Out of control
The next four mounts were the worst in Fandral's life.
First, most servants and guards were sent to the healing rooms because of what Loki's magic had done to them.
The day after the accident in the throne room, the queen explained what happened. Apparently, Loki lost control of his magic. And this never happened to him before.
The first week Thor tried to talk to his brother, but it turned out to be too soon. Every time he tried, he found himself flying into - or through - a wall, being slammed into the ground, or ceiling - which was worst than the floor because of the high ceilings in the palace. When this proved useless, the queen tried. She wasn't thrown anywhere, but the pain under her skin and the intensity of the magic around Loki didn't let her anywhere near him. She needed less than two days to give up on the idea. And after his encounter with his second son, the king could barely stand upright. No one knew what happened to him.
After the first month, things were getting back to normal. The servants were afraid to bring food and drinks and whatever the prince asked them to - which wasn't much, really - to him. Not a small amount of them were found in the healing rooms afterward. The dark prince started going out again, to everyone's dismay. Yes, he mainly stayed in his own company, but the others avoided him like some sort of a wild beast.
Sif actually tried to talk to the sorcerer, confronting him in a deserted corridor. She said she could feel the energy in the air, and the closer you get to the prince the more powerful and chaotic it became. He had tried to hide his emotions, she said, but she could see it all on his face and body posture. Sif hadn't told them what happened next because even she couldn't remember. She had said something, but after that everything had been a blur. The next thing she remembered had been waking in the healing room with a note written in Loki's handwriting saying he was sorry.
Fandral grew frustrated after this encounter. He found Loki one day in one of the gardens - that no one went to unless to water the plants - and snuck behind his back. One moment he remembers touching Loki's shoulder, head snapping in his direction, green eyes glowing, and the next, he's in the healing room, everything aching. A note written in the dark sorcerer's handwriting saying 'Never do that again!' and in a smaller shrift 'I apologize for what happened in the garden.'
After that incident, no one dared near the dark prince. Much less, surprise him.
The second month was somewhat better. Loki was nowhere to be seen, and everyone was beside themselves because of it. Thor was worried, of course, but he was also fed up with being thrown into and through objects - most frequently the nearest wall. Fandral didn't hold a grudge against the second prince. He surprised the seemingly emotionally unstable sorcerer. The servants actually stopped bringing food to his room, which indicated that he either told them to stop, or he wasn't there at all.
Since no one wanted to end up in the healing rooms, Fandral went to ask the king and queen, but they, too, knew nothing.
Somewhere in the middle of the third month, Loki had been once again seen in the palace. In a few days, rumors from other warriors and servants were heard. The second prince had had an argument with his family, ending with Thor and Odin unconscious, Frigga's magic barely saving her from the same faith, and Loki's hunted, agonizing screams echoing through the halls for hours on end.
The king was in a foul mood all week, Frigga's indifference seemed to grow, Thor almost killed Fandral the next day. Good thing the others managed to calm him before he could, saying this wasn't Fandral's decision in the first place. The first-born then confronted his father intending to stop the marriage. Then he too was in a foul mood for a week.
Most people started blaming Loki at the beginning of the fourth month. The Royal family was arguing all of the time. Most of the time - if not all - Loki hadn't even been present. Thor was there during all of the confrontations. Frigga and Odin started disagreeing more often on different matters. Loki was locked in his room, nobody was sure either by his own choice or by the king's will. It didn't matter to them either way. They were content with not seeing the sorcerer. But Fandral couldn't help but worry.
The realm was in chaos. And the God of Chaos was a mess himself.
The commoners and the poorer were on the verge of starting a civil war. The novelties and the ambassadors were growing impatient. The guards and the servants were refusing their duties.
Who knew Loki had such an impact on the realm?
Fandral wanted to help him. But how do you help someone whose problem is with you?
Tonight there will be another 'argument', like everyone started calling them because, really, that was all this was about. All four members of the Royal family were proud and stubborn. The warrior wanted to be present but decided against it. He was sure the king would've allowed him if he asked, but he didn't want to please the king, he wanted to make Loki feel more at ease, even a little. He still wasn't sure why so many nobles and court members would be present.
During the last four months, Fandral hasn't been himself and everyone knew it. He tried to not show them how much he actually cared for the second prince. But from the last time he saw the prince up until now he hadn't bedded anyone. Hadn't flirted, at some point stopped eating and training as much as he used to. His friends were worried, his 'I'm fine's nothing more than empty words because to everyone was more than clear he wasn't.
Who knew Loki had such an impact on him?
Fandral laid down in his bed, staring at the ceiling. It was late at night and he was wide awake. No screams were heard, no news delivered, so everyone was still in the throne room. He just wished Loki was alright.
He wasn't sure how long it had been before he heard something besides himself and then a loud 'thud'. He was on his feet in seconds, weapon drawn from the stand on his other side. When the green smoke cleared he could see Loki's eyes. The air buzzed, the magic around the prince ever presented, it started destroying the room, but Fandral couldn't see it. He couldn't even register when the sword fell from his grip. The only thing he could register was the sorcerer kneeling on the floor, green eyes locked with blue. The energy under his skin tingled painfully, but the warrior was staring at the figure, slowly rising from the floor.
Before Fandral could move, he felt two arms wrapping tightly around him, trembling body pressed to his own and the magic...the magic. It wasn't the chaotic force of destruction, nor the painful, sometimes bone-crushing energy. It was a pleasant bliss. He could feel all his wounds healing, leaving soft, smooth skin in their place.
The shock of being this close to his loved one, to not be sent to the healing rooms after their encounter, was quickly overcame when he heard a soft sob. He immediately wrapped his hands around the trembling prince, hugging just as tightly. This broke the other even further, pressing his head to the warm chest, he started crying, like a small child to their parent.
And before he could even register it, "What happened?" the sentence escaped his mouth. Loki shuddered from head to toes but didn't let go. None of them said anything more.
After an hour or so, the best hour or so both of them had in months, Loki's trembling subsided, his cries too. Neither of them let go, though.
"Want to sit down?" Fandral asked, Loki nodded against his chest. Finally letting go, the warrior led them to his bed. They sat side by side, Loki looking at his feet, head in one hand. Fandral watched the second prince from the corner of his eye, taking in his looks. His hair was longer, his shoulders were tense, but he couldn't feel the magic anymore, nor the buzzing in the air. Everything seemed much clearer now.
"Would you...would you tell me what happened?" the warrior whispered.
Loki stayed silent for a moment, maybe gathering his thoughts. Then, he whispered back weakly, "They will not give up...but they will not listen to me either. They don't care..."
Well, this did not make any sense.
"What do you mean?" Fandral looked at the mage and saw he was tenser.
Loki swallowed, "They want to take my magic from me."
Loki braced himself for the upcoming laughter, the scoffs of 'and that's what you cried about', the scowls of 'that's a women's craft' or 'it'll be better that way, for the whole realm'. That's what the novelties in the courtroom said, and more. More rude, disapproving comments. More praises to what Odin tried to do. More yells to chain him up and take his power away.
Fandral saw the distress, the magic around them once again slowly eating its way under his skin, the slight pain it brought, but he didn't move. He gently placed his palm over the one holding the second prince's head.
The action surprised Loki and he looked up with wide eyes. The warrior was smiling at him, eyes soft. He didn't understand what the sorcerer was talking about, that much was clear to him, but there was understanding in those blue eyes. He let his hand fall to his side, but Fandral didn't move his, caressing his cheek with his thumb, and Loki leaned slightly into the touch.
The magic curled around them, not completely disappearing, but no longer as chaotic and destructive. This amazed Fandral. The magic was part of Loki, it was reacting to him, to his emotions, being both a shield and a weapon. He suddenly understood how wrong he was - all of them - about the magic. How little he actually knew of it. Of Loki.
"Tell me..." Fandral whispered. The sorcerer hummed questioningly, frowning. Fandral indicated around them with his other hand, "Explain it to me. Your magic."
Loki's eyes widened impossibly much, hand going to his mouth, a soft gasp escaping him. The dark prince just stared wanting to make sure he heard correctly. Searching the face of the warrior for any indication he was insincere, that he did not want to know, that he was just biding his time so he could later hand Loki to someone and be over with it. He found nothing, but concern...
He nodded warily, swallowing, "Magic flows through everything, through everyone," the sorcerer started quietly, still searching the face of the other, "It is connected with a person's soul. Everyone has it, some have easier access to it, it flows more freely within them, or simply have more energy they need to convey. Others need more practice, but eventually, they would be able to use it more freely," Loki averted his gaze downward, moving away from Fandral's touch, "Magic is connected with emotions. The stronger they are the stronger the magic, but also, the more dangerous it becomes for the user and everyone around them."
Fandral hesitantly wrapped a hand around the prince's waist, but there was no reaction. Still, he didn't dare move.
"It is important to be in control of your inner energy so you could control the outer. To hide, fake, and pretend - like I usually do - results in losing the inner battle, thus losing the control, and...we know what happens next..." the sorcerer trailed off bitterly. After a moment, he started again, "Having as much energy as I, it is impossible to ignore it. And even if I didn't want to learn, I had to so those kinds of incidents never happen."
Fandral could feel his eyes widen, "Wait! You didn't want to learn sorcery?"
Loki snorted, "I wasn't sure if I do. Thor always thought it lesser, cowardly, unmanly," there was something bitter in those words, "but I always wanted to try. Either way, I had to learn."
Silence hung between them, but not an awkward or unpleasant one. Loki still refused to look up, and Fandral was okay with it. But there was one question he wanted to be answered. Maybe it will ruin whatever progress they made, but he had to know, "And what happens if you remove it?"
Loki bit his lower lip, tensing once more -when had he relaxed in the first place? Sighing heavily, he answered, "Magic is as much part of me as the skin and bones in our bodies. To remove this much energy from someone - with training much less - ought to be painful. If your or Thor's magic was removed you might be disorientated for a few hours, but if my magic was removed it will weaken me - both physically and mentally. Maybe..." he trailed off and shook his head as if clearing his thoughts, "The near removal was traumatizing enough experience I'd like never repeats again."
They fell silent again, this time the air heavier around them. Fandral finally let go of the other's wais folding his hands in his lap.
"I'm sorry," the warrior whispered.
Loki didn't look up, just kept staring at his feet, "Whatever for?" he whispered just as quietly.
There was a pause before an even quieter whisper reached the sorcerer's ear, "...For everything."
The whole situation was so out of control. They did not know what to do. What was someone to do in this sort of situation? The guards would soon come to look for the second prince. They would soon come to take the only thing that made him so special. So unique. So different.
And now...Now there were too many questions. More than the answers.