Hela was staring at Thor but she was really only seeing Odin. The apple never fell far from the tree. In Thor's actions, she recognized the familiar use of those shadowy tactics Odin was known for. Each move, each manoeuvre, was a page from the same playbook she had known intimately. In the annals of Asgard's history, Hela had established herself as the best general ever. Her strategic brilliance often served to compensate for the ruler's miscalculations. Odin didn't pay much attention to how things were done as long as he could still be the hero of the story. Across the nine realms, the stories of Odin's victories were travelling far and wide. Contrary to what the rumours were saying, Hela was not particularly interested in the throne. All she had wanted was to win her father over and get for once his approval.
In the grand scheme of things, Thor attempting a coup against Midgard wasn't all that surprising. Among the nine realms, Midgard was the last realm not really dancing by Asgard's tune. This was the opportunity for the thunderer to leave his mark on history. Odin had triumphed over the Dark Elves, the Vanirs but mainly about the Frost Giants. Thor could picture an epic saga in his name that would reverberate through time. Thousands of songs would be written about him, and a few warriors would have sacrificed all to impart the necessary lesson that the Midgardians needed to learn.
Her attention was drawn to the unexpected presence of Heimdall. She couldn't recall him ever abandoning his responsibility as the bifrost's keeper. Regardless of Odin's own lapses in judgement, he would never have asked that of him. The rainbow bridge was the most powerful weapon Asgard had at its disposal. It was used as a mode of transportation most of the time, but it could be used in a very different way. A deadly way.
"Shouldn't you be guarding the bifrost, Heimdall?" Hela questioned, actually really curious about his answer.
"Give me Loki and I shall go back to my eternal duty."
"What's going on between Loki and you?"
"He is your own flesh and blood. You are oblivious to his flaws."
"Are your own eyes blind to Odin and the misdeeds of Asgard?" Hela answered, each syllable dripping with a mixture of accusation and contempt.
"At least, their actions never led to the bifrost's ruin."
"So this all boils down to your ego, doesn't it? The very thing you've dedicated your existence to protecting has crumbled beneath your so-called watchful gaze. Perhaps if your all-seeing eyes had deigned to peer deeper, perhaps if you had acted sooner, this catastrophic outcome could have been averted."
"And perhaps, if you hadn't spread your legs for a Frost Giant, the fates might have woven a different story altogether."
"Mind your tone, Heimdall. Remember your place before your queen." Hela said, not backing down for a minute.
"I only have to answer to the real king. Hand over Loki, and we shall depart."
"I don't have to do anything you ask."
She should not be surprised. Among the Aesir, women were considered as lesser beings. Their position was a complex compromise between tradition, hierarchy and perception. They were the mothers, the caregivers. Magic was often considered a womanly art. Healers would be the only one to go on the battlefield and would act only after the battle was done. Hela and later Sif were oddities within Asgardian society.
The only real exceptions were the Valkyries.
The group of maidens existed on an entirely different plane. The Valkyries, a force in their own right, held a distinct position, not answering to anyone but themselves. Their independence was a fundamental aspect of their identity. They were having their own thoughts and were not scared to state out what everyone else was thinking in private.
