Loki: Storm of Swords

Chapter 68 - The Serpent & the Rat

Loki paced the chambers he had been given; much smaller than he was used to. It was still nicely furbished, but not up to Loki's standards. He walked across the room back and forth and back and forth. He nibbled on his fingernail as he contemplated what had just happened. Those fools had tried to harm Daenerys and her family in an attempt to place him on the throne. What did they think would happen? Daenerys had dragons at her beck and call, and the Unsullied army would not answer to Loki if anything had happened to Daenerys. Loki would not be completely friendless, as he knew Oberyn's loyalties lay with him more than Daenerys. With Oberyn, Loki had the nation of Dorne to back him, but that was null now that Sunspear had been destroyed. "Ah! Why am I thinking these things?!" Loki challenged himself angrily, lashing out at the wall. His fist stopped mere inch from the stone as Loki controlled himself, but he also did it because he sensed a presence in the room with him.

"You're thinking those things because being a traitor is an innate part of your being. You were born to betray," said a snide voice and Loki turned around to see Baelish standing by the bed in the corner of the room.

"I was born to betray? Hmmm. I've taken my time about this, don't you think? As soon as I could betray you, I did so without a second's hesitation. And it was fun," Loki retorted with a grin. Baelish nodded.

"And now it is my time to return the favor. Oh... how long I have waited for this moment," Baelish relished and Loki chortled.

"How long you've waited?! Please! I've waited centuries to have my revenge on better enemies. There was once a dwarf for whom I waited 400 years to pay him back for what he did to me. That was worth waiting for," Loki said, remembering the little visit he finally got to pay Brokk after what the dwarf had done.

"Ah! A dwarf? What would a certain dwarf of our acquaintance pay to know that it was in fact you who finagled his brother's death. For, unlike you, he had a good relationship with said brother," Baelish reminded and Loki frowned ever so slightly. Tyrion had never really talked about Jaime's death, about how he took it, or about who he blamed, if anyone. Robb Stark had danced around the issue for a while after he and Tyrion had seen each other again, until Loki told him to just forget about it. At least that was how it had appeared to him after the fact.

"What would he pay? And, would he even believe you? Would a lion believe a rat? Or just eat it?" Loki posed.

"He might be a Lannister, but he is no lion. That lion is chained beneath this keep in deep, dark pits," Baelish answered.

"Don't pretend to feel any sympathy for Tywin Lannister. If you really felt anything for him, you would have freed him long ago. Instead, he is chained below and you're up here trying to taunt me," Loki pointed out.

"Did you get extreme pleasure out of betraying Tywin? Out of killing his son?" Baelish queried.

"Not extreme pleasure... but it was fun," Loki admitted. He leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. "However, that would only really apply to turning on Tywin. Killing Jaime was not something that brought me pleasure; it merely had to be done."

"So, it was an emotionless death? One life taken for the betterment of the many?" Petyr Baelish challenged.

"And don't pretend you never did that to suit your own ends. Don't climb up on a high and mighty horse, Littlefinger. You have no horse to climb on," Loki rejoined.

"But you did enjoy seeing his head get lopped off? You did get a thrill at watching it roll away, at your feet, perhaps? The sick amusement-" but Baelish's words were cut off as Loki suddenly charged him, slamming him against the wall, gripping the lapels of his long coat. The two men were looking each other firmly in the eyes; Loki's green ones burning, and Baelish's cool grey ones sparkling.

"Sick amusement?! How dare you speak of sick amusement when I know what you want to do to my wife and daughter. What depraved and immoral acts you would perform upon them. You don't dare speak to me of sick amusement!" Loki growled deep and dark, his skin turning blue as he went Jotun. His canines even grew.

"Ah! There's the monster!" Baelish teased. Loki reacted very negatively and leaned forward. Even though Baelish's threshold for pain had increased with his new powers, Loki knew how to illicit screams from the stubbornest of men. It was Baelish's cry of pain that brought the Unsullied and Tyrion Lannister into the room. Petyr Baelish vanished in a puff of ash and Loki spun around. Blood was dribbling from his mouth and he spat the cuff of Littlefinger's ear out from between his teeth. His labored breathing and growling made Tyrion stop. His red eyes focused on the dwarf and he inhaled and exhaled, trying to control himself.

"Tyrion," Loki said as he wiped the blood from his lips and stepped forward. Tyrion withdrew from Loki, his expression a cross between confused and furious.

"I heard what was said, Loki. Everything," Tyrion responded coldly and Loki felt his heart skip a beat. The blue faded from his skin and his eyes went back to being green.

"Tyrion, you had to have known. It's been many years, and you are not stupid," Loki said, still in denial at Tyrion's behavior towards him.

"I suspected, but nothing more. Robb Stark and I had a long talk when we first saw each other after the fact. He and I agreed to disagree and moved on. But, you never came to me to say anything about my brother's death, or the part you played in it," Tyrion accused and Loki's eyes narrowed.

"Your brother was undeserving of your love and loyalty, Tyrion. He was a bastard first born, who got everything he ever wanted. What about you and me? We're only the second sons, cast aside and forgotten, unless our 'betters' have use of us," Loki fired back.

"You were not to decide that! He was my brother and I loved him!" Tyrion shouted, actually angry now.

"Then you were more the fool than him!" Loki bellowed in return. The Unsullied had their spears pointed at Loki now, but they stood stock still, knowing that if Loki raised his hand against them, they would surely perish. Tyrion straightened up and his jaw was set.

"Then you and I have nothing more to say to one another. Loki, I cast off our friendship and will forever see you as my enemy from this day forward," the dwarf king said, and he turned away. Loki sank to his knees.

This is not a part of the plan. I never wanted him to know. I thought that I was his brother, Loki thought dejectedly as Tyrion and the Unsullied left the chamber. As the door was closed and locked behind them, Loki bowed his head and tears slid from his eyes.