Chapter Text
"Perhaps, Lord Fárbauti, you would mean to please me?" Laufey said, pacing the room quietly, heavy crimson eyes watching Fárbauti.
"I know not of what I mean to do with you, Laufey King, only that I was summoned to your presence." Fárbauti says, trying to keep his voice steady and plain. Fárbauti was strong, but even the strongest tremor before Laufey.
"I mean many wicked things for you..." Laufey said, pulling Fárbauti to his feet.
In conclusion, that could be the simplest explanation of the origin of Laufey King's lover.
Helblindi was the first child, born into a glorious golden age of Jötunheimr. Beautiful ice palaces and temples lined Helblindi's city. The people were cheery and content. When season came in, the fishermen were prosperous.
Helblindi grew up with a touching coolness in his heart of the Casket of Ancient Winters. He grew and under the approval of his sire, Fárbauti, and his dam, the King. His parents were the fiercest of the fierce, and Helblindi and his brothers yet to come would be fiercer.
Laufey's second pregnancy was miserable. He could hold no food, and he had rapid, random, deteriorating mood swings. When the councilmen did not follow his irrational orders, men were found dead on the floor.
Laufey bore a second youngling. The child was named Loki, and early in his life, Loki presented the most curious qualities. While bright and clever like Helblindi, the child had no spots for his horns to grow, which puzzled Laufey and Fárbauti. It was only seven weeks after his birth, that Loki's parents realized the boy was growing hair.
A runt.
The news that Laufey King had bore a runt spread life wildfire through Jötunheimr. It said nothing of the child, but only of the child's dam and sire, this weakness. It was shameful for Laufey to have bore such a weak, useless son. Many thanked the Norns that Laufey King had bore Helblindi first, for what an unnatural mess a runty king would be.
Not long after this relevation, Loki was brought to the temple. He was laid on the ground before an idol of a great king of Jötunheimr past, where he would wait, for all the great chieftains and warriors to come.
Loki was given little food nor drink in his wait, as to purify his body. Only enough to sustain him.
The great men of Jötunheimr arrived, bearing gifts. They were placed in the rooms of the Ice Palace that would soon become Loki's.
They were led into the temple, where the infant child was set upon a pedestal, his curious eyes looking around the new menagerie for him to watch. But he was so hungry! It was cold here... Colder than he liked.
The child's eyes brightened, recognizing its dam as Laufey King came into the temple, walking straight up to his son. Fárbauti followed, holding Heblindi's hand. Laufey filed up to the pedestal, picking up Loki. The child gave a coo of approval, latching his tiny hands onto his dam.
Laufey lifted the boy into the air, and Loki looked down in wonder. Yes, he was very high up...
"Please," said Laufey, "we beg the Norns, we pray, please give Loki a path. Give him strength."
"Please." The crowd ducked their heads to pray, focusing all their attentions on the princeling runt. Fárbauti glanced at his other son, and Helblindi was praying hard, his hands clasped together in his lap and his eyes screwed shut..
Laufey King fell pregnant again, not long after, to the chagrin of many. This pregnancy was smoother, and a healthy child was born, by the name of Býleistr. Many had given complaint that, perhaps it should've been Laufey to sire the final child, as Laufey's womb had failed them before, had it not? But they were soon quelled and silenced in the first week of Býleistr's life, who was born large for Jötunn get and had a strength matching Helblindi's on his first days.
All three children were born thoughtful and clever. Laufey and Fárbauti imported more and more texts from Álfheimr, Vanaheimr, and even Asgard, for the children quickly read through all the texts Jötunheimr had to offer (twice). Without instruction nor encouragement, the children compared and debated their knowledge.
Fárbauti instructed his children in learning the ice magic that flowed under every Jötunn's skin. Helblindi and Býleistr were adept at the skill, forming much ice quickly, but it had little shape apart from 'sharp'. But Loki was truly the one to excel--within his first days harnessing the talent, Loki could shape fine, ornate daggers, swords, spears and shields. Such ability was usually only displayed by warriors who had well practiced the talent for centuries, and Loki did the feat in mere weeks.
Fárbauti dug deep into the texts, and found a tall stack of books on magic for Loki. He helped Loki to follow the instructions he could not understand well, and the child excelled further. Fárbauti and Laufey watched in astonishment as Loki harnessed the seiðr they had no access to, he moved objects and created empty shadows of himself for their entertainment.
On one quiet evening, Loki asked his family to sit in the throne room so he could demonstrate a new achievement for which Loki was very proud. Laufey sat on his throne in the hall, with Fárbauti and the other sons sitting at his feet, when the mite of a child entered the room.
"What have you to show us, Loki?" asked Laufey, and Loki grinned.
"It is very special." Loki said proudly. His dam and his sire looked on him expectantly, and his brothers seemed very excited, as Loki took a deep breath and created a double. Laufey leaned closer in interest.
Loki spoke silently to the shadow for a moment, his lips moving, but making no sound. The double nodded.
This in itself was momentous--Loki had never created a double that had the ability to move itself anymore than breathing.
Loki linked arms with the clone, and the clone bent his knees and threw Loki in the air, and with the momentum Loki flipped and landed softly on his feet, continuing the acrobatic dance that his brothers had learned the week before, and Loki had only watched, as their was no partner suitable or safe in size for him to learn with. Loki had been brokenhearted, for wouldn't he need this dance to acquire a mate?
Evidently, Loki had managed to learn the dance.
When he finished, his family burst to applause. Loki ran up to them, the shadow dissolving into the air as Laufey rose from his throne, and Loki's dam wrapped his arms around him, Loki giggling.
"Now, when I'm big and tall, I'll be able to dance with everyone too!" Loki said, extremely pleased with himself, and as Loki's brothers congratulated his fantastic magic, Laufey and Fárbauti exchanged knowing glances. So Loki still didn't understand he would never grow to proper size, then?
"So can you make your shadows do anything now, Loki?" Fárbauti asked his child.
"Yes, sire." Loki said, "I can only make one now be solid and move, but I can still maintain other images as I concentrate on the one. Maybe someday I can make more than one a real personality!"
"I am so very proud of you, Loki." said Fárbauti, and Loki let his sire ruffle his hair.
It was such a happy memory, but so tragic too, because the only partner Loki could ever have was himself.
Loki was a lovely child. Unconventional, weak, yes, but lovely. And beautiful. His face was finely shaped, and his long, black hair only accentuated this. Those who complained of his runtiness before did compliment him on his beauty, with silken black hair crowned in braids, and thick eyelashes framing pretty red eyes.
His brothers were handsome too, in the traditional way. The three children arranged in age order were indeed a pretty picture, and a portrait of the family was commissioned.
Laufey hung the portrait, and stared at in contemplation. Fárbauti sat next to his mate, in a lesser chair, watching his face.
"What are you thinking of, Laufey?" Fárbauti finally asked. Laufey King blinked, as if being drawn back to life.
"Loki." Laufey said sadly. "He will never feel a part of society in Jötunheimr. I want to give him a home where he could feel competent. I have thought of marrying him off, but to no avail."
"Oh?"
"Álfheimr does not accept outsiders. In the culture of Asgard, he would be an unacceptable anomaly. No Vanir of suitable stance would take a spouse that was neither male nor female."
"I do see the predicament." Fárbauti said, "what do you mean to do, then?"
"Perhaps..." Laufey trailed off, "perhaps I would give him a realm."
"But which? Conquering is no simple matter."
"Midgard. They are unorganized, and primitive. They have no contact with the other realms. Loki would make a fit king of Midgard, and he could be of much benefit to the realm." Laufey said.
"I would agree... But Laufey King, Midgard, it is under protectorate of the Allfather. He would surely wage war against us if we should try to conquer Midgard... Do we risk that? Warring with Asgard is much different from Midgard."
"We do it for Loki." Laufey said.
"Undoutedly."