A child of ice, cold in manner as to the touch. Loki's true nature burdened his very being like stones pressing down on his shoulders. He kept had kept himself isolated in his room for several days, skimming through an extensive collection of books on myths, legends and histories from the other worlds, even Midgard. How many people knew what he was before he discovered it himself? Was it only a matter of time before everyone discovered that Loki was no Asgardian, but a frost giant? He actually didn't care if everyone knew now, that he could get over easily. However, his true concern was where his place in line to the throne had actually been all these years. Could he have ever truly been King, or would the opportunity been snatched away at the last second? If it was a secret that only he discovered, disposing of Odin would mean taking the secret to his grave, oh, but that could never work. His mother Frigga must have also known the truth, and he could never harm her. Besides, even if he was a true Asgardian, that wouldn't have stopped Thor from being his older brother and therefore the heir to the throne. Now he had to ask himself, if the heir to a kingdom were discovered to be a frost giant, what would their fate be?

Loki's train of thought was derailed by the muffled ruckus of an elaborate feast from the dining hall. He quietly scoffed at the disturbance and attempted to return to his contemplation, but the incessant roars and laughter became louder than his own thoughts. He gave a low groan and slammed his book shut so hard it clapped as his eyes rolled over to the door. He finally emerged from his room, with his forest-colored velvet robe dragging along the floor as he marched to the balcony over the dining hall. He kept himself tucked in the corner so that he was out of sight but could eavesdrop on all the Asgardians. Next to the grand feast of assorted dishes and delicacies was a large stack of what appeared to be loot from Midgard. From the chatter of the crowd, he realized that the gifts were offerings left at the temples of a Midgardian kingdom.

"Such a generous King and Queen, I assume they expect we will return the favor."

"What is it that the Kingdom of Arendelle wants? Victory in battle?"

"The Queen is with child, and this child will be the heir to the throne. "

Loki's head snapped with interest.

"They ask for what every good ruler should have: strength, courage, fortitude, and the sort."

"Might as well add beauty and talent in there as well, it wouldn't hurt."

Loki zoomed back to his room to dress himself properly for an outing. A new baby was always a fun occasion. If this Midgardian kingdom wanted a proper ruler, surely they would want one with cunning and cleverness. That was his reputation among the nine worlds and he was proud of it. He traded his robe for his winter tunic and cape with the fur trim, and fixed his hair while he was at it. He loved to make an impression when visiting humans.

When he approached Heimdall and told him he wanted to visit his temple in Arendelle, he asked him, "Can you see the child inside the mother's womb?"

Heimdall nodded, "I can, but why do you find this important?"

"I just want to know if it's a boy or a girl, that's all." Loki smiled innocently.

"The child is a girl, and a healthy one, she is," Heimdall responded.

"Oh, well then she's bound to be gorgeous." Loki's voice had a hint of veneration, and he kept that same smile as he was transported across the Bifrost.

Unfortunately, Loki had only set himself up for disappointment. As he approached his temple, he felt like he was walking into a graveyard. The display was as bleak as the grey soil beneath his feet. The only sound that echoed through the stone pillars as that of his slow footsteps. There was nothing there, no people, no offerings, not even a wandering animal. He walked up the statue of himself placed in the center of the open veranda and found a dust-coated cauldron that hadn't been used in years. He sat under the statue, which itself was weathered and chipped, and sighed. Here he thought he had gotten his mind off of being a frost giant, if only for a brief moment, but sitting alone in the snow-covered mountains made him feel like he was in Jotunheim.

Still, the trip didn't have to be a total waste. After all, the Queen of this kingdom was still having a healthy baby princess, so that was something worth celebrating. He ought to give the lucky family a gift, even if they had not given him one. Suddenly, he got a brilliant idea for the perfect gift for the crown princess. This would knock two birds with one stone. He'd be offering the kingdom of Arendelle his congratulations for their blessing, but he would also be able to conduct a nice little experiment.

Luckily, the ingredients needed for this special potion could be found close to his current location, so he simply needed to hunt and harvest them for the next couple of hours and add them to the cauldron. He chuckled to himself as he stirred the boiling concoction and told himself how much he'd really outdone himself this time. When it came time to add the final ingredient, he patted himself down as he looked for his dagger. Ah, it was strapped to his thigh; he had to stop forgetting that he kept it there. Holding in his breath, he squeezed the blade with his bare hand until it sliced his palm open. He hissed and instinctively brought his hand to his mouth to lick the wound. The blood trickled down arm in spurts. He held his hand over the cauldron, and as the drops of the frost giant's blood hit the surface, the whole liquid turned purple like dusk.

The vial bounced around his neck as he strolled through the empty streets of the city. It was far too early for any of the humans to have woken up, except for the guards in front of the palace. Getting them out of the way took the easiest trick in the book. A simple illusion running past them sent them chasing after the phantom image and left him free to scale up the tallest tower of the castle, which must have been where the king and queen slept.

As he stood over the sleeping queen, he admired her full stomach. Inside was a baby girl who would be queen herself one day. She was going to be very special; Loki would make sure of that. She would help him run a little test. The girl would be born of ice, just like him. She would be a stunning enchantress with the power to make ice and snow appear from nothing. Let's see how her kingdom responds to their beloved queen's special nature. If they accepted her, then maybe Loki's troubles began with when he was born, second, instead of what he was born as, a monster. If they rejected her, well then that meant being a monster really was hopeless.

He could have just opened the queen's lips and poured the drink directly into her mouth, but that was nearly as much fun as his way. He poured the contents into his own mouth, held the queen's chin gently, and spilled the potion in her mouth through a mischievous kiss. He managed to slip out just before the queen sat up and fell into a coughing fit after swallowing.