"Damn it, babies this small aren't supposed to be this wriggly!" Heimdal, the Keeper of Bifrost, had had a great deal of experience at keeping his face impassive, but it took considerable effort to maintain the respectful, disinterested gaze while watching Odin Allfather, king of Asgard and warrior famed through the Nine Realms, struggled to deal with the tiny restless bundle in his arms.

The king glared at Heimdal. "How am I going to explain this to Frigga?" The Watcher was familiar enough with Odin to know a response was not required. It was the king's practice to use the silent sentinel as a sounding board for some of his weirder ideas. " I mean, I did plan out what to say, but what if she doesn't give me a chance to explain? I know what it looks like, it has been long enough for…What if she thinks that I…What if she thinks it's mine?"

Heimdal believed such a misunderstanding was very unlikely, for the simple reason that no Jotun woman would bed with someone as tiny as an Asgardian. And had the Allfather forgotten himself so much as to try and force himself upon one, he would now be missing quite a few choice parts of his, and not just his eye.

" Surely she would take pity on the child.."The child was indeed very small for a Jotun, so much that the Watcher suspected it was only half-Jotun. But there was no trace of any other realm upon the small face, now wrinkled in concentration as the tiny fingers explored the king's beard. " I need to figure out a good explanation before I meet with her." Odin mused. "It would be awkward indeed to spring this upon her with no warning…"

"Welcome home, dearest." The king was so startled that Heimdal reflexively reached out, fearing he would fall off the bridge. The queen stepped into their view, her eyes as bright as her smile. Odin had regained his balance, though not his composure. "It's not what it looks like!" was all he could manage, much to his later embarrassment.

Frigga raised a shapely eyebrow. "Not the Jotun infant you found and cast the glamour spell over?" Odin opened his mouth to say something, shut it with an audible snap, then managed " You know, then?" The queen sighed. "Husband mine, have you forgotten who our spies report to?" "Oh." "And that is not how you hold a baby. Give him to me." Odin was more than willing to comply.

In the queen's arms, the baby instantly quieted down, cuddling to her with the automatic trust of the very young. " They left him out in the snow to die?" Rarely had Odin heard his queen sound so openly furious. " A runt." He clarified. " Considering the state of their healing arts, he wouldn't have survived long anyway. They would have no clue how to care for an infant this delicate.""Our healers will."

One would expect a frost giant's child to feel icy cold, but this one was a warm cuddly little bundle against her. Heimdal watched in the background, none too happy at this new complication. Of course, he said nothing. He never does. The decision was made almost without discussion. When you have been husband and wife for a few centuries, you don't need a lot of words.

"Zotheyr will have to be taken into confidence. "

"Another healer too. At least two must know."

" Haera can be trusted."

" Her son was slain in the war. Faeyer would be a better choice. She is just as skilled."

" That makes five. Heimdal, us and two healers…What about the spies?"

"Memory modifying spells exist for a reason."

Odin frowned. "Wait a second, we forgot something"

"What?"

"Well, the queen is not pregnant and now there is a new little prince…"

Frigga laughed, having evidently considered this snag." You haven't been away long enough for any scandal mongering." As if anyone would dare! " I can just claim that, as regent, I believed it better to hide the fact that I was in a delicate state."

To be honest, Frigga had already determined her second pregnancy, when and if it came, would be hidden by glamour. Bearing Thor, the pain of the birthing bed was less disconcerting than the ugly unwieldiness of her form during those last couple of months.

Frigga traced a rune gently over the infant's forehead, adding another layer to the glamour spell Odin had laid upon him. Over the coming days, it would be strengthened further, but for now, this would do.

….

As the royal couple finally got to the relative privacy of the palace, a tiny blond shape came hurtling down the corridor, colliding right into the grown ups. "Daddy!" The king swung the little boy up into his arms, chuckling. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed, kiddo?"

Supposed was the keyword. No doubt the unfortunate nursemaids assigned to look after him would be in hot pursuit, trying to figure out how the little imp had given them the slip again. Odin held the child close to him, letting the small fingers twine themselves in his beard, listening as the little boy poured out all the news of his miniature world. God, how he had missed this! Thor finally stopped chattering long enough to notice what his mother held. " Wha's that?"

The king and queen of Asgard glanced at each other. You can get a lot of communication done in a glance. "Your new baby brother" Frigga said, moving closer so that Thor could get a good look.

The boy had no magic to speak of, and anyway was nowhere near old enough to begin training. He, like almost everyone of Asgard, saw a normal baby, small, wrinkled, with bright green eyes that blinked up at him.

"He's sooo small! Smaller than Sif's baby sister!"

Frigga smiled. "He will get bigger"

Thor reached out tentatively to touch this new, tiny addition to his family. The baby fingers instinctively curled around the boy's hand. The child giggled, delighted.

"How long'd it be before he's big enough to play with me?"

"A little while" He looked a bit disappointed.

"Can I hold him?" Like most kids his age, Thor's clumsiness was second only to his hyperactivity. Frigga quickly changed the subject." Come on, let's go inside, the baby would get cold out here." Odin chuckled at that.