"She lied but not often?" Loki repeated Thor's words, but his sneering tone painted them in a different meaning entirely. "Every word from her lips was a lie for the whole of my life, or do you claim she had no knowledge that her younger son was a cuckoo in the nest?"

To speak of Frigga hurt like nothing else ever could. He was angry at her, but most of his anger had been directed at Odin. It had been the All-Father who stole him for designs that would never come to pass. And even if Frigga had lied to him, it was much harder to deny her love than it was to deny Odin's or Thor's. It was hard to maintain his anger when he recalled the cool touch of her hand on his brow, or the loving whisper of her voice as she taught him the magic that was so much a part of him.

His voice tightened and tears stood out in his eyes, completely at odds with the words that continued to spill out like venom. "She holds as much blame for this as any other, do not think her death shields her from that culpability."