BOOK TWO. After being manipulated and kidnapped by Restitution, Anna + Loki narrowly escape with their lives only to be separated by Odin. Stuck on Earth with Jane Foster, Anna finds herself missing the one man she thought she would always hate.
...
HUDDLED AROUND the small kitchen table, Jane takes another bite of her cereal. Darcy, Ian, and Selvig are all with her, each of them silent, while they start another day. After all, after what happened in Greenwich, how do you even return to normal conversation?
"He's gonna come back," Darcy says, finally breaking the silence. "Except...ya know...last time he was gone for like two years."
Jane swallows, "Well, it's only been two days, so..."
"Did he say anything before he left?" Selvig asks cheerily, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, he had to figure some stuff out with his father," she tells him. "He kinda committed treason...on our way out."
They all stare at the table, unwilling to meet Jane's gaze. Awkward doesn't even begin to describe the situation, so they just dig back into their breakfasts in blissful silence.
Darcy smiles, "Well, he took Anna though. I mean, he's gotta bring her back....right?"
*****
"You once said there would never be would never be a wiser king than me. You were wrong," Odin says, standing on his throne and looking down the steps to where Thor kneels. "The Alignment has brought all the realms together. Every one of them saw you offer your life to save them. What can Asgard offer its new king in return?"
"My life," Thor replies after a brief pause, standing. "Father, I cannot be king of Asgard. I will protect Asgard and all the realms with my last and every breath, but I cannot do so from that chair. Loki, for all his grave imbalance, understood rule as I know I never will. The brutality, the sacrifice...it changes you. I'd rather be a good man than a great king."
Odin frowns, "Is this my son I hear? Or the woman he loves?"
"When you speak, do I never hear Mother's voice?" replies Thor with a sad smile. "This is not for Jane, Father. She does not know what I came here to say. Now, forbid me to see her, or say she can rule at my side. It changes nothing."
"One son who wanted the throne too much," the Allfather says, relaxing into his chair. "Another who will not take it. Is this my legacy?"
Thor shakes his head, "Loki died with honor. I shall try to live the same. Is that not legacy enough?"
Looking down, Thor flips Mjölnir in his hand. He takes a step forward, raising the hammer up and offering it to Odin. No longer the future king of Asgard, part of him feels he must relinquish the power given to him by this hammer, however reluctant he may be to do so.
Odin waves him off, his voice filled with remorse, "It belongs to you....if you are worthy of it."
"I shall try to be," Thor resolves.
"I cannot give you my blessing," says the Allfather. "Nor can I wish you good fortune."
The blonde Asgardian prince nods, "I know."
"If I were proud of the man my son had become," Odin says as Thor turns to walk away. "Even that I could not say. It would speak only from my heart. Go, my son."
Thor smiles, recognizing that Odin is giving him all of the recognition he is able, "Thank you father."
He walks down the throne room, his footsteps echoing loudly through the massive chamber, as he turns away from his father. Instead of feeling guilt or remorse for his decision, Thor somehow feels as if a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He does not look back, striding purposefully out of the chamber and into the corridor, with a smile on his face.
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Behind him, Odin smiles. His hand gripping his sceptre tightly, a green light begins to radiate from his skin.
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Slowly, it ripples across his body, transforming the image of Odin into something else entirely. Someone else entirely.
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"No," Loki says with a smile, the mirage of Odin stripped away. "Thank you."
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Now Playing: "The Vampyre Of Time And Memory" by Queens of the Stone Age.
***** AUTHOR'S NOTE
Don't forget, you can listen to the soundtrack to All Hail The King on Spotify! The link is in my profile! You can also follow me on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook). My username is always @jandralee.
This chapter's song is courtesy of my boyfriend, Conlan, who - as someone who has helped me extensively with these books - told me, "THIS SONG IS LOKI."
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We are officially DONE with the Thor: The Dark World storyline! I hope you're alive. ;)
