Cat and mouse (part 1) Revised version!

Chapter 25

One of the handmaids had helped dress in an extravagant black dress with intricate golden needlework across the bodice.
The large skirt of the dress was also done in this fashion, small pearls and gold beads sewed into the fabric between the designs.
They had pinned my hair up in an elegant updo, lined my eyelids with charcoal and applied a rose extract that dyed my lips a deep red.
When I looked in the mirror I was almost unrecognizable.
"Lady frigga told us to make you look bold." The maid said smiling at my reaction.
"It's definitely a statement." I said eyeing myself.
"You're here to try and save Loki?" One of the handmaidens asked.
She blushed delicately when she said his name, as did the other maids.
"Thats the plan." I said raising an eyebrow at their flushed faces and small smiles at the mention of him.
"Come, we should be going." The main servant said shooing away the gaggle of girls.
She ushered me from the room and down the exquisite hallways.
The closer I came to the council hall, the easier it was to hear loud voices arguing.
"Here you are m'Lady." She said gesturing to the half open doors in front of me.
I took a deep breath and walked through the doorway trying to ignore the shake in my hands.
I felt eyes turn towards me as I entered but kept my gaze forward.
The council hall was enormous. At least forty men sat in the high pews, all clothed in red robes and white hats.
Odin and Frigga sat at the front,  Thor was in the center below everyone in a small collosium layout, waiting for Loki and I to arrive.
The talking had slowed to short whispers as I made my way toward him, my dress swishing lightly around my feet as I walked.
I found Friggas eyes as she sat in a smaller throne next to the king, she smiled and nodded at me in encouragement.
I came to a stop next to Thor who gave me a nervous nod, I gave his large hand a little squeeze. We both had a lot on the line right now.
"Bring in Loki." Odin called.
I heard a door open to my left and turned towards it to see Loki being led out in chains.
I gasped when I saw a barbaric metal contraption across his mouth, wrapping around his head and locking at the base of his skull.
He looked at me as he walked past, winking quickly.
I frowned at his complete disregard for the seriousness of what was happening right now and hoped the council hadn't seen.
"Why is he wearing that?" I whispered to Thor.
"The council believes Loki has a silver tongue. So lest they be swayed by his magic they've taken his ability to speak."
I was going to ask how he would plead his case without speaking but Odin spoke, quieting the entire hall.
"Today we are hear to determine the punishment of Loki, son of Odin, son of laufey."
Son of laufey?
I glanced at Thor but he didn't seem to look confused, however Loki seemed to glower at the title.
"Loki, you are being charged with heinous crimes against the throne, breaking the treaty of the nine realms, destroying the bifrost, theft of ancient relics, and consorting to take over earth. The punishment by law, is death for any of these crimes."
Loki glared while his father spoke and I watched as his shoulders tensed.
Gone was the playful man who'd first walked in, he'd been replaced by a cold, vengeful god.
"If there are any who wish to speak on this boys behalf, and sway the verdict of death, speak now."
All eyes turned to me and it felt like my soul was under the weight of everyone's eyes.
"My name is Anna Briggs. I am from earth." I said feeling a sweat break out on my neck as I stepped forward.
"I have reason to believe that Loki was not acting alone and therefore should not receive full punishment."
Gasps and murmurs rounded the crowd.
My defense was based on giving testimony that he hadn't acted alone in his conquest, and hitting them with their own war mongering culture, no matter how long it'd been since their king had moved towards peace. 
"This man that stands before you was only following what he's been taught his whole life." I said raising my voice over the sounds of outrage around me.
"Wasn't it your way not so long ago to take power by force? Didn't you tell your sons to rule, you must first conquer?"
I glanced back at Loki expecting to see the same cold look he gave his father but instead saw a small spark of fascination.
"That was long ago." Odin countered.
"Loki is not a good man.." I said pointing at him.
"He is selfish and blood thirsty."
Lokis eyes narrowed, the previous light in his eyes shriveling.
"And it's those qualities that I believe he was manipulated by an outside force, taken advantage of by those weaknesses and used like a pawn and then discarded to take the brunt of the punishment."
"Do you have proof?" Someone shouted.
"Who are these forces your talking about?" Another voice rang out.
Questions got pelted at me from the sidelines.
"Quiet!" Odin boomed.
A man to my left stood glaring down at me before turning his eyes to his king.
"Your highness, are we really to trust the word of the disgraced princes concubine, She is clearly trying to save her master."
"I am not a concubine." I said trying to control my temper. "How could he have not hated my kind when it's so openly detested by yours? You all basically fed him the motivation, with your culture and self righteousness."
The council member snapped his mouth shut and glared down at me.
"What would you have us do with him?" Odin asked.
I hadn't really thought about that, I'm fact I was half making this up as I went.
"Would you have him walk the streets, a free man with no consequences?"
I bit my lip and thought for a moment.
"We have something where I'm from..called community service."
I couldn't help the small smile that spread across my face.
"It's supervised service to his community to help better his character. I suggest that we put him on temporary probation and see what he'll do with his freedom. Give him a chance to show that he's learned his lesson."
Odin raised an eyebrow.
"Absurd! He must be put to death!" I heard someone call out.
A chorus of agreement murmured through the crowd.
"I only ask that you remember how Asgardian kings ruled before your era of peace..someone that went and did what Loki did would have been celebrated, not put to death. Give him a chance to right his wrongs."
It was a long shot and I had no idea if what I was saying was accurate. I only had legends from my world to give me an insight to their history, and it was usually war or fighting amongst the gods but how much of those stories had been true? Loki had only given me tidbits himself but it was my best shot.
The has was quiet for a moment before Odin spoke.
"All in favor of death?" Odin asked.
I watched as hands rose in the air.
My heart sank at the volume of them.
"All in favor of temporary probation." Odin said sounding as if the term was a foreign one.
Hands hesitantly rose in the air and my hand went to my chest feeling like my heart was going to beat out of it.
I'd won!
"Temporary probation it is." Odin said knocking the end of his staff against the ground.
There were tears in Frigga's eyes as she looked down at her son.
"Leave us." He said to the council members.
They filtered out slowly, whispering amongst themselves. When the room cleared Odin and Frigga decended the stairs to the lower levels that we waited at.