Death of a Monarchy
Loki Hears, Loki Sees, Loki Speaks, Part 3 - Heimdall was, after all, a traitor to the throne many times over.
"I know you're there," Heimdall said to the sound of shoe leather rubbing against the Bifrost.
"Only because I want you to," Loki replied, appearing near him, but out of reach. "The invisibility is merely for the benefit of others. I don't wish anyone else to know I'm alive, not just yet."
Heimdall frowned. "And yet you would reveal yourself to me? Why?"
"I thought we should have a conversation about what would be in the best interests of Asgard," said Loki. "With Thor on Earth, Frigga gone, and Odin aged and so deeply asleep that he may be better off sent to join her, there is no king in residence, no regent, no figure the realm might turn to."
"Except you, do you mean?" Heimdall asked, quietly but with a dangerous rumble.
Loki laughed bitterly. "Asgard will never look to me as a rightful king, not now. I know that very well." He turned, pacing, hands behind his back. "But who is there? Tell me, Heimdall. Who would you, and all of Asgard, pledge yourself to now? You understand now, surely, that the descendants of Borr cannot be trusted with the throne of Asgard? That however noble they may sometimes seem, their flaws are unpredictable, and fatal?"
"They are blinded by the seeming importance of their own loves and their own losses," Heimdall agreed, but then his eyes narrowed as he looked at Loki. "What alternative do you suggest?" he asked, leaving off any form of address that could be used as a clue to his attitude towards the sorcerer at the moment.
Loki returned the assessing look. "I know you," Loki said. "I know that you have knowledge, and power, and leverage, that surpass even mine, and that you will use it however you see fit to protect Asgard, no matter who your king or what their command. The king should fear you. The whole of Asgard should fear you. And, Gatekeeper, I throw myself upon your mercy. There is no stable throne of Asgard without you standing behind it, and so your word is law."
Heimdall blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Are you telling me that I ought to take the throne myself?"
"I am telling you, O All-Seeing Heimdall, that if you sought the throne, I would support you in any way that I could."
Heimdall laughed dryly. "Your support, I think, would do more to hurt than to help my claim."
"In any way that I could," Loki repeated with greater emphasis, and his features sparkled and shifted, until it was the Allfather standing before the Gatekeeper, shining eyepatch and great red-purple cloak and grizzled hair. It was an illusion perfect in every way; Heimdall would hardly have seen, even with his magic eyes, if he had not already known that the Allfather was in deep Odinsleep in his own chambers.
Heimdall carefully regarded the figure in front of him, the figure of a king offering up his throne.
"I have no desire to rule Asgard," the gatekeeper said at last.
Loki laughed this time. "That is because you know the futility of the appearance of power," he commented. "How many worlds under your watch, how many rulers, how many kings, presidents, emperors, how many lives of public power do your eyes have windows into?"
"Tens of thousands," Heimdall answered.
"And out of them, how many sleep well? How many are happy? How many go to bed each night satisfied with the work they have done and the welfare of their subjects?"
"A handful," Heimdall answered. "None who are sane."
This prompted another laugh from the disguised Loki, one, in fact, that was all too much like a sob. "That in no way surprises me, Heimdall."
Heimdall's eyes were thoughtful; Loki almost fooled himself into thinking they even contained a hint of softness, of concern.
"There is much in your life that has been unfortunate," Heimdall said. "Some of your doing, others not. There are as many ways to judge a man's crimes as there are worlds with men on them. Perhaps some are better ways than others, I know not. But your crimes - treason, warfare, deceit - I cannot stand in judgement over you for those things that I have also done. I have seen you give much for the safety of Asgard and the Realms under its protection. You are not my enemy. There is only one person left who has any authority to judge you for your actions, and that is Thor."
The puppet-Odin nodded. "I will keep this charade only long enough to give the throne over to Thor with a minimum of chaos," he told the gatekeeper. "After that, I will abide by his judgement. He is, after all, my brother, and he is sometimes not completely without wisdom."
"But even those greatest pillars of society are not infallible," Heimdall replied. "They have their blind spots, especially for each other. Thor once told Odin that there would never be a wiser king than him. It is our place, as watchers, to intervene when we feel it is necessary."
"Perhaps," said Loki, with a sly smile that looked just this side of eerie on Odin's face, "we should, from now on, confer before intervening."
Heimdall nodded, regreful humor coloring his expression of agreement.
Loki fully expected to be handing Gungnir to his brother with a significant measure of relief, and confessing everything. But Thor said the most interesting things when he thought he was talking to his father.
Things like the fact that he judged Loki a better fit for the throne than himself. Like his intention to return to Earth, to give up his place on that throne, that Thor might live a better life.
Well, who was Loki to thwart the will of the heir to Asgard's throne? For the moment after Thor walked out of the hall, Loki felt justified in his deceit, even gleeful at the compliments his brother had paid him. For a moment, the throne felt right under him.
But the moment didn't last, and Loki began to feel at a loss, and sought out Heimdall.
"What now?" was all he said, at first. He watched the gatekeeper digest the situation.
"If I have any loyalty left to Borr's lineage," Heimdall said, "it would lead me to accept Thor's defense of you and your wisdom on the subject of what it means to rule. I swear myself in defense of Asgard, my king." Heimdall bowed his great head.
Loki stared. Then he shook his head forcefully.
"The throne of Asgard sits empty," he told the gatekeeper. "Only a ghost inhabits it now. But the true power of Asgard rests where it always has. In the hands of those insightful enough to see what must be done."
He held out a hand to the gatekeeper, in the manner of human businessmen, in the manner of new partners.
Heimdall looked at the offered hand, considered, then reached out and shook it firmly.
The monarchy of Asgard was dead.