In a realm of nine, two kingdoms stood out the most. One frozen, ruled by a giant named Laufey, whose successor was a disappointment in the king's eyes for being a size that dulled in comparison to him. Nevertheless, it his son, who would soon have to save their failing kingdom, no matter what it took. On the other hand, you had a prospering city of bright lights and golden buildings. They were ruled by the Asgardian, Odin, and the mighty god of Thunder was destined to take care of the kingdom once his father passed. The thing was, their kingdom's had been at war for years, only one of the reasons Jotunheim, our frozen city, was falling.
In a meeting for negotiation, Laufey and Odin met. Both understood they'd have to do something to end this never-ending battle. Innocent lives had been lost, and since the war had been dragging on since their fathers' had been fighting it, it was time for an end. Hours of heated debate and idea after idea being shot down passed, until one solution seemed the best. A marriage between two heirs to reconnect their broken bonds, the two princes would be wed to reconcile with the others kingdoms in a show of peace. Although it would not be widely popular with the citizens of either kingdom, Asgard was a big enough city and Jotunheim possessed a heir the size of one of their people. By the end of the meeting, it was decided that Laufey would cross the Bifrost with his son the next day and they would be wed within the month.
As promised, the following morning, Laufey and a son clad in emerald arrived over the Bifrost, of special instruction of course. Many Asgardians regarded the pair coldly (not that they weren't used to it), but the heir was the only one of the two returning the dirty look. They stepped into a palace cloaked in gold, a bright place compared to their bone-chilling kingdom. You can imagine the prince's disdain already, so far away from home without a clue what was happening. His father had given him the slight debriefing before his arrival, he'd be meeting Odin and his son on Asgard to finalize a truce between the two kingdoms; he hadn't the faintest idea of what would meet him. The raven pushed the door open slowly, and so their eyes met.
Only minutes before the arrival of the Jotunheim royals, a blond prince paced around the throne room with anticipation. A marriage at his age, to someone who he'd never met no less. It was hard to wrap his head around; he'd always imagined it'd be Sif he'd marry in the end. They were both of Asgard, the way it usually was. But as his father had worded it, desperate times called for desperate measures. It was for the good of the people and it would save his mens' lives. At least he knew what he was getting in to (though his father might not have mentioned his betrothed was a male), and his mind could accept that. His heart however, could not be calmed. It felt like it was going to beat from his chest with how nervous he was, just imagine, a future king being nervous over meeting his wife, how embarrassing! When the doors swung open, blue clashed with green, the only similarity in their hues being confusion.
"A man?" Asgard's prince exclaimed, only to receive an annoyed click of the tongue from the heir in the door frame.
"Don't be so surprised, the Allfather," He'd gotten a tad bit more information on Asgard's monarchy and society than anything, "had to have told you Jotunheim's king was coming with a prince, correct?" His voice was condescending, it was clear he'd already developed a dislike for the neighboring realm.
"I think it's time we negotiated." Asgard's king finally spoke, directing a look towards Laufey, who nodded in return. The four met in the next room, sitting the elder ruler's at the ends of the long table, their sons sitting across from each other in the middle. Albeit not knowing it, the other was silently taking apart each other, scrutinizing each detail and making note of any flaws they could find. Their silence was broken by Odin, giving a look around the table for reassurance, and began to tell of their plan.
For Thor it was just a recap of what he'd already been told; their kingdoms could only survive if they joined forces to create a supreme government over the realms. When they came together, they could bring all nine realms to peace like they had in the days before the king's predecessors. The only way to accomplish this was them being compliant in the marriage. Surprisingly, the one who knew most about the topic was the first to object.
"Father, you can't be serious. I can't marry a stranger, let alone a man! Even if we were wed, he wouldn't be able to produce a proper successor to the kingdom. It wouldn't matter that we 'saved' the kingdom, it would fall without a proper heir!" The blond protested, ending up just sounding like a child denied of the toy it wanted.
"That is where you're wrong, son, Laufey and I have had a long conversation on this topic, those meetings weren't to sit around you realize. Loki has become a master of sorcery; it would be no problem for him to produce you a son." At his words, the Jotun only nodded in approval, but it was his son who decided to speak up next.
"You expect me to marry this blond oaf? I've yet to know him an hour and I can already tell he's too arrogant to become a king, much less a proper partner in marriage! On the topic of a successor, it's entirely possible that I would produce one, but who said I wanted to?" The only thing he craved was a position on the throne, and he would not share it with this imbecile. The raven rose from his seated position, slamming his palms against the table to emphasize his words. "Our warriors have twice the skill of theirs; we can make peace on our own. As the future king of Jotunheim, I re—"
"That's enough Loki; it's already been decided for you. The wedding is to be within the next couple of weeks, you'll learn to enjoy it, or you'll hold your tongue and do what's best for his kingdom. A true ruler would do the same; I think we're done here, Odin." The Frost Giant stood from the table, waving off the three remaining males in the room. A sullen looking Jotun sinking back into his chair as his father abandoned him to the mercy of the Asgardians.
"Thor you shall do the same, a great king puts the needs of his people first, no matter what it takes. As for you, son of Laufey, the guards will show you to your quarters, my son will aid you as well." A glare was given to the blond as Odin retired back to the throne room. Laufey and him were not done with the planning of their engagement, and their sons would have to wait it out until their marriage could be announced to the kingdom.
A sour-faced Loki rose from his seat once more, ripping his arm from the grasp of a guard who intended to lead him to his room, instead stalking out of their room they'd used for meeting. Thor, first heaving a heavy sigh, followed suit, and grabbed onto the Frost Giant's shoulders to keep him in line with the guards who took them off into the halls of the palace.