44 Nights

Chapter 1 The Discovery

The large heavy beer glasses spilled its contents as it was slammed down on the thick wooden worn table that stretched the length of the great hall. Celebrations were being held. Thor had lead a battle that protected Asgard once again. He was a hero. Loved and adored by the people of asgard and worshiped by those close to him.

Loki flinched as another round of drunken singing commenced causing his ears to sting. There was nothing graceful or royal about the nights events. Loki wished he could be alone and locked in his room with his extensive collection of books and marvelous view over asgard.

As a part of the royal family Loki was duty bound to participate in the celebrations. Forced to sit in the extravagantly carved wooden chair and listen to the same battle stories repeated on a loop. Required to watch his brother wrap his mammoth arm around some nobody woman who took his fancy. It was expected for him to behave as he stared in jealousy and strained his ears to hear what filthy things Thor was whispering into the whores ear.

Loki could not be missing from the table, everything had to be as it was, like nothing had happened.

Loki sat back in his chair when he felt the harsh glare from his mother upon him. He looked down causing the long black strands of hair to fall in front of his face covering his frown. Odin's hand reached out and smacked Loki's leg as he tried to bring it up onto the seat. He looked through the small partition of his hair at his father and let out a deep sigh that could have been mistaken for a growl.

"Behave Loki"

"You should be happy for your brother Loki"

"You should respect your brother Loki"

The truth was that Loki didn't resent his brother for winning the battle and coming back home to celebrate. He always knew he could never be like him so why would he try? His mother Frigga knew the truth and it made her worried enough to keep Loki by her side at all times when company was at the palace.

"You forget, I was raised by witches" she would tell them when they tried to lie to her about trivial things such as stealing food from the kitchens or who hit who first. She didn't have to make them aware of her upbringing and nore did they have to tell her why Thor was in Loki's room... why they were both in bed... wrapped in eachothers arms... naked. Even someone who had no experience in witchcraft could tell what was going on.

Witchcraft, magic, spells, manipulation. All avenues were explored by their mother as she battled to come to terms with her sons betrayal and scandal they had bought onto the palace.

Very early on in the discovery Loki became aware that he was to be made the scapegoat. Her perfect son could never do this to her, it had to be the troubled ones fault. The one that was not of asgard, the adopted creature taken for a political purpose of peace between giants and asgardians. The frost giant baby that had caused more problems than fixed them.

The sound around him faded as Loki's gaze moved from his irritated father then to his disappointed mother and then down to his hands in his lap. One hand was cuffed to his chair with an a restraint that was undetectable apart from the red raw marks on his pale skin where the restraint dug into him. It was just a precaution. Just an insurance to make sure Thor's celebrations were not interrupted by the cursed lustful son who wished to bring shame on the Odin Royal family.

Thor had been gone for 44 nightfalls. Conveniently Thor was called away to battle the night of their discovery leaving Loki to face the consequences of their sin.

This had been the first time Loki had been allowed to be out of his room. Once his room was a place of sanctuary and comfort but now it had become his only living space. He knew every brick, every tile and inch of the large room but still he longed to be back there. Away from his mother's judgmental eyes.

Loki used his free unrestrained hand to push back his black locks of hair from his face which exposed the dark circles around his eyes, his almost transparent skin showed that showed off his purple veins, lips chapped and white, his neck was decorated with black and purple bruises.

Their eyes met. Thor had been avoiding looking towards the opposite end of the table and keeping his focus on his friends who were crowded around him and making sure his jokes were laughed at and his glass was full.

The expression on Thor's face was easy to read. People around him were oblivious to his grin dropping from his face and his eyebrows knitting together. They had not noticed his clenching fist and accusing looks he shot towards his mother and father for the state that his younger brother was in.

Loki pressed his lips together and tilted his head back on the chair as he closed his eyes tightly. A tear made its way down the side of his face and along his jawline. Frigga stood up and took hold of the invisible restraint and marched Loki away from the table before a scene would be made.

Thor's eyes followed them and then snapped his head to look back at his father who sat stoically with his drink in hand not daring to look towards his eldest son. Thor understood that their actions had consequences, that them being discovered would cause tension in the royal household but he suddenly felt nauseous thinking about what had been inflicted on Loki while he had been away.

The God of thunder excused himself from the already preoccupied table and headed for the door he had seen his mother and brother exit. He run his hand through his beard as he went over in his head what he would say to his mother, how he could calm the situation down, how he could save Loki from his misery he had left him to endure.

Thor caught up with them in the long corridors, his boots making a loud thud on the tiles beneath him making them aware of his presence. He stood before them taking a moment to look Loki over and then frown at his mother. The situation hurt his heart.

"Is this really necessary mother?" he asked, his voice was low, almost pleading. He had been looking forward to seeing Loki again. Yes he knew that they would be watched and they would have to be careful, he had dreamt of them finding dark and secluded parts of the gardens that surrounded the palace to be close and share affections. He thought that by the time he was home that it would be brushed over and become a new secret to keep.

Frigga nodded as she kept a tight grip on Loki's restraints. Loki looked down, exhausted, his heart aching knowing what his mother was going to say. She stepped forward standing between them "you must stay apart" she glared into Thor's eyes "Its for your own good" she placed a hand on Thor's cheek before turning and marching Loki back to his room leaving the older brother standing there shocked to see Loki so submissive.