Chapter 7

They met Farbauti and Laufey back at the central square, where guards waited with their mounts. People crowded around, shouting their goodbyes as they rode out of the city and back toward the palace. For the first time, Loki realized how far the palace was from the city. Given what he knew about Asgard, where the palace was in the middle of everything, that just...didn't seem right. Wouldn't it be difficult to defend? "Why is the palace so far from the city?"

"Fighting most often occurs in the city itself and the fields outside it," Helbindi told him, reining back to ride beside him. "Since the king always joins the battle, the safest place for innocents is either the palace or the main temple. Both are at a distance from the city."

Loki nodded and almost filed the information away, but something caught his attention. "The main temple? Is that the place where Odin found me?"

Laufey reined back to ride on his other side. "That's right."

"Could we...see it?"

He saw Laufey and Farbauti exchange a look.

"Please tell me you won't forbid it," Loki said quickly, noticing their hesitation. "Is there a reason I shouldn't see it?"

"It might make you uncomfortable." Laufey sounded as if he he wished they were discussing almost anything else.

"Why?"

As one, Laufey and his two sons pulled off the road, followed shortly by Farbauti. "It's difficult to explain, Loki, but I'll try," she told him once they were all facing each other. "When you were lost to us, there was an entire year of mourning for you. Most of the temple resumed its original function, caring for the sick and injured and ministering to people, but a portion of the temple reformed itself into a memorial for you."

Loki blinked. "A memorial?"

"That, and a group of the clergy decided to devote themselves to praying for you and your return," Laufey added. "Every day and night, no less than five of them are on call, reciting prayers for your safety and your return."

Loki tried to imagine that and failed. "I see." He really didn't. "Has anyone told them I'm back?"

Helbindi and Bylestir both shook their heads. "I'm not sure if that would be wise," Bylestir added after a moment. "Once, one of us dressed up and pretended to be you, back from parts unknown, and…"

"There was a huge fit…"

"More like a riot…"

"And things got a little out of hand..."

"And we were confined to the palace for a month after that…"

"Closer to two…"

"We deserved it, we're not denying it, but we're not sure…"

"Just how they would react."

Loki gave his Jotun brothers a long, thoughtful look. Just how mad would Odin and Frigga have run if they had tried to raise these two? "Would now be a good time? I mean, you said this morning that today is an auspicious day for me to meet the people, right? We could go to the temple, I could meet these people, and I could see where...things...all started."

"It's true that today is an auspicious day," Farbauti admitted, looking him over carefully. "This is important to you, isn't it?"

Loki nodded. "It is."

Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir looked at Laufey. He looked from his sons to his wife, to Loki, and then back again. "I recognize when I've lost," he sighed, giving them a rueful smile. "When the four of you decide something, a wise man realizes that he doesn't have a choice."

Loki felt himself smile. "Thank you, Laufey."

Laufey paused. "Loki, while we're in the temple, it might be best if you call us 'Mother' and 'Father' and address your brothers as 'Brother.' If you don't, they might not believe that you're actually the child we lost. They can get...upset...when they're tricked, as your brothers can attest."

"Testy might be a better word," Bylestir said as they pulled back onto the road and headed down it.

"Prickly."

"Annoyed."

"Angry."

"Furious."

"Enraged."

"Murderous."

"We were lucky to escape with our lives."

Loki laughed a full five minutes after that. Within ten minutes they'd turned off the main road and down a side road through some large rocks. The road dipped down into a valley sheltered by sheer rock on either side. The terrain was rough, but the rocks were the perfect camouflage if you wanted to hide something. Anyone looking this way from the fields or the city would miss the temple entirely and see only the rocks. It was brilliant. "How did Odin find this place?"

"Some of the fighters withdrew, trying to bring the casket here for safekeeping. Odin stopped them, took the casket, and found you while the monks were out tending to the wounded. One monk was supposed to stay with you and watch over you, but…" Farbauti trailed off, looking sad.

"If I ever find that man, he'll be lucky if he lives, in one piece or not," Laufey growled, startling his veho.

"Dear, please no bloodshed today. Not today, all right? It would be a poor ending to Loki's first Sun Festival."

Sometimes, Loki thought, Farbauti sounded exactly like Frigga. She was just as skillful at soothing an unhappy husband as Frigga was, Loki noticed.

The temple was behind wall of natural rock, with an iron gate at the front. Laufey reached out and pounded on the gate with his fist, causing a hollow boom boom boom to echo around them. An elderly monk pulled open the door a minute later and bowed low as soon as he saw who they were. "Auspicious greetings on this day, your majesties and highnesses. How may this one serve you?"

"We've come to visit the temple, I, my wife, and our sons."

The monk looked up at that. He looked at Laufey, Farbauti, Helbindi, and Bylestir, and then his eyes lit on Loki. "Sons?"

"Indeed, wisdom."

The old man peered at Loki and suddenly his face was transfigured with a smile. "Oh! Oh, blessings upon us all! What a day this is!"

Loki did not expect the old man to scurry forward and pluck him from his saddle for a hug, but that was what he did, and Loki didn't grasp just what had happened until he was being squeezed breathless. That, and he was cuddled up against the man's chest, his hair being smoothed down while he was rocked back and forth. The whole time the old man kept up a litany of "Blessings upon us! What a day this is! Blessings upon us!"

Loki had enough after just a few minutes. "I hate to mention this, wisdom, but I'm having trouble breathing. Might I get down?"

Loki was placed on his feet, but the old man kept hold of his shoulders, giving Loki a teary smile. "Oh, prince! Please forgive this old man, I am just overjoyed at seeing you!" He gasped as another thought occurred to him. "I must tell the brethren! Yes, yes, the brethren must be told! They will be overjoyed!" As the old man shepherded him through the gates, Loki caught a glimpse of the expressions on Laufey's, Farbauti's, and Helbindi and Bylestir's faces. They looked rueful and just a touch amused.

"You did ask to come here," Laufey whispered to him as they followed their guide through the courtyard.

"I did, didn't I?" Foreboding was starting to settle in his chest. This might not be a pleasant experience.

The main temple was a large, open building walled with pillars. Colored glass windows painted the room with bright rainbow colors and incense smoke wafted through the air, making the place seem as magical as the Bifrost. The old monk shuffled down the central aisle to a group of men gathered in front of the altar, where he whispered to them frantically. A moment later there was a gasp and the men were on their feet, hurrying toward Loki. Seeing the oncoming onslaught, Loki darted behind Laufey and Farbauti, peeking out a moment later when silence fell. All of them were staring at him and then glancing at Laufey and back again.

"Greetings, wisdoms," Laufey said quietly. "Our lost prince has returned to us, and he wished to come see the temple. Please, try not to overwhelm him."

As one, the monks bowed, and the old monk who'd greeted them stepped forward. "We would be pleased and honored to show the prince the temple, Your Majesty."

He didn't expect the old man to take his hand and lead him around, nor did he expect the monks to flock around him like ducklings around a mother duck. He didn't expect the amount of caresses he was receiving, either. Touches on his back, his shoulders, both hands held, his hair smoothed and tucked behind his ears, and once, a kiss on his temple. They kept it up all through the temple proper, through the gardens, through the living quarters, through the sanctuary, the hospital, and finally, they ended back in the main temple. He couldn't ask questions, either, since they kept up a constant running commentary about how the temple had been built, the number of years it had been in service, the major feasts and duties, and how happy they were, that after all these years...

After an hour, he'd had enough. "Father?"

Laufey's attention snapped onto that word like a bilgesnipe. "Yes, son?"

A happy sigh ran through the crowd of monks.

"Which room did I stay in when I was here last?"

The old monk perked up immediately. "The Infants' Room! We can show you, if you like."

"Please."

The Infants' Room was a mid-size room off the hospital corridor. It was decorated in pastel colors and had its own range of rainbow windows, making the room into a lovely jewelbox. There were cribs and cradles against the walls and a sunken area in the center of the room. The cushioned floor and the toys scattered about it showed that it was a protected play area for the babies and toddlers.

"The room was destroyed in the war with Asgard, and we feared you crushed in the rubble. We found no trace of you," the old monk stated as Loki looked around. "You were our only child here at the time. We rebuilt it in your memory."

Loki mustered up a smile. "I'm honored, wisdom."

The old man gave him a watery smile and gave him another hug. He bustled them all out, down the hallway, and into the kitchens, where they were invited to sit in front of the fire while some refreshments were brought.

"They're going to want to see you eat and drink," Laufey whispered to him while the monks bustled about.

"Why?"

"So they'll know you're all right. Just make an effort, all right? They'll most likely watch."

There were few meals Loki had had that were more uncomfortable than the tea that the monks brought them, but at the moment he couldn't think of any. The monks brought them hata tea, milk, mugs of thick vegetable soup, hot rolls with butter, and sweet cakes filled with fruit and dusted with sugar. The monks watched every bite and sip he took and he felt horribly self-conscious by the time he declared he couldn't eat any more. The monks hurried to clear things away and Farbauti looked him up and down. "Are you feeling all right, Loki? You're not fatigued, are you?"

All of the monks whipped around in horror, and he heard two of them whisper that they should prepare a place for him to rest.

"Not in the slightest...Mother," Loki said quickly, remembering what Laufey had told him. "I feel fine." It was difficult to call someone other than Frigga 'mother,' but he could put up with it for now. Besides, he didn't want the monks to try to put him to bed for a nap or anything like that. They might try to sing him a lullaby, and he wanted to forestall that if he could. "Could we go on with the tour?"

There was only one thing left for him to see. It was the memorial grotto they'd made after he'd disappeared. A large portion of the garden had been replanted with flowers and herbs that evoked safety, good health, and homecoming, and a large mosaic had been tiled into the rock face. Helbindi and Bylestir and the old monk ushered him up to it so he could see it. It showed Laufey and Farbauti and a baby bundled in a blue blanket patterned with stars. Once, he'd been poking about in his mother's treasure box and he'd found a miniature of himself done when he was a baby. He, his father, and his mother had posed for the artist, and now, he was seeing almost the same thing here. There was Laufey, Farbauti, and himself-the poses were eerily similar. There had been a miniature with Thor done as well and both pictures had been attached to a gold chain so Frigga could wear them as a necklace. Other pictures had been done as he grew older and the miniatures had been tucked carefully away, but now, he was seeing his miniature as it might have been done had he remained on Jotunheim. "Who made this?"

"Father did," Bylestir whispered.

Loki stared at him. "What?"

"He did," Helbindi insisted. "Quiet, though, here they come. He doesn't like to talk about it."

Laufey placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "What do you think?"

Loki smiled and examined the mosaic. He could feel the need for his approval practically burning through Laufey. Well, he could be honest, at least. "It's beautiful. That, and I was a very cute baby."

Farbauti chuckled and kissed him on the top of his head. "You were adorable."

Loki examined the mosaic, fixing it in his head. Laufey had made this? Laufey? He couldn't wrap his mind around it.

They took their leave of the monks shortly after that and the whole temple turned out to see them off, gathering at the gate to wish them well and encourage them all to come back soon. The monks pressed a package into Loki's hands after he mounted Noekta and he tucked it into a pocket after giving his thanks. They were well on the way to the palace when he remembered it and took it out.

"What did they give you, Loki?" Farbauti asked with interest.

Loki saw what the package contained and a chuckle fought its way up his throat and flung itself toward freedom. "More cakes!"

The guards at the palace seemed very confused when the entire royal family arrived home, laughing helplessly over a little package.

"We only have an hour before the ball begins, so all of you, hurry upstairs to wash and change," Farbauti told them as soon as they got in the front door. Servants were bustling about, hanging garlands and placing tables and chairs. "Your clothes should be laid out on your beds. Hurry up, now."

Loki hurried, and he found a servant in his room, brushing off his coat and checking his boots. He offered to help Loki dress, but Loki dismissed him. "Thank you, I can dress myself."

"Are you sure, prince?"

"Of course I'm sure, you must be very busy, and I can handle this myself."

"If you're sure, prince."

Loki wasn't so sure five minutes after he started to dress. He'd washed up and reached for the clothes, but then he found a serious stumbling block. The shirt, the vest, the coat, and everything else fastened together by ties and he couldn't figure out just how the ties went together. There were only so many ways you could fasten a coat, wasn't there? How difficult could it be? As he struggled for the next few minutes, he realized that it could be very difficult, indeed. What was he going to do?

Taking his courage firmly in both hands, Loki wrapped himself up in the clothes, grabbed his boots, and sprinted down the corridor to Bylestir's room, his bare feet slapping on the cold floor. He shivered as he got a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the wall. His skin was no longer a Jotun skin. No wonder he was cold! He knocked on the door and firmly told his teeth to stop chattering.

A fully-dressed Bylestir opened the door. "Loki?"

"I need help," Loki said, feeling rather pathetic. "How does all of this fasten?"

Bylestir stood aside so Loki could enter and between the two of them they made short work of the ties and toggles. "Didn't your valet offer to help you dress?"

"I thought I could do this on my own."

"Let it be a lesson to you," Bylestir said as he tied the last fastening. "Jotun formal dress is deceptive in its simplicity. You'll always need help."

"Point taken," Loki said, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He looked somewhat barbaric in the Jotun clothing, but it did look rather fine at the same time.

"Helbindi's probably waiting for us," Bylestir said as Loki slipped on his boots and fasted them. "Ready to go down?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Any advice for tonight?"

"I'll tell you as we go; Mother's probably worked herself into a frenzy since we've taken so long. Let's go."

Bylestir gave him a run-down on the etiquette he could expect that evening. Laufey would be introducing him to people, there would be food, and then there would be dancing. "Don't eat any food given to you by anyone other than Mother, Father, or one of the servers," Bylestir cautioned him as Helbindi joined them and they headed down the stairs. "Girls are going to try to offer you food, and if you eat it, that could be almost the same thing as declaring your intentions."

Loki almost stumbled and he grabbed hold of the banister. "I see. I'll be careful." He was a long way away from thinking about marriage with anyone. Also, he was a lot smaller than the majority of Jotuns. How, exactly, would the wedding night work…?

"The same caution holds for a lady needing a breath of fresh air," Helbindi added. "If a lady seems faint, summon a footman to accompany her outside instead of taking her yourself."

Loki stopped and looked at both of them. "Should I be worried? Why so many cautions in regards to the ladies?"

"It would be quite a feather in a lady's cap if she became engaged to a living blessing, and some of them might decide to be unscrupulous in getting you," Bylestir explained. "A lady tried to do something similar to me last year and...it got uncomfortable."

Loki felt his eyebrows rise to meet his hair. "Uh-huh. Well, I'm duly warned. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Let's go see Mother and Father and let them know we're ready."

The great hall had been transformed. Flower and greenery garlands hung from every wall and pillar, and a large fire crackled in the fireplace. Cloth-covered tables had been placed around the room and they were overflowing with sumptuous dishes and sweets. Musicians were setting up in the gallery and Laufey and Farbauti looked...magnificent.

"Loki! You look wonderful!" Farbauti said, her face lighting up with pleasure.

"Thank Bylestir; he helped me figure out the clothes. I was stupid enough to dismiss my valet before I dressed."

Laufey chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "A lesson hard-learned, hmm?"

"Quite."

A bell rang the hour then, Farbauti ushered the all toward the dais at the head of the hall, and the doors were thrown open to admit their first guests. Family after family came forward to greet them, and Loki shook so many hands that he lost count. After some introductions, some of the men would say, "Your Majesty, please consider my daughter" or "Please consider my younger sister" or "Please consider my niece." Laufey always thanked them politely and waved them onward.

"Please consider them for what?" Loki whispered to Helbindi when he had a chance.

"As marriage partners," Helbindi whispered back. "We're all close to marriageable age."

Loki felt his stomach drop. "Oh."

As soon as the last guest was greeted, Laufey led Farbauti forward and signaled for the music to begin. Just like that, he swept his queen onto the dance floor, and a minute later, other couples joined them.

While he'd been growing up, Loki had thought that Jotunheim was a barbarous place, with no learning, arts, or culture. It seemed he'd been wrong. The music was every bit as sophisticated as the music in Asgard, and he'd been reading poems and stories by Jotuns, and he'd seen an excellent example of visual art in the mosaic at the temple. It seemed as if he would have to re-evaluate a great many of his beliefs in the next year.

"Okay, now we can go out and mingle," Bylestir said. "Most of the ladies are on the dance floor. Come on. We'll introduce you to a few of our friends."

Their friends had the same penchant for mischief that Helbindi and Bylestir had, and he could tell that eventually, they would all get up to something that would get them into a great deal of trouble. He found himself looking forward to it all the same. Farbauti brought her sons food and drink then and cautioned them that they were at a dignified occasion and she expected some decorum from them. "Don't think that I don't see that glint in your eyes."

"We'll behave," Loki promised. "Besides, this will take time to do it properly."

She sighed and ruffled his hair. "All right, now I'm worried. Just try to leave the palace standing when you do it."

Loki couldn't resist. "In how many pieces?"

With that question, he knew he was "in" with his brothers' friends. All of them snickered or guffawed and as soon as Farbauti was gone, they clapped him on the back.

Shortly after that, the music changed to a stately dance, and Helbindi and Bylestir exchanged looks of trepidation. "What are we gonna do? I didn't know they were doing this dance!"

"What dance is it?"

"Mother and son."

Loki listened to the music and hurried forward to bow low to Farbauti. She couldn't be left standing on the floor while Helbindi and Bylestir dithered over who would step in. "May I have the pleasure?"

Farbauti gave him the warmest smile he'd seen yet from her and swept him into the dance. He caught on quickly: step, step, turn, sliding step, step, step. "Nicely done, Loki. Where did you learn to dance so well?"

"Frigga," he admitted. "When I was younger I resisted learning with the tutor hired to teach us, but once Frigga stepped in, I learned quickly. She used to joke that I wouldn't be able to dance at my wedding if I neglected my lessons when I was young."

"She is a wise woman," Farbauti told him. "Speaking of weddings, has any young lady here tonight caught your eye?"

Loki stared at her in horror. "I wasn't speaking of weddings. Really and truly!"

"I'll let the matter rest, then," Farbauti said, sounding relieved. "I was nervous about that."

"You don't want me to marry?"

"Not yet. You've only just arrived home. A few years more, maybe ten or so, and maybe I'll be ready to discuss it."

"I doubt I'll be ready."

"You might surprise yourself."

Loki gave a mirthless chuckle. "Ha...no."

"Good."

When the dance ended, Loki escorted Farbauti back to Laufey, who gave him a proud smile and introduced him to a general...and the general's daughter. Loki had no choice but to return to the dance floor. The same thing kept happening for the next hour or so and finally Loki was able to slip away to meet Helbindi and Bylestir. At one point Helbindi liberated a whole tray of meat and mushroom kabobs from a server and they gathered in a tiny alcove to feast.

"Oh, this is good," Loki breathed once he'd put away half of a kabob. "How long will this go on?"

"Dawn, most likely," Helbindi told him. "That's why there's so much food."

"And I was woken up early this morning?"

"It's tradition. We'll all sleep late tomorrow."

Loki grinned. Suddenly he felt much better.

"...and what I can't believe is that the king has done nothing!" someone said as they drew closer to the alcove. "He knows who kidnapped his son all those years ago and he let the pile of veho-shit go!"

"Lower your voice," a second man urged him.

"It's an insult to all Jotunheim," the first man hissed. "Not only has our prince been brought up off-world, he's been turned into a little Asgardian! Laufey should be doing all he could to stamp it out of him! We need a proper prince! How can we expect the benefits of a living blessing when he's Asgardian in all his sensibilities?"

"I'm sure the king will do what he thinks is best," the second man said. "Now, we should drop this topic of conversation."

The first man didn't give up. "If it were up to me, I'd be training him, morning and night until he forgot all about Asgard! The lot of them are sybarites and degenerates, and those who are not are mentally subnormal defectives! If I had my way…"

Loki was on his feet and stepped out of the alcove to where the two men could see him. Both of them fell silent as soon as they saw him.

Loki stared them down. "Come now, don't be shy, gentlemen. You were saying?"

Both of them fumbled for an answer and Loki waved them silent. "I heard all you said. What do you have to say to that?"

"Every word of it was true," the first man said. "If your father had any sense, he'd do what was right!"

"I see. Taking revenge on those oh-so-threatening defectives. Tell me, could a defective do...this?"

Snakes of fire bloomed over their arms and both men howled and dropped to the ground, rolling about to put out the flames. The hall went silent and Laufey rushed forward. "What happened?"

Loki explained in a few short words and ended the illusion. "They were maligning not only Asgard, but you, as well. I couldn't let it pass."

Laufey fixed him with a look that suddenly made him very worried. "And is this how a prince behaves?" he thundered.

"Uh-oh," Helbindi breathed.

"Not good," Bylestir added.

"I wasn't going to let them…" Loki began.

"You've already lost," Laufey snapped. "You let them get the better of you and you've disappointed me and your mother. You will leave the ball now and go straight to your room. I'll be up in a few minutes."

Loki glared at him. There was no way he was going to his room like a child! He was defending everyone's honor! Couldn't Laufey see that? Farbauti joined them and Loki turned to her, but she put a hand up. "Do as you're told, Loki."

Like Frigga, Farbauti was usually on his side, but betrayal struck him like a cold wave. Summoning what dignity he could, Loki turned on his heel and headed for the stairs. He bounded up them two at a time and stormed down the corridor to his room. He couldn't believe this! Here he was, sticking up for Laufey as if he were his own father, and he was sent to his room like a child! He was watched constantly, fussed over, and he'd put up with all of it while getting used to a new place and a new family and he'd had enough!

He acted on the thought before he'd fully had it. He pulled out his warmest cloak, his gloves, and changed his boots for his fur-lined boots. As soon as he was dressed, Loki slipped out of his room and down the hallway toward the back stairs. Once down them he slipped out a side door, dashed from shadow to shadow to the stables, tacked up Noekta, and then he was riding out through the gates.

He was going home.