Thor touched down in his home town and deposited Kelda there. He knocked on the door of his old home and the young man that took over his residence answered.

"Your Highness. What brings you home?" Eric asked.

"I need a small favor. This young lady needs a place to stay until she can set up her own household. A few days at most." Thor said. Eric noticed then the petite woman hiding behind him. A sweet little beta with a lovely face.

"I don't have much room, as you know, but I will endeavor to make her comfortable." He said. Thor's face beamed a warm smile.

"Good. One more thing. Tell no one you saw me. And no matter what you hear in the news about me, don't believe a word of it. And should anyone come looking for this lovely girl, you protect her. You understand, yes?"

"I will my liege."

"Thank you." Thor said. Kelda looked at the man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He was young like her and he had a gentleness about him despite his large muscular arms.

"Hello." He said.

"Hello." She said back.

"Well, I leave you to it then. Take care Kelda."

"I cannot thank you enough. Know that you have at least one loyal subject in all the realm. If you ever have need of me again, I'll be here."

"I'll come check on you sometime, see how you are faring. Farewell."

"Farewell."

XxXxXx

While Thor was busy dropping Kelda off in his home town, Loki was busy holding a fake funeral for a dead horse. Frigga, Sif, Hogun, Fandral, and Volstagg were all brought in on the ruse. The four warriors abandoned the training fields that day in preference for hanging out in the palace halls. When Thor returned he had to use the secret royal passages to avoid being seen and hid inside his own rooms until Loki came back. Loki cast the invisibility spell on him again.

"How long do I have to stay like this?"

"Not long. Hogun informed me that there are intrigues taking place right now. I can't trust the Einherjar to guard the dungeons. I don't know which ones are loyal to me. I need you to pull guard duty down there." Loki said.

"Aye." Thor said, and took off to the lower levels. The sun had set and the sky had taken on the dark purple hue of encroaching night. Frigga remained with Odin, her magic and sword ready for an assassination attempt.

Loki returned to the throne room and sat down on the great seat of power that his father had denied him. He found he did not mind sharing it with Thor as much as he used to. It still irked him that he'd been replaced, and yet he was grateful for the love he had gained. His father had not been completely wrong.

The doors to the throne room opened, pulling Loki from his musings. Aegir entered. Alone.

"Lord Agealson. What can I do for you at this late hour?" Loki asked.

"It occurs to me my prince that there is currently a power vacuum. With your poor husband dead and the most likely replacement incarcerated in the dungeons, the future of Asgard is up in the air."

"Is it now?" Loki asked. Aegir was a large man like Thor. His hands were roughened not from the sword but from the ropes of the ships he sailed. He was on the verge of Admiralty, once his father passed on. Serving in Asgard's navy was nowhere near as impressive as serving in the army. Sailors were not given the same amount of respect as Asgard's soldiers. They were often overlooked.

"Tyr was not a smart man but he understood that biology trumps almost all other laws. It trumps birthright, it trumps achievement, and it trumps justice. He understood that when he tried to rape you."

"How do you know about that?"

"I pay well to learn the secrets of the royal family. That worthless husband of yours failed to get you with child during your honeymoon. All I simply need to do is put a babe in your belly and the throne will be mine."

"My father changed the laws. You will not benefit from such a crime."

"Under normal circumstances you'd be right, but like I said there is a power vacuum. Asgard is currently without a King."

"I am King." Loki said. He heard it then. Yelling in the distance. Soldiers were running towards the stairs and down to the dungeons. Others were headed to Odin's sleeping chambers. His mother! Aegir lifted a pea-shooter to his mouth and blew. The dart flew out and hit Loki right in the neck, poisoning him with a heat inducer. Loki yanked the dart from his neck and growled.

"If you think fucking me is all you have to do to win the crown you have errored, gravely." Green sparks of magic flew up from his fingers and Loki hurled a ball of magic at his would be rapist. But Aegir did something Loki did not expect, he deflected it with magic of his own. Loki stood there slack-jawed with surprise.

"You didn't think I would come here unprepared after what you did to Tyr and his men?" Aegir grinned. Loki understood then, that General Gundirth was a distraction. Aegir knew that the man had also coveted the throne and used him to his benefit. While everyone was busy defending Odin and fighting in the dungeons, Loki was alone. The men began to slowly circle one another, like they were wrestlers in the sand ring of the arena.

"Why the poisoned sheets? I could have died."

"You were supposed to. And then I would have accused Gundirth of the crime. I had evidence planted to frame him but it became unnecessary. I knew his loyal men would try to free him and I could pin Odin's assassination on them as well. With you, Thor, and the Allfather dead, the line of succession would have fallen to me as Admiral of the Navy."

"Your father is Admiral of the Navy."

"He passed away this morning." Aegir lunged at Loki. He dodged using a spell to knock Aegir back. It only worked partially but Loki could see the man was not as well versed in magic as he. His assailant recovered too quickly, however and was on him again in seconds. Loki reached for one of three daggers hidden on his person. Aegir tackled Loki to the ground, pinning his wrist. He squeezed it until Loki yelped and the knife fell from his hand. Aegir had his full weight on him and it was then Loki felt the hardness of his own erection. Aegir sniffed Loki and his hot breath reeked of Alpha musk.

"Mmm. You don't smell that much like Thor. You barely smell claimed. Did he even fuck you during your last heat?" Aegir asked. Loki felt horror wash through him. He'd never felt this aroused during a heat before. He'd felt miserable and lustful, and a little extra squishy. But this burning ache, it was new. His pupils were blown wide and his very core screamed to be filled. Whether it was from the drugs or because he wasn't a virgin anymore, Loki did not know. Aegir ground his hips down and smirked. His big heavy body was an immovable force. Loki could not hope to overpower him.

"I can satisfy you better than he did. I can give you what your body is craving. I'll replace that scar on your neck with my own mark. Would you like that, little one?" Aegir asked.

"Only Thor calls me that." Loki's front teeth all glowed green with magic, lengthening and sharpening into jagged fangs. Loki jerked his head forward and plunged his jaws into Aegir's neck. His mouth filled with blood and tissue as he eviscerated the carotid arteries there. He pulled back, ripping the skin and flesh away from the collar bone. Loki's face became awash in Aegir's blood as the fluid drained from his body. Aegir rolled off of Loki and clapped his hands over his throat. Loki rolled with him, reversing positions. Now, with his body perched top Aegir, he reached for another one of his daggers and stabbed him in the chest.

"Loki?" Sif's voice, uncharacteristically small rang out in the empty hall. The sound of many footsteps followed from several directions as Thor, Frigga, and many Einherjar flooded the throne room.

"Loki!" Thor said. Loki rose, looking like a thing from nightmares. His black hair was plastered to his pasty skin. His eyes looked black for how enlarged they were. His mouth, chin, and entire front was drenched in blood. Suddenly aware of himself, Loki spat out a large chuck of flesh that had been sitting in his mouth. A few gasps emanated from the witnesses. Dressed in black and clutching a blood dripping dagger, Loki looked like a feral creature of darkness. Thor approached him and got down on one knee.

"Kneel before your King!" Thor bellowed. The Einherjar complied. One by one they knelt to show fealty to their king. Gundirth was dead. So too, was Odin.