AN: This chapter is in Thor's perspective. The "/" is to note the change in tense in this chapter.

TRIAL OF LOKI

Loki is to be tried today before Odin and all of Asgard for his crimes, though our father had not seen Loki since my brother had let go of me on the Bifrost and spiralled into the spaces beyond. We had both thought him dead, and I grieved for weeks because I thought I could have saved him. Even now at the moment of his trial, I feel like I have not done enough to save him from the judgement of our father. I have done all that I could to ensure that he was treated justly and treated well as a member of the royal family of Asgard, but Loki still resents me. He is still jealous of Odin's favour of me and I can say nothing to change his mind of that.

The throne-room is decorated in rich colours of red, silver and gold, though I note the absence of green from the dress of those gathered—save for Loki himself. The crowd is large, as to be expected of an occasion such as this and those baser citizens at the outskirts of the room heft insults at my brother as he enters in chains and collared like some fierce beast. They have not removed his muzzle and I can still see the healing cuts from his encounter with the Hulk on Midgard as he passes me without a so much as a glance in my direction. I follow the guards through the column parted for my brother and pass the small procession as they stand at the base of the dais leading up to the throne. I take my place at the right of the throne, though a few steps below it.

The crowd hushes slowly as brass instruments sound to signal the entrance of Odin and my mother. My mother leaves his side and takes her place opposite of me on the stairwell, while my father's guards flank him on either side as he stands in the middle of the dais in front of the throne.

/

Odin raised his hands to signal for silence and, once the crowd had settled, Odin's voice boomed through the grand space of the throne-room to address the crowd: "All of you are here to bear witness to this trial. It shall be held justly and judged by myself, Odin the Allfather, King of Asgard and its realm." One of Loki's guards removed the muzzle from him so that Loki could answer Odin during his trial.

My father then addressed my brother: "Loki Laufeyson—"

"I would prefer 'son-of-none' to that title," Loki interrupted rather disrespectfully. His interruption caused uneasy murmurings throughout the crowd, though my mother and I looked to each other in a worried manner. My hand rested on the head of my hammer, Mjolnir, as I shifted and looked back to my father as he frowned in disapproval. The title Loki was suggesting was only worthy of orphans and disowned children.

"Very well," Odin conceded after a moment of thought, and began once again: "Loki, son-of-none, and the god of mischief; you stand accused of war crimes against both Jotunheim and Midgard with prevalent witnesses standing in this room, and the written record of others from other realms also present. How do you plead?"

"I do not plead, old man, but instead I merely confess in front of this haughty congregation that has already condemned me that—yes—I am guilty," Loki replied, but his arrogant response gained him naught, and instead Odin's staff rang off the floor and everything in the large room went silent as the grave.

My father's jaw was hardened in rage and I knew that there would be little mercy enough given to my brother now that he diminished himself in front of the Allfather's eyes. My father had hoped to see obedience and humility in my brother, but it seemed that Loki now thought that such things were not worthy of his character any longer. I looked to my father to see if he would reply kindly, but the disappointment and anger in his gaze towards Loki did not make me hope foolishly for such an outcome.

"I will not tolerate your insolent words further, Loki! You will answer plainly or I swear on my honour that I will have your mouth sewn shut and a harsh sentence carried out without another word from you!" came the angered response of Odin, and even Loki pursed his lips and complied because of Odin's wrath. "Am I understood?" he asked firmly, and all Loki could do now was nod as the evidence was brought forth and presented.

Loki was allowed to debate and negotiate through each new claim made against him, but no more did he answer in poor spirit, but plainly and briefly as he could manage. I was brought to speak against him, but made my case for mercy on behalf of my brother, and still he would not look at me. Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost gave his account of what had transpired with brutal honesty and Loki's case seemed rather grim. Each of my companions had to speak of Loki, and though they tried to delude my brother's actions and character for my sake, they still could not seem to move the Allfather. My mother gave her account of events and also pleaded for mercy for the man she still considered to be her son, but in the end all judgement was left up to Odin.

Loki was muzzled once more as he was led from the throne room and the crowd dispersed as Odin left with my mother. I remained as the crowd thinned and my companions came to stand beside me to offer consoling words on my behalf. Each of them had known Loki nearly as long as I had and they had hoped as well that my father's heart may be persuaded to a gentler sentence. Loki had not been condemned yet, but we were not fools; we had heard all that was said against him and Loki's behaviour at the beginning of the trial had set the stage for a bad outcome. We would hear the Allfather's decision on the morrow, but until then, all we could do was wait.

The Warriors Three—Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral (the dashing)—along with the Lady Sif stood by me and offered me counsel and condolences, but in the end I left the throne room with the Lady Sif where she tried to console me by other means. Even while I was with her, my thoughts remained on Loki and sleep did not take me that night. With Sif warming my bed, I took up Mjolnir and donned my armour as I went to visit my brother, who I assumed shared my insomnia this night.

As I entered my brother's guarded chambers, I found him standing at his balcony, overlooking Asgard as the realm slept. If he heard me enter, he gave no gesture as of such, and I spoke to inform him of my arrival: "Sleep does not find you easily either, brother?"

Loki glanced back at me before he looked back out to Asgard, so I took a place beside him to look over our glorious home. We stayed in silence a while before Loki gestured towards his muzzle and I carefully removed it so that he may speak with me if he wished. His eyes seemed colder than they had ever been before, even as I held his muzzle, and he did not speak.

It was apparently up to me to say the first words, though with his condemning eyes glaring at me, I felt only the heart to say: "I tried to bring you into good light in our father's eyes—"

"Our father?" he snapped back at me to which I heaved a tired sigh as he turned to face me more fully. "He is only your father, Thor Odinson, and there would have been no mercy for me even if you had bewitched his senses or gotten him piss drunk. I have been painted with the black brush of our family ever since we were but babes. Do you seriously think that after all that I have done—all that I have failed to do—that I would be granted any sort of clemency? If so, you are a bigger fool than I imagine you to be."

I stood silent a moment and, though what he was saying was fairly accurate, I couldn't bring myself to accept that he may be given a harsh sentence and taken away from me; potentially never to be seen again. Whatever my brother had done, he was still my brother. I still held hope for his redemption.

He took my silence as a cue to rant further: "Why do you look so hurt, brother? Do you not think that I deserve what I am given? I have killed countless people of many races, conspired to take the throne, tried to extend my rule by taking Midgard by force, committed acts of treason, lied to you and others with grave consequence to realms emotional and physical, and yet you still think that I will be granted some sort of small penance? Odin cannot let my crimes vanish, even if he wanted to (which I'm sure he does not). As the Allfather, he must bring justice; if I am not punished, others will seek to bring justice on me, whatever that means for them."

"You have always lied, Loki," I found myself saying, though it felt as if I was watching myself and not quite in my own body. I was troubled by Loki's words, but I was seeking to comfort him, or perhaps lay rest to my own worries. I continued, "And you do deserve punishment, but I do not think that exile or death will solve anything."

I extended my hand to grasp the back of Loki's neck to make me look him in the eyes as I did when we were younger and more amiable, though the gesture made him uncomfortable now. "You do not deserve death, Loki," I said softly, and Loki's eyes seemed more wary and guarded than I had ever seen them before, "I will not let them harm you."

"You would defy Odin?" he asked guardedly, moving to try to get away from me, though my other hand on his shoulder caught him and made him hold gaze with me. He then tried to injure me with words: "You reek of Sif… has your little night-haired slut comforted your tormented soul this night, Thor? You are trying to clear your own conscience! While I stand going most certainly to my death, you're trying to make yourself feel better; selfish, arrogant boy!"

I let him go and he stepped back away from me, and I could feel anger start to well up inside me, though I held it barely at bay. "Loki—"

"Did I strike a nerve?" his words bit into me like a viper as he continued to lash out at me, "Odin was wrong about you! You didn't change when you went to Midgard! You came home and stopped me for your own glory! You're still an arrogant, greedy, self-righteous—"

"Enough, Loki!" I commanded as my hand rested on Mjolnir and I took a step towards him, my brows furrowing with anger and hurt. I had been trying to calm him and give him counsel to better prepare us both for the day of judgement ahead, but he was turning this around too quickly to be a fight between us.

"Why? Am I getting to the truth?" he snapped back at me and glanced at my hand on Mjolnir, "So the great and mighty Thor threatens chained prisoners that he claims to bear love for? How honourable are you really, brother?"

I caught Loki by the front of his clothing and yanked my slender dark-haired brother towards me, so that our faces were so close that he could feel my anger and restraint burning through my eyes and I could sense his fear. His fear, however, was not of me and I found myself realizing that Loki was trying to push me away from him so that I would not think him weak for dreading his fate. My anger diminished as his tongue found no more clever words in our closeness.

"Loki," I said after a moment of silence between us, and his gaze was not on me, but focused down and away from my eyes, "Loki, look at me." It took a moment for my brother to meet my gaze, and his eyes were unwelcoming as ever to my seeing. "You are my brother, whatever you may say otherwise, I still bear love for you. We may not be blood, but we were brothers once in friendship and love, and I ask that if you have any love for me left, that we can be reconciled. Whatever ill you have done me in the past, I forgive," I said honestly, and Loki tore his eyes from mine once again, "I can only hope that you can find it in your heart to do the same for me."

Another silence passed between us before he said quietly, "leave…" and after my heart sank and resolve broke, he said again, though louder, "Leave, Thor." I let go of him and left him there in his chambers. I left his muzzle tossed onto his bed, for I had not the heart to muzzle him again. I complied with his request and left him alone to his bitter and resentful thoughts.