I didn't think I was going to be able to finish another one before the England trip but it turns out Byleistr is very easy to write even though I just met him. Enjoy! (Still haven't had time to draw him yet though. Soon!)

Like most Jotnar, Byleistr Laufeyson hadn't been off Jotunheim in over a millennium. The first and most overwhelming sensations that accompanied his arrival on Asgard were hot and bright. For a few seconds, he thought he might go blind while roasting to death, but the initial shock passed and he found he could tolerate it well enough to maintain his composure. Quick squinting glances at the drengjar showed them to be in a similar state of discomfort. It wouldn't take much of this before all three of them were heat-drunk.

"Welcome to Asgard, Byleistr-Prince," said a dark-skinned Aesir with his hands on the hilt of a sword nearly as long as he was tall.

"You must be the Gatekeeper Heimdall," said Byleistr, taking in the man's golden eyes that seemed to reflect Yggdrasil itself. "I've heard many tales of you." It was the most polite thing he could think to say. He'd never been fond of the idea that Asgard had the power to spy on anyone at any time. More than once in his youth, he and his friends would be purposely vulgar to give the infamous watchman a show he would regret seeing.

"I know you have," said Heimdall, and the tiny bastard had the gall to smirk. Apparently they had got his attention with their juvenile antics. Byleistr could feel the heat rising under his skin as well as outside it. He was glad Helblindi wasn't here with him. "We have a vessel awaiting you and your guard just outside the Observatory," Heimdall went on, gesturing to the blazing white half-circle that was the exit. "I think you will find it more comfortable than walking."

"Is everything else prepared for their arrival?" said the ambassador.

"Yes, the rooms are ready for them, and the Allmother is waiting to greet the delegations from each realm coming for the summit in the Welcome Hall," said Heimdall.

"Very good."

Byleistr and the drengjar shielded their eyes with their hands as they followed the ambassador out of the relative darkness of the Observatory. He doubted Father actually believed Asgard had sent the invitation with the intent of luring him here for assassination, but it would certainly not be difficult to accomplish in a place where the elements were so against them.

As Heimdall had said, a longship was waiting for them outside. It was easily large enough to hold three Jotnar, even if it obviously hadn't been built for that purpose, and golden seidr netting had been draped over the mast like a tent. The ambassador lifted it aside and cool air wafted out. One drengr ducked down and stepped onto the deck first, where much of the tension drained out of him. "It's better in here, your highness," he said. Byleistr followed, and then the second drengr. Instant relief. The seidr netting blocked out most of the light and heat to the point where he was surprised the helmsman at the back of the ship wasn't wearing a pile of furs like the eight who'd come to Jotunheim. They all joined them on the ship as well, though only the ambassador came under the netting with them. Once they were all aboard, the helmsman pulled on the boom and they were off.

Now they could actually look out properly at the Realm Eternal. It was beautiful but strange, full of unfamiliar green plantlife and without a trace of ice in the architecture. So much of it was gold, which seemed rather gaudy and unnecessary even if the effect was impressive. The only sign of snow anywhere was a light dusting on the mountains in the distance.

At the foredeck outside the netting, the heralds stood with Odin's banner held high and instruments poised to begin playing the moment they were past the glittering liquid sea. The arrival of invited guests from Jotunheim must have been widely announced to the common people, because the streets were packed with curious onlookers. It was absolutely baffling how Aesir could tolerate wearing so much clothing all the time, let alone in such infernally hot weather. Most of them were covered neck to feet, and many had their arms covered too.

So many little faces stared up at the boat as it passed. Most of them merely looked curious, and some were excited, but Byleistr definitely spotted several hostile glares amid the crowd, and more than a few parents were clutching their children protectively close to them. Perhaps the seidr netting was there for more than comfort, but which side was it meant to protect from the other?

Gladsheim Palace was the most absurd structure Byleistr had ever seen. Even by Jotun standards it was massive, and in spite of the seidr netting, the sunlight reflecting off the golden surface made it hurt to look at as it grew to fill most of his field of vision with their approach.

A group of servants waited at the palace steps, their arms heaped with material. The ambassador disembarked first and the Jotnar reluctantly followed, trying and failing not to cringe under the direct sunlight. Why weren't they going directly into the relative shade of the palace?

"Here, your highness, these are fresh from the seidrsmiths and seamstresses," said the ambassador. "They didn't have your exact measurements to work with but hopefully everything will fit well enough. I can, of course, send for better if these won't do."

For one wild second, Byleistr thought they were about to be forced into the indignity of Aesir-style clothing, but when he bent and accepted the neatly folded pile from one servant, he saw that it was merely a cloak lined with more seidr mesh, a pair of finely-crafted dark-tinted goggles sitting atop it. He and the drengjar put on the goggles and fastened the cloaks around their shoulders. With the hood up, the cloak shut out nearly as much of the heat as the ship had, and they could have been under the Jotun sky with how effective the goggles were.

"Send our compliments to your craftsmen," said Byleistr, almost laughing. "These are wonderful."

"They've had a lot of unique projects to keep them busy lately; they'll be delighted to hear you approve of their work. Follow me." They did so, keeping their pace slow to not overtake the short strides of the Aesir.

The palace was as golden inside as out, with intricate knotwork etched into most of the surfaces. The ambassador led them into a large chamber to the right of the entrance hall, where the Allmother of Asgard awaited them from a marble seat at the end of a short flight of steps.

"Byleistr-Prince!" she exclaimed, leaping to her feet, her face alight. "It is such a pleasure to see you again."

He was a little taken aback by her enthusiasm, but it matched what he remembered. She had practically doted on him and Blindi when Mother introduced them to her a few years before the war, talking about how proud Farbauti must be and how much she, Frigga, looked forward to having children of her own. They had liked her then, though they had agreed she was very strange.

"Queen Frigga," he said. He didn't have to force a smile as he bowed. "How good to see a familiar face." She was just below eye level where she stood at the top of the steps.

"You were barely taller than me the first time we met," she said, dipping a curtsy. "You've grown up to be just as handsome as I thought you would."

Byleister felt himself blushing violet. "Have you enjoyed motherhood as much as you expected to?"

"I have," she said, beaming at him. "Though it has not always been easy. I'm so eager for you to properly meet my sons." For some reason, her eyes flickered to the helmsman, who had quietly come inside with them even though the heralds and the ambassador's companions had not. He bowed with a fist to his heart and retreated.

"I've heard much about them," said Byleistr, watching the helmsman go. "I admit I'm surprised to get this opportunity to make their acquaintance peacefully." He looked back at the queen. "Forgive my frankness, Allmother, but we have lived for many centuries on Jotunheim under the impression that Asgard barely tolerated our existence."

"The war did leave many bitter feelings in its wake, but perhaps enough time has passed that we can improve on our tenuous truce, particularly with this new reminder of why we were once allies."

Byleistr was briefly at a loss for words, he was so torn between shock at Asgard's apparent shift in attitude and fury that Father wanted to slap away this chance to change things for the better. "I wish I could say that I can speak for my father on such matters, but I will be certain to carry your words back to him."

Her eyes flashed at the reference to Laufey. It was so quick that he could have blinked and missed it, but it seemed not all those bitter feelings had faded. "Excellent," she said. "And what about your brother? I hope he is well."

"He is," said Byleistr. "He and his betrothed are preparing for their wedding next year. Lady Jarnvidja has made him even more boring than usual, but I think they will do well together."

Frigga laughed, a sound that made his smile freeze on his face. The last time he'd heard it, it had been paired with the laughter of his own mother in response to something he'd said while trying to be very clever for their foreign guest. "Well I wish them very happy, and I hope you will tell them so when you return home."

"Of course," said Byleistr.

"Now, you are the first of the principal delegates to arrive," she said, her tone becoming more businesslike. "We expect Nidavellir, Alfheim, and Vanaheim to be in attendance in the main Council of the Realms as well, with additional guests from Nornheim, Ria, and Midgard to witness the proceedings. We have several hours until the great feast and the summit itself, so I have prepared a list of entertainments you might enjoy here at the palace in the meantime once you've had the chance to refresh yourself in the guest chambers." She held out a scroll, which the ambassador hurried to collect from her. "Or perhaps you would prefer to sleep, considering that you left Utgard in the late evening."

The surprises kept coming. Asgard really meant Jotunheim to have a voice at this Council at the same level as their close allies, not just to be there in some superficial display of the Allfather's benevolence—and with Midgardians present too! It gave real weight to the Allmother's hints about improved relations. Would Father have the sense to accept it, or would he allow his pride to keep them from a positive change simply because it came from the same realm that had delivered him a humiliating defeat before?

X

"Norns, I shouldn't have said anything," said Loki, the fingers of one hand at his temples. "Will you please calm yourself? You're going to electrocute the next person you touch at this rate."

"Calm myself?" said Thor, pacing back along the length of the balcony outside Loki's chambers. "How are you calm? We're going to meet one of your other brothers today! Aren't you excited?" The reason he hadn't suggested they send an invitation to Jotunheim himself was that he doubted his ability to convincingly make nice with the man who had murdered his own wife and tried to ensure the same fate for his infant son. He'd never had to face Laufey with that knowledge in the original timeline and he wasn't looking forward to that aspect of forging an alliance with Jotunheim. But Laufey wasn't the one who'd accepted the invitation at all, which changed everything.

"Excited, nervous, going mad with curiosity, nearly sick from dread. Take your pick. Whatever I feel, I don't have the luxury of broadcasting it to everyone around me, since that might call my loyalties into question now that Asgard knows what I am."

"Oh, right," said Thor, heart sinking. "I'm sorry." But he brightened again almost at once. "I wish we didn't have to act like he's just another foreign delegate."

Loki glanced sideways at him. "You aren't worried I might prefer my blood brother to you, are you?"

Thor snorted. "Don't be ridiculous. I've got too much of a head start. Besides, they're both centuries older, not just a couple of decades. Even if you'd grown up with them, they wouldn't have wanted to play with their tiny little brother so much."

"I see," said Loki. "Then if it's about age more than shared genetics, you must agree that Baldur and I would have been closer to each other than you had he survived."

"Nonsense," said Thor smugly. "You'd both have been fighting over me."

"Well, regardless, you're doing a wonderful job of cementing your position as my favorite brother by being my alibi right now."

"What? Now?" Thor frowned and reached for Loki but his hand passed right through. "Where've you gone?"

"First to give a helmsman the day off and take his place, and now I'm on my way to the guest wing."

"Oh," said Thor. He couldn't help feeling slightly hurt, even after shrugging off Loki's previous jabs. "I suppose it's up to you whether you meet him without me there."

"Mother seems equally in danger of trying to adopt another son of Laufey, and while that's all very heartwarming, I'd like to take the measure of him on my own before the two of you welcome him into the family."

The smile slowly returned to Thor's face. This time it came from somewhere much deeper, and he wished he could put his hand on the back of Loki's neck. He'd have to make do with mere words instead. "This isn't something I'd thought about when I considered what my coming back could change. I didn't get a lot farther than a vague notion of allying with Jotunheim against enemies like Malekith and Thanos and wanting to make sure you learned of your heritage under better circumstances, but I'm happy for you, Loki. Truly. I hope he's worthy of having a brother like you. I hope they both are."

Loki made a noise of disgust. "Revolting. If you're going to be so mortifying, I think I preferred your old hotheadedness to this sentimentality."

Thor grinned. If Loki actually meant that, he'd express it with daggers. Still, Thor knew better than to actually remind him that he hadn't stabbed him once since he came back in time.

X

There were special chambers in Gladsheim for visitors from all the realms (with the exception of Muspelheim). The ones designed for Jotun guests had sat empty for Loki's entire life. He and Thor had sneaked into them several times as children when exploring parts of the palace they weren't technically supposed to be in—mostly for the fun of jumping on the huge beds—but that was centuries ago. In the last twenty-four hours, the staff had aired them out, removed all traces of dust, refreshed all the bedding, and reactivated the spells to keep the temperature below freezing.

Loki took a seat on a bare patch of shelf in the enormous bookcase and waited, cloaked. Fandral arrived a moment later, the three Jotnar close behind, and gave them a tour of the suite. The two guards accompanying Byleistr didn't so much as glance at the bookcase when they searched the room for hidden dangers, and Loki found himself growing angry that Laufey hadn't supplied his son with better protection.

"If you don't have any other questions for me, I'll leave you to refresh yourselves," said Fandral, returning to the threshold. "I'll come and collect you when it's time for the feast, but if you change your mind and decide you fancy anything on the queen's list, just send a servant for me and I'll be back at once."

"Thank you for your assistance, ambassador," said Byleistr cordially. Fandral bowed and departed.

"The rooms are secure, your highness," said one of the guards after the door closed behind him.

"Thank you," said Byleistr. He removed the cloak and goggles and set them on a chair.

"What would you like us to do, your highness?" said the other guard.

"One of you should stand watch at the door while the other sleeps. I think I'll try to do the same, at least for a while." They bowed and left the main chamber.

Loki had scarcely looked away from Byleistr from the moment he stepped onto the longship. For the first time, he was seeing the family resemblance he had tried and failed to trace in Odin's, Frigga's, and Thor's features all his life, and he couldn't look enough. In addition to their ancestral lines being nearly identical, they had the same black hair, the same bone structure, the same eyes, even the same lean build, though obviously on a very different scale. He was sure it was what Mother had referred to when she complimented Byleister's appearance. How embarrassing.

"It seems my drengjar overlooked something," said Byleistr, his back to Loki. "Are you going to show yourself now that we're alone, or do you prefer to continue the charade?"

So Byleistr had some degree of skill with seidr? This was getting better and better. "It was mostly for their benefit anyway," said Loki, revealing himself with a flourish.

Byleistr turned to face him and his eyebrows shot up. "Not a helmsman but a prince, then? I'm honored. I suppose you're my Asgardian opposite number. I heard the Thunderer is blond."

"Indeed, I am Prince Loki." He hopped down from the bookcase. "I was hoping for a chance to meet you before the summit, preferably without guards present."

"Then you didn't sneak into my chambers to slit my throat?"

"No," said Loki. He walked past him and leapt up onto the bedside table, which had been set with a goblet of mead and a platter of frozen fruit from Mother's garden. He sat cross-legged beside it and helped himself to a pitted cherry the size of a plum. "Were you expecting me to?"

"Not really," said Byleistr, sitting down on the edge of the bed, "but I would have hated for my father to be right. You're the one who was born the day the war ended, aren't you?" He popped a handful of the cherries into his mouth.

"Yes," Loki lied, though it was what he had believed too until a month ago. It was probably unkind to pry about a topic so painful, but there was so much he was desperate to know, and this was as good a chance as any to test the waters on how well his true identity would go over. "Forgive me, but…that was only days after your mother died, wasn't it?"

Byleistr swallowed and nodded. "Miscarriage." His face was full of bitterness and grief.

According to Father, the official story about Farbauti's death on Jotunheim was suicide in the wake of miscarriage. Had it been revised over the centuries or did Byleistr simply not believe it? "My mother has spoken very highly of her," said Loki quietly. "What was she like?"

"Why do you want to know? Aren't we supposed to be making disinterested small talk until our fathers decide whether or not they want to sign a new treaty?"

"Inter-realm relations aren't just about politics," said Loki, "they're about people. I know she wanted peace."

"Forgive me, but it's hard to believe Asgard would seek to improve relations after so long, no matter what my mother wanted."

"I'll admit I was surprised when Thor first voiced the idea, but he's right. The Dokkalfar aren't the only enemy we have in common, and Jotunheim isn't the only realm that would benefit from renewing the ties we once had."

Byleistr snorted. "I've heard they call you Silvertongue. I see it's true." His gaze grew distant. "My mother was what made the Utgard palace home. Even when the battle reached the city, she could still make me and Blindi laugh. After she died, it was all just…ice and stone."

"I'm so sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry about?" said Byleistr, picking up the mead and trying a sip. He made a face and set it back down. "Her death wasn't your doing. Though sometimes I wish Asgard were to blame."

"Why not blame us, then, if it would bring you peace of mind?"

"Because it doesn't make sense. Why kill a queen who opposes the war if you're going to end it two days later? Why spare the enemy's heir and kill his third child instead?"

Despite the grim topic, Loki was pleased to discover that his blood brother was no fool. "You've had this argument before."

"Many times. You Aesir make convenient villains for any Jotun who doesn't want to believe that death can come for a beloved queen and a prince or princess not yet born as easily as it can come for a craftsman or farmer, but I won't comfort myself with a lie."

What would he do when he learned he'd been manipulated by one much worse? "I'm sorry you and your brother didn't get more time with her," said Loki. "Not to mention the brother or sister you never met." He got to his feet and bowed. "Thank you for indulging my curiosity, Byleistr-Prince."

"Thank you for not coming to assassinate me," said Byleistr wryly.

Loki grinned. "I'll leave you to your rest."

Obviously Loki wasn't going to let anyone else in the family meet his bio bro before him. :D Now I'm going to have to draw Byleistr twice: once without the magic cloak and goggles, once with. I've been debating whether I want to cast actors as Helblindi and Byleistr, but J.J. Field, who totally looks like he could be Tom's brother, was already one of the Howling Commandos. My second thought was Jude Law but he's already in the MCU too, and so is Richard Armitage. Would Mark Strong and Ewan McGregor do? I'm open to suggestions.

Next time we should be meeting the rest of the delegates and maybe even getting to the actual Council of the Realms.