Lorey waited to speak, a slight smile on his face, as if he enjoyed making Loki wait to hear what the reason was behind all the suffering he had spent lifetimes enduring being both unknowingly shunned and knowingly disowned.

For a moment, the thought that Lorey might just be tantalizing him with a truth he would never reveal crossed Loki's mind, and the trickster licked his lips nervously as he waited, a tense expression on his face. What a cruel jest that would be at Loki's expense, and with all of Lorey's unreasoning anger, Loki started to think that was exactly what was happening.

But then the icy giant spoke, "You represented a sacrifice; our people value strength, and believe that strong fathers make strong sons. My son may never have been my equal on the field of battle, but he inherited the throne because of this accepted fact."

Lorey leaned forward in his frozen throne, gazing at Loki studiously, as if judging his worth. Loki shifted uncomfortably under those scrutinizing cold blue eyes. Lorey continued, "Laufey waged war with Odin, All-Father of Asgard, because like all true Joten he wished to prove his strength."

Lorey sat back again, and Loki thought he saw the faintest glimmer of sadness cross the frost giant's eyes, "This is back when our world still had some green to it. It has always been cold in Jotenheim, but this land was not always so… barren."

The ice chieftain stood and walked over to a wall, gesturing to a huge animal hide that was painted with a faded image of tundra like what Loki had seen outside of the castle, only this picture depicted trees, bushes and grasses amidst the snow. "A cost of war; my son unleashed a weapon that harnessed the cold of Joten itself, and his overuse caused an imbalance in our world."

Loki nodded, "I have seen this weapon…"

Lorey glanced back at him with a small smile that bore no humor and made Loki shudder, "You have wielded it, grandson. Don't look so surprised, after all, I am the creator of that artifact, so it only holds true that I would know when it is operated."

Loki went silent and Lorey sat again, "My son lost his war with Odin of Asgard. Because your adoptive father is cunning, he used what he knew of our people against us in order to force an uneasy peace."

Loki stared at Lorey inquisitively, "What does this have to do with me?"

Lorey smiled, "Everything; at the time Laufey son of Lorey only had one heir to inherit his throne, an infant named Loki. Taking you from your father stood not only as a crushing blow to the pride of your father, but served as a constant reminder as he raised you that the Joten's legacy had been stripped from us."

Loki was bewildered by the notion, "Why did your people not recoup and try again then, perhaps with a better strategy, or at least attempt to rescue me?"

Lorey scoffed at Loki harshly, "See; more evidence that your inane claim to rule us was more folly than fact. The message was clear; we had been beaten by a superior foe. An honorable warrior of Joten knows when he has lost and surrenders respect to the strongest."

Lorey stared at Loki with an unreadable expression, "I am certain Laufey would have loved nothing more than to try again, but honor prevented him. Odin's action in taking you further discouraged him to forsake that honor because if he attacked Odin…"

Loki finished for Lorey, his face filled with realization, "…then he would have to fight his own son in such a war." Loki's brow furrowed in confusion, "But if Laufey cared so much for me, why did he not tell me all of this when I first met him?"

Lorey shook his head, "So much you don't know of what it is to grow strong; if Laufey told you everything then how would that have aided you? Instead, Laufey chose to watch you and see if his heir deserved his throne. If you could not even find your own heritage, you were of no use to Joten."

Loki nodded, "That further explains Odin's maneuver then; if I ever did sit on that throne, having been raised an Asgardian would secure a permanent alliance with Jotenheim."

Lorey smiled, "Finally you understand." The smile dropped away as Lorey's face became deathly serious, "So tell me, grandson; did you drive a knife into your father's back, or did you have someone else do the deed for you?"

Loki gulped, "Neither; I faced Laufey in honorable combat and bested him…" Loki saw a shadow pass over Lorey's face and he spoke quickly, "…so by all rights according to your own traditions I am Chieftain of Jotenheim!"

Anger flashed forward in Lorey's eyes and he rose from his throne, but it passed and was replaced by a tired look as he sighed, sitting down. "Odin deserves you. Your foster father sent demands as to what he expects us to do with you, because such is his arrogance. I thought it strange as to the punishments he suggested should you become a pain to me."

Loki's heart fluttered, "W-what punishments?"

Lorey gave him an icy smile, "I don't have time to punish you for your stupidity; I have true Jotens to settle account with. Thurga, take Prince Loki to the roofless tower and paddle him like a child for his insolence; after you have put him in his place return to me."

Thurga nodded, "Yes, Chieftain."

Loki was still staring in shock as Thurga took hold of his shoulder and hauled him up, dragging him away from the vast throne chamber. Finally he regained his senses just as Lorey was about to disappear from view, "W-wait… what? You cannot…!"

Loki could see a satisfied smile spread across his paternal grandfather's face as they rounded the corner into the hall, and he shifted his focus on Thurga, trying in vain to wrench himself free of her grasp with violent pulls and kicks, "Release me! I am royalty with legitimate claim to the throne and if you…!"

Thurga pulled him forward and head-butted him, Loki's head snapping back from the impact as his hands came up to nurse his bleeding nose. She gave him a stony look as he grew very still and afraid, "You're pathetic, and I am ashamed to call you brother. Your doting step-father isn't here, spoiled prince, and I am not Thor to commend you your weakness."

Loki's head still throbbed from the painful strike but despite how thoroughly Thurga now intimidated him he could not hold his boiling anger in check, "Why do you keep calling me that when you know nothing of the hardships I have endured!"

Thurga shook her head and resumed walking, tugging him along behind her easily. The frost giant climbed many steps, forcing Loki to dance up them to avoid tripping since her stride was so much larger than his own.

Once at the top she opened a door and entered a tower room that had no roof, the stars above shining down on them. There was a simple bed in the center of the room; the only furniture, and Thurga sat upon this, easily pulling Loki over her lap.

Loki fought against the blue-skinned warrior with all of his might, but it was like bashing at an impenetrable wall, and as she tugged his pants down to subject his bottom to the cool air he practically squealed in hysteria, "You cannot do this! This action comes with a price!"

Thurga smiled at him as she brought a mighty arm back, delivering a powerful swat to his squirming posterior. "You will most certainly be paying it." Loki shouted in unbridled rage and Thurga went to work, his ass quickly reddening under her efforts.

Loki huffed as the now all too familiar pain welled up, and his eyes watered with the profound sting of it; Thurga showed him no mercy, and ruthlessly swatted him without pause. "Why… why this… how could you be so easily manipulated by Odin? He is the one that wants me humiliated in this manner… he… he set a trap to prove that there are no depths to how far he'll go to sully my dignity!"

Thurga laughed and spoke, but her hand remained steady, not missing a beat. "Chieftain Lorey does not take commands from your pompous father; I thoroughly agree with him that we need start over with you, for you act like a youth who has yet to learn why he should give respect."

Loki's brow crinkled in frustrated confusion, "But I am an ambassador to Asgard; this is not the respect due to me! And I seriously doubt that Lorey would have the same…" Loki cut himself short, suddenly acutely aware that Thurga might not realize that Odin had punished him in this way and embarrassed at the notion of telling her."

He had already said too much, though, and Loki saw realization spark in her eyes, much to his disdain. Thurga laughed as she swatted his squirming rear, "Your All-Father punishes you this way too! Perhaps your adoptive father asked for this… and perhaps Lorey just knows what you need!"

Loki flinched at the notion, growling up at her even as he twisted in growing discomfort that was quickly becoming intolerable. "And perhaps you both do not realize that just because I have been robbed of my sorcery now does not mean I won't make you suffer exquisitely for this later!"

Thurga's smile faded and she grabbed Loki by the hair, wrenching his head back to look him in the eye as her slaps became far more severe. "When I am done with you, you will think differently."

She released her hold on his hair and resumed her steady rhythm, and Loki stared ahead in a dazed state for a moment, impacted by the promise that had existed in her cold blue eyes. His hands gripped the mattress under them as he hissed against the invasive pain.

Loki had thought to come back at her with a scathing remark or further argument, and normally he would not have hesitated, but for the first time since she had started swatted the trickster he noticed the extent of his own fear; how long was she going to do this?

A few minutes passed that seemed to drag out into lifetimes of endured misery, and Loki could not help but begin to grunt at the extreme sting administered to him now that his cheeks had become so very sensitive to repeated slapping.

As thoughts on how ridiculous he sounded entered his mind, Loki tried to avoid giving her the satisfaction of hearing him cry out, but as time waned on he could not stop his own reactions to the ever building pain. As his embarrassing shouts grew louder he sought desperately to escape the scene with some shred of his dignity intact, "I-I have thought on what you said, and perhaps I have been too hasty to judge you… after all, how could I have known you were a princess?"

Thurga barked out laughter and if anything the punishment became even more severe. Her arm was a blur, and Loki noticed to his great panic that she didn't seem tired in the slightest. "Fool brother, it is good to see you begin to squirm; I will enjoy making you cry…"

"Making me…" Loki's eyes widened as he stared slack-jawed at Thurga's open malice. "Why would you wish to treat me in such a fashion… we hardly know each other… perhaps… perhaps there has been a misunderstanding?"

Thurga laughed again, and a wide toothy smile spread across her face, "Yes; you misunderstood your place when you first set eyes on me, and failed to grovel for forgiveness, so now I will make you grovel…"

Loki lost a bit of his composure despite himself in the face of her threats, "Please… we don't have to do this…"

Thurga only responded with raucous laughter, and Loki bit his lip, trying desperately to come up with some way to escape the torturous things she planned for him. Try as he might, though, the trickster could not come up with anything, and as time passed he could think of nothing but the sting in his ass, maddeningly persistent.

As the tears finally came, the self-pity once repressed now raging unchecked over his attempts to retain his self-respect, Loki wailed in hideous defeat to Thurga's continued ministrations, his misery only egged on by her accompanying laughter at his pathetic state.

Loki squalled at Thurga, his voice cracked with rage and humiliation, "You are an evil creature, vile and brutish to enjoy hurting me for so little!"

Thurga stopped laughing but kept her smile, humorless as it was, "I would see you beg forgiveness now, and perhaps I will weary of this sport."

Loki held out for only a few more moments, unable to resist the option to end the madness that left him so low, "Fine! I am sorry; please forgive me!"

Thurga shook her head and continued to pummel his darkened ass, "Not good enough; beg, dog!"

Loki's tears streamed openly down his face as he screamed out his frustration, the last of his will being crushed under Thurga's relentless lack of mercy,

"Please, sister, I beg of you, please allow me to stand as a man again, please do not continue making me feel like such a lowly worm!"

Thurga listened to his continued pleas for a while longer with a satisfied smile on her face and finally ceased swatted him suddenly, pushing Loki from her lap so that he tumbled unceremoniously to the floor. She stood and walked to the door, pausing a moment to leave him one last parting piece of advice,

"Remember how you feel today, because this is how you may expect truly strong Jotens to regard your manners."

She left and Loki cold hear a bar being slid into place on the other side of the door. He glanced around and finally dully realized that he had been imprisoned. Loki crawled up onto the bed, burying his face in the stiff mattress and cried, lost to his shame.