Chapter 5
Chapter 5
They were sitting on the plush couches in the communal room of the private royal wing of the palace. The big blond absently brushed his fingertips over the soft fabric of the cushions; he noted that it was softer than anything on earth- he was a fool to take such simple things for granted…to expect that all that he had ever known would always be there, but the eternal realm wasn’t so eternal. Four pairs of eyes watched him- one more aggressively than the other’s- as he tried to find the words… but how do you tell your family that…oh Norns! Don’t start crying! The big blond heaved a breath to calm himself. “Um..so…”
Frigga took pity on her son, “how about you tell us what happened in your past with the dark elves?”
The elder Thor cringed but reminded himself that his mother was here beside him…his actions had saved her…the ragged blond looked over at his little brother. He almost lost him again… for real too. Thor had apologies for not getting to him sooner but Loki with all the bravado he could muster in his sick bed had sneered and scoffed that he is no damsel in destress in need of a hero. Nonetheless Thor saw through his younger sibling’s brave façade to see the care in Loki’s eyes. To see behind the harsh words to their true meaning. Loki didn’t blamed Thor. The elder was both heartened and dismayed- his brother never stopped caring for him, but Thor had been so oblivious to how much Loki had protected him over the years. His heart filled with sorrow that he could only understand his brother after he had truly lost him.
Thor did not have Loki’s gift with words. Thor’s telling of the past ten years was clunky and generally a jumbled mess. The fumbled retelling got worse closer to the end, drifting off into mindless rambles where one of his family members smoothly brought him back on track. His younger counterpart stayed silent, glaring at him in contempt. His throat was dry-he needed a drink…no one was letting him near the alcohol though…it was hard facing this without the alcohol to numb the pain…but he was going to have to face this eventually…but he really needed that drink.
The part when Hella was revealed made his younger self turn his heated glare towards their father, “and why is it that it took you dying to tell us that we had a sister-and that SHE was the first born? And a murderess conquer- the very thing YOU made her into at that!”
Odin sighed looking down ashamed, “I had hoped that you would never have to deal with her…I wished to protect you- from her and my own past. I made her what she became in my selfish desire for conquest at any cost. I know she pays for my mistakes as a father.”
The younger blond recalls the time of his almost ascension to the Throne and gazes over at his younger brother, “Are we all so disposable to you? If we cease to be of use to you, will you lock us away and throw away the key?”
“No-it was different-“
“You almost did it to Loki-though I guess you wanted him close by in case you could use him again. I’m sure you thought that you could still manipulate him in to doing whatever you needed done-“
“Thor! That’s enough!”
“No! It’s not! You lie and you scheme so well you make Loki seems like an amateur! You train us and teach us to emulate you but when we do-you punish us!” Young Thor breathed out a shuddered breath, “So I wonder…Do you even love us-do you even care at all? Or…Or was that a lie just like everything else?”
Three sets of eyes gazed at their father with a sudden trepidation. Odin’s heart broke as he saw the distrust in his children’s eyes. “My love for you was never a lie,” he gazed turned to his youngest, “any of you.”
Loki looked away from his gaze just as young Thor spoke the very words Loki was thinking, “I wish I could believe you.” Odin visibly flinched.