2 MONTHS OLD

Frigga doesn't know what to think when her husband returns from war with a baby. A little boy with pale skin, dark hair, and stunning blue eyes. He is tiny; can't be more than a few months old and Odin has clearly concealed him with a hex. She has no idea why but she is a skilled witch herself and she can feel the magical energy coming off the child in waves. Where did he come from? Why did Odin bring him here?

She steps closer to the basket where the child lays and goes to pick him up; he allows it without fuss, and she sits down with him to cradle him in her arms. He smiles up at her and her heart melts. He's beautiful. But something is off. He reeks of magic. Way too much magic.

Whatever hex Odin's put on him has not only been done with the purpose of hiding his existence from the guards. No, there's more to it. This is extremely powerful magic. She can see a blue aura around him that would only be noticeable to magical beings; it's almost as if something is trying to break out of the spell. She is certain there's more than one hex at play here; one to render him invisible to everyone but her, and another to…

"Husband… what did you do to this child?" She asks and stares at her King, eyes accusatory. Odin stares back, unblinking.

"I saved his life." His voice is void of emotion; he is always like this after coming home from the battlefield, emotionally detached. She knows it's a coping mechanism. The only way he can deal with all the killing. He will mellow out and return to her sooner or later. He always does. "I couldn't leave him there."

"Where?" She asks, afraid of the answer. "Where did you find him?"

"Jotunheim." He says and Frigga gasps out loud.

"He's a Frost Giant." Her husband stole an enemy child.

"He is." They lock eyes, both knowing the severity of this.

She looks back at the boy. There's no trace of his true heritage. He looks Asgardian. That explains the blue aura; it's his real skin color pushing back against the magic. This hex won't hold forever but she can remedy that. Odin is a powerful warlock in his own right, but he learned most of it from her. The magical arts are her domain.

"You changed him." She states and her husband just nods. "For what purpose?"

"Is saving a child's life not purpose enough, my Queen?" Odin's eyes are unreadable but she still sees right through him. A natural result of centuries of marriage.

"No. Everything you do is calculated." She states, matter-of-factly. "You never do anything unless it benefits you in some way." A fond smile tugs on his lips at her statement.

"You know me well, Frigga." He pours himself a drink from the bar in the corner. "How would you like another son?" Her jaw drops.

"My King, you can't be serious? He is someone's child. What about his family?"

"They cast him out on a frozen rock to die!" Odin roars. "A baby, Frigga. They're barbarians."

"And you're not?" Frigga argues. "We both know the things you've done. How much blood you have on your hands."

"All done for the good of Asgard and our people." His stare is hard, he doesn't like to have his decisions questioned. "This is different. They discarded a child like he was trash."

"You hide it well, husband." Frigga says. "But no matter what you claim, I know you took him for another reason as well…a reason that has nothing to do with his well-being."

"I never could fool you." Odin sighs and walks to the window looking out over their Kingdom, still nursing his wine. "I believe he could be a tactical advantage in the future."

"You want to use him to forge a lasting alliance with the Frost Giants?" Frigga realizes. "Why would they care? If they rejected him and he's just a random Frost Giant..."

"He's not. He's the son of Laufey. Royalty. I could tell from his markings."

"A Prince." Frigga breathes and looks down at the child again. He's sleeping peacefully now and her heart twinges with an indefinable emotion. "And what is your plan, exactly?"

"We raise him as Asgardian alongside Thor… gain his loyalty and when… if… the right opportunity presents itself, we make sure he takes his rightful place as King of Jotunheim. Thor will rule over Asgard, of course." He turns towards her. "Two brothers, one on each throne to end the hostilities." Frigga regards him calmly. It's a clever strategy and could potentially save countless lives; both sides have already lost too much in these wars. Odin won this time around... however... peace between their worlds is fragile at best and never seems to last for long. She understands why her husband is desperate for a permanent solution. But to use a child in this way for their own selfish gain leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

"And if I say no?" She asks, although she already knows the answer. Odin doesn't have to say it and he won't. Just gives her a significant look. For all of her husband's wisdom, he can at times be cold-hearted. He didn't conquer the Nine Realms by being soft. She stares down at the child again, hugs him a little tighter. "If we do this you have to promise me that you will regard him as more than just a pawn in your scheme."

"Frigga…" Odin sighs but she won't back down. Not on this.

"No, Odin. Promise me." She implores. "Promise me that you will love him." She is quickly joined by her King on the divan and is surprised when he reaches out to stroke the child's cheek tenderly.

"I promise." He says and looking into his eyes, she finds no deception. She leans in to kiss him in thanks and when they pull apart, the more gentle side of Odin; the side she fell in love with is back and he's staring at the child in her arms like he's seeing the boy for the first time; as a son, his son. The way he wouldn't, couldn't allow himself before. "He will need a name, Frigga."

A name, yes. She ponders this. She named her first son Thor because he came out big and strong and needed a powerful name to match. This child, however, is small and delicate. Almost light as air.

"Loki." She says. It's old Norse and means 'airy' or 'God of air.' "It's perfect for him."

"If that is your wish." Odin agrees and the rest of the night is spent bonding with the newest addition to their family.


Making the whole Kingdom believe Frigga was pregnant all along is not hard to do with the help of a little magic, and soon all of Asgard celebrates the birth of their new Prince Loki. It doesn't sit well with Frigga but it's not the first time they've magically rewritten history. The only difference is… this time they've made an heir appear; instead of removing all traces of one. Frigga looks up at the ceiling as she passes through the throne room; tries not to think about the artwork that was originally depicted on those murals and hopes they won't come to regret their actions.