A GENERAL MISUNDERSTANDING

Chapter One

The red velvet cape weighted a ton. It was supposed to be comfortable and warm, it felt like a cage of lead. The strings of pearls and the chains of gold adorning his bridal hairstyle were so tightly set they were giving him a headache. The same set of pearls and gold was circling his legs, supposedly to emphasize his beauty, his purity and his high status. Everything that he wasn't in his own family's eyes. But most of it it was to make it clear to Asgard that Jötunheim was giving its most precious jewel. Supposedly.

Except that none of this was true.

To Loki, they were just chains to prevent him from running away. The jewels and precious fabric, a showy wrapping to hide his worthlessness, his ugliness and the fact that, as a pseudo guarantee for peace, the Jötunns were making a laughingstock of Asgard.

The hypocrisy of it all was simply hilarious to them.

Loki didn't care. Loki was beyond caring.

They had finally arrived at the end of what was Loki's only and most dreadful journey of his whole, short life. It had been pretty fast actually. From his father Farbauti's ice castle and massive stone town through the icy moors and then at the foot of the Bifröst, it might have been barely half a day...

The whole time had been only spent reminiscing. He was deaf and blind to everything that was happening around him, the congratulations, the celebrations, the glorification of this farce and the horror of all this ridiculous parade. Farbauti and Odin had finally made their peace and the union of their children would be the blessed conclusion of it.

In reality, Farbauti was simply getting rid of his shameful spawn. And if it gave him the opportunity to get rid of the Asgardian issue as well, then it was a good day for the Jotünn king.

So Loki had been informed that he was sold out a few days before the departure.

No one was interested in his opinion, of course. The runt was not allowed to have one. It had always been this way since its birth...

In a perverse, contorted way, it came as a relief.

Loki had no prospect. No claim whatsoever on Jotünheim. He was nothing but a runt and people, mainly his own family, constantly made sure it was crystal clear in his mind. A mistake of nature, to put it mildly, and mistakes of nature had no future. This last twist of speech made his brothers laugh their head out.

Loki was still treated with respect, at least in appearance. All his needs were attended to and if he hadn't received an excellent, princely education, he would have ended his misery by banging his head on the walls or, at the very, least he would have grown mad, as the easiest way to cope with it all. No one mistreated him, at least openly, but no one made any connection of any kind with him either. To say that Loki had the most lonely royal childhood was a euphemism.

And now it was over. The only utility of his parents' scorn, his brothers' abuse, his people's indifference was that he had absolutely no regret. He had left without a backward glance, without even a pinch of his heart. It was a strange sort of blessing in disguise, a weird relief...

But it was out of the frying pan into the raging fire.

Loki knew that nothing but death awaited him in this parody of a marriage.

The entrance of the Bifröst and its golden-clad guardian were as impressive as Loki expected them to be. While the Mighty Heimdall was doing his usual greetings to his parents, Loki noticed a stiffness in the warrior. As if he maintained a safe distance from the ice monsters. Not that Loki could blame him.

Then Heimdall turned towards Loki and smiled as he welcomed him.

"Royal Heir, I greet thee. My Prince has been eager for this day to come."

Loki tried an awkward smile. He didn't know how to fake it though his mother regularly forced him to, among other stupid etiquette things... She actually thought an occasional slap would help him to grin, by the Norns...

"I thank the High Guardian and the Heir of Asgard..."

He was almost tasting bile as he spoke. He knew this was a masquerade. He knew what was his fate once he set foot on the ground of Asgard.

He knew that the moment he would be wedded and alone with the Thunderer, Thor Odinson would kill him.

Loki only hoped he would do it fast and as painless as possible. But he didn't count on it.

Loki had a very precise memory of the moment his brothers told him what would be his fate. First, he was digesting and trying to understand the meaning of what his father had proclaimed to all asunder in the Great Ice Hall, that the war was over and that Prince Loki would marry Prince Thor. He was lost in his thoughts when his elder brother Helblindi had slapped him hard on the back, making Loki gasp. It was not a brotherly gesture. It was meant to hurt.

"Look like runts actually do have a use ! Well done, Brother, thanks to you, we will overrule Asgard !"

Loki didn't answer. He knew better than antagonize the true Heir of Jötunheim. Brother or not, prince or not, if there was the slightest sign of displeasure from Helblindi, Loki would be severely punished. Yet he didn't want to give his bullying elder what he wanted.

"Aren't you glad ? You have a purpose at last ! You are now free of any worry, you won't even have to do a thing !"

Loki gave a lopsided, cautious smile. Helblindi's attitude was strange. Despite of all the rest, if Loki was to be wedded to the Heir of Asgard, his position would be at least equal to Helblindi as the Consort Heir. Not to mention that, if peace was truly established, Asgard would ensure its superiority on Jötunheim, making Helblindi a vassal to Loki's royal husband… And thus to Loki himself… His cruel gaiety hid something bad for Loki and he didn't want to ask his scheming brother what was making him so merry.

"Can't you guess ?" Helblindi said in a less friendly tone (he knew that Loki refused to indulge him and it always made him mad) "This is nothing but a sham ! What is really going to happen is that the Scourge's offspring will kill you after raping you and thus provoke a new war ! Thanks to your sacrifice, Brother, we'll appear as the wronged party and will seek revenge for your honor !"

If Loki had been Asgardian, he would have felt as if he had been thrown naked in an icy pond. But cold being his home, it is hard to describe his sense of shock and horror.

But he quickly gained back control of himself. Years of loneliness and scorn provided a good training.

He miraculously managed to make a courteous, neutral smile.

"Glad to have been of use, Brother..."

He curtsied and left. Helblindi angrily stared at his back, enraged of having failed in provoking dread and despair apparently.

Of course, and luckily for Loki, he didn't see his long-time suffering little brother locking himself up in the safety of his chambers, his back stuck to the door, sitting on the floor in a dazed stupor, silently weeping and his eyes opened wide in horror.

When he finally managed to compose himself, Loki decided this life was not worth living anyway, that this fate might be a blessing in disguise...

What was he supposed to do?

He was discovering Asgard for the first time. It was indeed the total opposite of his father's Ice City. As warm and golden as the Ice capital was dark and cold. Both very grand but never in his father's lair would have Loki heard such screams of joy, such abundance of light and celebration, such cheers. Jötunns feared his father and the royal family. Here, the Scourge and his spawn, as well as his red-haired mate, the warrior queen, were beloved and respected.

Surely because they were the bloodiest of all… Who would know ?

There had been less cheer at the sight of the Jötunn embassy, as expected. But, still, their presence and Loki's was the proof of the peace and wealth to come. So the Asgardian had little to complain.

After all, and contrary to Loki, they would survive this day...

Loki found it in himself to find the palace incredibly huge and golden. But as he saw the royal court waiting at the huge shiny portal, he felt his heart was giving up. No, he wouldn't die of a heart attack because he was scared to death at the sight of the Scourge and his Mate.

There he was with his mighty golden toothpick. All dignity and grandeur. His dreary, single grey eye piercing Loki. The Jötunn prince had never seen him in person, only from afar, behind the safety of his father's walls. Seeing him so close and in the flesh gave Loki goosebumps. His Mate was less scary. She was making a warm smile Loki didn't trust. Her son was about to commit premeditated assault and murder, why was she so serene and seemingly happy ? Did her Mate hide the plan from her ? Or did she knew and not care at all ? She also was a warrior, maybe the smell of freshly shed blood pleased her...

"Welcome, friends, to Asgard." The Queen saluted to the embassy. "And welcome to you, Prince Loki... Our new son." She turned to Loki and gave him a wider smile. Loki tried to control himself once again for he had shivers down his spine again.

To him, that smile was one of a ghoul, ready to feast on his corpse.

He forced himself into a respectful curtsy, hoping it would hide his trembling legs.

"I, Prince Loki Laufeyson of Jötunheim, respectfully bow to All-Mother and All-Father..."

He also hoped no one would notice the bile threatening to fill his throat at the words he was forced to say. He loathed them both, he hated them... No, he didn't exactly hated them. They weren't responsible for his birth or his parents. But they were responsible for being the enemies of his country and making him pay for their little quarrel. And most of all, he hated them for having produced the Thunderer...

He was yet to meet said Thunderer, his future "husband."

Most likely his executioner, as he had been to countless frost giants...

Loki heard a commotion from behind the King and Queen were standing, laughter and loud noises. Loki felt his heart sinking. He knew that was him.

And here he was, blond with blue eyes, loud mouth, red cape, hammer and all. He didn't have his feathered helmet but the rest spoke for itself. Loki remembered a time when he had peeked the battlefield with a telescope and saw the awful sight of him, covered in jötunn blood and seemingly overjoyed with the kill.

Loki tried very hard not to scream, not to faint or throw up. He barely contained his shaking though...

Thor Odinson, still laughing, averted his eyes from his noisy friends to the voice of his mother. Loki couldn't hear what she was saying as the blood was rushing to his ears but it was obvious that she was telling him to behave and pay attention. She made a quick nod of her head towards Loki and that was how Thor locked eyes with his intended.

Loki realized he was thinking that Thor's eyes were exactly the same shade of blue as the icy pound in his father's royal garden, where he used to dream and think alone. A very silly thought considering those eyes were nothing like the peaceful place.

Thor had literally frozen at the sight of Loki, as Queen Frigga was making presentations none of the concerned parties heard. Thor looked shocked. He was probably disappointed by how easy that kill was going to be with such a lithe and tiny prey. He was standing there, gawking at Loki, his mouth almost agape. If Loki wasn't in such despair, he would have laughed because this curious bug made the prince look very stupid instead of terrifying.

"Well, Thor?" Frigga's voice woke them both. A certain amount of politeness was demanded of Thor but he simply jumped at his mother's voice and looked at her, clearly lost. Loki wondered if he wasn't probably drunk to be that slow.

In spite of his state of horror, Loki was adamant on keeping appearances. He then proceeded to kneel at the feet of the reasons of his doom.

"I, Loki Laufeyson of Jötunheim..."

He never finished his sentence. As his eyes were cast down the floor and before his knees even touched the ground, he was brutally pulled up and held against a wall-like chest, his face scratched by a rough beard and a mouth like a furnace was forcefully kissing his.