A HARD DECISION

Laufey's request came completely unexpected; Odin could have easily thought that Laufey would have demanded something as a token for the peace but he couldn't expect him to claim his son back! He had left him to die in the aftermath of the battle, a small shuddering and whimpering baby, barely covered with a cloth. He was so small in his hands when he lifted him from the frosted ground. Little Loki had immediately stopped whining and had smiled confidently. He brought him together with the Casket of Ancient Winters to Asgard meaning to store the Casket in a safe place and raise Laufey's son as his own son.
Loki was unusually small to be a Frost Giant and he would have easily passed for an Asgardian. Frigga came to love him at first sight and immediately showered him with care and affection, never sparing him maternal warmth. She was delighted with a second son to raise according to her expectations.
Thor was meant to be the crown prince so he was taught in martial arts, always kept away from her to be trained in battle and other manly activities. Nobody cared of little Loki and that had given her the invaluable opportunity to teach him more subtle skills, slowly introducing him to magic in the cosy environment of her household.
Even as an adult, Loki didn't show any of the peculiar features of his kind; his size remained pretty the same as an Asgardian, even a little smaller than Thor and surely more slender. Nobody ever told him about his true parentage and its discovery had been a shock for him leading him to cause havoc in Asgard and Midgard. Nevertheless, Odin had forgiven him and welcomed back home, to Asgard.
He was banned from going closer to the Casket of Ancient Winters that would have unleashed his real nature, causing him to turn his skin blue, his eyes red and the peculiar marks of his kin to surface on his body. He thought that Odin's prohibition was laughable as he by now knew of his origin, he didn't know to see himself turning into a Frost Giant to know he was one!
All he was thinking about was to have his own revenge, his own place as a rightful prince and king, he tried to seize Asgard for himself, then Midgard but all his attempts came to a failure due to his damned foster brother, Thor.
He had forced himself to forget the beautiful moments he had spent with him, those precious intimate moments…

But now that the wished for day arrived, his will was shaken to the ground.
Odin was sitting in front of a huge fireplace, the fire crackling and casting warm light all around. He was deeply thinking over Laufey's request.

- "Father…" Thor broke the silence. – "You really cannot consider letting Loki go…"

Odin was still silent staring at the flames.

- "He's your son… my brother…" Thor insisted but Odin gestured him to shut up.

- "It is a very heavy token that Laufey is asking for our peace…"

Thor waited for the rest eagerly.

- "I have raised Loki as my own son and I love him as so. Nevertheless, we all know that he is not of our kind…" Odin went on calmly. – "He has been always the first to point out his differences. We all know how much uprising he caused because of his insatiable desire for ruling…"

The blonde god looked at him in disbelief: - "You're meaning… you are letting him go?"
Odin shook his head slowly: - "He will be the master of his destiny, Thor… I will give him the chance to go to Jotunheim… I cannot deprive him from this possibility…"

- "But…" Thor tried to reply but Odin stopped him.

- "It would be unfair from me to forbid him from going to where he comes from. "

Thor was hardly believing his ears: - "Father… you cannot…"

- "Are you questioning my decisions, son?" Odin looked at him sternly.

- "No… of course… only… you're giving up so… so quickly!"

Odin sighed: - "Loki is a crown prince as you are, only… his realm is another one. I brought him here because he would have been died if I had left him in Jotunheim and that was not right. You understand? Laufey had rejected him and I didn't imagine that one day, he would have come for him. Between death and a lost realm, the first seemed a far better option but now… if Laufey wants his son back and he is ready to give him the chance to be his heir, his rightful heir the way you are to me… then… we have no right to keep him here and force him to be the prince who will never inherit a throne on his own".
Odin's reasoning was flawless and yet Thor still didn't want to follow it. He shook his head: - "It all sounds like Loki was only a marketable item!"

- "It's up to him!" Odin stood up cutting short his son's protests. – "If we refuse, Laufey will take it as the clear signal we are not planning a peace with his realm. If we accept, we will be considered as those ready to market a son for a political scheme. Laufey devised his plan very cleverly, every decision we may take will cast a disapprovingly shade on us. The only person who can take the right decision now is Loki."
Thor couldn't answer back, he could easily see how Laufey's plan was so coldly perfect: to the eyes of the Nine Realms, he would have played the role of the father eventually welcoming his son home after ages of exile while, in truth, he was the one who was marketing him for a peace. He swallowed and lowered his eyes.

- "Yes father… I am calling him…"

Loki was summoned in the hall, he stepped in silently. The light of the flames gently played on the chiselled features of his face. He was slowly biting his lower lip, a twitch Thor had come to understand he had when he was nervous. He smiled faintly, how well he knew his brother! More than anyone else in the universe and how beautiful he was in that very moment!

- "My son…" Odin spoke slowly and quietly. – "I've carefully considered King Laufey's request and I've come to the conclusion that I cannot give him an answer on your behalf. I cannot take this decision for you, my son… "

Loki raised his eyes, an amazed look on his face. Odin went on: - "I brought you to Asgard believing it was for your sake as I couldn't leave a baby die in a wasteland. I brought you here out of love and believe me, nothing has been done to harm you. I loved you as my son from the very first moment I laid my eyes on you, so your mother and brother did. Nevertheless, it would be unfair from me to keep you here against your will… I know you desire your own place as a rightful king and we know that your rightful realm is Jotunheim. I cannot keep you here as a prisoner If you wish to go…"
Loki still wasn't believing his ears, all his prayers and wishes had come to reality in a bunch of hours.

- "You can go… if you wish so… my son"… Odin sighed as if saying so was such a hard effort for him.

Thor was looking at Loki with a pleading expression.

- "I…" Loki tried to speak but a croaky sound came out from his throat. – "I… it's all so unbelievable!"

- "Brother… please…" Thor whispered but Odin stopped him.

- "Hush Thor… let him decide on his own…"

Loki never felt so torn in all his life: now he was free, free to go home to his true land and yet he felt so sad. He had always thought that that moment would have been a glorious one, when he would have been finally acknowledged as a crown prince. He finally had a true father the way Thor had but… but he wasn't so happy as he expected to be. He kept nibbling his lower lip looking at Odin and Thor as if whishing Odin to suddenly forbid him to go.

- "I… I suppose I should go…" He then whispered.

Thor felt a massive weight landing on his heart and a lump in his throat: - "Brother…"
Loki turned his eyes to him and smiled meaning to be reassuring: - "Yes… I suppose I should go… If the peace depends on me then… I should really go… I am going home… brother… I am going to the place I belong." His lips arched in a soft smile.
Thor's arms were dangling along his muscular body as if all the strength had failed him: - "Brother… no… please… think over it better… you've time…"
Loki shook his head gently: - "What else can I do, brother? If I don't go, my father will think that Asgard has no intention to comply with the peace and…" He sighed. – "And this may put our realms at risk. You know? I don't want this… I don't want any of you to run any risk."

- "You can simply say that… that you feel home here, brother… you were a baby when you came here… all your life has been here… Jotunheim is a complete strangeland to you!"

- "Perhaps it is so, brother… but I will learn to know it the way a wise kind should with his own realm. I will be a good king, brother believe me…" He smiled but Thor was sure that tears were stinging his brother's eyes. – "I will be a good and wise king and I will bring peace to our realms so that we will never have to fight each other. I promise you."

Odin stepped closer to Loki and rested his hands on his shoulders: - "Be it so, son… go… I am proud of you and I am sure you will be a splendid king."

Loki swallowed and smiled raising his eyes to Allfather, then nodding slowly.

Thor couldn't believe his eyes and ears and never, ever felt so helpless in all his life.

... TO BE CONTINUED...