WHAT IF... Hela Won The Fight

5.

Hela was standing in the throne room. The only other person who was there with her was Frigga.

"We should tell him, mother. He's not a boy anymore." Hela said.

"But he's not a man either. It will only hurt him." Frigga replied worriedly.

"It will hurt him more if we stall it." Hela argued. "Someone has to tell him. If not you, I will."

Frigga sighed and sat on the stairs to the throne. This was all too much for her. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be for Loki.

They argued for a little longer before Frigga finally gave up and agreed with Hela.

That day, she went to Loki's quarters.

She sent the guards out to make sure their conversation was going to be discreet, and then she knocked on the steady door made of gold metal.

After hearing a "come in", she opened the door.

Loki was sitting on his couch, a book in hand – as usual.

"Loki, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." She confessed.

Loki sensed the importance of the upcoming conversation, put down his book and sat straighter.

"What is it, mother?" He asked. He was worried, he's never heard his mother speak so seriously. Maybe something happened, what if something happened with Thor or Hela, maybe they're injured or worse, and maybe Frigga was here to deliver the news...

"I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, but I've been trying to postpone it for as long as possible." The Queen looked at the floor, not quite sure where to start. She should've prepared it, but it's too late now, isn't it?

Meanwhile, Loki frowned. He was trying to make sense of the situation, but for some reason, he couldn't understand what was going on.

"The day when Hela and your father returned from the war of Jotunheim, The Casket of ancient winters wasn't the only thing they brought to Asgard." Frigga continued. She was now looking into her son's green eyes. The eyes that he would soon learn were just an illusion.

With the first sentence said, Loki's face turned even paler than was normal. He didn't want to, but deep down, he's already realised it.

"After the battle was over, they found a baby in the castle. Too small for a giant's offspring. You. He brought you to Asgard, wanting to raise you as his son. And for the first time I held you, I knew I would always love you as my own." She tried to explain. But she only felt like she was making things worse.

"Odin cast an illusion on you so that you'd never feel different..." Frigga said. Then, she closed her eyes and waved her hand.

The illusion slowly faded. It started with Loki's hands. He looked at them, not sure if he could believe his eyes. He rose and took a few steps to a mirror to see his face.

Instead of the usual pale skin, there was blue. Instead of the cunning green eyes, there was red.

Frigga hurried after her son.

"So, what am I? Laufey's bastard son? The son of a monster? I-" The Prince started to stutter, not knowing what to say.

Frigga reached for his hand to comfort him, wanting to say something, but quickly pulled away as the cold burned her.

Loki turned around. He just now realised that this was his true form, and that people would get hurt by just touching him.

He put the illusion back on and hurried to his mother.

"I'm alright, I'm alright. Really, it's nothing..." She mumbled.

This was going horribly. Even more so than she imagined.

"I- please, excuse me." Loki said with a panicked voice and rushed through the door.

He was running through the halls. He wanted out, somewhere where he could be alone.

So he ran to the gardens. He ran, not looking at the men and women of court, he didn't care that he should stop at every single one of them, wait for them to bow to him and then politely ask how they were doing.

He ran, and he ran, and he ran. Finally, he arrived to the edge of the garden. There was a big tree that looked impossible to climb.

But if one looked closely, he could see steps cut into it. It was one of Loki's favourite hiding places.

He sat on the treetop. There was a magnificent view from up there. Almost all of his home could be seen from there.

But now, he wasn't sure if he could call it his home. After all, he wasn't even an Asgardian. He was a Jotun, a cold-hearted enemy of Asgard.

A crack pulled him out of his thoughts.

He looked down to see his brother. Or, well... He wasn't sure if he could address him that way.

"Thor?" He asked. His voice was shaky, it must've been obvious that he was on the verge of tears. But maybe Thor would be ignorant enough not to notice that.

"Brother! Can I go up?" Thor replied in his usual loud voice.

Loki nodded and Thor started climbing.

"I've been wanting to talk to you, brother." Thor said when he finally got up.

Loki sighed. Not again.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I... I know that mother told you..." Thor started. Loki looked up to face his brother. He had to admit, he didn't expect that from him.

"You knew?" Loki asked. He felt betrayed. He trusted his brother with his life, he hoped he would tell him something like this.

"Well..." Thor started.

"For how long?" Loki asked sharply. This time, he let Thor speak.

"I was suspicious of it for a while. But then I heard mother and sister. They didn't know I was in the room when they discussed it. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how." He admitted.

"So... What you're saying is that you aren't mad?" Loki asked him.

"What should I be mad about?" Thor asked, confused.

"About me, being a..., you know..., a Frost giant." Loki said the name of his species with a certain poisonous tone in his voice.

Frigga or Hela had never said anything bad about Frost giants. But Loki knew that every other child in the whole Asgard was told stories about them, stories in which the main monsters and villains were Frost giants.

"Loki, look at me." Thor told him. Loki rose his eyes to meet his brother's.

"You are my brother. We grew up together, we played together, we fought together. Nothing will change that. You're a frost giant? That's awesome! Do you understand that?" Thor said.

Loki smiled. He wanted to say something but Thor didn't let him. He pulled his brother into a tight hug.

Normally, Loki would pull himself away, telling Thor to stop and that he would crush his bones, maybe he'd stab him. But this time, he didn't say anything. He just rested his head on his brother's shoulder, looking at the Rainbow Bridge reflecting the sun.

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A/N: A cute, maybe a bit sad, chapter, wasn't it? But I really enjoyed writing it. I hope you did too,
Cissy.