The weeks following Modi's failure of a plan were happy ones, despite the sadness that overwhelmed Thor. Loki did what he could to help his brother mourn, but it would be an impossible feat to say that he understood the loss, because Thor had no choice but to end Modi's life.
Now that 18 long months have gone by, the realms are almost completely rebuilt. Asgard has recovered from the destruction that Rasvelg left with Modi's first attack. Heimdall has given great blessing to Ragfrieda and Vali, who finally gave a proposal to Rigs to be his wife. She has, of course, accepted; the occasion of their wedding falls on the same day of another grand occasion.
Tomorrow, Vali is to be crowned Asgard's King.
Hela and Sigyn no longer fight over her future. Her time spent in visions changed her, matured her; Hela now always has a speck of purple in her eyes, the sort of glimmer that indicates hidden abilities. Hela has yet to discover all she is capable of, but she loves going to teach the new sorcery students with her father. She is warming up to the idea of becoming the Stewardess of Narvlheim in time.
Thor is happy to pass on the responsibility of leadership on to Vali, who is ready for the position. The stress of trying to please all of the people while knowing how poorly they view him is too much to bear. He has been proud of Vali's progress, the way he insists on teaching rudimentary magic to the soldiers, and even how he handles his personal life. His relationship with Rigs has not gotten in the way of his responsibilities as a soldier, and he is equally expectant of her to learn the skills he teaches the rest of them.
Sigyn and Loki are proud to plan the wedding of Vali to Rigs, and unite both Narvlheim and Dagheim under the banner of Asgard. They have decided to make the occasions meet up so that there would not be a delay; it makes more sense to present Vali as King and then present his bride. The whole process adds a certain amount of romance to the gesture of coronation.
...
The night before the event, Loki leads Vali down the hallways of Asgard's palace, blindfolded. He has no intention of breaking the traditions started by his own mother. Rigs is led down the hallway equally by her own family, including Hela and Sigyn, who are excited to watch the two meet in the hall together. Thor stands close to Vali, not familiar with this ritual; in fact, none of the Asgardians are. Vali's family is proud to share it with them.
When Vali takes Ragfrieda's hand, he smiles. Neither of them are overly teary. It is a time for celebration and excitement. He pulls his friend in for the kiss, embracing her tightly in both of his arms; he tries of lift Rigs off the floor, but she will have no part of that, and laughs at him for trying. All of the people present clap at their meeting, happy to celebrate a royal wedding. At least, in the morning, it will be a royal one indeed.
Heimdall and his wife put themselves in charge of Rigs' gown. They dress her in bright white, but weave in ribbons of her signature mustard yellow. Her hair is half up, all done in tiny braids, but wound in an intricate flower-like pattern. Her dress hangs off of her full form, accentuating the softer edges of her body. Rigs is shaped like a full hourglass, nipped at the waist delightfully. In this dress, her dark skin looks almost like liquid silk. Sigyn places tiny white flowers in her hair, as she had when she married Loki, and tells Rigs that she will be proud to call her a second daughter.
Loki is dressed in full armor, as is Sigyn, who hasn't looked like this since shortly after they wed. Hela has chosen to wear a black and green dress, not comfortable in the fancy shoes that Asgardian women are accustomed to; Sigyn prides herself in knowing that the taste her daughter has for being barefoot comes from many years becoming one with the soil. Clad in her father's signature green, her daughter might as well be a walking tree.
His father presents Vali down the grand passageway to the throne room; the place is no longer called the judgment hall. It is lined with people. Vali walks slowly, remembering all of his father's tips to not make a fool of himself and trip on his long, blue cape. The two are quite a pair, as Loki walks with the green antique that Grid made for him when Vanaheim was still in existence. Loki even wears his old horned helmet; a decoration that Vali does not need, as his short hair says enough about his care for the people.
Loki presents Vali to Thor at the end of the hall, and nods to his brother. He then stands beside Thor, and listens while Vali kneels and is crowned with a simple, black metal band. He repeats his warrior oath, smiles widely, and turns around to the people. All of the citizens present cheer, and the senators behind him show no signs of ill intent towards their new King.
Sigyn is not yet standing, as this ceremony is almost exclusively for the diplomats of Yggdrasill. But once it is finished, Thor nods to the rest of the congregation that a change of occasion is in order.
"My people, it is my pleasure to announce that our new King, Vali Lokison, wishes to wed his beloved Ragfrieda on this day. All those who wish to stand witness to their union, step forward."
Vali is anxious, more so about the wedding than he is the coronation. Rigs is led down the hallway by her father, and she has an obnoxiously wide smile on her face. She steps heavily, as the girl has chosen not to wear delicate, heeled shoes. It is more typical of her to walk like this instead of the gilded slippers that someone suggested she wear. To Rigs, she already doesn't match Vali well considering his blue palette. The stubborn young woman preferred to walk barefoot down her wedding aisle.
The two meet together at the front, and exchange rings. Vali and Rigs are ready to take this next step, prepared to rule with benevolent hands for all of Yggdrasill. Rigs' strong nature combined with Vali's natural leadership will make them a force to be reckoned with.
Loki and Sigyn look at one another while they watch their son say the short vows Thor gives to them. They hold one another's hands and fiddle with their wedding rings. It feels like so long ago since they stood at their very own aisle, exchanging these bands and making promises to one another. Now, they can witness the wedding of their beloved son, the King, and have the comfort of their revived Hela.
Vali and Rigs exit the hall, and they smile at their parents. Sigyn is crying, but Loki is strong and proud. Heimdall and his wife are happy to call them all family. They all stand together and watch Vali lead his bride out of the palace, to start new adventures, and lead all of Yggdrasill to peace.