This is not the final chapter. There's one more to go.

21.

She would not get a chance to ask him what he meant by his statement of replacing her ring with one of a diamond.

A thundering knock sounded on her door, jolting her from her pleasant dreams. Beside her Markku pulled himself upright as well. "Miss Dyre, your presence has been requested in the healing room immediately!" a guard said on the other side of her door.

Her heart leapt in her throat, fearing who had been hurt. She almost jumped out of bed and leaned against the door. "I'm here. Who has been injured?"

"Heimdall has been frozen. His body temperature is far too low. He was encased in ice."

If her heart hadn't been pounding before, it was then. She could think of only one person with the ability to freeze someone in place, however she refused to believe it. There was no way he would do such a thing. Would he? "I'll be there as quick as I can. Have my mother do what she must to keep him stable."

"Understood."

She listened to the guard's retreating footsteps, still not wanting to believe what she had been told. She changed as quickly as she could and raced to the healing room, trying to keep her mind focused on the fact the Gatekeeper was now out of commission to protect the entrance to Asgard. She refused to let the truth sink in. She pushed past the guards and knelt by Heimdall's bedside. She took his pulse, finding his skin still very cold to the touch, despite the amount of blankets her mother had draped over the armored man. "What happened?"

He spoke as she began to heal him, starting with raising his body temperature to normal rates. "I was relieved of my duties by Loki, and so I was given freedom to strike him down. He pulled the Casket of Endless Winters from apparently nowhere." He licked at his lips, relieving them of lack of moisture. "He froze me before I could get close enough. He changed. His appearance became that of a Jotun, completely."

She had paused when he had mentioned his goal was to strike Loki down. "What has he been doing to warrant such an act?" By then the guards had left and her mother was out of earshot. She lowered her voice, urgency edging into her tone. "Please Heimdall, what has he been doing?"

Heimdall flinched as he began regaining feeling in his limbs. "He snuck off to Jotunheim yesterday. When I turned my gaze to him, I couldn't find him. He was blocking me. Why would he go there alone, and not want me to know?"

Her heart thundered against her chest. When Thor had led them to Jotunheim, war had broken loose. That was when there were five of them. Why would he have gone alone in the middle of a declaration of war? And how would he have returned without a scratch? A dry spot formed in her throat. "What happened after you were frozen?"

"The Jotuns came through. Loki led them into the palace. I began hearing Thor calling from Midgard, and I desperately fought against the ice. Two Jotuns stayed behind to watch me. I broke the ice and slew them both. With my last bit of strength I opened the Bifrost to let Thor return. He had the Warriors Three and Lady Sif bring me here." He pulled his hand out from under the blankets, moving his fingers to test their mobility. "Loki lied to him. Told him Odin was dead and that his exile was to never lift. That as king, his first act could not be revoking Odin's last."

Her head went light, her mind screaming against the truth. She didn't want to believe it, for if she did, what else had he lied about? What else had he kept from their lives? Had he been taking advantage of her the whole time, lying to her just like everyone else? She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "Where is Thor now?"

A sharp crack echoed throughout the kingdom, forcing Dyre's attention away from her work. She scrambled back to her feet and looked out the singular window of the healing room. From a distance, she could see the end of the Rainbow Bridge shoot sparks as something hammered against it. With one last resounding snap, the gate began to fall away, into the abyss. Eir stood by her side, grasping on to her shoulders. "Dyre, what's happening?"

"I-I don't know."

Heimdall forced himself to his feet. "Thor is destroying the bridge. Loki kept the gate open upon Jotunheim. He intended to wipe it from existence."

Dyre felt her knees weaken and she held on to the windowsill to keep herself upright. "But why? Why would he do such a thing?"

"He is the god of mischief. The second son. There are many reasons why he could have done this, but he was always capable of such a thing." He grabbed his sword. "I thank you for returning my health to me, Miss Dyre." He said no more as he left, not seeing a tear escape her eye.

Eir noticed, however. She pulled at her daughter's shoulders. "Come away from the window."

"Why would he do this?"

Eir pursed her lips, fully aware of Dyre's unconventional relationship. "He was always jealous of Thor. We knew this from the first time he was brought to us. From the first time the boys wanted to befriend you. You weren't aware of it because you were too young to understand, but they fought over you. You saw it as a game, they saw it as a competition. Everything was a competition."

"He… this isn't one of his little pranks. He's in over his head." Her grip on the stone tightened. "I told him to take the throne while Odin was asleep."

"This is not your fault. Heimdall was right; he was always capable of this. That magic is a horrible gift." She clapped her hands over her mouth as she realized whom she said the statement too.

Dyre turned on her, anger obvious in her features. She curled her lip. "You fear what I could become, don't you Mother? You fear I'll be just like him." She let out a harsh laugh, another tear escaping her eyes. "I will be nothing like that backstabber. I will never be like him." She put a hand to her head, feeling lightheaded. "I— Something is wrong."

Eir dropped her hands and held her daughter upright as she stumbled forward. "Dyre? What is it? Tell me."

"I'm dizzy. Tired." She pulled her hand away, gripping it in a fist tightly. "It must be from the magic."

Her mother eyed her warily as she steadied herself. "How long have you felt like this? Tired and having spells."

"This is the first time I've felt dizzy." She looked out the window again, haunted by the missing gateway. "I've been tired for a week now. More than usual." She shook her head, fighting off her desolation. "I need to know what happened. Please, take me to a guard, anyone who can tell me."

Eir took Dyre by the shoulders and forced her on a bed. "You need rest."

"But—"

"Mother knows best." She tossed a blanket over her. "We will find out what happened when the time comes. For now, you need to regain your strength." She bit at her lip subtly. "We will figure out what ails you when you waken."

Dyre tried to fight it, but found no point. "Yes, Mother." She rolled on her side, facing the wall, giving her mother her back. She couldn't bear the thought of her mother seeing her shed tears for a liar.

Dyre left the welcome home feast, not in the mood for festivities. It was to welcome Thor back into Asgard, and to celebrate Odin's quick awakening. She had seen Thor leave early as well, but chose not to follow him. She had learned everything from him already. His brother had lied from the day of the coronation to everyone. He had brought the Jotuns into the Weapons Vault, he had suggested Thor seek vengeance in their realm. He had planned on Thor being banished from the start as a consequence of his arrogance, to teach his brother a lesson. At the same time, he led Laufey to believe he had a chance to kill Odin.

He did everything to make it seem like he was the rightful son. That he was not just a second born, unfit to rule, unfit to be an Odinson. He had a horrible execution of trying to prove he was a worthy son, but in a way, Dyre could not blame him for everything he did. Everything was in good intentions. Until he tried destroying all of Jotunheim after killing Laufey, his true father.

She also learned he had let go of Odin's staff and fallen into the celestial abyss, leaving all who cared for him to mourn, as meager as that list was. After everything Loki had done, Thor still loved his brother, and Odin still loved his son. Dyre, however, found it difficult to love the man who had lied to her. And who had now left her on her own with a new burden to bear. As much as she tried to fight it though, in her heart she knew better.

She traveled the entire length of the Bifrost alone, watching the bridge illuminate under her feet. She knew a horse would be much faster, but she had nowhere else to go. It took her almost an hour to reach the broken end, letting her mind cycle through her thoughts. She looked to Heimdall, still standing stiff and at attention, staring into the abyss.

"It seems I'm getting a few visitors today," he rumbled.

Dyre nodded and sat beside him, her legs dangling over the jagged edges. "I didn't know where else to go."

"You want to know if he's alive."

She nodded again.

"I cannot say for certain. However, I cannot say for certain that he is dead. His life force is out there, but I cannot see or hear it. In a way, he is alive, but I do not know how."

She swallowed past a dry spot in her throat, keeping her gaze ahead. "Do you think he can ever return?"

"Odin loves both his sons, even though only one is related through blood. Loki's punishment will be severe if he is to return, but he will live." He grinned at her, though she did not look. "He will have to, given your condition."

"If he lives, he will not know." She found her hand resting over her stomach. She didn't bother asking how Heimdall knew when she had only just found out for herself the day prior. The Gatekeeper knew many things, and she supposed her condition was one of those things. "I will not burden him with this."

"He would find out eventually."

"I know. But not right away." She shook her head. "I don't know what to do."

"If he lives, he will deserve to know. At least he will have one good thing to come home to."

"I doubt the news would be something good for him." She hauled herself back so she could stand again. "Thank you for your kind words, Heimdall. And for not judging me for still caring about his well-being."

"Following your heart is not anything to be ashamed of." He put his gaze back to the abyss. "Thor still seeks the well-being of the human he fell for in Midgard. She still searches for him. Love is a strange and powerful thing."

She smiled, hiding it from Heimdall's view. "Very strange indeed." She began her voyage back to the palace, her hand subconsciously resting against her belly again. "Maybe something good will come out of this after all…"