Hi! It took some time and, i've got to be honest... it's not that long... I'm sorry! You guys deserve better, but... I'm having so much work for school (weeping...)

Anyway, ENJOY!

Chapter 42

Jane sighed and glanced over at the young king sitting in a comfortable chair, just outside the light of the dancing flames in the middle of the common room. Loki was reading… as he had been doing for the last week since the discovery of the scroll and the spell. The spell that could change Jane and Frigga's life forever. Ever since, Jane hadn't been able to forget about the idea of gaining immortality. Not because she thought it fun… on the contrary, she couldn't even grasp the reality of living for thousands of years… but this was her chance to stay with Thor! To grow old together with the man she loved and lived for.

Unfortunately, every time she tried to confront Loki with her thoughts, the young king found an excuse the wave her of. Or he didn't have time…. or he was going to practise… or he was tired…. or he had to talk to Heimdall… or the Lords had urgent matters to discuss… or he simply ignored her…

Yet every time he told her the same thing. The spell wasn't all clear to him yet… he wasn't sure how to make it work… he was looking into it… but he would let her know as a soon as he found something! Nothing to worry about, Jane!

Jane sighed again and fixed her gaze on the flames. Her thoughts drifted away. Even the loud and excited laughs of Lady Sif and Arya, who were walking around the common room, couldn't get to her…

Poppycock… she thought with an angry scowl. The spell had been quit clear to him when they'd filled Lady Sif, Arya and the Warriors Three in.

The five warriors had been all ears while excitement and surprise coloured their faces. Apparently the scroll spoke of a potion. Water from the Well of Wyrd, an ancient pool on Asgard of which the water touched the roots of Yggdrasil itself, combined with the power of the infinity stones could bestow immortal life upon the one who drank it. Nevertheless, there was a safe keep. Of course only someone with knowledge of magic could perform the spell, besides that only the King of Asgard could make it work. The spell needed the power of the infinity stones, but they didn't need to be on Asgard itself. Their power reached out far across the universe.

What else information do you need? Jane thought, but Loki just didn't give in. Jane sighed… she really couldn't see what the problem was… of all people she expected Loki to be most keen to try this new and strong form of magic.

A sudden warm hand woke her from her thoughts. Jane looked up, startled, but quickly relaxed when she saw the smiling face of her husband. Behind him, The Warriors Three entered the common room as well.

"Vanaheim just loves me!" Fandral announced. Volstagg rolled his eyes and sank down on the first chair he could find. That morning they'd travelled to Vanaheim to check how things were going. Of course Heimdall could answer that question easily, but Arya had decided that it was friendlier to greet the Vanaheimers in person and who was better for that job than the prince of Asgard.

Jane smiled and allowed Thor to plant a soft kiss on her lips before he set down next to her.

"I take it everything went well?" she said.

Thor smiled widely and spread his arms over the back of the chair.

"Splendid… nothing to worry about!"

Jane sighed and let her head sink on Thor's shoulder. Now that Arya had taken over his duties as Captain of the Guard, Thor finally had more time for his family and Jane could feel her husband was a lot more relaxed all together.

"Frigga already went to bed?" Thor asked after a short silence.

"Yes…" Jane answered shortly while her thoughts from before started racing through her mind again.

Thor noticed it and looked down on his wife.

"Something the matter?" he asked with frown.

Jane bit her lip. In fact she didn't really feel like talking about this right now. Thor was in such a good and relaxed mood. Everything was going fine…

"It's just this spell…" the distressed mother started.

Before Thor could stop himself, a deep sigh left his lips.

Jane looked up and clenched her teeth. All right, she could understand that Thor trusted Loki would find a solution for whatever problem he was working on and a week of waiting was probably nothing for a God, but it was for her and it certainly was for Frigga.

"Well excuse me for being worried about our future!" Jane exclaimed. Thor bit his lip and closed his eyes for a second.

"Please Jane… I didn't mean it like that…" he tried, but Jane had reached her breaking point.

"Then how did you mean it?" she shouted, not noticing the sudden silence of the other people in the room. "I am trying to fix the biggest problem we could deal with! Why don't you?"

"Loki's trying to figure out the spell, Jane… you've got to give him time…" Thor answered.

"What is there to figure out? The spell is written in black and white! If there's a problem… than why doesn't he tell us?"

Thor licked his lips and placed his hands on Jane's arm, trying to calm her down, fully aware of Loki's presence in the room. Nonetheless… Loki hadn't once looked up from his books.

"He's looking into it… He needs to understand the spell completely…"

Jane pulled away from her husband's grip.

"What is he not understanding? Why do I always get some vague excuse! If the spell doesn't work any longer… then please, just tell me!"

"I don't know any more than you do, Jane…" Thor admitted. He lowered his voice, trying to keep the conversation between them, but everyone, except Loki apparently, was watching them anyway. "Maybe this is a form of magic Loki doesn't master… maybe he needs to learn how to control it… maybe there is something else… maybe Loki just isn't capable of preforming this kind of magic. If that's the case... than, I'm sorry, but he'll keep trying until he's absolutely certain he can't do it. And he won't admit that right away… "

"But why wouldn't Loki be able to do the spell…" Jane asked almost desperately.

Thor sighed. What more reasons could he give? Magic just wasn't right up his alley…

"Because he's no king…" a voice suddenly sounded. Everyone looked up in surprise. Sif crossed her arms in front of her chest and repeated her answer. "Loki's no king… he simply cannot do the spell…"

Jane frowned. Thor scowled and sighed.

"Sif… I thought we already skipped this…"

The others in the room sighed as well. Arya who was standing next to the lady warrior frowned.

"My lady… Loki is the king of Asgard! How could you have any doubt about his qualities now?" she exclaimed with an angry tone in her voice.

"Indeed, Sif… really?" Fandral joined in. "Loki is the king! Just get used to it!"

Sif rolled her eyes while the rest of her friends started arguing. No one but her noticed how Loki slowly lowered his book and made eye contact with the lady warrior. One look was enough to confirm the thoughts that had formed Sif's mind. She softly smiled, but it was a smile holding more defeat than victory. Loki answered by sighing and looking away while he closed his book and put it aside.

The arguing continued for a couple more seconds. Loki clenched his teeth together. He'd really hoped no one would find out… but it was the truth and no matter how many books he read, no matter how far he searched for a way to cheat the spell, there was just no loophole in this whole case. The young king folded his hands under his chin and closed his eyes for a second.

"She's right…" a strong voice sounded. The arguing stopped at once and everyone looked from Sif to Loki. The young king carefully made eye contact with every single one of his friends before continuing.

"Sif's right…" he said while getting up from his chair and walking into the light of the flames. Sif followed him with her eyes, a mixture of pride and sadness covering her face.

Suddenly it struck Thor. His frown disappeared and made place for an understanding smile.

"Right… " the God of Thunder said. "If you put it that way…"

The others in the room looked from Sif to Loki to Thor, all demanding an explanation. With a simple nod, Loki made it clear Thor could do the talking.

The God of Thunder sighed and licked his lips.

"Loki's not the king, indeed…" he started with a sad frown. "You can only become king through your blood and birth right, or the former king must have crowned you. If there is no heir nor a chosen successor, then and only then is Heimdall permitted to choose the next King of Asgard. Loki is not the rightful heir of our father and he wasn't crowned either… Not by Odin anyway..."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

"So… that would mean that… since the Allfather is dead…" Arya started, but her voice broke and faded away. She just couldn't grasp the idea of her king, killing the Allfather. It was a painful truth she'd come to accept, but until now she'd chosen to ignore it.

"It means…" Fandral continued. "… that Thor… is the king…"

Everyone turned to the God of Thunder. The same simple thought crossed their minds, but no one dared to say it out loud.

Jane searched for eye contact with her husband. An incredible sadness had taken hold of her heart.

"But… "she stuttered with tears in her eyes. "You don't know any magic…"

Thor looked up and rubbed his temples. He slowly shook his head.

"So that's it then…" Volstagg declared after a short silence. "We cannot place the spell…"

Jane sighed in defeat and fell back in the chair. Of course she couldn't blame Thor, but somewhere she felt the cold stab of anger. Anger for Thor's lack of interest in magic. If he'd just learned it, just like Loki had…

The distressed mother closed her eyes and let the silence wash over her. She knew everyone was watching her with pity in their eyes. Maybe it was better this way… at least now she knew what Loki had been looking for and that the spell wasn't going to work after all. Somewhere she also started feeling hatred towards Loki for killing the Allfather. Odin probably would have been able to place the spell… Although she wasn't sure that her grumpy father in law would have allowed it.

"Yes, we can…" Loki suddenly said. All eyes jumped towards the young king who had kept rather silent the whole time. Loki seemed nervous and almost devastated as if he'd just made the most difficult decision in his life. But as defeated he'd looked, just like that, he put up his own slightly creepy and insuring grin.

Thor frowned. This wasn't going to end well.

"What are you talking about?" the God of Thunder asked suspiciously.

"You're going to give Thor a crash course in magic?" Fandral asked sarcastically, not noticing Loki's sudden change in behaviour.

"Trying to teach Thor magic would have as much effect as making Sif fall in love with you, Fandral…" the young king announced. Fandral laughed and winked towards the lady warrior who threw him a meaningful glare back.

Loki just continued and now everyone in the room could notice the creepy tone in his voice.

"Thor's theory would have been right if not for one tiny detail…"

Loki's eyes scanned the room, until he was sure he had everyone's full attention.

"Odin…" he started wickedly, "is not dead…"

Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh! Maniacal laugh!

I hope you guys enjoyed it! ;)

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Rumple x