Several years later...
Loki stood next to her mother behind Odin's throne, trying to conceal the rage and jealousy that simmered beneath her calm demeanor. Thor, once again, was getting lauded with praise for victory in battle. And Loki, who'd had to save his life twice that day, was once again completely ignored. It wasn't that Thor didn't deserve it; he'd fought valiantly, but it had been her plan. If anything, they should share the glory. It wasn't fair!
Frigga's seidr brushed against her, soothing her spirit and allowing her to control her emotions so as to not do something Loki would regret later. She took a deep breath, then watched the ceremony with about as much emotion as a rock. As soon as it was over, Loki cloaked herself in shadow so even Heimdall could not see her and left silently. Thor found her, several hours later, sitting on top of a particular sculpture in the garden. It was where Loki always went when she was upset.
"Sister!"
Loki swallowed a groan as her brother's voice boomed across the garden, shattering the silence. "What do you want, Thor?" she asked. Her voice sounded cold and callous, but she was in no mood to care.
"There is a feast tonight!"
"Ooh, sounds exciting. Let me just get down from here; I'd love to come so your friends and our father can tell me how absolutely worthless I am all evening. It sounds absolutely delightful!"
"You're not coming?" Thor asked, sounding disappointed.
"No."
"Oh. All right then. I will leave you to your brooding. Goodnight, sister." Thor started to leave, then stopped and turned back.
"Why are you still here? Leave me alone already!"
"Well, forgive me for caring about my little sister!"
"Oh, so you care now, do you?" Loki choked out a laugh. "Just go, Thor, you're fooling no one but yourself. We both know you care about nothing but battles, mead, and seeing how many notches you can carve in your bedpost."
"That's not true!" Thunder crackled in the distance.
"Yes, it is! Now go!" A green mist swirled angrily through the courtyard.
"Make me!" Lightning struck a nearby tree with a horrible crack. Loki flinched but didn't back down, her eyes blazing with fury and her power.
"All right," she said, her voice deceptively calm. Thor followed her gaze and looked down with a sinking feeling right as the green mist coalesced around his ankles into a shimmering rope. Loki's fingers twitched, and it pulled taut, causing Thor to fall over backwards with a thud.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked.
"Making you leave," Loki said. With another twist of her fingers, the rope snaked around and launched Thor over the wall of the garden to land in the moat on the other side. "And good riddance," she muttered.
"LOKI!" Odin's voice boomed through the courtyard. Loki cursed. Just when she thought this day couldn't get any worse.
"Yes, father?" she drawled.
"Meet me in the throne room. Now!"
Loki flinched as the door slammed shut. She slowly climbed down from the statue, straightened her robes into some semblance of presentability, then started off towards the courtroom with her head held defiantly high.
"You've disrespected your brother and your country, defied a royal summons, and shown no remorse for your actions - again!" Odin told her, his face red from shouting. Loki's face remained completely impassive.
"Are you done?" she asked.
"NO!"
"Of course not."
"Sooner or later, you must learn respect. As such, I am assigning a punishment to you. Loki Odinson, you are hereby ordered to travel to Midgard-"
"Midgard?! That magic-less backwater? You can't be serious!"
"I can and I am. Now, you will travel there and, without alerting anyone to your true nature, you will gather intelligence on the war that is occurring there until further notice. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." Without waiting to be dismissed, Loki spun on her heel and stalked out of the throne room.
Loki slammed the door to her room shut and flopped across her bed with a groan of frustration. Had she overreacted by throwing Thor into the moat? Probably. Was it as bad as Odin said? Not by a long shot! And spying on the Midgardians? Essentially banishment! She screamed and threw a pillow across the room. It didn't make her feel any better. And no magic? Loki shuddered at the thought. She wasn't dependent on her magic like most mages were, but it was an integral part of who she was. Telling her not to use it was like telling a swordsman that broadswords were now outlawed. Besides, didn't Heimdall see everything anyway? The whole thing was stupid, but Odin had been looking for a way to get Loki off Asgard for a while now. It wasn't her fault the people liked their witty young princess better than her stupid brash oaf of a brother! She growled and paced the room. This was a political move! He was trying to set Thor up as king!
Well then. She'd just have to turn Odin's little game back around to bite him instead. Loki smiled deviously. She could do that.
She was the Goddess of Mischief and Lies, after all.