- Chapter 75 -

"He's no King and I'm not here to help him," Tony grumbled. "They're both bastards anyway. Fandral's a cocky bastard. Thor's an all-around bastard, but especially because he'll make sure that Fandral isn't punished for what he did. They both deserve to rot behind bars." He huffed in frustration again. Beneath his hands, Tony could feel the gentle thrum of the babies' seidr. They were soaking up seidr from their mother very quickly. We'll need to leave tomorrow for Vanaheim, we've stayed way too late. I'll let her calm Bruce down, then we'll go.

Tony getting to know the Warriors Three and Sif well enough to get to dislike them wasn't previously considered by Loki. It hadn't factored into her plans for the future. She hadn't anticipated them visiting Thor. Looking back on it Loki felt rather foolish for not considering it. It happened and Tony needed reassurance. "It's alright, they're behavior is being corrected, even as we speak," she said.

"Thor and Fandral? I doubt it. It's not like Odin would punish his golden boy for anything. The worst he's done is give Thor a comfortable time out for starting a war and killing a few thousand people. That spineless old bastard doesn't have the balls to punish Thor," Tony's bitterness over the difference in how Loki and Thor were treated was ever-present when dealing with Thor.

.-.-.-.

A few thousand people? How many Jotunns did I kill? Thor never found out how many he'd killed during his ill-advised trip to Jotunheim. He never asked because he never cared. He realized that he never made reparations to Jotunheim for the deaths he caused either. There was probably more than wergild owed at this point. I will have to remedy that. Thor sighed. I have a list of things to remedy.

Tensing, Frigga took a breath before she relaxed again. She didn't care to hear her family spoken of so crassly. She didn't care for Stark pushing his seidr off onto Loki. Loki being with-child it made it even more of a crass violation. More than anything she didn't care for Loki being with this man. It was going to be too long before she would be able to speak with her child about this man and his habits. Frigga was already impatient for it though. She was impatient to have her child safe again.

Another of Odin's glares was aimed at the screen. In his youth he would've smote any mortal who spoke so carelessly of him and his own. Those days were gone. Stark both interested and disquieted him. While Stark seemed determined to keep Loki from harm, he was also incredibly disrespectful of Loki. That disrespect verged right into abuse. His pushing and pulling at Loki grated on Odin's nerves, as did his yelling and cursing. He had, on rare occasion, raised his voice when in disagreement with his wife. He'd never once yelled at Frigga. Even now, he would have anyone who dared to curse at her whipped publicly. Stark had no such restraint.

As he thought about Stark pushing his seidr onto Loki Odin frowned. It was a possessive gesture, a jealous one. More than that it was highly demeaning to Loki, violating the sanctity of Loki's person. Odin wondered why his son tolerated it. Then he wondered darkly if Stark had simply overpowered Loki as he lay weak and recovering from battle with Thanos, taken what he wanted. The very thought of it caused him to grind his teeth together and ball his hands into fists. He sighed softly as he reminded himself that there was nothing that could be done. Loki's seidr was bound to Stark's. Is this the justice Skuld seeks? I'm being shown the darkness that I've allowed my son to walk into. I'm being shown my failings with the knowledge that I have no possibility to undo what's been done. How can I make this right? How?!

.-.-.-.

"No, the Warriors Three, Sif and Heimdall. Their behavior will change, or they will be punished for their continuing misbehavior. I've ensured that. You don't need to worry," Loki said and patted one of his hands gently.

That caught Tony's attention. "How, and why didn't you tell me before?"

A shrug later Loki said, "They hadn't done anything on Midgard that was bad enough to warrant disciplining, so I didn't have a reason to mention it."

While Tony nuzzled the side of Loki's neck he also continued to rub his hands over her belly. "So, do you have an in with the Asgardian D.A. or something?"

A soft chuckle left Loki's lips. "While Asgard has no District Attorney, they do have the Arbiters of Law and a Hall of Justice which they work out of. It's a spectacular building, a marvel of Asgardian architecture." She lamented that the legal library was so small compared to the Library of Gladheim. The majority of it was edicts, but she still managed to get her father to agree to several reinterpretations and even two new edicts.

"Is there anything you don't know about?" Tony asked. Loki knew about so many different things. It was one of the things that made him so proud of his wife. Her intellect was also one of the things he found most appealing about her.

"Many things. It just so happens that I worked in the Hall of Justice for a few decades," Loki's expression saddened for a moment as she remembered. "I thought it might make my father proud if I worked for the betterment of Asgard, so I worked to reform codes of conduct and reinterpret edicts. I drafted designs for implementing a program to educate prisoners which reduced overall crime. I served as counsel to the drafting of a new marriage nullification edict that made nullification more equitable and created a system where people could receive counseling for their marriage instead of a nullification. I also served as counsel to the drafting of a new edict concerning the standing and treatment of prisoners. When I realized that father didn't care I moved on to other things."

.-.-.-.

The Asgardians paid attention when Loki said she ensured they would change. "Prince Loki has reason to be vengeful," Fandral said quietly. Sif just glared at the screen. Thor worried what Loki might mean by that. He knew that Fandral wasn't wrong. Loki had many reasons to seek vengeance.

Loki's a lawyer? Director Fury arched an eyebrow at that. That was an interesting consideration. It wasn't something they could directly use, but it would be nice to understand more about the laws of Asgard. It would help them to deal with the Asgardians better if they could understand the Asgardian point of view. A society's laws were always very interesting reflections of and commentary on the society itself. He put it in his notes as well.

Nothing could stop the shame lancing through Odin again. He fought the urge to let his shoulders slump in defeat. All of those years I thought you merely bored. You were waiting for me. Frigga was right. How long have you waited for me, that I didn't notice? Has my pride in you been ever worthless? He huffed a small sigh. What vengeance have you taken against your brother's companions? They've wronged you. Should I let it stand?

There were many things her son had accomplished in his young life. Frigga was proud of most of them. Him having gone after Thor's companions wasn't one of them. They had wronged Loki, but she didn't approve of revenge. She quickly decided that she would wait until she knew what Loki had done. Once she knew, then she would decide whether she would let it stand or not. Despite that decision, Frigga could already feel herself leaning towards letting it stand. She didn't care for her elder son's companions anymore. He needed better than he had, both her children did.

It was with a little smile on his lips that Frey sat back and listened. He'd thought for many centuries that his nephew's companions were in need of disciplining. They weren't worthy companions to the Crown Prince of a realm. While they minded their manners in his kingdom he had no official reason to act. He waited, biding his time for the moment when they would grow too full of themselves. Then he would strike. Have you beaten me too it, my dear?

Looking over Odin noticed that Sif, Thor, and the Warriors Three were paying careful attention. Each of them wore an expression of concern. Even Heimdall appeared slightly worried. There was fear on Fandral's face, apprehension on Volstagg and Hogun's faces and anger on Sif. She was openly glaring at his son. A sharp rebuke danced on the tip of his tongue, yet he kept his silence. Now was not the time. The fewer interruptions the better. As Odin's gaze went back to the screen he promised himself that things would change when he returned to Asgard. He thought them appropriate companions for Thor. Like so many other things he previously thought acceptable for Thor he was starting to think that he might have made a mistake. Loki may be lost to me, but I still owe him these changes. The beast within howled in grief at the thought of never seeing his son again, of never getting to know his beautiful grandchildren. It gnashed and screamed and bayed for blood at the thought that this horrid spectacle would be the last he might see of Loki. Frey will inform him and shelter them when they go to hide. Vanaheim is so close to Asgard. Yet Loki and the children will be behind Stark, Frey, the boy Jay, and the armies of Vanaheim. For the first time in thousands of years Odin felt a powerful urge to weep. I might never have my son back and meet my grandchildren.

.-.-.-.

"But I haven't involved them. I handled it myself before the coronation. I knew I'd be leaving Asgard soon, so I was finishing as much old business as I could," Loki said. She relaxed a bit further into Tony's embrace. "The day before the coronation I held a small gathering in my chambers. Thor was my guest of honor and Sif and the Warriors Three all attended. Ostensibly the purpose was to thank them for their years of loyalty to my brother. Each of them received a gift, from my hands to theirs," Loki smiled wolfishly then. "They never suspected what my true gifts were. An augmented curse to each of them."

"That was when you gave the Thor the wards and charms?" Tony grumbled. He doesn't deserve it. "You should've given him a rune of seeing what a bastard he is," he muttered.

A chuckle bubbled up in Loki at that, "The Rune of Sight is only usable by one type of person, and Thor isn't it." She smiled sleepily in Tony's embrace. A little yawn worked its way out of her.

.-.-.-.

Another frown was aimed at Stark by Frigga. Neither of her children were bastards. They were magnificent. Her eyes narrowed slightly before she looked over her shoulder to sourly ask Frey, "I thought the Rune of Sight was broken?" This was another odd bit of knowledge that her child had that she didn't know where it came from.

"That is the prevailing opinion," Frey answered. No one ever successfully used to the Rune of Sight. It was ancient and too broken for anyone to make it work. Ironically, using the Rune of Sight inevitably ended with the user being permanently blinded. Flat white was the only thing they'd ever see after that. It was one more thing to ask Loki about, an idle curiosity. He thought it might be nice to know who could use the ancient rune, and how. Frey wondered what it was a person could see through the Rune of Sight.

Once again McCorrmick's gaze travelled over Sif, Heimdall and the Warriors Three again. It was emerald light that the ribbons in their hearts were made of. I wonder if that's what those are? It would make sense that Thor and his family don't have them.

.-.-.-.

"I only gave him the last one. You can't put more than thirty-four hundred wards, runes, and charms on someone all at once. They'll explode if you try," Loki explained. She learned that lesson the hard way when a small critter she was using to test various wards and charms on exploded, covering her in gore and filth. She tried to put twenty different charms on it. The combined pressure of her seidr with the wards and charms was too much. She didn't doubt that she had the magical prowess to put thirty-four hundred charms on someone or something in a single instance. The problem was that there were few enough inorganic materials capable of withstanding that amount of seidr pressure. There were no organic materials capable of withstanding more than fifteen runes, charms or wards placed on it at one time. Even then Loki knew that the pressure of that many together would've made Thor suspiciously sick. If the wards sickened Thor then the Heal Mistresses might have told him of them, instead of leaving them be. She was certain that Odin and Frigga felt what she placed, even if they said nothing. She knew that Frey felt them as well. Thor didn't feel them. There were few enough things Loki wanted her brother to remain ignorant of. This was one of them. He was arrogant and reckless enough without knowing how truly protected he was.

.-.-.-.

"Loki warded me," Thor whispered then smiled. He felt a wave of warmth sweep over him. His Little Brother was immensely powerful. Any ward he placed would be equally powerful. A basic understanding of how protected he was swept over him. More than three thousand wards and charms. That's tremendous! What am I warded against and why?

A sweet smile warmed Frigga's face. Loki covered Thor in enough wards, runes, and charms for them to be a solid armor on his skin. The first of them appeared hundreds of years ago. It was shockingly powerful. Thor came into the dining hall to get breakfast. As soon as he entered, both she and her husband turned to look at the boy. It was only a minor ward against certain types of venoms, but it was so powerful that it was aggressively noticeable. Frigga thought over the years that Loki was using Thor to practice things. So many wards, runes and charms appeared that it couldn't be just practice. She was always so proud of Loki for doing it. Thor didn't know, and she hadn't told him. Frigga wanted Loki to tell Thor what he was doing, and maybe then he might mention why he'd started doing it. It never bothered her to not say anything, because she was certain that she already knew why. There was obvious love there, so she never needed to say anything. It was for Loki to say something. Frigga turned to look at Frey again, "Do you know why it began? I didn't ask." She thought that she'd have time to wait for Loki to speak with Thor on it. This wasn't what she wanted.

Quietly, Frey shook his head. He'd felt the runes, wards, and charms since they were placed. The power emanating from them when they were placed was difficult to miss. It only became more difficult to ignore them as Thor was slowly covered in them. "No, I never asked."

From his mother to his uncle Thor looked back and forth. "The two of you knew? Why didn't you tell me?" He found himself distracted from his pleasant warmth by a cold anger as he was reminded that they were keeping things from him.

Silly boy. Frey just smiled, "I placed more than seventeen hundred runes, wards and charms on your mother before I let her leave for Asgard, because she is my sister. I felt no need to ask Loki why she warded you."

"You could've told me," Thor grumbled as he turned back around. He disliked that they would even keep something good from him. When he glanced over to his father he saw the barest hint of a smile on his lips. Strangely, it irritated Thor even more to think that his father knew this and never thought it worth mentioning. An empty silence stole over his mind then as he wondered, If Loki warded me, placed powerful charms and runes upon me, then how many of the battles have I won by myself? The warmth blossomed in his thoughts again. I have gone into battle with Loki at my back. I wonder for how long now? He sighed quietly. Over thirty-four hundred. That's a great many thanks owed.

The runes, wards, and charms were known to Odin. He'd known since the very first one appeared almost six hundred years ago. A smile crossed his face as he remembered Thor walking into the dining hall with a new ward on his shoulder. It was a longer-term ward and was still settling into its place on Thor. The pressure it was exerting was noticeable enough when his son entered the dining hall and had only grown stronger the closer he'd come to them. Thor smiled at him and his wife then sat to eat his breakfast. Odin remembered smiling at Frigga and her at him. The pressure made it difficult to sit and eat comfortably, but both were quite pleased that Loki did it. Another one appeared a few weeks later. They began appearing regularly and kept appearing for hundreds of years. There were very few wards, charms and runes left that Thor didn't have on him. Each one of them was powerful. He never minded them. They suited his purposes and it made him all the prouder that Loki would seek to protect his brother. His smiled faded some as he thought that Loki didn't know how proud he was.

As his gaze went to the markings and scribbles covering Thor again McCorrmick smirked. So, it's useful graffiti. Then why I can't see it on his mom?

What are you seeing? Frey's eyes narrowed as he saw the Truthkeeper looking at Thor. The boy's eyes seemed to be tracing something on Thor. What is Skuld showing you?