A Lullaby For Gods Chapter 62 revised scene

The original 'Thor meets the King' scene from Chapter 62. I didn't like it, so I changed the character of the King of Vanaheim completely.

-

"What brings you here, Your Highness?"

The King of Vanaheim meets Thor's gaze with a smile, but there's a clear nervous edge to it. He's staring too hard, barely blinking, and there's beads of sweat rolling down his temple. The man looks like he would rather be anywhere than here. 

That's fair. The few times Thor showed up here uninvited, he'd left a bodycount of rebels in his wake. 

"I come in peace, I assure you," he says, raising his hands as if in surrender. "I merely wish to speak with you about that which ails your people."

Well, one of many things, as he's come to realize. But it'll be a start.

"I assure you, your warriors have taken care of the rebellion," the King says, "Vanaheim is at peace."

"Not the rebellion, Your Majesty. I'm not here for that," Thor says. The King only seems to grow even more nervous at that, confused as to why he's here. "I wish to speak to you about the sudden rise of troubling fugues among your people."

The King's brow furrows, lips turning down to a deeper frown, but whatever nervousness he'd been holding onto earlier dissipates, making way for incredulousness as he looks at Thor. "I'm afraid I don't understand why that would trouble Asgard, Your Highness," he says, "Yes, it has been quite the blow for our economy, with people leaving the cities for the holy lands, but - but it is still on Vanaheim. It doesn't disrupt Asgard's governance over us."

"It is the reason for these fugues, Your Majesty," Thor says. "The presence of the tyrant at the edge of the Nine Realms causing these people to manifest visions in alarming numbers."

The King closes his eyes, suddenly looking very tired, and less of a nervous assistant and more of a bone-weary monarch. He leans back into his seat, massaging his forehead, worn out and exhausted. 

"Yes," The King says. "Although I am...surprised this has caught Asgard's attention. Unless there have been fugues there as well?"

"It hasn't spread that far, at least for now," Thor says. "It likely will soon. I've just had my first fugue no less than an hour ago."

There's a ripple of gasps around the room, followed by hushed, disbelieving whispers. Thor watches as the King nods slowly.

"Your mother was a Vanir princess before she married your father," he says. "I suppose it's no surprise you're inheriting her gifts, although it might be more accurate to say they've been forcibly opened for you."

Thor nods. "So it seems," he says. "This plague appears to have also spread to Alfheim."

"It's hitting the realms with the highest concentration of seiðr," the King says. "And what does Asgard want of us?"

"We wish to shelter your people," Thor says. The whispers around them grow, and understandably so. This has never happened before. "Asgard is attempting to survey the threat at the edge of the Nine, and according to our own völur, war is inevitable. We wish to offer shelter for your people."

"For what?" the King asks. "You'll have to forgive me, Your Highness, but considering the circumstances, this is...well, surprising is an underwhelming word for it."

"Because it is our duty to do so," Thor says. "This tyrant coming for us - they call her The Empress, and conquering realms to her is child's play. There's a possibility she can wipe all of us out easily. She was able to blast Heimdall off his station when she's still at the edge of our universe."

"By the Yggdrasil," the King breathes out, stunned. Thor sees a few of the handmaids' eyes widen at the news. 

"She could simply be biding her time because she knows she could destroy us easily," Thor says, "And so we - " He falters. 

But he's already here. He's fought his father to get here. He's come this far, and there's no going back now, he might as well say it out loud and hope he doesn't get laughed at.

"We wish to unite the realms to stand against this enemy," Thor says.

A hush falls over the hall. Where there were whispers before, there is only stunned silence. 

Thor looks up at the King, who only looks at him with wariness. It's warranted, of course. Vanaheim has just been through a rebellion and a subsequent quelling of it. For all they know, they could be walking into Asgard just to be massacred. 

He knows he could just order all of Vanaheim to evacuate to Asgard. He's the crown prince, he's got the authority to do so -  but that would undermine what he's trying to do, what he's trying to start, the sins he's trying to lift off of his shoulders. 

He wonders, idly, if he's only doing this to ease his own guilt and not out of the goodness of his heart. The thought makes something bitter roil in his stomach, leaving something sour in his mouth that tastes a lot like being a fraud.

"Your Majesty," Thor says, lowering himself to a knee and training his gaze on the stone floor. "I know the sins of Asgard against your realm."

The hall remains quiet as he speaks, everyone in the room waiting with baited breath to hear what he has to say. 

"But please believe me when I say all I want is to help," he says, "I do not wish for bloodshed any longer, and I do not wish for needless death." 

He doesn't dare look up, doesn't want to know if the King is glaring down at him, at his audacity to speak about peace when he is a herald of war. 

"I beg you, Your Majesty," Thor says, "Please help me try to save the Nine Realms."

There's quiet in the hall again. There has been, for a while. He's been the only one talking since the first bout of silence fell upon everyone else.

His lungs might as well be on fire from how much he's holding his breath, but eventually - mercifully - the King finally speaks.

"Leave us, Your Highness," he says. "I need to speak with my men. I will send for you later." There's a snap of fingers. "Show Prince Thor his quarters for the night."

Thor rises to his feet. There's not much he can do now, he can only wait for what the King will decide. 

So he nods, and bows deeply. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he says.

If the King refuses, he can try to plead again, but if he refuses again...

Thor sighs. He can try to at least warn the King of the threat that's coming. He knows he'll heed that, at the very least, even if he cannot offer Asgard's protection. It will claw at his anxiety for days on end, but forcing everyone to go to Asgard won't do any good. He needs to foster a partnership between the realms to coordinate a defense, not manhandle everyone and take on all the responsibility of a task so grand.

He'll have to wait, and pray to every higher being out there that whatever happens, everyone's going to come out the other side alright.