SOng of the Chapter: Hand of Sorrow ~ Within Temptation

"I'll numb the pain until I'm made to tear out my heart for the way that it feels. I will still remember when you've long forgotten me. It's never enough for you, baby. I don't want to play your game anymore, no matter what you say. I'm all out of love for you, baby. And now that I've tried everything, I'll numb the pain until I'm made of stone."

-Amy Lee

Freyja awoke to Loki soft breath against her skin. A millennium's worth of tension had been worked out through the night, along with a bottle of Vanaheim spiced mead and few chocolates. They were in his chambers, as it was the last place anyone would search for her, tangled within the black sheets. Her back was to his chest, his cool skin flush against hers. As per usual, he had an arm draped around her waist and his head nestled against her neck. A contented smile played across his lips, causing him to look much younger.

Just as she made to close her eyes once more, a single thought crossed her mind. She leapt out of his grasp as she processed it, causing Loki to grumble as his face fell into the pillow.

"Loki," she hissed, shaking his shoulders. "Loki, wake up!"

"Sleep now," he muttered, voice muffled through the down pillows. "Wake later…"

"If you do not leave now, someone will notice your absence."

"Let them. You wished for the public to know of us."

"Yes, but not by finding us in bed together," she protested.

"Thor had no qualms with the circumstance."

"He is your brother. I'm certain he has seen you doing much worse," her reply came out muffled as she pulled on the tunic she had summoned with magic.

"He is not my brother," he answered, but it sounded half-hearted.

With a sigh of resignation, she brought up the one technique she knew would get him up, "Alright, continue to sleep. I cannot wait to see your mother's reaction to this."

She saw his eyes snap open, horror clear in the green depths. She knew that he would want to tell Frigga personally, and her finding them in bed together was the last way he wanted her to find out. Within a second, he was up on his feet and pulling on the loose green shirt and black trousers he had worn in his cell.

"Perhaps it is best to leave, after all," he said absently, pulling on the thin leather shoes he had been given.

"You will be allowed out soon," she said, kissing one of his thin cheekbones. "I shall make sure of it."

"Do not make promises you cannot hope to keep."

"Oh, I intend to keep this one," she said with a smile.

"Tread carefully, love," he said, pecking her on the lips before walking out the door, invisibility charm taking effect as he did so.

Checking mentally for any others around the corridor, Freyja slipped out and began walking back to her own chambers. Halfway there, she ran into Thor who looked slightly surprised to see her.

"Freyja? I thought you were asleep."

"I was until recently," she conceded.

"I was coming to inform – Is that Loki's belt?"

Freyja looked down at the black leather belt fastened around her blue tunic and realized it was indeed Loki's belt.

"So it is," she replied, half amused at the coincidence.

Thor glanced down the hallway she had come from, "Were you in my brother's chambers."

"Indeed I was."

He frowned, "What were you doing in there?"

She raised her eyebrows, "I would think it rather obvious."

"I – no, I would rather not know."

"You claimed you wished to inform me of something?"

"Yes. Loki's final trial will take place within the hour. I wish for you to stand with me for my brother's cause."

"Well, I would not stand against him, if that is what you mean," she laughed, walking after him to the one chamber used for formal meetings. "Tell me, Loki has informed me that he was chained beneath the Ovaett for a time before being thrown into the crystal prison. Just what more does Odin wish to inflict upon him?"

"I am unsure. Father has never been so angry before. Even when I brought Asgard to the brink of war with Jotunheim, he was not like this."

"It is disappointment and shame he feels with his anger. May he enjoy what he brought upon himself."

Freyja stopped as Thor put a hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes filled with sorrow, "I am sorry for what happened to your people. And had I known just what was occurring, I would have stood by you."

"It would have done no good," she sighed, not wanting to bring up Vanaheim. "Had Odin sent warriors to Vanaheim, more blood would have been shed in vain. It was best that your people stayed uninvolved. Besides, it is past and should remain there."

"If it is any consolation, I will support you in attempting to request a search for Freyr. He and I may not have seen eye-to-eye on occasion, but he was a good friend and I considered him as family."

"That means a great deal to me."

He threw his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as the laughter returned to his eyes, "I will always consider him to be my brother, just as you will always be my sister. If not related by blood, you, Freyr, Loki and I will always be family. So long as there are no more wedding gowns or dwarves, of course."

Freyja laughed with him, feeling as if perhaps he was right. Perhaps her family was in Asgard, with the royal family of Asgard, Sif and the Warriors Three. As they walked through the doors, the other gods went quiet. Many stared at the sight of the crowned prince with his arm around the goddess of love. Thor let go of her, walking to his father's right while Freyja took a seat further away from Odin.

"Lords and Ladies of the Court," Odin said, causing all to turn their attention to him. "It is with great joy that we welcome the return of Princess Freyja from her travels. Let us hope Asgard seems more appealing to her this time."

Laughter followed, but Thor and Freyja simply exchanged a glance at the statement.

"Forgive me my opinion, All-Father, but I believe jokes on the matter would be in poor taste," Freyja said in reply. "Have you truly no idea of what occurred after I left?"

She glanced around at the bemused expressions that greeted her, "Does no one here know why my people returned to Vanaheim? Why we fell?"

When silence greeted her, she continued, "I was not aware the Court of Asgard was so ill informed. Very well, it would seem that I must explain it to you.

"An enemy of ours, one which we had long forgotten, returned to wage a vendetta against us. He believed we had wronged him, though he was the one to murder our people. We exiled him far beyond the Yggdrasil in hopes that he would never return."

Vor raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'beyond the Yggdrasil'?"

"For millennia, you have believed there to be only nine worlds but it has never been so," she replied. "We are infinitesimal; the tip of the iceberg, as the mortals say."

"Why have your people never notified us of this before?" Frigga asked.

"The Æsir are warriors, as are the Jotuns and Elves. Even the mortals were battle-hungry at the time. To disclose such information would have been a gamble as to whether such knowledge would cause a war."

"Just how much have the Vanir hidden from Asgard?" Odin asked, voice stern.

She looked at Odin, eyes cold and sharp as steel, "You forget, All-Father, that we were here long before your people. Asgard was our home before the Æsir set foot in our land. We left to give you a home, finding a world of our own. We were, despite our reservations, the strongest of the races. When you threatened our borders, we offered you peace even after we had ensured our success. You may be King, Odin, but your power is borrowed and only under our jurisdiction are you allowed to keep your power. You have no right to demand answers of me. You have wronged us greatly, and you would do well to remember the debt that must be paid."

Odin's eyes widened ever so slightly as the rest of the gods stared at the usually reserved Vanir. Never had she been so outspoken, but she knew it was time to make it clear where she stood on Odin's rule.

"Thanos, the Titan who brought Vanaheim to its knees, kept me away from Asgard in attempt to find one of our sources of power. Your people called it the Cosmic Cube, we called it the Muse, and the humans have named it the Tesseract. On Earth, I took a final stand to put an end to the threat. Thanos is dead, which brings me to my request.

"Before he drew his last breath, he informed me that my brother is still alive. I would ask that we send search parties to find him."

"Forgive me for my skepticism, Lady Freyja," Forseti said carefully. "But if there are worlds beyond the Yggdrasil, how can we be sure if Lord Freyr is even within the Realms?"

"Thanos would not have told me of Freyr if he was not within my grasp. He wished to torment me with the fact that my brother was within my reach and yet lost to me."

"I cannot waste Einherjar on a search when we are not even certain Freyr is alive. The word of a Titan I am unfamiliar with cannot be trusted."

"I believe we should search for the lost prince," Thor said. "As Freyja said, Asgard has wronged Vanaheim greatly through the ages. After all we owe them, this is the least we can do."

"I second that," Sif noted. "Let it not be said that we turned our backs on our greatest allies. We failed to come to their aid a millennium ago, we shall not make the same mistake twice."

"Is it wrong to reunite the remains of a family?" Frigga asked Odin. "Have you forgotten the pain losing your son?"

Odin looked as if he was trying to suppress a growl of impatience as the other gods watched him expectantly.

"I shall begin organizing search parties first thing in the morning," he said through grit teeth. "Now, for the true reason we sit here today. What have we to say on the matter of Loki?"

"He has been dealt the punishments suited to his crimes," Forseti noted. "There is no more we can ask."

"But how can we be certain his crimes have ended?" Fitch pointed out.

Sigyn suddenly spoke up, "Loki will not commit any more crimes. No one can expect more than that, however. To ask him to stop would be tantamount to asking Lord Forseti to commit a crime."

"Sigyn is correct," Kvasir replied. "To ask more of Loki is to ask him to go against his nature. However, we must be absolutely certain he will not attempt anything more than a joke."

"Perhaps we should find a remedy to his lies, as that is how this mess started?" Forseti suggested.

"Ivaldi did a spectacular job of that," Lott said with a shrug.

"Who is Ivaldi?" Freyja asked.

"We cannot sew his lips shut!" Thor yelled, fist slamming against the table. "He has suffered enough for his crimes."

"I do not believe sewing his lips shut once more will do anything but increase his resentment for Asgard," Freyja protested.

"Lady Freyja speaks the truth," Fitch said. "We must use a different tactic to ensure his obedience. Public humiliation, perhaps?"

"If we force him to remain in his true form for the duration of the punishment, he may become docile," Forseti mentioned. "Reveal his secret for Asgard to see and it will break his spirit."

"Is that what you will support?" Freyja demanded. "Breaking a man's spirit in order to keep him obedient? Can you truly find no better solution?"

"We understand that you were once comrades and companions, Lady Freyja," Kvasir said soothingly. "But Loki attempted to murder the Jotuns and take control of Midgard. During both attempts, he brought great devastation to both Realms."

"And has he not been admonished accordingly?"

"We cannot be certain that he will not retaliate against us once more," Fitch protested. "What better way to ensure our safety then to break his spirit?"

"Loki is a god, not a horse," she exclaimed. "I have spoken to him and he has revealed he does regret his actions. He is willing to negotiate a treaty with Jotunheim and repay both Realms for the destruction he wrought."

"He is the god of lies. Even the greatest of us can be deceived by his silver tongue."

"My brother would not lie to Freyja," Thor said firmly.

"We cannot be sure that is true," Odin said. "It is settled. At noon, we will limit Loki's magic so that he must take his true form and sew his lips shut to keep-"

"I demand the right of substitution!" Freyja yelled, standing up abruptly as her palms hit the table.

The whole of the Court looked at her in shock, surprised at her outburst. Thor and Sif stared at her in horror at what she was suggesting.

"Revoked," Odin said once he'd regained his composure.

"Do wait, my King," Forseti said, looking at Freyja in curiosity. "All substitutes must provide a suitable reason. I wish to hear what Lady Freyja has to say."

She stared Odin in the eye, face set as she resigned herself to her choice, "Had I not awakened Loki and taught him magic, he would have never been able to wreak such mayhem. Furthermore, had I not told him of the passageways between the Realms, he would have been unable to bring Jotuns into Asgard. If you wish for further proof, my inability to monitor Thanos allowed him to manipulate Loki, taint his mind with the Tesseract and supply him with an army. I have given my reasons, which meet all of the required expectations of substitution. His actions stemmed from mine or lack thereof."

"You cannot do this, Freyja," Thor protested.

"To deny me this right would be treason to Asgard," she replied, taking her seat once more.

"This is not your burden to bear," Frigga persuaded.

"Is it not? I will take responsibility for my actions."

"If Loki watches his friend take the punishment for him," Sigyn said cheerfully, "it may just break him."

Odin nodded, "Freyja will be reverted to her true form and have her lips sewn shut at midday. Loki will stand witness to what his actions have brought. This will be the final penalty of Loki Laufeyson."

As he stood, the others left the room. Only Thor and Freyja remained at the table, look at each other in silence.

"Freyja," Thor started.

"No, I will not take back my decision," she said, answering his unspoken question. "This is my right, Thor. I will pay what I owe to Loki."

"But this is not the way!" he yelled as his fist hit the table, denting the metal surface.

"If it earns Loki's freedom, I would gladly lay down my life."

"As would I, but is sewing your own lips shut the answer?"

She stood up with an unyielding look, "There are no words you can say that will change my mind. You can either accept that or not attend. You are my friend, Thor, and I consider you a brother through bond, but I must do this whether you approve or not. Now, if you will excuse me, I must prepare."

As she turned around, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "It will be painful."

"I've dealt with worse," she replied, mind on Thanos.

She could feel his eye on her as she walked out of the hall and towards her rooms. In an hour's time, she knew she would have to face Odin so that he could remove the enchantments that caused her appearance. While she waited, she would collect her thoughts and prepare herself for what was to come.

Freyja stood at the doors of the palace in a black satin gown, the Vanaheim color of ceremony, as she waited for the guards at her side to open the doors. Her now white hair hung down past her shoulders, contrasting greatly against her dark skin. The tips of her pointed ears were just visible under the white, causing her to look even more foreign. Odin had done a thorough job of stripping her enchantments and the result had caused many to stare.

As the guards, who kept glancing at her through the corners of their eyes, opened the doors, the sunlight penetrated the shadows and revealed her to the crowd in the courtyard. Many Asgardians and the remaining Vanir had gathered to view the spectacle when the public heard of what would occur. She could see Loki, his hands bound, surrounded by guards near the stone altar. As she walked out, he glanced at her in surprise.

"Freyja?"

He was rewarded by a blow to his stomach, causing him to double over. She gave him a reassuring look as she walked to the altar. Forseti, who would administer the sentence, stood in front of the stone as he read off what had been decided. Loki's eyes widened as a look of horror crossed his face. He struggled against the guards as she knelt at the base of the stone dais. She didn't move as the guards chained her hands to the base to keep her from moving as Forseti did his job.

"Odin!" Loki yelled, voice almost pleading. "Hear me out! Leave Freyja out of this! I am the tyrant here, do not bring condemnation upon the innocent. I will take everything! Banish me to Midgard, strip me of my immortality, just do not harm her!"

"Silence him," Odin commanded.

"DO NOT DO THIS!" he managed to scream before the gag was placed around his mouth.

He continued to struggle as Forseti pulled a thin, curved needle out of pocket along with enchanted golden thread. She could feel his consciousness as he attempted to speak with her.

"Why do you submit?" he demanded. "Fight, damn it!"

"I do this willingly," she replied in his mind. "A small price to pay for your freedom."

"To Hel with my freedom!" his voice snarled within her head. "I would willingly tie myself to the Nidhogg before I allowed you to do this to yourself."

"I know. So allow me to show you what I would do for you," she admitted, putting up full barriers around her mind to keep him from feeling the pain that would come.

She could feel him battering against her barriers, she him attempting to writhe free from the guards. With her jaw clamped shut, she closed her eyes and awaited the pain. With Forseti's sigh of resignation, she steeled herself.

White hot agony lanced through her as the needle broke her skin. Her back arched up reflexively, the cool metal of the handcuffs cut into her skin as she did. Despite the pain of the needle moving through her skin, she did not scream. Her nails dug into the stone, carving scores where they dragged across the smooth surface. She writhed and bit her tongue until it bled, but she didn't allow a single cry leave her lips.

She could see nothing but white through her eyes, feel nothing but fire through her veins. It was as if the world around her had fallen away until the only thing that remained was what she felt. She could feel blood running down her jaws, tears streaming across her cheeks, as the pain continued. Time seemed to lose its consistency as Forseti sewed, stretching impossibly.

And then, the snip of shears echoed through her world and the aches diminished to stings. Her body fell limp against the stone, her breath ragged as her nerves screamed in protest at the passed sensation. She felt Forseti's hands on hers as he unchained her hands. She blinked back the tears as he helped her up, a hard look in her eyes.

"It is done," he announced before whispering into her. "You did exceedingly well, Lady Princess. You have heart."

When she reached her feet, the world spun once before turning black completely as oblivion swallowed her whole.

Freyja woke up to the stinging of her lips as someone gently dragged a damp rag over the ragged flesh. A stifled groan escaped her as she forced her eyes open to see Loki looking pale and worried.

"Are you aware of just how much fear I have endured within the last half hour?"

"I am sorry that you were forced to witness that," she said into his mind, wincing as she sat up.

She looked around, recognizing her bedchambers. Loki sat with a basin of water in his lap, washing blood from her mouth.

"I would relive my punishments if it would take back what Odin did to you," he whispered.

"It had to be done."

He traced his long fingers over the thread, "You do know that Odin wanted to do this. It is his way to punish you for your disrespect as well as punish me. Two birds with one stone, as the mortals say."

"It is not punishment if I allowed it," she replied. "Besides, the outcome was worth the price."

"I admire your sacrifice, but next time you feel the need to prove your loyalty, do not go to extremes."

She gave him a pained smile, her muscles protesting at the action. Placing a hand on the side of her face, he ran the pad of his thumb over her lips, barely brushing against the string.

"This was a painful procedure when I underwent it," he murmured. "It will be worse for you, as you can't allow the wounds to scar. You must keep them open for the entirety of this little escapade you've leapt into."

"Are you cross with me?" she asked, noting the subtle change in his tone.

"I'm unsure whether to be angry at you for deciding this mess, at Thor for allowing you to continue, or at Odin for carrying out the deed," he sighed. "And then, there is a part of me that is enraged at myself, as this would not have happened had I not let go of Gungnir."

She took his hand from her face, catching his attention, "Your anger should be directed at me, as Thor could not dissuade me and Odin could not deny me my rights. And, had you not allowed yourself to fall, we would not be here today. Thanos would still be chasing me and you would be here with no knowledge of my living."

He looked at her as if he wanted to say something, to argue against her, but his face fell when his gaze lowered to her mouth.

"I cannot keep a coherent debate with you have done this to yourself."

"Then do not attempt to. Enjoy the fact that we are alive, well, and free of restrictions."

"You have Asgard in quite a frenzy at your actions," he said with a slightly shaky laugh. "You seem to have that affect. Were you aware the guards are saying the Vanir have painted strings across their lips?"

"They honor the sacrifice I made," she noted. "It seems Odin will find the peoples' pride in me strengthened."

"He did seem to be in another mood when they informed him. It seems my respect for your people has grown. Any race that can cause the All-Father such irritation has my greatest respects."

She rolled her eyes with a smile, internally wincing at the stinging. It was going to be a very trying two weeks.