Chapter 12
There was a loud creak as the large golden door opened and Frigga walked inside. She turned to graciously wave away the guard who had opened it for her and approached them.
“My apologies, that planning session went far longer than intended,” she announced with hands outstretched.
“No matter, mother, you are the Queen, your time is precious,” Loki said with gallant patience.
“As are you, my son,” she smiled warmly, “I swear, I have never seen you so supportive of your brother.”
“Beg pardon, mother?” He asked in confusion.
“Oh, did I not mention? The meeting was in preparation for your brother’s coronation tomorrow, we had a few last minute details to address.” Frigga explained simply.
She beamed proudly at Loki then looked to Sylvie and indicated toward him with her eyes, “you should have seen him, Loki has been a pillar of brotherly kinship of late.”
Loki scoffed distractedly.
“Though I think he’s feeling a bit overshadowed,” she whispered to Sylvie conspiratorially.
Sylvie gave a small smile which didn’t reach her eyes as she sensed the tension in her counterpart.
If Frigga noticed it she was making a point to not engage in any knowledge of the future.
“Alright, I need to change for supper, I hope you will stay with us tonight, I can have a room prepared?”
Loki seemed unable to hear her as he was lost in thought so Sylvie cleared her throat to answer, “that is most generous of you my lady, we would be honored… though will no one suspect at seeing a second Loki walking around?”
“Oh not to worry, Loki has been casting duplicates of himself in the name of mischief so long my staff have become quite accustomed to seeing him in two places at once,” she said good naturedly.
“I will meet with you again after supper to bid you goodnight, should you need anything do not hesitate to ask one of my staff,” she smiled at Sylvie and looked pointedly at Loki as if to ask that she look after him. Sylvie smiled and gave a small nod of understanding.
The Queen departed and Sylvie turned to Loki as his eyes flickered with conflict.
Sylvie watched the inner turmoil play out on his face and approached slowly.
“Loki… what is it?”
“Thor’s coronation… that was when it all began,” he murmured.
“What began?” She looked worried as he became more agitated.
“My downfall, my… betrayal… of Thor, and of Odin…” he looked at her ruefully then.
“Tomorrow is the day I discover the truth of my birth…” he held up his hand allowing the Jotun blue to creep down his arm slowly before her, “and I will not handle it well.”
He sighed wearily, as the blue disappeared and he allowed his arm to drop to his side.
“That hurt, that feeling of betrayal… it will lead me down a dark path, the path to make a deal—with the devil…”
“The Mad Titan…” she whispered as her eyes widened.
“When Thor took me into custody, I confess, for a brief moment I was relieved… for had I succeeded, he would have had two infinity stones… and he would have done terrible things… committed genocide on a galactic scale.”
He shook his head, “but I would have had my throne, my kingdom to rule,” he mused in bitter disbelief with a humorless laugh.
“You can’t interfere,” she said softly.
“Why not? The timeline is shattered—you wanted free will—why shouldn’t I?” His voice was raw with emotion.
“Because this timeline doesn’t belong to you—”
“—Am I not doing him a disservice? By not interceding?”
“He isn’t you, Loki… we’re variants…you don’t owe him anything….”
“He’s who I used to be—that was me.” He said solemnly, “and I did things I wish I had not done…”
“But that is part of what made you who you are now…” she said with conviction, “you wouldn’t be the man you are today, without learning from the mistakes of your past… He will too…”
“He’ll die,” Loki said with a sharpness to his words.
“That may be, or he may do something different,” Sylvie’s voice was firm, “He could become a variant. We all have that choice now, and it isn’t up to either of us to change another Loki’s path,” she said with compassion.
Loki considered her words and knew she was right, “he isn’t me…” he raised his brows and took a deep breath through his nose as he processed the truth.
“I just wish…” he exhaled, “Mobius told me once, that I could be anyone I wanted to be, even someone good—and it wasn’t anything life shattering, but I suppose it was what I needed to hear at that moment.”
Loki looked distant then, remembering his friend, “It was the little push that gave me permission to decide the kind of person I wanted to be—not who I was ‘supposed’ to be…”
Sylvie looked at him with understanding and reached up to touch his cheek. She studied his face and smiled gently when his eyes met hers.
“Your past made you who you are, but it doesn’t define you, Loki…” she said softly. “We’ve both done things we aren’t proud of, but we both survived. You don’t need to rewrite your past… and you can’t write his future,” she smiled with a touch of sadness.
Loki sighed with compassion, “where would I be if I had never met you…” he murmured softly.
Sylvie pretended to weigh the possibilities, “either pruned or another mindless lackey for the TVA…” she teased making him chuckle fondly.
He smiled fondly, “Then I shall count myself very lucky indeed,” and leaned down to give her soft, gentle kiss of gratitude.