Ohh, I am so excited to see the reactions from this chapter.

I've taken many creative liberties throughout this chapter regarding certain things in the MCU that are totally unexplored in the movies, so bear that in mind! ;)

I really hope you guys enjoy.


Hydrangeas Say Our Family Will Flourish

Chapter Fifty: The Path of Enlightenment

An illusion.

What Amelia thought had been Loki's death had been simply an illusion to mislead and get the better of Helblindi. Amelia had, very briefly, felt like she was trapped in a vacuum that had sucked all the air from her lungs; now, she just felt light-headed and dazed as she realised her worst fear had not come true. Perhaps it was the fact that Amelia hadn't eaten anything or slept in about twenty-four hours now, but a dark void was beginning to slither in around the edges of her vision, and all noise felt far away.

"Amelia."

Amelia blinked, her wandering gaze snapping back to the face of her husband, whose face showed an expression of perturbation. "Talk to me," Loki spoke again, and Amelia became aware that his hands were clutching her shoulders, holding her steady.

Her mouth hung open, lip wobbling, and she remembered her children were still standing right beside her. A sharp breath that she hadn't even known she'd been holding escaped her mouth, and more tears dripped down her face, "I thought we agreed to call off the prank war." What was meant as a jab to lighten the mood and ground herself actually came out more like a whimpering mess of words.

Loki sighed in relief and smiled, cupping his wife's face in his palms. Amelia shivered at the contact; he was still in his Jotun form and the enchanted cloak over her shoulders only kept her core body temperature heated. "Sorry, darling," Loki whispered, retracting his hands, but Amelia shook her head. She'd been glad for the contact.

Looking between his children with a soft gaze, Loki pulled them both back in to hold them close, and murmured with all the solace in the world, "I'm so glad you're all alright. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to stop them from taking you in the first place, can you forgive me?"

Aster's little head bobbed up and down below his chin in a nod, and Kari answered aloud, yawning as he did so, "Yes, daddy. Can we go home now?"

"Soon," Loki promised. "We'll go home and you two can get some sleep. And then a warm bath, I think. And a meal, are you both hungry?"

They both gave an affirmative and enthusiastic 'mmm-hmm' as they clutched at his leather armour, holding onto him harder than ever before. Aster sniffled softly, the excitement of the day having clearly taken a toll on her.

"Did the bad giant hurt you, daddy?" Aster whispered, the distress in her voice utterly heartbreaking for Loki. He hated that his children had had to witness that awful illusion, but he'd needed to end the fight and the easiest way had been granting Helblindi a false sense of security.

"No, my little flower, I am perfectly fine," Loki told her gently. The only harm that had come to him were a few cuts and grazes, plus a few sore spots where the flaming blade had come close enough to burn his skin, but it was nothing a few days of rest wouldn't fix, "I'm sorry you had to see that, my children, put it out of your minds, it was just a nasty trick. You'll never see anything like that again." His words seemed to alleviate the shakiness of their bodies.

"Brother," Thor finally spoke, rubbing his temple, "for a moment there, I really thought that was it for you."

"Come now, Thor. I've supposedly died how many times now? And yet you never learn, the God of Mischief doesn't die."

"I believe the Midgardian phrase is three strikes and you're out, right Amelia?" Thor scratched his beard, peering down at Amelia with an inquisitive expression, to which she stared back in blank exhaustion. Thor looked back to his brother, "Can you really blame me for not seeing through your illusions?"

"Yes, I can and will blame you. You should know better," Loki gave his brother a subtle smirk.

Thor rolled his eyes and leaned down, lowering his voice so that only Loki could comprehend his words, "You know, one day you're really going to die, and I'm not going to believe you."

"Who says I'm dying first?" Loki retorted, but his eyes went past his brother and all humour seeped from the moment. Byleistr stood a few steps away behind Thor, staring right at Loki with a neutral red gaze. The tension crept back into his shoulders as he stared down the frost giant.

Loki reached for the sword by his feet, the sharp noise of metal against stone sounding as he rose back to his full height, which was just over half that of Byleistr. He could easily slip back into that dangerous state of mind he had been in when he pierced Helblindi's heart, it wouldn't take much to kill this one too. Loki gripped the hilt of the blade tightly in his hand.

Thor lifted a hand, understanding the look in his brother's eyes at once, "Loki, Byleistr is not our enemy, he has no desire to harm us." Loki's distrust was understandable, of course, after everything that had happened that day, but if Byleistr actually wanted to harm or kill any of them, he'd had plenty of opportunities already.

"I have every intention of harming him," Loki responded icily.

"Loki," Thor repeated in that specific tone of voice reserved only for the moments when his brother caused exasperation to roll off of him in waves.

"Loki," Amelia spoke this time, her voice tired and meek, and Loki ultimately took his eyes off of Byleistr to hear what his wife had to say, "Byleistr was the one that reunited me with the kids and kept us together when Helblindi threatened to keep us apart. He's not like Helblindi." Her voice was imploring and desperate, filled with a desire to let this all be over so they could return home.

Loki's eyes narrowed, his scrutinizing gaze trying to thoroughly analyse and deduce Byleistr's intentions, and finally he posed the question on his mind to the frost giant across from him. "If you are so against your brother's scheme, why did you not just kill him yourself?"

To Loki's annoyance, the spark in Byleistr's eyes looked vaguely amused. "It seems you have been misled in some aspects of Jotnar culture. We are not the savage, bloodthirsty beasts you believe us to be. We have our own regulations and laws, and killing a king in an unsanctioned skirmish is considered treasonous, and will automatically surrender any claim to the throne the killer may have," the giant explained in a low, neutral voice, "and so, as you can infer, I could not simply kill the king without promptly being hunted and killed myself. It would have been counterintuitive, and Helblindi demeaned any attempts I ever made to induce a fair battle between myself and him."

The frost giant fell silent, giving Loki a moment to absorb his clear cut explanation; Loki's very stare seemed to have the aim to penetrate Byleistr's mind, as if wishing to creep in and find either truth or lies in his words. This Jotun did not seem to be lying, but if he was biologically Loki's brother, how was Loki to know whether or not Byleistr was naturally gifted in the art of lying, like himself?

After a lull, Byleistr resumed speaking, "I knew as soon as Helblindi spoke to me of his plan to take your children that it would be his very undoing. So I pretended to conform to his plan while ensuring your family did not come to harm, and now that you have killed my brother, I can claim the throne and do what I was always meant to do."

Thor was ready to hold his brother back when Loki snarled and took a more threatening stance, the sword in his hand igniting as if it was linked directly to his heart and it sensed his aim to remove the giant before him.

"I am the rightful king of Jotunheim," Loki growled, "it is my birthright."

Byleistr looked patient and unaffected by Loki's anger, which only further fuelled his agitation. "It was your birthright," the giant corrected coolly, "As the firstborn son of Laufey, you would have taken the throne had you not been… adopted by Odin Allfather. But then you killed the king, and in doing so, you unwillingly relinquished your right to the throne."

"I killed the king in fair combat," Loki sneered.

"You killed Helblindi in fair combat, yes. You killed our father Laufey in one of your little trickster schemes," the giant clarified.

Loki's teeth grinded together, "Your father deserved it."

Byleistr's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, "I know."

Loki faltered, taken aback by the giant's response. Byleistr was appearing oddly enigmatic; the words he was speaking with so much honestly did not match Loki's preconceptions for him, and as much as Loki tried to find a sliver of falsehood in the things he was saying, Byleistr did not seem to be lying. His body language was open and direct, he was not nervously squirming like some did when they lied, perhaps there was credence to what he had claimed.

That certainly did not mean Loki appreciated some of the things he was being told. "I was always meant to be kind of this realm," Loki stated darkly, "I am more powerful than you and anybody on this accursed icy rock you call your home. I could take the throne by force and coerce your people into submission, rules and laws be damned."

Thor's frustration was palpable, and he looked at his brother with disapproval; Loki ignored his expression and made a point not to turn around and look at Amelia, because her face would no doubt be just as condemning as Thor's.

Byleistr tilted his head, peering over at Loki's children. They were on the cusp of falling asleep against their mother, rightfully exhausted after being awake for so long without anything nutritious to eat, plus the fact they had used up a lot of their magical energy; it left them completely drained and pining for home.

"Perhaps you could do that," Byleistr stated, "If that is truly what you wanted."

Loki's mouth opened and closed for a moment, ultimately hesitating to find an acceptable response.

"You don't want the throne," Byleistr surmised, "you just want to prove a point. What you want is to go to the realm you call home and keep your family safe. You are welcome to do that now, I have no reason to stop you. You and your family are free to go, we will never bother you again, if that is what you want."

The giant paused, taking in the not-so-real outrage on Loki's face. It told Byleistr everything he needed to know; that Loki was trying to present a version of himself that was not genuine, and that everything Byleistr said was completely correct.

Byleistr smiled for the first time, "You know, I had hoped we might come to a compromise of sorts. Make amends. Regardless of how many times you deny our familial link, you are my brother, more so than Helblindi ever was. In another reality, we could have grown up together, we could have done great things together."

Thor felt warmed by Byleistr's words. Despite all the hardships he and Loki had ever faced within their relationship, he couldn't imagine a life where he grew up without Loki by his side, and his empathetic side felt forlorn on Byleistr's behalf that he was denied the brother Thor was bestowed.

Loki was not so taken by the giant's flowery vocabulary, his looming distrust of the Jotnar causing him to remain stoic and apprehensive in the face of Byleistr's supposed compassion, "That could never have happened, not while Laufey abandoned me and allowed me to be taken by his enemy."

Amelia lifted her head from where she'd been resting it against Kari's scalp; Kari was almost passed out in her lap, lying back against his mother's chest, while Aster was curled up against her left side. Amelia mourned the fact that she couldn't scoop Aster up with her injured arm at that moment, it had started to swell and was throbbing, so long as she didn't move it, it didn't hurt so much.

She watched Loki closely, knowing the truth Byleistr had told her earlier about Loki's 'abandonment', and expected he was about to be slapped in the face by reality.

Byleistr shook his head, a flicker of sorrow briefly marring his face, "You have been misled, Loki. Laufey never abandoned you, he tried to keep you safe."

Loki's grip on the flaming sword remained sturdy for a moment more before he lowered it, the flame extinguishing as he reeled from shock. He shook his head, not allowing himself to believe it at first.

"You were wanted," Byleistr revealed.

Amelia blinked back tears, feeling very emotional all of a sudden. She imagined it wasn't something that could be very easy for Loki to accept after he'd been taught one thing all his life - that his biological father had left him for dead when he was just an infant. She didn't blame him for following the narrative that Odin had crafted; how could Loki have known the truth before now? Even Thor grew shocked at this revelation.

For Loki to realise once again that everything he thought he knew had been a lie, it must have been painful. His entire perception of frost giants had been forged into something negative since he was old enough to comprehend words, and being told that he was abandoned when the truth had finally come out about his heritage must've been the main thing that further fuelled his desire to take revenge on Laufey. That, and his desperate need to please his adoptive father.

Amelia wanted to hold her husband, because the way the acceptance of this new truth was beginning to form on his face only left her feeling heartbroken for him. Loki needed a hug, but Amelia had one broken arm and two children on top of her, so she was a bit restricted at that moment. Thankfully, Thor knew one simple gesture to offer comfort in a way that Loki didn't reject.

Thor placed a hand on Loki's shoulder, wordlessly showing that he was there for him; Amelia was grateful for Thor's tactfulness, she'd be sure to give her husband a tight embrace just as soon as she had the capabilities.

Byleistr looked out across the room, spying the guards and a few civilian Jotuns who had stuck around by choice out of curiosity, and the Jotuns who had hidden in fear because it was too dangerous to make an escape. Some of them had begun to peer out from behind pillars and upturned tables, all taking on a nervous expression at the sight of their king dead on the floor.

Byleistr knew they were worried, not because they liked Helblindi as their king, but that they probably thought half the Jotun population would be next. He wouldn't allow any more fighting to occur, it was time for him to take his place of authority and guide this realm in a direction that would help it flourish.

The frost giant took his place at the centre of the steps, turning his head to the side of the room where guards had bravely remained at their posts despite the chaos that had ensued, "King Helblindi has fallen in fair combat, which means the line of succession falls to me effective immediately," he spoke loud and clear with newfound authority, his voice reverberating off the walls, "King Thor of Asgard, Son of Odin, and I have negotiated a ceasefire, they will do no harm to our people, and they will not be harmed in return."

"But my Lord," one of the guards protested, taking a few steps forward with his spear in hand, "they killed the king, shouldn't we make them pay for this?"

"You heard me," Byleistr stated coolly, "Helblindi fell in fair combat, therefore our guests have not committed any crimes by our law's dictation. And that's King Byleistr, not Lord."

The guard straightened, eyes widening, and then he nodded his head after a few moments of consideration, "Yes, my king."

Amelia was surprised by how quickly the Jotun guards had accepted their new king; she remembered when Loki had taught her about the Jotnar, and how he had emphasised the brutality of the frost giants and their lust for power, but the sight before her was contradictory to Loki's words. She peered over at her husband, noticing he was looking back at her with a tired look, and gave him a forced smile; it seemed that everything he claimed to know about Jotuns really was utterly incorrect.

"Take Helblindi's body and prep it for a pyre," Byleistr ordered the closest four guards, who immediately obeyed the order without further question; the new Jotun king looked to his subjects, who were beginning to exit their hiding spaces with renewed confidence and relief, and proudly exclaimed to them, "It is time for a new era of peace between Jotunheim and Asgard. Prosperity is on the horizon. As your new king, I will do everything in my power to ensure we attain it."

With that, Byleistr looked back to Thor with a meaningful glance, one of which the Asgardian King returned with a subtle nod.

It was at that moment that Hefring burst back into the room, looking frantically around; her eyes practically snapped to the children in Amelia's lap who had jumped awake at the sound of the door slamming open. Amelia's body seized up in fear as the kids scrambled to climb behind her, whimpering in terror.

"Loki!" Amelia had barely spoken the first syllable of his name before he had already put himself between them and the female frost giant, the sword held high and poised to strike should she come any closer.

"Step any closer and you'll meet the same fate as your worthless husband," Loki seethed in a deadly tone; Hefring's mouth fell open in shock and her gaze zipped around the room to find the guards carrying her dead husband out of the hall; her eyes went wide as dinner plates and Amelia cringed slightly. It must have been horrific to burst in and find your husband dead, but Amelia couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry when this woman had terrorised her children and broken her arm just because she happened to be the kids' true mother.

Hefring wailed in anger, eyeing the children like they were going to be her next meal, "Hand them over! They're mine, you hear me!? Mine!"

Loki's hand tightened on the hilt of the sword, almost willing the Jotun woman to take one more step closer.

"Enough!" Byleistr shouted over Hefring's blaring screeches, silencing her at once, "Be quiet and listen. Your husband brought his own death upon himself when he decided to kidnap somebody else's children. These children never belonged to you, but do you know, Hefring? There are young frost giants all over Jotunheim who are orphaned. They have no parents. If you really wish to be a mother, you can raise them."

Hefring appeared to vibrate with anger at the new king's decree.

"But I want them! They're small and cute! I want them!" The woman's cries dove up in pitch, and Amelia wanted nothing more than to clamp her hands down on her ears to try and muffle the god-awful noise.

Byleistr put his foot down. "With Helblindi gone, you are no longer queen of this realm. You have no power here, and if I so declare it, you will have no protection either. If you dare to take one step closer, I will not stop Loki Odinson if he chooses to kill you."

Loki peered briefly back over his shoulder with what looked like an appreciative glance, like he respected that Byleistr was potentially giving him the choice to end Hefring's life without consequence. Sadly, Hefring snivelled and scampered away, not giving Loki the chance to test Byleistr's promise. He lowered the sword again, feeling that the threat had been eliminated for the moment.

Amelia expelled a breath, shushing her children out of their frightened states. Enough was enough, something needed to be done so that these children could get some much needed sleep. She herself was beginning to feel a little light-headed, though she supposed it had to do with the pain in her arm and the excitement of having her life repeatedly threatened several times in one day.

Byleistr noticed her discomfort without her having to speak a word. "Loki, your wife is in need of medical attention and your children are exhausted. You are welcome to follow me to our infirmary where our healer can take a look at her arm, there are also beds for your children to rest in until you are all ready to return to Midgard. What say you?"

Loki studied Byleistr for a few seconds, then his gaze dropped to Amelia and the children, spotting their very weary states; he seemed to just see Amelia's swollen arm for the first time and breathed a gasp as he knelt by her side. "Amelia, your arm - why didn't you say anything?" His fingers ghosted over her forearm, feeling that her skin was very hot, and frowned. "Come on, this needs to be looked at."

Amelia nodded her head, reassurance flooding through her. "Yes, I- I don't know if I can stand." There was the very real possibility that she would collapse if she were to push herself to her feet.

Loki looked to his brother, "Thor, take the children, I'll carry Amelia."

Thor nodded, kneeling down to lift the kids into his arms. They were blinking blearily, rubbing at their eyes and giving hums of displeasure due to their exhaustion, "Come on, little ones. We'll be home soon enough, but for now settle in. I won't let any harm come to you." Kari and Aster tucked their heads instantly into his neck, feeling a lot safer now that the fighting had eased.

Amelia was lifted into Loki's arms, and she too let her head rest on his shoulder. She fought to stay awake, however, because she wanted to remain conscious and aware of what would happen between now and when they left this realm.


Byleistr led the group to what looked just like a hospital ward, but much bigger in size with beds built to accommodate literal giants. A female frost giant who had short grey hair and a stern face looked to be tending to a couple of ill patients; she looked up when they all entered and tilted her head in confusion.

"Helblindi is dead," Byleistr stated as if he was merely remarking on a change in the weather.

The female healer's eyebrows shot up and she nodded, "Oh, good. It was about time that fool met his end." She was entirely unbothered by the news, seeming even amused to learn of the old king's demise. Helblindi must not have been very widely liked, Amelia didn't find it all that surprising.

"I have a human here with a broken limb, I do hope you can do something to ease her pain," Byleistr continued.

The healer hummed and pointed to a vacant bed, "Place her down there, I'll examine her in just a minute." Loki followed the instruction, gently placing his wife in one of the large beds typically meant for frost giants. Thor did so with the sleepy children in the nearest bed which dwarfed them in its large size, making them look even smaller than they already were. Aster and Kari curled up together and nodded off almost immediately.

Amelia gazed worriedly over at the kids. She wanted to tell herself things would all be fine in the end and that her kids would mentally recover from all this upset, but she couldn't help but think there would be nightmares ahead for months, just like the last time something horrifying happened before their eyes.

"They're alright," Loki spoke softly, following Amelia's line of sight, "they're just tired."

"What if they have nightmares?" Amelia whispered, "You think Elsa's gonna help them sleep through the night again?"

Loki frowned, "Perhaps not, but… we'll figure something out. We always do."

Amelia sighed, shifting slightly in place to make herself comfortable, and winced as she knocked her bad arm; her face pinched in pain and she gazed down at her throbbing forearm, teeth gritting in discomfort. The skin was purpling and she could sense the heat radiating from her arm.

"Are you okay?" Loki asked, eyebrows furrowing as he looked at her arm.

"Yeah… it's just really hot."

Tentatively, Loki lifted a hand and ever so gently pressed his palm against the dark bruise on Amelia's arm, not applying any pressure but simply letting the cool temperature of his blue skin soothe the heat of Amelia's. She peered up at him and smiled.

Today had been the longest period in which Amelia had seen Loki in his Jotun form, and she was happy to note that he didn't really seem shy about it in the slightest. It was true that there were much more significant things going on that probably distracted him from the fact that he was blue, but now that things had calmed, his lack of care that he was presenting as a frost giant happened to continue. It was kind of refreshing to see.

The healer approached Amelia's bed after a short while and Loki eyed her with suspicion, to nobody's surprise. The healer was unbothered by Loki's gaze and looked mostly set on just doing what Byleistr had asked.

"Show me," the giant requested, at which point Loki hesitantly lifted his hand away from Amelia's arm, revealing the bruised and swollen limb. The giant gave a hum and took Amelia's small forearm into her large hands, angling it with gradual slow movements so that she could inspect it more easily.

"Looks like a closed fracture. Good, easy to work with. I can give you a painkiller, apply ice to help with swelling and put it in a sling, and it should heal within eight weeks," the healer said, "though once you return to your realm, with all the resources you have, you may have a way to help it heal more quickly." She released Amelia's arm and stood to her full height, stepping away from the bed and over to her workstation.

Similar to Inga's station, there was a desk surrounded by shelves and cupboards with odd equipment atop it presumably used to mix the various ingredients into pastes and liquids to be used as medicine. The healer returned after just a few minutes with a bowl that was small by Jotun standards, but was relatively large in front of Amelia's face.

"Drink this," the giant instructed, lifting the rim of the bowl to Amelia's mouth. Thankfully it wasn't full to the brim, the healer had taken into account that in her small stature, Amelia would certainly not need to drink as much as a frost giant for the medicine to take effect.

Although she didn't know what she was about to drink, she did so anyway, trusting that the healer knew what she was doing. The liquid had the consistency of milk and tasted ever so slightly sweet, so she gulped it down readily, glad it wasn't utterly disgusting like she had been expecting.

"The medicine will take effect shortly, and the pain in your arm should subside for the most part, and then I will apply an ice wrap and a sling," the giant made a move to stand, but Amelia spoke suddenly.

"What's your name?"

The frost giant gave her a vaguely surprised look, "It's Heige. Why?"

Amelia tilted her head, "I just wanted to say thank you, Heige." From the few moments of drawn out silence that followed while Heige and Amelia stared at each other, Amelia surmised that the giant probably wasn't used to being thanked for her job.

Heige nodded her head and stepped away, "Let me know when the pain begins to lessen."

Amelia laid her head back against the large pillow and gazed up at Loki who stood silently at her bedside. He brushed her hair from her eyes affectionately, giving her a subtle smile; she could see in his eyes that he was glad she was alright, that his little rescue mission of her and the kids had had the best outcome, despite her injury.

Byleistr moved into view at the foot of Amelia's bed, drawing Loki's attention away, and the neutral stare with pursed lips returned to his face as he looked up at his biological brother with dismay.

"I am glad to hear our healer will be able to help with your injury," Byleistr told Amelia, who nodded in response.

Before Amelia could say anything back, Loki spoke up, his voice terse and impatient, "I expect an explanation for your earlier statement."

"My earlier statement?"

"You said I was not abandoned. As an infant," Loki said tightly, "just how can that be true?"

Byleistr blinked, looking briefly over at Thor before back at Loki, "Perhaps it would be easier to show you what I mean."

Loki's gaze narrowed, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Hey, it's okay," Amelia murmured, "Thor's here. You have questions for Byleistr… you should go and see what he has to show you." In truth, Amelia just wanted Loki and Byleistr to come to a friendly understanding, and hoped that in seeing whatever Byleistr had to offer would be able to help form some sort of connection. Not to mention for Loki to better understand the circumstances of his whole life, which had been utterly full of misinformation up until now.

Loki looked stunned at Amelia and appeared to struggle with his torn desires in that moment; he wanted to know the truth about his past, but he didn't want to step away from Amelia and the kids after everything that had happened.

"Go, Loki," Thor said, "I won't let anything happen to the kids, or Amelia. If Hefring rears her ugly head again, I'll kill her," the God of Thunder's eyes flickered briefly to Byleistr, who nodded his head at his words.

"It is highly unlikely she will return, but in the event she somehow passes the guards, you have my blessing to, shall we say, put a stop to her misdeeds," Byleistr assured, then once again addressed Loki, "I'll answer any question you have. Walk with me."

Loki seemed agitated that Byleistr had posed his request like an order, but he brushed it off, looking back to Amelia with an abundance of concern and uncertainty. Amelia smiled at her husband; she understood what Loki was trying to communicate with merely a look.

"You can go, it's alright," Amelia spoke softly, "we'll be alright now."

Loki breathed a sigh, leaned down to kiss his wife, and then straightened, stepping away from the bed. He looked over his children once more; the two of them were out like lights, completely enervated from all that had happened, and he didn't blame them. At five years old, they'd seen enough excitement to last a lifetime.

Giving a cursory glance to his brother, Loki turned back to Byleistr, adopting a more hardened expression unlike the soft one he had directed at his family moments prior, "Lead the way."


Byleistr led Loki through the many winding corridors of castle Utgard; the building appeared to be falling to pieces in some areas that must have been neglected, it lacked the hallmark extravagance that the palaces of Asgard were known for - even the rebuilt version in New Asgard was more beautiful than this, and that structure was built with the limitations of Midgardian materials. This just looked barren, like a wasteland within a castle. It perfectly reflected Loki's thoughts on the entire realm.

Though it seemed like they were walking in circles, Byleistr moved with purpose, so Loki dutifully followed in silence, expecting that they would reach their destination eventually, whatever that destination was. The flaming sword was currently unignited and cased in the sheath Loki had conjured for himself; he seemed somewhat fond of keeping the weapon close in case he would need to use it again while present in Jotunheim. It was useful, given that the weakness of the Jotnar was fire.

Just when Loki's patience began to wear thin, Byleistr stopped before a large set of stone doors; he pushed them open with ease, revealing a long, dark hallway, to which Loki let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. He was irritated that they still had yet to reach their location. Another winding corridor, and how many more after that?

"This is getting ridiculous. Are we there yet?" Loki grumbled, voicing his thoughts.

Byleistr peered down at him, "I'd have thought being a father meant you'd have more patience."

Loki's eye twitched and he spoke flatly, "My tolerance levels are beginning to run dry. It's been a long day."

"Yes, I suppose it has," Byleistr responded, pushing the door open fully, "and yes, we are here."

Loki blinked at the unexpected proclamation, staring down at the dark, empty hallway. Where exactly had Byleistr taken him?

The larger frost giant cupped his hands together, forming a ball, and with a flicker of yellow light, something kindled in his palms; when he pulled them apart, Loki saw that a warmly tinted orb was glowing in his grasp. Byleistr tossed it up in the air and it illuminated the hallway, levitating just above their heads. When the larger Jotun stepped into the room, the levitating ball followed as if it was sentient and loyal.

Now that the hallway had brightened significantly, Loki could now make out mosaic-style images on the wall; he followed Byleistr till he stood in front of the first of many, and scrutinised it with a curious gaze. He could make out, through the vaguely chaotic art form, that this was an image of a Jotun infant.

"This is you," Byleistr pointed out.

"Me?" Loki murmured, frowning. He looked intensively over the picture thie time, discerning more specifically that this was an image of a Jotun infant cradled in one large hand.

"Yes, being held by our mother, Farbauti. You were born first, and I was born forty-eight minutes later; the midwives were concerned by your tiny size, they thought perhaps you had some sort of health condition that left you vulnerable, but no, you were just small. Small, but strong," Byleistr explained.

"Laufey was ashamed of me," Loki pointed out bluntly, as if it was a fact he'd heard a million times. Byleistr shook his head.

"No. You're not the only frost giant who has ever been born small. He held a level of concern for your size, fearing you may not live long, but you surprised him."

Loki looked up at Byleistr with a furrowed brow. He struggled to believe what he was being told; it certainly didn't sound like the Laufey he had met many years later, the one whom he had killed without a second's thought. He decided to press on the former thing Byleistr had said, "I'm not the only frost giant who is small?"

"Well, you are currently, unless you count your children. It's not common, but there are several recorded cases, however there is a fruit that germinates down South during the warmer months of the year, and these fruits promote growth during childhood. I surmise if you had grown up here and ate a hearty diet of Fjell fruit, you would probably be my size," Byleistr explained.

"A fruit that makes you grow?" Loki had never heard of such a thing, certainly not a fruit that could cause a person to shoot up to the size of the average Jotun.

"Yes. Though it probably wouldn't have much effect on your now, I'm afraid. It only affects the development of Jotuns during their childhoods; it probably wouldn't have much effect on your children either, save for maybe encouraging a few inches of growth later in life, due to their Midgardian DNA," Byleistr pondered, scratching slightly at his chin.

Loki gave his biological twin a scathing stare, "I don't care that it wouldn't work on me or my children. I am perfectly secure with my height, and my kids aren't in any rush to grow."

Byleistr peered back with an amused smile, "My mistake. They wouldn't be in bloom right now anyway, it's still too cold for that."

Loki fought the urge to roll his eyes, though he wasn't as pissed off that Byleistr found humour in the situation. It was preferable to the way Helblindi had interacted with him. He exhaled through his nose sharply, and then inclined his head to the image again.

"What happened to Farbauti?" It hadn't escaped Loki's notice that he had never heard mention of the Jotun who gave birth to him, until now.

The levity faded from Byleistr's face, and his gaze fell, "She passed on. The day she gave birth to us, there were complications…" he trailed off, "I lament the fact I never got the chance to know my mother, but from what I did know, she seemed very kind and compassionate, very different from how Laufey turned out."

The mention of Byleistr's sorrow over his departed mother triggered the thought of his own mother, Frigga. Loki had been lucky enough to speak with her since her death, but before that moment, he had known true grief and missed her dearly. If Byleistr felt similarly, at least they could understand each other in that regard.

"What about your adoptive mother? What kind of person was she?" Byleistr inquired after a moment of silence.

Loki glared at him, "Can you read minds?"

Byleistr smirked, "Sadly not. I take it you must have been thinking about her."

Loki fell quiet, internally questioning whether he wanted to actually give up any information about Frigga to this Jotun. Byleistr's question seemed to be born out of pure curiosity above anything else, but he didn't want to bring his mood down by explaining what had tragically happened to her.

"She was a good woman and a good mother. Unlike with Odin, I never questioned whether or not she loved me," he simply stated, letting the implications do the talking.

Byleistr nodded but said nothing more on the matter. Instead, he walked on, heading to the next mosaic image slightly further down the hall. Loki followed, approaching an image that looked like it showed a swaddled baby left alone on a table within a building that Loki couldn't really make out, but it didn't take a genius to discern that this image represented the day he had been left for dead - the day Odin had found him.

Though Byleistr had said he was not abandoned that day, Loki failed to understand how that could possibly be the case.

"Asgardian soldiers clashed with Jotun soldiers on the battlefield that day, a battle that was ultimately won by Odin's forces. He found you in the ruins of a temple that had been partially destroyed during the skirmish; you assumed you had been left there for dead, but that is wrong. You were placed in that temple for your protection, and those who were tasked with guarding you fell at the hands of Asgard's elite warriors."

Loki's mouth fell open, "For my protection?"

"Laufey thought you would be safe there. He did not expect Odin to lead his warriors through the temples," Byleistr said, "when he realised you were gone, he raged through the castle. He wanted to launch a retaliation assault, but Jotunheim's forces had been severely weakened. It would've been suicide, so he had to let you go. Make no mistake, Loki. Laufey may not have been a good father, but he was distraught that his favourite son and heir had been taken by the enemy."

"I… I thought…" Loki paused, a burrowing anger growing within him, "When I learnt the truth of what I am, Odin told me I had been abandoned. Did he lie, or was he just mistaken?" The idea that his adoptive father had lied to him in that moment wracked him with pain and anger, the notion that Odin would purposely mislead him to try and paint himself in a better light was just vile.

Byleistr lifted his head, looking retrospective for a moment.

"I suppose it's possible Odin was simply mistaken. He might very well have assumed you were an orphaned infant left to die, especially because of your size, it isn't a stretch to imagine he may not have known better," Byleistr offered.

Loki grinded his teeth as he considered the possibility that Odin was just mistaken. Perhaps his adoptive father had just made the assumption, in which case Loki couldn't help but wonder what could have happened if Odin knew Loki had simply been… misplaced. Would Odin have returned him to Laufey? How could his life have differed if he had been raised as the heir of Jotunheim?

He shook the thoughts from his head, deciding not to dwell on them. There were other questions on his mind.

"How did Helblindi come along then?" Loki spat the name like it was acid on his tongue.

The larger frost giant didn't answer immediately, his red eyes flickered back and forth for a moment and then he sighed.

"Simply put, I was a disappointment to Laufey. He wanted a son who was obsessed with power and the desire to build our armies so that we could eventually conquer Asgard and take back what belonged to us; I was more concerned with reading books, gaining knowledge, and finding a way to return Jotunheim to its former glory without the need to spill innocent blood along the way," the giant spoke ruefully, "so, when I was around three-hundred and fifty years old, Laufey remarried and his second wife gave birth to Helblindi, who turned out to be the bloodthirsty, rage-fuelled, brainless lout of a son Laufey wanted him to be."

It was astonishing that despite being raised in separate realms, Loki and his twin brother experienced relatively similar upbringings. Both of them felt like outsiders in their own family growing up, both were cast aside in favour of the more popular and idealistic brother, and both of them were disappointments to their fathers.

"Laufey decreed I would not take the throne upon his death, instead he passed the responsibility onto Helblindi. I realised very quickly that Jotunheim would continue wither under Helblindi's reign, and if I ever wanted to see my realm thrive, I needed somebody to kill my brother," Byleistr sighed, "if I had known any way to kill my own brother without relinquishing my claim to the throne, believe me, he would've been long gone."

Loki found Byleistr to be… stange. A Jotun who was tame rather than brutal, and preferred the idea of developing his kingdom with the aid of peace and alliances was just unheard of for Loki.

"You really just want prosperity for this realm?" Loki wondered aloud, "You don't want to control all nine realms?"

Byleistr smiled, "I think one realm is quite enough." With that, Byleistr walked on; they passed by several more mosaic artworks, each depicting a moment in time. Helblindi featured in several, showing his rising popularity and how he was favoured in Laufey's eyes. None of them were about Byleistr, it was almost like Laufey had wanted to hide his second born son.

The things Byleistr had told him were definitely corroborated with these mosaic pieces that were visibly aged; Loki actually found himself believing his biological twin brother. It really didn't seem like Byleistr had any malice within him, at least not toward Loki or Asgard.

"There's something else I'd like to show you," Byleistr went on, and led him out the opposite end of the corridor. Loki was taken to what appeared to be a vault of some kind.

"Jotunheim's vault holds many ancient artifacts and magical items that you might find value in," said the giant, "we hold pieces of history in here, and some objects that lie mostly forgotten despite their usefulness. Not to mention, all sorts of materials and plant specimens that cannot be found anywhere else in any of the nine realms." With the use of magic, Byleistr opened up the doors to the vault, revealing a room with many oddities on display. It was overflowing with junk, in Loki's eyes; all the items he could see just looked like everyday objects with no particular quirk.

Stepping into the large room, Loki surmised it was not dissimilar to Asgard's vault, apart from the fact it needed a good Spring cleaning. It was entirely probable that the Casket of Ancient Winters would have been kept in this room, were it still in Jotunheim's possession and not in a million dust-sized pieces, floating in the space where Asgard used to be.

"So you have a whole load of clutter. What's so special about it, exactly?" Loki inquired, lifting an eyebrow as his eyes fell on a dusty black feathered cloak.

"Well, that cloak allows its wearer to fly. When activated, it transforms into raven-like wings," Byleistr pointed out in a cursory way.

Loki lifted an eyebrow. The power of flight? Although Loki had never admitted it, he was always slightly jealous of Thor's ability to fly through the air when wielding Mjolnir or Stormbreaker; he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to give it a try.

"You look interested," Byleistr pointed out smugly.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Why are you showing me these things?"

Byleistr paused, looking like he was thinking his next words over very carefully, "I want to… form an official alliance with Asgard. I desire real peace between our kingdoms, and I feel it would be a difficult endeavour to lead Jotunheim to prosperity without some form of help. Do you think Thor would be willing to offer aid?"

It all seemed ridiculous to Loki, for Byleistr to be posing an alliance when the former king had attempted to steal his children earlier that day was just absurd; he was skeptical and hesitant, after all the conflict between their two realms it seemed implausible that they could form a peaceful alliance at the drop of a hat.

"I am more than willing to share everything in here with Asgard, if Asgard is willing to share resources with us," Byleistr added, trying to sweeten the deal, "We have strong materials and ores not found anywhere else, and rare alchemic ingredients that can be used to create all manner of medical tonics and concoctions - and some non-medical concoctions… there's ingredients for a potion that lets you breathe underwater for a time, as an example. I have much to offer."

Loki looked startled at how much Byleistr was willing to throw at them in return for an alliance, but he couldn't say for sure how Thor would react to the proposition.

"You can keep the sword," Byleistr added, motioning the blade sheathed on Loki's back. Loki reached for the hilt reflexively, just feeling it in his hand.

"I wasn't planning on giving it back anyway," Loki responded.

Byleistr smirked, "Yes, I wasn't expecting you to. It belongs to you, anyway."

"Oh?"

"It belonged to Farbauti. It's her ancestral blade, Laevateinn, which was always passed down to the firstborn child of each generation. It enraged me to see it in Helblindi's possession… Farbauti wasn't even his mother."

Loki released the hilt of the sword. Part of him was actually starting to warm to Byleistr - he was much more agreeable than his moronic half brother who was dead set on kidnapping his children.

"So what do you think?" Byleistr continued, a hopeful lilt in his voice.

Loki sighed. "I… don't know," he stated, "It's not up to me. My brother is the king, not I."

"But you are his chief advisor, are you not?"

"Yes, but I- ...wait, how did you know that?" Immediately, Loki pinned Byleistr with suspicion, taking a few instinctive steps away from the giant. He shouldn't have known that Loki held the position of chief advisor to the king, he couldn't understand how that piece of knowledge could've passed to this realm before now.

Byleistr's lips parted and his eyebrows rose, an expression akin to surprise appearing on his face, "You don't know?"

Loki frowned, agitated and a little bit apprehensive, "Know what?"

"You have a traitor in Asgard."

There was a brief pause as the words sunk in, and then Loki's gaze hardened, his pulse picking up just a little bit.

Loki barked a perfunctory order, "Explain."

Byleistr turned on his heel and marched across the room rapidly, so fast that Loki had to jog to keep up thanks to his much shorter legs, but he didn't care about that at that moment, he was far more interested about what Byleistr had to say next.

The giant in question approached a set of ornate drawers and pulled one open, reaching in to procure a letter, something written on yellowed parchment with cursive handwriting. "For the past year or so, Helblindi was in correspondence with somebody living in New Asgard, they fed him information all this time, they came up with this kidnapping scheme together, this is just one of many letters." He held out the piece of parchment, which Loki snatched away and held up to the floating ball of light above.

His eyes flew over the words, skimming the contents with growing consternation.

It has come to my attention that you are unable to produce an heir to Jotunheim's throne; I imagine this is quite a problem for a king as your bloodline depends on this. Fear not, I may have a solution. If you are willing to help me out, I am willing to help you out. You see, I too have a problem that needs taking care of, the subject of which is one Loki Laufeyson and his half-breed children.

If you are interested, perhaps we can sort out a meeting. I have managed to mend a gateway portal between Midgard and Jotunheim; I am the only one who knows of its reformed state, I trust you will not abuse this information and instead wait to hear me out in person.

Yours sincerely, ex-chief advisor to kings Odin and Thor,

Lord Reinn.


There it is. The reveal. The mastermind behind it all. I know for a fact some people actually managed to guess that Lord Reinn was the one behind it, congratulations you smart cookies! xD

I would LOVE to hear your reactions and thoughts to this, so please do leave a comment telling me what you think! I love reading each and every one of them!