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THE TRICK
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By Advi
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CHAPTER TWO
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But, instead of going to the feast, they went to spar… well… it was just after lunch. There, Thor sparred with both Volstagg and Fendral. Loki sat watching. Thor asked Loki to spar with him, but Loki turned him down-saying he didn't trust himself to do so.
However, he did cause mischief.
First, he set green flames on Thor-Thor easily doused that with rain. Then Loki made ice appear on the sparring court, making Thor, Fendral, Volstagg and all the warriors to fall unceremoniously on their behinds. They all glared murder at Loki, who laughed heartily at them.
Thor shouted at him to stop. Loki, with a sigh, made the ice disappear.
Then, there was peace… until Loki, feeling bored, transformed all the spears in the sparring court into serpents. For that… all the warriors almost beat him up. Thor stopped them from doing so and made Loki turn the serpents back into spears. After that, the sparring session was ended.
Everyone was too enraged Loki.
Thor proceeded to drag his younger brother into the palace by the arm. "Was that fun, Loki?"
"Yes, it was."
Thor stopped and shot Loki a cross glare.
"Well," said Loki calmly, "it was."
Thor continued to march furiously down the palace hallway, dragging Loki with him. The god of mischief; however, rattled away, unaffected by the god of thunder's anger. "You know, I think I found a severe weakness in Asgard's army."
"Really?"
"Yes… you're all lousy on ice. Haha, the frost giants had better not attack now!" Loki laughed. "So, where are you taking me?"
Thor did not answer.
"Let me guess, my old cell in prison? I doubt it'll be as nice as the first time I was put in there."
Still no answer.
"Well, you better put me there, after all you're only allowed to take your most trusted allies with you tomorrow and I can't go."
Thor glanced at him.
"Well, you don't trust me do you? So, you can't take me with you… that would be against your AllFather's wishes. Unless, of course you're going to go against his wishes again? It you do, I shall be very impressed." Loki ended with a grin.
Thor stopped. "You are my trusted ally. You are my brother… my best friend and I love you. Of course, you're coming."
Loki widened his eyes at Thor, and then quickly, looked down.
But, Thor stepped closer to him and cupped the back of Loki's head.
Loki turned his gaze up and found himself face to face with the taller blond male.
"Odin is your father as well."
Loki shut his eyes in sorrow and turned his face to the side. "Then why doesn't he act like a father anymore?"
Thor stared sadly at Loki. There was still much pain within the handsome, raven-haired god of mischief.
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Loki was in his room, which was connected to Thor's. Thor had given him this room as he was not allowed to have his old room back. Thor in much ways was Loki's prison keeper.
Loki was not trusted to have a room of his own… many thought he would run away to some other realm to cause chaos. However, Thor was kind enough to leave Loki alone in his room that was connected to Thor's by a single, door-sized archway.
Loki sat on his bed, polishing the golden parts of his long jacket. None of the servants would serve him anyone… well only at meal times as he ate when Thor ate. He was now a prince who had to clean his own room, clothes and everything else. But, when you're a powerful sorcerer… cleaning was always easy. He could tidy his room with a wave of the hand. However, Loki chose to arrange his books by himself… and kept very good care of the last set of books his mother, Frigga, gave him just before her untimely death.
Frigga… she always treated him with true kindness and love. She, who treated him equally and always showed worry for him. She was also the only person who visited him while in prison. Then, the memory of his last unkind words to her came rushing back to haunt Loki. He stopped polishing the golden lapel of his jacket and dropped the cloth.
Loki gazed miserably at the pillars of his room, then at the balcony and the perfectly blue sky decked with puffy white clouds. He raised his hand and conjured the image of Frigga. She appeared in a beautiful, pale pink dress with a warm smile on her face. She turned her gaze at the jacket on his lap.
"Just about finished," said Loki, as he grabbed the cloth and polished the golden lapel a little more before donning the long, sleeveless jacket. Then, he strode up to Frigga, still smiling gently at him. Loki raised his hand and tried to touch Frigga… but knew… he could not. This Frigga was only an illusion he conjured.
"I know… son…" she uttered softly.
Loki stared stunned at her. He did not command her to speak.
Frigga gazed at him with a vision of love and affection for her suffering, adopted, child.
"But… I …"
In the room next to his, the servants had just left Thor and somehow… he could have sworn he heard his mother's voice, fleetingly. He turned to Loki's room.
Loki dropped to his knees before his mother, the pain within engulfing him once more. "Even though you are just an illusion I conjured… you speak like her... Though I did not command it!"
"Oh Loki…" said Frigga sadly. Then she saw her elder son standing at the arch-way of Loki's room and smiled at him and vanished. Thor dropped his gaze to Loki, still kneeling on the floor.
"Brother…" Thor called softly.
"You saw all that… didn't you?"
"Yes…" Thor watched his younger brother rise to his feet, his back still turned to him.
"I envy you Thor… at least you got to say goodbye... at least you were there at her funeral. Where was I? In my prison… until a guard told me… after her funeral! You and your father didn't even have the courtesy to even tell me of her death… do you know how angry that makes ME!" Loki released his rage and his powers, lifting the covers off his bed, tearing the pillows and scattering feathers everywhere, breaking the cupboard and the dressing table, the bedside chair, but not harming the bookcase or the books in it. Loki quickly got his temper under control and with a wave of his hand, fixed all the broken furniture in the room.
Thor strode up to Loki, standing right behind him. "I'm sorry brother, you are right. Father and I should have told you earlier and should have at least allowed you to attend mother's funeral."
Loki sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "No, Thor… it would not have happened. Odin did say when I was sentenced that I would never see her again." He gave a cold laugh. "He was right."
Thor didn't know what to say to comfort Loki. But, he remembered that his mother would often embrace Loki. Then, Thor spun Loki around and giving him a good shock, hugged him.
"T-Thor, what are you doing?"
"Mother used to embrace you like this all the time. You must miss that… so let me continue this for you."
Loki's face turned red from embarrassment. "You… you don't have to do that! You sentimental fool!"
Thor, still keeping Loki in his embrace, spoke with tenderness in his voice. "Don't be flustered, brother. We'll only be like this when no one else is around… you don't have to be angry or shy. I will prove that I love you and that you don't have to hate me anymore."
Loki didn't know how to act. Kindness shown towards him always made God of mischief confused. He raised his arms and then halted. Loki was unsure whether to return Thor's embrace. Thor could feel Loki's hesitation; however, he patiently waited.
Suddenly, Loki snickered into Thor's shoulder. "You really are a sweet fool." Then, he raised his hands up to Thor's waist and lightly held him there. Thor smiled. Loki finally found the strength to return his embrace. After a short while, Thor released Loki and stood away with a big, happy, grin on his face. He put his arm around Loki's shoulders and joyously said, "Come, brother! Let us go and relish in tonight's feast!"
Loki sighed, giving Thor a defeated smile.
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The great banquet hall of Valhalla was filled with merriment as the gods and great warriors feasted together. As usual, Fendral was circled by maidens, whilst Volstagg was circled by plates of food that he had already consumed. Slightly further from them and on the other side of the long table sat Thor and Loki.
Thor ate quietly, but kept watching his friends bask in their merriment with a smile on his face. Beside the Prince of Asgard, Loki kept glancing at him; this wasn't his brother's usual behavior.
"Thor, this isn't like you," Loki commented before popping a grape into his mouth.
Thor smiled and turned to Loki. "You worry about me, brother?"
Loki shot Thor a mischievous smirk. "Hardly. But, I seem to remember a time when you used to relish the great feasts of Valhalla with a maid on each arm. You used to drink more than any other and you made the most noise too."
Thor laughed at the memory of his old self. "I'm a changed man now, brother."
Feeling a little more mischievous, Loki ventured, "Changed by your mortal, Jane?"
Thor grinned at Loki. "Not by her alone."
Loki widened his eyes in an innocent gaze at his brother, his brows raised in question.
Thor pointed a pheasant drumstick at Loki. "Most of my change was done by you."
That really surprised Loki. "Me? I was trying to kill you!"
Thor laughed. "It was you, brother, who showed me how arrogant I once was. You trying to kill me showed me that."
"Well, damn," Loki replied, as he picked up his goblet of ale.
Thor laughed and then pulled Loki towards him, making Loki spill a bit of his drink on his clothes. Then, the god of thunder kissed the god of mischief on his cheek.
Fendral and Volstagg laughed at Thor's antics.
Loki pulled away, his face red with embarrassment. "I didn't think you've drank enough to do something like that!"
Thor continued to laugh, so did his friends.
Loki sighed and then smiled and continued to eat beside his brother.
But, during in the middle of the great feast, Odin entered the great hall. With him was the warrior he picked to dine with the gods that night. All eyes in the great hall were turned to the King of Asgard. Loki looked at his adopted father with hurt. He could no longer gaze on Odin without feeling a sense of hatred or torment.
Odin went to a table that was all his in the hall. After giving a short speech, he was cheered on by all and there were many toasts to the chosen warrior.
Loki ate with his head down. There was nothing for him to cheer about. When the god of mischief finished eating, he sat silently beside Thor and waited for him to finish. Thor ended his meal a little while after that. He stood and walked to his friends, advising them to retire early as they would have a long day tomorrow. Fendral agreed and pulled himself loose of the females that were around him. Then, he and Thor fought to pull Volstagg away from the food on the table. They weren't very successful until Loki lent them a helping hand. He made all the food in front of the older, red-haired warrior vanish with a graceful wave of his hand.
Volstagg threatened to beat Loki into a pulp.
The Trickster chuckled at him, whilst Thor held his large friend back.
"Now, now, keep all that energy for tomorrow. You may need it when we face the beast." Loki teased
Volstagg looked flustered. He huffed and stopped struggling against his prince. Thor stepped aside and said, "Loki is correct my friend. Leave all your energy for tomorrow."
Then, the four males approached Odin to excuse themselves from his presence and the great feast. The old King of Asgard wished them all a good night and honor for tomorrow. Then all in the great hall wished the mighty warriors a good night… however, they all glared heatedly at Loki. He was hardly bothered by their harsh gazes.
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Poor Loki, he is such a tortured soul, but can Thor ease his sufferings? Okay, now I know, I got the Feast of Valhalla wrong here as I based most of my research on the myths and not on the Marvel Universe. So, I have a question for you dear readers? Shall I keep it as such… or would you like me to change the feast?
Shall be awaiting your replies.
Advi.