A/N: I don't own Thor... so hopefully Marvel won't send him down to Earth to mess me up (I have a feeling they'd go there with copyright violators).

Chapter 2:

Loki's eyes narrowed as he walked past her and up to the steps of his throne. Sora was now treading the fine line that was his patience.

"I am bound by the dying words of my king and my father. Would you have me disgrace him?" He asked, stopping at the foot of the golden stairs.

"Of course not Loki," She told him, taking a step towards him. Sora wanted to put a comforting hand on his shoulder but she didn't dare.

Loki looked up at his throne and sighed quietly. Reaching up, he took off his helmet and set it on the banister. A moment of silence passed by before he turned back to talk to Sora.

"As a son I would be remorseful for breaking my father's oath although I'd consider my pains worth it. But as a king?... It would be an act that would lead to complete chaos. If I am unpopular now, imagine the peoples' mood when I betray the dying oath of their beloved king. It would be anarchy Sora. You must understand that I act as a king, not as a son."

Loki hid a satisfied smile as he looked down at Sora, seeing her trying desperately to formulate a counter argument. Loki had her at check and he wagered that it wouldn't be long until he had her at checkmate. Debate was her life but deception was his and he had already started in a winning position. At the end of the day, he was the highest law. He would have won either way but still he wanted her to come over to his side willingly rather than force her to it.

If only she and the others saw all that he saw and knew all that he knew they would not be so pitted against him. Thor would have destroyed them with his arrogance and his recklessness. Loki knew he had to stop him from ascending the throne in order to save Asgard.

When Loki was young he watched quietly from the shadows as his father indulged Thor's arrogance and his pride; making mistake after mistake with him. Odin and Thor were cast from the same mold but Loki was different. He was a quiet, observant boy who thirsted for knowledge, he was not inclined to war and fighting. Loki had to find different ways to get his father's attention or in most cases learn to live without it.

He took an interest in the magic and sorcery, exercising his mind rather than his body, and he grew a talent for mischief and trickery. Loki grew up outside of his father's praise and, for better or for worse, became a man quite different from his brother. Once his father finally recognized his mistakes with Thor it was too late. It was only because of Loki's lineage that his father chose Thor as his heir and now they were all paying for it in their own ways, even Loki himself.

Yes, Loki was jealous of his brother, but he also loved him as well. Even when Loki learned the truth of his birth he still loved him. He never desired to become king in the first place; he was too smart for that. But he knew that he was better suited for the position than his brother and if this is what he had to do to protect Asgard from Jotenhiem, Laufey, and Thor's foolish arrogance then so be it.

Sora watched her new king in concern. She knew Loki was conflicted; he had been for some time. There were times when she'd catch him on the balcony in his chambers looking out over Asgard, his expression hardened and his thoughts muddled. She knew he wasn't taking in the view but rather staring off into an empty void; sinking into a dark place where only he could go.

Entering Loki's rooms, Sora quietly closed the door to the hallway behind her. She immediately spotted him on the balcony, his posture somewhat tense as he stared out over the city. He had not heard her come in so she walked across the stone floor of his large sitting room and out onto the balcony to him. She leaned on the banister, only a foot away from where Loki was standing. He briefly glanced down at her, offering a weak smile, and then looked back out to the horizon.

She stood next to him in silence for a moment, simply taking in the view. It was late in the day and the sun was low in the sky, casting its warm, golden glow across Asgard. The sunlight illuminated the conflict that was battling in Loki's green eyes, making Sora want to reach out and touch his hand in comfort.

"Whenever something troubles me I walk to the Naridian Falls. It's a beautiful place to be alone and think. I see your place of contemplation is a bit closer to home."

"Why do you think something is troubling me?" He asked, turning to her. He tried to mask that there was something wrong but the expression in his eyes told her all she needed to know.

Sora smiled warmly, looking down at the gardens below them, "Intuition."

Although Loki told her nothing of what he had been thinking about, Sora simply being there for him helped ease his mind.

Sora felt Loki's eyes boring into her now as they stood in silence. Taking a shallow breath Sora began to speak once more,

"I know you are bound by your father's oath," she told him. "But I would never have asked you to consider it unless I thought it was necessary."

"I know what I am doing Sora. Is it so much to ask that you trust me?"

"I do trust you," this of course was a lie, but one she told very convincingly. The truth was she wished from the bottom of her heart that she could trust him but she knew this was an impossibility. "But we also know the pressure you are under. We worry about you."

"You say 'we' and yet you stand here alone." He pointed out. Sora heard the bitterness in his voice and anger looming behind his usually calm façade. Loki was barely maintaining his composure. "I know what the others think about this, about me-" Sora opened her mouth to protest but he immediately cut her off. "Don't try to speak to the contrary, even you can't find a viable excuse for their behavior."

"They are in shock Loki." She argued, stepping forward to meet him at the bottom of the stairs. Loki's eyes narrowed in anger at her challenging move. He couldn't believe that she would dare try to speak against him on this when she knew the truth perfectly well.

"He was not their father Sora!" He yelled, towering over her proud form. They were now toe to toe with each other, Loki's eyes boring into hers. Sora could feel his heat, taste his breath, but she was not going to budge.

"He was their king," She breathed with conviction. Sora was afraid he might go off on her but he didn't, instead he restrained himself with an expertise only Loki could have mastered.

"So he was," he nodded. "But now I am their king and they must learn to respect and serve me."

"They will Loki," She told him, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. "But you have to give them something to believe in. We have to know what your plans are for this war."

Scene to be continued... There is more, it gets good, and reviews are my writing fuel so please review.

A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support for this story, they really help me and make me smile! So thanks again to all of you :)