Summary: What if Odin did not protect Loki from the truth? What if Loki grew up in Asgaard knowing he was not one of them? And what would Odin do to ensure the safety of the nine realms? Surely an arranged marriage between Loki and Thor would not help the matters at all . . .

Warning: Loki/Thor, violence, sexual content in later chapters and lots and lots of plot and mischief! You have been warned!

A/N: I know there are fics out there with the theme of marriage between these two, but I have tried to give it a few twists simply because I have a twisted mind. (Evil laughter).

This chapter is not beta'ed. All the grammatical mistakes and typos are mine. Apologies for that.

Happy reading.

Some Say the World Will End in Fire, Some Say in Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost

Chapter One

Loki stood in the middle of the golden hall with hands tightly clasped behind his back, waiting for the AllFather to make his grand appearance. It was rare for him to be summoned here, but he did not have to think hard about what King Odin was going to tell him. Loki had felt it in the air for awhile now; he could tell from the looks the King had been giving him while dinning, from that thoughtful look on his face, from Frigga's worried smiles, and he had been awaiting it with a mixture of excitement and anticipation.

And it is finally happening.

The doors opened with a loud bang, and the AllFather walked in, staff held tightly in his right hand. Loki turned around and bowed his head, mostly out of habit than anything else and watched as the AllFather nodded his head in greeting and went toward his seat, Steps a bit faster than usual, and Loki could not help but wonder if the great AllFather was as agitated about the matter as he was.

He has no reason to be. This will end in his benefit and mostly my disadvantage.

"Loki," His name resonated in the hallway, and he stepped forward and locked eyes with the King. It was time to show strength and attendance, and he knew the King would notice. The old man was observant.

"There is an urgent matter that I need to speak about."

I know.

But he tilted his head to his right and widened his eyes a bit to show surprise. It was always best to show ignorance when speaking with a king. They liked that.

"Yes, AllFather?" Loki kept his tone light.

The AllFather hesitated and played with his staff idly for some time. The room was quiet as Loki waited for the man to speak up.

Surely he has thought about this for many years now. Why is he taking so long?

But a small part of him was relieved the words were not out yet. After the words were out, it would become real, and Loki, despite the confidence he had in himself, was not completely sure if he would be able to handle it.

"It is a matter of most importance, and you have a great role in it." The king leaned back in his chair, now prepared to give the speech.

Loki stood motionless, waiting for the King to continue.

"You know how loved you are here, Loki. Your intellect and manner have been regarded with respect in this household, and Frigga and I have tried to treat you like our own son."

Oh, you have tried, but you never succeeded. You have started your speech quite well though, old man, quite well indeed.

"And your presence has been a joy to all of us; a promise for a better future; a promise for peace in all the nine realms."

The king stopped then and was quiet for some time, then stood up. Loki did not like it, but he did not step back. It would seem like a retreat.

"You know how troubled our foreign affairs are these days. The council has tried to keep it a secret, but I know not many things can be kept secret from you. You have always been too clever."

Well deduced.

"Are you talking about the Jotunheim threats, AllFather?" Loki asked. It was unwise to feign ignorance any longer.

"Yes, my boy. It is with great sorrow that I have to admit that they are indeed serious. They want the Tesseract back, I'm afraid. I do not believe they can win the war, powerless as they are, but they have nothing to lose, and they will come to shed blood. They have nothing to lose, and it will make them most dangerous."

"You do not want a war?" Loki already knew the answer to that question. He knew about all the troubles in the south, but Odin was not supposed to know the degree of knowledge he possessed. It would make him suspicious, and that was the last thing Loki needed.

"We must keep our eye on the south. People are talking about war there. A war in our land will weaken our army, and another war might start from there, and they have their power intact. We do not want that to happen."

"You want me to . . . reveal my true identity? That I'm Laufey's son?" The words tasted like poison in his mouth. It was a fact well-known in Asgaard, but a fact that was never spoken about. Loki was not an Aesir, but was supposed to be treated as one; because the AllFather had demanded so. How he hated this truth.

You knew this time would come for a long time now. That fragile inner peace and comfort was not going to last forever. Now face it with dignity.

"Yes, my boy. That is exactly what I have in mind. The people of Asgaard welcomed you as their brother; if the people of Jotunheim realize this truth, they might see that what we are looking for is an amicable relationship and not bloodshed."

I was their brother only when you were around, AllFather, and we both know it, but for the sake of this argument, let us both pretend otherwise.

Loki stood silent.

"What do you think about this matter, Loki?"

He hesitated for a while before answering, and then looked up and locked eyes with the king.

"May I say the truth?"

"Of course my boy." The eyes said that the old man meant it.

Choose your words carefully, Loki.

"There is a chance that . . . this might have the reverse effect. People of Jotunheim are proud people. If you . . . reveal the truth about me, they might see it different." Loki moved one step forward. "They might think you have taken me as a trophy, and especially because I am Laufey's son, it might look more like an offense. Much as good as you have done for me, they might not see it that way." Loki stopped there, and looked at Odin's face. Yes, it was clear the man had thought about this before.

"Yes, Loki. The thought has crossed my mind. We do not want to anger them, of course. We want to extend a hand in friendship, and they need to know Asgaardians regard you with respect. This is a shot in the dark, but we need to take this risk."

Odin came down the steps, and Loki stood straight, heart pounding fast.

"There is a way to make this easier, but I need your assistance."

And here comes the good part; the most important part.

"Yes, AllFather?"

"What I will ask of you might sound difficult, but . . ." The King trailed of, which was quite rare.

After all these years, he is still unsure about this, but he and I both know there is no other way.

"AllFather, I will do anything for the safety of Asgaard and the peace between the nine realms. This is how I have been brought up."

Look at him in the eye. Let him see you mean it.

"I know, my boy. I have faith in your intelligence and loyalty. . . We want to show them how esteemed you are here, and there is a way; a way I have had in mind for a long, long time."

The AllFather was right in front of him. If he raised his hand, he could touch Loki's face, but he did not. It was no time for intimacy.

"Thor is my dear son and the future king of Asgaard. I need not tell you of him. You have grown up together and I am certain you are aware of how he holds you of high regard. He has always loved you."

"Certainly, AllFather."

That temperamental fool. His love is worth nothing.

"Had the conditions been any different, you would have been dear brothers for each other. Alas, the real world is a harsh place, my boy, and these measures need to be taken."

"You are talking about marriage."

He was proud how his voice did not waver. This had to go smoothly or things would get ugly.

"Yes, Loki. Marriage." The King turned around then, and stepped away. Clearly this was not an easy decision for Odin to make. Kings were known to have male lovers, Loki was well aware of that fact – if the King of Vanaheim was any example to go by - but there was one thing, and only one thing that was of the highest importance in a royal family, and that was an heir, and a marriage between two men was not going to produce that. To make things more complicated, he was a frost giant, practically an enemy, and no matter what Odin ordered, people were not going to take lightly their golden prince marrying with the boy whose heart was made of ice. It was bad enough that Loki was living among them like an equal. This would most likely cause an uproar, short lived most probably, but still unsettling. On the other hand, Odin had two advantages over his subjects. One, Asgaardians hated to have wars in their homeland; they loved to see blood and shed it, as long as it was not in their own town, and, two, Odin was going to claim that this marriage was blessed by the gods; why else the gods would have let him take a small boy from a temple – the home of the gods? Why else would they ask the AllFather to raise the boy in his own household, next to the beloved Thor? This marriage was sacred and a good omen for the Aesirs. The commoners always fell for that.

"What about offsprings? He will be allowed to have a wife as well?" To Loki, it seemed like the only solution, not a nice one, but the only choice Odin had left, and which princess would agree to such heresy? To bear the offspring of the king but not be named queen? It was a complex matter. Yet, Odin seemed to have weighed this against the wars that would happen against Jotunheim, and had come to this conclusion that this mess would be worth it. Clearly he feared Laufy. But why he would fear a man with no power was a question Loki was still unable to answer.

Odin looked taken aback by the question, but Loki was getting increasingly tired of playing the fool.

"I'm afraid yes, Loki. You need not concern yourself, however, with such problems. We will find a woman who can bear Thor a child, but she will not be Queen. These are not normal times, and we need changes in our laws. I will ensure that you will be Thor's first priority in his personal life."

"And what will be my title? Certainly not queen?" Loki tried to give a shy smile. It was not the time to look angry and demanding. By the smile on Odin's face, it seemed it had had the desired effect.

"His husband; Thor's right hand man. "

Let us all hope he does not mean in masturbation as well. That would be most disgusting.

Loki wanted to ask if the AllFather really meant it. They were both aware of how suspicious Asgaardians were of him. How they all had been waiting for Loki to start a war on them for many years now. The only reason they had not voiced these thoughts was because he had always been under the King's protection. Would they let him in their inner circle, in their politics and secrets? Loki already knew the answer to that.

"What will your answer be, my boy?" The King was in front of him once again, and Loki knew it was time to make his decision.

"Do I have a say in this, AllFather?" And Loki really meant it. Could he say no, and what would happen then? Life would go on, Jotunheim would attack, and he would see his real family on the other side, as the enemy, and he would watch them all die, without them knowing he had been in the residence of then enemy all this time. Would they care if they found out?

"Yes, Loki, you do."

Loki looked at the AllFather, and he knew he would say yes. Saying no would mean disappointing him and Odin was a clever, clever man, aware of Loki's only weakness, his need for approval. Loki did not have the power in him to say no, and they both knew it. It was no real choice.

"Yes, AllFather. I will do what is best for you and Asgaard." Let you all think I am your little loyal boy.

Odin's smile was warm and so was his hands on Loki's shoulders, but Loki shuddered.

"I am proud of you, my boy."

You are always proud of me when I do as you say.

"One more question?"

"Yes Loki?"

"I am not sure if Thor will . . . comply with this." This one was obvious. Thor with his arrogance was not a suited man for arranged marriages. He was fond of Loki, yes, as a playmate, sometimes a friend, sometimes a comrade, mostly as his enemy, and occasionally, only occasionally, as a brother, but as a spouse?

"You need not worry. He has already agreed."

This time, Loki's surprise was not feigned.

He has agreed? Why? Why? What would he gain from this?

"You can go Loki. Think about this for a while longer. This will change . . . everything." The old man was really nervous about this.

"Thank you AllFather, but my answer will remain the same." Loki bowed again and turned around to leave. He tried to walk with a slow pace, trying to prove he was certain about the choice he had made.

Sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if Odin had protected me from this truth?

Loki was not surprised to find Thor waiting for him in the gardens. He was also not surprised to hear that Thor needed to talk to him. He wasn't fond of talking with his . . . future spouse – his mind was preoccupied with the conversation he had had with the AllFather and the new information he had received – but on second thoughts, there was a slim chance that talking to Thor would give him a new perspective as well.

"Good afternoon, Loki." Thor stood a few steps away from him, under the shadow of an apple tree, his Mjolinir missing, but Loki could see the tip of his sword shining under his red robes. Thor always carried weapons.

Red, this despicable color.

"Good afternoon, Thor." Loki answered smoothly with an innocent smile, tilted his head to his right and looked at Thor's face. His brows were creased with signs of distress, and the infamous smile was missing. It was not a familiar sight.

This news has not been to his liking.

"You talked with the AllFather, I assume?" His tone was agitated.

"I did, Thor."

Loki sat down and leaned on the tree, the afternoon breeze tickling his face. Thor would talk eaier if he felt like it was only a friendly conversation, even though there was nothing friendly about the topic to be discussed. Thor sat down next to him, their shoulders almost touching, and sighed.

I thought he would feel uncomfortable with close proximity after hearing the news, but he is not. How interesting.

"Did you . . . agree?"

There was hesitation in Thor's voice. Was it worry? Was it hope? Loki could turn his head to his left and look at his eyes to see what was going through his head, but he did not. He stared at the trees in front of him instead, trying to review the important things he was supposed to tell Thor.

"Yes, Thor."

"What is with the short answers? Do tell me what happened!" Thor stood up in front of him, blocking the sun and the breeze at the same time.

How long did it take for him to lose his temper? Three minutes? He is just too easy.

"What would you like to hear, my dear friend?" He used the words friend deliberately to gauge Thor's reaction. As he had predicted, Thor flinched, as if he had been burned.

"I do not know! Were you not shocked? Marriage? Us? I would have never thought he would ask for such thing. It is madness."

"So was I, Thor. I could not believe my ears. You and I? But the war with Jotunheim, and the troubles in the south . . . the AllFather has every right to be worried, and we must assist him in every way we can. This is our responsibility." Loki tried to look troubled and locked eyes with the god of thunder, waiting for Thor to understand the gravity of the situation. Was Thor aware there was no way out of this, or had he made another rash decision? The latter was more likely.

"I do know, bro . . ." Thor stopped mid sentence and sighed. Calling him brother now would be most inappropriate. Loki pretended he had not heard it. "But surely there must be other ways. This would make things complicated and difficult for us and . . . "Thor did not finish the sentence.

Why did you agree to this, Thor? Why? I know it is not to your liking or your friends' liking. I know you like the back of my hand. You were not supposed to say yes, at least not yet. I would be able to use this as a bargain chip then, but that plan is ruined now.

Loki stood up then, wiped the green leaves of his pants and waited for Thor to stop his agitated wandering and look him in the eye.

"I . . . understand why you are troubled, Thor."

Thor raised his eyebrows. "Of course I'm troubled, Loki. This is . . . folly! I know I will be king and ruling is about making difficult decisions! But it is supposed to be about war and politics and rations, not marrying your friend!" Thor almost spat the word 'friend' out. He had become animated, hands flying in the air as he shouted the words.

Loki stepped closer.

"I know what this is about."

Thor raised an eyebrow in confusion. He almost looked scared.

"I know you are thinking about Lady . . . Jane." Loki let his words sink in. He was not supposed to know about this. Thor was about to ask how he knew about it, but Loki went on. "I completely understand how you might be feeling. This is most unfortunate, but I have been thinking . . . things do not need to change. I do not think you have any inclination towards men either, at least not any that I have heard of, and we can go on as before." Loki deliberately did not talk about himself.

"Stop talking in riddles, Loki, and say what you mean."

"This . . . marriage, it is only for political reason, and we both know it. We have both accepted it, but it is only for the kingdom and the AllFather. It does not have to mean anything."

"Meaning?"

"Do not play daft, Thor. You know exactly what I mean. You can have your affair with Lady Jane or any other lady that you please, and I will live my own life. Our lives are too . . . different and so are our goals. Do you not see it? This marriage is only a façade. Nothing will change."

Thor, for all his verbosity, stayed silent this time. Perhaps he had not expected to hear such words, perhaps not. At any rate, it was irrelevant. Loki had driven the point home.

"If you excuse me, Thor, the sun is making me ill." And there was some truth in it. Thor nodded his head absently, dismissing him with a flick of his hand.

Loki left the gardens then and headed for his chambers. It had been a long, long day.

Loki had no appetite to eat dinner. The food in front of him had long gone cold, but he did not feel like touching it; there was still a lot to think about, a lot of problems he had to sort out before the cursed wedding. By the look on the people's faces around the dining table, apparently the news had not become official yet, which was a blessing.

He leaned back on his chair and looked at Thor from the corner of his eyes. He and his foolish friends had chosen the chairs far, far away from him, and that made him feel relieved. At least he was not the only one feeling awkward about this. No amount of thinking would ever make him feel good about being more under the spot light in the eyes of the people of Asgaard, and then there was also the problem of acknowledging Thor as his king night and day, taking orders from him; that would be nothing short of torment.

Look at him, eating, drinking, laughing as if nothing has happened. Has he no care in this world? Would he not feel uncomfortable having me at his side? I know he would. I'm certain of it. We are friends; at least he thinks so. What about that girl in Midgaard? I know about his foolish notions about gentlemanly behavior and love. He should feel remorseful right now, not joking with that giant and that arrogant swordsman. Why can't I figure him out?

"Deep in thought, Loki? Is something the matter?"

Loki looked up to look at Frigga's face, her affectionate smile upon her lips as it always was. He tried to stand up, but her warm hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so. Everybody was leaving the table. There was noise all over the place, and he could speak without having the fear of being overheard.

"You haven't touched your food."

"I am alright, my Lady."

"You will never call me mother, will you?"

Of course not. You are not my mother.

"You're too kind to me, my Lady."

Her hand on his face was too warm, almost burning his cheek.

"I know you must be troubled by the news you have received, but do not worry. I am certain it will work out for the best. I have faith in you and Thor. This will be difficult for both of you, I know, but you will manage, Loki my dear. Odin has faith in you, and so do I."

"Thank you. I shall try to do my best."

"I know you will."

He knew she was speaking the truth. Frigga had always been fond of him.

Loki only smiled as she ran a hand through his hair and left him in peace, her steps light as she left the hall. Loki sighed then, all traces of the fake smile gone from his. A clattering noise on the other side of the table made him look up only to see Thor there, looking at him with an unreadable expression on his face. He did not say a word, and after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Left Loki alone in the hall.

It took two days for Thor to finally decide to talk to him. Loki was a patient man, but he knew Thor was not. These two days must have been hard on him.

What he did not expect was for Thor to show up in his chambers. Not that he had forbidden him to do so – Loki had no such power, or else he might have – but at some point in their life and so-called friendship, it did not happen anymore. It was not the case when they were younger. They had spent many days on the seat Loki was currently in, talking – mostly Thor, boasting about himself, the vain man that he was – resting, even playing sometimes, but now the chair had become Loki's favorite place for reading, simply because it was far away from the door, was quiet and next to the window, giving him the allusion of freedom.

"May I come in?"

"Why such a long face, Thor? Lighten up. Soon you won't have to ask for permission."

"Do not jest about this matter, Loki." Thor mumbled as he came in and walked toward the bed without looking at him. He sat on the bed and stared at the wall in front of him, clearly in a grumpy mood.

"Accept my apology." Loki walked to the corner of the room, put his book on the shelf and turned around to face Thor. "So what brings you here tonight, the Golden Prince? Are you here to make sure your future spouse is good enough in matters of . . . coupling?"

"Loki!"

"Apologies, apologies. Now do tell me what the matter is."

"I have been thinking . . ."

"I have trouble believing that."

"Will you ever take this seriously?"

"Not when you are on the other side of the conversation."

Thor smiled despite himself and stood up. His face suddenly looked bright and young. Why his moods changed so erratically, Loki could not understand.

"You and your tongue, Loki. One day you will have it cut off."

"You love my tongue. Do not pretend otherwise." Loki gave him a sinister smile, and Thor laughed.

"Your wit and your tongue. I have travelled many realms and have never seen anything as dangerous as them. "

"Not even the dvergars of Svartálfaheim? If I remember correctly, one of them delivered a heavy blow to your . . . nether regions."

"Do not remind me of that cursed dwarf! Alas, I have to admit, more painful is the bites you deliver."

"You flatter me, my Prince."

They both shared a small laugh. Thor sighed then as he leaned on the bookshelf. Loki feared the shelf might break – Thor did have a massive body, and the shelf was rather fragile, since it was made of glass – but nothing happened.

"This . . . marriage troubles me greatly. I cannot think or rest. Has it been hard on you, too?"

Yes, but for different reasons.

"It is not easy, I understand."

"Never in my life have I been more uncertain about a decision."

Why did you say yes then?

"I understand, Thor, but as I told you, nothing has to –"

"About what you said," Thor interrupted him and Loki fell silent, waiting for him to continue. "That is why I am here. I thought about it; about our lives and . . . Lady Jane. What you said makes sense."

Loki clasped his hands behind his back and stood straighter.

"But . . ." Thor trailed off and looked at the books on the shelf for some time.

"But what, Thor?"

"This marriage has a purpose."

"It does; peace for the nine realms."

"Yes, yes, but if we just treat it like it is an act, it will not do."

"How do you mean?"

"I cannot lie to myself, Loki, and neither can you. To go through this marriage and then act like nothing has happened, it is insincere and none of us would be able to tolerate it. We will swear to the gods, and I want to stay true to the words I will utter." Thor stopped then and stepped away from the shelf. Thankfully, the shelf did not give out.

"After this marriage . . ., I will stay true to my words. I Promise you, Loki, I will do all the duties that is required of me. I will devote my heart and soul to make it work." Thor nodded to himself then and walked toward Loki with two fast strides. He grasped Loki's hand in his own then and firmly shook it. "You have my word."

Loki blinked a few times, his breath caught in his throat for reasons he could not understand and only nodded his head once.

"Well then, I am glad this is done." And Thor looked glad too, as if a heavy weight was lifted of his shoulders. "I'll leave you to your beloved books now."

"Surely you are not jealous of them, are you?"

Thor laughed as he walked out the door, his ringing laugh much lighter than before. "Goodnight, Loki."

Loki picked up his book and went back to his seat.

Thor, you sentimental fool. When will you learn not to think with your heart? It will never do you any good.

Loki had relied on it, however, and now that the first part of his plan was completed successfully, he allowed himself a small smile.

To Be Continued . . .