"Dad, what's wrong?"

"Little boys should be in bed, Judah. It's late."

Judah stepped fully into the bedroom. "I wanted to hear how your date with Lady Sigyn went. Something went wrong, didn't it? You don't like her."

"Nothing went wrong on our date, Judah. She's a good person."

"Then why are you sitting there all wound up?"

Loki looked down at himself. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, his arms and legs tightly crossed, as though holding himself tightly could keep himself from flying to pieces. He forced himself to unfold.

"It's nothing. Grown-up business."

Judah came and stood next to him. "Dad. Tell me," he said.

Loki sighed. "Your grandfather had to hand down a new sentence in my case. Tomorrow morning I'll be punished for my crimes. I don't look forward to it, but it's nothing you need worry about."

Judah's eyes got big. "He's not sending you away again?"

"No. Like I said, have no fear."

Judah put his hand on Loki's shoulder. "Dad… what is your sentence?"

"Nothing major."

"Dad, I'm not stupid. You're upset."

Loki sighed and put both hands on Judah's shoulders. "Judah, you believe bad people should be punished for the things they do that are wrong, right?" he said.

Judah's chest hitched and a tear dripped from one eye. "Yeah… but you're not a bad person. I don't know why you did what you did, but you're not. I know you're not."

"I still have to be punished."

"No you don't."

"Yes, Judah, I do. I did wrong, and now I must pay for it. That is the way it works."

More tears, falling freely from both eyes now. "What are they going to do to you?" Judah said.

"Public flogging. It won't be so bad, Judah. Over and done with in a few minutes, and then we'll hear no more about it for the rest of our lives."

"Daddy…" Judah said, and threw his arms around Loki's neck and gave him a long, damp hug.

"I kind of miss the days when you called me Daddy all the time," Loki said. "Don't know why. Nobody calls anybody Dad or Daddy up here."

"I love you so much," Judah said, his voice muffled by Loki's shoulder.

"I love you too, my boy."

"I owe you my life."

"No. I owe you your life."

Judah picked his head up. "What do you mean?" he said.

"I'm the reason you lost your parents," Loki said, admitting it for the first time. "I'm the reason countless New Yorkers lost their lives. Saving you was like trying to put out a forest fire with a teardrop, but it was something."

"So that's why you saved me? Guilt?"

"I certainly couldn't let you die. And you were so cute… and manipulative, instantly calling me 'Daddy' the way you did. I knew straight off we were made for each other."

"I guess we both had an agenda," Judah said, giggling through his tears. "Dad? Can I… be there? Tomorrow?"

"Why would you want that, Judah?"

"I don't want you to be alone."

Loki kissed him on the brow. "I'll never be alone, Judah. Not while I know you love me. And I do not want you to see sights like that. They're not good for you. Look at me: I saw many such sights in my youth, and you wouldn't say I'm a healthy individual, would you?"

"Will there be… someone with you?"

"There will be many with me. It will be a public spectacle."

"You know what I mean, Daddy – Uncle Thor isn't here, so I know he won't be there. Will Grandma be there? Someone who loves you?"

"I don't want her there, but I expect she will be," Loki said, passing a hand over his brow. "Father wants as many witnesses as possible. Lady Angrboda and Lady Sigyn will be there. He wants the people to believe that he didn't have the caner go leniently on me just because I'm his son."

"Daddy, how bad will it be, really?"

"It won't be that bad."

"Daddy."

"It won't. My boy, the alternative is life in the dungeons. I would much rather take this."

"You've been hurt before. I heard Grandma talking about it with Uncle Thor."

"I have been hurt before. Which is why I know I can get through this just fine."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Judah went in for another tight hug. "I don't like the idea of you being hurt."

"It will be all right, my son. You'll see. I'll stand, I'll take my punishment, the protestors will finally be satisfied, and then we'll be free to see Asgard in its entirety. I have much to show you. In the meantime, you'd better get some sleep. It's very late."

"Asgardian nights are too long," Judah said.

"But Asgardian days are much longer," Loki said. "Go on, now."

"Can I sleep here?"

"You know you probably won't be able to any longer once I'm married, Judah…"

"You're not married yet," Judah said.

"True, and thank the ancestors for that. But Judah, I want you to talk to Lady Sigyn."

"I already talk to her."

"I don't mean talk, I mean… talk."

"About?"

"About seeing your parents die, and how that still affects you. And about seeing me afterward, and how you were afraid I would kill you as I had killed them."

"I wasn't!" Judah said.

"I want you to be truthful with her, Judah. You've been lying to yourself for too long. If you're not comfortable talking to Lady Sigyn about this then I can set you an appointment with Lady Eir, the Royal Healer, but she does not specialize in psychology as Lady Sigyn does."

"You think I'm sick."

"I think you're hurting. I should have had you talking to someone right along, but I never trusted healers. That was wrong of me."

"I don't need to talk to her. I can just talk to you."

"I don't have the knowledge to help you work through your fears. Judah, trust me on this – you can't let fear and pain fester until it ruins your life. Talking to me or Uncle Thor or your Grandma or anyone you trust can help you, but I would feel better if you talked to someone who knows how to guide you through it properly. Like Lady Sigyn. I think she would be willing to listen, and you do trust her, don't you?"

"Yeah. All right, I'll talk to her. If you really want me to."

"I really do."

Judah looked at him expectantly. "Are you going to let me sleep here or not?" he said.

Loki scooted over so there was room. "Yes, climb in here."

He held the boy against his chest. Judah formed a tight little bundle though he was getting to be quite tall. He'd waited too long to admit to himself that the child needed help. The last thing he wanted was for the boy to grow up feeling anything like he himself felt inside. He hoped it wasn't too late already.