A Bang and a Whimper

14

Thor is nervous. It is not often he feels this way, but facing his father and telling him that the princess, the girl set to one day carry on the line, is not fully Aesir, is something he dreads saying out loud. Odin's unpredictable anger still frightens him, though less than it did when he was a child. He wishes his mother were still alive to stand beside him. She would have been a buffer, the one to talk sense into Odin. But she is not, so he is alone and feeling so much like the scared child he once was, confessing something he had done wrong. But this time, he knows he is not wrong, only that his father thinks he is.

When Odin calls to him to enter his chambers, Thor struggles to find the words to tell him while he has come.

"You stammer, boy. Is there something you wish to say or not?"

"Yes. I...was married to Jenna's mother."

"That is not entirely a surprise."

"Her mother has been dead a year today."

"Oh?"

"She was Jane."

Odin says nothing for a moment, but when he does he is seething with quiet anger, "Your daughter is half Midgardian? You would throw away your grandfather's house for this?"

"She is your granddaughter, Father, and I ask you treat her as such."

"She cannot take your place on the throne, Thor. Will you remarry?"

"This is not the day to speak of such things. I will not simply replace the family I have for one you find more suitable."

"I cannot accept that you mated with a Midgardian."

"Then you cannot accept your granddaughter."

"No, I cannot."

"I am saddened by this, Father. You would hold a baby from Jotunheim in your arms as your own and love him dearly through his childhood, but you cannot accept a child of your own blood."

"And look how that baby turned out!"

"That baby has grown into a fine man, whether you see it in him or not." Thor has been calm, far more calm than he thought he could be. Odin's anger is still rising.

"You brought a Midgardian here to live in this realm, a mortal!"

"This conversation is over, Father. Until you can calm yourself, I will speak no more of Jane or our life together."

As Thor is leaving, Odin yells, "What did you let her do here? Did she act as your consort at court?"

"No. We lived quietly and she studied the sciences. She learned from our people and our people learned much from her as well. But we are done- goodbye." He closes the door behind him and does not look back.

Odin fumes.

Thor returns to Loki and tells him of the encounter. Loki is not surprised at how badly it went.
"At least he did not try to disown you."

"It would be hard for him to disown the king. He would be best to disown himself if he wished such. But he will not. He is too proud to be in the line of kings."

"So it seems. It is as though ruling Asgard is more important than the people he once loved. Oh, where have I heard that before...."

"Loki...."

"I am sorry, Thor. This is just far too familiar, but this time, his target has done nothing to deserve it. She has not asked to have a secret. You have asked that of her. I chose to keep mine. She would not choose the same. And she has not chosen to provoke her grandfather. I did things differently. I sought to prove myself and, in doing so, provoked his rage. She is an innocent. A child. None of this is deserved. And that hurts far more than what he did to me."