Loki walked through the halls of the palace until he came to the room his mother was staying in. He knocked on the door. "Come in." She called from the other side.
Loki opened the door and walked inside. "Hi, Mother." He greeted her.
She looked up, surprised to see her son there. "Loki, what are you doing here? I thought that you and Ava would be enjoying your honeymoon."
Loki walked over and sat down next to his mother. "After we left the healing room, Odin called us to talk to him." He began. "He apologized for everything that happened yesterday."
"That was nice of him." Farbauti replied.
Loki nodded. "He then told me that Father is in the dungeon, awaiting his punishment…he then told me that, Father's punishment is up to me."
Farbauti's red eyes widened. "What?" She asked.
"Odin left Father's fate in my hands…and I have no idea what to do." Loki answered.
Farbauti pulled her son into her arms and hugged him.
Loki hugged his mother back and allowed himself to draw some comfort from her embrace as he had when he was a child. He pulled away after a few moments. "I have no idea what I should do, Mother." He confessed. "I mean he hurt Ava and could have possibly have caused her to lose the baby."
"Not to mention wrecking your wedding and the fact that he was just going to allow Odin to execute you." Farbauti added.
Loki nodded. "Exactly…and I know he'll never change…but…I don't know if I can tell Odin to execute my father."
Farbauti felt the tears stinging her eyes in sympathy for her son. While her marriage to Laufey had been loveless and filled with much disdain between the couple, Farbauti never regretted that Loki came from that marriage. She had always held out a hope that Laufey would have one day become the father that Loki deserved, but she knew that could never be. Now this entire mess had happened and while Loki should have been enjoying time with his wife and rejoicing in the fact that they were going to have a child, he was instead completely miserable. He had a huge decision placed on his shoulders.
"And I half wonder if this is some kind of test." Loki added.
"What do you mean?" Farbauti asked her son.
"I feel like Odin is testing me and if I say anything that involves my father living that he will think I am truly plotting with my father. I feel like I have no choice but to tell Odin to execute him…but I don't know if I have it in me to be ruthless and heartless and make that call."
Thor…
Thor was in the training fields with Sif and the Warriors Three. "How is Ava doing?" Sif asked, genuine concern in her voice.
"She is alright." Thor answered. "After everything, Mother performed the marriage ceremony in the garden."
"So, she is married to the Jotun?" Fandrall asked, disdain in his voice.
Thor glared at his friend. "She and Loki are married."
Fandrall briefly returned Thor's glare, but otherwise shrugged the incident off. The friends continued to spar a bit longer before heading to the garden for lunch. Thor was surprised to see Ava sitting by the pond, her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped around her knees. She was staring at the water, the expression on her face looking sad, lost, and angry all at the same time.
"You guys go on ahead." Thor told his friends. "I think I need to go and check on my sister."
"Take all the time you need." Sif said, placing a hand on his shoulder, before walking away with the others.
Thor walked over to Ava and sat down beside her. "Your face does not hold the bliss of a newlywed bride." He said. "What is wrong?"
Ava sighed and looked over at her brother. "It is Father."
"What has he done this time?" Thor asked, putting a comforting arm around his little sister's shoulders.
"After we left the healing room, Father called Loki and I to meet with him in his study…he actually apologized for everything that happened yesterday."
"If he apologized, why are you looking as if you are still upset with him?" Thor asked.
"Because, after he apologized he then asked Loki to make the decision about what should be done with Laufey." Ava explained.
Thor looked at his sister, his eyes wide in surprise. "You mean he is leaving it up to Loki, what Laufey's punishment will be?"
Ava nodded. "And Loki is so conflicted on what to do…and I have no idea how to help him." The tears were stinging in her eyes.
Thor wrapped both of his arms around his little sister and pulled her to him. He kissed the top of her head. He wasn't sure what to do or say to help her.
"How do I help him, Thor?" Ava asked. "How do I help him?"
"I don't know." Thor answered. "I am sorry."
"Nothing is working out like it is supposed to, Thor." Ava said, the tears falling freely down her face. "Loki and I are married and expecting a child…we should be happy and celebrating this…but instead we just keep having things happen. When do we get to just slow down and be happy?"
Thor stroked his sister's hair. He hated seeing her torn up and hurting. He hated even more that it was all because of their father and his choices. "Everything will be alright." He told Ava.
Ava cried harder. The sobs wracked her body. She just wanted to be happy. She wanted for she and Loki to have the life that they deserved. "It's just...not right."
"I know." Thor replied, hugging his sister tighter. "But it will get better."
They sat there like that for a while until Ava had managed to calm herself down and cease her tears. "You should probably eat something." Thor told his sister, pulling away and looking at her in concern.
"I'm not really hungry." Ava replied.
Thor gave his sister a look. "You need to eat. You have to take care of yourself."
Ava nodded. "Alright."
Thor stood up and then reached his hand down for his sister. She took his offered hand and allowed him to help her up. At the sudden movement, a rush of dizziness came over her and she began to fall back to the ground. Thor reached over and caught her.
"Are you alright?" Thor asked his sister.
"Just got a little dizzy." Ava answered. "I...feel a little...light-headed...now." She then passed out in her brother's arms.
Thor scooped his sister up in his arms and carried her into the palace, rushing her to the healing room. When he walked in, the head healer was at his side. "Bring her over to this bed and lay her down and tell me what happened." She ordered.
Thor followed the woman's instructions and laid his sister down on the bed. He then told her about how Ava had been upset before she passed out. "Can you do anything?" Thor asked, concerned for his sister.
"It will take me a while, but I am sure I can. You should go and find Loki and your mother. I am sure they will want to know."
Thor nodded. "Alright." He then left the healing room to find Loki and his mother. He was able to find his mother first, she was in the library.
"Is something wrong, Dear?" She asked, looking up at her son after she put a book back on the shelf.
"Ava is in the healing room. She fainted." Thor explained. "We have to find Loki."
"I believe I saw him go into his mother's chambers earlier." Frigga said.
They then went and found their way to the room Farbauti was staying in. They knocked and Farbauti answered the door. "I am sorry, but now is not a good time. My son needs me." She said.
"It is about Ava." Thor said.
Loki was instantly at the door. "Is she alright?" He asked.
"We don't know." Frigga answered.
"She fainted. She is in the healing room right now."
Loki completely forgot about the decision that he had been thinking about. All he could think about was Ava and their child, making sure they were alright. "Let's go." He said.
The group then headed to the healing room. The healer met them at the door. "Is she alright?" Loki asked, nothing but concern in his voice. "And the baby?"
"They are both fine." She answered. "The princess just got a little too stressed and it became too much for her. She should be fine after a couple of days of rest."
"Can I see her?" Loki asked.
The healer nodded. "Of course, but one at a time."
"You go first, Loki." Frigga said.
Loki nodded. "Thank you." He then followed the healer inside.
Once Loki was inside, Frigga looked over at her son. "Do you know why your sister was so stressed?"
Thor nodded. "Father spoke with her and Loki...he apologized for everything that happened yesterday and then told Loki that he was leaving the decision of what Laufey's punishment should be to Loki. She was upset over seeing how torn up Loki was about the decision and she had no idea how to help him."
"Oh, the poor dear." Farbauti said.
"Give your sister a kiss for me." Frigga said.
"Where are you going?" Thor asked.
"To have a little chat with your father." Frigga answered as she headed down the hall.