For a moment, Eirlys simply stood there with that familiar soft smile, taking Thor in as though she needed to make certain that the man standing before her was really the same boy she had known all those years ago. Then the surprise on her face melted into something warmer, and before Thor could say another word, she gathered the skirts of her robes and ran towards him.
Thor barely had time to laugh before she threw her arms around him. His reaction was instinctive. He caught her around the waist and lifted her clean off the ground, turning with her as her laughter echoed through the hall. Eirlys squealed in protest, though she made no genuine attempt to escape, her arms tightening around his shoulders as Thor held her against him.
"Put me down, you enormous giant!"
"You ran into my arms," Thor said, laughing.
"I ran to greet you. I did not give you permission to throw me around like a child."
"You are still smaller than me."
"I'm a woman, of my appropriate size."
Thor finally lowered her, though he kept one arm around her waist as if years apart had somehow given him the right to make up for lost time all at once. Eirlys looked up at him, still smiling, and for a few moments the destruction surrounding them seemed almost forgotten. She had no idea.
She didn't know about the Bifrost, or about Loki's attempt to take the throne, and certainly not about the fight between the two brothers. She was clueless even the way Thor had returned to Asgard carrying anger he did not know where to put. She had not even known he had been sent to Earth.
"What happened to you?" she asked, looking him over. "Last I heard, you were being dramatic somewhere in Asgard. Then suddenly there is a summons from Odin, and now you look as though you have personally fought an army."
Thor's smile faltered which Eirlys noticed immediately. Her playful expression faded as her eyes moved over the bruising along his face and the exhaustion he had failed to hide.
"Thor?"
He looked away.
"What happened?"
"Nothing I cannot handle."
She rolled her eyes. "That wasn't what I asked."
There was no teasing in her voice now. She reached up and gently touched the bruise near his temple, her fingers barely grazing his skin.
Thor sighed. "It has been… a difficult few days."
Eirlys studied him for another moment. She did not press him in front of the guards, but the concern in her eyes was unmistakable. "You could have told me."
"I know."
"You could have sent word."
"I know."
"And if you tell me that everything is fine or in your hands, I will personally ask Odin to punish you."
That finally made him laugh. "There she is."
Eirlys smiled again, relieved to see even a little of the Thor she remembered. Neither of them noticed Loki watching from the corridor above.
He had meant only to see who had arrived. Rather, he found himself standing perfectly still. Thor had always been affectionate. Loki knew that better than anyone. His brother was incapable of keeping his hands to himself when he was happy, always clapping someone's shoulder or pulling friends into some ridiculous embrace.
But this felt different. Perhaps it was the way Eirlys had run to him without hesitation. Maybe, it was the way Thor had caught her as though he had been waiting years to do exactly that. Or perhaps it was the softness in his brother's face that Loki had almost never seen directed at him.
There was something painfully effortless about them. They did not need to explain themselves. They did not need permission to be close. Years apart had vanished within seconds of seeing one another.
Loki looked away. A strange bitterness settled somewhere beneath his ribs. He told himself it was irritation. It had nothing to do with the way Eirlys had looked at Thor. Nothing to do with the uncomfortable thought that she had arrived in Asgard and, within moments, had reminded Loki exactly what it looked like when someone was genuinely happy to see you.
And certainly nothing to do with the fact that, for the first time, Loki understood why everyone might believe that Princess Eirlys Freyadóttir had always belonged beside Thor.
Before Thor could say anything more, Eirlys caught his hand and pulled him along. "Come on. I want to see Sif and the others."
Thor laughed as he followed her, already knowing there was no point arguing with her. Together, they hurried through the palace corridors to find Sif, Fandral, Volstagg, and Hogun, leaving behind the heavy atmosphere that had surrounded Thor since his return.
For the first time in days, he looked almost like himself. But Loki remained behind. Alone.
While Eirlys was busy reuniting with the people she had missed, Odin and Frigga had already withdrawn to a private chamber. Her father, King Freyadóttir, the ruler of Vanaheim, was waiting there with them. The doors were closed. No guards were permitted inside.
Odin looked across the chamber at the King of Vanaheim, his expression grave. "There is another reason I asked you to come."
King Freyadóttir studied him carefully. "I assumed there was."
Frigga remained silent beside Odin, allowing her husband to speak.
"My son has lost his way," Odin said. "And I fear punishment alone will not bring him back."
The King listened without interruption.
"I believe he needs someone beside him," Odin continued. "Someone who will neither fear him nor simply obey him."
There was a pause. Then Odin said the word that changed the nature of the conversation entirely. "Marriage."
King Freyadóttir's expression shifted with quiet surprise. "My Eirlys?"
Odin nodded.
"She knows Loki. She has known him since childhood. And perhaps, with time, she could become the person he needs beside him."
Frigga finally spoke, her voice gentle but certain. "We are not asking her to fix him. We are asking whether you would consider giving them both a chance."
Outside that chamber, Eirlys knew nothing. Neither did Thor. And Loki, sitting alone in his chambers, had no idea that his future was already being decided for him.