Chapter One/Kapittel En:

His mysterious emerald eyes fluttered open with little clarity. His dark, midnight hair fell in locks around his face, onto the silky pillow. Loki was still robed in Æsir garments, even though he was nowhere near his fellow Æsir anymore. His emerald clothes were showily adorned with tiny little jewels and his hair had been freed of its usual slicked back styling and was beautiful and black, glitter highlighting sections of it here and there. Often as a boy Loki had wondered why the people of Ásgard felt the need to have such pretentious clothing and conceited styling. But now, oh now, Loki desperately wished he was back in Ásgard where the people liked to brag about their fashion choices. Instead, he was here…

"My son…"

A hand the colour of dark azure reached out and gently touched his Æsir locks with a great sorrow laced within the action. Loki tried not to flinch, but he knew that the older male had felt it, and Loki cursed himself and his cowardliness. If Thor had been next to him, he would have chastised him for being so. But Thor wasn't here. Loki knew that. No, the man sitting beside him was the one that had left him to die in a frozen temple on this wasteland of a world: Laufey, the king of Jötunheimr. And knowing who the man next to him was only drilled home the point to Loki that he wasn't of Ásgard, and Loki's last name wasn't Odinson anymore. Not like his older brother who was still able to proudly call himself Thor Odinson. No, not anymore, now, he was Loki Laufeyson.

The king of frost giants gently lifted his hand away, not wishing to frighten his lost child anymore. Such damage had been done to this Laufeyson child. Such lies had been spun and fed to his boy. Laufey's child… His child! Odin Allfather had brazenly taken his child! Not content with slaughtering thousands of Jötnar, Odin had gone so far as to kidnap his newborn child! Every time Laufey thought about it in the past week, the angrier he had become. What was even worse was that, up until a week ago, Laufey had believed his Loki child dead! Five-hundred years Laufey had mourned the loss of his youngest son, but now, to have it thrown back at him, to suddenly know that he was alive… Laufey couldn't sit on his laurels. He had so much time to make up for.

"Loki, my son, will you not eat?" Laufey gently inquired, looking down sadly at the untouched food on the silver tray sitting on the end of the bed. Laufey, thinking that Loki could not yet stomach Jötun foods, had even gone so far as to have Æsir food brought in from Ásgard for his youngest son. "You haven't eaten in three days; I am worried for your health."

Loki drew a shaky breath as he sat upright, briefly meeting the blood red eyes of Ásgard's most hated enemy before his cowardliness made him look away. It was in this brief space of time that Loki silently thanked the Norns that he had studied various languages of the nine realms in his spare time – the language of the Jötun being among them. It would not have boded well for him if he had been left in a world where he could not convey even the tiniest thing through his words, and Loki knew that the Jötnar had been removed from the Allspeak all those centuries ago. If Thor had been in Loki's position, he would not being doing so well. Laufey reached for Loki's face and blue skin met that of white for only a moment. Loki drew back sharply in alarm before he allowed the giant to touch his cheek again.

Loki could feel his glamour melting, like wax from a burning candle it faded away. It was like removing make-up from one's face. When it was there it made Loki feel secure, as if he could hide his problems from the world. When he was wearing it, no one could make him cry because the mask he wore was one of strength. No matter what his father – Odin, or his brother – Thor, thought or did to Loki, he could hide away what he truly felt. Loki knew that Thor had never purposely hurt him, and Loki believed that his father had tried his hardest to do right by his son, but both of them had left scars upon Loki's soul that had never truly healed.

Laufey removed his hand from Loki's skin and the beautiful sapphire sparkle that glistened on a midnight-blue skin that had briefly graced his son's face, was quickly covered up by the pale sun-skin that Loki was familiar with.

"Tell me my son, why do you persist with this… glamour?" Laufey asked as he tried to bridge the gap between them. "Is it not uncomfortable to wear it? Surely it saps your strength? I would think it be a bother to wear all day, every day and never remove it."

"It isn't a bother." Loki rebuffed strongly, an effort of courage upon his face. But Laufey could see straight through the façade. Loki was scared of him and Laufey knew it. "I have never known anything else. It comes as naturally and effortlessly as breathing."

Laufey curiously studied his lost son for a moment. "Do you not wish to remove it now that you have returned home? It would be far more comfortable."

Loki's breathing paused for a moment and his heart missed a beat. Take it off? Loki had never really tried before. The young man closed his eyes and again felt the melting wax sensation tingle all over his body. When Loki reopened his eyes, he found Laufey staring back at him with happiness in his own. Although the blood red was still chilling to look at, Loki felt the slightest bit better when knowing that the king before him wasn't angered that he had removed his glamour: the opposite in fact.

Loki stood and walked over to the upright mirror that stood on the left side of the bed. He surveyed himself for a moment, but then, Loki grimaced and closed his eyes before allowing his glamour to return to him. Turning away from the mirror he looked down at Laufey. The ice king had a look of disappointment in his eyes, and Loki thought it ironic that already had he managed to disappoint another father. Most people only had the opportunity to disappoint one, but not Loki. Oh no, the fates were so kind as to allow him to be such a disappointment to bothOdin and Laufey.

Loki felt disgusted with himself as he looked down at the floor. Such similar reactions… Loki mused. "I'm sorry." Loki apologised, speaking softly as if he were afraid of being punished.

Laufey suddenly realised the error of his ways. "No! Loki, do not apologise. It was I that forced you to do something you were uncomfortable with!"

Loki plastered on a tight smile as he thought of how his other father would have reacted. Hel, Odin blew a fuse when Loki so much as looked at him wrong!

Laufey stood, causing Loki to step backwards in fear for a moment. When Laufey reached again for his son, Loki closed his eyes and waited for the impact to hit. Yet, Laufey only pulled Loki into a tight hug and kissed his hair gently. Loki was suddenly confused. He had been sure that the frost giant was reaching out to hit him or something!

"It is so good to have you home Loki. You have no idea how happy I am to know you are alive. I'm so, so very thankful…" The Jötun giant's voice trailed off into a whisper.

"H-How is he?" A beautiful blue giantess sidled up next Laufey as he walked down the palatial hallways an hour later, her long coal-coloured hair drooping down lazily along her back and her cobalt dress shinning in the wintery sunlight that entered through the palace windows.

Laufey sighed wearily. "I know not if he'll ever come to trust me. The things he has been told by the Æsir… It is no wonder the child fears me. I made little progress with him today, but I thought I saw a smile cross his lips, even if it was only brief."

Hlín smiled at her beloved. "Do not fret my dearest one. Our child will come to know you and will come to know this realm as his own. Did you invite him to dine with us again tonight?" she inquired with a small frown across her brow as she looked over at her bōndi.

"Yes," replied Laufey, another bleak sigh escaping his blue lips. "But again I think he will not come. He barely moves around his room Hlín! I fear that he may be in too much shock and I worry about him."

Hlín looked at the father of her children with great concern. She was just as worried as Laufey, but she trusted in her motherly instinct that told her Loki would pull through and accept them in the end. "Do not hurry him my dearest Laufey. He is not a warrior but a seiðmann. You and I both know that those who have seiðr in our race are very emotionally connected – it is clear that Loki is suffering at the loss of what he probably still considers his family.

The child does not know us Laufey, to him we are nothing more than strangers… and that is at best. It is more likely that he considers us monsters. You and I both know the stories that we told our children when they were young. There are many Jötun children's stories that tell how evil the Æsir people are… It is likely to be the same about us in Ásgard. Loki has been raised believing that the Jötun people are nothing more than sick, twisted monsters that come after little children in the night. I'm sure when he found out that he was Jötun he must have despised himself; feared himself even! When one finds out they are the enemy of their people, what do they do? It is a wonder that our boy managed to survive in Ásgard, what with their brutish ways constantly pounding their ideals into him. … He is strong Laufey; I know he will be alright in the end."

...

Loki sat alone in his new room, looking around at the furnishings and the décor. Somehow, Laufey had managed to hone in to Loki's likes and dislikes and Loki was soon drowning in items and clothes that were of emerald green and midnight black. Yet everything Laufey did only reminded him of home – of his Ásgard home. All he really wanted was to be back in his chambers with Frigga holding him tight and telling him that everything was okay, that everything was only a dream! But it wasn't a dream.

At the threat of war from the Jötnar, Odin had become desperate. Odin knew that the Jötnar wanted the Casket of Ancient Winters back; their race was dwindling without it. In a desperate ploy, Odin had revealed Loki's true identity, throwing Jötunheimr into utter confusion. Laufey had demanded his son's return and it was then that Odin knew he had an advantage. Odin told the king of the ice realm that he could have the Casket of Ancient Winters, but as a trade off, Odin would kill Loki if Laufey chose the casket. If however, Laufey chose Loki, Odin would return Loki to the Jötunheimr king but King Laufey would have to call a truce between Jötunheimr and Ásgard and swear upon the souls of all his people that he would not go to war with the Æsir. Odin had bluffed when he had told Laufey that he would kill Loki. Loki was an Odinson and to Odin, it would always remain that way, no matter where Loki was. But, just as Odin had expected, Laufey had fallen for his gambit and had agreed that in exchange for his lost son he would leave Ásgard untouched for another five-hundred years.

But of course, Loki knew not of anything that had transpired between the two kings. To him, Laufey might as well have kidnapped him. Loki had not wanted to leave his home on Ásgard! No one had asked him what he wanted. It was then that Loki realised that he was little more than a valuable pawn in Odin's war games. Even without knowing the full extent of what had transpired, Loki was still smart enough to work out that he was being used as a bartering piece. Frigga had told him everything would be okay, that he would always be welcome in Ásgard and that Frigga would always see him as her son. Yet even as she sent him off with tears in her eyes, Loki felt a stab of pain in his chest: a wound of doubt. No real mother would send off her child as Frigga had to Loki. No, a real mother would have fought to keep her child safe, out of harm's way, and most importantly would have fought to keep her son!

Loki wiped away the tears that the memories brought him. This was stupid. He couldn't sit around all day moping. He wasn't goddamn dead either! Loki was the trickster god, the god of lies! A trickster would never give into the fates. Standing determinedly, Loki strode towards the entrance to his chambers…

Half an hour passed in silence. This was how dinner had been taken for the last three days, since the youngest Laufeyson had been returned. It wasn't even like the man had eaten with them, but everyone in the dining hall had continued sit in silence with baited breath as they ate.

"He won't come, will he?" Sol asked in a whisper to her brother Váli, whom she sat beside.

Váli shook his head sadly. "I don't think so, but don't say that to mother or father."

Laufey sighed as he put down his fork. "My children," he watched the pair jump in their seats as their heads turned towards their father guiltily. "You do not have to whisper about your brother here. You may freely speak your minds."

The two younger frost giants exchanged glances with each other before shrugging. Sol was the first to speak up.

"What is he like, our youngest brother?" She asked tentatively.

"He is… reserved… or so it seems for the moment. He's having a hard time dealing with the shock of being returned home." Hlín replied calmly as she stabbed a piece of raw wolf meat from her plate, silently pretending that it was Odin Allfather.

"Does he look like us?" Váli quickly piped up.

"Yes, when he removes his glamour he looks very much like you Váli. But the Æsir have made it hard for him to feel comfortable in our skin. I believe Odin did something to Loki when he was younger. Loki denies any wrong-doings that Odin has done, but either he wishes to protect the man he once claimed as father, or he does not remember–"

Laufey paused in his conspiracy theory as he heard the door to the dining hall creak open. A tuft of black hair peaked through the doors at the group of seated Jötnar and there was a pair of green eyes watching them all very closely.

"Loki!" Laufey exclaimed, causing his child to flinch. Keeping himself in check and lowering his voice in fear of scaring off his child, Laufey invited Loki to join them.

"I'm sorry…" Loki apologised again as he sat down at the table with the four other frost giants. "Was I interrupting?"

"No, no of course you weren't snowflake!" Hlín replied as she felt a sudden surge of motherly protectiveness at seeing her child, even if he was wearing the skin of her enemy. She had only seen him once since he had been returned to Jötunheimr, and at the time, Loki had looked so listless and lost that she'd thought it best that she leave him in peace.

Loki looked at her incredulously. Had she just called him 'snowflake'? Loki assumed it must have been the Jötun version of 'sunshine'. Still, wasn't such talk reserved for mating partners and small children? As no one else seemed as perturbed by this as Loki was, the dark-haired man ignored the comment and pulled a plate forwards.

Loki didn't recognize any of the foods upon the table, and everyone seemed to hold their breath in anticipation, waiting to see what Loki would choose; what he would like of the Jötunheimr foods. Loki scanned the table for anything familiar, but his search seemed pointless. The young god reached out for the closest item that looked very much like some sort of fruit and he placed it on his plate, analyzing it before the taste test, so to speak. The fruit was green, and oval shaped and Loki took a sniff at it.

"It's called an eple." Sol explained when she realised what Loki was doing. "They're nice, you should try it and see if you like it. They grow during the spring months in huge orchards that are located in the blå-is fjell. They are a rare fruit on Jötunheimr because they are more sensitive to the fluctuating cold than most of our other foods."

Loki was a bit uncomfortable with everyone watching him as he ate, but when he bit into the strange fruit, all was forgotten. The juice ran into his mouth as he tasted the food that tasted so much like Iðunn's apples of Ásgard.

"I-it's good." He announced quietly. The family seemed to release their collectively held breath as Loki took another bite of the strange, green fruit that reminded him of home.

Laufey looked down at his plate, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Perhaps… Perhaps there was hope yet for his broken son.

...

Odin, Frigga and Thor all sat around the dining table that night and while the rest of the warriors and Æsir people ate and drank with merriment, the three could only think of Loki. Thor sighed, already on the verge of tears as he looked at the empty seat across from him. Never had he been so heartbroken about Loki not attending the evening feast before. Frigga let out a sniffle and Thor looked up at his mother to find that she had endured all she could.

"Mother…" Thor breathed out in sorrow, just loud enough for her to hear him.

Odin also looked up at his wife and his eyes reflected much of the same anguish as hers did.

"I just want my Loki… I just want my son back!" Frigga cried hopelessly. "Hel knows what those icy demons are doing to him! Oh Hel, the stories about them. I hope to the fates that they exaggerate their abuse of the small-borns!"

Thor recalled the stories about the frost giants from his childhood. He and Loki would sit on Thor's bed in the evenings and listen to Odin read stories about brave warriors whom had slain hundreds of the Jötun beasts. In the stories the Jötun had always been savages that killed not only the Æsir, but people of their own kind as well.

"…"

Finally Thor had had enough. "We must retrieve him immediately father!" Thor boomed angrily as his mother's helpless sobbing began to take a toll on the young Æsir's mind. "My brother is not some tool! Loki is not a toy! For Hel's sake father, bring Loki home! Let him come home!"

"Do you not think I am trying Thor!" Odin shouted back angrily at his first born son. "I love him as much as you do and I never would have wished this on him. I had no choice! Jötunheimr was threatening war with us."

"AND WE WOULD HAVE SLAYED HUNDREDS – NO, THOUSANDS – OF THOSE BEASTS! Loki should not have been used as a bartering piece!" Thor countered as he slammed a fist down upon the table. Some of the warriors and merrymakers were starting to notice the fight brewing between the king and the prince, but Thor did not care. All Thor cared about at this time was how he was going to retrieve his brother from the icy realm where he had been taken.

"Do you not understand Thor!? War with the Jötnar would have ended in huge casualties on both sides, I couldn't take that risk. I had to play on the feeling that Laufey would choose his small born over the Casket of Ancient Winters. If I had been wrong, Ásgard would already be in the midst of a huge war!"

Thor stood from the table angrily, vehemently disagreeing with Odin with every action he took. With a slam on the table for emphasis, Thor strode out of the room, already planning his younger brother's rescue mission.