A/N: Fair warning: while this was written yesterday evening, I'm looking it over for any errors this morning and I am yet to have my coffee... So let me know if you see any blatant spelling or grammatical errors. All my brain is seeing, in place of words, is the need for caffein. :P

Part Two.

They wouldn't let him into his brother's room, no matter how cleverly he asked. It seemed that Rowen had warned his helpers that the younger prince would try to find a way in and every direction had to be blocked. Their mother was with him, he was told, and their father had been in briefly and was gone again, having just been to the dungeons to see the man that dared to attack a prince of Asgard. The would-be assassin was not speaking. He had been injured by Tyr when the old warrior had taken him down the the scuffle, one of the more talkative servants said, but not badly.

Loki was on his ways down to the dungeons when a hand reached out from a corridor, pulling him so that he nearly tumbled off of his feet. He blinked into the darkness, finding a pair of brown eyes looking back at him. "I've never known you to be a complete and utter fool," Sif's voice bit out at him.

The dark haired prince pulled away, brushing off his clothes in an irritable fashion and shooting her a glare to match. "What I do is hardly your concern."

"You're going down to see if you can get the man that attacked Thor to talk."

"And if I am?"

"Well, he's already attacked one prince today. Perhaps you shouldn't be foolish enough to wander down there alone."

Loki snorted. "And what? You'll play my protector, Lady Sif? I think not. I may not be as keen to battle as my brother, but I can hold my own when the need arises."

She rolled her eyes, following after him as he set back to his original path. He didn't say anything further as she trotted along behind him, knowing that her curiosity and devotion to his brother had brought her down to the dungeons long before she had spotted him. They circled around, spotting a guard moving, and when he had passed slipped by him and into the area where new prisoners were kept.

He was sitting behind the glass holding cell, his helmet removed as well as his armor, showing bits of blood across his tunic but hardly as much as Thor had spilled that day. He was large, though not so large that he would be mistaken for anything other than Aesir, and his eyes were closed as they approached. Slowly, he cracked open one silver eye and a dangerous smile pulled at the edges of his lips. "Do you believe you can pull more from me, boy, than the Allfather could?" he asked in a raspy voice.

Loki straightened his shoulders, head held high. "I am Loki, son of Odin, and prince of Asgard. You will speak to me as I see fit."

"I know who you are, and I'd heard something more of your silver tongue, child," the assassin murmured and stood. Neither Sif or Loki moved an inch as he came to the glass, leaning against it so that his hot breath fogged a small portion of the glass.

"You attacked my brother. This is no game to be manipulated with a few well placed words." He paused, green eyes determined as he took a step forward. The warrior was much taller and broader than he, even hunched against the glass as he was. "Why?"

"Why not? He offers so many opportunities."

"If so, why publicly? Surely you knew you'd be taken."

"And what of it?"

"Well you'll hardly get paid now."

"What makes you think I did it for money?"

Loki shrugged, ignoring Sif's questioning glance behind him. "Got to pay for that fancy armor in some way."

The smile continued to stretch and he slammed his fist against the glass, but did not manage to startle them. "Spoiled child," he hissed. "You think I'd kill your brother for greed? Judgement falls on houses of liars and thieves. Tell your father that and see what he says to you."

A chill ran up Loki's spine and one glance back at the goddess of war told him that even she was spooked. His jaw clenched and he met the eerie gaze. "Have care how you speak of the House of Odin. My father is neither a liar nor a thief."

"Then you know not your father, Odinson."

Loki snorted as he turned and walked out, hearing a cold laugh follow through the thick glass.

"Loki."

The god of mischief paused in the middle of the hallway. They had made it up to the upper levels of the palace before Sif had spoken, but he knew they could both feel the danger looming around them at the would-be assassin's words. He glanced back, waiting.

She pulled in a deep breath and cleared her throat. "Do you know what he meant?"

"Not yet, but I will."

"Do you really think your father will tell you?"

"We're not children anymore, Sif. Whatever this is, Thor and I are a part of it now. He can't keep his secrets forever." He started forward again, his sights set on the large doors of the throne room that he knew his father sought counsel behind.

"Should I round up the boys to be ready for when Thor decides to hit this head-on?" she asked with forced cheer.

"Not yet. Let's make sure we have all the parts to this puzzle so that we're not caught unawares again. I'll speak to Thor after I speak with Father." He reached forward, pushing against the doors and hearing them close behind as he walked through, shutting Sif out.

Loki paused, his entrance gaining only the brief interest of the top ranking officials that surrounded his father at the throne. It was rare that he sought the Allfather out without his brother leading the way, but they paid him little attention as they continued.

"This is not a good time, Loki," Odin said when he realized his youngest son was still there.

"This is important," the youth argued, stepping forward. His expression never gave away the nervous feeling fluttering through his stomach, but the way that the advisors looked at him had always made him uneasy. He looked past them, though, completely focused on his father. "It can't wait."

Odin sighed deeply, giving a small wave and they parted but did not leave the room. "If you hadn't heard there was-"

"I know. I was there."

"You? In the training arena?"

Loki tried not to be hurt by the surprised tone that spoke of many disappointed conversations over the years. "I've been mapping out Thor's shortcomings in his approach," he found himself explaining. "It helps him correct it."

"Surely you did not come to share that with me, and it cannot be that you know who the assassin is as we have already caught him."

"I hear he will not speak to you, but I-"

"No, Loki," Odin cut him off gruffly and stood, the movement emphasising the words.

"You don't know what I was going to say!"

"You were going to try to speak with him. My son, I know you have a way with words, and the Nine Realms know you can talk most anyone into anything given the right approach, but I will not have you putting yourself in that situation. Under no circumstances are you to go down to the cells, do I make myself clear?"

"But, Father-"

"No," Odin boomed, the entire room shaking with his voice and Loki felt himself shrink back under it. "If that is all, I have important matters to discuss with-"

"What does it mean that he came to place judgement on the house of liars and thieves?" Loki blurted, forcing himself to hold his ground even as the Allfather stepped towards him, sudden anger rolling from him in waves so that he felt he might drown beneath it.

"What did you say?" His father's voice was barely a whisper.

Green eyes struggled to hold the intense gaze of a single blue. "I asked-"

"I know what you asked. Where did you hear that?"

"I heard guards speaking of it in the foyer on my way here. It seemed-"

"No guards overheard that, nor have there been any in the room with him to hear him speaker after. He is entirely secluded." Odin now stood over his youngest son, dwarfing the thin youth who could no longer hold the gaze. One large hand took hold of his chin, pulling it so he was forced to look. "Tell me no lies, Loki Odinson. You've been down there already."

"Yes, Father."

"Then you are not here to seek my permission to go."

Loki felt the advisors looking at him, murmuring amongst themselves. "No, Father."

Odin releasing his grip and slid his hand to hold the side of his son's face in an kinder attempt. "My boy," he sighed. "I wish you had not."

"I'm sorry, Father. They wouldn't let me in to see Thor and I had to do something." He stopped, his eyes pleading. "I am good at discovering secret meanings, you know this. He came for our house, but not for money. He's here for something deeper than that. He said that judgement falls on the houses of liars and thieves. What does he mean, Father? You are not a liar nor a thief."

This brought a rare smile from the Allfather. "Did you tell him so?" he asked gently.

"I did," Loki answered, but was not entirely sure if it was the one he should have given.

The smile broadened and Odin patted his shoulder. "Thank you, my boy."

Green eyes widened as he turned towards his advisors once more. "That's it then?" he demanded, feeling slighted. "You know what it means and yet you won't tell me? That was my brother he tried to kill!"

"And it was my son. My first born. This is not your fight, Loki. Go to Thor, keep him company in the way that you both do, but stay away from the prisoner, do you understand me?"

If Loki meant to argue again he had no chance to as Odin turned his back and walked back towards the throne, surrounded once more by the grey bearded men that looked at the second prince with such spite. Aegir turned a particularly nasty glare on him as if everything that had happened had somehow been his fault.

As Loki left his father's throne room he could not help but feel the weight of failure press against his thin shoulders.

TBC

A/N: I don't do this at the end of every chapter, but every once and a while I just want to give all of my regular reviewers as well as my occasional reviewers a big thank you and a digital hug for all your kind words. You guys are truly the best and you bring a smile to my face every time my phone buzzes with a new email alert that someone has said something. It really does make my day. So thank you and I hope you enjoy where the story is going :)