1 | BLACK LIES | MARVEL | LOKI LAUFEYSON ✔️

23| A VAIN AND CRUELLER BOY

23| A VAIN AND CRUELLER BOY

The displeasure on Thor's face is painfully apparent as they return to Asgard. He proudly believed that they could have conquered the Frost Giants once more. In his disbelief that his father would not side with him, he asks, "Why did you bring us back?"

Like his brother, Loki's eyes were fixed on Odin in waiting of his response. Beside him, Lusine's sharp fingers curl around his upper arm. She was not an expert on the affairs of the royals by any means, but she knew what those disappointed eyes meant. They matched her own father's the first time she'd struck out against her own brother, her own blood or the first time she'd drawn blood from a man simply just for fun. Her first day in Asgard was not her first time conscripting a man to throw himself from a building. The first had been years ago, after the death of Regina but not long after her mind had snapped onto a path of self destruction and self torture. Instead of harming herself, she painted the Wolf Moon red in the blood of the innocent.

She does not speak to Loki. She stands, watching with those ever analytical blue eyes and mind working over time to calculate the outcome of the encounter before it had even happened, but Odin was a man who was hard to predict. Despite his slowed movement, he was wise far beyond his years and a mighty ruler.

A sudden desire to leave the family to itself to work out their differences struck her, but it was too late to leave now. Her movement would distract from the main issue. Attaching herself to Loki's side, she swallows her tongue.

"You realise what you've done?" Odin booms, "What you've started?"

"I was protecting my home!" Thor defends, his gut sinking at the denial of vengeance. Thor liked to be the hero of his own tale, Lusine observed quietly, he liked to think that he could hold the world up with his bare hands with a grin on his face and a belly full of wine, but that isn't how the real world works one bit. Lusine's fingers curl tighter into Loki's arm, her anger at his ignorance burning hotter than a thousand suns. Yet, you could have taken one look at her and not seen a single emotion in her icy eyes or on her pale face.

She was carved from stone, from marble, from ice. A statue for all to worship should they please, and she believed they should 'please'. Lusine Volkov was a goddess. To release her wrath on Earth would bring hell.

"You can't even protect your friends, how can you hope to protect a kingdom?" Odin shouts, his voice held the power of a thousand men channelled into one singular, authoritarian voice.

"There won't be a kingdom to protect if we don't act," He responds with more passion than Lusine had ever known in the arrogant god. "I want them to fear me as they once feared you!" His passion was running deep, but the desperation was obvious on his face. A small section of Lusine's black, stone heart ached for Thor with sympathy. He was painfully desperate to make his father proud and, in that way, they were common.

"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership!" Odin was growing impatient with his son.

"While you wait and be patient, the nine realms laugh at us." Thor grew parallel to his father in his surging impatience and hurt. His belief that acting now was what was right for Asgard pushed him to the extreme.

"You are a vain and crueller boy!" Odin shouts to him, belittling him.

"And you are an old man and a fool!" Thor roars back, his shoulders squared. Both press their lips thin, reeling back from the insults.

"I was a fool to think you were ready," Odin says much quieter now.

Loki's breath catches in his throat, pulling at his lungs, as he pulls himself away from Lusine and steps forward. Luisne frowns at his movement, her fingers urging to curl around his arm once more. "Father-" He begins, but he is cut off by Odin's over powering voice.

"Thor Odinson, you have betrayed the first command of your king. Through your anger and your stupidity you have opened the realms to the horror and desolation of war." The bifrost opens with an aching flash of lightning. "You are unworthy of your title, you are unworthy of the loved ones you have betrayed!" He booms as Thor begins to be striped of his power and his armour. Thor's eyes burn with anger and confusion. He did not believe his father would ever do this to him, he thought he was special to him. "I now take from you your power." Lusine looks to Loki who watches wide eyed, reaching out to him would not be wise.

"I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!" Odin calls.

Lusine thought that would be the last time she ever saw Thor Odinson as she folded her hands together in front of her. Surely he was gone, never to return to Asgard. He would spend the rest of his long life on Midgard and she would rule as queen beside Loki.

But, Lusine Volkov thought she knew all about her future. She thought she was exactly where she wanted to be; she couldn't have been more wrong.

Chaos is coming, blades pointed to hearts and eyes set on the throne.

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913 words

this is a short chapter but it's kind of just getting me back into the swing of writing Lusine's character a little. I hope you enjoyed it! This will probably be the final update for a while though, sorry! but exams take priority