Chapter eight: Hurt

The blue slowly faded from Loki's face and hands as he slowly and purposefully strode towards Odin. "The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?" She could hear the strangled anger in Loki's voice that he was attempting to keep under control. However

Odin said nothing for the longest time. She began to move backwards towards the door, but her movement caused both Odin and Loki to look towards her. "Forgive me," she curtsied. "I meant no intrusion. I shall take my leave."

"Stay." Loki snapped sharply at her. "We'll need a witness to this. It may as well be you, you've witnessed the downfall of one prince, you should live to see the downfall of another."

She exhaled deeply. "Loki, it is not my place to-

"Stay." Odin commanded gently and she did as she asked. She folded her hands and stood with her head slightly lowered. After a moment, Odin began to explain. "The aftermath of the battle I visited the temple and found a baby." Her heart jumped in her chest as she heard Odin's words. Slowly, she began to understand. "Small, for a giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering and left to die. Laufey's son."

Rose's heart broke for Loki as he absorbed this shocking information. "Laufey's son."

She could see the disgust, shock and understanding as if he'd finally understood that something had been missing from his life all this time until now. He looked to Odin for clarification to the horror that he was hearing. Loki wasn't from Asgard, nor was he Odin's son. Odin had remained cold to Loki, possibly to avoid getting attached to the frost giant he'd stolen all those years ago.

Odin nodded. "Yes." It all made sense now, why Loki was so different and why Odin treated him differently than Thor. She felt angry with Odin at this moment. He'd allowed Loki to remain blind to this information for thousands of years. Loki had always wondered why he wasn't as good as Thor, now he realized it was because of who he was born to be.

"Why? He questioned in confusion. " You were knee deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?

"You were an innocent child."

No." he shook his head vehemently. She could feel the emotions churning violently inside him and she knew that Odin was still hiding something from Loki. "You took me for a purpose. What was it?" Odin was without words and she held her breath, patiently waiting for Odin to assure Loki that there was no purpose, that he was truly wanted. But Odin said nothing. Suddenly, Loki yelled at Odin. "Tell me!"

The pain in his voice and the tears in his eyes broke her. She passed Odin on the stairs as she stepped towards him. She reached for him, wanting to hold his hand, but it was closed to her. So she covered his clenched fist, but he wasn't aware of her presence, he was looking at Odin. The tears in his eyes, the desperation in his voice caused her own eyes filled with tears. She placed her other hand on his shoulder.

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day." Odin's words were a knife to Loki's heart. She looks towards him and silently begs with Odin to choose his words carefully. "Bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace through you." Loki looked as if he were about to fall over, if he wasn't knocked over with a feather first. "But those plans no longer matter."

At that point, Loki could no longer restrain the tears from falling down his face. "So I am no more than another stolen relic? Locked up here until you might have use for me?"

"Why do you twist my words?" Odin asks, clearly unable to see how much damage that his poorly chosen words were having on Loki.

Loki pulled away from her grasp. "You should have told me what I was from the very beginning! Why didn't you?"

"You are my son." Odin's words didn't hold as much love or conviction that Loki needed to hear at this moment. "I only wanted to protect you from the truth."

"Why? Because I-I- I am the monster that parents tell their children about at night?"

She instantly shakes her head. "No, you're not a monster Loki."

"You know, it all makes sense now," Loki's voice rises in passion. "why you always favored Thor all these years!" Her heart broke at the hurt and pain in his voice. She reached for him as he began spewing thousands of years of frustration, pain and tears. "Because no matter how much you claim to love me… you could never have a frost giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!"

"Loki," she assured him as she moved in front of him. He looks down at her, tears still on his cheeks. "I'm sure that's not what he meant."

"Isn't it though?" He demands, anger and passion flowing thought him at a feverish pitch.

"You both have had a shock and difficult day." She reasoned. "I'm sure your father is-

"Do not," he bit out. "call him that."

"Loki," she said softly as she reminded him. "he brought you here. You could have died had he left you behind."

"That would have been better than being brought here to be treated as the whipping boy for his eldest son!" He snaps. "i have never been treated as an equal!"

"That is not true." Odin states.

She holds up her hand, wishing to silence Odin. "Patience, allfather."

"Not true?" He chuckles bitterly before asking. "Where is my bride then?" Loki's eyes run over her face as he says lowly. "He would give a flower like you to an oaf like Thor," her heart jumped in her chest as she stared at him in utter surprise at the agony and feelings in his words. "because he knew that were I to bed you, he would have monstrous, half-breed, frost giants running around the palace!"

"Loki, enough, please!" She placed her hand on her heaving chest. This was the first time, Loki had let the mask slip, giving her a glimpse into his heart. "You cannot believe that to be true!"

"You can't deny it." He snarled. "There is not a single Asgardian woman now who would have me knowing what I am!"

Those words made her furious and she snapped at him. "If she loved you as you deserve to be loved, such a small thing would not matter to her!"

"Small thing!" He snorted in disbelief. " A small thing! I am a frost giant! Who knows what monstrosities I'd give the woman I were to wed."

"They would be your children; yours and hers!" She states, placing a hand on his heart, knowing that she was speaking the truth. "She would love them as she loves you!"

He looks coldly into her eyes as he states. "But I am not Thor, remember? A woman would risk anything for him. I am nothing."

She shakes her head. "You cannot believe that Loki."

"You and i know it to be true." He holds her gaze. "There is nothing for me here anymore and there never has been! I will be leaving Asgard and none of you will ever have to set eyes on me again!"

Those words caused her to panic. "No," Loki moves to step past him, but she grabs his arm. "You will not leave Asgard!"

"Is that so," he spat venomously at her as he turned around to stare at her and jerked his arm free from her grasp. Odin has remained silent and not offered a word. She really wished he'd speak because his silence is only confirming everything that Loki believes about himself. "I am not of Asgard and I am free to leave as I wish!"

"I wish for you to stay! You are my dearest friend and I love you deeply!" The words burst out of her. Loki stared at her in utter shock. Heat filled her cheeks at her confession. Even Odin was studying her as if he were becoming aware of something that had been hidden from him. "Your leaving would break my heart! You know it would!"

He held her gaze before stating. "You break, my heart every day. I'll be glad to be rid of you."

His words hurt her, but she was able to say firmly as she reaches for him. "You don't mean that."

"STOP," he bellowed as he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her against the wall. "telling me what I do and do not mean!"

"Loki," Odin ordered firmly. "release her, now."

She bit her lip as Loki released her. It hadn't hurt, but it had been uncharacteristically rough of him. Loki instantly appeared disgusted with himself. "Now, you've seen the monster in me."

"No," she shakes her head. "you're hurt, you're upset and you've a right to be. But you're no monster, you could never be." She went to touch his cheek, but he shied away from her touch. "Please, stop pushing me away. I don't know what I'd do without you in my life."

He stared at her, breathing rapidly as he stated. "You will not need me in your life. You will be married to my brother when he returns. He will be the one for you to rely on, not me! You'd be wise to forget me."

At that moment, she was unable to stop herself from suddenly declaring with a shout. "I will not marry Thor!"