To Love A God

Trial

Rika stood to one side of the long, golden hall, with Frigga at her side, when seven guards brought Loki in, leading him to the base of the stairs in front of the Alfodr.

Rika’s heart jumped into her throat at the sight of Loki bound and gagged. She had to fight the raging urge inside her to run to him, unbind him, and run away with him. Frigga must have sensed something wrong because she put her arm around Rika’s shoulders with a gentle but firm hold. Rika’s hands balled her sides.

On either side of the Alfodr were the twelve of the Tribunal Conceal.

To Odin’s left was Baldur, Heimdall, Tyr, Sjofn, Vili, and Thor. To his right was Forseti, Freya, Hlin, Astrild, Syn, and Vör. Rika only knew Baldur, Thor, Forseti, and Hlin. Frigga had told her of the others.

“Heimdall is the guardian of Asgard,” she whispered to her as the tall, dark skinned man, covered in golden armor, moving to Odin’s left, “He sees everything, and protects operates the Bifrost. And that is Tyr,” she pointed to the man with his back straight and a focused look, as if he were on high alert, his mid-back length blonde hair swept back, a neatly arranged mustache and beard and sat to Odin’s left, “He is the god of war, as the mortals have called him in the past, but he is one of the greatest warriors in service to Odin.

“That,” she whispered still as a young woman with flowing red hair entered and sat at Odin’s left, “Is Sjofn, she helps with arguing married couples, she also aids in the marriage ceremonies. Vili,” she nodded to an older man, almost as old looking as Odin, with a waist long white beard and hair in floor length white robes and a staff, sitting to Odin’s left, “Is Odin’s younger brother. He is the wisest of all of us, even more wise than Odin himself. Freya sees over love, fertility, and battle,” a woman with shoulder length light brown hair in a feathered cloak, her bright bronze eyes shining as she looked at Rika and sat at Odin’s right, “Astrild is a passionate woman, very protective of those she cares about as well.”

The woman Frigga was speaking of was the most beautiful, voluptuous woman Rika had ever laid eyes on. She wore practically nothing, a deep cut v-neck blood red tunic that came mid-thigh and draped off her shoulders, leaving nothing to the imagination. Suddenly, Rika felt very garish in her presence. Next to a woman like that, Rika couldn’t hold a candle. 

“Syn is a defendant, be weary of her, she sees the truth,” Frigga interrupted Rika’s thoughts, “She defends any who stand trail accused of crimes such as those Loki has committed.”

A woman, seemingly in her mid twenties, with wild, curly black hair walked in, sitting to Odin’s right.

“Ah, lastly is Vör,” Frigga introduced, “No one can keep anything from her, she searches every little detail out so nothing is hidden.”

This woman was unlike any of the others. She stood with an air of authority that was staggering and watched all around her, as if she could see into the truth of who they all were. She had a waterfall of shining silver hair that came to her waist and piercing white eyes.

They all sat, now, awaiting the trail to begin as Loki was brought before Odin, king of Asgard.

“Remove his gag,” he ordered in a resonating voice that shock Rika to her very bones.

Three of the seven walked up, two to hold Loki and the one to remove his mouth coverings.

The Alfodr rose from his seat, “Loki, you have been brought before this tribunal to be judged for your crimes to Asgard and those to Midgard,” Odin bellowed so that all might hear, “You have committed treason, murder, called war done on us, and have put everyone in the Nine Realms in danger. Each of the twelve shall judge you and I shall carry out the punishment as seen fit for your crimes as you are charged.”