Everything was bathed in a warm and comforting glow. Fandral seemed happy. Thor definitely seemed happy. Loki was happy.
His goblet tilted in his nimble fingers and he barely had to look up before someone was rushing forward to bring him a new one. No one ever filled the old one. He was a prince and princes didn't use the same goblet twice. For some reason this was particularly amusing and Loki laughed to himself. His fingers touched the hand of the servant bringing him more wine and he looked up into her eyes. Even when he was nearly free from his mind he could still ensnare others into it.
She looked at him with wide eyes and though Loki was inherently modest, he was beginning to discover that where once people found him strange and to be avoided, now people found him charming and intriguing. He pulled his eyes from her kind face, embarrassed a little by how much he loved her interest.
Thor was watching his brother with envy as the girl continued to stare at him. It amused and annoyed Thor that Loki had no idea of his beauty. It was particularly irksome to see that Sif could so easily fall prey to his charms. Now she glared at him from across the table in a way Thor wished she would glare at him.
Volstagg and Fandral had erupted into song and Thor could find no reason not to join in, not bothered that he spilled his mead around him. There was always someone to clean it up. After a number of rowdy verses Fandral declared that Loki must perform some magic for them all. Thor beamed and nodded his agreement.
"A splendid idea, what delights have you for us now," he teased.
Loki seemed shy then, perhaps even hint of a blush graced his cheeks. He could feel his mother's eyes on him from across the room as she sat with Odin and their guests. At first he refused but after some loud chanting of those present and a wink from Thor, Loki began to conjure a fire from nothing. It was mesmerizing, more so with the amount of alcohol consumed. It twisted into the form of the beasts that Thor and the others had fought in the past, tiny versions of themselves reenacting their battles and they cheered gratefully before launching into boisterous and boasting tales of the triumphs. Only Thor seemed contemplative and Loki looked at him with concern for a moment before turning once more to sit in awe of Fandral's storytelling.
Thor wondered to himself how Loki had created such an accurate picture of events he had not been there for. Perhaps he had seen drawings in his many books. Thor even contemplated that Loki had entered his own memories. It was only when Loki took to vanishing food from Volstagg's plate for fun that he wondered if- no, his brother would never be so foolish.
"I would make a toast, friends, if you will."
He barely had to raise his voice and silence fell.
"To my brother, Loki," he said clearly and it hurt him to see the surprise etched on his brother's delicate features. He did not see behind him to notice the surprise on his father's.
"For there are none in all the realms with such a skill as his. To conjure the stories of such events with such vivid detail. More importantly, there are none so modest as to show us all of our triumphs before he would ever show his own. To Loki, although not present at such battles, is always there in spirit," he said knowingly and when his eyes met Loki's his brother looked away hastily. That's when Thor knew.