With his eyebrows drawn together, Heimdall stood at the highest point of the wall and looked down into the valley towards Asgard.

The night was as still as any day could ever have been.

Stars lit the darkness as the moon slowly rose. The light was like liquid silver kissing his pale skin.

It was cold. He was not shivering but could feel the world around him getting colder.

"The defence of Asgard is by far not as good as the Allfather brags about.", Heimdall said while his eyes wandered over the walls and traps that he himself had put in place. "It will be easy to strike down Odin's guardians. You don't need to worry about the common folks. Asgard will protect them with its magic."

A cool breeze danced across the wall, picked up some dust and carried it down to the roofs of the village.

As the light of the moon got caught in it it seemed like little shards of silver and glass.

This was his life's work.

The peace.

The silence.

The security.

Everything had been build by him, under the order of the Allfather. It was bizarr to look down on it and realise that everything would fall to ruins once a man died who had never cared for anything but himself, his image.

A low sound of disgust reached his ears.

Freya stood next to Heimdall.

With a grim look, the goddess glared straight into the centre of the city.

"The great lodge.", she said with resentment in her voice.

Heimdall growled in agreement.

"Not much has changed since your banishment.", he said, unconsciously reaching behind him to see if Gjallarhorn was still there.

Despite the agreement, he distrusted her. Deep down, he was just waiting for her to stick a knife in his back to steal what she needed.

Right now, that musical instrument was his only leverage. He had to play it wisely.

At least until he got what he wanted.

"Your father has changed.", she said with a tired look. "Not for the better."

For a moment he stared at her.

Freya and Heimdall were as different in appearance as night and day.

Her eyes were brown while his glowed magically.

His skin was paler than hers.

And the colour of their hair was also so completely different, golden blonde against wooden brown.

Even her tattoos were nothing like his. He wore them hidden under his clothes while hers were on her fingers for all the world to see.

No, they were not at all alike.

And yet, as a small boy, Heimdall had always seen something in her that the Allfather had denied him until this very day.

A parent.

He still remembered how she had presented Baldur to him when he had been just a few days old. She had smiled at Heimdall, called him a big brother.

Even Thor had she allowed to see the tiny boy, although the Gow of thunder had been as big and dangerous as a bear at that time.

She had tried to create a family.

Odin, however, had never made it possible.

"His obsession has already destroyed many things, hasn't it?", Heimdall asked, full of bitterness at the realisation. "So why not himself as well?"

Now it was her turn to eye him.

"You sound bitter.", she simply said. "I know how you feel."

Aggressively, he bared his teeth and huffed.

"As if you would know anything about me."

"I know that you were his most loyal. And I also knew that you had little... feelings."

One of his eyebrows rose.

"What are you implying?", he asked in a ghastly manner.

Her gaze hardened.

"You wouldn't betray Odin for a simple lover.", she said. "A mortal one to add to that. What is it, that you truly seek? Do you want to take his place?"

The thought had never crossed his mind before. Asgard knew nothing but the All-Father.

There was no god of his power, his knowledge.

But there were those who came very close to him. His sons, for example.

What would it be like to sit on the throne of all thrones?

Was it even possible that the nine kingdoms were ruled by someone other than Odin?

And even if it was possible, Heimdall could not say at that moment whether he would have wanted that position.

All he longed for was a life without loneliness.

"This mortal was made for me.", he finally replied, turning away from her. "That's all you need to know."

"I don't think-!"

"I couldn't care less what you think! And even if you don't want to believe it, if this reason is not good enough for you, it means everything to me. I'm doing this because Odin took that one person from me. And I will not let him toss me around like that any longer. No matter the cost."

Her eyes locked with his.

"I don't trust you.", she finally said. "You seem like a different Heimdall."

Bitterly, he laughed. In that moment he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Why did he care?

What reason did he have to listen to her words any longer?

All she wanted was to plant a seed of hesitation in him. She just wanted to see him falter, wanted to see him break his word.

All she needed was a reason to kill him.

"Oh, how easy it is to see right through you.", he replied in a warning voice yet so amused about her foolish attempt to trick him. "How I don't give a fuck. Freya, nothing was ever precious enough for you but your perfect little son. And where is he now? Dead."

Her face flinched.

"Don't talk about Baldur!", she hissed. "You don't deserve to speak his name."

"Very well then, queen mistletoe.", he smiled. "If I'm not allowed to question him, you are not allowed to question me. I wouldn't have put a curse on my son for protection and you wouldn't summon Ragnarök to safe your lover's life. Now that we've settled that let's get going. My feet start to fall asleep because of how boring you are."