"The coronation. The coronation. All anybody ever talks about anymore is Thor's fucking coronation!" Loki seethed, biting his thumbnail as he paced up and down in his chambers. The preparations had been going on for weeks. "To Helheim with everything else in the Kingdom! Let's drop everything for Thor!" he snidely ranted in his own company. Well, that had been the general consensus. Not one Asgardian he'd met had anything bad to say about Thor; not that they would to Loki's face, anyway.
The prince stopped his pacing, a wicked grin curling the edges of his mouth. "Perfect."
He'd been trying to think of a way to disrupt the proceedings for days. Only as a little joke, you see. No harm done, right? In a flurry, he was out in the hall and sweeping into the courtyard, calling for his horse. There was mischief afoot.
Grimy, worn and exhausted, Loki returned late that evening, having missed one of the many coronation preparation ceremonies held earlier that day. He was uncaring that he was probably in trouble for it, as well. All he wanted was a hot bath, some Asgardian whiskey, and his soft bed.
Ignoring the timid calls of servants trying to get his attention, no doubt to enjoy a dressing down by Odin, Loki made his way to his chambers. He stripped his armor as he walked, too tired to do so with Seidr. With his little foray of hours before, he'd more than depleted his fair share of magic.
Soon a line of clothing and armor was lay littered across his floor all the way into the bath, his underclothing the last to go, hanging off the end of a chair as he settled into the scorching, glorious healing water reserved for royalty and esteemed guests, as well as the Healers for citizens, when needed. If Loki was grateful for one thing, it was access to this lovely balm each night.
It was tempting to snooze, but Loki didn't wish to become a prune, so he rose, dripping and nude, striding to his bed where a simple set of silk pajamas lay from the servants who serviced his room. He tossed the top on the floor, donning only the sleep pants. Mm. They felt wonderful as they slid across his nether regions. Still, he ignored the sensation with a puzzled frown upon spying a folded letter on his pillow.
Loki lowered himself to the bed and picked it up, turning it over for study. A wide smile split his face at seeing the waxen seal of his beloved, Anasthasia. He'd not met her in person but had been sending correspondence back and forth for a few years now. The prince would have laughed, when he'd first started the exchange at the behest of his mother, anxious for Loki to find a bride and settle down, if you had told him he'd fall in love with someone he'd never met.
Yet the time drew near for his beloved to meet him. It rankled it was to be at Thor's coronation ceremony, but was now a moot point. Loki's lady came from an inferior, distant kingdom, in a hazardous part of the realm off-limits to travel by Bifrost. It was unknown how she'd transport herself to the palace, but he was filled with joy knowing she'd be with him at last. To stay. It was the start of a new life, and his heart bloomed with fragile, virgin hope he'd be happy with someone who would not judge him for being the younger prince.
It took mere moments to read her short missive. Like all of her other messages, he secreted it into a pocket dimension after inhaling her slight perfume, falling asleep to thoughts of courting and bedding his lady love.
The day of Thor's coronation arrived. Loki anxiously peered above and beyond the heads of the massive crowd gathered. Dignitaries paraded in, announced by herald, yet not one call was for Anasthasia, her father and guard. When the tedious procession ended with no sign of her, a flare of angry, passionate fury welled in his breast.
How dare she stand him up! It made him look like a fool. Indeed, more than a few people were whispering and pointing. For once, Loki wished he could hack them down for their insolence. He had no idea their words had nothing to do regarding his lady love and everything to do with concern for his welfare. Even his mother noticed.
Drawing him to the side, she inquired, "My son, what troubles you?"
Loki vacillated between answering or not, but he deigned to answer, simply to get her off his back. "You know what ails me. Anasthasia is not present."
Ever serene, Frigga smiled gently, her hand on his light armor vambrace, giving it a small shake. "Come now. You know as well as I, the dangers of the outer colonies. There could have been any number of delays. I'm sure she will be here."
"She's going to miss the ceremony!" Loki almost whined, amending his tone to something less immature at the last moment.
"Do not pretend you care about your lady's presence at your brother's coronation. You're disappointed she's not here for you."
Loki stared into his mother's eyes, wanting to hate that she was right and unable to do so. While he wished for the truth at all times, it still galled him when such was not in his favor. His green eyes softened at the tender look of understanding and pity in her own.
"Have patience, Loki. Anasthasia loves you and will not forsake your meeting. You've waited five years, what are a few more hours or days in the scope of your lifetime?"
"You are correct, as always," he demurred, bowing his head.
"Come now. Let us take our places. Thor awaits you in the antechamber."
"Very well. Mother?"
"Yes?" she replied, turning back to face him, as she'd begun to move away.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"You're welcome," she whispered back, then winked at him, leaving him with a lighter heart, although it still felt dark and heavy.
Patience was not his strong suit.
Finally, the coronation began, with Odin droning on and on. Loki's teeth ground together more and more sharply at the ripe jealousy burning in his breast. Their father had said they were both born to be kings. Why was Thor the one to ascend the crown!? Even Frigga acknowledged that Loki was the more level-headed of the brothers.
He marinated in his hate for his brother's success, trying not to fidget as Odin got closer to crowning Thor King of Asgard.
'Hurry up, hurry up!' he thought anxiously.
If the Frost Giants did not act soon, his little gamble would be for naught. The plan was to interrupt the proceeding before Thor ascended the throne, not that the Frost Giants were privy to the fact that Loki was the traitor who'd granted them access to Asgard and the palace proper.
Then it happened, and Loki felt pleased, unable to time it any better. Right before the proclamation, Odin announced there were Frost Giants within the palace. The All-Father thumped Gugnir on the floor of the chamber, unleashing the Destroyer upon the interlopers.
Everyone scattered, as Loki found himself hurrying along after Odin and Thor. Anxious to know the outcome of his little trick to interrupt the proceedings, he couldn't help the nervous tick next to his eye, masking it with his Seidr, so it didn't betray him.
Coming upon the chamber, he witnessed his brother's exchange with Odin, keeping silent, surveying the damage. It vexed him that two excellent warriors had lost their lives, but it couldn't be helped. There was always a price to pay for trickery. Stuffing the guilt down deep into the black box in his heart, he steeled his nerves, already thinking ahead to his beloved's arrival.
Of course, Thor was incredibly angry after the event, going so far as to tip a banquet table and all of its contents to the floor in his rage.
Loki smelled a ripe opportunity to groom Thor's anger and indignity even more, stroking his brother's ego even as the Warriors Three filed into the hall with Frigga and Sif just behind them.
Alarmed at the tears in their mother's eyes, both boys rushed over, forgetting the pettiness of the moment, always concerned for her welfare.
"Mother! Tell us what ails you!"
"What's happened?" Loki echoed, but the Queen only dropped to the floor and wept.
Sif and the Warriors Three refused to look the brothers in the eye.
Thor grabbed hold of Volstagg's breastplate and rattled it. "What's happened! You will tell me!"
Loki knelt in front of Frigga, trying to console her enough to speak. Whatever it was, had to be serious. Their mother rarely broke down in front of others, much less her own children.
Sif placed a hand on Thor's shoulder and shook her head, giving him several meaning-filled glances between Frigga and Loki. In a very solemn manner, the lady warrior and comrades-in-arms escorted Thor from the room, ensuring the servants cleared the area, as well. Hence, the Queen had privacy to give Loki the terrible news.
"Mother! Are you alright?" It took Loki a moment to notice they were the only ones remaining in the hall.
Frigga nodded, only now meeting his alarmed gaze with a tearful sniff. "Oh, Norns, my sweet boy. I am so sorry."
A rising panic terrorized Loki's breast. He grabbed his mother's forearms tightly, causing her to wince in pain. "Tell me!"
"It – It's Anasthasia."
"What about her?" he pressed, squeezing even more . She gasped but shook her head, a freshet of tears sliding down her fair cheeks.
"Mother. Listen to me. I need to know. You can do this. Whatever it is, we can fix it. I – I – I will go to her, convince her. If she's changed her mind, I'll – "
Frigga shook her head furiously and threw off his painful embrace.
"No, Loki! You cannot fix this! It cannot ever be undone!" Agony mixed with pain.
Somehow, Loki knew, but he wanted to hear it from her own mouth.
"Mother. Tell me what's become of her."
At Frigga's silence, he screamed in her face, "TELL ME!"
"She's dead," Frigga said plainly, at last, and the previous glimmer of hope died in Loki's soul.
The flame inside of him extinguished, guttering out in a cold blight of terrifying realization.
"No. No! NOOOO!" he yelled, voice rising to an incoherent shriek, grabbing his head and whirling away from Frigga, sucked into his grief until he felt her hands on his back.
"There is more."
"MORE?" he raged, whirling on her, eyes mad. "How can there be more! She – she is dead! My love is dead!"
"It was the work of Frost Giants. We do not yet know how, but – but it seems they came upon her entourage at some point, a few miles from the palace. They had no chance of escape. Each of the party - stabbed - through the heart with a shard of ice so large it was still melting when they were found."
"All of them. Gone. Just like that."
Loki's brain shut down. His body was a vat of swirling sensation, none of which did anything to calm his shattered state.
"Just like that," Frigga whispered back. "I am so sorry."
"Not as sorry as I," he said so softly she barely heard it. Before she could say anything more, Loki was gone from the room in search of his brother.
It took him only a few minutes to find Thor ranting to his friends about the injustice of the attack. Loki was about to conjure a dagger to stab his brother when Thor said, "I'm going to Jotunheim. They must be stopped. They must pay for what they've done."
The others pleaded in vain to convince Thor it was unwise, treason, but he was not to be deterred, that stubborn glint in his eye already set in motion. In Thor's mind, he was already there, slaying Frost Giants by the dozen at the end of Mjolnir's mighty power.
Thor's head whipped around when he realized Loki was standing in the doorway. All Loki needed to say was, "They killed Anasthasia. They killed my beloved."
Thor's face went mottled red in rage, and he raised Mjolnir. "Then they will doubly pay for their treachery! Long live Asgard! Death to the Jotunn scum! Are you with me?"
The others milled around in doubt. Impatiently, Thor shouted, "ARE YOU WITH ME!?"
Loki stepped up next to Thor. While he blamed Thor for the outcome, he, too, craved Jotunn blood at the hands of his daggers and Seidr. They WOULD pay.
"I am with you. I will not let Thor march into Jotunheim alone."
The others fell into line quickly after that, and they all readied for battle.
Deep inside, Loki would never forgive Thor for the death of his beloved. Deeper still, he'd never forgive himself for ensuring her death for the sake of a simple prank. And so the worlds paid in blood as they never had before, and still, Loki was thwarted, bitter, angry, sullen to the very end.