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It was right and proper that as Prince Regent, Loki should bring Thor’s killer to justice. That he should reign fire and ice on the mortals who had dared harm his brother. He had promised his Mother vengeance. She had simply wept.
The All Father hadn’t stirred.
Loki watched the armies of Asgard gather. The sight was as majestic and triumphant as it always was, and they were gathering under the green and silver. His banner. Although he did see some scatterings of gold and red, in more sombre tones than usual, which he allowed, given the occasion. This was everything he had ever wanted, he was the true heir, the only heir. No longer was there a desperate competition that only one side recognised.
He had won.
He opened his mouth to say something but the companion he was expecting wasn’t there, and there were few others who enjoyed his company.
That was fine. Kings and conquerors were meant to be solitary creatures anyway. Thor had never understood that. Odin had always disapproved of Thor’s “rabble-rousing”. A king was supposed to hold themselves apart in order to preserve the king’s mystique. If the king is a friend, then they cannot also be a leader, which was why it had always confused Loki that Odin had disapproved of Loki’s solitary habits. Well, until recently, that was.
A Frost Giant cannot be trusted unsupervised.
Loki moved to the head of the army. Despite Odin’s warnings, Thor had never had any trouble both leading and befriending the warriors of Asgard.
Then again, Loki had interrupted Thor’s coronation because Thor wasn’t ready, which had led to-
Loki wasn’t Thor, but he didn’t think he would have any trouble leading this time. Vengeance was always a fine motivator for the warriors of Asgard.
And they would have their vengeance. Thor’s death would not go unanswered.
Of course, Frigga stopped him just as he was about to take charge of his army.
“You don’t need to do this,” she said.
“You would see Thor’s killer go unpunished?”
Frigga’s face transformed with tears and rage, “I would have my son’s killer slain and lain at my feet, his body desecrated so that he would forever wander the void and never find his people’s afterlife. Do not question me, Loki,” her voice softened, “but surely all Midgard does not need to suffer for a single assassin’s crime?”
“You really think a single assassin could kill Thor? A single mortal assassin?”
“Yes. Remember that Odin … Odin … he was as mortal as …” she broke off shaking her head, “remember why Thor was banished,” she said quietly.
“Then perhaps if the All Father truly cared he could wake up and stop me. Perhaps he should face up to what he has done.”
“Please,” said Frigga, openly begging now, “please do not let me lose both my sons.”
“You think he would banish me for punishing Midgard for the death of Thor? You think the All Father cares about Midgard? We have no treaty with Midgard,” Loki let out a little laugh, “well, perhaps he shall punish me when he wakes, I don’t care,” he said and found he really, truly didn’t. He was numb. He smiled, “No matter, I will have Midgard and the All Father can stay on Asgard. I will deliver you the killer’s body and you may visit me when you wish. You will not lose another son.”
Somehow that made her cry more.
Oh well.
Loki turned and (finally) walked towards his army and saw, to his fury, the Warriors Three and Sif standing at the head of it.
Looking as if they belonged there.
As if they had the right.
“You!” he thundered. “Kneel!”
They, far too slowly, sank to their knees. “Loki-” protested Sif. Of course it was Sif.
“How dare you call me by my given name, as if I were still the second prince,” said Loki, his voice ice cold, “how dare you, you who have failed in your duty, who swore to protect the Crown Prince unto your dying breath, and yet you stand here as if it is your right.”
It was unfair. Of course it was unfair. Thor had been banished and none had been allowed to follow. Of course, Loki knew that Sif and the Warriors Three had had plans to “secretly” visit Thor so the whole point was moot.
They had failed.
Thor was dead.
Sif was the first to speak, “My liege,” she said, much more respectful. Very good. “Thor was our prince and our friend, and we failed in our duty both to our prince and our friend. We have lost our honour and so we beg this chance to regain it by seeking the one who killed our prince.”
Loki wanted to crush them. He wanted to take their ranks, their titles, and their names. He wanted to make them nothing. Before the army of Asgard, having declared they had lost their honour, he would even have the support of the crowd. But he wasn’t called Silvertongue for nothing and he knew how this went. He spread his arms and declared that they would have pride of place in his army and a chance to earn back their honour, and in an instant, they owed him everything.
He remembered dreaming of a moment like this. Thor’s idiots dangling by his thread. Him leading an army to triumph.
Thor dead.
The conquest of Midgard was, of course, insultingly simple, but the Midgardians themselves surprised him with their creativity. They were simple, short-lived beings, yet they raced to understand and to create, and he admired that. The shrinking man might have amused him with his ingenuity had he not been Thor’s killer. As it was, he only felt a vicious satisfaction that the shrinking man felt the same grief and pain that he did and outrage that Thor had apparently been an afterthought in the shrinking man’s own quest for revenge.
(If Loki allowed himself to stop for one moment perhaps that would’ve given him pause. Perhaps he would have laughed at the irony, but he didn’t. Couldn’t. He could only move forward.)
Loki thought he would enjoy ruling Midgard. In a thousand years, perhaps, it might be a realm worthy of an Asgardian king.
He wondered what Thor thought – had thought – of Midgard.
Thanks to these Midgardians he would never know.
Loki found himself occupied with the tedious, all-encompassing, process of ruling the next few days and – thankfully – unable to think of anything else, see, Brother, it’s not all fun and games. There were so many strange intricacies to Midgard, such as the fact that Midgard itself had many different realms – countries – within it, that before he knew it months had passed and he had barely thought about-
Then Odin arrived.
All around him fell to their knees, although some of the Midgardians had to be pushed by their Asgardian friends since they instinctively peered at the spectacle rather than fell in supplication. Loki remained standing. It was a dangerous statement. Loki was King of Midgard and one king would not bow to another, yet Midgard was still a vassal of Asgard and Loki still a prince of Asgard. He should still bow to Odin, yet he could not. Not after Odin had betrayed both his sons.
“My son,” said Odin, looking every bit the god who had conquered the Nine Realms.
“All Father,” said Loki neutrally. He didn’t think that Odin would punish him publicly. The royal family had to at least appear united, especially in a time like this. It was why he had been so surprised that Odin had banished Thor, he had never thought-
“My son,” said Odin, quieter now so only Loki could hear, “you should not have moved without my say so.”
“Oh? I should have waited for the killer to escape whilst you slept? Was I not Regent? Does Asgard sleep with its king? Do we not deserve vengeance?”
“You deserved vengeance, as did all Asgard, but this goes beyond vengeance, my son. This is war.”
Loki sneered, “And what are you going to do about it, All Father?”
Odin sighed and placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder, the image of the wise king and disappointed father. Loki hated it. “I will not take your victory from you, nor from Asgard’s warriors.” Odin said, “I hope you will treat Midgard well as befits a Prince of Asgard, no matter the crimes of its past. It is in your care now.”
“I will. Midgard will not come to harm whilst I am its king,” Loki sighed, “but there is one more matter,” he looked Odin straight in his eye and forced himself under control. He wanted to yell, you did this, you left him open in a strange place, you took away his power and banished him, this is your fault, but Odin would never listen if he let his emotions get the better of him. Instead, he said, “There was a reason Thor was on this planet, mortal and alone. Vulnerable,” Odin stepped back slightly, and Loki treasured that small sign of weakness. He bolstered himself and declared, “Someday we will meet, and I will take your other eye as payment for my brother’s life.” Loki waited for Odin to strike him down. Such a threat could not go unanswered, but Odin nodded solemnly.
“Someday we will meet as two kings and if you can take my eye, I will consider it fair payment for your brother’s life.” Odin turned to the waiting crowd and pronounced, “All hail the King of Midgard.” The Asgardians, and even many of the Midgardians roared. Loki raised his fist, and they shook the earth chanting his name. He could see the bright future waiting before him, the glittering potential Midgard had. He saw all his bitter jealousies fading into the past. It was glorious.
And Thor was dead.