In the royal palace, Odin presented himself before his subjects to make a grand announcement: the return of his two heirs and their upcoming ascension to the throne.
Beside him, Frigga remained calm and composed, but if you looked closely, you could notice her restrained impatience.
After the announcement, he organized a feast that would last three days and three nights, with free food and drink for everyone. The Asgardians, from commoners to the mightiest warriors, enjoyed the feast, celebrating their king's decision in a large royal dining hall set up in the palace courtyard.
Once everyone had left, the throne room was practically empty, except for the guards. Odin dismissed them with a gesture, telling them to join the feast. At first they objected, but Frigga's cold stare made them obey immediately.
Soon, only eight people remained in the hall: Odin, Frigga, Heimdall, Thor, Jane, Loki, Natasha, and Jean.
With the others gone, they set aside formalities and began speaking as a family.
Heimdall, who had already anticipated the arrival of the heirs, took charge of organizing the public welcome at the exact moment of their arrival.
Odin, with his imposing figure, approached Thor and Loki. Thor, accustomed to this type of display, walked forward smiling and embraced him.
Odin responded with a few pats on the back, saying,
"Good to have you back."
Loki watched from the side. In the past, he probably would have made a sarcastic remark… but this time he did not.
When Thor stepped back, Odin looked at Loki, who began to speak:
"You seem one step closer to the…"
Before he could finish, Odin also embraced him proudly:
"You've grown a lot. It's also a pleasure to see you again, son."
Loki blinked in surprise for a moment, then returned the hug before stepping back.
Frigga, for her part, greeted Jane and Natasha warmly:
"And to think I would live to see my children settle down."
Jane smiled, while Natasha tried to speak but closed her mouth before saying a word.
Frigga noticed and said to her,
"I know what you want to say." She took both of Natasha's hands and held them. "Don't worry, everything in its own time."
Natasha nodded, understanding and not understanding at the same time.
The moment didn't last long. Frigga released her immediately, and as if all the emotion she had been holding back was unleashed, she smiled while looking downward.
Behind Natasha, timidly hidden, was Jean. Frigga saw her and addressed her:
"You must be Jean, miss. It's a pleasure to meet you."
She extended her hand, which Jean took after a moment of hesitation. Frigga hugged her gently while continuing to speak animatedly with the little girl.
After a while of conversation, both groups caught up, until Odin resumed his serious tone:
"Let's talk about the successor to the throne."
Both became serious. After Malekith's invasion, their trial had been partially interrupted. Odin did not give them orders, he only told them to follow the paths they chose and that he would watch them.
Over time, they got used to it and acted normally.
But just when they expected a result, Odin said something unexpected:
"Unfortunately, there was a problem with your trials."
"Problem?" they asked, confused.
"The problem is that the trial was not fair."
The siblings looked at each other, even more confused.
"Not fair?"
"Neither of you had an advantage or disadvantage, objective or mission… how could it not be fair?"
"I am not referring to you," Frigga intervened, raising even more questions. If she wasn't referring to them, who was she talking about?
"Exactly. The truth is that both of you had the same chances to inherit the throne," Odin sighed with regret. "But there should be a third contestant in the battle for the throne."
Before they could ask, Odin lifted a thick, ancient book that appeared from who knows where.
Thor was not surprised, but Loki was, and Jean, nearby, opened her eyes in astonishment.
Frigga, beside him, smiled and raised her hand, pulling out a similar book from a pocket dimension with magic. Jean could not help but exclaim with excitement:
"Incredible!"
The brothers, somewhat distracted, quickly returned their gaze to the book Odin had presented.
Thor did not recognize it, but Loki did: it was a widely known history book in Asgard. Opening it and reading the first page, he was surprised:
[Chronicles of the Wars of the God-King
This book narrates the battles and conquests carried out under the command of the sacred Odin Borson, All-Father, Lord of the Nine Realms, and God-King of Asgard. Here is recounted how, with wisdom and strength, he built an empire that united the worlds under the golden banner of his spear Gungnir. But it was not the All-Father alone who achieved victory, rather with the help of his great generals, chosen among the most powerful sons of Asgard.
The most important, of course, was Hela, Odin's firstborn, feared as the Goddess of Death, whose power shook armies and broke entire kingdoms. But she was not the only one; alongside her marched other champions of the crown, whose loyalty and steel forged the foundations of Asgard's eternal dominion.
May the pages of this chronicle reveal both the glory and the blood that shaped the legacy of the All-Father, so that no generation forgets the price of order nor the names of those who made it possible.]
Surprised, Loki looked at Odin:
"Hela… Goddess of Death, Odin's firstborn?"
Thor, still confused, was surprised by his sister's words, though his surprise soon gave way to curiosity:
"How come we didn't know we had a sister?"
"It's a long story," Odin said before sitting on his throne and continuing.
"Hela was my firstborn. She was born at a time when the law was battle to the death and conquest. Raised from a young age as a prodigy of war, she earned my trust as second-in-command. Those who opposed her, Hela silenced herself."
"But times changed. As a young man, I was impulsive, wanting to conquer everything, but as I grew I understood the true magnitude and power of the universe. Not wanting to continue wars, I signed the nine realms and ended the conquest, seeking a new era of peace."
"Hela, raised for conquest, did not agree. She accused me of cowardice and sought to rebel to take the throne by force. With no other choice, I had to stop her. Her strength made it impossible to defeat her, so I sealed her."
"So strong?" Thor said, surprised. Always proud of his own strength, he had never imagined facing someone like that, even if Hela could not directly oppose the All-Father.
Odin responded with a comparison:
"The Valkyries of that era were feared throughout the universe as one of Asgard's main forces. Today's Valkyries are just a shadow compared to them. They tried to stop Hela… none returned alive. That was the end of the first generation of Valkyries."
Thor was moved, imagining the battle, while Loki frowned.
"And you want to give the throne to someone like her?"
Odin remained silent for a few moments, then shook his head:
"It is not so, but my actions may have been wrong. Perhaps…" he paused, looking Loki in the eyes, "Perhaps she can change. She has the right to a second chance."
"I will give her a chance. A chance to change. And if she does, the battle for the throne will begin again."
After a silence, he looked at both:
"This will be your responsibility. I will not intervene beyond freeing her. Once free, you will handle the situation… and decide her fate."
Though Thor and Loki did not fully understand why they had to assume the responsibility, they accepted the decision.
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