Loki stared at the scene in front of him, unable to believe it to be true. He was finally back in Asgard, Maebh barely able to stand with the size of her stomach, gasping as she felt another ache, telling them their child's arrival was imminent. Sif and his mother trying to shoo him and Nafi from their home so that she could birth his child in peace, while also trying to convince Maebh it was time for her to get ready and lay in bed. Thor trying to coax him to the village so they may celebrate the birth, but he refused to move, he stood fast, refusing to budge.
"Brother, you cannot be with her. You know this." Thor stated, trying to force Loki to move.
"I have to be nearby; I need to be here in case something happens."
"Nothing will go wrong, she is the most formidable creature in all the realms, and any child of her blood and ours will be also." Thor grinned.
With a huff of an acknowledging laugh, Loki conceded. "Fine, I will go to the stables to deal with the repairs needed there, but no further."
"Excellent, work will make time go faster. But I mean it brother, when that child is born, we are to celebrate it properly, mead and fine foods, am I understood?"
"Thor, when it has arrived safely, I will pay for such myself." Loki grinned.
Thor slapped Loki's back with enough force to send him almost flying into the stables. "Wonderful. That is what I like to hear." There was another man standing inside. "Ah Daire, how do you fair?"
Loki ceased walking and stared at the other man, his name was the first thing he took notice of, and then he focused on his brown hair and grey eyes. He was slightly built, more so even than Loki himself was, and his face was one Loki recognised. From over two years ago, lifeless in a small cottage in Midgard. "Daire?"
"I would not be focusing on him." A light brown haired girl no older than Helga commented as she held a bucket containing goat's milk.
"Síofra's right." Daire commented back. "It would be more in your interests to get back to Maebh."
"But she's…." Loki pointed toward the house.
"She's back in the land you took her to, awaiting your return. If she thought you here with us, she would consider forcing her own early demise so to join you once more. Do you want that?" The young man asked, standing in front of Loki. "I can tell you this, if my sister is now as she always has been, she will hang you by your guts for not returning to her when you swore to."
"She is still such." Loki swallowed.
"Then you best be leaving Asgardian, she will not be kept waiting."
"How?" Loki looked around.
The young man looked at him. "I fear this may hurt somewhat." He warned. A moment later, Loki grunted in agony as his side ached once more.
He opened his eyes again to see himself in a darkened room, Thor and Ásvaldr standing over him worriedly as others restrained him.
Loki bit hard in the rolled rag placed between his teeth, the pain he felt seemed like none he had ever endured before. The knife had penetrated deep into his abdomen, the blood still flowed freely as he prayed to every last god and goddess that he would return to Asgard, to his wife and their children. He prayed the knife had not been dirty, and that infection would not set in, but also that the bleeding would cease, he would give near anything for it just to cease.
He trailed in and out of consciousness, the pain sometimes became so great he would pass out, but then would be woken again by its intensity. For the entirety of his time being tended to, Thor remained by his side, grief stricken that his brother had taken a blade meant for him.
Ásvaldr's men had reprimanded the perpetrators in mere moments and they awaited trial in the king's public hall as the king concerned himself with the well being of the Asgardian prince.
Finally after what felt like a millennia, Thor was relieved to see his younger brother being permitted to rest, the bleeding finally stemmed. The healers told Ásvaldr that the foreign prince, if he were lucky enough to survive the next few days and if infection did not set in, should recover, though it would take weeks, with fresh bandages and salve required daily. Ásvaldr translated their words for Thor, electing not to tell him that they did not think much of Loki's odds for survival. "My men have the assailants, I wish for you and some of your men to join me and help stand over their trial."
Though Thor was reluctant to leave Loki, Hogun volunteered to remain behind and guard his friend, grateful Thor agreed and followed Ásvaldr to face his would be assassins.
Even Ásvaldr was shocked to see the men who had attempted to kill the Odinson's were lords and men of high standing in his father's court. "You are making deals and bargains with our sworn enemies." One bellowed. "It is our duty to Svartalfheim to rid the world of their line."
"Well unless you planned to go to Asgard and kill all their kin, their lines would live on, leaving us completely outnumbered and completely outmatched." Dagfinnr retaliated.
"You could have killed us all." Æthelric voiced. "So far, Prince Thor has been gracious enough not to declare war, which may still change. The Asgardian's forces are far stronger and better armed, we will be decimated. Why do you think we have been so desperate for these talks? You short-sighted morons!"
Thor listened in silence, unable to comprehend what was being said between the different men. His gaze zoned in on one man in particular, a great lord of Svartalfheim, said to have near a hundred Æsir women that were forced to work in his many brothels if Volstagg's information was accurate, the deals would mean his income would be wiped-out overnight. It was he who had lunged for Thor, and who had put Loki at the great door that gave entrance to Valhalla. The lord did not raise his head, he knew better than to look the Æsir prince in the eye.
"I cannot believe what you have done, or that you say you have done so in the name of Svartalfheim." Ásvaldr stated. "In my short time as king, I have done everything in my power to ensure a better life for my people. So that we may flourish once more, but you saw fit to desecrate my work, to send our talks back nearly a century and for what, a few whores? A few slaves? There are always more to fill their void, but you are too narrow minded to see that, and as Æthelric stated, at what cost?"
"Your father…"Another started.
"My father is no longer king, I am. And that is all that any need remember." The king retorted. "And as king, I sentence you all to death for your actions." He turned to Thor. "They are to die." He explained. "I assume you want Lord Ívarr." He indicated to the man that had stabbed Loki. Thor nodded. "Very well, two more of your men may also execute more of the traitors." Thor looked to Fandral and Volstagg and gave a single solemn nod. The two unsheathed their weapons and stepped forward to stand beside Thor. The perpetrators quivered as they awaited their fates, staring at the foreigners.
Thor stepped forward and Ásvaldr held out his own sword to the Asgardian prince, who took it and walked toward his would be killer. Recalling what Maebh had said about the neck being a weak point, he thought of her and Loki, who he knew from experience, was hanging onto life only by the grace of the Norns, he thought of their love for one another, and of the child his brother so desperately coveted, which still grew within Maebh, and swung the sharp weapon. Ívarr's head was cut clean from his shoulders and his limp torso fell to the floor with a satisfying thud. Thor looked at the lifeless corpse and walked back to Ásvaldr to hand him his sword.
"Once we are done here, I have no doubt that you wish to return to your brother's side." Thor nodded. "Well I do not wish to delay you." He turned and gave the signal for five men to come forward, Fandral and Volstagg included, and permitted them to deal with the condemned.
No sooner had the last body hit the floor, Thor strode from the room to where Loki was resting. Hogun remained on guard next to Loki, whose already pale face seemed translucent and waxen from the loss of blood. He slept while his breathing remained ragged. Thor sat next to him and began to talk, not taking any notice of Hogun as he left the room to remain guarding the wounded prince from outside the door. He spoke of their childhoods, of the many adventures and occasional mishaps that they had experienced. And of the many hunting trips and voyages they had gone on as men. "You are such a different man now brother." Thor chuckled fondly. "Before I had to near chase after you if I suggested we go on a hunt, such was your enthusiasm, but in recent times, you are more than content to remain at home. She has changed you so much, I often wonder what gift the great god Odin had bestowed upon Maebh to make her enchant you so." Thor continued to talk as Loki continued to sleep.
Day came and went, and Loki did not awaken. The healers cleaned the wound and changed the bandage, and yet he did not stir. Thor knew such was not a good sign, but yet he prayed and hoped. Nightfall brought no change in Loki's condition, he remained unconscious and his pallor was almost grey. Though the healers reported the following morn that his wounds showed no sign of infection, and Thor took that as a small blessing.
Finally after over a day of resting, Loki's eyes fluttered open weakly. He looked around the room and exhaled loudly at the sight of Thor, half asleep next to the bed on a chair.
"Brother, you have awoken." He laughed in relief, coming to Loki's side. Loki groaned in response, too weak to try and speak. "Rest, the wound is healing with no sign of infection, and those who revolted against Ásvaldr's agreements have all been dealt with accordingly. I, myself dealt with he who wounded you. I took Maebh's advice and took his head off clean." Loki smiled slightly at the mention of his wife. "Rest more brother, I will have broth brought in for you to eat, it will help you recover." Loki nodded once more before closing his eyes, allowing slumber to take over once more.
A week later, Loki was sitting up in the bed with only the bare minimum of aid, but was still far from recovered. The wound had shown some signs of becoming infected, but with constant and vigilant care, it was prevented, much to the Æsir's relief. Ásvaldr visited the brothers daily, ensuring Loki's wellbeing, Thor divided his time between his brother and the other Æsir, who were slightly restless.
Hogun, Volstagg, Fandral and a few others took turns standing guard outside Loki's chambers, just as a precaution. That had led to some tensions between them and some of their hosts, but they, and indeed Thor were not going to take any risks. Ásvaldr and his advisors agreed.