So here is my second go at a Thor fic. The idea came to me while I was tutoring someone for a class on Norse culture and traditions. Constructive criticism is welcome but flames will be ignored. There will of course be more Loki in later chapters but for now you need a little background. I do not own any of the characters (associated with Marvel comics). Eir (pronounced air) is loosely based on the minor goddess from Norse mythology but is largely my creation.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness." ~Aristotle
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
The wine goblet dropped from trembling hands as she tried desperately to gain control of her emotions. Barely an hour had passed since Thor returned triumphantly with her youngest son and his brother to the kingdom of Asgard. Frigga had scarcely recognized the man that had stood before the royal court. His emerald orbs reflected nothing but disdain for the realm and the people that spread out before him. The child that she had once held lovingly in her arms was lost. Although no tears had marred her stoic countenance as Odin handed down Loki's punishment she was certain that if one had listened closely enough they could have discerned the sound of her heart as it shattered into a million tiny pieces.
A gentle hand placed on Frigga's shoulder coaxed her back to the reality at hand. "My lady, we must make ready." Looking up she met with a pair of pale blue eyes belonging to her handmaiden Eir. A goddess herself, Eir had been in the All-Father's care from an early age and had been reared in the palace alongside the princes. She possessed a compassionate heart and for that Frigga was grateful.
"I am not sure if my heart will survive this," she said rising from the gilded chair and taking the young woman's hand. "How does a mother watch as her child is injured and do nothing?"
Eir drew her lips into a thin line as she thought of how best to temper the Queen's misgivings. "Your Majesty, you will do what women have done for millennia. You will bear it in silence and then see that he is cared for afterwards" she answered with wisdom that far surpassed her years.
Her words struck a resonant cord within Frigga and she knew at that moment what she must ask of the fledgling goddess. "My dear, what I ask you now I ask as a mother and not as the Queen of Asgard. Loki's actions were reprehensible but I do not accept that he is forfeit. You are the Goddess of Healing and I wish to entrust my son to your keeping after his punishment is dealt out. Will you endeavor to repair the damage that his family and the Tesseract have done? If not for him then for me?" Frigga pleaded. The other woman remained silent for so long a time that the Queen feared her request would be met with refusal.
Though Eir's head cautioned her to be wary of the Dark Prince her heart spoke only of the kindness that the older woman had shown her. As she haltingly nodded she whispered, "I give you my word, your majesty that I will do all that is within my power to help your son Loki."
Frigga's cobalt eyes brimmed with tears. "Thank you Eir. Now I think I will be able to endure what lies ahead."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
A horde of Asgardians pressed against one another as they made their way into the immense central courtyard. The palace builders had constructed a makeshift scaffold boasting a tall, rough-hewn oak post in the innermost part of the space. This was where the God of Mischief would be chastised. Odin had decreed that Loki was to be flogged at sundown for his indiscretions. One lash for every life he had taken in his quest to conquer Midgard; one hundred and twenty in all. Eir noted morosely that shackles lay on either side of the structure to ensure that whomever was being whipped could not shy away from the blows. It was incomprehensible to her why anyone would desire to see another suffer. Yet the ever-growing crowd spoke of the rancor that the citizens of this realm held for Loki.
A great cheering erupted as the prisoner was led out onto the platform and restrained. Frigga grabbed Eir tightly by the arm as her knees buckled. The young goddess felt the Queen trembling violently as she watched the spectacle unfold. "A mother should never be made to suffer through this" Eir thought as she allowed Frigga to lean on her for support. For a moment Loki's gaze wandered to the platform where the All-Father sat but he never called out or begged for clemency. In fact, no sound escaped from his lips even as the first lash from the flagrum tore into the alabaster flesh of his back.