I Am Zeus-Chapter 51: Frigg And Hera

The naming ceremony began with the low chanting of Skalds, their voices echoing through the towering halls of Gladsheim like a river flowing under moonlight. Thin incense smoke curled towards the high timber beams, carrying scents of pine resin and ironwood bark. Thor stood proudly at Odin’s side, while Loki lingered behind a carved wolf pillar, eyes narrowed in quiet observation.

After the rites and blessings were spoken, and after the last of the attending gods had paid their respects to Odin’s newborn son cradled in Frigg’s arms, Odin turned to Zeus with his single eye steady and unreadable.

"Walk with me," he said in his gravel-deep voice.

Zeus inclined his head slightly, his golden hair sliding over his broad shoulders. He turned to Hera, resting his massive hand lightly on her arm.

"I will return soon."

Hera nodded once, her face still and cold as marble, before stepping back to stand beside Frigg. Odin led Zeus out through the tall bronze doors at the end of the hall, their footsteps echoing along the rune-carved walkway leading towards the outer courtyards.

As the doors closed behind them, Frigg turned slightly to Hera, her pale blue eyes soft with curiosity that hid something sharper beneath.

"You have never been to Asgard before," she said quietly, her voice calm as falling snow.

Hera did not respond, simply folded her hands before her crimson robes, her dark gaze fixed on the flickering braziers ahead.

Frigg’s smile curved faintly, though her eyes remained cool. "It is rare for the queen of Olympus to leave her halls... though I hear you are not the queen. Not truly."

Hera’s eyes flickered towards her, unblinking and cold. "What are you implying?"

Frigg tilted her head slightly, her braided gold hair shifting across her wolf-fur lined cloak. "Simply that it is Metis who wears the crown of Olympus... and yet here you are, standing in her place beside Zeus. Curious, isn’t it?"

Hera’s jaw tightened, though her expression did not change. "And how would you know who rules Olympus, Asgardian?"

Frigg’s smile widened softly, though it did not reach her eyes. "Spies, dear Hera. Every realm has them. Even yours."

Hera’s lips curved into a faint, sharp smile. "That will be the first thing I change... when I become queen. I will rid Olympus of every eye that does not belong to me."

Frigg’s gaze narrowed slightly, though her smile did not fade. "Careful, Lady of Olympus. Eyes can hide in shadows... but shadows live within you too."

Hera said nothing, only turned away to watch the hall where Loki now crouched, whispering to the new baby with a cunning grin on his thin lips. Frigg watched Hera for a moment longer, her gaze quiet and knowing, before turning back to her son.

Outside, the morning sun glowed pale gold across Asgard’s high courtyards. Frost lingered along the stone balustrades, melting under the rising warmth. Odin and Zeus walked side by side along the wolf-guarded ramparts overlooking the distant Bifröst bridge that shimmered faintly against the blue sky.

Neither spoke at first. Odin’s single eye was fixed on the horizon where the rainbow bridge met the clouds, his heavy black cloak trailing behind him. Zeus watched the towers of Asgard, their runed walls older than any mortal kingdom, their spears of ironwood crowned with banners that fluttered silently in the high breeze.

"You rule a quiet realm," Zeus said at last, his deep voice rolling like distant thunder across the stone.

Odin chuckled faintly, the sound low and without mirth. "Quiet now, perhaps. But never peaceful. Asgard stands on the edge of every war... mortal or divine."

Zeus nodded, his golden eyes narrowing faintly as he looked down at the training courtyards below. Young Einherjar warriors sparred in silent formations, their spear shafts flickering with faint blue runelight with each careful movement.

"I have never been here," Zeus said. "I have heard much of Asgard... but Olympus has kept me busy."

Odin’s gaze flicked sideways to him, his single eye sharp under his iron brow. "Olympus keeps many busy. Even those who do not wish to be."

Zeus glanced at him, studying the old god’s heavy frame, the deep lines carved into his weathered face. "You speak from experience."

Odin did not answer at first, simply stopped at the edge of the rampart, his hand resting lightly against the carved wolf-head rail. Below them, the halls of Gladsheim glowed with torchlight as servants moved to prepare the afternoon feast.

"I have lived long, King of Olympus," Odin said at last, his voice low. "Long enough to know that gods rule... but are never free. Duty binds tighter than chains."

Zeus watched him quietly, the breeze lifting strands of his golden hair across his face. "And what would you do... if those chains broke?"

Odin’s mouth curved faintly, though his smile was thin and cold. "I would forge new ones. The world needs its chains. Without them, there is nothing but chaos."

Zeus looked away, his eyes darkening with quiet storms as he watched a pair of ravens wheel through the cold sky above the towers. Huginn and Muninn circled once before diving down towards the feast halls below, their black feathers gleaming in the pale sun.

"Olympus is changing," Zeus said softly. "Faster than I can command it. Faster than even Metis can guide it."

Odin grunted softly, his gaze returning to the horizon. "Change is a tide, Zeus. You can dam it. You can ride it. But you can never stop it."

For a long moment, they stood in silence, two kings beneath a pale Asgardian sky, each bound in chains of duty and pride, neither willing to name them aloud.

Finally, Odin turned, his heavy cloak swirling around his boots as he walked back towards the high doors of Gladsheim.

"Come," he said. "The feast awaits. There will be mead enough to drown any thoughts of duty."

Zeus followed him, his footsteps silent but heavy, the scent of pine smoke drifting around him as the gates of Asgard’s great hall opened before them.

And far behind, on the balcony overlooking the courtyard, Frigg stood watching them with quiet eyes, her pale hair stirring in the wind as Loki crept beside her, whispering secrets only he knew to the silent shadows gathering under the rising sun.

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