The Queen of Jotunheim

Chapter 27: Foundation of Lies

Chapter 27:
A Future Built on the
Foundation of Lies

"What?!" Odin said, his voice dark and heavy while thunder seemed to spark in his eye, yet Loki felt like he could almost hear the smile in his voice, though it was not on his face. "Are you declaring war now? On what grounds?!" He sounded outraged, and yet there was an underlying delight in his tone.

"I am doing no such thing," Nix said, gesturing to herself, "I am saying that as the situation is standing, I don't see there being peace between our realms. You clearly don't trust me or my people, and peace is built upon trust." She sighed like a disappointed mother who was not surprised her child got into trouble again, but still had hoped for a better outcome.

"I have been showing you and your people a lot of faith already," Odin said, almost giving a cocky grin as he looked down upon Nix, "your people did just break into our realm and treasury before we started this peace treaty, so by trusting you into our realm I have already shown you more mercy then it seemed you deserved."

"It seems your old age is making you forgetful Odin," Nix said, creating a choir of shocked gasped in the crowd as she dared to face off against the Allfather, "your oldest son was the one who broke into our realm and started a battle that resulted in the death of some of MY people." The air around Nix seemed to get colder as her sharp gaze almost seemed to throw daggers at Odin.

"My people are the only ones who have shed any blood doing both of those encounters, and yet we trusted you to be a good host and keep us safe while we were here. We are the ones who showed you more grace than you seem to deserve." The faces of the people watching were now a mix of outrage and doubt, for Nix was insulting their King... But was she wrong?

"We were the ones to suggest opening diplomatic talks once again," Nix said, sweeping her hand out to the crowd as she seemed to address them for a moment, "the thing we wished for was a better future for all of the realms, but the future is built upon the past," she turned her hard gaze back to Odin, the air around her seeming to freeze with her next words, "and until the sins of the past are atoned for, the way to that future is forever murky and unstable."

"The actions of the past should stay in the past," Odin said, his voice low as his thunderous eyes seemed the glare lightning at Nix, the air crackling around him, "there is nothing left to discuss. Our realms had already written a peace treaty long before the crown fell into your hands, Queen Nix," he continued, gesturing up to the ceiling above where Nix was standing, making all gaze upon the mosaic there.

Loki's gaze followed too, and while he was very tense from the situation, he could not help but admire the picture there. It was a living mosaic of Asgards virtues and history. The middle of the mosaic was Asgard itself, shining bright and open with the bifrost seeming to reach down and invite whoever gazed upon it. There were depictions of parties and celebrations as they were known for the feasts.

There was himself along with his family shining bright though he always felt a bit off about that one, feeling himself being drawn a bit on the outside. The painter had drawn him with his more mischievous smile that didn't seem to quite fit the feeling of the painting, and he almost seemed to be standing to the side, his mothers back to him. He always told himself it was because his mother had to face Odin as the Allfather... But it still seemed rather odd.

There was the time Hogun presented the goblet of Vannir to Thor, it was depicted as being a big deal, being the moment Hogun joined the group by offering something valuable to Thor, but the truth was they just had a drinking party and that is how they became friends, so that one was a bit overglorified

And then of course there was the painting depicting the peace treaty between Jotunheim and Asgard, led by Laufey and Odin... Though they were standing with their backs to each other, and knowing now what he knew, Loki wondered if that part was fake... And he started to wonder if the other parts were fake too.