Dying Changes Everything!
Loki watches as Frigga guides Odin back to his chambers amid his hysteria… He wouldn't be surprised if the old man finally gives into Odinsleep. It's a miracle he didn't conveniently drop to sleep the moment they were back from Jotunheim.
Loki pretends to be asleep as the healers visit and check up on him. But sleep does not come to him. A thousand questions, a million possibilities… Allmother did not return, nor did any messenger. Did Odin fall into Odinsleep? How should he react? Will it seem normal if he doesn't freak out over being a Jotun? Now that his seidr is not hampered due to torture, should he use it to completely heal himself? Should he confront Thor?
As he contemplates over multiple choices he can make, he watches as the raging storm outside suddenly subsides into rain. He immediately sends his astral invisible form towards Thor, only to find him crying silently on the velvet carpet beside the bed. What is he crying about now? A quick glance around the room shows destroyed artefacts, broken furniture and bloodied Mjolnir embedded in a cracked wall. So Thor still has his powers and has not been exiled.
What is the old man upto? Why has Thor not been sent to Midgard? (Not that he minds Thor's help in case Jotuns come for a war!) What if he doesn't change? Will he revert back to his idiot self the moment he realises his actions only costed Jotun lives… He doesn't know that his brother is also a Jotun… If he fakes his death now, Thor will take the guilt to his death… but it can have two repercussions.. One is that he changes for good, other would be he becomes a drunk fatty ball of disgust with no care for responsibility of throne! Seriously! The idiot gave away the ruling part to a drunk out of touch Valkyrie? Although she managed well, this Thor might give the ruling to some less compatible person.. Perhaps someone from The Idiots Four.. Oh of course, there's the power hungry, disrespectful with zero skills of diplomacy Sif!!!
Nope! Faking death cannot be an option. Dealing with an idiot guilt-free Thor on throne is better than leaving the Asgard in the hands of mindless poisonous warriors. Hmm… maybe something needs to be done about these Idiots Four… Heimdall has also been a traitor, but his loyalty towards Thor isn't poisonous and the guy can be particularly helpful if shown the correct things and is easy to manipulate. The idiot never told AllFather about the stupid tricks he and Thor played on Midgardians. The D.B. Cooper was exceptionally hilarious! So Heimdall needs to be saved from the fire… The rest four can go.
*Knock knock*
Loki quickly brings back his astral form to the healing quarters. Frigga, along with various ministers, members of the court and guards enters his healing room. Loki quickly hides any signs of seidr use and makes a poker face, as if lost in deep thought to bother with the uninvited guests.
As soon as everyone has entered the not so small healing room, Frigga addresses Loki, “Prince Loki Odinson, your father, King Odin Borson has fallen into Odinsleep. We were unprepared, the sleep may last longer than usual. With Thor relieved of his title and powers of Prince, the line of succession falls onto you.”
So Odin did punish Thor, but did not go as far as to throw him on Midgard powerless!
The Royal Advisor Mimirson brought Odin's spear Gungnir towards Loki's bed and said “We understand that you are not in the best of your health, perhaps unable to leave the bed but the throne cannot stay empty. With Allmother's attention diverted completely towards healing Allfather, the kingship duties fall on you. Please accept the responsibility and ascend the throne.”
Loki looks at Frigga in confusion. Clearly they don't expect him to get up from the bed and sit on the throne, especially after what had happened when he had tried getting up for an argument and ended up breaking the sutures and bleeding all over the dressings. Frigga nods and gestures to simply take the spear while lying down.
Loki lifts Gungnir from Mimirson’s hand with his right hand while slowly putting his injured left hand over his sutured chest above his heart. Then used whatever force he could gather in his right hand and thudded it on the floor beside his bed. Immediately everyone kneeled on their one knee with their right hand fisted on their hearts, paying respect and accepting him as the Regent King. As he acknowledges them, they rise. (This has to be the most weird coronation he has witnessed in the entire multiverse!)
The Royal Advisor gestures to seek his permission to speak which Loki permits. “Your Majesty, if it suits you, the court can be closed until you regain your health and other matters may be brought to you here.”
Nope. He's had an eternity of being on a lonely throne… he's not going to manage Asgard by sitting sequestered in a healing room. He's got no choice anymore but to reveal at least some extent of his true seidr powers. If they wish to judge him, they can. It doesn't matter anymore. Also, being a Regent King nobody can dare say their stupid thinking aloud. Perhaps the honour of the Asgardians in respecting the royalty will overcome their will to speak ill of seidr users.
Loki gives his characteristic mischievous smile which perhaps none had seen before (guessing by their sudden awed look) as Loki's eyes turn further light and bright green as they do when he uses his powerful seidr. Immediately, the wounds begin healing, the sutures break for the flesh to heal completely and become unscathed as before the trauma. Even Frigga cannot hide her awe as she watches her baby, whom she'd taught seidr and who had very early surpassed her skills, utilises one of the oldest and difficult seidr skills to heal.
“The throne of Asgard cannot be empty indeed. A hurt Regent King would be as close to an empty throne. I'm not sure if you know Mimirson, but we are at a war with the Jotuns. They declared a war and have already striked, and must I add Thor and his friends haven't made the chances for peace any better by going on a killing spree. If I’m indeed the only choice left, then I must set a strong upfront from the throne.” Loki's eyes didn't go back to their original state, face full of determination and aura as that of an age-old king. The warriors that used to mock him stood in silence as they felt a powerful aura. Who would have thought the younger prince, who was struggling with battle until yesterday, could stand so tall?
Loki maintained his composure and looked towards Frigga and was greeted with a prideful smile. She understood he isn't going to hide himself behind the shadows of Odin and Thor. Nope. No more hiding of his seidr skills this time. The warriors should know that they are no match for him. He is after all, the God of Chaos, Mischief, Lies, Stories and Multiverse. All those titles cannot go to waste. He had died protecting his brother in the most warrior manner and achieved little and false respect in the other life. Watching himself dying a warrior's death has changed his entire perspective.
Asgardians are fickle minded, where they respect Thor and Odin even though they both use seidr infused weapons, they disrespect him when his seidr is way more useful than theirs. They disrespect seidrmadrs but come running to healers for quick recovery with seidr for healing the stupid battle wounds. In all of these years, he has observed one pattern though, they respect power. He never showed his seidr with as much pomp as Thor does, always liking the peace. Perhaps that's where he went wrong.
Well, here he is, once again at the throne. No more is he an unsure, insecure youngling with no idea of what the repercussions of his slightest actions could be. The throne doesn't seem like a burden anymore but an old respectable friend.
To his surprise, the Royal Advisor bowed deep in respect and he once again seeked permission to speak which he was granted.
“Then must I suggest, your Majesty, that we take this official ceremony and your first commands as a Regent King to the Hlidskjalf (throne)?”
Loki nodded in agreement and the entire party shifted in a structured pattern towards the exit of the healer wards. Most of the ministers were glad that Loki had healed to his true health and that Asgard may not be in as terrible a state as they'd thought earlier. Never has Asgard been so desperate so as to place an injured on the throne. Loki continued this tradition and stopped it from breaking. This will also send a message for the Jotunheim that even a fatal blow was easily dealt with by Asgardian healers, for they may not know the Prince's strength in seidr.