4

Of Tea Parties, Murals, and Brotherly Advice

Sometimes the best advice does not come from a parent, but an older sibling ~ Loki

Loki looked at the invitation as he tapped the thick piece of paper against his fingers and frowned. Aleta had been invited to go to the noble daughters' tea party, but it was only for noblewomen and their daughters.

"The Hel with it," he said as he headed for the nursery and saw Aleta playing with some dolls Frigga had made for her. "Hello, spark."

"Hello, Daddy! Want to play tea party with me?!" she asked.

"How about we go to a real tea party?!"

"What tea party?!" she asked, running to him and he picked her up.

"Today is the annual tea party for the daughters of the nobles."

"Will there be real tea and tea cakes?"

"Yes, and there will be games as well."

"Yay!" she said and clapped her hands.

"So, you want to go?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's get dressed."

A few minutes later, Loki was dressed in his green and yellow armor, green cape, green boots and his old helmet. Aleta was dressed in a green sleeveless dress, green slippers, a green cape and she wore a gold headband with small gold horns curving over the top of her head. She looked adorable.

They walked down the hallway while guards and servants bowed and Aleta held tightly onto Loki's hand. They arrived in the main hall as she looked at the long tables covered with white linen table cloths and brightly colored flowers were in crystal bowls at the center of the tables.

"Ooooooo!" Aleta cried as she looked around and Loki lightly squeezed her fingers. The noblewomen stared at them and one or two of them whispered to each other and pointed at them. Loki fought to keep from rolling his eyes, thinking that back home him bringing his daughter to a little girls' tea party or playdate wouldn't have raised any eyebrows whatsoever as New Yorkers were used to seeing single dads as well as moms attending things with their daughters. But here he felt like a fish out of water. The daughters of the noblewomen were gathered in groups according to their age and Loki noticed there were several who were Aleta's age.

"Why don't you go say hello," Loki whispered as she nodded and let go of his hand. He watched her walking to the girls when she introduced herself and the girls curtsied. She looked back at Loki then she smiled and he went to sit on the steps.

"Your Highness," made him look up as an older noblewoman with her white hair curled up in a tight bun approached him and Loki braced himself.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Loki asked.

"Well," she said and glanced over at Aleta. "I am surprised you brought her."

"Why shouldn't I?!"

"No offense, My Prince. I just thought you would be too busy to..."

"I am never too busy for my children," he said and she softly smiled.

"I wish my husband was so attentive," she said with a smile. "I am Morganni."

"Please to meet you," he said and she sat down next to him on the step.

"They seem to be getting along," Morganni said.

"She's a social butterfly," Loki teased and she laughed.

"May I ask what happened to her mother?"

"Her mother was an unwed teenager and she gave Aleta up because she could not care for her. The orphanage matron was having difficulty placing her with a family because Aleta was showing signs of having the Sight and she frightened mortals with her unexplained trances and partial prophecies. They started to neglect her and that's when I came and adopted her when she was eleven months old."

"Oh! How horrible!"

"Yes. Most of my children come from broken homes."

"Well, she is lucky to have been taken in by you."

"No, I'm the lucky one."

"Daddy!" Aleta said as she ran to him and he wondered what was wrong. "We're about to play games! Come on!"

"Yes, Princess," He said and Morganni smiled as he got up and followed Aleta.

A few hours later, Loki carried Aleta back towards the nursery as her cheek rested against his shoulder and he held the headband in his right hand.

"Did you have fun, spark?"

"Yeah. I made a lot of new friends," she said then yawned.

"That's good."

"Daddy?"

"Yes, darling?"

"One of the older girls said I'm not a princess because I don't have a mommy. I told her I didn't need one and I am a princess because you're a prince."

"Do you know which one said that?"

"Her name is Auroni."

"Well, just ignore her. She's just jealous," he said then entered the nursery and headed for her little bed. "You remember what I always say, don't you?"

She nodded. "All girls are princesses, even if they live in tiny attics, or dress in rags, or aren't pretty or young or smart, because a princess is what you believe inside, and if you believe you can be anything at all."

"That's right, darling." He kissed her forehead. "Now why don't you lay down and take a little nap, okay?"

He placed her on the bed while she yawned and he slipped off her shoes. He put Minx under her arm as he watched her drifting off to sleep then leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Sleep well, Princess."

She gave him a small smile then he headed for the door, turned to look at her, and left the room. You are my little princess, spark, and no one will ever tell me differently. All my daughters are.

An hour and a half later:

Aleta woke up to see Max looking down at her. "Hey," she greeted, sitting up.

"I thought you were never waking up," her brother said. "I was so bored."

"How come?"

Max sighed. "Cause everybody else is doing stuff I can't do. Hunter and Fen are exploring in the woods, Nate is riding with Sleph, Vince is practicing with his skateboard and showing Jorgy. Sam is sewing something with Bestemor, Belle is reading, and Serena and Lucy are doing beauty salon stuff, painting their nails and doing their hair with flowers. Girl stuff."

"Well, I'm awake now," his sister stated. She slipped off the bed and put on her green shoes. "Whaddta want to do?"

Max thought for a moment. "You wanna paint something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Something nice."

"Okay. Let me get my art kit." Aleta went to where Loki had put her portable art kit, which had some water-based paints, brushes, crayons, pencils, and a little artist palette. She picked up the silver box and said, "We need paper."

"Where can we find some?" Max wondered.

"Maybe Daddy has some," Aleta suggested.

But when they went to knock on Loki's door, they saw he wasn't inside, and some maids were making the bed and sweeping.

The two toddlers looked at each other.

"Now what?" Max queried.

Aleta turned and headed for the tall double doors at the far end of the hallway. "I know! We can ask Bestefar if he has some. I saw him writing yesterday with a bunch of paper on his desk."

"Okay!" her brother agreed and the two went down to the king's chambers.

The two guards who were at the doors saw them coming and smiled at them.

"Hello, little prince and princess," one greeted. "Have you come to see your grandfather?"

"Yes, sir," Max replied. "We want to borrow something."

"Oh, I see," chuckled the second guard. "That sounds like an important errand." He turned and opened the door for them.

The two ran into Odin's private chambers and looked about.

There was a receiving room with a stately oak table and four chairs, plus a large plush sofa and a chair with a foot stool. A potted plant stood in one corner and several portraits graced the walls—of Frigga in a pretty wedding dress, Frigga holding baby Balder, then Thor, and then Loki.

"Bestefar?" Max called softly.

"Where is he?" Aleta asked.

Then they heard snoring from a partially opened door to the right.

"I think he's in there," Max murmured.

The two ran into the bedroom.

They saw a large cherry oak armoire standing in a corner beside a large bay window. A wash stand with a basin and a pitcher, towel and shaving accessories with a mirror over it stood next to a long dresser with a brush, comb, and a box with hunting dogs upon it in inlaid gold and carnelian.

There was a long bench at the bottom of the bed with some robes draped over it and a pair of boots under it. The huge bed had the thick golden brocade bed hangings drawn and from within issued loud snores.

Max and Aleta giggled.

"Bestefar's taking a nap," Aleta snickered.

"Yup. He must be tired," Max observed. "He snores almost as loud as Uncle Thor."

Aleta giggled. "Why do some men snore?"

"Daddy said Uncle Thor does 'cause he broke his nose so many times in battle. And when it healed something inside got messed up and he can't breathe right through his nose when he sleeps, so he snores."

Aleta eyed the bed hangings. "You think that's why Bestefar snores? What war did he fight in?"

Max shrugged. "I dunno. Some old one. Like maybe the one Belle's always talkin' about."

"Where Mr. Lincoln freed the slaves?"

"Yeah. The Civil War," Max nodded.

"I dunno, Max. Bestefar's really old. Maybe he fought in the one with George Washington. "Gainst the redcoats."

"Maybe Bestefar crossed the Delaware in that boat," Max surmised.

"I think I 'member seeing a man in there with an eyepatch," Aleta said.

"Yup." Max nodded. "So he coulda got his nose broken when a redcoat punched him as he was getting' outta the boat."

"I hope he beat up that ole redcoat," Aleta cried indignantly. Then she looked at the opposite wall from the window. It was bare without any portraits or decorations.

As she stared at it, Odin mumbled in his sleep.

Max glanced at the bed. "Sounds like he's having a bad dream."

"Should we sing to him like Daddy does to us?" his sister wondered.

"I don't wanna wake him up," Max said softly. "What if he's cranky like this morning?"

"Okay." She eyed the wall again. "Max, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Max stared at the empty wall. "I'm thinking it needs a picture on it. Maybe Bestefar is sad cause he don't have anything to look at when he wakes up."

"I would be if I had to look at that," Aleta agreed. "Let's make Bestefar a nice picture to make him smile."

"Okay," her brother agreed eagerly. "What shall we draw?"

"How about we draw our house an' the park an' all of us with Daddy?" Aleta suggested. "Bestefar doesn't have any pictures like that in here."

"That's good. And I can make the duck pond and a rainbow," Max said happily.

Aleta opened her art box and the two took the pencils and the paints out and began to draw on the wall.

Twelve minutes later the two budding artists were finished with their masterpiece. There was a brown house with trees around it and a rainbow over it. It had a yellow sidewalk leading to the park where there was a pond with some yellow ducks and benches. Aleta had drawn Serena and Lucy feeding the ducks.

Max had drawn Vince climbing a tree and Hunter playing baseball with Sam. He made Belle reading a book under a tree and Nate sitting next to a bench.

Aleta made Max walking a dog that was supposed to be Odin while Aleta stood next to Loki who held Mischief. Everyone was smiling and Max added the sun shining.

They stepped back and studied the painting.

"It looks pretty good," Max said critically.

"Yeah. Think Bestefar will like it?"

"Uh huh. Cept we forgot one thing."

"What's that?"

"To sign our name," Max said.

"Max, I don't know how to write."

"You can make an A, right?"

"Yeah."

"And I can make an M."

"I guess we can sign it with our 'nitials," Aleta said.

They wrote an A and an M and then an L in the bottom right hand corner.

Aleta clapped and then said, "Okay, we gotta clean up. Daddy always gets mad when we don't pick up our toys."

Max nodded. "I know. I don't wanna time out."

They picked up the paints and the cup and put them away in the art case.

Loki was just coming down the hallway to get changed for supper when he ran into Samantha. His daughter had dyed her hair pink today and was wearing a pretty summer dress the color of a ripe raspberry with small gathers and an embroidered hyacinth on the bodice.

"Hey, butterfly. That's a really nice dress. Did you make that with Bestemor?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, but Dad, you better come quick."

Noting her alarmed look and the worry in her eyes, Loki asked, "What's wrong?"

Sam drew in a deep breath. "Uh . . . Max and Aleta went looking for some paper in Bestefar's room and they . . . uh decided to paint him a picture."

"That sounds very sweet," Loki began.

"On the wall, Dad!" Sam cried.

Loki froze. Oh, Nine Hells! "Where are they now?"

"They're inside his room, waiting for him to wake up and see the picture."

"Sweet Valhalla on a ski sled!" Loki gasped. He began to run towards Odin's bedroom.

The God of Mischief remembered with searing clarity what had happened to him when he had drawn protective runes upon the wall of the feast hall when he had been the same age as his youngest son. He could not forget it, and not just because he had a photographic memory. It was because of the scars left behind from the switching he had received at the hands of the man his toddlers had just painted a mural on the bedroom wall for.

Given Odin's unpredictable temper of late, Loki feared he would wake up and see the results of his two scamps' artwork and blow his stack. And no one knew better than Loki what happened when the Allfather got angry at a child. Loki didn't think even being his grandchildren would protect Aleta and Max from his father's wrath.

The Asgardian bolted into the bed chamber, ready to intervene to prevent his father's temper from falling on his two mischievous children.

To his horror he heard Max's little treble asking, "Do you like it, Bestefar?"

"We painted it just for you, so you would have something happy to look at when you woke up," Aleta told him.

Loki cringed and waited for the bellow of rage. Shit!

"Father, they didn't mean to deface the wall—" he began.

His jaw fell open as he beheld Odin sitting on the edge of the bed in his shirt and a pair of old ragged pants with brown slippers, his white hair standing up and his eye patch askew, looking down at his two grandchildren and smiling.

The painting upon the wall was clearly visible and sprawled from one end to the other in impossibly bright and cheerful colors.

Odin looked up as his son entered. "Why, Loki, look at the lovely mural my grandchildren made for me!"

Loki skidded to a stop, his heart still slamming in his chest. For a split second he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Then he opened his mouth and blurted, "Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

"Daddy, why are you acting so silly?!" Aleta asked.

"Well...," Loki said then paused and Odin pushed up the eye patch.

"I believe your father thought I would do to you what I did to him when he had drawn protective runes on the walls of the feast hall," Odin said.

Aleta gave him a puzzled glance. "Did you give him time out?"

Odin gazed at Loki as he noticed the look in his son's eyes and sighed. He had regretted punishing Loki in such a manner and remembered the fear in Loki's eyes afterwards.

"No, I...punished him," Odin said.

"How?" Max asked.

"Not the way I would have done, scamp," Loki replied.

"And I regret what I did," Odin said and Loki looked a little stunned.

"Well...," Loki said then paused. "I'm glad you enjoyed their present."

"I do," Odin said then looked at the little ones. "But it doesn't mean you can just go around painting the walls."

"We didn't have any paper!" Aleta said and Odin smiled.

"I will have paper sent to the nursery," he said and gently ruffled her hair.

"Oh!" she said when she remembered the tea party. "Daddy and I were invited to this tea party with the noble ladies and their daughters!"

"I see," Odin said, looking at Loki. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah! There was a lot of different teas and snacks. We played games. And I made a lot of new friends."

"That's good."

"Can you come and play with us, Bestefar?" Max asked.

"I need to get changed first," Odin said then got up and headed for the dressing screen.

Loki studied the mural on the wall, noting with amusement the way the children were drawn. Each one had on their favorite outfit and was smiling. Aleta had drawn Loki wearing his green armor and helmet and holding Mischief.

"That's some pretty good drawing, kids."

"Thanks, Daddy. Do you like the rainbow?" Max asked.

"I do. You remembered all the colors."

"You taught us how. ROY G BIV."

"Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet," the two recited the mneumonic Loki had taught them to remember the colors of the rainbow. It was also the order of colors in the light spectrum.

Loki smiled, pleased that his children had remembered his little trick to identifying the colors of the rainbow.

Aleta peered over at the large dressing screen where her grandfather was changing. "Hey, Bestefar are ya done yet?"

"Aleta! You know better than to ask that," Loki scolded softly.

"Yeah," Max retorted. "It's impolite."

'How do you know?" Aleta demanded.

"What have I told you about polite and impolite, spark?"

Aleta sighed and recited, "It's impolite to ask if somebody's done getting dressed because it makes them feel uncomfortable and like they gotta rush somewhere. It's polite to just wait till they're done. It's polite to knock first before going into someobody's house or bedroom if the door is closed."

"Yeah and it's impolite to just walk in on somebody when they're in the bathroom," Max reminded.

"I couldn't help it! I had to go really bad!" his sister snapped. "And Lucy was in the one I usually go in. So I had to use Daddy's. Wasn't my fault he was in the shower!"

Odin emerged from behind the screen, now wearing a clean set of blue robes, and a white shirt and black pants. He sat down on the bench to put his boots on. "She walked in on you when you were bathing?" he asked his son, his mouth quivering. "By the Nine! Didn't you lock the door, Loki?"

Aww, not this again! His son thought with a silent groan. "I forgot. I was in a hurry to take one before I had to pick up Hunter from soccer practice. I never expected to be invaded by a pint sized imp who asked questions that would have embarrassed a courtesan." He flushed slightly and Odin laughed.

"But Daddy! You said asking questions is how you learn!" his daughter protested.

"Not those kind of questions, spark," her father sighed.

"Yeah, you don't ask a boy about the size of their thingamajig," Max said indignantly. "It's impolite."

Odin's shoulders shook with laughter so much he could hardly lace his boots.

Loki put his face in his hand. "Oh Norns help me!"

"Loki, they bring laughter with them much like their father, " Odin chuckled.

Loki nodded while Odin stood and held his hands out. Aleta and Max took his hands as they headed for the door and Loki rolled his eyes and followed them out of the room.

Ten minutes earlier, the Royal Stables:

"Please inform me if I cause you discomfort, Prince Nathan," the groom said nervously as he lifted Nate from his chair and placed him in the special saddle on Sleipner.

"It's okay. I can't feel anything below my waist," Nate explained

The groom carefully tightened the straps about Nate's legs and fastened the belt about his waist. Then he was finished and Sleph paraded out of the yard.

Nate enjoyed the feeling of riding the tall silver stallion, since Sleph could trot so smoothly it felt as if he ran upon the air with his eight legs. The bells on his bridle jingled harmoniously as Sleph took Nate down the main causeway from the palace and then veered off through the large sunny fields that were full of wildflowers. The air smelled fresh and sweet, and Nate smiled and said, "This is great! Much better than sniffing the smog in the city. Can we see what's over there? I think I see a lake."

Sleipner tossed his head in answer and strode towards the large freshwater lake that provided lots of fresh trout, bass, and sturgeon for the castle folk. The lake was deep and cool and the waters sparkled like lapis lazuli when the sun hit it. Willows and aspens surrounded it and there was a path that led to and from the castle up to it. There were logs that had been sawed in half to make benches to sit on and fish, sanded smooth as satin.

Nate gazed at the water in delight. "This is a really nice fishing spot, Sleph. We should come here and go fishing one day."

Sleph nickered an affirmative. Of course we can, little brother. That would be relaxing.

The silver stallion wished that his mortal brother possessed the gift of All Speak, so he could understand Sleph in his horse form. All Asgardians had that ability to some extent, which meant they could speak and understand many tongues, and for some, like Loki, it also meant he could speak the tongues of birds and animals of all kinds. Sleph was unsure if that was because Loki was a master shifter, meaning he could shapechange into any creature he wished, including magical ones. Although Sleph had no trouble understanding Equus, the language of horses, since he had been born a horse and had stayed in that form until he was two years old and learned to change his shape into a boy.

Sleph walked nearer to the lake, going down to the shore to drink some of the crystalline water.

Nate uncapped his small silver canteen that Loki had bought him and drank some of the chilled pear juice that was inside. He had just screwed the top back on and hung it on the little leather hook on the saddle when Sleph heard the sound of feet coming towards the lake and lifted his head, his muzzle dripping with water.

Three boys about ten and eleven came into view, carrying fishing poles and a pail. They were dressed in well made clothes two bearing a house badge of a wolverine upon a gray barred shield, the other had a white tower and a sword on a black field. They were clearly the sons of lords, and two seemed to be brothers with similar wheat colored hair and the other had reddish hair and moss green eyes.

They paused when they see Sleipner and Nate.

"Why look, Jarvan! It's Loki's Lame Prince on the king's steed!"

His brother eyed Nate scornfully. "Better be careful, Little Cripple, that you don't fall off! You will never be able to get back on!"

The other two laughed as if they have never heard anything so funny in their lives.

Nate flushed. Their words were nothing he had not heard before. Plenty of kids teased him when he lived at Second Chance but since becoming Loki's son he had not had to deal with such bullies in a long time.

"Just because you can walk doesn't mean you are better than me," Nate began.

"Of course it does!" said the boy with the white tower. "What can you do? Nothing but sit there like an old woman!"

Nate opened his mouth to refute them then realized that everything he could do would not be something those boys thought of as important here.

"Ignore them, Brother," Sleph said.

"Yeah, they're not worth it," Nate said. Sleph started moving when the boys blocked their path and Sleph snorted.

"Get out of the way."

"Why don't you come down here and make us?!" Jarvan challenged and Sleph glared at him.

"Yes, or are you a coward like your father?!" Jarvan's brother, Sethlyn asked.

"My dad isn't a coward!"

"No, what he is is a monster!" the other boy, Rath said and the brothers nodded.

"My father said Odin should have killed him ages ago!" Jarvan said and Sleph snorted, pawing at the ground with his hoof.

"How dare he speak of Father and Bestefar in such a manner!" Sleph said and Nate lightly patted Sleph's shoulder.

"My dad is not a monster either!"

"Yes, he is!" Sethlyn said.

"And you are worthless!" Jarvan said and the boys laughed.

"Leave me alone," Nate said. Sleph started moving.

"No one insults my brother like that," Sleph said as he snorted louder and shook his head.

"See, even Odin's stallion thinks so!" Rath said.

"Why don't we relieve it of this worm so it can go back to a true Asgardian!?" Jarvan asked as the boys grew closer and Sleph snorted.

"Stay away from me!" Nate said while Sleph moved to keep the boys from grabbing onto Nate, but Rath grabbed hold of Nate's leg and pulled. Sethlyn helped pull Nate off the saddle as Nate landed hard onto the ground and he looked up at them.

"He looks like a turtle on its back!" Jarvan said and the boys laughed. "Isn't that right, Turtle!?"

Nate glared at them when he saw Sleph, now in his nornal form, standing behind them and Sleph snorted air through his nose.

"What did you call my brother?!" Sleph asked while the boys turned around and their eyes widened.

"P-p-prince Sleipnir!" Rath said.

"What are you doing here?!" Jarvin asked.

"I was enjoying a ride with my brother," Sleph said, looking at Nate

"We didn't see you," Sethlyn said, looking around for another horse.

"That is because he was riding on me!" Sleph said then changed back into his horse form.

"By the Nine!" Rath shouted while the boys backed up and Nate smiled.

"We are in such trouble," Sethlyn said, but Jarvan just snorted a breath of air.

"We are not in any trouble," Jarvan said.

"Yeah, you are," Nate said as Sleph changed back into his normal form and Jarvan laughed.

"No, and do you want to know why?! It's because Odin will never believe we did anything to monsters like you! In fact, he might even have you abominations destroyed!"

"Bestefar would never do that," Sleph said.

"He will once our fathers tell them you attacked us!" Jarvin said then ripped one of the sleeves of his tunic and his brother tore off the house badge on his tunic. Rath did the same then the boys started breaking their fishing poles and Jarvan smiled. "See?!"

"What I see is you getting into more trouble," Sleph said, pointing toward the sky and Huginn and Muninn circled them then flew away.

"Who cares about a pair of ravens!?" Rath asked.

"Those are Huginn and Muninn," Nate said with a smile. Huginn and Muninn had become friends with Nate after he fed them some of his food and Muninn loved to sit on the back of the wheelchair when Nate would zoom the wheelchair down the hallways.

"Odin's ravens?!" Sethlyn gasped.

"Run!" Jarvan said as they ran off and Nate looked up at Sleph.

"Are you alright?" Sleph said as he knelt down and helped Nate sit up.

"Yeah," Nate said, but Sleph checked for injuries just to be sure. "Those guys were jerks."

"They were rude," he said with a nod.

"Well, I'm used to being picked on by guys like them. I was teased all the time until Dad adopted me."

"No one should make fun of someone who cannot walk or has a disability. Just because they do doesn't mean they can't do anything."

"Yeah, but it doesn't stop them," Nate said with a sigh.

"No, but you should not let them make you feel inferior," Sleph murmured. "Although I know how easy it is to let them do so." He smiled sadly.

"You do?" his brother cried. "But . . . but you're a prince!"

Sleph laughed. "Yes, but once I was a boy like you, who had no mother or rather my mother was my father and my sire was a magical stallion. Perhaps Father never told you, but I did not become a human boy until I was two and he could teach me how to shift. And then I had to learn things like how to wear clothes, and shoes, and walk, because I was used to being a colt with eight legs. And I could talk . . . but my accent was odd because I had spoke Equus for so long. And I preferred to sleep in the stable on a bed of straw rather than in a bed too." Sleph gave a soft sigh.

"Did—did kids make fun of you too?"

"Oh yes. They called me horse freak and my father would never be proud of me, among other things. I would shift and hide and then Father would find me sitting in a tree or on a hill, crying my eyes out because I was such a misfit and I felt I didn't belong anywhere."

"What did Dad do?"

"He would hug me and dry my tears and he would say, Sleipner, no one can make you feel inferior unless you let them. Then he would tell me all the ways that he was proud of me. And he would tease me and make me laugh and suddenly what those boys had said were like the cawing of a jackdaw—a lot of noise. And eventually I learned how to behave correctly in my human form, but even now I am not comfortable with large groups of people.

I tend to prefer the quiet places and the company of the horses, who understand me best."

"You serve Bestefar as his royal steed don't you?"

"I do. It is a great honor to do so," Sleipner said proudly. "Bestefar trusts me to carry him to war and to hunt and I serve him wholeheartedly."

"Do you . . . uh . . . do anything else besides that?

"Yes. I also am a horse Healer. When someone has a horse that is sick or injured or a mare who has a hard time delivering they call me and I come and help them. I am not a mage like Father, but I have small magics to help me with sick horses. It is rewarding and I am content."

"People respect you now," Nate observed.

"Yes, but it took awhile to find my place. I am sure once you find yours, you will command the same respect that I , we better get back to the castle."

"How? I can't get back on your back," Nate said when a loud crack of thunder roared through the sky and they looked up. Thor sailed toward them when he landed near them and Sleph smiled.

"Looks like Bestefar knows," Sleph teased and Nate nodded.

"Nathan, are you injured?!" Thor asked as he ran to them and knelt down.

"No, I'm fine," Nate said.

"Your grandfather sent me to fetch you," he said then looked at Sleph. "He is very proud of you for standing up for your brother."

Sleph nodded while Thor lifted Nate of the ground and Sleph turned back into his horse form. Thor carefully placed Nate onto the saddle then took the reins and they headed back to the castle.

A few minutes later

Odin sat on the golden throne while Rath, Jarvan and Sethlyn stood in a small line and Loki stood next to Nate's wheelchair. Odin had ordered the healers to check Nate for injuries upon his return, but he only had a few bruises and Sleph had confirmed to Odin what had happened. The fathers of the three boys stood with the rest of the nobles as Odin looked at the boys then at Sleph, Loki, and Nate and drummed his fingers on the arm of the golden throne.

"Allfather, please, this is all a mistake," Rath's father, Rolno, said.

"Yes, the boys were just having some fun," Sethlyn and Jarvin's father, Norvan, said with a weak grin.

"Do you think it is fun to drag my grandson off a horse and make remarks about him not only being unable to walk, but that he, his brother and father are monsters and abominations?!" Odin demanded and Loki noticed his father was not in the same mood he was in when he saw the mural Aleta and Max painted on his bed chamber wall. This was the Odin who would have punished them and Loki pressed his lips into a thin line.

"N-no, Allfather, we do not," Rolno stuttered.

"Do you think I should kill my son then?! That is what one of them said."

"Uh, he was just joking," Norvan said, glaring at Jarvan.

"He said YOU said it!" Odin said and anger flared in his eye.

"I... I said no such thing!"

"Lies!" Huginn squawked.

"Lies!" Muninn repeated, spreading his wings out.

Odin became silent for the longest time as Loki looked around the great hall and the nobles were becoming nervous. He wondered what his father was thinking when he saw Odin sit straighter and placed both hands on the armrests.

"Guards, take the boys to the dungeons and have them whipped," Odin said and Loki's mouth fell open.

"No!" Rolno gasped.

"This is outrageous! Surely, you cannot believe these freaks over our sons!?" Norvan demanded and Odin glared at him. The lord cringed, suddenly realizing he had made a terrible mistake.

"As for the two of you," Odin said as he stood up and walked down the stairs toward them. "You are no longer of noble birth."

He tore off the house badges from their tunics then tossed the badges to the floor.

"Your homes, servants and properties will be seized and your wives and your children will be placed in stables or the mines!"

"Father, no!" Thor said then became silent when Odin gave him a Look from his good eye.

"Guards, take these men to the dungeons. They are going to be imprisoned until I find time to have them executed!" Odin said then walked out of the room and the doors closed behind him.

"This is all your fault!" Rolno shouted at Loki as the guards dragged him away and Loki placed his hand on Nate's shoulder.

"Dad...," Nate said in a small voice and Loki knelt next to the wheelchair.

"Now you listen to me. This is not your fault," Loki said.

"But..."

"Bestefar is just angry. Once he calms down, he'll change his mind," Loki said and Nate nodded. Sleph pushed the wheelchair away as Loki stood up and Thor walked to him.

"Do you really believe that, Brother?" Thor asked.

"I hope so," Loki said and Thor patted his brother's shoulder. Yet he feared he was mistaken. The man who had issued those judgments was reminiscent of the man he had known growing up, who had beaten him bloody on more than one occasion. Father, what is happening to you? How can you be a loving grandfather a few hours ago and then turn into some bloody dictator? Yes, you should have been angry at those boys and what they did but not like that! Thor knows it, I know it, and so do my sons.

He beckoned to his brother. "Thor, can you fetch Mother for me? I need to speak with her."

Thor nodded. "Yes. Loki, do not blame yourself. He has been . . . behaving like this for awhile."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Thor sighed. "Because for awhile he seemed like his old self. And then he will go and issue commands like this and I swear it is as if he is someone else. How do you explain that, brother?"

"I don't know. I would say enchantment, but I've looked with my Sorcerer's Sight and I can detect nothing."

Thor lowered his voice even further and whispered in Loki's ear. "When he gets . . . unpredictable and crazy like this . . . Loki, he frightens me."

Loki's green eyes met Thor's cerulean ones. "I think you should be frightened. Something is not right here. Please, fetch Mother."

Thor nodded and strode away and Loki walked out of the throne room and into his mother's solar. Loki knew she would know to meet him here.

"You heard?" he asked and Frigga nodded.

"I cannot believe he would do such a thing," Frigga said. "True, those boys were in the wrong, but to have them whipped..."

"Mother, he used to have me whipped," Loki said.

"Yes, I remember, but he would feel so sorry afterwards."

"What about he did to their fathers? He's going to have them executed."

"I only hope, once he calms down, he will change his mind."

"Do you...? Do you have any idea why this is happening? I thought he might be enchanted, but I see no sign of it."

"No, I have no idea what is wrong with him," she said then paused. "You do know we are no longer sleeping in the same quarters, don't you?"

"Yes, I have heard that."

"I just couldn't stand seeing him like this anymore," she said and placed her face in her hands. She started sobbing as he moved closer and gently rubbed her back.

She leaned into him as Loki placed his arm around her and she placed her head against his shoulder.

"Do you want to know what really worries me?" she finally asked. "I am afraid the nobles will rise up and demand he release his claim on the throne."

"Can they do that?"

"Yes, but he will not do it without bloodshed."

"Surely, it wouldn't come to that."

"I know it wouldn't but...," she said when they heard footsteps and she quickly stood up, walking to the window. Odin appeared in the doorway as Loki looked from him to his mother and stood up.

"Frigga, is there something wrong?" Odin asked and Loki saw the same look in his eyes and face as he had earlier. Odin walked to her when she turned and he wrapped his arms around her, She placed her face against his chest as Odin looked at Loki and Loki blinked.

"I think she is overwhelmed with what happened to Nate," Loki said, lying.

"Oh, yes, that was upsetting," Odin said then moved Frigga's head back so he could look at her and gently kissed her forehead. "Easy, My Love, it's over now."

"I know," she said and he held her. Loki, sensing they wanted to be alone, headed out of the room and sighed.