Surprise, another extra chapter!

Why? Well, I've gotten 2,500 kudos/likes between the two sites and I'm amazed at the reception this fic has received from you all. It's been my baby for so long, with me just writing what I'd have wanted to see or read, that to know so many other people love it too is fantastic!

Enjoy - you're lucky, it's a long one!

The relief Thor felt at finally coming into sight of the Óðinnsleep chamber was great, and he sped up in order to reach it all the more quickly.

"Mother," Thor said, stepping inside and seeing her seated beside his father.

"Thor!" Frigga exclaimed, looking over at him in surprise before rushing to embrace him. "Oh, my son, I am so glad to see you."

Thor held her tight and felt everything he had hoped and wished for so desperately on Miðgarðr. This was like fully coming home. The only person missing now was his brother and he forced himself to focus on the fact he would see Loki later tonight.

He grunted as his mother suddenly squeezed too tightly and she pulled back at once; stricken.

"Thor?" Frigga questioned. "Are you alright? Have you not been restored?"

"Nay," Thor replied, lowering his eyes in shame.

"Then why are you returned? Does Loki know?"

"Aye, he sent Yngvarr and Birgir to retrieve me," Thor explained. "The humans had reacted adversely to the presence of Lady Sif and the Warriors Three and were keeping me imprisoned."

"Oh, are you alright?"

"Aye, simply exhausted."

"Come, I will walk you to your chambers so you can rest," Frigga said, linking their arms together and steering him from the chamber.

"How is Father doing?" Thor asked, craning his neck for a quick look. "Lady Sif mentioned 'tis not a normal Óðinnsleep."

"Nay, 'tis not. Your father put it off for too long and we were caught unprepared when he collapsed into it, but he has been doing better every day," Frigga informed him. "So I am far more optimistic now than I was before."

"Oh, I had hoped Lady Sif was simply ill informed," Thor admitted.

The thought of his father never waking up again was frightening for a number of reasons, not the least of which would be that the last words he had said to his father would have been horrible ones uttered in a blind rage. But, in addition to that, was the fact he did not know if Loki could lift their father's spell and punishment should he not figure out what it was Father had wanted him to learn. And then there was the question of Hliðskjálf. If Óðinn All-Father died in the Óðinnsleep now, then Loki would go from being merely regent, to full king of Ásgarðr in his own right, even if Thor were to regain his titles and powers before that point. Ásgarðrian succession laws were clear on this.

"Mother, how is Loki doing, truly?" Thor asked to distance himself from the thought, not liking both the envy and horror it provoked within him.

He loved his brother dearly, but Loki would make a horrible king. No one so dishonest could be a good ruler.

"He tries his best to hide it even from me, but your brother is stressed," Frigga replied with a frown. "As well he should be with everything which has happened, but it pains me to see it when there is so little I can do to help, not with your father in the condition he is currently in."

Thor swallowed as he realized what his mother meant. With Father in so fragile a state, it meant Mother was one of the few people with the necessary experience of the Óðinnsleep to help Lady Eir this time around when 'twas so bad. But that left no one to stand by Loki at this most trying of times, with him banished to Miðgarðr, Father in the Óðinnsleep and Mother needing to tend to Father.

Thor was almost afraid to ask, but he had to. "So who has been with Loki?"

"Why, the High Council, of course," Frigga replied, patting his arm where it was looped through hers. "They have been meeting with him a lot, given the war with Jötunheimr and all."

"Aye, but I meant for support and well, advice on kingship and all. Loki was never trained for this."

His mother frowned as she looked at him. "Óðinn may not have expected Loki to sit on Hliðskjálf, but he did make certain that Loki was prepared should the need ever arise."

"He did?"

"Of course. Thor, were you worried Loki was incapable?"

The question and the tone of her voice made Thor wince, but he thought 'twas a very valid concern. "Father took me aside for so many lessons, I had not realized Loki might have received similar tuition. I thought those were only for me."

"I see," Frigga replied, her voice that carefully neutral tone Thor hated and normally only heard when there were politicians around who were trying her patience. "Well, you need not fear. From what I hear Loki is doing a very good job."

"From what you hear?"

"I have spent most of my time with your father, so much of my information is second hand, 'tis true," Frigga said. "But I have seen your brother a few times, and both Vili and Vé have been by to see how Óðinn is doing and they have taken the time to speak with me as well."

"How are they doing?" Thor asked, normally only seeing his uncles at the High Council meetings.

With all of the preparations for the coronation and subsequent transfer of power, he had not really seen them in any other situation as of late, and even then it had been all crown related work. How long had it been since he had seen either of his aunts or any of his cousins? Thor could not immediately remember. They would have been present at the coronation and he would have seen them afterwards, but that of course had never happened.

"Stressed. Vili has had to move back into Iðavöllr and neither Gersemi nor Baldr has been particularly pleased with the change of situation."

"I can well imagine. Please tell me Baldr has not been obsessing and stressing out the servants with searches for mistletoe within Iðavöllr?"

"Unfortunately, I believe he has been."

"Wonderful."

Frigga smiled. "You must see it from his point of view. If you knew what would kill you and who, would you not take any and all precautions necessary to prevent it?"

"Aye, but they have already ensured Lóðurr is no longer near him, surely that should be enough?"

"'Tis easy for us to judge, but we are not in his position."

Still, Thor found it all rather cowardly of his cousin. He should face his death with dignity and honor, rather than running from anything and everything which seemed like it might be related to it. 'Twas far more like what he might expect of Loki, though his brother seemed disgusted with Baldr's behavior as well, surprisingly. He would have thought Loki would have approved of it, as it seemed like the same thing which his brother would do should he be informed of the fact he would die a certain way.

When they reached his chambers, Thor was surprised his mother's guard wished to check them before allowing them to enter, but Thor supposed after the attack on Loki, the Einherjar would be extremely cautious. The reminder of what had happened with Heimdallr made Thor go cold again and he allowed his mother to pull him into his chambers once they had been cleared.

"Are you certain you are fine, dear?" Frigga asked, concerned.

"Aye. I was merely thinking about what Yngvarr told me earlier, about what Heimdallr tried to do."

His mother paled at the words and Thor guided her over to a seat, moving aside the cloak he had left draped over the back of it when he had last been in the chamber.

"Sorry," Thor apologized. "I did not mean to stir bad memories once more."

"Nay, 'tis fine," Frigga reassured him, urging him down to sit on the sofa beside her and pulling him close. "I merely still have such a hard time believing it all. Heimdallr of all people!"

"I know, I could hardly believe it when Yngvarr told me. What was he thinking?"

"From what I have heard, at the trial it came out Heimdallr thought Loki had allowed the jötnar into the vault and that 'twas all part of a premeditated plan in order to steal Hliðskjálf from both your father and you."

"What? But 'tis ridiculous. Simply allowing the jötnar into the vault would by no means assure it. Hel, if I had never gone charging into Jötunheimr, then Father would never have banished me and it would still be me sitting on Hliðskjálf when Father fell into the Óðinnsleep."

"I know, it made no sense to me when I first heard it and I have not been able to deduce his logic since either, and I have had plenty of time to think on it."

"But why would he think it in the first place?"

"That is easier to understand, though still hard to follow," Frigga said. "It turns out your brother is able to hide his presence from Heimdallr's gaze, or rather Heimdallr's old gaze."

From the tone of his mother's voice, Thor could already tell she took great pleasure in the former gatekeeper's punishment. If he was truthful, it made Thor uncomfortable sometimes, the almost bloodlust his mother and brother seemed to share at times like this. 'Twas so distinctly different from the type he could easily understand and felt himself often on the battlefield or even before a battle. Nay, this was a completely different type of bloodlust, one which ran far colder and was much more subtle initially, until it flared to life later on and engulfed its chosen prey, oft when they least suspected it, having long since thought the danger past and gone. Thor had initially noticed it in his brother and only later recognized it in his mother. Both had been a shock to him, not only because he had always viewed them both as being far more innocent and distant from battle, but also because it seemed like a trait he would expect to see more in an enemy rather than within two members of his own family. He had mentioned it to his father once and Óðinn had seemed to understand exactly what he meant, even if his father had been no better at putting it into words.

'Twas a... darkness, almost, and Thor hated using such a word when it pertained to both his little brother and mother, though he had long since been forced to reconcile it with Loki. It had been difficult not to when Loki had first started joining him on his adventures with Lady Sif and the Warriors Three and had started blooding himself even if he did so in a far different manner from any of the rest of them. The whole process had actually been made infinitely worse due his brother's oft cowardly and almost ergi methods as it made Thor uncomfortable to see his little brother acting so dishonorably and, what was more, seeming to be so comfortable with it all and simply shrugging off any comments made about the issue.

Even now, Thor had to admit to oft being ashamed when Loki chose to use seiðr in battle or fought from a distance with his knives, rather than coming in close with an opponent and using his sword or another, more honorable, weapon. It grated as he knew Loki was trained in the use of all of them and 'twas merely a lack of practice and determination which kept him from excelling more at them. Thor of all people knew how well his brother was able to master that which he put his mind to, he simply did not understand why Loki chose not to put his mind to these honorable pursuits. He would think his brother would choose to do something about his public image as he knew Loki was aware of how the people viewed him and his ways. It could be no other way given how familiar Loki was with so many other rumors and tales that made their rounds of court.

"Loki is able to mask his presence from Heimdallr's gaze? Or was rather?" Thor questioned in disbelief. "How?"

"I do not know," Frigga admitted. "I have not had occasion to speak with Loki on it, but I definitely intend to as I am very curious as to the seiðr involved."

Of course his mother would be. Thor would simply need to remember to ask Loki not to teach anyone else this particular trick as they did not need more seiðkonur being able to hide themselves from Ásgarðr's benevolent gaze at will. It would only be a matter of time before the knowledge found its way into the hands of Ásgarðr's enemies from there. Well, if it had not already as Thor could easily remember what Heimdallr had said on the rainbow bridge right before they had gone to Jötunheimr. But still, to go from that to assuming Loki had been the one to let the jötnar in, 'twas too far of a leap and he had thought better of Heimdallr than to make such a mistake. Simply because Loki could do something did not automatically mean he would, even his little brother would never do something like that. Besides, even if Loki had wished to be Father's official heir, there were many essential skills required for kingship his brother did not possess. For instance, Thor could easily remember Loki himself admitting he was not good at inspiring loyalty or commitment in the warriors. And what was a king without the ability to do that?

"We must see if he has taught anyone else as it may help us figure out who let the jötnar into the vault," Thor said.

Frigga smiled at him. "Thor, I highly doubt Loki has taught anyone else how to do it. Your brother knows well the value of such a skill and not only would he guard it jealously, but he would probably go out of his way to ensure no one knew he was capable of it, since it would make it all the more useful for him. Besides, once people know about his ability to do it, you start to get suspicions such as Heimdallr's. There are a lot of people who will equate the ability to do something, with the need to do it. They do not seem to understand that simply because Loki can do it, does not mean he will or that he is the only one able to do so."

"Then we should ask how he learned the skill and whether someone else taught him. That might aid us."

"That would be a good idea. But even if he learned it himself does not mean no one else could have learned it on their own either."

"Of course," Thor said. "I..."

"What is it, dear?"

"I was simply wondering if you knew exactly what had happened? Yngvarr and Höðr told me Heimdallr tried to use Höfuð, but that is all I know."

"From what I understand, Loki had told Yngvarr and Týr he was suspicious of not only Heimdallr, but Lady Sif and the Warriors Three as well-"

"Why?" Thor interrupted. "'Tis part of what I do not understand of all of this!"

"I am not certain about why Loki did not trust Heimdallr, but I suspect it might be because of the fact he allowed you all to go to Jötunheimr."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, Thor, you know travel to Jötunheimr had been forbidden by your father."

"Aye, so?"

"So, in allowing you and the others passage, Heimdallr had gone against the king's express orders and broken his oath to obey and serve," Frigga explained.

"Aye, but I was the one who asked it of him."

"That does not matter, you were not king and so could not overrule your father's command."

That was hardly grounds to suspect Heimdallr would commit treason, but Thor kept quiet. His mother had admitted she did not know Loki's reasons for certain and besides, it hardly mattered on some level as his brother's fears had been proven correct in the worst possible way.

"But as I said, I do now know Loki's reasons for being suspicious of Heimdallr," Frigga continued. "As for Lady Sif and the Warriors Three, well, apparently they had been to see your brother earlier in the day and had requested he end your banishment and bring you home. From what I understand, they treated Loki ill and were borderline disrespectful right then and there in Valaskjálf before all of the Einherjar. 'Twas only pure chance Loki had chosen to take the petitions privately and so the rest of court was not present to witness the spectacle."

Thor was not certain what to think of that. On the one hand, he could see what his mother meant and how poorly it would have reflected on everyone involved if that particular argument had taken place in full view of the court. But on the other hand, he felt his mother was not being fair to Lady Sif and the Warriors Three. They were his and Loki's friends, not random subjects or Einherjar who had chosen to walk into Valaskjálf and disrespect their new regent king. 'Twas not their fault if they had not yet fully adjusted to the fact Loki was now officially, if temporarily, king rather than their friend and companion. As he had told all four of them and his little brother long ago, there was no need for formality and ceremony amongst friends. That was reserved for special occasions and those who were not such close companions of theirs.

"That was it?" Thor asked.

"'Twas what first made Loki suspicious, so when he mentioned it to Lieutenant-General Yngvarr and General Týr and they all decided to have Lady Sif and the Warriors Three followed. They feared they might disobey your brother's orders to leave you alone on Miðgarðr so you might learn what your father wanted you to in order for you to regain your titles and power and return fully restored."

That made a little more sense as Thor still did not know whether Loki himself as regent could now undo their father's punishment. At first he had not thought it would be possible, but after hearing what Loki had done with Heimdallr's All-Sight and transferring it to Höðr, he was no longer quite so certain. He would need to ask Loki about it, though if his brother did so then he did still fear Father might simply undo it once he woke from the Óðinnsleep. But at least it would allow him to properly help his brother until such time, instead of being hardly more than a liability. Besides, if it did come to war with Jötunheimr as Thor definitely feared it might, as he doubted Laufey-King could be trusted to hold to any kind of peace truce, then Loki would undoubtedly need him to lead the warriors in battle and ensure people properly listened to and obeyed him.

"I assume those spies saw Heimdallr allow Lady Sif and the Warriors Three passage to Miðgarðr?" Thor asked.

"Aye, and 'twas when they went to confront him about it that Heimdallr attempted to kill your brother," Frigga confirmed, her hand tightening on Thor's arm once more as she said it.

"And that was all it took?"

"From what I have heard, Loki feared Heimdallr's reaction and so cloaked all of their presences and allowed an illusion of himself to confront Heimdallr, who thought 'twas simply the two of them."

Thor knew those illusions of his brother's well, Loki had used them on many an occasion when they were off traveling in the other realms. Though he was oft loath to use them, Thor had to admit, at least to himself, that they were very impressive. He himself could not tell them apart from his brother on those occasions when Loki elected to use them against him. He had to resort to using methods such as striking Mjǫllnir against the ground in order to unbalance his brother and thus disrupt Loki's concentration and the seiðr holding the illusions in place. That was a guaranteed way of revealing which of the many Lokis was his brother.

"So he tricked him," Thor concluded with a nod.

"Nay!" Frigga scolded, sharply. "He used cunning and seiðr in order to uncover precisely how far Heimdallr's treasonous actions would go. If Loki had not done so, then we might never have known the full extent of Heimdallr's níð and it could have endangered us all."

His mother's use of the word níð discomforted Thor, but he had to admit that it fit the situation well. What Heimdallr had done was truly despicable and the ultimate dishonor an Einherjar could commit. It broke all of his oaths and was the worst possible betrayal of the crown possible. On some level it still felt surreal to think Heimdallr of all people had been the one to do it. It jarred badly with all Thor had thought of the man and how much he had trusted the former gatekeeper's judgment and honor.

How could he have been so badly deceived by him?

How had Thor not seen it at all?

He would have to ask Loki exactly what it had been which had made his brother suspicious of the former gatekeeper, so he knew what to look for in the future. Thor even had to resist the urge to go out and question all of the Einherjar assigned to his mother, in order to be certain there was not another traitor amongst them. Not that his mother was a defenseless damsel, but even the best of them could be caught off-guard if in the company of those they trusted.

"It will take time to fully sink in, I fear," Thor finally admitted. "It still seems too unreal to me. I trusted Heimdallr!"

"So did I, and I know your father did as well," Frigga replied. "Óðinn will be furious when he wakes up. After everything your father did for him, this is how Heimdallr repays him? By attempting to kill his son? I have had to stop myself from going down to the dungeons more than once and killing him myself!"

"Mother!" Thor exclaimed, shocked.

"What?" Frigga snapped, eyes flashing even as she clenched her fists. "He tried to kill my baby!"

If the situation were not so serious, Thor would laugh. It had been a long time since he had heard Mother call Loki that as his brother had long since complained at being called her baby and it had been centuries since their mother had slipped and used it around either of them, though Thor had always doubted she had given it up entirely. Though there were only a few decades age difference between himself and Loki, the fact his brother was the younger of the two, and that Loki had spent so much time with their mother, learning seiðr, had meant he had always been her baby far more than Thor had ever been. Though Thor had admitted to himself he had been somewhat envious of the close bond his mother and Loki shared, he had never actually felt any desire to learn seiðr himself, nor to go through all of the teasing and social disgrace Loki had gained from it all as a result.

'Twas highly ironic that the kenning should come back now of all times, when Loki was the single most powerful man within the Nine Realms. Somehow, he did not think his brother would be particularly amused and he would make certain to tell Loki of it later. His brother might quite possibly need the grounding at the moment.

"I know," Thor replied. "But we cannot interfere with Loki's ruling at the trial."

"Oh, I know that, and 'tis part of what has stayed my impulse," Frigga admitted, before smiling wickedly at him. "Besides, I would not want to deprive Heimdallr of all of the pleasure of his full sentence."

"What?" Thor questioned, confused. "I thought Loki had sentenced him to lifelong imprisonment rather than execution."

"Aye, exactly."

Thor felt he was missing something. Surely execution was a far worse punishment than prolonged imprisonment? To have one's head taken in such an ignoble manner was the worst way for a once honorable warrior to go, as it signified a complete fall from grace and honor. He was almost afraid to ask, though, as 'twas at times like this the darkness within his mother and brother came out the most, and he was not certain he could handle seeing it now of all times on top of everything else which was already going on.

"Has anything else happened that I should be aware of?" Thor asked instead, feeling slightly cowardly in doing so.

"Let me see," Frigga replied, lightly biting her lower lip. "I do not believe so. Almost everything has been focused on the war and the attempts to bring Laufey-King to the negotiating table."

"Yngvarr did tell me Loki has started preparing the army."

"Well he had to, in case the negotiations fail."

"Do you think they will? Birgir mentioned Loki was actually considering giving back the Casket of Ancient Winters," Thor said in disbelief. "Please tell me that is not true! Loki would not be so stupid, right?"

"'Tis not as simple as that, there are complications."

"Like what?"

"Well, apparently the Casket is far more than we ever realized it to be at first," Frigga explained. "Your father first started to suspect it not long after he had taken it from Jötunheimr."

"More? More than what? A weapon and means of transport?"

"Aye. Did you know that it was also known as the heart of Jötunheimr?"

"Nay, I do not think so," Thor frowned. "What does that even mean?"

"Well we used to think that 'twas simply another name for it, something more flowery and fanciful than the Casket of Ancient Winters. 'Tis an incredibly ancient artefact after all, and a magical one at that. Those tend to build up almost mystical connotations over time as well as myths and legends. Your father thought that was all it was with the Casket as well."

"But 'twas not?"

"Nay, unfortunately not."

"Then what?"

"It seems that 'tis called the heart of Jötunheimr because the Casket of Ancient Winters is, in fact, critical to the actual survival of Jötunheimr itself."

"What do you mean critical to the survival of Jötunheimr itself? Critical how?"

"What did you see when you were on Jötunheimr?" Frigga asked.

"See? Not much, as there was not much to see. Simply ice, snow and darkness."

"Precisely. That seems to be all that Jötunheimr has become since the end of the war and the loss of the Casket."

"Are you saying it used to be different?" Thor asked, horrified. "That there used to be more to Jötunheimr?"

"Aye, though it has always been one of the colder realms, it used to have far more life and light than it has now. There were once seasons and a far richer variety of both fauna and flora. The ice blooms and ice foxes of Jötunheimr in particular were well known and much sought after among the other realms. Trade with the jötnar also provided a steady stream of precious jewels, sapphires and multihued diamonds in particular, though there were a variety of other ice gems that were popular amongst the vanir and ljósálfar in particular. Much like the rubies and fire gems which come from Múspellsheimr now in fact."

It almost seemed like his mother was speaking of another realm entirely and Thor had a hard time reconciling what he was being told with the cold and barren landscape he had witnessed while on Jötunheimr. Could it truly be the realm had regressed so much simply because of the loss of the Casket of Ancient Winters? But how could the artefact he had always seen down in the vault be so critical to the survival of Jötunheimr?

"But, how?" Thor demanded.

"That I do not fully understand myself, but Vé said that it seems that the Casket somehow ties into Jötunheimr's magical core and helps to balance and maintain it, so without the Casket it has become unbalanced and 'tis that which has so badly affected the planet."

"Wait, planets have magical cores? What, like seiðberandi do?"

His mother turned to look at him with a confused frown. "Did your father not tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"About the Óðinnforce and Ásgarðr?"

Thor was all confused now. What did this have to do with what they had been having words about? "Nay."

Frigga cursed once, making Thor's eyes go wide. "It looks like I will have even more to reprove Óðinn on then. The timing, at least, is good, since I was nearly finished having words with him about the other issue."

"Other issue?" Thor asked, hesitantly.

Though not often, he had seen his parents argue a few times and each and every time had been quite memorable. Thor had learned much from those instances, the most important of which was that his mother could be a very scary woman when she wanted to be. Even his father seemed to struggle to gain any headway with her when she was on a roll and truly angry about something. He felt pity for his father, what with him being completely unable to even so much as defend himself from her at the moment.

"'Tis not important," Frigga waved off. "What your father should have told you is that for all that 'tis named the Óðinnforce, the power actually comes from Ásgarðr itself and not your father."

"Father does not have seiðr?"

"Of course he does, but what we call the Óðinnforce is not his own, natural seiðr. 'Tis seiðr from Ásgarðr itself, from her magical core," his mother explained. "All realms have one though the more magical ones - Ásgarðr, Álfheimr, Vanaheimr and Jötunheimr - have the stronger cores. The other five realms have far weaker magical cores, which is why they are not as renown for seiðr and there are less seiðberandi amongst their people."

That made some sense. Still...

"What is a magical core of a realm?" Thor inquired.

"'Tis much the same as the magical core of a person. It is the seat of their power and the source of it. From there the seiðr flows and it helps to sustain life on those planets, sometimes even being the source of it. From what your father tells me, these magical cores have become so strong as to have their own rudimentary sentience."

"Wait, Ásgarðr is alive and aware?" Thor demanded in shock.

Planets were alive?

"In a manner of speaking," Frigga confirmed. "'Tis not quite sentience like we possess it, but Óðinn does say Ásgarðr is aware of what happens on her and can tell him things, or guide him towards sources of information on things which he should be aware of."

'Twas a frightening prospect and Thor was not certain he liked it in the slightest. The very thought the ground beneath his feet could think and feel on any level slightly terrified him and it reminded Thor why 'twas that he had always tried to steer clear of seiðr and all it involved. Not only did it feel like cheating to use it, but such possibilities had always scared him a little.

"Why do you think Father should have told me of this?" Thor asked, still confused on that.

"Because, as king, you would have gained access to it all. To be connected to Ásgarðr directly as your father and Loki are even now," Frigga explained.

Thor looked at her in shock. "You and Father want me to access seiðr like that? The Óðinnforce?"

"Of course, dear. Had you not realized that would come with the crown?"

"Nay!" Thor denied sharply and slightly panicked. "I did not even know about realms having magical cores before this."

"Aye, but surely you knew about the fact you would gain control of the Óðinnforce when ascending to Hliðskjálf."

"Nay, how would I?"

Unable to remain seated, Thor rose to his feet and started to pace about his living chamber. How could he not have known about something so important when he had been only a few words away from becoming king himself? Why had his father not told him about this? Surely he should have had some warning before having it thrust upon him! Though he had little personal experience with seiðr, he had watched his brother perform it oft enough to know that it took concentration and skill, neither of which he had when it came to seiðr. Nor did he have any interest to learn it either.

"Did your tutors never make mention of it to you?" Frigga asked, worry in her eyes now. "Though they are unaware of the source of the Óðinnforce, they should be aware that 'tis a power passed from king to king, from father to son."

"They did not."

Or had they and he had simply not been listening? 'Twas a distinct possibility if they had mentioned it along with any of the other boring stuff like diplomacy or the particulars of Ásgarðr's laws. He would have others to deal with those issues for him, so why should he be bogged down with those types of items when he would have far more important things to deal with like wars or battles?

When Thor looked back over at his mother, he suddenly felt like a small lad again at the look she was giving him. 'Twas that particular cross between disappointed and disapproval, mixed in with reprobation and that particular look which told Thor she knew he might not be being entirely honest with her. He was not quite certain how she managed to pull it off, but when he had mentioned it to Loki, his brother had instantly known what he meant, so he was certain 'twas an actual look.

"Thor, you were about to be coronated less than a week ago and you did not even know some of the basics of being Ásgarðr's king?" Frigga inquired softly.

'Twas the volume which truly bothered Thor. Why could his mother not simply raise her voice like Father did? At least then he would know exactly how angry she was with him. Why did she have to make it about disappointment? He fought not to squirm.

"It did not seem important," Thor finally replied.

"Not important? The most powerful force on Ásgarðr and quite possibly one of the most powerful forces in all of the Nine?"

Well, when put thus...

"The king of Ásgarðr should not need to rely on something like that," Thor replied.

What can I say? I do not I believe that strongly held beliefs go away at the drop of a hat (or a kick to Earth). It takes hard work and a genuine willingness to change 'em - and it definitely takes time to do so (we're only still on day 6!).

I'm off to watch the latest episode of Loki now!

Old Norse:

ergi - term of insult, "unmanliness"

níð - related to social stigma, dishonor & the status of a villain

Up next week: More of the conversation & back to the negotiations!