All The Little Pieces

The Corruption Of Belan

The morning sunlight glinted off the blade of the knife as Loki twirled it slowly across his fingers. "So, tell me, brother, what have you discovered?"

Thor propped his elbows on the gleaming wood between them and sighed. He pushed back his long gold hair with both hands and licked his lips.

"Come now, you must have something." Loki sniffed in irritation. "It's been a week since I brought you the book. Tell me at least some of this is resolved?"

Thor gazed at his brother in annoyance. "Yes, I'm trying to thing of how to begin. Have a little patience."

Loki rolled his eyes and resumed spinning the dagger.

Thor leaned across the table toward Loki. "Oddly enough, the disappearing frost flowers that worried Elora and the missing book tie together. It actually worked out well that Elizabeth needed an obscure medicine."

Loki cocked his head. "How so?"

"It turns out that one of the Advisors, a man named Belan, was travelling off Asgard several years ago and ran into a man who deals in rare plants and minerals. He happened to have a frost flower with him, why, I don't know, and this dealer paid shockingly well for it. Belan started taking a flower here and there, and any time he got the chance, he met with the dealer to make a nice little sum of gold. More recently, he decided he could make quite a bit of extra cash taking a variety of Asgard's resources and selling them to this dealer."

Loki snorted derisively and crossed his arms as Thor continued.

"Of course, Belan had his regular job to do, so he couldn't spend all his time out looking for valuable items. He slowly drew in a group of guards, pulling from the lowest educated group, who wouldn't question him, and getting them to do the work for him."

"First he told them he just needed someone to help him do his special work. It was an honor to assist an Advisor, blah, blah. Then when the Bifrost started acting strangely, he wove that it, telling them evil was at work and only he had the power to hold the evil at bay."

"By the gods, they believed him?" Loki was incredulous. "That's not even a good story!"

Thor shrugged. "Like I said, he was using the very bottom level of guards, new, very young, or poorly educated. Anyone he could get to believe they were special and chosen for his mission."

Loki frowned. "So how did Fandral get mixed up in this? He's many things, but I've never known him to be corrupt or gullible."

Thor nodded in agreement. "No, no, you're completely right about that. The kitchen girl seeing him didn't have her story quite right. Belan wanted a rare book to sell, and didn't have easy access to the royal library, but Fandral did. Belan overhead Fandral and Volstagg talking at some point-"

"Shocking, someone overheard Volstagg." Loki's tone dripped sarcasm. "What an amazing turn of events."

"True, he doesn't know the meaning of quiet. Anyway, this girl wanted to try some things, Fandral thought a potion might help..." Thor held up his hands as Loki opened his mouth. "I really didn't ask for any details. But Belan overheard, pulled Fandral aside, and told him he knew of a recipe in a book that would do exactly what he wanted. He told him he thought it was rare, and there was only one copy, but if Fandral would get it, he'd make him the potion. Of course, the book would never have been seen again, but you found it before Fandral had time to give it to him."

Loki's lips twitched upward and he glance across the table at his brother. "Ah, well, I'm glad to be of service to the interim ruler of Asgard."

Thor shook his head with a smile. "I have to ask, how did you get the book from Fandral? He never mentioned you."

"That's because he still doesn't know I took it. He might suspect, but he has no actual proof." Loki smirked. "I went to his chambers and picked it up off a table."

"You just walked in? Fandral's not an idiot."

Loki shook his head. "No, Elizabeth went with me. We made a good team-quite good if he still doesn't know how you found out."

"I didn't tell him." Thor looked at his brother consideringly. "Elizabeth went with you. Hmm. So is there...are you two...?" He grinned.

"Why?" Loki's tone was suddenly challenging. "Because besides Mother, I only care about a woman if I want her in my bed? Not that I do in this case, but-"

Thor held up his hand placatingly. "No, no Loki, I didn't say that. But you must admit, women would line up for you in the past, and you didn't refuse them. It's only a natural question."

"Not anymore, brother. Attachment is pain. Sentiment is a disadvantage. Why put myself on the losing side?" The dagger was spinning faster through Loki's fingers.

"It's not because the women weren't interested." Thor gazed steadily at his brother. "It's because after Mother, after you faked your death, after you got caught, you didn't care anymore."

Loki started to rise. "Are we done?"

"No, there's one more important thing. You're not going to like this. It involves Elizabeth."

Loki's head jerked up. "What about her? Can Elora make her more medicine?"

"Yes, she's already started. You can rest easy about that." Thor noticed the flash of relief cross his brother's eyes. The dagger was a blur as it whirled across Loki's hand. "One of the things Belan told his minions was that Elizabeth was probably dangerous."

"What!"

"She's the only person the Bifrost pulled into Asgard, shortly after she woke, the Bifrost shattered, you know, that kind of thing. Clearly, she wanted the Bifrost to bring her here, and she's here for no good reason." He held up a hand at the look on Loki's face. "Let me finish. Belan is in the dungeon, as well as every guard that worked for him, I believe. I think we've found them all." He paused. "But there is a slim possibility that we have missed someone."

Loki slammed the dagger deep into the table. "How dare he! How dare he take her circumstances and use her like that!" He stood, both palms flat on the table. He was breathing hard as he grasped the handle and tore the blade savagely out of the wood. "I'll make sure. Which dungeon is he in?"

"No, Loki, don't go near him. Calm yourself and breathe for a minute. I have several trusted soldiers searching Belan's house for any other information right now. They should be back with a report any minute."

Thor stared at his brother appraisingly. "I need you to stay away from Belan and close to Elizabeth for the next few days. At least until we can make sure we have everyone and things begin to settle. Can you do that?"

Loki was still breathing hard. "Fine, I'll stay away from him, and don't worry, I won't leave her side." The dagger disappeared and strode across the room. At the door he turned and looked back at Thor. "But I promise you brother, if anything Belan has done or said harms her in any way at all, no matter how small, I will kill him. It will not be up for debate."

He slammed the door behind him.