Unexpected

Getting to Know Loki and the Outing's End

We had settled under the large oak tree I had seen from the front of the quaint ice cream shop and licked our frozen treats in its shade. The cool of the cone felt heavenly against my still sore hands and the shade blocked the worst of the heat. Playing away in the pavilion which wasn't too far off now, was the little group of violinists and the flute player, making a lovely melody that floated over me as I leaned against the rough bark of the trunk and sucked in the freshness of the air.

"This really is very nice." I sighed rubbing one of my hands over the bright green, kind of itchy grass, "Thank you, Loki. I missed being outside."

I heard him shift his position a bit, but didn't turn my face to see what he was doing and he was just outside of my peripheral vision leaning against the tree trunk as well, "You're welcome. Does it help relieve you of some of your homesickness?"

"A bit." I assented, then after hesitating a moment, I continued a little quieter, "I still miss my actual home, my family and friends, but it does help." I thought about my words for a moment and a new question filled my head and I sat up and looked at him, "Do you miss your home, Loki?"

"Home?" He asked as he licked at a drip of mint chocolate chip ice cream that was running down his cone and getting on his fingers. He was still a newbie to the wonderful world of ice cream.

Giggling at his comical little struggle, I specified my question, "Asgard."

He lifted his eyes from his ice cream and looked me in mine for a moment. There was sadness in his blue-green orbs, and pain, and anger. "I suppose I do miss it sometimes, but I doubt I could even call it home anymore."

His tone was bitter, and while I might've let the conversation die a few days ago, I felt like I could ask another question, "Why?"

It was such a small question, only one word long, but I knew it was also a huge question that entailed a lot of the pain and problems he held inside. His eyebrows rose at my question, probably in surprise that I went so far as to ask something so personal of him. Once again he gave me that searching look he gave me when deciding if he should tell me or not.

"If you don't want to tell me, that's fine though." I said quickly, not wanting to push him.

"I never belonged there anyways." He finally said after he'd scanned my eyes again.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought I did. All my life I knew I was different, but I was told that I belonged. That I was a prince meant to be a king one day, but I told you already that I was betrayed and lied to." He looked away from me and sat there silently for a minute, taking deep breaths, "As it turns out, I'm not from Asgard at all. I was adopted, taken from the realm of my birth by Odin who only wished to use me one day to bring a permanent peace between him and the people of my birth realm. I was nothing more than a tool for him to use one day at his leisure. I was never a prince, never his son, but a stolen castaway spawn of those wretched monsters!"

The anger and pain in his voice frightened me and I was sure that his face was screwed up in his emotions, though I couldn't see it since he'd turned his face away. Licking my lips I ventured, "How do you know? He might love you."

His laugh was cheerless and cold as he swung his face around to look at me, "He always favored Thor, and now it seems so obvious why, because Thor is truly his only son."

"And what about your mother? Queen Frigga? She loves you."

His eyes and face softened for a moment before he turned them down towards the ground, "It doesn't matter. They've lied to me and thrown me away now. I no longer need them. At great cost I have set myself up to rule here, once the portal can be opened I'll have an entire army at my command and Midgard will fall to me and I will rule the realm as the king I was meant to be."