«Therefore, thine punishment shall be adequate, and guarantee the safety of everyone».
Loki’s eyes won’t look at him. They’re chained with their father’s – absent as they’d been staring into the void – so Thor lifts his gaze as well. He doesn’t meet the stern look of an impassive king, but the tired eyes of a suffering father. Months before, he wouldn’t have recognized the cracks in his expression, wouldn’t have noticed those lines on his forehead grow deeper and harder, his own words hurting him like lightning.
Now he does, and he’s grateful he can at least acknowledge and share his pain.
«To prevent thou from being a menace to the Nine Worlds again, thou shall be imprisoned in the deepest cell of the Palace».
He hopes it’s all there, that this is it, but he’s wrong.
The next words freeze him to his seat.
«For thine lips art venomous, and speak nothing but deceptions,» Odin continues, «they shall be sewn together with Eitri’s awl, so that no Asgardian, or Midgardian, shall ever be deceived by thine words again».
The crowd cheers, and Thor wants to scream.
This is too much, he thinks. This is cruel, Father.
He’s about to say it. He’s about to earn himself another punishment, he’s aware of that, but he can’t stay quiet. Loki might have been beyond reason, but he’s still of Asgard. He’s still his brother. And it doesn’t matter to him what any of those fool courtiers think, he’s ready to silence them with the might of Mjolnïr, if he has to.
That’s when his father speaks again, louder, this time, pure thunder shaking the whole building to the very core.
«By the authority vested in me as Odin Allfather, Father of All Gods, King of Asgard and Defender of the Peace among the Nine Worlds, this is my decision and no objections will be tolerated!»
He glances at him. Briefly, but long enough that Thor can see everything that hides behind his tired, old eyes.
I would give anything not to have to do this, son. It’s the best I can do not to condemn him to death.
It’s the first time he’s seen his father look so weak and powerless in his life.
Two guards escort Loki out of the courtroom. The people of Asgard won’t stop cheering. Loki doesn’t turn his head towards him once.
All that remains of his brother is the ghost of his lips pressing against his own.
Thor knows for sure that, if there’ll ever be one, next time their mouths touch, he will feel the bitter tang of blood on the tip of his tongue.
Fill: I hear you calling and it's needles and pins (Part 2/2)
Loki’s eyes won’t look at him. They’re chained with their father’s – absent as they’d been staring into the void – so Thor lifts his gaze as well. He doesn’t meet the stern look of an impassive king, but the tired eyes of a suffering father. Months before, he wouldn’t have recognized the cracks in his expression, wouldn’t have noticed those lines on his forehead grow deeper and harder, his own words hurting him like lightning.
Now he does, and he’s grateful he can at least acknowledge and share his pain.
«To prevent thou from being a menace to the Nine Worlds again, thou shall be imprisoned in the deepest cell of the Palace».
He hopes it’s all there, that this is it, but he’s wrong.
The next words freeze him to his seat.
«For thine lips art venomous, and speak nothing but deceptions,» Odin continues, «they shall be sewn together with Eitri’s awl, so that no Asgardian, or Midgardian, shall ever be deceived by thine words again».
The crowd cheers, and Thor wants to scream.
This is too much, he thinks. This is cruel, Father.
He’s about to say it. He’s about to earn himself another punishment, he’s aware of that, but he can’t stay quiet. Loki might have been beyond reason, but he’s still of Asgard. He’s still his brother. And it doesn’t matter to him what any of those fool courtiers think, he’s ready to silence them with the might of Mjolnïr, if he has to.
That’s when his father speaks again, louder, this time, pure thunder shaking the whole building to the very core.
«By the authority vested in me as Odin Allfather, Father of All Gods, King of Asgard and Defender of the Peace among the Nine Worlds, this is my decision and no objections will be tolerated!»
He glances at him. Briefly, but long enough that Thor can see everything that hides behind his tired, old eyes.
I would give anything not to have to do this, son. It’s the best I can do not to condemn him to death.
It’s the first time he’s seen his father look so weak and powerless in his life.
Two guards escort Loki out of the courtroom. The people of Asgard won’t stop cheering.
Loki doesn’t turn his head towards him once.
All that remains of his brother is the ghost of his lips pressing against his own.
Thor knows for sure that, if there’ll ever be one, next time their mouths touch, he will feel the bitter tang of blood on the tip of his tongue.