The Other – that was what Loki had taken to calling his tormentor.

Almost all of the creatures on the desolate rock were mindless slaves, not meant for any sort of decision making or autonomy. In a way, Loki envied them – their pointless existence and meaningless lives. How much simpler would everything be if he lived as they lived?

Then there was The Other. Now he was a creature with purpose. Single-minded and driven, his sole task was to collect any and all information that could be used to control Loki – a task he had set about with relish and determination.

The passage of time was difficult to determine, with only the weak light of a distant star for illumination making the difference between day and night almost impossible to perceive. Regardless, The Other didn't seem to need much rest; he was constantly at Loki's side, pressing his revolting hands to Loki's face and opening up his thoughts and memories, gathering the very best – and very worst – of what he could find to use against him.

Loki pulled at his chains until his muscles burned and his skin tore where his wrists were cuffed, yet remained utterly unable to resist the mental invasions no matter how much effort he managed to put forth; nothing could be kept hidden from The Other's prying.

Each time he was subjected to The Other's torture was worse than the time that preceded it. The creature not only collected Loki's memories, but warped them to his purpose. It became more difficult with each passing day for Loki to distinguish between his real memories and the false ones implanted by his captor. Recollections of hate and anger began to outnumber those of love and pleasure, to the point that he feared he had imagined them all in the first place.

Once the creature had gleaned a satisfactory amount of information, including names and locations of everyone and everything Loki still held dear, The Other had released Loki from his chains only long enough to throw him into a makeshift cell. It contained a rudimentary bed, and Loki had fallen into it and into a dark, dreamless sleep, the most rest he'd had in one stretch since he'd arrived. His rations were increased by the tiniest of margins, allowing him to regain enough strength to walk without too much trouble. However, as weak as he remained, the most powerful of his magic spells – spells that could wipe out his tormentor in an instant – were still beyond his reach.

Finally, the day arrived when The Other came to him bearing gifts. His clothing – or what remained of the garments he had been wearing when he arrived – had been fashioned into the closest approximation of his armor they could create. The Other had clearly had some input with Loki's memories, as they had even produced a new helmet to replace the one Loki had lost on Asgard.

"My Master wishes to see you. The time has come for you to prove your worth."

Sigyn rushed up the stairs to the royal apartments, her books pressed to her chest. When Ari was first born, she had focused solely on him; but when he was two months old, she had resumed her work with her tutor. She hated to leave her son, so most of the time he accompanied her, along with his nursemaid Dalla. Occasionally, however, the queen herself would want to spend time with him, and on those days Dalla would take him to the queen's private gardens.

It was one of the few places that Ari could get fresh air without the worry of him being seen by unfriendly eyes. Upon his birth, Odin had insisted Sigyn allow him to put a spell on Ari that would hide his jotun features.

"It has been less than a year since Frost Giants attacked Asgard," he told her. "If Ari were to be seen for what he truly is, if the knowledge of his heritage were to become known – I cannot assure that his life wouldn't be in grave danger."

"I have no intention of hiding the truth from my son the way you did with Loki," she had argued. "He will never worry that I was ashamed of him. That I never loved him unconditionally, exactly as he was brought into this world."

They had fought the point for days, until they had eventually come to a compromise – for her child's safety, Sigyn allowed Odin to place an enchantment on Ari that would cloak him as full Aesir, but only when he was outside the walls of the palace. When he was older and more capable of defending himself, the spell would be removed from him.

Her sole concession had been when the new prince had been presented to the realm. Until Thor had a child of his own, Ari was second in line to the throne of Asgard, just as his father had been. The ceremonies and celebrations had been lavish, taking place over the course of three full days, with every citizen of Asgard trying their best to get a peek at the most recent addition to the royal family. Most never got close enough, but Sigyn agreed that they couldn't run the risk of discovery, not yet, and so the enchantment had remained in place at all times until the celebrations were concluded.

Nevertheless, even within the safety of his home, Sigyn preferred to keep Ari confined to certain areas where he would have the least restrictions. Not many of the palace workers were allowed to see him up close without his enchantment – and those that had were sworn to secrecy about him, under penalty of imprisonment if they failed to stay silent.

Among those lucky few – other than Dalla and Sigyn's mother – were Edmund and Ingrid. Not long after Ari's birth, Ingrid's urge to have a child of her own had at last succeeded in getting Edmund to marry her. Sigyn wouldn't have been surprised to receive news that she was going to be an aunt herself before long.

Ingrid adored her new nephew, doting on him every chance she had, but Edmund was more…reserved. It didn't matter that neither Sigyn nor Loki himself had been aware of Loki's true nature when Ari was conceived; Edmund could not see past his near death experience in the weapons vault at the hands of creatures that to him looked just like Ari. Sigyn hoped that time would allow Edmund to grow closer to his nephew, but she wouldn't try to push him.

At last, Sigyn reached the doors to Frigga's private gardens. While she had gladly accepted the offer of a nursemaid to help her, she had steadfastly refused a wet nurse. Her studies usually kept her gone no more than a few hours, but this day they had run late; if she didn't feed him soon, she was going to soak through the bodice of her dress.

She was anxious as she stepped into the gardens, fully expecting to hear the wails of a ravenous baby crying for her, but she was instead greeted with the sight of Frigga sitting in a chair and holding Ari in her lap, beaming at him as he attempted to grab a stray lock of her hair as it dangled in front of his face. As Sigyn came closer, she thought she could hear her talking to Ari about Loki. Sigyn was happy that between herself and the queen, Ari would never wonder what kind of man his father had been. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty," said Sigyn. "I expected to be back sooner than this."

At the sound of his mother's voice, Ari turned his head and began to pump his legs and arms excitedly.

"Oh, it's no trouble, dear," said Frigga. "He and I have had a wonderful time together, haven't we darling?" In response, Ari – who only cared that his next meal had just arrived – began to whimper.

Frigga stood with him, cuddling him once more before passing him over. She motioned to the chair she had just vacated, indicating Sigyn should sit with him. "Mothers always win over grandmothers, especially when you're hungry."

Sigyn sat quickly, cradling Ari in one arm as she deftly opened a panel at the side of her dress. He latched on at once, and she watched his sweet little face as he nursed, relief flooding through her as her milk let down. His mouth was cold on her breast, a fact she still wasn't quite used to, even as he neared four months of age.

He wasn't a quiet eater, given to making little grunts and groans as he ate. He had a voracious appetite, one that still had him waking her at least once a night to feed. It didn't take long for him to finish one side, and so she switched him to her other breast. She had a habit of tracing the markings on his face and humming to him as he nursed; it seemed to calm him immensely, and as she watched, his eyelids began to grow heavy and droop. As soon as she was certain he was asleep, she had Dalla take him and put him on a blanket in the shade of an apple tree to nap.

"He reminds me so much of Loki," said Frigga, watching him wistfully. "I believe Ari is about the age he was when he came to us."

"Forgive me for prying, Your Majesty – but how did you pass Loki off as your son for so long? Surely the people of Asgard didn't believe you were pregnant before his arrival."

"You would be surprised how few people questioned it. Odin had just returned, triumphant from battle. We waited a short time before announcing Loki's birth; the official story was that my pregnancy had been hidden until the war was won and we were safe. Asgard was quick to accept a second prince for their victorious king and his queen; any doubts people may have harbored were forgotten as he grew alongside his brother. It was quite difficult for him, being raised with a brother as admired as Thor. But Loki was wrong if he thought the people of Asgard didn't respect him in their own way. He may have felt inferior to Thor as they got older, but it isn't because he's not loved."

The queen had slipped into referring to Loki in the present tense, but Sigyn didn't say anything – it had to be a difficult habit to break.

Frigga looked toward her grandson as he slept, and Sigyn remained quiet, unsure of what to say. "How are your studies coming along?" the queen asked after a moment, breaking the silence and indicating the books Sigyn had been carrying.

"Wonderfully," said Sigyn. "My tutor has been pushing me hard, but he says I'm picking up the information quickly. He would like for me to begin studying Midgard next. I was actually hoping to find Thor to ask him about it, given that he's been there recently, but I haven't seen him in days."

"He's actually away on official business," said Frigga, and as Sigyn watched a faint emotion passed over the queen's face – a strange combination of apprehension and excitement. It vanished as quickly as it had come. "Unrest on Midgard as it happens. The Allfather has sent him there, but he should be back before long."

Sigyn knew the repairs to the Observatory were not yet complete – whatever business Thor was on must have been important indeed if the Allfather was willing to use his considerable powers to send him to Midgard without the use of the Bifröst.

"I hope he returns safely," she said. "And soon."

In reality, Sigyn also wanted to talk to him about his proposal – Edmund and Ingrid's recent marriage, along with the impending end of her mourning period, had put it at the forefront of Sigyn's mind yet again.

She had thought over every scenario, every way that marrying Thor would be a benefit to her and to Ari, but in the end she knew she could never do it. Her heart still belonged to Loki. To marry his brother would be too great an insult to his memory, one she couldn't bring herself to commit. It pained her to think she might never have another lover for the rest of her life, but she could instead devote her time and energy to Ari. She could think of no better way to honor Loki than to raise his son to be a fine man.

It was still dark outside when Sigyn stirred to sound of Ari's cries; she hoped one day a full-night's rest would be hers to enjoy again, but for now her son wasn't shy of demanding a meal, whether his mother was sleeping or not.

Rising from her bed, she went to him in his crib. Originally in the attached nursery, Sigyn had requested it be moved to her bedside after he was born, wanting him as near to her as possible. She changed his swaddling bands, ensuring he was dry and comfortable before lifting him up and snuggling him to her chest.

She fed him, hoping he would settle down quickly, but Ari wasn't quite ready to fall back asleep. Instead he smiled happily up at her with a twinkle in his enormous blue eyes – exactly like Loki's in all but color.

"Let's go count the stars, shall we?" she asked with a sigh, throwing on her robe and slippers and wrapping Ari up before walking out onto the balcony. There were two chairs at a small table - she settled into one, propping her feet on another so she could lay Ari on her legs. He grasped her fingers in his tiny hands, gurgling and cooing…and showing no signs of drowsiness.

Before too long, afraid she would nod off herself if she sat still for too long, Sigyn stood with him and walked around the balcony, hoping the movement would lull him back to sleep. Just as he started to grow still on her shoulder, a distant light emanating from The Observatory caught her attention.

It was strange – the repairs were going well, but as far as she knew they were only being completed during the day. She had just about decided they were doing discreet tests on its viability when she noticed something even stranger – a group of royal guards on horseback, galloping full tilt down the Bifröst toward the distant structure.

Curiosity outweighed her fatigue; she had to know what was going on.

It still amazed her how quiet the palace could be during the night; she saw no one as she sneaked through the corridors, Ari sleeping peacefully on her shoulder. Whatever was happening, she hoped she could figure it out and make it back to her rooms and get him in bed before he could wake again.

She made her way to the terminus of the Bifröst, stepping out into the moonlit courtyard to find it also devoid of people. She looked down to her son's face as he slept, watching as the enchantment slipped into place outside of the palace walls; his blue skin turned the pale pink shade of her own, his jotun markings receding to nothing. It still saddened her to watch the transformation, to know that it was necessary for his safety. He was beautiful to her just as he was – she could only hope one day the people of Asgard would love him as much as she did, regardless of his true appearance.

The sounds of horses on the bridge pulled her from her thoughts, and she stepped behind a large pillar just before they came into view.

She saw Thor first, his red cape bright even in the moonlight. He was not alone on his horse; as Sigyn watched he pulled his steed to a stop, dismounting before turning back to help his passenger down. From where she stood, it was difficult to make out much more than the man's clothing – dark and strangely familiar. At first, she thought he was injured and unable to help himself, but the glint of shackles around his wrists and a muzzle partially concealing his face revealed him to be a prisoner. That explained the accompanying guards – but why would Thor need to bring a Midgardian prisoner to Asgard?

Thor leaned in closely to the captive, obscuring him from view and speaking to him in a voice too low for Sigyn to hear. She crept closer, but tried to stay hidden in the shadows.

"We will take him to the dungeons," said Thor to one of the guards, loud enough for Sigyn to hear him easily. "Father can speak to him tomorrow, once the sun is up. He can then decide how we will handle his punishment." He grabbed the prisoner by his shoulder, intending to guide him forward, but the shackled man shrugged his hand away. Thor let his hand fall to his side, a peculiar air of defeat surrounding him as the prisoner moved forward of his own volition.

Sigyn didn't realize how tightly she had been holding onto Ari as she strained to see what was going on. He suddenly wriggled in her grasp, a tiny cry escaping his lips before she could settle him.

As one, the entire group snapped their heads her direction. She happened to be looking directly at the prisoner when his eyes locked on hers, and she stumbled back in recognition.

They were the same eyes she had seen every day for months in the face of her son. Eyes that could only belong to one man.

"Loki?"

A/N: Reviews of any kind welcome - positive or constructively critical. I am more than happy to answer every review for which I have the ability. However...anonymous, misinformed vitriol (especially the kind wishing me harm because of my creative choices) will be deleted. In the end - this is merely one of approximately a million Loki stories, one I am writing for fun and for which I get absolutely no money.