▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅
❛ ᴇᴛᴏɪʟᴇ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐎𝐍𝐄 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ
 ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀʟʟ ꒱


❝ WHAT COUNCIL DO
YOU HAVE FOR ME, SISTER? ❞

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

A S G A R D

The day Thor's coronation was announced, everything changed. Had Eleanora known what events it would unleash in the following years she would have questioned whether she was strong enough to face her fate. As it was, she remained blissfully ignorant to most of what the future had in store for her. Her main priority right now was soothing her husband's ire as he ranted about his father's decision.

After hearing Odin's announcement, Loki had stormed about the palace for the better part of the day, sending servants scurrying out of his way in fear. He certainly looked frightful, with his eyes a hard, flinty blue and a menacing smile curled on his lips. He barked out orders to anyone who dared cross his path. Several training targets had been destroyed as they bore the brunt of his rage before he'd gone to his mother for a sympathetic ear.

"He's hardly older than I!" he snarled, eyes glinting in a way that would have made anyone else cower before him. "How could father think that he is suited to be king? I question his judgement if he truly believes that Thor is ready for such a responsibility."

Frigga, as always, was a calming presence in the face of his fury. "I know you are frustrated, my son, but let us not forget that Thor is your brother. Your father's decision may not be what you desire, but it is made with the best intentions for the realm."

Loki scoffed; his frustration evident in every line of his body. "Intentions, yes, but what of competence? Thor is brash and reckless. He lacks the wisdom and foresight needed to rule Asgard."

The queen placed a gentle hand on Loki's shoulder, her touch a soothing balm to his turbulent emotions. "He is young, yes, but that is why your father has decided to coronate him now, while he is still alive. As much as it seems otherwise, Odin will not be around forever and he wishes to offer his council to Thor before he departs this realm. Perhaps that is what you might do as well; support your brother, guide him. Together, you can complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. An advisor can have as much power as the king themselves can; being king is not all fun and games as it may appear sometimes."

As she was wont to do, the answer his mother provided was sound and logical. The thought of his father's demise— even with how angry he was at his decision right now— left a sour taste in his mouth. He could not imagine what Asgard would be like without Odin as its pillar of strength. Even if he did not respect the Allfather most of the time, he knew how important Odin's presence was in the realm and appreciated the power his father wielded.

Loki couldn't help but wish he'd thrown a bit more of a fit before he'd gone to Frigga for advice, but he had passed the eye of the storm and was now coming out on the other side. He thought he might just let himself have a little extra oomph as he sought comfort from his wife, who would surely understand the reason for his wrath. So, he found Eleanora in the garden with a sketchpad on her lap while she drew the scene before her with a practiced hand.

She paused as she watched her husband approach and saw the ghost of irritation on his face, though it was well hidden from the casual observer. She set her pencil and paper down on the bench next to her and stood, frowning in concern. "What's wrong, my love?"

"We will have a new king by month's end. May we all prepare to be damned to the whims of a thundering fool," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Her expression immediately softened, but he hardly had a chance to take in the change as she flung her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. "Oh, Loki. I'm so sorry."

The god closed his eyes at the feeling of her heartfelt embrace. He would never tire of feeling her warmth and softness against him, no matter how many years or centuries had passed since he'd first held her. He bent his head to hide his nose in her blonde hair as he breathed in her scent of something flowery but sharp— he was always reminded, impossibly, of the night when he smelled her. Any last remnants of anger towards his parents melted from him, though it didn't take the sting being continuously second-best away completely. It was nice that she understood, though. They parted slightly and Eleanora reached up to gently cup his face with her hand. He leaned into the touch instinctively.

"I don't know if this helps," she began warmly, "but you will always be my number one."

Loki opened his eyes to regard her with a rare moment of open affection. "I do not doubt that for a second, darling— as you are mine. You and me?"

Though he did not elaborate, she knew what he was asking— their words of confirmation that held more weight than even an I love you. "Me and you, until the end," she promised.

✧ ✧ ✧

If Eleanora had thought that the crowds who gathered for hers and Loki's joint birthday balls were bad, they were nothing compared to the hordes of people who came to watch their new king be crowned. She felt a little overwhelmed at the sight of so many people forced into the throne room— so much that it was fit to bursting, even with its massive size. Dressed in her finest green and gold, she stood with Loki on the dais. Looking into the sea of faces made her queasy, so she focused on Thor instead.

The crown prince stood some ways across from them in his best red cape and his ceremonial armor had been polished to a brilliant shine. The immense audience only seemed to bolster his confidence as he raised his hammer in celebration, causing them to cheer with him. Indeed, he truly relished being the center of attention as he slowly made his way between the dual rows of Einherjar, egging on the crowd with his beaming smile.

The royal family was not as amused by his antics, varying from expressions of indulgence (Frigga) to exasperation (Sif.) Odin watched him closely with his good eye, his own expression implacable. The Allfather reclined on his throne, with his staff in one hand as he observed his son's advance. Thor became a little more somber as he knelt before the steps and removed his helmet, lowering his head respectfully.

His seriousness lasted for only the required fraction of a second as he lifted his head to wink at his mother, who allowed him a faint smile in return. Odin rose to his feet and thumped his staff on the floor to begin the ceremony. The applause died down as the Asgardians waited for him to speak. He had no trouble projecting his voice loud enough to be heard, even to the far reaches of the throne room. "Thor Odinson, my heir, my firstborn. So long entrusted with the mighty hammer Mjolnir, forged in the heart of a dying star, its power has no equal, as a weapon to destroy or as a tool to build. 'Tis a fit companion for a king. I have defended Asgard and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms from the time of the great beginning, though the day has come to crown a new king. Do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?"

"I swear."

"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!"

Loki let out a quiet scoff— too faint for anyone to hear— at the joy with which Thor promised his fidelity to the realm. He couldn't even be serious enough to get through a solemn vow. Where did his father get the idea that Thor was fit to be king?

Almost as if sensing his bitter thoughts, he felt the lightest brush of fingers against his. It was too brief to be noticeable, but his wife was standing on the step just below him and he would know her touch anywhere. While he did his best to ignore it, there was a small twist of guilt in his stomach, for her sake. She had no inkling of his plans to interrupt the coronation, which is what he thought was best. Should anyone trace the Jotun's break in back to him, he wanted to keep her as inculpable as possible. (Not that anyone would find the connection, as confident in his abilities as he was, but it was a necessary precaution.)

Odin continued, as unaware as the rest of them of the schemes he had in store. "Then, on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you. . ." His single eye widened as he sensed a disturbance in the palace. "Frost giants."

✧ ✧ ✧

Thor and Odin's arguments were a sight to behold as their two great egos clashed together. Loki had a history of tucking himself off to the side and making himself as unnoticeable as possible during their disagreements, knowing that his voice was both unheard and unwanted. It was one of the clearest moments where he came in second-best to his brother, when his father only had an eye for one of them. It was better this way, he told himself, so that his machinations were even more in the shadows.

He made his way back to his chambers to remove his ceremonial leathers, feeling markedly put out about the day. Sure, Thor's coronation had been interrupted, but for what? The Jotuns hadn't even made it past the vault and there was no great loss. Of course, he hadn't really wanted anyone to die, but a little battle wouldn't have hurt. There was nothing to show for all that effort he'd made. Loki decided that he deserved to make himself feel better, so after he changed, he would find his wife and figure out which place in the palace he wanted to defile next— the vault sounded like a good idea; a successful conquest to replace the failed one.

But, unfortunately, he didn't even get that far. He'd forgotten the one person he wasn't invisible too, after all. Eleanora was waiting for him when he returned, sitting with practiced poise in one of the armchairs. She pretended to be invested in the book she was reading, but her eyes flicked to the door too many times to make it convincing. She didn't say anything at first when he let himself in, allowing him time to begin undressing as he searched for new clothes.

The blonde did not look up from the pages of her novel when she finally did speak. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Her tone was even, hiding whether she was truly disappointed in him. He matched her cadence as he tugged on a shirt. "I have no idea of what you speak, wife."

"The Jotuns," she said calmly, closing her book to look up at him. "You let them in."

He gave her an amused look. "Your cleverness never fails to amaze me, darling, but you are wrong on this account."

"Oh?" she asked with a sarcastic bite. "Perhaps your definition of 'let in' is different than mine. Do enlighten me, husband."

"It is natural that you are confused," he replied with faux-sympathy. "I merely allowed them entrance; their decision to enter the palace was entirely their own."

Eleanora sighed and shook her head. "Jotuns, Loki? Really? And you didn't even think to tell me?"

"I did think," Loki admitted, finished dressing. He went over to his wife and gently took her hands in his. "And I thought that, if anything should happen, I would want you as far away from the danger as possible. Hence why I left you in the dark."

She kept her hands in his as she was not truly mad at him. "But what about everyone else? People could have been hurt."

"Not irrevocably," he insisted. "Not with the Einherjar. Not with my father and brother there. Trust me, darling, I did consider the outcomes. I simply meant to disrupt, not cause harm." He paused, trying to ascertain her expression. She met his gaze without hesitation. "Are you cross with me, my love?"

The Star stood and released his hands to twine her arms around his neck, brushing her fingers against the short strands of hair at the nape. Standing on her toes, she stretched to place a brief kiss to his lips as he leaned down to accommodate her request. "Only enough that make-up sex might be required."

A smirk curled on his mouth as he placed his hands on her waist to tug her closer. Loki let his lips lightly brush against hers as he murmured, "I think we can arrange that. Shall I start making my amends to you now, wife?"

Eleanora's heart sped up in anticipation of what the rest of the day had in store for them, but before she could reply, a resounding crash echoed through the halls. The dark-haired prince let out a reluctant breath. "Perhaps we should postpone so that there will at least be some palace left to make love in."

She smiled at him warmly. "That is sound reasoning, my love. We shall go tame your brother's fury together. And Loki?" He gave her a nod to go on, and she reached up to cup his face with her hand once more. "The next time you have a plot to carry out, tell me before you hammer out the details. I can take care of myself, you know— and I might be of use."

The blonde's smile lingered as she sent him a glance over her shoulder on the way out the door. Loki stared after her for a moment, more stunned than he'd like to admit that his wife— who was more morally upright and straight-laced than he was— would be willing to taint her soul with gray. You should know not to underestimate her by now, he chided himself as he hurried after her.

✧ ✧ ✧

"It's unwise to be in my company right now, brother and sister," Thor told them in a gravelly voice as they came to sit next to him. He kept his gaze on the overturned table, his jaw tight with pent-up anger. "This was to be my day of triumph."

"It'll come," Loki said quietly. "In time."

The Warriors and Sif entered from the side door and stopped to stare at the destruction in surprise. Eleanora was certain Volstagg was only horrified due to the wasted food on the floor as he demanded, "what's this?"

Volstagg began to salvage some of the food that hadn't suffered from Thor's wrath as the dark-haired prince leaned towards his brother, continuing in a low voice: "if it's any consolation, I think you're right. About the Frost Giants, about Laufey, about everything. If they found a way to penetrate Asgard's defenses once, who's to say they won't try again?"

"Exactly," Thor agreed emphatically. He glanced over at the blonde, who had yet to say much of anything. She sat on the steps next to her husband with her knees pulled up to her chest, her gaze fixed on the mess he'd made. "What council do you have for me, sister?"

Eleanora jerked slightly in surprise, her eyes finally meeting his. She clearly hadn't been expecting him to ask her opinion and she took a moment to gather her thoughts. "You want to be king, yes?"

"More than anything," he confirmed resolutely.

"Then I would not do anything that would jeopardize your position," she answered. "Namely, directly disobeying your father."

Thor frowned at her words, not liking the suggestion— though he begrudgingly admitted that it made sense. "So you would have me do nothing? Surely a king who does not act is worse than a king that does not heed advice."

The Star shrugged. "You asked for my guidance and I have given it. It is not so much inaction as an opportunity to show your growth— you can be impulsive in your youth but become premeditative as you age."

It was a futile effort, Loki knew, to try and reason with Thor, but he still admired his wife's attempt to do so anyway. If she had been offering her council to anyone else, it might have been followed. He was the first of them to notice the bright gleam enter his brother's eyes; unlike him, Thor had obvious telltale signs of when he was about to embark on a scheme. "No, no, no. I know that look."

The prince pushed himself to his feet. "That's the only way to ensure the safety of our borders."

"Thor, it's madness."

That caught Volstagg's attention and he glanced over at the trio. "Madness? What sort of madness?"

"We're going to Jotunheim."

Eleanora's shoulders slumped; she knew that there was no changing Thor's decision now. She'd hoped to ward off this conclusion, knowing how trigger-happy the crown prince was, but there was nothing that could be done to dissuade him. While she hadn't been looking forward to invading a hostile realm, she would join the party regardless— they would need all the extra power they could get.

She glanced over at her husband, noting the well-hidden unease on his face, only noticeable to her. Although he was not very fond of public displays of affection, she reached over to place her hand gently on his, ready to take it away if he showed any sign of displeasure. Eleanora was gratified when, instead of doing what she'd been prepared for, he flipped his hand over so that it was palm-side up and allowed her to intertwine their fingers together. He didn't look at her, really, but she saw the faint flicker of his eyes in her direction and the harder-than-normal swallow of apprehension.

For once, it seemed like the Warriors were using their brains and did not jump at Thor's suggestion right away. Fandral stated his concerns first, reminding the prince that, "this isn't like a journey to Midgard where you summon a little lightning and thunder and the mortals worship you as a god. This is Jotunheim."

Thor waved him off. "My father fought his way into Jotunheim, defeated their armies and took their Casket. We would just be looking for answers."

"It is forbidden!" Sif insisted, in a rare occurrence that she and Eleanora were of the same mind.

The blond only chuckled at her words. "My friends, have you forgotten all that we have done together? Fandral, Hogun, who led you into the most glorious of battles?"

"You did."

He went over to the red-haired warrior, who had piled the remnants of the food he'd found into a tall sandwich. "And Volstagg, to delicacies so succulent, you thought you'd died and gone to Valhalla?"

"You did."

"Yes! And who proved wrong all who scoffed at the idea that a young maiden could be one of the fiercest warriors this realm has ever known?"

Never one to diminish her own achievements, the brunette stated, "I did."

Thor grinned at her stubbornness. "True, but I supported you, Sif. Besides," he continued grandly, sweeping a hand in Eleanora's direction. "We have the Star of Asgard. We all know of the stories of the last Star and her feats on the battlefield. There is nothing that we cannot do without my sister."

Loki's hand tightened around hers protectively as his eyes narrowed at his brother. "No. She's not coming with us."

"Like Hel I am!" Eleanora immediately argued back, shooting to her feet to glare at him and releasing his hand in the process. "You're going to need all the help you can get in this stupid, idiotic endeavor. And while I want to make it clear that it is stupid and idiotic, I'm not about to let you go to Jotunheim alone." This last part was mostly directed at Loki, for while she did care about Thor, her husband would always be her main concern.

The dark-haired prince's jaw set in a disagreeable sort of way as he stood as well, his height forcing her to look up at him. "I'm not about to bring a Star into Jotunheim," he snapped. "If you want to talk about stupid and idiotic ideas, that is certainly one for the books. Do you know what Frost Giants would do if they got their hands on a Star?"

"No, but neither do you," she pointed out heatedly. "Besides, I've told you before that I can take care of myself. I'm your wife, your partner. We face these challenges together."

Loki sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You're being reckless," he muttered, his tone more resigned now than angry. "Stubborn to the point of foolishness. My brother is rubbing off on you."

They ignored Thor's offended exclamation of "hey!"

"And you're being overprotective," she shot back, her own frustration bubbling to the surface. "To the point of suffocation."

The tension crackled between them as they stood facing each other, both unwilling to back down. Eleanora crossed her arms over her chest, the defiance on her face clear as day as she stared up at her husband. His own gaze was hard as he met hers. If they hadn't had an audience, he would have told her— part of his fear, at least— that he wanted her as far from Jotunheim at all times due to his irrational superstition that she would meet the same end as Aðalbjörg if she went to the same planet her sister had died on. But he was unwilling to be that sentimental with Thor and his friends watching, so he only grit his teeth as her stardust-gray eyes flashed with determination.

He would not have normally backed down— especially with an audience— but he was reminded that she had showed him mercy after finding out about his trick with the Jotuns earlier that day. She'd had every right to be furious with him, but she had forgiven him with only the stipulation to make love to her— something he'd already been planning to do, anyway. He wanted to repay her for her kindness, so even though he didn't like it, he ground out, "fine. Have it your way. If you wish to condemn yourself, then have it be on your own hands."

Eleanora frowned at his reluctant answer as a heavy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She never liked it when Loki was angry with her, even if it were something that he had no right to be moody about. Thor gave her a troubled look, but it was gone quickly as his excitement to begin their quest was stronger. He beamed at the group— which was an almost out-of-place countenance amongst Loki's mutinous expression and Eleanora's anxious one.

"My friends, we're going to Jotunheim."