Hello everyone! I'll keep this quick. I just wanted to thank you all for reading this. This is set during Thor 2 and there aren't any spoilers as far as I can see. Also, please no movie spoilers in the reviews, we can't spoil anything for other people.
This is rated K+ for now, I haven't spotted anything here that would make me rate it higher but if you do please let me know so I can change the rating.
Enjoy and review! xx
Frigga paced back and forth in the palace hallway. It was time for Loki's court with the All-Father, and Frigga would be doing nothing but lying to herself if she'd even thought that everything would be okay. Her husband had told her, no, ordered her to be in the Throne Room before their adopted son arrived but Frigga needed to see him before he received his judgement; even just a few exchanged words would suffice.
Then she saw him. Walking slowly between the rows of tall stone pillars was Loki. He was accompanied by a group of guards, some of them holding on to chains attached to him. They had Eir tend to his wounds in the healing room before he was to be brought here, but they'd left his muzzle on. He didn't appear to be as scruffy and filthy as Frigga had imagined he would, it must have been Eir's work. Everyone knew how much she'd fuss over her patients, criminal or saviour.
His hair was a lot longer than it was the last time she'd seen him; it almost seemed darker, but far duller like the light had been sucked out of him. He seemed paler also. His hands were bound by handcuffs that were attached to chains that the guards held on to, and one chain was attached to a restraint around his neck which would make escape very difficult for him; but who's to say it couldn't be done?
The way he looked at her frightened her the most. He didn't seem like the child she'd raised, he seemed so distant and cold. She'd thought him dead and it was as if he hadn't even taken that into account. The last time she'd seen him they had shared a tender embrace as they comforted each other as the All-Father lay in the Odin-Sleep with the possibility to never awaken.
"Remove his muzzle." She ordered. After a few awkward moments one of the guards at the back carried out her order hesitantly, knowing that the All-Father would be displeased. Loki's hard lined mouth turned up into an amused grin as he began to speak.
"Did you miss me, Frigga?"
Frigga flinched as he called her by her name and not 'Mother' like he used to, like she'd always thought he would. She had been preparing herself for this confrontation all morning. She knew that it would be hard for the both of them. No matter what Loki did, she would still love him regardless and unconditionally.
"..Loki." She whispered as she looked him in the eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity to her. He stared back at her coldly.
"Is there a valid reason as to why you're disobeying the All-Father?" Loki questioned her, his familiar voice slightly hostile.
"Loki, I-"
"You should be waiting in there with everybody else," He butt in, his eyes narrowed. "unless of course you've decided to gloat and mock me in private beforehand?"
"I wanted to see you once," Frigga replied, tearing her gaze away from him. She focused on the intricate and symmetrical designs on the pillars. "Just once. This may very well be the last time we see each other depending on the punishment you receive."
"I am aware of that." He snapped, glaring at her. His glare felt hot, like travelling through the BiFrost often did when you went to very far off places. Frigga straightened out her dress and made another attempt at maintaining eye contact. Loki seemed to be slightly amused by this.
"What you did was unforgivable, but no matter what you do you will always hold a place in my heart," She said as she took a step forward, but then paused as a guard stepped forward as if to warn her not to come any closer. "My son.
"Ah," His trademark grin appeared on his almost translucent face. "A mother's love; unconditional and eternal, even for me. Are you sure you should be risking this?" He taunted. "This time you're spending with me will not please the All-Father."
"If you keep your lips sealed on the matter, as will I." Frigga said softly.
"Ooh, keeping secrets are we Mother?" Loki grinned wider. "I'm impressed." His face turned serious. "Why did you come for me?"
"I wanted to talk to you briefly."
"I would personally consider this conversation too long to be classified as brief," Loki said. "Give or take a few sentences."
Frigga knew that he wasn't in the best of forms, but how he could be so disrespectful to her of all people truly hurt her. She did her best to look regal and unscathed by his attitude towards her. "I was hoping to find you and calm you down."
"I don't need calming," Loki scoffed, his gaze hardening. "Though I do appreciate your concerns."
Frigga could see that she was getting nowhere with him so she decided to take a new approach. "You've told many lies in your time, Loki, but you could never lie to me when it comes to how you are feeling."
Loki's hard and icy gaze slowly melted and softened a flicker of something in his eyes that Frigga couldn't read in the time that it was there, for it dissolved as quickly as it came. His chains rattled softly and echoed through the empty area of the palace as Loki moved his hands and held his left index finger between his right index finger and his thumb, tapping on it.
"What will become of me," He asked slowly. "What will happen to me after all this?"
Frigga wanted no more than to engulf him in her arms and stroke his head like she used to when he was a child. "I wish I knew." She sighed. They stood in silence for a few moments before Frigga spoke up again. "I will do all in my power to convince your father to give you a lighter, painless punishment."
"I do not desire comfort, nor do I desire the heavy weight of my punishment to be lightened." Loki said quickly. "I will take what the All-Father sees fit but there are only two things I ask of you."
"What, Loki?"
"Never leave me." He said quietly as he tore his blue-eyed gaze from hers and looked at the tiled floor.
"My dear, you needn't fret over something such as that." Frigga smiled warmly as he returned his gaze to hers. "What was the other request you had of me?"
Loki swallowed a lump in his throat and for the first time Frigga had noticed a small cut on the side of his neck that was mostly concealed by his long ebony-coloured hair, but not all of it. He licked his lips and swallowed once more before speaking, his voice breaking ever so slightly. "Don't let them send me to Jotunheim."
"Oh, Loki."
"I'll proudly wear any punishment the All-Father throws my way, but please don't allow him to exile me there." He looked at her, pleading, a rare form indeed.
"I promise you right now," She began reassuringly. "That I will do everything that is in my power to make sure that never happens. I can't promise a light punishment and I was foolish to believe that before, but I will do my best for you, Loki."
"We must be sure that he does not find out about this meeting," Loki changed the subject, though Frigga could see that in his eyes he was silently grateful to her and perhaps a little relieved. "He'd not be pleased with either of us and he might even worsen my punishment. I will act as though I never saw you and I trust you'll do the same."
"But Loki," Frigga stopped him as he was about to take a step forward, the guards tightening their grips on the chains that bound him as their prisoner. "The All-Father knows all."
"Well you should have thought about that before you'd decided to go against his wishes." He said sternly, in a way that Frigga should have been speaking to him if anything. She repeated her words again.
"The All-Father knows all."
Loki nodded his head and held out his arms so that she could hold his hand. "Not this." He whispered as a flash of sparkly green appeared and her image slowly dissolved until she was there no more.
Frigga found herself standing a corner away from the Throne Room. She took a deep breath and entered to find her husband seated on his golden throne. She had to remain calm. She had to talk with her husband briefly and try to soften him up. He had spoken so roughly of Loki that morning. She had to soften him up now, Loki would be here soon.