The golden gown slid easily down Astrid's body as she put it on. It ran down her body, until it almost touched the floor. It truly was beautiful. Fit for a princess. While her brothers would look as if they were heading off to war, she was dressed as if she were to attend a royal ball. The looks of a princess, apparently.

She eyed herself in the large mirror in her room before she deemed herself ready. As she headed for the door, she slipped on the matching pair of heels on the way out.

Astrid glided down the hall, servants stopping to bow before her as she passed. She gave them all polite smiles and nods before she noticed her brothers conversing with each other at the end of a hall and headed their way. How could she not see them? As if the tell-tale red and green capes were not distinctive enough, Loki's horns certainly were. As she approached, she could begin to hear part of their conversation.

"-rage of battle. How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?" Thor asked Loki. Ah. So they were discussing Thor's heroic antics. Astrid let a smile adorn her face as she approached, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

Loki glanced at his brother with a confused look. "As I recall, I was the one who prevailed us in smoke to ease our escape."

Thor simply laughed. "Some do battle, others just do tricks."

"Stroking our egos, are we brothers?" Astrid asked with a smile as she finally made it to their side.

Thor and Loki both turned to look at her. "Glad you finally came to join us, sister," Thor said with a wide smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his chest in a hug. "If you wrinkle my dress, Thor, you will pay dearly. No matter if you are king or not," Astrid teased as she unwrapped herself from her brother's huge arms. Thor simply laughed. Astrid glared at him, though a teasing smile played across her lips.

"You look beautiful, dear sister," Loki's smooth voice cut in.

Astrid turned to face her other brother. Where Thor was muscular, Loki was lean. He smiled down at her with a kind look on his face and she wrapped her arms around his abdomen to give him a quick hug. "Thank you, brother," she whispered in response.

When she pulled away, she glanced at both of her older brothers and asked, "So which battle were we talking about this time?"

"The battle in Nornheim, where I saved us all with a little magic," Loki responded quickly, while Thor simply chuckled. "If you say so brother. You and your tricks." Loki rolled his eyes at his brother's comment.

A servant came up beside Thor and produced a chalice for him to drink from with a small bow.

Loki glanced at the cup and with a twist of his hand, three skinny snakes slithered their way out of the cup. The servant let out a yelp as he dropped the platter, and empty cup, to the floor. Loki smiled as the servant glanced up at him with a fearful look.

"Loki," Thor reprimanded. "Now that was just a waste of good wine."

"Oh it was just a bit of fun." Loki replied and looked at the servant. "Right my friend?" and with another move of his hand, the snakes disappeared. The servant gave a nervous chuckle as he bent down to pick up the platter and cup before scurrying away.

Thor and Loki both chuckled and Astrid elbowed Loki in the side. "Be nice, Loki."

He glanced down at her, mischievous smile still on his face as he replied, "My apologies." Astrid just rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle.

A guard appeared at Thor's side and handed him his signature helmet, before bowing and backing away.

As Thor looked down at his helmet, silver feather jutting out from both sides, both siblings could tell that he was scared. Something that he would never admit, but the two siblings could read him well.

"Ooo. Nice feathers," Loki commented with a smirk. hoping to cheer him up a bit. It seemed to work as Thor chuckled and looked over at his brother.

"You don't really want to start this again, do you, cow?" Thor replied with a nod to Loki's horns protruding from his own helmet.

"I was being sincere!" Loki exclaimed with fake appall.

"You are incapable of sincerity!" Thor responded quickly.

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

Astrid laughed at the back and forth playful banter between her two older brothers. "Now now. We don't need a fight before the ceremony, now do we? What would mother say?"

They both smiled at her, but Loki became more serious as he looked at his brother. "I looked forward for this day as long as you have. You're my brother, and my friend. Sometimes, I am envious. But never doubt that I love you."

Thor gave him a small smile, before placing his hand on Loki's neck in an affectionate way, to say that he heard him and acknowledged his words.

"And what Loki forgot to say is that I love you too, brother," Astrid cut in with a large smile as she looked at the man who would soon become her king.

Thor turned his head to look at her and reached his other arm out to give her hand a quick squeeze.

The sweet sibling moment was ruined when Loki said to Thor, "Now give us a kiss."

Thor chuckled as he let go of his younger siblings. "Stop it!" he laughed, giving Loki's chest a light punch and pointed a finger at Loki.

They all laughed quietly, before looking ahead of them, to the hallway that would lead to the grand hall, where the ceremony was taking place. Loki took a deep breath before saying quietly, "It's time."

Thor seemed to lose all playfullness before responding, "Go on. I'll meet you."

Astrid and Loki both glanced towards him in concern. Thor put on a smile he was not quite feeling at the moment. "Go."

Loki looked down at his younger sister and held out his arm to her. Astrid smiled and took it, before giving one more glance towards Thor, and give him a reassuring smile, as Loki led her away.

Loki smiled at her and they walked out, side-by-side, until they were standing by the doors to the grand hall. Loki gave her a small pat on the back. "Good luck," he whispered quietly, before slipping away.

Astrid took a deep breath and pushed her hazelnut brown hair behind her ears, where it fell to the middle of her back, and smoothed out her dress, before the doors opened and she started to walk out.

The crowd roared as she stepped out and walked towards the throne, where her father, Odin, sat watching her.

Astrid gave a few nods and smiles to the people as she walked by and stopped at the stairs and curtsied deeply to her father. The King of Asgard.

She glanced at her mother, Frigga, and smiled. Her mother returned the smile. Astrid turned her head to glance at the other people by the stairs and smiled at her friends, the Warriors Three and Lady Sif, all who were adorning their battle armor.

Finally, she looked back up at her father and he smiled faintly at her and gave her a faint nod.

She stood and took her place on the stairs, just as the door opened again and, Loki walked in. The people cheered, but Astrid knew that not everyone was as fond of the young prince as of Thor and the princess.

As he kneeled down in front of Odin, he glanced over at her and smiled. Astrid returned the smile and he quickly stuck out his tongue at her which made her chuckle, which earned her a glare from her mother and father. Astrid glared at Loki for getting her in trouble, but he only smiled mischievously, and took his place on the stairs opposite of her.

Soon, the crowed quieted and the doors opened. The crowd went wild as her oldest brother, Thor, walked in waving his trusty hammer around and throwing it into the air, showing off for the people. Loki glanced down at the ground, but Astrid smiled as Thor walked up to the stairs and kneeled down, placing his hammer beside him. He looked up at their mother and sent her a quick wink. Frigga shook her head discretely, but Astrid saw her fond smile.

Odin tapped his staff on the ground and it sent a loud thump throughout the room and the crowed quieted.

"Thor Odinson, my heir," Astrid glanced over at Loki to see him looking down towards the floor as he shifted uncomfortably. "My first born." Odin spoke loudly, though emotion could be heard in his voice. Frigga glanced down towards her other son, noticing his discomfort and smiled sadly. Both women were strongly in tune with Loki's emotions, more so than Thor and their father.

"So long, entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjlonir, forged in the heart of a dying star, its power has no equal. It's a weapon to destroy," Odin paused, "Or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king."

"I have defended Asgard, and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms." Astrid's mind began to wander a bit, not fully listening to her father and instead, she looked down at her older brother with a proud smile on her face.

She was pulled back to her father's words when he spoke again.

"Do you swear to guide the Nine Realms?"

"I swear!" Thor replied.

"And do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear!" Thor repeated.

"Do you swear," Odin paused before speaking again. "to case aside all selfish ambition, and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realm."

"I swear!" Thor shouted confidently, holding his hammer up as he spoke.

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you..." Odin spoke, but paused, as he glanced to the side, as if listening to something.

Astrid glanced up at him in concern.

"Frost Giants!" Odin exclaimed, and he slammed his staff onto the ground, before standing up and walking out of the room quickly. Astrid stood shocked, as she glanced at both her brothers. Thor sat dumbfounded for a moment, before standing and following his father, Loki close behind him. Astrid glanced at her mother, who looked worried and started to calm the crowd who was starting to freak out.

Astrid slipped out after her father and brothers. She ran as fast as she could in her dress and heels and caught up to Loki and Thor.

Odin barged into the Weapons Chamber, where two guards lay dead, along with three dead Frost Giants, their bodies scattered on the floor.

Astrid let out a soft gasp and covered her mouth with her hand and looked away, while Odin checked to make sure all the relics were in place.

Thor and Loki glanced at each other before Thor said, "We should attack. This was an act of war."

"It was an act of but a few." Odin replied quietly, as he looked at the damage around him.

"They need to pay!"

"They have paid, with their lives." Odin said in response.

"Look how far they got!" Thor said, his voice loud and angry.

"But they were stopped." Odin replied with a glance towards the Destroyer.

"As king of Asgard…." Thor started.

"But you're not king! Not yet!" Odin said in an angry voice.

Loki and Astrid glanced at each other awkwardly, before Astrid leaned down over one of the guard's body and placed her hand on his hand and, closed her eyes.

The arguing stopped as they watched Astrid. A series of images and words crossed through her mind. Brief, but it was enough for Astrid to see what she was looking for. Their last thoughts. The last things that went through their mind before they died.

She took a deep breath before opening her eyes, trying to hold back the tears, before moving on to the other guard, her hand shakily wrapping around the guard's larger one.

This time she let out a small gasp, and a single tear escaped from her eye. Loki was at her side in an instant. His slender arms were enveloping her in a hug and she collapsed into his chest. He helped her stand and whispered in her ear. "You shouldn't do this. It hurts you too much."

Astrid gently pushed him away gently. "I was given this ability for a reason. They deserve to be remembered. To know that someone heard their last thoughts. To know that someone will remember them, even if it is only me."

Loki looked like he was going to argue, but he didn't.

Thor cleared his throat. "So what did you see?"

Loki gave him a sharp glare, but Thor ignored it and kept his gaze fixed on Astrid.

Loki murmured softly, "You don't have to answer him."

Astrid took a deep breath and responded. "The first guard was looking forward to tonight's party because he was going to propose to his girlfriend." The images that flashed across her mind from the guards thoughts showed her a beautiful blonde woman, her name running through his head as his last coherent thought.

"The second guard just wanted to get home to his wife, who is pregnant and is due in less than a week." Astrid continued softly, though as quickly as possible and almost broke down again, but Loki wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in for a hug. She only leaned into his chest and cried on his shoulder.

Thor looked away, and Odin gave a soft sigh.

"We should get back." Odin said and led the way out. Loki and Astrid were right behind him, his arms wrapped tightly around her while she clung to him, holding him for support. Thor followed a bit behind everyone else, confused as to how this could have happened. He was still upset that he hadn't become king.

Please let me know what you guys think!