2 02: The Adoption of Loki Odinson

Having made his decision, Odin calmly placed his hand on the baby's forehead. A dim golden light shone around his palm, showering the boy in radiance, and when the light dissipated, his skin was no longer blue. Instead, it was an ivory tone with a hint of porcelain-like smoothness.

The king then tapped the ground with his spear and made a telepathic link with the chief of the army that was currently on Jotunheim. 'I am going back to Asgard. Control the rest of the Frost Giants before returning home through the Bifrost.'

'Yes, my lord,' responded the chief before cutting the telepathic link and doing as instructed.

Odin nodded in satisfaction before looking up at the sky and calling out, "Heimdall, open the Bifrost!"

A kaleidoscopic beam of light tore through space and struck the ground where Odin stood before guiding him and Loki to the Bifrost room in Asgard.

"Congratulations on your victory, my Lord," said Heimdall with reverence before freezing as he saw the baby in Odin's arms. "I-Is that?"

Odin nodded. "Laufey's son."

"If I may ask, what do you plan to do with him?" he asked Odin, confused. It was not every day that someone would carry the son of his enemy in his arms.

"It depends on Frigga," responded Odin before walking out of the room while placing a small illusion to hide Loki.

With a calm expression, hiding his inner turmoil, Odin walked on a rainbow bridge toward his Castle. As he passed by the guards, they all bowed to him with loyalty and admiration—for he had just ended a millennia old war that had killed countless Asgardians.

Asgard was both the name of a realm and the major city of the same realm. The city stood encircled by gigantic mountains hosting various mythical animals. It is shining with golden spires, grand halls, and sweeping bridges.

At the very heart of the city stood the grand palace of the Allfather. It is a complex building made of sprawling towers and is surrounded by high walls adorned with intricate carvings and ancient runes.

Arriving in front of Thor's room, Odin took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in," said a voice from behind the door.

Odin opened the door and came face to face with a gorgeous woman with long brown hair knotted in a crown-like style. She had a warm smile on her face and in her hands was a baby with blue eyes and blond hair.

"Hello dear, I did not expect you to come back this soon. Is something the matter?" she asked, though her smile blossomed higher than before.

"No, nothing is wrong," responded Odin before revealing the baby in his hand.

"What is this?" She looked flabbergasted. She wanted to scream at him, but she knew that would be unbecoming and immature of her as a queen. She released a deep sigh, her fists clenched, and asked, "Is it yours?"

Odin shook his head "No, it is not, I wouldn't betray you" he said, hoping to appease her. He then handed her the baby, trying to evoke her motherly instinct.

"So, why are you bringing him here?" she asked, a bit confused as to why her husband would have brought a child here just returning from the battlefield. Frigga was a talented sorceress, and she astutely discerned that there was a spell hiding the true looks of the baby. So, she squinted her eyes and used magic to look.

As she saw his blue skin, she almost dropped him on the ground. "A frost Giant?!" she said, almost shouting.

"Laufey's son," added Odin with a small voice.

"Laufey's son?!" Her face was one of disbelief. Why would anyone ever take the baby of his enemy in his hands like that? "Why... Ah, I understand. You want us to adopt him, right?" Her face looked thoughtful as she ruminated on the idea.

Odin nodded, acknowledging that this was his idea. "Yes, I hope that if Thor and him have a brotherly bond, they could both create a union between our realms and stop this unending war."

She frowned her eyes "Odin, I understand your intentions and I am ok with this but don't mix work and family, this only brings disaster."

"I know, dear," responded the king with a warm voice.

"Then we have no problem; we will adopt him; however, he will NOT be raised differently than Thor!"

"Yes, I had no intention of doing that," said Odin. She did, however, not believe him as he said this, for she knew him too much.

After a long minute of silence, Frigga looked at the kid with a smile back on her face. She extended him her finger and unwillingly, forced by his instinct, the boy gripped it as if it was a candy. "What a cute kid. What's his name?" she asked, already starting to like him.

"He doesn't have one yet. Do you want to name him?" Odin leaned toward them and patted the boy's cheek.

"With pleasure." Her eyes trailed down at the boy's eyes, observing their strange glowing cyan color—a rare color even for Frost Giants. "Hmmm... what about Loki Odinson" she finally said.

"Then it is decided, as of now, this little boy is ours."

As Frigga cradled the baby in her arms, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of protectiveness towards him. Despite his origins, she could see the potential for greatness in his bright blue eyes. She smiled down at him, stroking his smooth ivory skin, and whispered, "Welcome to our family, little Loki."

As they sat there, the new family of four, Odin couldn't help but feel a sense of hope for the future. With Thor and Loki by his side, he knew that he could create a lasting peace between Asgard and Jotunheim. And maybe, just maybe, he could heal the wounds of a millennia-old war.