Frigga walked calmly through the halls of the palace, her face a placid mask covering her tumultuous emotions. To any she passed, she would have looked for all the world like she was simply heading to her bedchamber to retire for the night. The guards bowed respectfully as she went by them, none the wiser. When she reached the royal apartments, she headed for Odin's rooms instead of her own. As she approached the chamber, she was met by his personal guards.

"His Majesty asked not to be disturbed this evening, Lady Frigga." One of the guards stated, almost apologetically, as the other barred the door with his staff and rather pointedly did not look at the Queen. Frigga moved closer to the first guard and placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"He will see me." She said plainly, in a low voice. The guard's eyes fogged over for a moment and Frigga knew her magic had worked. He was back in another time-hopefully a happy one-and when he returned, he should be much more amenable to her being there. She moved over to the other guard and did the same to him. His eyes fogged over as well, and he slumped against the wall with a stupified smile on his face.

Well, she thought with a small, satisfied smile of her own, that takes care of that. With both of the guards lost in their favorite memory, she moved past them easily and opened the door to Odin's bedchamber, slipping in and closing the door behind her quietly.

"I told them I was not to be disturbed!" Odin bellowed from his writing desk without looking up.

Frigga cleared her throat and waited.

Odin's head shot up and he recognized who was walking in on him. "Frigga, my beloved! I apologize for the outburst, but I am right in the middle of something and I did not want anyone to bother me."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "And am I 'anyone', Odin?" she asked, her voice a warning to him.

Odin laughed and got up, coming around the desk to approach her with his arms out. "Of course not, my dear! You are always the exception to such rules, not to mention a sight for sore eyes. Let me have a look at you." He took her hand and twirled her around in front of him. When she spun back to face him, Odin's eyes had narrowed shrewdly.

"Are you wearing armor, my beloved?" he asked.

Frigga thought fast and smiled at him. "I am, my love. I have taken to heart your warning about if I should help Loki any further, and decided it was prudent to wear something, just in case he should retaliate."

Odin waved away her words and headed back to his desk, satisfied with her answer. "That coward has tucked tail and ran. He won't dare show his face here, even for you. He knows better. A coward I may call him, but he is not stupid."

Frigga bristled internally but kept her smile up for him. "Odin, don't you think it's about time you put this away for the night? I had rather hoped to join you this evening…" she trailed off, her expression turning sultry.

Odin looked at her with scrutiny in his eyes. Frigga felt her stomach turn over and clench at the expression. If he figures out why I'm here… she thought to herself, then took a deep breath and steadied herself. Odin's face broke into a smile, beckoning her closer. She walked to him seductively, a sway to her hips.

"If that is what my queen wishes," he began as Frigga drew close.

She nodded, smiling back at him. She hoped her expression was one of love and desire, rather than the revulsion and hatred she felt for him. He would break the realm over a petty and ancient fight. Frigga knew what she must do.

She put her hands behind her and conjured a small dagger. She had to protect her sons-both of them-and would do whatever it took. This was no longer the Odin she married; he was bloodthirsty and unstoppable, just like the old days.

She drew nearer to him and put her free hand up around his neck, careful to conceal the dagger in the other hand. Odin's eyes slid shut, but before they did, she caught the flash of fire and was that regret? in those blue eyes.

Just as she was about to plunge the dagger into his breast, he produced one of his own and held it to her throat.

"I had rather hoped that you would not be among my traitors, my dear," his voice was raspy but the dagger at her neck did not shake. His nerves were steady, and he knew what he was doing.

Frigga tried to keep the fear from her face, but she knew her eyes were practically bulging out of her skull. "I simply want to protect my family," she whispered.

Odin nodded. "And I must protect myself from my family, it would seem. Tell me, my beloved," he nearly spat the term of endearment at her, "are both of the boys in on this plot, or is it just that snake that you refuse to let go?"

"Loki is no snake!" she exclaimed and the dagger at her throat pushed in just a little, drawing a small ribbon of blood from her, but she stood resolutely and did not back down. "My son-our son-is no snake, Odin. You have been poisoned by your paranoia and power. Please, my love-"

With one swift movement, the dagger at her throat sliced. Frigga clutched her throat, now spilling her lifeblood down her gown, and backed away. She moved her mouth as if to speak, but no sound came. Her eyes welled up with silent tears as she looked on Odin, who stood shocked at what he had just done. She held out her other hand to him, and he took it as she started to fall to the floor.

"I am so sorry, my love. This is not what I had wished for you," Odin intoned solemnly. "I only hope that the same fate doesn't befall Thor."

He held her hand until all life left her, then moved his fingers to gently close her eyes as she lay on his bedchamber floor. Then he stood, wiped the dagger off on her sullied gown, and put it back in his desk.

"Guards! Guards! To me!" he shouted. When the door opened and the two guards entered, Odin was sitting beside Frigga's body, and he looked up with unshed tears in his eyes. The guards looked first to Odin and then to their queen, lying dead on the floor.

"Your Majesty! What has happened?" The first guard asked.

"Loki. He appeared in my chamber only a moment ago. First he tried to kill me, and when that was unsuccessful, he attacked his own mother. Find him. He will still be somewhere in the palace, and he must be stopped!"

The guards hastened out of the room and Odin turned his attention back to the form of his dead wife. "Perhaps," he murmured quietly, deep in thought, "your death will serve me after all, my dear."

Heimdall let out a loud cry and the others rushed to stop the noise. Des was the first to reach him and covered his mouth as he screamed. When he had calmed, they all looked at him expectantly.

"The queen…" he started, then stopped as he tried to gather strength and his breath. "The queen is dead."

Thor went white as a sheet and sat down hard on the plank bed in the cell, stunned.

"She was only supposed to occupy him until he fell asleep!" he argued. "How could she be… I don't believe she's… Heimdall, are you certain?"

Heimdall nodded. "I saw it myself, your highness."

Loki's reaction was far more visceral. When he heard this, he went to the wall of the cell, beating it with his fists and letting out a howling shriek, full of agony and fury. At first everyone was shocked, but then Des went to him and took his fists away from the wall, standing between it and him. At her compassionate touch, Loki calmed slightly, but his face was already streaked with tears.

"Why?!" he pleaded.

Des simply shook her head and moved his hands to his sides, then held him close. He put his head down on her shoulder in grief and defeat, sobbing. Her hand went up to the back of his head and gently stroked his hair. The familiarity of the gesture, so much like his mother would have done, was too much for Loki. He wrapped his arms around Des and cried.

She held him like that until he had regained some of his composure, only sniffling a little. She lifted his head off her shoulder and wiped away his tears lovingly.

"Your mother knew what she was doing, Loki. She didn't go into this blindly-not any part of it. She knew the risks, and took them because you and Thor are worth those risks. You are her children. A mother would do anything for her children-even die." She explained gently.

Loki nodded a little, then shook his head. The grief in his face was replaced with hard lines of anger. "Odin will pay with his life for what he has done tonight."

Thor stood up from the plank bed and nodded vigorously. "That he will, brother. We will make sure of it. That monster is not our father-whatever he may have been before, he has crossed too many lines for me to excuse him any more."

Heimdall, standing by the door of the cell, turned to them, his face ashen.

"You must prepare yourselves, my princes. Odin comes."

They all moved into action, leaving the cell and standing in a small group at the end of the hall. Loki moved Des protectively behind all of them, and Gramoth stood in front of her with his spear out. He looked down at her and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Midgardian. We will protect you with our lives."

Des nodded, but she had her own dagger out, ready to fight if necessary. Loki, Thor, and Heimdall took up positions in the front, Gramoth behind them, and Des at the back. They watched the other end of the hall, all of them with their ears perked up for any sound that shouldn't have been there, ready for whatever came to them.

There was a scuffling at the top of the stairs on the other end of the hall, and they knew someone was on their way down.

"Maybe it's only the guards…" Thor said hopefully. "Perhaps no one has told Odin where we are, yet."

"Not bloody likely," Heimdall muttered under his breath.

Sure enough, the figure they saw approaching, coming down the stairs, was indeed Odin, surrounded by his personal guards. Des felt her stomach clench. She had heard so much about this man that, to be almost face-to-face with him finally, she felt a frisson of fear.

Loki and Thor adjusted their weapons and moved into an aggressive stance. Odin moved toward them at a slow, casual pace. His guards were on alert but not in battle formation. Loki narrowed his eyes in suspicion and watched everything around the room. Odin would never walk into an attack like this, and surely he could see them from where he was. There was no reason for him to look so casual. Then one of the guards yelled from the front of the troop.

"You murdered our queen, you bastard!" he bellowed, pointing his spear at Loki.

Loki blinked in shock, then saw the smile on Odin's face and knew exactly how things had gone down. He took a deep breath, turned to Thor who nodded at him, and then Loki was rushing up the hall toward the guards and Odin. Thor let out a battle cry and swung his hammer into the fray, running after it. Heimdall hesitated only a moment before joining them silently, his sword drawn.

Gramoth stayed back with Des, who was growing more and more impatient to go help her friend. She tried to push past him, but he put out an arm to bar her way, looking down at her and shaking his solemn head.

"Not yet, little Midgardian. We will have our chance." He assured her, and Des calmed enough to simply watch the brothers do what they had always done best-fighting side by side.