Snap.

I looked up in surprise to see Sigyn with wide, slightly remorseful, but mainly amused eyes, as she stared at my brother.

The magnet that she had been tossing up and down was stuck tight to his helmet.

Thor's face was looking extremely startled, as he stared up at the round object affixed to the tip of his wing, before Sigyn simply collapsed in laughter. "I'm sorry…" She giggled, and tugged at the bit of metal on my brother's helmet. For half a second, it looked like it was going to come off, before…

Snap!

It decided to affix itself to Thor's breastplate. I hid my amused face behind my book, but Thor could tell I was laughing, anyway, and sent me a good-natured glare. I couldn't stop myself from silently shaking with laughter, as my wife tugged at the magnet, again.

"For crying out loud." She muttered. "It's a stubborn thing, isn't it?"

"I think it likes me." Thor smirked, obviously happy. He sent me a cheerful glare, shaking his head. "You know, brother, I am so happy you're laughing, I can't find it in myself to be upset that you're laughing at me."

I paused in confusion. What was he talking about? I laughed all the time. The mortals called me the god of mischief. Shouldn't he be used to my laughter, by now? All too many times, my mirth had been directed at him, so I wouldn't have been surprised if he was utterly sick of it.

That was when I noticed both Sigyn and Thor staring at me as if I'd lost my mind.

"I didn't mean you to stop laughing." Thor quietly spoke, as he peeled the magnet from his breastplate, and sat down next to me on the couch. "You shouldn't be afraid of what I think, you know."

Yes, I knew that. I knew that perfectly well, and I gave him an unamused look to prove it.

"Then why did you stop?" Thor widened his eyes like a kicked puppy.

"Prince Thor…" Sigyn sighed, as she began fidgeting with the magnet, again. She never had been able to focus if her hands weren't moving. "He doesn't have to laugh, you know."

Thor sighed and glanced down at the floor. "I suppose not…" He admitted. "I'd just rather he did."

I had to admit that I was floored. Not only because, for once, Thor wasn't forcing me to do what he wanted, but also because he actually wanted me to be happy, even if it was at his expense.

Sigyn got up with a soft smile, and helped me to my feet. After a week, I could kind of sort of not exactly stumble around, as my broken legs had healed, although I was still as weak as a wraith. Sigyn had been cooking all sorts of things for me, and, in truth, I was recovering far faster than I had expected.

I wasn't sure when the idea of them killing me ceased to make sense, but, for some reason, it simply didn't seem congruent, anymore. Silently, the two of us began walking in circles around the room, with me leaning more heavily on her than I'd like to admit. Thor watched silently, his chronic billboard face displaying his obvious disappointment.

"Why the long face, Prince Thor?" Sigyn breezily wondered.

"Nothing…" He mumbled, and forced a smile. "It's nothing."

Sigyn sighed, and gave me an exasperated look, as if to wonder, is he always this difficult? I nodded in reply.

"It's obviously not nothing, your highness." She smirked. "Now, if you're not going to tell us, so we can help, that's alright, but you're looking pretty downcast, over there."

Thor flicked his deep blue eyes up at the two of us. "I wanted it to be me." He mumbled.

"Hm?" Sigyn moved away from my side, and I discreetly clutched the edge of my desk to keep from toppling to the ground. She sat down next to him, her wide eyes boring into his with that penetrating look that made you think she was sifting through your soul for the information she wanted. "You wanted what to be you?"

He sent a guilty glance my way. "To fix him. I was the one who let him fall, I was the one who wasn't there for him, I should have been the one to make it right."

"You are." She protested. "You have! You killed Tha- I mean, him, didn't you? You saved him from living the rest of his life in torment. How is that not making it right?"

He stubbornly stared at his hands. "Just because his torment ceased, doesn't mean it's right. Look at him! He could be knocked over with a feather. And you're the one making sure he's eating. You're the one who got him to laugh, again. You're the one that helps him walk. And I'm just over here, being a worthless pile of muscle. Why can't I help him heal?"

"You are." Sigyn insisted, taking his hand in her own. Norns, that made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't find it in me to tell her to stop. Wearily, I tottered over to Thor, and wrapped my arms around his neck, half in comfort, and half to support myself.

How could I show him that he really was helping? Just because I trust Sigyn a little more than he, and because she knows me a little better, didn't mean that his efforts were entirely fruitless. Two people who loved me was better than one.

In frustration, my brother turned, and lowered me onto the couch in a sitting position, before getting up in a huff. "Then why isn't he better?" He demanded, and then stormed off.

Sigyn and I shared a helpless glance, before she got up, and dusted off her skirt. "I guess I'd better go after him." She sighed. "You'll be alright, here, my love? I'll only be a minute."

I gave her a tiny nod, and an encouraging smile, and with a swish of her skirts, she hurried after Thor.

The room was quiet, peaceful without the two of them, and I stretched out on the couch, the sunlight from the window filing the room with a beautiful, golden light. I smiled softly, and found it was rather hard to keep my eyes open. I closed my eyes, beginning to slip into a doze, before I heard the door open, and the metal-tipped boots of the Einherjar clumped in, at least two of them.

I was about to open my eyes to watch them pass, when one of them began whispering to the other. "No, no, the prince is in here! See?"

Well. Wasn't that interesting? What did they want to keep from me?

"No, no, he's asleep, it's fine." A second voice whispered. "Besides, it's not like he'd tell on us. He's mute, and most likely deaf, anyway."

That's what they thought. Better to remain "asleep", apparently. These fellows were obviously up to no good.

"Hofir has his man in place?"

"Yes, all's ready. You understand your orders?"

"Of course. King Odin won't know what hit him."

"And you're sure the guards in the royal chambers are with the revolution?"

"Positive. They'll let me right up to the bed."

"Good. We strike tonight, then."

A pause, then.

"Are you sure the prince isn't a threat? Cause if he's listening…"

"Better kill him, now."

At that, my eyes snapped open, and I whipped my daggers from my sleeves.

Their backs were to me, still, so they didn't see me stagger to my feet, and creep up behind them, before I smacked their heads together, knocking them both out cold. My heart was pounding, and my knees wobbled from the exertion, but I knew they'd come to, so I crawled over to the curtains, tore them down, and bound the men in the golden silks.

At that, I was forced to collapse to my knees, my head spinning. Fighting was harder work than I remembered. These men were obviously only two of many, and there was, evidently, a plan to assassinate the Allfather. But… how was I to stop them? I was the only one who knew about this. The fate of Asgard rested on my shoulders, and I was too weak to stand without help.

Without help.

Of course, it would boil down to this.

I would need to tell someone.

Immediately, my gut clenched in horror, at the idea of talking, of the pain it had brought me for the past three months.

But this was Asgard. Asgard needed my voice.

Setting my jaw in determination, I scrambled to my hands and knees, and slowly, painfully, and oh, so degradingly, I crawled across the floor towards the door.

At that moment, it burst open, and Thor and Sigyn returned, their eyes wide as they surveyed the scene before them.

Thor could help me. If anyone could defeat a revolution, it would be the mighty Thunderer.

"Thor." I croaked, my voice hoarse, and quiet from so many months of disuse. "You must listen to m-me very carefully."

Oooh, what gonna happen?

Next chappie is the last! :D

TheOnlyHuman.