Chapter 9
ASGARD
Loki and Faurete stood next to one another as he ended the palace tour with a glance through his rooms in the royal wing. Abyss had been following, he was now sitting down near their feet. She had been polite, taking everything in without too much prying. One look at her expression, as well hidden as it was, had revealed she was as impressed by the aristocracy as he was.
…that is to say, she wasn’t.
She studied her hands for a moment. “Well then…”
Loki rolled his eyes. “Go ahead. Say it.”
An innocent little smile formed as she glanced up. “What? That you have surrounded yourself with spoiled twats?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Brutal.”
She countered. “But accurate.”
He didn’t disagree. Instead he changed the subject because ranting about the aristos here was something he could do all day. “When is Angrboda arriving?”
The corner of her mouth twitched, hearing the slight change in his tone. He was eager for her to come to Asgard. “I believe she and her husband will be here tomorrow. Enough time for a look around and to witness your nuptuals, but not so long she feels she is neglecting anything.”
His brow furrowed. “What is she concerned about neglecting?”
“We have not had to have healers with knowledge of pregnancy for a very long time.” He looked startled and she felt a swelling of joy for what it meant. “Three women are now with child.”
He nodded and his expression reflected his words. “I am glad.” But not just for them. Also for himself, should he and Sigyn ever desire another child. With the heart of Jötunheim returned, fertility to the Jötunn people had followed. Then he looked thoughtful. “Perhaps her tour should include being introduced to Lady Eir. She is the finest healer in the Nine and I would put my life in her hands.”
Reminding him, “Our biology is different from theirs.”
“True, but I do live here.” She acknowledged that reminder with a nod. “There are also enough similarities genetically among the races of the Nine. Otherwise, we would not be able to have children with them.”
Faurete was going to respond, but froze when a cat and a semi-transport boy walked into Loki’s room.
The silver-colored familiar ignored Faurete’s presence and said without pause, ‘You have a way to punish the bad adults so they behave better.’
The mage blinked a few times in surprise at Moonlight. “I have a lot of ways. I’ve exercised a few of them.”
Faurete looked silently intrigued.
Kid Loki had an expression that Loki was familiar with. He was on a mission. “What about the one in your grimoire?”
Loki frowned and narrowed his eyes in thought. What could he have in his grimoire that Kid Loki would know about? The magical boy’s knowledge was an echo of his own memories when he was that age. “My grimoire?”
Faurete asked cautiously, “Your…son?”
Kid Loki wrinkled his nose. He knew about her. It was the reason he hadn’t hesitated to follow Moonlight and reveal his presence. Loki shook his head almost absently. “No, a magical echo from my childhood.”
She nodded. “Ah. That explains why he looks so much like you.”
Loki pulled his grimoire out of the ether and opened it towards the beginning to look through the pages. Kid Loki stood up on his tip toes to see until Loki lowered the book a bit so the magical boy could see better. His small hand whipped out to tap against the page. “There. This one!”
Blinking, Loki read through something he had no memory of anymore. Only in the vaguest of senses. Something he’d stumbled upon in Asgard’s library hundreds of years ago. The Judgement of Magic.
He closed the book and returned it to dimensional storage. “No.”
Kid Loki stomped his foot. “Why not?”
Mentally Loki groaned. How did he even put it into words that a child version of him could understand and accept. “There’s no limitation to this spell.”
The boy nodded decisively. “Good. It will work and no more sneak attacks.”
A blink. “Sneak attacks?”
Moonlight nodded her head.
Faurete looked wary.
Sighing, Loki rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “The aristocracy are not above verbally attacking my children.”
Faurete looked horrified now. On Jötunheim that would never happen. Disrespect was punished. Regardless of station if anyone verbally or otherwise went so far as to attack a member of the royal house they were executed. It didn’t even need to be a matter addressed by the monarch. A guard. Even an ordinary citizen would tear the offender apart.
Then he lowered his hand. “Do you always tell the truth?”
“Sure I do.” Loki raised an eyebrow. Kid Loki said defensively, “Neither do you. So what?”
He’d asked the question to inform the explanation. “Sometimes lying is fun. But sometimes, it is necessary. It can mean survival.”
The boy shrugged. “I know.”
Reminding him, “Most warriors do not approve of lying.”
“…’cause they are stupid.”
Faurete snorted.
Mentally Loki agreed with him, but he had a point to make. “Because the rules are not flexible. There is only black and white for them, never gray.”
“And?”
Gesturing as if the book was still before them. “This spell works that way. Because it is not a spell, it is an absolute. Magic will independently judge all acts.”
Faurete’s eyes widened. “Ooh, that spell.” He cocked an eyebrow at her. She shrugged. “It circulated through several books over the years. Many of us know of it, but we do not dare use it.”
Kid Loki stomped his foot again. “Why not?”
Loki explained, “Magic will weigh an act and punish. Any act. Hurtful words. Physical harm. But even something said in the heat of the moment. The little white lies that slip out sometimes.” He shook his head. “No more lies. No more mischief. It will not matter if it is an adult or a child…”
Faurete was a bit blunter. “It is not even localized and there are no exceptions. This would spread until the whole of Asgard is consumed by this.” It wouldn’t travel beyond that point, but it wouldn’t be limited to a single building or specific people. “Do you wish for children to be burned or scarred for hurtful words or a small fight? A woman to lose her tongue for gossiping? Do you wish to not exist for pulling a prank that goes wrong?”
Kid Loki jumped back, looking panicked. “No!”
Loki softened his voice and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, throwing Faurete a look that fear wasn’t the best teaching tool for any child, even a magical one. That had been one of Odin’s mistakes. “Sometimes, magic is not the solution.”
As the panic faded the boy settled for pouting. “It should be.”
The mage gestured towards Moonlight. “We have reinforcements now. Powerful friends are here to keep the children safe. Soon we will cause an exodus from the palace of these…people. It will not be the end of it. Until they learn to be Aesir with honor their torment will continue. It will just be out there beyond the palace.”
Faurete looked amused. “Tormenting the locals, are we?”
Loki straightened and said sourly, “You have no idea how much they deserve it.”
Kid Loki scuffed his shoe against the floor. “Still say magic is better.”
Moonlight hissed at him.
Kid Loki hissed back and pouted harder.
He tutted at both of them. “Now, now. None of that.” Taking in the lower lip dragging the floor. “Only spoiled little boys like to sulk when they do not get their way.”
Abyss looked up. ‘Spoiled little boys, Loki?’
Snapping at the familiar, “Shut up.”
The black furred familiar continued as if he hadn’t heard him. ‘While you were repairing the BiFrost. Did you not sulk that one time when your uncles were upset with you—'
Blushing furiously. “Shut up, Abyss!” Why did his mother have to tell his familiar that?? The little fur ball better not tell his children or he would skin him. Well, no, he wouldn’t. Probably.
Faurete started giggling uncontrollably and he shot her a sour look.
***
Odin was not thrilled with the notion about being cornered by his brother in his own damn study. That Thor had tagged along thrilled him even less.
Vili had burst in through the double doors and demanded, “An Inquiry, Odin?”
The Einherjar were frozen with indecision in the doorway with weapons in hand. Vili and Ve had been accompanied by Thor. But they had invaded the King’s Study without invitation. Did they interfere? Did they leave?
Sighing, the old King loosely gestured towards the Einherjar to be at ease. Then a motion for Ve and Thor to enter fully and shut the doors. Once there was privacy, he corrected the brother who sometimes had a worse temper than he did, “A necessity.” But he followed that up by explaining what had happened since he didn’t feel like having the details extracted one by one.
Neither brother looked impressed by what they had been told. All three men stood. The two brothers had their arms crossed. Vili succinctly voiced his thoughts, “Boot their asses to Jötunheim.”
Ve snorted. “I doubt they would let them stay.”
Vili nodded in agreement. “True. The Jötunn have standards.”
Snidely, Ve returned, “Unlike the Aesir here.”
Thor was fighting to keep his laughter quiet. It was a bit like listening to he and Loki.
Odin sighed again in annoyance and took a seat, gesturing for the other three to join him. Thor sat immediately at the invitation while Vili and Ve both took their time. Only once they were settled did Vili ask, “When is the inquiry occurring?”
Another sigh from Odin. He was a King, dammit. He shouldn’t have to answer to either of them with regards to how Asgard was ruled. But he found himself relenting too easily these days. He knew his time was growing short. He could feel it. He could see it in Eir’s eyes though she didn’t voice her thoughts. He supposed he just didn’t want to maintain this distance with them anymore. “After the wedding, arrangements will be made.”
Vili grunted. “And leave these bastards and bitches wandering around near my nephews and the children? They get rewarded by seeing my nephew’s wedding? Not good enough.”
Thor bit into the inside of his cheek to keep his own opinion to himself.
Odin gave the older man a frustrated grunt. “Vili, you are a guest—”
“You think I give a damn?”
There was no hesitation. Odin answered sharply. Immediately. “No, I do not. But you are going to cause problems for Vanaheim with this attitude.”
Vili glowered. “Odin.”
Hand forming a fist, he thumped it against the arm rest of his chair. “This is the King’s study, Vili. I will not have Asgard look weak because you cannot control your temper.”
Ve lightly reminded Vili, “You know how rumors can ruffle feathers.”
A few grumbles followed that the other men pretended not to understand. After that, Vili shook his head. “Tomorrow. Settle it tomorrow.”
Odin slumped back, not really seeing why these aristocracy idiots needed to take precedent over Loki’s marriage. “The wedding is in but a few days time.”
A firm nod from Vili. “Exactly. Enough time to kick them out.” Odin huffed wordlessly.
Feeling not quite tentative, Thor found himself saying before he thought it through, “Loki did mention—”
“THOR.” Odin’s expression was thunderous.
Thor clamped his mouth shut.
Vili and Ve exchanged glances with each other. Ve made a slight motion for Vili to go ahead, which the eldest brother did. “What did Loki say, nephew?”
“Uh…”
Calmly Vili said with a mild look. “Who are you more afraid of, nephew?”
Offended, Thor immediately protested, “I am not afraid.”
Vili narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest again.
Thor wasn’t afraid of Vili. Intimidated, however, might be a more accurate word. Plus he knew all Vili would need to do was ask Loki who wouldn’t hold his tongue about it. Thor’s eyes flicked in Odin’s direction who looked both annoyed and resigned as he said, “Loki mentioned wishing the inquiry dealt with before the wedding.”
Ve asked, “Did he say why?”
Instead of worrying about his father being displeased, he focused on what Loki had conveyed, “He would wish those that are dishonorable away from his family as soon as possible.”
Vili nodded. “A reasonable reason, is it not? Odin?” A bit of slyness was in his rumbling voice.
Grumbling, not because he disagreed but because he didn’t like when either of his brothers interfered. “I suppose time could be found on the morrow.”
Ve shook his head. “You are too prideful.”
Odin retorted, “You are not?”
Vili scoffed, “Not at the cost of family.”
“Uh…”
With a jerk Vili’s head whipped around. “Not. One. Word. Ve.”
Ve had his mouth closed, looking amused.
Thor started to frown. “Uncle Ve?”
It seemed to be the only prompting needed for Ve to say, while still watching Vili, “I seem to remember a hothead a couple of thousand years ago—”
"Shut up!” Vili shoved him.
Ve just grinned. “Why?”
Gesturing sharply to the other two in the room. “They do not need to hear about that!”
A shrug from Ve. “Odin knows.”
Reminding him of a known fact. “What Thor knows, Loki will discover. I do not want to hear about it!”
“I will not say.” All three men stared at Thor. “…okay…I probably will.” Not as an act to be malicious. It was simply because he was terrible at keeping secrets. Loki could sniff out a secret and he would eventually get the truth.
The levity broke up the seriousness in the room. At a motion from his father, Thor served everyone small tankards of mead from the cabinet at one side of the room. Once everyone got comfortable Vili observed between sips. “Your elders are getting paranoid, Odin. They accosted us on the BiFrost for assurances.”
A long sip from Odin, his mind turning that over, before he nodded slowly. “The time for Thor to assume the throne approaches.”
“Ah. I vaguely recall a lot of unrest before you ascended.” Not that there had been much time for such worries. Bor had died mysteriously in his sleep. The healers had chalked it up to an undiscovered heart malady but there were quiet suspicions.
But that mystery changed nothing. One of the three of them would reign and quite frankly neither Vili nor Ve had been interested. Odin’s coronation had been a matter quickly put together.
Odin tilted his head. “How?” The pair were living on Vanaheim at that point. They both refused to return to Asgard for Bor’s funeral rites so they wouldn’t have been around to witness the unrest.
Vili loosely waved a hand. “Oh, on Vanaheim. A lot of speculation about the kind of King you would be. Would there be another war? Talk of that nature.”
The three brothers stared at one another for a heartbeat before dismissing those years from their thoughts. None of them tended to speak of those times. They led to memories of Hela and a lot of ugliness.
Thor was frowning. “They are worried about their positions?”
Without looking at one another, both Vili and Ve smirked identically even as Vili confirmed, “We worry them.”
“Why?”
Vili started to say, “Well—”
Odin cut him off firmly. “Vili. We will discuss that at a later time, Thor.”
As his father and uncles started talking about the possibilities surrounding the inquiry Thor stayed quiet. He knew how words like that from his father would proceed. It was a promise of later that would never happen. After a few moments of thought he decided if his father would not explain, perhaps Loki could.
***
Sigyn and Loki were standing along the water’s edge hand in hand. They were going to be married before the week was done. Fridays were a very important day to hold a wedding in Asgard. If they were following aristo traditions, they should be with their peers and their guests. That wasn’t what was happening today. They had decided to spend the rest of the day away from the palace. An outing with their children.
Abyss had absolutely no interest in getting near water and possibly getting wet. He’d decided to stay behind. The only cat that had dared to follow was a large tabby with fading black stripes. He was gray moreso because of age than anything else. He’d found a strategic spot for himself that allowed him to keep watch while assuring he wasn’t getting wet.
Bragi had a pole held tightly between his two hands, tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on fishing. Tyron was standing next to him with his own pole.
A safe distance away from the fishing duo, in the water wearing bathing suits were all the girls, including Nora. They were giggling, splashing, and just having a good time in general.
Loki turned his head towards the old tabby. “You did not have to come since I am here.”
The cat, as was typical for his species, decided to ignore him.
With a grin Loki tugged Sigyn so that she would sit down. Then with a wicked gleam in his green eyes he transformed and slipped beneath the water’s surface. She shook her head to herself in amusement but stayed quiet. He moved soundlessly, barely disturbing the water as he swam.
El announced to the other girls, “We should play a game. Ideas?”
Melody waved her arm with an idea. “How long we can hold our breath.”
She huffed at her sister and pointed at Talia who looked innocent. “Easy win.”
Nora frowned in thought. “We are seidkona’s, too. But it would not be a fair game for Melody.”
Martina blinked. “Wait. There’s a spell for breathing underwater?”
With a smile Nora shook her head. “Um, not…exactly. It just…let’s us hold it for a really long time.”
El looked surprised, and mentally jotted that down as something to learn. “Oh. Well, Talia is both so either way she’d win.”
Talia countered quietly, “Being an elf is only a slight advantage.”
El blew a raspberry. “You can sing to fish. Who knows what other cool things you can do that we can’t.”
Melody giggled suddenly.
Since what El said wasn’t exactly funny she asked, “What?”
The youngest of them grinned and shrugged even as she continued to lightly tread water. “Something tickled my feet.”
El started to nod in understanding before blinking. “Oh—what do you mean something?”
Martina rolled her eyes. “This is a lake, El. There’s fish and stuff in here with us.”
El’s eyes widened and her body froze.
Looks were exchanged before Melody frowned. “El?”
Her breathing picked up. “It touched my foot.”
Martina started to ask, “So—”
A nail moved lightly along El’s calf.
She screeched and immediately began swimming for the shore. Heads looked around and spotted a furry head slowly surface. More screams, no one knowing what it was, as all the girls immediately swam for land. Hearing them and thinking they were in danger, the boys dropped their poles and ran over, helping them out of the lake and tripping over each other to ask what was going on. In panic they were pointing at the furry body in the lake.
The creature was brown in color and furry all over, a long slender body and tail. It started to float along the water’s surface on its back as if it didn’t have a care in the world.
Melody pointed. “It’s an otter.”
El collapsed on her back and let out a huff. Stupid otter!
Nora frowned. “What is an otter?”
Melody shrugged. “It’s an animal on Earth.” Then she blinked. “You don’t have those?”
Nora shook her head.
That was when Sigyn’s soft laughter caught their attention. She called out, “Loki, you are horrible.”
Eyes widened before the girls whipped around and howled in unison, “DAD!!!”
He chuckled before ducking under the water. A moment later he popped into view, returning to the form of a man. His dark hair framed his face, curling on this ends now that it was wet. He asked too innocently, “What?”
El shared a look with all of them before pointing a finger with arm extended and issuing the battle cry, “GET HIM!!”
They stormed back into the water, including the boys, while Loki raised his eyebrows and ducked back under the water. Sigyn shook her head as she watched. A bad decision on their part. They had the numbers, but he had the advantage.
They dove under, looking for him. They resurfaced but found nothing, looking confused.
Out of the corner of her eye, Sigyn saw Loki surface near a far rock. He held onto the rock by a webbed hand to steady his position and she smiled privately to herself without turning her head and giving away the game. She knew the species he’d assumed. A species from a lesser realm that had many aquatic features including gills.
He whistled and they whipped around. He wiggled his fingers and dove back under. A second later, a fish-like tail flicked to help propel him.
Melody howled, “Cheater!”
He surfaced again and started to casually backstroke. “Why is it cheating? Just because you can’t do it?”
“Yes!!” was her immediate howl.
Rolling his eyes. “Someone sounds like Thor.”
Melody stuck out her tongue.
Sigyn raised an eyebrow. “Talia.”
The little elf looked towards Sigyn. “Mother?”
Reminding her. “You sang to the fish.”
“But…”
She just smiled a little. “Try.”
It was a simple little tune. Something that all the elven children were taught. It wasn’t like Melody’s gift of control. It just instilled a sense of calm, which in turn made fish easy to catch.
Loki blinked in surprise to find that in this form he found his body relaxing. “Sigyn!”
This time Sigyn stuck out her tongue.
He shifted back into otter form and dove under the water just before El could grab him. But he swam in the wrong direction and Martina got him.
He shifted back and surfaced, shaking his head to spray all of them with water. “Fine. You caught me.” Then he smirked evilly. “My turn.”
With happy squeals the kids scattered.
***
It was early evening, about an hour before dinner. Loki appeared in a flash of green, leaning against the wall next to the closed door with arms crossed. “Leaving so soon with tail tucked between your legs?”
Bellja didn’t turn from her task of packing the last of her things. “Prince Loki.”
Loki ignored the slight of her choosing not to show his station the proper respect with her undivided attention. He really didn’t care at this point. “Quite the gambit you attempted to initiate.”
“Gambit?”
He smirked a bit to himself. “No need to be coy, I know all about it. The threat of sanctions, all a tool to put pressure upon the King to release Amora early. Was it worth it?”
She froze but didn’t turn her head. “How…”
He shrugged even though she couldn’t see it, amused. “The palace is my home. Did you really think you could go somewhere here where I would not uncover deceptions and subterfuge? Those are my tools you are dabbling with.”
Her lips thinned as she moved things that were already packed around in her bag. “What do you know?”
“I know everything, including that Karnilla has something to do with all of this.”
A short nod of her head. “No doubt she will speak with you soon enough.”
“My thanks for the word of warning.”
Correcting him, “That was not a warning.” But she didn’t offer more.
Pursing his lips but deciding if she hadn’t left it did no harm to ask, “Before you go, idle curiosity perhaps has moved me but…why are you tapdancing to Vanaheim’s tune?”
She still didn’t turn, her question sounding idle but her tone careful. “Why should I not?”
He blinked. He honestly hadn’t expected her to admit that much. There wasn’t anything illegal about it, but such words weren’t politically smart. “Between the member numbers on the Inter-realm Council from both the Nine and lesser realms, Vanaheim does not have the majority vote…yet their will prevails?”
Her bearing was stiff, yet her shoulders slouched a fraction. “Is that what you really think is occurring?” She knew Meythew had a few assumptions on the matter, though she doubted he actually understood. She shook her head to herself and tucked a few more things away. “A favor now, for a favor later. Does that sound familiar?”
Loki slowly nodded once.
She saw his silent response out of the corner of her eye. “The Nine realms and beyond were built on that principle.”
A snort from the mage. “Funny. I thought it was built on thousands of years of war, conquest, and death.”
She turned, staring at him in surprise. “What?” Aesir history had been rewritten. Of course the important battles were remembered. The ones that painted them to be the peacekeepers dealing with enemies like the Dark Elves and Jötunn and such. But not the ugliness. Not the years that Asgard had been a realm to expand their influence and conquer the Nine.
A gesture and Loki wrapped the pair of them within a bubble to prevent anyone overhearing them. “You think just because I am Aesir I am not aware of Asgard’s extensive past exploits that are no longer remembered.” He pushed away from the wall and approached her. “Like my father’s blood covered secrets to conquer the Nine. Like Hela and her current exile onto Helheim. You will find that I have a true hunger for knowledge and secrets.” A sly smile formed. “…and I am ever so good at uncovering them.”
Bellja looked up at the shell of magic that had briefly appeared to her eyes when he created it. “What is this?”
A shrug. “A wall of silence, as it were. No sound in or out. I may have such knowledge but I have not yet chosen to share what I know with the rest of Asgard.”
It clicked in her mind suddenly. The magic. The sly nature. The comfort with politics and secrets alike. “I had it wrong. It is not an alliance with Odin that has gained the Guild’s notice.” Loki frowned delicately. “Since no one may overhear this, I offer you a word of warning. Be careful.”
His frown deepened a bit, intrigued. “Of what?”
She swallowed shallowly, looking nervous. “There is someone, man or woman I do not know, but someone has been operating from the shadows for longer than you have been alive.”
Loki scoffed, “Please…do not attempt to frighten me with tales of some nameless, faceless puppet master.”
She stiffened once more and returned her attention to her bag. “Believe what you wish, Prince Loki. I know they are of Asgard, but that is all I know.”
His head tilted slightly. “How would you know that?”
“They always have a buffer. But too many of these curious favors lend advantage to the Aesir. Always the same seal on the communication, beast and bird, handed over by different people acting as a buffer. What other conclusion would be drawn?”
A shrug. “Your paranoid imagination?”
A huff of laughter that was bitter. “You should hope so.” Pulling in a slow breath. “Our reason for being here was orchestrated, our mission spelled out. You were right, Amora was our purpose. She is cousin to Queen Karnilla. Imagine the favors that could be gained, to have a Vanir Queen’s gratitude as leverage. With our failure due to your interference, they just might see you as a problem to be erased.”
“A prince of Asgard?” He raised an eyebrow.
“A second prince,” she reminded him. “Thor is of age, now. He takes all of his cues from others. Still easily mislead. They do not need the rest of you.” Her head moved to lock their gazes. “You see too much. Be careful.”
Loki didn’t move as she snapped her bag closed and left. The part of him that was Loptr was chewing on those words. There was a familiarity to it. A distant itch of a pattern he’d subconsciously noticed but hadn’t had enough information to truly be aware of it. He was aware now. Her words, they weren’t lies. Either it was the truth…or she merely believed it was true.