It turns out that the upper closets, located above the regular wardrobe, which Frigga used only for storage, are holding a wide range of male attire, rivaling the one below in elegance and taste. Becoming rather exited, Loki does the children the favor of putting on some of the outfits they pick, until finally deciding on a mix between their suggestions and his own liking. He even favors dressing up in a more nautical theme, putting on a tricorn with a feather, and allows the little boy to address him with Captain Loki, as a treat. He has to smile at himself in the mirror, proud at his manly reflection, and grins over the memory of the clownish Captain America he had to step up against, looking more like a dolled up harlequin than someone military.
After calling for the servants to switch the whereabouts of the male with the female clothes, he eagerly joins Thor on his quest to pick a matching outfit to compliment his own. It is a good excuse to snoop around in the king's room, which also looks very different from how he remembers. But when he does the same with Lanay and Albor, he again feels a lump forming in his throat, seeing their old playrooms and studies reformed to fit the new princess and prince. He again notices the many changes, showing him that his brother and his alter ego must favor a more individualistic approach to parenting, giving the children ample opportunities to explore themselves, and try out a wide range of past times and crafts, to find what best suits them. He thus hurries to agree on their own attempt of picking out suitable attire, making them both smile with pride, and Thor gaze at him anew with lovely eyes.
When they finally go out, not few of the servants and guards give them admiring looks, and when even some of the other attendants of the royal theater hush their compliments as they bow to their kings, Loki walks with even more elation, enjoying the positive attention. He still has to cause some mischief, when they move to take their seats at the royal loge, passing other aristocrats, and Fandral of the Warriors Three, sitting there with a disappointed frown, next to an empty seat. He walks up to him, satisfied to see the foxy warrior bow his head at once to address him: “Oh, my lord, what an honor. I had not expected you to be here tonight!” “Oh, you had not? But would I want to miss this performance, seeing how much the story means to the two of us?”, Loki replies with a smirk. Fandral furrows his brows, and Thor stops to eye him with a questioning expression, so the trickster continues: “As a matter of fact, why do you not come and sit with me? I can arrange for the loge's drapes to be closed, shrouding us in obscurity, the way the willow used to do!”
Now Fandral's face turns redder than his hair, and he stutters: “Oh, but, but my lord, I had no idea it was you! I was only joking, wishing to impress a lady!” On cue, Loki turns himself into a copy of the woman Fandral had been flirting with, and mimicking her voice pouts: “Oh, so it was a lie? You are not really a good kisser?” “What is all this about?!”, Thor now demands with jealous eyes, while his friend tries to amend his perception: “Oh, but my king, as I said, I had no idea it was Loki! I only saw a lovely lady I wished to woe, and thus I tried to tell her an interesting tale! It did not work, she... he left me standing at the willow, nothing happened!” Loki still wants to play with the warrior, squirming under Thor's glare, and thus changing back into his current state, he puts a finger to his mouth, as if trying to recall something, musing: “Well, not today anyways, but... what was that about us spending hours making out under the tree's branches? Did you not teach me everything I know about passionate osculation?”
He then walk on to join the children, already waiting at the loge, to let Thor deal with his friend alone. He does half register his brother growling at the redhead, but then focuses his attention back on stage, where an usher walks out to announce: “People of Asgard, it is with great pride, that once again, the royal theater has the honor of performing before the royal family! Their majesties, king Loki, king Thor, princess Lanay, and prince Albor are present! Please pay your respect to them!” The Jötunn prince is a bit shocked, when a bright light is shined at the royal loge, but then straightens himself up, smiling confidently, as Thor joins his side, while the whole theater rises to bow to them, and give a round of applause to welcome them. And they do not stop. It thrills Loki to bask in this air of homage paid towards him and his family, and he savors the pleasant feeling it invokes in him.
But then, as he catches a glance of Thor, giving him a queer look, he waves at the crowd to stop, and they actually pipe down nearly instantly, but do not turn away. Almost as if they wait for a final blessing by their king. And so he exclaims loudly: “Well, as much as I appreciate the attention, let us enjoy tonight's performance, what say ye?” The crowd bursts into a mixture of relieved laughter, and amused chuckles, and the spotlight returns to the stage, leaving Loki to hide his happy smile in the returning shadows, as he sits down in the comfortable armchair that would fit a family. Until he realizes that that was the intention, as Thor moves to sit next to him, leaving a gap, where the children take their seats. It's a new shock to him, and for a second he considers raising his voice to demand that they take a chair of their own. But then the curtain rises, and he is left to marvel again at this form of upbringing, that is so different from his own.
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Sitting next to their father, or better supposed father, Odin, was a special treat the boys had to compete for, and it wasn't something regular, that they would be able to demand. He recalls that Frigga was not as keen on this etiquette as the allfather, and when Loki was still very little, she had allowed him to sit on her lap. Either while she read him a story, or sometimes just as she did her needlework, listening to his childish concerns, or tall tales he'd invent to boast before her. When his father was present however, he would sneer at this unmanly display of affection, and so the only time him or Thor were allowed some physical contact to their parents, was while they'd congratulate them to an achievement. Or when their father was drunken and joyful, having them sit on his lap to tell them of his adventures.
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But the new king of Asgard doesn't hold with his father's ways. Perhaps out of his love to Loki? 'I thought you hated Odin's line of thinking!', he had said, 'This was what Odin would say.', and 'Have you forgiven Odin for robbing you of your people?' He called him Odin. Loki suddenly realizes, that his brother has not mentioned the allfather as such, or as their or even just his father once. As if he wanted to put some distance between himself and the old king. More and more questions start to form in Loki's head, but he chases them away, and returns his attention towards the play.
A play written about his fable. Perhaps he even wrote it himself. And the drama does entice him, raptures him, so much so, he hardly consumes any of the snacks spread out next to him, unlike Thor. And the children, who also move to sit on the little foot rest, as it is closer to the stage. But even they stay at the edge of their seats, feeling for the poor peacock, hiding his beauty behind the willow's branches, so that the proud lion always outshines him. The actors give it their everything, and the musical setting underlines the performance so well, it moves Loki to tears, when the actor playing the peacock cries: “Do you not see? I have noone! I am alone!” Just then he feels his hand being grabbed, and as he turns to look at Thor, he is surprised to see a shimmer in his eyes as well, as he bends over to whisper to him: “You have me now! And I will never again put anything above you, Loki!” The Frost Giant has to turn his face back towards the play, to hide how much all this overwhelms him, and unable to protest, he lets Thor give him a round of tender kisses on his hand, until the curtain falls and he can withdraw it to clap.
The second act holds some more rather moving scenes, and at one point the little boy even returns to his fathers' seat, to give 'Captain Loki' a compassionate hug, throwing the trickster off guard. So he gives his considerate, tiny look-alike a pat on the head, grateful to have him leave soon after, as he rejoins his sister at the front, to gobble up the remaining sweets. Loki is a little confused when this act ends with how he had written his fable to close all those years ago, leaving the peacock trapped in its unlucky fate, feeling isolated and forgotten. An ending worthy of a tragedy, and he can see that some of the other theater goers are moved to tears at this, especially the attending children. And then he wonders. Had the woman Fandral wanted to invite not said she thought is was a play for children? How could this be a suitable bedtime story for a youngling, when even the adults had trouble coping? Though it does comfort him to see that others are able to relate to his struggles and emotions, even if only through the eyes of a fictitious bird.
But a play would usually have at least three acts, and as his story is now over, Loki wonders what everyone is waiting for, so he remains seated too. And then the third act begins. The Jötunn prince is astonished, how well this added piece of art fits his original story, even though it puts it on its head completely. Instead of suffering his unjust conditions for the rest of his life, the noble bird makes a final attempt at rebelling against the all powerful sun, joining an alliance with the proud lion of all people. But gathering more and more followers, as he proves to find solutions to their problems, that neither they, nor their king have come up with. And finally, even the sun has to admit that the peacock's cleverness, partially stemming from observing each and all from the shadows all his life, is unmatched by his own, and so he gets to shine for himself, taking the place he deserves, the lion by his side as a trusted friend.
⭐⭐⭐
Loki understands how he is to take this ending, and it frustrates him anew. Why could he not be a king without Thor? Why not give him what was rightfully his, if the others could even see his genius? He ignores the growing possibility, that his other self might in fact have chosen this life for himself, because he wanted it. Instead, he orders some more delectables for himself, to be brought up to his room, as he still feels a bit unfulfilled, and wants to indulge himself for comfort. Thor's stupid, content grin, as he hears him ask for yet another feast, also unnerves him, wondering why he seems so pleased.
As much as he appreciates and enjoys this reality, it still seems too fantastic to him, that he, Loki, prince of Asgard, heir of Jothunheim, God of Mischief, Illusions, and Lies, would ever settle for his own brother as a partner, and willing to share the throne with him. There had to be some other explanation, something hidden, more sinister. Either of his own doing, playing the long game, biding his time, acting as the obedient mutt, licking at his brother's heel... or this world's Loki has been intimidated so much by the allfather and his magic, that he castrated himself, hopefully only figuratively, to be content with the role of the king's mistress.
Pretending to suffer from a sudden headache, Loki thus excuses himself, leaving the theater in the middle of the encore, and Thor to tend to the children, that stare after him with worried faces. Back in his chambers, he moves to fill himself up with more goodies, and also packs some away in a bundle, ready to take with him, should he need to leave in a hurry. Which seems less and less likely, as he already spend an entire day in this reality, taking someone else's place, without anyone noticing, and without getting challenged by his alter ego.
He slowly starts to really worry what might have happened to them, and if whatever threat caused them to disappear was still around and out to get him too. Nervous, but also extremely tired, Loki gets ready for bed, freshening up to relax more, and then choosing one of the lighter, more casual night robes to wear. He also puts a stack of fresh clothes in the bundle, along with the hidden tesseract, just in case. Then he crawls into the comfy sheets of his late mother's bed, and drifts off into a nervous sleep.
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