Author's Note: Hey, all. Sorry it took me so long to update. I had to have some surgery and then recover and LIFE kept happening. However, I'm recovered and back to writing, so I hope to update a lot more often now. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 4

He should have known that they would come to find him. He had perhaps an hour or so before he heard footsteps approach and stop outside his door. A moment later, there was a knock.

"Loki?"

Laufey. Oh, no. What was he going to do?

"Loki, are you in there?"

Did he have to answer?

"If you're there, please open the door."

He stayed on his bed. He wasn't about to open that door.

"Loki, I'd like to talk to you. Would you open the door, please?"

He didn't answer, and he didn't open the door. He wasn't about to do anything that any of them wanted.

"Loki?"

Approaching footsteps heralded the arrival of someone else. From the light footsteps, he guessed it was Farbauti. He heard a whispered conversation and then a sigh.

"Loki, when you're ready to talk, please come to the family sitting room. We'll be there."

Two sets of footsteps moved away from the door.

Loki settled into the pillows on his bed with a sigh. He didn't know what was more troubling, a Laufey who was angry with him or a Laufey who sounded so confused and defeated. At any rate, he was NOT leaving his room. He could only imagine what the punishment would be for his behavior at the table. It would probably be even worse since he had destroyed the table.

These were Frost Giants. Jotuns. No, the punishment would not be good.

He nestled into the mound of pillows on his bed and tried to still his spinning thoughts. How long would they let him hole up in his room? Today? Tonight? Would they try to force the door tomorrow? He really didn't want to think about it.

As he lay there, he thought about just what had precipitated the argument. So what if he'd trained as an Asgard warrior? He'd been living on Asgard! He'd grown up on Asgard! All the men learned to fight in order to protect their homes and loved ones. That was just what a male did. To not allow a man to do that would be tantamount to telling him that he was less than a man and that he was not worthy of considering himself as a man of Asgard. Now that he thought about it, a great number of women learned to fight and defend as well. Sif was the perfect example, as was his mother, Frigga! What was so all-fired bad about the fact that he'd learned to fight?

Turning the issue over in his mind, Loki figured that it all came down to the fact that he was much smaller than the usual Jotun. He was the size of a child compared to Helbinid and Bylestir. And what was it they had called him? A treasure. Special. But just what was he? They hadn't explained that at all.

He really wanted an explanation, but he wasn't about to open that door to get it. He might stay in this room forever.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up in the dark, the silence and darkness surprising him. What time was it? Were they still waiting for him to come out?

That was when the cold hit him. It was freezing! Shivering, his teeth chattering, Loki made his way to the fireplace and added fuel before stirring up the coals so the fuel would catch. In a few minutes, he had a blazing fire and he crouched on the hearthstone, trying desperately to get warm. It seemed to take an eternity before his teeth stopped chattering and his shivering eased, but he was still cold. He added more fuel (was it coal? wood? something else?) and changed for bed, pulling on his robe. Thank goodness it was made of fleece! At least he would be warm!

The slightest of sounds just outside his door startled him. He paused and listened, but all he heard was the sound of footsteps moving away from the door. Curious, Loki crouched down and peered through the gap at the bottom of the door. There was something outside the door. He considered not opening the door, but curiosity got the better of him and cautiously (if he saw a single Jotun, he would go back into his room until the end of time!) he unlocked and opened the door.

Someone had left a tray for him. Briefly he considered leaving it where it was as a silent testament to his mood, but a growl from his stomach decided the issue. He took the tray into his room and re-locked the door before sitting down with the tray at the table. There was a bowl of what looked like a stew, several slices of bread, a sweet fruit cobbler for dessert, and a hot drink. All of it, even the bread, was hot and delicious and just what he needed to warm himself up. Once he was warm, he felt more at peace with the world. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps in the morning he would go and talk to Laufey and Farbauti. Perhaps they would accept an apology for his behavior and perhaps, they would be willing to explain things.

He woke up the next morning with the sun barely above the horizon, and feeling brave, Loki got up and headed into his bathroom. It had a lot of the same things that an Asgardian bathroom would have, and for a moment, he felt encouraged by the familiarity. He took a long, leisurely bath in the Jotun-sized tub, toweled off, then curled up in the sauna area in the corner. After a while he got up, ducked into a tub full of cool water, washed again, and left the room to get dressed. He was still nice and warm from the bath and he was thankful that the warmth stayed until he was dressed. He made his bed, set his room and the bath in order, gathered all his courage, and unlocked his door.

There was no one lurking outside it. Good. He headed down the hall, down the stairs and into the dining room. He was the first one there, thank goodness, and he sat down in a chair by the fire, determined to enjoy the warmth and not drive himself mad with "what ifs?"

Helbindi and Bylestir burst through the door after a quarter of an hour, the both of them chattering away in Jotun and nudging each other with their elbows in a game that looked reminiscent of one played by brothers everywhere. They didn't notice Loki in the chair beside the fire, and it took them a minute to realize they weren't alone. "Good morning," Loki said evenly.

"Morning," Bylestir said, looking Loki up and down. "It's good to see you."

Farbauti came in then, followed by Laufey, and both of them stopped in their footsteps as soon as they saw Loki.

"Loki...ah, good morning," Laufey said. "Did you sleep well?"

"Quite well," Loki admitted. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I shouldn't have behaved that way. I see you've replaced the table."

Farbauti glanced at the table. "Yes, there are several tables in the palace. They're needed more often than you realize."

"Sometimes there can be some disagreements over supper," Helbindi supplied.

"And those disagreements can sometimes become brawls," Bylestir added.

Loki looked back and forth between his two Jotun brothers. "Out of curiosity, is it you two having the brawls?"

Laufey actually grinned at the joke. "Only half the time," he said. "Your apology is accepted. Please, come sit down and have some breakfast."

Still expecting Laufey or Farbauti to be angry with him, Loki took his seat. Breakfast was served and they ate, but the atmosphere in the room was still strained. Loki managed to eat, but finally, he could take the tension no longer. "Could I...talk with you a bit? Ask some questions?"

He had their attention. "Of course."

He decided to just come right out and say it. "Why were you so upset that I trained as a fighter?"

Farbauti shifted in her chair. "I suppose...I suppose it was the possibility of you being hurt that upset us."

He shook his head, not understanding. "Why should that upset you? I would heal, after all."

He saw Laufey grit his teeth. "That's not the issue. You should not have to suffer injury at all!"

"That doesn't explain too much," Loki sighed, taking a sip from his mug. "Is it because I'm...different?" He could think of no other way to say it.

"You're a living blessing," Farbauti said. "I don't think the word would translate from Jotun to Asgardian, but that's the closest phrase I can think of to describe it. Jotuns like you are...extremely rare. They're revered in Jotun culture simply because there are so few of them. Also, they go on to do great things with their lives. They're actually believed to be gifts from the gods, and to have a living blessing born in your community is seen as a mark of the gods' favor. They're scholars, magicians, healers, artists...the possibilities are endless. Because their potential is so great and because they are so rare, they are always protected. It is not necessary for them to learn to fight to protect themselves, and it's certainly not necessary for them to risk themselves in battle since any warrior would gladly give his or her life to protect them."

Loki wasn't sure what to think about that. "So...what? Am I going to have bodyguards dogging me every step I take from now on?"

"That isn't necessary while you're in the palace," Laufey said. "And besides, no one here or in the town would dare harm you. We wouldn't smother you just to keep you safe, Loki."

Loki took another sip from his mug of tea to give himself time to think. "I really don't know...about anything. If I'd grown up here, what would my life have been like?"

"You'd have been spoiled rotten," Bylestir said with a grin. "It's something people can't resist doing when a living blessing is around. They'd want to stuff you with sweets, hug you, teach you, talk with you, tell you stories..."

"You'd be able to get away with anything, too," Helbindi added. "No one would believe that you'd be up to mischief."

"Please stop putting ideas in your brother's head," Laufey said quickly. "Having you two plot mayhem on a daily basis is quite enough."

The tone in Laufey's voice was so close to panic that Loki couldn't hide a smile. If EVERYONE thought he was perfectly innocent, then what WOULDN'T he get away with? The temptation was almost enough to make him nuts.

"Loki, please don't do whatever it is you're thinking of," Farbauti said. "We'd like to have a house still standing by the end of the day."

Helbindi and Bylestir both looked at each other and then looked at Loki, both of them wearing identical grins.

"I'm not thinking about anything." Yet, Loki thought to himself.

"If you say so," Laufey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "To return to your question, Loki, your life would have been...well, most likely it would have resembled your life on Asgard, to some degree. You'd have had lessons and teachers, you would have played with your brothers, and you would have grown up here at court. Once you were older, you would be asked to take on some responsibility in the government until I handed the responsibility of ruling on to either you or one of your brothers."

"It wouldn't automatically go to the eldest son?" Loki asked, surprised.

"The crown goes to the child most suited to ruling," Farbauti explained. "Sometimes that's a daughter or a younger son or even a nephew, cousin, or grandson."

Relief descended on Loki. He supposed, if the unthinkable had happened and it was required of him, he would have been able to rule Asgard if needed, but Jotunheim...he still didn't know. There had been times that he'd thought he might make a more level-headed king than his brother, but there had been a lot more times when he'd been relieved that he was a younger son and not destined to take the throne. When he'd learned that he was the eldest on Jotunheim, he'd been worried, but now, though...He wouldn't regret not having to rule Jotunheim. It would be hard enough to figure out how to live there for a year. "I see. Well, now that I'm here, what do I do? I mean, what do you expect of me? You mentioned taking on responsibility..."

"There's no need to decide that before we know your talents," Laufey said. "Plus, we'd like you to get used to being here before you have to take anything on, and there would be a few things you'd have to learn before you could do that."

"Like what?"

"History, to start with," Laufey told him. "The history of our people, what our world is like, how we govern ourselves..."

"You'll need to learn how to speak and write Jotun, too," Bylestir put in. "But don't worry. Helbindi and I can teach you that, and what we don't know, then our old tutors can teach you."

Foreboding settled over Loki like a cloak. He wasn't sure that he liked the idea of lessons. He loved to read and prowl through libraries in search of new knowledge, but sitting through lessons with actual teachers had been a challenge for him when he'd been young. They'd wanted him to sit still and listen to them drone on and on when all he wanted to do was find something interesting to read or be outside with Thor. "Couldn't I study on my own?"

"I suppose you could if you wished," Farbauti said. "But first, I think you'll have to learn how to read and write, don't you think?"

Loki nodded. "I suppose so. Could we do that later today?"

"Whenever you like," Farbauti said with a smile. "Did Helbindi and Bylestir show you the library?"

Loki nodded. "Yesterday."

"When you want a lesson, we'll have it there," she said. "Now, what other questions do you have?"

He thought about it. What questions DID he have? "Um...could you tell me the rules?"

"Rules?" Laufey repeated.

"What am I allowed to do? What am I NOT allowed to do? Where can I go, and where am I not allowed to go?"

"The palace is your home now, so you may go where you like, but it's also the home of a lot of others. As a general rule, we don't go into someone's private quarters unless we're invited, and they show us the same courtesy. The same goes for the guards' quarters. We don't interfere with the servants' work since they know how to do it best, but we do offer to lend a hand with big jobs when there's limited time in which to do them."

Farbauti groaned. "Are you referring to the mountain delegation? Oh, that was days and days of scrubbing, washing, arranging quarters..."

Helbindi chuckled. "Oh, I remember that. Bylestir and I helped in the stables, in the gardens, the kitchens..."

"You must have been busy," Loki said. "Who were the mountain delegation?"

"A group of individuals from people who settled in the northern mountains generations ago," Laufey told him. "They rule themselves, even though, technically, they are our vassal state. Every few generations a delegation comes to our court so we can maintain amicable relations with them, but this past year they took us somewhat by surprise. They had to change the date of their visit for some odd reason like the signs not being favorable for a journey, so that left us scrambling to get ready."

"How big of a scramble was it?" Loki asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Huge," Farbauti told him. "Three days of panicked scrambling and we were ready to receive them, but it's not an experience I would like to repeat."

It seemed as if it was a family joke because everyone at the table started laughing. Farbauti shook her head and gave a rueful smile. "I meant what I said, you three."

If anything, that made them laugh harder.

Helbindi took a deep breath after a moment and sought to explain. "Mother was in a state for the three days leading up to their arrival, but as soon as they arrived, she was as calm and unruffled as anything. After the delegation left, Father joked that she'd handled the whole thing so well that we should do it every year."

"It wasn't funny then, and it's still not funny, Helbindi," Farbauti told her son. "Really and truly."

Helbindi and Bylestir started laughing, and it was infectious. Within seconds everyone was laughing, Loki included.

Just like that, all of Loki's worry was gone. He wasn't worried any more about possibly being punished or their anger. Instead, there was nothing but good feeling all around. Emboldened by this, Loki asked Farbauti when he could have his first lessons in Jotun.

"We could do it this morning if you like," she offered. "Your brothers and I could teach you. I don't have any obligations until the afternoon."

Loki agreed and an hour later he was with the three of them in the library he'd seen the day before. The far corner of the library had been set up like a schoolroom, with a table and chairs, a blackboard, a globe, maps and charts on the wall, and a shelf of well-used books.

"Here we are," Farbauti said as she pulled two books off the shelf. "These were the books I used to learn when I was small, and I passed them on to you boys. Let's take a look."

Loki found a cushion for his chair and took a seat next to Farbauti, and Helbindi and Bylestir joined them.

"One book is for learning to read, and the other for learning to write," she stated, opening the books and turning to the appropriate pages. "Here is what our letters look like printed, and here is what they look like in writing. The first one is 'ah.'"

The worked through the whole alphabet that morning, with Farbauti pointing to the letters and saying them for Loki, and he would follow the written examples in the writing book so he could learn how to write them. Each time he wrote a letter he said it over and over to himself, fixing it in his memory. There were thirty letters, each making a different sound, and four symbols that would soften or harden a sound, and two stop symbols that clipped certain sounds. There were twice as many vowels in Jotun than there was in Asgardian, and it was hard for Loki to differentiate between the sounds when he tried to repeat them. He worked hard, though, and by the end of the morning, he'd managed to say all the letters back to Farbauti and write them. Helbindi and Bylestir both took turns writing words on the blackboard for him to copy and read back to them, and in that way he learned the words for 'father,' 'mother,' and 'brother,' as well as 'family.' He pretended not to see Farbauti wipe away a tear when he said the word 'mother,' but he did allow her to embrace him for a moment. The kiss on his temple surprised and pleased him. Frigga had done the same thing whenever she'd been proud of him, for whatever reason.

"You've done wonderfully today, Loki," she said when Laufey arrived to tell them that lunch was ready and that he didn't want to eat all by himself. "It won't be long before you're reading everything you want."

Loki felt a smile start. "I'm looking forward to that." He looked at a word that Helbindi was writing on the board and sounded it out. "What does that mean?"

Laufey and Farbauti both looked horrified and for a moment Loki was sure that his life was at an end. What on earth had he said? Fortunately, though, benevolent spirits were on his side.

"Helbindi! Don't you dare do that again!" Laufey growled as Bylestir fell over laughing. "Neither one of you! Do you understand!"

"But I didn't make him say it!" Helbindi protested, fighting a grin.

"You knew he would try to read it, you overgrown child!" Farbauti snapped. "You know how to behave better than this, son, and I know you know it. Apologize to your brother!"

Helbindi erased the word and gave Loki a sheepish look. "I'm sorry for tricking you, Loki. I shouldn't have done that."

The joke became clear to Loki and he fixed Helbindi with a glare. "Uh-huh." A twitch of his fingers and Helbindi was soaked by a sudden fall of rain. "Keep that in mind the next time you're tempted, you cowpat."

It was Laufey's and Farbauti's turn to laugh as Helbindi stood there dripping. "Oh, now you've got to teach me that."

Loki grinned. "No, I don't. It's lunchtime. Go dry off." He couldn't help chuckling as he hopped off his chair and headed toward the door. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but Helbindi and Bylestir could be a lot of fun.

Later that night Loki was preparing for bed. He'd been busy for the rest of the day with books-he'd looked through all the schoolbooks that were in the classroom area, and he actually found himself looking forward to reading them-and with going outside with Helbindi and Bylestir. They'd run around the gardens for several hours in the afternoon after tea, and they'd gone inside to dinner, exhausted by happy. After dinner he'd spent a few hours in the family sitting room with his Jotun brothers and his Jotun parents, talking and learning how to play a Jotun game. Moving his tokens around the board and hearing them chatter had been nice, and when Laufey and Farbauti sent their sons off to bed, he was happy to go. It had been a full day.

He was just pulling off his robe and slippers when someone knocked at his door. He pulled the robe back on. "Come in!"

It was Farbauti and Laufey. "Is it all right if we put you to bed the way we did the first night?"

Loki wondered if they'd ever not want to do that. He wished he could say no since only children needed to be put to bed, but some part of him told him that this was something he needed to allow, for at least a little while. "Since I'm just going to bed, that would be fine."

He pulled off his robe again and climbed into bed, and the two of them helped him settle in among the pillows and tucked him in. Laufey settled in on his right and Farbauti on his left, and she smoothed his hair. "I was wondering if you might like to hear a story before you go to sleep. Would you like that?"

A story? He nodded. Stories were always nice, and he was pleasantly surprised when she lifted a book and opened it.

"Now that you can read a bit, you can help me read it," she said. "What's the first word?"

Loki sounded it out, but it was a Jotun word he didn't know. "I'm not being tricked again, am I?"

Laufey chuckled deep in his throat and ruffled his hair. "No, that's the word for 'listen.' All Jotun stories start that way."

Listen. He could do that. He sank into his pillows and listened to Farbauti read aloud to him and Laufey, and he heard his first Jotun tale about how the stars came to be and how they sang to you while you slept. Occasionally Farbauti would have him sound out a word, and the words for both 'star' and 'sing' were beautiful. He was almost asleep when the tale ended and he felt the covers drawn up to his chin and a kiss on his forehead. That night, he dreamed of stars that sang and whispered wonderful secrets to him.