AN: I should be studying and writing other stories for the Uni.

molescout: When I first imagined her, about three months ago, she was Nera but I guess she'll be Elin. We have lots of Nora(h)s here and Nera is similar. Also, Elin is a proper Scandinavian name. I would call her Kerstin if I could but that name came with Christianity. So I thank you for the review before my inner student of Scandinavian studies takes over and bores you to death.

In a flash of bright light they were there. Loki stumbled a bit. Was it not for Thor to catch him, he would most certainly fall. He jerked himself ot of his grip and stepped back as many steps as chain would allow him.

"Look brother, we are home." Thor exclaimed joyously.

From the blank stare the younger prince gave him it was more than obvious that he didn't share his excitement. Even if his mouth were shut, his face remained as expressive as ever, but only when he wanted it to be. He showed disdain and anger but in reality his frozen heart was filled with dread. Whatever Odin had in store for him was certainly far from pleasant. He looked down the Rainbow bridge or what remained of it and swallowed.

He didn't know what to expect of coming back to Asgard but this was certainly not it. He knew that they wouldn't welcome him with open arms, his family and Asgardians both, but he definitely did not expect whole of Asgard to appear at the remains of Bifröst.

"Vultures, all of them," he thought bitterly, "they came to see how the mighty have fallen. "

In the front row were Odin and Frigga and their court. Loki cringed at the sight of his mother. She looked so sad. Her eyes were red from crying. Odin's face was stony and his jaw tight which was never a good sign. Loki scanned the courtiers. They were all silent. Some looked him with the disgust, some with open hate, some with fear, some wore expression of boredom while others wore a blank mask. He had no friends there. Who was he kidding, he had no friends anywhere. Not that he needed them.

Behind the nobles were commoners. He could hear them. They wanted his death, they called him traitor. But what were they? A mere filth, only slightly above the mortals.

"Go ahead prince Loki, your family awaits you." he heard a familiar deep voice behind him. It was Heimdal. If not for the mask, Loki would snort . No doubt he was gloating as well. His family indeed. They were his kin as much as the Man of Iron. They were another species, for the sake of Yggdrasil.

Thor strode towards them, dragging Loki with himself. He had no choice but to follow. Oh, how he wished that he could dissapear but his magic was lost to him. When they approached, Frigga could take no more. She ran to Loki and embraced him. She cried and whispered something inaudible. Loki couldn't return embrace but he didn't have the strength to push her back either.

"My son," she said when she regained the use of her voice "had I known that the throne would suit you so ill..." Then she burst into tears again.

She thought this was about the throne? How wrong she was. None of it was about the throne of Asgard. It was about proving that he was better son or at least equally good. He deserved that chance, didn't he? But he was not their son. That's why he never got the chance to best the golden Thor. None of it mattered now. He wanted nothing to do with them. They lied to him all of his life and yet they had audacity to call him the God of Lies? To turn him into a villain? Well, he became the monster that parents tell their children about at night. Loki Lafeyson, enemy of Asgard. It sounded grand not as grand as king of Asgard though.

"Enough!" shouted Odin and Frigga stepped back. For a moment, Loki missed the warmth of her embrace. "Guards!" he shouted again, "Take him to the palace." Guards garbed Loki and in the matter of minutes whole turned in direction of palace.

There they were, in Odin's throne room. The journey from Rainbow bridge to his former residence was one of most unpleasant thing Loki endured, battle of New York included. He was stared at, leered at, called names like "traitor" and "coward" some even threw stones, rotten vegetables and other, worse things at him. What surprised him the most was that none called him a Jötun. Apparently Odin continued with his lies. Had it been know what Loki actually was, he wouldn't find such a favorable reception among his people.

Trials in Asgard were usually not a public thing, nor All-Father's business. But his, his was different. He was a member of the royal family, at least officially. He was important enough to be granted the same trial as most of the high lords or Odin's hypothetical political opponents. His judge was to be Odin himself and his jury, Odin's council of warlords or how he called them, the quivering old fools.

There were fifty of them present, all with their families. He saw their heirs, their sons. Had it been possible, he would laugh. One was stupider then the other. They were boys, brawny boys who had yet to see a real battle and thick as tree trunks. Even worse than Thor. He saw their wives and a daughter or two, all frightened by the presence of the traitor. He would laugh at them, too. They were trembling in fear now but over the centuries he had most of them shivering in pleasure. If only their husbands, fathers and brothers knew. Sif, as annoying as she was, had the right idea when she threw away the perfumes, dresses and other pretty things in favor of a weapon and glory in battle.

His eyes searched for her. She should be the only dark haired person in the room aside from him. He found her next to Thor. But where else would she be? Such hopeless love, as hopeless as the sympathies he had felt for her when he was younger. His eyes continued to roam amongst the high born Asgardians. All blonde, blue eyed and tanned. All the same. And then he saw another dark spot, a young girl. He didn't know her face. On Midgard it wouldn't be a face people remembered, but here, it was a rare kind of face.

It was almost as pale as his. Her hair was dark brown and so were her eyes. She was small in stature and seemed fragile next to Asgardian women although she could easily outmatch them when it came to bust. She was probably Vanir or one of her parents were. The most interesting thing about her, however, was the expression her face. She showed no emotion. There was no hate or fear. The only thing he could read from posture was that she was tense. She dug her nails into her elbows.

When she saw him watching her she stared smiling but then she remembered where they were and calmed herself. Loki was confused. He would definitely remember sleeping with this woman. Was she in fact mocking him? It would be likely that she did. Maybe her calm manner was in fact suppressed joy over his fall? Yes, that had to be it.

"Loki Odinsson," his father's voice made him turn towards the throne that once was his." you have been brought here to answer for your crimes against Asgard, Midgard and royal family."

It started, he thought bitterly. But then the most obvious struck him.

How was he to answer when no one made a move to remove his mask?