What do they want? What's this about? Do they see right through me? Shit! I was overly conscious of every small creak of my chair and how harried Father looked as well. If he was uncertain, even with his omnipresent calm...

"What is it you need of me?" I asked, folding my hands together on the tabletop to show I had no tricks, just in case I'd somehow been caught in a slight I was unaware of.

Uncle Thor chuckled and looked at Father. "I can't believe the man he's turned into. Can you? Why, I still remember when he was just a child, constantly getting into trouble. Hasn't lost any of his resemblance to you, though."

Father blinked a few times and nodded, though he was reserved. His expression gave little away other than his uncertainty.

"Mm...and the people of New Asgard have taken notice of him as well," said Heimdall, smugly pressing his lips together in a smile that reigned in an impish attitude I normally saw in Father. "He's a natural leader. A good teacher. Cares for the people and has enough strength to be seen as a shield as much as a sword."

Uncle Thor finished his thought without hesitating. "Right. And since you've set such an example for the citizens of Narvlheim, Loki, there have been talks by the people of New Asgard to adopt an election since they have a preference for someone other than who is expected."

I furrowed my brow at the twisted code, still too surprised to easily unravel what it meant.

"What do you mean by that?" Father asked, putting words to my thoughts.

Uncle Thor looked sternly into Father's eyes, then kicked his chin toward me.

At once, Father's eloquence was stolen. "What?" He flustered back and forth between looking at me and Thor. "Are you certain? But...w-what about—"

"I don't believe he desires it, nor has he earned it. There is much for him to learn. Ruling isn't in his heart, as it was never truly in mine. You always had a greater understanding of such things, and your boy has clearly taken after you in this respect. All he needs to do is agree, and steps can be taken to ensure his ascension is protected and prepared for."

"Do you understand what's being asked of you?" Heimdall asked, commanding my attention away from the downright stare I gave straight at Uncle Thor.

I was lightheaded. Dizzy. Why is the room moving?

Father quickly swiped his eyes—a move I hadn't seen in nearly a decade—and rested his hand on my right vambrace. "Gods, in all my life, I must've wished for this a thousand times. Vali...the people have chosen you."

"I don't understand." I held my hands up and backed away from the table in hopes the rocking of the world would stop. It didn't. "What's this about rule? A soldier's duty is never to rule."

"That is correct; a soldier's duty is to serve. But a king..." Uncle Thor gave me his patented grin, almost cloying in its optimism. "A king's duty is to rule with a benevolent hand and act as a mouthpiece to the rest of Yggdrasil. Words given to you have not fallen into an unknown void; you've honored all who come to you by listening and learning. You aren't daft or dense. Not too prideful to deny your mistakes. Your power speaks for itself and is used to help others instead of prop yourself up. Vali, can't you see...you are exactly what these people have been waiting for."

"If you say yes, you'll be the next king, Vali." Father's lower lip quivered, never able to fully hold back like a dam restraining his strong emotions. Now, it threatened to break.

"King?" I didn't think my heart could beat any faster than it was when we arrived, but I was wrong. Oh, so wrong. "Am I worthy of such a thing?"

Heimdall chuckled. "The fact you have to ask only proves the answer, young man."

"I...excuse me." I stood with a jolt, unsure if the nausea creeping up the back of my throat could be squelched fast enough.

Father leapt with me. "Vali, wait—"

"No, no. I'm fine. Just give me a moment, please." I turned my back to them and felt the same disconnect from my body that I did when Thor declared me Captain. It took nerve not to wrap my blue cape around myself like a blanket. I wasn't a child anymore, like they said; I was a peer. Equal. Equal and...elected. My deep breath was doubly contained by my breastplate. I no longer felt claustrophobic inside the armor, though at times like this, I missed the freedom of expanding my chest to its full potential.

"Sit, Loki," Thor whispered, followed by the distinct scrape on the floor of the chair again. At least my uncle had the courtesy to give me space to think.

What did I think of? Anything. Everything. Mum's stories of her parents and the hierarchy of royalty; none of it fit what was happening here. To her, traditional nobility claimed authority without keeping their promises, while Father showed me how claiming a title wasn't about his will over anyone else's. Being King was far from permanent; it was an agreement. A job, in its simplest form. The mere prospect of being responsible for so many souls made the ceiling close in above me. I shrank in size and spirit, one second after the other, sucking in through my nose to keep from gasping.

Yet there it was—a note in the air that was all too familiar. Subtle, but present. The sweet pear Riggs used in her hair. It doused my overexcited nerves and helped guide me to worthy questions.

With my back still to them, I commanded my voice to be steady. "It won't happen soon, will it? This is far in the future?"

They shuffled behind me a bit again. "Right," Uncle Thor said after clearing his throat. "The only reason we're discussing this now is so you have time to learn."

"And I presume this is not to be shared beyond this room?"

Father's tone was uncharacteristically soft. "Except family. Your mother of course, and Hela."

I resisted asking Heimdall about Ragfrieda's right to know, because if she knew, Astrid would know, and if Aunt Thyra knew, everyone would. A predictable line of spread. As surprised as I was, a wash of warmth came over my core despite the draftless room. The fact that enough people expressed this wish to Thor and Heimdall made me wonder who had vouched for me—and who would risk upsetting Modi in the process. Without doubt, he had no clue.

That would have to be addressed at a later time. Right now, a decision had to be made.

I looked at my clean vambraces—ignoring the brief pang of emptiness to see Narvi's name—and gave myself a minor note to have the armor polished since the joints were tarnished. It wouldn't do for such an auspicious occasion.

Aye...it wasn't quite fit for a king. At least, not yet.

I put my arms down at my sides and said my soldier's pledge—the only thing that felt appropriate. "I will serve Yggdrasil and all her people, however they see fit. It is my duty to protect, defend, and uphold the realms. I shall continue to do this until my last and dying breath." With that, I turned to face the three again.

They clenched their jaws in unison, poorly hiding their anticipation.

"Should the time come that they ask me to be king...I will accept." Once the words left my mouth, it was too late to reclaim them. In this space, with these men, my statement was as good as a formal contract.

Father didn't bother trying to hold back and immediately stood again to yank me against his chest. He squeezed me in a way I couldn't recall feeling ever before. His staccato breath explained why he didn't speak; words couldn't do his thoughts any justice.

Having his support—and the knowledge that he wouldn't let me fail—let me unwind a bit. I hummed and spoke to him instead. "I'll do the best I possibly can, Father."

"Oh, Vali." He sniffed sharply and pulled away to see my face. "I see it. You were meant for this. Always."

I gave him a reserved smile, still far too nauseated to celebrate properly.

Uncle Thor stepped beside us and patted both my shoulder and Father's, ignorant to how he interrupted our private moment. "Both of you, reflect on this in the coming weeks before the guard meets on Asgard again. Decide what you will tell the people when it is inevitably released. Loki, help Vali learn your role on Narvlheim and mimic it. Your method is precisely what the people say they want."

Heimdall didn't congratulate me the same way Thor did, instead putting his hands behind his back and proving how much taller he was compared to the rest of us. He stood in silence until I pulled away from Father enough to look him in the eye.

"What is it you wished to speak with me about, Lokison?" he asked.

Right. That. I gulped audibly, though I hoped he hadn't heard me. The weight of what I'd just agreed to was far too intense to add anything else. If he didn't approve, it would spoil the good news, not to mention the humiliation of saying my thoughts out loud in front of both Uncle Thor and Father.

Heimdall raised a brow of impatience.

"It was nothing. Nothing, um, important, anyway. I wanted to ask if...if it would be appropriate to visit Dagheim in the coming weeks to congratulate Ragfrieda on her new position. That's all." My modest smile felt forced. If I had a true tail at that moment, it would've been firmly tucked between my legs; didn't I know better than to lie to a seer?

He chuckled. "Of course, Lokison. It's never inappropriate to congratulate my daughter. Now, speaking of which, I have matters of my own to attend to."

"G'day, Lord Heimdall," I said, bowing deeper than I would've normally, afraid his eyes would read me too well if I didn't.

"G'day to all of you." He didn't wait for me to stand straight again before leaving, sparing me the pain of facing him again.

Father and Uncle Thor bantered with one another about nonsense while I tried to piece together the past hour of my life—my very last as a common man, and now the first as future king.