anyone to see how strongly Loki's actions had affected her. She would not allow the dark
prince even the satisfaction of hearing of it secondhand.

"That your father has an unusual Óðinnsleep precisely when Loki usurped Hliðskjálf and
then, when he does awaken, your father is unable to recall what transpired as he normally
would," Sif explained. "Surely, you can see how suspicious that is. Loki must have used his
seiðr against Óðinn!"

"I told you to refer to Loki by his proper title," Thor hissed, fists clenching as he stepped
closer to her cell. "And 'tis King Óðinn. You do not deserve to be so familiar with my father,
not after what you attempted to do!"

"Thor-"

"Nay! I have been very clear on this issue. Either you will commence addressing Loki
properly, or I will no longer come see you."

Sif's fists clenched at his stubborn inability to see reason. Deathly ill or not, Loki clearly still
had a firm enough grip on his brother to blind Thor to the truth. Her poor friend would suffer
a lot of guilt when he was finally freed from this bewitchment.

"He took my family from me, Thor!" Volstagg protested.

"Nay, your own actions did that," Thor countered. "I am sorry for it, but Loki did not force
you to move against him."

"Someon-" Sif began.

"Nay!" Thor thundered. "I have made myself clear. You will obey or not."

With that, Thor turned and stormed off. Sif could only watch his retreating back for a
moment, ere she looked back at the cage opposite her own.

"Are core injuries painful?" she asked Hogun.

"Verily. And quite deadly, from what I have heard," Hogun replied. "Though they can also
cause madness."

"Good."

"Sif!" Fandral protested.

"What? He is the reason we are locked down here and put to work like beasts!" Sif snapped,
scowling at him. "I do not know why you have softened towards him as of late, but do not
expect me to do so. Not after all he has done to us."

"To us, or to you?"

"Both! Or do you think it all fair?"

"I did not say that," Fandral replied, though he still clearly seemed conflicted. "But mayhap
we erred as well."

"Erred?" Volstagg pushed in. "We were attempting to defend Hliðskjálf, and all of Ásgarðr,
from a usurper!"

Fandral sighed. "I do not wish to argue about this. We all need our sleep."

When Volstagg nodded, Sif had to bite back the words she still wished to fling at Fandral.
She did not understand how he could not be full of rage towards Thor's little brother. He had
taken everything from them!

Their titles, their status, their freedom.

Perhaps 'twas because all which Fandral had lost could easily be restored by Óðinn and
would eventually becoming nothing more than a bad memory. One maybe even celebrated
for how it proved they alone had been both able to see what Loki had been doing, and willing
to do what was necessary in an attempt to prevent it.

For her, 'twas not so simple. Not after what her father had done, and so publicly too. She
could never again be a lady as a result. Even her position within the Einherjar was at risk as a
result of her tainted and dishonorable heritage. That part of her standing could never be
recovered, no matter how righteous and justified the actions which had led to their revelation.
She would never forgive Hermóðr for doing it to her and would seek her own vengeance
against him in time.

But first, she would ensure Loki suffered as much as 'twas within her power to achieve. For
herself, for Volstagg, and for all the other innocents he would harm in his blind quest for
power.

The summons had come first thing in the morning, even as Loki was sitting down to break
his fast at the table in his healing chamber. He had intended to head straight for his own
chambers once released, but he supposed he could go to Óðinn's study first, and then
continue on from there. 'Twas not so much of a detour and he was feeling far better. If he had
been able to choose, he would have left the healing halls several days ago, but he had not
been allowed to do so.

Though nothing had been said outright, Loki was aware both Frigga and Óðinn now knew he
was still considered underage for a jötunn, and he had not been willing to test how they felt
about it as regards to his ability to make important decisions on his own. He hoped that by
not doing so for ones he did not feel as strongly about, that he might be able to do so about at
least one he did, ere the issue was raised and he was officially informed of any new
restrictions placed upon him.

He would probably still find means of circumventing them afterwards, but Loki did not
underestimate the value of a good and valid excuse when it presented itself to him. His
penchant for mischief had long since taught him the value of good excuses.

"Everything looks well to me," Lady Eir said, as she looked at the readings of the in-depth
soul forge scan. "Lady Hlín?"

"Hmm, I agree," she replied. "Though, 'tis interesting."

"Oh?" Loki inquired, turning his head to her.

"I would not have noticed it if you had not told me of your partial shift, but I can see signs of
it now," Lady Hlín explained, before indicating for Lady Eir. "Here, do you see?"

Loki rolled his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling once more. He had not understood before
why the soul forge did not register his incomplete shift, but he had realized the nature of the
readout spoke less of where all the internal organs were, than of their status.

He only vaguely listened as the two healers discussed his results, allowing it more because he
knew how important 'twas for Lady Eir to be able to tell the difference with his scan
compared to that of an æsir than anything else.

"Finished?" Loki inquired when they trailed off.

"Aye, my Prince," Lady Eir replied. "I would like to see you next week to ensure everything
continues to heal as it should."

"Very well," Loki said when he rose and moved off the soul forge. "Thank you."

The two ladies gave a half bow as Loki left the chamber, glad to finally be leaving the
healing halls. He stopped briefly by the healing gardens to simply step outside into the sun
but, as he was expected in the king's study, he did not linger long.

Normally, he would be able to slip through Iðavöllr mostly unnoticed, but today he found
himself the center of much attention with both nobles and servants greeting him as he went.
A few also stopped to address him so, as a result, Loki was a little later than he had planned
to be. He was also distracted as more than one person had addressed him as 'sire' and he was
uncertain of what to make of it.
One of the Einherjar knocked on the study door as he approached and then opened it upon
Óðinn's reply, allowing Loki to enter right away.

"Loki," his adoptive father greeted.

"You wished to see me?" Loki asked, approaching the desk he had until so recently sat
behind.

Unlike the last time he had been here, all of his items had been removed. The desk was also
clean and tidy once more, as the All-Father preferred it. To Loki, though, it almost grated on
his nerves to see, and he itched to reach out and misalign one set of parchments, or knock
over some of the quills.

"Aye, but how are you feeling? Are Ladies Eir and Hlín happy to release you from the
healing halls?"

"As you see."

"Good," Óðinn stated. "Now, I have been going through everything which occurred during
my sleep, and I have one thing I must cover with you."

"Of course," Loki said, surprised when the All-Father rose and motioned him towards the
sofa.

Normally, when he came to the study, they conducted all of their business at the desk. Indeed,
Loki had not seen the sofas used by his adoptive father much since he was a child. Or at least
a far younger one, he amended with a hint of annoyance, not yet fully ready to accept he was
not of age after spending the past nearly fifty years thinking he was.

"I have been informed you said the jötnar which attacked came through a portal in the vault?"
Óðinn questioned as they sat.

Ah, Loki could understand why Óðinn might wish to address this with him now.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "'Twas but a small one as far as portals go and not terribly stable. I
thus believe it to have been quite new. 'Twas not there the last time I had been in the vault,
prior to the coronation ceremony."

Óðinn winced slightly at his words and Loki could well understand why. It had not been a
good day, either for his brother or adoptive father. Nor for Ásgarðr's reputation within the
Nine.

Alas, as bad as 'twas, the damage would have been far greater had Loki not intervened and
Thor had become king that day.

"You did not... hear it when we went to inspect the vault?" Óðinn questioned.

Ah, that had been the one question Loki had hoped no one would ask. Still, he had been
aware of its possibility, and was thus prepared for it.
"I was otherwise occupied," he replied. "'Twas a rather shocking event and my first encounter
of any kind with the jötnar."

As he had hoped, Óðinn winced at his words, proving he was distracted by what Loki
implied.

"But it has now been safely sealed?" Óðinn checked.

"Hmm."

"I was not aware you were able to either detect or close portals."

Bitterness flooded Loki and he fought to keep a neutral expression on his face. It would not
do to inform Óðinn of precisely how badly the man's neglect had affected him.

"You did not ask," Loki countered.

Óðinn winced once more. "But they remain closed when thus sealed?"

There was hesitance in his adoptive father's voice, but Loki did not understand why. 'Twas a
natural question for Óðinn to ask as king in order to be assured of the vault's security.

"Aye."

"Good," Óðinn replied, before he reached for an item rolled up at the end of the sofa he sat
on. "Now, I have found this pelt which I do not recognize."

"'Twas a gift I received," Loki replied once he recognized it, deliberately pausing for a
moment ere he continued. "From Laufey."

"Laufey?" Óðinn demanded, looking up at him sharply.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed. "He gave it, supposedly as an apology for calling me 'little fox', in
response to which I had been unable to hide my reaction."

"Loki-"

"I know, but it worked out. He took it as insult on my part and offered me the pelt the
following day, claiming 'twas proof he had intended no ill will."

"Was this the day the true negotiations started?"

"Hmm, aye," Loki said, before smiling slyly. "I played up being taken with it."

"Well done," Óðinn praised and Loki stared at his adoptive father in shock as the man
frowned, picking up the pelt to examine it more closely. "'Tis a fine, high quality one. I can
understand if you do not wish it in your private chambers, but it would be good to keep it on
display in your study."

"Study? What study?" Loki asked, confused.

Had Óðinn truly forgotten he had never been granted one? Aye, he had his own, personal
study in his chambers, but, unlike Thor, Óðinn had never assigned him his own place within
the administrative wing of Iðavöllr. While greatly hurt and disappointed initially, he had long
since stopped expecting to be assigned one. What use would he have of one moving
forwards, anyway, given Thor had clearly chosen another to be his advisor?

"Your administrative one, of course," Óðinn replied, a confused look on his face now.

Was his adoptive father serious? It seemed so, but surely the man could not be so unaware.

Could he?

"Loki?" Óðinn queried, a note of worry in his voice.

It made him realize his mind had wandered and Loki mentally shook himself and looked
back at Óðinn, straightening his spine and squaring his shoulders. He may not have his
brother's bulk, but he could appear stoic as he did this.

"I have no administrative study," Loki stated, calmly and clearly.

If Óðinn meant to rattle him by having him admit this out loud, it would not work.

"Have no administrative study?" Óðinn repeated, a deep crease on his forehead. "Of course
you do, I gave you one when you commenced your official duties."

"You did not," Loki replied bluntly, feeling a twinge deep in his still healing core at the
painful memories this brought back.

He was not certain whether it made it better or worse that Óðinn had intended to give him his
own study. Probably worse, as it meant he had been completely forgotten.

Well, he was the foundling rather than even a true second son. 'Twas understandable, really.

Both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter rushed in at the new tearing deep within his core, which
hurt all the more for being so newly healed.

"But... then where have you been holding your meetings?" Óðinn inquired, looking a strange
mix between bewildered and dismayed.

Loki wished he could enjoy the chaos of it, and he knew he should be grateful disbelief was
not present as well.

"In the study of whomever I was meeting with for those on the High Council, otherwise one
of the various meeting chambers," Loki replied, fighting to keep the pain from his face.

'Twas a lot harder than before, and he was not certain if 'twas because he had not yet fully
healed and recovered from his earlier injury, or whether 'twas because he lacked the urgency
from during his regency. But, either way, the fact remained.
"You met with foreign dignitaries in the common meeting chambers?" Óðinn questioned,
tone tinged with dismay.

"'Tis not like I had a choice!"

"Why did you not ask me about it?"

"I thought you had deliberately decided not to give me one," Loki bit back. "How was I to
know you had forgotten about me altogether?"

Clearly, being forgotten was definitely worse.

"Deliberately decided not to?" Óðinn repeated in a tone Loki could not decipher. "Why
would I not want you to have a study to do your duties in?"

"There are many decisions of yours I cannot fathom, though most are now starting to become
clear. I merely assumed 'twas another way for you to express your disapproval."

Loki could not quite believe how forthcoming he was being. Normally, he kept all of this in,
but the combination of having such an unstable core and the consequent lack of control over
his emotions was making it all come tumbling out. The fact Loptr had also made it more than
clear precisely how far Óðinn would go helped as well, since it meant he knew exactly where
he stood with the man. Why try to curry good will and favor when there were none to be had?

"My disapproval?"

Why was Óðinn acting like a parrot, echoing all of his words back at him? Did the All-Father
truly wish to hear him say it all aloud?

"Of my use of seiðr and lack of adherence to typical æsir values and strengths. Though, how
you expected me to achieve the latter, I do not know."

"Loki, Son, I am not certain where all of this is coming from, but 'twas not intentional,"
Óðinn replied. "I genuinely thought I had assigned you your own administrative study. There
was no slight intended, merely the distracted attentions of an overly busy king."

Of course, then how come Thor was never forgotten?

Another tear deep within, and Loki grunted slightly.

"I will see this oversight rectified immediately," Óðinn continued.

What was the point, Loki wished to ask. He had managed well so far and would probably be
required to do less, moving forwards. He doubted the new date for his brother's coronation
was all that far off, and the previous one had already shown Thor did not wish to have him as
an advisor. Especially, now his brother knew what he truly was, all other good will aside.

The thought caused something to wretch deep within and Loki could not help it, he groaned,
bending over, his hands rising to clutch at his sternum, as if it could help with the pain.
"Loki?" his father's voice rose in alarm ere the man was suddenly beside him. "Is it your
core?"

Loki could only nod as he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, determined not to
vocalize his pain again.

Surprisingly gentle hands reached out to him, but Loki leaned away, attempting curl up even
more so he could shield his weakest point even though 'twas not truly accessible to most.

"Let me see," Óðinn prompted as his adoptive father tried to coax him to unfold.

Loki resisted, wanting to curl up even further.

There was a sigh from beside him ere Loki felt a hand settle on his back, about level with his
sternum from behind. Then seiðr rich with Ásgarðr's power sank into him and 'twas the
intimately familiar touch of Ásgarðr which allowed it in, right past his natural shields. He
grunted in annoyance, but did not have the strength to resist as his adoptive father examined
his core.

"Oh, Loki," Óðinn murmured, a hand coming up to cradle the side of his neck and pulling
him towards his adoptive father.

Loki still refused to unfold even as his head came to rest against his father's chest. Soothing
seiðr started to pour into him from behind, but he shied away from it this time, much to the
dismay of not only Ásgarðr and Mother Winter, but Óðinn as well from the frustrated sound
the man made.

"Please, Son, let me help you," Óðinn implored.

He could not help it, though, not with everything which now lay between them. Opening up
his innermost core and leaving himself completely vulnerable to one who had hurt him so
much already was not something Loki could bring himself to do at present. Not while he was
already so exposed and defenseless.

There was the sound of a door opening before a new voice sounded.

"Óðinn, have you seen-" Frigga began before her voice abruptly cut off. "Loki!"

Then there were further hands on him and Loki shifted to lean more towards Mother, her
mere presence soothing on a deep, instinctive level he could not help but seek out.

"Oh, baby, what happened?" Frigga questioned.

The kenning irked him, but not enough to prompt a response from him as Loki buried his
face in her neck, breathing in her scent.

"What happened?" Frigga asked again, her hand combing soothingly through his hair.

"We were... discussing something," his adoptive father began.

 "Óðinn."

"'Twas not intentional! I had no idea it could trigger this."

"Nay, of course not, but he is fragile right now."

Loki wanted to protest that, he was not fragile, but a snap of displeasure from Ásgarðr
prevented him. Alright, so maybe he was a little fragile right now.

He ignored the next flick of seiðr in favor of focusing on his mother's ministrations as she
moved to sit more comfortably on the sofa, pulling him further towards her. When he felt a
new hand trying to reach his front, Loki unfolded just enough to allow her access and his
mother's hand came to rest on his sternum. Not up to allowing only one of them in, he
lowered his defenses, shifting so he could clutch at her instead. Right now, he did not care if
it made him seem like a small child. He hurt.

Seiðr flowed into his core from both sides and the pain immediately began to lessen. Loki
was vaguely aware of Mother Winter drawing back as Ásgarðr moved forwards, but 'twas a
distant awareness as he relaxed into the seiðr, letting it soak in and heal him. As always when
he truly gave himself over to a healing, time became fluid, and he lost track of how long they
all sat there.

Chapter End Notes

So, back into Sif's head we went. She's not improved any, being left to stew in her anger
and hatred while being forced to serve out her punishment will only keep making her
worse and worse. To allow herself to come to see the truth now, and to admit her own
hand in what has happened, is neigh on unthinkable, as it would force her to realize this
is now her life. Anger and hatred give her an illusion of righteousness, and the belief
that she can still be free...

Then the next round of Loki v. Óðinn. There's a lot more to come here as theirs is a
fractious relationship at the best of times, and both of them far too stubborn for their
own good. Add in a dose of self-righteousness on one side, and a deep suspiciousness
and distrust on the other... an explosive combination at the best of times!

Beyond that, well, I did warn long ago that Loki's journey with this illness would be a
long and difficult one!

From the comments left on the other chapters, I know some of you have seen the quote I
posted on my blog a little while ago now. I've since finally gotten around to posting my
reaction to it, which I mention here as it really centers around Yngvarr. This then led to
more general musings on original characters in fic. I've also gone back to language and
metaphors and finding a podcast episode that talks about fangirling!
Old Norse:

Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace

Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here

Up next week: Loki, Frigga and Óðinn discuss what happened & Thor struggles to
cope...
 Chapter 87
Chapter Notes

A good chunk earlier in the day than normal, but I've got plans for tonight!

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Loki, darling, come back to us."

It took a moment for his mother's words to reach him, but when they did, Loki blinked his
eyes open and lifted his head enough to look at her.

"Welcome back," Frigga smiled at him, brushing aside some of his hair. "Are you feeling
better now?"

A quick check was all he needed to confirm his core was back to what it had been earlier, if a
little more tender.

"Aye," Loki replied, voice a little hoarse.

"Good."

The quick look his parents exchanged sharpened Loki's attention and he pulled back, sitting
up properly so he could look at both of them, seated on either side of him on the longest of
the three sofas in the study.

"What?" he questioned, tensing.

"Nay, none of that," his mother scolded, running a hand down his arm. "Relax, you still have
a lot of healing to do."

"I was going to return to my chambers once released from the healing halls," Loki pointed
out.

Óðinn sighed. "I am sorry for calling you here, but I did need to check about the portal, and
then I thought I was merely returning something your servant overlooked. I did not intend to
cause you such stress."

Loki's eyes narrowed as he tried to discern if those words were meant as an insult or not. To
imply he was unable to handle something Óðinn deemed quick and simple. It would not be
the first time he had been berated for not managing something seen as simple or obvious to
the æsir.
"Can you tell us what caused this incident, Loki?" Frigga asked, gently. "Or will it cause
damage once more?"

Loki pursed his lips as he considered it. Ásgarðr was wrapped tight around him, all protective
and fierce, while Mother Winter had flowed back in once his parents had drawn back. He was
far more bolstered than earlier, but 'twas not exactly an issue he wished to speak of.

"Please?" Óðinn urged, placing a hand over his own. "It will help us to know what to be
careful of in the future."

"You know, you were there," Loki pointed out.

"I know what was said, but as you have oft stated, words can have very different meanings
for different people."

Of course, Óðinn chose now of all times to prove he occasionally heard what Loki said. The
Norns truly hated him.

"Was it... was it the mention of Laufey?" Óðinn asked.

Loki sighed, looking away, choosing not to look at either of them for this. "Nay, 'twas not
that."

"Because it would be alright if 'twas," Frigga stated. "They are your father, after all."

"They are not my father."

"Loki, all I meant is-"

"The king bears the heir."

"What?" Óðinn questioned.

"The king bears the heir. 'Tis what Helblindi-Princex said during the signing ceremony and,
as I am older than them, well..." Loki shrugged one shoulder. "Laufey is my dam, not my
sire."

"Oh," Frigga said, after a moment of stunned silence. "I suppose it makes sense from an
inheritance and succession perspective."

"Loki," Óðinn began, somewhat urgently, making Loki glance at him. "Does this mean you
are the official heir by rule of law?"

"Nay, íviðjur are ineligible."

"Íviðjur?"

Loki snorted. "Ask Uncle Vé, or anyone on the High Council for that matter, they all know
by now. Suffice it to say, I am not a runt, and I was probably abandoned because of what
being an íviðja means in jötnar society." His lips twisted into a predatory smile. "Or what I
could do, as a result. Still could, actually."

"And what is that?" Frigga asked as she picked up his right hand and interlaced their fingers.

It surprised Loki for a moment, until he recalled that while he had spoken with her of the
íviðjur before, he had not given her the most pertinent information.

"Dethrone Laufey."

"Dethrone Laufey?" Óðinn demanded sharply.

"Hmm. Under the right circumstances, an íviðja can counteract the king's commands or see
them replaced."

There was a shocked silence, but Loki knew they would both understand all of the
implications of what he had said. The way his mother's fingers tightened on his own was
proof enough of it, and he turned their hands over so he could place his free hand on top of
hers, sandwiching it between both of his.

"I will make certain to look into this more closely," Óðinn stated, settling a heavy hand on
Loki's shoulder. "But, if 'twas not the mention of Laufey which caused this incident, then
what was?"

Loki's eyes skittered away again, and he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. He wished
he had not left the healing halls now, as all he wanted to do was burrow himself in a bed and
sleep. Mother Winter almost chirped at him, coiling icy cold and cool around his overheated
core. 'Twas really rather soothing, and he could easily give himself over to it and allow
himself to be cradled off to sleep like this.

"I want to sleep," Loki murmured, eyes dropping to half-mast as he listened to Mother Winter
crooning at him. 'Twas quite tempting to simply give into the sleep which tugged at him right
here and now. But he had no idea whether Óðinn had any meetings planned, and the last thing
he wanted was to be carried through Iðavöllr's corridors again.

Once had been more than enough. Loki still flinched at the thought, especially how it had
obviously been witnessed.

There was a sigh from beside him, and Loki tensed. He simply wanted to be left alone to
sleep!

"Loki," Óðinn tried once more.

Irritation rose swift and sharp within Loki and his hands tightened on his mother's hand,
which he still held. Why did his adoptive father have to push so much now? What more did
the man want from him? He had kept Ásgarðr together while neither Óðinn nor Thor could.
Surely, 'twas enough?

He did not wish to speak of this!

"I want to sleep," Loki stated, hoping it would be enough, yet knowing it would not be.

"Son, I-"

"Simply forget it," Loki snapped. "You are obviously good at that."

Óðinn reared back as if struck, and both pleasure and guilt rushed through Loki. He tried to
drown out the latter by remembering exactly how much pain, confusion and bewilderment he
had felt back when he should have received his own administrative study.

"Loki," Frigga chided lightly, making true guilt flash through him.

It caused frustration and exhaustion to swamp him, and Loki whined deep in his throat as he
bent forward to bury his face in his hands.

"Loki!" both of his parents cried in alarm, and he felt his father's hand settle on his back.

Before Loki could even think to formulate a reply, Mother Winter rose swift and cool within
him, rushing to the surface. He felt a wave of protectiveness from her even as Óðinn's hand
was abruptly pulled away.

"Óðinn, are you alright?" Mother asked.

Worried, Loki glanced over at his adoptive father who was giving Frigga a smile.

"I am fine," Óðinn reassured. "I felt it coming this time and was able to pull away. But it does
raise another concern."

"Pull away from what?" Loki asked, sitting back so he could look from one parent to the
other.

Within him, Mother Winter drew back, a hint of reprobation and guilt washing off her.

"What did she do?" he added.

"She?" Frigga asked.

"Mother Winter."

"Thus, 'tis that," Óðinn said.

"Have I missed something?" Loki probed.

"When you collapsed, while your father and I were attempting to heal you, he was cold
shocked by what we believe to be Mother Winter," his mother explained.

"Truly?" Loki asked, intrigued. "Wait, only Father?"

"Aye, it happened as soon as I had stopped touching your skin."

"Oh."
Now, that was interesting.

Loki flicked a bit of seiðr at Mother Winter and received back a rather smug sense of self-
satisfaction. He suppressed the desire to laugh. He really did rather like Mother Winter. To be
fair, though, even Ásgarðr felt somewhat amused, even if she was attempting not to show it.

"You were rather clear, even in your state, she was no threat to you," Óðinn informed him.

"She is not," Loki confirmed instantly, glad even in the deplorable state he had been in, he
had been firm on that.

"How can you be so certain, darling?" Frigga asked. "'Tis a foreign entity and one tied to
Jötunheimr."

A valid point, even if it felt like more of a personal attack. His emotional state was still
sufficiently unstable and so Loki knew he would have to be careful of how he reacted here,
lest it be mistaken for something else.

"I can feel it," Loki replied. "She was also invaluable in restricting the Casket of Ancient
Winters, which Laufey clearly was not able to suddenly turn around on us. Besides, Ásgarðr
truly likes her."

"Yngvarr mentioned you had said something to that effect, as did Ragnvaldr," Óðinn said.

Loki pulled a face. He hated when people checked up on him, even if he knew it had been
inevitable here. As an unexpected regency with no time to prepare beforehand, and with him
rather than Thor on Hliðskjálf, it would have been irresponsible of his adoptive father not to
do so.

He still could not help but wonder, though, if Óðinn would have done so if Thor had been the
regent.

"Can you not feel it?" Loki asked, half wary of bringing it up lest it change his father's mind
about allowing him to keep his connection to Ásgarðr.

A part of Loki still could not quite believe Óðinn did not plan on severing the connection. Or
at least attempting to do so. His adoptive father normally did not take kindly to others making
those kinds of important decisions for him. Or forcing him into one, and 'twas almost what
Ásgarðr had done if Óðinn was right about his potentially being unable to break their
connection.

The All-Father frowned at him. "I believe from what you are asking now, and what you
mentioned before in the healing halls, that we may be connecting to the Óðinnforce in
different ways."

"Truly?"

"You keep referring to it as 'her' or 'Ásgarðr'," Frigga pointed out.

"Hmm, she..." Loki sought for the right word. "Feels? Aye, she fells female to me. And
calling her the Óðinnforce felt wrong when she so clearly has a personality of her own."

"'Tis not even remotely close to how you ever described the Óðinnforce to me," his mother
said, looking over at Óðinn.

"I do not feel it thus," Óðinn replied. "To me, 'tis power with some sentience and so ability to
think for itself, but no emotions or personality."

How odd they would experience Ásgarðr so very differently. Loki shuddered a little to
imagine her not being the way he felt and experienced her.

It sounded cold and barren to him.

"So, you never flick seiðr at her or poke and prod her?" Loki inquired.

"Nay, why would I wish to?"

"Retaliation if she had done something, or to knock her back when she is being overeager,
like when I was examining the Casket of Ancient Winters. Not that it helped, since she
rushed forward later anyway to grasp hold of the Casket's connection to Mother Winter."

"Is that the bonding which rendered you unconscious?" Mother asked.

"Hmm. Felt good though; natural."

"I still have to admit to possessing concerns about this connection to Jötunheimr, especially
now Laufey has the Casket once more," Óðinn stated.

"She will not hurt me," Loki told him. "Of that, I am absolutely certain. The íviðjur are tied to
Mother Winter. They become her shamans and were the keepers of the Casket of Ancient
Winters. I have a greater claim to use it than Laufey by her original decree."

"How can you be certain of all of this?" Frigga asked, her hands clasping his once more.

"'Twas in the book Father found in the temple on Jötunheimr."

"That book would not open," Óðinn replied.

"Not for you, nor for various other members of the High Council," Loki agreed. "But it falls
open as soon as I touch it. I was also not aware 'twas written in another set of runes until Lord
Aðalgrímr remarked on it. I was reading it like 'twas plain Norse."

"A good way to keep knowledge from falling into the wrong hands," Óðinn murmured. "Or
at least, mostly."

This last was said with a pointed look at him, and Loki had to admit, 'twas a bit of a
weakness. All it would take was for one íviðja to go rogue, or be raised incorrectly, and all of
the secrets could be shared with someone like Laufey. With predictably catastrophic results.
"Hmm, I had thought of that," Loki admitted aloud. "And I have a theory."

"Oh?" Mother prompted.

"The book mentions an induction or acceptance process, whereby Mother Winter accepts an
íviðja and they become a shaman," Loki explained. "Now, from what I can tell, my current
connection with her is already stronger than an íviðja who has not been initiated thus."

"But if Laufey wished you dead," Frigga began, her hands tightening on his. "Then why
would they induct you?"

"I do not think they meant to," Loki replied. "But think of where Father found me; in Mother
Winter's temple. This is speculation, but I believe Laufey left me there out of spite at Mother
Winter for... saddling them with an íviðja when they wished for an heir. However, in doing
so, they essentially handed me over to her."

"Thereby initiating the process," Óðinn realized. "But would that have been enough?"

"Mayhap not under normal circumstances, but I think Mother Winter took what she could and
used it to her advantage," Loki replied. "I can definitely state that, when Ásgarðr bonded us, I
recognized Mother Winter. I cannot say from when or where, but my seiðr knew her touch,"
Loki paused for a moment, ere pushing on. This last was the most unproven, but it felt right
on a deep, instinctual level. "I believe she is the reason why you found me rather than a
corpse."

His mother's hands spasmed on his and Loki turned to give her his best reassuring smile
given the circumstances, even as he drew comfort from her obvious concern and the odd
mixture of rage, horror and love that shone in her eyes as they met his.

"'Tis a big claim," Óðinn responded, after a moment's silence.

"I know, but truly, 'tis the only explanation which makes any sense," Loki replied. "How long
can even a jötunn infant survive out in the cold, exposed to the elements as you said I was?
An hour, maybe two?"

"Probably not much longer than that, given how young you were," Frigga agreed. "I believe
you were born the same day Óðinn brought you home."

"Thus, say two hours, but you said you found me in the aftermath of the battle," Loki
continued, turning back to Óðinn.

"I did."

"And how long did that last?"

"Most of the day," Óðinn replied. "You are correct, even if Laufey left you immediately
beforehand, you should not still have been alive by the time I entered the temple."

Something twisted in his gut, but 'twas merely confirmation of what Loki had already
suspected. He sent a wave of gratitude at Mother Winter, and she responded by reaching back
at him as strongly as she could. Not for the first time, Loki wondered what it would be like to
be able to go back to Jötunheimr and truly connect with her as he had originally been meant
to. 'Twas an extremely tempting thought since the bond with Ásgarðr was the truest form of
connection, but he knew better than to even consider it. Seiðr had always been his greatest
weakness when it came to resisting temptation, followed swiftly by the desire to cause
mischief and chaos. But, this time, he would not as it would undue all of the painstaking
effort he had put into luring his birth mother to the negotiating table, and all which had
followed.

Not to mention all of the consequences thereof. Being seen so clearly for the first time in his
life... 'twas a vastly different sensation and one Loki planned to savor for as long as he could
before it inevitably faded. His determination would not last forever either, but, for now, he
took solace in the fact it appeared like the adulation might last for longer than he had
originally hoped it might. Or, at least, given the plethora of well-wishes he had received
while in the healing halls.

"Very well," Óðinn finally stated. "If we have her to thank for keeping you alive until I found
you, I cannot ask you to sever your connection with her. But, Loki, do keep an eye on it."

"Of course," Loki replied.

Though, no doubt, not for any of the reasons his adoptive father wished.

Loki half contemplated insisting on exactly how certain he was about Mother Winter, before
he dismissed the thought. 'Twas not worth the effort, seeing as Óðinn would no doubt ignore
all he said.

"Now, if we could discover why she seems to dislike me, that would be best," Óðinn
continued. "I did save you, ensuring her efforts were not wasted."

Loki glanced over at his mother and saw a slightly troubled look on her face.

"Loki, darling, would she be able to cause more damage than merely cold shocking your
father's hand?"

"A greater drop in temperature would not injure me," Loki pointed out. "Merely cause me to
shift if it dropped low enough."

"So, she could theoretically have given Óðinn frostbite?"

"I suppose."

Frigga paused for a moment before looking over at Óðinn. "It may be possible she is angry
with us for how we have raised Loki to view Jötunheimr and the jötnar."

He could not help it, Loki flinched, hard. Both Ásgarðr and Mother Winter were already
there, cushioning him, so no new injuries were inflicted, but Loki knew this was something
he would need to address and soon. He simply could not afford to have his core continually at
risk. He only dreaded what might be necessary to ensure 'twas safe.
"Ah," was all Óðinn said, but it told Loki enough.

His parents had already spoken of this issue, and others, when Father had been a captive
audience during his sleep. Normally, it would annoy or displease him, but now he was simply
too tired to care. He could only hope he had sufficiently diverted the conversation to be able
to escape without answering Óðinn's question from earlier.

"I will ensure she does not attempt it again," Loki promised with a loud yawn.

'Twas not even faked. He was so exhausted simply thinking of sleep was enough to set him
off.

"Come," Frigga said, rising to her feet. "I shall walk you back to the healing halls."

"Mother," Loki whined.

He could not even deny it to himself. 'Twas definitely a whine.

"Please."

And just like that, he caved.

Norns, he truly was still ill.

Frigga sounded tired and Loki felt guilt flash through him. Whatever else he felt towards her,
he had never meant to cause her so much worry and stress. Yet, this had not been a situation
of his doing; far from it, in fact.

"Loki, before you go, what of the pelt?" Óðinn inquired. "Or was it that which upset you?"

"Nay," he snapped, shorter than he had meant to.

"Your father was merely asking a question, not casting blame or judgment," Frigga
continued. "We truly wish to understand so we can help you."

"It does not matter," Loki replied, glancing at the pelt.

'Twas gloriously soft and would, no doubt, make for a good adornment to one of the visitors'
chairs in his study if Óðinn was indeed to give him one. "I believe 'twas left as Livunn
noticed I did not care for it. No doubt, she felt Father would have more use for it."

"But for your new study?" Óðinn inquired.

Loki inclined his head. "As you say, 'tis a good reminder to display."

"Come," Frigga said, tugging at his hand.

The relief which shot through Loki was great. They would not press him for an answer as to
what, precisely, had caused the latest injury to his core. 'Twas not something he wished to
discuss now, or ever. Let Thor inform them of his decision and deal with the consequences
thereof.

Once more feeling the weariness of a newly healed injury, Loki was slow to rise himself,
making Mother frown. Knowing it would reassure her, he held out his arm so she could link
hers with his.

"We will see you later," Frigga said to Óðinn.

"I will come by the healing halls tonight," Óðinn promised.

'Twas all Loki could do not to sigh aloud.

How he longed for the privacy and quiet of his own chambers!

Thor awoke with a start, clutching a pillow almost desperately to his chest. It took his
muddled mind a moment to remember that, in the dream, he had been embracing his brother.

"You know your brother, Thor."

La- Sif's words echoed in his head once more, and Thor's arms spasmed around the pillow ere
he threw it away from himself in disgust.

"You know your brother, Thor."

They were words he had heard frequently the last few centuries, oft spoken as an excuse for
some action or words Sif and the Warri- others had taken or made regarding Loki. And he
had generally agreed with them without so much as a second thought.

"You know your brother, Thor."

A handy excuse to justify any number of what, Thor could now see, were pointed and hurtful
words or deeds against Loki.

Why had he not been able to do so before?

"You know your brother, Thor."

Sif's voice echoed so loudly in his head, Thor almost expected to find her in his bedchamber
as he moved his legs over the side of the bed. Further sleep would elude him now, he knew,
as his mind had been reminding him of all the times he had not come to his brother's aide
against their so-called friends. It-

Thor ran a hand over his face, both furious and horrified with himself. If it had only been
those instances alone, he might feel less guilty, but he could also so easily recall that which
he himself had said without their presence only a few weeks ago, right before his aborted
coronation.

"Some do battle, others just do tricks."

It had already been his big day, why had he felt the need to be so callous and belittling to his
beloved brother? Especially after Loki had sought him out, which he could now easily see
Loki had done ever less frequently these past few centuries.

Thor was certain he had never felt so disappointed in himself so frequently as he had since
shortly after his return to Ásgarðr. And, every time he thought he had discovered the full
extent of his shame, he was reminded of yet another way he had failed as a brother.

Despite the fact 'twas well into the night, Thor knew he would have no further rest here, so he
rose and clad himself ere departing his chambers. Silently, he made his way through the
corridors and slipped into the healing halls, only a few torches lit to light his way. He felt like
he was sneaking where he was not allowed, but he had to see his brother to assure himself at
least some of the nightmare was not real. The eerie stillness made him conscious of any noise
he made, so he attempted to make as little of it as he could. Thankfully, the door to Loki's
chamber was well oiled and he was able to open it and steal inside quietly.

The moonlight coming in through the window cast some light into the chamber, thus Thor
was able to make out his brother sprawled across one half of the bed, face snuggled into the
furs pulled up to his pillow, black hair spilled onto the bed around his head. It still startled
Thor to see it so long, but he ignored it in favor of simply watching his brother sleep. He had
heard of what had taken place in Father's study earlier and, no doubt, 'twas what had caused
his night terror. The mere thought of Loki still falling ill so easily wracking him with guilt
even while he was awake, let alone when he slept.

The sight reassured him, however, and Thor found himself moving forwards to join his
brother on the bed ere he had even thought about it. Loki muttered and shifted, and Thor
could see a sliver of green.

"Shh, 'tis only I," Thor reassured.

Clearly, someone had administered his brother a sleeping draught, as otherwise Loki would
have come far more awake already.

"T'or?" Loki questioned.

"Aye, Brother, sleep," Thor replied.

Loki muttered something unintelligible and rolled closer to him. Thor smiled at the
predictable action and pulled his brother close. Once, he had come to dislike this tendency of
Loki's, but now he could not think of why. Being able to hold his brother and feel that he was
still alive was precisely what he needed at this moment.

Yet, even as Thor did so, he could not stave off the thoughts which had started to worm their
way into his ruminations as of late. At first, he had thought himself as disloyal as his friends,
but, after his conversation with Father in his study, he had begun to wonder if, mayhap, it was
not quite so. Aye, he was starting from a similar premise as they and beginning to wonder if,
mayhap, Loki had been the one to allow the jötnar into the vault, but his conclusions were far
removed from theirs. Where they viewed the action as malicious and part of a larger scheme
to usurp Hliðskjálf, he did not.
Nay, after what Father had admitted of how Loki had come to him with his concerns about
Thor's suitability for Hliðskjálf, and how Father had dismissed his brother outright, Thor had
come to wonder if his brother had been left without any other alternatives. He could now
vaguely recall his brother attempting to question him on the issue and him brushing Loki off
dismissively and with some vague hints that he saw it as nothing more than Loki being
jealous of him. Thus, if both he and Father had not deigned to listen to Loki's very valid
concerns, then what else could his brother have done?

Loki had been left with no choice.

'Twas similar to what Mother had said of how, if they had found themselves in the same
situation as the jötnar, and if Father had not had a good enough reason to keep her from doing
so, she would have acted as the jötnar had. As would he. In essence, his brother had found
himself in the same kind of situation; seeing and knowing Thor was not yet ready or suited to
be king, but not being listened to by those whom he had tried to warn. Much as Loki had said
he had done when Thor had dismissed his concerns of going to Jötunheimr, his brother had
attempted to take his concerns up the chain of command.

What was left after that but to attempt something radical and prove Thor was not fit for
Hliðskjálf?

Aye, it had been dangerous and bordered on treason, resulting in the deaths of two Einherjar,
but Thor could now admit he had not been ready to be king. Besides, his brother had done
what he could for the families of the two men, and all Einherjar knew the risks they took, and
would gladly give their lives for the good of Ásgarðr.

Thor winced at the very thought he was not good for his own Realm, but he knew well how
he would have reacted to what the Múspellsheimrian representative had attempted, or if
anyone else had not done exactly what he had wanted them too. His stubborn insistence on
seeking glory through battle would have surely led Ásgarðr to war within a year of his
ascension to Hliðskjálf, which would have risked the lives of all the Einherjar and the people
as well. Thus, while he might not like what Loki had chosen to do or even thought 'twas the
best course of action, he could also understand why his brother had felt it necessary.

Which was why he could not speak of his suspicions with Father, since Thor would not see
his brother punished for doing what Loki had to in order to defend Ásgarðr. Particularly
given that, if Thor had only done what he should have, Loki would never have found himself
in the position to make such a determination. Nay, instead he would ensure he never forced
his brother's hand thus again.

He wished he could speak of this with his friends, to show them what had truly transpired,
but Thor knew he could not. Not only were they still insistent upon his brother's guilt, but he
would never endanger Loki thus.

Not again.

Even now, the guilt he still felt for all which had transpired was enormous. Thor was not
certain he would ever be free of it, but he was more than prepared to bear it if it meant he
never hurt his brother as much as he had done here. His hold on Loki tightened as he recalled
 the way his brother had collapsed. How could anyone, let alone his friends and Heimdallr,
think Loki would move against his family thus in a mad quest for power? Indeed, as soon as
his brother had made his point and Father had realized precisely how unready Thor was for
Hliðskjálf, Loki had sought to limit the damage his actions had caused.

Loki's words still rang clearly in Thor's head.

"Nay, nay, nay, nay, nay, I know that look."

Followed swiftly by the very accurate "It is madness.".

Oh, if only he had listened to his brother's warnings, they would not be here, thus!

Not that they had not come out of the ordeal, but as much as Ásgarðr had remained intact and
was mayhap even the stronger for it with a new treaty with Jötunheimr, Loki had not. Even
today, on the very day his brother was to be released from the healing halls, Loki had
relapsed enough to be sent right back.

So, nay, after all his brother had suffered to ensure not only Ásgarðr's peace but that of all of
the Nine, Thor would not be the one to endanger Loki. Instead, he would keep his brother's
secret.

"I will not falter again," Thor promised Loki. "I will protect you, no matter the cost."

His brother made a vague sound at the back of his throat and shifted closer to him, so Thor
settled himself as best he could. He would not leave Loki this night lest his brother take
another turn for the worse.

Chapter End Notes

Ta da, an early update for today! Hope you enjoyed it.

If anything feels a bit odd about the first scene (and the end of the last chapter), it's
because I didn't follow my own advice and wrote it out of synch with the rest of this fic.
I really should have just sketched the scene out and left it as that, but instead I wrote it
before getting there. Always a problem!

I did my best to clean it up in editing, but I'm not quite sure it's all been smoothened out
as well as it would have been if I'd left it to be written at the right time. So, sorry, if
anyone noticed!

As for Thor, well some of you were asking if anyone would piece together Loki's
involvement in the jötnar attack. Yep, it just took a little while for Thor to get there, but
he's going to be a good brother about it. Not sure anyone will fully agree with his logic
about the death of the two guards, but this is a warrior society. Their logic is more than a
little skewed at times!
Oh, if anyone is interested, there's been more about fangirls or fangirling in some
podcasts recently. I covered it on my blog, here.

Old Norse:

íviðjur/íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as

"giantesses"/"giantess", but I did find some sources which said they were a different,
better-looking type of jötnar.
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Óðinn visits Loki in his healing chamber...

 Chapter 88
Chapter Notes

Hello everyone, I hope you had a lovely Saturday (or whatever day this lands,
depending on where you are on the dateline!).

Enjoy.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Fingers were combing through his hair.

'Twas the first thing to penetrate Loki's sleeping mind, and he made a small snuffling sound
as he turned his head into the sensation, images of his mother and her love flitting across his
mind before confusion set in. Something was not quite right.

Something felt off.

It... the fingers were not his mother's, nor was the scent. Loki was already drawing away ere
his mind identified the person.

"Shh, shh, 'tis safe," Óðinn murmured, softly. "You are safe."

It felt like his adoptive father was attempting to soothe him and Loki opened his eyes in
confusion to find the man sitting on the bed beside him, about level with his head.

"I did not mean to wake you," Óðinn apologized.

Loki made a dismissive sound as he yawned and rubbed at his eyes, trying to force the veil of
sleep he still felt from his mind. Normally, it would have been easy to do so, the alertness of a
warrior melding easily with his naturally suspicious nature, but now his core simply gave a
dull pang. It reminded him of the recent injury it had sustained the day before, and Loki
found himself as bleary and sleep befuddled as when he had been taking the sleeping
draughts regularly.

Had Thor been here? He felt like he remembered his brother's presence, though 'twas far from
early given the angle of the sun through the window, so Thor would likely have left if he had
been here.

"Something wrong?" Loki asked, voice coming out hoarse, making him clear his throat.

"Nay, I simply..." Óðinn began, his hands which he had moved to his lap clenching into fists.
Anger bordering on rage flitted over the age wizened face, making Loki's brow furrow in
confusion. "I did as you said and spoke to Vé of the íviðjur."
Oh.

"And?" Loki inquired, wondering exactly how the anger fit into all of this.

Was Óðinn angered he had not realized precisely how valuable the power Loki had was? It
would have given his adoptive father a significant amount of leverage over Laufey, and thus
Jötunheimr, had Óðinn known.

"A fa- mother should wish for their children to outdo them, not attempt to kill them because
they may do so!" Óðinn declared angrily, startling Loki.

That had not been what he had expected the All-Father to say.

It also did not ring true for Loki.

"Would you wish for the type of supervision the presence of an íviðja would imply?" he
questioned.

"Nay," Óðinn admitted readily. "But, if Ásgarðr were to require it, then I would have to
accept it."

Easy words to say with a hypothetical situation. Somehow Loki did not think it would be so
easy were Óðinn ever to actually be faced with such a situation. The All-Father did not share
power lightly and would oft overrule others whose opinions or ideas he did not like.

Loki had enough firsthand experience with it to know this for certain.

Still, it showed a revulsion of Laufey and their actions which Loki found comforting at
present, and he was not too proud to accept it for now. He would prefer to be healed and
better rested before he were to truly challenge such assertions and there would be time and
opportunities enough for it later, he was certain.

"Did you see the drawing and description in Grandmother's book?" Loki inquired instead.

"Aye," Óðinn replied. "It does answer a few questions we were only starting to think of
asking."

"Oh?"

"When Thor first saw you in your birth skin, he asked Frigga and I why you still had hair."

Loki blinked at the words. That had been what his brother had been most concerned about at
such a time? Loptr was right, the oaf truly never had a problem with the truth of Loki's
heritage, more fool he for fearing so, it seemed.

"What had you thought?" Loki asked.

"It had not even occurred to me," Óðinn admitted. "When you first changed on Jötunheimr
you did not yet have any hair, so I had always thought it part of your æsir form. By the time
you shifted in the vault, though, I was so used to you possessing hair, it did not even occur to
me to question it. Or any of the other differences between the íviðjur and the hrímþursar."

A common mistake people made, and one Loki had utilized in his shifts or illusions more
than once.

"It feels odd knowing I am jötunn and yet am so different from any other of the jötnar
currently alive," Loki admitted, glancing away with a frown.

He had spoken of it with Lady Hlín recently, after she had mentioned some of the challenges
she had experienced while living on Jötunheimr as a child and young adult.

"Mother's book did make it sound like there may be some overlap between íviðja appearing,"
Óðinn said. "If you are lucky, the next may come sooner rather than later."

"Nay, I believe I was the one born closer to another íviðja. Several people have spoken of
knowing her, or of her."

"Her?"

"Apparently, she preferred to be considered female," Loki shrugged. "Her name was Gerðr."

"Gerðr?" Óðinn frowned. "Gerðr... 'tis a name I have heard before."

"Hmm, you should have. Uncle Freyr was quite fond of her."

"Freyr?"

"When Sága mentioned the íviðjur during the signing ceremony on Niflheimr, he reacted
oddly, so I questioned him on it later," Loki explained, ere he paused. "I believe it may be
why he has not yet wed."

That clearly startled Óðinn as much as it had Loki, but it did explain why a king of his uncle's
age had yet to ensure the creation of an heir. As events on Ásgarðr had so recently proven,
one could never quite predict when or how things might transpire, resulting in the need for
one.

"And she was íviðja?" Óðinn murmured. "That would have created quite the interesting
diplomatic conundrum."

"Or a means for her to escape," Loki said.

The way the All-Father's eye snapped back to him, told him his adoptive father could already
guess what had happened.

"Laufey killed her?" Óðinn confirmed verbally.

"Hmm, or at least 'tis what Uncle Freyr believes, and given what they did with me..."

It did not take much imagination to know Uncle Freyr was probably correct.
"He is likely correct in his assumptions, particularly if Gerðr already had reason to fear
Laufey," Óðinn agreed, peering down at him in consideration. "What is it?"

The question startled Loki as he was not used to his adoptive father realizing when something
was bothering him. Was he being more obvious with so much of his energy diverted to
healing rather than maintaining his masks?

"I... fear how Uncle Freyr were to react should he learn the truth," Loki admitted, too tired to
even attempt to dissemble.

"Ah," Óðinn replied. "I do not believe you need worry about your uncle. He loves you and, if
anything, learning you do not share a blood tie with me may make him like you more."

Loki snorted, though he knew 'twas likely true. Still...

"I am not truly related to Mother either," he pointed out.

"The belief you are may be how and why he first came to know you, but 'tis hardly the sole
basis for how he feels about you. I know Thor feels your uncle prefers you to him."

'Twas true, and one of the few instances where Loki had always felt more liked or valued
than his brother by someone.

"Also, even if he did not care for you, he would be pleased at least one íviðja escaped
Laufey's wrath and lived to make life more difficult for them," Óðinn continued. "Besides, if
he truly loved Gerðr, he should be pleased simply as she would be that Laufey failed to kill
all of the íviðjur."

"And if the knowledge makes Vanaheimr go to war with Jötunheimr as a result?" Loki
inquired. "It would give Uncle Freyr the closest thing to proof he is likely to get that Laufey
did murder Gerðr."

Óðinn paled dramatically. "Aye, mayhap it would be best if we do not inform Freyr of the
truth at present."

Loki snorted, feeling sleep tug at the edge of his awareness once more. There was one more
thing he wished to ask his adoptive father, though.

"When you mentioned the Óðinnforce in your study," he began.

"What of it?"

"You said you did not experience her as I did."

"Nay."

"Yet, when I awoke after my own collapse in the vault and Lady Eir was there and inquiring
as to how I felt, I muttered that the bloody Óðinnforce simply does not know how to behave,
and she said you oft said the same."
"Ah, I see," Óðinn replied with a small smile. "I have oft found it to be the easiest manner to
calm concerns or halt questions which may be problematic."

"Thus, 'tis not because of any greater connection to Ásgarðr than you mentioned before?"

"Nay."

Interesting. Loki could not help but wonder why they experienced her so differently, and he
would have to look into it. But, for now, he felt far too tired to do so, yawning instead.

"Rest, Loki," Óðinn instructed. "Your body and seiðr require it."

Óðinn felt his anger returning as he closed the door to Loki's healing chamber behind him.

How could Laufey have left their own child to die because of something like this?

'Twas incomprehensible to Óðinn and he wished to find his old nemesis and kill them. It felt
odd to feel this rage toward Laufey all over again, but the insult felt new once more. Though
he had never accepted it, at least he had become used to the idea Loki had been left to die
because he was a runt.

'Twas not truly any better than what had actually happened, but somehow it felt different to
Óðinn; to know it had been done because Laufey did not want to share power. It might be
because this made no sense to him. It should have been seen as an honor to have an íviðja
born into the royal family; a sign Mother Winter was pleased with Laufey and a means to
boost morale after so heavy a defeat as the loss of the war against Ásgarðr. Indeed, if Laufey
had announced it before the final battle, when Loki had clearly been born, it might even have
rallied the warriors.

Was Laufey so power-hungry? Or did they have reason to fear Mother Winter and her
disapproval?

It had not escaped Óðinn's notice how Loki had redirected the conversation when he had
asked about her, but he had not wished to instigate another argument or cause his son any
further injury. Thus, he had allowed it for the moment, but they would need to discuss it
eventually. Not least because if she were as sentient as Loki seemed to claim Ásgarðr was,
then it might have all manner of other implications.

Did it mean the magical cores of the other Realms shared this semi-sentience? And power?

It posed all manner of interesting questions and, once Óðinn had some time, he would need to
refresh his memory on the myths and legends surrounding the ancient and arcane seiðr of the
Nine. For now, however, he had other matters to tend to, commencing with why he had not
been informed of his son's true status by their newest healer.

He found her easily, since she was in her new study with Lady Eir, discussing the latest
readings of Loki's core.
"Your Majesty," Lady Eir greeted, followed swiftly by Lady Hlín as he entered the study and
closed the door.

Lady Eir needed to know of this given how different it seemed to make Loki from other
jötnar.

"Why did you not inform me of what Loki is?" Óðinn demanded outright, looking straight at
Lady Hlín.

"Of what he is, my King?" she questioned boldly.

"Íviðja!" he growled, furious she dared try to conceal it from him even now.

"Ah, so you are aware."

"I am now! The question is why you did not inform me of it?"

Lady Hlín frowned at him. "If you are aware of the existence of the íviðjur, then you must
know how vital they are to Jötunheimr and what it means to have one not only raised off-
world, but in a Realm so hostile to Jötunheimr."

"We had a right to know!"

"You are the king of a foreign Realm and Prince Loki is a vital part of Jötunheimr's ability to
survive. I will not see him used thus."

The words gave Óðinn pause, though his anger flared at the mere implication. Still, Lady
Hlín hardly knew him and seemed to be directing her insolence and defiance towards
protecting Loki.

A quick glance at Lady Eir was enough to inform him she, at least, had been unaware of the
situation.

"Where do your loyalties lie, Lady Hlín?" Óðinn demanded outright.

If he was to continue to leave Loki in her care, he had to know.

"Though not all may view me as such, I consider myself jötunn as I was born there and 'tis
still my home in my heart," Lady Hlín began. "'Tis only the current king who has made those
like me feel unwelcome there. The hostility I feel towards them, though, does not extend to
other members of their family, so if you ask where my full loyalty lies here, 'tis to Prince
Loki, both as a member of Jötunheimr's royal family and as an íviðja."

"And Ásgarðr?" Óðinn questioned.

"As the Realm that has given me sanctuary - allowing me to live here when I could not at
home - and both yourself and Queen Frigga as those who have taken in Prince Loki, you and
Ásgarðr will always have my gratitude and loyalty. But only up to the point where it conflicts
with any interest of Jötunheimr's."
'Twas a bold statement to make to his face, but at least Óðinn knew precisely where he stood
with her as a result. Still, a few questions remained.

"But not Laufey's?"

"Absolutely not."

"And you view the knowledge of Loki's status as an íviðja falls into this category?" he asked.
"Of conflicting with Jötunheimr's best interests?"

"If you were not aware of the existence of the íviðjur? Aye," Lady Hlín replied. "Besides,
from the oath you made me take, you made it clear some secrets were the prince's to have and
hold."

Óðinn blinked at this. It implied something different from what she had indicated before.

"Ergo, you would have informed Loki of this?" he checked.

"Hmm."

"To what end?"

"For his own knowledge and so he would know what to expect if he ever revealed himself to
another jötunn," Lady Hlín responded. "Besides, I would not dare to presume to withhold
such information from an íviðja themselves. Their power and responsibilities are not for
anyone else to undertake."

'Twas a far cry from how even certain members of his own High Council had acted, and
Óðinn found he could respect it even if it meant he would have to think carefully of how to
trust her. That she could be trusted to do what was best for Loki was clear, however, and he
doubted Frigga would take kindly to his wishing to remove one who would place their
youngest first over all other things.

"You fault me for not knowing of this," Óðinn realized.

"Your dam was jötunn, and I know Queen Bestla sought to share their heritage and culture
with all of their children," Lady Hlín began, abruptly reminding him how close she had been
to his mother. "If any of you decided not to listen, then 'tis your fault for not knowing."

Óðinn suddenly wondered precisely how much his mother had shared with her. That he had
always been the least interested in her stories was not in doubt, but he had other matters to
learn from his father that his brothers had not.

"And if it had affected Prince Loki's health?" Lady Eir demanded.

"Then, of course, I would have informed both of you," Lady Hlín responded immediately,
and it sounded honest to Óðinn. "You must understand, the íviðjur are Jötunheimr's most
valuable living asset and I will do nothing to endanger one, or allow them to be used as a
pawn against Jötunheimr simply due to the fact Laufey was a power-hungry fool."
"You do not trust me to do right by him," Óðinn realized, anger igniting within him once
more.

"Given the reason the prince is ill now?"

The words were pointed and sharp, but Óðinn could not simply dismiss them as he wished to.
That his son had come to despise his own species this much was entirely his own fault. He
should have done better to protect Loki from this or inform him of the truth.

"You are also the one who took the Casket of Ancient Winters from Jötunheimr and nearly
destroyed the Realm," Lady Hlín continued.

"I did not know!" Óðinn protested.

"As you did not wish to know about your dam's people and their culture!"

"And what would you have had me do, had I known? Leave the Casket on Jötunheimr?"

Lady Hlín sighed. "Nay, even I know Laufey had to be curbed. I do not know."

Well, at least she could admit that after all of the accusations she had so carelessly slung
about.

"Am I correct in understanding that Prince Loki is aware of his being an íviðja?" Lady Eir
checked.

"Hmm, he already knew of it when I went to inform him," Lady Hlín replied.

'Twas a fact easily checked and Óðinn would when he next saw Loki. He was resigning
himself to the fact he would have to accept Lady Hlín's presence in the healing halls for his
youngest's sake, both for her knowledge and because Loki seemed to tolerate her. He should
no longer be surprised at his son liking those who frustrated him excessively. He did require
one reassurance though.

"Will you inform me of any pertinent information in the future?" Óðinn asked.

"If 'tis medically relevant, aye," Lady Hlín stated. "Though I have learned much of the
tension between yourself and the prince, most of it confirmed by what I have personally
witnessed, he is still a child and both yourself and the queen are his guardians."

Factual, but clearly not what she would like to say or do. It eased his concern a little,
however much he would have preferred for her not to have any doubts regarding the fact he
had Loki's best interests at heart.

That she was not alone in those doubts were what spared her a rather stern response.

"If you require it, I can swear another oath to do anything for my patient," Lady Hlín offered.
"Not only for who and what he is, but also for all that he has done for Jötunheimr already
despite being so personally torn over the truth of his very species."
'Twas an aspect of the treaty Óðinn had not yet considered; Loki's willingness to achieve it
given how much his son clearly hated himself at present. Before, he had only thought of it in
terms of Loki performing his duty with some additional consideration given to how his son
had been able to sit before Laufey and remain calm. Both Ragnvaldr and Aðalgrímr had each
had much praise for Loki's conduct at those negotiations and even Týr had commented on it,
though more in delight at how his son had treated some of the jötnar delegation's attempts to
gain an upper hand.

It would have been so very simple for Loki to allow his true feelings to rule his common
sense and to go with the plan he had no doubt Týr had first proposed. Or the desire of others
on their Council to react violently. This was no doubt what Lady Hlín recognized in Loki's
reaction to his true self.

"Loki has always been the one less focused on glory through battle," Óðinn said. "But, as you
say, there is much difference between that and what he did. So, nay, I will not require another
oath from you."

"Your Majesty," Lady Hlín gave a half bow.

"Inform Lady Eir of the pertinent facts."

"Of course."

"You are lucky Prince Loki needs you so much at present," Eir stated as soon as the king had
left. "Speaking to him so!"

"I would not have been brought in if I were not so important."

"Nay, but he could still decide to dismiss you once the prince has recovered, and you have
already expressed an interest in remaining should Prince Loki deign to have you as his
personal healer."

"You were the one who said I should trust the king had his best interests at heart," Lady Hlín
replied.

"This is not what I meant, as you well know. Now, what is an íviðja and how is it relevant?"

"It means Prince Loki is not a runt, as most oft consider the íviðjur to be, and 'tis why he has
such a close tie to Mother Winter, which you have already observed."

The answer startled Eir ere her eyes widened in realization.

"You mean not all jötnar would possess it?" she inquired.

"Nay," Lady Hlín confirmed. "Only an íviðja."

"Thus, if Prince Loki had not been one and instead was a normal jötunn-"

"Hrímþurs," Lady Hlín replied.

"A hrímþurs, then he would not have had the connection with Mother Winter to help sustain
him after he collapsed?"

"Hmm."

The mere thought was almost too terrifying to contemplate, and Eir could only thank the
Norns they had not lost the youngest member of the royal family. It would have been quite a
blow to all of Ásgarðr.

"It makes me wonder," Eir mused.

"Aye?" Lady Hlín questioned.

"Ever since Prince Loki first bonded with Mother Winter, all of the markers I use to measure
the onset of an Óðinnsleep in the king leveled out in the prince, and he actually moved away
from showing signs of an encroaching sleep of his own, despite his heavy use of the
Óðinnforce."

"Truly? 'Tis interesting, though given what Prince Loki seemed to say of the Óðinnforce, I
would not be surprised if 'tis the Ásgarðrian equivalent of Mother Winter."

"What?" Eir questioned in confusion.

"I do not know all there is to know about the Casket of Ancient Winters, but I do know the
power is necessary for Jötunheimr's long-term survival as 'tis directly connected to Mother
Winter and Jötunheimr's seiðr. Without it, the seiðr becomes uncontrolled and, eventually,
Jötunheimr would wither and become entirely barren."

The simple thought was horrifying and Eir could now begin to understand why Lady Hlín felt
so strongly about some of what King Óðinn had done at the end of the war with Jötunheimr.

"Ergo, you believe Prince Loki's references to the Óðinnforce as sentient on some level to be
the equivalent?" she asked.

"He did refer to the Óðinnforce as Ásgarðr and, as an íviðja, he is all but designed to interact
and channel such forces," Lady Hlín said. "If the Óðinnforce is the equivalent of Mother
Winter, it would explain why Prince Loki is able to channel it so well."

"And how he may be able to keep from succumbing to its powers," Eir understood. "He did
say before that he did not think he would be able to show King Óðinn what he did to stabilize
his readings."

"Nay, even if it were a directly heritable skill, Queen Bestla was hrímþurs, not íviðja."

"Does his being íviðja result in any other differences I should be aware of?"

"None you would not already be aware of due to his seiðr," Lady Hlín replied. "Or which are
not relevant here."

"Such as?"
 "The ability to withstand the same, or greater, temperature extremes than a hrímþurs despite
his far smaller size."

Chapter End Notes

I can't quite believe how close we are to the end of this fic now! I spent so long writing
it, and now posting it, that it really feels like the end of an era to me.

Also, sorry for the shorter chapter, it's just the way averages work. Not to mention that it
got harder and harder to make the chapter breaks the closer I got to the end of the fic.
Fair warning now, the penultimate chapter is even shorter than this one, clocking in at
around 3,870 words!

Despite its length, I hope this resolved a few bits regarding the íviðjur and who knew
what. I know some of you were asking about that.

Old Norse:

jötnar - "frost giants"

jötunn - "frost giant"
íviðjur/íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as
"giantesses"/"giantess", but I did find some sources which said they were a different,
better-looking type of jötnar.
hrímþursar/hrímþurs - hrím (“frost”) + þurs (“giant”); the singular is hrímþurs. As this
word seems interchangeable with jötnar, I used it for the name of the non-íviðjur.
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Loki is questioned on the Book of Silvern Seiðr, Óðinn prepares Loki's
study & leaving the healing halls, take two...
 Chapter 89
Chapter Notes

Sorry for the delay, everyone, it was unintentional. Yes, I was out of the country, but I
had expected to update yesterday as normal now. I just completely lost track of what day
it was until quarter to midnight!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The moment his adoptive parents entered his healing chamber, Loki knew they wished to do
more than merely work on healing his core further.

"What is it?" he inquired, savoring the startled look which crossed Óðinn's face.

He did so love being able to catch even so experienced a politician as the All-Father off-
guard.

"Relax, darling, 'tis nothing as bad as you fear," Frigga reassured.

Loki closed the book he was reading, marking his place as he did so. He was not entirely
certain if he believed his adoptive mother or not. Her ideas of what was good and bad did not
always align with his own.

"Thus, there is something," Loki replied instead.

Óðinn laughed, shaking his head. "I believe we will have to cover it first, if we wish to have
him relax while we heal him."

"Aye," Frigga agreed, reluctantly, though she smiled a moment later. "I should have known it
would be thus."

While Óðinn pulled up the chair which normally stood on the side of the chamber, Frigga
moved to sit beside Loki on the bed, with her back up against the headboard. He smiled as
she took his closest hand in her own. He frowned as he realized one of her thumbs was
absently tracing what would have been a kin line had he been in his jötunn form. Was it
deliberate, or had she merely become so accustomed to doing so before, that 'twas now done
unconsciously?

"Loki?" Óðinn queried, a note of concern in his voice.

"'Tis nothing," Loki hurriedly replied. "Merely a random thought."

He had no wish to repeat the disappointed look he had received from Óðinn when the All-
Father had returned the day after Loki had shifted back to áss form, to discover what he had
done. He had enough memories of that look not to wish for anymore.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" Loki questioned instead.

'Twas a mark of how little he wished to converse on the first topic, that he so readily inquired
after the second. He already knew he would not particularly enjoy the conversation as,
otherwise, his adoptive parents would not have been so worried about it that he had detected
their tension. He had always been particularly good at doing so, especially if the topic
concerned him.

Loki supposed 'twas due to the chaos the worry generated. 'Twas a low-level form of it, to be
certain, but chaos nonetheless, and he was particularly sensitive to all forms of it.

"There were two things," Frigga began. "The first of which concerns your... aversion to your
birth form."

Despite his best efforts, Loki was unable to keep from pulling a face at the statement. He
wished he could deny it, but not only was Mother Winter suddenly very interested and
unlikely to allow him to easily deny it, but he knew 'twas far too important a topic to cast
aside so lightly. All of the healing his parents were performing at present would be less than
useless if he could not keep from reinjuring himself in the future.

"I am well aware I need to learn to accept it," Loki admitted, grudgingly. "If for nothing other
than to avoid another core injury."

"I would hope you wish to do so for more than merely that," Óðinn said.

"I am not quite there yet."

Óðinn was clearly not pleased to hear this, but the All-Father did incline his head in
acknowledgement. "I am pleased with your honesty, and I would ask you to continue to be so
on this matter. 'Tis far too important for any misdirection or mistaken pride."

"I am well aware of that," Loki retorted, scowling. "Even if it could not kill me, the agony of
the injury itself would induce me to do all I could to avoid suffering it once more."

"While I am not pleased to hear of the pain, I am glad we are in agreement on the issue
itself," Frigga said, calmly. "We have some suggestions on how best you can achieve this, if
you would hear them."

Loki truly did not want to, but he knew 'twas not about what he desired at present. Not if he
wished to fully recover.

"I assume it involves shifting back to my birth form more often?" he guessed.

"Aye, on a rather frequent basis, at least at first," Frigga agreed. "Which may be whenever we
are together, as we have already mentioned."

"Hmm."
"We would also like you to do so while in your own chambers," Óðinn added. "There, you
can experiment with the advantages and limitations of the form and, potentially, even practice
your ice abilities as those could be quite useful to you in the future should you ever find
yourself in need of blades."

That suggestion alone would have informed Loki his adoptive parents had discussed this
particular confrontation ahead of time. Not only did Óðinn's words sound more like the type
of argument his mother would normally make, but 'twas perfectly tailored to appeal to both
his practical side and his strong sense of self-preservation. Knives and scepters could, of
course, be taken from him. His ability to generate an ice sword or even ice daggers, could
not.

Hmm, ice daggers. Now there were some possibilities...

Frigga's laughter drew Loki back to the present and he mock scowled at her.

"Keep whatever thought occurred to you in the back of your mind when you do not wish to
shift back, darling," she said.

"There is one issue with what you have suggested," Loki pointed out.

"Your servant, aye," Óðinn agreed. "As you have only the one whom regularly enters your
chambers, I would suggest binding her with an oath of secrecy and revealing the truth to her."

Loki's first instinct was to reject the idea outright. Inform Livunn of the truth? Nay, he did not
wish to do so!

"Darling," Frigga began. "She knows you far better than the average palace servant does, or
than any whom have access to Thor's chambers know your brother. Given this, and her
concern when you were ill, I do not think you should fear her reaction."

"And her knowing will allow you to remain in your true form for longer stretches of time,
which would be far more beneficial to you," Óðinn said. "Ideally, I would also like for you to
maintain it overnight, so you are able to fully control the shift and do not revert back to this
form when you are asleep."

That... 'twas a concern Loki had not even considered before. His áss form was so very much
his 'true' form in his mind, which, combined with his intense dislike of his jötunn form, might
result in him shifting back while unconscious.

"I have never reverted back accidentally while in another form, even when asleep," Loki told
them. "But I concur 'tis something which should be tested ere I may wish to rely on being
able to maintain it."

"Good," Óðinn stated. "Now, there is one other item we wish to discuss with you."

Uh oh. Loki knew that tone of the All-Father's.

"Hmm?" he inquired, warily.

"When you came by my study the other day, we discussed the tome I found on Jötunheimr
the day I found you," Óðinn replied.

Ah, Loki had always known 'twas too much to hope for that his adoptive father would forget
about it. Still, he had hoped Óðinn might have done so for long enough to allow him to
actually read some of it. He had not done so yet as he wished to properly devote time to it,
and he had not wanted to risk anyone seeing him with the tome, thus reminding them of its
existence.

"Relax, Loki, we will not force you to give it up," Frigga reassured, and Loki's eyes flickered
between her and Óðinn.

He could not quite believe her words. Not after how he had requested access to some of the
tomes from the king's library and been denied them. He settled his disbelieving gaze on the
All-Father, raising one eyebrow in inquiry.

"Peace, Son," Óðinn said, holding up his hands. "Your mother is correct; I will not take it
from you since 'twas clearly meant for you and is part of your heritage as an íviðja of
Jötunheimr."

The shock Loki felt at this confirmation was echoed by that felt by Mother Winter, though the
smugness emanating from Ásgarðr proved at least one of them was not surprised by this
decision of Óðinn's. Her opinion probably did not count, though, as she would have had
advance notice of it from Óðinn himself.

Potentially.

Loki would need to devote some time to exploring the difference in how both he and Óðinn
connected with Ásgarðr, so he could determine precisely what was shared between them and
what was not. That Ásgarðr would not betray him, he knew for certain, but that did not mean
Óðinn could not glean particular information from Ásgarðr nonetheless. Beyond that, though,
Loki was also simply curious as to why there were differences in how they connected with
Ásgarðr. After all, why should his connection seemingly be the greater when all he had ever
been had been a regent rather than the true and rightful king of Ásgarðr?

It did not make any logical sense and, while he was willing to accept this from seiðr, it had
been his experience that whenever the rules of seiðr deviated from logic, there was always a
reason for it. And he wished to know that reason.

With a quick check to ensure it would not harm either his seiðr or his core, Loki reached into
his pocket dimension and called forth the Book of Silvern Seiðr. The second it appeared in his
hands, it fell open, revealing the mysterious runes.

"You say you can read these like normal Norse runes?" Frigga questioned while she leaned
closer to examine them.

"Hmm."

"They look quite different to me," Óðinn declared, tilting his head to try to see them upright.
Loki turned the book so both his parents could view it more easily.

"'Tis most peculiar," he said. "Though I can read it quite easily, I am also able to... shift my
view, I suppose, and then I can see them much as you do."

"Very interesting and quite the working," Frigga stated, reaching out to turn a few pages,
stopping when she found a page with a drawing of the Casket of Ancient Winters.

"This is what you used to restrict the Casket's powers," Óðinn realized.

"Hmm, 'twas most helpful in determining all of the Casket's powers and what would need to
be done to ensure Laufey could not utilize it as a weapon, or to send anyone off of
Jötunheimr."

"Fascinating. What else does the tome cover?"

"I have not yet had the time to examine it properly," Loki replied. "But a quick glance
through its page revealed everything from further information on both Mother Winter and the
íviðjur, to what seems like a comprehensive history of seiðr use on Jötunheimr."

While a lie of omission was still a lie, 'twas the most difficult of lies to detect as Loki knew
well. Therefore, he had little fear of being discovered here and Loptr's secret was in no
danger of being uncovered.

"You mean to read it from cover to cover," Frigga smiled.

"Naturally," Loki confirmed, with a smile of his own.

When Óðinn reached out to take the tome, Loki felt an urge to pull it back, out of reach. He
resisted for, while he had absolutely no doubt of the fact his adoptive father could and would
lie to him, he did not think it likely in this particular case. It made little sense to do so as the
rewards were far too little for the cost it would incur, not after all which Óðinn had done as of
late which seemed to indicate the All-Father wished to court his good favor.

Óðinn flipped through the tome, stopping to examine a few drawings before he quite
deliberately closed the book. There was a small crackle of seiðr Loki was certain he might
have missed otherwise and, when Óðinn sought to open the tome once more, he could not.

"Amazing," Frigga whispered. "I have not heard of a spell or working like it before."

"Let us hope the details of it are listed in the tome itself," Óðinn replied, handing it over
when Frigga asked for it.

"If I did not know any better, I would think the pages glued together," she said a moment
later.

As soon as his mother handed the tome back to him, it fell open in his hands and Loki smiled
at Mother Winter's preening at their praise and admiration of the book's protections.
"Mother Winter is quite pleased with your reactions," Loki informed them, closing the book
and placing it on the little table next to his bed, on top of his other book.

"I am not surprised," Óðinn responded. "It seems most effective."

"It may be best not to mention the details of it to anyone else," Loki said. "When I spoke of it
with several members of the High Council, I implied 'twas similar to the Casket of Ancient
Winters and thus merely required one of jötunn blood to open it."

"A clever precaution," Frigga complimented.

"Aye," Óðinn agreed. "I assume neither Vili nor Vé were present at the time?"

"Nay, which is why you must be cautious as those who were will assume you are able to open
and potentially read it," Loki replied.

"I will bear this in mind. Now, are you ready for another healing session?"

"Father?" Thor called as he entered the chamber the Einherjar posted at the king's study had
directed him to.

'Twas a door he could not remember entering but once, when Father had first assigned him
his own study. This was the one Father had intended for him as it had been that of the chief
advisor in past millennia. When Father had become king, though, his own uncle had still used
it, and so Lord Ragnvaldr had taken another one when he became Father's advisor. Thus, it
had been free when it came time for Thor to have his own study. He had requested his current
one, though, wishing to have a view of the training fields from his balcony, rather than of the
city.

"Ah, Thor," Father replied, stepping back into the chamber from the balcony. "What do you
think? Would Loki like this study?"

"Loki?" Thor questioned, startled, as he glanced around. "'Tis a very large one. Is his current
study insufficient?"

From the way Father's face tightened, Thor knew he had said something wrong, and he
frowned. What now?

"Thor, where do you think Loki's study is?"

Thor opened his mouth to reply, ere he paused, unable to think of it. His brow furrowed as he
tried to recall the last time he had visited his brother's study, but all he could think of was the
personal study Loki possessed in his chambers. Surely, he had gone to his brother's official
study at least once? So why could he not picture it?

A pit formed in his stomach as he glanced at his father in horror.

Óðinn shook his head once, as if to answer the question Thor dared not voice.
"He has none?" he had to check.

"Nay, it seems I never assigned him one," Father confirmed, fists clenching as he stepped
further into the chamber.

That...

If Thor had thought he could no longer be either surprised or dismayed at any of the
injustices of how his little brother had been treated, he was greatly mistaken. He felt a flash
of anger at his father, but then it turned inwards. He himself had never noticed, so how could
he justify directing any anger at Father? Nay, instead he simply felt exhausted, and he ran a
hand over his face.

"I... I think Loki would appreciate this study very much," he finally said, glancing around
once more. "Not least for its location."

Thor could easily understand why this had once been the chief advisor's study. Not only was
it grand, but 'twas located right beside the king's own study. For one so inclined to diplomacy
and political maneuverings, his brother would not be able to wish for a better study. Indeed,
he had no doubt Loki would take great pleasure in ensuring the plentitude of bookshelves
lining most of the walls were filled.

"'Tis rather empty though," Thor added, hoping for a smile.

He received one, though 'twas brief.

"I had thought to have the old furniture brought back, but Frigga mentioned Loki might wish
to make his own selections, or commission new items," Father explained.

Hmm, Thor could see how that might be best. His brother was occasionally odd in his
preferences, as many trinkets in Loki's chambers could attest to.

"Will you show him when he is released from the healing halls?" Thor questioned.

Father shook his head. "I will wait as I do not wish for him to be tempted from his rest."

Thor doubted that could be prevented, though not informing Loki of his new study would at
least remove one temptation from his brother's options to entertain himself.

"If I may make one suggestion?"

"Of course," Father said.

"When the negotiations on Niflheimr were concluded, I saw the items brought back," Thor
began. "Amongst them was the banner used to represent Ásgarðr and Loki."

It had been startling to see as he had only ever seen it depicted with his father's name and
sigils, unless visiting the museum displaying the relics from his grandfather and great-
grandfather's reigns. Before, he might not have thought of displaying the banner here, but he
had given much thought to what his father had said of Loki needing to be able to shine, and
he thought his brother might like to have such a potent remembrance of his regency on
display in his study.

"Of course, a new banner would have had to be made for the negotiations," Father muttered,
turning to look at the wall behind where the desk was intended to go. "'Tis a wonderful
suggestion, Thor. I shall have it brought here at once."

It would remind all who entered the study of Loki's time as king of Ásgarðr, which Thor
thought would be good for himself as well as everyone else. Especially once his brother was
his advisor.

"Now, was there something you needed, my son?" Father inquired, turning back to him.

"Mother was hoping we might dine with Loki tonight, as he grows restless with his extended
presence in the healing halls," Thor replied.

"Ah, aye, your brother has never taken inactivity well."

"Nor do I."

"True, but you are less liable to drive the servants, or healers, to distraction with your
attempts to amuse yourself."

Nay, he was far more likely to seek to escape his healing chamber, certain he was ready to
return to the training fields to spar.

Thor could not help but wince as he thought of how well both of his recent attempts had
succeeded. He had made his escape, only to succumb in full view of his friends or the
Einherjar.

"Surely his usual means should be curtailed without all of his seiðr," Thor said.

Father's face twisted into an expression he could not quite decipher, and Thor frowned.

"Were you informed of the íviðjur?" Father inquired.

"Aye, Loki explained it to me."

"I wonder if this may not be why he is able to connect so effortlessly with the Óðinnforce."

"How so?"

"The íviðjur seem to have been chosen by Mother Winter herself or... made almost, to interact
with her and the Casket of Ancient Winters, to control the seiðr of Jötunheimr's core."

"Making him highly compatible with seiðr of that nature," Thor realized.

"Indeed."
'Twas a staggering thought; that his brother might have been made to hold and wield such
great power. Yet, was it truly any different from his own ability to wield lighting in anything
other than scale?

"So, what does it mean?" Thor inquired, not yet used to thinking of matters of seiðr.

Particularly not of this magnitude.

"For Loki's future? I do not yet know," Father admitted. "Though, I fear it means your brother
may be a far more powerful seiðmadr than any of us realize."

"What? How?"

"I suspect he may have been hiding the full extent of his powers and seiðr from us, since he
does not trust us after how we have treated him. And now the truth of what I kept from him
has come to light, this will not have improved any."

The mere thought of his brother being more powerful than he already knew was not only
shocking, but awe inspiring to Thor. Having grown up with Loki, he had become accustomed
to his seiðr and come to view it as a normal aspect of his brother. 'Twas not until recently, he
had first started to become aware of precisely how special and rare 'twas for a seiðberandi to
be able to do all which Loki could.

Thus, to now think it was only part of what his brother was capable of...

"'Tis what the future is for," he finally replied, trying not to linger on the hurt he felt at the
mere thought his brother might feel he had to hide the truth from him.

"Mayhap," Father said.

"I believe you may be being too pessimistic, Father. While 'tis true Loki has felt the need to
hide before, and that we have not treated him as well as we should have, we now have the
opportunity to alter all of that. And, while he might have been reluctant, he has allowed you
to aid in his healing."

"Most reluctantly."

"It gives us the chance we need to prove that we truly do love him and are there for him,"
Thor insisted. "Plus, he is already mending his relationship with Mother, which shows it can
be done."

"We will also need to prove his heritage and species does not affect how we view him. Not to
mention, help him come to terms with it, so he can never be hurt thus ever again."

'Twas a sobering thought and a weighty responsibility, but Thor welcomed the challenge
wholeheartedly. Not only because it would help to ensure his brother's health and safety in
the future, but also because he knew he deserved to have some form of punishment for all
that he had done to his brother and how abhorrently he had treated him.

"It will not be easy," Thor knew.

"Nay, but at least we have the time to do so."

'Twas not oft Thor wished to thank the Norns so directly, but he would need to speak with
Mother to devise the best way to do so, as he knew how close they had come to losing Loki
entirely.

When he had his next soul forge scan, Loki was unable but to look at the readouts. Though he
still did not like the fact he was not the áss and vanir mix he had always considered himself
to be, curiosity was in his very nature and, as his core had healed, it had come to the fore
once more.

The readout, however, looked much as it had always been, and Loki was not immediately
able to notice anything which made his true species apparent. He should not truly have
expected it to, as then he would have discovered the truth long ago, or Lady Eir would have
had instructions in place to insist she was always the one to run soul forge scans on him.
Neither of which had transpired, but somehow, he felt inexplicably disappointed.

'Twas not great enough, though, for him to inquire after it or to ask Lady Hlín to explain the
differences as she had for Lady Eir previously.

Mayhap once he had come to terms with being jötunn more.

His thoughts clearly pleased Mother Winter and so Loki returned to his healing chamber with
buoyed spirits as her good mood was infectious. He was surprised to find his brother waiting
for him on the bed.

"Ah, there you are," Thor stated, smiling. "I feared I had arrived too late and missed you."

"Missed me?" Loki questioned. "I am only returning to my chambers."

"Aye, and I wished to accompany you."

Loki nearly asked why, but he did not truly need to. Not after how his last attempt to leave
the healing halls had ended. He was slightly annoyed his brother deemed him to require
supervision, yet, at the same time, the sentiment warmed him. How oft in the past had he
returned to his chambers alone after having initially had Thor and his brother's friends all
visiting him when he had first come to the healing halls, injured?

Indeed, Loki could not recall the last time any other than his mother had been present for his
release. While he did not require such company, 'twas a marked difference from how Thor
had always returned to his chambers, accompanied by at least one friend. He had also oft
been present as well, though his propensity to do so had waned over the centuries as he
realized his brother was never unaccompanied.

"I am much recovered," Loki said, more to keep up appearances.

"But not entirely," Thor immediately replied, unphased.

Loki frowned, tilting his head as he looked at his brother critically. The scrutiny made Thor
uneasy though his brother tried not to squirm, knowing it only encouraged him.

"Are you... lonely?" Loki finally asked, startled.

"Nay!" Thor instantly retorted.

His brother was.

The confirmation shocked Loki since he was not used to Thor being alone enough to become
lonely. It discomfited him on some level as 'twas such a departure from his brother's normal
behavior and state of being as to catch even him off-guard, but it made sense once Loki
thought of it some more. All four of Thor's closest friends and companies were now either in
the dungeons or out on work duties, and, short of visiting them, his brother could not spend
time with them. Loki also had no doubt that if Thor attempted to do so for any reasons other
than inspecting their work, Óðinn would soon forbid his son from doing so outside of the
dungeons.

Until Óðinn had reviewed their case, the crown prince could not be seen treating those
convicted of an attempt to usurp Hliðskjálf as friends.

Still, Loki would have expected his brother to go out onto the training fields and amuse
himself there, or interact with the others he would oft see and spend time with outside of Sif
and the former Warriors Three.

The reminder of how he had denobled them still pleased Loki and he had to keep his smile
from showing. He had always greatly enjoyed enacting appropriate revenge on those who had
wronged him.

Rather than press his brother on his obvious lie, Loki merely moved to sit close beside him.
Though in his present form Thor's heat was hardly different from his own, and thus far less
noticeable, it still comforted Loki. The oaf had always been there his entire life, and so much
of it had been spent with his brother standing by him or defending him, that he still
automatically viewed his mere presence as a sign of safety on some level. It confused him at
times as Thor's exuberance and tendency to knock him off his feet or squeeze him too tightly
could hurt, but his body seemed to intrinsically know when he was not in danger of those and
relaxed appropriately.

Later, he would blame it on the fact his core was still not one hundred percent healed, but
Loki found himself unable but to lean into his brother's side. Rather than resist, Thor's arm
immediately come up to lay across his shoulders and pull him closer.

"Do not ever frighten me thus again," Thor demanded, voice harsh and thick with emotion.

Loki snorted as he turned his head more towards his brother. "'Twas not my intention."

"Still," Thor insisted, even as Loki felt his brother's chin come to rest on his head.
"Witnessing you collapse thus..."
"I know," Loki replied, swallowing.

"Aye, after observing Father do so in the vault, I am certain you do."

The memory made Loki wrap his own arm around his brother and they sat there like that for
a while, simply holding each other. Ordinarily, he might have protested the closeness, but
after all which had transpired as of late, and his own worry and fear of how Thor would
respond to the truth about his species and heritage, he instead basked in the proof it had all
been unfounded.

"Are you certain you are well enough to leave the healing halls?" Thor finally inquired,
softly.

"Hmm, both Ladies Eir and Hlín are in agreement."

"Were they not before?"

"Aye, but..."

Thor sighed. "Please tell me if anything I say or do threatens your core once more. I do not
wish to hurt you or be the cause of that."

His immediate reaction was to deny the request. Loki did not share his emotions or hurts
easily, since experience had taught him only Frigga truly cared to know of them. Others had
either mocked him for them or sought to use the information against him. His own recent
experiences, though, had taught him that, on this matter, he might need to be a little more
truthful with others. Hiding what he felt would not protect him if doing so only resulted in
injuries or insults to his core.

"Loki?" Thor prompted.

"Very well," he replied.

"You hesitate, why?"

Loki snorted. "It would not be the first time I am told 'tis weak to display or admit such
feelings."

As they sat so close to each other, he could feel the way Thor flinched, no doubt recollecting
the myriad of times the oaf's friends had said precisely that. Sif in particular.

"I had truly thought it no more than the teasing amongst friends," Thor said, resignation in his
voice. "Though I see now I should have realized it was not sooner."

The acerbic response which his brother's first words had generated, died on Loki's tongue at
the latter. He also found he had surprisingly little desire to lash out at Thor. 'Twas the
opposite of how he normally felt when vulnerable and he did not truly understand why. Did it
have something to do with the hormonal surges he had been warned about? His rational side
rebelled at the mere idea, but he also knew there was little he could do about it.
 Puberty was a fact of life and maybe this was the Norns' vengeance for his arrogance in
thinking he had controlled himself so well before, when he had thought himself to be
undergoing it.

Chapter End Notes

Sorry again for the unexpected delay in day. I hadn't intended to miss yesterday's update,
I just lost track of what day of the week it was while in Belgium. As soon as I realized, I
dropped a notice on my blog, which I saw someone posted in a comment at the end of
the last chapter. I don't think I mentioned anything then, but last year I lost my father,
and this stretch was the first anniversary of it, which is why I was back in Belgium.

A few, shorter scenes for today's update, but hopefully all nice ones. As you can tell,
we're winding down and so it's a matter of sorting the last little bits that really need
addressing in this fic rather than the sequel. Only a month left to go now before the end
of this fic! Just in time for NaNoWriMo, which is rather fortuitous timing, actually.

Old Norse:

jötnar/jötunn - "frost giants"/"frost giant"

íviðjur/íviðja - a word of seeming nebulous origin, often translated as
"giantesses"/"giantess", but I did find some sources which said they were a different,
better-looking type of jötnar.
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
áss - male æsir, singular
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
seiðberandi - sorcerers/mages
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne

Up next week: Loki returns to his chambers...

 Chapter 90
Chapter Notes

Saturday again, enjoy!

This picks up right where the other chapter left off...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

"Come, let us go before Lady Hlín decides to investigate why I have not yet left," Loki
finally said, when he could stand the closeness no further.

"Very well," Thor replied, though seeming to release him only reluctantly.

It surprised Loki as his brother had long since ceased to seek prolonged contact with him.

"Is there anything you wish to take with you now?" Thor asked, looking at the back of the
chamber with all of the gifts. "Or are you happy for the servants to bring it all?"

"Nay, there are a few items I wish to take myself," Loki replied, going for the lacquered box
with knives and the bag of bjórr boiled sweets.

There were not many left, but he offered the bag to Thor to allow his brother to claim some.

"What is this?" Thor inquired, picking up the doll Gróa had sent him.

"'Tis from the budding seiðkona I found in the eastern part of the city."

"The one who turned your hair silver?"

"Hmm."

Thor laughed as he placed the doll on the table once more. Loki considered taking it along
himself, but he had been forbidden from using his seiðr at present and he thought the doll
might cause less comment if found amongst all of the other gifts he had received than if he
were seen carrying it himself along Iðavöllr's corridors.

"I heard you requested her address from Lord Ragnvaldr," Thor said.

"Aye, I wished to know how she had fared with the burning of the Yggdrasill, and I may see
how she fares with the seiðr tome I gifted her," Loki replied.

His brother smiled. "You wish to apprentice her later?"

"Nay, I do not believe I have the time to do so properly, but I may sponsor her seiðr education
if her parents cannot afford it."

Once he had collected the items he wished to take with him directly, Loki moved for the door
and Thor followed him. Out in the main healing halls, he inclined his head at Lady Eir ere
they walked out into Iðavöllr's main corridors.

"They are poor?" Thor questioned.

"I am not entirely certain but, if they live in the eastern part of the city, they are likely not
going to be able to afford proper tuition for Gróa, and her potential is simply too great to be
wasted."

Tempted himself by the smell of the bjórr boiled sweets he carried, Loki popped one into his
mouth. His brother's silence felt different from normal, so he glanced over to find a pensive
expression on Thor's face.

"Is something amiss?" he inquired.

"Not as such, nay," Thor replied. "Your words merely remind me of what you said after the
second trial, when we spoke."

Loki blinked as he attempted to recall that particular conversation. He could not immediately
do so.

"We were speaking of the applications you had selected for the King's Funds," Thor
explained, seeing his confusion. "You mentioned not all had been given the same
opportunities as we regarding education and training."

"Ah," Loki replied, understanding what his brother meant. "It made you think?"

"Aye. 'Tis not something I had ever considered before, but I spoke with Mother of it
afterwards and now I am uncertain what to think of it. Particularly after some of what Lady
Jane's friend, Lady Darcy, mentioned while I was on Miðgarðr."

"Oh?"

"She spoke of privilege and unfair advantages."

"Did you land in one of their kingdoms, or one of those countries with a different form of
governance?" Loki asked.

Thor gave him a startled look. "You know of those."

"Hmm."

"You have been to Miðgarðr recently," Thor realized.

Loki gave his brother a self-pleased smile. "I may have."

His brother laughed and thumped him on the back, though far less forcefully than was his
usual wont. "I should not be as surprised as I am."

"Nay, you should not," Loki agreed. "But this Lady Darcy may not be as accurate as she
thinks she is."

"Why not?"

"While there is undoubtedly privilege in how we were raised and educated, 'tis also for the
good of all of Ásgarðr and the Nine as a whole. A poorly educated king, or an ignorant one,
could do untold damage without meaning to."

Now, Thor looked far more sober and thoughtful once more.

"After you left the chamber that day, I asked Lieutenant-General Yngvarr whether I had
forgotten to take anything into account regarding military funding," Loki continued. "He told
me they could use any funding granted to them, but that he had witnessed what happened on
Múspellsheimr after its economy had collapsed. A well-funded army without an economy to
support it, is not of much use to the people in such a situation."

That his brother was clearly considering his words was obvious and 'twas more than Loki had
ever expected such language to achieve, so he decided to leave it there. Once he was ready to
discuss it further, he had no doubt Thor would return to him to do so. As they were at his
chambers, this allowed for a good distraction as they entered.

"Hello, Loki," Livunn greeted with a smile when they passed from his antechamber into the
main chambers of his quarters. "Prince Thor."

"Hello, Livunn," Thor replied, with a distracted smile.

"Are you feeling better, my Prince?" Livunn queried.

"I am much improved, though I think I shall remain here for my meals the next few days
rather than go to the Great Hall," Loki informed her.

"Of course, I shall ensure your meals are brought. Is there anything else you require at
present?"

"Nay, thanks."

With a curtsey, Livunn left the chamber, likely going to ensure all of his belongings and gifts
were brought back here. Loki placed the lacquered box on the nearest table before moving to
the sofa with the bag of boiled sweets. They would not last long, but he could either send for
some more or go fetch them from the market himself. It would be good to be outside and he
knew it would be best for the people to see him so recovered, given Óðinn had made a public
announcement of his illness the day he had collapsed.

"Would you mind company tonight for dinner?" Thor asked, joining him on the sofa rather
than taking the armchair across from it.
'Twas a clear sign Loki was not alone in still feeling vulnerable. He deliberately allowed their
shoulders to bump as he leaned back in the sofa and Thor followed him back a moment later,
slumping against his side.

"Nay," Loki said, after a moment of silence. "I would not mind."

"So," Thor began. "I know of all that went ill or was stressful during your regency, but tell me
of at least one thing you enjoyed or were able to savor."

Loki smiled. "Toying with Lord Hrym so openly was amusing."

His brother laughed. "Aye, 'twas fun for me to observe too, as you ensnared him."

"Accessing the king's library was nice, as well."

"You would enjoy that."

The way his brother clearly attempted not to show his own distaste of the idea was
entertaining for Loki.

"And what of the adulation of the people?" Thor questioned.

Loki's first thought was to question what adulation, but then he paused. Many of the flags and
standards had been altered to his color and, by the end of Heimdallr's trial, there had been a
distinctly different mood in Valaskjálf than there had been at the start. 'Twas an atmosphere
he had subsequently noticed during the evening feasts in the Great Hall as well, so he
supposed he had experienced some form of it, even if it had not been the wild jubilation of
Thor's coronation. But then, he would not have truly wanted it to be either, so he had received
his own version of it.

"Aye, 'twas nice," Loki admitted.

"To be finally seen?"

The words startled him so badly, Loki had reacted before he truly thought of it, abruptly
shifting forwards and twisting to look at his brother in shock.

How had Thor realized that? The oaf had never given any indication of being aware of such
sentiments of Loki's before, oft brushing aside any attempts he made at explaining it as
irrelevant or imagined.

"What did you just say?" Loki demanded, eyes wide.

"I- 'tis something Father mentioned," Thor explained, clearly surprised at how his words had
affected Loki. "That this experience has allowed you to shine in a way you had not been able
to before. Because he and I cast such long shadows."

It... that...
Loki did not know how to take those words at all. Óðinn had truly said them? It did not seem
like the All-Father in the slightest. Nay, they had the ring of Frigga to them, and he had to
wonder if his mother had said something to Óðinn which circumstances had finally allowed
his adoptive father to grasp and understand.

There was simply no other explanation for it.

Still, for it to have gone from that to Óðinn speaking of it with Thor, and his brother actually
thinking of them long enough to remember them now in order to make the observation that
his brother had was... significant.

It-

'Twas an indication of how badly his collapse and injury had shocked and affected his entire
adoptive family. Loki was not fool enough to think the effects of it would last as smaller ones
never had before, and he could recollect many far smaller promises to change or make time
for him as a child which had never come to fruition, to deceive himself this would be any
different. Still, the proof of his injury's effects remained.

A faint tugging at his wards told Loki Frigga had entered the antechamber, but 'twas not quite
enough to draw him from his shock, so 'twas still there for his mother to see when she entered
the living chamber.

"Loki, Thor," she smiled in greeting, ere she frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"I believe I have rendered Loki speechless," Thor replied.

Whereas Loki might have expected triumph or delight in his brother's voice at uttering such
words, there was none to be found. Rather, there was what sounded suspiciously like an
undertone of concern in Thor's voice, and it threw him even further into disarray, so he
dropped his head into his hands with a groan. Mother must have advanced towards them as
Loki soon felt Frigga sitting down beside him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Loki?" she inquired.

"I am fine, I simply..." Loki trailed off, not quite certain what he felt.

Shock, confusion, dismay and uncertainty were definitely among the myriad of emotions
rushing through him, but they were by no means the only ones and Loki was uncertain of
how to deal with them all so unexpectedly. While he had known from Thor's first visit in the
healing halls that he did not have to fear his brother's reaction and feelings on the matter of
his species, this was so far beyond that as to be incomprehensible.

Had the shock and fear of his core injury truly been able to induce such a big change? That
Loptr had hoped informing him of what was to come might effect a significant and lasting
change was a given, but he wondered if his future self could possibly have either imagined or
predicted this?

"What did you say to him?" Frigga inquired of Thor.

"We were speaking of the positives of his regency, and I questioned whether it felt nice to be
seen," Thor explained. "Father had mentioned something of us casting long shadows."

"Oh, I see."

From the tone of her voice, Loki could tell Frigga had been caught off-guard as much as he
had been, which made him feel somewhat better. He still strongly suspected the initial
observation had come from her, but clearly his mother had not been intending for this to
occur. Was it something Óðinn was only now recollecting from what was said long ago? It
would not surprise him.

"Loki, darling?" Frigga questioned.

"I am fine," he repeated, though he attempted to be more convincing.

"Was I wrong?" Thor asked, hesitantly.

What to say? Deny it when his mother was not likely to accept the lie? Or did he admit the
truth?

In the end, he allowed his exhaustion to decide for him.

"Nay, you were not," Loki spoke, dropping back against the sofa cushions.

Mother smiled at him once more now he could see her face and he reciprocated briefly,
before closing his eyes and allowing his head to fall back.

"Do you wish to be left alone?" Thor inquired softly.

Loki shook his head, knowing he did not actually wish to sleep and, for once, he was not in
the mood to be alone. Mother's hand squeezed his leg reassuringly.

"How has your day been so far, Thor?" Frigga asked.

A slight shuffling sound drew Loki from the light doze he had fallen into, and he opened his
eyes to see Livunn standing right inside the door to his living chamber.

"You wished to see me?" Livunn asked, quietly.

"Hmm," Loki replied, rubbing at his eyes as he moved to sit up on the sofa. "Please, sit."

The request made her fear and Loki knew she was attempting to work out what it was he
wanted to speak with her of.

"Have I... done something wrong, my Prince?" Livunn inquired as she seated herself on the
smaller sofa opposite him.

"Nay," Loki responded immediately. "This has nothing to do with your performance, which
has been excellent as always, despite very trying times and demands."
"Thank you, Loki."

There was a slight flush on her cheeks now and Loki had to smile. She had been invaluable
during his reign in her own way, and he had always been grateful to her for how she handled
her duties. He had stopped simply using the general palace servants after several incidents
with how his magical items had been handled, or gossip he had heard circulated about the
way he kept his chambers. As they had long been his sanctum, he had not tolerated it and first
banned certain servants from his chambers, ere requesting his own servant after his mother
had suggested it.

"This has to do with my recent illness," Loki said. "There is something I must do to help
prevent a relapse and it will require a change to what I do in here."

Livunn nodded, clearly confused. "Must I change something I do?"

"Nay, 'tis more so you are aware of what you may witness from now on. And a chance for
you to request a different posting should you so wish to, as a result."

The clenching of her jaw told Loki he had angered her with the suggestion, and it made him
hopeful she would react as positively as Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had, but he would not
assume or expect it lest it did not happen.

"Father," Loki began and paused, still not certain how he felt about the use of that particular
designator. "Father has ordered I extract an oath of secrecy from you ere I tell you this
secret."

"An oath of- what does this involve?" Livunn inquired.

Loki smiled. He had oft warned her to be wary of spells or oaths, and to know precisely what
she was agreeing to if one was to be performed on her.

"It means you will not be able to reveal what I tell you to others, either intentionally or
accidentally," Loki explained. "'Tis flexible enough to allow you to speak of it with those
who have already proven they are aware of the information."

"'Tis something of great importance then?"

"Hmm, it could have quite drastic consequences for me personally, as well as politically for
Father and Ásgarðr."

"I see. What would I need to do?"

"This spell is consent based, so you would need to assent, verbally, to what I say and the
conditions behind it."

"I-" Livunn began, ere she hesitated. "This sounds very important, not something I would
wish to make a mistake on accidentally. This oath will fully prevent it?"

"Aye. I would not ask this of you if I did not need to make some important changes to what I
do in here, to ensure the injury I had before does not recur."
Loki was not looking forward to spending part of his time in his jötunn form, but he could
understand the importance of it. Experiencing another core injury was not something he
wished for ever again, particularly not given what could happen if he were not so fortunate as
before. Simply the reminder of the madness he had sensed within Loptr was enough to
overcome any hesitation he may have had.

"Then, of course, I will consent to it," Livunn stated.

One thing Loki could not complain of after finally being allowed to return to his chambers,
was of being either lonely or ignored. Either his mother or Thor seemed to visit him at least
once a day. He also had the occasional other visitor who dropped by to politely inquire after
his health.

They were the ones who might otherwise have done so by coming by his study, but as he had
none... well they had elected to do this instead.

If he were feeling entirely well, it might have annoyed Loki for it would have interfered with
his studies or solitude, yet at present he appreciated it and knew the value of graciously
accepting the attention. It would go away soon enough, no doubt.

Today, however, 'twas simply his mother and Thor who had come by to have lunch, with
Óðinn expected soon. Though other servants had attempted to come in to aid Livunn, he had
barred them from his chambers. He did not need strangers snooping around his personal
space.

"Ugh," Thor complained as he tasted his mackerel. "It has no harkish on it."

"Harkish is quite aversive to the jötnar," Frigga replied. "'Tis one of several items Lady Hlín
has told your brother not to eat."

"Oh," Thor mumbled, looking stricken.

"We did not know," Loki reassured. "'Tis hardly your fault for liking it."

"Prince Thor," Livunn said, offering a shaker. "The kitchens did send this up."

"Ah, excellent," Thor took it before looking back up. "It will not bother you?"

"Nay, the smell of it has never bothered me," Loki replied.

'Twas not one he particularly liked, but 'twas probably due to the scent having combined with
his reaction to eating it. It would not actually cause him any discomfort beyond a bit of a bad
smell.

"How do you feel about dining in the Great Hall tonight?" Frigga inquired. "There are many
who would be pleased to see you for themselves."

Before, Loki would have thought her projecting her own thoughts onto others, but not now.
Loki had experienced enough of people's concern lately to know 'twas genuine.
"Hmm," he replied. "It would be good to move back to a normal routine."

"Ergo, we shall not see him before noon unless Father holds an early Council meeting," Thor
proclaimed cheerfully.

Loki scowled at his brother, feeling tempted to flick some of his food at him, but he would
not do so before Frigga.

A caw made Loki look over at where the dining chamber merged into the living chamber,
which had a balcony overlooking the sea and, beyond that, the stars and space. Otherwise
known as the Void, and Loki could not help but wonder how Loptr had dealt with that.

Or if he never had.

Muninn flew into his chambers and Loki's eyebrows rose in surprise.

What was she doing here?

"Muninn?" Thor inquired, startled. "Is Father alright?"

What his brother expected her to do, Loki did not know, but Muninn trailed a claw through
his blond hair as she passed over him.

"Hey!" Thor protested, reaching up, but she was already out of his reach.

"Afternoon, Muninn," Loki said aloud, voice rife with amusement.

"Mischief godling," she replied.

Loki scowled at her, making his mother bite her lip. "What are you doing here anyway?" he
questioned. "Go pester Óðinn."

"She still speaks with you then?" Frigga inquired.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed, not taking his eyes from Muninn.

She had landed in the middle of the table and hopped towards his plate.

"What did she say?" Thor inquired.

"Well?" Loki persisted, ignoring his brother.

"I am hungry," Muninn replied, tilting her head to eye his plate. "And your mackerel looks
very tasty."

Loki's eyebrows flew upwards again in disbelief, before he smiled. "You came here begging
for food?"

"Mackerel like that is hard to find and Óðinn no longer shares his," Muninn replied.

"And you believe I will?"

There had to be something more to this, as it seemed so unlike Muninn. Oh, Loki had no
doubt she enjoyed mackerel, even cooked as 'twas, or that Óðinn might have opted to stop
feeding them if Muninn and Huginn had begun to beg for it too often, but there was
something more to this. She seemed almost... eager.

Rather pointedly, Loki moved his mackerel closer to him on his plate with his fork.

"What gave you that impression?" Loki inquired.

"Óðinn comes here even now," Muninn began. "And it would be such a pity if my beak were
not full enough to keep something from slipping."

Loki blinked before he threw his head back and laughed. She was attempting to bribe him!
When he glanced back at her a moment later, she stood tall and her tail feathers wagged
slightly from side to side, already savoring her presumed victory.

With a final chuckle, Loki speared his mackerel and tossed it towards her. Muninn rose up to
snatch it from the air and immediately flew off with her prize.

"Loki," Mother intoned, aiming for stern, but he could see the amusement dancing in her
eyes.

"She deserved it," he replied, even as he took the plate of mackerel Livunn handed him.
"'Twas quite clever."

And totally untrue, but Loki was willing to overlook that for the devious nature of it. He
himself had oft enough utilized such opportunities to be unable but to admire Muninn's use of
this particular one. Why should they allow them to pass unused, even if they would have
done nothing had they not worked? 'Twas not his fault if Thor or others had never dared to
call his bluff before. Besides, 'twas worth it to curry Muninn's good will and favor even
without the secret she knew, as 'twas clear at least one of Óðinn's ravens was still going to
speak to him.

"Dare I ask?" Thor questioned, clearly amused.

"Nay," Loki replied, for his brother would not like the answer.

None of them would.

"Hello, Óðinn," Frigga greeted as Father entered the chamber.

"I am sorry I am late," Óðinn said. "I was held up."

Livunn had already set a plate for the All-Father, so 'twas the work of only a few minutes to
get Óðinn settled with all he needed.

"I cannot recall us all having eaten here before," Thor said.

"Hmm, I do not believe we have," Loki agreed.

"Mayhap next time we need to ensure the balcony doors are closed," Frigga suggested.

"Oh?" Óðinn inquired.

"Muninn managed to convince Loki to give her his mackerel," she explained.

Óðinn laughed, glancing up at Loki. "She is still speaking with you?"

"'Tis the first time since the end of my regency and 'twas to beg for food, so we will see,"
Loki replied. "It may only be when she desires something."

"She has ever liked you," Frigga observed.

Loki could not help it, he laughed.

"Brother?" Thor inquired.

"She may have admitted part of that was due to how it confounded Father when she did so."

Both Mother and Thor laughed while Óðinn merely shook his head, though he seemed
amused.

"She has always been quite eccentric," Óðinn said.

"I distinctly recall you utilizing other words to describe her," Frigga teased, making Óðinn
look uncomfortable.

"She was being a nuisance!" Óðinn defended.

"That, at least, I did not have to deal with," Loki commented. "The worst were Huginn's
smoldering feathers after a trip to Múspellsheimr."

"How did you heal him then?" Thor inquired. "You always claim to not excel at it."

"I thought it."

"You thought it?"

"Huginn is thought, dear," Frigga explained. "So thinking of healing will help him far more
than what Loki is capable of doing physically."

"Even if he does not know how?"

"Aye."

"As king you bond with both Huginn and Muninn," Óðinn explained. "Thus, Ásgarðr's seiðr
becomes involved."

"Ah," Thor replied and cast a quick glance at him.

Loki had to resist rolling his eyes. Clearly, he would be on the receiving end of more
questions on this later, but he did not mind. 'Twas not oft Thor wished for him to explain
anything regarding seiðr.

"Loki will be dining with us in the Great Hall tonight," Frigga said after a moment of
companionable silence.

"Ah," Óðinn replied, suddenly looking more tense. "Excellent."

Loki felt his stomach drop. Was this not good? Did the All-Father not wish for him to be
there?

"Loki," Frigga admonished, giving him a look.

What? Something was not right, that much Loki knew for certain, otherwise Óðinn's
demeanor would not have changed.

"Livunn, could we please have some privacy?" Frigga asked.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Livunn curtsied before looking to Loki. "I shall be dusting the
study."

Loki acknowledged her before his eyes met his brother's equally mystified ones.

"As Loki has not been out of his chambers much, this has not arisen earlier," Óðinn began.
"But, there will be some alterations to our usual routines in light of his regency."

Oh.

Oh.

Loki felt his eyes go wide and his jaw drop in shock as he realized what Óðinn meant. While
'twas proper protocol, he had never expected the All-Father to follow it, as the man had not
so many other things when it came to Loki.

That he was... Loki felt joy and pride swell within him as it meant his actions would be
honored and remembered, rather than simply cast aside or forgotten.

"Changes? What changes?" Thor inquired, confused and... did his brother sound uneasy?

A quick glance over and, aye, Loki could detect nervousness in Thor's eyes. So much for his
brother never feeling it.

Still, Loki joked only to cover his own unease. Thor had always lorded his superior position
over Loki whenever he could and his brother had so clearly chafed at Loki's leadership, so to
now still be publicly placed below him? He dreaded to think how Thor would react. Loki had
to force himself not to tense up. They were in his chambers and he would not be intimidated
here, where he held all of the power. Nor while their parents were present and would both be
on his side, for once.
"Thor, dear, your brother's regency has affected his status," Frigga explained.

"Of course," Thor replied blithely. "He has now proven himself not only to Ásgarðr, but
before all of the Nine as well."

As he spoke, his brother glanced back at him and so Loki saw it the moment Thor understood
what Óðinn and Frigga meant. There was shock, dismay and the beginnings of anger, and
Loki could not help it, his shoulders twitched back.

Thor's eyes tracked the movement and the next instant Loki saw something soften in his
brother's eyes.

"Loki," Thor implored, reaching for him with a hand. "I am not angry or annoyed with you,
merely at my own carelessness and stupidity."

'Twas surprisingly insightful of Thor, and Loki took his hand. He could only hope this was a
sign of true growth in his brother and not merely a temporary improvement due to recent
events. That he had witnessed only all too often before, but this time the consequences would
not be temporary or fleeting, nor would the Warriors Idiot be there to negatively influence his
brother.

"Very good, Thor," Óðinn praised, before his eye moved to Loki. "As former regent, the place
on my right is now yours."

'Twas a great honor and a very public acknowledgement and validation of his actions yet,
despite that, Loki could not help but see the downsides to it as well. For it placed him away
from his mother during ceremonies and public events, and instead put him at Óðinn's side.
Not an improvement as far as he was concerned. Still, it came with the status and public
recognition he had so long craved. He would simply have to move closer to Mother once the
meal had ended and whatever entertainment had been obtained commenced.

"Aye, Father," Loki acknowledged, knowing it would be far more than merely a seat at the
high table in the Great Hall.

There would be other situations and occasions, not the least of which was the power to
countermand any order or command given by Thor.

It meant his brother could no longer demand he do things as Thor had so oft before, when
frustrated or annoyed with him.

The knowledge sent a thrill of power through him even if it had never truly been his goal to
attain this particular position. He had only ever sought to be seen as his brother's equal, but
this would be good for Thor. Even if Loki never abused the power, simply living with the
knowledge it could be, should teach his brother a valuable lesson for when Thor was king.

'Twas easy not to realize what it felt like to have to live with that if you had never
experienced it before yourself.
Chapter End Notes

Things are moving a little faster now, but I hope I'm still addressing all the big points
people wanted to see. The scene with Livunn wasn't any longer as I didn't want to repeat
the one with Yngvarr in the healing gardens. Plus, given their different statuses, it
wouldn't quite have the same impact. Not to mention that Loki's already in a better place
to receive a non-negative reaction to what he was before.

As for Muninn... well, she's Muninn and decided this all on her own. She wanted
mackerel, so she did what she needed in order to get some mackerel. She and Loki as
quite alike in this way.

I've been better about posting to my blog again this past week. Including on
NaNoWriMo, 'dangerous' books and an unexpected new story idea. I have also spoken a
bit more about the process of working on a fic like this one, including showing a site I
use as part of my research. It's all related to the sequel and prequel of this fic.

Finally, quite a little while ago, someone asked for permission in the comments to do
some kind of audio related piece to this fic and I meant to go back and reply to that
comment. Unfortunately, it slipped my mind for a while and now I can't remember the
words used enough to find the comment back. If you posted that comment, or know
what I mean, please repeat the question or flag the comment for me. Thanks!

Old Norse:

bjórr - beer or similar sweet alcoholic beverage (alternatively beaver - don't ask, I have
no clue!)
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðkona - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + kona (“woman”) - i.e.
witch/sorceress/mage
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
Valaskjálf - one of Óðinn's halls, the room with Hliðskjálf – i.e. the throne room
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"

Up next week: The feast, Loki and Thor question Vé on Bestla, Loki's new study & a
family evening in...

A warning, this next chapter will be the last that is over 5,000 words!
 Chapter 91
Chapter Notes

Hello, everyone, we're into the final stretch now!

Third to last chapter it is...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The evening feast was one of the most surreal Loki had ever attended, only his first as king
truly compared. Not only was he seated in Thor's usual place, but he felt eyes on him
throughout the feast.

Was this what it had been like to be Thor? To always be so closely observed? His every move
scrutinized? How had it not driven Thor mad centuries ago?

Well, that answer Loki did actually know. His brother could be an oblivious oaf half the time.
Besides, if he had never been judged and found wanting, then mayhap it had never made
Thor self-conscious?

"Loki?"

Óðinn's voice drew him from his thoughts and he looked to the All-Father.

"Hmm?"

"Is everything alright?" Óðinn asked. "You seem disquieted."

'Twas an odd comment to receive from Óðinn, and a quick glance past his adoptive father
proved he had Frigga's attention too, though she was attempting not to make it obvious for
everyone.

"It feels... strange to be seated here," Loki replied quietly, to ensure his voice did not carry.
"Especially with you awake once more and all of the attention."

"You are as visible here as beside your mother."

The confusion in Óðinn's voice was plain and Loki wondered at it. Surely, the All-Father
could not be so unaware? Could he? It seemed unthinkable, but he could not fathom why
Óðinn would pretend otherwise either.

"Being visible and being seen are two very different things," Loki replied.

He would not say more, not here before all.

The frown on Óðinn's face made it clear he did not understand, but, thankfully, his adoptive
father elected not to query it further now.

The rest of the meal passed amicably, with Loki receiving many queries as to his health and
polite inquiries as to how he had been injured. He was able to parry the latter quite easily as
'twas clear no one dared push too hard with Óðinn so near, thus Loki half wondered why they
even tried. He did not have a reputation for gossiping. Still, mayhap they had hoped some
flattery would loosen his lips. If so, they were much mistaken.

'Twas not until Loki lifted his drinking horn to find it nearly empty, that he realized the
servant had not been as diligent in topping it up as he should have been.

A slight twist in his seat was all it took for him to meet the man's eyes. Loki raised an
eyebrow and the flush which cross the man's face was surprising, as was the way his eyes
darted to the back of Óðinn's chair.

So, not an oversight then, but a deliberate action.

"Father," Loki intoned, carefully keeping the scowl which wished to cross his face contained.

He did not need this to become a spectacle for everyone.

"Aye?" Óðinn frowned, glancing at him.

"Why is my alcohol restricted?" Loki demanded.

Was this because of his age? It would be highly hypocritical, as Thor had been imbibing
copiously since his minor majority.

"You are still recovering from a major injury," Óðinn replied. "'Tis wise to be cautious."

Not his age then, at least not that the All-Father would admit.

All other thoughts were derailed as Óðinn placed a hand over his. Loki's eyes immediately
darted towards the connection. Other than during their healing sessions, he was not
accustomed to being touched by his adoptive father. 'Twas something he had noticed long
ago; how he seemed to be exempted from Óðinn's easy touches, or at least so they seemed as
far as Thor was concerned. He had to admit, he had wondered after discovering the truth if
that had not been why.

"Please?" Óðinn continued, clearly taking his silence for indecision.

It did bring up the question of how he should take this. Part of him felt touched as it implied
worry on Óðinn's part for his health, and how long had it been since he had seen it expressed
thusly? Still, at the same time, he also felt annoyance and anger at having his actions and
decisions curtailed. He wished to protest he was not a child, but the way Mother Winter was
cooing at him told him 'twas a childish reaction.

"Fine," Loki grumbled.

He put down his drinking horn and glanced at his goblet, pleased to find it filled with jojo
juice. At least someone had thought enough not to simply give him the normal grapefruit.

Ásgarðr was laughing at him as Loki took a sip of his juice, so he playfully poked her with
his seiðr. The way Óðinn startled beside him made him look over in surprise, swallowing.

"Óðinn?" Frigga inquired, softly.

"I... the Óðinnforce reacted oddly," the All-Father replied.

Loki blinked, biting his lower lip as a suspicion formed in the back of his mind. The
amusement rolling off Ásgarðr made him quite certain he was correct, so he reached out with
his seiðr and did it again.

The way Óðinn's shoulders stiffened, told Loki he had been correct. His adoptive father could
feel it on some level when he teased Ásgarðr. The implications of that were far too varied and
complex to contemplate now, so he brushed them aside in favor of smothering a laugh.

"Loki," Frigga intoned, switching her focus from Óðinn to him.

Since they were now attracting more attention from others at the high table, including Thor
who was leaning forward to look, Loki allowed a large smile to cross his face, taking on an
impish expression.

"What?" he questioned with fake innocence. "'Tis simply a little fun."

Thor snorted and shook his head even as there were chuckles from others at the table.

"Someone is clearly feeling better," Lady Rán commented.

Loki glanced over to find genuine relief on her face, and those of some of the others.

Interesting, as he would not have expected it of all of them. He supposed 'twas harder to
dislike someone after having come so close to actually losing them.

"Well, one of us must ensure Father is able to relax a little," Loki replied, doubting he would
have been the only one to notice how tense Óðinn had been as of late.

Quite naturally, of course, but it provided a convenient excuse for his mischief.

"Do you know what else would induce me to relax?" Óðinn inquired, placing a hand on
Loki's vambrace as he had elected to wear one of his armors this evening, wishing for the
extra reassurance.

"Nay," Loki responded, already knowing he would not like it.

"Less work, and, given you have now proven yourself so completely, mayhap I should
increase your royal duties."
Loki groaned and pulled a face, even as most around the table chuckled. A quick glance at
Frigga showed she would be no help as she too was smiling. The only sympathy he received
was from Thor. Though the glance he received from Lieutenant-General Yngvarr, seated
further down the table, was rife with the knowledge Óðinn was teasing. Did the man know of
jötnar ages or was it simply a better awareness of the All-Father due to all of the long hours
spent observing him?

The chiming of his wards told Loki he had a visitor, but the way they did so also alerted him
to the fact that 'twas someone he had allowed to enter without requiring extra permission, so
he resisted the urge to shift back into his æsir skin. It had taken him a while, but he had
finally forced himself back into his birth form since he knew that if he did not do so soon, he
would find further excuses not to. While he hated doing it, he did not wish to endanger
himself thus.

"Loki?" Thor's voice called as his brother came through the antechamber. "Are you in?"

"Aye," Loki responded, bracing himself for what Thor's reaction might be.

While his brother had seen him in his jötunn skin before when in the healing halls, this would
be a chance for him to witness Thor's reaction to catching him thus unexpectedly.

"Why is it so cold in he-" Thor cut off as he entered the living area and caught sight of him.

Surprise was the first emotion to blossom across Thor's expressive face, but Loki was startled
that 'twas not followed by any negative emotions. Instead, his brother's brow furrowed in
confusion.

"I assume Mother and Father did not mention they wish for me to become more accustomed
with my birth form?" Loki questioned as he shifted back, allowing the chamber to warm to a
more comfortable temperature for his brother.

"Nay, though I can understand why they would wish you to."

That had never been in doubt.

"What brings you by today?" Loki asked, curious.

Was his brother bored once more?

"I have been attempting to find a tome in the library which will allow us to determine
precisely how Grandmother was related to Laufey, but I have not been successful," Thor
replied. "I even requested Lady Dagrún's aid and we were still unable to find anything."

'Twas not terribly surprising given the status of æsir-jötnar relations, yet Loki had hoped
Bestla's position as Ásgarðr's queen might have provided enough impetus for someone to
have obtained information on that connection, at least. Alas, 'twas not to be.

"Shall we ask Father?" Thor suggested.

Loki shook his head. "Nay, I believe if he knew of the connection, he would have mentioned
it already while I was in the healing halls."

"So, there is nothing we can do then."

"Nay, I think we should ask Uncles Vili or Vé of it."

"You believe they may know when Father does not?"

"Father would have had to focus more on becoming king, while they would have had more
time for other interests," Loki began. "Besides, something they said during my regency
indicated they may have paid more attention to Bestla's stories of Jötunheimr. Mayhap, her
connection to the royal family was among such information."

"I believe Uncle Vé is in his study today, if you feel able to walk there and back?" Thor
questioned.

Loki wished he could scowl, but he had felt tired far more easily lately, even if his health was
improving day on day. "So long as we do not rush, and I am able to sit while with Uncle Vé."

"We can use some of the back passages to shorten the journey."

For once, his brother seemed to remember the need for a slower pace, and Loki was able to
focus on greeting those whom he had not yet seen since his illness became known. 'Twas
surprising how many they ran into when he could normally make his way along the corridors
virtually unseen. He supposed 'twas a drawback to having his skills and talents valued more.
He could not regret it, though, as once his seiðr was fully restored, he would simply be able
to teleport or render himself invisible should he wish to avoid anyone.

"Uncle Vé?" Thor called out, opening the study door even as he knocked on it.

"Ah, Thor, and Loki, please enter," Uncle Vé replied, motioning them towards the chairs
before his desk. "How are you doing, Loki?"

"Better," he smiled, glad to be seated.

"Good, I am pleased to hear it."

"We have a question for you, Uncle," Thor said.

"Oh?"

"Lady Hlín mentioned Grandmother was related to the jötunn royal family," Loki began.
"And we were curious how closely this connected us to Laufey."

"Ah, aye," Uncle Vé replied, shaking his head a little. "I forgot how close Mother was to
Lady Hlín. 'Tis true they was technically a member of the royal family, but not a close
contender to the throne. The jötnar tend to have larger families, 'tis why I am here, since
Father would likely have stopped after Vili."
"Larger?" Loki questioned, frowning. "Laufey only has two children."

"'Tis quite unusual, actually. Unless I am mistaken, I believe the average jötunn family has
five or six children."

Five or six?

Loki shared a startled glance with Thor. He did not wish to contemplate having so many
siblings! Though, he supposed, it meant there was likely always someone to be with if a
situation arose.

"So why did Laufey have only two?" Thor inquired.

Uncle Vé shrugged. "I do not know. Mother never particularly liked speaking of them, even
before they ascended to the throne. I believe there was some tension in the family regarding
them, and the whispers and rumors which escaped Jötunheimr during the early portion of
their reign were not pleasant."

"Lord Kvasir mentioned there are jötnar on Álfheimr, dissidents from what I understood,"
Loki said.

"Aye, I have heard of them."

"So he is not much loved?" Thor asked.

"They," Uncle Vé corrected, and Loki felt his stomach lurch.

Did Thor know about that?

"Ah, I... uh, had forgotten about that," Thor replied, clearly uncomfortable.

Loki winced, though he was immensely pleased his brother did not immediately look towards
him.

"But to answer your question, nay, I do not believe Laufey has been the most popular of
kings," Uncle Vé continued.

"What of Grandmother?" Loki tried to redirect the conversation. "How were they related to
Laufey?"

"I can never remember the proper terminology once you are past cousins," Uncle Vé
admitted, even as he rose to his feet. "But I can show you."

With that, Uncle Vé walked over to one of his bookshelves and ran his finger over the spines
of several of the books there, until he evidently found the one he was looking for, pulling it
out.

"This has an extended family tree which Mother updated to include us," Uncle Vé said,
walking back towards them.
"Why do you say mother instead of dam?" Loki asked, curious.

"Father insisted that, as we were on Ásgarðr, we had to use æsir terminology."

That... it felt wrong to Loki, though he could see why a king might wish to ensure his
children and heirs were grounded in Ásgarðr's traditions. Still, it bothered him as 'twas a lost
opportunity to help integrate with another Realm and to better understand their culture.
Surely, 'twas a good trait for a future ruler to have? He had definitely enjoyed learning of
Vanaheimr and vanir customs from Mother.

Had he only been able to do so as he was not the intended heir?

"Ah, here 'tis," Uncle Vé said, placing the book on the edge of the desk between Loki and
Thor.

"You spoke truth in calling it extended," Thor said, eyes wide.

The family tree stretched across the full two pages, and many of the families of the king's
siblings were abbreviated with references to other pages for further details. Except for one
spot where someone had clearly gone back in afterwards and added in further information on
this page. It had Bestla's name as well as Borr's, and those of their three children. Reaching
forwards, Loki placed one finger on Bestla's name and used another to trace back up the tree
to the firstborn sibling of their... parent. From there he went back down until he reached
Laufey, where this family tree ended. Clearly, it had been drawn before the king's marriage to
Fárbauti.

"Hmm, Bestla is what, Laufey's cousin?" Loki checked.

"Aye," Thor agreed. "Which makes them what to Laufey's children?"

"I have no idea."

"I have it," Uncle Vé spoke up, standing back at the far side of the study, with another book
in his hands. "Helblindi or Býleistr would be first cousins once removed from Mother, twice
from me, and thus thrice from you."

"I thought I had heard of first cousins twice removed being further apart once," Loki
frowned.

"In the case of an ascendant cousins it would be, but we are speaking of descendant cousins."

He blinked, watching Thor open his mouth to query it further ere stopping with a frown. "I
am confused."

Loki laughed. "So am I. Still, the connection is quite close with Laufey and Grandmother."

"But do the ages line up?"

"The jötnar age differently," Uncle Vé muttered, his back to them. "They live twice as long as
we do."
Since he was looking, Loki could see the shock blossom across Thor's face at those words,
ere his brother's eyes snapped to look at him. He frowned, had no one informed Thor of this?
He was certain his brother knew he was still underage. Had this detail been forgotten in that
conversation?

"Twice as long?" Thor whispered, voice a strange mix of horror and disbelief.

"Hmm," Loki confirmed.

'Twas something which he had not yet given much thought to. He had simply not been able
to. Knowing he would outlive Thor and everyone else he knew by so much... Nay, he could
not focus on that too at present.

"Ah, Loki," Óðinn said as he looked up to find his youngest entering his study. "Perfect
timing."

"Oh?" Loki questioned, walking towards his desk.

"I have something to show you," he rose to his feet and came around the desk to meet his son.
"We will need to step out for it."

"Am I to know what this is?"

"Nay, I believe seeing it will work better."

As he was observing his son as closely as he was, Óðinn caught the slight frown and flicker
of confusion which crossed Loki's face. Clearly, Óðinn was not behaving as expected.

"What I can say, is that I am rectifying a wrong," Óðinn continued, while they stepped out
into the corridor.

"A wrong?" Loki tried again.

Óðinn smiled as he merely indicated for his son to follow him. The old advisor study had
been thoroughly cleaned and aired, and now awaited only its furniture and decorations to be
fully complete.

"Father," his son tried again.

"'Tis right here," Óðinn replied, indicating the intricately carved double doors. "See for
yourself."

With another little frown, Loki turned towards the doors and opened them. Though Óðinn
could no longer see his son's face, he could hear the sharp intake of breath as Loki stepped in
and caught sight of the large banner Thor had recommended he display in the study. It hung
on the far wall, behind where the desk would soon go, and currently dominated the chamber
as 'twas the only thing which was not the gold of the floor and walls.

"I..." Loki trailed off as he stepped further into the study, turning to take it all in.
"What do you think?" Óðinn inquired. "Is it a study which would please you?"

"'Tis very large."

Already, the surprise and wonder were vanishing from Loki's face, closing off behind a far
more neutral mask, and Óðinn mentally cursed. Frigga's voice was whispering in his mind,
though, warning him of how their youngest felt right now and how they would have to slowly
- painstakingly - rebuilt Loki's trust in them, which had been hopelessly shattered.

"It has long been the study of the king's chief advisor," Óðinn explained.

"Did Lord Ragnvaldr not care for it?"

"Nay, my uncle was still using it when I became king, and I did not wish to ask him to vacate
it. After he stepped down, Ragnvaldr felt no need to move."

"And Thor did not wish for it?" Loki inquired.

Óðinn bit back a sigh of frustration. Could his son not be happy with the offer? Did Loki
truly need to question it thus? Was it to find fault?

Rather than reply immediately, he took a moment to breathe, recollecting all Frigga had
warned him of how Loki was likely to react to their initial attempts to heal the breach
between them. He knew only all too well how sharp their youngest's tongue could be when
Loki sought to hurt, and this was not that. Óðinn should be grateful for it, even if 'twas not
the easy joy and acceptance of the offer he had hoped it might be.

Still, he had no one to blame but himself for the rift in their relationship and, clearly, Frigga
was not the only one who thought so. If Ragnvaldr had noticed a disparity between how he
treated Thor and Loki, then 'twas clear he was treating them differently, even if it had never
been his intention. Ergo, he had to be calm and not allow his son to rouse his temper or turn
the situation into an argument, as Loki seemed to wish for.

Truth had been Frigga's strongest suggestion, even if he might not see the need for all the
information Loki sought. Truth and acknowledgement of any wrongs he might have
inadvertently inflicted.

"It does not overlook the training fields," Óðinn replied.

Loki snorted. "Of course, he would wish to view those."

"Loki, do you not like it?" he tried. "You do not need to take this study if you do not wish to.
There are many others to choose from, but I thought it befitting of your new station given its
location and that 'tis larger than any of the others save mine."

Both facts he would have thought Loki would enjoy. Its proximity to his own study would
also make it easier for Óðinn to ensure he spent more time with his youngest, or to obtain his
opinion on a matter of state.

"Nay, I would like it," Loki finally replied. "I am merely surprised."
"I was truthful when I said before I had always intended to give you your own study. This
one will also suit your station when you become Thor's advisor."

The way his son's eyes darted to look at him was odd, and Óðinn had to fight not to frown.
Now what?

Before he could question it, though, Loki glanced back at the banner hanging on the wall.
Óðinn wished to question his son but was not certain Loki would speak of it. He would need
to see if Frigga could guess as to why those words might have had an effect on their son.
Instead, he chose to focus on the banner. It had been strange to view it when it had been
brought in here, since he had only ever seen those of his father and grandfather before his
own had been made. The work, however, was exquisite, particularly given the short notice
the ceremonial tailors would have had to create it.

"Hanging it there was Thor's suggestion," Óðinn said.

"Thor's?"

"Aye, he had seen it after the negotiations. It seemed a pity not to make more use of it, given
all the hard work which went into creating it."

"I had planned to see if I could acquire it after you awoke."

Good, then at least they had done one thing correctly.

"Feel free to move it should you wish for something else to hang there," Óðinn said,
carefully, not wanting Loki to think he expected it to be there if his son hoped to do
something else with the banner. "And Lady Borgunna knows to expect you regarding
furnishings. I did not know what you might prefer."

"Such as a firepit?"

Óðinn groaned as he recalled the monstrosity his eldest had installed in his study.

"Do not worry, Father, I did not mean it," Loki smiled.

"I hoped not. I also expect to find more books on your shelves than in your brother's study."

"Hmm, it also gives me a place for some of the gifts I received while in the healing halls."

"And the ice fox pelt?" Óðinn carefully asked.

Loki inclined his head. "It can easily adorn one of the settees or sofas here."

The easy answer was a relief to Óðinn, even if it made him wonder what might have caused
Loki's relapse in his own study if the pelt was not the issue, for he doubted it would be
completely resolved in so short a time.
Thor shivered as he poured two horns of his father's best mead. He had not anticipated
Mother would ask for Loki to shift once all of the servants had been dismissed after dinner,
and thus he had dressed as normal for a private evening with his family. 'Twas something he
would need to anticipate in the future, since Mother seemed determined to acclimatize Loki
to his birth form as soon as possible.

Not that he could argue with her reasoning.

This time, Thor shivered in horror as he once more saw his brother collapsing before his very
eyes. He took a large swallow of mead, and immediately topped up his horn once more, ere
putting the mead away.

"Frigga!" Father protested, even as Thor turned around.

"'Tis true," Mother insisted from where she sat on the settee furthest from the fireplace.

The fire had been doused, but the residual heat would likely still be felt by Loki when his
brother returned, so Mother had chosen to sit far from it. No doubt hoping Loki would join
her as his brother was still wont to do. Thor could easily recall the days he had oft perched
beside his mother as well, but, as he had grown, he had desired the dignity of joining Father
in claiming one of the armchairs instead.

"Father," Thor said, offering him one of the horns.

"My thanks," Father replied, taking a sip and relaxing back. "I have been looking forward to
this all day, since the petitions this morning."

Thor winced at the words, still easily able to recall those Loki had forced him to attend
immediately after he had regained his powers. Sneaky little trickster, maneuvering him thus.

"Where is Loki?" Mother inquired, with a small frown.

"Here."

His brother's voice preceded Loki into the chamber and Thor blinked in surprise at his
brother's attire. Or rather, Loki's lack of attire.

Much as the jötnar they had seen on Jötunheimr, his brother wore only trousers, and loose
cotton ones rather than the leather they both normally preferred.

"I had to return to my chambers as I was still too warm in what I had intended to wear," Loki
explained, his movements clearly indicating his discomfort as he approached them.

Still too warm? 'Twas all Thor could do not to shiver in response, but he suppressed it. He did
not wish to make his brother feel any worse than he clearly already was. Nor was Thor
oblivious to the tentative show of trust Loki was giving them by displaying his discomfort as
plainly as he was. Once, it would have been a pittance of trust to act thus, but now Thor knew
better, and they all still had much to atone for when it came to Loki.

"We can cool the chamber further," Mother offered.

"Nay, I am fine now," Loki replied, shaking his head.

The action drew Thor's attention back to his brother's hair, in its new, longer style.

"I still cannot believe you thought to alter your hair at such a tumultuous time," Thor teased
as Loki joined mother, much to her obvious pleasure.

Mother laughed. "'Twas the perfect time to do so; a very politically astute move."

"Aye," Father agreed with a sage nod. "It will serve to remind people of his regency
whenever he wears his hair long."

Oh, Thor had not considered it thus. He had assumed it had to do with his brother's vanity,
since Loki had oft taken far more time than him in his appearance. The next few thoughts
were unflattering to them both, though he could now hear how even in his mind they were
almost spoken in Sif's voice.

Had he truly allowed what his friends thought of Loki to influence how he saw his brother to
such a great extent?

So much of it seemed almost stupid now, as Thor watched Mother reach out to run a hand
through Loki's hair and how his brother almost seemed to melt into the touch. Indeed, if
anything was odd about the picture before him, 'twas that Loki had elected to sit so far apart
from Mother. He had his answer a moment later when Loki twisted ere laying back to rest his
head in Mother's lap with a mischievous little smile, eyes closing with a hum as her fingers
immediately moved to cart through his longer tresses, exploring.

Both Thor and Father chuckled at the sight before them, making one red eye open to glance
at them, before it slid shut once more.

"Comfortable?" Father inquired with a laugh.

"Hmm, verily," Loki replied, shifting slightly ere raising his long legs and throwing them
over the side of the settee.

Thor snorted as he shook his head. Clearly, his brother was not planning on moving anytime
soon, not that Mother seemed to mind in the slightest.

"Was there anything unusual about the petitions to make them so trying today?" Mother
asked, after a few moments of silence.

"Nay," Father replied. "There were simply far more of them. I believe people wished to visit
Iðavöllr and witness for themselves that all is well once more."

"You gave everyone quite a fright."

Even Thor could easily recall his fear and concern when his friends had informed him of his
father's collapse when they came to Miðgarðr.

"You are lucky you did not tumble down the stairs," Loki uttered.
The startled look on Father's face told Thor he had not been the only one not to have
considered this, but 'twas true nevertheless.

Father had just opened his mouth to reply, when he was cut off by a... was that a purr?

Thor turned back to face his mother and brother, only to find a startled expression on her face
even as Loki's eyes opened to look up at her. Then an amused look crossed Mother's face and,
as Thor watched, she reached out and ran a finger over the... kin lines on his brother's
forehead.

This time, Thor was absolutely certain what he heard was a purr, and a rather ecstatic one too.
What?

"Feel good?" Mother questioned.

"Hmm, do not stop," Loki replied, eyes sliding shut once more.

Finally over his surprise, Thor could not help it; he laughed. Not at his brother's demand, as
he was used to Loki being quite forthright when it came to demanding that which he enjoyed,
but at the entire scenario itself. Mother had told him to be careful of his brother's kin lines
since they were supposed to be sensitive, but he had not imagined Loki would react thus.

"You look like a giant kimbla cat, Brother," Thor teased. "And sound like one, too," he added
at the next rumbling purr.

Without looking, Loki's nearest hand flicked at him, and Thor yelped as a wave of icy cold
washed over him, icing up his hair and beard.

"Loki," Mother admonished, lightly slapping his brother's shoulder with her free hand.

"I am merely practicing the fine control of my jötunn abilities," Loki replied, face pure
innocence.

At least to himself, Thor could admit to being envious of this particular ability of his brother.
He knew well he could not disguise his guilt at his actions when confronted with them, even
when Mother did not possess the proof of his guilt as she had here of Loki's.

Beside him, Father laughed and shook his head, no doubt at the sheer gall of his brother and
Thor muttered under his breath. It caused Loki to glance over at him, mischief dancing in
those strange red eyes which Thor was only just beginning to become accustomed to. The
challenge was clear, though, all the more so when his brother wiggled his fingers and a small
ball of ice formed in the air above them.

Before Thor could even think to reply, Mother leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the
Crown of Jötunheimr. Immediately, his brother's eyes went unfocused and the ice ball fell to
the carpet, rolling away.

Thor roared with laughter, hearing his father echo his sentiment as he threw his head back.
Oh, he would have to see if he could divert his brother as easily via his kin lines later! When
he glanced back, Loki shook his head to clear it before giving Mother a disgruntled glance.
 "Have I told you today that I love you?" she responded, sweetly.

"Mother!"

Chapter End Notes

A few different scenes, tying up some loose ends, though I hope it didn't feel rushed. I
realize I missed the mark a bit with the Livunn revelation scene.

The scene about Bestla's relationship to Laufey was only possible by looking up
examples because, like Thor and Loki, I get hopelessly lost with the namings once you
get past cousins. I really wish there wasn't an ascendant and descendant thing as that
would make it all so much easier!

Of all these scenes, the last was my favorite. I had the visual of that interaction in my
head for so long before I got to it, that I was sorely tempted to write it many months
before I did. But I managed to resist in this particular case, only sketching out the scene
instead of writing it out early!

Oh, and don't forget, I already warned you the next chapter will be rather short. Sorry,
it's just how it fell out.

Old Norse:

seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
Iðavöllr - a meeting place of the gods - my name for the palace
jötnar - "frost giants"
jötunn - "frost giant"
æsir - the gods of the principal pantheon in Norse religion - so Ásgarðrians here
vanir - one of two groups of gods, from Vanaheimr

Up next week: Óðinn confronts Loki and Týr about some of the changes they
implemented...
 Chapter 92
Chapter Notes

The penultimate chapter! I really can't believe that we're finally here. Or that next
weekend will be the end of posting this fic!

It'll feel odd not posting updates to it after that.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

From the moment Loki heard Óðinn's voice bid him enter the king's study, he knew
something was wrong. 'Twas filled with the barely controlled anger he knew well but had not
heard personally since his regency. He entered, his trepidation rising as he saw General Týr
standing before the All-Father's desk with his hand clasped around his other arm, behind his
back.

Standing, not sitting.

Óðinn only made people stand before his desk when he was displeased with them and wished
them to know it.

"Ah, Loki, finally," Óðinn said, motioning him forwards.

Loki did so with a growing sense of confusion and alarm. That the All-Father was not happy
was obvious, the reason why was far less clear.

As he came to a stop before the king's desk, Loki flickered his eyes to General Týr, catching
the man's own for a moment ere the head of the army glanced down once more. What was
this about?

"Father," Loki began with more calm than he felt. "I came as soon as the messenger found
me."

'Twas a rebuke, but a mild one and Loki doubted Óðinn would notice. 'Twas also the truth,
and if the messenger had taken too long to find him, then 'twas not his fault. Óðinn should
have sent Huginn or Muninn instead if 'twas so urgent.

"What is the meaning of this?" Óðinn demanded sharply.

Anger of his own began to coil in the pit of Loki's stomach at the All-Father's attitude, but he
ruthlessly suppressed it until he knew more. Revealing his own temper would only devolve
the situation further, as he knew well from previous experience.
'Twas not like he had been unaware things would go back to how they had been before his
regency, sooner rather than later. More fool he if he had even had the smallest hope in
Óðinn's words of change and reconciliation possessing even a grain of truth.

"What is the meaning of what?" Loki queried instead, eyes darting over the king's desk, only
to find it strewn with various parchments.

From where he stood, however, he could not see which ones they were.

"These proclamations regarding your brother's ability to command an Einherjar unit, or the
alterations to the reporting structure for the Bifröst gatekeeper!" Óðinn snapped, sending one
of the parchments flying when he jabbed at it violently.

Ah, of course. Loki had known a moment like this would come from as soon as he had first
requested General Týr work with Lord Ragnvaldr to draw it up and formalize a change in the
reporting structure of the gatekeeper of the Bifröst.

"Your Majesty-" General Týr began.

"I was not speaking to you!" Óðinn cut him off. "Well, Loki?"

"They were necessary," he replied, evenly.

"Necessary?"

"Aye, necessary," Loki insisted, not giving his adoptive father a chance to say more. "Thor's
entire command committed treason; did you truly wish to simply give him more Einherjar to
try again?"

'Twas the easiest place to start as Loki knew Óðinn did not disagree with what he and General
Týr had done there. Indeed, based on some of what had been said before, Loki knew the All-
Father thought it an important step in Thor's penitence moving forwards. No doubt, 'twas the
other edict which had roused Óðinn's ire and caused him to become enraged and, as so oft
happened, it spilled over onto other matters.

While Loki knew this would likely not end well for him, he would not meekly allow Óðinn to
reverse the edicts either. He had previously committed treason in order to protect Ásgarðr
from his idiot brother's reign, he could withstand a flared temper from Óðinn to keep her
from having another gatekeeper like Heimdallr. While he knew better than to think Höðr
would allow direct contact with Óðinn to go to his head, his old guard would not be the last
gatekeeper Ásgarðr had, and now was the time to implement the proper procedures for the
position, or it would never transpire.

"You could have simply informed your brother of his need for training," Óðinn countered.

How predictable. The All-Father did not wish for there to be proof of his precious heir's need
for remedial training. Thankfully, Loki had the perfect response for this, too.

"Thor hardly accepted it even with the edict," he stated. "As both Lords Ragnvaldr and
Aðalgrímr can attest to, in addition to General Týr and Lieutenant-General Yngvarr. It had to
be official."

Óðinn's jaw worked, no doubt due to the fact he had already had a report from Lord
Ragnvaldr regarding Thor's little temper tantrum after learning of this new edict from
General Týr. On that, at least, Loki could be certain as there was no way the advisor would
not have informed the All-Father of it.

"And for the other?" Óðinn demanded, eye narrowing. "Do you feel I need remedial training
as well?"

Loki stilled at the question, realizing precisely how precarious his current position was.

"I-" he began, only to be cut off by a wordless snarl from the All-Father.

Clearly, Óðinn did not actually wish for a response to his question.

"As for you," Óðinn continued, turning his attention back to General Týr. "Why did you
allow him to implement such an edict?"

Anger flared through Loki at the words. Allow?

Allow?

He had been king!

"My prince was my king," General Týr replied smoothly, eyes trained straight ahead and
back straight. "I could not allow him to do anything."

Satisfaction was far too mild a word for the emotions Loki felt at the general's response.

"I was, however, the author of the edict and counseled him on the advisability of the
alterations," General Týr continued. "We both felt them to be a proportional and necessary
response given what had occurred."

Loki's eyes cut back to General Týr briefly at the use of the word 'we'. In the end, it had been
entirely Loki's decision on whether or not to sign and authorize the edict, and the head of the
army would have been well within his rights to leave all of the responsibility and blame with
him as regent. That General Týr was not, spoke not only to the man's honor, but also to the
respect Loki himself had earned from him, for they both knew the risk Týr was taking by
opposing Óðinn openly.

Aye, 'twas for the best of Ásgarðr in the long-term, but it could lose General Týr his position
if Óðinn felt sufficiently aggrieved. It would not take much for the All-Father to find
acceptable reasons if he truly wished to rid himself of the current head of his army.

"Ah, so you too felt I need checking?" Óðinn questioned, dangerously.

The angry tension in the study made Loki wish to swallow, but he resisted the outward sign
of his own tension and instead sought to draw attention back to himself.
If they could divide Óðinn's rage between them, they could both escape this intact. Divide
and conquer.

"Father," Loki tried.

"I did not ask you," Óðinn cut him off.

Actually, he had, but there was no use reminding the All-Father of that, Loki already knew
from previous experience. Nay, this would require something far more serious than that.

"Regicide!" Loki barked, deliberately allowing some of his anger to leak into his voice.

It worked and Óðinn's eye swung back towards him even as the All-Father paled visibly.

"Heimdallr had become so self-important and arrogant as to think he was allowed to have a
say in such important decisions as to who sat on Hliðskjálf, or to act as he saw fit when he
did not agree with your own choice of successors," Loki stated, using the opportunity he had
created. "This was, in part, caused by his closeness with you; by the fact he did not need to
report to anyone other than the King of Ásgarðr himself, rather than to General Týr or anyone
lower in the hierarchy as any other Einherjar would.

'Twas this oversight we sought to rectify with the second edict."

The anger still clearly displayed on Óðinn's face, told Loki all he needed to know about the
effect of his words.

He should have expected it, he supposed. 'Twas not like the All-Father had listened to his
advice before his brother's aborted coronation so, truly, why should Óðinn commence doing
so now?

Weariness swept through Loki, and he wished to return to his chambers to rest. He should not
have allowed himself to hope things might be different now, despite all the changes wrought
with others like General Týr and the people on whom he seemed to have made a lasting,
positive impression.

"Get out," Óðinn ordered, glancing briefly at the head of his army, ere his eye darted back to
glare at Loki.

"Your Majesty-" General Týr protested.

"I said out!" Óðinn roared, pointing at the door sharply.

Loki met General Týr's eyes after the man had bowed and was turning to leave. He saw both
concern and an apology there, but he did not blame the man. The head of the army had done
what he could, but Óðinn would not allow him to do more. 'Twas not General Týr's fault.
Loki was instead touched the man had tried at all given Óðinn's foul mood.

Nay, this was his fight, and Loki straightened his spine and squared his shoulders as the door
closed behind the general on his way out.
'Twas shocking, however, how much Týr's departure left him feeling vulnerable and naked.
He had never used to rely on anyone and so he was stunned to find he had now. 'Twas all
Lieutenant-General Yngvarr's fault, no doubt, though it hardly mattered now.

"You went too far with this second edict, Loki," Óðinn pronounced, grabbing hold of the
parchment to wave it around before throwing it back at his desk. "You were in no position to
tell me what to do!"

"Someone had to!" Loki shot back, deciding he would rather argue than submit and be
punished anyway.

"You arrogant child!"

The latter word made Loki flinch back a step, hitting far too close to home, and he felt his
still fragile core tremble as he struggled not to allow his usual thoughts regarding his true
species to intrude. Luckily, his anger easily allowed him to switch his focus to something
else, even as he realized he had pressed a hand to his sternum when Óðinn's eye darted down
towards it with a hint of alarm.

"Loki, are yo-" Óðinn began.

"I am arrogant?" Loki demanded, almost shouting. "I am not the one refusing to even see,
and much less admit, my own faults and mistakes. You are the one whom allowed Heimdallr's
ego to inflate as much as it did, to the point where he felt justified in attempting to kill the
king of Ásgarðr!"

"Are you blaming me for what happened to you?" Óðinn questioned, startled.

"Nay, 'tis not what I said!" Loki exclaimed, frustrated. "But it will be should anything like
this ever occur again simply because you were too prideful to allow the changes implemented
to stand."

"Matters are not always so simple."

Simple? Simple?

"From all which Heimdallr said and indicated during his trial, I do not doubt he is currently
sitting in his cell, awaiting a visit from you," Loki retorted.

Óðinn looked truly startled. "Me?"

"Hmm, for you to inform him he is free and that you will restore his All-Sight to him once
more. Such was his self-righteousness and belief in what he did."

He refused to speak of how he feared these precise actions himself. Loki would not allow
himself to be quite so vulnerable or honest before the All-Father, not given all which had
already been said and done here today.

"Lo-"
A knock on the door interrupted Óðinn but, before his adoptive father could call out, it
opened and Frigga entered.

"Mother," Loki greeted, startled.

What was she doing here now? She would know Óðinn was likely busy with important
business.

"Frigga," Óðinn said, clearly echoing Loki's own thoughts. "Is something amiss?"

"Amiss? Aye, clearly," Frigga replied, eyes sweeping both of them and not liking what she
saw. "Why are you two arguing?"

How was she always so able to read him?

Loki did not know, nevertheless he was not about to pass up the opportunity presented to
him.

"Father is displeased with my edict altering the reporting structure of the Bifröst gatekeeper,"
he explained, succinctly.

"Why?" Frigga questioned, glancing back to Óðinn. "'Twas to prevent another situation like
the one with Heimdallr from reoccurring."

"'Tis not quite so simple," Óðinn tried.

"How is it not?"

"The king needs to be able to speak freely with the gatekeeper for the good of not only
Ásgarðr, but all of the Nine."

"It can be done without inflating their ego," Loki interjected.

"The gatekeeper is a critically important and unique position," Óðinn insisted. "And they
must be treated accordingly as a result."

"Óðinn," Frigga retorted sternly. "Heimdallr tried to kill Loki! How can you possibly
condone his position?"

"I am not!" Óðinn protested.

"It sounds like you are, despite what he did."

"Frigga!"

Loki's eyes were darting back and forth between his adoptive parents, even as he shifted in
discomfort. Though he had rather deliberately involved Mother, watching them argue was not
something he had ever felt comfortable with. Mayhap, 'twas because they did it so rarely.

"He tried to kill our son!" Frigga cried out, her voice rising sharply.
"I know, but I cannot restrict my own capacity to ensure all of Ásgarðr's safety as a result of
his actions," Óðinn retorted.

Was the All-Father deliberately being obtuse or did Óðinn truly view it as such? Loki was not
entirely certain, and it unnerved him.

He did not like being unable to read Óðinn on a situation like this.

"Do you not trust General Týr to carry out his duties?" Frigga demanded. "Is that why it must
be you?"

The question made Loki wince for, though 'twas a fair one, he dreaded the true answer which
might be concealed beneath this fiction.

Was what had nearly occurred to him a price Óðinn was willing to pay to maintain his
personal contact with the Bifröst gatekeeper?

"'Tis not what I said," Óðinn shot back. "I am king and, as such, there are difficult decisions I
must make regardless of my personal feelings on the matter!"

"And how is Höðr reporting to you one of them if you trust General Týr?" Frigga asked.

The wordless snarl Óðinn made sounded bad, but Loki recognized it as the one his adoptive
father made when he realized an argument was lost, but he was not yet willing to admit to it
aloud. The All-Father also turned away, pacing in agitation behind his desk.

The relief Loki felt was balanced out by the anger which still simmered at having needed his
mother's aid to win this particular argument. The edict made sense and was the only logical
action to take, given what had occurred. Why could Óðinn not accept that coming from him?

It-

Loki clamped down on the thought and instead glanced at his mother, meeting her gaze.

"Go," Frigga urged.

When Óðinn made no immediate protest - he had been here in an official capacity, after all,
rather than a parental one - Loki did not hesitate any further and instead made a quick escape.

Much as they might yell at each other, Loki knew that was all which would ever happen.
Therefore, he had no qualms in leaving Mother to face Óðinn alone. Despite that, he did feel
somewhat guilty in having instigated the fight between them. Well, not entirely, but he had
deliberately phrased his initial response to Frigga's question of what they were arguing about
to elicit her sympathy to his cause.

Loki was still so distracted by his thoughts and anger that the sudden movement from his
right startled him and he glanced up to find General Týr emerging from the shadows and
falling in beside him. He blinked, attempting to process why the man might have been stood
there, before the pieces came together.
"You are the reason Mother came into the study," Loki realized, surprised.

General Týr continued to look ahead with a straight face, though he did speak.

"A good general always knows when to make a strategic retreat," the man said. "Or when to
send in the best specialist to provide reinforcement."

Briefly, General Týr's eyes cut to the side to meet his, before looking ahead once more, and
Loki felt a smile spread across his face.

So, he had not been wrong to feel bereft upon the general's exit. Or rather, he had not been
wrong to feel like he should have been able to rely on General Týr to look out for him.

"I see," Loki replied neutrally. "Was I ever handled in this manner?"

"There was hardly anyone to do so during your reign, with the queen being at the All-Father's
side."

Not quite an answer, though Loki had to concede the point. He also made a mental note to
keep it in mind for future reference.

Still, he could not help but like and approve of the tactic. 'Twas cunning and thus very much
what he would have done had he been in the general's position.

"Tactics are always good," Loki said instead, to show he understood. "And this particular one
worked. The edict stands."

"Good."

Frigga waited until the door had closed behind their youngest ere turning back to face her
husband.

"I hope you are pleased with yourself," she said, still angry. "For you have just done the
opposite of all you said you would."

"Frigga?" Óðinn questioned, turning back to look at her in confusion.

"Your pledge to commence treating Loki better in the future. Of listening to what he had to
say."

"I will."

"What I just heard definitely did not sound like it!" Frigga retorted. "Resolving to do better in
the future will not help if you do not start now."

"I..." Óðinn began, trailing off.

"You did not listen until I made the arguments for it."
Her husband's shoulders slumped and Frigga knew she had succeeded in conveying her
meaning. Therefore, rather than yell some more, she stepped closer and took one of his hands
in her own.

"I know change is difficult, especially when it comes to something you are used to being in
control of," she began, far more softly. "But Loki will not see the difference between this and
what came before. Particularly since General Týr stood in agreement with him and you still
did not listen."

"Týr, I should have known," Óðinn shook his head. "He sent you in."

"He expressed concern for you and Loki."

"With anyone else, and under other circumstances, I might be concerned. Instead, I find
myself rather impressed with the impression Loki seems to have made on everyone."

Frigga waited and allowed Óðinn to lead her out onto the balcony and to the balustrade.

"Do you see them, the green standards?" her husband asked, indicating.

"Aye."

That there were still some of them up was a source of pride to her, and she wondered if her
youngest had seen them as of late. Loki had been spending a lot of time in his chambers
while he completed his recovery.

"I do not believe those remaining ones will go," Óðinn continued.

There was no puzzlement or annoyance in his voice, and for that Frigga was glad. If there
was one fault all three of her men shared, 'twas pride which bordered on outright arrogance.

"Loki's regency has changed things in several irrevocable ways," Frigga smiled softly.

"Aye," Óðinn immediately agreed. "He will always be a former king, and, until Thor is
coronated himself, Loki will stand above him."

Not to mention that the brevity of her baby's reign would allow it to easily become
fantasized. There would always be people who would look back on it and think Loki would
have done something differently had he remained in power, or that any unpopular action
would not have occurred with Loki instead of Thor.

It had initially worried her when her baby had become regent, but the rekindling of the closer
relationship between the boys was helping to allay the fear. As long as they stood together,
those factions would not have the power to become any greater and then Loki's altered
position might prove very useful and powerful to both Óðinn and Thor. He would be another
face of Ásgarðr, and a means for different voices to be heard.

But his own had to be heard first, before any of that could occur.

"A position which can give him his own chance to shine," Frigga said.
 Óðinn nodded. "If Thor can see it as such."

"I do not think you need to fear that," Frigga smiled, proud of all the ways her eldest had
changed recently too. "He rendered Loki speechless recently admitting much that need."

The surprise in Óðinn's eye as he looked at her was great.

"Our boys are growing up," Frigga murmured, half wistfully, half with regret as she stepped
close to rest her head on her husband's chest.

"Aye, but do not fear," Óðinn replied. "Loki has ever felt the need to prove himself, and I
doubt with his hormonal storms he will not come close to doing so with his adolescent
temper tantrums either."

Frigga could not help herself; she laughed even as she knew 'twas likely true enough to make
her wince. Thor's puberty had been quite spectacular due to his gift, and she had feared for
Loki's own as a result, only to be pleasantly surprised. It should have been an indicator for
her to look deeper rather than to simply take things for granted as she had.

"Will you be able to control or override his seiðr if it were to come to that?" she asked,
dreading the answer.

"I... the power from Ásgarðr, aye, if it were necessary and was for the good of Ásgarðr,"
Óðinn replied. "But as for the rest... I am uncertain."

'Twas a scary thought, even if Frigga could not help but feel some level of pride in it. She had
also not missed the qualification Óðinn had placed on his ability to override Loki's access to
Ásgarðr's power.

It should frighten her far more than it did; this special connection her son had with the
magical core of not one, but two Realms. Yet, the eager and trusting way her youngest
viewed those connections soothed her greatly. Of her sons, Loki had always been the far
more cautious and naturally suspicious of the two, so he would not have given his trust
lightly. And she knew Óðinn had been connected to Ásgarðr's core for most of his life, even
if he had admitted that how he did was markedly different from how Loki did it.

"Well, we shall have to see how bad 'tis once Loki has his first hormonal storm," Frigga said.

"I suppose 'tis too much to expect it to be easy," Óðinn responded.

Frigga laughed. "When has Loki ever taken the easy path?"

Chapter End Notes

As warned, quite a short chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, though, as there was a lot of
important stuff in there.
Progress, but not unrealistic progress. The Óðinn and Loki relationship will be a core
part of the sequel, as that needs a lot of work and Óðinn was napping for far too much of
this fic for them to make any in-depth progress on changing it. Not to mention that, as
an absolute ruler, Óðinn's not used to being confronted with his own faults and
weaknesses. His word is law, normally. Loki's also far too stubborn for his own good.
Not to mention that he tends to think the worst of people in situations like this...

So, yes, lots of work to do there.

But, luckily, Loki has more allies on his side than he did at the start and they're willing
to send in the big guns when necessary. So to speak.

Now, the good news for quite a few of you was, yes, that was essentially Loki telling
Óðinn to go speak with Heimdallr. It won't quite be all the confrontations you have been
asking for, but at least one of them is still in this fic! There'll also be a bit more on
something else some of you have been asking about...

Speaking of the sequel, I've just given a bit more away about that on my blog in a new
post. I've also had a bit of a rant on pronouns based on a comment I got on this fic over
at FF.N. Then there's a link to my NaNo profile for next month, and a post on book
series based on a quote.

Old Norse:

Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic

Up next week: Óðinn visits Heimdallr & Loki visits Himinbjörg...

 Chapter 93
Chapter Notes

The final chapter in this fic and the journey it took to get here.

I really can't believe that we're finally here after so long. Sometimes, it feels like only
yesterday that I started writing this story! Or first began to think of it...

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Both Loki and Frigga's words stuck with Óðinn after their argument in the king's study, and
he even woke in the middle of the night to his youngest's statement ringing through his mind.

"Hmm, for you to inform him he is free and that you will restore his All-Sight to him once
more. Such was his self-righteousness and belief in what he did."

Surely, it could not be possible?

Nay, Heimdallr could not truly think thus. Could he?

Óðinn wished to be certain, but how could he given what Heimdallr had elected to do? Nor
could Óðinn forget that particular moment and all of the horror he had felt watching Höfuð
swing at what he had thought was Loki's neck. He was certain he would never forget it, no
matter how long he still lived.

Given all of that, he found it difficult to believe his youngest's words, but Frigga's own about
trusting their son refused to allow him to push them aside either. Thus, here he was,
descending down into the dungeons to speak with his old gatekeeper and the would-be
assassin of his youngest.

The closer he came to his destination, the greater Óðinn's rage, and he knew he would need to
have privacy for this particular discussion.

"Your Majesty!" one of the guards exclaimed as he reached their command center. "We did
not know you were coming."

"'Twas not planned," Óðinn replied. "I will see Heimdallr, but do not wish to be overheard.
Mute all of the cells along the main corridor."

"Of course, as you wish. Would you like an escort?"

"Nay, that will not be necessary."

Though he did not come down here much anymore, he had spent a fair amount of time both
delivering and retrieving prisoners from these dungeons during his time as crown prince.
Nothing significant had changed since then.

The walk to Heimdallr's cell was quick and blissfully quiet due to the muting of the cells.
Otherwise, Óðinn knew it would have been quite loud, since all of the prisoners rose and
moved to the front of their cells to jeer and shout once they caught sight of him. The cells
immediately around Heimdallr's were both empty as the other traitors had already been
escorted to their work duties for the day. 'Twas an interesting punishment, and one he would
need to think on further.

"My King," Heimdallr greeted, rising and bowing immediately upon catching sight of him.

Óðinn had a bad moment when he met those brown eyes with his own, but then it passed. Of
course, the removal of the All-Sight would have left a visible effect. He had simply not
thought of precisely how that might manifest itself.

"Heimdallr," Óðinn replied, neutrally.

He had come here wishing to have Loki proven wrong, but already it seemed unlikely for his
former gatekeeper had greeted him far more properly than Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had
said Heimdallr had Loki upon first encountering him after he had become regent.

"I am pleased to see you well and recovered," Heimdallr stated, glancing at Gungnir. "And
restored to your rightful place."

"You speak as if I might not have been," Óðinn replied, shifting Gungnir to make clear of
what he spoke.

"We feared Loki might take actions to prevent it."

And there 'twas, proof of precisely how Heimdallr viewed his youngest. Cold rage washed
through Óðinn, and he felt his face harden.

"You speak as if you think my own son would move against me," Óðinn forced his voice to
remain calm.

For now.

"He usurped Hliðskjálf," Heimdallr responded, seemingly oblivious to the signs of anger
Óðinn knew he was not hiding well.

"Nay, he did not!" Óðinn snapped.

He had not intended to rouse his anger so soon, but the absurdity of Heimdallr's words broke
his restraint.

"I placed Loki into the line of succession," he continued.

Aye, truthfully, he had never expected his youngest to sit on Hliðskjálf and the mere
possibility had not even occurred to him until well after he had banished Thor, but 'twas not
for one such as the gatekeeper of the Bifröst to question his decisions!

"He let the frost giants into Ásgarðr," Heimdallr replied. "He broke your trust and tried to
steal Hliðskjálf from Thor."

The words were almost identical to those which had been uttered at Heimdallr's trial, and
Óðinn wondered at how the former gatekeeper thought he would respond to them any
differently than Loki.

"Such was his self-righteousness and belief in what he did."

Did Heimdallr truly believe Óðinn would overlook the attempted assassination of his son?
For what? The goodwill of an Einherjar who had already proven himself to be both arrogant
and traitorous?

"Do you have any proof of your claims?" Óðinn demanded, before continuing when
Heimdallr opened his mouth. "Beyond those already stated at your trial?"

"Your Majesty?" Heimdallr questioned, looking baffled.

The surprise caught Óðinn off-guard.

"What?" he demanded.

"You would allow the trial to stand?"

Allow it to stand? Why would he not all-

"You think I would overturn Loki's justice outright," Óðinn realized.

So, not only had his son been right, but, if anything, Loki had been softening his predictions.

Guilt flashed through Óðinn that even with that, he had been unwilling to believe his son.
Even with his best intentions to learn and treat Loki differently, he had utterly failed. Clearly,
he would have to do more if he were truly to fix his relationship with his youngest.

Mayhap Frigga had been right to suggest he make their son an official advisor. It would force
him to pay more heed to Loki's words.

"His actions were unjust," Heimdallr responded, still remaining confused.

"I may not have seen all in my sleep this time," Óðinn began. "But I did witness you attempt
to behead my son and you would claim his actions unjust?"

"I was performing my sworn du-"

"Nay! You are sworn to protect and defend Ásgarðr and its king, not to assassinate him,"
Óðinn thundered. "Your actions were a betrayal not only of your own lack of honor, but of all
the trust both I and General Týr had placed in you!"

"My King-"

"Me, but not Loki."

"I thought only of Ásgarðr."

"Nay, I rather think Loki was correct," Óðinn countered. "You thought only of yourself."

"He has ensorcelled you as he has Thor."

Shock silenced Óðinn's tongue for a few moments.

Ensorcelled?

"You attempted to kill my son and think me ensorcelled when I will not overlook your
actions?" Óðinn demanded in pure disbelief.

Was this truly how Loki was seen and treated by some?

Óðinn knew his son had earned himself a reputation for his lies, but he had not realized it had
grown to such an extent others, like Heimdallr, would believe this more likely than the truth.

Horror unfurled within him as he realized precisely how disastrously events might have
unfolded had any on the High Council thought as Heimdallr did. They might have had civil
war or an actual usurpation of Hliðskjálf!

"Well, I do disagree with Loki on one point," Óðinn declared when he could speak once
more. "And that is the severity of your punishment."

The brief hope which Óðinn saw flash in Heimdallr's eyes only served to infuriate him even
further.

"I would have taken your head!" he declared forcefully. "And I still might."

Indeed, Óðinn rather felt like ordering the change immediately. Only his earlier promise to
listen to his son more stayed his tongue now. If there was one thing he knew of Loki, 'twas
that his youngest oft felt the need to extract more vengeance than a situation called for, not
less. Therefore, while Óðinn did not think there was such a thing as too much punishment for
Heimdallr's transgression, it did make him wonder if he were not missing an important
element of Loki's chosen punishment.

He would need to inquire after it ere altering his son's sentence.

Dismay and horror were starting to creep into Heimdallr's expression, but 'twas still
dominated by confusion and shock. It made Óðinn feel disgust to think any words on his part
might have allowed the former gatekeeper to think his actions might ever have been deemed
either acceptable or justified.
"My son, Heimdallr! My son!" Óðinn roared. "How, by the Norns, could you possibly think I
would approve of that?"

The continued shock on the former gatekeeper's face was too much for Óðinn and he turned
away, to leave. A whisper of sound from behind him when he had reached the end of the next
cell, made him turn back and he was startled to find Loki standing in front of Heimdallr's
cell.

His son wore simple leather trousers and a plain green tunic, with his hair pulled back into a
short tail. All this, Óðinn noticed in an instant as his attention was caught and captured by the
expression on his son's face. It mirrored the surprise on Heimdallr's own, but 'twas rapidly
being replaced by satisfaction and triumph, and Óðinn's heart sank as he realized Ásgarðr's
former gatekeeper had not been the only one to think he would release Heimdallr from his
punishment.

What had he ever done to make Loki think him so indifferent to him?

"You must think me a tremendously powerful seiðmadr, Heimdallr," Loki said. "To believe I
could ensorcell the king of Ásgarðr despite all of the protections to prevent precisely that."

"You are a tricky, sneaky coward who is-" Heimdallr began, but was cut off as Loki reached
out to mute his cell.

"What is that?" Loki questioned, raising a hand to his ear. "I cannot hear you."

Óðinn snorted, making Loki glance at him with a large smile, though it quickly faded to a
more sober expression. He mirrored it immediately. It had been far too long since he had seen
his youngest smile so freely, and he could not believe he had failed to notice its absence at the
time.

"Father," Loki said, walking towards him.

"Loki," Óðinn replied, staying where he was so they would not become a spectacle for any of
the prisoners. "Invisibility?"

Loki shrugged. "I did not wish to interfere."

Unlikely after what he had seen on his son's face earlier, and Heimdallr's own conviction.
Nay, his son had been here to see if Óðinn did as they both clearly thought he would.

"How did you know I was down here?" Óðinn asked, instead.

"I had a warning," Loki replied without actually saying how.

Ordinarily, Óðinn would not allow the evasion, but the answer was actually far less important
to him than another one, and he did not wish to antagonize his youngest. Not after he had
proven himself so well to Loki just now, as he knew he had nothing to regret about how he
had interacted with Heimdallr.
"And how did you come to be down here so quickly?" Óðinn questioned. "Do the wards truly
allow for teleportation?"

It would be a great weakness if they did. The dungeons should not be so easily accessible.

"Only because you marked me a member of the royal family to the wards," Loki replied.
"Otherwise, I would not be able to do so."

That was a relief but raised another issue and Óðinn stepped closer to raise his free hand to
cup the side of his son's neck, as he had witnessed Thor doing so oft over the centuries.

"Loki," Óðinn intoned gravely, ensuring he had his son's complete attention. "You are a
member of the royal family."

His youngest swallowed even as Loki's eyes studied his own, clearly looking for something.
Whatever 'twas, Loki seemed to find it as he inclined his head. Óðinn felt certain there was
something more he should say or do, but he did not know what. Instead, he stepped back so
the situation would not become awkward.

"Why did you not?" Loki asked as they walked down the corridor, side by side.

"Why did I not what?" Óðinn queried.

"Alter Heimdallr's punishment if you thought it too mild?"

"Ah, I wished to have words with you on it, and know why you chose to merely imprison him
for life."

"He was highly respected and well known," Loki began, and Óðinn felt his anger rise once
more.

"You did not feel you could have him executed?" he demanded.

Loki rose a single eyebrow. "As the unpopular second son no one, including yourself, had
ever expected to see on Hliðskjálf? Nay, of course not."

The words were delivered in a very matter of fact way, with no emotion, and they made
Óðinn pause.

"I watched the holo footage of the trial," he eventually replied. "You could have done it."

The fact he had to rely on that proved his son's fears in a way, and Óðinn would need to
speak with Lord Ragnvaldr on the issue and see whether they had to implement any changes.
Mayhap, though, they were no longer necessary after the way Loki had proven himself before
all, but he would not simply assume so. Not after what he had just heard from Heimdallr.

"Potentially," Loki admitted. "It would have been a risk, however, and I already had an
alternative plan."

"His imprisonment?"
"Hmm."

The wicked smile which crossed his son's face then, unnerved Óðinn for a moment, but he
forced himself to recall how similar 'twas to Frigga's when she was pleased at how someone
who had dared cross a line was punished.

He still failed to understand how this was worse than a public execution.

"Explain it to me," he requested, stopping so Loki would be forced to do likewise and face
him. "Why is this better?"

Loki hesitated for a moment, making Óðinn recollect all of the times he had felt his youngest
had taken his vengeance too far and had punished him accordingly.

Did his son truly still feel he would not side with him after what Loki had witnessed?

"Heimdallr has always had his All-Sight," Loki began. "He was born with it."

"Aye," Óðinn encouraged. "'Tis, or 'twas, his gift."

"Ergo, he is used to seeing and hearing all he chooses to. By keeping him alive after he has
been stripped of it, I ensured he would be locked in a cage which would be all he could see
for the rest of his life. And all he could hear was that which came to him."

The full implications still took a moment longer to come to Óðinn as 'twas not something he
would ever have thought of himself, but as soon as it did, he understood it perfectly. The
isolation was difficult for any to bear, but for Heimdallr, it would be infinitely more so due to
his previous ability to see all at will.

To be restricted to so little after having had so much...

Óðinn could now understand the hint of desperation he had seen in Heimdallr's eyes when the
man had realized Óðinn would not reverse Loki's punishment.

"He will go mad," Óðinn commented.

"Potentially," Loki allowed. "He will also die ignobly, likely forgotten by almost all when the
time eventually comes."

But not by his son or any of the rest of the family. Of that, Óðinn was absolutely certain.
Some of the desire he had possessed to watch Heimdallr's head roll abated, though not
entirely. While Loki's punishment was truly something to be feared, it would take far longer
for its true effects to be felt, and Óðinn wished for his rage and need for vengeance to be
sated now.

Much as Heimdallr had betrayed him, though, the former gatekeeper's crime had been mainly
directed at his son, and so the choice should be Loki's.

"And this is your preference?" Óðinn checked.

"Aye."

Óðinn inclined his head and commenced walking once more. "Then it will be so."

The surprise on the guards' faces as they passed amused Óðinn and he could understand why
his youngest might enjoy provoking others thus.

"Your Majesty, Sire," the guards all bowed as they passed.

Interesting, there was that new form of address for Loki once more. Sire. He would need to
think on it.

The urge to head out to Himinbjörg was not one Loki fully understood, but he supposed it
had something to do with Loptr and all his temporal twin had told him. For, as bad as things
had become for him, he knew 'twas nothing on what his former self had experienced; a
thought which still made him shudder to think of even now. As such, he had collected some
dried flowers he had procured on Álfheimr, a fresh cluster of jojo berries, and a focusing
crystal from his chambers.

Past, present and future.

While not the perfect gifts for the Norns, they were genuine ones which had come from him
and were not merely an ostentatious display of either his wealth or power. 'Twas what most of
his studies had indicated were the more appropriate offerings for the exalted Three Ladies.

The ride through the city was quick enough as 'twas rapidly approaching the dinner hour and
most were inside. His mare easily ate up the distance of the rainbow bridge, slowing at
Himinbjörg. Dismounting, Loki gave her nose a stroke as she nudged him.

"Not until we get back," Loki said, knowing she was looking for a treat.

She snorted but lowered herself to the bridge as Loki entered Himinbjörg.

"Sire," Höðr greeted, clearly pleased with himself.

Loki shook his head, lips curling upwards slightly. No doubt, his old guard had witnessed his
bemusement and confusion with the new title Lieutenant-General Yngvarr had bestowed
upon him.

"Höðr," he replied.

"Where would you like to go?" Höðr asked, moving towards the Bifröst activation
mechanism.

"I am not here for the Bifröst today," Loki said. "I have a more exotic purpose."

'Twas a word they had oft used to refer to his seiðr practice after Höðr had first thought of it
to deflect an inquiry of Thor's. It had been when Loki had first started being able to truly trust
Höðr, as most would not have done so, instead allowing his brother to censor him for his
continued study of seiðr.

"A gift for the Three Ladies?" Höðr asked, seeing what Loki held.

"Hmm," he confirmed, impressed, though he supposed Höðr now knew what most of the
Nine offered them. "What can you see now, beyond the mundane?"

'Twas not something Loki had thought to ask the new gatekeeper before, but he was not one
to allow so perfect an opportunity to pass him by.

"Not the Three Ladies," Höðr replied, eyes going distant. "However, there is much which
moves through the Nine unseen my most."

"Of that, I am not surprised. What of beyond the Nine? Can you see there?"

"I am learning to, but 'tis more difficult."

"Did Heimdallr speak with you at all after the trial?" Loki inquired, recalling the request he
had received through General Týr.

Loki had approved it as he had seen no harm in allowing Höðr to attempt to have words with
the old Bifröst gatekeeper.

"Nay, or at least nothing worth hearing."

Of that, Loki was not surprised, the angry undertone informing him of what Höðr did not
explicitly say.

"What are you attempting?" he asked. "When seeking to look beyond the Nine?"

"I have found focusing on a planet seems to guide my gift, allowing me to... enhance my
view of it to the same extent I can see within the Nine."

Intriguing, only-

"What of the Void?" Loki questioned.

Höðr glanced at him, brow furrowing. The man still clearly knew him well enough to read
him when he was not deliberately attempting to deceive. "You fear the Void, my Prince?"

"Premonitions and visions of the future are oft fleeting, ephemeral, deceptive, or all three,"
Loki replied, glancing back at the Void as he stepped to the edge of Himinbjörg. "But, aye, I
fear the Void and what it may bring."

'Twas as close as he could come to speaking of what he knew, but Loki was rather pleased
with how he had managed it. Höðr knew him and his seiðr well enough to heed his warning,
yet he did not know enough of seiðr to question how he had come by the knowledge. Or
know of what it could imply.
Loki used the pensive silence to cast his offerings into the Void. 'Twas much debated how to
properly ensure tribute reached the Three Ladies, but even then, this was an unconventional
method, he knew. Still, something felt right about it, and he was neither brave nor stupid
enough to make use of the one certain method at his disposal of reaching them. The roots of
the Yggdrasill were one place he had not ventured while exploring the World Tree.

"Are you feeling better, my Prince?" Höðr asked, after a moment or two of silence.

"Hmm, thank you," Loki replied, looking from the Void to his old guard as he stepped back.

"Good, then I have a confession to make."

"A confession?" Loki questioned, amused and intrigued. "What do you have to confess,
Höðr?"

The man hesitated for a moment and Loki tilted his head to one side as he studied him, quite
curious now.

"The day you collapsed in the vault..." Höðr began, trailing off as Loki went dead still.

He did not need Höðr to continue, not given what the gatekeeper had already said. He had
feared this possibility when he had first regained consciousness in the vault immediately
afterward. But that was all quite long ago now.

"Why did you not say anything then?" Loki asked, genuinely interested as he forced himself
to relax.

Höðr would not harm him, and to react as if he would, was an insult to the man who had
saved his life.

The gatekeeper gave a small shrug. "At first, I assumed 'twas an effect of how you were using
the Casket of Ancient Winters. I had not been watching before the flash of seiðr, and you did
say it got along quite well with the Óðinnforce."

Hmm, not even remotely correct, but Loki could see how it would occur to someone as aware
of his shapeshifting abilities as Höðr was. The thought brought back some rather memorable
moments, which only served to relax him further. Still, he was intrigued.

"And after?"

"Your conversation with Queen Frigga the following morning made the truth quite clear,"
Höðr replied.

Hmm, aye, Loki realized it rather would have. Especially, the part of his not having been
aware of it until recently.

"And 'twas enough for you?" Loki could not help but ask.

After everything else which had happened recently, he did not think he was unreasonable to
wonder at it.
"Who am I to question King Óðinn's decision?" Höðr responded, ere his gaze softened.
"Besides, I know you, Sire, and though you may not always show or say it, I know you love
Ásgarðr and her people. They were always safe in your hands, tempted though you may have
been to pull a trick or two."

Loki laughed at the latter before he glanced down. 'Twas true, all of it, and proved precisely
how well Höðr truly knew him. He wondered if it would still be the case if the man had been
around the past few centuries, but it hardly mattered now.

Glancing back up, Loki gave Höðr a genuine smile. "Thank you."

"If I may be so bold as to enquire, was this part of why Heimdallr and the others betrayed
you?"

Loki snorted, face hardening. "Nay, nothing so concrete. Besides, you heard them at their
trials, do you truly believe they would not have taken the opportunity to inform all of Ásgarðr
if they had known?"

"Nay, I suppose not."

"I believe you will find 'twas nothing more so complex as arrogance and self-righteousness,"
Loki replied, ere he paused. "Well, and a hefty dose of personal dislike for me."

"More fool them," Höðr stated.

"There are not many who would say that," Loki responded, calmly.

This was not a danger to his core as 'twas a fact he knew well, and long since had.

"Ah, once mayhap, aye, but now you have been king and safeguarded Ásgarðr from war,"
Höðr replied. "I believe you will find much has changed as a result."

Loki smiled once more. "You are no longer my guard, Höðr, you need not to keep such a
close watch over me anymore."

"Is it not also the duty of the gatekeeper to help ensure the safety of the royal family?"

Clearly, he was not going to win this argument without some effort, and, surprisingly, Loki
found he did not care to apply it. If Höðr wished to check on his status among the people
after his old guard had completed his other duties, then it would only benefit him. He was
simply not used to thinking of the Bifröst's guardian as an ally.

"Hmm. And what of the warriors?" Loki asked, instead. "What say they?"

"Their words are not far different from those of the rest of Ásgarðr."

"Truly?" Loki had not expected that at all. "Even though I prevented their chance at true
battle and diverted the King's Funds away from the military applications Father elected to
fund?"
 "It would appear news of both Fandral and Volstagg's injuries spread, and, now, most believe
your recent illness was also obtained on Jötunheimr."

"Not entirely inaccurate," Loki mused. "This has made them more apprehensive about it?"

"It has instilled a note of caution and wariness which may not have been there before, making
most less reckless about desiring a true war."

Loki supposed he could understand it. Despite all else, both Fandral and Volstagg were
formidable warriors, so if the jötnar had managed to injure them, then it would make many
others pause to reflect on their own chances of being injured, or even killed.

"As for the King's Funds, it would seem word has spread about the dire need of some of the
alternative applicants."

Now that was interesting, and Loki wondered exactly who he had to thank for it. He could
see it being either of his uncles or Lord Ragnvaldr.

Or Lieutenant-General Yngvarr.

He was not someone Loki would have thought of as a possibility before but, after everything
which had happened in the healing gardens, he would not put it past the man. 'Twas
something he would need to consider more carefully.

"Thank you for informing me of this, Höðr," Loki replied.

He could not help but glance back towards the Void as he stepped out of Himinbjörg and
back to his mare. Everything which Loptr had told him of what would have happened had he
fallen into it still haunted him and Loki knew that, on some level, it always would. Thus was
the curse of having altered the timeline, but he had no regrets. His actions may have been
illegal and forbidden, but they had been necessary.

As for Thanos and all the Mad Titan's plans, well, Loki hoped he would be able to thwart
those as successfully as he had his own dark destiny. At least now, he had the time to attempt
such a feat.

Chapter End Notes

The End.

I just had to write that out as it's so unbelievable to me that I'm finally here, posting the
last chapter of this fic. I can still remember starting it for NaNoWriMo 2017! Or
finishing it at the end of 2020. I always had a general idea of how long it would take to
post given the number of chapters, but that's definitely been a journey all of its own. One
that's finally come to an end, and I can hardly believe it!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to all of my lovely readers, especially those of you
who have left kudos and comments, they've been greatly appreciated, and I can't believe
the stats this fic has achieved! We're nearly at 750,000 unique views! And the comments
& kudos!

As for the amazing artists that have done art of the fic, you're unbelievable and I love
each and every one of them. If anyone missed any, here's the masterlist, go view them!

Old Norse:

Höfuð - "man-head" - Heimdallr's sword

Himinbjörg - Heimdallr's home and where he dwells as watchman & also where the
Bifröst meets heaven
Hliðskjálf - the high seat of Óðinn allowing him to see into all realms - i.e. Óðinn's
throne
seiðr - witchcraft, sorcery / a type of sorcery practiced in Norse society during the Late
Scandinavian Iron Age - i.e. magic
seiðmadr - a combination of seiðr (“witchcraft”) + maðr (“man”) - i.e.
wizard/sorcerer/mage
jötnar - "frost giants"

What's up next?

A lot of you know that I've been talking about a sequel to this fic; Aria of Jötunheimr.
I'd hoped to have it fully finished by the time I finished posting this fic, but alas, I'm not
quite there yet. Therefore, both it and the standalone prequel I've found myself working
on will both be my focus for this year's NaNoWriMo.

I couldn't tell you which one will be done first, but as soon as one is (and I'm happy with
the editing), I will start posting it here, under the Song of the Yggdrasill series. So,
follow that if you want an email notification when it happens.

For updates on how things are coming along, keep an eye on my blog, as I will be
posting updates there. And I have already posted about the progress and details of both
fics there, so have a look if you're desperate for details!

Thanks again for coming on this journey with me!

Works inspired by this one

Gods, Mischief and Art by Lilituism

It's Not Always Black and White by Ceitidh_Kat

[Restricted Work] by ineedtobestopped

A Change in the Urðr by naughtypixie

Harmonic Resonance by Origami_Roses

I'll be good (for all of the times that I never could) by Nikito0X

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