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Loki returned to his hall, walking through the rooms until he reached the one with his bed, collapsing into it and unmoving for a few moments. He then rolled onto his side and curled up, pulling the comforter around him.

He and Thor each had their own hall in the Royal Wings, with rooms to do whatever they wished. Loki barely distinguished between his rooms; they all had books and at least one place to sit, with various trinkets and things scattered around.

It wasn't long before there was a timid knock at his door. Loki sighed and opened his eyes halfway, pursing his lips until the knock came again, a little louder this time. He closed his eyes again, burying his face into the comforter again as he heard the door creak open.

"Loki?" He heard Thor's voice come, unusually hesitant. "Loki, may I speak with you?"

Loki didn't reply, keeping his face buried. He heard he shuffle of feet. "Loki? Are... Are you awake?" When Loki still refused to reply, Thor sighed and closed the door behind him, walking over to the bed and doing nothing. Loki felt the prickle of eyes upon him and he curled up tighter, sighing.

"Go 'way," he mumbled.

"No," Thor said and Loki could almost hear him crossing his arms. "Not until we talk. Get up."

Loki ignored him and Thor sighed, sitting next to the bed. "Mother and Father told me about you being adopted. That was all. They said the rest was yours to tell?"

"And so you assume I'll gladly tell you?" Loki mumbled to himself. Thor frowned.

"Sorry, what?"

Loki sighed again and lifted his face a bit, opening an eye to glare. "So? What do you want?"

Thor shifted in his chair. "The rest of the story."

"Mm." Loki closed his eye. "Mine to tell, huh? I'm not in a telling mood."

Thor glared. "You tried to kill me! You tried to kill our friends! They've been punished, by the way, for disobeying your orders—"

"Wait, what?" Loki sat up at that, blinking. "They were?"

Thor huffed. "Yes. Fandral, Volstagg, and Sif were stripped of their warrior status. All of them, save for Volstagg have been banished from the palace. As soon as the Bifrost is rebuilt, they're sending Hogun back to Vanaheim. The only reason Volstagg gets to stay is because he has family who works here and Father would not send him away from his family. Heimdall is suspended from his duties as well."

Loki blinked at him again, taking this in. "I was not informed," he said at last and settled back down. "That's good."

"Good? Good? Have you lost your mind?" Thor snapped, standing.

"Possibly, yes," Loki replied, closing his eyes. "But what did they expect? With you gone, I needed them to help prepare for war. They chose instead to abandon their posts and commit their second act of treason in three days. For all I knew, they planned to bring you back to Asgard and overthrow me, which would have been their third act of treason." Loki looked up at Thor. "You know the cost of treason as well as I do, Thor. Why do you think I sent the Destroyer?"

"They are your friends!" Thor hissed.

"No," Loki said, closing his eyes. "They are your friends. How many times must I tell you? They are not loyal to me, never to me. They chose to turn against me as their King and I acted accordingly."

"So Asgard was the only thing on your mind when you shot at me?" Thor said, raising a skeptical eyebrow and crossing his arms.

Loki huffed and sat up, crossing his legs. "What do you want me to say?" He said. "We were on the brink of war, Thor. You were gone. The Allfather was gone. Mother was by his side. The Warriors Three and Sif left to try and overthrow my rule. I had no one," Loki hissed. "No one to consult with, no one to help me, not one damn person and so I did what I could to end it."

"You tried to destroy Jotunheim!" Thor said.

"As did you, not even a week past," Loki shot back. "I set a trap for Laufey and he was fool enough to fall into it. War ended, no casualties save for him and his party."

"So you resorted to your tricks like a coward!" Thor snapped.

"What would you have had me do?" Loki shouted. "March into Jotunheim and attack? Like you did? No, Thor, I used my damn head instead of brute force, as I always have done. There were no Asgardian casualties. No children without their fathers, no widows, no bloodshed."

"It was not honorable," Thor replied, fists clenched by his sides.

"There is no honor in a war," Loki said. "Every rule of honor gets thrown out the door when war is involved. I fight dirty and without mercy because that is what I expect my enemy to do."

"You were ruthless," Thor said. "You stabbed him in the back-"

"I am ruthless," Loki said flatly, "to anyone who threatens my home."

"You invited him in!" Thor protested.

"With the intention to kill him," Loki replied. "It is a game of cat and mouse, Thor. I knew the risks of my decision. I knew the consequences should I fail. I knew the unlikeliness of Laufey's success."

"How did you even convince him to come?" Thor asked. "Surely he is not that much of an idiot."

Loki grinned, all teeth and malice. "I'm a good actor, Thor," he replied. "I've been acting for years, fooling everyone, even you, for years. Go ahead and call me a coward, Thor, but people call me much worse, and they never have the courage to say it to my face."

Loki stood and walked to the door, opening it. "I know what you think of me. I know what everyone thinks of me. But you know nothing, Thor. I promise, you know nothing."

Thor sighed, approaching. "Loki, I did not mean-"

"Yes," Loki said. "I rather think you did. Get out."

Thor placed a hand on Loki's shoulder. "I do not know what your argument with me is, brother," he said. "But I hope you tell me."

Loki gave a low laugh. "If you do not know, then you're as blind as I anticipated."

Loki was summoned to Odin's study that evening. He dreaded the event, but went anyway; one did not ignore a summon.

And so it was he stood in front of the wooden doors, hesitating to knock. He sighed and shook his head. It was better to get this over with as soon as possible. He knocked three times and waited for the doors to open.

He slipped into the room, Odin still absorbed in what he was writing, looking up only long enough to wave a hand at the door, shutting it.

"Sit," he said. Loki approached the table and sat in one of the chair opposite, crossing one leg over the other. Odin finished whatever it was he was doing before looking up. "Loki," he said. "Did you let the jotnar into Asgard during Thor's coronation?"

"Yes," Loki said.

"Why?"

"Because he was not ready to be King."

Odin nodded. "As you told me several months ago." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "You were right, too. However, what you did was against the law. But," he added, "I'll give you a choice."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "I'm listening," he said.

"You can either face whatever sentence I give," Odin said. "Or, you set to getting better."

"What would the conditions be?" Loki asked, crossing his arms. Odin nodded.

"You would see the healer Eir advised you to see twice a week," he said. "If you cannot make your appointment, then we will reschedule. You would eat with the rest of us once a day unless you state a reason otherwise. If you leave the palace grounds, you will inform someone and take an escort, you are forbidden from leaving the Realm until you are deemed ready by your healer. No exceptions. You would be forbidden from the Vault."

Loki considered. "And what would the punishment be?" He asked.

"You would help rebuild the Bifrost," Odin said. "You would have an escort at all times and limited use of your magic. You would be confined to your hall when you do not wish to have an escort."

"And who would this... 'escort' be?" Loki asked.

"An Einherjar, Thor, or your mother," Odin replied. "Depending on the circumstances."

Loki sighed. There was really only one option. "When do I meet with the healer?" He asked in a bored tone.

"You start in two days, when he arrives from Alfheim," Odin said. "From there you will see him on Wednesdays and Saturdays at noon."

Loki nodded. "Anything else, sir?"

"No," Odin said. "You are dismissed."

Loki stood and bowed slightly before turning to leave. He paused at the door and turned back to see that Odin had gone back to his writing. Loki chewed on his lip for a moment.

"Yes, Loki?" Odin said, glancing up. Loki flushed.

"Nothing, sir," he mumbled and slipped through the door, making his way back to his hall.

Notes:

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