I decided this needed a second chapter so...here it is ^_^
Frigga gently closed Loki's bedroom door. She had just put him to bed when he reached out for her and told her he was scared of the other children, and now she was furious. Her youngest son told her of all the times they picked on him, called him nasty names, and even the few times they had physically hurt him, how he had lied all those times when he came home from lessons bruised and battered, claiming he had been thrown by his horse. However, the Queen of Asgard was a force to be reckoned with. She asked Loki why he had never told anyone in the first place. The young prince just replied with, "They told me no one would believe me because I'm a liar."
"Oh Loki," she murmured, "I will always believe you, my child."
Pushing open the golden doors, Frigga stormed into the throne room.
"Odin," she called out, "There are punishments to be dealt!"
"Oh? Who? Has Loki been naughty again?"
Frigga glared at her husband.
"Loki never truly means to be naughty, you know that, he's just a mischievous little boy! No, the punishments are for Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg!"
Odin studied his wife's scowl, choosing his words carefully.
"Thor's little friends? Why, whatever have they done?"
"They have been relentlessly bullying poor Loki!"
"Nonsense! Those are three of the finest young lads Asgard has ever produced! My wife, no doubt you have fallen fool to Loki's untruths once more!" Odin laughed, dismissing his wife's anger.
"ODIN ALLFATHER! Do not treat this as some practical joke! You did not see the fear in our son's eyes! I caught them in the act!"
Odin sighed.
"I cannot punish the for something of which there is no proof, Frigga! Let us just forget this and move on!"
"No Odin! They have physically and mentally harmed him and they must pay for it!"
"Fine, fine! A slap on the wrist, and apology and let's be done with it!"
Frigga stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief.
"You know, if this was Thor being bullied you wou-"
"Pah! Thor would never be bullied! He is not we-"
"Weak? Weak? Loki is not weak, Odin! He may not be a warrior, but he is far from weak! Do not smear his name with your foul words!"
"Frigga do not believe everything the boy says, he lies and you know it."
"He has lied in the past, yes, but why would he lie about them beating him up? What exactly does he stand to gain from it? I caught them, Odin! They were going to hurt him!"
"But they did not, did they? Did you see them actually harm him?"
"No but-"
"Then I'm afraid I cannot do anything!"
A single tear of anger rolled down the Queen's face. Odin held out a hand to her.
"I am sorry," he said gently.
Frigga stared at him with venom in her eyes, before turning and stalking out of the room.
I'll have to take matters into my own hands then, she though furiously.
"Heimdall!" Frigga called out, dismounting her horse.
"My lady, " he greeted.
"Heimdall, do you know why I am here?"
"No, my lady."
"How? Surely you were keeping watch?"
"The Allfather requested I do not watch the goings on of the palace after a certain hour."
"Heimdall, do you recall three children? Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg?"
"Of course, my lady."
"Have you ever seen them in the presence of my youngest son?"
"Everyday, my lady, they share riding lessons."
"Heimdall..." she looked the gatekeeper square in the eye, "Have you ever witnessed them hurting my boy?"
Heimdall sighed slightly.
"Yes, your majesty, a few times."
"And you did not inform me!?"
"I did not wish to betray the young prince's trust."
"His trust?"
"He asked me not to," Heimdall replied simply.
"Why would he ask such a thing?"
"As I recall, the other children told him if you found out, my lady, then he is 'nothing but a worthless snitch, and a weak milkdrinker'."
Those cruel boys!
"Heimdall you must bear witness to Odin, please!"
"My Queen?"
"He refuses to punish those boys for being so malicious to poor Loki!"
Heimdall was visibly shocked.
"He thinks the boy's stories untrue?"
"Yes!"
"Indeed I shall inform the Allfather of what I have seen."
"Thank you Heimdall. Perhaps now they shall be punished."
"Fandral the Dashing! Hogun the Grim! Volstagg the Valiant! You know why you are here today!" the Allfather boomed, "You are here to answer and be punished for your misdeeds and cruelty towards Loki Odinson, the youngest prince of this realm! What say you in your defense!?"
Fandral began to speak, but Odin silence him with a wave of dismissal.
"You have nothing to say for yourselves, because I have it on good authority that Loki is not lying! From the Gatekeeper himself!"
The three boys stared at the floor.
"You may very well hand your heads in shame, you cruel, hateful children!"
"But Allfather-"
"HWARGHFHAR!"
Fandral fell silent.
"Frigga, bring Loki in!"
The doors swung open, and Frigga marched in with the young boy in tow, who seemed reluctant to be there at all.
"Mother," he hissed, "Mother I don't want to!"
"Loki! Come here my boy!" Odin called out.
Loki shuffled up to his father.
"Would you show the council your bruises?"
Loki rolled up his sleeves, showing off the yellowing patches that marred his pale skin, in distinct handprint shapes. There was a gasp through the room, and Loki could feel the eyes on him.
"Loki, how did you get these marks?"
The dark-haired child sniffed as tears welled up in his emerald green eyes, and pointed at the three older children.
"Did they grab you?"
Loki nodded.
"And what else did they do?"
"They...-they hit me, and threw me to the ground...kicked me a lot...then Volstagg and Hogun held my arms back while Fandral punched me in the stomach a lot...they dragged me to the big stairs and pushed me down and left me there," he sobbed.
A murmur of horror shook the room. How could anyone do such horrible things to their lovable young prince?
"Thank you, Loki," Odin whispered gently, "Off you go, with your mother."
Frigga took hold of the child's hand and led him out of the room.
"Now for your punishments! I have thought long and hard about this, and my decision stands as follows: One, you will apologise to Loki. Two, you will each receive a public flogging of twenty lashes! And three, hard labour in the crystal mines until Loki comes of age! Guards! Escort these boys to the mines! You begin labour today, you will be flogged tomorrow, and you will apologise to my son, publicly, while your backs are still bleeding and raw, do I make myself clear!?"
Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun were dragged from the room, yelling that their punishment was unfair, and calling out for their mothers. loki and Frigga were just outside the doors, watching the boys being taken away shouting and swearing.
"CURSE YOU ODINSON!"
"DAMN YOU TO HELHEIM!"
"YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!"
Loki clung to his mother's skirt, and looked up at her fearfully.
"Do not worry, child. By the time they are free, you will be a grown man, and leaps and bounds more powerful than they."
Loki's young eyes glistened with unshed tears, as he smiled slightly. He hugged his mother tightly, and she picked him up and held him close. The dark-haired prince buried his face in the hollow of his mother's neck, as she whispered, "No one will hurt you any more, Loki."
Thanks for reading xo