Sylvie's POV

The next few nights..

I got to return to my bed only around midnight these days. I was back to the grind after fourteen years. I had to catch up with the new changes in administration, as well as get acquainted with the new ministers. That really sucked out my energy completely. I couldn't work on my plan during the day for obvious reasons, so the nights were the only time I had in my hand. My eyes begged me to sleep, but I knew there would be sleepless nights for days if I wanted to do it. I had around ten glasses of energy potion in the last few nights to get me going through the work and research; it took a toll on me later on. But I didn't really care about it.
I had to do it for the universe, for Asgard. For him.

To start with, I first had to go through each detail of destruction Loki did, as well as step-by-step transformation and its reason. I closed my eyes and recalled the few hours after returning to Asgard.

*****

"Heimdall, I am ready to return home," I said it loud and clear. 'The tour is finally over!' I shouted in my mind. Fourteen years passed by slowly, yet ironically quickly. I just couldn't wait any longer to return home now.

Just then I saw blinding lights envelop me, and the next thing I realised, I was travelling through space. Within moments, I landed in a round golden room with circular intricate designs on its walls. I reached the Bifrost. I closed my eyes and tried standing steady. I had not used the Bifrost for years, and travelling through it made me dizzy. I smiled on opening my eyes. A man taller than me in golden armour and eyes of the same colour stood with his shield on a raised platform.
"Did Princess Sylvie enjoy her tour?" he asked.
"Nothing would have made me happier," I replied.

We exchanged a warm embrace. "Great to meet you after years. You have changed," he said.
"I missed you too Uncle Heimdall. I am so happy to meet you again!" I squealed.
"So, how's Asgard doing behind my back?"
"You might want to see it yourself. The Queen arranged transportation for you." He gestured to two horses standing outside the Bifrost, a guard perched atop on one.

I mounted on the white stallion while the guard took charge of my luggage. I was about to leave when Heimdall interrupted. "Sylvie," he called out. I turned the horse around. He smiled and said, "Welcome back home."
"Thank you. I will be back soon." I wanted to talk to him but Asgard was calling me.

Sweet-smelling air seeped in my lungs as I rode through the Rainbow Bridge. My heart melted as I saw the golden realm and the magnificent palace in its middle. Home sweet home at last.
I ordered the guard to take my luggage to the Prague palace while I went to visit my family. The Asgardian family. As I reached the Asgard palace, I was half running to the throne room. My heart longed to see them, meet them. You can't blame me.

I gazed at three people who stared at me as I almost barged into the throne room. I was riding high on excitement and happiness, but I had to control myself in front of the All-Father. I curtseyed before them.
"Princess Sylvie, welcome back to Asgard. Pleasure to have you back," Odin commented. "I hope you enjoyed and benefited from the tour."
"I am glad to have seized this opportunity. I promise it will benefit all of us," I said confidently.
"Good. We will meet later. I have some urgent affairs to attend at the moment," All-Father announced as he left.

I turned to my two most favourite people, who stood there quietly since I arrived. I almost ran and hugged Frigga tight as soon as Odin left. It felt like I was away from my own mother for years. Oh Almighty, I was already getting emotional. I pulled away and held her by the shoulders. She had not changed much, but she was ageing. Still she looked elegant in her light green royal dress and golden breastplates with her amber coloured hair styled beautifully with a gold hair clutch.
"You missed me, didn't you?" I asked emotionally.
"I couldn't help but miss the only daughter I have every day," she answered, with her motherly gaze on me.

A few tears dripped down my cheeks. She called me daughter. Frigga did it.
She wiped off my tears. "Welcome home." She was tearing up too.

I immediately turned to Thor standing beside her. I almost jumped and he gave me a bone-crushing hug. I missed my half-brother too, no doubt.
As we parted, he flinched when I punched him playfully on his abdomen. "Look at you, Prince Charming. Already ready to woo princesses out there, huh," I smirked. He was a lot taller than me now. His ripped biceps and chiseled physique showed he trained for hours to make that warrior body. Stubble on his jaw and blonde hair grown below the shoulder looked good on him. The dark grey warrior armour with the red cape really made him look like a king, rather than a prince. He looked a lot more handsome than before.

Thor chuckled. "You have changed a lot too. You honour your title of 'Goddess of Beauty' very well."
"Thank you. By the way I know something about you."
"What?"
"I know you didn't miss me."
He widened his eyes. "As a matter of fact, I did."
"No you didn't."
"Yes, I did."
"No.."
"Yes! You can ask Mother right here." he defended. Frigga was already smiling at our brotherly-sisterly banter.

"Where's Loki? He better not be off to some mischief during my arrival." I commented. He was the first face I expected to see. And now no sign of him. I thought I would meet him when he would come pick me up from the Bifrost.

Their faces fell as I asked them. "Why the long faces? What happened?" I tried cheering them up. Was something wrong?
And then I heard the words I never expected to hear in eternity.
"Loki has turned rogue."

*****

It started two years ago, on Thor's coronation day. Everything was fine; the rituals and traditions carried out well. Just as Odin was pronouncing Thor as king, he sensed Frost Giants entering the most secure treasure vault of Asgard. The coronation was called off in the middle due to the state of emergency.

Odin and his sons went to check on the security breach at the vault. The 'Casket of Ancient Winters' was left untouched and the Frost Giants destroyed by the Destroyer, the safekeeper of the vault. It was a surprise, since nothing goes past Heimdall and yet Frost Giants attempted to break into the vault. Thor insisted on going to war with the giants, but Odin forbade him to do so.

An adamant person he is, Thor lured Loki and his warrior friends Sif, Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg into going to Jotunheim and ask Laufey, the king of the Jotuns, for answers. They sneaked to Jotunheim behind Odin's back, but things didn't go as planned. A battle ensued between them, until Odin intervened and got the warriors back to Asgard. The fragile truce between Jotunheim and Asgard made centuries ago was now disturbed.

For Thor's arrogance, Odin stripped Thor of his godly power and exiled him to Earth as a mortal, accompanied by his hammer Mjölnir, now protected by an enchantment that allowed only the worthy to wield it. He met Dr. Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis and Dr. Erik Selvig, who helped him get through his exile on Midgard. He found Mjölnir, only to realise he was incapable of wielding it again.

Not bearing his loss of getting the casket back, Laufey's next target was acquiring the Tesseract for his mission, which was, at that time, in protection of Midgardians. Frost Giants invaded Midgard, but Thor nearly sacrificed himself to stop them from getting it. This made him worthy of Mjölnir, and with its help, Thor killed off the invaders. Impressed by his son's accomplishment, Odin called off Thor's exile and he came back to Asgard.

In the meanwhile, during the feud with Jotuns, Loki saw his hands turning blue when a Frost Giant touched him. He was in disbelief, since his friends were injured due to the touch of Jotuns, but Loki didn't. His suspicion was soon confirmed when he saw his true Jotun self after holding the casket. Odin later revealed to him that he was adopted and was in fact, Laufey's biological son. Loki immediately left Asgard, realizing he was just a pawn in making Jotun-Asgardian relation stronger.

Even after Thor returned to Asgard, there was no sign of Loki anywhere. He used strong evil sorcery to hide himself even from Heimdall. Six months ago, Loki was noticed with the Jotuns and Chitauris as they successfully captured the realm of Nornheim. In four months, Thanos and Laufey captured Alvheim and Sceelheim too with Loki's help. Two months ago, during the battle at Svartalfhiem, Odin intervened and arrested Loki while Thanos and Laufey fled away. Since then, Loki had been in prison for his gruesome crimes. Innumerous attempts were made for Loki to reveal the truth, but in vain.

The order and peace in the Nine Realms were completely disturbed. Millions were killed; Loki murdered thousands alone in his invasions. 'Destruction, death, massacres, depression' were the only words the realms cried aloud. Till date, Odin, Thor, Frigga, and Senatra were working day and night to restore the Peace. And I arrived at Asgard in the middle of this huge chaos.

*****

I stared in disbelief when Thor and Frigga explained everything. I just couldn't believe any word they were speaking.

Loki, an adopted Odinson?
Loki, a Frost Giant?
Loki, rightful Prince of Jotunheim?
Loki, a mass murderer?
Loki, a traitor?
I put my face in my hands. I couldn't wrap my head around these revelations.
Why Loki, why?

Frigga patted me on my back to comfort me. All the excitement, the happiness of returning to Asgard vanished in thin air. "It's going to be difficult for you to cope up. We shouldn't have told you all this now.  she commented.

I disagreed. "It was better I got to know it at the start. At least I won't be oblivious from the truth now, as I was earlier."
Both Thor and Frigga looked at each other, noticing the edge in my voice. I wasn't knowing anything about this on my trip. An inter-realm war broke out when I was out on tour, and I had no idea about it. It was purely dangerous for my life.
"We were going to either get you back to Asgard, or notify you about the invasions. But Odin prevented it, saying that you shall be called only in the worst of situations." Thor explained.

I was frustrated. "Worst of situations? As if anything is more worse than three realms captured by power-greedy men," I mocked. Why did Odin do this? Keep me away from the crisis? Destruction of realms was not a good enough reason to call me back on duty?
But most importantly, how did I not have the slightest idea about it? I could read minds and hear people's thoughts. Then why wasn't I able to track this fact down?

How? And why?

I was about to vent my frustration more when a guard entered and announced that Odin called upon Thor. Before leaving, he looked at me and gave me a curt nod. I fidgeted with my hands, trying to cool down the rage in me.
Frigga held my hands gently and gave me a smile. "Let's not dwell on this matter for now. Tell me everything you saw out there in the universe."

I hesitated at first as I wanted to know more about Loki, about his acts; but you can't persuade Mother once she changes topic. I tried telling her in brief about my experience in those realms. She seemed to listen to me, but not quite eagerly. Something was amiss.

I interrupted my explanation. "Mother, is there something wrong?"
She looked down at her hands for a brief moment. "Nothing's wrong darling. Don't worry."
I tilted my head as I narrowed my eyes. If she knew me like an open book, I also knew her well. Why shouldn't I worry seeing sorrow in her eyes? In Mother's eyes?
"Mother," I pleaded.

She got up and walked to the window, her back facing towards me. I walked over to her, held her by the shoulders and turned her around. A tear fell down her cheek as she said,
"Loki disowned me as his mother." 

*****

A.N. : I am sorry if I rushed the revelation of the past too much, but I couldn't risk the book getting longer and boring to read due to it. Also I twisted the 'Thor' movie plot in this story, retaining only the first half of it as original. FYI Yes, here Thanos and Laufey have teamed up together to rule over the realms, not just one of them.
     I hope you are enjoying the plotline. This is my very first attempt at writing, so I am a complete amateur in this. I am going to twist the plots of MCU a lot in this fiction, so please do tell me if there are any plotholes in the story.

Thank you for reading!
Till then, stay tuned!