What is Freedom?

The Liesmith and The King

"Loki?" Thor said as he turned to me. He seemed genuinely concerned about me. Well, so did Odin, but in a different way.

"How much of that did you hear?" the Allfather asked.

"Enough to know that you lied to me once more," I said, picking myself up off the floor. "And they call me the God of Lies... Maybe we do share blood, Odin. You don't seem to have a problem lying to not only me, but Thor, Frigga, and all of Asgard. I have to say, I'm not as shocked as I should be." I allowed a small smirk to cross my face. "Oh, wait until all of Asgard hears about this. Odin Allfather, their King, going behind his family's back to disown the Lost Prince of Joutenheim. How do you expect them to trust you after word gets out?"

"It won't, or I will have your lips sewn shut," he shot back.

"Fair enough, but that wouldn't help the fact that they would know of your deception."

"And what of your deception, liesmith? Your transgressions far outnumber mine," Odin said, "And do you truly think Asgard will gather behind a frost giant? The people agree with the sentence I have given you, no matter the way it was brought about!"

Then it struck me. What had been hid under a vail from me all these years was suddenly clear.

"You've just been waiting to disown me, haven't you?" I asked, more rhetorically than not. "From the moment you found me I was just a peace object, nothing more. You consoled me to stop a rebellion. Oh, but you failed. Now that you've found that I create war, not peace, you've just been looking for a way to throw me out of your family, right?" I looked him dead in the eyes... eye. "Well, you got what you wanted. Goodbye, Allfather," I spat before picking up my bag and exiting the throne room.

I felt the burning in my throat and behind my eyes, but I did not let them get the better of me as I stormed down the hallways and out to the front of the castle, paying no attention to the footsteps behind me and a voice booming, "Loki, wait!"

My head was spinning. All of my thoughs jumbled to one, and I couldn't focus. It was as though everything was a dream, a lucid yet horrid dream. I couldn't feel anything other than the lump in my throat, the fire behind my eyes, and the pounding of my heart.

In the heat of the moment, I found myself dropping the bag and walking toward the Bifrost, which had still not been fixed.

Walking.

Running.

Sprinting.

Jumping.