Alternate timeline where Thor hadn't been banished, so life in Asgard proceeded normally with Loki unaware of his true parentage.

Thor approached his brother's chambers warily. Already he could hear Loki yelling and throwing things. It was not like him to lose his temper, especially so violently. When a servant came rushing out of the younger prince's large chamber, followed shortly by a once full serving platter sailing out the doorway and clanging loudly against the other wall, Thor's pace quickened. He helped the servant to his feet and went inside, closing the door so that the frightened man could clean up the mess in peace.

"Brother, I realize you are upset, but it is not appropriate to take your frustration out on your servants. They have done you no wrong," Thor advised.

"Who are you to tell me what is appropriate? It is not your future that has been so wretchedly lain out for you. You get to be king. You will marry a suitably respectable woman!" he raved.

Thor sighed. "I suppose it is best to get your frustration out now before she arrives."

Loki seethed. "This cannot be happening." He'd been wracking his brain for hours trying to find some kind of solution to the predicament he'd been put in, but had found none. "I would blame you for this, your recklessness in going to Jotunheim like you did and dragging the rest of us along, but Mother informed me that only hastened the inevitable," he muttered.

Thor gave a sympathetic wince. "They should have told you sooner about the arrangement. It would have given you time to prepare."

The dark-haired prince scoffed. "I would have tried to destroy that horrid realm myself long ago if I knew this was my fate."

"Do you know if you are to live here or if you are you going to have to live with her?" Thor asked anxiously.

"I will continue to live here. That is one thing I insisted on. I will still have to pay visits to her family, but otherwise, our time will be spent here. I would sooner kill myself than live that in forsaken waste with those savages," he replied with bitter arrogance.

Thor considered what it was going to be like to not only have a frost giant living in their midst but to actually be related to one. "I didn't even know they had females among them," he half-joked.

Loki groaned. "I know. They are all so hideous that it would be difficult to discern which ones are supposed to be which."

"It is for the sake of peace. Better a bitter marriage than a bitter war," he quoted their father.

"I agreed with that right up until it was my wedding we were talking about," he muttered.

"It will be a grand affair," Thor tried to encourage. "You will receive countless gives, many of them priceless artifacts, and no one will expect you to truly care for her."

Loki gave a wry little laugh. "Perhaps those distractions will suffice for a time. The difficult thing then will be to not murder her in her sleep."

The idea of them sharing a bed made a thought occur to Thor, one that made his stomach turn and his expression darken.

"What?" Loki prompted.

"You don't suppose...you'll be expected to make children with her?" he asked grimly.

Loki paled and he nearly vomited "No, There's no way. AEsir and frost giants can't breed," he muttered before storming out of the room.

"Loki! Where are you going?" Thor called after him.

"To speak with Father. I may have to stand with her at a marriage ceremony, but there is no way I'm consummating with some frozen barbarian wench," he spat as he stormed toward the great all.

He entered without warning, though that in itself wasn't surprising.

"Have you started to come to terms with you arrangement?" Odin asked even though it was clear that his younger son was still very upset.

Loki glared. "I just wanted to inform you that you may be able to force me into marrying a frost giant, but there is no way that matrimony will be consummated. You will have to rely on Thor for your grandchildren because there is no way I'm even going to chance that a child could come from such an unholy union," he nearly shouted.

Odin stood, nodded to his wife, and said, "Loki, follow me." Without so much as another glance at his son, he led the younger prince out of the throne room.

The dark-haired young man started to sweat a bit. His father never acted like this except when it was really important. They were halfway to the vault when he finally gathered his thoughts well enough to match step with the Allfather.

"I realize that this arrangement is politically important," he began in his best diplomatic voice.

"It is that among other things," Odin enigmatically replied.

"What else is it?" Loki asked anxiously. He had never wanted to let down his father, and even though the situation he had been placed in was unpleasant, if it was really that important, he would swallow his pride and do it.

Odin didn't say anything else until they were in the vault and the guards were dismissed. "When you went to Jotunheim, did anything unusual happen?" he asked knowingly.

Loki felt a bit sick again. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean. You made physical contact with a frost giant during Thor's skirmish, did you not?" he elaborated.

The son looked away in shame. "I-I did. One of them, they grabbed my arm," he barely answered.

"Pick up the Casket of Ancient Winters," Odin ordered.

"But Father-" he was about to protest about how it would freeze his skin, as he and his brother had been warned about since as early as they could remember, but the look he received in return cut him off immediately.

With trembling hands, Loki grasped either side of the ancient casket and lifted it several inches from its pedestal. He didn't have to look at himself to know the had undergone some kind of change. His clothes felt hot and cumbersome, and he was more sensitive to the light. When he was finally able to look at his hands and arms, he almost threw the casket down in a rage. His skin had turned blue and gained intricate lined patterns.

"Am I cursed?" he muttered, noticing that as he did, his breath turned to steam in the air before him.

"No, enchanted. Set down the casket," Odin ordered because he could see how badly his son wanted to let go of it.

He did as he was told, and seconds later, his appearance was restored to normal. "What's happened to me?"

"Loki, first and foremost, you must remember that you always have been and will always be my beloved son," the Allfather began.

"But?" Loki prompted bitterly.

"You are not of Asgard," he simply said.

Loki's mind raced. "The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?"

Odin nodded.

"You took me for a purpose that day, what was it?" Loki demanded.

Odin didn't answer.

"Tell me!" Loki shouted, his voice echoing around the vault.

"We can unite the kingdoms through you," he finally said.

"So I am no more than a stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me," Loki angrily asserted.

Odin appeared wounded. "Why do you twist my words?"

Loki sneered. "You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?"

"You are my son. My blood. I wanted only to protect you from the truth," he tried, though he knew it wouldn't really ease the young man.

"Because I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night? And now I am betrothed to another monster, and what? We will make monstrous grandbabies for you?" Loki raved.

"Don't-" Odin began but he was cut off.

"You know, it all makes sense now, why you favored Thor all these years. Because no matter how much you claim to "love" me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the Throne of Asgard!" Loki shouted, his face contorting with emotions that he has yet to understand.

Odin's body began to shake, he lifts his hand. It started to move out of sync temporarily, leaving a trail, the effect of the Odinsleep approaching. Loki didn't notice as Odin tried to fight it off.

"Listen," he bid his adopted son, but it does no good. Loki has turned his back to him.

Odin started towards him, when the enormous mental, emotional, and physical strain of recent events finally takes its toll. The effect of the Odinsleep consumed him. His entire body now moved out of sync with the rest of the world, leaving trails behind him as he staggers backwards. The King fell back against a wall, his face contorting in a scream before collapsing to the stone floor.

Loki hurried to his side, obviously shocked, took Odin in his arms, and shouted for the guards. The guards came and carried the Allfather to his bed, leaving Loki to sit in the vault and contemplate.

By the time Thor found him, he had made several decisions. He was of Asgard. He had known no different, and he would not allow himself to suffer the shame of being outed as an enemy living in their midst. Even those who he would dare to call friend only trusted him as much as they had to already. He dreaded to think of how little respect he would receive if his secret was discovered. He also decided that he would go through with the marriage, not that he had a choice, but he wouldn't make so much of a fuss about it anymore. However, he'd be damned if he was going to show her any affection, let alone procreate with his new wife. He had a hard enough time with Asgardian children and shuddered to think what it would be like to father a brood of barbaric little bastards.

"Brother," Thor greeted as he entered the vault.

Loki scoffed bitterly.

"Mother told me," he said plainly as he sat down on the steps.

Loki glared. "And you will tell no one."

Thor frowned. "As you wish."

They sat in silence for a long time after that until Loki spoke.

"How is Father," he said, trying not to it bitterly.

"The Odinsleep took him suddenly because he had put it off for so long. Otherwise, he is fine," Thor assured.

Loki nodded. At least the man he knew as his father was alright.

"May I see you?" the blonde brother asked cautiously.

If it has been anyone else, they would have been rebuked. Loki sighed as he stood. "Let us see if you still call me brother so easily after you see my true appearance," he said as he made his way to the casket.

All his life, Thor's blood boiled at the very thought of frost giants. They were the enemy of his father, and therefore his enemy. They were ugly and cruel creatures that should be slain without mercy. Now he was seeing these creatures in a brand new light. He would never admit it aloud but his brother was downright captivating with his lightly decorated blue skin. The only thing that made his heart skip a beat was his blood red eyes.

"I am disgusting," Loki said, his shoulders slumping with defeat as he set down the casket once again.

"I do not think that is the case, and I hope that in time you will realize this as well," Thor said surely. "Now, come, pay your respects to Father. You know he is still aware of his surroundings when he sleeps."

Loki nodded and they left the vault. Once again, he sent the guards out. "Mother, I have questions," he said as plainly as he could.

"I wish your father could answer you, but I will do my best," she vowed.

"Under what circumstances was I taken? It was the middle of battle. Why should I have been spared?" he asked.

"You know your father has never approved of unnecessary bloodshed, especially when it is the blood of innocents. He found you abandoned, later learning that you were Laufey's youngest son. You were unusually small for a giant and would have died if he had not saved you," she answered.

Loki's expression soured. "I was told that the female that I am betrothed to is Laufey's daughter."

"Truth be told, Laufey has no surviving daughters. She was adopted for the sake of this arrangement and has no blood ties to you," she assured.

"Does she know what I really am?" he pressed.

"Not as far as I am aware," she replied.

"Have you met her before?" he continued to question.

"Once, when she was much younger, when the arrangement was made. Laufey presented her for our approval. As far as I could tell, she was at least moderately fair for one of her kind," she tried to sound optimistic.

"I care not for the fairness of monsters," Loki spat.

Frigga drew herself up. "I will have no more talk like that."

The brothers nodded obediently.

"Good. Now, her name is Myrkr, and we will send for her upon your father's waking. Loki, if you have opinions about the ceremony or the feast that will follow, then you need to made them known now," she advised.

"Yes, Mother," he reluctantly agreed.

They stayed a short while after that before going their separate ways.