Loki could not sleep that night. He had always been envious of his father's better treatment of his brother, and deep down, he always wanted to best him in battles. He would then gain the praise and worship of his people, and with the increase in popularity, he would have an easier path to one day becoming king.
Sadly, he had to admit he had no chance in a fair fight with his brother without tricks. Adding his people's love for warriors and slight disdain for magic, he believed he never stood a chance. But today, he saw a [Sorcerer] who defeated a [Warrior] in direct combat. He saw how his people loved said Sorcerer, and he wished it was him receiving these eyes of adoration.
'I must do something,' he thought, walking back and forth. 'The Midgard Sorcerer displayed abnormal physical prowess that was on par with Thor. He must have used a powerful spell or artifact. I must get my hands on it.' A mischievous light flashed in his eyes as he contemplated how he would achieve his goal.
Edward woke up from a state of meditation, and a servant told him Odin and Frigga wanted to see him for breakfast between only them. He knew the official meeting had started, and he was ready. After a brief eating session of Asgardian's delicacies, Odin started the conversation.
"What do you think of my sons?"
"They are great talents full of untapped potential," Edward replied. "Whoever is your successor will be an excellent choice."
"Oh, come on, I'm sure you've observed more than that," added Frigga.
"What do you want me to say?" Edward shrugged his shoulders.
"You can start with the truth. Tell us what you really think."
"The truth, huh?" he muttered. "Thor is not fit to be a king. He has the heart of a great hero, but that is all buried by his pride and arrogance. His idea of a good king is someone who is strong and can overcome everything with military might. I don't think I need to tell you what such a king would do to Asgard, which is currently in an era of peace and tranquility."
Odin was quiet. Although it was uncomfortable for people to tell him he raised his son poorly, he could not argue with these words as he had noticed some signs, especially that his son might not share some of his more peaceful views on governing. The current Thor reminded him of a young version of himself when he ruled the Nine Realms with an iron fist with the aid of his daughter — Hela.
"What about Loki?" asked Frigga.
"He has a great latent talent for sorcery. However, his character…"
"What's wrong with his character?" Odin asked. Loki was his most reliable son. Although somewhat mischievous, he believed he would one day be a great advisor to Thor's rule. The combination of Thor's might and Loki's intelligence would elevate Asgard to an era of greater prosperity.
"His envy of how much you favor Thor has twisted his mind and personality. Now, he is driven by the ambitions to become the next king, thinking only this way would he be able to prove something. Sadly, he's reached the point where he's willing to do anything for his ambition — including hurting his brother."
"Absurd!" Odin declared with a slightly raised voice. "I've never favored Thor, and Loki would never do such a thing."
"Are you sure? I know your wife has noticed for a fact," Edward replied calmly. "Isn't that why she spent so much time with him? Why do you think she taught him sorcery?"
"It can't be, right?" Odin looked at his wife. "Frigga, tell me it isn't true."
Frigga sighed, "I've mentioned this to you before. Back then, you would spend a few more days with Loki before focusing on Thor. But now, you don't even do that."
"I… always thought they had the greatest bond given how much time they spent together." Odin looked defeated, maybe even a little older, as he sat in his seat. "Is it really that bad?"
"Worse than you imagine," added Edward. "Once he discovers his true heritage, he will spiral out of control. His hatred will increase as he believes you lied to him, making him believe he might rule Asgard one day when he never had a choice. He will reject your love for him, thinking you only adopted him as a diplomatic move. Then, the only thing in his mind was destroying everything you or his brother hold dear."
"How can that be? How can he not know how much I love him?" Odin muttered.
"Hatred is a potent emotion," Edward commented.
"My poor child," uttered Frigga, resisting the urge to sob before a stranger.
"Am I such a terrible father?" Odin asked, and Frigga held his arm. Edward believes Odin was indeed, unintentionally, a bad father. Many of his decisions and actions led to how Loki and Hela turned out; they even contributed to many of Thor's suffering and the eventual destruction of Asgard.
However, his response was vague as he said: "That's not for me to comment."
The dining room became quiet for a good five minutes. Most people would feel uncomfortable in this silence, but not Edward; he remained quiet to give this old man time to process his words. Odin took a deep breath:
"If I understand correctly, some of the information you stated was because you saw the future?"
"That is correct."
"The Ancient One promised me you had something important to show me about the future?"
"See for yourself." Edward placed a device on the table that showed a hologram with images of one of the futures he saw. He chose specific events that focused on Asgard — like Loki interfering with Thor's crowning ceremony, Thor's banishment, the return of the Dark Elves, Frigga's death, Odin's death, Hela's return, the destruction of Asgard, New Asgard, and the main event, the Convergence where countless timelines crashed into each other.
Odin and Frigga had no words. Frigga was a witch with special abilities, so she had long predicted her death date, so she was relatively calm after she saw it. Meanwhile, Odin was growing weaker by the day and relied on the Odinsleep to keep him alive, so he was also not too concerned about his death. The true worry was their children's fate and Asgard's fate.
None of them could accept such a result. The worst part is after Asgard barely kept a flame of their former civilization with New Asgard on Midgard, they still faced annihilation after the Convergence started. Even Thor, their last descendant, did not survive this universal phenomenon.
Odin caressed his temple. "She told me it was bad, but I never thought it was this bad."
"We cannot allow this to happen." Frigga accepted her death because she knew this was a natural part of life. Furthermore, death was not true death for her as she would enter Valhalla afterward. However, she did so because she believed her children and her legacy would be fine after her departure.
"That's for sure, but what steps must we take?" Odin was old and tired; he grew closer to death every time he used the Odinforce. He had made many preparations to prevent this future, but he was tired both physically and mentally.
"That's why I'm here," Edward interjected. "I came here for an official allyship to prepare for the future."