Author's note:

Hi everyone! So I've lurked on this site for a long time and I'm finally actually posting something. The plans for this have existed on lots of different bits of paper pulled from the middle of my exercise books in code for a very long time.

Is this a Thor AU because I'm in denial about Asgard being blown up in Ragnarok? Yes. Very much so. I'm going right back and writing fanfiction set before anything went wrong because I am just scarred by everything that's happened recently. Thanos no longer exists because I say so. Ha.

Oh also, The MCU isn't mine, I don't own anything, all that stuff you put at the beginning. That disclaimer. Though admittedly, this is fanfic. The clue should be in the title. Never mind.

Loki strode through the golden halls of the lower Citadel with his head down, contemplative, a purposefully blank look on his face. He had just come from Jotunheim. The Jotun king had done exactly as he had expected. In his ambition to kill the king of Asgard, in his thirst for revenge, he had barely considered that Loki may be leading him into a trap. He would fall right into it. Loki just needed to follow through with the plan and everything would be fine.

Heimdall had been suspicious. He always was when it came to Loki. Perhaps the all-seeing Heimdall feared that which he couldn't see. Maybe it was because he knew what he was. Perhaps he should not have used the Bifrost. He could, if he wanted to, have traveled there himself, completely unseen but he had decided not to. He was the king, he would appear official. He could do as he pleased and Heimdall couldn't stop him now. He relished in that.

He knew Heimdall thought that he was a traitor. His opinion didn't matter. He would show him tonight. He'd prove his loyalty to all of Asgard tonight. They would see him as a hero. Heimdall could not disobey him regardless. He was the king regent. No one could say no to him anymore.

The interaction still left him seething.

As he walked through the hallway bordering the servants' halls, he passed groups of servants carrying out their usual duties. Their talking all blurred together into a single, indistinguishable wall of noise. Loki didn't listen to them. They all immediately scurried out of his way when they noticed him, parting the crowd for him to walk through. Many bowed. He felt like he was being mocked. He could feel their scorn for him underneath their polite gestures. He knew he wasn't liked in Asgard. He couldn't be. Not with what he'd learned the night before being true. Not before he'd proven himself a hero like his brother. He made sure not to look back at them, regretting not just using his first instinct to jump straight across Yggdrasil to the throne room. He considered casting a small diversion charm over himself so that people wouldn't notice him. He decided against it. He had to hold himself as the king ought. He lifted his chin and tried to project an air of confidence he didn't feel.

The next corridors he walked through were much less busy. Only a few people passed him. He told himself that it was because it was a shortcut, not in any way because he was shying away from the crowds of people. Crowds of Aesir who looked upon him with scorn and who only thought he was one of them due to a flimsy shapeshift. Who could see through him at any moment. He put that out of his mind. He turned another corridor, this one almost abandoned. He could only hear the voices of two women ahead of him. He didn't pay any attention to their conversation. It was likely inane.

"… kill Thor?"

That phrase caught in Loki's ear and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Do you think it's still necessary?"

"He is banished. No longer in the line of succession."

They hadn't seen him yet. He glanced behind himself to see if anyone else was in the hallway and disappeared from sight, walking invisibly closer to them. They were talking about Thor. About his death. About wanting him dead. He continued to listen, trying to figure out more of what was going on. They continued.

"Will everyone else agree though?" said the younger of the two.

There were others! Was this some big conspiracy?

"It isn't our business." The elder shook her head, looking at the younger sternly. "We need not speak further on this."

He didn't recognise the older woman, but he did recognise the younger. He had seen her around the healing rooms – an apprentice from Vanaheim if he remembered right.

"But they might," said the girl, wanting to continue the conversation. "You must admit, he is unbelievably vulnerable right now. It would be so easy to…"

"We should not speak further on this."

"It is only simple discussion. What harm is there?"

"It's but idle chatter in our mouths," the elder closed. "You shouldn't concern yourself with what doesn't concern you, Rus."

The girl shrugged her shoulders and looked like she wanted to argue but saw no point.

"You should get back to your duties," she continued. "I will see you again later this evening."

"What's the point in involving me in this if I can't do anything?" asked the girl.

"We shouldn't talk about this in the open. Anyone could be listening."

The girl seemed to concede the point and turned, saying "Goodbye mother," before they both parted in different directions.

Loki dropped the spell surrounding himself and became visible again. He looked back at the two as they left, eyes wide and brows furrowed, for a few seconds before turning back around and hurrying to the throne room as fast as he could.

When he got there and was sitting once again on Hlidskjalf, he turned the sight it gave him across the nine realms to Midgard. Thor was no longer held captive by those mortals but was otherwise in the same state he had left him in when he visited him. He was unharmed. Loki wasn't sure what he expected. He put one of his knuckles up to his mouth and leaned back in his Father's throne, contemplative. He was relieved, but he couldn't help the fear that someone would come to try and kill Thor while he was mortal. The two servants had spoken of others who were planning to do so.

The warriors three and Sif had come to him to ask for Thor to come back. He denied them, obviously. Thor could not come back. He would ruin everything! They had clearly disagreed with him, though most of them had tried to hide it. Sif had barely bothered. Her disdain for him had always been obvious to anyone. They were supposed to be his friends but he knew that when it came down to it they were loyal solely to Thor and each other. He had never been one of them. At least now they were forced to listen to him. They couldn't brush him aside anymore. Irking them with that fact was much too amusing. It didn't help him win their favour but he'd already given up on that completely.

He heard footsteps approaching the throne. They belonged to Eir, the head healer in the Asgardian Citadel. He was thankful to see her. She had never held the same animosity towards him as other people had. She smiled as she saw him.

"Loki."

"Eir," he replied, standing up from the throne.

"My king I should say." She put her fist across her chest and bowed her head, then looked up at him, smiling. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

Loki found himself smiled along with her and raised his eyebrows. "I must say that everyone being obligated to follow me is not unwelcome."

She smiled again. "I didn't believe it would be."

As much as he wished to speak with someone who wouldn't criticise his every move, Loki cut to the chase. "Not that I don't appreciate your presence but what brings you away from the healing chambers?"

Eir lost her joking tone and became more serious. "If I may speak with you in private…"

"Of course." He dismissed the guards and waited until they left the room. He then went to sit down somewhere before realising that, other than the throne itself, there was nowhere to sit level with her, so he set himself down on the steps as she did the same.

"Your mother wished I bid you her greetings," she started.

"How fares my Father?" he asked.

Eir sighed. "He is weak. Weary. Though you know this already. It is true that it may be his final sleep."

Loki gave a small nod and stared off at the floor the other end of the room.

"We should not lose hope." Eir tried to assure him. "He may yet wake. In fact, he will most likely be perfectly fine. It has been such before and he has not passed away yet. Though we believe that we may need to increase the potency of the healing field soon."

"It has gotten that serious?"

"It is not as good as it could be, but we must remain optimistic. To do otherwise benefits no one."

"I see." Loki looked down. "And did the manner of his entering the Odinsleep, do you think, cause such complications this time?"

She looked at him strangely. "He put it off for a long time. That undeniably made it worse now it has come…" She trailed off, not sounding as though the statement was finished, prompting Loki to say what was obviously weighing on his mind.

"But would the manner in which it happened make it worse?" He stared intently at his hands, which he picked at aggressively. He took in another breath. "If he were, say, distressed enough to force himself into the Odinsleep, would that make the sleep itself worse?"

She looked at him worriedly. "Something makes me think that these are not simple queries brought on by idle curiosity."

Loki kept his gaze focused solely on his hands. "When he fell asleep, he was not…" he stopped and tried again. "I was there."

Eir nodded and bade him continue.

"We were not... on the best of terms as such… that is..." Loki bit his lip.

Eir seemed to understand. She reached out and tightly held his hand. "It is not your fault."

Loki pulled his hand away and seemed to nod but Eir continued. "It is not. You cannot tell yourself that Loki."

Loki looked to the side away from her, then shook his head, straightened up and lifted his head, attempting to cloak himself in regal distance.

"You would not have asked for privacy were you to just pass on my mother's greetings. What is it of which you came here to speak to me about."

Eir sighed. "You are right. That is not the reason this needs to be private." She didn't continue immediately. Loki inclined his head to prompt her to explain. Eir pursed her lips and then elaborated hesitantly.

"I and quite a few others have been worried about your brother."

Loki looked over at her. "You're not going to ask me to bring him back too, are you?"

"No," she said slowly. "This isn't quite that recent."

"Oh."

"More specifically about your brother becoming the king of Asgard."

"What... not thinking him ready?"

"That, or simply not fit to be a ruler. He's reckless, seeks war. He doesn't understand what it means to be the king of a realm – the realm eternal! He's a warrior, not a king. I know you share these concerns. I find it very likely that you have already acted upon them, not that I accuse you."

"I admit to nothing," he said firmly. "Though I… may agree with some elements of that argument."

"We decided that it would have been best to remove Thor from the line of succession…"

Loki suddenly became very alert, remembering what he had heard earlier between the servants. "Murder?"

"No, of course not. Simply to convince your father." Eir seemed distressed at the very idea. But she was implying that she was not the only one involved.

"You expected to simply talk to my Father and tell him that Thor is not to become king? That was your plan? You thought that would work?"

"We were going to let the coronation play out but, while your Father would have been in the Odinsleep, Thor would have shown himself to be an abysmal ruler. We would have also forced things out of his favour in a manner of speaking."

"That does not seem like a very solid plan."

Eir looked off, eyes squinting, thinking. "It did, admittedly, sound much more plausible when we discussed it."

Loki looked at her carefully, trying to ask her what was on his mind. "Are you sure that was everyone's plan?"

"Of course."

Loki continued to stare at her hard. He had his own suspicions, especially after what he heard earlier. He tried to get more information. "Who else is involved in this?"

"Oh, well, myself, obviously," she said. "Lynarfir … your uncle Freyr, Lord Tyr." She paused a bit to think. "Others who they themselves have been able to convince… I believe Heimdall is involved"

That got his attention. "Heimdall? Really?"

"He at least knows of it, yes. Freyr told us that he is in agreement with us, though he cannot openly interfere."

That was strange. Heimdall hated him. He was sure of it. Surely he would never be involved in a plan that would place him over his brother. It made no sense. In fact, all of the people Eir listed agreeing on such a flimsy plan also didn't make any sense. It seemed almost suspicious. "And all of you thought that your plan would work?"

"Well yes. It was what we discussed. Thankfully, those plans no longer matter. With Thor banished, you are now regent."

It was then that Loki realised what Eir was implying, and what her plan had been. "You planned to seat me in my brother's place?"

"You are the next in line," she said. "And would make a much better king. Of course, we didn't actually plan on you taking up the throne until you came of age. I'll admit it was a surprise to learn that you sit as regent now."

Loki didn't know what to think about that. "You wanted to make me king?"

"Of course."

"Me?"

"You are currently king regent. Why does the idea that we might think you a good king surprise you?"

Loki felt confused. Surely she knew what he was. She had taken care of him since he was an infant - had cared for his mother before he was born. He tried to steer the conversation so he could find out.

"We are on the brink of war…" he said.

"I am aware."

"With the frost giants."

"Yes..."

Loki was getting frustrated.

"Is your worry that you know nothing of war?" she asked.

"That is a concern, yes," he replied.

"You are young. This decision is further reaching than this war. Experience can be learned."

"And yet blood cannot."

He braced, instantly regretting saying that.

Eir let out a slow breath before facing him. She knew exactly what he was talking about. She knew. "Loki…" she looked him straight in the eyes. "What happened?"

"I would ask if you knew," he said, almost laughing. "I thought you might."

"I know not if we're speaking of the same thing."

"Where I came from. You knew."

She resigned. "I did."

"If you know what I am, how can you think to make me king of Asgard?"

"You are Odin's son, the next in line. What you were born as changes nothing about you."

"But a frost giant cannot rule the realm of the Aesir!" he blurted out.

"You are Asgardian, as I am, as your father is, as your brother is," she said calmly. "Your mother is Vanir. Does that mean that she cannot be the queen of Asgard?"

Loki let out a shaky breath finally and put his head in his hands. It was not the same. He didn't have the energy to try to explain why. "Who else knows?" he finally asked.

"Myself, your parents, Heimdall of course, I believe that Tyr suspects. No one else that I know of."

That was not as bad as it could have been. Of course Heimdall knew. It must be why he hated him so much. Those were only the ones Eir knew of though. It could be common knowledge among all of the higher court for all she knew. That thought was discomforting.

He took a breath and changed the subject back to what was really important.

"So, you are sure that no one wishes to harm Thor?"

"Of course," she said easily. "That was never the plan. Don't worry."

"And the same of my Father?" he clarified.

"Your Father?"

"You'll admit that this is a scheme, at least on the surface, against the crown. The first move would usually be to take care of the current king."

"You've always been much too paranoid," she laughed. "That's not what any of this is about. All will be well. None of this matters any longer anyway. With your brother banished, you are next in the line of succession already. I just thought that you should be told."

"I thank you," he said stiffly.

"If I may, I will take my leave now. I have a few errands to run."

"You may leave."

"You can talk to me at any point if you feel you need to," she said. "That you are king does not confine you to this room."

"Thank you Eir," he dismissed.

As Eir's form retreated, Loki stood up and walked back over to the throne. The guards re-entered and retook their positions by the side of the throne. He let his neutral mask fall into an expression of deep confusion and worry. Once Eir had left the room entirely, he looked around himself, came to a conclusion and sent an illusion of himself to his Father's chambers.

"Loki?" His mother appeared startled by his sudden entrance.

"Mother."

She looked him up and down, before pulling away from Odin's sleeping form and standing up. "What prompts you to send an illusion of yourself here?"

Loki glanced around subtly, making sure that she was alone in the room. He then walked over to Odin's bed across from his mother and seemed to inspect the mechanism for the healing field. "I think we should move Odin somewhere else." He looked back up at her. "He shouldn't remain in this chamber."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, tilting her head.

"'Tis probably just paranoia, though I worry for his safety." Loki looked around the room again. "He is vulnerable and everyone in the castle knows exactly where to find him."

"What brings this on Loki?" She looked him over, seeming concerned.

"Some things that I may have heard around the castle," he said dismissively. "As I said, it is likely simple paranoia, though I believe we should act upon it nevertheless. I do not think it necessary to hide him entirely; only somewhere that isn't here."

She gave him a small smile. "Alright, whatever you think best." She walked over to the other side of the bed to join him and looked over the mechanism. "If we are to move him to another room, it must be one with a bed that can produce the field. In his current state, he cannot be outside of one."

"My chambers?" Loki suggested.

"Your chambers?"

"My bed has the mechanism," he said, waving his hand.

She stared at him, her head tilted. "How long has that been the case?"

"Since Eir showed me how they worked."

"And why did you think it necessary to create one encompassing your own bed?"

He shrugged. "I didn't see any reason not to."

She chuckled lightly and shook her head. "Of course you would." She walked over to the other side of the bed again and picked up an overturned book. "How do you propose we get him there then?"

He thought for a moment. "We could use the beds in the healing chambers, the ones kept in the back rooms for moving patients who cannot move unassisted. They can all produce a rudimentary healing field."

She nodded. "Yes, that sounds reasonable." She began walking towards the entrance of the chamber. "I shall get the guards to bring a bed and move him to your chambers."

He immediately shook his head. "No. I don't think we should inform the guards."

She stopped, turned around and looked hard at him for a few moments. Then she shook her head and let out a breath. "Alright." She looked back at him. "What, then, do you propose."

He bit his lip. "I think I'll come up here in person. I'll be right back."

His mother sat back down next to his father and nodded as he dispelled the illusion.

He left the throne. To skip the hour-long walk from the throne room to the royal chambers, he stepped back onto the branches of Yggdrasil, staying carefully on Asgard. Colours and shapes flashing by him in a way that would be indecipherable to anyone else but he could use almost as a map. Being able to move through the realm tree was a skill he had never heard of anywhere else. Once he had discovered it as a child, he had scoured the library for any mention of it but had found nothing. Of course, there were mentions of Dark Energy, the tesseract, the Bifrost, both the one on Asgard and the one that had been on Vanaheim before it was destroyed as a part of the treaty at the end of the war. Nothing like what he could do. He had never told anyone of this. Until recently, he'd thought no one knew but so many accusations had been thrown at him over the past few days, both at him and behind his back that he wasn't sure anymore.

Everyone mistrusted him. They always had. He had worried that knowledge of an unexplained ability to be anywhere at any time would only cause him to be blamed for more things. It wasn't like he could bring anyone else with him anyway. He had tried many times in the past but had never been successful. If he could not even help anyone else with it then there was hardly any point in divulging it. He hiding all his abilities only caused people to distrust him more. It hardly mattered now. He was the king. Everyone had to follow his orders without question. It shouldn't matter what they thought of him.

His surroundings warped into the corridor by his parents' chambers where he could tell no guards were stationed. He stepped out and walked towards the entrance.

The guards inclined their heads towards him as he passed them and opened the towering doors for him. He walked through them and waited for them to close the doors behind him. When they didn't, he turned back and glanced outside of the room again.

"If you wouldn't mind closing the doors…"

The guards seemed to come out of their stupor, suddenly alert. "Of course your majesty, we apologise."

Loki walked back into the room. The Einherjar did not usually answer him when he spoke to them, they usually held a much more stoic disposition. The two standing outside the door did not seem young, as to be new and not yet understand the etiquette., though they could still be inexperienced.

His mother looked up at him and smiled at him, patting the seat she had obviously brought beside her for him in invitation. He took it, leaned his father's spear against the bed and removed his helmet.

"So," she began again. "How do you propose we move Odin from these rooms without the knowledge of the guards?"

He smiled and pulled out a map, spreading it out over the floor.

"I will not be able to simply cloak myself to go through the more common areas near the healing chambers so I will need a disguise."

Frigga rolled her eyes, though she had a smile on her face.

Loki squinted and looked around the chamber. "So I have a plan."

So yeah. I've realised that writing is much harder than I thought it was. Wow. Also, this chapter I've written exclusively in Loki's POV which is really weird. I don't know what I'm doing. I wasn't planning on making this all about Loki but so far the very small changes have only affected him. I'm not really sure how to write him though. His character seems to change in every film and I just never have any idea what he's thinking. I think that's supposed to be the point. For this, I'm only focusing on what happened in the first film - I actually thought I understood his motivations in that film. Then he tried to take over Earth for some reason. Past that I just had no clue what was going on.

Even in the first film though, you can read his actions in so many different ways. It's not even definite that he was the one to interrupt the coronation, though yeah it was probably him. You can interpret it as him being the worst person ever who planned from right at the beginning to blow up Jotunheim, kill his brother and father and usurp the throne but I really don't think that was the case, which is what makes him interesting to me. I really liked the plot twist at the end where the whole point was that it was never about the throne of Asgard, just Odin's approval. I don't know why he seemed to just really want to rule the world or something in the films that came afterwards. I'm going to only really use the canon from this film cuz thinking about all the later ones is just hard.

This author's note is really long. I should stop now. Anyway, I'll try and get the next chapter up soon. I have some of it written but I write really slowly.

Thanks for reading!