****Next Chapter: Agreement is reached, Thor and Loki return from Midgard. ****

It took about ten minutes after Lady Winter had disappeared before anyone even tried to speak. Lady Winter had given them a lot to think about. It did not escape Odin or Frigga's attention that Lady Winter did not pass judgment on Odin for stealing from her but they knew if they did not obey her orders now it would go very badly for them.

At the same time Farbauti and Bylestir had a lot to think about as well. Farbauti felt like his prayers had been granted when Lady Winter appeared but by the time she left he realized that he was going to have to compromise which left a bad taste in his mouth. Bylestir had been pleasantly surprised when Lady Winter appeared and admitted to his self that he was worried that there would have been a bloodbath and war if they had continued arguing among themselves.

After Lord Njord had given each side a few minutes to gather their thoughts he began the negotiations. It took the rest of the day and half of the next but with plenty of compromises on each side a joint co-parenting agreement was reached.

It was agreed that Loptr would be called Loki by everyone since that was the name he was familiar with and that he would be the one who decided how quickly reunification proceeded. It was agreed that Loki would need to learn about his origins and Odin would talk to Loki and his people about his Mother, Bestla as a way to demonstrate that he did not hate the Jotnar people and that Asgard and Jotunheim had been friends before the War.

It was agreed that Loki needed extensive mental health treatment and all were in agreement that he would see both a healer for his body and a healer for his mind before they started the formal family reunification process and before there were any further talks about him visiting Jotunheim.

In addition, King Odin and Queen Farbauti agreed that trade would be reopened between their two realms. It was agreed that Jotunheim would export some of their minerals and seafood to start and that Asgard would export some of their textiles and plant life. Asgard agreed to remove its opposition to the Jotnar citizens traveling freely between the nine realms as long as Jotunheim agreed to their military remaining strictly on Jotunheim. Both Kingdoms agreed that there would be a joint trade summit for each of their realms' merchants on Vanaheim within six months.

Farbauti and Bylestir returned to Jotunheim at the end of the second day and would await contact from the mind healer. Before they returned home both sets of royals shared a private evening meal and agreed that Farbauti and one of Loki's Jotnar brothers would return to visit within two weeks and attend the celebration of Loki's return before the entire kingdom.

Each monarch left the Asgardian Bifrost Observatory feeling optimistic about the future. They were each hopeful of not just creating an extended loving family for Loki but hopeful for the future for each of their kingdoms and peoples as a whole. King Odin and Queen Farbauti agreed that they would do whatever it took to bring peace to their joint peoples, too make Loki feel welcome in both realms. Each knew that it would take a great deal of work to change the bigotry and prejudices of their peoples but they agreed that Loki was definitely worth it.

The following morning both Odin and Farbauti were meeting with their Kingdom's advisors to formalize the treaty and agreements that had been reached the prior day. There was a genuine sense of hope pervading both realms. Sadly that was all about to change.

It was around mid-morning when Frigga and Farbauti each got a nagging feeling that something was wrong with Loki. Farbauti sent a message to Heimdall that he needed to know if Loki and the Thunderer had returned and if so how his son was doing. Frigga felt the need to see Odin and find out if Heimdall had an update on Loki and Thor. She was passing Loki's room when she saw her two sons and began to scream.

Odin and the Einherjar who had been in the hallway came running to the royal wing upon hearing Frigga's screams. When Odin walked into Loki's room he saw Frigga cradling a nonresponsive Loki in her arms and Thor unconscious and bleeding on the ground beside the bed. Odin ordered the two guards at the door to go get Eir and leaned down to check if Thor was breathing.

"Frigga, what happened in here? Were Thor and Loki attacked?" Odin asked. Frigga just sat on Loki's bed crying and rocking Loki. She kept whispering to Loki and trying to get any response from him.

"Baby, please look at me, please say something." Frigga begged Loki to respond to her touch or to her voice.

"Frigga, please tell me what happened in here." Before Frigga could answer her husband Eir and one of her healers arrived and began checking over Thor and Loki.

Sounding much calmer than she truly felt, Frigga began addressing the Royal healers. "Leave him, Thor does not need any assistance, and Loki is to be your sole priority. Eir, could you please have your assistant prepare one of the healing rooms to treat Loki and his injuries?"

Noting that the situation was much more complicated than it originally appeared and the need for discretion, Eir sent her assistant to prepare for the royal family's arrival and shut Loki's door closing out all but the Royal family. "Your Highness, please tell me what happened so I can help."

Frigga paused and gathered her thoughts before she began to speak. Turning to Odin she asked him to put the handcuff and restraints on Thor before he woke up, not wanting to spend one more moment thinking about her oldest child. Though he did not understand Odin did as his wife asked.

Feeling like this was the worst day of her life Frigga began to explain. "I was coming to get you Odin so we could check with Heimdall about our sons when I noticed Loki's door was cracked. At the time I had simply thought one of the maids had failed to shut the door after dusting the room. I pushed open the door and saw our son, saw Thor raping Loki. I grabbed the first thing I could reach; it was one of Loki's dragon bookends and slammed into Thor's forehead."

"After I knocked Thor out, I ran to Loki, flipped him over and immediately removed the muzzle and restraints that were on his body. He hasn't moved or made a sound from the moment I entered the room. Our baby hasn't made a sound, it is like his body is here but he is not."

Eir asked the Queen to lay him on the bed so she could check his eyes and reflexes; she could get no response from the young prince as well. "He needs to be moved to the healing rooms so I can do a thorough physical examination and address his injuries."

Walking almost into a trance, Odin opened Loki's chamber door and called the two guards to come back into the room. Looking down in disgust Odin addressed the Einherjar, "Guard the prisoner and do not let him move. I will deal with him when I return."

Odin then walked over to the bed, picked up Loki in his arms and walked out of the room. Cradling Loki in his arms he headed to the healing halls. The day that had started with such hope and promise was gone.

*****Next chapter: Fallout from Thor's attack and Farbauti returns to find her son is catatonic.*****