The Undoing

Finna had been in the throne room a handful of times before, but she was still awed by the vastness and the majesty of the space. The eye could not look anywhere without spotting gold. The throne itself was massive and extravagant. Red banners with the symbol of Thor's hammer embroidered in gold thread had been hung from the ceiling for the coronation.

More people than she had ever seen packed into the space, pressed in tightly together. Two rows of Einherjar created a center aisle leading to the throne where the King sat dressed in his golden armor, his golden spear, Gungnir, firmly in his grip. Finna and her family were reserved a spot in the front.

Finna was seething. Thor had invited his friends to watch the coronation from the steps to the dais, while she, his future wife, his future Queen, was left to stand in the crowd. Anger and humiliation ran through her like electric currents under her skin. As she watched Loki escort the Queen to the front, she wondered if she should take him up on his offer. Would Thor even care if I was fucking his brother? She swallowed a lump in her throat. She came home from Vanaheim to a completely different person. Father never should have sent me away. Now I have fallen out of favor with the man I am to spend the rest of my life with. We should be married and have an heir on the way by now.

Finna was pulled from her contemplation about the future as the crowd erupted. She looked to the back of the throne room as Thor made his entrance, wearing his red cape and winged helmet, hoisting Mjölnir above his head. As he made his way to the front, he tossed his hammer in the air and played up to the people, encouraging them to cheer louder for him as the fanfare of horns and drums excited the crowd.

Thor knelt in front of the King, removed his helmet, and placed it next to his hammer on the floor in front of him. Odin stood and hit the end of Gungnir on the floor, causing a hush to fall over the crowd. He stood and looked at his boy for a moment before starting the ceremony.

"Thor... Odinson... My heir. My first born." He paused. Overcome with emotion, he took a moment to compose himself.

"So long entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjölnir. Forged in the heart of a dying star. Its power has no equal! As a weapon to destroy, or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a king.

"I have defended Asgard, and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms, in the time of the Great Beginning. And though the day has come for a new King..."

Eisa had stopped listening to the King's speech. While all eyes were on Thor and the King, her focus had landed back on Loki, as it usually did when she was in the same room with him. His face was usually a handsome mask of neutrality, but right now he looked agitated and angry. She pursed her bottom lip, wondering what had happened between the cocktail hour and the ceremony. He looks like he needs a hug, she thought as she wrung her hands together in front of herself.

Yulla slowly pushed Eisa's hands back down and gave her a stern look. A warning. Her message was clear. Pay attention. She gave an apologetic look back and put her focus back on the ceremony.

"Do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?"

"I swear." Thor responded.

"And do you swear to preserve the peace?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear, to cast aside all selfish ambition, and to pledge yourself only to the good of the Realms?"

"I swear!" Thor hoisted his hammer above him.

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, will proclaim you..." Odin froze. He had a faraway look in his eye, as if he were watching something no one else could see.

"...Frost Giants." His face briefly revealed a combination of shock and fear before he fixed his expression and banged the butt of Gungnir to the floor once more. This time to summon the Destroyer, a powerful weapon and guardian of the vault.

Panicked whispers and murmurs of discord spread through the crowd. They were instructed to remain calm and stay in the throne room. Odin, the Princes, and half of the Einherjar rushed from the room without another word.

Viggo gathered his wife and daughters and ushered them into a corner, as Thor's warrior friends moved to protect the Queen.

"Frost Giants! There are Frost Giants in the palace! I am scared, Father!" Brita clung to her dad as he stroked her hair.

"Fear not. I am here. Nothing is going to harm you while I am around."

Anina's husband shielded her and her sisters behind his back as the girls clustered together and held one another.

"He did not finish the words, Father! Thor? Is he King or not?" Finna's voice was tight with panic.

"No. Not yet." Viggo scanned the vast crowd for threats. Finna started to sob.

"Finna!" Yulla hissed, "You are the future Queen of Asgard. You must behave as such! Do you see Frigga wailing and fretting? No. You must be the picture of poise and strength. People will look to you in times of crisis."

Finna nodded and quickly swallowed her sobs. She released her sisters, straightened her back and shoulders, and went to stand beside her father and stepmother.

Eisa looked around in wonder. She had never heard of the palace ever being breached. Not while Heimdall was looking out for threats. Her mind ran wild with scenarios of how the Frost Giants had managed to slip their defenses. She was anxious, but not from fear, but from curiosity. She felt the overwhelming urge to slip away unnoticed and see firsthand what was happening. She resisted, of course, knowing the danger was real and present. I wonder if Loki killed any Frost Giants of if Thor is taking them all down. The thought of Thor made her stomach hurt. She made a pained face.

"Do not be scared, Eisa. The Frost Giants would have to get through me and your father. You are quite safe." Anina's husband smiled back at her.

She almost laughed. He worked in a bank owned by his father. He had never been in a fight in his life.

"Thank you, Frode." Eisa offered him a small smile. If only he knew she was more scared by the thought of marrying Thor than an invasion of Frost Giants.

oOXOo

The Frost Giants were quickly dispatched, but instead of finishing the coronation, the festivities were cancelled, and everyone was sent home. None of the royal family returned to the throne room. Einherjar made sure the room was cleared safely as hordes of people left at once.

The whole carriage ride home, Eisa's mind churned. Was one of the Princes injured? Is that why the ceremony had been cancelled? Why not just postpone? Surely the palace staff had been working around the clock to prepare for the feast. Why waste all that time and effort? Was the threat truly behind them? How had the Frost Giants made it all the way to the weapons vault?

"Will the King send Father back to Jötunheim?" Eisa asked Groa in a quiet whisper.

"I do not know."

Viggo and the rest of Odin's advisors had remained behind at the palace.

The sound of the Bifrost opening drew everyone out of their reverie. Eisa turned in her seat to watch behind her as a beam of light shot from the bridge into the sky.

"Who was that? Where are they going?" Finna asked, panicked.

"We cannot know. All we can do is go home and wait for word." Yulla turned back around to face the front. "We must not jump to any conclusions. We will go home and pray to the Norns for a safe and swift resolution."

Later that night, Eisa lay in her bed, sleep evading her. They had seen the sky light up three more times that night as the Bifrost was opened. Finna shut herself in her room and the other girls could hear her crying herself to sleep. Yulla paced the first floor for hours awaiting Viggo's return until fatigue finally won out and she went upstairs to bed.

Eisa was exhausted as well, but the events of the day kept playing on repeat in her mind. She was thinking about her strange interaction with Thor when she heard her father return home. He was speaking quickly as he made his way into his study. Soon the voices of the other councilors joined his. She sat up slowly, looking around the darkened room. No one else appeared to be awake. She made her way quietly out of her bedchamber to the top of the stairs. She stood there listening as the voices kept speaking over one another. The floor was cold on her bare feet as she silently descended the marble staircase in the darkness, inching her way to the hall that led to her father's study.

A slash of light flooded the hallway, the door was slightly ajar. Eisa crept down the hallway sideways with her back pressed firmly against the wall. She stopped just outside and listened.

"Yes, but how can you know for sure?"

"We cannot know for sure! Besides it is a moot point! What is done is done."

"What is done is done? What is done is done!? You speak as if someone has spilled a cask of mead! The King lies in Odinsleep! The Prince is banished! This kingdom is falling to Hel!"

Eisa's heart started pounding. Banished?! Which Prince? What happened to the King? Her mind was reeling.

"In trying to prevent one disaster we have caused several more in its place!"

"We all agreed that the coronation needed to be stopped!"

"We knew there would be risks!"

"We should never have left the plan up to the Silvertongue!"

"You said to leave this to you, Viggo! We thought you knew how this was going to go!"

"Did you and the boy conspire to come up with this behind our backs? Was this your plan all along?"

"Enough!" Viggo shouted over the men. "I will listen to no more of this. I will not be spoken to this way in my own home! My wife and children are here, asleep in their beds! Do you think I wanted it to go this way? I have to be the one to tell my daughter that her betrothed has been exiled to the mortal world..."

Prince Thor has been banished? What in the Hel happened? How does one go from coronation to banishment in the span of hours? Eisa's eavesdropping was getting her more questions than answers.

Viggo continued, "Everything went according to the plan. Thor reacted precisely the way we expected him to. How could any of us predicted Odin's extreme reaction? He should have received a slap on the wrist and more time to learn!"

Eisa could not believe what she was hearing. Was the attack planned to sabotage the coronation? And was the council behind it?

"But that is not how it played out, Viggo, and now there is an even younger man on the throne!"

"Temporarily- "

"The Queen fears Odin may not return from this Odinsleep!"

"That is the hysteria of a scared woman!"

"I have known Frigga for millennia; she is never hysterical."

"You only know what she allows you to know!"

"Regardless of where Loki sits now, I do not believe this was his intention."

Eisa continued to listen to the utter chaos that was happening just on the other side of the door. Loki is the acting King? She had heard the Odinsleep is used by the Allfather to recharge his magical connection to Asgard, but not much is publicly known about it. Odin keeps the details private because it is said that he is vulnerable to harm while he is in it. What if he never wakes again? Would Loki choose Finna as his Queen? Her last thought caused panic to rise in her chest.

She scolded herself for thinking so selfishly. As much as Thor made her uncomfortable today, she did not want anyone to be exiled. She could not imagine being forced from home, unable to return.

One of the men walked over to the door and pushed it closed. Eisa startled and clapped both hands over her mouth to keep from squealing. The voices were muffled now, but she could still make out clips and phrases.

"...disaster..."

"...our defenses! How do we know it will not happen again?"

"...did you ever stop to wonder how..."

The men were talking over each other again, so she decided to retreat to her bedroom before she was discovered by one of the servants. She pulled her covers up to her chin and pulled a pillow to her chest, curling around it into the fetal position. She was ready for this day to be over, to succumb to sleep, to let it take her back to a happier time in her dreams. But the minutes turned into hours. She would doze off and on, but soon she was watching the room lighten as the sun started creeping over the horizon.

oOXOo

Yulla and the girls were in the middle of eating lunch when Viggo stormed into the house, slamming the door, and cursing under his breath.

"Viggo, darling, what is the matter?" Yulla rushed to Viggo's side.

"The new King is refusing council! He dismissed us! Sent us home. The arrogance! How dare he assume he can run the kingdom on his own."

"Perhaps he just needs some time to process the events of the last two days. His brother has been exiled and his father lies helpless and fading. It is enough to shake even the strongest person."

"No. The Dark Prince is unshakable. There must be more to this. He has been acting like a different person since Odin rescued the Princes from Jötunheim." Viggo froze, a faraway look in his eyes. "No...Impossible."

"What is it?"

"I cannot tell you." Viggo shook his head.

"Of course, you can. What is troubling you?"

"No, you misunderstand. I physically cannot tell you. Odin bound me with a vow of secrecy."

"With Seidr?"

"Powerful Seidr. I risk my life just thinking about telling you."

"What is so damning that would require such extreme measures of secrecy?"

Viggo grimaced and pressed his hands to the sides of his head as he dropped to his knees. "Aaah."

"Viggo!"

"Father!"

"No! Do not ask me another question. Norns." He took deep breaths as he tried to stand.

Eisa made her way to her father. "This is a good sign, Father."

"Eisa! Your father is in much distress. Quit your nonsense and go to your room."

"No, listen! The Allfather's magic is still strong!" She stooped and helped her father to his feet. "Don't you see? Whatever oath he used to bind you is as strong as it ever was, right? The Allfather is still with us. He is not slipping away as the Queen fears. He will awaken, return to the throne, and require your council once again." Eisa smiled at her father, warm and wide eyed.

Viggo embraced her and kissed the top of her head. "My beautiful and brilliant baby girl. Yes. Yes, of course." Eisa smiled widely and her father pressed her to his chest as he hugged her tightly. "You are my clever girl."

He released her and placed another kiss to the top of her head. "Yulla, have a maid pack my trunk. I am going to move back into my rooms at the palace temporarily. I want to be there when the true King awakens." He snagged an apple from the bowl on the table and started making his way to his study. "I have much to do."

"Viggo?" Yulla followed after him infuriated, "Viggo! You told me you gave up those chambers!"

"Not now, Yulla."

"Is that where you go when you tell me you will be working late? The King allows you to parade your whores through the palace now?"

"Oh, that is rich coming from you!"

The thick wooden door slammed, muffling their shouts behind them. Finna ran to retrieve her cloak from the coat closet in the foyer.

"Where are you going?" Groa followed her to the front door.

"Securing my own future." She fastened her cloak at her neck and raised the hood over her head. "I am going to ask Loki to bring back my betrothed."

"And if he refuses?"

"I will be the Queen of Asgard! One way or another." A sly grin crossed her face. "If he refuses to bring Thor home, I will be heartbroken, of course, but perhaps Loki will offer himself as a replacement. An offer I will humbly accept."

Eisa's heart sank. "You cannot do that!" she shouted, surprising herself. Her sisters stared at her as she continued, "You... you have to have faith that Thor will return." She wrung her hands in front of herself.

"And if he never does? I am to become an old maid? Cursed to live in my father's home for the rest of my life? The discarded toy of the shamed Prince? I do not think so!" Finna leveled Eisa with a glare. "You are an idealistic child. You have no idea what the real world is like. I will do what needs to be done to ensure that I will live the life I have been promised since the day I was born!" With that, Finna went to the carriage house to secure a ride to the palace.

oOXOo

When she arrived outside of the throne room, she was stopped by a guard. "The King is not holding court today, miss."

"Miss?" She glared at him, "My name is Lady Finna Viggodottir. I need to speak to the King right away."

"Apologies, My Lady. The King is not holding court today. All visitors are to wait for a formal invitation for an audience."

"That is unacceptable. I demand that-"

It was then that Sif and the warriors three came storming out of the throne room, door swinging wide. Finna could see Loki on the throne.

"Well, look who it is? Sif, what an unpleasant surprise." Finna sneered at Sif.

"Likewise. What are you doing here?"

"Likely the same thing you were doing here. I came to ask Loki to allow Thor's return."

Sif placed her hand over heart and feigned sympathy, "Desperate for your true love to return? Or are you just worried about your own future?"

Finna stepped in front of Sif's face. "I would not expect you to understand, trollop. Your jealousy is unbecoming." Finna ran her eyes over Sif in her warrior clothing. "Not that there is much about you that is becoming." She wrinkled her nose. "Do men really tolerate the smell of sweat and dirt on their women? Has Thor ever even looked at you like anything other than one of the boys? He and I have a history. And we will have a future. Together."

Sif's already heightened temper flared again as she lunged at Finna. "You-" Volstagg and Hogun grabbed her arms and pulled her back.

"No! No, let them fight! I wouldn't mind seeing these two tangled up together." Fandral laughed.

The throne room door opened. "Lady Finna? The King will see you now." A page held the door open for her.

Finna gave Sif a condescending smile as she turned away from her toward the door.

"Bitch!" Sif spat, pulling out of her friends' grips.

Finna feigned a hurt expression. "Ouch, Sif. A bitch I may be, but I am a bitch who knows what Thor's cock tastes like; pity you never will." She gave her shoulders a tiny shrug as she turned back to the throne room.

Sif's angered shriek echoed into the vast empty room as the doors closed tightly behind them. Pleased with herself, Finna had to school her wicked grin before she made her way to the base of the dais. With a serene expression on her face, she curtsied deeply in front of Loki.

"Rise and approach the throne." Loki was sprawled on the throne, legs spread wide in a deep V. Dressed head to toe in his green leathers, wearing his imposing horned helmet and holding onto the spear, Gungir.

"Your Majesty." Finna rose, her eyes wide and innocent for the King, she climbed the steps to stand at the top of the dais.

"State the purpose of your visit." Loki was clearly agitated. No doubt the visit from Thor's friends had rankled his nerves.

Finna assumed Sif had come to beg Loki to bring Thor home, so she decided to change tactics at the last minute.

"I have come to request an audience with the Queen Mother."

That was not what Loki was expecting, and it piqued his curiosity. He arched an eyebrow to her, "She has no power to order Thor's return."

"I know, Your Majesty. I simply want to offer her a shoulder to lean on during what must be a very difficult time for her."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, she was like a second mother to me growing up. I want to be there for her in return." She smiled at him sweetly.

"How noble of you." He eyed her suspiciously. "The Queen refuses to leave my father's side and I cannot allow an outsider into his chambers while he lays vulnerable. I am sure you understand."

"I am hardly an outsider, Your Majesty. I am practically family. I am sure the Queen Mother is in need of a comforting word. I would gladly go and sit with her if you would permit me."

"You assume that I have not been there for my own mother during her anguish?"

"I am sure you have been the most doting son." She gave him another sweet smile.

Loki laughed, "Yesterday I was a creep, a pervert, and a snake. Today I am Your Majesty and a doting son? Give me the true purpose of your visit, Finna."

She dropped her smile and glanced around the room, "Perhaps we should talk somewhere more private."

He did not take his eyes from hers as he tapped the spear on the floor and said, "Leave us."

Finna felt a current of nervous energy course through her as the guards and staff filed out of the room and the doors closed loudly behind them, echoing through the massive space.

Loki sunk back further on the oversized throne, "You now have the undivided attention of your King, Lady Finna. State your business."

Her heart was fluttering in her chest as she took small, tentative steps closer to Loki. She stood directly between his knees; her mouth was dry as she tried to speak. "I have come here today to discuss my future, My King."

"What about your future?"

"If Thor should never return, what happens to me?" she looked at him self-consciously.

Loki shrugged. "I suppose that is a puzzle for your father to solve. Why come to me?"

"Please, My King, I would ask that you would consider... I was hoping..." she slowly went to her knees in front of him, "Please, you are not yet promised to anyone. Perhaps..." she lightly placed her hands on his knees, "Perhaps you would consider making me your Queen." She ran her hands up his thighs and looked at him hungrily.

He smiled widely and shifted in his seat, the thrill of anticipation surging through him, "What would I get in return?"

"Anything you wanted." She pushed her hands under his long coat and felt for the top of his trousers, unfastening them, and freeing his massive erection. She pried her eyes away from his beautiful cock and looked to his face. She saw no resistance from him, so she slowly lowered her head and took him in her mouth. She felt his large hand fist in her hair at the base of her scalp as she slowly took him into her throat.

Time had seemed to stop progressing. Finna was getting self-conscious as the minutes passed and Loki gave no indication that he was on the verge of finishing. She used every trick she knew had worked on Thor, things that made him feral earned no reaction from Loki. Her knees were sore on the hard marble floor and her jaw was aching from being open so wide for so long. She finally pulled from his cock and looked up to him. He was watching her passively.

"Am I doing something wrong?" she croaked.

"You have stopped."

"Apologies, Your Majesty, but it seems that you are not enjoying this." She wiped her mouth with her hand.

"Oh, I am enjoying this immensely." He smiled at her, "Continue."

She shifted forward, trying to take some of the weight off her knees, and took him in her mouth again. She bobbed on his cock for several more minutes, never once hearing a moan or hiss of pleasure from him. She did not know how much longer she could keep this up. He was as hard as iron, precome dribbled from his tip, which she hastily sucked down, yet he made no sound, no press of his hips, no push on the back of her head. Admittedly, she had only ever been with Thor, but she was sure this was not supposed to be so one sided.

He was holding back on purpose, she eventually realized. He had no intention of letting her earn the satisfaction of a job well done. She pulled from him once more and sat back on her heels, tears coming to her eyes, she could not look at him this time. "You are a cruel and sadistic man." She whispered as she turned her face from him so she could wipe her tears. "You could have just told me to piss off."

"Where is the fun in that?" He laughed as he tucked himself away and straightened his clothes, "I must say, that was a valiant effort on your part. You almost broke me a quite a few times."

"Why? Why let me make a fool of myself." The tears were flowing freely now.

"Did you honestly think I did not expect you to show up and try something like this? How very presumptuous of you to assume that I would offer you a crown for Thor's sloppy seconds." He leaned forward and pulled her face close to his. Her lips were swollen, her eyes were red and brimming with tears, "I have not gotten a report of snow on Muspelheim, have you?"

"I never should have said that. I am sorry."

"I am sure you are. I bet you are wishing that you had shown me even the slightest kindness over the years." He sat back and took in the sight of her. "Do you know how envious I was of Thor for all those years? How many times I had fantasized of the image of your pretty mouth on my body? Thor had your unwavering love. Your utter devotion to him and he treated it like a yoke around his neck."

"Oh, please spare me. You were not envious of our relationship. You had plenty of volunteers to keep you occupied. My sister included."

"I do not deny that I enjoyed exploring my sexuality. And I do not deny that Anina and I shared a special bond. But we will never be more than good friends, that is not the same as having someone fall in love with you. To love and be loved in return? A rare and beautiful event indeed."

Finna scoffed.

"I was desperate for what you and Thor had, or at least what you pretended to have. I see now it was just a matter of convenience for you and a tiresome burden for Thor."

"No. I do love Thor."

"Were you thinking about Thor while my cock was in your throat?"

"I wrote to Thor every day while I was on Vanaheim. Thousands of letters. I wanted him to know that even though I was a world away, that I still loved him and longed for him. I could not wait until we were reunited. I saved myself for him. I denied myself pleasure for years being faithful to him. I come home to find him a to be a completely different person from the one I left behind. He cast me aside. He shattered my heart into a thousand pieces, and I had no choice but to grin and bear it. To turn a blind eye to his blatant behavior. To keep my legs closed and keep denying what I truly want. So do not mock me for my desperation. It is well earned."

"I suppose we all have our tipping points. Moments where we are unwilling to keep up appearances just for the sake of peace." Loki was looking down at his hands.

Finna put her hand over his. "He cast you aside as well?"

"We used to be inseparable. We used to do everything together. When he became more interested in you, I could not understand what I had done to drive him away." Loki chuckled, "Then Anina kissed me with her tongue, and it all became clear to me. It was nothing that I had done, he had just discovered a whole new world and was eager to explore it. But when we got older and the novelty of sex had worn off, things did not go back to the way they used to be. He had changed. Influenced by his new friends, his new powers." Loki gave a little shrug.

"You know, yesterday, at the cocktail party, I very nearly took you up on your offer. For a split second my mind screamed 'Yes!' before I remembered myself and made the comment about snow on Muspelheim." She patted his hand. "After my mother died, I was so distraught. I was old enough to know that my father had a mistress, and I blamed Yulla for Mother's death. I thought the Norns were punishing my father for being unfaithful. So, I swore that I would always be faithful to Thor. No matter what, lest a tragedy befall me as punishment.

"Mere minutes after I pictured your hands on my body, Frost Giants breach the palace." She shook her head. "I can only imagine my punishment for this." She waved her hand in the direction of Loki's crotch.

"Finna..." He started to console her, to tell her that nothing she had done brought about the events of yesterday, but he stopped himself. Anger and guilt writhed inside him as he thought about the plan he set in motion and the discovery he made on Jötunheim. She looked up to him expectantly. "You should leave now."

"Will you at least consider it. If the crown passes to you, you will need heirs. You will need a vessel to carry those heirs."

Loki looked away from her sharply, "You do not want to carry my heirs. No one deserves that cruel of a fate."

"My King?"

"Leave Finna." Loki stood and took hold of Gungir once again. "I have more pressing matters to think about than the fate of Thor's castoff."

"Loki?"

He tapped the butt of the spear loudly on the floor. The doors to the throne room opened and the guards returned to their posts. Finna stood and straightened her skirts.

"Very well, Your Majesty." She sneered, "Let us just forget this conversation ever happened. Please give your mother my regards." She curtsied and hastily made her way from the throne room. The brisk click of her heels on the marble floor reverberated around the empty room.

Loki sat back down, his dour mood returning. He had never felt the paternal urge to have children, but he was always told that it would be expected of him, to produce heirs so that the line of succession would continue. What if he had never discovered his true heritage? Would Odin and Frigga have allowed him to curse some poor woman with a monster in her belly? What would the abomination look like when it was born? Would its doomed mother even survive its birth?

Loki held his hand up and studied it, remembering the terror he felt as his skin turned from white to blue under the touch of a Frost Giant's hand. The thought of it made him nauseous. This skin he had seen every day for hundreds of years, and it did not even belong to him.

Another one of Odin's stolen relics. A beast costumed as a boy. A monster pretending to be a man. He fought back tears in his eyes, cursing the day he was born.