CHAPTER 14

"Heimdall, please tell me they have made up," Darcy said the next morning.

"Yes, Princess, they have and are coming back shortly with good news," he answered.

Darcy nodded then headed back to the Palace to await her sister's return.

Frigga met her when she walked into the Hall. "There you are my dear, I have been looking for you," the Asgardian queen said as soon as she saw
Darcy.

"I am sorry my Queen, I didn't realize you were looking for me," Darcy said with a small curtsy.

"There is something I would talk to you about, Princess Darissa," she said as she led Darcy to the same garden they had met in the previous day.

Once they were comfortably seated Frigga began, "Do you know what the mark you bear signifies?"

"Well I know it's the Jotun Mating Mark, but as to what it signifies, no. I am afraid the Frost Giants didn't divulge that information when they told me
about the ritual," she answered, her hand coming to cover the small mark below her left ear.

"The mark you bear does signify to any that see it that you are claimed as the mate of a Frost Giant but the scrolling signifies that it is a Giant of
Royal Blood that is your mate. The mark is made up of a double 'L' which in short is a brand of ownership. It means that you belong to Loki
Laufeyson. Each mark is unique as each is the initials of the male Jotun."

Darcy was slightly embarrassed by this and wondered if Loki knew about this at all. "My Queen, does he know? I mean does he know what the mark
really is?" she asked quietly.

"No," came Frigga's reply, "Very few know the true meaning behind the mark or even what the mark signifies. All they will see is a mark much like a
Midgardians tattoo below your ear. They will not know the meaning behind it."

"Ok but after he claimed me the other day, we somehow ended up bonded in some way. He can feel my emotions even from a distance and can
pinpoint exactly where I am no matter where that is now," she told the queen still embarrassed.

"Yes, that is part of the Mating Ritual. The male claims his mate and when he does he can find his mate anywhere. It helps him find her if she were
danger or if distressed. It also will come in handy when you conceive again, for he will know immediately when you do."

Darcy wondered silently if that was why he was smiling this morning upon waking and resolved to ask him later. She then wondered how Frigga
knew all of this and asked her, "My Queen, may I ask how you know all of this? I read a book in the Royal Library that told about the Jotun's but none
of this was in it."

"There are things that I know that are not in the books within the Library. However, if you truly wish to know all about the Jotuns then I can give you
the information you seek. I had to learn much about them myself when Odin brought Loki home as a baby. I knew that raising a Jotun child would be
difficult and hiding who he was would be even more difficult. Much of what I learned was from before the war started from the Jotun's themselves.
At the time I was curious as to who and what the Frost Giants were, especially right after I became queen. I knew they were a powerful race but it
wasn't until I saw that my friend was marked. She had a Mating Mark below her left ear just like you and i wanted to know what it was. She told me
everything her mate had told her and i wrote it down for later use."

"Yes, the friend I am speaking of was Loki's real mother, the princess of Vanaheim. She and I were very close, as we are cousins, and after she and
Laufey mated, she told me about the mating ritual and the mark as weell as a few other things. However, that wasn't the only thing I wished to talk
to you about though," Frigga said.

Darcy waited to hear what else the queen wanted to tell her, surprised to find out that Frigga was in actuallity Loki's second cousin and therefore
family.

"Odin told me of his conversation with your sister the other day. He said it was quite enlightening and he feels terrible about the way he has treated
Loki all these years. He wishes to make it up to him but isn't sure how. I gave him a suggestion but I do not know if he will do it or not. You and I
both know how stubborn he is, yet he really does feel guilty about everything and blames himself for the way Loki lashed out years ago against us,
his family."

"May I ask what the suggestion was?"

"I suggested that he declare Loki his heir instead of Thor."

"But why? Loki has told me that he does not wish to rule. He doesn't want to be in his brothers' shadow. He just wants to be treated as an equal in
his father's eyes."

"The why is because Thor has told his father that Loki would be the better ruler and that he doesn't want the throne. However, it does not matter
once my son's marry you and your sister. One will ascend to Odin's throne while the other to Ashier's."

Darcy had forgotten about that. She was her fathers' heir. She had been named so when Jane had become betrothed to Thor all those years ago. She,
herself, had no wish to rule and the throne would be better suited to Jane than her. So this revelation was shocking to her. She knew that she and
her sister were going to have to have a talk when she returned.

"Will the Allfather tell Loki this?"

"Yes, though only on the day of your wedding. It is to remain a secret until then."

"Does my father know of Odin's plan?"

"Yes, they talked it over this morning. Your father is going to name Jarissa his new heir upon your wedding if Odin does choose Loki as his heir."

Darcy nodded and asked to be excused for she needed to process everything that she had just learned.

XXX

Odin sat on his throne going over everything that had happened since the two princesses of Alfheim had returned to Asgard. All the revelations that
had been revealed were swirling around in his mind. He had to rethink everything he had done as King. He was now questioning everything in his
head. Could he have been wrong about Loki? About Thor? He knew that neither son wanted his throne. Now, he had to decide which one was more
worthy of it. Would it be his biological son or the son he had stolen and grown to love? Thor was of course the logical choice but even he had said
that Loki was better suited to rule. Thor had more faith in his brother than anyone else did and maybe it was time to see things from a different
point of view.

Xxx

Jane and Thor returned later that evening after promising the Avengers that they could visit Asgard soon especially since Darcy and Loki's wedding
was coming up soon.

They walked into the Palace and were stopped by Odin. "Thor, my son, I need a private word with you, if you please."

Jane kissed him softly and told him to come find her after he talked with his father and walked away a smile on her face.

"Yes, father?"

"I need to know why you feel Loki would be more suited to Asgard's Throne than you. No matter if you choose my throne or not you will be king."

"Father, while I am the firstborn, I am too headstrong and do not have the heart to rule. I may have had it at one time but being banished to Midgard
all those years ago changed my opinion. He would do what is truly best for your kingdom as well as the other eight realms, especially with Darissa
by his side. But what do you mean I will still be king? If you mean to give the throne to Loki then how will I still be king?"

"Because my son, you are to marry a Princess of Alfheim. If I give the throne to Loki then Darissa, who is currently the Crown Princess of Alfheim,
will be Queen of Asgard and her sister will become the new heir of Alfheim. This will mean that when you two wed you will become King of
Alfheim."

Thor had forgotten about that. "But father, that is not completely true. If Jarissa is named the heir then she will be Queen of Alfheim and I as her
husband will only be he consort."

"True, but her father is changing the rule no matter who I choose as my heir. You or Loki will be King of either Alfheim or Asgard. I have yet to make
my decision and it will not be revealed until your brother's marriage to Princess Darissa."

With that Odin dismissed his son and continued to ponder which son he would chose to be his heir.