Odin walked through the halls with his two sons by his side, his daughter settled on his hip, telling them of the history of the weapons vault, and the history of Asgard.
"Once mankind accepted a simple truth; that they were not alone in this universe. Some worlds, man believed home to their Gods. Others they new to fear. From around the cold and darkness came the Frost Giants. Threatening to plunge the mortal world into a new ice age. But humanity would not face this threat alone. Our armies drove the Frost Giants back into the heart of their own world. The cost was great. In the end, their king fell. And the source of their power was taken from them. With the last great war ended, we withdrew from the other worlds and returned home at the realm eternal, Asgard. And here we remain as the beacon of hope. Shining out across the stars. And though we have fallen into man's myths and legends, it was Asgard and its warriors that brought peace to the universe." He shifted his daughter back down to the ground, where she stood beside her brothers. "But the day will come when one of you will have to defend that peace."
"Do the Frost Giants still live?" the younger son asked his father. Odin nodded, and the elder son burst out with a grin, pretending to slash a sword.
"When I'm king, I'll hunt the monsters down and slay them all! Just as you did, father." Odin's face took a slightly more serious tone.
"A wise king, never seeks out war. But...he must always be ready for it." He started walking away from his children. They looked at each other, then ran up to him clasping his hands.
"I'm ready, father." Thor said, excited.
"So am I!" Loki shared the same enthusiasm.
"Me too!" Sigyn agreed with them, pushing her hair out of her face.
"Only one of you can ascend to the throne. But both of you were born to be kings!" Odin patted his son's shoulders, amused.
"What about me, papa? Can I be a king too?" Odin laughed and kneeled in front of his daughter. "You cannot be a king, dear one. But you can, and will be, a great queen." He ruffled her hair, and the four of them walked out of the weapons vault.
The two men who stood in front of her were both great. Brothers, one strong and powerful, the other swift, and cunning. Thor was in his complete battle armour, minus the helmet, with his ceremonial cloak of red, and Mjolnir in his hand. Loki, garbed in gold and green, stood beside him.
"Nervous, brother?" Thor's booming laughter hid my footsteps as I came up behind them, avoiding the shattered wine glass on the floor, as well as the drops of wine.
"Have you ever known me to be nervous?" Thor's voice continued to boom around me.
"There was the time in Nornheim..." Loki's voice trailed off in accusation.
"That wasn't nerves, that wasn't nerves, brother. It was the rage of battle. How else could I have fought my way through a hundred warriors and pulled us out alive?"
"I do believe it was thanks to Loki using smoke to veil us and my quick thinking that saved our lives, not your brute strength." Loki and Thor both turned to me.
"Some do battle, others just do tricks. You look like a proper lady, Sigyn." My deep blue gown was cut to reveal my slimming figure, and trimmed with bronze metal belts and my battle corset. I had no cloak, instead a shimmering blue shawl wrapping around my bare arms, held in place by bronze clasps.
"Oh, shut it Thor. We've had this argument a million times, I will never truly be a proper lady. I'll just dress the part as Father commands me to." Loki smiled at me, and gently pulled me into a hug.
"You do look lovely, Sigyn." He tucked a strand of my strawberry blonde hair back into place under my bronze vine tiara. "As always. Nice feathers, Thor." An attendant had come up and given Thor his silver helmet, with its eagle wings along the side.
"You don't really want to start this again, do you cow?" I rolled my eyes.
"See, that's the problem with your helmets. Animal parts, really? Plants are significantly more subtle." I chuckled at them.
"I was being sincere!" Loki protested with a grin. Thor snorted.
"You're incapable of sincerity."
"Am I?" Both of them looked at each other, serious. "I've looked forward to this day as long as you have. You're my brother and my friend. Sometimes, I may be envious, but never doubt that I love you." He paused, before his face broke out into a grin. "Now give us a kiss."
I swatted Loki on his shoulder. "You behave."
"How do I look?" Thor adjusted his cape, then held his arms out to show off. I sighed.
"Like a king." The horn blasted in the hall. "It's time." I kissed Thor on his cheek. I linked my arm around Loki's, and he led me out to the antechamber.
"Do you think he'll make a good king?" Loki murmured to me, his hand clasping mine. I shook my head.
"I doubt it. He's far too arrogant and full of himself." I sighed. "But Father is running out of time. He needs the sleep, and he needs someone to take his place. Mother won't do it anymore, not while Father is in such a state."
"If he asked you to, would you rule?" I stopped and looked at Loki. His face was stoic. I sighed and merely shrugged my shoulders.
"I don't really want to. But I would do what was necessary to maintain peace in Asgard. But don't forget, my dear big brother, you are in line for the throne before me, by means of sex and age."
"Do you think I would be a good king?" I smiled.
"Better than me or Thor." He bumped his hip against mine, causing me to giggle slightly as we entered the throne room. Our faces automatically became serious, and we took our places at the end of the throne.