Winter's Hearts

Chapter 53

"Do you think he knows-?" Thor started to ask. You and Loki both drew your daggers at the same time and held them to his throat. Your movements were identical and spoke to your long years of training together. Loki couldn't take you when you were really trying to spar him, but a lot of his fighting style was the same as yours. Including your ability to draw a dagger in an instant and have it held to Thor's throat.

"If he doesn't, then there is no need to inform him," Loki snarled at his brother while you both held daggers to his throat. You didn't know if Odin knew you told Hela's story to the boys. There was no need to mention it in the presence of Hugin or Munin. They would report to Odin and then he definitely would know that you'd told one of his many secrets. And he wouldn't be pleased about that.

"And if he does?" Thor protested, trying to get your blades away from his throat.

"Then we will deal with it when we get home," Loki replied firmly. Thor gulped and nodded his agreement, the movement nearly imperceptible since he didn't want to slice his own throat open on your blades. You nodded and stood up, vanishing your blade as you did. Loki followed suit a moment later, once he was sure Thor wouldn't be a moron for once.

"We should get home and see what he does want," you said and used magic to change your clothes into your everyday armor. It was the black set of armor with the blue cape, not the formal white set that you abhorred. Seriously, the white armor was ugly, did nothing to hide dirt and blood, and looked gaudy with the gold in it as well. You hated being such an obvious target. The wings were bad enough to get all of the bad guys heading after you.

Loki stood after you did and his clothes shimmered to his court attire. He even changed Thor's clothes for him to be appropriate for Asgard.

You said your goodbyes to the team, hugging them carefully, making sure your skin didn't touch theirs. You really didn't want to kill or brutally frost burn your Midgardian friends. You quite liked them after how much time you'd spent with them. It had taken a lot of work to get to that point, but the team was practically family now.

Family was something you'd missed desperately in your 900 years of exile.

It meant all the more to you to have family again now.

You made your way out to the bifrost circle outside of the tower and Thor raised his hammer to call to Heimdall in his usual overdramatic way. You held onto Loki as the bifrost opened around you and brought you back to Asgard, back home. You took a moment to breathe in the realm when you arrived. The air was so rich and full of magic. Nothing in the nine worlds could compare to the feel of home.

Your group quickly headed to the palace, impatient to hear what Odin had to say. You were all anxious. Even Thor was as he kept sparking electricity. You and Loki had to scold him a few times before he got it under control.

You had a feeling you knew what this was about.

And none of you were prepared.

You strode up the aisle up to the throne and all bowed to the allfather seated on his throne, looking down at you all with an unreadable expression. "Rise, my sons, Lady Valkyrie," you all rose. You couldn't be upset with Odin's term of address. It was the proper formal address for you. You couldn't be hurt that he wasn't friendlier toward you, toward the woman who married his son.

Odin was always an ass. He was the one who had banished you in the first place, just to protect his own secret. Yes, you wished you could be on better terms with your father-in-law. But it was never, ever going to happen. You had come to accept that.

At least Mama Frigga loved you like her own. She always had.

You wished she was here for Odin's big announcement.

You waited at attention for Odin to speak again, the boys waited equally formally with you. Odin didn't appear angry, so maybe he hadn't found out about Hela yet. That would be a blessing. "Thor, Loki, this has been a long time coming. It is no secret that my years are catching up with me and it is time that a proper heir be named," Loki and Thor both stiffened at this, anxious about the news. You knew they had been working their entire lives to be worthy of the throne, to be the one that Odin ultimately chose to become the next king of Asgard, the next Allfather. You caught a quick hint of doubt from Loki. He didn't think he'd ever be chosen. "As you are also aware, the throne does not go automatically to the eldest, but to the child who is most what Asgard needs," they both inclined their heads in agreement with these words. "You both bring your own strengths to the table as well as your own weaknesses,"

Odin paused there and you all waited with bated breath to hear what he would say next.

"Therefore I have decided that the most appropriate course of action is for an impartial trial to determine which of you will be the next king of Asgard," Odin announced. You weren't surprised. Frigga had warned you after all. Thor and Loki weren't either. Though they were both wary as to what this trial entailed.

"What is this trial?" Thor asked when the pause went too long.

"The Trial of Yggdrasil's Pools,"