Chapter 255: To Be King

17^th October 2012, Asgard

(Thor Odinson POV)

Thor Odinson was bemused. In the last few years, which were barely more than a fraction of his lifetime, he had learnt more about being a king than he did in the thousand years that preceded them. The God of Thunder had always assumed that being King would have brought him nothing but glory and riches. He wanted to be like his father, to live up to the songs of glorious battle against worthy foes. Because that was what Thor wanted the most, to fight worthy opponents.

The God of Thunder knew that his father loved him, but there was always this disappointment in his eyes, which was mixed in by some sense of belief. It was like his father expected him to be better, to grow better and had an absolute faith that he will, in time.

And he realized today that his father had never looked at Loki with the same eyes, he never expected him to be great, nor to grow as he had. He accepted the boy as his son, and would not deny him anything, but there was always something missing, something Loki had craved for while Thor got it without even trying. It was something that Loki tried fighting for, betrayed Thor for, and almost got himself killed for in the hope of ever achieving it.

In truth, Thor did blame his father for Loki’s fall, because if only he had given him the approval the trickster had dreamt of, Thor would still have his brother standing by his side, today. And while Thor didn’t think that he, himself, was blameless, he wasn’t the one Loki was truly fighting against.

And yet, now, Thor was different. He had different priorities, different goals. He has found love and started to understand what it means to be a king. It didn’t have anything to do with fighting or glory, it was a responsibility and a vital one at that. For a king’s duty is to his people and for them to prosper. Thor now truly understood why he was banished to Midgard while being powerless. For a wise King does not seek out war but must always be ready for it.

Thor’s ill advised invasion of Jotunheim would have caused the death of thousands of Asgardians, just for his wounded pride. It was on Midgard, that Thor understood how precious life truly is. Wasn’t it ironic that it was a weak short lived species that showed him what it meant to be alive, to have a goal outside of battle and glory.

If only his lesson hadn’t cost him his brother, that he thought to have perished, lost in the void.

Imagine his surprise when he heard Heimdall’s claim of Loki returning from the grave and hunting down an infinity stone on Midgard of all places. The God of Thunder didn’t understand why Loki even wanted to invade Midgard of all places. It was weak in resources and the mages had been hunted down to extinction centuries back. It was a primitive race compared to any of the other realms, or even most planets in the universe.

There was something fishy going on, and the Morrigan’s involvement of all people didn’t reassure him. He had heard tales of the Morrigan, who hasn’t? She was often described as a goddess who brought death to anyone who opposed her, who had massacred an entire legion of Asgardian soldiers when his father’s conquest brought battles to Midgard. For to fight the Morrigan, was to court Death. He thought that she was just a fairytale, a way to scare children into compliance, and yet she was there, fighting beside him on Midgard, and Thor had to say that the tales did not do her justice.

On the streets of New York, the Morrigan rained darkness and steel on the Chitauri and yet was merciful to his brother while apprehending him. She disappeared later, faking her death, for in the tales, the Morrigan was immortal, and the God of Thunder didn’t even entertain the thought that a mortal weapon could harm her.

But the most intriguing thing was the meeting with his father that she had demanded. No one had any idea about what they spoke of, only that both parties left the meeting satisfied with the outcome. And while the Morrigan had seduced the entire court with her tales of glory and tragedy, Thor was wary of her. It was like everyone forgot who she was, what she was.

And after the woman had left, Thor thought that things were going to get back to normal, and yet they didn’t. Thor was sent to the nine realms using the newly rebuilt Bifrost, to stabilize the rebelling realms on his father’s orders. And yet, while he and his friends kept fighting and winning battles, there was something missing. Thor didn’t get the thrill of victory every time he defeated a powerful foe, only a deep wariness and acknowledgement. It was odd that he found no enjoyment in something that would have made his blood boil barely a few years back.

He had thought that he simply missed Jane, who he had started to distance himself of. With him getting busier with both his battles, and his training from his father on how to be a good ruler, there was barely any time to see the woman that he loved.

But after some deep thoughts on the matter, he dismissed the idea entirely. While he missed Jane, his disillusionment on the nature of battles and wars happened after the invasion of New York. He wasn’t sure if there was any foul play in the issue, or if it was just his own thought. He supposed that was what made things even worse.

In the end, Thor decided to keep an eye on Midgard either way, asking Heimdall to keep an eye on Jane, his fellow Avengers, and especially on the Morrigan. Somehow, the witch knew how to shield herself from Heimdall’s gaze and her home was completely invisible to the all seer.

As far as he knows, the Morrigan had decided to destroy SHIELD completely for some reason and had fought some weird thing over the Pacific Ocean and came out victorious. Other than that, he had no idea what was going on, or even why the Morrigan did what she did.

Outside of his worrying over Midgard, something seemed to trouble his father. Odin, ever since his meeting with the Morrigan, had acted differently. There was something more to his gaze, something that was never there for as long as Thor had known him. It was hard to explain, for the King of Asgard always has a defying look in his eyes, like he’s disobeying someone. He thought that perhaps the Morrigan had enchanted him somehow, but when he gave that explanation to his mother, the Queen had told him that she had similar suspicions but after examining him, she found no traces of any foreign magics.

The worst thing was that his father always avoided the subject and even Thor’s mother couldn’t get him to speak of it. But now, he had enough, he was going to speak to his father and get to the bottom of things.

So, after the court was over, and only the King and his guard remained, Thor dismissed the guards, “I wish to speak with my father privately.”

The guards immediately understood their dismissal and left the throne room. Odin looked at his son quizzically, “what did you wish to speak of, my son?”

Thor nodded and readied himself, “father, you’ve been different. You have acted different, you’re even speaking differently. I am not the only one who has noticed, mother has as well when I went to her with my suspicions. Are we under attack? Are we in danger? Is someone bewitching you?”

The King of Asgard didn’t seem to like the accusations, “What madness do you speak of? I have never been as clear sighted as I am today.”

Thor insisted, “But there is something. Father it’s like you’re a completely different person underneath. You try to act the same, but it’s like you are forcing yourself to act this way.”

Odin seemed to get angrier by the second, “This is not of your concern, and I will speak nothing of it any further.”

The God of Thunder grinned, “So there is something, isn’t there, father?”

“I said I will not speak of this subject any further. Now, leave before either of us do something that we regret later.”

But the Prince of Asgard wouldn’t give up this easily, “why are you so different father? It’s like you’re a different person altogether.”

Odin sighed exasperated and for the first time, Thor could see how old his father truly is, “my son, everyone changes in the course of their lives. In many ways, people die during the course of their lives, and that’s alright, it’s how people grow, as long as you keep remembering all of the people you were before. Even someone as old as me is capable of change, and perhaps I have one more chapter of my life left in me until you take over as the King of Asgard. If there is anything that I am the proudest of in my life, it’s you, my son. You are my greatest gift, my greatest creation. Never forget that, Thor.”

Thor stayed silent at his father’s speech, and he nodded at him. A second later and the king’s eyes regained their previous severity, “But now, off with you. The subject is closed and if you bring it up again, I will banish you once more to Midgard.”

Thor nodded, then bowed and left. The Prince had spent entire hours in thought, his father’s condition refusing to leave his mind, until he thought he had no choice. Slowly, the Prince found himself by the Bifrost. Heimdall looked at the God of Thunder with his piercing golden eyes, that Thor thought could see straight through his soul. The All Seer nodded at his Prince, “Thor.”

Suddenly, he had an epiphany, why not ask Heimdall of details of the meeting between the King and the Morrigan, “Heimdall, I wished to ask you for a favor.”

Heimdall nodded, “You wished to understand the change in the King.”

Thor wasn’t surprised anymore by the gatekeeper’s knowledge, “Aye, what can you tell me about it?”

“I can tell you that the change happened immediately after his meeting with the Morrigan, a meeting that I couldn’t see.”

Thor sighed in disappointment, “I thought not. It was a faint hope, at best.”

The All Seer, though, didn’t seem perturbed, “But perhaps there is another way of knowing. There were two beings in the meeting.”

“You think that I should speak to the Morrigan, one of the most feared women in the nine realms?”

Heimdall snorted, “Perhaps she is, but she’s not unreasonable and neither is she power hungry. What happened to your father was not malicious in intent, at least not on her part. Speaking with her could alleviate your concerns.”

“Are you sure about this? She could be an enemy of Asgard if she wished…”

“She is not an enemy of Asgard, that I do know for a fact. From what I could gather, the meeting ended with an alliance between your father and her. Other than her enchanting him, if she had managed it somehow, then for all your father’s power, the Morrigan is unmatched in mind magics, which means that it wouldn’t have been obvious to outsiders. This clears her, somewhat of enchanting the King.”

Thor wasn’t convinced, “That is circumstantial at best.”

Heimdall nodded, “Yes, it is, but so are our accusations as well. Meet with her and be wary at the same time. I will get you out if things get too dangerous.”

Thor nodded and walked towards the Bifrost, “I trust you.”

And he meant it. He trusted Heimdall with his life and if the man thought that he needed to speak with the Morrigan, then he will trust his judgement.

With a nod, Heimdall opened the Bifrost, and the God of Thunder walked through. He arrived in a valley, empty of all humans save for two beings. He recognized one of them and bellowed out, “Morrigan, there’s something that I need to discuss with you.”

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