#she's already long gone and far away by the time the subject of thor's marriage comes up

[kinnoth]

Ok but think about how fucking horrible Loki would have turned if Thor had managed to become king. Like, even when they were only princes together, there was basically nothing Loki couldn't get away with: bullying the patriciate, being a flagrant wizard, spending extravagant amounts of money on absolute tat. And then, he was only the third most powerful man in the empire. With Odin gone, and only Thor who could possibly curb him? Dear fucking god.

Bc when has thor ever showed an interest in curbing anything loki has ever wanted or done

[imagine-loki]

Monsters and Magic

TITLE: Monsters and Magic

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 68/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine you’re a vampire who helps the Avengers defeat an evil seethe of other vampires, and Loki befriends you after you end up in their custody

RATING: T (again after last chapter)

NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

The entire table tensed at Odin’s words, but none of you could argue with his wishes, especially when they were worded as a demand. Loki glanced over at you and you could feel the tension in him.  He didn’t want you alone with Odin.  

You didn’t want you alone with Odin.

You were terrified and felt your palms sweating.  At another time, you’d marvel at the feeling you hadn’t felt in years, at your body reacting and acting alive again.  But right now fear rushed through you at the prospect of facing the man who had kidnapped and tortured you.  And he wanted to face you alone.

There weren’t curse words strong enough for that situation. 

You saw Loki stiffen, saw it in Bucky as well out of the corner of your eye.  They would fight, and die, to keep you from facing this order if they got the slightest hint that you needed it. You couldn’t let them die just because of your fear.  You placed a hand on Loki’s arm, a silent command for him to stand down.  He gave you a questioning look and you nodded.  You would face whatever Odin wanted.  

You tapped on Loki’s mind telepathically, a reminder to him that you could contact him if you needed help.  He let you stand at that reassurance. He had seen Odin’s expression too.  Odin’s will was law and he would be obeyed, even at his son’s life if necessary.  You were going to make sure that didn’t become necessary, no matter how much Odin terrified you after what he did to you.

You weren’t going to forgive him easily.  

You weren’t going to trust him. 

You kissed Loki cheek, touched his arm before you stepped from the table.  They were small, reassuring gestures.  Odin, Thor, and Frigga all noted that they were the same types of little gestures that Frigga used to calm Odin’s temper.  

At Odin’s gesture you stepped away from the table with him.  You surprisingly didn’t leave the room for real privacy, but went to sit and talk  at the empty head table.  You remained in full view of everyone, but far enough away that your conversation couldn’t be overheard.  That put your mind at ease some, but didn’t ease your fear or anxiety entirely.

Loki had completely lost his appetite and just sat tensely at the table, sneaking frequent glances at the head table to watch your interaction with Odin.

“She’ll be ok,” Bucky reassured him, catching how tense he was.  “They’re in sight and yes, she’s scared, but I know that particular set of her shoulders.  She’s up to something.  Whatever they’re discussing, she’s holding her own in the conversation just fine,” he reassured his friend.  He would usually have some sarcastic comment for Loki, expecting to get one in reply, but this wasn’t the time, not with how scared Loki was for you.

Loki tried to relax a little.  Bucky’s words were reassuring, plus you’d promised to contact him if you needed help.  He couldn’t get rid of all of his worry, of course.  Though he did notice how you were trying to appear calm and confident, how you hid your fear from Odin and pride bloomed in his chest over you.  He even noticed that there was a resembled in your posture and demeanor to his mother’s court grace and calm. 

The conversation finally ended and Odin left the room while you got to head back to the table and your Loki.  Loki hugged you tightly as soon as you were returning and Odin’s back was turned.  “Are you alright? What was that all about?” he demanded, scared for you. 

You kissed his cheek.  “I’m fine,” you reassured him.  “Don’t fret,” you’d learned through months of living with Loki that it was easier not to answer questions than to pass off a convincing lie against the god of lies.  

Loki noted that you completely avoided his second question, but he let it go.  He wouldn’t press you for answers and risk getting a lie if he forced you to tell him.  He would respect your desire to keep things to yourself. As long as they didn’t hurt you or anyone else.  

You turned to Bucky.  “Buck, you get the lovely honor of officially meeting him first hour after lunch,” you told him with a smirk, earning the groan and face-palm from your friend that you were expecting.  It also lightened the mood by changing the subject. 

Loki chuckled at Bucky’s reaction.  “Don’t worry, my friend.  I will be attending with you. You are my guest after all,”

Bucky looked relieved that Loki would be coming with him, which pleased Loki to no end.  “I will not be attending that meeting, so I can keep an eye on the troublesome kitten,” Thor teased and you stuck your tongue out at him.  

Frigga laughed and stood, kissing each of her boys on the cheek in turn. “I have healing to attend to, try to stay out of trouble,” she bid them warmly.  It sounded like her usual farewell to them.  

*

You spent a quiet morning with Loki, including quite a lot of making out with Loki as well as exploring the palace before you had to reluctantly head down to lunch.  There was a brief detour on your way to lunch for a few stolen kisses in an alcove behind a statue while you giggled like silly teenagers. 

By the time you got to lunch, Bucky, Thor, and Sif were already there waiting for you. “Are you ready?” Loki asked Bucky as you joined them. 

“Hell no,”  Bucky growled, looking close to banging his head on the table as if that would hurt less.  

Loki chuckled.  “I’ll help. You really don’t want to make a bad impression on my father.” Loki spent the rest of lunch explaining to Bucky exactly what he needed to do to make a good impression on Odin.  Or at least as good of an impression as a mortal would be able to make on the Allfather.  

“Why am I friends with you again?” Bucky growled at one point, but he was relieved for the help.  You were happily chatting with Sif, who was trying to convince you to come out onto the practice courts with her for at least some weapons training.  Sif knew you were still recovering and promised to take it easy on you.  

All too soon, Bucky and Loki had to go to the meeting.  Thor insisted you needed a babysitter to keep you out of trouble while they were gone.  You grumbled at him that you needed no such thing.  

Bucky and Loki walked to the throne room together and both of them steeled their spines and Loki donned his court mask before they entered.  The pair walked up together and both bowed when they reached the foot of the stairs.  However, Loki moved to take his place on the stairs below Odin’s throne, leaving Bucky alone to face Odin.

Bucky followed Loki’s instructions to the letter, answering Odin’s questions with the answers Loki had prepared him with.  He was beyond grateful for his friend’s help.  He told Odin about being a warrior on Midgard, aiding both of the princes, and his part during the battle the princes had borrowed Odin’s ravens for.  He spoke in terms that Odin would understand, thanks to Loki’s help.  Odin was satisfied with his answers, welcomed him to Asgard, and let him leave.

But he held Loki back from escaping too.  

Odin stood from the throne and actually came down the stairs to stand on a level with his son. “The Midgardian warrior seems a worthy companion,” he said approvingly.  He rarely approved of any mortal, and one Loki liked was unheard of.  

It made Loki automatically wary. 

“He is. He has been through a lot, but he is a worthy companion and I trust him,” it meant something for Loki to admit he trusted someone.  Loki kept his words calm and his expression stoic.  He would not allow his practiced court mask to crack in front of Odin, even when he was alone in front of Odin. 

“So has your lady,” Odin replied, segueing into what he really wanted to discuss: you.  “Surely you must be wondering what was discussed this morning?” he asked.  For all that he and Loki didn’t get along, he did know his adopted son well.  He also had a gauge of you and knew you would have kept your word to keep your dealings with him private. 

“I am curious, but I will not pry into her business if she does not wish me to,” Loki replied carefully.  Odin noted the too-careful court mask, but let it be since Loki wasn’t openly antagonistic toward him at the moment.  

Odin inclined his head.  “I requested she keep her consul on this, until I had the time to…” he paused, then restarted what he wanted to say.  “Nothing can change the wrongs against her or make up for them. However, the offer was made…” he sighed heavily, this conversation was hard.  He had been wrong, which was difficult for a king to admit.  “Not a single one of us is worthy of that girl,” he informed Loki.  “When offered anything within my power to grant, she asked for 3 boons and not a single one of them was for herself,” Loki couldn’t help feeling satisfied with how incredibly guilty Odin looked at that. Loki knew exactly how self-sacrificing you were and wasn’t at all surprised that none of the boons were for yourself.  Odin noted Loki’s satisfied expression and his smile at your predictable behavior. 

He pressed on:  “The first was for her mother to be allowed to return to Asgard if and whenever she desires with no threat of an arranged marriage,” of course you’d made the request for your mother’s sake.  “The second is for her younger sister to receive one of the golden apples upon reaching the age of majority, and all of the full citizen rights that would entail, as your mother planned to do in secret,” Odin paused again, letting those requests sink in.  They were both reasonable requests and not for yourself.  

Odin made absolutely sure he had Lokis undivided attention before he continued.  “The third was for you,” Loki’s mask cracked at that.  What could you have possibly asked for for him?  He was a prince of the realm and could have anything here he desired.  “She pled for your pardon for the events on Midgard.  So in accordance with her wishes, your freedom is again yours. You need not return to Midgard to make amends if it is not your wish,” Odin informed his shocked and awed son.  There had been one thing outside of Loki’s power to obtain after all.

And you had just given it to him:  his freedom.

Loki was shocked into silence, his silver tongue failing him.  

Odin nodded his approval.  “She said she had not discussed that request with you beforehand…” he said approvingly.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box and handed it to the still shocked Loki.  “This is not part of her requests, but for you for when the time comes. I thought it would go to Thor, but…” 

Loki opened the box with shock-numbed fingers and saw a very familiar ring.  It was the one his mother had worn for years, the one Odin had proposed with. It was a very simple silver ring with a respectable but not overly large diamond. A simple ring for the simple healer who had no interest in all the riches of Asgard, but only cared for the man. Frigga had gotten new sets of rings over the centuries, but this one was special and she’d left it up to Odin to decide what to do with it.

Neither Loki, Thor, or Odin had thought it would pass to Loki.

Odin chuckled at Loki’s shock and confusion.  “Dismissed, my son. Go find that lady of yours,”

Loki did the only thing he could. He fell back on protocol, bowed to Odin, thanked him, and left the throne room as quickly as was seemly to go find you and thank you properly for what you’d done for him. 

[imjustthemechanic]

The French Mistake

Part 1/? - A Visitor Part 2/? - The Kulturhistorisk Museum Heist Part 3/? - Cutscene Part 4/? - The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 5/? - Breathless Part 6/? - Escape at Last Part 7/? - Fox in Socks Part 8/? - Things Go Wrong Part 9/? - Downey and Out Part 10/? - Road Trip Part 11/? - Temptation Part 12/? - An Awful Reunion Part 13/? - Unreality Intrudes Part 14/? - A Call for Help Part 15/? - Loki’s Guests Part 16/? - Stan Lee Cameo Part 17/? - Reassessment Part 18/? - Midnight Invasion Part 19/? - Elevator Fight Part 20/? - Courage Part 21/? - Unwelcome Back Part 22/? - Darkest Hour Part 23/? - They Are Here Part 24/? - The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Part 25/? - Word of God Part 26/? - Avengers Assembled Part 27/? - The Houston Underground Part 28/? - Houston has a Problem Part 29/? - Onward and Upward Part 30/? - The Chi’Tauri Queen Part 31/? - Through the Wormhole Part 32/? - Prisoners Part 33/? - Arm’s Length Part 34/? - A Moment’s Respite Part 35/? - Ravagers to the Rescue Part 36/? - What Happened to Hiddleston Part 37/? - Haven Part 38/? - Steve Has a Terrible Idea Part 39/? - Can’t Be Choosers Part 40/? - Stan Lee Cameo Redux Part 41/? - Shipjacking Part 42/? - The Gauntlet Thrown Part 43/? - The Queen’s Chamber Part 44/? - The Guardians Part 45/? - The Nest Part 46/? - Heroes Part 47/? - Homeward Bound Part 48/? - Loose Ends

Just a few things to tie up - like Johansson’s marriage, how they’re getting back, and what will happen to the tesseract.

A moment later Musa was called away again by a group of astrophysicists, who were hoping she could tell them about her home system.  Steve wasn’t alone for long, though – the next person to approach him was Natasha.  She was now dressed in a pair of jeggings and a shirt with a cartoon bone on it and the words I Found This Humerus.  Next to her was Scarlett Johansson, wearing a blouse and skirt.  Both had washed up and combed their hair, and they looked nearly identical, but Steve immediately recognized which was which.  The two walked differently, Johansson gliding along like a glamour goddess, while Natasha moved with a determined stride that spelled trouble for anybody in her way.

“How’d your checkup go?” Nat asked.

“Nothing but bruises,” Steve assured her.  “If I cracked any bones it was so minor they’ve already knit.”  The bruises would be gone by this time tomorrow.

She smiled.  “Good to be back?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.  “And possibly just a little more appreciative of how tough I am.”

“Oh, really?”  Nat smirked.  “Does that mean you’re going to start using a parachute?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Nat laughed.  “I’m going to Malibu with Scarlett,” she said.  “We need to patch things up with her husband and daughter, and it’ll be easier to explain if I’m with her.”

That felt like something that had happened weeks ago, and Steve had almost forgotten about it.  Now he groaned.  It was true, they should do something about that, but whatever it was they ended up doing would be very, very unpleasant.  “Do you want me to come with you?” he asked, praying that the answer would be no.

“Probably not a good idea,” said Johansson.  “Romain’s had a bug up his ass about Chris for a while now, and I don’t think he’d want to see your face.”

Steve tried not to show how relieved he was.  “Got it,” he said.  “Text when you arrive, okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” said Nat.  “Wouldn’t want you to worry about me.”  She leaned down and gave him a kiss on the cheek goodbye.

Once she was gone, Steve worried he’d be alone again – but it was only a minute or so after Natasha left when Evans came up to him.  He had a few bandages and stitches, but he, too, had washed and shaved and changed his clothes.  With no beard, wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt which, thanks to somebody’s sense of humour, had the image of the shield on the front, he looked so much like Steve as Captain America that it was downright eerie.  He came and stood awkwardly facing Steve, hands in his pockets, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out how to word it.

“How are you doing?” Steve asked, deciding to take pity and give him an opening.

“Okay,” Evans replied carefully.  “That was a hell of a thing but I… I’ll get over it.”

Steve had heard that phrase before, from people who would very definitely not get over it.  Far too often, he’d been the one speaking it, himself.  “You sure?”

“Yeah,” said Evans.  He sat down on the bench next to Steve.  “My parents are coming to pick me up.  I told them guys, I’m thirty-five, I can buy my own plane ticket, but Mom wouldn’t hear about it.  She actually said, I won’t hear about it, like little old ladies do in cartoons.”  He chuckled.

Steve smiled back.  He was glad he hadn’t called Evans’ parents when he’d been tempted to, but lord, he missed having that kind of loving, unconditional support.   It would have been wonderful to steal just a drop of it, even knowing it was not rightfully his.  Loki really had meant what he’d said – this world was full of everything Steve had ever wanted.  It was just that to get it, Steve would have had to compromise everything he’d ever wanted to be.

“Sorry for freezing up when Musa grabbed me,” Chris added.  “I, um… I have some… I’m good with a script, but actually talking to real people is hard for me sometimes.  I almost turned down playing the role – playing you, I mean.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to be…”

“To be that kind of movie star,” Steve finished for him.  “Bob told me.”

“Yeah.”  Chris nodded.

“What changed your mind?” asked Steve.  Bob had offered an explanation, but he wanted to hear it from Chris Evans himself.

“Well… Captain America,” said Chris, with a shrug and a cockeyed smile.  “You’re everybody’s hero.  You’re… you’re everything I was raised to believe in.  It sounds corny, but all that freedom, equality, and justice stuff, you embody that and you make it look cool. When I post about politics on my twitter I get comments from people who say things like here we see Chris Evans actually being Steve Rogers and it always makes me smile.  I’m proud to stand for that, even if the fame part is kind of terrifying.”

“The fame part is terrifying,” Steve agreed.  “At least you got warned about it.  When I volunteered for the project nobody told me I was going to be a celebrity. Then they dragged me off on that tour with the chorus girls and the posters…” he shook his head.  “And I end up standing there…”

“Wondering how the hell this happened,” Chris grinned. “That’s what I figured you were thinking.  Reading the lines off the back of the shield was my favourite joke in the movie. Anyway.”  He sat up a little straighter.  “My point, which I’m getting to in a roundabout kind of way, is that it’s an honour to meet you in person, even if this is really, really weird.” He held out a hand.

“Thanks,” said Steve, giving him the handshake.  He had to agree – it was weird, but he also felt a sense of kinship with this man. Not just because of what they’d just been through together, but because he realized that Chris Evans must have spent more time thinking about Steve, and trying to understand him, than anybody else he’d ever met.  Which left one rather important question.  “Bob told me about something you said in an interview…” he began.

“Oh, no,” groaned Chris.  “This is about the teams thing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Steve said.

Chris spread his hands.  “Well, for one thing, I never thought I’d be having this conversation.  I thought it was all hypothetical.  And I was talking about our world, if there were superheroes here. Our world isn’t run by people who thought nuking New York or approving Project Insight was a good idea.  I mean, sometimes they’re not much better, but they’re not that bad.  I just feel like real superheroes would have to accept limitations and be responsible when they hurt people.  Even if it wasn’t on purpose.”

Steve thought about the pirates… they weren’t nice people, but nor had they asked to get into a fight with the Chi’Tauri.  He wondered how many had died, and supposed he would never know.

“Well, thanks for not getting me killed this week,” Steve said.  “I’m a rotten actor.”

“Same,” Chris agreed.  “I’m the opposite – a good actor, a rotten hero.  Better for you to live your life and me mine, even if yours does sound way cooler.”

Now there was a thought… would Chris Evans find the details of Steve Rogers’ life as tempting as Steve had found his?  He decided not to ask, partly because that would involve admitting how tempted he’d been to call Evans’ parents, but mostly because the whole subject was better left alone.

NASA offered them all dinner in the Space Center cafeteria, which was fortunately not one of the buildings that would have to be torn down from the damage.  Natasha and Scarlett had already gone to Malibu, and Scarlett had texted Chris Evans to let him know they would be staying overnight. Hemsworth also turned down the meal. He hugged everybody, and then left to catch a flight back to his home in Australia.  Most of the other actors who’d come in for the charade were already gone, but Hayley Atwell hung around, as did Bob Downey.  At dinner they all sat together and listened to Hayley tell stories about the props – and people – she’d accidentally broken while filming the Agent Carter TV series.

“I need to watch some of that before I go,” said Steve.  He would probably regret it… but he would regret it more if he didn’t.

“I’ll get you some DVDs,” Hayley promised.  “In fact, take them back with you and show them to Sharon.  I can get confirmation from Emily if you like, but for my own part I’m sure she would want to see them.”

Steve could bet she would.  “That would be great.”

“That gives me an idea…” Bob began, but before he could explain what it was, the conversation was interrupted as Thor and Steve moved aside to make room for Donny Glover and Kevin Farinas, who had come to join them.  Kevin was proudly holding a tablet and a stack of binders, which she dropped on the table in front of her.

“Good news!” she declared.

“Good news?  For us?” asked Steve.

“Careful there,” said Bob.  “He’s an old man.  Too much excitement might give him a heart attack.”  He winked at Steve, looking uncannily like Stark in that moment.

Kevin opened the top binder in the stack and passed around some photographs.  “I’ve been looking at the insides of your spaceship,” she said, “and it looks like their actual device for directing a wormhole runs on very similar principles to my hypothetical one.  Here’s the switches.”  She reached across the table to indicate a particular picture, which Hayley happened to be holding at the moment.  “They’re hidden under the console, probably so the people on board couldn’t mess with them.”

Hayley passed the picture to Steve, and he saw two rows of twelve symbols, one in pink and one in blue.  The symbols themselves were indecipherable to Steve, just messes of intersecting lines.  “What do these mean?” he asked.

“No idea,” said Kevin.  “They’ve called in some cryptography people, but figuring out will probably take longer than it would take to build a new one.”

“How is that good news?” asked Bob.

“I’m getting there,” Kevin informed him.  “Now, as you can see, there are two lines – two ends to the wormhole.  The pink one tells you where you’re starting from, the blue one tells you where you’re going.  If I understand this properly, the ones on the right refer to the specific destination universe, and the ones on the left are your exit point within that universe.  I have no idea how to program it.  The left ones must be a space-time coordinate system of some sort, but I don’t know what their reference point is, while the ones on the right must refer to properties of the target universe, whatever those are.”

“I’m still not seeing the good news,” said Steve.

“Well, isn’t it obvious?” asked Kevin.  “Look, they’ve got this thing set up to take them between a chosen point in this universe and their home port in yours.  But if you can change the spatial destination coordinates for your universe to match the ones you leave from in ours, then when you activate it you’ll transfer to the other universe exactly where you left from ours with no programming or linguistic knowledge required!”

That did make sense.  “So we appear over Houston in our universe… and we can fly right out over the Atlantic back to Wakanda,” said Steve.  That would have the bonus that the Leviathan would end up in hands Steve trusted.  He wouldn’t have wanted any other country on Earth trying to reverse-engineer any more Chi’Tauri technology, even the United States.  Wakanda, however, would either destroy it or do good with it, whichever T���Challa decided was best.  “Perfect. Can you have it ready by the time Natasha gets back?”

“Definitely,” said Kevin.  “It seems to remember where it left from, too, so if it doesn’t work the way I think, you can just come back here and we’ll give it some more study.” She picked up her binders again, beaming.  “You know, it sucks that we can’t keep that tesseract things.  With that kind of energy we could explore the whole solar system and then head for Alpha Centauri.”

Steve blinked.

“Yeah, sucks,” Donny agreed cheerfully.  “I’d ask to go with you guys, but my alternate in the Marvel Universe is a guy who finds Spider-Man hanging out in dumpsters, so nah.  But!” he held up a finger.  “Kevin, can you get me into the Star Wars universe?”

They were joking around, so Steve made himself smile as if he were enjoying the conversation. But he couldn’t stop thinking about what Kevin had just said.

[imagine-loki]

If I could Turn Back Time, I’d Still Choose This

TITLE:  If I could Turn Back Time, I’d Still Choose This

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 45

AUTHOR: wolfpawn

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine that when Odin found Loki on Jotunheim, he did not take him to raise as his son, as Frigga was pregnant at the time, instead he was given to a normal Aesir family. Years later, Loki meets Odin’s daughter Sigyn, and trouble ensues.

Fandral had her horse waiting for her, Tempest seemed to know there was a sense of urgency as she ran down to the stables. As soon as she came into view, she gave a whistle and the horse pulled free and cantered over to her. Using a wall to allow her jump onto his back, she righted herself and dug her heels in before making her way through the streets as quick as she could. As soon as she got to the bridge, she pressed in her heels and Tempest lived to his name as his hooves struck the bridge with a sound like thunder and they galloped to the far end with a speed that seemed to try and rival lightning. On their arrival, Sigyn dismounted and pulled the horse by the reins into the Bifrost. ‘Heimdall?’

‘Princess.’ He turned and walked up to the centre of the Bifrost.

Sigyn smiled to see the sword already in place. ‘Second time’s the charm, right?’

‘I hope…’ Heimdall paused before sighing and shaking his head. ‘I am sorry, Princess.’

Sigyn bit her cheeks for a moment. ‘Which one?’

‘Me.’ She turned to face her mother. ‘So, this is it? Running away, not facing the consequences, like a child?’

‘I am facing the consequences of my actions. I accidentally caused my sons to be created, so I am being a responsible adult and being with them, raising them.’

‘You have no idea what to do.’

‘I am not going to pretend I know everything, but I am their mother, I am not some bumbling fool. I won't have a pile of nursemaids to assist me, and I will get things wrong, but you know, I will actually accept my shortcomings.’

‘You think my actions are faulted.’

Sigyn scoffed. ‘Look around, Mother. We are standing in the Bifrost. I am fleeing the realm as nigh on a fugitive to be with my children because you.’ She pointed to her mother. ‘Took them from the room without me ever being able to see them.’

‘It was only going to make it harder.’

Sigyn laughed. ‘No, it couldn’t have. Living was torture without them. You never suffered it, you cannot understand.’ She stepped forward. ‘Sansa’s last moments of life were spent protecting Loki, she died praying to the Norns that he would be saved. I do not have a way of seeing it, but I know it because it was my thoughts, they are the thoughts of a mother that is being forced from her child. I thought the very same thing, the only difference is, she died, meaning that she no longer could worry. I have not slept without a single night passing that I have not woken crying, wanting to be with them as the vague image of one and the knowledge I never saw the other plague me. How could you have done that to me? How could you have been so heartless?’

‘Do not say such things to me, I am your mother.’

‘And I am their mother!’

‘You are the princess of Asgard, you cannot just leave.’

‘Watch me.’

You have a duty to the realm.’

‘My greatest duty is to them.’

‘So you would abandon your family, just like that?’ Frigga snapped her fingers.

‘I am going to my family.’ She retorted. ‘I have two little boys who need their mother. I have a husband I love with all of my heart and who I would have ten more children with if he wanted. I love my family and I would die for them.’  

‘When did this marriage take even take place?’

‘The reason Loki and I were not in Aunt Ana’s when you got there is because we were on our honeymoon. We wanted our children born to a home that had both parents, we wanted them to be legitimate.’

‘You really have sealed Asgard’s fate.’ Frigga stated sadly. ‘With childish selfishness.’

‘You have sealed it by being a terrible Queen. You could have stopped this years ago, you could have copped Odin on, but no, you were selfish, you liked everything that his actions got you. Whatever else happens, I know I am being a responsible adult, while you act like nothing more than a selfish lapdog to her bigoted…’ In all honesty, Sigyn knew it was coming, she could see it before it landed and if she wanted, she could have defended herself, but she allowed it. The moment Frigga’s hand connected with her face told her that her mother had thought she was going to prevent it striking her. The acceptance on Sigyn’s face shook Frigga. ‘Does it make it better, Mother? Does it take the sting from my words? I cannot see how. Goodbye, Frigga. I hope you can find it in yourself to change how you are, in hopes that the day will come that you will realise the wrongs here today. I am going to my family. If Odin sends anyone, he had better send them all, because I can and will destroy any that come for me or mine.’ She warned. ‘I know what my name really means, the one from the prophecy that I was so long blamed for.’ Frigga’s head tilted slightly. ‘I am sorry for what my birth did to you, taking that from you, the chance of more children, but I did not ask to exist and I will not apologise for existing, now I am going to exist to the best of my ability.’ She turned. ‘Heimdall. If you would, please.’

‘It will be my honour, Sigyn, the Loyal, the Victory Bringer.’

Inhaling deeply, Sigyn mounted her horse before turning to her mother. ‘I forgive you both, tell him that.’ She stated as the machine began to whir to life. ‘Even if you are not sorry. You did what you thought was right, you just….did not realise that what you thought was right is anything but.’ She nudged Tempest with her heels. ‘Thank you, Heimdall.’

‘Safe travels, Princess.’ The Guardian smiled as he watched her walk the horse into the light and disappear across the realms. He pulled the sword from the Bifrost and looked at Frigga, who was crying. ‘We are often blinded by our own beliefs, we forget others have their own.’

‘You have no idea what…’

‘You forget in your heartache, Allmother, I see all, and the Princess is only one of those I have been forced to endure see through great struggles. Asgard will change from this, there is no doubt, it can be for its better, or for the worse, that is up to the Allfather.’ He said nothing more to the queen as he turned to face the realms again.

*

Odin stared out the window of his rooms as the Bifrost finished sending Sigyn where she wanted to go. ‘Are you satisfied now, now that our realm is left in this turmoil?’ He turned to face Thor, who was smiling.

‘I am heartbroken, I want nothing more than to go into a dark room and not see any as I accept I will not see my sister for a very long time again, but yet, I am elated beyond measure, she is free to be with her family, her husband and her sons.’

‘You knew they had wed?’

‘Yes, Aunt Ana told me. I was her informer here by the way. I have betrayed you, I confess, but not before you betrayed Sigyn.’

‘You are a traitor, and will be treated as such, you are not worthy of Mjolnir.’

‘Yet here she remains, in my grasp.’ Thor took the hammer and swung it around. ‘Does this not tell you Father, your ideas are contorted and wrong?’

‘Asgard will fall from this.’ Odin did not look at his son.

‘And perhaps that is not a bad thing. Let the rot die, cut it off, like a diseased limb, start afresh. The Jotnar are here, let this start us anew, accept Laufey’s hand.’

‘I...I cannot.’

‘Then it is not Sigyn fulfilling a prophecy of destruction, it is you. I have read the prophecy, Father. And yes, the catalyst of it is clearly Sigyn, but that is not a bad thing, in no way does it indicate a terrible fate for our realm. We can take it to mean the end of everything, or we can see it as a turning point. I beseech you to see it as the latter, Asgard can and will rise from this stronger, if you choose to let it be.’

‘And her?’

‘Your daughter, Sigyn, you mean?’ Thor scoffed, angered by his father’s lack of ability to even reference Sigyn.

‘You say yourself she is the subject of it.’

‘I believe so, but her marriage, her children, they are not negatives, you need to cease seeing them as so.’ Thor walked forward and left something on the table for his father. ‘She wrote this for you, when you are in a listening mind, read it.’ He turned and he left.

Odin glared at the envelope before snarling and turning away again.

Thor on the other hand, went to the quarters King Laufey was staying in, and waited to be announced.

‘Jotnar usually sleep at this time.’ Laufey growled once he saw him.

‘I apologise for annoying you at this hour,’ Thor bowed his head before looking at the Jotnar king and his attire. ‘Though clearly…’

‘Considering my daughter has had to flee the palace to return to my son and grandsons, I could not see fit to slumber.’

‘We call such relations “daughters-in-law”.’ Thor informed him.

‘When a woman marries into a family on Jotunheim, she is embraced fully into the family, she is my daughter by such now, and my responsibility.’

‘Well, she is still my sister, that is not a role I am foregoing.’ Thor stated with a smile.

Laufey chuckled. ‘Then she is well loved and protected, not that she needs protecting.’

‘If Father sends someone after her, she will decimate them where they stand.’

‘That, I would believe. What has you here now, as I know she is gone?’

‘She mentioned something of teaching Helbindi chess, she made me promise that I would.’

Laufey smiled. ‘There was mention of that, yes.’

‘While we wait to see if my father decides to declare war, how about we make a start?’ Thor offered. Helbindi was concerned, but as he knew it was for his betterment, he sat down and listened to Thor.

* Sigyn had little idea where it was she needed to go to find Loki, she had never been to Alfheim’s village regions before, but she knew Heimdall would ensure she was close to where she needed to be. Concentrating, she closed her eyes and let her seidr come to the fore. As soon as she did that, she realised she could sense her sons’ seidr. Ensuring she had Tempest going the correct direction. She pressed her heels in and made her way to where she felt she would find them.

It did not take long for her to smell what she needed to smell, burn and iron, the trademark smells of a forge. She all but jumped off the horse and went to the door, knowing it was her sons’ seidr that she sensed within, she inhaled deeply and knocked on the door, all too aware it was the middle of the night. She heard noises inside sounding like people talking and someone coming to the door. It opened slightly and in the darkness, all she could see was alabaster skin and green eyes. ‘Sorry to interrupt your evening, but I was looking for my husband.’ She smiled, her eyes filled with tears of joy.