The Unknown

Chapter 32: Decisions

As the light shined over every nook and cranny of Asgard, as it bloomed life into every flower and woke every child, the Queen of Asgard was not as fortunate. She hadn't left the dungeons too long ago, spending the night with her son and grandson, making sure they weren't taken without her knowledge. She had left to change and even then, she heard word that Odin had made his way to the dungeons as if he was waiting for her to leave. Running back to the dungeons as gracefully as possible, ignoring the looks that were sent by soldiers and servants, she knew the rumours were true when she saw even more guards stood inside the entrance of the dungeons.

Pushing past several of them, Frigga saw Odin stood in front of their cell, Loki stood protectively in front of Fenrir, whose eyes were red, teeth were sharp and growing, and his claws had come through. Frigga knew it wouldn't take much for Odin to step closer and Fenrir would completely go into his wolf form. Loki, however, she could sense his magic itching to be released. Overnight, it had returned but he still wasn't as powerful as he was before. Odin was the first to notice Frigga as father and son kept their eyes on Odin. Odin said, "Frigga".

She quickly interrupted him from saying anything more and asked, "what decision has been made?"

"I was waiting on you, my Queen," Odin said and for the first time in their thousands of years together, she saw something in his eyes that she rarely ever saw. Fear. Fear that she saw when they went to battle, every time Asgard was under attack, even when she was giving birth to Thor. It was the fear of losing her. She truly loved her husband, as he loved her, but he also knew her love as a mother to both her children was strong. Strong enough for her to leave and live in heartbreak outside of Asgard.

"The decision?"

Odin looked between Frigga and the cell before Frigga walked closer and stood in front of him so he could look at the three of them together, even if they were separated by the cell. "A decision of peace," Odin said.

"You're going to kill us," Fenrir said.

"No," the answer surprising them all but not as much as Odin's next words did, "I'm letting you go".

"What?" Frigga gasped.

At the same time, Fenrir returned fully to his natural appearance, Loki glared at Odin and said, "the conditions? You would never let us go knowing we could come back and start Ragnarok".

Odin nodded knowing it was the truth so he answered "your daughter, Dahlia, is mortal because of her mother and from what I have been informed, wizard lives on Midgard are longer than mortals', but not by much".

Fenrir glared and said, "what are you getting at?" Not knowing about wizard biology but he knew his sister was being used to get them to agree to whatever Odin would suggest.

"I offer a solution. With you being her father, she has the potential to age like us," Odin then brought a golden apple of Idun.

The people of Asgard many generations ago ate the apples to retain their youth as they would all live for thousands of years, but the apples slowed down their physical ageing which is why many were given them as young children or even babies. As generations passed, children were being born with the already genetic ability that after a year or so of ageing, their ageing would slow down naturally without the apples. It became rare that anyone ever needed them. Loki was aware that the frost giants had their own method of preserving youth and it had something to do with them being connected to their world, the power of Jotunehim allowed them to age slowly like the Asgardians. Unlike other frost giants, Loki aged because as a baby, he was given the apple but Loki knew that trying to extend Dahlia's life through frost giant methods wouldn't work because Dahlia hadn't aged on Jotunheim and biologically her father aged through Asgardian methods. The fact that she also has Aesir magic would be a danger for her.