Chapter Text
The chains that dug roughly into Loki’s wrists and ankles, clanged loudly, as he made his way through the many hallways and passages of the great Asgardian palace. He wouldn’t have complained about the restraints if the guards had chosen to spare the cold steel collar, the heavy chain that swayed loudly with each step, connected to the cuffs, just nagged to be broken. The two armor-clad soldiers that walked by his side in unison, marched confidently forwards, each step closer and closer to the throne room… to Odin… his fate.
Loki fought to tame his rapidly growing anxiety, his future and likely execution, looming ever closer.
Greasy black hair clung to his shoulders. The Asgardian Judicial system had been kind enough to lend him his fine leather clothes, the scuffs, and tears still evident from the last time he’d worn the garments, but anything was better than that horrendous prison uniform.
As he neared the towering, glistening doors of the throne room, the sound of footsteps on cold floors multiplied, a small convoy marching behind him and 2 more In front of him
He suppressed the eye roll at the theatrics of it all, trying to ignore his racing heart.
As the ginormous doors slowly slid open, he took a second to take in the scene awaiting his very presence.
Two rows of guards, shoulder to shoulder, filed a pathway down the center of the throne room, the golden steps to Odin’s throne the only possible destination. On the opposite side of the guards stood 2 great crowds of Asgardian residents, all waiting to see how the disgraced prince would be sentenced.
Loki let his eyes wander to the top of the steps, taking in Odin’s unwavering figure, his eyes locked onto his adopted son, unflinching, Thor, never far from his father’s side, simply looked disappointed. Regretfully his attention shifted to his mother, her eyes filled with sorrow, with worry.
He swore for the rest of his trial he wouldn’t look at her, not once.
He knew if he allowed himself to see the pain he had caused his mother, he would finally break for the last time.
He couldn’t bare the sight, his gaze swiftly turning towards the intricate gold designs that marred the shiny black floors.
With a final inhale, the great doors now open entirely, the guards tugged him forward once more.
The room snapped into sudden silence, the loud chattering and suspense held captive as every face turned to stare at him.
The echo of boots on the cold floor was the only sound audible as Loki was tugged further and further into the rooms, the silver doors creaking quietly closed behind him.
Loki was terrified.
Loki was often scared, running from something.
But this time there was no running, no fleeing, just the hollow eyes of his apparent father, as they bore down on him.
He repressed the urge to let this be known, deciding rather to smirk down at the floor as he neared the base of the steps.
He’d find a way to make this as miserable for everyone else as it were for him.
With a strong, abrupt jerk on either side of him, he felt the cuffs around his ankles tug violently, his own feet being pulled out from under him forcefully.
With an invisible wince, he landed harshly on his knees, the thick leather of his pants digging uncomfortably into his shins.
He finally lifted his chin, smirking, as confidently as he could, up at the king, mustering all of the smug and pretentious attitude he possibly could.
It did not matter.
He knew it didn’t matter.
He could never tell them his reasons.
This trial was as useless as his brother’s endless optimism. And yet he couldn’t find it within himself to blame his brother for stopping him. Or any of them if he chose to be honest with himself.
His head lolled to the side calmly as he surveyed the crowd to his left, the sea of disturbed and angry people felt appropriate, that’s the only thing he could really surmise he realized.
Languidly he let his head fall forward to face the throne at the top of the steps before him, the two guards that had marched in front of him now perched on either side of the throne a few steps below the king.
Odin always did need to feel superior, even in these small things, Loki mused to himself.
Not even his own guards would dare to stand on the same ground as he, the great king of the nine realms.
How ridiculous.
With a final loud sigh that echoed through the silent chambers, he opened his mouth, if only to make this situation as chaotic as he had promised himself he would.
If today were to be his last day alive, he would spend it how he lived, gleefully and without regret.
“Hello, father, love the dress.” his smirk widened only silently once he recognized the collective murmur from the crowds.
Oh, how he would cherish this final hour.
“Enough Loki” Odin emphasized with the loud reverberations as he hit the butt of his staff against the floor, the crowd settling into silence once more.
Odin leaned forward, eyes never once leaving Loki, nor did Loki let his gaze wander.
“We gather, to decide the fate of the Prince, Loki Odinson, for his crimes against the realms, both Midgard and Jotunheim” his voice spoke confidently, more for formality than anything else. Every conscious soul in the 9 realms knew what he had done.
Why he was here.
“I am no son of Odin, nor am I your property to brand when convenient, father” he spat the last word as he remembered why the man had bothered to raise him at all.
“No, you are no Odinson. I was wrong to ever attempt to tame a Jotun, you were never worthy of such a gift, you have proven this time and time again. You have disappointed the 9 realms for the last time Loki.” Odin let his eyes sweep the audience, gathered on baited breaths, as if this should be a warning to anyone who had as much as thought of stepping out of the king’s idea of perfection.
Loki’s confidence only wavered for a moment; this was not the first time Odin had told him his very life had been a gift. That he owed Odin for doing the amazing deed of not murdering a newborn child after bringing war to its people.
But it had been one of the few times other people had been there as witness.
And they did nothing but agree with him.
He truly was alone.
No matter, he would likely be dead in no more than an hour, he would not let these comments betray his bliss. You couldn’t threaten a dead man, he supposed.
“I’m sure I’ve satisfied quite a few in my time” he quipped, enjoying the way Odin’s lips pursed and Thor nervously eyed the all-father, even more than he usually did.
“I have sought council from many people amongst the 9 realms” Odin finally continued “asking for what they consider fair punishment for your crimes.” Loki straightened his back, chin still high with pride, if he were to be killed, he would do so on his own terms.
“After much discussion, your sentence has been decided.” Odin stared down to where Loki kneeled, chained and still holding onto whatever he had left of himself.
None of the beings still in the room dared to even breathe, the tension and suspense thicker than the roots of Yggdrasil.
“I, the all-father, sentence you to a life sentence amongst the very people who brought you to your defeat. The warriors of Midgard are to keep you prisoner however their laws see fit.”
The people gaped, a small few daring to whisper amongst each other.
Almost every person and creature, Loki included, had expected the death sentence. For Loki to be executed where he stood.
And yet this was even more cruel than the punishment of death.
To be kept a pet in a cage, by some mortals.
Loki felt the anger boiling in his usually Icey blood. Odin hadn’t as much as shifted, as he had sent Loki to lose his sanity.
To slowly lose himself. Lose what little remained.
Loki felt nothing but dread and unbridled rage, even in his final moments on Asgard, Odin wouldn’t allow him the peace of knowing what was to come next.
Thor’s eyes widened, as shocked as the people. He guessed Odin hadn’t told anyone of his decision, he never did.
Swiftly, Thor stepped closer to the throne, leaning slightly to speak quietly to his father.
Odin didn’t as much as turn to face his only biological son, only murmuring a few silent words before shooting him away implicitly with a small dismissive flip of his hand. Odin’s neutral stare never leaving Loki’s furious stare.
Thor paused for only a moment before turning, leaving without as much as a word nor as much as a glance at his brother as he rushed past.
The sound of the doors creaking open behind him, the only indicator that he had truly left the room.
…
Silence filled the chambers for only a moment before the room erupted into yelling and discontented chattering. Clearly quite a few had been hoping for his murder.
How civil.
None of it really mattered. Not now. Now that he knew he had hundreds of years before him.
Years and years, trapped in a foreign realm, tormented for the doings of the worst days of his life.
After some time, he wasn’t quite sure how long had passed, knelt and defeated once more; he glanced slowly to his side, not bothering to pick his head up; only to see most of the crowd had long since left.
To move forward with their lives, a life he would surely never see again.
He registered the shadow… shadows? That stood over him, slowly craning his neck to see the people that stood around him, the familiar faces that sneered down at him.
And yet his mind was numb, completely hollow for the first time in decades.
He couldn’t quite place how he knew the 4 warriors that bared down on him.
Yes. Yes, he knew them, they were close with his brother, the Warriors three, and Lady Sif, he thought absently. He heard the familiar clanking of metal as one pushed at the chains that tethered him to the ground, with the toe of their boot.
“you truly were always destined for disaster Loki, I’d like to say I wish you well but my manners seem to perceive me.” the blonde-haired man said flippantly.
“Goodbye Loki” he heard Sif say through gritted teeth, turning to march towards the door Thor had exited through.
The glowing light filtered back in front of him, the 4 figures stalking away, a quiet “good riddance” the only audible sound still to be heard as the last of the audience made their way to the exit.
Loki’s head sagged forward, he’d hoped it would be the last time he would let his father see him in this state, but he knew better than to underestimate his father’s cruelty.
Perhaps the Avengers would just kill him and get it over with.
A swift justice to put the people to sleep, he hoped it would finally give him the peace the overworld hadn’t been kind enough to reveal to him.
The slow, deliberate, and delicate, clicking of shoes caught his attention, the careful approach meaning only one person.
The only person who mattered.
The only person he couldn’t bare the sight of.
His mother crouched before his hunched form, his hair doing its best to conceal the head it was attached to.
“I’m sorry darling. I’m so sorry…” Loki could feel the unseen tears, tearing at his heart, begging for just a glimpse of her face. To memorize every detail, every strand of hair and the way her eyebrows raised when she was worried or excited, the way she looked at him. The way she cared.
And yet he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes for the last time, knowing it would be the last.
“I tried to negotiate, I tried my son, I truly did.” The croak in her voice did nothing to ease the inevitable, they both knew as much.
arms wrapped around him tightly, the queen draping her head over his shoulder and slowly running a hand through the hair that still fell down the back of his neck.
And still, Loki couldn’t find it within himself to speak, to tell her he was sorry, that he tried to fight it, and he was sorry she got a son like him.
But he couldn’t
So He just sobbed quietly into her gown, clutching desperately at the fabric, his last lifeline that would soon be torn from him, kept realms away.
“That’s enough Frigga, it's time” And like that Frigga was standing, slowly retreating back up towards the throne, Odin’s tone never once wavering.
No sorrow for a lost son, no remorse, just relief of a burden.
And like that it was over, Thor barged loudly back into the hall, tugging the chains from the guards, scratching further at Loki’s aching shins where he knelt. Thor hitched an arm under Loki’s, pulling him to his feet, tears still falling though turning more so into hiccups than sobs.
Thor practically dragged his brother further and further from the only home he knew.
And closer to his prolonged and agonising future.