The All-Father and the Youngest
The chamber was silent.
No guards.
No court.
No audience.
Only Odin and Alexander.
They stood on the balcony overlooking Asgard, the golden city glowing beneath the twilight sky.
Odin spoke first.
"That match," he said calmly, "was not about victory."
Alexander nodded. "I know."
Odin turned slightly, studying his youngest son.
"Tell me," Odin said, voice steady, "do you desire the throne of Asgard?"
Alexander did not hesitate.
"No."
The answer was simple. Certain.
"I don't want to be king," Alexander continued. "That fight wasn't to challenge you. It wasn't to prove I should rule."
He met Odin's gaze.
"It was so you would know… I can protect myself."
Silence followed.
Then—
Odin smiled.
Not as All-Father.
As a father.
"…I see," Odin said quietly.
He placed a hand on Alexander's shoulder.
"You have no hunger for crowns," Odin said. "Only the strength to walk your own path."
He nodded once.
"That is enough."
Odin turned back toward the city.
"I already have an heir who seeks glory," he added dryly.
"And another who seeks understanding."
Alexander smiled faintly.
An Unspoken Understanding
Odin did not warn him.
Did not command him.
Did not restrain him.
Because Odin understood now—
Alexander's power was not ambition-driven.
It was self-contained.
And that made it far more dangerous… and far more trustworthy.
Thor Interrupts
The door burst open.
"BROTHER!"
Thor strode in, energy barely contained.
"You fought Father," Thor said, eyes blazing. "Properly."
Alexander winced slightly.
"And I didn't," Thor continued. "I want a real spar."
Odin sighed.
Alexander looked at Thor.
"…You're serious?"
Thor grinned. "Completely."
Loki appeared in the doorway, arms crossed.
"This will end poorly," Loki remarked. "For someone."
Thor ignored him.
"Tomorrow," Thor declared. "No holding back."
Alexander considered it.
Then nodded.
"…Okay."
Thor's grin widened impossibly.
Closing
Odin watched them go.
One son chasing strength.
One chasing truth.
And one—
Walking neither path,
yet mastering both.
"…The future," Odin murmured,
"is in good hands."