Frigga sipped her tea gracefully while carefully observing Aegir. Unlike before, she could sense his self-confidence and the undeniable aura of kingship that surrounded him now.
She saw echoes of Odin in him—specifically, the Odin from millennia ago when he'd first claimed his throne. Young, powerful, and hungry to prove himself.
Frigga had a strong intuition that Odin might be underestimating Aegir. Under this young king's leadership, Vanaheim could reach heights truly unprecedented in its history.
After all, Aegir had soundly defeated Thor at only twenty years old. According to Loki and Sif's reports, he hadn't even used his full strength—he'd been toying with Thor in the later part. Thor, naturally, strongly disagreed with this assessment and insisted he'd only lost by "one and a half moves," whatever that meant.
"Aunt Frigga," Aegir began, then paused.
The title felt natural—she was Vanir by birth, family in the truest sense, and had treated him like a nephew since he was a child. But she was also the Queen of Asgard, and he now represented Vanaheim as its king. Some level of formality might be expected in official settings.
Frigga caught his hesitation immediately and smiled warmly. "Aegir, please. We're family, even if politics sometimes makes that complicated. You've called me aunt since you were ten years old—I see no reason to change that now."
"Thank you, Aunt Frigga," Aegir said, visibly relaxing. "I wasn't sure what protocol demanded."
"Protocol can wait outside the door," Frigga said with a dismissive wave. "Right now, I'm here as your aunt who wants to check on her nephew after his rather dramatic coronation."
"Dramatic is one word for it," Aegir replied with a slight smirk. "Though I suspect you've heard Thor's version of events."
"Oh, I've heard several versions," Frigga said, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Thor's account was particularly... colorful. According to him, you employed 'dishonorable trickery' to avoid his 'righteous hammer strikes.'"
Aegir snorted. "Righteous hammer strikes. Is that what we're calling 'wildly swinging Mjolnir while shouting' these days?"
Frigga laughed—a genuine, warm sound. "My son has many virtues, but gracefully accepting defeat is not among them. At least, not yet."
"About that," Aegir said, his expression becoming more serious. "I should apologize. I may have been a bit... excessive in how I demonstrated the power gap between us. I didn't mean to humiliate him."
"Excessive?" Frigga raised an eyebrow, her smile turning knowing. "If anything, you should have added a few more punches."
Aegir blinked, surprised. "I'm sorry, what?"
"You heard me correctly," Frigga said, setting down her teacup. "Instead of returning directly to Asgard and accepting his loss like a mature warrior, Thor decided to restore his wounded pride by invading Jotunheim without permission or authorization."
"He did what?" Aegir leaned forward.
"Invaded Jotunheim with the Warriors Three and Sif in tow," Frigga confirmed, her tone carrying exasperation. "Apparently, if he couldn't defeat you, he'd prove himself by starting a fight with Frost Giants."
"That's..." Aegir searched for words. "That's impressively stupid, even for Thor."
"Yes, well, it gets better," Frigga continued. "The invasion nearly sparked a war between Asgard and Jotunheim—again. Odin had to personally intervene through the Bifrost to extract them. He was furious."
"I can imagine," Aegir said, though privately he was calculating the political implications. If Thor's recklessness had nearly caused another war, that significantly weakened any argument Asgard might make about Vanaheim being a destabilizing force.
"Odin banished him to Midgard immediately," Frigga said, though pain flickered across her face at the admission. "Stripped him of his powers, took Mjolnir, sent him to Earth as a mortal. He's to remain there until he learns humility and wisdom."
"Harsh," Aegir commented. "Though probably necessary."
"I agree, even if it pains me as his mother," Frigga admitted. "Thor has been indulged for too long, allowed to solve every problem with his hammer. He needs to learn that being a king requires more than strength."
"Qualities you possess in abundance," Aegir said sincerely. "Which is why I've always respected you, Aunt Frigga. You see the larger picture."
Frigga smiled at the compliment but then became more serious. "Which brings me to a request, Aegir. Thor is Stubborn, proud, often foolish, but with a good heart buried under all that arrogance. I hope you keep an eye on him."
"Keep an eye on him?" Aegir repeated carefully.
"Help guide him, if the opportunity arises," Frigga clarified. "You've already proven you can match him in combat. Perhaps you can teach him things I cannot—lessons that come from a peer rather than a parent."
Aegir considered this. "You're asking me to look after him? In what capacity?"
"As an ally, perhaps even a friend," Frigga said. "I know the political situation is complicated. But Thor needs people in his life who will challenge him, who won't simply follow his lead blindly. You've already shown you are capable of doing that."
"Well, I can promise you this," Aegir said with a slight smile. "I will definitely 'take care' of Thor for the sake of long-term friendship between the Aesir and the Vanir."
He can't let Thor go down the road of becoming that overweight, depressed version he'd seen in Endgame. That future was too pathetic to contemplate.
If that day ever came, Aegir would personally take over Asgard just to prevent such a tragedy. He'd be doing the Nine Realms a favor.
Frigga smiled warmly. "Thank you. That means more to me than you know."
"Of course, Aunt Frigga," Aegir said. "We're family. And despite the political complications, I care about you. If not for you I would have been still stuck in making the Tattoos."
"Well I'm glad you think that way," Frigga said with amusement.
"I'm feeling charitable today," Aegir replied with a smirk.
Frigga's expression shifted slightly, becoming more careful. "Since we're on the subject of family and alliances, there is another matter I wanted to discuss. Skirnir approached me recently about... succession concerns."
Aegir's eye twitched. "Of course he did."
"He's not wrong to be concerned," Frigga said gently. "Vanaheim's stability depends on establishing a clear royal line. After three thousand years without one, your people need that assurance."
"I'm twenty," Aegir pointed out. "I've been king for less than a month. Can't the whole heir production schedule wait a bit?"
"In an ideal world, yes," Frigga acknowledged. "But we don't live in an ideal world."
"After discussing it with Odin," Frigga continued, her tone suggesting she was about to tread on delicate ground, "we thought it might be beneficial to suggest some potential candidates. Not as pressure, but as... options to consider."
"Options," Aegir repeated flatly. "Let me guess—politically convenient options that serve Asgard's interests as much as mine?"
"I won't deny that political considerations exist," Frigga admitted. "But I'm not here to force anyone on you, Aegir. I'm simply presenting possibilities. What you do with them is entirely your choice."
"Alright," Aegir said, deciding to hear her out. "Who did you have in mind?"
"The first candidate is Amora," Frigga said. "Also known as the Enchantress. She's a powerful sorceress, exceptionally skilled in magic—her abilities surpass even mine in several areas. She's beautiful, intelligent, and from a respected family."
Aegir knew exactly who Amora was. Charm magic specialist, manipulator extraordinaire, and sister to Lorelei the Seductress. Together, they were a disaster waiting to happen.
But he didn't immediately reject the suggestion. That would be too obvious.
"Amora has quite the reputation," Aegir said diplomatically. "Both for her magical prowess and her history."
"I'm aware of her character," Frigga said frankly. "She's ambitious, manipulative, and not always trustworthy. But she's also brilliant, powerful, and could be a significant asset if properly managed. I'm not recommending her because she's perfect—I'm mentioning her because she's available and capable."
"Available because Odin wants her out of Asgard?" Aegir guessed.
Frigga didn't deny it. "Amora has been... problematic. Her sister Lorelei even more so. Six hundred years ago, Lorelei attempted a coup using her seduction abilities. She's been imprisoned since. Amora has been under careful watch ever since."
"And now Odin sees an opportunity to make her someone else's problem," Aegir concluded.
"That's one way to look at it," Frigga admitted. "Another way is that she could genuinely help rebuild Vanaheim's magical infrastructure while being far enough from Asgard to not cause trouble there."
"And if I accept Amora, Lorelei would eventually come as a package deal," Aegir said. "Sisters tend to be inseparable, especially when one is imprisoned."
"That's a possibility," Frigga acknowledged. "Which is why I'm not pushing this suggestion strongly. I'm presenting it as one option among several."
"Several?" Aegir raised an eyebrow. "There are more candidates?"
"A few others I could mention," Frigga said. "Though honestly, Aegir, I think you should choose based on your own judgment rather than political convenience. Yes, establishing the royal line is important. But choosing the wrong person for political reasons could cause more problems than it solves."
This was why Aegir respected Frigga. Even when following Odin's orders to present candidates, she was honest about the complications and gave him room to refuse.
"I appreciate your honesty, Aunt Frigga," Aegir said sincerely. "And I will consider what you've said. But I need time to think about it. This is about the future of Vanaheim—I can't make that decision lightly."
"Of course," Frigga said with understanding. "Take all the time you need. Though I should warn you—Skirnir is remarkably persistent about this subject."
"Tell me about it," Aegir muttered. "He's mentioned it approximately eight hundred times already."
Frigga laughed. "He means well. His loyalty to you and Vanaheim is absolute."
"I know," Aegir said. "Which is why I haven't thrown him out a window yet."
They talked for a while longer—about Vanaheim's reconstruction efforts, about magical theory, about memories from when Aegir was younger and Frigga would visit to check on him. It was comfortable, familial, the kind of conversation that reminded Aegir why he valued her presence in his life.
Eventually, Frigga rose to leave. "I should return to Asgard. With Thor banished to Midgard, I worry he'll cause some new catastrophe without supervision."
"Good luck with that," Aegir said, standing to see her off. "Knowing Thor, he's probably already managed to start a fight with something."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Frigga said with a sigh. Then she pulled Aegir into a brief, warm embrace. "Take care of yourself, Aegir. And remember—you're not alone in this. Whatever complications exist between our realms, you're still family to me."
"Thank you, Aunt Frigga," Aegir said, genuinely touched. "That means more than you know."
After Frigga departed through the Bifrost, Aegir returned to his throne room, intending to finally deal with that pile of administrative work he'd been avoiding.
Not long after, Skirnir burst into the room with an expression of pure triumph.
"Your Highness! I have found an excellent candidate for queen!" he announced.
Aegir felt a sense of impending doom.
For the first time, he realized why Frigga had been smiling so mysteriously as she left. The cunning woman had brought someone with her.
After Skirnir entered, a strikingly beautiful woman followed him into the throne room.
She was tall and slender, easily over 1.7 meters, with a figure that seemed designed to attract attention. She wore a thin, elegant green dress that showed off her leg.
Her long, blonde, wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders like spun gold, and her green eyes held a seductive quality.
This was genuinely one of the most beautiful women Aegir had ever seen in either of his lives.
She smiled, her red lips parting slightly to produce a voice that was deliberately enticing. "Amora greets the Sea Lord of Vanaheim."
Skirnir raised his eyebrows at Aegir enthusiastically, as if to say, Not bad, right?
Aegir was absolutely speechless.
Between the entirety of Asgard and Vanaheim, couldn't they produce a single normal woman as a candidate? Did it have to be a seductress with a imprisoned sister and enough magical power to level cities?