True people
Chapter 11:
For the next few weeks, Loki watched from the sidelines as Hela raged war against Odin.
She and her forces had quickly destroyed the Asgardian colony of Alfheim. However, after this, it was a struggle for them to find more allies.
Svartalfheim was too weak to be of any help, there numbers too small and disorganised. Even if they could have been of some use, Loki would never have allied with them. Not after the death of his mother.
The same was true of muspelheim. The fire-giants of this realm had been hunted to near extinction by Odin and the Asgardians. And in any case, they were the natural enemies of the frost-giants. There would have been riots in Jotunheim if Hela even suggested allying with them.
The trolls of Niflheim chose to remain neutral. Not because of any hesitation about rebelling against Asgard, but due to a reluctance to trust Hela. Apparently, Odin had created her prison directly underneath this misty realm. For over a millennia, the people of Niflheim had told stories of the demon woman who ruled the realm beneath their own. They had even called it Helheim, after the woman who haunted their tales. Hela had been clearly offended, but Loki was somehow able to calm her down and persuade her not to kill them all.
This only left nidavellir. While Loki was hesitant to trust the dwarfs, he knew that they, too, had suffered from the suppression of Asgard. However, he was not sure if their discontent with the golden realm would win out over their greed for gold. Thankfully, he was able to advise Hela how to negotiate with the dwarfs in a non-violent manner.
Unfortunately, the lack of allies did not stop Asgard from retaliating. Soon, Odin was sending troops to attack strongholds on Alfheim and Vanaheim. Hela was quick to defend her allies, and won many battles. However, she also lost many.
Both she and Odin were formidable tacticians, and they knew each other's tricks. So each battle was very close.
As for Loki, he mostly stuck to an advisory role. Hela had suggested he spy on Odin, through Thor, however, this would not have worked, even if Loki wanted to. Not only did Odin not trust him, but he also seemed to be keeping Thor out of the loop. He obviously knew how bad Thor was at keeping secrets, so the old King never told his own heir any of their battle plans.
Thor seemed slightly upset, but he accepted the situation. He contented himself with assisting in defending Midgard.
Not that it needed any defending at the moment. Hela had no designs on the realm, and Odin did not bother to occupy any of the world. It would seem that no one saw Midgard as important, or powerful enough, to be of any use.
Loki spent many of his visits to Jotunheim learning more about the frost-giants, and what exactly they thought of him.
He learnt that Laufey was not the only one to enjoy ice sculptures. There were entire galleries full of statues depicting various images, from the clearly themed to the obscure. They were all very beautiful, and not what Loki expected from the race that the Asgardians called monsters.
As well as artwork, Loki learnt that the frost-giants enjoyed hunting, music, wrestling, story telling, and, much to his astonishment, magic. And, more importantly, magic which was preformed by both women and men.
Magic in Asgard was seen as the cowards way, and the work of women. However, in Jotunheim, magic was celebrated. They saw it as more than just a weapon. They saw it as a way of life, as a gift, as a truly great skill. Much as Loki saw magic.
Whenever a child was found to have the potential for magic, the entire village would hold a grand celebration. They would dance, feast, and play games, all in the honor of this new young sorcerer.
Loki had both been amazed, and a little sorrowful at this discovery. He wondered how his life could have been, if he had been raised in Jotunheim. A realm where his use of magic would be celebrated, and not scoffed at. A realm where he could truly be himself, and not be forced to be what others wanted him to be.
He also wondered what exactly the people of Jotunheim thought of him.
He would wonder some of the villages in disguise and start up conversations about Hela and himself. It would appear that the general consensus was that Hela was nothing more than a tyrant and usurper, much like her father, and that they only followed her because she promised them vengeance and freedom from the oppressive Asgardians and their cruel, one-eyed leader. Loki decided not to mention this to Hela, as he feared she would cull her own allies.
On the other hand, the people's view of Loki himself was more positive. While some still saw him as the one who had killed their last rightful king, the vast majority saw him as their lost prince, once believed to have been dead, but had been instead stolen by the one-eyed tyrant and raised to be a weapon against his own people. Many also said that Loki was a symbol of what they wanted for the entire realm. Loki had once been a puppet, manipulated into doing Asgard's bidding and suppressed for his entire life. But now, he had broken from his chains and had returned to his people. The vast majority of the people he spoke with talked in great detail of how they wished he would just take his rightful throne back from the demon woman Hela Odindottir.
However, there were still a few who wondered if he would even make a good king. Loki could not help but agree.
He knew little of the realms culture and customs. He still knew so little about his own people. That, and he did not feel confident in his abilities. What if he failed? What if he was not a good king? What if he was not the king the people of Jotunheim needed, or the king they deserved.
He had once appeared as himself in one of the villages, just to see what would happen. The results were a surprise, to say the least.
As soon as they saw him, the entire village went silent. Then, something that Loki could only call pandemonium erupted.
They all began cheering, gathering around him, shaking his hand, even giving him small trinkets. It was honestly astounding.
They had led him to the village square, where they soon began to play music, food and drink were quickly prepared and served, and everyone began dancing and gathering around him, telling him of how happy they were to finally see "The Lost Prince", and how honor they were for his presence. Some Jotun children even walked up to him and presented him with a childish imitation of a crown, made from little icicles. Loki had accepted it numbly.
He was honestly not expecting this sort of reaction. They were treating him as if he were some returning hero. Or, as if he were Thor.
Many times he had seen the people of Asgard celebrate Thor's presence, even when his ventures were less than successful. Thor had been praised, honored, celebrated, and now Loki was being treated the exact same way, and he wasn't entirely sure if he liked it or not.
The celebrations only became more wild when he showed them some of his magical talent. A few simple illusions to entertain the Jotun children, and suddenly everyone was cheering even louder for him, and requesting he show them more. Next Loki knew, he was on a high platform quickly made from one of the market stalls, and showing all his best tricks to the entire villages.
Loki was not sure how to feel. On the one hand, it actually felt good to finally be apreciated for his talents. On the other hand, it still made him feel strange, and slightly uncomfortable.
In any case it still felt good to interact with the people of Jotunheim. He decided that he would pay some more visits to other villages and cities.
Loki was sitting in a coffee shop, not too far from the tower. Over the past few weeks, various members of the avengers had taken him out on little trips. The idea was that, if the general public saw that Loki was behaving himself, and that he meant no one any harm, that Midgardian opinions of him would be changed. Loki went along with this, just to make his friends happy.
While at first, his mere presence caused either complete and utter silence or a mass panic, the general public seemed to be getting used to him.
It helped that some of the avengers, such as Steve and Bruce, encouraged him to do some community service. While it was slightly embarrassing for him to pick up the Midgardians' waste, it still felt good to please the people he considered friends. That, and it encouraged him to begin cleaning up some of the beaches, as he knew Jörmangandr would appreciate this.
Now, he was sipping at a warm cup of tea, Natasha sitting on the seat opposite him.
"Loki?"
Loki was startled out of his thoughts, and he flicked his eyes back to the assassin opposite him.
"Yes?"
"Are you okay?" Natasha asked calmly.
Loki only nodded.
"Why?"
Natasha shrugged.
"You have been staring out of that window for five minutes."
Loki did not react. It was not his fault that the coffee shop was just across the street from a park, and it was not his fault a couple of Midgardian children had caught his eye.
"I am fine." He replied calmly.
His gaze flicked back to the window, where he could still see the Midgardian children playing.
Ever since Freya had told him of Odin's true reason for banishing Sigyn, his mind had frequently flicked back to the thought that he could very well have a child out there. A child he was determined to find.
He knew that, by now, the child would be in their adolescence. It caused a twinge in his heart, to think that he had missed so much of his child's life. But he knew that Sigyn would take care of them. She had always been so kind and nurturing. He could only hope that they would both forgive him for his absence. But even if they didn't, Loki would be fine, as long as they were both alive and well. He hoped they were both still alive. He did not know what he would do if either one of them were dead.
He had never thought seriously about the possibility of children. All of the women of Asgard usually flirted with Thor, and paid him no mind. He never thought anyone would love him enough after Sigyn. However, he had vowed that, if he did manage to have children, he would do whatever it took to ensure they lived a life of joy and safety. Loki could not help but feel he had failed his potential offspring enough. But if they were dead, or if they had been left without a mother...
"Loki?"
"Hmm?" He flicked his eyes back to Natasha.
"You were zoning out again." She said simply.
"Oh,“ He said. "My apologies."
Natasha merely shrugged and sipped at her coffee.
"Is there anything on your mind you want to talk about?" She asked.
Loki shook his head.
"No, it is..."
Loki shook his head again. His gaze flicked back to the park.
Natasha followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.
"Is it about the park across the street?"
Loki sighed.
"It is just..."
He sucked in a breath.
"Seeing those children playing, when I know that at this very moment there is a war raging which will decide the fate of the Nine Realms..."
He sighed again.
"I suppose it feels strange, seeing such innocence."
Natasha nodded in understanding.
"That's why we fight wars, to keep them innocent for as long as we can."
Loki nodded.
"Have you ever thought about... What life would be like if you could..."
He then flicked his eyes back to his companion in a slight panic.
"Forgive me, I do not mean to make you feel uncomfortable, or to upset you, or..."
Natasha merely waved him off.
"It's fine." She said. "I got over what they did to me a long time ago."
She sighed.
"I don't think I would make a very good parent anyway. Not with my line of work."
She shook her head.
"Still, I would have liked to have that choice, if I had kids or not."
Loki nodded.
"I am sorry, for what they did to you."
Natasha waved him off again.
"It's fine. As I said, I'm over it."
Loki frowned slightly. He wondered whether or not he should tell Natasha the true reason for his absent mind. He had not told anyone, not even Thor, of what Freya had told him. He did not feel ready to share such a discovery with anyone.
However, Natasha had shared much of her own thoughts and feelings with him. He knew that she was not a generally open person, so it amazed him to no end that she trusted him so much.
However, he could not muster the strength to share this one secret with anyone. Not yet, at least. Not until he got more information.
Loki was many things. A sorcerer, a prince, a trickster. But one thing he was not, was a babysitter.
He stared at Hela in complete surprise.
"You wish for me to do what exactly?" He asked.
"I want you to watch Vidar for me." Hela replied calmly. "And of course Jotunheim, but Vidar is my main concern."
Loki sighed.
"You are aware that I have absolutely no experience with infants, correct?"
Hela merely shrugged.
"Nor did I until a month ago." She replied. "Do not worry, I should only be a few hours. It is just that Odin is laying siege to one of Freya's strongholds, and she has requested my assistance."
Loki let out a long sighed.
"You are fortunate Thor and the Avengers are preoccupied."
It was true. Thor had been called back to Asgard by Odin, and had left early that morning. Steve and Natasha were off on a very important and secretive mission. Clint was called on another different mission. Tony and Bruce were both in the labs, and did not appear to be leaving any time soon. Loki had simply used the excuse that he was going to clean up another beach for Jörmangandr. The two scientists had accept it and let him go.
Hela smiled.
"So, will you do this?"
"Fine." Loki replied.
She handed the babe to him.
"Good, I have organised for some goats milk to be put in some bottles. All you have to do is heat them to a suitable temperature. Not too hot, I do not wish for his throat to be burnt. And as you know, I have placed a cot in every room that you may use. The cots also contain supplise for when Vidar needs to be changed."
Loki only nodded at all these instructions. He had quickly learnt that, despite Hela's puthless nature, she was also what the Midgardians called a "Hover Parent".
Hela let out a breath. She then stroked Vidar's little head.
"Now, you be good for your brother, alright?"
Vidar only gurgled in response. Hela smiled and looked up at Loki.
"I will not be long." She said, before leaving the room.
As Loki watched Hela and the forces she was taking leave through the portal, he looked down at the babe in his arms.
"Well, it looks like it is you and me, little brother."
Vidar made some cooing sounds, before promptly spitting up all over Loki's clothes. The man sighed.
"The joys of being an older brother." He muttered.
The next few hours were a great exercise in patience for Loki. Not only did he have to deal with an endless amount of paperwork, concerning the wellbeing of Jotunheim, which Hela had been neglecting, but he also had to tend to Vidar constantly. If it wasn't a feeding, it was that he had to be changed. If he did not have to be changed, then it was that he was simply restless. Loki could not get too invested in anything, because he would be disturbed every five minutes by the needs of the babe currently in his care. And he could not even ask for assistence.
Hela had strictly forbidden him from handing the babe off to any servants, and the servants themselves were terrified of defying the Queen Regent's orders.
Not that she had been acting as much of a queen. In Hela's desire for revenge against Odin, she had completely forgotten about taking care of Jotunheim itself. There were mountains of reports concerning recent criminal activity, tax incomes, the results of that year's harvest and hunting, a census on the current population, which may not even be up to date considering the amount of battles that the army had been fighting lately... It was never ending.
He was currently sitting at the desk in the office which he assumed Hela rarely, if ever, bothered to enter, considering the mountain of paperwork and the lack of a cot in the corner. Fortunately, despite its disuse, someone obviously had the foresight to exchange the large Jotun sized desk which had been used by Laufey, with one which could be used by someone of an Asgardian size.
Loki sighed and rubbed his temples as he finished looking over another report. He looked to the corner of the room, where he had moved a cot for Vidar to rest in while he dealt with the neglected paperwork.
"Honestly." He said out loud. "What does Hela do all day? Surely it can't take that long to organise battle plans?"
Vidar only gurgled in his corner.
Loki sighed. He got to his feet and stretched his back. Walking over to the corner, he picked up the babe and walked back to the desk.
"This is the true responsibility of ruling." He said, gesturing to the paperwork with his free arm.
Vidar's blue eyes stared up at him. Loki sighed again.
"I suppose you will have to deal with this one day." He mused. "After all, as far as I know, Hela has no other children besides the two of us. I am the only heir of Jotunheim, so that only leaves you to inherit the throne of Asgard after Hela."
Vidar cued.
"Yes, there may be a chance Hela will have more biological children." Loki mused. "But it is highly doubtful. She does not seem like the romantic type, nor does she seem like the kind of person to share power in any way, so I highly doubt she will seek a consort."
He began to stroke the small tuft of dark hair on the babe's head.
"Yes, there is Thor. But I highly doubt Hela will let him keep his place in the line of succession."
Vidar gurgled.
"Thor? Oh, he is the son of Odin... Your uncle, I guess. Technically speaking, he is mine too, but I think of him as more of a brother, considering that Odin adopted me just after the last war."
He smiled wistfully.
"Thor may be an idiot at times, and yes, still a bit arrogant and reckless... But he still has his heart in the right place."
He sighed.
"I spent my entire life being mocked for who I was, and Thor was the only one besides our mother who stood up for me."
He stared into the distance unfocused.
"I wish I did not have to betray him like this but..."
He shook his head.
"There are factors which complicate matters. So many things that Thor does not even know about... Things I am afraid to tell him. I do not know why, it is just..."
He shook his head again. He looked down at Vidar, attempting to distract his mind.
"You and I are not too different." He mused. "Both, taken from our rightful families shortly after birth. Both being put in a realm not our own... Both being adopted by our family's enemy."
He sighed.
"I can only hope that you do not suffer the same discrimination I did." He said. "But I do not have high hopes. Hela may not admit it, but she is more like Odin than either Thor or myself."
He looked down at Vidar. The babe had dark hair, much like himself and Hela. Strange, for an asgardian. Though, he had been born in the colony of Vanaheim, so there was no telling what was in his genetics.
"Can Hela not see that she is merely repeating history by adopting you?" Loki muttered. He looked directly into the babe's eyes. "Well, if history must repeat itself, then I shall now take the role of Thor." He said. "Do not worry Vidar, just as my older brother protected me, I shall do my best to protect you."
He did not know why he said this. Perhaps it was because Vidar did truly remind Loki of himself. Perhaps the thought of an innocent child, alone in the universe, around those who may be hostile towards them, made him think of his own child, the child he had never met. The child who had been exiled since before they were born for merely existing.
Either way, Loki would stand by his words. He would protect Vidar, just as Thor had protected him.
He was broken from his thoughts by a loud pounding on the door.
"Yes, what is it?" Loki said.
The door was then flung open and a frantic looking Jotun rushed into the room.
"Your Highness,“ He panted. "Asgardians... Attacking the city..."
Loki was instantly on his feet.
"How far in are they?“ He demanded, quickly walking around the desk.
"Only on the outskirts." The Jotun replied.
"What are there numbers?“ Loki asked as he left the room, the Jotun hot on his heals.
"Approximately one hundred, possibly two hundred."
Loki nodded.
"Anything else?"
"They appear to be led by Thor Odinson."
Loki swore. This was exactly what he did not want, to face Thor on the battlefield. But it would appear he had no choice. Hela had taken most of their strongest warriors and sorcerers. They would need all the capable fighters as they could get.
"Muster whatever forces we have left." He said. "Raise the defenses. Evacuate all civilians into the fortress. And find someone to take care of him." He finished, thrusting Vidar into the Jotun's surprised arms. "I hope you are aware of what will happen if any harm were to come to this child."
The Jotun nodded.
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
The Jotun rushed off to fulfill his orders. Loki let out a breath.
"Here we go." He muttered.
Once all of their forces were mustered, Loki quickly used his shapeshifting abilities to make himself look like a full-sized Jotun. He doubted there were many half-sized Jotuns like himself, so it would be a little hard to keep the fact that he was allied with Hela a secret. Fortunately, while the Asgardians would not recognise him, the Jotuns still would, due to his markings. Which meant they would know he was leading their defense.
He ran to the front lines to lead the defense. The logical part of his mind thought it would be good for moral, and for his reputation, to be seen leading the defense against the asgardians. However, another part of him felt that it was only right, that it was his duty to these people who had such faith in him.
There were no exchange of words, no fancy speeches, as there were in the tales of old. Loki only yelled commands to the troops, changing his voice slightly so he was not recognised by the Asgardians. Then, the two sides clashed. Loki fought fiercely against the people he had once thought of as his. Well, in the loosest of terms. They at least never gave him any respect. Though, that was not what urged him to fight.
No, what urged him to fight was the thought that these were his people now. The people of Jotunheim, who celebrated him, who honor him, who praised him for who he was. In the last few weeks, these people felt more like his people than the asgardians ever did.
He purposefully avoided facing Thor, because he felt he could not fight his brother, so soon after they had just repared their relationship.
He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice they were losing ground, until he got struck by a lightning bolt.
Great,
He thought.
Thor has been getting better at his control.
While Loki still did occasionally assist Thor in his training, his brother sometimes snuck away to practice by himself. Loki allowed him to have his privacy.
He turned his mind back to the pressent and looked around. The Jotun were falling back. Many seemed to have been struck by Thor. Moral seemed to be failing.
It took Loki a moment to realise it was because of Thor's lightning that they were losing moral.
Of course. These people had been raised with the stories of the tearable Asgardians, who suppressed everyone they concurred. Of Odin, their tyrant king, and of Thor, the thunderer who killed their kind for sport.
Loki had heard these tales and more from the many times he had wondered, both as himself and in disguise, among the people of Jotunheim. They were terrified of Thor, and it was up to Loki to help them.
"Jotun!" He shouted, catching his people's attention.
Loki sucked in a breath.
"Look around you! Look at this. Odin and the people of Asgard are attempting to chain us once more. They have dominated us for long enough. Even now, Odin sends his son, the thunderer, to frighten us into submission as he has done before!"
There were yells from the Jotun.
"Do not let them scare you. We are stronger. They may burn through the Nine Realms like a fire of destruction, but we are as strong, and as unyielding as ice. They tell their children we are the monsters, but we all know who the true monsters are!"
The shouting became louder.
"Do not falter. Do not let them frighten you. We are stronger. And we will fight, bleed, and die until our people are free!"
It worked. His people now stood straighter, stronger. They lifted their weapons high, magical energy crackled in the air. They began to push back more fiercely than ever.
And the Asgardians began to fall back. Loki did not know if it only took a few minutes, or a few hours, but soon the attacking asgardians were retreating. Soon, they could see the swirling colours of the Bifrost, and they were gone.
Exhaustion then overcame Loki. He looked around. Many Jotun bodies lay on the ground, either dead or dying. However, there were an equal number of asgardians. He looked around at the remaining Jotun. They seemed as exhausted as him, however, they soon began smiling widely. They were clearly overjoyed from their victory.
And then the chanting began.
"Loki, Loki Loki..."
Loki was surprised. They were chanting his name? He had never thought that any army would chanting for him. However, these people were.
His astonishment was only increased when he was suddenly lifted from his feet and held high above the Jotun heads on a shield, much as a war hero would be. His ears echoed with the continued chanting.
"Loki! Loki! Loki!"
This felt so strange to him. However, Loki could not help his heart from swelling with joy.
He had led these people, his people, to victory. He now truly felt that this was where he belonged. That this, was his home.
The next few hours consisted of finding the dead and beginning arrangements for a mass burial, sending condolences to the deceased's families, healing the wounded, and making arrangements to repair any property damage. He had also insisted that the dead asgardians be sent through a portal back to Asgard. Many protested this, arguing that they would not give them the same courtesy. However, Loki retorted that this was exactly why they should do it, to prove that they were better than the asgardians.
He took some time to personally talk to those who had thought in the battle, to thank them for being so quick in their defense. They in tern thanked him for his bravery and leadership. Loki was still not entirely sure he deserved this.
It was nightfall by the time Loki was able to rest. He sat in an armchair in one of the smaller drawing-rooms, a goblet of wine in his hand.
"Prince Loki."
Loki let out a sigh as he looked up to see Skjold enter the room.
"Yes, what else is there." He said tiredly.
"Nothing that requires your immediate attention." The Jotun replied. "I merely wished to congratulate you on our victory."
"Thank you." Loki replied. "Though, I did not do much."
Skjold scoffed as he sat in another armchair.
"Did not do much." He said. "Yes, you only led us in a great victory against the asgardians, and raised our moral when we felt victory was nowhere in sight."
Loki did not reply. Skjold lent forward and his face softened.
"He would have been proud of you."
Again, Loki did not reply. He knew of who Skjold was referring to.
Over the past few weeks, they had spoken frequently of Loki's biological father. He had learnt much of Laufey from Skjold. His love of art and music, how he cared for his people. Every new fact he learnt about his father, the more he felt guilty for killing him. Laufey was truly a good king, and a good man. Far better than Odin had or would ever be.
"You know," Skjold continued. "I think that you have proven yourself today, even to those nay sayers."
Loki raised an eyebrow.
"Proven what?"
"That you have the makings of a true king." Skjold replied with conviction.
Loki sighed. Skjold had more than once tried to persuade him to take his rightful throne. However, Loki had never felt quite ready, or quite deserving.
"Skjold, I have already told you..." He began.
Skjold lifted a hand.
"I know, I know. But I feel there will be even more people demanding you take your throne now."
Skjold's expression softened.
"I know how you feel, concerning your hand in Laufey's death..."
Loki shook his head.
"I know what you are going to say. I was only a victim, manipulated by Odin to hate my true heritage..."
He shook his head again.
"But it is more than that." He continued. "I was still the one who killed him. I killed him of my own volition. I was the one to strike the killing blow and..."
"Do you feel guilty for it?" Skjold asked.
"Of course I do... Now at least." Loki replied.
"Well, that is all that matters." He said reasonably. "From what I have heard, you suffered enough for your crime, and you feel remorse for your actions."
He frowned.
"And better you than that Demon woman." He spat in distaste.
Loki nodded.
"I understand. After today, I feel as if I could potentially..."
Skjold began to smile.
"However," Loki continued. "We need to think about this from a logical standpoint. How exactly am I meant to keep my alliance with Hela a secret, while properly ruling Jotunheim?"
He sighed.
"I have already seen the results of Hela neglecting the management of Jotunheim itself in favour of plotting her revenge. I do not know how I can take care of what needs to be done while maintaining this secret."
"I can help you." Skjold replied. "I have experience with assisting Laufey in such matters. And I am sure there are others who would be willing to help you, until this conflict with Asgard is finished."
Loki smiled appreciatively.
"Thank you." He said.
There was a moment of silence.
"There is, another thing." Loki began. "A few years ago, when Thor, his companions and I ventured here to confront Laufey concerning the Jotun who broke into Asgard."
Skjold nodded.
"I remember. Thankfully, the casualties were minimal."
"Still," Loki continued. "I contributed to these casualties."
He sucked in a breath.
"I wish for you to find out who exactly these casualties were, and any family they left."
"Why?" Skjold asked.
Loki clenched his fists.
"I wish to formally apologise, for both my actions, and the actions of Thor and his friends."
Skjold nodded.
"That is surprisingly noble of you."
Loki chuckled.
"Don't say that too loudly. I still have a reputation to uphold as the God of Mischief."
Skjold put a massive hand on his shoulder.
"You may be the God of Mischief," He began. "But today, you have proven yourself to be more. You have proven yourself to be a true son of Jotunheim, and a true king."
Loki nodded.
"Thank you." He said. "And today, the people of Jotunheim have shown me that... That they are my true people."
Loki sucked in a breath. He thought he had finally come to a decision. It may be a foolish one, but it felt so right to him.
He looked directly into Skjold's red eyes.
"I believe I am ready to claim my birthright as king of Jotunheim."