Chapter 21

Odin and Loki stepped back into the Bifrost Dome with two Frost Giants on their heels. Heimdall simply watched as they walked past him knowing that they had extracted a promise from the giants that no harm would come to any within Asgard while the giants were guests within the Realm Eternal.

They were greeted in the throne room by a nervous Frigga, a hesitant Thor, a tentative Jane and a furious Darcy.

"LOKI! What were you thinking going to Jotunheim?" she yelled as soon as they walked into the room but stopped her tirade when she saw that they
were accompanied by two Frost Giants.

"Oh!" was all she could get out.

"Darissa, I am sorry for not telling you but when you said that I needed to talk with my father about the coronation he mentioned that
because I was of Frost Giant descent then there had to be at least one representative from Jotunheim there... so we went
and invited one and ended up with two. I am sorry darling."

"Loki, do you have any idea how worried I was when I couldn't find you after I woke up? Plus my pregnancy decided that it was going to present itself
this morning and I got sick, then when I couldn't find you I went to your mother only for her to tell me that Odin and you had gone off to Jotunheim
to invite Frost Giants to our coronation! You can imagine my surprise I am sure, because even though I know that you have accepted that part of
yourself, I didn't think you had yet to accept them," she said in a rush.

"Darcy, sweetheart, calm down, love. It's okay. I have explained to them that you carry their new heir and that I will not be taking the Jotun throne
but that our son will be. And yes, my love I do know how worried you were. I could feel it all the way in Jotunheim." he said, pulling her into his embrace and holding her tightly unto himself.

"Princess Darissa, it is a pleasure to see you again," one of the Giants said addressing the still shaken Darcy.

Darcy pulled out of her husband's arms and turned to the giant that had spoken to her. "It is a pleasure to see you again too. I do hope
you can forgive me for not giving you my husband's identity when I was last in Jotunheim."

"All is forgiven Lady Darissa," the other giant stated with a curt nod in her direction. "You are after all carrying our heir and therefore are to be
respected and honored."

"Thank you," she said with a slight blush gracing her cheeks.

"Father?" Thor finally spoke.

"Yes?"

"Are they really okay with Loki becoming King of Asgard?"

One of the giants turned to the Golden Prince and said, "Yes, the Jotun are okay with Laufey's son becoming King of Asgard. Son of Odin."

Not one to back down Thor challenged, "Why?"

"Because we can sense the two children your future queen carries within her womb. She carries a Frost Giant babe within her who is already quite
strong."

Thor was taken aback by this. He had thought that Loki was the only one who would be able to sense the children growing within his sister-in-law. He briefly wondered if they could sense the child Jane carried as well.

"The son of Thor is also strong. His Elven magic great indeed."

Upon hearing this Jane's hand flew to her still flat belly and she grinned. She was going to have a boy! And by what she had just heard he was going
to take after her.

By this time the entire throne room had filled with onlookers who had heard that there were two Frost Giants in the Throne Room.

Lady Sif and the Warriors Three though were skeptical about the giant's appearance. And were ready with weapons drawn. That was until Loki
spoke, "Lady Sif, lower your weapon at once! They are our guests and will be treated as such!"

She was slow to lower her weapon still weary of the two Frost Giants before her. "Why are they here? What business do Frost Giants have on Asgard?"

"Lady Sif, I see that my dear brother has failed to inform his closest companions what his brother really is. Shall I show you dear lady what I really
am? Will that answer your question?" Loki spoke condescendingly to Sif.

Darcy couldn't believe she had just heard Loki speak that way to Lady Sif. She knew that there was some harsh feelings between the two of them.
Something to do with him cutting off all of Sif's hair when they were younger, but to speak so harshly to her in company? She was about to say
something when one of the Frost Giants spoke instead.

"My Lady, we mean no one here any harm. We took an oath that none on Asgard shall come to any harm while we are here. As to why we are here, our prince is to become your new king we were invited as is our right to witness such a sight."

"Loki? Loki is your prince?" Sif nearly laughed though stopped herself when she saw the look on the rest of the faces surrounding her.

"Yes, Lady Sif, my husband is their prince. I would tell you his story but it is not mine to tell. Though, I think you would believe it more coming from me,' Darcy said.

Odin just nodded as did Loki and she knew that they were telling her to go ahead and tell the entire room of nobles and warriors the story.

"As I am sure you already know Odin fought the Frost Giants many years ago. When the battle on Jotunheim was through he went into their temple
and there he found a child, small for a giant's offspring. Thinking him abandoned and left to die, he took the child with him when he returned to Asgard. He made that child his son and raised him as a prince as was the child's birthright. He did not know then that the child had been placed there to protect him during the battle, so when the giants went into the temple and could find no trace of the child they knew then that he had been stolen from them. However, they never gave up that he would one day return to them."

"And so the child grew into a man and one day he found out his true heritage. A battle once again on Jotunheim revealed to him his true nature.
Upon returning to Asgard, he asked the man that raised him if he was a monster. I am sure you can understand his confusion and anger when
he was told whose son he really was. What he really was. Can you imagine what he had to be thinking, what he was feeling, when he found out that
his life had been a lie?"

"And in the mist of all that he lost his memory of me. It's no wonder he went just a tad bit off his rocker for a while there. So yes, Lady Sif, my husband is a Frost Giant. But he is also Vanir and Queen Frigga's second cousin," Darcy finished purposely leaving out a few details like the fact that he was the reason the Frost Giants no longer had a king.

"So you are saying that we are going to have a Frost Giant as a king?" Sif finally spoke.

"That is exactly what I am saying Lady Sif. And your next king will be Elven so get used to it!" she retorted using her old spunk from Midgard at the
end.

"Now that that has been explained we had better find these two some rooms…" Frigga began but was interrupted.

"If we may be so bold your Majesty, we request that we guard the royal couple until the coronation," the shorter of the two giants said, taking Darcy and Loki by surprise.

"You do not have to do that," Loki began but was cut off.

"Yes, your Highness, we do. It is our duty to you as well as to your mate, as she now carries our new heir, that we must ensure that she is kept safe no matter what."

Loki could tell he was not going to get them to let up and so agreed.