Thor jumped to his feet, his chair clattering to the floor as he did. "What do you mean, a proper heir?" he demanded of Odin. You understood his feelings. Though he hadn't been acting as heir in years, he had still thought he would be named the official heir. Especially since: "I was to be coronated as official heir all those years ago, when the frost giants interrupted the ceremony,"
Odin raised a hand to stop Thor's words before he could reach a full tirade. Loki sat patiently, listening and waiting, observing. Thor was the brother of hot rash temper. Loki was cool, calm, and eternally collected. At least that's how he always appeared on the outside.
And that's why he would make the better king.
Thor just didn't see it at the moment, blinded by his own emotions.
Thor stopped speaking at the silent command, but growled, barely leashing in his temper to listen to what Odin had to say. Thor righted his chair and sat again, gruffly. He fought to rein in his temper and nodded to Odin to continue.
"Yes, you were to be coronated as heir due to your position as my firstborn son," Odin replied. "However, you know our laws, or well you should. When there is more than one child, the heir to the throne is determined by which child is the one better suited for the crown, which one the realm needs to rule us. You both have your strengths and weaknesses. You were both raised and born to be kings, but only one of you can ascend the throne," Odin told them both stoically.
"Father-" Thor started.
Loki remained silent and you could see the gears turning in his brilliant mind. He still thought that Thor was going to be chosen. Thor had seen what Loki hadn't. Thor saw that he wasn't the best fit, despite how he was raised, despite what he was led to believe all these years.
Loki still thought that he wouldn't be chosen. That he would be overlooked in preference for the golden son who was so like Odin.
He didn't understand the realms didn't need another Odin. They needed strength, yes, but they needed a calm calculating mind. They needed someone who was shrewd politically. They needed someone who could nurture the relationships between the realms and bring a proper peace.
Thor couldn't do that.
Thor was great at hitting things with his stupid hammer, but he didn't have a diplomatic bone in his body. He wasn't what the realms needed.
You and Loki had been being groomed for the past few years to take the throne. You understood, though Loki didn't, that you were being tested to see if you could handle it. The people loved you. They loved the effect you had on the dark prince. They loved how you were both fair with the treatment of all the people, from the highest noble to the lowest scullery maid. They honored and respected you and your decisions.
They even respected you on the throne alone, though you were only a princess by marriage. They still respected your wisdom, judgement, and caring.
Just as they respected Frigga's.
You had learned from the best after all.
But Loki didn't believe that Odin would ever let a frost giant sit on the throne of Asgard, even with an Asgardian at his side, even having been raised Asgardian. Even with the years of practice ruling. Loki merely thought those months of practice every year were just a duty, a favor to the crown. You saw it in his eyes, in his stiff expression while he was fighting not to show emotion.
He didn't understand.
And was about to have the rug yanked out from under him.
So was Thor.
You saw it, but neither of the boys did.
You mourned for the outcome of this revelation.
"What is your decision, Allfather?" you finally pressed, knowing this wouldn't get resolved until you had, until you forced Odin to get the words out. You were carefully polite about it, you knew better than to upset Odin, but you also knew how to ask the question without getting smited. It was a skill you'd picked up over the last few years. Odin was hard to deal with, and deadly if you didn't learn how to deal with him quickly. Needless to say, you'd learned to deal with him quickly.
Odin paused, made sure he had all of your attention before he spoke again. You could see that he didn't want to speak yet. He didn't want to admit this truth, but there was no option. "Tradition decrees that the heir be officially named when they or their spouse are expecting their first child. That tradition will continue to be followed," Odin told you all.
You knew it.
Loki couldn't believe it, not without hearing the official words. "... Father?" he asked softly, unsure. He was assuming Thor would be chosen, but that's not what Odin's words were sounding like. He couldn't accept Odin's decision otherwise without hearing the official words.
Odin nodded. He knew he hadn't treated Loki well in the past, though their relationship had improved in recent years. "I have watched you both carefully over these last years. I have evaluated your strengths and skills and weighed them against what the realms need. I have trained you both, raised you both, taught you as best I could. Only one of you can ascend the throne. It is my decision that the best choice for the nine realms, is Loki,"
